Befitting of Adrien’s quiet prowess as a freeskier, Shames Ski Area—located outside sleepy Terrace, British Columbia—is a freeride Mecca most skiers have never heard of. By serendipitous happenstance, Adrien discovered the hill on his way to a summer commercial fishing job in nearby Prince Rupert—a few months after applying, he was offered a job.
“The terrain is spectacular, but I had no idea about the community,” Adrien said of his first season at Shames. “That’s what I really fell in love with. It’s a not-for-profit co-op and everyone here is part of this community trying to keep skiing alive. It’s a intrinsic feeling.”
Two seasons ago, Adrien made his film debut, shooting with Matchstick Productions. World-renowned skier Mark Abma, who was also on the shoot, was blown away—not only by Adrien’s skiing, but by the way he carried himself.
“He’s tackling all the biggest and gnarliest lines within eyesight of Shames,” said Abma. “He’s wise beyond his years and he’s got the skiing skills to match that maturity. He has a lot of confidence and he’s also humble which is a super important factor when putting yourself into that environment—it’s a winning combination for creating a great skier.”
“[Adrien] is the working class hero,” Abma continued. “He’s on the ground doing the work, living super humbly, plowing the parking lot, ensuring people are safe when they’re skiing on the hill. It’s pretty rare when you meet someone that well-rounded.”
But while Adrien is open to opportunities that come his way, the under-the-radar shredder has no plans to leave Shames.
“I want to grow with Shames. And it’s not the career opportunities and the experience; it’s more for the potential I see for Shames and the community. I hope to keep improving it.”