Altavia Crew
OVS presents Altavia Crew, the editorial project in partnership with Athleta Lab. Discipline, talent and dedication told by those who challenge their limits every day, through sport and adventure.
"Freestyle teaches you to see the mountain with your own eyes.
Every day you can enter a paradise made of tricks, après-ski, parties, and camaraderie... but also of duties and work. Of dangers and deep respect."
Interview with Emil Zulian
Born and raised in Val di Fassa, where he currently lives, he became a pioneer of snowboarding in a ski-oriented area, eventually representing the Italian national team. Let’s discover who Emil Zulian is.
During your childhood and adolescence, how did you experience the mountains?
“For me, the best thing was finishing school, eating super fast, grabbing my board, going to the snow, and meeting up with friends. It’s a normal thing for someone growing up in the mountains: like meeting on the field to play soccer. You waited for the school bell just to go up and down. These are nice habits, beautiful memories: I always got something out of those afternoons. I also have wonderful memories with my family. For example, I think of when my father went to the mountain hut for the winter season, and I called him every day as soon as I saw some snow falling: ‘Oh Dad, how much has fallen?’
The hut is about a thousand meters above the village; I knew it would snow more there. I asked him the same question every hour... the mountain was a playground that allowed me to do everything: build jumps, invent tricks, or repeat the ones we only saw in videos...”
Interview with Emil Zulian
Born and raised in Val di Fassa, where he currently lives, he became a pioneer of snowboarding in a ski-oriented area, eventually representing the Italian national team. Let’s discover who Emil Zulian is.
During your childhood and adolescence, how did you experience the mountains?
“For me, the best thing was finishing school, eating super fast, grabbing my board, going to the snow, and meeting up with friends. It’s a normal thing for someone growing up in the mountains: like meeting on the field to play soccer. You waited for the school bell just to go up and down. These are nice habits, beautiful memories: I always got something out of those afternoons. I also have wonderful memories with my family. For example, I think of when my father went to the mountain hut for the winter season, and I called him every day as soon as I saw some snow falling: ‘Oh Dad, how much has fallen?’
The hut is about a thousand meters above the village; I knew it would snow more there. I asked him the same question every hour... the mountain was a playground that allowed me to do everything: build jumps, invent tricks, or repeat the ones we only saw in videos...”
Can we say that the mountain is the beating heart of your life? And how did snowboarding enter this relationship?
Yes, I still live in Val di Fassa today. My family is originally from here and has been for generations. We own a mountain hut, so I’ve always felt very connected to the area. This is a place deeply rooted in skiing. Snowboarding, especially about twenty years ago, wasn’t that popular… I started skiing at the age of three, but soon realized it wasn’t my path. Partly to follow my older brother, partly to be “the different one,” I started riding a board, and I liked snowboarding right away: the jumps, the off-piste, the first small competitions with the snowboard club… Then came the national team and events around the world. Everything happened very naturally
Did growing up in the mountains shape you?
"It did more than that—it shaped me. The mountain shaped me. It’s a tough environment. As a child, you don’t realize it because it feels normal. As you grow up, you compare yourself with people who have everyday comforts that you don’t have, or didn’t have, and you begin to understand the real impact mountain life has had on your identity. You realize that, in the end, it was a privilege to learn how to live this way. I’m also talking about “simple” things: having to walk a long way to get to school, helping out at the mountain hut as a kid, sport itself… I’ve always thought that here, even just in the air, there’s a greater sense of hardship compared to what a child born in the city might experience. At the same time, I think the mountain taught me unique things, tied to nature. Growing up in close contact with the elements, always being in the woods, climbing alone or with friends, with few rules other than those of nature itself. All of this shaped me and gave me a unique strength."
And on a creative level, did it influence your approach to sport as well as to life?
