Todd Ligare pictured in Haines, Alaska. photo Will Wissman

TODD LIGARE is a professional skier who makes a living being filmed while he graces some of the world’s most beautiful ski slopes.

In this exclusive interview he talks to us about highlights from his career to date, including his film trip to Alaska with Teton Gravity Research, and how his passion for the sport began.

To find out more about Todd and to see some of his pictures and videos visit www.toddligare.com or find him on Instagram at @toddligare.

When did you start to ski and were there any strong influences who helped you to get involved in the sport?

I started skiing when I was three years old. My parents are both originally from the beach in California but they moved to Park City, Utah because they liked the mountain lifestyle and wanted to ski themselves. I guess you could say I was born into it and on top of that I have two older brothers that were into skiing, it was a family affair.

I grew up in the racing program in Park City but I had some good friends who, like me, had a much wider focus than gates as little kids. My desire to hit cliffs and ski powder goes way, way back. The fun we’d have seeing who could go the biggest off of cornices and hitting jumps in the trees definitely laid the groundwork for what I do now.

Todd Ligare in Valdez, Alaska while filming with TGR for their upcoming film The Dream Factory. photo Mark Fisher (www.fishercreative.com)

What have been some of your biggest accomplishments in skiing to date?

I feel like my biggest accomplishment so far is getting invited on my first film trip to Alaska with Teton Gravity Research. When I started pursuing a career as a professional freeskier that was always my major goal, to get into the ‘A’ team squad that got to go to Alaska. It was the early footage I saw of skiing up there that was my motivator to pursue this particular path in life.

Another one is getting the opportunity to join the Armada ski team. I’ve admired the brand for a while and the team is one of the best in the industry.

Where has the sport taken you and what have been some of the highlights?

I have skied all over the world. Europe, British Columbia, New Zealand, Chile, Australia, Alaska and more. I’d have to say that so far Alaska is my favorite. There is a sense of endless possibility up there. I did a trip with Teton Gravity Research where nearly every single run we skied was a first descent. That exploratory element is a fun component but I’ve also had some of the best runs of my life on Alaskan classics, like Pyramid in Valdez. It’s a run that gets skied every season, but I’ll remember the sunset light, the texture of the snow, and the crew on that run forever. I will definitely remember that run for the rest of my life.

Todd’s website acts as a central location for his videos and pictures giving visitors an insight into his life on skis.

Tell us more about your website www.toddligare.com and what visitors can expect to find there?

My content can be spread across the web pretty wide so the idea was to create a central location to host videos primarily, but also give an overall feel of what I’m up to on skis. You’ll also find some photos, although they can be slightly harder to get my hands on. It’s an interesting time for photographers with the ongoing explosion of the internet and apps like Instagram. They need to keep a lot of shots to themselves to ensure they are getting compensated and I certainly want to help them with that mission too.

Who do you most look up to in the world of skiing?

I’ve been impressed with the individuals that I can appreciate stylistically but also that have seemed to find longevity and health in the industry. Sage Cattabriga-Alosa is a good example of that. He’s been at it for a long time and has been able to stay healthy and still skis at as high a level as he ever has. On top of all of that he is a great person overall.

Jeremy Jones is a snowboarder but he is a similar example, he’s done so much and even now as a family man and business owner he still finds himself on big peaks in Alaska.

What are your goals for the rest of the year and beyond and do you have any specific challenges you’re working towards?

I have come to the realisation over time that the only goal I can ever really realise is being satisfied with my own performance and proud of the content I create. How everything is received or frankly even what gets put out is often way out of my control. For a long time I felt like the success of what I skied was too directly tied into how it was received or how many people saw it. Certainly visibility is vitally important for me to have a ski career. However, I’ve put some effort into changing my personal attitude about how I perceive my own success.

Over time I’ve realised that after being on snow for more than three decades and having participated in and witnessed A LOT of crazy stuff go down, I just don’t need to rely on someone else to tell me what’s cool or what good skiing is. It’s a perfect scenario when accolades and pats on the back align with what I think is my best skiing but I know that is not always the case.

For me, the best thing now is to try to push myself and relish the times when a line works out the way I envisioned. Whether or not that shot ends up in a movie or is nominated for line of the year is completely out of my hands. I just want to operate with integrity, push myself, and create content that I’m proud of while at the same time be the best ambassador I can be for the brands I get to work with.

I’d like to thank all of the people who continue to support what I do – Armada, BCA, Hiball Energy, TenderBelly, Discrete, Snowbird and Alta.