The Jason Hutchins Interview

Wade Williams wrote: What's up man? I'm going to interview you for Pro Ski Coach. What do you think about that?

Yeah buddy! What up in Alta? Come to Taos!

Alta is Sick! I was hoping to makie it to Taos this March but it seems I'm a little preoccupied at the lake. Next year. Let's get started then. Who are you? Where'd you grow up?

Jason Hutchins, Canaan, Maine.

When did you start water skiing?

I was around 13 I think. Our camp is on a two mile long public lake so I skied I/O style for a couple years then I finally talked my parents into an old (89')pink Mastercraft in 97'. My wake crossing became much better then!

When did you start skiing the course?

June 1999

Did it take you long to figure out how to run buoys?

Na, I ran like 28mph or something the first set in my course... it turned out to be 3ft narrow on one side but hey, things don't need to be precise to have fun in Maine.

When was your first tournament?

July 99', INT in Concord, NH.

You were on a few of Louisiana Monroe's National Championship Ski Teams. When'd you graduate?

If it weren't for Bill Bagley at ULM seeing potential and drive in me and allowing me to walk-on the team my life would be completely different. I Graduated in 2004 then went back for one year to be with my girlfriend, take classes I actually wanted to take (not had to), and use up my final year of eligibility.

What have you been doing since then?

I've worked to restore balance back in my life after spending a lot of time in the hot south. When I left ULM I knew I needed to get back to snow skiing to refuel my fire and become the athlete I want to be. I'm not there yet but getting closer. It's not all about waterskiing for me. I push myself equally as hard if not harder in the winter snow skiing and have many goals there as well. I live in Taos Ski Valley for the winter months, then go someplace warm to ski for the summers. The past 3 waterski seasons have been with Seth and Tadd at H2Osmosis. I spent one great fall back in N.H. with my friend and great mentor.

How'd you get hooked up with Seth and Tadd?

They were moving into Trophy Lakes and starting a ski school, Carly and I were looking to change things up from our previous summers. Worked out perfectly.

You've been knocking on the door of breaking into the pro ranks for the past few years. What did you do differently this year to get your Open rating?

Well most of the year wasn't really that great for me. I wasn't confident with my set-up and what I was feeling. One thing I had going for me though was I came off a great winter and I was as strong as ever. I started working really hard early fall on fixing a couple technique issues. Lastly in Sept. I jumped on a new ski that gave me a ton of confidence and a few cool new sensations. Tried to relax a little... lots of Pilates and running throughout the summer too.

Where are you now?

Having the most epic winter ever with my girlfriend, TSV!

What are your plans for this summer?

First someone is going to have to peel me away from these beautiful mountains! Hit the water ripping. Ski, Bike, Climb, repeat. If everything pans out this summer could be the best of my life.

What pro events are you skiing this summer?

I haven't thought about it too much. I'm just excited to push myself skiing, get some experience in a pro field, and have fun. I'll hit as many pro events as the budget will allow.

What are you skiing on in 2008?

Right now I own a D3 X5 pro w/ FOGMAN's!

Most people are just getting to hear about you since your appearances in Momentum. How did you like your segment?

First off I'm so stoked for PJ and you guys for getting some sick ski films out there. This is only the beginning. I definitely wasn't skiing my best when most of the taping for Momentum was shot but whatever. PJ did a great job and it shows a bit of who I am.

Where do you see the sport / yourself in the years to come?

I see the sport moving to more public places, mixing tournaments with festival type experiences with live music and so on. Hopefully bringing in more corp. sponsors. Much like Moomba, Boardstock, and H2Oz King and Queen. I also hope to see more videos. We've only scratched the surface on what can be put to film to show our cool sport. The lifestyles, the angles, everything. As for me... I don't usually plan that far ahead, I'm more seat of my pants. Priorities change over time and you always need to evaluate the potential gains and losses. I try my best to follow what my heart is telling me, no regrets, no repressed dreams. Skiing is my life right now and I don't see that changing any time soon.

What are you listening to right now for beats?

Idea soundtrack! Michael Franti, Damian Marley, Bigwig, RX Bandits