Rory Bushfield is a Grade A badass—plain and simple. He shreds backcountry all over the world, smearing through powder and launching massive jumps while also partaking in every other extreme activity imaginable, from “holy s#it” airplane stunting to skydiving to cliff jumping and everything in between. Of course, he does all of these things with his legendary dog, Dextor, at his side. Every day is a grand adventure for this Canadian wildman and as such, each day, week, month and year yields many “firsts.” He shares some of the recent highlights with us, below.
AGE: 33
HOMETOWN: Balzac, Alberta, Canada
SPONSORS: Bern, Dissent Labs, Fresh Sports, Hitcase, Look, lululemon, Nordica, Monster Energy, MyPakage, Orage, Spivostick, Tantalus Bike Shop, Urban Alpine
The first thing you need to know about me is I love food but I never have the time to eat.
The first thing you need to know about my dog Dextor is she loves bacon and lamb chops. And she will choose beef over chicken 69 out of 69 times, though she loves both. But the first thing you should know is she will bite you. Don’t think her warning wasn’t real. She’s got a hell of a bark and bite.
The first thing I did this morning was wake up in my hammock, with one side tied to my plane and the other to a chain link fence in Port Hardy, BC. Then I peed out of said hammock without getting out and flew home.
The first ski movie I ever watched was Smart Mogul Skiing starring John Smart, Mike Douglas and Lane Barett. I watched it until it didn’t rewind anymore. Then I got Degenerates by Poor Boyz Productions—I still watch it.
The first ski movie I ever starred in was… oh man, I can’t even remember. I was probably rocking mogul pants and mogul skis, though.
The first concert I went to was Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. I love that sh#t. I’ve had the same East 1999 CD in my truck for a decade, no exaggeration.
The first car I drove was my sister’s ‘88 Camaro. My cousin and I used to take it out when we were 12 and shoot guns out the windows while discovering how fast we could go.
The first pro model I ever had was the Bushywayne by Nordica.
The first place I’d recommend to an experienced backcountry skier would be Chamonix. That place is the real deal. Or, anywhere via sled in British Columbia. Both have their advantages.
The first time I scared myself in the backcountry was hanging upside down over a bottomless crevasse—thinking about it still gives me shivers. Henrik Windstedt and Jon James 100-percent saved my life that day. YouTube it.
The worst crash I’ve ever had in the backcountry was launching a seven-twenty… I was a bit off and wanted to land it so bad that I flexed too hard and exploded my knee.
The first thing I do when I see snow coming in the forecast is
wax my skis when I have time. But, always call my people and make a dope plan.
The first time I thought “Oh f#ck” while flying my airplane was when ascending this one time, a bottle popped from the air expansion. Scared me real good. Also, the other day, oil sprayed out the engine and covered the side of the plane and a bit of the windshield, so we landed immediately. “Oh f#ck” was definitely on my mind.
The first time I dropped supplies to my buddies from an airplane was back in 2013. We tied a parachute to a 24-pack and hooked everybody up on probably the best day of the season. Seeing your homies on the ground running around like ants after beers you threw them is pretty awesome.
The first time I went skydiving was with my best man, Trennon [Paynter], two days before I got married. It was an incredible beginning to a hell of a stag [read: bachelor party].
The first thing I’ll do tomorrow is pet Dex.
