Athlete Perspectives: Brian Tonetti

Interview by Jim Borchardt

Whats up Brian. Tell us a little about your background, your home mountain, and the beginnings of your ski career.

Alright so I grew up in Rochester, NY. I started skiing when I was 3 at Bristol Mountain and was hitting jumps not long after that. I did not start skiing park avidly until my first backflip and I guess it was history after that.

What was it like skiing Bristol growing up?

It was pretty sick. Everybody bitches about their park but in reality it was pretty good. There is also a really cool freestyle scene there where everyone is friends and everyone knows your name. A lot of really good skiers have come out of there so there are a lot of kids to look up to and look out for.

What riders did you look up to when skiing out at Bristol? How did they influence you?

Kids like the Dadali brothers were always killing it and I would always watch and rewatch the IHateNY movies. Watching Ahmet was the first time I had ever seen a really clean and different style so I guess he influenced me to go out and do my own thing. Also the more unknown kids were always killing it and always pushing me to try and keep up with them. All together Bristol showed me that a clean and different style can take you just as far as kids tossing their meat around these days.

I find it interesting how many different components can mix together to influence style. I don't think that we all really draw inspiration from only one sole source. What sources outside of the world of skiing have you drawn inspiration from?

I definitely admire people that can take tricks or even concepts from other sports and implement them into their sport. I love watching skateboarding videos and how they will do really long lines. I think this really shows the versatility of a skater and shows his consistency. A lot of people can hike a rail all day and get bangers but not a lot of people can take a run top to bottom and really show off their style and consistency. I also really love watching snowboarding videos. They really are years ahead of skiing and they always look like they are having a great time. Anyways, I love how they just go really fast and grab off of rails. A lot of snowboarders just look at the park in a whole different light. I will watch a video of just about anything, rollerblading, scootering, etc. and see how they can influence my skiing.

Yeah that's a good point. Although it seems to go unspoken, it seems that a lot of action sports have subtle, but noticeable influences on each other especially now that you have instant access to media content on the web. Speaking of influences, I know that you now go to University of Utah and frequently ski at the surrounding resorts. What influence has your move to Utah had on your life, outlook, and skiing?

Just moving to Utah has been really good opportunity to go out and meet people that love skiing as much as I do. I meet the hoodcrew kids my freshman year in the dorms and have been kicking it with them ever since. I think that Utah has taught me that skiing is not a serious thing and people should just go out and have fun. If you are not having fun then why are you doing it. As for skiing, I think Utah has helped me develop into the skier I have become. You see kids at PCMR throwing dubs before they even have a clean and styly 7. I get to watch some of the best kids in the world ski everyday and that has pushed me to not only try tricks but develop my style even further. Style is like a fine wine, it matures into itself over time. You can't force it.

It sounds like Utah has been pretty influential in shaping your style and outlook on the sport. I know that the Hood Crew is a tight group of homies who are always out charging in the streets. What has it been like to ski with the Hood Crew? What is the group dynamic like?

It pretty much a party at all times. Party at spots, party at PCMR, party in the BC, we usually roll deep and make sure to have a good time where ever we are. I think the group dynamic is what makes skiing such an awesome sport. You are out there as an individual but you get to have all these great times with homies. And trust me, hoodcrew has plenty.

I think groups are fun, but they are also so influential in a skiers development. I think friends can really help you to push yourself to try a new trick or to see skiing in a new light. In my own life, I've noticed I tend to learn the most by mimicking the tricks my friends can do that I can't. I think tight knit groups really help individual progression so I am stoked to see you skiing with so many other talented kids in the Hood Crew.

I hope next year goes as well as this year did. I hope to produce a segment in the hoodcrew movie that features only urban and powder skiing as I have this year. I am hoping next year I can get out into the backcountry more and film some bigger lines and jumps. I also want to tackle some bigger urban features and not just your normal downrail 2 switch up shot. I want to try and hit features and do tricks that people wouldn't normally think to do in the streets. Maybe a couple trips out to CO and other places shall be in order. The main focus is to make sure I am always having fun!

Definitely man. I am eager to see what is to come from you and everyone else next winter. Skiing aside, what are some of your other goals?

Straight A's haha. School is definitely really important to me. Getting a cool job, hot wife, etc. you know how it is.

Yeah looks like you've got your priorities straight. What are you studying right now and what sort of career are you hoping to pursue after college?

I am a double major, Environmental and Sustainability Studies and Urban Planning. I am hoping to solve climate change and save our snow! Haha but really I have no idea. I am just going to let the road take me. Everything in the major is so cool, I don't think there is a bad job in the field.

Yeah, I think most people coming out of college really don't have an exact idea of their career or life path. That's completely alright though. At our age, I think its pretty absurd to think we know what we are going to want of our lives in 10 years. A lot can change in 10 years! Nice choice on the degrees though. Environmental issues are only going to become more prominent in the future, and I think we are eventually come to a point where we can no longer turn our backs on all the environmental problems piling up as a result of poor decision making. On a lighter note, I hear you may have had some exotic pets. Care to fill me in?

Haha I knew this was going to come up. Well during the summer I thought it would be a good idea to purchase a pair of sugar gliders from this hoarder lady (not kidding her house was a mess) on KSL. The cage that she gave me turned out to be a bird cage so within the first week one of them had escaped. It currently resides in the air ducts and eats any food I leave lying around. After a couple modifications with some duct tape I was able to keep the other one in. Little did I know the other one's belly started to get bigger and it turns out she was pregnant. They are marsupials so they carry their baby in the pouch so it was pretty evident after like a month. However, the diet that the KSL lady told me to feed them did not have the right amount of protein. So I come home after school one day and find that the sugar glider isn't pregnant anymore. So I'm like fuck where did this little fucker go? After about 5 mins. of searching my room, I go back to the cage. Little did I know I found a little sugar glider skeleton in the water dish. The worst part was the mama sugar glider was protecting it as if it was still alive. Long story short, I released the demon cannibal sugar glider into the wilderness that is Salt Lake City. So watch out SLC residents a whole breed of vicious sugar gliders are bound to come to a tree near you.

Good talking to you man! It's always fun to shoot the shit with a fellow shredder. I'm looking forward to skiing with you next season. Do you have anything else you would like to say?

Hell ya dude! Thanks for this opportunity. I would just like to say my thanks to Bloom and Choice Apparel for hooking it up. To my friends and family that have been there every step of the way. #HOODCREWTOTHEWORLD Everybody get ready for Freed the Streets coming out soon! Its going to blow minds.

http://www.newschoolers.com/watch/630899.0/Get-to-Know-Brian-Tonetti?c=11