Method 16.4

UNION BINDING COMPANY

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02.12.2015 23:02

MARK MCMORRIS Rides the Process,

13Things.com/McMorris

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02.12.2015 18:10

photo: Cyril Mueller

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02.12.2015 18:11

Ethan Morgan

From the contest circuit, to the streets of Scandinavia, to the backcountry in his backyard of Austria, Ethan can do it all.

When jibbing, he rides the Disaster 151.

For bigger park features and backcountry, he hops on the Boss 157.

portrait: Cyril Mueller

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02.12.2015 18:11

WHATS YOUR COMBO? Turn off the lights and discover our new glow in the dark binding parts.

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11.11.15 15:52 02.12.2015 18:13

16.4 HELL-O

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photo ANDY WRIGHT

spot HAINES, ALASKA

trick DEFYING DEATH

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16.4 HELL-O

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photo OLI GAGNON

spot QUEBEC

trick FRONTSIDE BOARDSLIDE

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SLASHSNOW.COM

PHOTO > MAXIM BALAKHOVSKIY, HELIPRO.RU / RIDER > GIGI RÜ

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01.12.2015 11:07

O.RU / RIDER > GIGI RÜF / LOCATION < ICE-WHALE, GREENLAND

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01.12.2015 11:08

16.4

Final issue of Volume 16. If you’ve missed any, try a local shop, or digital copies can be found at Issuu.com/Method_Magazine

EDITOR: Mike Goodwin michael@methodmag.com

PHOTO: JÉRÔME TANON

SENIOR EDITOR: Chris McAlpine chriso@methodmag.com SENIOR EDITOR: Lukas Lengle klaus@methodmag.com ART DIRECTOR: Maciej Przezak PWEE3000.com FRENCH EDITOR: Julien Mounier

EDITORIAL

WEB WIZARD: Klaus Lotto

Peace, y’all!

METHOD TV: Kristofer Fahlgren

I’m not always a huge fan of the web series, as they sometimes seem to be produced simply to fill space or to compete in the constant clamoring match of Internet content, but when a good one comes along, man is it nice! A reoccurring fix to keep you going. Airblaster’s “Side Hit Society” series has been just that, masterfully blending a well thought out theme, a killer team, and heaps of good times and strong riding to produce a series that doesn’t need to be a precursor to something larger or excuse itself with a qualifying title. This bad dog lives just fine on his own!

I’ll save the speech, but with all the negative and evil shit we have going on in this world (from all corners), this park scene is a prime reminder of the opportunity, seemingly small, though possibly profound, we have as snowboarders to improve this place. Snowboarding has given us a chance to get away from the world, if just for a bit. Pass the outlet on to someone else. Whatever your motivation: genuine empathy, the spirit of the New Year, the last sliver of goodness clinging in your cold heart, a desperate grasp for good karma or some misguided inclination to actually listen to what I tell you to do, go out of your way to get, or keep, someone hyped on boarding this year. Set a newcomer up with some of your extra gear, help a kid in the park with something he’s hung up on, offer a stranger a ride to the hill, at the very least, ditch the phone and talk to people on the lift. Be a decent human. Hook a homie up!

But beyond the tweaks and the plants, the hand-shaped rhythm sections and the DIY attitude that we all love from this crew, I was particularly psyched on a scene in the Boston episode, when the guys take the time to hang with some local kids in a city park who’ve never boarded before, let them try snowboarding with their gear, and eventually initiate the kids as honorary members of the Side Hit Society with a See ya on the other side, patch and all once they “landed” their first - Mike air. (see Side Hit Society | Part 3 – Boston on MethodMag.com).

COVER

“This was right at the end of my last morning session. J Rob, Lucas Debari and Manuel Diaz did a few lines on the face next to this and the clouds were rolling in super fast, but we talked the pilot into doing one more quick bump to hit this super rad spine triangle. Manuel sent a frontside grab just before it sucked in and everything turned black. Then I went home!”

Cover photo and words: Oli Gagnon

STORY

Camera: Nikon D4s Lens: Nikon 24-70 f2.8 Aperture: f11 Shutter speed: 1/1600 ISO: 400 Rider: Manuel Diaz Trick: Heavy approach to frontside grab Spot: Haines, Alaska on “Three Amigos” Date: April 14, 2015

THE APPRENTICE: Oscar Ladd CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS: Sani Alibabic, Kyle Beckmann, Ben Birk, Carlos Blanchard, Ryan Bregante, Alex Colorito, David Craig, Bud Fawcett, Joel Frasier, Oli Gagnon, Matt Georges, Kyle Gibson, Liam Glass, Jussi Grznar, Annie Mac, Cole Martin, Kyle Martin, Cyril Müller, Mihail Novakov, Chad Otterstrom, Jesse Paul, Michiel Rotgans, Tim Schiphorst, Kealan Shilling, Wouter Struyf, Joe Suta, Daniel Tengs, Andy Wright, Rudi Wyhlidal, Mike Yoshida, Silvano Zeiter, Dominic Zimmermann, Zizo CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Patrick Armbruster, Ben Birk, Tim Eddy, Kealan Shilling, Yawgoons

PUBLISHER: Method Media Ltd CEO: Chris McAlpine CTO: Steve Dowle FINANCE DIRECTOR: Steve Dowle ADVERTISING: Chris McAlpine chriso@methodmag.com Skype: chrisomcalpine +46 729 338 556 Distribution: Steve Dowle steve@methodmag.com PRINTERS: AJSP printing services Vilnius, Lithuania DISTRIBUTION: Spatial Global Ltd Spatial House Willow Farm Business Park Castle Donington Derby – DE74 2TW United Kingdom -----------------------------------------------------METHOD MEDIA LTD Regency House 2 Wood Street – Queen Square Bath – BA1 2JQ Tel: +44 (0)871-218-2268 Copyright 2014 Method Media Ltd. No liability is accepted for the accuracy of the information contained herein, nor are any guarantees given by the magazine.

Copyright worldwide of original material is held by Method Media Ltd and permission must be obtained for any use, transmission, storage or reproduction.

Opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily shared by the publisher.

Method Media Ltd assumes no responsibility for the loss or damage of unsolicited material. Thanks for choosing Method Mag. We sure hope you like it!

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16.4 REVENGE OF THE BONER

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a sad day when we have to bring a close to another chapter of boned-out poetry, but we find solace in riders like Arthur Longo who have vowed to keep the ink flowing, putting the pursuit of the poke ahead of more trivial concerns. Mr. Longo has curated a remarkable gallery of high speeds, massive airs and unique tweaks over the years, artfully demonstrated by this backside 360 tuck knee in the French backcountry. Until we meet again in Volume 17, the Boner tales unwind at Methodmag.com.

P h o t o : A n dy Wr i g h t

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photo: Tero Repo

SPARK XV “For twenty years, Deeluxe has been breaking trail for those who love chasing powder and exploring the mountains.“ XAVIER DE LE RUE [#deeluxesince1996]

DEELUXE.COM fb.com/DEELUXEBOOTS #DEELUXEBOOTS @DEELUXEBOOTS

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16.4

- Ride a bicycle - Watch Arrested Development - Complain about my knee 5 habits - Popping my ankle - Meticulous shoveling at spots - Checking the choke on my bike multiple times - Tapping my head - Biting nails

FIVE THINGS

5 ways to get a cop to leave a spot - Try talking with ‘em - Offer to clean up/fix the spot when done - If that doesn’t work, just leave and try again another time 5 unwritten rules of life - Go at your own pace - Surround yourself with good people - Appreciate your time with said people - Have a sense of humor - Listen to Black Sabbath 5 regrettable expenses - Hospital bills - IRS bills - Tickets to the Om show I missed - Overweight baggage - Bottled water 5 hangover cures - Raking - Sleep - Watch a horror movie - Park Cafe - Work through it D. O. P. E . F S l ip i n S L C

PHOTO: KYLE BECKMAN N

5 laws of HCSC diggers - Work - Don’t be late - Get on the bus - Vacation song - Enjoy snowboarding 5 strangest things you’ve seen in Government Camp - A truck dragging a couch on fire - Shooting at the Summit - The Dingo - Dab Grandma - Roobs said something nice once

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5 people banned from Charlie’s Mountain View (Govy bar) - Surprisingly, no one I know 5 most watched snowboard films - Lame - Back in Black - Pop - Patchwork Patterns - Love/Hate 5 things you were able to do without an ACL - Wear an uncomfortable knee brace all day - Snowboard

5 places you hate taking a shit - I’m fairly comfortable taking a shit in most places.

5 riders to keep an eye on - Vinny - Johnny Brady - Jack Harris - Matt Ruhle - Oliver Dixon 5 dreams - Getting my stolen motorcycle back in perfect condition - Never getting injured again - Skating the new Rhodes Skatepark in Boise - Cheap, gratuitous amounts of gourmet nachos - Cruising around on motorcycles all the time

03.12.2015 20:30

JESS KIMURA PRO

PURVEYORS OF THE WILD LIFE

WWW.CAPiTASNOWBOARDING.COM

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16.4 CRUNCHING NUMBERS

Deep Dayze and tree tranny

P:Tim Zimmerman

PHOTO: JOEL FRASER

Years you’ve run Dayze with your brother?.........................................................................................................................................................................

Average number of times you say “Yabai” during a session?....................................................................................................................................

Percentage of the time Westerners pronounce your name correctly?..................................................................................................................

Number of Americans you’ve seen arrested in Japan? .................................................................................................................................................

Number of Deeluxe pro model boots?.....................................................................................................................................................................................

Full parts you’ve filmed?.................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Number of all-concrete skateparks near your hometown of Tatsuno Hyogo?................................................................................................

Dimensions of your perfect bowl/pool?.................................................................................................................................................................................

Different hairstyles you’ve seen Jake OE rock?...................................................................................................................................................................

Times you’ve been scared at the 1817 house?.......................................................................................................................................................................

How many cars do you own?........................................................................................................................................................................................................

How many cars have you crashed?............................................................................................................................................................................................

Total number of islands in Japan?............................................................................................................................................................................................

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P:Tim Zimmerman

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01.12.2015 18:38

16.4 85% BULLSHIT

Order up! This one’s on the house! Welcome back to another steamy serving of “85% Bullshit”, a one-column addition to the Method menu where we exploit the rampant unaccountability that the almighty Internet has helped disseminate. In the dish below, a chefs’ favorite, we’ve tossed together a Michelin-rated blend of baseless accusations, unfounded rumors and misanthropic musings and topped it with a sprig of undeniable truth.

Knock your shoes at the door, will ya? There’s enough crap in here already.

All live webcasts should feature male nudity.

Lucas Magoon won every rail jam in 2007.

In addition to producing their own content, riders will soon be expected to press their own decks.

