Andrea Binning

Born: Melbourne Australia
Living: Chamonix France
Years skiing: since I was 4 years old
Website: www.andreabinning.com
Sponsors: Red Bull, Volkl, Roxy, Kask and Black Diamond
Favourite Kask Beanie: Filthy

Achievements:
2006: Nominnee at the Powder Awards, Best Female Ski Segment
2004:Winner at the Aspen Photo Contest with Myriam Lang-Willar
2003:Winner of the World Tour Freeskiing Finals, Les Arcs France3rd Overall World Freeskiing Tour3rd Red Bull Snow Thrill of Chamonix.
2002:Winner Red Bull Snow Thrill of ChamonixWinner of Womens Choice at Red Bull Snow Thrill of Alaska Photo Contest3rd Red Bull Snow Thrill of Alaska
2001:2nd World Tour Canadian Freeskiing Championships
2000:Winner of the World Extreme Skiing Championships in Valdez AlaskaWinner of the Rip Curl World Heli Challenge in New ZealandNominee at the World Sports Awards, London
1999:Winner of the Rip Curl World Heli Challenge in New Zealand

Interview with Andrea.

Favorite areas or descents:Alaska and Chamonix are my 2 favorite places to ski as they offer lots of different challenges. In chamonix my favorite run is Glacier Ronde. In Alaska my favorite 2 places to ski are Cordova and Haines.
Describe your skiing background.I started skiing when I was 4 years old but I didn’t start training and seriously competing untiI I finished school and did my first season overseas. I then did back to back season training both overseas and in Australia I competed in Alpine Skiing for several years and then made the switch over to Freestyle skiing which I continued to do for 3 years till I discovered free-skiing. What was your big breakthrough or defining moment in skiing?My break through was winning the World Extremes in Valdez Alaska in 2000.

Describe a skiing experience when things got out of hand Last season in Cordova Alaska when I got sluffed on my ski line. I was taken down a long way and lost all my gear. What are you up to when you’re not skiing?Rock climbing, mountain biking or surfing and making the most of my short summer.

Any training advice or suggestions?I find as a female I seem to have to train twice as hard as all the guys to just keep up with them. I think the key to skiing is to be fit and do a lot of pre season training as you can have good technique but having the strength is very important, especially for injury prevention.
Who or what inspires you?There are many people that inspire me. When I hear athletes personal stories who persevere and achieve their goals, I am always inspired.

How do you see skiing evolving in the next five years?Skiing has evolved so much in the last 10 years, especially with the fat skis and freestyle skis that I expect to see in the next 5 years more of a cross over going on with bringing the freestyle tricks into big mountain lines. Do you think the best skiers today are better than the best skiers twenty years ago? The best skiers today are definitely skiing better then the best skier 20 years ago, as today’s skiers have skis that allow them to ski faster, be more stable off cliffs and at high speeds. However, I am sure that if the technology was there 20 years ago they would be as good as the skiers are today. How does fear affect your skiing?I think a small amount of fear can be a good thing when I am skiing, as it helps me make the right judgements when I am skiing a line. Without fear it would seem that everything is possible. I try to not let fear take total control of my mind, but have it there in the back of my mind.

Do you have any vices that you would like to share? I try to live in the moment and not focus so much on what could have been and what if or when. Ever been caught speeding or ever been arrested?Never been arrested but I have had a few speeding fines.

Are you a fan of skiing history? Explain?I am a big fan, history is an important part of our sport, it shows the progression of how skiing has evolved over the years. I have been fortunate enough to go out with a Norwegian who has taught me a lot about the history of skiing. What are your future plans or goals in skiing?For most of my skiing career I have been competing and now I am focusing more on filming and getting a good solid segments for next seasons movies. Last year was my first year that I worked hard to get a film segment and I was nominated this year at the Powder Video Awards for best female segment.

My goal for this winter is lay down some solid lines and airs and put together an impressive film segment.