Nicolas Pillin
- Nickname
- Nico
- Birthday
- April 7, 1983
- Blood type
- A (I think)
- Snowscooting career
- Started in 1997; in my thirteenth year.
- Why did you take up Snowscooting?
- I first learned about Snowscooting in a motocross magazine. I was surprised to see people riding the slopes on something with handlebars. I basically raced motocross and BMX in the summer and did a bit of skiing in the winter. So, for me, it was quite natural to shift to Snowscooting in winter. I did, and have been enjoying it ever since.
- What other sports are you involved in, and what hobbies do you have?
- I continue to ride BMX, doing dirt jumps and trail riding, which matches Snowscooting. Riding BMX is helpful to improve Snowscooting skills and techniques, and allows me to refine my own style. I also love motocross and FMX, but recently have less time for them. Still, I am a diligent gatherer of information.
- What is the most dangerous moment you ever experienced?
- It was when I was riding in a car with Marty McFly*. . . no, no! I’m kidding. I was once in a backcountry session and the conditions were the worst – layers of powdered snow, steep slopes, narrow passages, rocks and cliffs. I was heading toward a gap in three-meter-high snow and could not see what would be there at the other end. I was scared to death. I believed I could make it but, at the same time, I was not ready mentally.
※Marty McFly is the hero of the film “Back to the Future.”
- What is the best thing about Snowscooting for you?
- I think that it is basically very free, including the fact that the rider is not anchored in bindings as in snowboarding or skiing. There is something exciting that you cannot experience in other sports because there is literally nothing else like Snowscooting. It’s an entirely new world, a different sphere. For example, imagine that you are on a snow-covered mountain. Any BMX rider would want to make big curves on the powered snow, but it would not be possible on a bike. You can do it with a Snowscoot.
- Please tell us about your riding style and what model you use.
- I use a 70 Titanium frame and fork, a non-regulation BMX bar, a stiff F-Board (a new model will be out soon!) and a basic NKS binding system. I like a Snowscoot that is light and responsive to my riding style. These days, I ride in snowparks but also in the backcountry as much as possible. I don’t think it’s interesting to do only big tricks using a kicker in a park. I want to ride smoothly in my own style, in any type of place.