What many people don’t know is that the hoverboard was invented years ago.

The inventors called it a snowboard.

El Nino is the only immigrant welcomed by a majority of Americans.

USE BLEACH TO KEEP YOUR GOGGLES FROM GETTING FOGGY. SIDE EFFECT: YOU MIGHT NOT SEE THROUGH THE LENS ANYMORE. It’s totally fine if you don’t help build a spot and try to just show up to ride it. But it’s also totally fine if people then tell you to fuck off.

Vail Resorts will be opening a skiing, boating, and tennis resort in 2017. Membership fee: Investment bank account info and first-born son.

Many resorts offer each guest a free beer on opening day. You just need to ask with a smile.

Sarcasm is hard on Skype.

We will send a Method tee to the first person who sends us a video of the “Nacho Cheese Challenge” in the park. (Think, “Ice Bucket Challenge”. One gallon of cheese or more, or we’re cutting the sleeves off)

OLD ONBOARD COVERS MAKE FOR THE BEST CIG FILTERS. “SAFETY MEETING” IS THE BEST YOU COULD COME UP WITH?

Trump pushes mongo.

BUILD MORE DIY PARKS!!!

After extensive analysis in Volume 15, it was confirmed that there is indeed a boy who can swim faster than a shark. *Unable to verify condition of said shark.

No one gets snaked by accident.

You asked for it.

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FREDI KALBERMATTEN p: Tim Zimmerman

lib-tech.com

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Keep one eye open.

Matt Coughlin Miller Flip P H O T O : J O E S U TA

Josh Careolla shaking children from their dreams. FS lip in Colorado PHOTO: CHAD OTTERSTROM

Behind every rad company is a solid crew. How did this wild herd come to be?

(Joe Suta, Owner) Frustration. “Snowboarding” is under the impression that it invented itself and that is a horrible lie. Snowboarding has stolen everything from skateboarding. The snowboard industry points you in the direction of overnight trends and invents cures to which there is no disease. Nightmare has created a company that exists within a community that fosters the cult of snowboarding without a resort and without rules.

You guys run everything yourselves?

We question the answers and answer to no one.

What’s helped you maintain steady growth without taking on a corporate investor or partner?

Nightmare understands that not everything has to be pretty and not everyone has to agree. We are not here for the masses, and we are not in the same “race” other companies put themselves in. We’ve had interest from outside investors but we cannot cause change if the bottom line is always the dollar sign. We only build the amount of snowboards we want to sell in an already over-saturated market. While that might not be understood as a solid investment for capital gain, it is a solid investment for snowboarding to remain in the hands of snowboarders for a little while longer.

You’ve got a super cool shop/warehouse/ramp/party spot. What advice would you give to another crew that is interested in opening up their own warehouse?

Shake your landlord’s hand upon signing a new lease.

You will both smile. A few months into it, you’ll hate each other. We use the shop/warehouse as a community space with a mini-ramp, screen printing, editing space, full cut-and-sew facility and “all things” Nightmare workshop.

Be prepared to stay dirty and to continue cleaning up everyone else’s mess. In between all of that, everything is perfect. Continue climbing the ladder of success dressed in the costume of failure.

What made you call your latest video, The Last Champions? Is this how you view Nightmare within the grand snowboard scheme?

Nightmare stands as the ugly truth behind the snowboarding industry’s beautiful lies.

Do you have any collabs with other brands or artists in the works for this year?

We have done a collaboration snowboard with The Hundreds, SIMS asked us to create the Terry Kidwell 1985 re-issue round tail, next season’s board lineup will feature a collaboration graphic with our friends in the band Mount Salem and we just finished our Ashbury/Nightmare collaboration goggle.

Are your boards pressed in-house?

We divide board production between our own Nightmare manufacturing facility and our partnering manufacturer at GP87. Paul McGinty had recently left his position at Ride/K2 as their head snowboard engineer and stumbled right into a position at Nightmare. Paul insures that Nightmare builds superior snowboards at the highest level of quality in the Universe, by any means necessary on a global level.

Describe your worst nightmare?

Having a snowboard trade show in the U.S. that is actually organized by the ski industry.

Who is the mastermind behind the board designs?

It is always somehow a group effort, however I get the privilege of putting the final hammer down. I’ve had a list of “shit I thought would be a cool graphic on a snowboard” since I was 12 years old. Nightmare is slowly knocking that list down.

How and where can your products be purchased?

Consume or doom at: www.RIDEtheNIGHTMARE.com. Our Japanese distributor is Maneuverline, our UK distributor is the OldSkoolAgency and we are in select retailers throughout the United States.

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In the movie Happy Gilmore, Ben Stiller famously tells Happy’s grandmother to “Go to sleep, or I will put you to sleep.” The Nightmare guys can get pretty lively, how would you suggest putting a rowdy crew to sleep?

Nightmare does not take naps.

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PRODUCTION VALUES

What is The Impaler, exactly?

Snowboarders and cameramen with like-minded interests.

Down for us? We’re down for you.

out and participate. Our videos have always had long rosters because we are never exclusive about who comes with us.

Is there a mag, as well?

We have a publication that is released whenever we put out a full movie. It consists of the year’s photographs taken while filming for that project.

You guys are down with the lo-fi movement, were you influenced by other flicks or are the filmers just broke?

Snowboarding is cool no matter what it is filmed on. Fact is, amongst us full-time workers and students the Mini DV cams are more affordable.

All of us here appreciate a good standard-definition movie.

Who produces everything under the Impaler name?

Well, that’s not a simply answered question, in fact there are so many people involved it’s hard to name everyone without forgetting somebody.

Mainly, Brett Spurr, Sam Duncan and Chris Duncan for video. For photos, Stephan Jende and Jesse Paul are the men behind the magic.

What else have you guys produced?

You Know My Function, Working for the City 2, The Impaler Video and years of videos online from before we all linked.

The Impaler DVD includes some goodies. Is that part of an effort to reinforce the sentimental value of hard copies?

Absolutely, we all grew up on it. There is nothing quite like receiving a hand-addressed package from someone.

Who doesn’t like stickers?

What regions will you invade this winter?

Hopefully we’ll make a trip north and link with some Where’s the HQ? Your reach Canadian crews. There is also a seems to be pretty wide. group of powder hounds traveThere is always a place every- ling to Japan in January to one hangs at. Right now that is film for The Impaler Vol.2.

St. Paul, Minnesota.

If The Impaler could conquer The list of riders involved but one thing in this world, with The Impaler seems to be what would it be? never ending. What did you Manufacturing Mini DV tapes, have to threaten to rally such maybe? a large army?

Minnesota has a big scene Rules for survival… and we have invited a lot Be true to your friends and of genuine people to come family.

Cole Linzmeyer, rare roast beef PHOTO: STEPHAN JEN DE

Jesse Paul casting more rail wizardry.

50-50 to FS lipslide in Chicago PHOTO: STEPHAN JEN DE

Young gun Luke Zajac navigating a tricky 50-50

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P H O T O : J E S S E PAU L

03.12.2015 11:07

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# M A D E W I T H L O V E F O R S N O W B O A R D I N G

Dylan Vachon over Edmonton OG, Layne Treeter PHOTO: DAVID CRAIG

Bet a lot of people think it’s Suck R Dicks? Kinda like an “S our D” usage?

Yeah, we get that a lot. It’s pretty savage. Jack Lawrence’s mom even thought that it was for a bit. We are trying to clear things up about that!

Average age of the crew?

We did the math - it’s 20!

How do you all know each other? Where’s home?

Most of us met at our local hill, COP. It’s an icy little hill on the edge of Calgary. The rails are so sticky we have to regularly spray Pam on them so we could slide sideways. The majority of us who grew up in Calgary met at a young age through Riders on Board, a local snowboarding club. We met Dylan (Vachon) just through boarding around Alberta. Most of us live in and around Calgary and Edmonton, with the exception of Dylan and Lucio (Doglioni Majer), who are posted up on the West Coast.

Do the D.O.P.E. guys play a Godfather-like roll in central/western Canada?

Of course. All the D.O.P.E. movies are so good. D.O.P.E. III stands out as one of the best Canadian snowboard movies ever. Seeing them do tricks on local spots made us want to go out and hit them ourselves.

If you guys were a hockey team, how would the team be?

We probably wouldn’t be the worst. The majority of us all played hockey when we were kids. Some of the boys were pretty into it when they were younger. They figured it out though!

Who would have the toughest slapshot?

Probably Dylan, although Jack would come in a close second.

And who would handle the rough stuff?

Jack would be the man for the job.

TOM O’REILLY 50-50 GAP OUT PHOTO: LIAM GLASS

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Would you go to jail for the homies?

That’s a tough one. Probably not. Could we roll as a squad?

Suppose you could if you all fucked up. OK, would you ski race for the homies?

Definitely not! It just doesn’t look like a good time. We all can agree on this!

Will there be another video, SRD Volume 4. Vol. 4 is heavy territory.

Yes, of course! We want to get after it this year. We actually filmed some clips earlier today! You got that right, super heavy territory. That would be a bold move. A full movie to Black Sabbath, maybe? Who knows?!

01.12.2015 18:44

© 2015 SP UNITED • GOPRO, HERO, the GOPRO logo, and the GoPro Be a Hero logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of GoPro, Inc.

16.4 POSSE PAGE

L to R: Kyle Larson, Tom O’Reilly, Finn Westbury, Brett Mills, Josh Powell and Jack Lawrence

Ski Racer Die, huh? Why don’t you tell us how ya really feel?

The name originally came from riding COP (Canada Olympic Park) at night, where massive ski-racing clubs would all converge to train and they’d bring their jock mentality with them. One pre-season, COP built a ditch and Tom (O’Reilly) slammed in it and a ski racer came in and full on landed on him. The ski racer then proceeded to ride away without as much as saying a word to Tom! Another young COP local at the time, James (Leal), came up to Tom and pitched the idea of “starting a crew called Ski Racer Die”. It stuck and as the rest of us all got more into snowboarding, we just joined in on the movement. It’s ironic because some of us are actually really good friends with ski racers. No real hard feelings there!

© 2015 SP UNITED • GOPRO, HERO, the GOPRO logo, and the GoPro Be a Hero logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of GoPro, Inc.

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COAL

P H O T O : B U D FAWC E T T

The poser photo of Burton rider Keith Wallace, whose nickname in the eighties was “Duckboy”, was shot at Craig Kelly’s house in Bend, Oregon during the ISM (International Snowboard Magazine) West Coast snowboard test hosted at Mt. Bachelor Ski Area in 1987. The crew assembled for the test was Keith, Mike Ranquet, Craig Kelly, Kelly Jo Legaz, Shaun Palmer, Terry Kidwell and a few others.

