DOB: 4th April 1980
Hometown: Oslo       
Country: Norway
Sponsors: O'Neill, Volkl, Marker, Pure Rush, Cebe, Dalbello, Level, DaKine, Udo's Choice, Houdini Underwear, Mokaii, Rec it, Skullcandy

After making her first tentative turns on snow at the tender age of two, Norway's Ane Enderud was destined to make a career for herself in skiing. Despite bashing gates and racing the clock during her childhood, the call of the big mountains and powder snow proved too much. Ane abandoned ski racing and decided to move to the freeride mecca of Chamonix to pursue a career that was altogether steeper and deeper. Since moving to France, Enderud has become one of the world's best and most respected freeskiers, traveling all over the globe to showcase her skills in the big mountain environment. Ane established her presence at the forefront of the freeriding scene in 2009 when she captured the Freeride World Tour title in only her first year on tour. This creative Norwegian freeskier continues to divide her time between competing on the Freeride World Tour and shooting photos and filming for her sponsors. In her time outside of skiing, Ane is always keen to spend as much time as possible either back home in Norway or down at the beach with some good friends.

Interview

Q: What has been the biggest highlight of the past 12 months for you?

A: Skiing in a lot of different locations with a lot of nice people and managing to win the Freeride World Tour. It's also been great having my family visit me to see my mountain life first-hand.

Q: What's the best thing about riding for a living?

A: I can ride a lot and keep on exploring new places.

Q: Who do you enjoy riding with the most, and why?

A: Wow, there are so many people I enjoy riding with. I've been lucky to meet tons of cool people on my journey, and I've shared good times on the mountains with all of them. You can't ask for more than a positive crew that pushes itself by having fun on snow. Everything that goes on around the actual riding is really important to me.

Q: Other than home, where is your favorite place to ride, and why?

A: That's also a tricky one - there are so many nice spots! Chamonix, my home at the moment, is a great place that offers every kind of riding imaginable. I also love exploring new places, and good snow conditions always plays a key role in how much fun any particular spot is. Italy is a sweet country with good mountains and good food so it's pretty cool that it takes me only half an hour by car to access from Chamonix.

Q: What are your main goals and plans for the next 12 months?

A: I just want to keep having fun on my skis and keep learning. And of course I'd like to win the Freeride World Tour again. I hope to ski and explore even more new spots, and film some good footage. And for sure I'd like to surf more. It would be nice to spend a little more time back in Norway during the summer. I'll also be doing my first girl camp, which is pretty exciting, and plan on getting back to drawing and a bunch of other stuff when I'm off the mountain.

 Q: How do you see your sport evolving in the next few years?

A: So much is going on in so many different directions. We have a new World Tour that puts the sport on a more commercial path and I think that commercial focus will continue to increase. Other than that, I believe freestyle combined with bigger lines will evolve faster than ever.

Q: Have you got any plans to film a new video part, and if yes, with which film company?

A: I'll be filming with SVP Production and Aestivation.

Q: What do you do for fun when you are not riding?

A:  I enjoy hanging out with friends, and doing other sports, I really love the simple beach life and surfing, so I'm hoping to do more of that.

Q: What achievement are you most proud of so far in your career?

A: Recovering from some stupid injuries and winning the Tour in my first year. I'm proud to have been part of the Nuit de la Glisse movies, especially “Heroes of Freeride”.

Q: If you didn't ride for a living, what would you have liked to be doing now for an occupation?

A: Surfing, drawing and working on a vegetable garden would be sweet. I'd also finish my degree in Nutrition and do some work related to that.

Q: What trick do you enjoy the most?

A: As a freerider, it has to be a big steep powder line with nice long jumps and a lot of speed - that kind of thing gives me the best feeling.