Veronica Paulsen, better known as “The Queen of Corbet’s Couloir,” is one of the most promising skiers in the industry today. Earlier this season, Veronica made history as the first woman to ever attempt a double backflip off Corbet’s Couloir. While only two years prior, she became the first woman to land a backflip off the iconic Jackson Hole crucible. When she’s not ripping around her home mountain of Jackson, the 29-year-old stays busy producing a new web series aimed at expanding the idea of what it means to be a professional skier today. Episode one follows Jim Ryan down steep and exposed lines in Jackson’s backcountry and newly released episode two takes us behind the scenes on Reine Barkered‘s 15th and final Freeride World Tour. FREESKIER sat down with Veronica to talk about episode two and her takeaway from the series.
Q&A With Veronica Paulsen
Your voice is so prevalent in this series. What message were you hoping to convey in episode 2?
In each episode, we try our best to authentically show our guests’ “life motto” in relation to skiing. In Episode 2, we really admired Reine’s ability to enjoy the process and not put too much pressure on the outcomes of the competitions, despite being one of the most legendary FWT competitors of all time. I think a lot of us have struggled with the pressures either from racing, freestyle or freeride comps, so it was cool to see that when you ski for fun the results will come.
How do you decide who to interview for each episode? What kind of prep goes into making a series like this?
I’m always looking for guests that I admire and that I know have a unique perspective on life as a professional skier. For Jim that was his utmost focus on being the best version of himself, and the extra steps you can take every day to really ensure you are giving it your all. For Reine it was more about just enjoying the lifelong process, enjoying time with your fellow athletes and your family.
We prep by doing a ton of research on our guests to nail down our interview questions, then we try to come up with a solid ski objective that will showcase the theme for the episode. We also put together a loose storyboard of how we think the episode will flow, but it’s important to stay adaptable because ski filming never goes exactly as planned. Lastly, we just have to hope the weather works out during filming and be able to pivot if it doesn’t!
Who is your dream guest?
My dream guests would be any or all of the female skiers I looked up to while I was growing up, Michelle Parker, Jackie Paaso, Rachel Burks, Ingrid Backstrom, etc. Getting an insight into their lives would be such an incredible opportunity.
What takeaways do you have from this episode?
My biggest takeaway from this episode was that the most important aspect of your ski career is to make sure you’re enjoying yourself. If you’re a skier, you’re already wired to want to push yourself and work on improving your skiing, but if you can do that without judgment, and without adding unnecessary pressure to yourself, that’s when you see the best results.
How has making a web series impacted your outlook on skiing and the ski industry?
Starting this series has reignited my love for filming in the ski industry. It’s been so fulfilling to collaborate with the filmers and editors on putting something together with a message that can resonate with anyone, not just skiers but anyone! I love really getting to know our guests and seeing all the different ways you can thrive in the ski industry. I truly feel like I’m learning something every episode and I hope the viewers feel like that too.