KLAUS’ CORNER

16.4

Scott Stevens in the Uniform SE Fall / Winter 2015 collection in stores now.

Photography by Mark Welsh coalheadwear.com - @coalheadwear

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COAL HEADWEAR

METHOD MAG 16.4

160mm X 225mm

BRAD SCHEUFFELE

01.12.2015 18:50

16.4 HOLY SHIT

I

n the late 1980s, the Alpine Plunge was a preferred method of capital punishment for repeatedly violent criminals in mountainous areas. Considered to be most humane at the time, a convict would be whisked to the top of the steepest, most craggy peak in sight, where a shortage of oxygen would cause mild-to-severe cerebral hypoxia, often inducing a euphoric feeling. On this high, the offender would ride a wooden plank over the edge where the lack of oxygen and intense G forces left him unconscious as he embarked on a “pain free” plummet to a snowy grave. It wasn’t until humans of a different nature, maniacs impervious to the effects of height, with minds able to comprehend the steepest of descents - like Jason Robinson - proved that there are indeed beings who can not only survive such drops, but expertly navigate them time and again with a marksman’s precision, that new methods of execution were sought in these regions.

PHOTO: OLI GAGNON

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02.12.2015 22:06

32_MET

FEATURING

WWW.THIRTYTWO.COM

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02.12.2015 22:06 11/9/15 11:29 AM

16.4 (F)ART PAGE

P H O T O S : M AT T G E O R G E S

What makes the Vans team unique, and a good subject for a project like FIRSTLAYER? (Matt Georges, photographer) I have nothing to do with the team or any of the marketing decisions at Vans, but I have to say, they have a very good variety of riders from different backgrounds and horizons, which makes the team really sick. Shooting them was perfect because I knew I would get good results. I’ve known all of them pretty well for years so that makes things easier to shoot, too.

Maybe we can call it mutual trust or something.

Is this meant to be some sort of undressing of the Vans team? What inspired the title?

The title of the project, “FIRST LAYER,” just came to be after a brainstorm between the marketing manager, the team manager and I. Last year, Vans was out for one season due to a factory issue, if I’m correct, so it was their first winter back with fresh products, a new team, etc. First layer is a familiar term for all snowboarders; it keeps us warm, it also makes us excited when the first layer of snow is finally here, and it made sense in a Vans context, as well, coming back for the first year.

METHOD16.4_FART.indd 40

Will it be only your photographs in this book? How’d ya land that gig?

Yes, it’s only my photographs.

Pretty cool, huh!? They gave me carte blanche and didn’t ask for any product placement at all. It’s very nice to work like this and take care of a print project from A to Z. Last year I launched my own publishing house called THE.DIRTY.DOGS. and produced the first eponymous volume, a handbound DIY coffee table book. Lots of other projects are in the pan for 2016 and already, 2017.

Did you have a particular agenda going in? Were there certain shots, or a certain flavor or style of photograph you were looking to attain?

The project evolved with time throughout the season, but I knew I would have five different trips with the Vans crew last winter. We went to Lapland for a street mission, then to the Southern Alps in a mountain hut.

Then we spent some time in Arlberg after a good snowstorm, went to Wolle’s home in the Zillertal, to Italy on an Absinthe trip and to Argentina and Chile more recently, this past September. Anyway, I usually like to keep a certain style for each trip, whether it is a particular analog format or a particular photo tone. Mixing all those styles in the photobook was definitely

not an easy task. Lots of compromises had to be made.

What stocks and features did you choose for the book?

It’s a 24 x 21 cm soft cover, perfectbound photobook. 100 pages, fourcolor offset print with matte varnish on the whole book, inside and out.

We are printing 5,000 copies with a 115g inside paper and 250 limited edition deluxe packages with a 190g inside paper. This deluxe pack comes with a set of five limited A5-size postcards and a flat USB stick with the Vans short movie, all wrapped up in a cool packaging. The classic version will be available for free worldwide in selected Vans stores and shops, while the deluxe edition will be sent to 250 lucky VIPs. The book is part of a larger release, including the movie, correct?

The book comes out at the same time as a snowboard movie from the Vans European riders. It’s a 12-minute short movie, which will be released for free online after the premiere on Dec. 19th at the House of Vans in London, along with a photo exhibition and the launch of the photobook.

01.12.2015 19:04

TOR L U NDSTRO M IN THE

J ET PAC K

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01.12.2015 19:04

16.4 FLASHBACK

Michi Albin, hailing from Pontresina in the Engadin Valley, spearheaded a new breed of Swiss freestyle riders that emerged on the international contest scene in the mid ‘90s. Pipe Dragons weren’t invented back then and usually the riders all helped smooth out the transition before the contest, or even dug a custom-made channel into the wall like at this Swiss Cup Contest back in 1996 in Davos. Michi dominated the big air events around the word until the end of the ‘90s and early ‘00s. Besides his riding talent, he is one kind of character - very amiable on one hand, and very loose on the other. There wasn’t a trip where he didn’t lose his passport, miss his flight, lose the prize money or just end up with another story that’d crack everybody up. He very much embodied what snowboarding stood for at this time.

WORDS AND PHOTO:

PATRICK ‘BRUSTI’ ARMBRUSTER

BR PHOTO

1994

1974 1965

How about the Burton logo? Michi swinging dong all over Davos

1989

1971 1969 1982 1983

AIRBL

042

#SID

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01.12.2015 19:05

GLACIE

BRANDON COCARD PHOTOS: VANESSA ANDRIEUX

AIRBLASTER GLACIER COLLECTION & SIDE HIT SOCIETY MOVIE AVAILABLE THIS FALL

@AIRBLASTER MYAIRBLASTER.COM

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METHOD16.4_.indd 43 GLACIER_METHOD_AD_2015.indd 1

LEN JØRGENSEN PHOTOS: DANIEL TENGS 01.12.2015 19:05 11/5/15 6:13 PM

16.4 FRESH MEAT

FRESHMEAT

Apparently the name for rails like this is a hotly contested. Americans might call it a waterfall. Euros might call it a step down. Or vice versa.

Let’s just call it a win for this Postland recruit. Roel boardsliding the proper way – between the feet

From where does your blood run?

I’m Roel van Oosterhout, 23 years old and currently living in The Hague, The Netherlands. Originally I’m from the south, where I learned how to snowboard in the domes.

What’s in your blood?

Snowboarding, obviously, surfing and music. I’ve been listening to BADBADNOTGOOD a lot lately.

It’s amazing! Oh, and watching documentaries about pretty much everything.

Who are your blood brothers?

All the Postland crew and homies!

What gets your blood pumping?

Bitches and crack.

If you were bleeding out, what would be your last mission?

Check my Facebook and Instagram feeds.

PHOTOS:TIM SCH I PHORST

Worst bloodshed?

I haven’t really had anything that bad. I broke my wrist once, but I didn’t really notice it at first because I had been bruising it a lot at the time. Montana is icy! I had a delivery job bringing around appliances and when my wrist started hurting a lot more from carrying all the heavy stuff I went and got it checked out.

What makes your blood run cold?

I went riding in the streets for the first time last season. Before riding a spot, it’s quite normal to get a bit anxious, but big closeouts man, I just hate them.

Blood on my hands…

Wouldn’t say there’s really something I’m that guilty of. We sure steal a lot of stuff at bars, though, but you might say that’s almost implied if you’re snowboarding.

Got any bad blood?

I’m way too slow at getting ready to go to the mountain, or just in general. I’m pretty much late all the time. People are starting to catch on to that, which gets them all agitated and shit. Mi scusi! I’ll get that sorted.

Who keeps the blood flowing?

Shout out to 686 and Rome SDS for having my back the past couple of years, to ThirtyTwo for hooking me up with boots and, of course, to Bonk Suburban Supplies for getting me out there!

Written in blood…

Thanks for hooking me up Mikey. If you’re back for Rock A Rail next year, I’ll get you a “broodje kroket” from Piet Patat!

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01.12.2015 19:06

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01.12.2015 19:06

16.4 PORTRAIT: WOUTER STRUYF

FRESH MEAT

Trammer the Jammer, bringing home the bacon with a 2nd place finish at Rock A Rail 2015 in The Hague PHOTO: MICH I EL ROTGANS

FRESH MEAT

From where does your blood run?

I’m Kevin Trammer. I’m 21 years old and I live in Houthulst on the west side of Belgium. I used to play football but then I had my first snowboarding experience in the fridge and since then I haven’t been able to think about anything else.

When I was still in school we did some nice trips during the holiday to different ski areas. I really loved Mayrhofen because of the Vans Penken Park. You can do a lot of laps and you see everyone shredding when you’re on the lift, just like at the indoor. That’s why we decided to do a season there. We went there for two years and now we’re in Innsbruck because it’s a bit closer to other areas and has such a nice atmosphere and nice parties.

What’s in your blood?

I really love snowboarding and the atmosphere around it. I also like partying and drinking a beer or two. In the summer I go fishing with my dad at our local lake in Houthulst. I really love animals, so I love a day at the

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zoo, as well. I enjoy wakeboarding and this year I started wakeskating, too.

Who are your blood brothers?

I live in Innsbruck with the Belgian homies and in the summer I shape with the Snapback shape crew in the indoor! I also like to shred with the Innsbruck locals.

What gets your blood pumping?

I love the feeling when you land a new trick. I also enjoy going super fast on the slope. Going upside down on a snowboard feels funny, too. I have the same feeling when I go fast and upside down on a rollercoaster.

If you were bleeding out, what would be your last mission?

Having a party on the moon with all my friends. You are all invited, but you better bring oxygen or it will take your breath away.

Worst bloodshed?

I broke my arm on a trampoline once and this summer I bruised my ankle

skateboarding. That’s why I started fishing, but that also went wrong because I got a fishing hook in my finger.

What makes your blood run cold?

I’m afraid of having a bad injury.

Losing my parents or friends frightens me, too.

Blood on my hands…

I bite my nails sometimes.

Got any bad blood?

I don’t like violence. I hate it when people are fighting. Also, a boring day freaks me out. Hangovers are not my best friend either.

Who keeps the blood flowing?

Twits Boardshop, StepChild Snowboards, Switchback Bindings, Vans and Volcom.

Written in blood…

I want to thank Thierry for driving (and riding) with me. I also want to thank my parents for all the support.

Shred it!

04.12.2015 11:48

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01.12.2015 19:07

16.4 FRESH MEAT

FRESHMEAT

PO R T R A I T :

ALEX COLORITO

Flanny leaning some big-league weight into this tailpress back 180 P H O T O : J E S S E PAU L

From where does your blood run?

My name’s Aidan Flanagan. I am 20 years old, from Minneapolis, Minnesota.

