Down a steep Alaskan chute, a small figure hurtles between the rocks, spraying clouds of fresh snow in its wake as it leaves behind only perfectly-executed arcs in the fresh powder.

Cut to the next scene. In a snow-covered city, the style of that same figure remains; popping an ollie onto what looks like an impossible rail, it sticks a perfect boardslide for the entire length, stomping a buttery pretzel spin off the end.

A third shot focuses on a monster kicker, menacing with injury potential. Yet our purple wearing protagonist is not bothered, flying off the lip of the jump to pull a smooth 900 spin, then riding away easy-style.

This may sound like your average snowboard movie section, with riders increasingly skilled on all terrain, but there's a difference; this particular figure is a pro female – the hugely talented Marie-France Roy.

Away from the glamour of contest-riding glory and its perfectly polished runs, TV cameras and cosmetic sponsorships, MFR – as the Red Bull rider is nicknamed – is one of few women working the other, raw side of snowboarding: filming. Those long hours spent hiking the back country at home in Whistler, British Columbia, or spent spotting street rails in Quebec, have paid off. She's won both Best Video Part and Rider's Choice at the Transworld awards two years in a row, and nabbed standout sections in Rome Snowboard's No Correct Way (2007) and Any Means (2008), plus both Oakley's Uniquely (2008) and Runway Film's See What I See (2008).

“Filming is cool because it shows a better representation of a rider,” explains Roy. “In contests, you get just two runs to show what you have. But with filming, you spend all year travelling to different places and riding new features, to get as many shots as possible, which is far more rewarding at the end of the year.”

This season, she's ticked off an achievement on any snowboarders dream list – a part with the prestigious Absinthe Films on their new movie Neverland. At just 24, she's only the second woman to be recruited to the US-Euro crew, following her friend and fellow French-Canadian Annie Boulanger.

“I owe it all to Annie,” admits Roy, “She was looking for a partner in crime and so told me about the idea. At first, I didn't take it seriously, as I thought it wouldn't be possible. But then Oakley wanted to support me, so it slowly became a reality, and I was so honoured!”

Notorious for their epic backcountry cinematography, working with Absinthe has been a learning experience: “I loved filming with Runway and Rome, but this year was different – I've hit one rail all year and have spent a lot of time in powder. We're also lucky to have one of the best filmers I've worked with – Paul Watt – who knows everything about safety in the mountains. Plus, Annie is always there to give me advice, so it's awesome.”

Like Jamie Anderson, Elena Height and more, Marie-France is part of a new generation exploding the progression of women's snowboarding, oblivious to gender stereotypes. (One aim for her season is to land a 1080 spin.)

“When I was growing up, I loved watching women like Tara Dakides and Nicola Thost in the guys' films. It's so much cooler when both guys and girls hang and film together. Of course, the level is not the same yet, but it's still awesome to see.”

“This season has been really good. Of course, I wish I had more shots, but I'm happy overall. I really enjoyed my time filming.”