Anna Segal Generation Snow Interview

Anna Segal Generation Snow Interview

Australia and New Zealand's best winter athletes join forces with the country's leading action filmmakers for sixty minutes of heart stopping fun in Generation Snow on Channel Nine, July 22nd at 11.00am. Home grown gold Winter Olympic medalists mix it up with our FIS World Champions, X Games and Freeride World Tour medalists and show the world why this beach loving nation is the one to beat at the Sochi Winter Olympics 2014.

Australia's golden girl snowboarder, Torah Bright, gives viewers a first time inside view of her life in Utah and beyond; Winter X Games medalist slopestyle skier, Russ Henshaw, leaves his hometown Jindabyne behind for a calendar of international events including The Dew Tour in the USA and Kiwi riders Nick Hyne and Roland Morley-Brown take their boards to untouched terrain in Japan.

Melbourne sisters Nat Segal (Freeskiing World Tour medalist) and Anna Segal (FIS World Champion & X Games Slopestyle Skier medalist) go head to head with Kiwi twins Janina Kuzma (Freeride World Tour podium) and Maria Kuzma (Freeride World Tour podium) in a 'Bledisnow Cup' with helicopters, cat skiing and snow mobiles in New Zealand.

Olympian Steve Lee explores Hakuba Japan with alpine racer, Stephanie Auderer. While American freeski superstar Bobby Brown hits the southern hemisphere's biggest terrain park jump at the Toyota One Hit Wonder Event in Thredbo against fellow American and AFP champion Gus Kenworthy and Kiwi big air and slopestyle ski champion Jossi Wells.

Generation Snow sets the production bar for action snowsports broadcasting in Australia with the country's best snow production crew. Executive Producer and Generation Snow Creator, Tim Myers (founder of The Toyota One Hit Wonder Event on the AFP tour), Series Producer Rachael Oakes-Ash (Sydney Morning Herald snow journalist and award winning documentary producer) and world renowned cinematographers Chris Hocking, Lucas Wilkinson, Ben Ryan, Ryan Gardner, Jase Hancox and Sean Balmer.

Expect one hour, six segments, the world's best skiers and snowboarders born and bred in Australia and New Zealand.

Interview with Anna Segal

Question: Why did you want to be involved in Generation Snow?

Anna Segal: It doesn't often happen that the Australian public to snow sports, but Generation Snow is giving this opportunity to the Australian snow industry and athletes. I wanted to take this chance to show the country what the female winter athletes are doing and hopefully inspire others in the process.


Question: Who are you most looking forward to watching on Generation Snow?

Anna Segal: I'm most looking forward to the Thredbo One Hit Wonder section. Thredbo built the biggest jump on snow that the Southern Hemisphere has ever seen. The best names in free-skiing came from across the world to hit this jump, leading to some pretty spectacular action.


Question: Can you explain what a 'Bledisnow Cup' is?

Anna Segal: The 'Bledinsnow Cup' is similar to the original Bledisloe (the famous rugby union match between Australia and New Zealand). Kiwi twins Maria and Janina Kuzman faced up against Aussie sisters, Nat Segal and myself. However rather than playing on a rugby field we played on snow and rather than big ugly men tackling each other, it involves chicks trying to out shred each other!

Question: What or who inspired you to begin skiing?

Anna Segal: I guess it was my mum who got me into skiing. I'm not sure it had much to do with inspiration, but more to do with being bundled up in ski clothes and pushed out the door as a 4 year old. But in my later years, after my love for skiing developed, my biggest inspiration in the sport became Sarah Burke- one of the first girls to delve into the domain of professional freeskiing.


Question: You won Australian Snow Sports Athlete of the Year in 2011 and you are nominated for the Top 100 Aussie Sports Women of All Time, what does this mean to you?

Anna Segal: I do most of my competing overseas, so to be recognised by these Australian awards back at home is a huge honour!


Question: How do your parents feel about your skiing and everything that is associated with the sport?

Anna Segal: When I first started to get into free-skiing, my parents were pretty skeptical, especially after a number of injuries. My mum was worried about me getting seriously hurt and my dad thought that becoming a successful Australian skier was a fanciful idea. But as I became able to support myself through doing what I love and treating it as a serious career, they've both come to be extremely supportive and proud.


Question: How do you go about competing against your sister?

Anna Segal: My sister and I actually compete in different events. My sister is a 'Big Mountain' skier where they are judged on taking the most spectacular and risky line downs a natural mountain face. Whereas I compete in Slopestyle, which is done in a manmade terrain park. However when we are on photo or film shoots together (like the Bledisnow Cup), competitive emotions do start to rise. As girls, I think we try our best to disguise them.


Question: Can you talk about your training schedule - when, how often and what?

Anna Segal: I train on snow for about 6-7 months a year. A typical on snow training day consists of about 4 hours jumping and sliding rails in the terrain park- this is usually with my friends and is super fun, so I don't really view it as training. Then after skiing I'll head to the gym for a spin on the bike, a swim or some yoga with the purpose of aiding recovery for the next day.

When I'm in the off season, I'll usually do 2-3 hours at the gym... which includes a weights session and a cardio session. Not my favourite place, but it has to be done if I want to stay injury free.


Question: For those who have never skied - what are your top tips to skiing and not falling over (too many times)?
Anna Segal: I think the biggest challenge for people learning how to ski (especially if you start later in life) is fear. You'll ski your best and fall less if you relax a little. Easier said than done, but try to enjoy the ride!


Question: Where in the world is your favourite place to ski?

Anna Segal: In Australia it would be Thredbo resort in NSW and overseas my favourite mountain is Breckenridge in Colorado.


Question: Do you have a website?

Anna Segal: www.annasegal.com. I try to update the blog part of my website at least once a week. This isn't hard during the ski season as I'm always traveling around and have heaps of adventures to share. In the off season, I try to update it with odd bits and pieces like songs I'm into, recipes I've tried and new shops/cafes or anything else I've discovered in my home town of Melbourne. I'm not sure who reads it... but I know that it keeps my mum up to date when I'm away :)


Interview by Brooke Hunter