Quebec’s Olympic Snowboarders Don’t Know Gravity

Maxence Parrot

Maybe because it’s Poutine Week or because Igloofest is raging, but I didn’t think that Montreal, let alone Quebec, would be well represented on Canada’s Olympic team. We’re a city that embraces wine, cigarettes, 4 a.m., and tight pants more than protein shakes, pure mountain air, early to bed/early to rise, and sweats. But, apparently, over 40 of Canada’s Olympians hail from Quebec originally or reside here now. And yes, there are Montrealers in that contingent, along with many from nearby towns and villages like Tremblant.

Turns out, Montreal and its vicinity REPRESENT in snowboarding. Check out Max Parrot qualify for the slopestyle HERE with the highest score of the day (97.5). No wonder Parrot and Sebastien Toots Toutant are nicknamed the flying frenchmen.

Snowboarding is one of the newer Olympic sports, first appearing in 1998 at Nagano. Remember BC-er Ross Rebagliati? He got his gold, then lost it, and then got it back. The world learned that marijuana has no effect on snowboarding performance when it comes to the giant slalom. He’s running Ross’ Gold, a medical marijuana company, now. As for snowboarding, it added more events to its roster, with two new ones this year: the parallel slalom (essentially a downhill race) and slopestyle (a slope with rails and quarter pipes as obstacles).

Take a look at Sochi’s slopestyle hill here:

So here are a few of our Quebec representatives on Canada’s snowboard team to keep an eye on.

Put your eye on our gold winner of the Parallel Giant Slalom in 2010, Jasey Jay Anderson. His return from retirement for his fifth Olympic appearance is much anticipated. I suppose we’ll find out soon enough if his snowboards can help him run down some more gold to keep his blueberry farm running.

Another local from the Laurentians is Ariane Lavigne. She’ll be competing in the slalom events as well. Her motto is “Go fast or go home!” Caroline Calvé of Aylmer, QC is competing in both the slalom and giant slalom. She finished third in World Cup standings in 2013.

Dominique Maltais, better known as the Dominatrix, comes from Petite Riviere St. Francois. She’s dominated a number of times in the snowboardcross events, winning four Word Cup Titles and earned a bronze in the Turin games of 2006. Before becoming a pro snowboarder, she worked as a firefighter and plans to go back upon retirement. Hope she goes with gold.

Dominique Maltais, left, cheers after winning the race in Arosa, Switzerland on Saturday. (Samuel Truempy/Associated Press)

Sebastien “Toots” Toutant is Quebec’s slopestyle specialist. Hailing from L’Assomption, he’s placed in a number of international snowboarding events, including bronze at the Burton European Open and gold in the European X-Games.

http://player.vimeo.com/video/80754327

Charles Reid is a Mt. Tremblanter. He’s had his hands on 1st in 2013 at Grandvalira’s Total Flight and has also placed in a number of other events. Watch for him in the Slopestyle events.

Gravity? What’s that? Ask “the Kid” Maxence Parrot from Bromont, Quebec. Parrot cleaned up at the Aspen X-Games for BA and SS in 2014. Yeow.

Max Parrot in Sochi. OMG

Maxence Parrot. Gravity be damned

To learn more about the team, click HERE