Parenting an athlete is no easy feat, as Chris Dimma understands.
Chris lives in Pemberton with his wife, Valeinna. Both their children, Drea and Zahra, are talented freeride skiers—in fact Drea, 20, is a two-time Freeride Junior World Championships (FJWC) entrant who now competes on the IFSA Qualifier Series. Zahra, 18, is about to graduate high school and plans to give the Qualifier level a crack as well.
"It has been a fun and rewarding journey," said Chris about being a father to his girls. "It’s amazing to watch [them] chase goals and put in the hard work to achieve them. There have been challenges along the way, and it requires a lot of support from both my wife and me. They're extremely determined and I couldn’t be more proud of them."
Many athletic parents focus on supporting their kids: transportation, financial backing, logistics, guidance and so on… yet watching Drea and Zahra launch themselves off of intimidating terrain re-ignited Chris' own competitive fire. A former slopestylist and boardercross racer, he finds freeride suits his skills well and entered his first IFSA contest in 2022.
Dad and daughter have excelled together as of late. Chris won the Red Mountain 2* competition in his division two years in a row, while Drea has a pair of bronze medals from that venue on her resume.
"With years of backcountry experience, [my dad] has a great eye for choosing a solid line in a freeride event," Drea said. "Travelling to competitions with him has been a lot of fun, and it’s great to have someone to inspect the venue with. He’s very calculated and smart when it comes to picking a good line."
Chris likewise had plenty of praise for his eldest daughter's skill and sportsmanship.
"I've been inspired by Drea's dedication, perseverance and passion for skiing. Drea has become very confident in selecting smart lines during competitions. She understands what scores well and knows what is within her ability," he explained. "In December, Drea came back from university to watch her sister compete in the Whistler Junior 2*. She took the time to ski the venue with Zahra, and together, they planned a line.
"It was awesome to see her supporting her sister, offering guidance and encouragement. Zahra ended up on the podium with a third-place finish."
Time, consistency, fun
Chris was born in Oliver, B.C. Strapping on his first snowboard at 12 years of age, he moved to Whistler in 1995 and ended up meeting Valeinna. Now 49, Chris prioritizes exercise and a healthy diet to keep up with his kids and manage the inevitable aches that result from high-level riding.
His advice to others in similar shoes would be to "put in the time, stay consistent and most importantly, have fun."
Drea strives to live by those values in triumph and defeat. An untimely knee injury derailed her medal hopes at the 2023 FJWC, and in 2024 high winds necessitated a venue change in Austria. Freezing levels spiked at a lower section of the mountain, generating sticky snow that contributed to Drea catching a ski and crashing out again.
"It was heartbreaking after so much anticipation, and I definitely put a lot of pressure on myself to perform well," she admitted. "I’ve learned that things don’t always go as planned, and I can’t be too hard on myself. In the end, it’s all about the experience. I got to share this opportunity with my friend and teammate, Kayla Constantini, and we had an incredible time, meeting so many new friends along the way. The freeride community is amazing, the camaraderie among all the athletes and coaches is incredible to be a part of."
At the junior level, Drea became well-acquainted with her opponents and could gauge their abilities. IFSA Qualifiers deliver a novel field of rivals and therefore, an exciting new challenge.
Post-secondary education might be described that way, too. Drea is in her first year of a Bachelor of Science in Animal Biology at Thompson Rivers University (TRU): a central location which allows her to return home and go to various resorts for competitions. She admits it can be exhausting to balance school with skiing, but is up for the task.
Strong bonds
Eventually, Drea hopes to join fellow Whistler Freeride Club (WFC) alumni Marcus Goguen and Wei Tien Ho on their sport's biggest stage: the Freeride World Tour (FWT). To achieve this goal, she'll need to perform well at 4* Qualifier events and make a jump up to the FWT Challenger Series.
"It's incredible to watch our Whistler Freeride Club alumni athletes succeeding on the World Tour at such a young age, it's so inspiring," Drea remarked. "And [my dad] has always encouraged me and my sister in our skiing, supporting both of us in our competitions. While most people start to slow down at 49, he’s done the opposite, choosing to enter freeride events and even winning some. I hope I have the same drive when I'm his age."
Described by his girls as a man who rides at every opportunity, Chris is a frequent early riser who braves the conditions to get his fill of snow. According to him, Drea can be quiet and shy off the slopes—but driven and fiery when it's time to compete.
"I’m incredibly proud of her continuing to pursue ski competitions while attending university at the same time. It takes a lot of dedication and hard work," said Chris. "Our whole family has spent a lot of time travelling to competitions together. We have travelled all over the province and even to the U.S., skiing mountains we likely never would have visited if not for our daughters' competitions.
"Sharing a passion for skiing and snowboarding has given us countless experiences, from competing to simply freeriding together for fun. These experiences have undoubtedly strengthened our bond."
Chris' next aspiration is to talk Valeinna into picking up women's freeride so the Dimma clan can truly compete together.
