The Q&A – McRae Williams

McRae Williams at the 2010 Toyota One Hit Wonder. Image:: Ryan Anderson

Interview by | Tess Cook

Remember the name McRae Williams, I know I will, the Park City kid left quite an impression when he visited Oz for the Toyota One Hit Wonder in September. The little known element in an international contingent that included big names Bobby Brown and Byron Wells, McRae’s get-it-done attitude and serious skills blew us away.

Undeterred by winds that had the rest of the field afraid of blowing away literally McRae threw down some of the week’s epic tricks. The 2010 Toyota One Hit Wonder title – decided by public vote – went to Bobby Brown, but McRae was the easy winner of the Red Bull Rider’s Choice award.

Now McRae’s riding his wave on into the 2010/2011 season, with one giant novelty checque already hanging on his wall and a bib for the first stop of the Dew Tour, the Nike 6.0 in Breckenridge, December 16, he’s off to a good start.

As I said, remember the name…

Name
McRae Williams

Age
20

Home resort – and what do you love about it?
The Canyons. I love the backcountry access gate off Ninety-Nine 90 express. You can access so many amazing zones via a simple skin across a generally flat ridge. You can also ski back in bounds from most of the spots so you can take the chair right back up to the gate!

This skiing caper is pretty much a all-consuming lifestyle, how’d you get into skiing and freestyle?
Well, I first started skiing when I was three years old. My dad signed me up for a little freestyle water ramp camp at the Utah Olympic Park when I was about nine. I started off with an aim for aerials, but soon decided I liked freeride instead. After seeing movies with guys like Evan Raps throwing cork 7s and big 180s in the park I couldn’t resist. Then I just started shredding the park and going to slopestyle contests. In more recent years I have really developed a passion for the back country and big mountain side of skiing!

Where are you sitting as you type these answers? are you at home or on the road somewhere? This season seems to have been a busy on for you already and it’s only December, tell us about where you’ve been and what you’ve been up to…
Right now I am just chilling at home. I’m really trying to take advantage of the next week I have to spend at home before I head to Colorado. It has definitely been a busy preseason for me. In September I kicked my season off down at the Toyota One Hit Wonder event in Australia where I took home Red Bull Riders Choice! It was an amazing contest in which the riders had four days to capture their best “one hit” on film. We got to session a perfectly sculpted 90 foot jump built by Charles Beckinsale, and I was able to learn some new tricks I have been wanting to get down for this years Dew Tour! About a month later I headed to Modena, Italy for some city big air contests at the Skipass festival. I managed to win the Burn Best Trick contest, and had an incredible weekend of festivities and parties galore! After this I returned home for some much needed rest and then headed to Breckenridge, Colorado for a little preseason shred!

You came out to Australia in September for our One Hit Wonder/week of debauchery, what kind of impression did us Aussies make!?
I have to say I absolutely love Australia! I was amazed at how humble and friendly all the people are. I hope to be back there soon, and I’m definitely trying to hit the beach this time around!

McRae Williams from One Hit Wonder Event on Vimeo.

McRae winning the Red Bull Riders Choice award at the Toyota One Hit Wonder 2010 in Thredbo. Video:: Toyota One Hit Wonder

You certainly made a good impression on everyone here, when the other guys were whinging about the wind and sitting around drinking Red Bull you just kept sessioning, and killing it – what kind of headspace do you get into when you’re skiing and what is it that makes you so stoked on it?
Well, when I shred I try to get in the zone and feel the vibes! If you really try and be positive and get stoked on what your doing I feel it can improve your ability a lot. When I went to Australia my main goal was to learn a rightside dub rodeo 900. That day was looking like my only chance with a slight break in the weather. It was a bit windy and conditions were skeptical, but I just put on some good tunes got psyched and went for it! You can do anything if you put your mind to it!

Dew Tour Nike 6.0 is coming up real soon, what’s your game plan for the event?
Well, depending on the weather, I am hoping to throw right dub rodeo 9. It’s looking like the course is going to be two rails, two jumps, another rail, and two more jumps at the bottom. I want to throw right dub rodeo 9 to switch dub cork 10 blunt at the bottom, and just be stylish and consistent on the rails and jumps up top. Really hoping for some good weather this year!

What’s your ‘day of’ ritual, lucky undies and visualisation at the breakfast table or are you more a ‘let’s see what happens’ kind of competitor?
I don’t really have a “day of” ritual. I just try and get in the zone and have a good time like I was saying earlier. I feel it helps me keep my mind off competition stress if I try to think of it as a day of just shredding with my buddies and having a good time!
Will the 6.0 kick off a big season of competing? what’s on the cards?
It should be a pretty big competition season for me. After Dew Tour I plan to do a few contest in Europe such as the European Freeskiing Open and the Austrian Freeskiing Open. Hopefully I can do good in Dew Tour and get an invite to X Games or X Games Europe. I also hope to do some open contest here in the U.S. like the Aspen/Snowmass Freeskiing Open, and if I dont get into X Games I want to do the Denver Big Air. So yea, now that I lay it all on the table it’s definitely going to be a busy season.

I saw a photo of you recently with a giant novelty cheque, are you making a collection of them? What does one do with a collection of giant novelty cheques?
lol. I don’t know about a collection, but yes I did get a big check for the Burn Best Trick in Italy, and I have hung it on my wall in my room.

McRae and that giant novelty checque. Image:: Courtesy McRae Williams

What are the aims for this season? any tricks you’re working on, results you’re chasing?
My main goal is definitely to do well in Dew Tour. I hope to at least make top 15 so I can qualify for next year’s tour. Like I said earlier I also hope to get an invite to X Games. That has definitely been my goal from the beginning. Aside from competition, I want to start filming a lot. I am planning on buying a sled soon, and will be filming a little bit in the back co with Josh Finbow of Inspired Media! I hope to get into a couple spring park shoots with Level 1 as well.

Between events and the rest are you just chillin at home and skiing? how’s you down time spent?
Ya mostly just trying to get out in the back country when it’s good and shred the park at The Canyons and PMCR when its not. Also try to spend time with the family when I’m home. I do a little bit of climbing at a local gym as well. So yea, I definitely keep busy.

given the choice, would you go park or pow?
Pow over park any day!

Describe you’re ultimate day on skis…
My ultimate day on skis would definitely be spent shredding righteous Utah pow on an epic bluebird day with a few buddies. Most likely at The Canyons touring out the gate or somewhere in the vast Wasatch back country!

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