What’s in your blood?

I am a full-time student at the University of Minnesota Duluth. Besides snowboarding, I like to be outside fishing or skateboarding.

Who are your blood brothers?

The Impaler Crew.

What gets your blood pumping?

Finding new spots, then getting a shot at the spot you found.

If you were bleeding out, what would be your last mission?

Catch a 10 lb. largemouth bass.

Worst bloodshed?

Broke both my wrists separate times snowboarding.

Broke my jaw playing hockey.

What makes your blood run cold?

Hitting a spot for the first time. For a lot of the stuff we hit, if you don’t slide the rail far enough, or air over something, you could take a really good slam.

Blood on my hands…

Being impatient. I always want to be doing something and to be on the move.

Got any bad blood?

Just snowboard to snowboard and have fun with it. Go out and get it.

Who keeps the blood flowing?

StepChild Snowboards, 32, Hobo Headwear, Common Apparel, Ashbury and Cal Surf.

Written in blood…

Thank you to everyone who has helped me get where I am at today, especially my family and friends.

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03.12.2015 11:09

B P 2

SC

W E N D N BRA TS C U D O R P 6 1 2 0 SCAN here

find our pro shop here: Austria, 6281 Gerlos, Hauptstrasse 177 Tel. +43 (0) 5284/52 50 www.hotzone.tv info@hotzone.tv

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01.12.2015 19:08

photo: m.lämmerhirt Lucas Magoon, trendsettin’ P H O T O : M I K E YO S H I DA

Before you call it the lazy man’s way of doing a handplant, beware that it’s not even a handplant.

It’s a forearm plant and deserves a designation of its own. The forearm is a fascinating and often neglected part of the body. It offers ample space to plant, push or punch objects like fences, doors or faces. And honestly speaking, the Goon-Plant (sic) looks pretty relaxing.

BLU

BERL BONN BREG BREM ESSEN GRAZ HAM

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03.12.2015 00:25

Bringing

photo: m.lämmerhirt

BRINGING

SNOWBOARDING

TO YOUR DOORSTEP

BLUE TOMATO SHOPS | BLUE-TOMATO.COM/SHOPS BERLIN BONN BREGENZ NEW! BREMEN ESSEN GRAZ HAMBURG

INNSBRUCK COLOGNE LIENZ LINZ MUNICH MUNICH OUTLET OBERHAUSEN

OBERTAUERN ROSENHEIM SALZBURG SCHLADMING STUTTGART TRIER VILLACH

VIENNA NEUBAUGASSE VIENNA ROTENTURMSTR. VIENNA SCS WÖRGL NEW!

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f /bluetomato 01.12.2015 18:31 04.11.15 08:42

16.4 RADAR

P H O T O : O L I G AG N O N

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01.12.2015 16:08

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01.12.2015 16:09

Like a paranoia-addled speed freak, the Method Radar never sleeps. Scoping and probing the depths of the universe, our laser tentacles are generally tuned for riders who are breaking out in some major way.

Yet sometimes, an astronomical phenomenon of Herculean proportions will cross our path and completely obliterate our space-scanner. Louif’s part in Déjà Vu’s Encore does just that. This vessel blew our baby to bits. Everything about the part - his creativity and eye for spot selection, fast, fluid approach, and flawless execution - secure him the final blip of Volume 16, and one of the strongest street parts in recent memory. Get on it!

16.4 RORSCHACH

You just got back to Gothenburg from Stubai, where everyone seems to have been hanging lately. Stubai has a cool early season park and they also have the big, pay-to-ride line in the Prime Park. What’s the vibe like in there?

It’s vibey as shit. It’s two really big jumps that you pay 200 euro a day to hit. Everybody’s teams are paying for them, but it kind of sucks for those of us who aren’t part of a national team. It’s two really nice jumps though, there are just so many coaches and it seems like every single kid is sending triples. Lots of walkie-talkies, national team jackets and Colgate sponsor signs (laughs).

No, it’s not that bad. We like all the snowboarders; it’s just a different vibe kind of with all the coaches around.

Outside of that they do have a quad line of jumps that are a solid size and really good, and on the other side is a smaller park with small jumps and a bunch of rails. It’s nice and mellow.

054

that would attract people to move or visit there. Just something cool, pretty much. He reached out to me and asked if we should do some kind of snowboard contest or something on the hill because the hill is pretty much one of the coolest things they have in that little town. We said fuck yeah we should do a snowboard contest! But not a little one - we wanted to try to send it from the beginning and see how it goes. We worked on it and handled most of the organization and he was helping us shape the idea. Then a couple months later a new project leader came in, Johan Schmeling, and Kevin, Johan and I, along with one girl from the commune, pretty much organized everything together.

Will you be moving up to Laax before that?

We are moving to Laax on the 15th of December and will be there for four months. Pretty much when it opens to when it closes. They are a sponsor of BYNDxMDLS and they hooked us up with an apartment in Laax so we can There will probably be fewer coaches at the Ale Invite, kind of make that our home base for the season. We will what’s the news with this year’s contest? be driving around Europe from there and taking a trip to We are going to have it on the 13th of February. We kind Japan and the States, but we will mainly film in Laax if of just got it all set up and ready to go. We are going to it’s good. It’s so sick there! They have everything: the park, make it larger than last year, with a larger event area a big pipe, backcountry, pillows and also spots to build where we can open up the jump a little big and give more big jumps. That resort is way bigger than you would space for the audience. We will be building the jump out think. of dirt this time so it will be much easier to just cover it with snow. In a lot of ways it’s pretty much the same Surely there will be a lot of people rolling through. thing as last year; there will be live acts, beer tents, a live Any house rules? stream and all that. It’s going to be a big party.

Not going to have any house rules, but we are going to take good care of the place for sure. We’ve got a bunch Don’t think anyone would expect anything less from of dudes who are going to come film with us and try to you and Kevin. Give us a quick explanation of how the put together parts for the video. We’ve invited Brendan Ale Invite started. Are you working with the Gerard, Sebbe de Buck, Ulrik Badertscher, Dave Djite and municipality?

Max Buri. They are going to try to put together parts, and There is a guy, an artist, who I know a little bit and he then we are going to try and hook up all the homies who got hired by the town of Ale to create something there want to come film as well.

16.4_TOR.indd 54

01.12.2015 16:07

Dude’s got the world in the palm of his hand, literally. Master planter, fully extended in Iceland PHOTOS: CYRI L MÜ LLER

Will you be putting out just the movie or will you continue with the episodes, too?

We are going to do episodes as well. We will be releasing four episodes, one in January, February, March and April, but we will be saving all the A shots for the movie and really focus on the full-length video, as we have more homies filming for this one. The episodes will still feature a lot of snowboarding, but there will be more behind the scenes stuff. There will still be plenty of snowboarding in the episodes; you can’t save everything. It will build up to the movie I guess.

That would be a great feature, hitting the boats a bunch of nights in a row.

Yeah, a boat road trip. (Laughs) Try out all the boats and give them a ranking.

Fuck, there’s our next feature! Well, one more for ya on the topic of travel. Since you’ve got a globe tattooed on your palm and have done your fair share of traveling, which destination has been the most different from what you are used to and why?

Definitely either Russia or Chile. Just how different those two places are from each other is fucking crazy. It’s kind of hard to put a finger on it and explain why, but I’d say the There are usually other entertaining scenes or mentality of the people and, I don’t know, I guess just how moments you can show, like when you took the party it looks, is much different. Russia was really different than I boat from Sweden to Estonia on the Sexual expected. You think they’re all badass and they might have Snowboarding/BYNDxMDLS tour. What happens on this tough, maybe kind of rude reputation, but they are those boats anyway? really nice and really welcoming to tourists. They helped That was the weirdest fucking thing. I had actually never been on one of those before. Maybe once when I was a kid. us out so much. It’s amazing there and everything is so big.

It’s a much different world than what I am used to. Chile It is just like a floating party. You get in there and there as well, it’s maybe even nicer there. The people are so nice, are casinos and stages with live acts and it’s just a party and you might think it would feel kind of sketchy walking all over. You walk around, get fucked up, get some food, maybe go to bed, and next thing you know it’s the morning around Santiago at night but it really doesn’t. Of course there are areas where it is sketchy but overall it’s nice. At and you are there. Nice way to travel. It was maybe like least that is the impression that I got. China too, actually.

10 hours but just felt like a little party and then you are there. A lot of people go on those boats just to party, not for I guess everywhere is different (laughs). It’s good, though, because you have these preconceived ideas of how people transportation. There are ones that go from Stockholm to are and how their societies are, but when you get there and Helsinki, Gothenburg to Denmark… They go all over. are right in it and it all works out, you realize that people are just different and they find what works for them.

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04.12.2015 11:50

16.4 RORSCHACH

Gap back lip homage to the Knowbuddies PHOTO: COLE MARTI N

PORTRAIT: KYLE MARTI N

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02.12.2015 23:49

Is your name really Paul? We noticed the email address.

No, Paul is my middle name. Named after my Pops. Tommy is my first name.

Who is the greatest “Paul” of our generation?

Well, I’d have to go with my Dad, Big Paul Gesme.

Would you change your name to anything else?

Nah, I like Tommy.

What would someone have to give you to get you to shave your head?

My head is a little big so I like to keep it covered. I’d shave it for a good cause, though.

Best dudes to rip with?

Tilly, Craig, Andy P, Sammy G, King, Derrek, Tanktop, Keeks, Stink, Maui, Strange Brew, Skudda Mansion, KTC, Mocha, The Impaler, MAKE… All the boys.

Do you have a VG tat yet? VG to infinity?

No VG yet but Big Mike gave me a Keep The Change tattoo last summer that I’m hyped on.

KTC/VG to infinity.

Is Keep the Change coming back?

Shit never left.

What’s going down with you and the Big B this season?

Burton dropped the Knowbuddy program, which was bittersweet. I appreciate the history I had with Burton but am excited to see what the future holds. Currently I am riding a Salomon snowboard and loving it.

What did you think when you saw Jordan Morse and Brady Lem with the DC “Somebody” boards?

I grew up with Brady and I’ve become good friends with Jordan and I’m hyped to see them succeed. They are “Somebodys”.

Any comment on the whole Knowbuddy thing?

Not really, I appreciate everything they did for me. They got my foot in the door.

Ever think you’d be filming for VG? No way. I grew up watching Videograss. I’ve always looked up to that whole scene. There are a lot of Minnesota boys I grew up riding with in it and it’s surreal to be a part of that project. I still can’t believe that I got to be a part of it, so thankful.

16.4_GESME.indd 57

Were you on the road with any of the VG veterans this year? How did the whole experience compare to previous films you’ve worked on parts for?

