Petranboard
Offline in Albania
The people of Petran, Turkey, have been snowboarding for roughly 300 years.
Sometimes you get a trip so good that the travel part is just as exciting as the destination.
Severin Van Der Meer “I don’t really like to get told I shouldn’t do something, but I love to get inspired from other people.”
JONES MTB
JONES ZEPHYR
JONES XLT
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JONES EXPERIENCE THE
THIRTYTWO.COM
Edito°
The main theme here this time around is technology. Before you double check the cover to see if you have mistakenly opened an issue of Focus, I tell you that, yes, there is a connection with snowboarding, so be patient and read it all the way through. TEXT
Matteo Rossato PHOTO
Achille Mauri
So we were saying that the theme here is technology and in particular its pros and cons. Technology has made information available to an infinitely wider audience than the traditional media. Technology has brought the famous 15 minutes of celebrity within the reach of everyone, just as it has given anyone the opportunity to rise up to the main stage, thanks to the infinite possibilities of social networks and digital platforms. Technology has literally zeroed the distances between people, at least potentially. But technology has also compromised the quality of information and media: today anyone with a data connection can have his say and make it public: this does not necessarily make him a storyteller, an actor or a journalist. Technology has effectively eliminated the distances though, and now we have entire generations of alienated people, who cannot communicate but through the network, with messages, comments or video reactions: we fight on Instagram, we battle it up on Twitter and we let off steam on YouTube. On
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this issue of Sequence you will find many food for thought. We talked to Absinthe about how the video premieres, once common and now a rarity, are important for the social roots of our sport and for this reason they, for 15 years, have not failed to organize a premiere world tour yet. We went Offline with Nitro in Albania: through their latest movie, they propose to get off the web from time to time to enjoy the real world. We talked with Matt Georges about his latest DIY Club Sandwich paper project and finally told the glorious story of Transworld snowboarding, which fell under the enemy fire of modern and democratic “digital communication”. So in all this, what is the end of the story? Is technology bad? Not necessarily. But surely after all the bombing of instant information offered every minute by social media in recent years, snowboarders really feel the need now to stop for a sec and go back to enjoy the precious moments that the mountain offers, to wait for a good old long form video or to read a well-written article in a magazine, or to simply perform the subversive act of keeping the phone in the jacket in silent mode and exchanging a couple of words with a riding partner. I am pretty sure the good old Jake would totally agree with this.
Grilo at Avoriaz 1800
Snowboarding simplified for everyone.
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Editor In Chief Denis Piccolo
Creative Director George Boutall
Editorial Coordinator Matteo Rossato
Crew Editor In Chief Denis Piccolo denis@hand-communication.com
Sequence-Magazine.com Federico Mura hello@hand-communication.com
Editorial Coordinator Matteo Rossato ross@hand-communication.com
Photographers & Filmers Matt Georges, Dominic Zimmermann, Markus Rohrbacher, Gianfranco Battaglia, Claudio Foco, Cyril, Silvano Zeiter, Kevin Kok, Achille Mauri, Migi, Roberto Bragotto, Alex Steward, Francesco Zoppei, Scotty Stephenson, Ben Gavelda, Aaron Schwartz, Andrea Schilirò, Thomas Monsorno
Advertising Office hello@hand-communication.com +39 333 7741508 Creative Director George Boutall george@evergreendesignhouse.com Graphic Design Francesca Pagliaro, Diego Marmi, Stefano Luongo Editing & Translation Giacomo Margutti
Collaborators Lisa Filippini, Elisa Maria Ferrari, Giulia Boccola, Silvia Galliani, Marta Manzoni, Luca Albrisi, Enrico Santillo, Antonio Isaja, Sofia Parisi, Fabrizio Bertone, Simone Lovera Cover Severin Van Der Meer by Silvano Zeiter
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Company Editor Hand Communication Corso Francia 17 - Torino hello@hand-communication.com Store Magazine Map sequence-magazine.com/magazine-finder Online Shop & Subscriptions sequence-magazine.com/shop Printers L’artistica Savigliano Savilgiano - Cuneo - Italy lartsavi.it Distribution 25.000 copies distibuted in +500 European stores: Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, France, England, Spain, Belgium, Finland, Holland, Czech Republic, Slovakia & Portugal
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116° Severin Van Der Meer
84° Campiglio to Alberg
92° On the Shoulders of Giants
76° Jake Burton
98° Offline in Albania
106° Japan Triple
60° Petranboard
Index 8° The daily News
30° Yoga Snowboarding
44° <OooOoO>
12° Fresh Made
32° Skicircus
46° Suzy Greenberg 270
16° Killer Collabs
34° Ursus Snowpark
48° Ten years of Jones
20° Eco Seven
36° Pila Snowland
50° On the Lookout
24° Auclair Gloves
38° 15 Minutes
54° Halldor Helgason
26° Sequence Guide
40° Sam McMahon
56° Gigi Ruf is back
28° Blue Tomato
42° Club Sandwich
68° Isle of Snow
6°
1 15.10.19
K2SNOW.COM
SINCE 1987
K2 proudly welcomes Kennedi Deck to the International AM Team. Snowboarding by Kennedi Deck. She is riding the Cold Shoulder board and Meridian binding. Photos by Marc O’Malley. Location: Washington, USA.
K2Snbd-ITA-Sequence_Mag-Kennedi_Deck_Ad-230x285+5mm-1.0-Print.pdf 14:23
KENNEDI DECK
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The Daily Pill B Y D AV I D E F I O R A S O
Burton Mountain Mash 2020 Dates and location of the Burton Mountain Mash 2020 have been announced. Madonna di Campiglio is reconfirmed as the ideal location for all the activities that will make up the agenda between January 27th and February 2nd 2020. National and international pro-riders will be back for the usual Slopestyle at the Ursus Snowpark, while amateurs and enthusiasts can compete in the Anon Banked Slalom. The Test Ride will take place in the village where you can try the 2020/21 boards and the Step On bindings, while the kids can have fun at Burton Riglet Park. There’ll be an all girls snowboard camp once again, as well as the experts will be involved in meetings for shop owners and retailers.
Quiksilver presents Dark Matter Only one name would be enough to make you look forward to it: Travis Rice. Which is not just any name, but one of the most significant riders of our time, an athlete who has always known how to innovate and excite. After the Fourth Phase project, Travis Rice is back in style calling on his friend Elias Elhardt and legendary director Curt Morgan of Brain Farm, with whom he shared That’s It, That’s All and The Art Of Flight, the one who revolutionized the action films during the last decade. The result is Dark Matter, presented by Quiksilver, a celebration of space and time at the Tordrillo Mountain Lodge, in the remote backcountry of Alaska. It will be available from Christmas 2019 on Amazon Prime, iTunes and Vimeo on Demand.
Arthur longo joins the Capita team Scott Stevens, Kazu Kokubo, Jess Kimura, Kevin Backstrom, Brandon Cocard, Mike Rav, Johnny O’Conner, Phil Jacques. How to raise the level of a star team one more notch? Well, with Arthur Longo. The 31-year-old from Grenoble is literally landed in the Capita team to reinforce the very strong Defender of Awesome roster. To celebrate his arrival even more, Capita has created a limited edition of the Mercury, its very own all-mountain: a pro model 157 version with a customized design. A board of extreme versatility, designed to achieve high standards in powder, impeccable turns on the groomers and tackle the park if you decide to be creative as much as you want. Just what Arthur likes to do.
Giro is the first brand to incorporate a polartec fabric in helmets Giro Sport Design has integrated the innovative Polartec Power Grid fabric in its new line of all mountain and freestyle helmets. Power Grid not only increases heat by reducing space, but generates targeted contact points that absorb and diffuse sweat, promoting faster evaporation. Its two-component knitting uses two different constructions in as many surfaces: one optimized to remove moisture from the body, the other to dry quickly. It also incorporates silver chloride which prevents the formation of odors. “Polartec’s expertise in thermoregulation is a natural fulfilment of Giro’s leadership in helmet design” - says David Karstad of Polartec.
Conzzeta puts mammut on the market The Conzzeta group has announced that it wants to focus on a specific field of interest with the intention of selling other portfolio brands, including Mammut Sports Group AG, part of the Swiss holding company since 1982. From 2020, Conzzeta will concentrate its resources on Bystronic, a global leader in the production of sheet metal processing systems. As a result, Mammut, Schmid Rhyner and FoamPartner will no longer receive the support they need. Mammut’s profits, which increased significantly from 2016 to 2018, with excellent forecasts also for 2019, show favorable growth and development prospects for the potential buyer. The sale of Mammut is specifically aimed at the internationalization of the brand which, under a new owner, could find a new push.
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C AL I R T E SYMM
R O E S V NE FELT RAL U T A N
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The 3 asymmetrical functions FIT - FEEL - FLEX are combined in an asymmetric shape and closure system that delivers optimum support and flex. The result is the highest performance and most incredible feeling boot on snow.
The Daily Pill B Y D AV I D E F I O R A S O
Rene Rinnekangas promoted in the Rome global pro team Rene Rinnekangas, already part of the AM program for several seasons, joins Stale Sandbech, Thomas Delfino and Alek Ostreng in the Rome Snowboards Pro team. The surprise announcement was communicated to him during the Sales Meeting a few weeks ago in Killington, Vermont. The finnish rider born in 1999 appeared out of nowhere a few years ago and became famous in no time. He became well known for the first time during the Dew Tour Team Challenge 2017, collecting an incredible video part such as “Everybody, Everybody” shortly thereafter, he got excellent results at the X-Games and took part in the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics. A well-deserved result that will bring a lot of contagious energy to the whole team.
Zen snowboard: original, customized or fully customized? Zen Snowboards, the project of the former professional snowboarder and park shaper Reto Neiger, pushes customization to the highest levels. Zen boards differ qualitatively and functionally from mass products. They are made with high-end components, assembled with attention to detail, resulting in a performance-oriented pow(d)ertool. With the Big Nose “BN 3.0”, the third remodulation of its all-mountain hybrids, Reto has developed a surprisingly versatile, fast and reliable shape. Available in eleven different sizes with pop, flex and customizable designs to your liking. For those who want maximum quality and maximum reliability, adapted to their needs.
The Kitzsteinhorn superpipe opens at full capacity Excellent conditions at the Kitzsteinhorn Superpipe, Zell am See-Kaprun, in Austria, which is ready to welcome you. Having hosted the training sessions of many international stars from Europe, Asia, Australia and North America, the Superpipe has opened up to all riders, amateurs and professionals. A 150m long and 6.5m high structure built by Alli Zehetner and the Parkshaper team. This year also, Glacier Park and Superpipe will be even easier to reach thanks to the new 3K K-onnection, a 12 km long cable car line that connects the center of Kaprun directly with the Kitzsteinhorn glacier through the Maiskogel, reaching 3029 m above sea level.
Victor De Le Rue enters the Jones snowboards team Victor De Le Rue, current champion of the Freeride World Tour 2019, joins the Jones family as the new rider for the International Team. Growing up in the French Pyrenees, in a family of legendary snowboarders, Victor began snowboarding at six, becoming junior boardercross, slopestyle and halfpipe champion. Once he turned 18, Victor moved further away from traditional competitive disciplines to devote himself to filming and freeriding. “We are delighted to have Victor in the team!” commented Jeremy Jones. “I had the opportunity to surf and camp with him and I was amazed by his riding skills and the good vibes he gives off in the mountains. He has great climbing skills and as a freestyler, he is also humble and extremely calm. It will be perfect in our team.”
Winners of Ispo brandnew 2020 The winners of ISPO Brand New 2020, the main competition for startups in the sports sector, have been selected. An independent jury of experts evaluated the proposals, drafted an initial list of 50 names and selected a winner in each of the 8 categories. Each of them has been able to amaze the jury with sustainable and customizable concepts, products that have a huge fun factor. For the winning startups, ISPO Brand New represents a powerful trampoline into the modern sporting goods business. All selected winners and brands will present their solutions at the ISPO of Monaco from 26th to 29th January 2020 at the Brandnew Village of pavilion B4.
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Fresh Made B Y D AV I D E F I O R A S O
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1. DC shoes asap anorak
2. Jones carbon flagship
3. Komono Anton Goggle
Part of the Transitors Collection, the Asap Anorak is a collapsible and compressible snowboard jacket that combines streetwear style with details designed for winter. A shell full of technical features, including 10K Weather Defense waterproof, mesh air intakes, taped seams, two-way adjustable hood, taffeta lining, handwarmer pockets with zip. This Repurpose version uses polyester residues for a version rich in personality and attentive to materials.
Ready to compete, built to ride steep terrains at maximum speed. For 2020, Jones Snowboards has completely redesigned the Carbon Flagship with a new shape and new materials. The 12.5 mm tapered shape on the tail facilitates floating and fast turns, with the triple density wood core and Traction 3.0 technology offering a torsional response and unmatched control. The new Ultra Base is the fastest insole ever tested and uses different types of wax for better smoothness at variable temperatures.
A tribute to Komono’s ten-year legacy and a step forward in still unexplored territories. The first winter sports goggle presented by the Antwerp brand bears the name of its founder, Anton Jannssens, a former professional snowboarder. Featuring enhanced lenses and rubber strap, it combines a perfect fit with wide protection, with a strong and decisive attitude. The goggle adds a fun touch to quality design: it is available with a set of fun patches that can be applied to your taste.
4. Shimoda Action X Camera Bag
5. Nidecker Carbon Binding
6. Korua Bullet Train Plus
Shimoda Designs, the company of Ian Millar known for designing some of the most innovative photo bags in the world, presents the new Action X collection designed for adventure photographers who want to move in the snow. Three 30L, 50L and 70L backpacks with a newly designed removable Core unit and a top loading function that adds to the quick access side panel and the rear opening. With TPU straps and removable helmet support. Each backpack is available through the Shimoda Kickstarter campaign.
Superlight, resistant, reactive. The Carbon Bindings set a new standard in terms of performance-to-weight ratio. It is the only model in the Nidecker range that features straps with the revolutionary Hyperfuse technology developed by Now Bindings to bring the highest level of precision and energy transfer on turns, while maintaining high comfort. They use the exclusive Unibody Pro baseplate with 33% glass fiber, one of the most accurate carbon highbacks on the market, aluminum buckles designed to be guaranteed for life.
A new era of carving has begun. Bullet Train is the directional board designed to make extreme turns easy. It is part of the Plus collection by Korua, a line that aims to build the best snowboards possible. High quality materials make it as fast as a bullet; thanks to the titanium construction, which absorbs the vibrations ensuring a better torsion, this silent beast cuts the bumps easily and accurately. “By far the best carving board I have ever ridden” - word of Nicholas Wolken.
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ONLINE:UNIONBINDINGCOMPANY.COM SOCIAL:@UNIONBINDINGCO
UNION BINDING COMPANY JOHNNY O'CONNOR STRATA RIDER
RIDING
CONTACT
California Sports tel:00390119277943 www.californiasport.info
PHOTO DANIEL BERNSTAL
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Fresh Made B Y D AV I D E F I O R A S O
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7. O’neill Original Anorak Jacket
8. Thirtytwo Tm-2 Xlt Helgason Boot
9. Plum Carbon Feyan
Inspired by the past, with technical details updated to our times. The Original Anorak is a reinterpretation of the jacket designed for the first Snowboard World Cup. It stands out for its kangaroo pocket and bold colors, but it’s not just meant to look good. It has 10K / 10K waterproofness and breathability with quick-drying O’Neill Hyperdry technology and is made from the exclusive Repreve fabric, a sustainable fiber made from recycled plastic bottles. Includes the RECCO Avalanche System reflector.
An unbeatable grip, bullet-proof construction and Storm Shield technology to tackle any weather situation. The upgrade of the popular TM-2 now also in the Black / Camo version created for Halldor Helgason. This all-mountain / backcountry boot with a stiff flex has a 3D shaped tongue that reduces pressure points, an articulated leg, a Vibram sole and an Evolution Foam cushioned midsole. The Performance Fit inner shoe is designed to offer greater support, flexibility and heel hold.
The high-end attack for experienced splitboarders who want to combine responsiveness, performance and lightness without giving up on solidity. The carbon spoiler offers an ideal grip without superfluous compression, better torsion resistance and greater riding precision. Thanks to the WoR system (Walk or Ride) it is possible to perform very quickly the adjustment from the ascent mode to the descent one. Perfect for attacking vertical spaces, the ideal companion to conquer the peaks on a splitboard.
10. Roxy Torah Bright Summit Hydrosmart
11. Stranda Tree Surfer
12. Switch Designs Coyote Boot Bag
Over the course of a season we cannot always have fresh snow and perfect days. Here then is the Tree Surfer comes to help us. Its fish-shaped tail could be deceiving, but this is not just a good powder board. The revolutionary hammerhead nose breaks any crust like a tank and carves the track like no other. Built using proven technologies, and inspired by driving in the most varied terrain, it combines an ash heart with carbon torsion bars and a topsheet made of a thin layer of bamboo.
From Jefferson County, Colorado, Switch Designs has created the most innovative and elegant boot bag on the market, designed to transport and stow your equipment in a flexible and practical way. It can be converted from a complete tote bag to a single backpack, reducing the overall dimensions and storage constraints. Includes inside laptop pockets and valuables, air vents for water drainage, elastic straps and hooks. It is made of Cordura and 500D nylon with elk leather trim.
Retro style reinterpreted in a very soft sheepskin, for waterproof protection that improves over time. These snowboard mittens from the Torah Bright collection will keep your hands warm thanks to the PrimaLoft Gold Eco insulation and the fleece lining with HydroSmart technology on the back of the hand. The fabric, enriched with a 100% organic formula, protects, soothes and takes care of the skin while you are wearing it.
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Killer Collabs B Y D AV I D E F I O R A S O
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1. Dakine X Eric Pollard Wyeast Jacket
2. Nitro X Grif Mountain Snowboard
3.Nixon X Recco Summit Backpack
After 20 years of collaboration with Eric Pollard, Dakine is proud to present the EP Artist Series, a collection that celebrates the art and style of products made to withstand the elements. The iconic Wyeast shell has a waterproof and breathable construction, with details designed to keep you dry on powdery days. It includes a multitude of pockets to organize objects, gaiters on the wrists and air vents that help regulate the temperature.
Geologist, adventurer, artist, as well as one of the most stylish and eccentric riders of the whole Nitro Family. Fan of the Mountain model par excellence, for the 2020 season Griffin Seibert received as a gift the perfect canvas on which to realize his vision: a graphic inspired by his country of origin, Utah. Totally revolutionized, the Mountain is an all terrain with a directional shape with progressive sidecut and cam-out camber. Available in 157-160-163.
The Summit is the backpack developed together with Nicolas Müller to ensure maximum capacity and reduced impact while you move with agility through the trees or in an airport row. Recco signaling technology, reflective details and built-in rescue whistle help you stay safe even off-piste. The exclusive cotton shell combines natural fibers with a waterproof coating, introducing a new aesthetic in the world of technical backpacks.
4. 686 X Slayer Mountain Mitt
5. Element X National Geographic Nyjah Lion 8 Deck
6. Vans Ferra X Mary Rand Pro Boot
686, a brand founded in 1992 by Michael Akira West, mixes the thrash metal style of Slayer in a limited edition collection for lovers of the genre. Hence the iconic Roman eagle logo on the Mountain Mitt. The other features are unchanged: Soundtouch touchscreen technology, adjustable Velcro cuff, wrist leash, external Dense Oxford fabric with DWR treatment, waterproof and breathable infiDRY insert, Fiber Fill insulation with micro tricot lining.
The first release of the collaboration project between National Geographic and Element has officially started. A vast capsule collection, in support of conservation and environmental education, which celebrates the animal kingdom thanks to a selection of photographic images collected from the archives of the National Geographic Society. In the series of boards customised for the occasion there is also the pro model of Nyjah Huston.
Vans reunited once again with Mary Rand, the driving force behind the women’s team, to create the new interpretation of the Ferra Pro boot, updated with a floral coloring inspired by the classic tattoo art. The real novelty of this 2020 version is the V2 Ultracush Smartwool, a thermoformable lining in merino wool that lands on the market for the first time, creating new levels of comfort and warmth. Insole V2 Popcush and Hybrid Boa closure system.
