A few weeks back at the Transworld Riders Poll Awards in Las Vegas, the incomparable Marie-France Roy scooped up some serious hardware for the second year in a row, earning Best Video Part and the reader's choice award for Rider of the Year. It was an impressive feat to say the least, yet not all surprising for anyone aware of her immense talents.
MFR broke out several years back in Canada, but earned heavy respect for her ridiculously next-level part in Rome's first snowboard video, Any Means. Instead of being segregated to an all-girls crew, she shredded with her male teammates, who treated her fairly yet honestly, pushing her to stack shots few other females had yet achieved. Incredibly, she returned with another banger part in Rome's follow-up this season, No Correct Way. She's now joined Annie Boulanger in the Absinthe film crew, and has been spending most of her winter riding Interior powder and natural terrain.
Push.ca planned to catch up with MFR on awards night for an interview in the heat of the moment, but the open bar and chaotic crowd got the best of us. And with the backcountry calling, she returned to the routine of sledding, shredding and filming shortly thereafter. Email would have to do! So here you go: a few cyber-words with the award-winning Marie-France Roy.
So first off, congrats on winning two TWS Rider's Poll Awards this year. Did it feel good winning two years in a row?
It was definitely a huge honour again... It means a lot to me to get respect from other riders and readers, for sure.
Do you take it very seriously?
I try not to take anything too seriously... It's not good for you. I love snowboarding, and it is a huge part of my life, but after all, it's only snowboarding!
Does it create more pressure for you?
Of course you always want to do good the next year, and you can feel that some people expect you to come out with something even better. But I hate that kind of pressure... I had it last year and had a hard time dealing with it. But I realized that there's no point of worrying about that stuff, and I've already gone way further than I ever thought, so I should just enjoy it while it lasts... and I have so many other dreams to realize.
With Rome not making a video this year, are you filming as seriously as you have in the past?
I'm filming with Absinthe this year, so it's a totally new experience with different crews and different filmers and stuff. I'm stoked on hanging out and riding with Annie [Boulanger]. We've been having a lot of fun, and she helped me a lot to get in the movie, and she teaches me and makes fun of all my rookie moves out there! [laughs]
What about contests? Have you done many this winter?
I have been competing quite a lot, actually at the beginning of the year. But it's hard to do good in filming and in contests for me. I usually show up to a contest with no practice at all from filming trips. It's hard to be confident on a set-up like the X-Games slopestyle course when you have been hitting street rails for a week and haven't had time to go practice in the park... Last year, the days where I would go out and ride without a camera to actually learn new tricks were so rare and I miss that. Most girls that kill it at contests will spend a lot of time just practicing in the park, and I wish I had more of that. I'm just giving myself excuses for sucking at contests... [laughs]
How important a role has Rome played in your development as a rider? It looks to me like they've given you a level of support and encouragement that we don't see very often for female riders in snowboarding...
Totally. It's crazy how lucky I am to ride for such a cool and supportive company. If they didn't give me the chance to film a segment with them for the last two years, I would have probably never gotten those awards. It's a shame that most companies don't support and promote their female riders the proper way.
It's been a tough season so far for snow, especially in Whistler. Where have you been riding? Have you had to travel more?
Yeah, I haven't been in Whistler much. I miss it. I have been in Breck and Aspen and Vermont for the Dew Tour and the X-Games, and then I've been in the BC Interior filming. And now I'm in Terrace.
What was your best day of riding so far this season? What made it so good?
I dunno... I have lots of fun days, some less fun ones, but I can't complain. I've had a lot of fun hanging out with my friends at contests, like Chanelle Sladics, Bev Vuillemier, Kjersti Buass, Jamie Anderson... such a fun crew. One life, bitches! [laughs]
Check out a teaser from MFR's part in Rome's No Correct Way:
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Related:
Transworld Rider's Poll Awards