Liberty Athlete Profile: Alex Applegate

Here's another installment in our popular feature on our team riders. Design Team member Alex Applegate was one of the most requested profiles we received in the past 3 months, so here it is. Name: Alex Applegate Age: 29 Home ski area: I try to travel lots these days, but learned to ski at Tyrol Basin in Wisconsin. Favorite Food: Ice Cream Best advice you've ever been given: Someone once told me to "enjoy your day." You can't go wrong there! Liberty athlete Alex Applegate isn't the first guy you think of when the term "pro skier" is tossed around during après ski. But Applegate is the consummate pro. Best known for his strong, fluid style, Applegate prefers to let his skiing do the talking, and shuns the limelight. He's worked with Liberty Skis on a variety of projects when bulletproof, big-mountain skills are needed and has had his photos published in Freeskier and Skiing magazines. But while his skiing style makes everything seem easy, not everything has come easy for Applegate. Last year he suffered his first major injury, when he blew a knee during a photo shoot in Discentis, Switzerland on a bluebird powder day in the middle of a trip. We caught up to him to see how his recovery is going and what he's been up to lately. Alex Applegate - Liberty Skis Liberty: Alex, you've traveled quite a lot; what are some of your favorite memories? Applegate: Let's see, I got arrested in Amsterdam for riding bikes on the highway, then spent the better part of that afternoon with some friendly officials. They sent us off with hot chocolate and hugs. A pretty benign Amsterdam arrest story, but pretty fun. I also once spent a delirious night braving a karaoke bar in Paris until 5am because we were too cheap to pay for a hostel on a rainy night. I sang some Dolly Parton (poorly) and managed to stay awake until the bar closed. Then we opened up a French bakery and fruit stand before we caught a train. Liberty: Tell us a bit about Ride For The Wild. Applegate: Two years ago a group of us biked from Yukon Territory in Canada down to Yellowstone National Park, through a region know as Y2Y (Yukon to Yellowstone). We were biking to raise awareness for the conservation efforts underway to link the major protected areas, such as national parks and wilderness areas to each other. The thing is that you need to connect these protected areas to each other so that animals can move from one to the other, thus ensuring healthier more adaptable populations. This is especially important given the changing climate. We spent a couple months biking through the region and giving presentations on Y2Y conservation efforts and learning from the people who live there the about their communities and surroundings. It was a great experience, and you can check it out at www.rideforthewild.com. Alex Applegate - Liberty Skis Liberty: Last year you unfortunately suffered a knee injury skiing in Switzerland. Tell us about the incident. Applegate: I tore my ACL and meniscus. It was spring and we were trying to stick to the steep north aspects that were holding good snow. I dropped a cliff, made some turns in some really good snow and then got on the apron where the sun had souped everything up. I was just coming to a stop and my skis caught in the heavy snow and that was that. Liberty: So how is your recovery going? Applegate: Good, I have been biking a lot and trying to get that strength back. The knee is feeling nice and sturdy. Liberty: Any cool plans for this winter? Applegate: Yep, working on a sled trip way up into BC in February, and wherever the snow goes until then. Follow Alex Applegate's adventures on the Liberty Skis Design Team page.