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Killer Collabs B Y D AV I D E F I O R A S O
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7. Woolrich X Stussy Plaid Workshirt
8. Death Label X Dayze Death Series Ltd Board
9. Vssl X Vans Mountain Series
Woolrich announces the collaboration with the Californian brand Stüssy, reinterpreting an archive classic. The checkered work shirt is made of 100% American wool and features Tactel padding, a special fiber developed by Dupont, ideal for everyday use and leisure time. Woolrich x Stüssy will be available at the Woolrich stores in Milan, New York and Aoyama, as well as in the Stüssy chapter stores.
Death Series Ltd 2 is the result of the collaboration between the Japanese brand and Dayze, at the registry office Yusaku Horii and Ryosuke Horii. A snappy and fun-filled park board: optimized core to facilitate torsion control, X-Basalt Fiber insert that gives an incredible pop, soft urethane sidewall for a smoother ride, pre-smoothed corners to eliminate any friction on the rails.
Sk8-Hi MTE is the highlight of the new limited collection between Vans and VSSL, Canadian outdoor utility tools brand. The legendary high top, in the Mountain Edition version, adds details designed for the cold season: warm padding, insulating layer and vulcanized sole with waffle structure. This package is combined with the custom Camp Supplies kit with four-mode LED light, precision compass and over 70 adventure-designed consumables.
10. Union X Funky Binding
11. West X The Helvetic Collective La Hache Ltd
12. Ugg X Rocky Mountain Featherbed Classic Mini
The Helvetic Collective is a group of 12 Swiss photographers and influencers united by a common interest in the outdoors and the Swiss Alps, chosen for the collaboration with West Snowboarding on their best-selling model. All-mountain par excellence, La Hache is a board designed with a strong focus on versatility and performance. Ideal for freeriding, ultra stable on the slope and very efficient in park or in pipe for good freestylers.
In 1978 a young Australian conceived what would become the symbolic footwear of Californian surfers. Since then, the UGG boot has been widespread all over the world, appreciated for the softness of the sheepskin and its timeless design. From the encounter with the Japanese brand Rocky Mountain Featherbed, this version of the Classic Mini is born, where the upper part is replaced by a padded nylon padded ripstop.
A very Italian collaboration in which sweat, tears and tomato sauce were poured. This binding, a limited edition for Funky Snowboard, was made by Union Binding’s Custom House to offer durability and performance to snowboarders who ride over 100 days a year. Indestructible, able to handle any condition or terrain. Longterm comfort and reliability, supported by a baseplate with a lifetime warranty.
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COMFORT, PROTECTION, FLAWLESS FIT. Ben Ferguson M4 Goggle Prime MIPS Helmet Find yours at anonoptics.com
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Eco Seven B Y D AV I D E F I O R A S O
Burton becomes a B Corporation Burton has become the first snowboard company to receive the B Corporation certification, thus reinforcing its commitment to do business with a positive impact on people and the environment. The B Corps, recognised as the gold standard of responsible business, are committed to maintaining the highest social and environmental standards. The brand received the prestigious award after a B Impact Assessment process that valued every single aspect of the company: from the influence of its business model on the community to the supply chain, from employee benefits to charitable actions that are implemented. “Our values are an integral part of our identity as sport pioneers. Now more than ever, companies must come forward and talk about the problems that impact the world and that involve everyone,” commented Donna Carpenter, CEO of Burton.
Vaia: the first amplifier born from the storm What the storm has wrested from the forests of Northern Italy in the autumn of 2018, is given back to them as a design object made from those fallen trees. A small cube capable of amplifying sound in a natural way, born from the idea of three boys and their startup that from the storm, in addition to the wood, has also taken the name. An object able to bring back value to a territory bent by natural disasters, according to a process of circular economy that involves and includes local craftsmen and already existing raw materials that would otherwise be wasted, like the fallen trees of Trentino. It can be used as an elegant smartphone stand or as a natural amplifier for your favorite playlist. In order to protect communities and territories exposed to hydrogeological risk, Vaia undertakes to plant a tree for each product sold. For info: www.vaiawood.eu
Skullcandy unveils the upcycling program Skullcandy presented a new upcycling program developed in collaboration with the green-forward facility Cali Resources of San Diego. The proposal was planned to recover all returned or damaged products, renewing them in order to eliminate waste. As an added bonus, Skullcandy and Cali Resources will donate part of the proceeds generated by recycled products to Protect Our Winters (POW), the leading climate defense group for the entire winter sports community. Since the beginning of the program, in April 2019, Skullcandy has already recycled over 34,000 products. Each refurbished product is signed with an “Upcycled For POW” label, informing the consumer that a portion of the proceeds of his purchase will go in favor of the organisation founded by Jeremy Jones. The recycling program will expand in Europe and the UK in 2020.
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THE
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RETHINK YOUR RIDE
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Schoeller introduces the pro earth biodegradable fabric Founder of the Bluesign System, the first sportswear manufacturer to receive the Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certification and one of the first companies to sign the Paris climate agreement. Schoeller Textil AG continues to prove itself at the forefront of sustainable practices, bringing Pro Earth, one of the first collections of biodegradable synthetic fabrics, to the market. Pro Earth was created to help offset over 16 million tons of textile waste produced each year in the United States alone. Virgin polyester has been optimized not only for high-level performance, but above all to biodegrade at higher speeds than current standards. The new collection will debut as part of the SFTC line, a joint venture between Schoeller Textil and Formosa Co. Ltd, a leading supplier of textile solutions based in Taiwan.
Borealis: eco-friendly snowboards Since its creation in 2013, the use of materials with reduced environmental impact has been the focus of the project by Ben Hall, founder of Borealis Snowboards. The French brand builds high-performance boards with special emphasis on bamboo, a lightweight, high-performance material that is able to renew itself rapidly. All the wooden cores are FSC certified and come from responsibly managed forests. The materials are glued with Greenpoxy, an epoxy resin composed of 51% recycled biomass, or Zero VOC resin, completely free of volatile organic compounds. Alternatives that reduce dependence on oil-based products and make the workplace healthier. Natural linen pads, vegetable bioplastic topsheets, water-based inks or latex complete the job.
Picture Organic Clothing: Shelter Mat Schaer, Léo Taillefer, Levi Luggen, Thomas Delfino and Serge Lambert. Five friends who have decided to share their passion for a sport and their love for the mountains. Two months through the Alps, looking for the most natural approach possible, exploring hidden valleys and remote peaks, away from the hustle and bustle of the largest ski resorts in the world. Shelter is the documentary written and directed by Julien Roserens and Morgan Le Faucheur, co-produced by Picture Organic Clothing with Almo Films, which wants to send an important message: respect our wonderful Earth. A trip from one bivouac to the other, enjoying fantastic descents, long crossings and arduous climbs, observing firsthand the impact of climate change on the Alps. An adventure to discover unique stories.
Quiksilver: recycled for radness Quiksilver’s commitment to sustainable production translates into two symbolic pieces of the new 2020 collection. The first is the TR Stretch Snow Jacket created to meet Travis Rice’s needs: style, comfort and no compromise in performance. It uses the innovative material developed by Unifi: Repreve, a sustainable fiber made entirely with post-consumer food grade plastic. The second is the Spindye Snow Jacket, the favorite of Mat Crepel, made of recycled polyester with SpinDye treatment, a Swedish technology that offers an innovative, clean, traceable and durable dyeing system. A certified and transparent coloring process, in which the pigment is added to the spinning solution before extrusion, becoming a homogeneous part of the fiber, avoiding the traditional systems harmful to the environment.
22°
Alberto Maffei, Italian Snowboard Freestyle Team:
“ If I don’t reach a goal that I’ve set, I Just need to work harder and never give up! ”
campigliodolomiti.it | ursus-snowpark.com
ph. by A.Botto
One of the best freestyle area in the Alps.
Max Parrot, Born to Perform. dn’t be an easy one and also a long one. The important thing was to put all my efforts into the treatments and also to go treatment by treatment, slowly I was making it till the end.
Tell us your training schedule to get back in shape as doctors gave you the GO My cardio and my
muscles were not really there anymore so I was going to the gym 5x a week and then would go do some trampoline 1x a week. And then with time when my body felt better I would start going on the Air bag to ride my board and I would go there like 3x per week then 3x per week at the gym. It was really intense!! But I had a goal in mind and needed to achieve it.
How important is it for you to be backed by a Canadian Company like Auclair and be part of such an inspiring team of athletes? I am really
Auclair Gloves has been sponsoring Canada’s best-performing winter sports athletes since the 1970s. The proudly Canadian brand prides itself on its partnership with the country’s top medallists, and above all of them sits Max Parrot, who is not only a world class snowboarder with several medals under his belt, but also a hero in real life, as he just kicked cancer on late 2018 and just finished with treatments he immediately strapped in and conquered a gold medal at the X-Games in Oslo and more recently the top spot at Beijing Air+Style.
TEXT
Matteo Rossato
Hi Max, tell us how you felt when you realized you hit the gold at Oslo X-Games? It felt amazing
for so many reason! First off, my goal was achieved. I’ve worked so hard the weeks before going to X Games and was really happy it paid off! It was also for me a way to comeback to where I was before the cancer but even mentally stronger than before. This win also marked my 10th X Games medal in my career!
How was when you realized you should had to face a life challenge which was way bigger than any kicker you normally challenged as a pro rider? The hardest thing was to miss my whole
season! I’ve never missed a contest in my whole career and then I wasn’t only going to miss one but all of them! This was really hard to process through my mind. I wanted to compete, train and be on board. So I took the challenge just like another one. I knew it woul-
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proud to be part of the Auclair Company and to be surrounded by the best only. Auclair has been in the industry for a very long time, they are one of the best in designing Mitts and so it makes so much sens to also have the best athletes in their team as well. I’ve always thought that when you surround yourself with high class persons in their abilities you elevate yourself by learning the good things right away!
Still talking about Auclair, how was the design process of your pro model? Which are their key features? For me I needed a pair of mitts that are
good for snowboarding and my lifestyle. They need to be as slim as possible but also the warmest as well! They must be made with strong materials so when I grab my edges in the air it doesn’t cut it! But also the interior needed to not be slippery so my hand can grab my board easier!
How important is the gear for a top class athlete like you? In particular what’s the difference between a good glove and one that is not as good? At the level I am, every little thing is impor-
tant and can make a difference! And the last thing you want to think when you’re riding is that your glove isn’t comfortable, or it slips when you grab; and it’s also important that everything you wear fits your lifestyle.
What are your plans for this current season? Olympics? My plan for this season it to do all the big contests and then start filming in the backcountry at the end of the season! The Olympics are definitely in my mind, but for now there’s no reason to think about it as it’s still far away.
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CUFF Elastic snow cuff with leash
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The Digital Snowboard Guide. sequencesnowboardguide.com
The only digital snowboard guide with all the products available on the European market. Choose, compare and buy your favorite set-up. TEXT
Denis Piccolo
We are already the only and most complete snowboard guide printed and distributed throughout Europe in more than 600 stores, but that wasn’t enough for us. Our support for your purchases does not end there: on www.sequencesnowboardguide.com you can see and compare all the boards, bindings and boots available on the market, wherever you are, both from your desktop and mobile. How? Here’s an example. You want to buy a new split board: are you sure you know all the models that the market offers? The truth is, there are many brands you still don’t know about. Surfing though the app and using its filters you will be able not only to find all the splits on the market, but to choose them by size, color, type of camber and many other parameters.
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You need to change your boots and you want a model with a quick lacing but you don’t know how many types exist and how they differ from each other? With a quick search you will be able to find the perfect boot for you. Do you love red? With a simple click you can filter all the boards, boots and bindings on the market by your favorite color! You can also share your reviews via the main social networks or read those of others; if you have any doubts or technical questions you can directly contact the companies and you will get the answer in a short time. Finally, in the product profiles, you will find all the technical characteristics, the presentation videos and also our review if we have already tested that product. www.sequencesnowboardguide.com is the reference point for snowboarding gears on a global scale.
Areaeffe grows along the length of the Grimod piste over an area of 20.000 sqm with a length of 600 meters; it welcomes structures of all levels, from beginners to the most experts and demanding. The structure is maintained in a manic way, shaped and groomed each morning for the joy of snowboarders and freestyle skiers. An easy zone, entirely dedicated to the beginners, allows a safe approach to the world of the freestyle: sequences of funbox, railboxs satisfy the beginners in freestyle. Kickers, funboxes, rails of all types “fill”, instead, intermediate and expert lines. Located at 2200m, the snowpark is reachable from the center of Aosta in about 30 minutes (gondola + liasion + cable car): not bad!
SCOPRI TUTTE LE NOVITÀ SUL NOSTRO NUOVO SITO
0165.521148 347.7653434 info@pila.it
AREAEFFE snowpark Pila #AREAEFFE #PilaAostaValley
Blue Tomato, your ride is still their mission. How were they able to keep doing it while going from a single shop in Schladming to almost 50 stores all over Europe? They just put the right people in the key roles, passionate riders that put all their know-how in their job, serving the customers in the best way possible. Buying department to customer finances, regional managers and product content – your ride is not only their mission, but also their experience, motivation, and passion. Their knowledge doesn’t come from catalogues and product descriptions only, they test the gear themselves, learning from mistakes and having fun doing it. They only sell what they believe in. That’s one of the reasons why Blue Tomato added the Staff Pick reviews at the bottom of the product pages: When you scroll down to the rating section, you will find them as well as information on the respective employee.
your ride. our mission. is the Blue Tomato motto sinTEXT
Matteo Rossato
ce day one. Founded in Austria 1988 by European snowboard champion Gerfried Schuller to supply the local snowboard community with quality gear. They have always stayed true to their principle throughout the impressive growth to become the successful omnichannel retailer for snowboarding, skateboarding, streetstyle, surfing and freeskiing they are now. Their secret? Pretty simple: Selling the best gear that fits the needs of their customers, sharing their first-hand knowledge and supporting the scene around their lifestyles.
Every year, Blue Tomato staff spend hours testing new material, talking to the brand reps, team riders and other industry people, so you’ll have a carefully curated selection in all their physical and the online shop blue-tomato.com. In the physical stores you can rely on the staff’s know-how and ask them any question you want, while online it’s a bit different: you can contact the customer service for advice on finding the perfect setup, but you can also check the useful playlist on the Blue Tomato YouTube channel, featuring video reviews from reps and athletes of the brands telling you what you need to know about the product. As ultimate proof of the passion the people behind Blue Tomato put in their jobs and the commitment to get to know the products they sell better, we at Sequence mag picked five employees and asked them to pick up their top choice pieces of gear and write down a review.
Name: Alex Job: Brand Marketing Board: Bataleon Party Wave 148
Review: The first day with the board was a perfect powder day. The board has a lot of buoyancy and it is very easy to ride even when the snow is a bit rough. The board is also very easy to turn and very manoeuvrable and therefore perfect for tree runs.
Name: Ben Job: Brand Marketing Board: Rome Agent 148 Review: I was looking for a
Name: Oli Job: Product Content Binding: Burton Cartel Review: Even after years
Name: Brad Job: Buying and Planning Boot: Thirtytwo TM2 XLT Review: When I really need
Name: Nico Job: Brand Marketing Binding: Union Strata Review: With the Strata
snowboard that could do dashing carving turns with me on the piste and also put a smile on my face in powder. That’s exactly what I got with the Rome Agent. Everything I’ve ridden since then could hardly hold a candle to it. What can I say...It was love at first turn.
and many other bindings the Cartel is still the number 1 for me. Whether it’s on kickers or in powder, I always have the perfect blend of stability and flexibility.
response for pow or touring, this is the boot I turn to. The rugged outsole holds up to all the abuse I can throw at it and the boot is stiff enough to respond quickly without feeling like a ski boot. Great combo of performance, ease of use and durability.
Union has found the perfect balance between the Force and the Atlas, but at the same time they created a whole new feeling in the binding with the ultra comfortable footbed and straps. I mount this binding everywhere, it is so comfortable!
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Pic: Patrick Steiner | Blue Tomato Team Rider: Felix Widnig
AUSTRIA | GERMANY | SWITZERLAND | THE NETHERLANDS | FINL AND Order your free Blue Tomato Book now |Â blue-tomato.com/book instagram.com/bluetomato | #yourrideourmission
Emilien Badoux. Yoga for snowboarding.
Emilien Badoux is known for the most as the 2014 Freeride World Tour champion. The Nidecker rider, born and raised in the Swiss Alps, is a legend for the backcountry community. But there’s the other side of Emilien, the one who embraced Yoga practice in his young age, and led him 20 years later to become a largely recognized Yoga Teacher. He explained us how yoga can improve both mental and phisical awareness, resulting in a improved riding experience.
TEXT
Matteo Rossato
Hi Emilien, please introduce briefly yourself to Sequence readers Hi! I’m a 36 year-old Swiss snow-
boarder and yoga teacher. After 20 years of travelling around the world for both disciplines, I realized our mountains were the perfect place to practice yoga during the summer. Verbier is to freeriding what Hawaii is for surfing, I find that the peace of the mountains is super conducive to practicing yoga.
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What’s your fondest memory of your 2014 Freeride World Tour win? When the contest was all
over, I just felt all the pressure fall away, like losing about six kilos all in one go! I could just appreciate the job done. After that time, I could really feel this energy which has helped me to go on and fulfill other dreams.
How and when did you start practicing yoga?
When I was sixteen I started meditating with a book, which at eighteen led to my mum giving me a book called ‘Sport and yoga’. I followed the practice for about twelve years before I even found my first yoga teacher! Like a lot of things I’ve done, it’s been very self-motivated.
Why should every rider should practice yoga? It
just helps you to feel better and start each day with a fresh mind and body. You become more aware of your body’s abilities and limits, which in turn increases your confidence and appreciation for snowboarding
What’s your daily training routing when going riding? Do you practice both before and after?
I start the day with sun salutations to help waken my body, then I meditate to set mind for what’s to come. In the evening after a big day of riding and after a bath and then try to fit in a long, mellow session to give my body the time to relax.
What is yoga flow? A yoga flow is when you practi-
ce movements and postures that link in to each other, like constructing a freeride run.You don’t stop and come back to zero in a session, you’re always jumping from one posture to another.
What do you do when not teaching yoga or ripping the Verbier backcountry? What I like most is
traveling for surfing, discovering new spot and waves. I try to combine trips with some yoga and meditation teaching to open the mind and the heart even more. The goal is to feel like every moment is magic, then when you’re surfing or snowboarding it helps you stay connected with nature without your internal voice talking too much. Peace
Yoga helps you to feel better and start each day with a fresh mind and body. You become more aware of your body’s abilities and limits, which in turn increases your confidence and appreciation for snowboarding
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Skicircus.
Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn TEXT
Silvia Galliani
There’s a Mecca for freeriders hidden in the very heart of Salzburg and Tirol. A place where you can safely dive into powder without worrying about avalanches and all the classic backcountry dangers, focusing only on the joy of turning in the deep. “From Schattberg-West (Westgipfelbahn) up to Stemmerkogel there is a nice line down to Hinterglemm or to Jausern. In the upper part you can find wonderfully open slopes that end with cool tree runs. The best powder kicker spots can be found at the Seekar lift.” - Sabine Schipflinger
This place is Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn. With 70 ultra-modern lifts and perfectly groomed slopes, you can easily reach the open area without long hikes, and enjoy the several marked freeride routes - from the 2,119 m high Wildseeloder to buttery powder slopes close to the pistes. “Easy up - Wild down” is the motto of the Skicircus, which has something for everybody, from the experienced freerider, to newcomers and kids that can make their first swings on smooth corn snow slopes. This is what makes the Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn a freeride area for all the skills. 14 avalanche transceiver checkpoints are strategically positioned across the entire ski area: this, combined with the two avalanche transceiver search fields, the specially developed snow information and avalanche warning system LO.LA *, the freeride park, and the marked freeride routes, guarantee total a lot of safety on the mountain. Finally, top events such as “Freeride World Tour” and “Freeride Testival”, put Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn on the map as one of the main freeride hotspots in Europe.
Freeride World Tour - March 7-13, 2020 The Fre-
eride Word Tour (FWT) stops again in the Freeride Mecca of the Kitzbüheler Alps, as the only stop ofn the tour in the German-speaking regions. The world’s best freeriders have to ascend around 40 minutes to the
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summit of the Wildseeloder, before they dive into the 620-vertical drop. The spectators can enjoy the action from the Contest Village at Lärchfilzkogel (1,645 m). Thanks to live broadcasting and fan TV, the crowd in the “Snow area” will not miss anything.
