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Mark Abma
Lives
Pemberton, BC
Personal description
One of the greatest parts of the Helly Hansen team is the eclectic collection of personalities. It’s interesting to see how often an athlete’s personality is mirrored in their riding style. Mark is a perfect example of this. He is easy going and willing to try anything, which may be a big part of why you can see him doing everything from ripping huge turns over fatal exposure and spinning off huge Alaskan cliffs, floating through epic BC pillow lines, to stomping rodeo 9’s in the park. Mark is also someone who exhibits passion for whatever he’s doing, which is probably why he slays so hard in any of these environments. The fact that he’s strong as hell with ridiculous natural talent might not hurt either.
Mark’s latest endeavors revolve around saving the planet, or at least leaving a smaller footprint. This season he launched 1step, a foundation to help consult and direct environmental initiatives at ski resorts. So next time you are near a snowcat or mountain shuttle and smell French fries instead of choking on diesel fumes, Mark might be the one to thank.
Check out the latest at http://www.1stepnow.org
Q&A
Which trip has inspired you the most from the past season, and why?
India was definitely the most inspirational trip. The people I met were humble, open minded and super friendly.
Any guesses on what the next fad/style will be in the world of skiing?
Well, we’ve seen neon and tight clothing, the whack one pieces and now we’re going the era of either super baggy or super tight. Through all of these phases there is one type of skier on the hill that has remained true, and that is the dirt bag. I’d like to think that the ‘dirt bag’ that has remained under the radar for decades will lead the way into a new era of style on and off the hill.
As for music what’s striking your chord these days?
These days I’m super into sounds from people like: DJ Shadow, Tommy Guerrero, Cut Chemist, and Slightly Stoopid. And from time to time I’m super into: The Doors, Neil Young, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, etc.
You filmed a lot in BC last year, does it help to be close to home?
It helps to be close to home, just because home happens to be the Whistler area. Whistler has numerous trailheads for snowmobiling that bring you to some of the sickest zones around, a world-class ski resort, and if you’re really hungry you can hop in a heli.
1 devise, object, or possession was the best purchase of the year?
New house!
What project’s or additions do you have going on in your residence these days in Squamish?
Right now I’ve got 3,000 pounds of cedar sitting in the garage that we’re going to be cutting up, plaining and sanding into some pimp coffee tables, end tables and dining room tables. Once we’ve cleared that space in the garage, we’ll start working on concrete countertops
Can you describe a day in the life with you and your friends start to finish and why you roll with these boys?
It's pretty hard to describe a day in the life because no one-day is really alike. But the reason I roll with the guys I do is because we're all into driving around the bush, downhill mountain biking, kite boarding, golf/wiffle golfing, chainsaws, and chillin' whenever need be.
The perfect "triple word score"?
I can't say what the perfect' score is but I can say I've picked up 45 points with ozone.'
If you had to trap a mouse without using a conventional trap type, how would you go about handling the situation?
Now we all know that a mouse can't resist their chunk of cheese. Some of you may or may not know that nothing goes with a chunk of cheese better than some wine. If any of you have watched the movie Dumbo' then you'll remember the scene when that circus freak of a mouse hops in the barrel of wine and gets wasted. With that being said, I'd throw a few chunks of garlic swiss on a plate with a saucer of white wine next to it that would be sure to put him on his ass. If any of you have had a hangover from wine before know that the next day you're not moving. That's where I come back to pick up this little vermin and toss him to my neighbours cat to have his way with him.
If you just found 10 bucks today on the road what would you do with it?
I'd use 1.25 and hop on the local transit bus, get dropped off downtown, walk into Taco Del Mar, order a jumbo fish burrito for 8.75 and call it done.
Slice or hook?
Some people may call it a slice, I prefer to call it a fade.
Respect your?
SELF
