{"id":44266,"date":"2024-01-31T12:30:55","date_gmt":"2024-01-31T11:30:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/w3mountain.com\/interview-dominique-perret-founder-of-wemountain-we-needed-to-completely-rethink-the-box\/"},"modified":"2026-02-19T08:19:47","modified_gmt":"2026-02-19T07:19:47","slug":"interview-dominique-perret-founder-of-wemountain-we-needed-to-completely-rethink-the-box","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/w3mountain.com\/en\/interview-dominique-perret-founder-of-wemountain-we-needed-to-completely-rethink-the-box\/","title":{"rendered":"Interview: Dominique Perret, Co-Founder of WEMountain, \u201cWe needed to completely rethink the box\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"44266\" class=\"elementor elementor-44266 elementor-44237\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-8fd813c elementor-section-stretched elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"8fd813c\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;,&quot;stretch_section&quot;:&quot;section-stretched&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-background-overlay\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-6cf6857\" data-id=\"6cf6857\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-inner-section elementor-element elementor-element-5074716 elementor-section-full_width elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"5074716\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-b4aac31\" data-id=\"b4aac31\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-dc56aa7 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"dc56aa7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.16.0 - 09-10-2023 *\/\n.elementor-heading-title{padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title[class*=elementor-size-]>a{color:inherit;font-size:inherit;line-height:inherit}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-small{font-size:15px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-medium{font-size:19px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-large{font-size:29px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xl{font-size:39px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xxl{font-size:59px}<\/style><h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Interview: Dominique Perret, Co-Founder of WEMountain, \u201cWe needed to completely rethink the box\u201d<\/h1>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-inner-section elementor-element elementor-element-dd71416 elementor-section-full_width elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"dd71416\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-1fc4da3\" data-id=\"1fc4da3\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5fe460b elementor-author-box--layout-image-left elementor-author-box--align-left elementor-widget elementor-widget-author-box\" data-id=\"5fe460b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"author-box.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<link rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https:\/\/w3mountain.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/elementor-pro\/assets\/css\/widget-theme-elements.min.css\">\t\t<div class=\"elementor-author-box\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"http:\/\/www.mathieuros.fr%20\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"elementor-author-box__avatar\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/w3mountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/6391d763c589e-bpfull.webp\" alt=\"Mathieu Ros Medina\" loading=\"lazy\">\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-author-box__text\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"http:\/\/www.mathieuros.fr%20\" target=\"_blank\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-author-box__name\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMathieu Ros Medina\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-author-box__bio\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p> Mathieu Ros Medina is passionate about mountain, ski and snowbard. He has more than 15 years of experience as journalist in the field.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7dae48c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"7dae48c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.16.0 - 09-10-2023 *\/\n.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:#69727d;color:#fff}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap{color:#69727d;border:3px solid;background-color:transparent}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap{margin-top:8px}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap-letter{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap{float:left;text-align:center;line-height:1;font-size:50px}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap-letter{display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<p class=\"p1\"><em>Dominique Perret is a freeride legend who helped pioneer the sport in the early \u201980s, using film to shift freeride skiing into high gear. Perret is also famous for taking fast and furious to incredible heights, setting a world record for cliff jumping in 1990, and clocking in at more than 210 km\/h (about 131 mph) on the Portillo speed-skiing track in 1991. In 2000, he was named Best Freeride Skier of the Century at the Board Awards in Paris. The Swiss Jura native was practically born with skis strapped to his feet. With over 28 films under his belt anda long and fruitful career that took him to some of the most beautiful slopes on the planet (including Everest\u2019s North Face), he wanted to give a little something back. He founded WEMountain and dedicated himself to mountain safety. In this interview, he gives us the inside scoop on his passion for snow and speed, WEMountain, and how it all began.    <\/em><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b0f3061 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"b0f3061\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.16.0 - 09-10-2023 *\/\n.elementor-widget-image{text-align:center}.elementor-widget-image a{display:inline-block}.elementor-widget-image a img[src$=\".svg\"]{width:48px}.elementor-widget-image img{vertical-align:middle;display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1500\" height=\"1000\" src=\"https:\/\/w3mountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/87V1548.jpg\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048 wp-image-44146\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/w3mountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/87V1548.