Seb Toots is an snowboard animal! Making his way into the professional snowboard scene at a very young age, the young rider from Lanaudière can certainly be described as a snowboard prodigy. That being said, Seb is a very mellow and humble guy. He never let his success get to his head and always focused on what’s important: his own personal progression. Toots is not only an athlete with extraordinary talent, he is also an outstanding human!
We had the chance to speak with the Empire snowboard rider to discuss about his summer lifestyle, the 2016-2017 snow season, his plans for next winter, his present trip to New Zealand and, last but not least, to get you fired up for the upcoming snowboard season.
Ladies and gentlemen, Seb Toots!
Sup Seb! How are you?
What’s up! I’m feeling good!
Where are you right now?
I’m currently in New Zealand.
Sick! Any snow there?
Oh yes! That's exactly why I'm here! I’ll be staying for about 20 day, riding the Cardrona Mountain. During the first half of the trip, I’ll try to film and get clips, but the second half will be dedicated to a contest that’s happening there.
How is New Zealand overall?
New Zealand really is one of the most beautiful places in the world in my opinion. It's always an exciting time when I’m here and it’s fun to be able to ride in the summer after a couple weeks of taking it easy at home. It's not the biggest mountain, but it's perfect to get back in snowboard mode and prepare for the upcoming winter.
When are you coming back?
I am here for a total of 20 days, but I only have a couple days left before coming back to Montreal.
What is the highlight of your trip so far?
Filmed a bunch of tricks and rode my snowboard a lot, but the sickest thing is when I slept for 11 hours during the 15 hours flight to get here. It went by so quick! Haha!
How was last winter for you?
Last winter was a very good season for me. A lot of podiums and lots of opportunities to win. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to pull everything I wanted to, but my motivation is at an all-time high. I am very excited for the upcoming year.
What your most significant moment of winter 2016-17?
My World Cup victory at Stoneham was the most satisfying moment. My family was there too. There isn’t a lot of major contests happening on the East Coast and it’s pretty sad, but it's another reason why the Stoneham win was important to me.
The videos where you rip through the streets of downtown Montreal during our winter’s harshest snow storms went pretty viral. Did you just decide to go out and shred when you saw the snow fall or you were planning to go on a street mission like this for a long time?
My Filmer Mathieu Cowan (Sunsetfilms) and I have been talking about making videos like that for a while. We made a first version a couple years ago and people loved it. We decided to do another one last year and people were still hyped on it. I love how these videos look.
Other than traveling for snowboarding, what do you do in the summertime?
In the summer, I like to chill out and do a bunch of other sports that I like. I do a lot of skateboarding, wakesurfing and I go golfing quite often. I take time to see all my homies, my family and enjoy a mellower schedule. I also train a lot to stay fit and to come back stronger than last season.
Do you ride your snowboard a lot during the hot season?
I normally hit Whistler for one week in July and then I chill until the end of august, until it's time to fly to Australia or New Zealand, but that’s about it.
What are your plans for this winter?
A lot of contests, preparation for the Olympic Games and filming for a project that I have been thinking about for a while. It’s a secret for now though, haha!
Is there a trick in particular you would like to master before the end of next season?
Oh man, there is a lot of tricks that I want to improve and learn, for sure. That's why I like snowboarding so much. It’s like, you can just learn new tricks and improve your progression forever. There is no limit.
Well, major respect! Hope you enjoy the rest of your trip!
Thanks man!