Daan van Leeuwen (27) was born and raised in Rotterdam, but has been skiing in Austria for eight winters now. As a ski instructor in Kirchberg, he spends most of his days on the slopes, and the area isn't necessarily the most ideal environment to train for a freeride competition. Yet, this year he's competing in the Poederbaas NK Freeride for the first time.
'It's not really my first time,' Daan explains. 'Last year, I wanted to participate in the NK Freeride, but then I unexpectedly had to go home for a funeral. It happened to be on the qualification day.' He stayed at the event anyway and felt the idea only grow stronger. Last year, he did participate in the Vertical Skimo. For him, that discipline is separate from the NK Freeride. 'I like Skimo because you can push yourself physically. The NK Freeride, on the other hand, is the moment where you push yourself to perform under pressure.' He sees them as two completely different challenges. 'One is about endurance. The other is about controlling adrenaline, managing pressure, and daring. I think it's cool that you're essentially competing against yourself in two types of contests.'
SKI INSTRUCTOR IN KIRCHBERG
The fact that Daan is a ski instructor primarily helps him with his technique. 'Kirchberg is not at all helpful if you really want to freeride. So far, we haven't had a single day where we could truly freeride. One day we had a bit of powder, but we're talking about fifteen centimeters.' Nevertheless, he strongly believes in the fundamentals. 'If you have a neat technique and a good basic technique, you'll still get through powder or steeper terrain well.' And he certainly has experience. 'Five years ago, we had a winter here in Kirchberg with an enormous amount of snow. That season, I freeride-skied so much, it's still in my legs.'
PURE FREEDOM
What does freeriding mean to him? Daan doesn't have to think long about that.
'For me, freeriding is like a kid in an amusement park. When there's really good snow and you feel that rush, you can try new things and it doesn't matter if you fall sometimes. He describes it as pure freedom.
POEDERBAAS NK FREERIDE
'Last year, during my first Poederbaas Freeride Festival, I was very warmly welcomed. By the crew, but also by all the participants and other visitors. There's absolutely no inter-competitiveness. Everyone just hopes that everyone else rides their best line and lands their tricks. Even if a direct competitor lands a backflip, you're cheering. You want everyone to have a great day. And that camaraderie - suddenly having a beer in your hand at the bar - I'm really looking forward to that.'
What others remember from his run isn't really that important to Daan. 'It's about my personal achievement. If I find something exciting, sometimes I have to take fifty deep breaths and then think 'fuck it, let's go for it'. I want to put down a run that I'm proud of. Pushing my own limits and just going for it. Then it doesn't really matter what others think of it.'
STILL DOUBTING? ALWAYS DO IT
Still doubting whether to go to the Poederbaas Freeride Festival? 'Always do it. Maybe it's not your first year to participate in the competition, but come along. Sign up and take workshops. The expertise there in freeriding is so high that you learn an enormous amount from others. Last year, I learned new things in just one workshop that I could immediately apply.'
Inspired by Daan van Leeuwen's story and want to experience it yourself?
To participate, you need a ticket. Accommodation, lift pass, travel, equipment, and food & drinks are arranged by yourself. There are four types of tickets, depending on how intensely you want to experience the week:
Includes access to the festival grounds, the OutdoorXL Testcenter, clinics & workshops, participation in the Waterslide Contest, a Poederbaas goodie, and access to the closing party.
NK/BK Vertical Skimo Ticket - €59.95
Includes everything from the Festival Ticket, plus participation in the NK/BK Vertical Skimo.
NK/BK Freeride Ticket - €149.95
Includes everything from the Vertical Skimo Ticket, plus participation in the NK/BK Freeride.
Sold out – only spots on the waiting list available.
Closing Party Ticket - The Last Drop - €19.95
Access to the ultimate closing party of the week. One last dance, one last toast, one last drop after a week full of powder, lines and good stories.
Article written by Jamie Jongman