Freeride Testival - March 14-15, 2020 With the
motto “come experience freeriding!”, the Freeride Testival 2020 comes back for the seventh time. For three weekends in a row, you will be able to test the best backcountry and avalanche equipment, and you will be given the possibility to participate at various side events, such as workshops, courses and safety exercises, which are certainly going to improve their powder skills. Finally, experienced freeriders will have the opportunity of discovering new and unknown areas with local guides, while beginners will have the chance to take their first steps off-piste with the help of professional coaches.
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January 26â&#x20AC;&#x201C;29, 2020 Monacofiere / Tel. +39 02 4070 8301 / visitatori@monacofiere.com
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ismuc20_Anz_Snowsport+Board_180x240_Sequence_E-IT.indd 1
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Ursus Snowpark, Madonna di Campiglio.
Ursus Snowpark is considered one of the best snow parks in the Alps and frequented by a vast audience of snowboarders, it boasts two areas with ideal features for fun at all levels, from beginners and rookies to families with children, up to the most experienced board lovers and professional athletes.
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Gian Luca Zanetti LOCATION
Ursus Snowpark Madonna di Campiglio Trentino, Italy
Madonna di Campiglio is the ideal location for snow fun enthusiasts and snowboarders. The Ski Area Campiglio Dolomiti di Brenta is the largest in Trentino, with the possibility of skiing without interruption from Folgarida Marilleva to Pinzolo, and right in Madonna di Campiglio there is an area that freestylers cannot miss: the Ursus Snowpark. The largest area is located between 2500 and 2300 meters altitude and extends for about 1km in length and boasts almost 100,000m2. The snowpark gondola covers a large part of the park and the arrival station split the park into two areas connected to each other for a total of almost 50 park features.
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The upper part is dedicated to medium-easy structures: boxes, rails and jumps arranged on four lines for a first approach to freestyle. In the lower part there are easy areas with jumps, boxes and rails for begin- ners, a jibline and a line of kickers from 7 to 11 metres suitable for an intermediate level, a jib area with features for the more experienced, a line of larger kickers from 14 to 20 metres and also a boardercross fun track for everyone. Since a couple of seasons, for the snowpark design, the resort company Funivie Madonna di Campiglio collaborate with one of the most well-known companies in Europe, F-TECH Snowpark. They study and design the 3D park project in detail in collaboration with the staff of the Ursus Snowpark, which then takes care of the construction and the meticulous maintenance of the features. The use of new technologies is widespread as the Madonna di Campiglioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s snowpark is one of the few in the world using the Leica Geosystem modules that allow a precise and optimized management of the park,
starting from the first design phases, snow production and park construction up to daily maintenance, offering every day features in excellent conditions. To complete the great offer, for super enthusiasts who want to save a few bucks and concentrate on tricks, there is also the possibility of a dedicated snowpark lift ticket, which allows you to reach the area and use all the park features. Ursus Snowpark is also Mini, on the opposite side of the main park, at Pradalago area, there is the second freestyle area of Madonna di Campiglio called the Mini Ursus Snowpark, a fun snowpark with easy and engaging features to start playing and having fun, equipped with a series of banked turns, various bumps, boxes, small jumps and a fun snow tunnel, ideal for a first and easy approach to freestyle. An area so much loved by the kids and not only! Madonna di Campiglio will host some of the most interesting winter events:
website | ursus-snowpark.it ig | instagram.com/ursuscampiglio/
Burton Mtn Mash 29th January to 2nd February
fb | facebook.com/ursussnowpark/
Red Bull Hammers with Homies 15th to 16th February
resort website | ski.it
Ursus Rookie Fest 15th to 19th March
tourist office website | campigliodolomiti.it
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Pila Snowland. Cool spot alert.
Mont Blanc, Grand Combin, Matterhorn, Monte Rosa, Gran Paradiso. These names are enough to confirm that Pila has the best panoramic views of the Aosta Valley. Infact it’s widely earned it’s nickname of “Pearl of the Alps”.
TEXT
Federico Mura LOCATION
Area Effe Snowpark Pila, Aosta, Italy
70 km of ski slopes, 4 black, 21 red and 4 blue slopes with perfect snow until late in the season, make this area a real shredding paradise. The 2020 season opens with a big news, the new cable car from Pila to the Platta de Grévon is going under construction. Speaking of cable cars, let’s not forget the extreme ease of access to the ski resort. A ski lift connects the start of the slopes directly with the Aosta Valley main city in less than twenty minutes. The area is developed in such a diverse environment that it is difficult to make a selection of styles. Whether it’s the most reckless freerider who loves to get lost in the woods and go hunting for new lines of powder, or the freestyler who will meet his match in the Snowpoark Areaeffe, up to the snowboarder father of the family, with a couple kids fighting against their first falls. Pila has the right area for each of them.
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There’s nothing to do, fresh snow never lost its charm; for this reason, if you have the necessary coldness to take a day off just after a good snowfall, you will find a completely immaculate slope waiting for you. It is the black n.27 of the Platta de Grévon, and here you can shred some lines in complete safety. But set your alarm early: that soft carpet is snapped up and if you’re late you’ll have to go through the woods (which isn’t a bad plan after all). But if your goal is to turn like a helicopter blade and hit railings, the right place is the Areaeffe, a 20,000 square meter snowpark supervised by the Grand Grimod four-seater ski lift. Icing on the cake: the head shaper Ivo Letey. His name would be enough as a guarantee, but in any case we em- phasize that the kickers are perfectly shaped and that the progressive lines, designed for all levels of experience, are realized specifically to reach the top of the adrenaline. We highly recommend stay- ing updated with the park’s calendar of events, where you can easily meet pro riders of international fame or launch yourself on some structure to make the crowd go wild. For younger people Pila offers a mini club service for
future groomers from 0 to 12 years. While for children who can’t wait to jump on the snow there are two free treadmills and ski and snowboard lessons from the two schools at the foot of the lifts. Its numbers are a guarantee: half a million daily entries are printed every year. Whether it’s the win- ter holidays or just a one-day hit and run, you just need to see the satisfied faces of those who come down from the last slope to understand that the location is not bad at all. In short, Pila Snowland has all the credentials to be considered one of the best resorts in the entire Alpine arc. And don’t forget that dinner on site is a must, the whole area is full of refuges and restaurants to end the day with some excellent Aosta Valley culinary delights. LEFT
Simon Gruber ABOVE
Marcello Grassis HERE
Max Vieider
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website | pila.it ig | instagram.com/pilaaostavalley fb | facebook.com/pila.aostavalley
15 Minutes. Mammut Poker Safe.
15 minutes. These are the decisive minutes to determine the survival of those who remain buried under an avalanche. After this handful of time, the chances of getting out of it alive drop dramatically. An avalanche accident is an event that make your blood run cold. Seeing your friend disappear in a white cloud can make you lose the necessary lucidity to intervene in time and in a reasoned way. Simon Gruber, a Mammut rider, during a chat between slopes and jumps, suggested me some small tips to be prepared if anything happens.
TEXT
Denis Piccolo RIDER
Simon Gruber
First: be properly equipped. Second: carry out the rescue procedure systematically. Having a clear understanding of how to move and what actions to take in emergency situations will be crucial to save the victim as quickly as possible because, in most cases, waiting for help would take too long.
PHOTOS
Roberto Bragotto
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Simon reminds me that it is necessary to know that the fall of an avalanche in most cases is avoidable simply evaluating the geological situations of the area you’re going to cross. And even if Mammut gears are extremely reliable latest generation tools, they absolutely must not give us that extra bit of security to go into areas where the danger remains equally and inevitably risky for our own safety. I take a look into Simon’s backpack and I see Mammut’s Poker Safe, specifically designed to increase safety in all conditions of fresh snow, for all types of freeriders. The kit consists of an airbag backpack, artva, probe and shovel. New technologies and the ever wider production of these products has allowed a significant drop in prices on the market, making the cost-benefit ratio even more convenient than a few years ago, we have no more excuses, those things can not miss between our gears.
It started snowing outside so I take this opportunity for a quick interview with Simon.
Simon, what freeriding means to you? Freeriding
is something that really makes me switch off my brain, a moment of freedom, to get out of the confusion of the day and take a moment alone with the mountains. Looking for spots to ride is great; you become a child playing with the snow. When you draw a line, adventure puts you all this desire for fresh snow and this is what gives me the push to go out every time.
How do you prepare for a day of fresh snow?
Freeriding you never know 100% what awaits you. Even if you have seen the forecast, you can not know in advance what could have been the effect of the wind in that specific area. It is always better to be fully equipped. I work with Mammut and I am very happy with their gears and the quality of their freeride products. Artva, shovel and probe are a must. If you have a backpack, even better.
What advice do you have for those who want to go for their first experiences in fresh snow?
My advice is not to underestimate the avalanche forecast, and to always have the utmost attention with respect to the conditions of the environment in which you will be. I absolutely do not recommend venturing
if the forecast is grade 3 or higher. Always know where you are going, do not go alone, prefer the woods. Your life depends on that.
Have you ever had an accident in fresh snow?
I personally have already risked ending up in an avalanche. It happened to me in a place where I never expected it. Fortunately I missed it by a hair, but I was really lucky because if I had been a few meters more close to the avalanche, I would have seriously risked not coming out of it anymore, also because I was alone.
Winter projects? Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be shooting a video project
with Ethan Morgan which is likely to be released next year. We already started filming last year but due to various delays we have not yet been able to release it. Travel side we have nothing planned yet, it will depend on the conditions. I will probably be here in Europe this winter, even if you know that I am a great improviser. I still have the Kosovo project in mind, but letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s see if we can organize it in the future.
Your most epic fresh snow day ever? It is hard to tell, since every day of fresh snow is unique and unforgettable for me. I like snowboarding, then every day you have to appreciate the best that the climatic conditions and the location you are in give you.
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Mammut Alugator Pro Light
Mammut Probe 240 Fast Lock
Mammut Barryvox S
Mammut Pro X Removable Airbag
The Feels of Sam McMahon.
Nidecker is really active in the media department, with edits and projects dropping on the internet with a weekly frequency. Starting in 2016, the Slice ’N Dice series started pushing the Carving movement and few weeks ago The Feels team edit showcased the wide range of talents of the team. Behind these productions there’s Sam Mc Mahon, a smart Englishman living in Morzine with a special taste for cool stuff.
ever came up with a title, but I plan, shoot and edit all the videos, manage the media library and do all the social media for Nidecker and Flow. Content Manager? Except I hate the word ‘content’: it sounds like what you put in sausage rolls! Media Guy? Whatever you want to call it, it’s awesome seeing your ideas all the way through, from filming a project to delivering it to the audience. I feel lucky to get a lot of trust from the team, so there isn’t much that stands in the way of any concepts I have these days.
Hi Sam, briefly introduce yourself and a little bit of your background in the industry. Hey! My name
You’ve produced several video projects for Nidecker. Which is the masterplan behind all the projects? Seems like you want to tell all the facets of the company. There’s no real masterplan,
TEXT
Matteo Rossato
is Sam McMahon, I’m a writer, photographer and filmmaker living in the French Alps. I started off working full time for Whitelines, but for the last year I’ve been freelance with the bulk of my time going to Nidecker.
How did you get in touch with Thierry Kunz and the Nidecker group? We did a few projects for Ni-
decker whilst at Whitelines, and after the shit went down last year Whitelines’ previous owners lost control of the business, I asked TK if I could finish off the outstanding work - he offered me a job instead. Good man that.
What’s your role for Nidecker? I’m not sure we 40°
but I think it’s important to always try and tell stories that I think would inspire me if I was watching them. I remember the feeling of getting fired up reading skate mags and seeing snowboard movies, and though there’s less of that around these days there are so many other ways to express your ideas. It takes more for an idea to stand out now, but I like the challenge! Personally, I shoot and develop a lot of film, and I really like the way that looks more like a memory than a super sharp digital image - that’s the kind of emotional connection I’m always trying to bring to a project. It’s been said a thousand times already, but most people
get turned off seeing the same five or six tricks over the same park jumps - it’s fun trying to make stuff that people can invest themselves in.
Is there a project that you love above all? Why?
Which one’s your favourite kid?! Nidecker’s strength lies in its diversity - both in the product and the team so we’re always doing something different. Tim Humphreys has crazy stuff dialled and he’s getting them on bigger features every year, Mike Basich has all that legacy, Mat Crepel the surf connection, Emilen Badoux mixes mental lines with super chill yoga… It goes on! However, my favourite thing to shoot is turns: there are so many ways to capture something so simple and I don’t think the perfect one has been shot yet.
The Slice ’N Dice series is very unique and along with Korua is basically showing a new way to perceive snowboarding. Where did the idea to produce a whole series fully dedicated to carving come from? The comparison to KORUA
is flattering, I love those guys and what Aaron does with the design, but I think what the SnD guys do is different: a more aggressive style plus all the tricks and doubles stuff. As we all know, this ‘new’ turn-based style came out of the Japanese snowsurf culture, but the first thing I remember seeing was this edit of Alex Lopez carving through Bachelor, looking so in control and stylish. JP Schlick in Oregon is another incredible filmmaker, and a big influence. Slice ‘n’ Dice itself was never a deliberate idea. The boys are both instructors, and they reckoned Dave could eurocarve with Lewis popping a front three over his head so we hiked up early one day to film it before
they started work. We didn’t get it, but the warm up shots worked so well I plucked a name out of my head last minute and put them up on Whitelines, never expecting anything. It blew up, so we had to do more!
Which is your current shred kit? I’m in love with
the new Mosquito. I’ve always liked short fat boards, but the tail on it is so stiff you can really drive turns all the way through. This year I’ve got into the Flow Fuse binders as well - still being convinced on the entry system, but the loose feeling you get when in them is amazing, you get so much lateral flex for surfy turns. Bonfire are good enough to keep me warm ‘n’ dry. This year I have their new Apex Neoshell super-stretchy jacket - so light, breathable and waterproof.
Any leaks about projects or products for next season? Or should we wait for the trade shows?
I’ll get crucified if I reveal anything before the shows, but I can give you a cheeky shaka if that works as a hint? I never thought I’d be interviewed, so if this is my only chance I have to say a big thanks to Ed, Duthie and Tristan from the Whitelines days, and to TK and the Nidecker family for what we’re doing now. Also, to my mum, dad and girlfriend. And my dog, hey Parker!
I think it’s important to always try and tell stories that I think would inspire me if I was watching them. I remember the feeling of getting fired up reading skate mags and seeing snowboard movies, and though there’s less of that around these days there are so many other ways to express your ideas.
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Club Sandwich.
Matt Georges is one of the most talented snowboard photographers, period. He’s also one of the most active snowboard culture pusher and, beside freezing amazing moments on film, he’s also running side projects alone or with he support of sponsors. Think about Vans First Layer book, or his own The Dirty Dogs photo essay he released five years ago. In 2019 he’s back on DIY publishing with his latest project Club Sandwich, and we catched up with him to know more.
A PROJECT BY MATT GEORGES & PERLY ITW
Matteo Rossato
Ok Matt, let’s start from the name. Why Club Sandwich? 5 years ago I have started my independent
Publishing House called The.Dirty.Dogs. and I wanted to have a not so serious name and kind of easy to remember. The term « Club » is very relevant for this new project since it’s a collaboration between few people and the term « Sandwich » is the result of this collaboration. It’s also a little tribute to all the junk food (club sandwich being a big part of them) we always eat on the road while travelling and shooting snowboarding. Each guy is one of the ingredient to make a nice meal! Perly could be the lettuce, Andrew Miller the tomato, Rip Zinger the tofu, Cole Navin the mayonnaise and I can be the pickles for example.
Your first photo essay came out in 2014: how many books you released so far? Yes in deed I have released the volume one of The.Dirty.Dogs. and still working
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on the volume two but I have been so busy with building a family (3 kids) and do bunch of projects for and with other people that it’s still in the making. So since then I have made 5 different books with Vans called First_Layer together with 4 Newspapers. Our new collab project is now called Triple, it’s a very concept and I have created 3 different books this time. Always coming with bunch of postcards to put on the fridge or wherever you like. Last year I have also helped Ben Thouard, a famous surf photographer, to edit and design his book SURFACE and a few months ago I did exactly the same with Jerome Tanon for his book Zabardast, from his expedition in Karakoram, Pakistan. I really enjoy editing and organizing my own photos for a book but I also really like doing it for others. I believe it’s a good training for my eyes and photograph culture in general. It’s like going to the photo gym, it keeps me in shape in a way! :) Andrew Miller, Rip Zinger, Perly, Cole Navin and yourself: such a quite eclectic range of creative minds with different styles: how did you choose each of them?
What does we must expect from Club Sandwich? I mean what’s there inside? Is it a snowboard publication or is there way much more than just shredding and awesome pictures? The idea of Club
Sandwich was to have a nice black box custom spray painted together with a patch on top, designed by an artist. Inside you can find 5 different little books with different bindings and papers. They all have a common snowboarding thematic but my goal was to show 5 difference stories through 5 photo essays. It’s not necessarily action stuff, it can be only the lifestyle around it for example. Andrew’s is a black and white essay about
powder, Perly’s is a collab with Louif Paradis, Rip Zinger’s explores the similarities between winter surfing and snowboarding, Cole Navin’s documents his daily routine travelling around for snowboarding and mine is a Katie Ormerod & Jamie Nicholls visit in Yorkshire, UK, to show where they grew up snowboarding on a ghetto dry slope in a middle of a grassy field. So yes It’s very eclectic!
Compared to the first book, Club Sandwich claims a more DIY feel: why the box + zines + patch format? Well not really since the first book The.Dirty.Dogs.
was hand bound with a leather string and embossed by hand with a +100 years old Heidelberg letter press. I always like the D.I.Y. touch and I really want to bring something different than just a basic magazine. For Club Sandwich the DIY still remains as we customize the box with spray paints, numbered each of them and stick a patch on the front. The zines have the same sizes but different looks, papers and bindings
Which is the hidden message behind Club Sandwich? There is probably no hidden message, haha. We
just love to take photos and print them as we like. It’s always rewarding to start some projects from scratches, let’s see where it takes us! I wouldn’t say it’s competitive at all with magazines since it’s a very small edition of 500 copies, it’s maybe more complementary. I understand some mags have a specific page count for a specific portfolio or travel story and sometimes the editorial direction is diced by brands that buy adver-
tising. I totally get this and I definitely don’t spit in the soup, it’s a whole circle. Here with Club Sandwich we are just fully independent, we don’t want any advertising and the goal is not to make money for a living. All the benefits made will got directly in the new CB N°2, it’s a non profit print project. Also even if it’s a limited & numbered edition with 250 pages in total I just want to keep things affordable for everyone. I don’t want a high price hipster shit thing, just want to make people stoked to go snowboarding.
Seems like print in general is coming back in a different form and with a different meaning. What’s your opinion about that? I just think it’s great to see
people making projects about snowboarding in general, whatever medium it is. Movies, zines, books, magazines, blogs etc. We had a few nice print projects lately like Curator by Tassilo Hagger, Atagge/Planetaria Zine by Aaron Schwartz, Zabardast coffee table book by Jerome Tanon, Torment Mag and all the First Layer and now Triple by Vans. It’s very stimulating!
How many copies of Club Sandwich will be printed? And will they be available for sale? If yes, where?
We have 500 customized black boxes with a Will Smith designed patch + 5 zines inside (250 pages all together with different styles of paper and bindings) + 2 stickers + 1 postcard. It will be sold on a few selected shops here and there but mostly through our website www.clubsandwich.studio or Instagram page @clubsandwich. studio for 35€ shipping included.
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«OooOoO» Skatepark at the Triennale.
The name comes from a mix of shapes and letters, the skatepark created by the South Korean artist Koo Jeong A becomes an art piece at the Triennale Milano, leaving everyone speechless.
