From First Tracks to Big Lines: Ty Desrochers Unfiltered
We caught up with Ty Desrochers recently and asked him some unfiltered questions about his progression in the sport so far. Where his snowmobiling roots come from, what’s shaped his path, and where he hopes to take it next. When you ask Ty how he first got into snowmobiling, he doesn’t reach for a highlight reel or a career milestone – he goes back to before he was even born. Raised in the rhythm of throttle pull and alpine powder, Ty’s connection to the mountains runs deep, a passion passed down through family and strengthened over years of chasing winter.
Grounded, genuine, and fully committed to the craft, Ty brings a rare blend of instinct, humility, and evolving ambition to the backcountry. In this rapid-fire conversation, we peel back the layers on the rider behind the lines – his roots, his mindset, and the trajectory he’s carving as one of the sport’s rising forces.
Rapid Fire:
• Full Name: Ty Desrochers
• Nickname(s): Tydee
• Age: 27
• Fav backcountry snack: Pep ‘N Ched
• Pre-ride hype song: For What it’s Worth – Buffalo Springfield
• How long you’ve been riding: 27 years
When you think back to the before sponsorships or cameras, was there a defining moment that truly hooked you into backcountry riding?
I was honestly just born into snowmobiling, and the passion/love for the sport was passed down from my father. It has been my favourite activity for as long as I can remember. My parents have always had a timeshare to a sled-access snowmobile cabin. I went there for the first time while my mom was pregnant with me. I haven’t missed a year of snowmobiling up to that cabin since. That being said, I guess that first snowmobile ride must have sealed the deal on my love for snow machines.
Everyone has someone who inspires them. Who has been that person for you in the snowmobile industry?
That’s an easy one for me. I am most inspired by the hardest working, most talented all-around snowmobiler of all time, AKA my good buddy Brett Turcotte. Brett is an incredible human being on and off the snow. I looked up to him as a young buck, and now I am lucky enough to call him one of my best friends.
What’s your why? Why choose snowmobiling as a sport to pursue?
There are so many different facets of snowmobiling that I love. But I guess if I had to choose one aspect I love most it would be all the people involved in the industry. The riders, brands, companies, manufacturers… everyone seems to be on a similar page, have similar goals, and share similar stoke. I’ve met most of my best friends through snowmobiling, and I will forever be grateful for this sport/passion for that reason alone.
What intimidates Ty D on the mountain that people might not expect?
The one thing that intimidates me most when heading into the mountains is Mother Nature herself. This might not be unexpected, but definitely the first one that comes to mind. I am always slightly nervous about avy conditions, and I try to be extremely cognizant when working my way to the alpine. I constantly test cut small slopes, analyze snow behaviour behind and around my riding crew, and I religiously monitor the avy forecast. I love going big in the backcountry, but getting my riding crew and myself home safely at the end of the day is my primary concern.
Who’s the person(s) who you give most of the credit to, to pushing you in the sport and helped you grow in the backcountry?
There are many people to thank for this. Pretty much everyone I ride with pushes me in one aspect or another. Kesterke’s calculated sled movements, and precision in technical terrain always lights a fire in me to progress this aspect of my riding. My good buddy Keaton Roper’s natural style and fluidity on the machine pushes me to constantly improve this area. And then as previously mentioned, Brett Turcotte is one of my main motivators with how well-rounded of a rider he is. At the end of the day, a snowmobiler that can do it all, and do it well, is the best at their craft.
Chasing this career comes with hidden costs. What sacrifices have you made that viewers of these films would never know about?
Being an avid rider in this industry definitely takes a ton of commitment. As we all know, it is not the cheapest winter activity. That being said, I work harder than a one-armed wall hanger in the summer to make enough money to float my snowmobile season. I have done multiple summer work stints that push 100 days without a single day off to see my wife, pets, or sleep in my own bed. If you want to safely ride at the highest level, you need seat time, and lots of it. With a relatively short season for going big, it is key for me to have the entire winter off so I can capitalize on every set of conditions that line up for an epic day of progressing in the hills with my buddies.
What’s a moment you’ve never talked about publicly because it felt too small or too personal, yet ended up shaping you the most as a rider?
This one again touches on Mother Nature and her beauty, but also her power and relentlessness. Many years ago, I was riding at my home mountain with my old man and we stumbled across a group of panicked riders in the middle of a slide path, probes out, searching for their buried buddy. Their buddy forgot his beacon this day and his inexperienced riding crew had focused their search around his hung up sled mid slope. My old man and I took out our probes and started grid searching where we thought the guy would be located based on the slide path and avy debris. We had the guy located within a few minutes and we all dug him out. He still had a pulse, but unfortunately we had arrived a few minutes too late. He passed away in our arms, despite valiant resuscitation efforts and the body was air lifted out. This situation obviously impacted me immensely and always reminds me of the importance of avalanche awareness and respecting Mother Nature.
