While the ispo mayhem held us in fierce grip, it also gave us the opportunity to chat to Bliss by Level gloves team rider Silvia Bertagna, who is not only a brilliant skier but also a former figure skater and shop girl in her mum’s venue
Interview by Anna Langer, photos by Bliss
Where did you grow up and how did you get into skiing?
I grow up in Ortisei, Val Gardena and started skiing at the age of 3 at the baby lift in front of my house.
When did you decide to do it professional and start competitions etc?
I never decided to do it professional, but I start doing bigger competitions 3 years ago and it just went from there.
Is the girls skiing scene big in Italy?
No, there are not many girls, the most only hang around in the park but don’t ride.
There aren’t many big name pro rider girls from Italy yet, why do you think that is?
Maybe because there aren’t a lot of girls doing freestyle, in Italy they focus more on alpine ski. And also the parents are scared to know that their kids are hitting the big jumps… So they don’t let them go.
Is there a lot of support for young skier girls?
The support is more for the alpine skiers, but fortunately there are some brands who believe in young girls and help then growing up!
Did you see Grete Eliassen’s ski movie Say My Name?
No not yet, mi internet is so slow, that I would need 3 days to load it!
Why aren’t there more girls’ skiing videos?
Because the girls watch guys’ videos as well, while boys wouldn’t watch girls movies… And there are more boys interested in freestyle skiing, I guess.
Would you like to see more girls skiing videos?
Like I said before, I don’t watch that many videos, because of my slow internet. But for sure it would be cool to see more girls pushing and filming nice edits!
Do you do a lot of contests?
Yes, I do some contests during the season. But not so much, because I have also to work, I’m not a full time pro! I like contests, because I have the possibility to ride with other girls, check out what they do and maybe copy some of their tricks…hehe… And I can travel to other spots and see new places…
What was your greatest achievement so far?
To qualify for the European Open Finals in 2010!
And what the biggest disappointment?
Break my knee at the European Open in 2010!!
What goals do you have for the future?
Try to ski as much as possible, have fun, learn new tricks, and don’t get hurt!