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/w3mountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/87V1548-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/w3mountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/87V1548-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/w3mountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/87V1548-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/w3mountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/87V1548-624x416.jpg 624w, https:\/\/w3mountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/87V1548-50x33.jpg 50w, https:\/\/w3mountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/87V1548-100x67.jpg 100w, https:\/\/w3mountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/87V1548-600x400.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ca53a88 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"ca53a88\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong><span class=\"TextRun MacChromeBold SCXW176720309 BCX8\" lang=\"FR-FR\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW176720309 BCX8\">Mathieu Ros<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW176720309 BCX8\"> (MR): <\/span><\/span><\/strong><b>Dominique, tell us a bit about your story, your skiing adventures, and how they led you here today.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><strong>Dom:<\/strong> I was born in 1962 into a family of skiers. My father was a contemporary of Jean Vuarnet and a Swiss Olympic champion in his own right. We lived not 500 metres from a little ski lift that stayed open at night. When we were kids, if we worked hard at school, we were allowed to go skiing with our friends. To make it back home, we had to fly down the slopes and ski through a forest, and I think that\u2019s where I developed a taste for freeriding.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">I often talk about the way snow smells. From slush to crust, all of it has a scent. Ever since I was a kid, I\u2019ve loved the smell. The Jura was a great risk-free place to learn how to ski. The environment is extremely hospitable, the mountains are small and the snow is forgiving. I\u2019d never have been allowed to go out on my own if I\u2019d grown up in the Alps! It really was a friendly introduction to snow and nature in general.   <\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">I was in a ski club and learned all the classic skiing techniques, including slalom and giant slalom. But I didn\u2019t like competing. I loved the forest and I just wanted to ski. Still, I made sure to practise my technique. Like a music virtuoso, endlessly repeating scales, only for skiing. Once you\u2019ve mastered the techniques, you can tackle any slope on any mountain. It was the same for Didier Cuche, George Schneider, and other ski greats who come from the same region.   <\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>\u201cIf it hadn\u2019t been for skiing, I don\u2019t think I would have gone this far in my studies.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d7c9ff1 elementor-widget__width-inherit elementor-widget-mobile__width-initial elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"d7c9ff1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1500\" height=\"1000\" src=\"https:\/\/w3mountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/FWT13_VERBIER_DDAHER-0594.jpg\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048 wp-image-42811\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/w3mountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/FWT13_VERBIER_DDAHER-0594.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/w3mountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/FWT13_VERBIER_DDAHER-0594-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/w3mountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/FWT13_VERBIER_DDAHER-0594-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/w3mountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/FWT13_VERBIER_DDAHER-0594-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/w3mountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/FWT13_VERBIER_DDAHER-0594-624x416.jpg 624w, https:\/\/w3mountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/FWT13_VERBIER_DDAHER-0594-50x33.jpg 50w, https:\/\/w3mountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/FWT13_VERBIER_DDAHER-0594-100x67.jpg 100w, https:\/\/w3mountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/FWT13_VERBIER_DDAHER-0594-600x400.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3e35291 elementor-widget__width-initial elementor-widget-mobile__width-initial elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"3e35291\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">MR:<\/span><\/b> <b>Professional skiing was nearly unheard of when you started out. How did you end up a pro skier?<\/b><b>I\u2019m thinking back to Soul Pilot, which you filmed in Alaska in 1998 or 1999. You also pioneered new ways of skiing.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><strong>Dom : <\/strong><\/span>People laughed when I mentioned wanting to become a freerider as a kid. But I just knew I had it in me. I even went into mechanical engineering so I could learn how to design better skis, to understand the materials. If it hadn\u2019t been for skiing, I don\u2019t think I would have gone this far in my studies.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">\u00c0 la fin de mes \u00e9tudes j&#8217;ai fait un peu de ski de vitesse, parce que je trouvais \u00e7a dr\u00f4le, et j&#8217;ai rencontr\u00e9 Didier Laffont \u00e0 Chamonix. C&#8217;\u00e9tait la p\u00e9riode o\u00f9 Edlinger faisait ses premiers films de grimpe \u00e0 mains nues, et le d\u00e9but des Nuits de la Glisse, tu voyais du ski, de la grimpe, du surf, c&#8217;\u00e9tait g\u00e9nial, je pense que \u00e7a a \u00e9t\u00e9 le pivot des sports freeride. Car tout d&#8217;un coup les gens ont compris que ces sports libres pouvaient \u00eatre film\u00e9s, \u00e9taient sexy en termes d&#8217;images, et il y a eu de la grande diffusion.