Dylan Siggers
A prolific skier with an unusual creative outlook
Profiles
Words by: Mike Berard
Photos by: Mattias Fredriksson
Dylan Siggers stands out
in his small hometown of Fernie, BC. Maybe it’s because he’s well over six feet tall without ski boots. Perhaps it’s his family name—his dad has been around the resort for more than 50 years. It could be his laid-back charisma, his tell-it-how-it-is bluntness, or perhaps that he’s the drummer of a self-described “indie emo punk” band.
More likely, it’s because Siggers is one of the sport's most creative and humble skiers and filmmakers.
Dylan’s favorite touring gloves can be purchased at Canadian Tire for CAD 7.99.
End of the day at the bottom hip by the RV lot at home in Fernie, B.C.
Filmed by Jake Strassman for Peace Lily.
Every season, his crew,
The Burrrlapz, release an edit that reminds us that skiing can be easier, looser and, yes, way more fun. Each successive edit brings more off-camera chuckles, a unique terrain POV, a cacophony of crashes, and a silly, strange vibe that resonates with viewers.
Siggers, however, is quick to dismiss the label
"There’s a lot of pretending that we don’t care, but we really do.” “Well,” Siggers adds with a pause. “I do.”
— DYLAN SIGGERS
His unique balance of loose vibes and acute detail is reflected in an effortless ski style—a buttery-tricks-meets-raw-big-mountain blend melding fluidity, playful expression, and a loose-as-hell aesthetic. It’s not to say Siggers isn’t precise in his execution. Even in his early edits, he makes conscious attempts to keep things creatively dialed.
“I had crashed many times but never had a concussion.
So, even if I understood that I had to rest, I was still optimistic and thought I could continue to race soon after,” says Zopp, who was looking forward to the European Youth Olympic Games later in the season.
But after a month’s respite, primarily spent in a dark room with no screen time, things hadn’t improved. At this point, Zopp was referred to the Swiss Concussion Centre in Zürich, where she underwent tests. “They tested my eyes, concentration abilities and balance, but the scariest was when they put needles in my brain and toes to check the nervous system,” Zopp recalls.
Over the next six months, as Zopp met with a physiotherapist at the Concussion Centre several times weekly, things slowly improved. Still, there was no more skiing that winter.
Nose press - a favorite move by Dylan Siggers. Shot at RMR in Revelstoke, B.C.
Dylan is a perfectionist who does not stop until he is satisfied with his own performance or the film clip/photo.
Zero spin in sunnies and a hat. Very casual. Very Siggers.
A little 3 off a pillow in Revelstoke, where Dylan learned how to ski pillows and take his skiing to another level.
Growing up in Fernie, deep powder is in Siggers DNA. Dylan calls this move a “trench wheelie”.
Like many professionals,
Dylan grew up in a small ski town. But unlike many sponsored skiers, he never felt the tug to leave. He’s happy to stay around home with his wife, Sophie, tucked into the quiet southeastern corner of British Columbia’s Powder Highway beneath the Lizard Range with consistent snowfall, steep lines, and stunning couloirs. Dylan has no plans to leave Fernie, and he can thank his father for the deep local roots.
Robin Siggers was only 22 years old when he moved to Fernie in the 1970s. He’d been living in a squatter’s cabin with a buddy for several years in Whistler but left when the Blackcomb Gondola built a tower over the former accommodation. He rapidly ascended the ranks of Fernie Alpine Resort, from the head of ski patrol to resort manager. He’s been a fixture ever since. From virtually the moment Dylan was born, he was given reign to explore every aspect of the mountain.
“My dad would take me up to watch them shoot the ava-launcher [gun] or go on ski-cutting missions,” the younger Siggers says, laughing. “Obviously, that kind of thing doesn’t happen anymore.”
— DYLAN SIGGERS
Switch 5 in the Shames backcountry, Terrace, B.C.
Flat 3 in the Shames backcountry, Terrace, B.C.
180 in the Shames backcountry, Terrace, B.C.
His early, hands-on big mountain
education collided with the peak Newschoolers.com era to produce Siggers’ fresh, unique style. A big break came on location in Japan, where he worked as an assistant cinematographer. Swedish photographer Alric Ljunghager recognized Siggers’ effortless flow, and after the athletes locked down their tricks, Alric asked him to hit the feature they'd filmed. The resulting shot landed on the cover of Powder Magazine in the fall of 2018.
