"I’m always going to be going big"

As one of three Red Bull athletes invited to compete in more than one discipline at the 2007 Winter X Games, Simon Dumont will surely serve up a couple of impressive performances in Skiing Slopestyle and Skiing Superpipe. He’ll no doubt be looking to reclaim the top spot in the pipe, having previously earned X Games gold twice in that event, and he’s committed to moving way up in the ranks in Slopestyle as well. He’s coming off an authoritative win in Pipe at stop one of the Ski Tour, so the stage is set for a battle with Red Bull teammate Tanner Hall and the rest of the pipe competitors to see who leaves Aspen with some new hardware. We caught up to Simon at the U.S. Open to get his thoughts on Winter X, the Ski Tour and his plans for the future.

What did you do in the off-season?

In the off-season, I went to New Zealand and Whistler, and in the early season I went to Keystone and Breckenridge. I haven’t been skiing that much halfpipe, just trying to hit some jumps and get a little bit stronger for the season.

Do you take contests pretty seriously?

Yeah, I’m young right now, so I figure I’ll do the competition thing, establish myself, and when I get a little bit older, start focusing more on shooting [film]. I want to be an all-around skier, not just focused on one thing.

If they both go well, it’s not too bad. If I have a bad time in Pipe or a bad time in Slopestyle, it’s going to mess with my headgame a little bit. It’s not too hard on my body, though.

Do you train for each event differently?

I’ve been trying to train a little more in Slopestyle, since I’m not really recognized as a Slopestyle skier.

How do you feel going into Winter X this year?

I just came off the Ski Tour and it went well, so hopefully I can pull that momentum through the next couple of competitions.

What are your goals for the contest?

I’m actually at the U.S. Open right now, so hopefully I can podium at both of these events. In Aspen, I want to win Pipe, and I’m hoping for a podium or top five in Slopestyle, for sure.

How is Winter X different than other contests?

It’s different in Slopestyle, because if you relate it to the U.S. Open, there’s more coverage, more TV. With Halfpipe, now that the [four-stop] Ski Tour is around, it takes some of the pressure off of the X Games event. It used to be that you had to do well there or your whole comp season was no good.

How do you blow off steam or deal with pressure at contests?

I don’t know… I usually practice too much, that’s my main problem. Even if I have my run dialed, I just keep doing it over and over. I just tire myself out. I’m trying to smarten up, get a little wiser with age. I’m trying to learn how to deal with pressure a little bit differently. My mom’s like a shrink, so she tells me breathing exercises and stuff.

How do you feel about competing against Tanner Hall? Does it push you harder?

Yeah, he’s good, but he’s just another skier out there, you know? He’s a sick athlete, but it’s still the same gameplan. Any one of the guys at the X Games can take it; they qualified and they’re there for a reason. Any one of them can have their day and end up on the podium. I’m watching out for everybody.

What are your strengths and weaknesses in both events?

In Slopestyle, I might not have the most technical runs, but I usually feel pretty consistent. My weakness would be the technical side. In Halfpipe, I guess I could probably be a little more technical there, too. I’m usually a little conservative, but I’m always going to be going big; that’s a little easier to me than throwing a twelve or a switch hit. I’m more comfortable with that.

Has living in Colorado this season made a difference?

I just came here for the early season, but I trained a little bit more, Slopestyle-wise, more than I have before. It’s made me a little more confident.

How was stop one of the Ski Tour?

I think it went well; there was so much stuff going on with the concerts and everything. The contest ran pretty smoothly, we had as much practice as we needed, maybe even too much. But everything seemed to run smoothly. The pipe was cut well, it was organized well… I think it’s huge. One, it’s taking the pressure off of performing at the X Games, two, it’s a good push toward the Olympics, and three, it gives us more exposure to more and different outlets. Kipp [Nelson]’s getting a lot of cool people there to watch the event and maybe appreciate it a little bit more. Maybe some people who wouldn’t otherwise see the event.

What are your plans for the rest of the season?

Finish up the Ski Tour, do Jon Olsson’s event, the European Open, and whenever I’m not competing, I’ll hopefully be shooting, trying to get a video segment together.

What are your goals for the next few years?

I just want to stay competitive for the next few years and move into shooting for films. I’ve also started driving rally cars a little bit—that’d be something fun to pursue. There’s a school in New Hampshire; I actually went there with Red Bull for a day, and I started talking with the guys there, so I might be able to start going there for some training.