Our first interview partner of the brand new year is none lesser than European trail blazer Cheryl Maas, who used the holidays to heal her ACL and enjoy some family life

Interview by Anna Langer

Hey Cheryl, where did you spend the holidays?
I spent the holidays in Kongsberg, Norway with Stine’s family.

Do you enjoy the festive season? 
I do enjoy it. It’s nice to be with family and just chill. Especially when I’m usually traveling the whole winter.

You’ve got your own little family now – does that make a difference, for such celebrations and your snowboarding life in general?
Having my “own” little family does make a big difference, they are my number ONE! We’ve however made some really good arrangements so that I can keep on snowboarding for several more years without feeling guilty for leaving them behind.

We just heard you started the season with some bad luck, can you tell us what happened?
Yes, I’m very bummed about my injury. I was training in Breckenridge, Colorado and was going to do the Dew tour there. On the first training day the weather wasn’t the best but it was rideable. The first jump I hit on the course was fine and I was going to hit the second one but then some wind blew up and it slowed me down, a lot, mid air I realized that I wasn’t going to make the landing and landed hard on the deck. My both knees and heels where hurting so much straight off that I knew it wasn’t very good… After 5 days I found out that I had bruised my heels, torn the ACL off and damaged the meniscus on both sides. Out for 7 months…

We’re still a bit mouth-watering over your Open Air last winter to be honest… Can we expect something similar again soon or did your projects get set back by your injury?
I’m working on a new project called “Trough My Eyes”. It’s filmed from a different angle than “Open Air” as it is more focused on showing how I live with and through snowboarding and how the upcoming Olympics is effecting it all.

For quite some time you were THE rail rider in Europe, hitting the gnarliest stuff with most style. Now backflips and backcountry… How did this transition come about?
I don’t know how the transition happened, or if you can even call it one, I just love snowboarding and feel you need to ride everything. I never rode much backcountry in the past but when I finally did, I somehow still didn’t feel like a stranger there. It was different, but just riding. I never felt like just a jibber even if I came from the flat lands. I love jumping and every time I was in the mountains I wanted to ride the mountain first before getting stuck in the park. So it is definitely something I will put more time in to after the Olympics.

I never felt like just a jibber even if I came from the flat lands. I love jumping and every time I was in the mountains I wanted to ride the mountain first before getting stuck in the park.

Is Olympia your next goal?
Yes and despite the injury, I’m going to do my very best to still make that happen!

What’s your opinion on the whole slopestyle debate and the Olympics anyways?
I think showing slopestyle at the Olympics is good for the sport. It’ll show the mainstream what we are doing and will hopefully get more people out there and ride, because it looks fun. Slopestyle is such a big part of the normal snowboard contest world that I think it is good that it now also has been recognized by such a big event as the Olympics. For the snowboarders who don’t like it, they can still free ride and film and do their thing because that is the beauty of our sport, you don’t have to do the contests to prove you’re a good rider or “someone”, you can choose your own way.

What’s next up for you, do you know yet?
A lot of rehab! Then I’ll continue trying to get through the qualifications for the Olympics put a check box on that contest in 2014, which after I just want to go back to filming backcountry and street rails.

Anything else you’d like to get off your chest?
I would like to thank all my Family and Sponsors for letting me live this amazing life! Volcom, Nitro, Electric, Nixon, Rockstar, Vans, Planet-Sports, Celtek and Scene socks.

For the snowboarders who don’t like the Olympics, they can still free ride and film and do their thing because that is the beauty of our sport, you don’t have to do the contests to prove you’re a good rider or “someone”! You can choose your own way.

Thanks a lot and happy holidays!