Born to ski, the local lad from the valley is following in the footsteps of his father, Bruno Pezet, an instructor at the ESF ski school in Morillon. It has to be said that the Grand Massif slopes are a heavenly setting for even the youngest of skiers. But Maxime opted for freeride skiing, paving the way for his own artistic expression and letting his talent shine on the slopes in the great outdoors.
Portrait of a rising star among French freeriders and his amazing ascent.
It was in his home valley with Bruno, his father and accomplice, that Maxime Pezet acquired a taste for off-piste skiing and first savoured the instant pleasure and sense of freedom found away from the slopes. To perfect his ski runs, he took inspiration from the analysis of video footage of the champions whom – little did he know – he would overtake a year later. His father signed him up for the Europe/ Oceania junior freeride tour of which the first heat took place in Les Arcs.
“I was impressed by the great atmosphere, a far cry from the individualistic attitude I’d encountered at previous events. For a freeride race, each skier determines his own way down the mountain face, but we give each other tips to offer the public the best possible show!” he says.
The former downhiller from Morillon ski club had to find new bearings, because opening a freeride route is quite different from skiing between slalom poles.
His first victory came in March 2019!
Maxime went on to become a freerider to be reckoned with. Things really took off for him on the 3rd stage of the tour at Nendaz in Switzerland, where freeride skiing is legion!
“I didn’t hear my name when they announced the results. My father tapped me on the shoulder saying I had to go to the winners’ podium. I didn’t believe him, I’d only just begun,” he says timidly.
A waking dream, heading for the stars and a wish come true. That day, he became aware of his talent as he stood on the highest step of the podium in front of, or rather next to, top skiers he had always admired.
Result: 1st season, 3rd French freerider and 8th in the European ratings with no pressure whatsoever.
Acknowledged by his peers, he was invited to Verbier: “I was asked to challenge the others and put on a show. It was scary, being among the strong vibes of the world cup final! But I had my rider’s badge, my bib number, and had earned the right to be there.”
The “mountain man” of freeriding
Race after race, Maxime Pezet perfected his style as the “mountain man” as his father and his very first coach, Franck Bouzereau, liked to call him. His excellent downhill skills made him a fluid skier with the confidence to jump rock faces of impressive dimensions. He just had to work at his slopestyle technique which makes all the different in certain races. That was when Seb Michaud became his coach. He learned a lot with the Freeride World Tour champion, and began his 2nd season by qualifying for the world championships. “I crossed another threshold, a new stage on my way to the top, at Kappl in Austria. Just seeing my name on a bib felt like I’d won!” he explains, still in wonder. But he fell, which made up his mind to work at his 3/6 by training on every single mogul in the Grand Massif ski area! Half-way through the season, he returned to Austria and performed what he calls the “biggest old-school mid-air split” which put him back on the top step of the podium.
At the same time he was reaching the highest levels as a student too, entering a university institute of technology in Annecy-le-Vieux to study mechanical engineering and computer-integrated manufacturing while continuing to train with Seb Michaud in La Clusaz. He also practised freeride skiing on his home slopes: “My favourite spots are below Désert Blanc in Flaine where I can line up 4 big jumps in succession on a single run, and Combe de Vernant with its amazing rock faces where I always ski with safety equipment. I also enjoy doing freestyle sessions with friends and carving wide turns through the powder,” he confides.
And in summer? His training consists in walking heavily loaded up to the Alfred Wills Refuge that his father runs and where he himself works. He grew up there, it’s his own refuge.
Skateboarding has also become a part of his life, as has slacklining, which is good for proprioception, and paragliding, to widen his vision.
His 3rd season saw him enter the adult circuit and televised races, but was fragmented by the lockdown periods.
Watch this space to follow the 4th season with Maxime, the pride of Châtillon-sur-Cluses, his village, and of the entire Haut-Giffre valley.
Objective? To be among the international top 3 and join the legendary Freeride World Tour.
A strategic year in which to graduate AND validate his position as a French freeride skiing champion.
Interview by Laure Béchade, journalist
Photo by Gérard Gachignard