C’est possible pour moi? Je voudrait parle avec Nicolas Marduel svp! Merci!
Moi je veux parler a Jean Luc Sassus c’est possible aussi ?
goldmember
et shaun white quelqu’un à son msn?
I do have the old phonenumber of Nicolas! But as that one is not working anymore I thought you guys could help me…
guess not.
I and we’d like to help you but tell us who is the Nicolas you’re talking about lol ? Is he a pro rider or something ? lol
Nicoals Marduel is a friendly guy who likes wine and more other relaxing things… Nico if you read this and remember me from that night in the cat with Bob Marley, some good shit and a bottle of wine during the Quick Cup in Les Arcs please contact me!!! MERCI BIEN!
Et for the guys who don’t know this awesome guy. READ:
Nicolas Marduel: cat-driver/shaper
Nicolas Marduel a.k.a. Nico Mardu was first hired to groom slopes and shape the park at Flaine when they were short-staffed. He didn’t get credit for his work straight away, but pretty soon earned recognition as he began shaping for other resorts, whilst developing his Playground consultancy.
As a snowpark pioneer, he began to work three seasons a year, making him experienced in shaping terrain in differing seasons and resorts, as well as in working with different machine brands and accessories.
Ten years and thousands of hours behind the joystick has taught him that the main difficulty lies not in your driving skills, but in satisfying everybody, despite the working conditions – what the resort provides equipment-wise, the snow conditions and all the other unexpected shit that happens!
The work is tough, but making people happy with a well-shaped park, and working in a beautiful environment is all the motivation he needs. Also, he is happy to be seen as a role model for the next generation of talented, young shapers coming through.
But, the job has a flip side. To respect the French working hours limit of 35 hours per week, he often has to sleep on top of the glacier at Les Deux Alpes. This strange life rhythm makes relationships tricky, and the best-planned schedule is always at the mercy of the weather.
“When it is stormy, the machine breaks down, and you need to build a complete park for a major event, you must stay ‘Buddha Zen’ to keep your cool, and not give everyone the finger.”
At the last Quik Cup, due to a mechanical problem, Nicolas drove 150 hours out of a possible 204: huge pressure and a huge workload to complete a huge playground.
While this was exceptional, Nico spends between 250 to 300 days per year shaping, which make an annual average of 2000 hours spent with his butt in the same place.
When we discuss evolution, he defines progress as the process of making the snowpark different in each resort, to fit their own needs. And if he is still driving the cat and shaping snowparks himself, it is because he feels there is still a lot more work to be done.
He is happy when riders like the features built, and he gets satisfaction from every aspect of his job:
• Events allow him to pursue a project from A to Z, with immediate feedback from riders.
• Each year, he works alone for three months, setting up summer snowparks. The job is interesting in terms of time management, as platforms must be well planned out to be re-usable from one year to another.
• Holding a clinic in a new resort is like starting off on virgin terrain. Usually, everything remains to be done, and drivers are keen to learn new techniques, especially young ones who also snowboard.
Nicolas Marduel’s resume
1989: Begin snowboarding.
1993/94: Shaping the James’B halfpipe at Les Diablerets summer camp.
1994/95: First season at Flaine as groomer/shaper. In charge of the snowpark along with SOAP Snowboard Club.
Autumn 1995: Snowpark shaper at Les Diablerets.
1994/98: Three winters at Flaine’s snowpark, the last season as sector chief. Three summers and autumns spent as snowpark chief, Les Diablerets.
Season 1997/98: ISF Boardercross world ranking: 16th.
Season 98/99: ISF Boardercross world ranking: 8th.
2000: Creates Playground Ltd, whose goal is to customise and educate resorts to build playgrounds out of snow. Playground is a consultancy that enables resorts to deal with expert shapers, and hold shapers’ clinics to educate drivers on how to build and maintain a snowpark structure.
Since 2002: Goes independent in Switzerland when the French juridical system becomes too complicated.
Since 1993: Autumn and summer snowpark chief at Les Diablerets, and since 2001, the same at les Deux Alpes.
Head Coach at the Pisten Bully Camp of Kassbörher at Saas-Fee, Hintertux, and Australia.
Events worked for as shaper:
1997 - 2004: Nescafé World Cup, Leysin
1999: Junior World Champ ISF, Sappada
1999 - 2004: Quik Cup, Quiksilver Slopestyle Pro, Les Arcs
2000 - 2004: Boarderweek, Val-Thorens
1999: Boardercross Vans Triple Crown, Saas Fee
2003 - 2004: Rip Curl Free Ski, Saas-Fee
2003: Bomb Comp, Villars
2003: Fabulous Tournament, Flaine
2003 - 2004: Saab Salomon Skicross, Les Deux Alpes
2004: O’Neill Freestyle Pro, Avoriaz
2004: Candide Invitational, la Clusaz
Skills to be a good cat-driver/shaper
- A minimum of two seasons’ experience as a cat-driver, to learn about snow and your machine.
- Be a snowboarder who is aware of the evolution of the discipline, and of the site you are shaping.
- Evaluate people’s requests and criticism.
- Knowledge of snow, terrain, and final product specifications.
- Travel and check other resorts, be open-minded, and keep evolving your working methods.
- Don’t be scared of hard work; don’t count extra shift or night hours. Be prepared to wake up early, and to go to bed late.
- Never be satisfied. You could always shape it better with more hours.
- Be tactful with other drivers, especially those old dudes who never left their resort, and see you as a young stranger trying to tell them how to do their jobs.
- Be happy to work as a technician, fixing the cat during your spare hours.
Nico is a great and famous shaper, Yeah Nico
I know or we know how great the guy is! But does has someone his number??
contact drew stevenson, i think he can help you…
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drew stevenson > Method Mag
MERCI BIEN!!! 