Do you like traveling to places like this?
I love to go to more remote places where maybe not everything is accessible at all times; you are forced to live a simpler life and disconnect for a bit. I feel like it keeps me in balance and reminds me of what is really important. Being on that trip in the Tordrillo’s made me realize again how much energy and time it can take to have clean drinking water. Melting water from snow was a big part of our days, since it took quite some time and also needed gas for the process, of which we only had a limited amount. I think it was probably the first time ever I actually had to think about where my water was coming from, which was a crazy experience and made me value it in a way I had never been conscious of. This experience made me realize how fortunate we are to not have to think about access to potable water, while simultaneously I came to the realization that having water to drink shouldn’t be a privilege, but a right.

[juicebox gallery_id=”190″]

Have these experiences affected your life in any major way?
Obviously I try to waste as little water as I can wherever I am. I also started to bring my Mizu bottle everywhere I go so I can just refill it and don’t have to buy bottled water. But as I mentioned above it probably influences me the most whenever I’m in a place where clean water doesn’t just come out of the tap. It’s really crazy to think about how many people still don’t have access to clean water today and how it affects and changes their lives. That’s why I am so excited about the project Shred Optics is working on with Waves For Water. It’s an issue that we collectively need to think and act more upon as a society.

Traveling is a major aspect of your job and life, how do you feel about being on the move for a large part of the year??
It’s a little bit of a love/hate thing for me. On one side I love to see and explore new places and meet new people and cultures. I feel like you can learn so much from traveling and it opens your eyes to new perspectives and a lot of things that you would never learn in school, which is great. But then of course all that traveling also effects the environment and is maybe not always necessary. Also being away from your family and friends for long periods of time can be hard. As far as snowboarding goes, it really all depends on the snow. Generally though, I don’t think I necessarily would need to travel too much since I was very lucky and born in the middle of the European Alps. So there’s more terrain here than I can ride in a lifetime anyway.

It seems as if you are seeking empty mountains full of fresh snow or an empty lineup. What do those places have in common?
For me personally, both of them have a very calming and relaxing effect. They are some of the few places where I can really just live in the moment and not worry about all those other problems for a bit, whether they are real or imagined.

What about surfing, why did you start? Where did you start? You actually don’t live close to the ocean.
It’s funny, because I really didn’t like surfing too much at the beginning. I guess I just didn’t get it yet. The first time I ever tried it was on a snowboard trip in Chile. The water was cold and I had no idea what I was doing. One hour and I was over it. A couple years later I spent some days in Bali on my way to New Zealand and tried it again. This time it felt better but it still didn’t click. My friends just wouldn’t give up though and kept on dragging me to the beach. Coming from the mountains, the ocean is a very hard thing to figure out. There’s just absolutely no connection there and it’s a whole new element you have to deal with. But slowly I started to pick up a few things and was having more and more fun with it. From there it pretty much just snowballed, and now it’s just as important to me as snowboarding is. I think the main reason I got so hooked on it though, is that factor of spontaneity that comes with riding waves. It’s not a static or controlled environment and all you do is constantly adapt to what the wave tells you to do. And I think this is also the most interesting part about snowboarding. Just being in the moment and making decisions as you ride down the mountain, controlling your speed, anticipating how terrain and snow will be and adapting your line because of those factors. It’s almost like surfing was this missing piece in the puzzle for me to really understand what I love so much about snowboarding.

Some thoughts from French-Canadian powder hound Benji Ritchie

What brought you into snowboarding?
I started snowboarding out of curiosity pretty much. I was really into sports at a young age and skiing was really popular where I’m from. When some guys started snowboarding I really wanted to try it and once I did it was a life changer.

You have been around the world over the years, is there a place that stands out as being the most remote or isolated?
I just got back from mainland Mexico for a surf trip and I spent a couple weeks in a little town, which is on a native island to get away from crowds and tourists. It’s not crazy remote in terms of location, but more for the services you don’t get there and the lifestyle that the local people are living and the way they work for their food and water. It really brought Shred’s collaboration with Waves For Water to the forefront of my mind.

How do you feel when you go to these types of places?
It definitely keeps you grounded and makes you realize how comfortable and easy life is back home. Like the water situation for example, at home if I want to have a glass of water or brush my teeth or I need water to cook or whatever…. I’ll just use the tap water that I have right here in my house. Can’t do that down there or you will get sick as a dog.

Does it have any influence on your life? 
It’s kind of hard to realize the importance of potable water and how easily accessible it is to me when I’m at home until you visit these places. It’s a good reality check and a great motivator to contribute to the problem in any way you can. The best part about Waves For Water is their mantra: do what you love and help along the way. When I go on surf and snowboard trips if I can help the local communities by installing filters where I can. It’s amazing.

Make a donation to Waves for Water and change someone’s life forever.