God bless algorithms because I just put onto to random video that made me stop in my tracks and dedicate my undivided for 15 straight minutes (what many consider a lifetime with modern day attention spans).
Here’s the skinny: Big mountain snowboarders Jeremy Jones, Xavier de Le Rue and Julien “Pica” Herry have shared some remarkable adventures over their careers, but it had been a very long time since they last rode together. A chance encounter in Italy finally brought the three legends back into the mountains, and their reunion is documented in the new short film, A Casual Day Out.
For de Le Rue, the reunion marked 15 years since his last mountain mission with Jones and 18 years since he last rode with Herry. Despite crossing paths numerous times over the years, the three had never actually snowboarded together as a group. Reflecting on the experience, de Le Rue explained how quickly the years seemed to disappear once they were back in the mountains.
“It’s amazing how, even after all this time, everything just clicks again. Same connection, same laughs, and so many memories coming back.”
A Reunion That Meant More Than Just Snowboarding
While reconnecting with both riders was special, de Le Rue explained that sharing another descent with Herry was kinda heavy but provided a bit of closure for a traumatic situation back in the day:
“Riding with Pica again was particularly special. The last time we were in the mountains together was the day of my avalanche. We hadn’t ridden together since, so sharing a line again after all these years felt like somehow making peace with that chapter.”
De Le Rue has previously spoken publicly about his avalanche experience and the lessons he learned about managing risk in the backcountry. His reflections on the reunion offer a personal perspective on how the experience continued to shape his relationship with the mountains.
Reconnecting with Jones was equally meaningful, allowing the two titans of the steeps to take on an objective together. The opportunity came when Jones and Herry unexpectedly encountered de Le Rue in Italy. With one line from de Le Rue’s winter project still unridden, they decided to head into the mountains together.
Directed, filmed and edited by Guido Perrini, A Casual Day Out documents their first shared descent as a trio, combining the snowboarding with reflections on their friendships and the adventures they’ve experienced over the years.
For de Le Rue, there was no elaborate plan behind the day. Just a chance to reconnect with old friends and return to the Italian couloirs he had explored the previous winter.
“Funny how sometimes the simplest days in the mountains end up meaning the most.”
