Susan Beks (30) will be at the start of the Poederbaas NK Freeride for the fifth time this year. In her daily life, she works at Ripstar Travel organizing winter sports trips, but skiing has been a part of her life for much longer.
‘I’ve always been a competitive skier. I even went to America for that sport, because I could study and ski there at the same time. That wasn’t possible in the Netherlands. With competitive skiing, you travel all over the world, from New Zealand to America and Canada. That’s really cool. But you visit all these beautiful areas, and in the end, you always ski just one run. You go down the same run over and over again for a competition and then you leave.’
FREERIDING
‘With freeriding, you get to explore the entire area. You go beyond the ski resort, you can tour and sometimes you end up in the middle of nature. You simply see so much more of what a mountain area has to offer than just that one perfect piste. That unknown really attracted me the most. On a groomed slope, you know exactly what you’re getting. With freeriding, you never know. It could be soft snow, powder, hard snow, or steep terrain. You constantly have to anticipate what’s coming. That makes it challenging and gives such an adrenaline rush. It just provides new energy.’
POEDERBAAS NK FREERIDE
She has now participated in the Poederbaas NK Freeride four times. This year will be her fifth participation. ‘My first time, I had so much fun. I also met friends there who are still my good friends today. The conditions that first year weren’t ideal. There was little snow and it was super warm. We rode a run under a lift. Even though it was off-piste, it wasn't really the freeriding you might expect with steep lines and big drops. It was a short run. I really thought, this is going so well, I'm just going to come in first. In the end, I came in second, but that didn't even matter that much. It was just fantastic. After that, I knew immediately that I wanted to come back and participate again and ride a different line.’
COMPETITION NERVES
Although freeriding is a different sport than competitive skiing, Susan still takes things from her past with her. ‘Visualizing still helps me a lot. Thinking in advance about what line I want to ride. And I actually enjoy that competition tension. That fluttering feeling in your stomach. You bring along all the small technical things you feel comfortable with. For me, that’s, for example, standing narrow and stable on my skis.’
THE COMMUNITY
The reason she comes back every year is actually very simple. ‘It’s really because of the people I’ve met there. Over the years, I’ve made good friends there with whom I ski entire seasons and go on trips. It’s just a community. Everyone knows everyone. You ski together, you talk to everyone, you also just have a nice drink in your hand. Everyone challenges each other, but it remains incredibly fun. I really like that more and more women are participating. They also truly become one group together.’
JUST DO IT
What are you most looking forward to during the Poederbaas Freeride Festival? ‘I really enjoy the competition, but especially the atmosphere around it. I look forward to being proud of myself and thinking: fuck yeah, I did that again. But everything surrounding it is just as important. After the competition, you’re basically with one big group of friends. The final party on Friday, together in the sun, that makes the week complete. Many people hesitate because they think: am I good enough? Can I do this? But everyone can participate. It's precisely a moment to test and challenge yourself. You just have to experience it once. It's super cool.’
Inspired by Susan Beks' story and want to experience it yourself?
To participate, you need a ticket. You arrange accommodation, lift pass, travel, equipment, and food & drinks 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 waitlist spots 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