Alex Schlopy has landed himself a brand new hard goods sponsor. The Utah native recently signed with HEAD Skis, just in time for the beginning of the 2014-15 ski season. Coming off of a solid season on both the competition circuit as well as the film scene, Schlop-Dog landed on the podium at both Grand Prix events at Park City Mountain Resort last season and played a role in Stept Productions’ latest venture Ten and Two. We caught up with Schlopy to get the inside scoop on his new deal, plans for the coming season, his Tinder game and more. Check it out below.

Q&A:

Congratulations on signing with HEAD Skis. It must feel great to have representation from such a world renowned hard goods company going into the new season. How did the partnership come about?

I’ve always been a huge fan of skiing and the industry as a whole. I remember seeing the I Love Head stickers everywhere. I thought it was genius from a marketing standpoint and the brand’s products speak for themselves. HEAD has had many many years in the ski industry and has supported some of the most elite athletes in racing, big mountain, etc. The brand is making a push in freeskiing as well, which I am incredibly stoked to be a part of.

HEAD is making a big surge in park skiing. “The Caddy” was voted the best park ski of the year in FREESKIER’s Buyer’s Guide. Can you speak to the strength of the products?

With HEAD’s background as a high performance company and its roots in the ski industry, the technology and quality of HEAD products will do all of the talking for themselves. “The Caddy” being voted best park ski is proof of that.

You’re joining the likes of Simon Dumont, Jesper Tjader, Aaron Blunck, James Heim, Jon Olsson, Luca Schuler, PK Hunder, Kaya Turski, Robby Franco and Keri Herman. That’s a pretty damn solid bunch. HEAD is obviously committed to the freeskiing community in a big way, and it seems to be only increasing. Touch on that.

The team is definitely stacked and continuing to build. I plan to work hard and have a lot of fun pushing myself as well as the brand to leave my print while helping the company along the way.

Are you wearing one of those “I Love Head” t-shirts right now?

I’m actually wearing six of them. It makes you look stronger.

Any big plans dialed for the coming season?

I have a couple things boiling inside my head. We’ll see what happens.

You skied and filmed with the Stept crew a bit last season. Do you plan to increase your exposure in films, or will you maintain a heavy focus on the comp scene?

I plan to do both. I want to expand my skiing into some film ideas that I’ve had, but I’m still going to compete. I still haven’t reached my goal, so I can’t stop yet.

From hamstring issues, to a mishap with a big cliff, you battled a series of injuries all summer long. How are you feeling physically?

Well, to begin the off-season I broke my tailbone spring-skiing. After that healed, I visited my friends up in Washington. We were riding some stand up jet skis and apparently I’m not that good… I did a really fast “stand up split,” as they call it and completely snapped my semi-membranous hamstring. Surgery wasn’t an option, since there was nothing to reattach the muscle to. Along with the hamstring tear, I had two 2nd degree tears to my hip adductor muscles and a 2nd degree tear to my glute muscle. Doctors told me that my leg would most likely would never be the same. My leg actually swelled and bruised so much I thought it would have to be amputated, but thankfully that didn’t happen. I believe my leg is at about 95% and feels like nothing ever happened. I always plan to heal more than what I’m told I’ll be able to because I’m stubborn.

After the leg injury had finally healed I had about three weeks of fun skateboarding and doing summer things. Then I got hurt again falling off of a cliff. I fell probably 40-feet down a steep hill into a sheer 30-foot drop trying to get down to the ocean. This time I think I have to thank my friends looking down from above for walking away. I suffered a concussion as well as some lung bruising, which was by far the best case scenario. This incident is the biggest motivator in my life now.

All that being said, I’m ready for the season. I just want to get outside, ski and have some fun.

What steps can you take to ensure you stay at the top of your game this season, physically speaking?

Stay strong, ski a lot, stay focused.

Your new truck rules. I’d love to go for a spin in it sometime.

It’s actually faster than most of the cars on the street. Just wait—it’s chipped up to more than 600 horsepower and 800 lbs of torque with a five-inch straight back exhaust, no cats. Plus, you can put your bike in it, if you want to.

You dressed up as a rocker for Halloween this year—how’d it work out?

Our set was pretty good, but for some reason our sax player got beat up and we still can’t find him… Whatever though, we just let him in the band so he could feel cool.

How’s the Tinder game?

Tinder and game don’t go in the same sentence. Tinder life, you ask? Impeccable. Swiping girls left and right. Boom.

Any advice for the kids out there?

Never stop getting extreme. Ever.
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For more info, see the official Press Release from HEAD Skis

Related: Check out the full selection of HEAD Skis from our 2015 Buyer’s Guide here.