I started my season in Minnesota. There wasn’t much snow but we were making the best of it. I was filming with Jed, Marben, Fronius and Danimals. Those guys are vets, for sure. I spent the rest of the season with the “KTC” guys. Mark Wilson, Derrek Lever, Colton Feldman and I spent the next three months filming together. We met up with Layne Treeter in Canada and he synced up for the season, too. It was an amazing season and I had a ton of good times with everyone involved. Cheers boys.

That shot in this new VG part where you 50-50 the flat rail, ollie the fence to the down rail is so fucked. Did you get that pretty quickly? Can’t imagine a bail on that would go too well.

That might have been one of the more stressful spots I hit all year. I was getting the in-run dialed and the D.O.P.E. crew rolled up right before I hit it. I was about to hit that spot in front of a handful of guys I looked up to. That shit was crazy.

Tell us about that nosebleed when you hit your head at the beginning of Homage? Is that the gnarliest headshot you’ve taken?

Those stairs were slick. I ended up hitting the back of my head so hard that my nose started bleeding. I was fine, but definitely a scary situation.

What’s your take on helmets?

Wear them.

What are you working on this year? Doing some stuff with Dragon at the moment?

I’m currently filming on the We Are Frameless tour with the Dragon boys. I recently got on the adidas Snowboarding am team so I’ll be working with them and Videograss this year, which I am so hyped on.

Is afterbang back in? Feel like we are seeing it again more and more.

I don’t know?

What’s your favorite Gucci song?

Gucci Tarantino.

Film with drones or punch some cones?

Drones are dope.

Who is Thomas Shitt?

My nickname I got from my boy, Cole Taco.

He’s a god in the old CKY videos.

01.12.2015 18:29

15

AVAILABLE NOW

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PHOTO: KUSKE

METHOD16.4_METHOD AD.indd 58

03.12.2015 12:06

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03.12.2015 12:07

16.4 MYPORTFOLIO

Self Portrait: Solo Pow Day in the Backcountry. Brighton, Utah, 2009

For me, it’s not just about capturing moments; it’s about pushing boundaries, exploring, discovering, and immersing yourself in a culture. I’ve been a snowboarder since I was an obsessed little 12-year old pubescent, so photographing snowboarding always came naturally. It was harder when my interests as a photographer turned to other things, but I’ve applied many of those same principles from shooting snowboarding to other subjects. It’s easy to understand a culture when you’re part of it. I’ve always tried to dig a little deeper with my subjects, or push myself into uncomfortable places for something unique, similar to when you’re dropping in to hit something you’re not quite sure about. Trusting yourself and your abilities is huge. I think you can learn a lot from the lessons snowboarding teaches you.

Whatever you’re passionate about, just get after it. Time’s going by, you know. Find something you like and do it the best you possibly can. Learn everything about it. Even the parts you don’t like, be good at those, too. Love snowboarding. Love Method. Thank you guys for the opportunity.

Most of these images were shot on film and never published for one reason or another...

- Kealan ( kealanshilling.com)

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01.12.2015 16:04

Basa Stevulova while shooting for Roxy in Quebec, 2013

Joanie Robichaud, photographed with her dog Bobby in Quebec, 2012

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01.12.2015 16:04

16.4 MYPORTFOLIO

Riding behind Eric Messier getting wild on some warm-up laps while shooting for Spring Break Snowboards at Mt. Bachelor, Oregon, 2012

Jordan Mendenhall and Will Tuddenham greeting each other on a pow day at Brighton, Utah, 2009

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01.12.2015 16:05

Laura Hadar’s boots during the LoveHate/Burning Bridges years, Utah, winter ‘06/’07

Desiree Melancon with Danyale Patterson (unconscious) after getting knocked out while filming for the Roxy street movie, 2012

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01.12.2015 16:05

16.4 POST-OP

I N T E RV I E W : M I K E G O O DW I N

You’re in the hospital right now. Who’s on stronger drugs?

I wish I was. I couldn’t sleep last night. They didn’t take the IV out so I was like, might as well start complaining so they’ll give me something. They did and I didn’t feel anything. I told them again around midnight, “Well, that didn’t help,” and they gave me something else, but I didn’t really feel that either. I am bumming out. I thought at least if I had to do this I would get some morphine or something, be tripping balls and seeing crazy things around the room (laughs).

Did you wake up with that weird, post-surgery boner?

Ya know, with like, your family standing around?

That would have been so sick actually (laughs). No, I woke up by myself, just the 15-year-old kid who is also in the room with me watching TV. No awkward family boner. Are we just jumping into this interview or what?

Yeah. I figured we should jump into it since they might kick you out at any moment.

(Laughs) Oh, sick! All right, nice.

Kind of a shit situation, you being in there, but it’s got to be better than waking up in a mental hospital?

When did I wake up in a mental hospital?

Could of sworn I heard a story about someone looking for their hotel room, banging on doors...

Oh! That was me, actually!

Well, now we’ve got to hear it.

Let me just scroll back in my brain memory here. We were in Reykjavik, Iceland, - Halldor, me, Jaeger Bailey

16.4 POST OP.indd 64

and Johannes. We were at a bar and sent it super hard. I blacked out and puked on the bar. We were all supposed to stay with a homie. He gave me his address and sent me in a cab, telling the cab driver, “Please make sure he gets into my apartment.” I am all fucked up and don’t remember anything and the driver drops me off at this guy’s apartment. He doesn’t check if I get in or anything, so I just walk around the apartment building and knock on every fucking door screaming, like, “Let me in! I am fucking cold!” Eventually, a janitor comes out, starts yelling at me and calls the cops, or something. So I am like, “Fuck this. I am out of here.” That’s what must have happened, though I don’t have anybody to verify it. Next, I run to this other hotel. They were super pissed off at me because I was super wasted and they eventually kicked me out as well. I was pissed off so I started showing my penis on the security camera...

Of course.

Classic, I know. I ended up walking into another building. It had sliding doors, and it was warm, so I walked in and fell asleep on a chair. At this point I am starting to remember things and a janitor comes out all pissed off. He didn’t speak much English. He tried to kick me out and I am like, “You know what, fuck you. I am not going to freeze to death out there. I am going to stay in here and I am going to chill.” He calls the cops and they show up, look at me, and just start laughing so much, like, “You are so fucking stupid! You just walked into a mental hospital and tried to sleep there. There’s a hotel over there.” Of course, it’s the same hotel where I got kicked out and showed them my penis. Needless to say, they didn’t let me back in so I took a cab to another hotel and passed out there and that was the end of my

03.12.2015 20:34

Snakes on a mothafucking plane?! How about gaps on a mothafucking frame! Ethan AJ Freeman Morgansen brings a burly A-frame ollie PHOTO: SAN I ALI BABIC

ordeal. Although, the next day, Halldór woke up in a jail cell so drunk, Jaeger woke up at a bus stop 40 minutes away from Reykjavik at the airport without his bags, and Johannes woke up in a conference room in a hotel at like four o’clock in the afternoon. He got kicked out because they had to do a conference.

Well played! So what happened to ya, bud? What did you break? It was at Rock A Rail, right?

Yeah, it was at the rail jam. It was mid-finals and I was trying a trick that I had already landed, kind of. I tried to back 180 onto the double kink and went a little too far over the rail and just straight taco’d it. I realized right away that I couldn’t feel my arm anymore. I couldn’t feel it at all. I hit it like right on the funny bone and that is what broke off. It’s nothing crazy, it’s just right where the nerve is so it was kind of nasty. After what happened at Frontline, where I slammed on the stairs at the beginning of the finals as well, I was like, fuck, I can’t stop now. With the arm you can still kind of ride, so I said, “fuck it, I will just keep on riding.” I didn’t really notice it. We sent it all night and in the morning my elbow was huge.

What’s the diagnosis?

Six weeks. I will be riding again in January, not that bad.

So it all starts off there, and should be a good season.

Just a little road bump. Before we jump into this season, was the “Ethan Morgan Sponsor Me Tape” a joke or not?

It definitely wasn’t a joke (laughs). I was definitely looking for something. Obviously the Nike thing is over, and I had

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some other sponsors drop me as well. I think it helped, so I am hyped. It was a fun idea and kind of panned out perfectly in that I didn’t have to put any logos in there.

Nike sponsored the whole tape but was just like, “Yeah, you don’t need to put a logo in since we are no longer investing in snowboarding, marketing-wise. This is money to help you out at least for this year.” That was super cool of them.

Hear that, y’all? Nike helping a homie out.

Exactly, they are helping us out. I can’t hate on Nike at all.

They were definitely trying their best to make it happen for all of us, to make it work out well. It sucks what happened obviously, and the corporate bullshit that is going on up there, but I’ve heard some rumors that they already regret it.

Is the sponsor tape working for anyone anymore? Like, do you think there are team managers out there still watching sponsor tapes or do they just wait on the Internet until someone blows up.

Maybe I gave it a little bit of a push!

You’re bringing the sponsor tape back.

I am bringing it back! Actually, Torgeir Bergrem sent me this link to a guy called Dan Winslow - The Dan Winslow Sponsor Me Tape. You have to check it out. I should have actually based mine more on that guy. He is taking it to the next level of sponsor me tapes. But yeah, I’m sure most team managers look around the Internet to see what’s coming up if they want to sign new riders, so it’s always

03.12.2015 20:34

16.4 POST-OP

Frontside 540 off a Reykjavik roof

PHOTO: DOMI N IC ZIMMERMAN N

worth a shot. I think it’s sick. I always like to watch season edits from riders. There are lots of edits these days so it’s hard to make it, but if you send it hard enough, go wild and have fun then anything can happen.

Keep trying kids. So you’ve got the sponsor tape, and the Nike deal is done, but you just landed a Monster deal, right?

Yes sir.

Does that mean that Monster now has to be worked into the RV juice recipe? Most of the major consumers of it are on Monster: Halldor, Eiki, you...

I guess so, but I guess there never was a rule on it. You could maybe switch out the Coke for Monster. A whole new level of RV Juice.

For your sponsor tape ender, where you ride down the hood of a car to front lip on a down bar, who gave you the car?

That was my little brother’s car. The car cost 200 bucks, I think, and my dad was like, “You know, your brother Corey is in the U.S. right now and I don’t think we really need that car anymore so you can use it for whatever you want.” We started coming up with ideas and that

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idea came up. It’s funny because I was just chilling at my parents’ house in Mittenwald. We hit the car from the roof of a hut by our house, had a big family dinner, and then Dani (filmer) and I went back out at night. My other brother, Sean, came to help and my sister Annika came with us to shovel. Sean was up all night driving the car and he had just got out of the hospital because of his knee. It took a bunch of tries and a beer to get the shot.