"Of course, the freestyle approach is precisely about being able to see the mountain through your own eyes, in a personal way. You see a slope; I see a place where you can build a ramp and a landing. Everyone sees different things, and in my opinion this is the vision of the mountain that freestyle gives you. For every freestyler, the mountain takes on different shapes and meanings. Speaking of creativity, snowboarding helped me develop it from a very young age. I remember that when I was nine, I built a jump right next to our mountain hut: I made it using a bench, creating a kind of box. It was a day when no one was around, probably sometime before Christmas. My dad would tow me up and down with a snowmobile so I could do as many runs as possible. I still have a vivid image of that entire day—it perfectly describes what my childhood reality was like."
And what was life in the village like, beyond snowboarding?
"Living in a small mountain village, you can do whatever you want—in a good way. I was always in the woods building jumps with friends, always doing something: running here, running there. Then the first motorbikes arrived, and in the mountains the first motorbikes are motocross or trial bikes. So more rides, wherever and however we wanted. There was a kind of freedom you can’t have everywhere. No cell phones: you would go out, and nobody knew where you were… Of course, the parents would get mad…
As I grew older, the fun expanded to more social situations as well. By the time I was 15-16, every weekend there was après-ski: a classic. We did it after whole days on the snow. Thanks to many friends, I learned to experience the mountain also as a moment of celebration: starting with fresh snow made together, the joy, and the euphoria of various situations."
Earlier you talked about the mountain as a playground, do you still agree?
"Yes, as a child that playful side was predominant. But there was also the work side: helping to carry the hoes, mow the meadows, assist when raking was needed, putting things in order. So play always fit in between one duty and another.
At the center of it all, however, was respect for the mountain. It’s something that arises naturally: by living the mountain as the center of your life, you also see it as something that needs respect. You know it’s dangerous, that you cannot control it. You have to be careful: thunderstorms, avalanches, animals, not getting lost, the cold. It only takes a moment to get hurt. You grow up with dangers, and the dangers teach you respect. It’s an element that goes beyond your actions, beyond what you can do and decide."
When you first encountered snowboarding, what was the spark that made you say, “This is my sport”?
“Skiing meant following the rules, having crazy schedules, an exaggerated commitment already at 5, 6, 7 years old. The programs were very intense. Snowboarding, on the other hand, was exactly your way of doing things. I repeat, just the fact of being ‘the different one’ has always appealed to me. Being different is one of the things that then pushed me to continue, and it is also the concept behind freestyle: being able to show your style, show yourself, in what you do.
It’s not just a matter of speed, of reaching the end of a course, of playing in and for the team: it’s about being able to express who you are. This ability to express myself is what made me start, made me continue, and now makes me keep going with the goal of helping others express themselves as well. Just as I was helped to do it. Because snowboarding truly changed my life.”
When you first encountered snowboarding, what was the spark that made you say, “This is my sport”?
“Skiing meant following the rules, having crazy schedules, an exaggerated commitment already at 5, 6, 7 years old. The programs were very intense. Snowboarding, on the other hand, was exactly your way of doing things. I repeat, just the fact of being ‘the different one’ has always appealed to me. Being different is one of the things that then pushed me to continue, and it is also the concept behind freestyle: being able to show your style, show yourself, in what you do.
It’s not just a matter of speed, of reaching the end of a course, of playing in and for the team: it’s about being able to express who you are. This ability to express myself is what made me start, made me continue, and now makes me keep going with the goal of helping others express themselves as well. Just as I was helped to do it. Because snowboarding truly changed my life.”
How does the idea of helping younger kids express themselves through snowboarding make you feel today?
“I’m really just at the beginning, I haven’t done much yet. But, the moment I decided I wanted to do it, I set myself the goal of conveying these messages. It feels like a fortune to be able to do it, an incredible fortune. Sometimes I think it’s more the boy or girl giving something to you: all you have to do is translate what they are already thinking.
The passion of young people for sport is very strong, and it fascinates me. On the snow, it’s really about sharing emotions that help kids grow a lot, but in the same way the coach grows too. There is exactly this kind of relationship: they give you something and you give them something else. It happens in sync. And this is what I want to do in life.”
