Freeride News // Blog

„A little bike ride can be the difference between an argument and a calm evening at home“

In unserer täglichen Interviewreihe unterhallten wir uns mit Ridern, Fotografen, Autoren, Touristikern und auch Personen aus der Ski- und Bike-Industrie, wie sie die aktuelle Corona-Krise meistern. Dabei liegt der Schwerpunkt auf Deutschland und Österreich, aber wir haben auch internationale Gesprächspartner gefragt, wie es ihnen und ihren Unternehmen im Moment geht. Heute im Talk Alex Hunt, Marketing & Communications bei DPS Skis in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. Aus diesem Grund heute auch in Englisch.

Bergstolz: Ciao Alex! How are you, your families and teams?
I am physically fine. Luckily the virus has not affected any of my close group of family and friends. Mentally, and I think many people everywhere have felt similar, it has been challenging to overcome the forced change in day-to-day activities without knowing what exactly is to come.

Bergstolz: Could you describe the situation at your hometown and area please?
Everything but essential businesses have been closed in Utah. We have been asked by the government to keep a 2m distance from others when in public and to keep any gatherings to less than 10 people. As a replacement for this social activity, there is a lot of video chatting happening with friends near and far.

Bergstolz: How do you deal with the situation, in private and in business?
Our factory has started making protective medical face shields for healthcare workers - it is an exciting time for them because they are able to put energy into a positive project. The DPS office staff is working from home, so I am at my house about 23 hours a day. Exercise is still important to remain sane, a bike ride around the neighborhood can be the difference between an argument and a calm evening.

Bergstolz: What do you currently see as the biggest challenge for DPS and the ski industry?
Not skiing. We all do this because we love being in the snowy mountains with our friends having fun skiing. That is simply not an option right now.

Bergstolz: Dare you take a look? What does the winter season 20/21 look like?
From a personal perspective, I think we will all have a great winter next year! From a business perspective, I see 20/21 to have a similar outlook as a season following a bad snow year. There is no doubt that resorts and shops will be doing their best to recover, and DPS will be supporting those efforts.

Bergstolz: Thank you very much Alex! May you, your family and team stay healthy in these challenging times! And of course I hope to ski with you again next winter!

www.dpsskis.com