Ingrid Backstrom

• I grew up in Seattle, skiing at Crystal Mountain on the weekends with my family, where my parents were on the volunteer ski patrol. I started racing at age 12, but wasn?t very good at it. The good thing was that it helped me choose Whitman College and there I got to ski 5 days a week, improved, and got more into freeskiing. I moved to Squaw after college, started competing, and eventually got a lucky phone call from Steve Winter to see if I wanted to film with MSP. That started an amazing journey of skiing all over the world and getting to meet some of the coolest people ever!
• Nickname: Ingie, Inga Bagovanananana
• Birthdate: August 21, 1978
• Hometown: Seattle, WA, and Squaw Valley, CA
• Hobbies: Being outside, running, biking, cooking, blueberry picking
• Motto: Be here now
• Home Mountain: Snowbird/Alta/Brighton/Park City Resorts
• Height: 5'4
• Sponsors: VOLKL, The North Face, Giro, Tecnica, Subaru, Squaw Valley, Crystal Mountain, Goal Zero
• What is your favorite ski in 2011/2012 Collection?
  Katana
• Why do you like this ski?
  Versatility and full bomber-ness.
• What conditions do you use this ski for?
  Powder
• What other skis in the 2011/2012 collection do you ride?
  Almost everything - except for if it?s all deep pow, I love the Shiro.
• Can you tell us a little about each pair of skis, and about what sort of conditions you use them for?
  I love the Shiro, it's so epic in deep pow and soft snow; the Kiku is really fun for me for touring and spring skiing or early season resort days; and I loved the Nunataq for touring-only trips this past spring.
• What bindings do you use and where do you mount them?
  I generally use the Jesters on all my skis, and the Tour bindings for backcountry. I almost always mount them 2 cm forward.
• What DIN do you have your bindings on?
  Sometimes 12 but mostly 9.

RANDOM FACTS

• Favorite skier:
  My family
• Ski hero growing up:
  My family?and Shane McConkey
• Ideal day in the mountains:
  Storm day doing laps until the bell with friends and family.
• How would you describe your style?
  I just like to have fun!
• Your biggest breakthrough in your skiing career?
  When I got on my first pair of Volkl Explosivs that I bought used, the first year I moved to Squaw. They changed my life!
• Favorite place to ride:
  Anywhere on the West Coast of North America
• Best snow trip:
  Our Meager Hot Springs trip with Matchstick Productions this past year for ?Attack of La Nina? was pretty sweet?.!
• What age did you start to ski?
  4