To one of your kids, how would you describe the mountain?
“It’s like a place where you are truly free to be yourself, to be whoever you want. From a movement perspective, you have all the space and a thousand situations to do a ton of things. It’s paradise, let’s say. Then, add the snow. It’s a fantastic component even just practically: through a tool like skiing or snowboarding, you can have unique experiences using only your legs, your strength, your energy. It’s as if your body transforms: you can go super fast, you can fly, you can do a jump... It’s like gaining skills, as if it were a video game.”
What great advice would you give to a kid who is starting snowboarding and dreams of a career?
“There are more prospects. In general, if you want a long life in snowboarding, it has to be something that you enjoy and do for yourself. Fun must also include parts of sacrifice, satisfaction, duties... but, at the base, it must remain fun. If we think of someone who wants to compete, or pursue a professional career, the advice is not to rush. Not to want to skip steps. It is very difficult to follow this rule, because I myself did not. I say it from experience: I have often paid the consequences, with injuries and a wrong philosophy. You tend not to believe those who tell you to slow down. That’s why I say: everything comes in its own time. You can’t force things and you can’t ‘steal’ stages.”
How was it to go from the freedom of expression of early snowboarding, to joining the national team and professionalization?
“Sure, as you grow up, you have to recognize that in life there are compromises to be made. In reality, it’s something you already understand as a child, in the mountains. Having to lend a hand, the fact that if there’s something to be done, you do it, and then you can go out… it’s not that it’s a negative thing, it’s simply something difficult, which also gives you satisfaction. You have to follow certain rules, certain duties, but they are precisely the ones that lead you to achieve results that you truly feel are your own. Like trying and trying again a trick. Landing something difficult, that maybe others can’t do, does the same thing: it makes you connect sacrifice with the result.
And, in my case, it leads to that moment of realization: ‘They called me up to the national team.’ I don’t know, it’s hard to describe. While I was living it, I didn’t really realize it. It was a path that continued gradually: the first competitions, seeing good results compared to friends or peers, realizing that maybe you have that little something extra… I felt that something changed with the first sponsorship: a local shop, the ultimate goal of every snowboarder. That honestly had a bigger impact on me than the national team. Not that the national team didn’t matter, but it was part of a long-term process, passing through the regional committee, the Italian championships, all the right steps. I remember an interview, I was ten years old, they asked me: ‘Did you realize that this will be your life?’ I didn’t know what to answer, because for me that was normal life, it wasn’t something special.”
“The mountains shape you. And they make you discover unique things, even about yourself.”
After all these years, do you still feel that you love your discipline? Or has that love transformed?
“It has transformed a lot, it has always been evolving. At the beginning it was really a way to have fun, to get together… that adrenaline you look for when you’re young. Then it became a way to show my potential, my sensations. Already then it had turned into something more ‘complicated’. Then it became a job, but I’ve always experienced it positively, together with its many different facets. Now the goal is to be able to let someone else experience what I experienced: that makes me feel good.
I often think of a coach, the one from the local club: he is a hero of mine. He too had had an experience with the national team, but I found out late, after years of training with him. He gave importance to something else: what mattered was living snowboarding as a world in which to have fun together. It’s no coincidence that, from that team, today everyone is working as instructors or coaches. He managed to pass this passion on to us, and we managed to carry it forward, to make it the center of our lives. That is my dream: to be able to create the same emotions and realities in other people.”
After all these years, do you still feel that you love your discipline? Or has that love transformed?
“It has transformed a lot, it has always been evolving. At the beginning it was really a way to have fun, to get together… that adrenaline you look for when you’re young. Then it became a way to show my potential, my sensations. Already then it had turned into something more ‘complicated’. Then it became a job, but I’ve always experienced it positively, together with its many different facets. Now the goal is to be able to let someone else experience what I experienced: that makes me feel good.