A couple of years later, the 2020 Jake Strassman-directed edit, Intent, showcased Siggers’uncanny ability to get lovably weird on snow—a style developed from playful, unhindered access to a small-town ski mountain without an actual terrain park (or, at best, a mostly buried terrain park). The Lizard Range’s regular storms keep shaping lips, and corduroy trannies a low priority at Fernie—powder always comes first.
This fall, the 29-year-old Siggers released Peace Lily, his biggest project to date. With support from his sponsors—LINE and Stellar Equipment—there was enough budget to hire Jake Strassman to shoot the entire film. The movie shares a lot of subtle insights into Siggers’ personal life without being too upfront.
A stylish 180 at last light on a short December day at Shames Mountain in Terrace, B.C.
A stylish 180 at last light on a short December day at Shames Mountain in Terrace, B.C.
For the past three years,
Zopp studied at the University of Bern, balancing her studies with more-or-less full-time skiing during winters en route to a bachelor’s degree in psychology. “Mental health is so important,” she sums. “Not everyone is as lucky as I was with so much support from family, coaches and special care. If I can give back in any way, that’s something I want to contribute to society. Hopefully, one day, I can be a therapist and help others with similar problems.”
Growing up in a small mountain town kickstarted Zopp’s life on snow, and becoming a skier was the most natural thing. Now 23 years old with a racing career behind her, Zopp calls herself an aspiring big-mountain skier. “I always loved my home mountains around Andermatt, but now I have much more time to explore them,” says Zopp, who finds going deeper into the backcountry the most fantastic way to discover the opportunities close to home — turning peaks she once admired from afar into peaks she now climbs and skis.
Hot laps under the Stoke chair at Revelstoke Mountain Resort, B.C. Siggers made it look like a natural slopestyle course while doing tricks off every natural jump. Here frozen while doing a Cork Flip Japan.
Siggers and his crew left Whistler due to difficult snow conditions and ended up on a snowshoe trail on Mt. Seymour near Vancouver, B.C. where they had a great time. – A bunch of tourists came by and cheered on us while we sessioned this jump, says Dylan. Switch 5 filmed by Jake Strassman for Peace Lily.
“We tried to make a video
that you could watch a few times and notice something new [each time], whether it’s short clips or lyrics in the music,” says Siggers. “I also wanted to include as many of my friends and family in the movie as possible. It was special to make a ski film so close to my heart and with my two great friends, Zak Mousseau and Liam Morgan.”
Siggers and his crew focused on quality over quantity for the film. They devoted the better part of the winter to filming around the world, from the backyard of Fernie and Hosmer to Revelstoke, North Vancouver, Grand Targhee, and even Switzerland.
“I wanted the skiing to appear fully formed and to come out of the season proud of our choices,” says Siggers. “Over the years, I often find myself so scared while we’re filming, and equating fear and anxiety to a good shot—if the clip I’m trying to get is scary, it must be good.”
“But I hate feeling so afraid all the time,” Siggers continues. “So with Peace Lily, I was motivated to find features I was excited to ride. One of my oldest and best friends, Zak Mousseau, has a good eye for features and a great attitude—super determined and confident, but knows when it’s just a dumb idea.”
Siggers isn’t chasing the pro dream; he’s simply living it. His work and style are inspiring proof that professional skiing can be done differently, in smaller locales and with more emphasis on flow, joy, and creativity than the same marquee hits we’ve come to expect. Skiing could use more Dylan Siggers, even if it doesn’t yet understand exactly why.
RELATED | Watch Peace Lily, a Film by Dylan and Jake.
RELATED | Watch Free, in your body, a Film by Dylan Siggers.
RELATED | Watch Dylan Goes To Japan, a Film by Jake Strassman.
MIKE BERARD is a recovered ski magazine editor. As the editor of SBC Skier, The Ski Journal, and Coast Mountain Culture Magazine, he skied around the world for over a decade. After working for Patagonia as a managing editor, Berard returned home to Canada. He now happily lives in a B.C. town you‘ve never heard of where he mainly writes advertising copy for skiing and mountain biking brands and is working on a tv series.