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- HALL OF FAME
JT Holmes
JT's Sponsors are:
Nordica
Sessions
FiveTen shoes
Discrete
Porters
Swix
Squaw Valley USA
Smith Optics
Molde Base
How long have you been skiing?
Since I was 2, I have had a Squaw pass since 82-83
What is your favorite part of life on the road?
The fresh tracks and the hikes and adventures to zones that are new to me and often new to skiing.
What is the worst part of life on the road?
It can be hard being away from my home, falling behind on some things in life, but I am young, single, don’t have any kids, so if there is ever a time to be out seeing the world this is it. I guess another complaint could be just timing and luck, sometimes you are away and Tahoe is firing and you can’t help but think about what you are missing out on. Sometimes it’s the other way around and you realize how lucky you are.
What skiers inspire you and why?
Seth Morrison, Shane McConkey, both Robb and Scott Gaffney. But more than any one skier, I love seeing people ski just slightly out of control, just hanging on and pulling it together when it counts. That is when you ski without thinking, you go on reactions instead of the plan and it is a pretty cool feeling in the run out when you pull something off, just barely. You see moments of this in a lot of skiers, in any skier really at any level. I notice that in Johan Olaffson’s snowboarding in particular, and in Seb Michaud’s skiing.
You got 2nd in a big mountain comp last year and your name is on the World Tour list this year, what up with comps? You hadn’t done any in a while since last year right?
That’s true. I like comps because you really step it up. You ski way harder than you ever otherwise would on that mountain that day. You get to see right where you end up amongst your competitors and where your strengths and weaknesses are. At the same time, a comp is a often a big time commitment and it may or may not be for good skiing conditions and I have always had a keep-it-fun approach to professional skiing.
I started doing big mountain comps when I was 16. There was a few years prior to last year in which I didn’t do any and this was just coincidence. I was skiing, filming, shooting and just happened to not compete. I think some comp skiers view the guys with filming opportunities that don’t compete as though they think that person is “above competing.” When my name showed up on the start list last year at the Roldal comp people were really gunning for me, they were psyched to beat me, mostly because I have a strong name in the industry and have filmed a lot with Matchstick. It felt good to do well. I proved I could still hang to those that doubted.
Your exposure started as the next big kid. Now that you’ve reached adulthood, do you feel you’ve accomplished what was expected of you at such a young age?
Yes.
What has been the most exciting/important moment of your career thus far?
That is a tough question. I think the fact that I started at 16-17 years old and have been consistently in ski movies since then is what made it work. As for choosing one moment; It would have to be some of the ski base stuff. Skiing off of a massive cliff in Norway and flying my wingsuit to the valley floor combined everything I like to do most. I feel that that, and the Skiing off the Eiger with parachutes in 04 were Shane and my proudest sessions together. We have some stuff up our sleeves for this season too, and Porters will be the first to know of it. My fondest moments in skiing are filming 1999 and Immersion because they were entirely filmed at home; all the spots we know, The spots we own.
You’ve also had the opportunity to film with MSP, what is that like?
Skiing for MSP is the shit. I ski the most and have the most fun when I am with Shane and Scot, and with MSP I get to film in rad places and whether it is at home or not, it feels like home, all our jokes and sarcasm and all. Murray, Steve, and Nate are classic dudes too and fun to work with. At the same time, MSP is quick with the scissors if you are not on it, and like any business they have to focus on making a buck and that often means committing to the athletes whose sponsors pay the most. I have been clipped from that program more than once in my career and it all seems to fall in place anyways, there are lots of good films these days, I have had some good stuff in other companies films, but I feel that when my skiing is its strongest, I have always been on the MSP radar and documented by them.
What do you like about living in Tahoe and how has it affected your skiing?
The most bitchen thing about Tahoe is the snow. It sticks to the steeps right away. In other areas you have to wait for the steeps to fill in, and that may not be til march, but here, when it is on it just all happens. It can transform from dry year to firing with just one storm; with just 6 inches even. Squaw’s KT22 created me. 1700 vertical feet in about 7 minutes, full of airs, steep sections technical stuff, some of my favorite kickers around.
What does it mean to you to ride for Porters Tahoe, and what do you feel you will bring to their team?
Porters is good people. It’s a Tahoe born and raised company that understands what is going on, and is passionate about who we are, what we represent and where we live. To me riding for Porters means that I am a part of support network. We look out for each other and we do cool stuff both together and individually and we share it all with each other and our fan base. We represent hard and it builds for more and more opportunities for everyone.
You’ve been in the game for a long time, but you’re still young by big mountain standards. What are some of your major career plans/goals?Film strong segments. Take the next step with ski base. Stomp. Stomp. Stomp. I want to win the World Tour event at Squaw this year. That will be nice. I am stoked to have graduated college now, so this fall, instead of being in the classroom, I have more time for the gym, for hiking, biking, base jumping, training in all sorts of ways. I feel myself getting stronger and I am fired up.
What did you graduate in?
I got a bachelor’s degree in general studies from the University of Nevada, Reno. That means that in general, I know everything.