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Denis Piccolo PHOTOS
Davide De Martis LOCATION
Triennale Milano
An indoor skatepark set up in the gallery designed by Gae Aulenti, on the ground floor of the museum. The Asian artist, Koo Jeong A, has been working on the theme of playing in public spaces for years and has already created other similar works in Liverpool, Sao Paulo in Brazil and France. But all outdoors. Instead this one is a real skatepark, but inside a museum. Its name is «OooOoO» because it reproduces the shape of 6 classic bowls which is the name used for these structures in the skateboarding world. «I played with abstract, geometric shapes, such as the sphere, trying to manage the space provided for this installation in the best possible way, taking into account its limits, such as walls and columns, without forgetting the safety requirements that are fundamental» explains Koo, who also made use of the collaboration of the skaters community of Milan, which is always very active and creative, to create the art work. «My idea was to let people experience the sensation of skateboarding at night, outdoors, in the middle of na-
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ture» Koo goes on, «that’s why I ased Koreless, an electronic music producer based in Glasgow, to reproduce the sense of darkness through sound». The music grows and when it reaches its peak the lights go out: in the dark the installation, coated with a fluorescent paint, turns on and is colored. Valeria Bertaccini, a 26 years old skater, says «The idea is truly original, there are no other skateparks of this type. I live in Turin but I will definitely come back here because in winter it is nice to train indoors». Aside from the world-famous Bastard Bowl in via Slataper, this is the only open indoor skatepark in the city. Lorenza Baroncelli states «We are organizing many events, both during the day, for example the skate lessons in collaboration with Bastard, for children, teenagers, families and students, and in the evening, the complete list is on our website ». This installation is open to all, designed for a transversal audience, it serves as a reminder for the many young people of Milan, and for those who, perhaps, do not habitually frequent museums or cultural institutions. The Triennale is already discussing with the Municipality so that at the end of the exhibition, on February 16th, 2020, the sculpture can find a new home in order to remain on a permanent basis in Milan.
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Suzy Greenberg 270. Scott Stevens has always had a different point of view on snowboarding, his Über creative riding says it all. So when he decided to put together and release his own movie project, he did on his own terms. There’s a lot of talking about SuzyGreenberg270, we already saw signature Thirtytwo boots with that cool oval logo that brings us all back to the nineties, but no official teaser around or press releases.
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Giulia Boccola PHOTOS
Chris Grenier by E-stone
The only way to get a clearer picture was to hunt for #SuzyGreenberg270 tagged contents on the gram or trying to reach out Scott straight. We’re Xennials, so we went for the second one.
Hi Scott, why naming your movie project after a Phish song? And what about the number 270?
So the name is from my friend joe Baldwin. He’s a huge Phish fan. I went away to college and was picking an aim instant message name. He suggested SuzyGreenberg and I just tossed 270 on the end because it’s a classic number for snowboarding . But honestly I never really cared for Phish and I still don’t so it’s kinda funny it stuck.
This movie project is quite top secret. There’s already Thirty-two signature boots, but no teaser around beside the youtube channel full old and new edits. What’s the deal? So I turned into
a filmer for this. More than half the filming was me which I’m pretty proud of. Garrett read and select others filmed the rest. But I was pretty busy so I kinda teased it on ig with clips but never had intention to make a teaser. Everyone in the video hash tagged so much and I saw that as a good way to tease it and keep it low key.
The logo itself remind us some old school designs of the mid nineties; do you miss the ear-
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ly days? You think we all should stop and go back where everything was new and simpler?
Ya I love 90s snowboarding I’m super nostalgic . But I don’t think we should ever go back . We need to keep pushing and enjoying and progressing . Recently dudes like miles Fallon and zeb powell r so amazing and pushing every aspect of boarding. And mixing 90s movements and attitude without really even living that era. So I think it’s always cool to pay homage to the legends but we keep doin future! The logo is a traditional oval and I actually Mimicked it off bogus basins logo. Nothing to wild but def 90s vibes
Should we expect some creative riding you got us used to or it’s something completely different? Well I def got hurt a lot. I have a bunch of snow but I’m mostly proud of the stuff I filmed of others!
You’ve always been at the forefront of snowboarding, what’s your idea of future when talking about snowboarding? Keep trying , keep positive
and never stop! I love it! Snowboarding is everything to me!
When will Suzygreenberg270 be released and where? I think dec 20!!! Can’t wait to get it online. Probably Vimeo honestly!!!
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Ten years of Jones.
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Matteo Rossato
In 2020 Jones Snowboards is turning 10. Jeremy Jones started his company in 2010, the high point of the urban/jib snowboarding era. At that time only a handful of people knew what splitboarding was and most of the available splitboards were homemade with split kits and circular saws.
Jeremy also made sure his first board line set the standard that every board he produced was designed for a specific riding style. The 2010 line featured four models, the Flagship, Mountain Twin, Hovercraft and Solution, and together they covered the whole spectrum of backcountry riding.
Jeremy never turned back when faced with major challenges and bravely followed his on way. Now ten years later, his commitment and hard work has largely paid off. Jones is widely considered one of the most forward thinking and respected snowboard companies in the world as they collect product awards and a rapidly growing slice of the snowboard market.
During the first years of Jones, Jeremy was also sharing his vision of the future of backcountry exploration in the legendary Teton Gravity Research movie series, Deeper, Further, Higher. The films showcased a new chapter of Jeremy’s professional career as he abandoned using helicopters and snowmobile to access the mountains and embraced human powered ascent. There is no doubt his films and inspiration fueled the fire of the splitboard revolution.
Back when companies were trying to offer the widest range of gear and experimenting with all the latest camber trends, Jones focused on backcountry equipment and kept working year after year to build the best freeride boards in the business. Jones has also been committed to producing sustainable products since the beginning as every model in their debut board line featured recycled edges and sidewalls and the Flagship featured a wood veneer topsheet.
“I started Jones Snowboards to develop the highest performance all mountain boards on the market – freeride boards that reflect everything I’ve learned both on the snow and in the factory. Every snowboard we produce is born of my passion and our designs mirror the performance demands of my riding matched with the environmental demands of my conscience. Jones Snowboards is a natural evolution for me. Snowboarding is not my job, it’s my life.” - Jeremy Jones 48°
In 2013 Jones Snowboards debuted their first women’s line and their famous Carbon Series. The Women’s collection consisted of three boards reflecting the same high performance construction as their men’s models, but tailored to smaller, lighter female riders. The Carbon Series was aimed towards advanced riders demanding higher performance in a lighter package. 2013 also marked Jeremy’s final year shooting the Deeper, Further, Higher series. As the grand finale of the series, Jeremy and Luca Pandolfi - Italian Jones rider and expert mountaineer - embarked on a very challenging expedition to Nepal. After a hard fought battle with the glaciers and the mountains, Jeremy rode a stunning high elevation spine wall that he named Shangri-la. Jeremy and Luca’s adventure in Nepal was featured in the movie Higher.
“You know you go to this a valley and you enter through these gates where it is written with inscriptions, ‘You are welcome to this valley, please refrain from kill life, refrain from anger, refrain from offending others’ and these things that put you in a good mood, you know? You prepare yourself when you enter. It’s pretty spiritual. It’s pretty intense. I think I found my Shangri-La there. Everyone needs to find their inner peace because, you know, if you can find it inside you can bring it outside. You feel calm there. It’s nice. You should go.” - Luca Pandolfi
Jeremy’s career has not been without it’s ups and down. One of his hardest moments was when Jones rep and friend Joe Timlin died in one of the deadliest avalanche accidents in Colorado history. The tragedy happened the night before Jeremy was starting to film for Higher in the Alaska Range. The goal was a descent of one of the most committing lines he had ever attempted to climb and ride in Alaska at that time a ridiculously steep 1100 meter long monster line on an unnamed, unclimbed, unridden peak. Jeremy was still shocked by the loss of his friend, and to make matters worse, when they reached their base camp, catastrophic class 5 avalanches started raining down all around them. But Jeremy didn’t give up, and with Joe in his thoughts he successfully climbed the peak on his second attempt and rode off the summit all the way down to base camp. He named the mountain Mt.Timlin, in honor of his fallen friend. “8 hours later, I make the final steps to the summit. With camp 3600 feet below, I drop into the biggest line of my life. The rush of the run transports me into another world. The uncontrollable screams of joy fade away as I make the final steps back into camp. Thoughts of Joe still fill my head. His passion for snowboarding guided him through life and his heart was bigger than any mountain I will ever ride.” - Jeremy Jones.
The winner of the 2015 Jones Adventure Grant was veteran team rider Mitch Toelderer, who led an expedition in February 2015 to the Albanian Alps in Southeastern Europe. Mitch and his crew spent three weeks exploring the remote range on the Balkan Peninsula, resulting in the documentary “When The Mountains Were Wild” by Whiteroom Productions. In 2015, Jones announced a design partnership with Chris Christenson, a world class surf shaper. The Mountain Surfer and Storm Chaser are the first offspring of this momentous collaboration, and are meant to offer a more surf-inspired effortless glide. In 2017, Jones introduced 3D Contour bases for the first time. The 3D bases featured lifted contact points with smooth “spoon” radiuses that help a snowboard maintain speed and improve glide. In 2019, Jones boards made a huge sustainability improvement by switching all their epoxy to Super Sap Bio-Resin made by Entropy Resins. All Jones boards are now built with USDA certified bio-based, renewable epoxy made with plant based carbon instead of petroleum based carbon. Jones also switched to all FSC certified wood cores in 2019 which even further stepped up their commitment to sustainable snowboard production. From the sustainable materials Jeremy chooses to use in his boards to the many inspiring films he’s made, its clear that Jeremy values human experience and motivating people to protect the environment as much as he appreciates technological innovation. With a patient focus on making the finest freeride boards and out spoken support of environmental causes, the products and brand message Jones’ has established in these first ten years have been very influential on the entire snowboard industry. That’s why for many observers Jones is not just a brand, but the leaders of a movement pulling the industry in an exciting new direction focused as much on product sustainability as product performance.
In May 2014 Jeremy Jones and his family traveled to Costa Rica and volunteered for the non-profit rainforest reforestation association Community Carbon Trees. This experience helping with reforestation efforts inspired Jones to begin supporting CCT as a way of helping fight Climate Change. Jones is also a proud supporter of Protect our Winters, the non-profit climate change action organization he founded in 2009 and a member of 1% For The Planet. In 2014, Jones also launched a program called the “Jones Adventure Grant” that offered their family of team riders and ambassadors the opportunity to get funding for a pioneering backcountry snowboarding expedition.
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On the Lookout.
Davide Boggio “Valsesia has one of the best terrain to cruise powder laps and side hits, that’s been helpful to grow creative and to enjoy every little spot that the mountain you ride can offer!”
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Denis Piccolo
Vitals: My name is Davide Boggio, born 26/02/1999, I ride and enjoy life at most, I’m 20 year old, supported by Nitro Snowboard, Dirty Gloves, Giro.
Last meal: Polenta, sausages and porcini mushrooms. Best shred environment: I grew up in this little resort
called Alpe Di Mera, situated in Valsesia. This is a place with one of the best terrain to cruise powder laps and side hits, that’s been helpful to grow creative and to enjoy every little spot that the mountain you ride can offer!!
Most underrated ripper: Max De Vries is my choice right now, he’s very technical on rails and his bag of tricks is impressive.
Next big thing in snowboarding: Snowboarding is
evolving so much right now and it’s so sick looking around to see the new way of the snowboarders doing cool stuff enjoying boarding!! About tricks...
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it’s just amazing to scroll the feed and see every day something new that never been done till that time hahaha that’s incredible!! It’s amazing to watch all the movie coming out from all the crew around the globe, because everyone of those is telling a story about friends, going around in the most beautiful places, cities or landscapes, locking for something cool to ride on or draw a line down a cliff in backcountry. Owe a pint to: Nitro snowboards to believe on snowboarding community, RustyToothbrush and all the boys who take part of it. Won’t miss in your shred kit: Friends to share the moments with. What’s coming next: This year I will be back doing some more contest, filming with RustyToothbrush for the new Video Project and doing some events around Europe.
Vitals: My name is Dusan Kriz and I’m 24 years old. I’m
from Czech republic living currently in Prague, but last 10 years I was growing up in the Czech’s biggest mountains called Giant Mountains. When I’m not on the board I work as mental coach or personal coach, basically helping people to reach their goals and dreams, at least I hope haha.
Last meal: Toasts with cheese, but last meal I actually cooked was probably some classic pasta with tomatos/ garlic/onion/basile sauce. Best shred environment: This is not easy one, but the
best terrain for me is for sure anywhere in France or Swiss. I love all kind of mountains, but if we talk about back country terrain, those are my favorites! The people I ride most likely is whole Rusty Toothbrush family: Alex Stewart, Jake Simpson, Joe Simpson, Davide Boggio, JJ Rayward, Tyler Charlton and out of the Rusty crew it’s gonna be Mans Hedberg, Zenja Potapov, Ondra and Dan Porkerts. I actually like to ride with everyone to be honest.
Most underrated ripper: I would like to start with Joe
and Jake Simpsons. I spent whole last winter with them and the energy that they’re putting into the snowboarding is just so inspiring ! Then I wanna pick JJ Rayward. New Zeland’s kid which has the sickest style and attitude in the game, also one of the most inspiring guy around me. And the last one is gonna be Zenja Potapov. Kid from Russia growed up in Finland and living in Sweeden. This guy is just machine on snowboard and if we have a chat about
snowboarding together it always on the Philosophy level.
Next big thing in snowboarding: Hard to tell what peo-
ple could like in the future, but my point of view is that. I think the trend now is explore new places and regions as Russia, Georgia, Albania etc... The landscape there is unexplored and have a lot to offer. If we talk about tricks I think it’ll go 2 ways. One is technical way as quads 1620, pretzels 4 etc.. and the other one will go more to the basics as style and creativity. This is kind of setted up by the Olympic games. Everybody want to win and win MOSTLY means spin to win.
Owe a pint to: I will always owe to my parents which let
me do what I love most, then my sponsors as Horsefeathers, Northwave, Drake, Appertiff, but also without Alex Steward and Rusty toothbrush we wouldn’t be doing this interview. There is so many people and brands which I’ll be always thankful, because they help me to live this kind of life where I’m really happy and it’s not just my story !
Won’t miss in your shred kit: It’s good to have a snow-
board for any session haha, just kidding. I would say probably proper snack, some extra gear if something is broken, good plan what we’re going to do there and little bit of herps as a reward after the session, but shhh!
What’s coming next: This year we gonna be filming re-
ally interesting project with Northwave and Drake in USA and I’m really looking forward to make this one and then I wanna focus more and more on BC and big mountains riding, because that’s the shit for me.
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Dusan Zriz “When I’m not on the board I work as mental coach or personal coach, basically helping people to reach their goals and dreams, at least I hope haha.”
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Silvano Zeiter
Leo Eigensatz “Most underrated ripper: anybody who enjoys good session without feeling the urge to immediately post everything on social media.”
Vitals: Leo Eigensatz, 6.3.1994, i work at my uncle’s
company wich builds houses and stuff and then in winter i mostly snowboard
Last meal: Man, I wish i could say something cool
like pizza or whatever but it’s still kinda early so i just had coffee and a smoothie so far. Best shred environment: Probably the most cliché answer but tell me something better than fresh pow with friends. Most underrated ripper: Most underrated ripper: anybody who enjoys good session without feeling the urge to immediately post everything on social media.
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Next big thing in snowboarding: I don’t know..
probably virtual reality vlogs or instagram storys or some shit like haha! Owe a pint to: I forgot who i owe a beer but i sure remember who owes me one! Won’t miss in your shred kit: If i don’t forget boots, board, gloves and goggles in the morning, it’s already a good day. What’s coming next: No idea..my foot is still kind of hurting from last winters injury but as soon as that feels better i’m back on the board i guess and hopefully i can get some clips too..
Vitals: Nicholas Bridgman born in Jesolo, Venezia, on
August 24, 1993. Snowboard coach in Italy and Thredbo, and riding for Funky snowboards and Airblaster. I sometime help my dad at his watersport center teaching windsurfing, kite surfing, surfing, sup, wakeboarding.
Last meal: As soon as I landed from Australia, I had
spaghetti with telline and bottarga! Italian food is the best! Best shred environment: I just love to switch terrain as much as possibile, riding with friends is always the best but alone is cool as well, with any weather. Most underrated ripper: There are so many out there, it’s not easy to stand out. Next big thing in snowboarding: From my point
of view snowboarding is an expression of freedom and is therefore more compatible with freeriding and backcountry rather than competitions within a strict set of rules. I would say split boards, ‘cause they’re opening up a whole new world.
Owe a pint to: My sponsor Funky the Garden crew,
Roby Bragotto, Scotty Stephenson, Marc Grossgasteiger, Simon Gruber, Marco Concin, my parents and surely a whole lot of other people who have in some way helped me along my way. Won’t miss in your shred kit: Tea, snacks, fruit, camera, Arva, shovel, spare lens for my goggles and spare gloves. What’s coming next: Traveling and keep coaching, exploring other countries, shooting videos and loving life!
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Nicholas Bridgman “I just love to switch terrain as much as possibile, riding with friends is always the best but alone is cool as well, with any weather.”
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Roberto Bragotto
Halldor Helgason. Halldor is a living legend. His smooth, effortless and always evolving style has risen the bar of riding and he’s a never-ending inspiration source for so many riders around the world. He’s also the most down to earth and easy dude you could ever talk with. I feel he doesn’t even recognize his icon status and his love for snowboarding always came first.
ITW
Matteo Rossato PHOTOS
Theodore Muse
His choice to build his own companies and work with real snowboard companies speaks for itself. After the interview we published couple seasons ago, many things heppened, so it’s time to get back into the Halldor world.
Hi Halldor, how did you spend your summer? Yo,
I’ve been in Reykjavik/Iceland Skating, surfing, chilling with family and friends and getting my body, head and balls in good shape for the season.
A quick comment about your dude Frank Bourg earning the third X-Games gold medal. No words can describe how badass Frank the tank is, he is so dedicated to snowboarding and he only does what he does because he loves it, endless respect and congrats once again Frankster!
Still talking about Frank and the Quebecois in general; you went on a trip so I guess you know what I mean: why the French Canadians are so above the average when talking about street riding? Do you claim any Quebecos roots? I star-
ted my season off with Frank around Quebec and it was such an awesome trip, so fun to hang and ride with those guys and they are on another level when it comes to street riding. Frank showed me some of the spots they had done before and some of the spots he wanted to hit for his Real Snow and when you see it in real life you realise how fucked up it actually is haha.
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I have always looked up to the Brothers Factory guys so I was so hyped to get on a trip with them and I’m hoping to do some more next season.
The past season hasn’t been the sweetest for you right? You just started to film for a project and then you got injured. Could you talk us some more about that? Yeah that was the plan, I
felt like it was about time that I went for it, but due to injuries and my mental state not being at a good place I decided to bail out on it and take the season off and get my body and mental state 100% again, unfortunately thats what I had to do but we ended up changing my project to a Lobster team movie instead which turned out to be sweet. I just wanted to do something new and that is something that I have been wanting do to for a while, but the timing wasn’t right for me this season unfortunately, I burnt my self out completely due to many things but I am feeling a lot better now and I’m back.
Three things you have absolutely to do before quitting your career as a pro snowboarder. 1- Go
to Alaska, a part of me really wants to but another part of me is really sketched out by it, I have to get a solid avalanche training before I go at least. 2- Go to Baldface!, maybe thats where I’ll get my avalanche training ? 3- I probably sound like an asshole but winning rider of the year would be a heavy cream dream come true, but I would never focus on that one, if that would hap-
pen it has to be because I was just having a really good fun season and that would be the bonus.
I guess you had many offer from big sponsors once you left the Swoosh, but someway you always preferred to build your your own brands or stick with core snowboard brands. Last one is 32: could you tell us something more about that?
As a kid I always bought thirty-two boots, so after I stopped riding for DC and Nike I tried out a few different boot brands and none of the boots were working for my ankle after I broke it, so I tried out Thirty-two again and my ankle finally felt good again, I had been riding thirty-two boots for 3 years with out being on the team, so after a while they hit me up and now I’m actually on their badass team so I couldn’t be more pumped.
Let’s talk about your signature TM TWO XLT. Why did you go for that model? And also, any leaks for the next season? Any other signature lines on the launchpad? I went for the TM TWO XLT because thats the boot that I found worked the best for me after I broke my ankle, its nice and stiff and lasts for so long, I usually just ride one pair threw out the entire season.
How does it feel to be in the same team with like Nico Muller, Jeremy Jones and Chris Bradshaw? Are you gonna be the next All Star Team? That’s an honour man, so pumped to be a part
of their team and looking forward to snowboarding and getting to know the entire team better.
What about your new Atrip line? It’s totally different if compared to the earth toned, skate style stuff you made before. That’s the fun part
about having your own brands, you can do what ever you want whenever you want to haha. I had been wearing mellow earth tones clothing for a few years so I wanted to change it up and the reason why I went for more of a 90s look is because I have been getting most of my inspiration for snowboarding threw all the old classic snowboard movies, they are so loose, tweak the shit out of everything, mix random grabs together and have the steziest clothing style. One of my favourite old school movies is Snowboarder in Exile, if you haven’t seen it then you should absolutely check it!