Featuring in all four films at the MS Film Festival this season is unreal. When did it hit you that you’ve become an emerging industry icon?
Honestly, nothing has changed for me from a mental stand point, since my early days of snowmobiling. It has always been the best sport in my eyes, and my absolute favourite thing to do. My brain box has always been addicted to going as big as possible and improving all aspects of my riding, all the while, taking into consideration the current conditions, my current skill level, and my current mental state. It seems that the bar for comfortable and safe progression has consistently been rising. But this process feels very natural and I believe that’s the way it needs to feel for longevity in this game. That being said, I am very grateful that people have enjoyed being along for my journey while I attempt to master my craft! Hopefully I can eventually inspire young talent to safely pursue progression in the industry in a similar steady, but natural/calculated manor.
You’re becoming someone younger riders look up to. What part of your story would you not want them to copy?
I guess the biggest advice I would have for younger riders coming up is to really focus on striking a balance between content creation and riding for the true love of the sport. Throughout my sledding career I have seen both sides of the spectrum. Some people get so focused on gaining a social media following, and looking like a “pro sledder” online, that they often find themselves pushing harder than their skill set allows, leading to unnecessary injuries and broken parts. Equally as important, many of these individuals seem to lose sight of the true reason we do this sport. We don’t snowmobile because it gains us social traction, we snowmobile because it is the single greatest action sport to ever exist and it manifests friendships, work ethic, and life-long memories.
Tell me about Deepend. Was this a pre-season planned project or something you put together after Winter 24/25?
Yes, Deepend was a pre-season project that I planned with my good buddy, and professional mountain bike athlete/ filmmaker Matty Miles, alongside Chet Jordan with Backwoods BMP. Myself and Matty Miles have a similar vision of linked lines and fluidity in the back country as opposed to the typical mashup of big hits and technical riding that we have become so accustomed to. We quickly realized it is difficult to capture our vision, as it often involves long linked shots through tree hallways that are hard to capture without an FPV drone or a cable cam. That being said, I believe this was still a good first attempt at capturing our vision, as it highlights the fluid bike/ski-like vibe we were after. Our goal was to make the 50-100ft step downs mix into the gentle vibe of the downhill pow edit and feel casual, which I believe we succeeded at. After our first attempt, we are already scheming ways to improve our techniques and truly capture that mix of “soul turns” and big hits that we yearn for in a day of riding.
Your goggle wipe was one of the most talked-about clips last season. Can you walk us through that moment and what was going through your head during and after it?
Some of the coolest outcomes stem from natural instincts and unplanned events. This double drop at a honey hole in Revelstoke, BC highlighted just that. I had no plans of even hitting this feature when we went out because I never plan a day ahead of time. I only do what feels fun and safe for the conditions and mental state of the day. The conditions and crew vibes made everything line up for the feature that day. Once I realized I was hitting it, I made sure the take off and landing were safe and then let instincts take the wheel. Becoming unexpectedly blinded off the first drop put the instincts into overdrive as I popped off the second drop and required a mandatory goggle wipe to spot/ execute the landing of the second drop. Me and the crew were super stoked after this hit. When a vision comes together it’s always satisfying, but when air awareness/instincts are forced to take over, it’s even a more stimulating experience!
Since becoming a Polaris athlete, how has the company supported your goals best?
So far, my short time as a Polaris athlete has exceeded expectations in pretty much every way imaginable. As a very authentic blue-collar fella, I was super nervous about meeting the level of professionalism involved with a factory sponsorship. I figured a corporation of that size would have extremely strict rules and guidelines to follow, and a set program for each of their athletes. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Polaris has been receptive and supportive of all my visions and goals and they just seem to have completely accepted who I am. They immediately made me feel apart of a giant family. All the people I have met at Polaris have been incredible humans and all of them are as passionate about the sport as I am – something I didn’t think was possible! At the end of the day, I love humans and snowmobiles more than anyone I know. So Polaris allowing me freedom to showcase what these machines are capable of, and make life long friendships along the way, is truly a dream come true.
Alternatively has there been any expectations you had where they’ve let you down?
None at all.
What can we expect from you this season?
I never plan a day of riding, let alone a whole season. I set general goals and come into the season with certain visions, but in general, I just plan on having another safe and steady season of refining my skills in all areas of riding, taking in what Mother Nature has to offer, riding with friends from far and wide, and meeting more unreal humans along the way.
I 100% would not be where I am today without the unwavering support of these unbelievable companies and the powerhouse staff behind all of them:
Polaris – Duradeck – Backwoods BMP – 509 – Ohlins – IceAge Performance – Cheetah Factory Racing – Munster – Deviant Ink – CaribouX – Rox Speed – Avid Products – Oxbow – Whiskey Throttle Motorsport – BWC Powersports
