Caroline Beliard

Caroline Beliard

Biography:

Caroline Beliard has been holding it down for the girls for a few years already, flying the O’Neill flag high wherever she rides. First choosing to balance her studies with a professional snowboarding career was definitely a sign of how determined and level-headed this girl is.
Already a force to be reckoned with in the half pipe, on the rails and in the park and having made her mark on the TTR World Tour, Caroline has spent the past two seasons gaining a reputation as one of the world’s top backcountry girls with numerous film roles and consistently holding her own against the guys.
For the season ahead, in addition to continuing her backcountry development, Caroline is heading back to the competition circuit with full force in preparation for the Olympics in France in two years time.

Photos:
Surfeuses '08
Latest on Caroline Beliard: related products: Interview

INTERVIEW WITH CAROLINE BELLIARD
WHEN: 20/08/2008
WHERE: Cream Café, Hossegor, France

I grew up half in the mountains and half by the sea. When I was younger I didn’t stay in one place for longer than two months at a time. My parents liked to travel. When I was about 8 years old, we travelled in a caravan for three years around the world. We started in Europe, then Africa, then America and then South America.
I started skiing when I was two years old. My sister was snowboarding and going to all the competitions. She pushed me to do everything and would take me to all the competitions.
I got bored of ski competitions and started snowboarding when I was 15. From the first time I tried it, I stopped skiing. I was 15 years old.
Three months after II started doing competitions. I didn’t want to go back to skiing. There is nothing like a powder turn on a snowboard.
When I was 16 years old I moved from the Pyrenees to the Alps. I just wanted to snowboard. It was a sports school for three years. You have 6 months of school and 6 months of snowboarding. I met a great group of friends there.
I was competing during that time – mainly halfpipe. I started quarterpipe last year and I actually prefer it. But I would love to compete for my country in the Olympic games and that is halfpipe. So that is going to be my focus.

I spent the last two years concentrating on backcountry riding. I am essentially not really a ‘competition girl’. I love being in nature, being away from all the chairlifts and all the people. I love all the originality and artistic side in things like snowboarding and it’s also in things like skateboarding.
There is loads of original stuff – it is the best way.

Saying that, when I am focused on nature, I just want to win. I can go in there with a strong determination. If I am going to do that, I am going to want to win.

Last year, which was mainly backcountry and film parts I travelled non-stop. I was in Chile in September, Austria in October, USA in November, Canada in December, Europe in January, Canada in February, March and April I was on a road trip in the USA and inn the summer I came down here to Hossegor.

I stopped literally for one week. At the end of the road trip, I caught up with my best friend who lives in Los Angeles, and we went down to Mexico for a week and went surfing.

I don’t get tired from the travelling because I like to move around a lot. I do get a bit tired at the end of the season thought from having all my bags which weigh about 60 kilos!
And having to live out of a suitcase. However as soon as I go home for two weeks I Igo crazy and want to move again! My mom still travels a lot.
Snoawboarding isn’t really treavellinng. You go ot a different ski area each time. It is different when you go somewhere like Chile and you travel around the country and you meet loads of amazing people. I also went to Brazil last year when I was there. I guess in the summer you have more time to explore rather than just travel to a location.

After snowboarding? That is something I really have to think about. Snowbaording can stop anytime. I have friends who had sponsors last year, and this year they suddenly don’t. I have been snowboarding since I was 15. Now I am 24. And it’s an amazing life. But I guess you have to think about other things as well.
I am training to be a yoga instructor and also doing some fitness coaching. Whatever I do I would like it to be around sport.

Over the two months when I am not snowboarding I concentrate on my fitness. It’s hard to do backgrountry. You have to stay fir. And I need to train a lot. The thing about backcountry is you first work hard at shaping, then you ride,and then  you have to walk and hike. It’s also hard because I have always been riding with guys since I was young. You have to make your neame with your guys. Once thye havev accepted you, you still have to prove yourself a little bit.
I like riding with a group of guys – there are never any problems! Sometimes it works becauses they push me – as you would imagine. But also sometimes it stops me. I think I can’t do that like them. But then you have to realise that they are built differently. And there are going to be some things that as a girl I am never going to be able to do.

This season I am going to concentrate on the TTR and do the whole tour. I need to get points together for the Olypmics. I want to continue to film as well. IT helps me progress in the sport. The thing about backcountry is every time you jump it is different. You have to thin about everything – the take off the landing the jump, the snow coniditions the steepness, everything. In the park, it is all shaped and done for you in the same format every time so you don’t progress nearly as much.

This season we have tow events in Europe hten its out to Japan, then off ot the USA. 

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