Eider friends : snowsports
Matthias Giraud
The expatriate rider
Matthias was born in Normandie, France on September 24th 1983. He grew up skiing in Saint Gervais Mont Blanc and raced until the age of 19.
He always wanted to be a big mountain skier and to be able to do everything on skis. His heroes growing up were Bruno Compagnet, Seb Michaud and Seth Morrison. He loved racing but he was spending more time jumping off cliffs, doing backflips and 360s than actually hitting gates!
He started competing in skier cross, big air events, and derbies at 16 years old. Four years later, he moved to Durango, Colorado to turn his dreams into reality and ride the fluffy Colorado powder.
He started shooting with Tom Stillo, entered the US extreme, shot with Sven Brunso, Scott D.W Smith, Ben Eng and Kennan Harvey. Pictures started getting published in the US and abroad and he started living the dream!
When he is not skiing, he spends most of his time jumping out of planes, mountain biking, hiking, training and trying to get his adrenaline anywhere he can!
The expatriate rider
2007: 7th Stihl Colorado Freeride Series, Aspen, CO, USA.
Semi-finalist US Extreme Freeskiing Championships, Crested Butte, CO, USA.
US Freeskiing Open, Telluride, CO, USA.
2006: US Extreme Freeskiing Championship: semi-finalist, Crested Butte, Colorado.
2004: US Extreme Freeskiing Championship, Crested Butte, Colorado.
2001: Snow n’dj Tour, Les Arcs, France.
1999: Derby de la Longue Lanière Saint Nicolas, France.
1998: Derby de la Longue Lanière Saint Nicolas, France.
Press: Skiing Magazine, Backcountry Magazine, Colorado Ski, Couloir, Ski & Board (UK) etc.
Home mountains: Saint Gervais Mont Blanc (French Alps), San Juan (USA).
Favorite U.S ski areas: Silverton Mountain, CO & Kirkwood, CA.
Favorite ski areas around the world: Chamonix, St Gervais Mont Blanc, France and Craigie Burn and Mount Olympus, New Zealand.
Photographers: Sven Brunso, Scott D.W Smith, Tom Stillo, Ben Eng & Kennan Harvey.
Other activities: Surfing, Skydiving, hiking, and training.
www.matthiasgiraud.com