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">In the winter of 1985, I made headlines setting a new cliff ski jumping world record in Champ\u00e9ry: 34.6 metres (about 114 feet)! It\u2019s what had brought me to Chamonix. Everyone was saying it was the place to be. Monoskiers and the first snowboarders were already capturing their exploits on film. <\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">I knew that was where my life was heading. I didn\u2019t wait to be hired. I set up my own production company, and I went to meet with the top ski brands. I understood early on that whatever you did\u2014skiing, tennis, Formula 1\u2014what the sponsors were looking for was visibility. It didn\u2019t exist at the time in freeriding, so I told them straight out, \u201cThis is what I\u2019m going to do. Want to come along for the ride?\u201d I wasn\u2019t going to wait for them to get the ball rolling. I always knew I had to make the first move, make my own films, and get the ball rolling myself.   <\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">I gave the sponsors their visibility, and instead of just selling my films to three or four TV channels, I gave them to big distributors who could reach audiences through upwards of 400 channels in 100 countries. That kept my partners coming back for more. And I made a movie every year for the next 28 years. The last one, Home Swiss Home, came out in 2012, when I was 50.I got such a buzz out of going where no one else had gone before. I believe that\u2019s what freeriding is all about. Getting to make tracks in Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Alaska, Norway, and discovering places where very few people had skied before. I saw the whole world on my skis.      <\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>\u201cI made my last film when I was 50, after 28 years.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-fd9e976 elementor-widget__width-inherit elementor-widget-mobile__width-initial elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"fd9e976\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1147\" src=\"https:\/\/w3mountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Photo_video_WEM_courte-2048x1147.png\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048 wp-image-40432\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/w3mountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Photo_video_WEM_courte.png 2048w, https:\/\/w3mountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Photo_video_WEM_courte-300x168.png 300w, https:\/\/w3mountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Photo_video_WEM_courte-1024x573.png 1024w, https:\/\/w3mountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Photo_video_WEM_courte-768x430.png 768w, https:\/\/w3mountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Photo_video_WEM_courte-1536x860.png 1536w, https:\/\/w3mountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Photo_video_WEM_courte-624x349.png 624w, https:\/\/w3mountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Photo_video_WEM_courte-50x28.png 50w, https:\/\/w3mountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Photo_video_WEM_courte-100x56.png 100w, https:\/\/w3mountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Photo_video_WEM_courte-600x336.png 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-04dd92d elementor-widget__width-initial elementor-widget-mobile__width-initial elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"04dd92d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong><span class=\"TextRun MacChromeBold SCXW258512840 BCX8\" lang=\"FR-FR\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW258512840 BCX8\">MR: <\/span><\/span><\/strong><b>You\u2019ve dropped 30-metre cliffs and claim you\u2019ve \u201cmade peace with death.\u201d How did you come to build your own method of risk analysis?<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Dom:<\/strong> I\u2019m a mechanical engineer by training. Learning ways to analyze risk in industries comes with the territory. That\u2019s my starting point: how do I feel, what\u2019s the terrain, the environment, what are the risk factors, where am I getting my information from? These are all core risks in industry. I just adapted them to skiing. It\u2019s what has oriented my entire career, with a few refinements along the way.   <\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">When you\u2019re an athlete, your speed, strength, skill, and mindset are key. For years, I\u2019ve made these principles work for me. They gave me focus, a system I could apply wherever I went, whatever the situation. I knew what worked well for me, but when it came time to teaching others, I needed specialists to validate it. That meant doctors and snow scientists, like Bolognesi. They were a great sounding board.     <\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Like, I always carried a backpack, but back in the \u201990s, we didn\u2019t have probes and shovels, or transceivers! Out on the slopes, you really only had yourself to count on. So I developed a system in which you had to be completely self-reliant.Today, of course, I pack an airbag, but I started off in a completely different direction.   <\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><em><strong>\u201cI realized I had lost 30 friends in as many years.\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><b>MR: What led you to want to share your personal experiences?<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Dom:<\/strong> The day I stopped making videos, I thought, \u201cOkay, I\u2019ve lived my passion, I\u2019ve achieved everything I ever imagined doing and more.\u201d It was time to give back some of what I learned and came to realize over the years. Then when I took stock of my career, I realized I had lost 30 friends in as many years\u2014a record worthy of fifties-era Formula 1 drivers. I also saw how little training was available\u2014hardly anything. Basically, there were just avalanche transceivers and customer support from the companies that sold the equipment. And a bunch of outdated techniques dating back to the \u201970s, such as GRM, that left me wanting.