But yeah, that spot is the legendary spot in my hometown. It was the first street rail Flo (Corzelius) and I ever hit. It took me three days to make it to the end (laughs).

Really blows a drop-in ramp or a bungee out of the water.

For sure. Oh, we’ve got some nurses coming in.

(Speaking German with nurses) OK, we’ve got a couple minutes. It’s been widely reported that you are the first person to do a 1260 in sweatpants. Is this true?

Yeah, they already wrote me into the Guinness World Records. So hyped!

02.12.2015 23:20

Switch BS 7, sans sweatpants (at least for now!)

PHOTO: DOMI N IC ZIMMERMAN N

What other records you looking to set in your sweatpants?

Maybe first guy to ever jump a pow jump in sweatpants.

That’s probably the next goal, but it will probably suck because the snow just sticks to your pants like a snowman.

But, it’s probably cool.

That’s right! Any idea who you will be ripping around with?

I am not exactly sure but I think it might be Nils Arvidsson and Ludde Lejkner. That’s going to be fucking dope, actually. I am hyped. I think Sami Luhtanen as well. He’s a beast.

Or once you are hiking out and they are completely frozen and no longer bend.

Thanks for bringing that up. I didn’t even think of that part.

With that crew you will probably be hitting some of everything, I’d imagine?

Probably. Now that it starts for me in January, I am thinking I want to jump straight into pow and then do street on the side. I’ve never tried to do it that way. Normally you start off with street and get caught up with street until it really snows and then you do pow stuff. I’m thinking I will do pow and bring a street board with me and on bad weather days just film in the street. Then you can also do late season, spring street riding up in higher regions or you never know, up in Sweden or somewhere further north.

Maybe I will change it up a little bit this year but I will just see how the plan rolls out for the Method movie.

It’s irrelevant because you are going to land it first try.

Everything that happens after that doesn’t matter.

I heard some people wear their sweatpants to the strip club, for obvious reasons. Are you one of these guys?

To the strip club? That makes a lot of sense. You know, just prove a point on what’s going on down there.

You haven’t really gotten your money’s worth on a lap dance until you’ve done it in sweatpants or gym shorts.

True. Oh my god... Portland I am coming in hot with the sweatpants. Casa Diablo, what’s good?!

I know things are still up in the air a bit with all the changes, but this surgery is not a season ender and you will be back before too long. What do you want to get done this year?

Well, I am now fully committed to the Method movie so that’s up there.

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Just get that sweatpant order in and you’re set.

Exactly. I’ll just have to spray it with some Gore Tex spray or something like that. Something a little bit better. That’s a secret, though. Can’t say that, that’s soft. I want my pants to freeze up!

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03.12.2015 11:43

JOURNAL ENTRY AND PHOTOS: BEN BIRK

MALE VOICE: “Wake up. Wake the fuck up. We have to go. We have to go right now.”

VOICE IN MY HEAD: “What time is it?”

VOICE IN MY HEAD: “What time is it?”

MALE VOICE: “I know it hurts, but we have to go.”

FEMALE VOICE: “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

MALE VOICE: “For real. Get the fuck up right now! Let’s go!”

FEMALE VOICE: “I’m sorry. I hate to do this to you.”

Will, Jonas and Gerry sportin’ that ‘16/’17 line

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03.12.2015 11:43

Gerry in the financial district unveiling his diverse frontside grab portfolio

I

’m sleeping on a brick fireplace. It’s 8:30 a.m. The voice attempting to stir us from our slumber is Brendan Gerard’s. Will Bateman has his head in a white garbage bag with an intensely foul smelling stomach vile pouring out of it, and Jonas Michilot is asleep close-by on the floor next to the only couch in the small, studio apartment.

Collectively, we gather our belongings before being rushed into the hallway on the top floor of a building built in 1860 in Beacon Hill, which is where the social elite of Boston, like Jon Kerry, live. With no elevator we are forced to walk the stairs, which from the top, look like they twist endlessly downward in a steep dizzying manner. Making our descent in full snow gear with heavy backpacks induces a sense of vertigo and overheating. We stumble out the front door and are refreshed with a blast of cold air. Once the initial sickness wears off, the shock starts to set in.

We just drank our whole first day away out of excitement. Not that you shouldn’t. It’s just what we did, and that’s where we found ourselves - 8:40 a.m. on the streets of Boston, Massachusetts, hung the fuck over, in the middle of the biggest snowstorm on record* with no place to sleep, no car, no friends and one mission. Find snowboards, meet people, shred the city! *(110.6 inches total for the winter - the most ever

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recorded in Boston - with 64.8 inches in February alone, making it their snowiest month on record).

When most of us were kids, we used to dream of taking a trip with our best friends to a large city that’s receiving snow, just to run free in the streets and ride anything we wanted. But it always remained just that – a dream, an idea - because we always considered the trip to be too expensive. The car, gas, hotel, drop-in ramp, gear - it all just cost too much.

But what if it didn’t cost as much as we thought? What would happen if you showed up in a city with no board, no car and no hotel room? Would you be able to find boards? Would you be able to find rides and places to sleep? Could it backfire and within a week you’re left panhandling in the subway by day and sleeping in an igloo in the park by night? We wanted to find out.

Once the crew was set, the rules were laid out: no boards, no hotel, no car, $40 a day to live on and one backpack per person. An additional rule regarding housing was placed on the trip to encourage adventure - we were not allowed to stay with anyone we knew, or use Facebook or Instagram to solicit places to sleep. We were, however, allowed to use Tinder.

03.12.2015 20:24

The first thing we had to figure out upon arriving in Boston was how to get around town. Our combined knowledge of public transportation was good enough to pass, so we each purchased a seven-day unlimited train/bus pass for $19. Unfortunately, the train shut down two days into our trip leaving us unable to get across the city quickly. We were forced to ride the buses, which operate on a much smaller route. When the train or bus couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take us where we wanted to go, we would use our feet and trudge up and down city streets holding our snowboards and looking for spots.

Walking ended up being our favorite mode of transportation, mainly because it allowed us to soak in the culture we were surrounded by, get a good lay of the land, interact with locals and slow the day down. During one excursion we must have walked close to five miles all over one neighborhood. I may be able to recount the layout of those streets and the things I saw as long as I live. Plus, as an added bonus, all the energy spent walking guaranteed a good nightâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sleep.

Will Bateman, street racer!

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03.12.2015 11:44

Gerryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wrists ainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t never been this free at the courthouse

Less baggage = less gravity.

No secret for Mr. Michilot

Bateman sinks one in the city

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03.12.2015 11:45

We wanted to find most of our gear at thrift stores. Real gear, bought from real Boston knights, that at one time had really been ridden. But that didn’t end up happening. After a whole day of searching high and low from north Boston to south Boston, we were left empty-handed. Don’t get me wrong, we found some gear, but it was all stuff like size 12 boots, 160 cm snowboards that were super stiff, and bindings, well, there may not have been a single working pair in the whole damn town.

Yet, like anything else these days, snowboard gear can be found on the Internet. Craigslist has been a favorite platform for over a decade now for anyone trying to sell or buy anything in the local community, and sure enough, it had everything we needed!

Will did some Craigslist surfing before the trip and was already in contact with the seller of a 1995 155 cm Burton Air with Burton bindings from the same time period. Upon arrival, Will inspects the board, finds it to be in mint condition, and is able to talk him down from $90 to $60 for the whole setup.

Brendan buys a Mountain Dew board with an “Experience The Rush” text graphic on the bottom and a pair of SnowJam bindings from Tyler, a young teen boy who has a really random collection of gear for sale. The pair settles on $40 for the board and bindings.

Before leaving, Will buys a pair of early ‘90s Airwalk boots for $25 and $10 worth of extra straps for his 20-year-old bindings. In a dimly lit train station parking lot, Jonas meets a middleaged man who is selling a Beavis and Butthead board, a pair of unknown bindings, boots that were too big, and, oh yeah, a leash for $90. Total. We’d come to realize that finding a good pair of size 9 boots in the used snowboard market is harder then we anticipated.

Jonas and Brendan both had their regular boots stashed at friends’ houses from a previous trip, so they grab those boots and we call it good.

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03.12.2015 11:45

Will completes the quest for the Holy Grail!

Experience the Rush!!!

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03.12.2015 11:45

This part of the trip flat out scared us more then any other part. We knew the odds were slim that a random stranger would allow four longhaired snowboarders to sleep in their house, let alone dry their stinky boots by the fireplace where their children opened Christmas presents. At least we knew our manners were perfect and, given the chance, we could probably swoon any homeowners into lending us a couch and floor space for an evening.

At one point during our first day of drinking and exploration, we wander into a camera store and meet a younger guy who we call Camera Store Chris.

He digs our trip and tells us he’d make some phone calls to see if anyone he knows will let us crash at their place.

By about 11 p.m. that evening, three out of the four of us are blacked out at the bar. Luckily, Brendan matches with a girl on Tinder who said we could crash out in her apartment for the night.

Once the bar closes and we regroup, we walk a few miles in the falling snow (in street shoes) to her apartment and pass out almost immediately. The following morning is detailed in this story’s opening dialogue.

On the second day of the trip we catch our big break. Camera Store Chris calls to inform us that his good friend, Mark, and Mark’s girlfriend Ashley, are hyped to house us for the night. Mark, Ashley and Chris are all around the same age as we are so getting along was quite easy. The next morning they inform us that they like us so much we can stay with them for the whole trip. We can’t believe our ears! Our biggest hurdle of the whole trip just got taken care of and now we can focus on snowboarding.

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04.12.2015 11:52

treat a 5 Brendan knows how tostar hotel

Those Airwalks still got some life in ‘em. Will with an upcycled 50-50

“Uh, hey, baby. Damn we’re smooth. We’re gonna score”. Jonas channeling those Beavis and Butthead vibes on this tree jam FS 180

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03.12.2015 11:46

Along with our tour guides, Mark, Ashley, and Chris, we descend into the downtown for our first sessions. On our feet, we move quickly, snowboarding down brick sidewalks, bombing drops in the Government Center, ripping firecrackers on the stairs of swanky hotels, hitting handrails at the courthouse, wallriding in the park and finishing with a few more bomb drops in the Financial District.

On Day Two, Chris walks us a few blocks to a school with multiple features. In one corner thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a flat rail and a gap over a rail to some stairs. In the playground Will rides some powder while Jonas and Brendan session a few small rails and jumps with some local snowboarders.

We spend Day Three on our own, riding the bus and then walking to Beacon Hill where we find a classic Boston kink and a buried triple kink. Brendan boardslides both kink rails and Will 50-50s the big kink with a broken strap on his front binding. Day Four is spent a few blocks past the park at an abandoned building where Brendan rides his board off a cliff, followed by Jonas and Will having a small session on a tree jib.

