Alex ‘Chumpy’ Pullin Chats About Plans for a Post-Sochi Comeback – Interview

Anyone who’s met Chumpy knows of his determined and goal-oriented approach to snowboard racing. After disappointment in Russia, it’s no wonder he’s hungry for another World Cup win. Image:: Red Bull Content Pool

Mountainwatch | Interview

After a lacklustre performance and less-than-ideal result in Sochi, Alex ‘Chumpy’ Pullin is now brimming with confidence and more eager than ever to chase down his third SBX World Cup victory in 2015. We caught up with a very determined Chumpy in between his hectic off-season training schedule to find out just what he thinks he can achieve this Winter, and whether we can expect to see him back up on the SBX top-step…

How did you spend the Aussie winter this year?

I had a great Southern winter. I made the most of some really good early season conditions down at Thredbo and Perisher, got some freeriding in and I had the opportunity to ride with Jindabyne’s young up-and-comers through the Rob Kneller Foundation. I also spent a good amount of time down at Hotham for the SBX Futures Camp in Aus. I was coaching the next generation of SBX riders on a really fun track they set-up down there.

The Suzuki National Champs followed, which was a really solid race and we were lucky to score sunny conditions all week. I then finished off my season in South America with a training camp all the way down in Patagonia. It was held on a fast, technical course near Ushuaia. It was the biggest Southern-hemi winter I have had in a while and I loved it – every bit of it.

Chumpy spends long hours training in the gym all off-season, this year he took a bit of a break to get down to the mountains and just have fun riding. He also gave back via some initiatives through the Rob Kneller Foundation Image:: Red Bull Content Pool

What’s in store for you this Northern Hemi season?

I’m really excited for the up and coming Northern winter, although plans will depend on snow, as always. I plan to start off in Austria in mid-November training with the Austrians and Canadians on a good track, then get stuck into another big season of World Cups all over the globe right through to April. Plus the World Champs and X Games in Jan.

How are you preparing for the challenges of racing the up-coming World Cups?

There are so many things to work on before a big season on tour, but I love the process. I’m always working on my equipment, testing new gear, modifying and perfecting. Also, I can still work on my starts here in Aus after winter, with the start gate set-up we have out at the Sydney Academy Of Sport in Narrabeen. In addition to all of that, it’s just a good amount of training miles between now and when I fly out.

I usually get six days of training in a week, with two sessions a day around this time of year. A good balance of full body gym work and other sports like surfing and mountain biking keeps it interesting.

I really like this time of year because you feel like you are just improving all the time and it makes me really hungry to size myself up against all the boys on tour once again.

The SBX season starts early, and training even earlier. At the time of writing Chumpy is on his way to the Hintertux glacier to get back on-snow ASAP. Image:: Red Bull Content Pool

And what about your diet, do you have a special dietary plan ahead of the big event?

Diet is really important, but it’s hard to keep it consistent when traveling through so many different countries. I’m normally just aiming to eat to assist recovery, as well as stock up on energy for the big days we spend on the mountain during comps and training.

What should we expect to see from you this race season? Do you feel like you’ll be able to achieve some solid results?

I’m aiming for a big season. I wasn’t satisfied with my performance last year for a couple of reasons and I had some injuries along the way, which never helps. I’m feeling great coming into this season. I’ve put a heap of work into all of the areas I felt I needed to, but also stripped back a few things to keep it simple, too.

I have my eyes set on fighting it out for the Crystal Globe (World Cup #1 Title) and defending my World Championship title in Austria. I guess that doesn’t give me much room for error but I never aim to come second and I love competition so much because it keeps me on edge. I just love racing and I’m excited to get this season underway!