You recently ended in a Icelandic TV show. Can you tell us something more about the experience? It’s been a while since I did something for the scene in Iceland, after I stopped competing the media
didn’t really cover any thing and its kinda hard for someone that doesn’t snowboard to understand how the filming part of snowboarding works, so I got the opportunity to really show that side of snowboarding in the TV show which meant a lot to me and the reactions have been awesome ever since the TV show aired.
Last question on Lobster: for the first time, in 2020 you will drop the very first Lobster board without 3BT. Is Lobster taking his own path – technology wise? Thats the goal, We want the diffe-
rence between Lobster and Bataleon to be more clear so stay tuned and see what happens.
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Gigi Rüf is back for slashing more. Gigi Ruf is a man of many talents. The first and obvious one is the insane amount of skills when strapped on a snowboard. The way he find opportunities to ride it’s absolutely unique and few riders in the whole world can claim this level of creativity and vision. But he’s also an entrepreneur and his Creature Slash By Gigi is the clear proof. In 2019 he took back full control on his brand and we immediately called him to know what’s the plan for him and his brainchild. ITW
Matteo Rossato PHOTOS
Blotto
Hey Gigi, where are you and what are you doing right now? I am testing out new boards and
my sponsors product, riding in resorts that received good amounts of snow early season.
Late 2018 early 2019 has been pretty interesting for you: you took back full control of your brand Slash, you signed with 686 and Mons Royale. What’s happening almost a year after? I could
list all my sponsors, the Brands that support what I am actively doing in the Sport and I am well integrated into R&D side of things. What makes the package and myself 100% complete is my own company Slash Snowboard I am running.
Rumors says you’re working on a two years movie project with your original crew Pirates. Is there anything you can spoil about that right now? Pirate Movie Production has evolved into a
trailblazer in modern action sport video production by producing the first 4k snowboard movie „Perceptions“ or taking home several awards for „STRONGER.“ Already now having finished year one of this two year project, I brought together John Jackson, Victor Daviet and Manuel Diaz to the best riding locations from Europe to the far East. For the upcoming season it will be more riding done here in Europe and we plan one trip to North America. All locations every snowboarder dreams of, blending into one outstanding visual experience in ultra high definition.
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You also did some Freeride World Tour comps in the last two years; are you keep going with that or do you have any project for this season? It’s hard to fit it all under one hat, so I will focus on the European stops of the Freeride World Tour.
Let’s go back for a minute on Slash: what happened in the last few years and what lead you to take back full control on it? In 2016 when spe-
aking with Henry Nidecker about our business standing he told me that Slash was not profitable to the Nidecker Group. We agreed that he’d transfer the business to me in November 2016 complete with snowboard moulds, shapes, designs and trademarks related to the Slash brand. At the same time a rider developer role with Capita Mothership was in discussion but it didn’t come to fruition because I could not let go of Slash. Now it is all good and I take full control of Slash with my distribution network throughout 15 Countries.
Could be a dumb question this one, but I bet many people out there had it in the back of their head: why of the bites on the tips of a good part of your boards? Haha the Slash identity shape has
two reason. One I tried a minimalistic approach to shaping the Boards when I started in 2012 and second the most functional is the Kick stand it provides, so the boards can not fall over like round boards.
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“From the start of Slash I always had complete control of anything related to design, marketing, global strategy, and brand image of Slash by Gigi. So not a lot is new except that I ship some individual customer requested Boards during the year.” Now that you’re in full control of Slash, do you run it alone? I mean how’s your daily schedule when working on Slash? For example when designing new boards, or when it’s time to pack and deliver.. From the start of Slash I always had comple-
te control of anything related to design, marketing, global strategy, and brand image of Slash by Gigi. So not a lot is new except that I ship some individual customer requested Boards during the year. The most work is during summer preparing the Shops for Winter and communicating with my Distributors of any new developments I am working on.
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I have to tell I literally stole this from an interview you did last year, but the quote was so sick that I had to: “Nothing will be replaced by the healthy doze of anarchy that standing sideways brings.” Can you explain me the meaning of such strong statement? Well it’s maybe taken out of context here but it’s still called a ski resort and probably we just want to take our place in a ski industry. But per se the Board-culture ties more in with an artistic lifestyle than a competitive sport.
Gigi, where is snowboarding going? Wherever
you want it to go and you can make it whatever you want it. Use the mountainside to ride and play.
What is 2020 holding for Gigi? I live the moment
and do what feels good and like I said there are the movie, the competitions and my company Slash Snowboards.
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Petranboard. TEXT
Achille Mauri
PHOTOS
Elena Gogna Achille Mauri
LOCATION
Petran, Turkey
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“The simplicity of the object was phenomenal: a wooden plank with two footstoppers placed perpendicularly to the direction of the table, without any type of sidecut or edges for riding. Everything was handled by a string with a wooden handle at the front end that held by hand during the descent, it would deform the wood and avoid to sink in the snow: pure genius.”
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e had left the noisy Turkish capital for a week now. Istanbul was already far away, the dissolution of city needs began to fade. We were fine, our rhythms were regular and dictated by the king of winter sun. Elena and I, my partner, were looking for local adventures.
The van, though “funky” and sporty in appearance, has limitations on mountain routes, given the “age” and the hiccups in the previous months (broken engine head in Albania, and a broken fifth gear from Istanbul) therefore it needed to be prepared for Petran’s destination, being at 1450 m asl.
I well remember the moment where we decided to go to Petran. We were traveling parallel to the gray Black sea with our California t4 van - taken months before from Milan and parked in Istanbul during all of Elena’s work experience - with yet another chai at the gas station and the methodical latch of wi-fi we read this news: “The people of Petran, Turkey, have been snowboarding for roughly 300 years...”
So we went looking for snow tires, chains and everything necessary for a possible “fight with the hill”. The desire to reach that goal was however indisputable, and with us we had skis and splitboards with skins - we felt invincible. We approached the climb and came back after the snow on the road began to thicken making it increasingly risky. “Cielo”, Sky - the first name of our van - nevertheless gave unexpected performance, climbing for several terrifying harpin turns.
I remembered a video I saw some time ago on the Patagonia’s Vimeo channel, which told the incredible story of Turkish peasants who approached the world of skiing down the snow with a singular wooden tool to optimize the descent once brought the herd to graze. My enthusiasm for this news was immediately resounding, and I began to understand, together with Elena, how far away this essential mecca of snowboarding was. She, diligent and careful in choosing the itineraries - ability inherited from her father - planned our arrival within 3 days. So we started from that anonymous gas station with a goal: going to Petran to discover the petranboard.
Calm and confident, we parked next to a harpin turn: from there we would continue on foot. Ele in the kitchen, in less than an hour we had a full stomach, skins assembled and backpack ready for a trip to this sacred destination for us. Not even the time to shut down the car and an off-road vehicle - much more attractive than Cielo - passed by us with a distinguished and smoker Turkish guy on board. “Merabah”, his face was strangled by our alien look ready to go to the moon. With a simple gesture of his head he showed us to jump in. Elena, more enthusiastic than ever for the local lift, threw herself
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into the car. I stayed in the off-road trunk to try to photograph something and see the changing of the landscape more clearly. She, crazy for people’s stories, stayed in the car to talk to the gentleman.
Without even having too much time to decide, we found ourselves guests for the night of this sweet Turkish couple. We also had a dinner guest, a youngster with the hands of woodworkers.
The weather was bad and as we climbed we entered a thick fog, so my idea of staying out in the trunk was not successful. Also Ele had not discovered too many things about this man a little taciturn but with a very peaceful energy. Another 30-minute drive and eventually we arrived at Petran.
The following morning the sky was clear, the snow that had fallen during the night had covered the few human traces of that country. It was very cold, we saw the sun still far in the wide Turkish valleys. So we geared up with our modern climbing stuff and began to walk upwards, first through the village and then observing it from up above.
Visibility was around zero. He parked the car near a woodworking shop, and took us to his house where Fatma, his wife, accepted us with a super warm welcome. Chai, looks and a few words about our journey were enough to understand that they were very good people, curious and simple in their life. Few inhabitants live in Petran during the winter and they were some of them. We immediately told him the reason that led us to come up there and they weren’t surprised at all. The history of Petran has become quite famous lately and several people have visited that remote area of the Kachatr thanks to this extravagant attraction.
Our intention was to return in a few hours, even if the day and the snow were perfect for climbing up to a few mountain tops. It was one of those rare times where the only discovery was the starting point and did not need to go higher than that in search of something. The mountains have the ability to create cradles of traditions that are not based on the peaks but on the arena that they create. Petran is one of these cases. 10.30 am we were back in Petren. Fatma and Pietro were waiting for us for the inevitable chai. At this
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“The softness of the carpenter in designing lines in his city with an object that comes from his plants and created by him was pure harmony. Everything was so suave and native, his view of the slope was completely different from any person who approaches downhill skiing in the western world.” point my desire to see that object of the past was too much to contain and I began to be insistent towards them.
break with the petranboard through the pressure of its back, both with the weight and with the help of the stick - also used to tame the pastures of cows.
The young man from the night before arrived from the middle of the country with a petranboard under his arm. The simplicity of the object was phenomenal: a wooden plank with two footstoppers placed perpendicularly to the direction of the table, without any type of sidecut or edges for riding. Everything was handled by a string with a wooden handle at the front end that held by hand during the descent, it would deform the wood and avoid to sink in the snow: pure genius.
The softness of the carpenter in designing lines in his city with an object that comes from his plants and created by him was pure harmony. Everything was so suave and native, his view of the slope was completely different from any person who approaches downhill skiing in the western world.
Now they just needed two of those things to teach us properly, so we went to the carpentry shop where the car was parked. A rustic but very nice atelier in the subdivisions of the petranboard construction phases. After a gesticulated explanation of how this object is assembled, we set off towards the mountain in search of some easy slope. At that point the camera was donated to Elena who hopped around in search of the best shot that represented us in this unprecedented playful moment. It had been years since I last had so much joy in performing such a simple act. The first attempts I was clearly in difficulty because I was trying to brake bending in search of the edge - error! You try to stop and
“Everything is allowed, always save the imagination”, wrote Carlo Mollino. A skilled experimenter of descent techniques, had he seen this scene he would certainly have taken inspiration for some kind of surreal definition. Eventually he left the playing field, and I continued under Elena’s omniscient lens that trapped my little boyhood moment. Mild and respectful, she waited to try the Petranboard only at the end, receiving applause from all over the country for her extraordinary and unusual sporting abilities. The day ended early, at 13 we were back to our Cielo van with an extra burden to be carried to Tbilisi. I had been given a Petranboard by the carpenter, and today is placed in my room and thanks to his scent of wood and snow reminds me that a need can be transformed into elegance.
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Isle of Snow. ITW
Matteo Rossato
PHOTOS
Silvano Zeiter
It’s always relieving to see Absinthe movie teaser posted on the tube, year after year. It gives us the hope that there’s still people out there that believe quality is better than quantity in snowboarding. We had an interesting and quite long chat with David Vladyka (DV) and Shane Charlebois (SC) about their latest brainchild, Isle of snow, and the future of snowboard movies in general. Such an interesting talk, to be read in one breath.
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Leo Eigensatz
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Hi David and Shane, where’s your happy place?
DV: somewhere in a secret resort in the alps on a monday morning with 60cm of fresh pow and sunny SC: Being outside is my happy place. Being in the mountains, especially snow covered, or the ocean, is irreplaceable happiness.
Your movie release is always accompanied by a pretty huge premier tour: do you feel like getting in touch with the local scenes and having the crew physically meet the crowd is still important in the digital era where every human connection pass through the phone? DV: what’s the point of making
a movie if you only release it online. There isn’t so many video companies anymore out there, and even less doing a full premiere tour in Europe and USA. There are one brand only video project that try to make premiere tour but never really get as far as we do. We have done it for more than 15 years, and i think people respect us for this. Getting in touch with a real audience is important, that’s what make you keep on
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doing what you do. Online releases are hard to judge, of course you have the views count but with web you aren’t completely sure it’s accurate. When you organize a premiere and have the pressure of promoting it, selling tickets and that you invest money that you might never see coming back if no one shows up, then you know what it means to take your project from the start to the end. Promoting your project is half of the work of doing a snowboard film. A lot of solo projects tends to forget that without you personally getting involved in the promotion then you project will go no where and will be forgotten as fast as your thumb can skip a instagram post basically. SC: No matter what technology is created, or digital developments, Human connection will still be the most valuable component. The excitement of getting together with other humans to connect about a shared love of a sensation is what this is all about, There is enough in the world working to keep everyone separate. We are focusing on what brings us together. The Premiere tour is exactly that. Watching something at
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would you produce a full length movie anyway?
We have done it for more than 15 years, and I think people respect us for this. Getting in touch with a real audience is important, that’s what make you keep on doing what you do. home, by yourself is fun too, but when you sync up with other people, It is a completely enhanced experience. Showing up to premieres, live music, and art in - person, is connecting with something “bigger”. My mom always said: “No matter what, keep a good sense of human.” That’s what this is all about.
The name of your movies are always pretty iconic and cryptic at the same time: what does Isle of snow really mean? DV: it’s up to you to decide. it
can mean: I love snow, eye love snow or isle of snow. Everyone will find a different meaning to it. SC: The names really tend to represent the year. This name came clear, one snowing night. My Girlfriend suggested it. The meaning is left to the individual to interpret. If you say Isle of Snow enough, you may hear it. Not sure how that translates in other languages. Hopefully the meaning in universal.
Touchy question: is the snowboard industry still really supporting the movie companies or you
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Nicolas Muller
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DV: Frankly, it’s hard to say what the snowboard industry really wants. They want to sell their products and need visuals to do it, but they aren’t willing to pay the full price for it. Some brands have backed us up for a long time and i think that’s how they are still so strong in the industry. Some brands come and go. Same with the riders, we push so many young talented riders on the front row of snowboarding, just to see them leaving us for a premature solo project or a brand video. It’s a shame because we are stronger together. All that is coming from the fact that brands have a hard time finding a way to communicate with their audience and instead of letting us do what we know best they push a their own agenda on the riders, which sometimes makes no sense. The real root of the problem here is that the industry is still young and doesn’t really feel the trends or they are too late at engaging in these trends that when they do it, it’s already too late. Recently i was speaking with an executive at a big brand in our industry, we talked about the latest movie and he said to me that it felt cheaper with almost no big mountain riding, less free riding, not much heliskiing and so on. I felt like i was walking on my head because the reason we can’t do as much heliski and free riding like we used to is because you cut our budget by 3 compare to the year before and now you are telling me that it sucks that we don’t have this free riding more present…I guess it says it all there SC: Some people follow trends, some make them. Some companies know what they want, others are still exploring what that is. As long as people snowboard, they will have heroes that inspire them to get gear. We continue to connect people in that way. Passion speaks the loudest. The industry is ebbing and flowing constantly. It’s exciting to work with people that are excited. All of what we do is based in gratitude, and I’m endlessly appreciative to the people we have worked with, and will. The one’s who get out in the snow, not just the contests and trade shows, are the one’s who tend to see, and understand, more. Snowboarding is very alive. Worldwide.
Who wrote and did the voiceover in the teaser? Seems like spreading a message Is a main focus for you when releasing a movie, isn’t it? DV: Shane
Charlebois wrote it, and Scott Sullivan is talking. Made a lot of people stoked to see the movie and that was the main focus. SC: It all came together while thinking about adding “more” to the movie, this year. We’ve got enough people around us, in the media, who say a lot of “empty”
It all came together while thinking about adding “more” to the movie, this year. We’ve got enough people around us, in the media, who say a lot of “empty” words. I wanted any words we used to be words you would think about, and may be even write down to remember.
Isle of Snow. 74°
words. I wanted any words we used to be words you would think about, and may be even write down to remember. Scott Sullivan was the first person in mind to say the words. He is such a genuine good guy, and it reflects in his voice. Mikey Leblanc wrote and says the words in Nico’s intro. And, Wolle didn’t feel comfortable with his words, meanwhile, I was blown away with how rad it sounded with his footage! We couldn’t not use those words after seeing how they fit in. It’s really cool to get another layer from these parts. Sincere words really help with that.
What is the age limit for having fun? Seems like snowboarding with carving and split boarding before is becoming a thing for a wider range of generations. What’s your opinion on that? DV: No
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Nicolas Muller
age limit SC: It’s all what you tell yourself. Like I said before, Snowboarding is growing up. Shredding powder and feeling great is something that only gets better. I just rode the lift, two days ago, with a guy that is 76 years
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old! He was loving it. No one is going to tell him to stop having fun. Those are the people that I look up to. May we all find happiness as long as people like that.
What’s next for Absinthe? DV: Snowboarding and
making another full length movie. We would love to make some more trips report next year in the movie, and we are also working on a TV channel that would feature behind the scene and older full length movies. We will keep you posted on that! SC: Being in the snow, saying Thank you more than ever, giving back, connecting the world and the people with snowboarding, learning and loving. Everyone is invited. I read some of the most incredibly insightful things on bathroom walls. One, recently, has really stuck in my brain: “If you constantly compare, and compete, with others, you will end up bitter. But, if you constantly compete with yourself, you’ll end up better.” Cheers to that!
Jake Burton.
1981 Jake riding in California by Cassimus
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If I’m here writing in this hotel room in front of the biggest and most
Torino 2006 Games, and the great godfather of world snowboarding,
spectacular big air structure that has ever been built, it’s also thanks
a piece of history like Jake Burton comes over to Bardonecchia and
to Jake Burton. The very fact that there is this gigantic and at the
attends the Games, as he decides that the time has come to come to
same time beautiful structure for a big air contest is also thanks to
terms with the hated Olympics and sponsors the official uniforms of
Jake Burton. The fact that snowboarding big air is at the Olympics is
the American athletes (yes, the riders have become athletes since
also thanks to Jake Burton. The fact that snowboarding is also known
those Olympics onwards), gets a credential and appears in the finish
in a place like this, China, is also thanks to Jake Burton. The fact that
area - thus giving its approval to the IOC bandwagon, which for bet-
there are international competitions, kids from all over the world
ter or worse, has brought snowboarding on a whole other level (of
who try to strap themselves to a board and want to learn, fly, ride,
numbers, of media power). Shaun White wins his first gold in front
carve, jump… it’s also thanks to Jake Burton.
of Jake Burton, and the two would hug each other again 12 years later after an incredible happy ending that couldn’t have been better
I started snowboarding in the early 90s, I was about 15, my first love
written when you think of it, as the American wins his third Olympic
was a Burton Air. I had hard metal bindings, ski boots - who knew
gold at PyeongChang 2018.
back then how to ride, I saw some photos around and I just tried by myself. It took me three days just to do three turns in a row, but not
I remember that my legs were shaking only at the thought of being
that I cared much about it, that stuff was real fun. I knew the name
in the presence of mister Snowboard, but during the interview he put
Burton before I knew there was a real human character behind it all,
me at ease and went all smooth. A decade later, my last interview
a gentleman who shared the idea or invention of snowboarding (at
with him took place in front of a spritz during a Milanese aperitif, as
least the modern one) with someone else.
if we were longtime acquaintances. Even now, if I think about it, it was quite surreal.
In 1977, Jake Burton made it clear that skis were only used to come down a mountain. If you really wanted to have real fun instead, you
Snowboarding also thanks to Jake Burton has become an almost
needed something else, a board. Through trials and errors, with stub-
mass sport, known and practiced all over the world, one of the most
bornness, inventiveness, creativity, a bit of crazyness, in a few years
followed disciplines during the most important showcase that hap-
Jake Burton set up the empire of pure fun in the mountains. Call it
pens every four years. He gave you the possibility the total freedom
the American Dream, if you want. That is.
to have fun just going down from a mountain or from the hill behind your house.
I interviewed him several times during my “career” in this sport. The first time - I’ll never forget it. I am covering my first Olympics, the
Thanks for everything, Jake. Ride on.
INTRO Giacomo Margutti TEXT Federico Mura
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Jake in highschool Jake childhood Jake elementary graduation
It is not easy to explain with simple words how incredible Jake Carpenter Burton’s life has been, and how courageously he and Donna have faced all the challenges. Jake’s life is studded with difficult choices, courage, pride, willpower and a rare determination these days. He has often been an example for us, so by publishing his story in summary, we believe it can serve as an example for many generations of new snowboarders.