Tinder lined Jonas up with this hard-body tranny

Day Five we walk a lot. We end up right by the mosque at 100 Malcolm X Boulevard, which people tell us is the bad part of town. Across from the mosque is a flat barrel closeout rail with a drop off the end. Jonas nosepresses, Brendan boardslides, and Will front boards the rail while the Adhan and Iqamah ring out from the Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center. After we are done with the rail, we spot the Holy Grail feature of the trip - a car ollie! Will gets to session the car alone because his board is the only one that can get enough speed. After a few tries we get the shot we are looking for and leave before anyone notices us snowboarding on their car.

This trip was hands down the best trip of our lives. Running through the streets with our snowboards in hand and no plan on where we were going brought us back to being 15 years old and running around the towns we grew up in with our skateboards and best friends. Riding anything in sight and staying out until the sun sets might be one of the keys to happiness. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s beautiful and reassuring to see how life can work out when you toss yourself to the wind with an open heart and open mind and we encourage you to do the same.

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03.12.2015 11:46

16.4 DOPE BROS

T

INTERVIEW: THE MOOSEMAN

hese two Swiss legends really require no introduction. Their story is long and fantastic and has been chronicled in many interviews and in some of the greatest snowboard movies ever made. But, for the sake of wholeness, we will lay out a brief background. Long-time friends, Nico Müller and Frederik Kalbermatten were first introduced when Nico’s mother took the family on holiday from Zürich to stay at The Dorfblick in Saas-Fee, which the Kalbermatten family owned. In an incredible snowboardfairy tale sort of way, the two hit it off immediately, riding day in and day out during their teenage years, skating, spinning records and enjoying their shared interests. Toward the end of the ‘90s, the pair was signed to the Burton Rookie team and it was then that their paths began to split, as Nico filmed segments for Absinthe and Fredi for Standard. Over the next decade-plus, the two of them built legendary careers, riding our Earth’s most spectacular terrain and producing monumental video segments. Now, about 20 years after their initial introduction, Nico and Fredi find themselves in a more intimate position than they’ve been in years, both riding for the Mervin family, Gnu and Lib Tech, respectively. The style that earned them their moniker has only improved over the past two decades, and they are now as they ever will be, The Dope Bros.

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03.12.2015 20:37

One of you in is Costa Rica and one of you is in the Swiss Alps. Are you both happy with that or would you prefer to swap places?

Fredi: I am pretty happy. I was snowboarding today and I am still a little bit over traveling. I spent five months in the States this summer with the family so I enjoy just being at home, knowing that winter is, maybe, around the corner and I will probably be gone again. At this time, I am happy here and don’t want to be anywhere else.

our own fabric. It’s not stock fabric.

That’s really nice, not a lot of brands have that.

Nico: It’s pretty nice here, but I would be happy where Fredi is, too.

How old were you?

Nico: Teenagers. 14, maybe 15.

Fredi, you surf as well?

Fredi: Well, I have tried it before and will probably try it again. I have a respect for the ocean, for sure. To me, sometimes it feels like a lot of work just to do a turn compared to snowboarding where you just strap in and go. Nico is really talented, though.

What age were you both put on the Burton team?

Fredi: 18, maybe?

Does your brand, Atreebutes, make swimwear?

Fredi: No, not right now. We have sampled in the past but with the new production, new factory and the way we produce and manufacture it’s pretty much not possible to source the organic, from the ground up fabrics for swimwear.

What exactly does organic production mean?

Fredi: First of all, what we do, not every brand is doing it. We work with the Global Organic Textile Standard and they monitor the process from the ground up, from the seed to end production. Every supplier has to be certified through GOTS. A lot of brands offer organic cotton or say, “Look here, we have a small line, too.

It’s all organic.” But when it comes to sourcing, they can’t really track it down to the beginning. Lots of cotton ends up in warehouses and you just don’t have transparency at all. We are really big on that. I don’t want to just make clothes and say it’s organic and fair. I want to prove it.

And everything is going well?

Fredi: Yeah. We develop our own fabric from scratch. In the new collection, every single piece is made from

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Glad to hear it. Let’s jump to the beginning real quick. I’ve read that you two met at a young age when Nico’s family came and stayed at your (Fredi) family’s place, The Dorfblick, in Saas-Fee and you guys hit it off right away. Kind of sounds like a fairy tale. Is that really how it went down?

Fredi: Yes, it is a fairy tale.

Nico: Yeah, you were 18 and I was 17.

Right at the end of the ‘90s. The Burton team was stacked with legends then, huh? Quite a large team, too.

Nico: Maybe like 200 people. Michi Albin, Johan (Olofsson), Terje, Jason Brown, Keir Dillon, Ross Powers, all these people.

Do you remember your first Burton experience?

Fredi: Yeah, like it was yesterday.

Nico: When we were first discussing the contract, one of the guys from Burton Europe met us at the train station in Zürich and he was like, “So, what do you want?” “What do you mean,” we asked, and he’s like, “Money?” We were like, “Oh shit, we are getting money!” (laughs). And yeah, we got our first contract. Our name was actually “The Dope Bros”.

It’s kind of cool that we are doing this interview because it means The Dope Bros are back. Back at Mervin!

Why The Dope Bros?

Nico: Oh you know, just because. (laughs) With that Burton deal, you guys kind of got put onto different video projects. Fredi you went on to film with Standard and Nico with Absinthe. You’ve each worked on other projects since then as well,

but now you are back together in the Mervin family. Fredi, how psyched were you to hear that Nico would be joining Mervin and riding for Gnu? Fredi: Pretty stoked! It’s like it’s all come full circle. It’s funny in a way but it makes sense. I don’t know if anybody would have predicted it two or three years ago. It’s super cool having somebody like Nico on board for Mervin. They are so cool and so rad.

They are snowboarders.

Nico: It really feels like family.

Did you have anything to do with him getting on, Fredi?

Fredi: No, not really. Everybody knows Nico, you know? It’s pretty much a no-brainer. You don’t need to suggest, “Hey, you should sponsor Nico Müller.” It’s pretty clear.

Nico: Thanks, bro!

Even though you are technically on different board companies, it’s all Mervin. Do you think you guys will be working on any projects together?

Fredi: I would be stoked to do a trip or two together again. It depends a little on your project, Nico? How’s that looking? Maybe a good question for the interview.

Nico: Let’s do a trip! I am super charged here in Costa and am coming back to Europe in a couple days and snowboarding and filming until the summer. Where do you want to go Fredi?

Fredi: Probably no trip before Christmas.

Nico: Christmas is sacred riding at home.

Fredi: If I could pick, I would spend the whole season in Switzerland and then go to Alaska in April, or something like that. I guess it is hard to predict, like always. But yes, we have to do a trip, wherever the terrain and snow is good. I haven’t been to Alaska for a couple years now. I’d be stoked if that would be the one trip.

We have good mountains and usually good snow in Switzerland.

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16.4 DOPE BROS

Fredi spins a BS 540 on his home turf PHOTO:CARLOS BLANCHARD

Nico, is there any news you can disclose on your movie?

Nico: Can’t say too much, but the plan is the same and we will be releasing it at the end of 2016.

Fredi, how has being a father changed the way you look at traveling?

Fredi: When I was filming with Standard, for example, I used to spend two and a half months in the States in Tahoe but that was more because we had to at that time.

Tahoe was always good every year snow-wise and all our filmers were based there. There wasn’t really another option. We used to do trips too, but anyway, I think you can still do both – travel, but just not be gone for two and half months.

Look at Jussi for example, he has two kids and I think he had a pretty cool setup where he had his sled in Whistler for the season and then flew back home and would fly back to Canada according to the weather

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forecast. Of course, it’s easier to do short trips if you don’t have to cross the Atlantic every time. I can be gone for 10 days, no problem. And then, once in a while, you have to charge your batteries again and just take a small break. Go home for the weekend or something like that. I am not traveling anymore like back in the day, where I am gone for two months or more at a time. Last year I did a trip to India for ten days, total.

You get a lot of stuff done in a week if conditions are good.

Will we be seeing kids from you any time soon, Nico?

Nico: I don’t think so (laughs). Depends what soon means, but I need to find a woman first.

That’s usually a big part of it.

Nico: That’s what I hear.

Fredi: The challenge is to not just find a woman, but a good woman.

Makes everything easier. For me, it

helps being married to Nicole. Her brothers do the same thing I do so she already knew how it is.

You have both been at this a long time. How has what is required or desired of you from your sponsors changed?

Nico: I think it’s become more about what you want. You don’t get this far into the game by having people tell you what to do. You are this far in the game because you are you and the longer you are in the game the more you can be yourself. That’s your career. There are so many good kids coming up and they are in this very competitive mindset, which we used to be, too, and it’s awesome, but there will come a time where you step out of that competition and you fulfill yourself and go your own way.

It seems there are quite a few kids who end up in situations where they are producing lots of content but are not receiving nearly what

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PHOTO: S I LVA N O Z E I T E R

If this photo was not in this article, and was wedged without labeling in the middle of a mag, there’d still be zero doubt as to who it is. Nico serving up his world-famous backside air PHOTO: DOMI N IC ZIMMERMAN N

they should be in return. They are expected to carry more of a burden.

Nico: For sure. It’s because at some point they are doing so much of what they’ve been asked to do that they’ve kind of forgotten who they are. They just say standard answers and they throw themselves over the big jumps and they’ve got the tricks, they know they do, but how does that make them different from this guy or that guy and how is that going to inspire someone to start snowboard or keep snowboarding?

That’s not the reason why the majority of us snowboard. We don’t start to snowboard to become an Olympic champion and so you can tell that to the rest of the world. You snowboard because you forget about everything when you do it and you are having the time of your life and are in the moment. That’s why people surf, why people snowboard, why people skate, because these things have another level. Snowboarding, skating and

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surfing have another level, and that’s no rules. The only rule in riding is to pay attention to your self. Whatever will give you joy, you go that way.

You work on that. The more you work at it, the more it will radiate, and then you have people who want to snowboard because of the shit you do.

People want to buy the shit you wear because of who you are and not because it’s like, “Oh, he’s the greatest.”

It’s like, “That dude, he is himself and he is having a fucking blast. I want to do that.”

Do you feel a responsibility to show these kids you are referring to, who might feel pressure to be a certain type of snowboarder, that they can forge their own way?

Nico: They just look at Fredi and me and can see that it’s possible. There is a life after competition, and that is what I want to show with my movie - from competition to fruition. Just speaking for myself, it is very hard when you are in that spot because

you are at the contest and you are in the light and everybody wants a piece of you. It’s especially hard at that moment to kind of really listen to yourself. “Should I keep doing this or should I step away to fulfill what I really want?” That’s not easy. For me, it was challenging, but it works. If you really want something, I think the universe conspires and helps you.

