Wildcats snowboarding

The Wildcats. It’s a name that has been engraved into snowboarding lore, the chisel then cleaned with cheap beer and a steady flow of vodka. They set the precedent for what it meant to send it just as hard at the bar as you did on the mountain, bumping Whistler, British Columbia to the top of any Canadian snowboarder’s “Places to Move” list for the lifestyle they portrayed in their movies. It was the antics and riding of Devun Walsh, JF Pelchat, Chris Brown, Chris Dufficy, Kale Stephens, among others that can be found on the list of original Wildcats, with riders like Iikka Backstrom, Benji Ritchie, Eero Niemela and Mikey Rencz joining the roster as time went on.

This weekend I made the journey to the World Ski & Snowboard Festival (WSSF) at Whistler Blackcomb, and the event effectively blew me away in terms of scale, scope and tradition; the festival entered its 20th year and has grown into the largest event of its kind in the snowboarding world. Among the festivities was a film competition called Intersection, of which the Wildcats were among the competitors with their teaser for Wildcats Never Die. Though they didn’t win (Full Moon Films took the Viewer’s Choice award), a $100 bar tab was awarded to all of the participants; this is where the story begins. I tagged along with JF, Iikka, Eero and Whistler OG Rube Goldberg to experience firsthand what it was like to be among the Wildcats in the bars of Whistler.

Wildcats snowboarding

We hadn’t even gotten to the bar yet… Romain de Marchi and JF Pelchat

Being in the Wildcats, what does that mean to you?
Eero: The reason I quit competing was because of Devun Walsh and JF Pelchat. I looked up to those guys when I was a kid, seeing them in the movies. It’s not the partying—well yeah it is the partying—but it’s a lifestyle. We all live for snowboarding and whatever comes with it; we’re down to go along with. Being part of that, and not taking life too serious because you never know when it’s going to end, we just do it. We drink, we snowboard, we do everything as big as we can possibly handle.

What was it like when you became part of the Wildcats?
They basically ran the whole Whistler bar scene. When I joined them, or got to go out with them I was too young to go into the bar. But I would still walk in with them and no one would ask any questions. They would throw bottles and not get kicked out. The bartenders were their best friends, they got drinks, they got everything for free, they were snowboarding superstars here. It was pretty weird to see. Nowadays if you throw a bottle in a bar, you’re going to jail. Back then, they were all still in it and everyone was having a great time.

Wildcats snowboarding

Eero, Iikka, Rube and myself. No turning back now.

This is the point in the night where things began to get loose, my questions included.

Wildcats, let’s talk about it.
Eero: Fucking being awesome, being a snowboarder. Living what you believed in growing up, watching videos. That’s what it’s all about.

Wildcats snowboarding

Sorry about the flash Iikka.

I feel like that’s changed a lot. Snowboarding’s growth has made it something different over the years, and the fact that there’s a new Wildcats movie is bringing back real shit.
It’s like taking shit back to the roots. What was fun back then, what was awesome back then, why we all started snowboarding back then, and why we all got so stoked about it is what the movie’s about. It’s not about doing stupid double corks all fucking day. It’s about having the time of your life.

Iikka: You’re not asking about yesterday or tomorrow, it’s what you’re doing at that moment. And it’s also about living and celebrating life. It shouldn’t be too serious. That’s why you have to make sure you’re having the best time of your life; you only have one of them.

Not too long after this we migrated to a bar called Garfinkels, where we found JF shirtless amidst a crowd of riders including DCP, Benji Ritchie, Marie-France Roy, Craig McMorris and probably a ton of people I missed at the back of the bar.

Wildcats snowboarding

Craig, we hope you don’t get too jealous. JF and Marie-France Roy

What does it mean to be a Wildcat?
JF: Look around yourself, that’s what it means. To be true to yourself. Snowboarding, having a good time.

Did you know that the quad cork was landed?
Yes.

How do you feel about that?
I don’t give a shit about the quad cork. To me, that’s not real snowboarding. It’s amazing progression, but honestly we’re not achieving anything by doing quads.

Wildcats snowboarding

Eero and one of Whistler’s best, DCP.

The rawness of the Wildcats, do you think that’s missing from snowboarding right now?
No I don’t think the Wildcats are missing anything, except if people want to choose to do whatever they want. We’re offering a different attitude where simplicity and style are of the essence. I don’t know who is the best in the world, but what I know is every time I go snowboarding with my kids, they have a smile on their face. That’s what I’m trying to recreate for everybody. It’s all about having a good time.

Stay tuned for more updates on Wildcats Never Die on Snowboardmag.com

WSSF.com
Whistlerblackcomb.com