An Interview With Rachael Burks

SnoWorld #66 Exclusive: A Q&A with Rachael Burks on location in February 2015 at White Pine, WY for Monopalooza.

Photos by Cody Downard

TD: Okay so just start off with your name Rachel and who you are and let’s just roll into it.

RB: Cool. Sweet right on, umm my name is Rachel Burks and I am here filming with Warren Miller Entertainment, we are at White Pine, Wyoming for day one of Monopalooza. Umm I’m super excited because today is a special day, as if it’s not already special enough that fifty best friends who happen to be mono-boarders get together year after year and meet in different parts of the country to shred together. Today is special because they’ve chartered their own ski resort so literally the only people that will be on the lift today are mono-skiers and it’s pretty exciting to show up and I feel honored to be here and umm I can’t wait to meet everyone, I’m a little nervous I hope I can keep up with everyone so, it’s going to be an interesting couple of days I’m looking forward to it you know. I umm, I definitely see mono-boarding as this really rad sport that not many people are involved in anymore and these people that are apart of Monopalooza, kind of, maybe, like consider them lone wolves of their respective ski resorts right, but this is an opportunity for all the lone wolves to get together and run together as a pack and see what the other person’s up to see what new equipment they’re on and kind of challenge each other and see who can go the fastest so I’m just really hoping that I can keep up.

So, anyone that’s ever skied has usually, you know you’ll go out maybe once a week maybe maybe maybe twice a week there might be a monoboarder on the mountain. So you might see one monoboarder a day, and today is different because it’s only monoboarders. There will be no people on two skis. It’s only monoboarders. So that’s gonna be a little different I think, kind of a culture shock maybe.

TD: So, monoskiing are you freaked or what?

RB: Yeah, I’m actually really nervous. I’ve been monoskiing twice before and I got invited to show up in film for a monoboarding-specific event. So um, these guys have been getting together for a long time and they’re all talking about going 55 miles an hour on their monoboards and I’m not even sure if I go 55 miles an hour on my skis and I’m paid to ski so I’m really nervous. I don’t know if I’m gonna be able to catch up. They told me that t-this mountain only has like one groomed run and everything else is off-piste and I mean, it’s gonna be—I hope I can—I hope I can keep up it’s—I’m nervous ya know? I gotta—I gotta loosen up my hips. Which is really true cause it— it really is all in your hips. Like all—all in your hips. I need to loosen up. Sweet. Nervous. It’s gonna be fun. I’m actually looking forward to it I’m also looking forward to learning a lot, ya know? I mean I’m coming into this as a fairly good skier and a modest monoboarder, but hopefully some of my experience in skiing will enable me to kick-start the monoboarding process and, I mean, we’ll see. I’m hoping to learn a lot though, I mean um, yeah just watch and learn and meet people and see what they have to say about the sport. It’s gonna be great cause there really aren’t that many monoboarders out there and it’s really cool that they make an effort, every single year, to get together and to shred as a posse um, in charge of their own ski resort. Right. Uh, it’s gonna be fun.

Tom Day: Hey Rachael. Excited to have you here. Tell us about Monopalooza and what you are up to out here.

Rachael Burks: Right On! We are at White Pine, Wyoming for day one of Monopalooza. I’m super excited because today is a special day, as if it’s not already special enough that fifty best friends who happen to be mono-boarders get together year after year and meet in different parts of the country to shred together. Today is special because they’ve chartered their own ski resort so literally the only people that will be on the lift today are mono-skiers and it’s pretty exciting to show up and I feel honored to be here and I can’t wait to meet everyone, I’m a little nervous - I hope I can keep up with everyone. So it’s going to be an interesting couple of days, and I’m looking forward to it. I definitely see mono-boarding as this really rad sport that not many people are involved in anymore and these people that are a part of Monopalooza, kind of, maybe, like consider themselves lone wolves of their respective ski resorts, but this is an opportunity for all the lone wolves to get together and run together as a pack and see what the other person’s up to see what new equipment they’re on and kind of challenge each other and see who can go the fastest - so I’m just really hoping that I can keep up.

TD: Chartering a ski area, what’s that?

RB: Well Monopalooza has chartered White Pine, Wyoming for the day, which means they are paying to be here with no one else. This is an exclusive monoboarding day; no one else is allowed to ski except for the people that are a part of Monopalooza. So, that’s an honor. I’ve never been a part of a chartered ski resort I mean, who are these people? I mean, just chartering ski resorts left and right you know, it’s pretty cool. Definitely never done that before so we’ll see how this day is, it’s gonna be really sweet. We’re gonna know every single person on the mountain and that’s more than I can say about any other day of my life.

TD: So, monoskiing are you freaked or what?

RB: Yeah, I’m actually really nervous. I’ve been monoskiing twice before and I got invited to show up and film for a monoboarding-specific event. These guys have been getting together for a long time, and they’re all talking about going 55 miles an hour on their monoboards. I’m not even sure if I go 55 miles an hour on my skis, and I’m paid to ski. I don’t know if I’m gonna be able to keep up.

They told me that this mountain only has, like, one groomed run and everything else is off-piste. I’m nervous. I gotta loosen up my hips - it really is all in your hips. Like ALL in your hips. I mean, I’m coming into this as a fairly good skier and a modest monoboarder, but hopefully some of my experience in skiing will enable me to kick-start the monoboarding process.

Photos by Cody Downard

TD: How about powder? Would you want to monoski in powder?

RB: I would love to monoski in powder. As a matter of fact, there were a few moments where, you know you just get off-piste and there was just enough fresh snow that you really did get that floating sensation and it’s crazy cause you’re floating on a board, but you’re facing down slope so you’re fully square with the fall line which is really fun. It’s kinda all in your hips, but it’s floaty. It’s really nice. I will definitely be doing this more.

TD: Did you hear about anyone saying “wow the monoskiers went into Corbits” or anything like that?

RB: I’m already sure there are rumors spreading like wild fire over Jackson Hole right now about the 3 monoskiers that jumped into Corbets Couloir. It’s pretty impressive, it’s kind of an iconic, you know, drop into a couloir and... man we had 3 guys go in there today.

Lee made it look super, super smooth and easy. Pete crushed it and he’s not a small dude either - like he went at it really aggressively, and did really well, and then it’s Scotty Crown’s birthday today, and he’s like “I’m goin’ to Jackson, I’m checking that off the bucket list, I’m jumpin’ into Corbets Couloir!” So he is, you know he’s even like, he didn’t really even come out with us in the morning. He just showed up, and everyone was like “all right, we’re out” and he’s like “I’m doing it!” He just—he just dropped in and it was so sick. And then he proceeded to live up to his name afterwards and drink a little crown. They call him Scotty Crown, two crowns, because he skis around with 2 bottles of Crown in his cargo pants. It’s pretty impressive.

There are some interesting characters. I’ve really enjoyed getting to know everybody and, yeah and if you ever come to Monopalooza... Fireball. That’s the drink of choice.