Before Burton Snowboards April 29th 1954. Jake Carpenter Burton was born in New York, the last of four children. Jake went to the same school of his father and his older brother, and he was not the model boy every mother would hope for. Things change when he started attending Marvelwood School, an institution for second-class students. After graduation he attended the University of Colorado in Boulder, but it didn’t last long; only a year later Jake decided to leave because he felt lonely and sad. He tried another path. After a period of sudden changes, Jake finally found his course of study in the evening classes of the New York University.
In 1977, during his last year of university, Jake also worked for a small bank investment company, 14 office hours is not what Jake intended to do for a lifetime; moreover, he seriously began to think about that surfing the snow could become a sport.
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1998 Jake in Vermont 1979 Jake in Vermont
1983 Jake at US Open 1989 Jake shredding
Snow Surfing Jake moved to Londonderry, Vermont. A perfect place to start a new project. 1977, “Burton Boards” was born. First headquarters: a barn in a house where Jake was the horse keeper. By night barman, by day builder of prototypes of boards, which tested on the hills of South Vermont. Shortly thereafter in 1978, Peter Mel, a close friend of Jake whose father owned a surf factory, allowed Jake to use the machines to build his innovative snow surf prototypes. Surf during the day, snowboard at night. A few minutes after midnight on New Year’s Eve 1982, Jake met what would have been his wife: Donna Gaston. Donna attended Columbia University in New
York, and joined Jake on weekends, helping him out at the factory. Despite the rudimentary bindings and the initial difficulty of the technique of standing on a board, an increasing number of people around Jake began to be enchanted by this new tool. 1983. An unexpected event happened in Stratton Mountain. Jake Burton went to speak with the ski resort managers to ask to accept snowboarders on the slopes. Fortunately there were no contrasts and Stratton Mountain became the first resort in the world to accept snowboarders.
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1998 Kake 1989 Jake & Donna 1990 Ride Day
Europe Here it is; 1985, Jake and Donna moved to Innsbruck. Donna took care of creating a European sales network while Jake focused on manufacturing with Mr Keil. In 1989 Donna and Jake’s first child was born in Rutland, Vermont.
In the meantime Burton became a globally recognized success, so much so that in 1997 Sport Illustrated published an interview with Jake entitled “Chairman of the Board Jake Burton Took a Childhood Toy & Launched an International Craze.”
People became increasingly interested in Burton and in snowboarding in general. The factory had more than 100 employees and was doing great. The market was constantly growing, the whole decade was characterized by an increasing production of boards. Meanwhile, the first half of the nineties tested the skills of this business and family man. Taylor and Timi, second and third kids of Jake and Donna were born respectively in 1993 and 1996.
1999: from this year onwards Jake set his personal goal for each year; riding at least 100 days a year. A promise kept as long as he could, except in 2011 when he was diagnosed with cancer.
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“With my heart in hand, I must announce the relocation of our production to South Burlington, Vermont to a new facility next to our headquarters. As a result, we will have to stop producing boards in Vermont. This will result in the loss of 43 of the company’s most productive and loyal people.” - Jake burton
Jake by Ian Ruther Jake at Baldface by Jeff Curtes Jake at Baldface by Jeff Curtes
The new millennium The new millennium opened up with a mix of decidedly contrasting emotions. Jake saw with his own eyes two Burton riders win the first Olympics to which snowboarding was officially admitted: Ross Powers and Kelly Clark briought home gold. It happened in Salt Lake City in February 2002. The Olympics continued to give satisfaction; in 2006 Shaun White and Hannah Teter again conquered gold with a Burton board on their feet. In the meantime, the growth of production stops; the global crisis of 2008 also affected Burton Snowboards.
The general economic situation put Jake and Donna with their backs to the wall. For the survival of the whole company, staff cuts and wage cuts were needed. The letter written to the employees of the South Burlington plant read:
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Chill Ride
Bad news In 2011 Jake discovered that he has testicular cancer, and faced the disease in the best way possible. Therapies seemed to work and many things happened. Jake created his first Signature Snowboard with the graphics of Jimi Hendrix, the uniforms for the USA team of the 2014 Olympic Games are designed directly by the Burton designers, and finally other Olympic medals arrived, the silver of Ayumu Hirano and the bronzes of Taku Hiraoka and Kelly Clark. Things were not going well for Jake though; his knee was in a very bad condition, due to the trauma suffered in previous years. Chairman Burton must undergo a major knee surgery involving the implantation of a prosthesis, and just three months after the operation, Jake was already on his board accompanied by George, Kevin Pearce and his surgeon Bryan Huber. The new knee worked great. A few weeks later, however, things became definitely more serious. Jake was taken to Copley Hospital in Vermont for the first symptoms of Miller Fisher syn-
drome, and was informed that in no more than three days he would no longer be able to swallow, breathe or open his eyes. The only chance of survival were machines. The paralysis was almost complete, and there was no guarantee that his condition would improve. He remained attached to the machines for eight weeks, until the paralysis gave him respite. Jake returned to move independently after 10 weeks. He was transferred to a Boston rehab center where he would literally have to learn all over again, starting with how to eat using cutlery. A group photo taken outside the Burton offices was taken, made to send a message of support to Jake. Everyone showed their middle fingers well. Fuck the disease, fuck the bad luck. From that moment the middle finger became a symbol of love for the whole Burton family. Employees printed a giant picture and put it right in front of his hospital bed. The dedication quotes:
“We Fucking Love You Jake” 82°
“With my heart broken I share this news with you, Jake left us surrounded by his family and loved ones last night because of complications from his cancer. He was our founder, the soul of snowboarding, the one who gave us the sport that we all love so much “ - John Lacy, Burton CEO
2018 Jake & Donna by Blotto 2018 Jake 2018 Jake by Blotto
Back into Business December 2015: Jake got on the snowboard for the first time after his illness. In February 2016 he appointed his wife Donna CEO of Burton and returned to work on various projects and to support his athletes at the Olympics: Pyeongchang 2018. January 2019, Jake and Donna moved to Europe, to Zurich, to escape from the madness of the States and to help the European market. Jake had always informed his employees about his health conditions, aware of its image and the positive energy that a figure like him transmitted:
“You may not believe it, but my cancer has returned. It is the same tumor as the first time. It appears to have reached my lymph nodes and is making its way. The numbers are on my side, but it will certainly be a good fight. Even though it is something that scares me enormously, it is easier to fight it if I know that I have a family behind me who will support me. I feel the same for my company, my friends, and our sport. I’ll be back, but regardless of that, I know everything is in good hands, and it’s a great feeling when you enter this area of uncertainty.” - Jake Burton
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Campiglio to Alberg. TEXT
Alberto Maffei PHOTOS
Roberto Bragotto LOCATIONS
Madonna di Campiglio, Italy Alberg, Austria
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“Although there are different ways of interpreting the world of snowboarding, there is something that unites them all, surfing fresh powder always gives you a particular emotion, as deep as the origins of snowboarding itself.”
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Simon Gruber & Emil Zulian TOP RIGHT
Alberto Maffei RIGHT
Emil Zulian
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A
lthough there are different ways of interpreting the world of snowboarding, there is something that unites them all. Whether you’re a street, a slopestyle or pipe rider or a jibber, surfing fresh powder always gives you a particular emotion, as deep as the origins of the snowboard itself. And it is precisely for this reason that when we have days off between one contest and the next one, we always try to drive around to find some fresh pow pow, some jumps to build or any terrain to take advantage of the snow in its most natural form! Last year we had some days off in Madonna di Campiglio, and a nice snowfall pushed me, Emil Zulian and Roby Bragotto to look for some spots. As the conditions weren’t that perfect to build something big, I thought that taking advantage of the beauty of the Campiglio Dolomites to snap a good photo was the right idea.
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We immediately went searching for the right spot and in the midst of some small natural canyons we came across a mini spine surrounded by a breathtaking panorama. It could actually work well for a mini spine session so we immediately began to work on the spot. After a few moments we heard in the distance a scream in the typical Iesolan dialect - it was Nicholas Bridgman, who understood what was happening right there. As soon as he reached us, he unstrapped from his board and started to build with us. Ready and go! First try and first pizza (which is the way in Italian we say for a hard slam, a crash – like “a pizza in your face”): the spot was small but no so easy to interpretate, the transition was not the easiest and the small landing we had was in the middle of two beautiful but sharp rocks. Finally we understood how to use the side hit kicker at its best: no rotation, no flip... only well-made and tight basic grabs and
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Simon Gruber RIGHT
Ivan baldi BELOW
Emil Zulian
here is the result of it! As the sunset fell on us, we went down to the valley, tired from the day but not yet satisfied, once we tasted a bit of pow we wanted more of it, and right then we got the call from Simon Gruber (he was in Arlberg at that time), telling us: “boys, it’s awesome here”. He did not to tell us twice - we got in the car and we were off to Alberg.
two natural spots. He sets up a wind lip and then hikes up half the mountain (to me the in-run looked like a bit too much). Roby finds the perfect spot for his pic, Simon drops and sends a FS 360 to the moon, as he lands at the bottom of it all, to prove that in backcountry it is not always necessary to build. We went after him later on, trying the same stuff but not with the same result.
We went to Austria looking for snow, and we found it. So much we did that you just can’t imagine it: meters and meters of it. And everybody knows that when there is a lot of fresh snow, we snowboarders become creative and we can’t wait to build anything. And what’s better than a nice big kicker? You should know, however, that it is easier said than done. To start off with, we had to walk, and that’s how we found ourselves joking and teasing ourselves for an hour walking towards the spot where we thought about building our jump.
After the super performance of Gruber it was time to jump, as we found ourselves at the start during that classic moment when you have to decide who drops first. There was a particular tension in the air, everyone knew that the first track is always the coolest both in photos and videos, but at the same time it is the most difficult run because no one really knows the right amount of speed, the type of landing and the type of jump. To cut it short, there’s always a series of factors making a random pick necessary.
We were the same Campiglio crew, plus Nicolino Dioli, the great Simon Gruber and also the filmer Scotty Stephenson. It took us a whole day to build the kicker, but the very next day we’re hyped to get things started. Roby insists to wait for the ideal light for better footage and in the meantime we follow the good old Simon Gruber who, as a great expert, finds
We do it and it’s up to Nicolino. He goes back to the start, without the slighest idea of how much speed he should get. More than that, he knows he can’t land short otherwise all the following photos would be ruined, so in doubt he goes very fast and opens the session with a massive frontflip. We burst out laughing, releasing the tension for our pure enthusiasm about
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“We burst out laughing, releasing the tension for our pure enthusiasm about a trick so unusual on a backcountry kicker.”
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a trick so unusual on a backcountry kicker. The session really began then, and as always we started off with some basic tricks, Fs7, Fs3, Cab5, Bs7 and then out of the blue it’s again Nicolino who went crazy with a mega Bs Double Cork Nose.
snowboarding. We were all but Simon predominantly slopestylers, and while in the park we feel unbeatable, the first few runs in fresh powder were really hard - too aggressive and heavy on the edges and too central on the landing.
From then on everyone tried some little more tech tricks and the result was mainly slams (pizze!). So we spent one of the most perfect days of our season like that, with some landed tricks and a few crashes. We rode down in the dark as a few inevitable and well-deserved rounds of beer awaited for us in the apres-ski at the bottom of the slope.
For us it was great to lose ourselves so much, getting out of our comfort zone and, moreover, having the opportunity to have an athlete like Simon with us who has a nice backcountry CV helped us to understand a lot of things.
It’s amazing to experiment with different types of
This is why we love snowboarding: you can’t be pro with everything you do, there is always something to learn and someone stronger than you in something.
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BELOW
Simon Gruber RIGHT
Alberto Maffei
“This is why we love snowboarding: you can’t be pro with everything you do, there is always something to learn and someone stronger than you in something.”
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On the shoulders of Giants. TEXT
Federico Mura
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As colleagues, it is really difficult to talk about the voice that has walked hand in hand together with snowboarding basically since he was born, setting the example to follow for us all snowboard magazines of more recent eras. Transworld Snowboarding has inspired hundreds of thousands of snowboarders, in an era when the only way to stay up to date on this new way to experience snow was the written and printed magazine. On March 6th, 2019 Transworld shut down its transmissions, following the sale of the TEN group to American Media Inc., with a touching post on their website that literally said:
“All good things, unfortunately, end. And today March 6, 2019 TransWorld SNOWboarding closes its doors. The 32nd volume of the magazine will be the last and ‘Kamikazu’ will be our last movie.” In the end, we want to emphasize that there is no malice in this article: the title of the article is highly symbolic and hides the true intent, quoting an aphorism of Bernard of Chartres, French philosopher of the twelfth century.
snow at all. Given his initial distance from this world, he did a simple thing: asking questions. At the edge of a halfpipe with a pair of blue jeans on and a notebook in his hands: so he asked some riders his first questions. The publishing strategy was as follows: “I asked the questions I wanted to know the answer to, and I shared it with the rest of the world.”
“We are like dwarves sitting on the shoulders of giants, so that we can see many things far beyond them, not because of sharp eyesight or because they are taller in body, but because we are brought and lifted up by gigantic grandeur.”
At his side was Guy Motil, accompanied by a huge curriculum of collaborations with top-level magazines, including Surfer Magazine. It is precisely that of surfing the style to follow for the first issue of Transworld. The language had to be extremely friendly, as opposed to the one used by TW Skateboarding readers. Thrust wide-angle optics and badass photos have always been distinctive of the skate culture.
Transworld Snowboarding has been our giant and this wants to be a celebration of its history. Transworld Snowboarding was born in 1987, when snowboarding was still young and the first riders were starting to make their way through the ski lines in the resorts. It was the second title launched alongside Transworld Skateboarding. But unlike TWSkateboarding, supported by a strong and recognized culture, TWSnow stood as a bet. No one knew if the art of surfing the snow could have a future as glorious as that of skateboarding.
Guy instead used half-tele lenses. Snowboarding didn’t have to be the chic version of skateboarding. There was however an inevitable difference between skate and snowboarding, which was going to significantly distance these two worlds: the fact that in the new discipline it was necessary to have a nice big wallet to afford to ride up in the mountains. Having to pay for a ski resort full of rules and things that cannot be done has contributed to the development of a forcibly different culture. But out there the first jibbers were not lacking at all, on the contrary, riding strongly influenced by skate culture meant that any rail or picnic table was treated as a feature to be ridden, creating many problems in ski resorts and with peaceful coexistence with the skiers of the time.
And, after having seen the evolution of the 90s, and after having read on those pages entire careers of snowboarders of the last thirty years, after being spectators of snowboard movies that made us dream and after having consumed 32 volumes, we can say that for sure the mission has been accomplished. From 1987 until yesterday, Transworld was the fundamental pillar of the snowboarding world. It all started with a simple question “What about a snowboard magazine?”. In the winter releases of TransWorld Skateboarding, Larry Balma, publisher of Transworld Skateboarding, already included several pieces concerning snowboarding, in order to increase the popularity of the sport more and more. The birth of the magazine was a fundamental moment, which set the mood and the lingo of an entire generation. If there is one thing that cannot be said, Kevin Kinnear (editor of the first issue of TW Snowboarding) was a snowboard guru. Indeed, it had nothing to do with
“Snowboarding was born, lived, and died in the mid 1990s” Jamie Meiselman, 1993-1995 Managing Editor says: “snowboarding was born, lived and died in the nineties. - Ok, the dead part is just to increase the dramatic effect.“ But actually it didn’t go much differently than that somehow. The snowboard movement has evolved exponentially. Gear improves, the market is created, sponsorships are born, but the most important thing is that people get passionate about it. What’s the reason? Because it’s damn funny!
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1987 First Issue Aloha! Here’s how the first release of Transworld Snowboarding begins. These first pages have a strong meaning. Larry, Kevin and Guy weren’t just documenting the first steps of a fast-moving sport, but they were laying the groundwork for a common pillar. A point of reference that would have united all those who are part of the snowboarding family. And this means only one thing: culture. The snowboarding era begins. The First Time: here is the claim of the first issue, focused on the first experiences of the pro-riders of the time. Fourteen quotations including those by Craig Kelly and Damien Sanders, tell their first bruises because of riding a board, and in a family still not as extensive as that one at that time, these words generated by such a simple question, were able to spring a sense of empathy, curiosity and above all a sense of community, laying the foundations of the years to come.
1987 First interview with a Pro If we talk about first timers, we cannot fail to mention the interview with Craig Kelly. The first ever interview in the world of snowboarding was published in November 1989. From that moment on, the interview becomes the goal to reach, a must for every pro snowboarder to complete a career. And we can say that a better start could not have been. Craig Kelly was The most inspirational rider. His style of riding having been called just perfect, as he brought the level of snowboarding higher and higher until his tragic death.
1991 First Reader’s Poll The magazine is successful, and in 1991 the first Reader’s Poll is delivered. That year, unlike the most recent Awards, the jury was solely composed of the readers of the magazine. After completing and submitting the voting page featured in a previous issue of TransWorld, March 20 at the Shark Club in
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Las Vegas, the very first winners of this award were: Craig Kelly, Tara Eberhard, Peter Bauer, Tina Basich, Damian Sanders and Bonnie Leary. The award then evolved into Rider’s Poll, where a jury of over 100 pros identifies the best riders of the year. The popular vote remained in the Reader’s Choice category.
1994 Transworld lands in Japan In 1994 the Japanese twin of Transworld snowboarding was born, which was also the first ever Japanese snowboard magazine (Pictured here, issue 11).
1993 First Video Magazine 1993 was the year of the TransWorld SNOW Video Magazine. The collaboration with the filmer Mike McEntire meant that four episodes came out that year. Transworld has always been at the forefront of the media. And it also masterfully exploited the video as a media, adding a new character to snowboarding: the filmer.
1999 First Transworld Team Challenge 1993 was the year of the TransWorld SNOW Video Magazine. The collaboration with the filmer Mike McEntire meant that four episodes came out that year. Transworld has always been at the forefront of the media. And it also masterfully exploited the video as a media, adding a new character to snowboarding: the filmer. (pictured here, cover of Team Challenge 6).
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2003 First TWSnow TransAM
2007 TWSnow Productions
In 2003 Transworld debuted with an interesting new format dedicated not to professionals, but to amateurs: the TransAM amateur contest series. A format that rewarded the creativity and personality of the riders, aimed at discovering new talents. Among the historical winners of the contest are Lucas Magoon, Chas Guldemond, Gabi Viteri, and Matt Ladley to name a few. The TransAm went on for 13 editions.
Transworld returns to produce videos, with Joe Carlino in charge. No longer in video magazine format, but real full length videos like These Days, Get Real, In Color, Nation, Origins, Insights, Arcadia and the final Kamikazu chapter, in 2019.
2009 First Team Shoot Out Team Shoot Out was based on the Skate&Create format of TWSkate. Four teams were invited and each one had a week long shoot where they produced photo and video materiale based on a creative concept of their choice. Rome took the win of the first edition in 2009.
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2015 First “Eddie Wall Series” In 2015, Eddie Wall, a former pro and excellent anchorman, began to edit a web column that provides for greater interaction with the public, with direct and opportunities for the public to interact with guests and Eddie himself. Details of The Fourth Phase were unveiled during one of these live shows, which should have been kept secret until its presentation.
2011 200th Issue 2011 marked the 200th issue of Transworld which was celebrated with a special clooector’s issue with a mind-blowing photo of Travis Rice on the cover.
2008 First “Sunday in the Park” A webisode series up to the last few years. Transworld has always managed to adapt to new media. And it did it very well with Sunday in the Park, riding the wave of the newborn Youtube. Definitely the most successful web series in the world of snowboarding, created in collaboration with the freestyle mecca and the most famous American snowpack of the Big Bear era. In the first episode of Sunday in the Park were present Johnny Miller, Nima Jalali, Darrel Mathes, Joe Mertes, Zak Hale, and Meyer.
2018 The Last Issue The last issue of Transworld arrives at newsstands and in subscriber boxes. In cover, a photo of Dustin Craven, taken by Darcy Bacha. It’s the end of an era.
