At the age of three, Christophe Schmidt was already cutting snow on skis. At school, he was competing in the DSDV Junior cups for snowboarding. Aged 12, he became the German Junior Champion, and now at the ripe age of 22, he is still one of Germany’s most promising pro riders. So what does he ride that make him so damn good? Read on…

Name: Christophe Schmidt

Age: 22

Nationality: German/French

Favourite resort: Spitzing

Chosen board: Salomon ERA 53

Chosen boots: Salomon F22

Chosen bindings: Salomon SPX Pro

Chosen outerwear: Billabong Explorer line

What goggles do you wear? Oakley Wisdom or A-frame

What gloves? Level

Any other sponsors? Ratiopharm and Nixon

What is it specifically that you like about your chosen board?
It has good pop and torsion, and it stays calm at high speed.

Do you change boards for different snow conditions?
For powder, I take the Salomon Prospect 57.

How often do you wax your base and sharpen your edges?
I wax it pretty often and rarely sharpen the edges.

Do you have forward lean on your bindings?
Just a little bit.

High or low back bindings?
High back, of course.

What angles do you have your bindings?
I ride with 18° on the front and –6° on the back foot.

Are the boots you like hard or soft and why?
They are harder than the average boot to give me enough support at high speed or hard landings.

Do you like tight or loose laces?
Tight laces.