5 minute read

For the past few months, Burton has been working on an ambitious project in the Chic-Chocs, in the Gaspé Peninsula. Experienced Quebec snowboarders are clearing an unexplored mountain to create a completely new backcountry trail. “This is my dream project, exclaimed Zach Aller, regional manager at Burton. We want to ride the lines of our dreams.” Zach is an experienced snowboarder who has had the opportunity to travel around the world for his job. Accompanied by Frank April and Anto Chamberland, two other professionals, he will finally be able to make his dream come true: to put our Quebec landscapes in the spotlight in a video produced in collaboration with JACKALOPE.TV. “It started two years ago, because I wanted to bring in team riders and snowboarding legends like Mark McMorris or Mark Sollors. I wanted them to discover the kind of hidden terrain we have in Quebec, especially the Chic-Chocs.”

Two years ago, Zach and other members of Team Burton set sail for Murdochville in the fall to discover the potential playing field. There they met Guillaume Molaison, CEO of the Chic-chac resort, and other local backcountry snowboarding enthusiasts. “We went to build platforms in Mount York so we could come back to ride during the winter, says Zach. But in the end, it fell through for several reasons. But I never forgot that project…” The pandemic context will have fueled the flame again last fall and the project has officially gotten under way. This winter, Zach will return to Murdochville with his acolytes to carry out this project. Anto Chamberland went there for several weeks to clear the ground and prepare a trail. “We have carte blanche on a virgin trail that they started clearing last year, explains Zach. So we can build a dream line where we will go shooting in February if everything goes well.”

Inspired by Travis Rice’s Red Bull Supernatural series produced in 2012, Zach Aller wants these backcountry trails to be designed by riders, for riders. “You first have to look at the terrain, the angle of the terrain, how fast you’d get on that jump, for example, and you have to calculate everything so that it rides with a flow that makes sense. Often, these tracks will be built without the input of the riders… but we will see great results.” Ambition is at its peak for these snowboarders who have made their mark in the world of slopestyle and street. For them, the transition to the backcountry comes naturally. “We’ve all traveled a lot for snowboarding, but we’ve all had careers that were pretty much focused on the street, said Zach. We used to do a lot of street contests, but as we get older, we want to ride something else, snowboarding just keeps going, it’s evolving.”

The project is also evolving very quickly. Armed with cameras, split boards and the necessary equipment to ensure everyone’s safety, Zach, Anto, Frank and the JACKALOPE.TV team will normally be able to start shooting in February. They will be accompanied by Mylaine Robichaud A.K.A. “snowbum of the East”. “I want this to be the best powder shots ever filmed in Quebec! I want it to be 100% soul snowboarding. Big turns, beautiful and stylish setups. These guys, they’re among my best friends too, so sharing this with them is going to be special for sure.” This special project will be made possible thanks to our sponsors,Burton, Tourisme Gaspésie, l’Auberge Chic-Chac, aviation Pascan and Alternative113. Stay tuned via Instagram, Facebook and Tik Tok.