Many of us have great respect and love for the mountains, hills, snowflex, indoor domes and anything inside or out that can be slid on. A few, like Lucas Wachs, spend their winters in the great giants of the Pacific Northwest, with Lucas Wachs being a native to Mount Bachelor and Bend, Oregon. The draw to the white has also drawn in Lucas, who has had the skill base to join the likes of 4bi9 and film with famous names, to be part of the Dakine team and be part of the U.S built Lib Tech team.
"The peacefulness that I have found while on the mountain is my addiction. I can't live without it
and only recently I really understood why I spend so much time in the mountains. It levels me out.
Humbling as well as entering a certain state of mind.
A state of spiritual connection that if you take your time, breath, notice the little things, you will find that state of mind and develop a deep
connection. The mountains are my church!"
However, this year the PNW has experienced the worst winter since the 1930's and the Dust Bowl era. Washington only received 27% of it's annual snow averages and over Oregon and Washington, 34 from 52 designated watershed are below 75% capacity. 9,000,000 USD has been put into pre-emptive planning for a 2015 summer drought in rivers and water sources. On the state of the mountains this season right now and this season, Lucas was an ambassador.
"Here it's hard to tell what the future will hold, but what I know for a fact last La Nina year in
the NW was a really, really good one and that followed a El Nino year which we just had this
winter. So I'm keeping positive and think that we will get dumped upon. It was a different winter
here but it did snow enough down in Central Oregon. We were lucky enough to have decent
coverage that allowed us to do some snow camping missions and different adventure type stuff
since it wasn't amazing ski conditions. We definitely had some really good days though!"
Changing environments and skiing conditions round the earth have been worrying many for years. Europe also experienced a bad western season and temperatures skyrocketed throughout the winter months. Interest in the topic of the environment has piqued interest within Lucas...
"Environmental studies have started to fascinate me more recently and have been thinking about
going to school for that to further learn how our earth works and what we can do to nurture this
beautiful planet we live on. I think that the biggest thing is not wasting water on a lawn and giving
the water to gardens that are sustainable and produce fresher goods than you can buy at your
local Safeway. That is huge. I try and be mindful of consumption and have been trying to slim
down the excess in my life. Reuse, renew, recycle. Watch "all I can". JP Auclair had a really really
good vision and point about global warming and such. That changed the way I think about climate
change and how us as skiers can be better tenants of earth. Oh, also I suggest the book titled "The
man who quit Money". That is very eye opening to how excessive most of the world is, especially
the U.S. and what we truly need to be happy humans."
For the summer of 2015, Lucas still thinks everything will run smoothly in the NW, "I am optimistic! The Palmer has enough snow for sure!"
Lucas has also worked hard to be a part of 4bi9 and film alongside many others, previously working with The North Face within both filming and sponsorship. However, like many, Lucas does not see the FIS or organisational bodies to embody competition skiers hard work for themselves, and decided to follow differing paths to step away from control.
"Well working with 4BI9 has been really good for me and has been a huge part of forming a skiing
career for me. Huge shoutout to Napes and Karl for letting me film with them a few years back at
Baker and putting my footage in the movie. TNF was also a part of getting me in the film which I
am very thankful for though I am no longer riding for TNF. I now ride for DaKine, based out of
Hood River Oregon, my home state and back yard."
"Big corporations can be very beneficial for pro
skiers and production companies to bring in budgets that are much larger than what other
companies can offer. This provides room for bigger trips, bigger crews, and just more breathing
room to do what we really want. Which is undeniably awesome for us. I think it's amazing that big
companies are taking note of skiing. It shows that what we are doing is a profound amazing thing
and these big dogs want to help out!"
"I do not agree with what FIS is doing and that whole group
leaves a terribly bad taste in my mouth. I am not entirely educated on FIS and what they do, but
from what I have seen that is one of the only type of big corporations (if you can even call it that)
who might detriment skiing. That whole scene isn't skiing to me. Jumps made of fake icy snow and
the creativeness in the slope courses looks like it is dead. There used to be fat channel gaps, hips
and other obstacles in slope courses that we hit as skiers and shows who is a better skier than
others, not who is a better gymnast. Skiing as a sport was never this organized and should not be I
think. I have mad respect to all slope and pipe skiers. You guys are raw and the tricks you guys
have on lock is amazing. My experience with working with big companies hasn't been exactly what
I was looking for and I left felt like I just wasn't understood or being heard clearly. Which may have
been my fault in communication. I am a very hands on individual who likes to know and feel what
is going on. I feel very connected and super happy with all my sponsors and feel so fortunate to
say that because there are so many skiers who don't feel the same with their situation."
"As long as
we are skiers who stick up for ourselves and stay true to what we think is sick, skiing will not be in
any sort of detriment. People like Ahmet, the Bunch, The Big Picture, T-Hall, and the B&E crew are
the ones who keep skiing true to the roots and progressing in the absolute right direction. It is
beautiful. At the end of the day we ski to ski. Not to make money."
