To put it simply, Phil Jacques is a snowboard beast. But behind the goggles of a jumps and metal bars murderer hides a humble, happy man. An active dude who knows how to appreciate the good things in life. Read on to discover Phil's daily inspirations, elements that without a doubts helped making him such an accomplished shred stick destroyer.
Photo: @elamothe
Don’t forget to take a look at our Instagram Stories today to see Phil shred powder live from Japan. ENJOY!
To be as advanced in his craft as Phil Jacques is in snowboarding, it’s ablsolutely necessary to have a healthy body. Obviously, same goes for the mind. Keeping a healthy mind is not always easy when you spend your life traveling and practicing a sport that sometimes involves a high level of risk, but there are several things that allows Phil to keep his feet on the ground while enjoying the ride.
Ladies and gentlemen, Phil Jacques
My dog
My girlfriend and I have a 7 year old Border Collie named Maé. To make it simple, she's our "little freak". It would be so easy to sit on the couch all the time during my free time, but there is always a moment in the day when she looks at us in a hypnotic way to tell us that she’s ready for an activity, MINIMUM one hour. It pushes me to go out an get some fresh air, which I do naturally most of the time, but on some occasions I would probably push back forever. When I come back from a trip and I am completely jet lagged and tired, she is there. When the beer was a little too good the day before, she is there. She is a ball of endless energy. There are days when we wonder if she is getting old because she looks more calm and mellow, but as soon as we go outside, we find our little 8 months old puppy all over again.
Mountain bike
I’ve been a bike lover since when I was a kid. I did dirt and jumps for several years and then started skating again in the summer. Almost all my friends had bikes for a few summers already, and I was biting my fingers at the idea of buying one, so I took action last summer. As much as skateboarding is a good substitute for snowboarding in the summer because it's a board sport and it’s a little similar, it feels like I'm getting back to the snow when I go down a mountain on my bike. See the lines, read the terrain, air time included. We go back to the mountain and come back home pedaling, so it keeps me in shape, in addition to being a great activity with the dog.
Home
I’ve been living in Château-Richer with my girlfriend for four years now. We bought a house on a cul-de-sac street in a non-municipal area with a small private lake. I was looking for a condo in the city at first. I’m far from that, but I couldn’t be happier with my choice. The almost total darkness, the stars, the calm, the forest, the lake during summertime, Mont-Sainte-Anne 15 minutes away. If I want to disconnect between two snow trips, I just try to stay at home.
35mm Photography
My mother always kept my father's old camera in the basement at home and I finally dusted it off during Encore's year. Before that I had a small "point and shoot" device, then the iPhone became more efficient. Your now able to take 622 photos of the same event. The film gave made me want to apply myself to capturing the moment as it is, without having the choice between 100 almost identical poses. The pictures have more meaning for me like that.
Traveling
I'm far from the biggest globetrotter when I’m not snowboarding, but traveling is one of my favorite things. The opportunity to try different cultures, new ways of life, just to live new experiences. Getting out of your comfort zone makes you aware of a lot of things or aspect of your life that you take for granted. It keeps your mind open.
Take a look at our Instagram stories to see Phil ride the powder in Japan, get motivated and use the rest of the winter to shred as much as you can!