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Offline in Albania. TEXT
Knut Eliassen
PHOTOS
Markus Rohrbacher
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LOCATION
Albania
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n today´s hyper-connected world there are not too many places left to truly escape. During the process of planning Nitro´s new team movie, OFFLINE, I wanted to find a location that was a true escape from reality. After days of talking with team riders, friends, searching google earth, and researching hidden gems around the world, we found a place called “The Cursed Mountains” in the northern part of Albania about 45 minutes from the Kosovo border. We knew this had to be the place, with a name like “The Cursed Mountains” we had finally found out road trip destination. We decided to drive from the Nitro Snowboards Headquarters, in Oberammergau, Germany through Austria and down the coast of Croatia, through Bosnia, and into Albania. We calculated this would be a 3/4 day road trip with a couple stops along the way. This is not your standard snowboard road trip route. Normally when you are going on a snowboarding trip you head North or at least up towards the mountains, not down towards the warmer climate, but that is one of the reasons for taking this adventure. On February 20th, 2019 we set off on a road trip we would never forget. Before we get into the trip details and stories, I need to introduce the crew. We had our standard snowboarders, filmers and photographers… Nitro team riders Markus Keller, Elias Elhardt, Sam Taxwood, Nitro photographer Markus Rohrbacher, videographer Karsten Boysen and Pirmin Juffinger, Andi Aurhammer and myself Knut Eliassen. This is what a normal Nitro snowboard trip would look like, a couple of media guys, team manager, and then a group of team riders, but we also wanted to involve a few more unique individuals on this adventure to emphasize the idea of how snowboarding can people of all walks of life offline. We invited a musician who was in charge of creating the music for our Offline movie, Yves Ardelt, the son of Nitro co-founder Sepp Ardelt. We thought it would be amazing to have a world-class musician and snowboard enthusiast on the trip to help document the journey through sound and a different perspective. We also decided to invite one of the world´s most influential and creative Youtube personalities and movie directors - Dan Mace, to join us on a real “Offline” snowboard adventures. Dan Mace is originally from South Africa, an aide surfer, filmer, and adventure enthusiast. We came in contact with him through a video he made about his passion for snowboarding on his Youtube channel a few months before the trip. We told him we would love to bring him on a snowboarding trip so he could help us spread the message of how snowboarding can bring you offline to his community and fans. Anyone who has ever watch a standard snowboard movie or been on a snowboarding trip before can understand that this is not your normal crew set-up. I will honestly say, created some friction, delays, and funny situations on the trip, but in the end, it added so much value and uniqueness to the overall experience. Usually, trips are very focused on getting action shots when the crew is just the riders, filmer, and photographer, but with the addition of these creative personalities, the whole crew was able to appreciate the trip, the mountains, the people, the culture, the food, and the
in-between experiences not just the snowboard tricks which was refreshing.
LEFT Sam Taxwood
The first part of the trip was to drive from the Nitro headquarters in Oberammergau, Germany to the town of Rijeka, Croatia to enjoy some ocean views and fishing. Rijeka is a Croatian port city on the northern Adriatic Sea with a population of around 130,000 people. We had heard from the local snowboarders at the bar that there is a small ski resort up in the mountains outside of Rejika, called Platak which offers groomed trails and views of the deep blue Adriatic Sea. After a few beers, Ožujsko (which is the most popular beer brand in Croatia), we decided that we would spend another night in Rijeka and explore the mountain of Platak. The next morning we woke up to the waves of the sea and the nice coastal temperature of around 19 degrees Celsius, which is not a normal temperature for a snowboarding trip mid-winter. We put on our snowboard gear, put our boards in the car and started the 45-minute drive up to the mountain. None of us had been there before or even knew if it was open, but we had faith and stoke! After driving through snowless hills and windy roads we finally saw some snow on the hilltops, and we arrived at a completely dry and snowless parking lot. The resort was closed. We walked up to the mountain and saw two older ski racers practicing turns on a small patch of snow. I walked up to them and said hello. They told me the resort closed about 2 weeks ago, but they might be able to call someone who could start the lift for us to get us to the top. After about 10 minutes another guy arrived and said he would start the lift for us and we could go ride around on the top and he would bring a snowmobile up so we could do runs. WOW!
The views from the top of Platak were endless and the water background was something I had only seen in Lake Tahoe before, the snow was decent and the trees were perfectly spaced. Elias and Sam did a couple uphill snowmobile runs, hit the side hits, and ripped tree runs all day long. After hours of building features and ripping turns, we decided to head back down to Rijeka to go out onto a sailboat and look for dinner (fish). The next day we drove 600km down the beautiful Croatian coast and stayed the night in the night in the now-famous “Game Of Thrones” city of Dubrovnik. After a morning of doing the classic tourist sightseeing walk around, which I would highly recommend, we packed up the cars and planned on headed south down the coast of Montenegro and into Albania… But, because someone took the wrong left turn and then we got stuck in the line for the border we ended up going back into Bosnia, which took about 2 hours of waiting in line. When we finally made it through the Bosnian border we drove over a beautiful mountain only to be met with a huge forest fire. The hills were literally on fire. Sam Taxwood said “Well, welcome to Bosnia!” which fits the situation perfectly. After a few hours of driving on dirt roads through the mountains, we made it to Montenegro and finally to the Albanian border.
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When we arrived at the Albanian border we saw the famous red and black flag hanging and flying everywhere… The Albanian people are very proud of their flag, as they should be because it is one of the most badass looking flags of all time! The red stands for bravery, strength, and valor, while the black double-headed eagle represents the sovereign state of Albania. We also saw the classic black Mercedes and guys in leather jackets standing around everywhere… We had finally made it to Albania! YES! We were all so excited. Driving through the rural land felt like we were in a Wes Anderson film because all the houses were painted with such lively and exciting colors. There are also a lot of communist-era bunkers and monuments scattered around the country which is something none of us expected. While driving through the country we saw that there were people just standing along the roads everywhere, which seemed very odd, but we found out later is because they are waiting for the bus and since there are no standard bus stops, the bus will just stop and pick everyone up waiting for a ride alongside the road. After hours of the craziest roads and diving situations we have ever experienced, and some shortcuts that ended up being anything but that (pro-tip, never take shortcuts in the Balkan) we arrived at our small stone Castle in the Valbone Valley. We had finally made it to the cursed mountains. We woke up to the sun rising over one of the most beautiful valleys we had ever seen, the Valbone Valley. A place that is known to some for summer hiking and also illegal marijuana fields, but we will not get into that. What got us excited about this place was that not too many people had snowboarded here before and when looking out over the terrain it was a mystery why no one had… The terrain is insane. After walking around the “castle” that we were staying at and meeting the local guides from the company Albania Heliski, we quickly realized that there was only enough WiFi for 5 people at a time… Something we did not mind since the environment was so beautiful and we were going snowboarding, plus we were there to get offline. After the standard backcountry and heli-safety instructions, the crew entered the only private helicopter in Albania and took off to ride mountains that have been hidden from our world for years. Meanwhile, there was no space for me so I had to stay back, which was okay because I was able to explore the valley on my splitboard and get some much needed offline time alone. I saw small wooden shacks that were covered with surveillance cameras and locks, which I thought was strange. Later I found out that you should be very careful and stay away from these places because these are the “grow houses” where the local farmers keep their supplies and protection for growing marijuana up in the mountains. The routes you could take split boarding were endless, but since it was my first day I took it mellow and safe, found some ridges to slash and some views to document and headed back to our “Castle” for the week.
When the crew returned after the first day out in the mountains, they were ecstatic about the terrain, the environment and ready to go the next day from sunrise to sunset. I did notice that once everyone got back to the house, there was a race to connect to the non-existent internet. In today’s world, we have this neverending urge to always post what we have done to the rest of the world. Sam wanted to post to his Instagram, Elias needed to push this latest film, Contraddiction, Dan needed to upload his latest Youtube Video, I had to check my work e-mails, everyone had their “Reason” to get back online… This is something we only struggled with the first two days, but after you realize that its hard to get online, you start to just stop stressing about being online and enjoy the time with actual people and experiences instead. If there is one thing we all took away from our time at the Castle it would be a greater appreciation for taking a break from the online world and enjoying the present reality.
NEXT PAGE Knut Eliassen
During the down days when we could not fly to the top of the mountains, we used this time to build jumps around the castle, get to know the locals, explore the surrounding area by car, and even hang out with some traditional Albanian dancers. The traditional Albanian dancers showed us how to dance the Albanian Vallja from their local area of Bajram Curri, which was a lot of fun especially after a few Birra Korca (local Albanian Beer) and Raki. As usual, it was Elias Elhardt who embraced the Albanian Vallja dancing the most, he was dancing the whole time with the biggest smile on his face after he showed them some snowboard tricks over the bonfire. The following day after dancing into the late hours of the night, the weather was still too dangerous to go into the mountains. We decided to drive into Kosovo and visit a small traditional town called Prizren to experience some local cuisine. If you ever are in the area we recommend that you try the Byrek, its a pie made of dough filled with onions, olive oil, eggs, and minced meat. We also came in contact with a lot of friendly local people and everyone was surprised that we were there for snowboarding. Most of the days in the Cursed Mountains were days filled with no wind, sunshine, and absolutely no other people - they were amazing. The Cursed Mountains must be called the cursed mountains because you never want to leave.
In the end, we all had to get back to our “real lives”, so we backed up and said goodbye to each other, but we were leaving with an experience that we will share forever. Sometimes you get a trip so good that the travel part is just as exciting as the destination - the perfect trip! Maybe it was because we did not have the Internet most of the time and were OFFLINE!
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Japan Triple. TEXT & PHOTOS
Matt Georges / Triple RIDERS
Danimals Benny Urban Ivika Juergenson Dominic Wagner LOCATION
Hokkaido, Japan
Danimals
Danimals
Benny Urban
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Benny Urban
Alex Pfeffer & Danimals
Benny Urban
H
okkaido, Northern island of Japan, is mostly known for having the lightest and deepest powder in the world but not so much for its street treasures. Few years ago on a camping trip I have ended up by accident in Otaru, down coast, and really loved it. It’s very hilly fisherman city with an incredible view on the Japan sea. It’s full of tourists during the week ends and in the holiday seasons but very quiet and lovely the rest of the time. For once it’s a big change to ride the street with such a view, unfortunately the police there don’t really like the fact that stupid
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snowboarders move snow. We got arrested and kicked out 11 times in 2 weeks! Full passport control all the time, surrounded by 10 cops sometimes. It was a bit hectic but always in a very polite and calm situation. The only issue for us was just to change police districts to not end up with the same officers day after day. It was not the easiest trip but hopefully we ended up every night at Shin’s ramen to get our battery reload and start again the day after. At the end the boys nailed it and we all came back home with nice souvenirs!
Danimals - Sketchy Boardslide The whole scenery was kind of unlikely here. The inrun was on a private garden just in front of a busy railway so the train driver could almost touch him from the window. The rail itself was rusty, very shaky and very tight so your tail was ripping of the wall sometimes. And last but not least the landing was on a cleaned and busy sidewalk. Maybe you are not aware but Japanese people hate, or very hate, when we put snow on a cleaned sidewalk. They don’t care at all if you snowboard in the street but they don’t like when you are moving snow.
Danimals - Ollie transfer We came back to this sport building 3 times to hit a rail. The security was just becoming crazier every time he would see us again. That was the landing spot of Benny and Dom here and Benny didn’t like the rail so he built up this little transfer just for fun and I was just shooting him in between. That’s also those moments in snowboarding that you don’t really see in the movies: all the waiting moments from other riders an how they keep themself busy. Some goes on their phone, some shoots second video angle while some others build a mini shred spot for fun.
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“The security was just becoming crazier every time he would see us again.“
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“Riding the streets of Otaru is so welcoming compared to other cities where it’s just ghetto, dirty and grey.“
Benny Urban - Bluntslide 270 That kind of day where you just drive around for hours looking for spots, get kicked by the police, fight with the rain and just end up in an abandoned neighborhood to make sure a little bit of snowboarding will happen. At the end we spent couple hours on this fun roof with an amazing sea view. It’s nice sometimes to see some behind the sceneS and not always the craziest tricks or spots. Just the normal office day life of a snowboarder.
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Benny Urban - 50|50 Gap 50|50 It’s hard to see on the photo but the rail had some sketchy screws all the way. Catching an edge was not really an option and the kink was very gnarly. Dan and Benny rode it together, on both sides, with different tricks. Again we had a sick view on the whole Japan sea. Riding the streets of Otaru is so welcoming compared to other cities where it’s just ghetto, dirty and grey.
Benny Urban - Frontside Lipslide
Dom Wagner - Backside Wallride
Benny Urban - Backside Lipslide
We came back to that spot four times in total before Benny was able to get his trick correctly. At the end we didn’t use it in the video because he came off the rail maybe 10cm earlier. I usually never use a photo of a not landed trick but he did. He just could have done it a bit better but that was just too much effort after all the struggle we got there. We got kicked out 3 times in a row, then they stetted up ropes all around the rail, full of « forbidden » signs. Benny was so keen to land this lipslide that we cut of everything and shot it again
Same story with this spot, we got kicked out 3 times in a row. The inrun was a very steep bamboo field leading to a gap to a tiny roof to then jump on the wall and land in the middle of a school court and students could see us from their classroom window. Not really the ideal set up since we had to hide couple times to not be seen.
Same story again for this spot. We got kicked out 3 times, that was just our daily routine in Otaru. Not for snowboarding thought but just for being around and moving snow from point A to point B. They just don’t get it why we do this. The inrun was very tricky so Dan and Dom had to pull him off with a showel so Benny could get extra speed.We had to be fast again because we didn’t want to get caught by the same police officers again. They are always nice with us but I guess to a certain point. We definitely didn’t want to have the immigration service involved and get kicked out of the country just because we moved snow.
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“We definitely didn’t want to have the immigration service involved and get kicked out of the country just because we moved snow. “
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Severin Van Der Meer INTERVIEW Matteo Rossato
PHOTOS Silvano Zeiter
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Severin Van Der Meer is a silent killer. Nothing more than his riding made him raise to the top of European shred scene, with an impressive and unstoppable progression that brought him from Laax Park runs to the gnarliest backcountry riding with Nicolas Muller and John Jackson. Hi growth was absolutely natural and only driven by his own instinct and will to explore different terrains…and seems like he’s not gonna stop anytime soon. Hi Severin, first let’s talk about your roots. Your surname seems to be Dutch, but you’re full Swiss and there should be some German blood somewhere, too. Yeah, exactly! The roots from
my fathers side come from the Dutch pirates and my moms side is completely Swiss.
Does this description fits you? Grown in the park, moved to backcountry kickers and now full on power backcountry freestyle ripper who loves pillows and drops. Or do you love to consider yourself only a snowboarder? I started 20
years ago just ripping the groomers and side hits. We were a group of friends who just loved snowboarding, there was no bad day, we would always find something to have a good time on. When I first came to Laax I was in the Park a lot because it is just freaking heaven up there, such a playful environment. When there was fresh snow I always chose to hit the resort, though. Nowdays I still love to cruise the park but I prefer to just shred the resort and find some fun wind creatures to get creative on, some pillow tree runs or whatever we find. Really got in to exploring new terrain and finding new spots I haven’t seen before.
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You joined Absinthe films in 2017 with AfterForever, and since then you always got a spot in their movies. How did you get in touch with them? It was late 2015 when Nico asked me if I would be down to film for Absinthe. I loved all the Absinthe films, they got me pumped to ride every year. To be a part of it was always an untouchable dream. Of course I was hyped that Nico asked me but at first it all felt pretty unreal. Until Vlad (Absinthe Euro filmer) called me up and asked me if I wanted join them on a first trip to Nendaz with Mat Schaer and Freddy K: I didn’t think about it twice, packed my stuff and drove into a new chapter of my life.
Absinthe is one of the most iconic snowboard film companies out there, and also one of the last still standing. What do you think about the web-instagram-youtube phenomenon vs classic full length movies? Filming for Absinthe was a
dream come true for me, I grew up watching full length movies. Filming a full part felt unreal for me and I wanted to snowboard and focus on that. I never really stepped on the Instagram/youtoube hype, feels like a big fake show. For this year I decided to do my own
“Nowdays I still love to cruise the park but I prefer to just shred the resort and find some fun wind creatures to get creative on, some pillow tree runs or whatever we find. Really got in to exploring new terrain and finding new spots I haven’t seen before.” project to switch it up a little bit and to have a new challenge.
Still talking about Absinthe, which is - in your opinion - your best section between AfterForever, Turbodojo and this last Isle of Snow? And why? I think my last one from Isle of Snow is the best.
The whole season lined up really good. I started it off with a Japan trip together with the Beyond Medals boys, did some days with Freddi K for his project and filmed a full part with Absinthe. Nothing was really planned but everything worked out really good I didn’t really felt any pressure or something; I just liked how everything went and was happy to be on my board.
Last winter you also filmed for the Laax mini movie Hibernation where it was you and with two living legends like Nico Muller and John Jackson. How was riding with them? What do you love of their attitude and riding? Riding with those
guys is unreal! Such a good vibe, so relaxed, everybody was just hyped to shred. Nico is a smooth as duude and John will always keep the good vibe going.
Switzerland or Japan as best shred destination? We were told us you fell in love with the Land of the Rising Sun. Or are there any other places in your heart? There are so many good pla-
ces but eating ramen, hitting the Onsen, blower pow and just feeling and getting to know the magical vibe of Japan is hard to beat.Getting to know a new culture is always interesting and inspiring. I really appreciate to call Switzerland home though, regarding to snowboarding we have everything around the corner, you just gotta wait and know when to go where.
What’s your position on Global Warming and sustainable living? I think everybody can and
should make a difference. I don’t really like to get told I shouldn’t do something, but I love to get inspired from other people and that’s what I try to do as much as I can. That’s one of the reasons why I wanna make my project in Switzerland. We have everything here so why go somewhere else. I could have gone somewhere tropical to go surf this summer but I decided to get back into rock climbing and went surfing in France. Just enjoy what we have here.
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“I think everybody can and should make a difference. I don’t really like to get told I shouldn’t do something, but I love to get inspired from other people and that’s what I try to do as much as I can. That’s one of the reasons why I wanna make my project in Switzerland. We have everything here so why go somewhere else. ” You also filmed for Alex Tank project Planetaria: how was being featured in a movie with a so different approach compared the average snowboard movies? I was lucky enough to join
them, even if just for an hour. I love when people mix their creative passion with snowboarding. Alex and Fabian are the perfect match, they killed it on that one. So sick! I like to watch full length movies to see all the different styles of the homies but watching stuff like Soft or Planetaria really gets me fired up! That stuff is unique and really shows the magic of a team work.
Your longtime sponsor Ride revolutionized the whole snowboard business with the Pig series, what does make them so different? What other models do you usually ride and why? Switching
up boards really changed my riding. In almost every
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board I tried I could take something out I loved about. Riding the war and super pig just feels like a perfect combination of a lot of things. You can just ride them everyday and you will have a hell of time. My choice right now is the Berzerker, Blauvelt and Ride made an all new board for this year. It really fits to my riding, one of the sickest boards ever!
What are your plans for the current season? As
I said before I have the chance to do an own project together with my friends from Hillton. We wanna do a conceptual short film, keeping it all natural and create something unique. Don’t really want to leak too much, but I’m super hyped to switch it up a little bit and work on something special. Thank you and hope to bump into you guys somewhere in the beautiful Nature.
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Severin Van Der Meer 125°
446 SNOWBOARD EUROPEAN SHOPS • BUY YOUR COPY ON SEQUENCE-MAGAZINE.COM/SHOP ITALY 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 63. 64. 65. 66. 67. 68. 69. 70. 71. 72. 73. 74. 75. 76. 77. 78. 79. 80. 81. 82. 83. 84. 85. 86. 87. 88. 89. 90.