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">I love this sport with a passion, but every time there\u2019s an accident, we look like a bunch of idiots. All I hear is, \u201cThey have no idea what they\u2019re doing, we have to stop people from doing this!\u201d So I set out to create a program that would increase awareness and responsibility, and make the sport safer. Every other high-risk sport has introduced tiered training programs over the years. There are excellent programs for diving, paragliding, and skydiving. So why couldn\u2019t we do the same with skiing?     <\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><em><strong>\u201cOver 3,000 members signed up in a year and a half. I call that a win!\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cceaf70 elementor-widget__width-inherit elementor-widget-mobile__width-initial elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"cceaf70\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1365\" src=\"https:\/\/w3mountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Photo_Backcountry_WEM-1-2048x1365.png\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048 wp-image-44031\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/w3mountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Photo_Backcountry_WEM-1.png 2048w, https:\/\/w3mountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Photo_Backcountry_WEM-1-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/w3mountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Photo_Backcountry_WEM-1-1024x683.png 1024w, https:\/\/w3mountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Photo_Backcountry_WEM-1-768x512.png 768w, https:\/\/w3mountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Photo_Backcountry_WEM-1-1536x1024.png 1536w, https:\/\/w3mountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Photo_Backcountry_WEM-1-624x416.png 624w, https:\/\/w3mountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Photo_Backcountry_WEM-1-50x33.png 50w, https:\/\/w3mountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Photo_Backcountry_WEM-1-100x67.png 100w, https:\/\/w3mountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Photo_Backcountry_WEM-1-600x400.png 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f824085 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"f824085\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong><span class=\"TextRun MacChromeBold SCXW237405670 BCX8\" lang=\"FR-FR\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW237405670 BCX8\">MR: <\/span><\/span><\/strong><b>Is that the reason behind ISTA (International Snow Training Academy)?<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Dom:<\/strong> Exactly. Accidents were on the rise. That\u2019s what really scared me. I thought the only way to guarantee our freedom was through education. But I never thought we\u2019d encounter so much resistance! We gave in-person courses at first, with guides and ski instructors. They were the ones teaching the program, but you\u2019d never believe how much grief they gave me. They completely sabotaged ISTA\u2019s first iteration. Then, along came COVID. We\u2019d invested a ton of money into the business model, but COVID made it unsustainable. So I decided to rethink our approach. We went digital        <\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">And presto, no need for an in-person ski school! We reached practitioners directly, gave the classes online, and once students had their digital certificate, we sent them to a professional. It was a real game changer. Suddenly, people could learn on their phone or computer. Things just took off from there. Before, you always had to find the right time slot, create a group, find a guide\u2014it was a hassle. Digital technology lets you just jump right in, and that motivates you to keep going. Over 3,000 members from 52 different countries signed up in a year and a half. I call that a win!     <\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><b>MR: Your vision of mountain safety has evolved over the years. One important shift was a return to putting the practitioner first, making the sport more rider-centric.<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Dom:<\/strong> The most alarming statistic is that 90% of avalanches are triggered either by the victim or<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">  <\/span>by a member of their group. That means 90% are due to bad decisions. We simply can\u2019t ignore the human factors behind avalanches. When it\u2019s humans versus the environment, it\u2019s fifty-fifty either way. Before, mountains were in the hands of mountain professionals. Guides and instructors had few people skills. You couldn\u2019t talk to them about emotions, and all the human factors were basically ignored. That\u2019s why it was very important for me to work with doctors, psychologists, and sleep and hydration specialists. Robert Bolognesi (see interview) does accident analysis, and we realized that, most of the time, they\u2019re triggered by a series of little missteps, not a single giant mistake. Someone didn\u2019t get enough sleep. They\u2019re suffering from a bit of jet lag. They didn\u2019t get enough to eat or didn\u2019t drink enough that morning. Or they\u2019re always hanging back from the rest of the group. Our job is to try to find ways to foolproof the process as much as possible so bad decisions don\u2019t get made.         <\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">The tools available today are incredible. We measure everything on the mountain: the slopes, the temperature, it\u2019s all measured down to the last snowflake. The only thing we can\u2019t measure is you. So we developed a tool we called the Mountaineering Human Factor, or MHF. It\u2019s a self-assessment tool where you answer a series of questions that help you evaluate your state of mind, whether you\u2019re relaxed, neutral, or tense. It\u2019s not just gut feelings we\u2019re talking about. You\u2019re taking a long, hard look in the mirror. It\u2019s a really effective means of keeping the human factors in check along with the natural ones.     <\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><em><strong>\u201cI love speed. But there\u2019s no margin for error when you\u2019re bombing down a slope.