LEGEND #1 – Jay Duchaine

Skiing is, above all, about enjoyment, not performance. When he returned from Western Canada in 2009, Jay Duchaine was at a crossroads. Since 2003, he had lived his passion for skiing as a professional in the Big Mountain discipline. He had participated in numerous television shoots and traveled around the world to compete. Upon his return, he wanted to share his knowledge and passion with young people starting out in the sport.

However, the path to reaching this level had not been easy. In the late 1990s, in Quebec, Slopestyle and Big Air were still relatively unknown. Snow parks were rare, and competition circuits were virtually nonexistent. Jay and his friends were among the pioneers of this sport, young enthusiasts who spent their days skiing and pushing the limits of what was possible.
This passion led Jay to get involved when he returned to Quebec. At the time, Slopestyle was reserved for those who could afford to travel to Europe or Western Canada to train. Jay wanted to make it easier for young people who shared his passion but faced obstacles in progressing in the sport.

A Program for the Youth

The opportunity to give back came shortly after his return. One of his friends had launched a Slopestyle and Freeski program at the Les Sommets school in Quebec City. Jay joined the venture and took on the role of program manager for 14 years. Gradually, this project gained momentum. Jay helped young people balance their studies with their passion for skiing, offering them a unique chance to succeed both on the slopes and in their academic journey. He emphasizes the impact this program has on young people—not only in their academic progress but also in their lives. He paved the way by offering opportunities he wished he had during his own youth. These opportunities, which he had to create from scratch for himself, were now accessible to the new generation of skiers.

In 2012, as Slopestyle was about to become an Olympic discipline, excitement was in the air. However, no club existed in Quebec to support the development of this sport. Jay came up with the idea to found Union Ski and set up a local competition circuit to foster the emergence of new talent. At the time, young skiers had to travel the world to train and compete, making the sport inaccessible to many. Jay wanted to change that by making it more accessible.

Inspiring and Supporting the Sport’s Development

Twelve years later, Jay’s projects continue to thrive, and more and more young people have access to organized skiing. Union Ski is now the largest freestyle ski club in Canada, and partner sport-study programs are offered in six schools in the Quebec City area. A club dedicated to female athletes has also been created, along with a program for children ages 6 to 12, allowing them to take their first steps in snow parks. Despite this impressive growth, Jay remains true to his philosophy: he doesn’t seek to centralize everything but aims to inspire and support the development of the sport in other regions.

Recently, one of Jay’s most exciting projects is the Stepup Park in Stoneham, which would become a national Slopestyle training center. This advanced project would offer specialized infrastructure for year-round training, accessible not only to athletes but also to the general public. With this initiative, costly trips to Europe would become unnecessary, and Jay’s vision of a truly accessible sport would finally come to life. With the competition circuit established a few years ago, his dream of allowing young skiers to experience their own “mini X-Games” is gradually taking shape.

A True Legend

Jay Duchaine returned from the West in 2009 with the desire to support young enthusiasts, just as he had been supported. Today, he makes a difference every day by democratizing skiing and helping dozens of young people achieve their dreams. More than just a lover of snowy slopes, Jay is a true legend of skiing in Quebec and brings many smiles to the slopes.