Simon Dumont is the embodiment of action sports on the mountain, sporting a wanton — and entertaining — commitment to faster runs, bigger jumps, and newer tricks. As he’d tell you, you don’t win two X-Games golds in the superpipe by being conservative. Known as one of the sport’s edgiest freeriders, his sick amplitude and crowd-pleasing style were actually first explored in the world of gymnastics.
“Yeah, I did a lot of gymnastics from a very young age,” he says. “I was a regional champ, a tri-state champ — no big deal, really. But it was just too regimented and too crazy for me.”
When he wasn’t honing his skills on snow in his home state of Maine, Simon was staying active — and successful — on the turf and the links.
“I have always been pretty competitive,” he says, stating the obvious. “Anything that I could get my hands on, I would always dive right in and try to excel. Golf’s a tough one. It’s a game of inconsistencies. When I was on fire, I was on fire. But like anybody, when you get the shanks, you’ve gotta work ‘em out. I would shoot in the 80s usually, but sometimes I’d creep into the 70s.”
But it’s his take on soccer that’s most telling of his love of the limelight. A forward, he admits that he loved having the ball with the game on the line, explaining, “If you’re doing well defensively, you don’t get much recognition. But if you score, you end up with the prom queen.”
That could explain why Simon, even when he isn’t at the top of the standings, is always a draw. He wants to impress you. All you have to do is watch. It’s adoration through accomplishment — a heavy-medaled résumé built on innovation and risk-taking that absolutely compels you to tune in.
Simon Dumont
- Born: July 9, 1986
- Hometown: Bethel, Maine
- Residence: Keystone, Colorado
- Height: 5'7"
- Weight: 145 lbs (all swollness)
- Website: simon-dumont.com
Q: When did you first realize you had a knack for freestyle skiing?
Simon: I don’t know if there was ever a moment. I never wanted to do it for a living — it was just something I enjoyed doing in my spare time.
Q: What is your favorite thing about the sport? Is it the competition, the adrenaline, the art….?
Simon: Everything about freeskiing is amazing. It’s such a great community. I don’t have a problem with any one skier. When we’re atop the course, I’m not hoping anyone falls or anything like that. It’s tough to get in and get accepted, though; but once you are, it’s something that you never want to leave. Artistically, freeskiing is a way to display your personality. You can tell a lot by how someone skis. It’s cool that there are no real guidelines.
Q: Of course, your huge crash from 2004 is the stuff of YouTube legend. Since you were back riding so soon, you obviously weren’t too hurt mentally, but what did you do to recover so fast physically?
Simon: I feel like I’ve always healed really quickly. Pain’s not usually a huge issue for me, so as soon as somebody tells me that I can get back out there and that I’m not putting myself at risk for something worse, I’m out there. I’ve been back out four days later after a separated shoulder. With that 2004 spill, I had a broken pelvis and a busted spleen — but once they cleared me, I was back out.
Q: It’s no secret that you’re super competitive. But how do you think you’re perceived by your fellow competitors?
Simon: The same way as everybody else. I lay everything on the table. They all know I’m competitive. When I’m in competition mode, they don’t see me as being a jerk. They’ll leave me alone and let me do my thing. Once we’re off the hill, we’re all friends again. But they all know I’m pretty intense at comp time.
Q: Do you feel pressured at all by the constant need to innovate to stay ahead of the competition?
Simon: The thing that sucks is the injury thing because you can get hurt learning new tricks. But if you can find a happy medium, learning a new trick and not getting hurt, you’re fine. Because if I’m off my skis, I freak out. So I try to push it as far as I can without getting hurt.
Q: You held the inaugural Dumont Cup in 2009, an event for skiers 8–18 on your hometown hill of Sunday River, Maine. What was your motivation for that?
Simon: The big reason was to give back to the community a bit. I remember going to the U.S. Open when I was young — it was miserable, miserable, miserable. With the Dumont Cup, you don’t have to wake up at 6:00 a.m.! Really, it’s a way for a lot of kids on the East Coast to get a lot more recognition, because we have a lot of talent out there.
Q: Are action sports competitors becoming better athletes? Why? Why not?
Simon: I think a lot of people are starting to realize that they do need to start going to the gym and taking care of their bodies to create longevity in our sport. I think people are taking it more seriously. It’s not like you’re never gonna crash, so I think a lot of people are preparing themselves better.
Q: What is your average training day like?
Simon: It depends, but usually I’ll get up and ski for 4–5 hours and then go to the gym. I do a bit of everything at the gym, but I’ve been staying away from a lot of the heavy weights lately, opting for more cardio stuff, lighter-weight exercise, and explosive stuff. I don’t have a trainer. I’ve been going to the gym since I was 16, and things seem to be working for me — so why mess with a good thing?
Q: How do you eat to keep up with all of your riding?
Simon: That might be my biggest problem. I’m on the hill all day. I get up early and I’m not a big early-morning-eater guy. Then I get out there and ski all day and sometimes won’t eat my first meal until 4:00, 5:00, or 6:00 in the evening. I usually eat pretty well though. I try to stay away from steak a little bit, but I probably eat it 3–4 times a week, along with lots of chicken, veggies, and fruits.
Q: What do you typically eat before an event?
Simon: Pre-ride, I’ll grab a PowerBar
® Performance Energy bar or a granola bar — but I don’t like having food in my stomach before I compete. Never have.
Q: What do you usually eat afterwards?
Simon: Usually I go home and eat something quick like a Performance Energy bar, then go out for a huge dinner. If we’re all hanging out, there’s like 15 of us that go.
Q: One more event left on the Winter Dew Tour. How do you think you’ll do there? Do you feel like you have something to prove?
Simon: I don’t think I have anything to prove anymore. I’ve secured my spot in freeskiing. The only person that I have to impress now is me. (laughs)
Q: You’re one of the top riders in the game at a time when the sport is flourishing. How long do you plan to compete?
Simon: I’m gonna compete as long as I can. We’ll see how long my body is going to hold up. I have some things going outside of skiing. I started my own company, we’re trying to start a race team up. When I stop competing, I’ll do my backcountry trips and live the good life.
Gel Fan
“On the Dew Tour, I had some PowerBar
® Gels for the first time. I usually have PowerBar Performance Energy bars because they’re at all the events, but I had never tried the PowerBar Gels. I was always hesitant for some reason. But I had a couple for quick energy and I loved them. They were pretty amazing.”
— Simon Dumont
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