\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9e3830a elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"9e3830a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"853\" height=\"1280\" src=\"https:\/\/w3mountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/1318946913444016.webp\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048 wp-image-42141\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/w3mountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/1318946913444016.webp 853w, https:\/\/w3mountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/1318946913444016-200x300.webp 200w, https:\/\/w3mountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/1318946913444016-682x1024.webp 682w, https:\/\/w3mountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/1318946913444016-768x1152.webp 768w, https:\/\/w3mountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/1318946913444016-624x936.webp 624w, https:\/\/w3mountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/1318946913444016-33x50.webp 33w, https:\/\/w3mountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/1318946913444016-67x100.webp 67w, https:\/\/w3mountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/1318946913444016-600x900.webp 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 853px) 100vw, 853px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7b83e1f elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"7b83e1f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"p1\"><b>MR: Your email signature is \u201cSpeed is your friend.\u201d That\u2019s kind of unusual, coming from a Swiss native, but does it also hold true in the mountains?<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Dom:<\/strong> I love speed. But there\u2019s no margin for error when you\u2019re bombing down a slope. When you go at high speeds, you strip down to the essentials. You let go of everything you don\u2019t absolutely need. It\u2019s the same in business. You always follow the fall line. I love the simplicity of that, the pureness of the speed you gain. It\u2019s like in the 100-metre dash: it\u2019s all about precision, you have to channel every twitch of a muscle into your speed.      <\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">\u201cThe avalanche bulletin is a net meant to catch whales, not shrimp. We skiers, we\u2019re shrimp.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><b>MR: WEMountain is also a story about friendship. How do you view this collective you\u2019ve gathered around the concept of mountain safety?<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Dom:<\/strong> In WEMountain, there\u2019s the word \u201cWE\u201d, as in \u201ccommunity.\u201d In my 30 years of riding, I\u2019ve met people from all over in the snow, and I gathered over 40 experts for this project. My goal was to try to sift through and combine best practices from around the world. Not to say that any one method\u2014Swiss, or Italian, or French\u2014is any better than another. We\u2019re really all singing the same tune. Canadians, for example, are the best at snow and risk, with \u201cInfoEx,\u201d their avalanche information-sharing initiative developed in the heliskiing resorts.     <\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">I\u2019m really looking to blend the various best practices into a single, harmonized system. So when you log in to WEMountain, whether it\u2019s from Paris, London, Norway, New York, or Japan, you know what you\u2019re going to learn is universal. That\u2019s what\u2019s important: bringing this community together around a single, global table.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">In Switzerland, you learn about avalanche bulletins and the graphical reduction method. That looks great on paper, but it doesn\u2019t work well in reality. For example, you don\u2019t get avalanche bulletins in Norway. So that means you learned a method that only works in your home country. I want to go beyond that, think in more global terms.   <\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">I especially want tools for skiers that are developed by skiers. Because avalanche bulletins are meant for communities, villages, roads, trains, etc. We just lumped skiers into the mix as an afterthought. The avalanche bulletin is a net meant to catch whales, not shrimp. We skiers, we\u2019re shrimp.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">And we\u2019re skiing at a level that has nothing to do with skiing in the \u201970s and \u201980s. We need to get a fresh, innovative take on the sport.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dominique Perret is a freeride legend who helped pioneer the sport in the early \u201980s. Fondateur de WEMountain, He gives us the inside scoop on his passion for snow and speed, WEMountain, and how it all began. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":146,"featured_media":59791,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"elementor_header_footer","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[563],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-44266","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/w3mountain.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44266","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/w3mountain.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/w3mountain.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/w3mountain.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/146"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/w3mountain.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=44266"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/w3mountain.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44266\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":61850,"href":"https:\/\/w3mountain.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44266\/revisions\/61850"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/w3mountain.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/59791"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/w3mountain.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=44266"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/w3mountain.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=44266"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/w3mountain.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=44266"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}