I often think of a coach, the one from the local club: he is a hero of mine. He too had had an experience with the national team, but I found out late, after years of training with him. He gave importance to something else: what mattered was living snowboarding as a world in which to have fun together. It’s no coincidence that, from that team, today everyone is working as instructors or coaches. He managed to pass this passion on to us, and we managed to carry it forward, to make it the center of our lives. That is my dream: to be able to create the same emotions and realities in other people.”
What great advice would you give to a young person who approaches snowboarding and dreams of a career?
“There are more perspectives. In general, if you want a long life in snowboarding, it has to be something that you enjoy and do for yourself. Fun must also include parts of sacrifice, satisfaction, duties… But, at the core, it must remain fun.
If we think of someone who wants to compete or have a professional career, the advice is not to rush. Not to skip steps. It’s very difficult to follow this rule, because I myself didn’t. I say it from experience: I have often paid the consequences, with injuries and with a wrong philosophy. You tend not to believe those who tell you to slow down. That’s why I say: everything comes in its own time. You can’t force things and you can’t ‘steal’ stages.”
When you are on the board, how do you feel?
“I feel like at the beginning. When I take the board, I feel free to express myself, to do what I want. Thanks to the skills I have developed, I can use the environment around me following my own mind: I spot a bump or a jump, or a passage that makes me go very fast, or that makes me slow down…
With snowboarding there is truly the freedom to do things you can’t do elsewhere. Above all, you enter a world that has completely different rules. In another world.”
Thanks to Altavia, what would you like to communicate?
“I would like to be able to convey, through snowboarding, an image of the sport as something very important in a person’s life. Not just as a child: because I, as a child, already had these ideas and thoughts, but it’s something you can carry with you throughout your life. It’s not that at some point you grow up and sport is no longer useful. On the contrary, it’s something that allows you to let off steam, to feel good all the time.
Of course, everyone experiences it in their own way: everyone is different. Everyone must use their own type of talent, without looking too much at what others are doing and getting discouraged. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses: the important thing is to be able to combine and use them to do something that makes you feel good.”
Previously
Episode 1: Deborah Compagnoni
Skiing made her queen of the snow, one of the most successful and iconic athletes in Italian sports history, and beyond.
Episode 3: Emil Zulian
Former Burton athlete, now snowboard instructor and passionate about freestyle, biking and hiking.
Episode 4: Virna Toppi
Global Étoile and icon of avant-garde dance, she embodies the perfect balance between performance and elegance.
Today, besides your main activity, what other things do you do in the mountains?
“My competitive career is over. Already this summer and autumn I worked as a coach. You have to go from being the center of attention to being in the background. Especially the first step, realizing that competitions will no longer be your life, really shakes you up, I have to say. I’m not saying it was easy: I went through my period of mental confusion. But then I came to the conclusion that being in the snowboarding environment gives me a lot of happiness and that I can also pass this on to others.
Besides snowboarding, everything related to the mountains has always inspired me: I really enjoy cycling, both mountain biking and road or gravel, hiking in general. And then there’s this dream of starting paragliding, which I haven’t had the chance to try yet, but I will definitely do it.”
Today, besides your main activity, what other things do you do in the mountains?
“My competitive career is over. Already this summer and autumn I worked as a coach. You have to go from being the center of attention to being in the background. Especially the first step, realizing that competitions will no longer be your life, really shakes you up, I have to say. I’m not saying it was easy: I went through my period of mental confusion. But then I came to the conclusion that being in the snowboarding environment gives me a lot of happiness and that I can also pass this on to others.
Besides snowboarding, everything related to the mountains has always inspired me: I really enjoy cycling, both mountain biking and road or gravel, hiking in general. And then there’s this dream of starting paragliding, which I haven’t had the chance to try yet, but I will definitely do it.”
Previously
Episode 3: Emil Zulian
Former Burton athlete, now snowboard instructor and passionate about freestyle, biking and hiking.