SPORTLER AFFI RIDERS ACTION RAINBOW SWIT SHOP ZEROQUATTRO IMPACT SHOP ALE’S SURF SHOP DF BELLINZAGO LANDI SPORTS DF SIRTORI SUB FLOWER MINOIA STORE FRISCO SHOP SHAPE STORE EMMECI NENCINI SPORT BIG AIR DETOMAS SHOP MANCINI STORE MAXI MERATE WIPE OUT UAINOT CERVINIA 2001 AREA 41 WHITE REEF OLLIE RADICAL SPOT BURNING BOARDS LOVE BOARD SPORTMARKET CRAZY BOARD SNOWYSUMMIT BOARDERLINE 360 SLIDE SHOP POINT DU SPORT DF CREMONA SNOWTIME DF DESENZANO GVM SHOP MORGAN AIR TWENTY FIVE MOUNTAIN LAB GIANNI SPORT DREAMSTORE ON SIDE SNOWGANG SPINNAKER CENTRO SURF SHOP BOARD CORNER A&F COMPANY BIG STONE SPORTWAY PLANET RIDER NAUTICA URBAN QUIKSILVER IMPERIA PLANET SPORT LELE SNOW SHOP SHAPE STORE BRUMA ON THE BEACH EAST WIND BOTTERO SKI ZONE DF LISSONE MAXI LISSONE MOUNTAIN RIDERS SPORT ADVENTURE NENCINI SPORT GRINGO LM STORE SPORT 3TRE THE GARDEN SCHOOL DODI’S ON SIDE SPORTIME MUD & SNOW DALL’ORSO BOARDRIDER SUPERSKI DANDO PIPE PRO SHOP HARLEM MELEGNANO FAKIE TECH SHOP SNOWBOARDMANIA BURTON STORE MILAN DF MILANO PLEASURES RADICAL BASTARD STORE MARGOT FACTORY STORE
AFFI AFFI ALBA AOSTA BARDONECCHIA BARI BASSANO BELLINZAGO BERGAMO BEVERADISIRTORI BOLZANO BORGOSESIA BRESCIA BRESCIA BUSNAGO CADREZZATE CALENZANO CAMERANO CANAZEI CASTEL DI SANGRO CERNUSCO CERVIGNANO CERVINIA CERVINIA CESENA CESENA CHIETI CHIOGGIA CLES CODROIPO CORNUDA CORRIDONIA CORRIDONIA CORTINA COTRONEI COURMAYEUR CREMONA CUNEO DESENZANO DOMODOSSOLA EUPILIO FALZES FIDENZA FIORANO FIRENZE FOLGARIDA FORNO DI ZOLDO GENOVA GENOVA GENOVA GIANICO GIULIANOVA GRAVELLONA GROSSETO IGEA MARINA IMPERIA ISEO L’AQUILA LECCO LIDODITARQUINIA LIGNANO PINETA LIMONE PIEMONTE LIMONE PIEMONTE LISSONE LISSONE LIVIGNO LIVIGNO LIVORNO LODI LONATO DEL GARDA CAMPIGLIO CAMPIGLIO MAGIONE MALÈ MANTOVA MARANO SUL PANARO MARGHERA MARIA PIETRASANTA MARINA DI MASSA MARINA DI RAVENNA MELEGNANO MERANO MEZZOLOMBARDO MILANO MILANO MILANO MILANO MILANO MILANO MILANO
91. 92. 93. 94. 95. 96. 97. 98. 99. 100. 101. 102. 103. 104. 105. 106. 107. 108. 109. 110. 111. 112. 113. 114. 115. 116. 117. 118. 119. 120. 121. 122. 123. 124. 125. 126. 127. 128. 129. 130. 131. 132. 133. 134. 135. 136. 137. 138. 139. 140. 141. 142. 143. 144. 145. 146. 147. 148. 149. 150. 151. 152. 153. 154. 155. 156. 157. 158. 159. 160. 161. 162. 163.
NEURO SHOCK EXTREME THIRD GENERATION OBEREGGEN DF OLGIATE DF ORIO HOBBIT SHOP CREMA SPORT ALTERNATIVE SHOP PARMA SPORT THE BOFF PAPER SURF MAKAI SURFSHOP EIGHT SIX DF PIACENZA TOMMY SPORT ONBOARD BLACKOUT FINDY DREAMSTORE BOARD ROOM BUGS SHOPS DEKA UPPER TREE60 HOSTILE SHOP SURF SHOP SURF PARADISE KAHUNA QUIKSILVER ROMA CITY BEACH REKORD FRONTSIDE 100 - ONE BANZAI SURF SHOP SNOWLIMITS NEW WHITE SHARK DF SAN GIULIANO FRESH FARM SPORT TENNE UNICO SPORT GIUGLAR PUNTO SPORT KAU KAU MAT SHOP 3SIXTY SWITCH SHOP LORI SPORT RED CAB DOLOMITI ADVENTURE BOARD STYLE HOT ICE MAXI SESTO SURF SHOPPE LIL FAKIE MAZZUCCHI MAKE MERRY BLU SURFER PROMOSPORT STRIKE JOLLY SPORT GRASSI SPORT JIMMY SURF SHOP TEDDY PALOMINO CATTI SPORT PURA VIDA ZOO PARK SPORTANGEL RIDER SHOP DETOUR SLIDE BY DETOUR PROSPORT BRUMA STREET STYLE LIQUIDO
MODENA MODENA MONDOVÌ OBEREGGEN OLGIATE OLONA ORIO AL SERIO OVINDOLI PADOVA PARMA PARMA PASSO DEL TONALE PESARO PESCARA PIACENZA PIACENZA PIASCO PINEROLO PINEROLO PINZOLO PISTOIA PORTO SAN GIORGIO POZZA DI FASSA PRATO PRATO PRATO NEVOSO PRATO NEVOSO RICCIONE ROMA ROMA ROMA RONCHI DEI LEGIONARI ROSETO DEGLI ABRUZZI ROVERETO S. MARINELLA SALUZZO SB DEL TRONTO SG MILANESE SM DEI MUCCHIETTI SAN VALENTINO SAN VENDEMIANO SANT’AMBROGIO SAPPADA SARZANA SARZANA SAUZE D’OULX SCANDICCI SCHIAVON SCOPELLO SELVA DI VAL GARDENA SENAGO SERRA SAN QUIRICO SESTO SAN GIOVANNI SESTRIERE SILANDRO SONDRIO SPOLETO TERAMO TORINO TORINO TORINO TORINO TORINO TORRE DEL LAGO TRAVERSETOLO TURANO VARESE VELLETRI VERANO BRIANZA VERONA VERONA VICENZA VITERBO VITERBO
GERMANY
164. 165. 166. 167. 168. 169. 170. 171. 172. 173. 174. 175. 176. 177.
PULSSCHLAG SURF&SNOW CENTER HILIGHT BLUE TOMATO BLUE TOMATO PLANET SPORTS BERLIN DER BERG RUFT BOARD MONKEYS NO LIMIT PLAN-B FUNSPORT FREERIDE BOARDSHOP BLUE TOMATO SKI-ARENA BLUE TOMATO
AACHEN AUGSBURG BALINGEN BERLIN BERLIN BERLIN BERLIN BIELEFELD BIELEFELD BOCHUM BOLSTERLANG BONN BRANDENBURG BREMEN
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178. 179. 180. 181. 182. 183. 184. 185. 186. 187. 188. 189. 190. 191. 192. 193. 194. 195. 196. 197. 198. 199. 200. 201. 202. 203. 204. 205. 206. 207. 208. 209. 210. 211. 212. 213. 214. 215. 216. 217. 218. 219. 220. 221. 222. 223. 224. 225. 226. 227. 228. 229. 230. 231. 232. 233. 234. 235. 236. 237. 238. 239. 240.
SURFSHOP CHAR. BIKER BOARDER EASTSIDE RAILSLIDE PLANET SPORTS BRETTLLADEN WILD EAST THE BOARDER SHOP WAREHOUSE ONE BLUE TOMATO PLANET SPORTS RAILSLIDE BLUE TOMATO EDGE 2 EDGE SPIN LOOP DAILY MILK! BLUE TOMATO FREERIDER SHOP PLANET SPORTS BRETTWERK BLUE TOMATO SPORT KAUFMANN POWSTORE PLANET SPORTS NUBUK SPORTS BLUE TOMATO PLANET SPORTS SURFLINE KIEL BLUE TOMATO PLANET SPORTS SPORT GRUNER PLANET SPORTS FOLLOW ME STORE PLANET SPORTS S’BRETT BLUE TOMATO PLANET SPORTS PLANET SPORTS QUIKSILVER SANTO LOCO BURTON STORE BLUE TOMATO WESTSIDE WESTSIDE SURFING PANORMA BOARDS PLANET SPORTS BLUE TOMATO BOARDBANDITS WSM FUNSPORT MISTERSKI BLUE TOMATO POWDER FORCE ADRENALIN BLUE TOMATO BLUE TOMATO WIND BALANCE RIDERS HEAVEN BLUE TOMATO BLUE TOMATO FIFTY-EIGHT BLOWOUT ENDLESS WINTER
BREMEN CHEMNITZ CHEMNITZ DARMSTADT DRESDEN DRESDEN DRESDEN DÜSSELDORF DÜSSELDORF ESSEN FRANKFURT FRANKFURT FREIBURG GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN GÖTTINGEN GÖRLITZ HAMBURG HAMBURG HAMBURG HANAU HANNOVER HANNOVER HASLACH IM KINZIGTAL HEIDELBERG HEIDENHEIM KARLSRUHE KARLSRUHE KIEL KÖLN KÖLN KONSTANZ KREFELD LÖRRACH MANNHEIM MANNHEIM MÜNCHEN MÜNCHEN MÜNCHEN MÜNCHEN MÜNCHEN MÜNCHEN MÜNSTER MÜNSTER MÜNSTER NEU-ISENBURG NÜRNBERG OBERHAUSEN OBERWIESENTHAL OLDENBURG PADERBORN PASSAU PFORZHEIM REGENSBURG REGENSBURG ROSENHEIM SAARBRÜCKEN SAARLOUIS SONTHOFEN STUTTGART TRIER ULM WÜRZBURG ZWICKAU
AUSTRIA 241. 242. 243. 244. 245. 246. 247. 248. 249. 250. 251. 252. 253. 254. 255. 256. 257. 258. 259. 260. 261. 262. 263. 264. 265.
UNDERGROUND MOREBOARDS BLUE TOMATO ALTON STORE HOTZONE.TV HAMMERSCHMID BLUE TOMATO BLUE TOMATO MOREBOARDS BLUE TOMATO BURTON STORE BURTON STORE DIE BOERSE MOREBOARDS MOREBOARDS XDOUBLE MOREBOARDS MOREBOARDS MOREBOARDS BLUE TOMATO BETABOARDS MOREBOARDS LIVID SPORTS GREEN ROOM MOREBOARDS
ALTENMARKT AMSTETTEN BREGENZ FELDKIRCH GERLOS GMUNDEN GRAZ GRAZ GRAZ INNSBRUCK INNSBRUCK INNSBRUCK INNSBRUCK INNSBRUCK INNSBRUCK INNSBRUCK KIRCHBERG KLAGENFURT KUFSTEIN LIENZ LINZ LINZ LOFER MAYRHOFEN MAYRHOFEN
266. 267. 268. 269. 270. 271. 272. 273. 274. 275. 276. 277. 278. 279. 280. 281. 282. 283. 284. 285. 286. 287. 288. 289. 290. 291. 292. 293. 294.
MOREBOARDS MOREBOARDS BURTON STORE BLUE TOMATO MOREBOARDS BOARD.AT BLUE TOMATO BLUE TOMATO BLUE TOMATO BLUE TOMATO BLUE TOMATO MOREBOARDS SUPA SURFER MOREBOARDS MOREBOARDS MOREBOARDS BLUE TOMATO MOREBOARDS BLUE TOMATO BLUE TOMATO DIE SURFINSEL FAME BOARDSHOP MOREBOARDS MOREBOARDS MOREBOARDS HANG LOOSE MOREBOARDS BLUE TOMATO LA RESISTANCE
MAYRHOFEN NEUSTIFT PARNDORF PASCHING PASCHING SAALBACH SALZBURG SCHLADMING SCHLADMING SCS VÖSENDORF SEIERSBERG SÖLDEN ST. ANTON ST. PÖLTEN STEYR TELFS VILLACH WELS WIEN WIEN WIEN WIEN WIEN WIEN WIEN WIEN WIENER WÖRGL ZELL AM SEE
SNOWLIMIT AGANÉ DOODAH DOODAH BLUE TOMATO DOODAH LONGBOARDER SURF MACHINE RADIX ETTINGER BURTON STORE DOODAH TRANZPORT BACKDOOR TREELEE BURTON STORE BURTON DOODAH RADIX LIESTAL BLUE TOMATO DOODAH LEVITATION MANLY PURE WILD ONE ELEMENT PLAYGROUND ONE 80 VICTIM CIRCLE CLOUD 9 BLUE TOMATO JULEN SPORT DOODAH ZUG BURTON STORE BLUE TOMATO DOODAH RADIX
QUIKSILVER L’IMPREVU SNOW HAWAII SURF MONTAZ GRAND CENTRAL ESPACE GLISSE BOARDRIDERS ATELIERDUSNOW SUPER WHITE LESPIEDSDANSL’EAU ADDICTED AINAY BOARD MASSILIA PICTURE PRO AVALON RIDER GLISSE PASSION SLOPE STYLE THE WOODS QUAI 34 URBANSURFERPARIS BOUTIK ZAO BOARDRIDERS LA LUGE SLIDE BOX TURBULENCES BLACK CATS RIP CURL
HOSSEGOR ISOLA 2000 IVRY SUR SEINE LA RAVOIRE LAVALETTEDUVARS LABENNE LAPORTE ANGLET LES 2 ALPES LES 2 ALPES LONS LYON LYON MARSEILLE MEGÈVE MERIBEL MONTPELLIER MORIÈRES MORZINE MORZINE NICE PARIS HOSSEGOR ST. JEAN DE LUZ SAINT-BON-TARENTAISE STRASBOURG TARBES TIGNES TOULOUSE
ANDERMATT ARBEDO-CASTIONE BAAR BASEL BERN BERN BIEL/BIENNE BULLE BURGDORF DAVOS DORF FLIMS GENÈVE GENÈVE GRINDELWALD HOCHDORF LAAX LAUSANNE LAUSANNE LIESTAL LUZERN LUZERN MARTIGNY MORGES SAANEN SAAS-FEE SCUOL ST. MORITZ STUDEN WERDENBERG WINTERTHUR WINTERTHUR ZERMATT ZUG ZURICH ZÜRICH ZÜRICH ZÜRICH
FRANCE
377. 378. 379. 380. 381. 382. 383. 384. 385. 386. 387. 388. 389. 390.
BACKINBLACK BURTON STORE DAKTAK LA GENERAL TACTIC SURF BOARDRIDERS SURF 3 FREEBOARD HALF PIPE STYLING WHITE DAYS GREEN COW MOMBI SURF DIAMOND SNOW
424. 425. 426. 427. 428. 429. 430. 431. 432. 433.
THE SNOW ASYLUM FINCHES EMP SUBVERT THE SNOW ASYLUM THE SNOW ASYLUM THE SNOW ASYLUM SNOWFIT ODYSSEY THE SNOW ASYLUM ABSOLUTE SNOW
MADRID ESCALDES MADRID BARCELLONA BARCELLONA BARCELLONA LAS ROSAS S’AGARÓ PUEBLA LEÓN BILBAO MADRID MURCIA SALARDÚ EZCARAYLARIOJA
THE NETHERLANDS
BELGIUM 434. 435. 436. 437. 438. 439. 440. 441. 442. 443.
ONE LOVE LA GLISSE YETI BOARDS WEST-SITE STOKED SZONE SURF’IN PACIFIC STAES SPORT THE BOARDSHOP
444. BURTON STORE 445. HELSINKI SURF SHOP
DOWN TOWN EUROFUN BEHIND THE PINES MK SKI SERVICE BURNSIDE CAER REVERT 95 BAUM SPORT THE TUBE FREESTYLE EUROFUN MOUNT RUCPHEN MOUNT TERNEUZEN SNOWCOUNTRY CELLBLOCK VAN BELLEN EUROFUN UNCLE’S DUIJVESTEIN
ANTWERPEN BARCHON GENK GENT HALLE LOKEREN LUXEMBOURG MECHELEN MOL WATERLOO
HELSINKI HELSINKI
CZECH REP. 447. 448. 449. 450.
RIP CURL ZLIČÍN RIP CURL PORÍČÍ RIP CURL CHODOV RIP CURL STORE
PRAHA PRAHA PRAHA PRAHA
PORTUGAL 446. BOARDRIDERS
391. 392. 393. 394. 395. 396. 397. 398. 399. 400. 401. 402. 403. 404. 405. 406. 407. 408. 409.
LONDON LONDON MANCHESTER MANCHESTER MANCHESTER MILTON KEYNES NORWICH SUFFOLK TAMWORTH WALFORD
FINLAND
SPAIN
SWITZERLAND
295. 296. 297. 298. 299. 300. 301. 302. 303. 304. 305. 306. 307. 308. 309. 310. 311. 312. 313. 314. 315. 316. 317. 318. 319. 320. 321. 322. 323. 324. 325. 326. 327. 328. 329. 330. 331.
349. 350. 351. 352. 353. 354. 355. 356. 357. 358. 359. 360. 361. 362. 363. 364. 365. 366. 367. 368. 369. 370. 371. 372. 373. 374. 375. 376.
ERICEIRA
’S-HERTOGENBOSH ALBLASSERDAM AMSTERDAM BILTHOVEN DEVENTER GRONINGEN HARLEM HENGELO MIDDELBURG ROOSENDAAL ROTTERDAM RUCPHEN TERNEUZEN TERSCHUUR UTRECHT WILLEMSTAD ZEVENHUIZEN ZIERIKZEE ZOETERMEER
ENGLAND 332. 333. 334. 335. 336. 337. 338. 339. 340. 341. 342. 343. 344. 345. 346. 347. 348.
RIP CURL TECNIC ESPORT QUIKSILVER BURTON RIP CURL GLISSE BURTON QUIKSILVER AVENTURE SPORT ADVENTURE WOOD BOARD BOARDRIDERS ZERO G BOARDRIDERS SWITCH 5 BOARDRIDERS MERCYDISTILLERY
ALPE D’HUEZ ANDRORRA ANNECY ANNECY ANNECY AUBIERE AVORIAZ BIARRITZ BORDEAUX BORDEAUX BOURGLESVALENCE CAPBRETON CHAMONIX CHAMONIX CHATEL CORDOVILLA GRENOBLE
410. 411. 412. 413. 414. 415. 416. 417. 418. 419. 420. 421. 422. 423.
THE SNOW ASYLUM THE SNOW ASYLUM THE SNOW ASYLUM BOARDWISE THE SNOW ASYLUM THE SNOW ASYLUM THE SNOW ASYLUM FREEZE PRO SHOP THE BOARD BASE THE SNOW ASYLUM DEVINE RIDE SICK AND WRONG THE SNOW ASYLUM SURFDOME
AVIEMORE BRAEHEAD BRISTOL CANNOCK CASTLEFORD CHELMSFORD CHESTER EDINBURGH EXETER FORT WILLIAM HALESOWEN KESWICK, CUMBRIA LIVERPOOL LONDON
IF YOU WANT TO HAVE SEQUENCE IN YOUR STORE WRITE TO US: hello@hand-communication.com
TEXT
Matteo Rossato PHOTO
Lenadro Eigensatz & Severin Van Der Meer by Silvano Zeiter
I want to dedicate the last words of this second issue to a thought that has been buzzing in my head for some time and that I now feel I want to share. I will certainly attract someone’s dislikes, but I would like at least these to spark a reflection, because there is nothing offensive in what I am about to say. Let’s start with “the” question: does the figure of the Pro rider still exist as it was considered 20 years ago? Honestly, if I think of Shaun Palmer, Terje Haakonsen, Peter Line and more recently Travis Rice, Nico Müller and Gigi Rüf, or our Italian stallion Giacomo Kratter, in the modern panorama I can no longer find terms of comparison. Be careful, I’m not referring to talent, which perhaps is present today far more than it was two decades ago. I am not talking about human or personal value: I can say that I recently met young professionals with truly brilliant minds. I speak of that aura, which usually surrounds actors or artists of a certain caliber, that charisma that transcends the intrinsic value of the human being and the athlete and that characterizes
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the, well… the character. I wondered if this charisma was real, or perhaps the result of an artifice put up by the brands, which once raised their athletes to the rank of semi-deity. Maybe. But then, recently, I happened to talk to some of the names mentioned above and I clearly perceived that aura, as if it were a background noise. So what is the truth? I honestly don’t know. Maybe the concept of rockstar is no longer so contemporary, or perhaps it never existed, or perhaps there is still no room for the untouchables in a simple and tangible world like snowboarding. After all, isn’t it perhaps better to be able to interact easily with riders that you usually see in videos and magazines without feeling in awe? Maybe after all, it’s better this way. What do you think about it?
Word out.
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