Canadian-based big-mountain athlete, Logan Pehota, is turning heads by sending big drops and exciting lines both on his skis and his snowmobile. He’s been on the podium for the Freeride World Tour multiple times, most recently nabbing 1st place in 2018, and this year he’s got another segment in this season’s Matchstick Productions feature: “Anywhere from Here.”

Like other notable skiers in BC, skiing runs in Logan’s blood. His father, Eric Pehota, is a big-mountain legend with plenty of first descents and ski movie features of his own under his belt. Logan has taken his dad’s legacy and ran with it, continuing to nudge the bar higher for the sport.

Follow along with our conversation below!

First off, Logan, congrats on your feature for this year's Matchstick film. I’d love to know a little bit about your experience working with Matchstick and what it’s like skiing for a movie.

This is probably my fifth year with Matchstick. It's been on and off. I've done some projects in between, but they're a big company, and they're really solid to work with, and it makes my life easy just filming.

Awesome. Let’s start with your road to becoming a pro skier. How old were you when you started? Where did you start? When did you progress to big mountain and Freeride stuff? The journey.

I started skiing when I was three. Even before that, I was probably going up in my dad's backpack, so family ski days from an early age. I started ski racing for seven years before I did slopestyle and halfpipe. Then I did the big mountain competitions with the Freeride World Tour and graduated into filming. I was born into it. Obviously, I got sponsors, but many of these companies also sponsored my dad, so I kept it in the family that way.

What is a typical sort of winter day for you?

It depends on what we're doing. Usually, if the conditions are nice, if it's sunny, and there's fresh snow, it starts early—6:00 a.m. or well before that. Then we'll go out with the Matchstick crew, film, and try to get shots. And if it's not a beautiful day, we'll have fun skiing at the resort or just rest because my body gets pretty beat up.

What do you do in the off-season?

I'm an electrician by trade, so I've been doing that for a while in the summer months. But this last summer, I didn't work— just some side gigs for myself and lots of work on jet boats and mechanical stuff in my dad's shop. And then I bike and dirt bike—lots of outdoor activities.

Hell yeah. So let's talk briefly about snowmobiling. Obviously, we don't sell snowmobiles on Curated, but you sled some pretty epic lines too. So how did you get into it, and what do you love most about snowmobiling?

What I love most about snowmobiling is I can use the terrain up and down and flat. I'm restricted to gravity downhill with skiing, but I can go uphill on the sled. It's still just as fun on the flats. It's just as fun on side hills. That's unlocking new terrain.

And did you get into it as a way to get into the backcountry for skiing, or was it a separate journey?

Yeah, it was for sled ski access. Everybody kept saying, "Oh, watch out. You're going to like it a lot. You'll start leaving the skis behind." So I was like, no, that won't be me. But now I try to keep the balance, and if I need a couple of days or a day off from skiing, I take the sled out with some of my friends.

What are some of the greatest lessons that you've learned from skiing and/or snowmobiling?

I guess just being calculated. Lots of people die in the mountains, so I have to be smart. Think before I do kind of thing. I really try not to put myself in bad situations.

What are some of the toughest mental barriers that come with skiing, and are there any specific stories or instances that come to mind?

It takes a toll on you mentally and physically. It's fairly demanding of your body, pushing what you're capable of doing and getting outside of your comfort zone, eventually deteriorating you mentally.

There have been a couple of seasons where there's just a lot on my plate, I'm not landing things at the start of the year, and I'm like, oh, what am I doing? Why am I out here right now? And I just got to stick with it, and it usually works itself out, and it has for me in all those cases. So by the end of the year, I'm pretty stoked with what I've got. I'm not down about it or anything like that.

Yeah, I'm sure a lot of people can at least relate to the beginning of the ski season versus the end of the ski season and how confidence builds as you get back into the swing of things.

Yeah, it's a rollercoaster, like anything.

Do you have any specific goals for this season or beyond?

I just want to stay healthy and keep producing content that people love. Those clips are the shock factor—the wow factor—and that's what I try and do throughout the season. I try and bag a few of those clips and then stay healthy and make a well-rounded segment.

Who are some of your biggest inspirations? They could be in or out of the ski industry.

I watch a lot of football and hockey. Just anybody who's stayed strong, hasn't given up, persevered to the end, and made it work. I obviously looked up to Sean Pettit. He's the GOAT of the aspect of skiing that we try to do, at least with Matchstick. So that's somebody that I look up to.

What is your favorite backcountry zone to ski and favorite resort to ski?

I don't want to sound biased, but the Pemberton backcountry is pretty top-notch. That's why I live here. It’s either between Pemberton or Revelstoke for the backcountry. And then for resort, Whistler Blackcomb's awesome. Everybody is stoked about that, but I think Europe has the best resort skiing. Nothing beats it; you're just out on your own.

Favorite snack in the backcountry?

If I have my sled, I like whipping up a grilled cheese on the muffler—melts it, panini press—that's mint!

Incredible. You need to come up with a portable option so that those of us not using snowmobiles can also make it!

Let's talk a little bit about your partnership with Rossignol. What's your favorite part about being a Rossignol athlete?

They're just like family. As I said, I was kind of born into skiing, and I've been on Rossignol skis my entire life. I've never skied on a different ski, so I don't really know anything else. They've treated me well, and I try to fulfill my job and do what they want me to do.

That's great. What are your favorite skis that are in their current lineup?

I ski on the Sender Squad in the 194cm, which is the biggest ski they have. And then I also ski on the 118, which is for the pillows and the trees and kind of tricks in the backcountry. So those are the two skis that I use all the time.

Cool. And do you have a favorite piece of apparel that they have?

The new gear, the Escaper—I think it's called—is lightweight GORE-TEX, which is pretty sick. It keeps me nice and dry.

Awesome. Is there any new gear or anything that you know of coming out from them that you're excited to try?

That's a good question. I got to make some skis at the factory when I was there this summer, but I can't talk about that, so we'll see.

Fair enough. That's a great teaser.

It was pretty cool, though. I have never seen that process before.

Shifting away from gear, are there any other big projects or anything that you're working on or excited about?

I'm trying to balance Revelstoke and Pemberton, backcountry sledding, skiing, and filming. And I might be trying to go to Europe this winter and ski with my friend Fabio in Austria. I haven't been there in a long time. So I'm trying to travel a bit now that we can do that more easily.

It’s definitely time to take advantage again, for sure! Last question, any tips or advice for those just getting into the sport or those looking to progress?

That's two different topics. Progressing—when you get in, you just got to go. It's like anything. You just gotta put in the time. Get that time on snow, seat time, whatever the scene is, and that's it.

I also watch a lot of YouTube videos. If I want to learn anything, I go on YouTube and watch tons of videos. I mean, I can learn anything. You can be whatever you want to be off YouTube.

We’re stoked by Logan’s stoke and can’t wait to see what he’ll come up with next, either on his skis or his snowmobile. So, whether you’re looking for Rossignol gear like Logan uses or something different to fit your style, connect with me or another amazing Ski Expert on Curated. We’ll help you with free, personalized advice to find the best setup. And, if you're looking for a new snack on the trail, you might consider a muffler grilled cheese (make sure it’s wrapped in tin foil!)