Q&A: Perrine Laffont

In the lead-up to the 2020/21 FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup season we'll be interviewing some of last season's crystal globe winners to find out what they've been up to in the off-season, what they're looking forward as we head into winter, and hopefully a little bit more about what it's like behind the scenes for some of the top athletes. Today we're catching up with the winner of both 2019/20 moguls and overall freestyle World Cup rankings - Perrine Laffont of France…

FIS - Last year you claimed your third consecutive moguls crystal globe, while also coming on top of the overall freestyle World Cup ranking for the second time. What did the last season and those two crystal globes mean to you?

Perrine Laffont - Those globes represent all the work that we have done with my technical coaches, my sports psychologist, my fitness coach and all the team that is working with me. I’m so proud and grateful to have them with me and I couldn’t do it without them.

FIS - Staying in 2019/20 a little longer, you had one of the most dominant campaigns we’ve seen in the recent history, winning eight of 10 World Cup competitions and finishing outside of the podium only once. What’s your recipe to be so successful?

PL - I can’t tell you my recipe for success because the other girls from tour can read this. Haha!
I think that with my team we have been working in the right direction and the choices that we made, they paid off.

FIS - How did you handle the whole lockdown situation and the ongoing uncertainties of the pandemic after the season ended?

PL - Not too bad I would say, but for sure it was strange. I think that we were lucky that the lockdown happened almost at the end of our season, so staying at home for some time wasn’t really too bad. And now with some many unknowns about the season I try to not to think ahead too much. I’m trying to stay focussed on just the couple of days that I have in front of me. We will see what the future has in store for us.

FIS - What's the biggest thing that you’ve learned, personally, in this past year?

PL - I have learned a lot of about resilience and patience. I’m someone who likes to have a clear plan for my trainings and a clear organisation for months ahead. Now with the covid pandemic, everything is changing so I’m trying not to plan everything like before and take life day by day.

FIS - You have two World Championships gold medal in dual moguls from Sierra Nevada and Deer Valley, but still missing a medal in a single moguls event. Is getting on the podium in this event at the 2021 world champs in China on top of your goals in the upcoming season? Any other goals in 2020/21 season?

PL - Yes for sure the world championships’ title in single moguls is one of my goals for 2021 season. It would be amazing to get that, because it’s the last title that I’m still missing. But I don’t really want to be solely focussed on world champs. I want to do good at every competition this winter and have fun, as I did last season.

FIS - What’s in store for you when it comes to preparations before the season kicks off in Ruka in just a couple of weeks from now?

PL - We finish a 10-day training camp in Idre soon. We will be home for a couple of days to get a little bit of rest and then we will move to Ruka.  I hope there will be enough snow to build a course before the official trainings. For me those couple of days before are always super important as I get used to the course.

FIS - What is it that you love most about mogul skiing?

PL - I love a lot of things about mogul skiing. It’s hard to choose one. Haha! But if I had to, I would say the feeling that you have when you put down a solid run with clean jumps that you’ve been working on for so long. And skiing fast. It is so satisfying.