One Day with Eva Battolla

In a world where everything has to be useful, optimised, measured and, if possible, recorded on an Apple Watch, Eva Battolla is here to set the record straight.

For several years, she raced on the Downhill Mountain Bike World Cup circuit while also competing in the Freeride World Tour Qualifiers on skis.

But while many athletes eventually end up specialising in one discipline, Eva chose to keep both: biking in summer, skiing in winter.

Maybe not the most efficient strategy for becoming one of the best in the world at a single discipline. But certainly a good way to keep that desire to go back for more intact, again and again. 

Because, at the end of the day, that’s where it all starts for Eva.  

« If you are not having fun, life is really long… »

That doesn’t mean she takes things lightly.

Once she’s on her bike, Eva rides with precision, style and a level of commitment that has very little to do with a leisurely Sunday ride. Summer or winter, she rides seriously without ever taking herself too seriously.

Filmmaker Garance Martig recently spent a day with her, with no other ambition than to see what happens when you leave Eva with her bike, on her home turf in Verbier. 

The result is Tû çuci! — One day with Eva Battolla.

A small celebration of having fun, of the simple, raw pleasure of being outside, in the mountains, doing what you love.

Because our Alps are also one huge playground, a place where you can still do things for no other reason than the pleasure they bring. 

It sounds so obvious that sometimes we end up forgetting it.