Whether it’s in Saas-Fee, Laax or elsewhere, who do you feel is on the right track?

Fredi: You know Max Buri? He comes to mind because he, as far as I know, doesn’t compete and he is on a good way to do what we are doing. I rode a little bit with him last winter because he filmed with Absinthe too. It’s just funny. He reminded me so much of Nico and myself back in the day and how we looked at the world and snowboarding. He is definitely learning still. He is young and doesn’t have that much experience yet but he is going for it, looking at stuff to hit

02.12.2015 18:05

16.4 It would be tough to find a pair of friends that have ripped at such a high level for so many years and are still at it. Nico pins one in AK. March, 2009

DOPE BROS

PHOTO: BLOTTO

Some Dope Bros doubles action, mined from May of 2005 PHOTO: BLOTTO

Ain’t hard to tell they grew up together. Fredi’s got a mighty fine backside air himself PHOTO: CARLOS BLANCHARD

PHOTO: S I LVA N O Z E I T E R

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Late ‘00s tea time

PHOTO: BLOTTO

They don’t call him Stompermatten for nothing. Up and over in ‘09 PHOTO: BLOTTO

in the backcountry that other people his age probably wouldn’t see.

fragment of what the thing is. It kind of limits us so much.

when it’s like total spring. It’s the best of both worlds.

Nico: Max is a good example. There are others as well. Fredi and I used to compete a lot, too. There are guys competing now and they can have a bright future after competition, too.

Time will tell, but I have faith. David Hablützel is another example. He is so amped about everything in snowboarding. There probably will come a time where it feels like Groundhog Day at the contest and you just take that passion to the next level.

Laax is a place where there are plenty of kids with great style, Sevi Van Der Meer, for example, who may be spending most of their time riding the park or competing right now, but you can see that once they get out there, they’ve got that flair and style to their riding. They just need the opportunity.

Nico: Dude, he is so dope. I was actually going to say him before. I just talked to Justin and am trying to get him into the Absinthe lineup for this year.

Fredi: And sometimes in September on the glacier. Personally, of course I prefer Saas-Fee. I live here. I know the mountain better than I know Laax.

My setup is pretty awesome. I live next to the gondola, which means I can ride all the way to my house. I like the long runs we have. From top to bottom is almost a 2,000-meter vertical. Because Saas-Fee is 1,800 meters above sea level, if we have snow, it’s usually powder all the way down to the village. 2,000 meter runs full of powder. If you do that three times a day, you’ve ridden a lot.

Interesting point. People are very quick to categorize or label a rider based on what they are riding currently. Maybe people forget sometimes that this isn’t a race.

There’s no end to it. You can be one snowboarder when you are 15, and by the time you are 25, or 35, a completely different snowboarder. In fact, that’s most likely to happen.

Nico: Like you said, as humans, we are so quick to put a label or a word on something. How can you label a human being who is so awesome at snowboarding as “a contest rider” or this or that? How can two words possibly describe a human being?

There are not enough words to describe that. It’s cool that you say that because I am reading Eckhart Tolle right now and he says that is one of our biggest problems. We just label something with one word, but that one word could never describe even a

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Yes, make it happen! Ok, one of you lives in Laax, one in Saas-Fee. What do each of you like most about your spot and would you ever switch places for the winter?

Fredi: The set up we have is pretty cool, actually. Nico always has a room here in Saas-Fee when he wants, and I can do the same for Laax. I think that is an advantage, more than any one in particular being better than the other. In Saas-Fee, we only get snow if it comes from the south. And Laax is more from the North. It’s not always that way, but it is really rare if it is good at both places at the same time as far as snow goes. That’s pretty cool.

They are not too far apart.

Sounds perfect. Let’s wrap this one up boys. Any other projects or things you want to mention?

Fredi: I don’t know for sure yet, maybe film with Absinthe. I guess it also depends on Nico and how much he wants to shred with me. I’d be stoked. It’s always fun hanging and shredding together. We will see what happens.

And you, Nico?

Nico Müller: Pura vida! I will slash one for you guys.

Fredi: Please do!

Nico: Laax has a really good pipe in the winter and then you can go ride pow in Saas-Fee at the end of April

03.12.2015 20:37

Does insurance cover your car door being smashed in by a snowboarder?

If you havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t seen video of this shot, you need to hunt it down in the 686 video, 686 Seconds. Ryan Tarbell making peace after a heavy collision

16.4 686.indd 90

02.12.2015 22:56

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16.4 686.indd 91

S: AN N

IE MAC

03.12.2015 20:38

All jacked up on jerky and Yerbe mate, Riley Nickerson gap to switch front board

JOH N MURPHY Coffee: $50 Shovel: $40 Back up shovel/axe: $40 e): $70 Pizza (pepperoni and pineappl Dried mangos: $12 Disposable camera: $10 Greenery: $80 Spot Beers (PBR): $20 Post-boarding IPAs: $50 homies: $20 Last day reward bottle for the $30 ies: berr and ola, gran rt, Yogu Breakfast sandwiches: $40 Burritos and tacos: $30 $30 BLTs with avocado and cheddar: Triscuits and hummus: $15 Chex Mix: $8 Bananas: $8 Apples: $6 Warm soup: $13 ChapStick: $3 Coconut water: $10 Kombucha: $15 Orange mango juice: $10 Water from the hotel: free lons): $6 Candy (mostly sour waterme nding on the Nightlife/random buy TBD depe area: $20 finds for friends Thrift store come-ups/ random and family: $20 Winch fix fund: $30 Change: $0

Yawgoon Marcus Rand deposits a switch back one into the bank

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04.12.2015 11:56

IAN HART Candy: $40 Boom box: $120 Strip club: $100 Sky diving: $120 Tattoo: $75Â Waterpark: $35 Pet ferret: $125 Binoculars: $40 $30 Remote control helicopter: CHANGE: $1

Nosepress to backlip from Ian Hart

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02.12.2015 23:00

A round of sky-diving and that remote-control helicopter left Hart with flight on the mind

IAN POST Sabbath cd used or new: $10 Pink Floyd cd used or new: $10 Locally sourced Rick: $200 Iced coffees: $30 Breakfast(s) available all day: $60 Pale Ales and IPAs: $40 Raw 300s: $4 Organic American Spirit: $10 Pay off the local cops: $10 Almond croissants: $20 Polaroid film: $100 Winterfolk hood: $40 OG Sidesurfers: $20 Sunglasses: $10 Wireless speaker: $10 Winch magician: $5 Death Lens: $20Â Arnica: $10 Ice axe: $20 Fish tacos: $22 Free daily bagel: free Lift line snake card: $10 100 rack of Twisted Teas for the boys: $25 Change: $0

686 Seconds lensman, Ian Post

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03.12.2015 12:11

Nickerson chasing that spot reward with a big ol’ poke over the pillar

16.4 686.indd 95

RILEY NICKERSON Beer/bars/red wine: $100 y, other Water, Yerba mate, beef jerk snacks/candy: $100 Weed/related items: $150 Cigarettes: $25 , Thai food, sushi, Taco Bell other restaurants: $300 Souvenirs: $11 Change: $0

02.12.2015 23:00

Austin Youngâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s got a box of rolls for each kink, and then some. Boardslide for the win

AUSTI N YOUNG cookies: $250 One ounce of Girl Scout $7 s: roll Raw es Five box $1 One box Raw crutches: Stripper: $200 : $40 Two liters Jack Daniels : $40 Two cases Stella Artois Soda: $24 Crates of Faygo, Cream Candy/Fast food: $106 Change: $18

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02.12.2015 23:01

RYAN TARBELL Groceries: $100Â Beer: $50 2 weeks worth of cannabis: $400 Rolling papers: $15 Lighters: $5 Water: $20 Wax: $10 Shovel: $50 Torch: $30 Change: $6

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Seriously, what a part from Tarbell! Big thanks to smooth moves like this half cab to bank.

02.12.2015 23:01

16.4 YAWGOONS GUIDE TO DIY PARKS

PHOTOS: KEALAN SHILLING

T

here are few things more rewarding than shredding something you’ve built with your own grimy hands. Not only is a DIY approach far cheaper than heading to the resort, it’s a killer excuse to spend time with the buds, a sharp way to learn a thing or two, and an open slate for expression and creativity.

We checked in with one of the best crews in the DIY business, the Yawgoons, to collect a few pointers on bringing a rad DIY setup to fruition. Over the years, the Yawgoons – Dylan Gamache, Marcus Rand, Mary Rand, Brian Skorupski and Brendan Gouin - have built a relationship with the management at their local spot in Rhode Island, Yawgoo Valley, and have skillfully turned the tiny hill into one of the most original places to rip on the East Coast. While not everyone may have the opportunity to build on resort property with access to lifts, there are a number of options to be tried: head to the woods, build it in your yard or on a friend’s property, petition the town to use a piece of open space and so on. Be flexible and persistent. The most important part of this whole process is keeping an open mind, for there are no rules. No right way. No wrong way. And that’s the beauty of it.

Simple pleasures. Dylan Gamache melon carver

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SEARCH THE SCRAP YARDS:

We get most of our material at scrap yards. Sometimes things can be brought directly from there to the park, and other times the material you find needs to be worked with.

There may be times that this requires welding.

Marcus Rand and a staple of DIY setups: the tube

DON’T BE AFRAID TO WELD. IT’S EASY:

Ask around. It’s likely you have a friend, parent of a friend, relative or neighbor who knows how to weld and will be willing to show you.

If this is not the case, turn to the all-knowing Internet.

Whatever the case, be sure to exercise caution and take the time to learn safely and properly. But don’t be intimidated.

You got this!

A FEATURE IS NEVER FINISHED:

Brian Skorupski getting his nose dirty

If we have a rail that we don’t like anymore, we will often cut it up and use the metal to make a new one or weld it onto another rail. If nothing comes immediately to mind, store the feature, for more often than not you will have an idea down the road that could make use of the old piece.

16.4 YAWGOONS.indd 99

DON’T BE STUBBORN:

When building your own park or setup, trial and error is a huge part of finding success.

It’s a similar situation when setting up a street spot. If it’s no fun or not working, don’t be afraid to change it up.

02.12.2015 22:24

16.4 YAWGOONS GUIDE TO DIY PARKS

SUP!!! Mother Nature. Skorupski appreciating our world

A DIY spot is perfect for getting something on lock before you hit the streets. Or flip it: search out examples in the street for something you might want to build in your park. Queen Yawgoon, Mary Rand

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t rule out natty features! Dylan, rock lipslide

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Dylan taking that insane board control to the fort. Inverted blunt stall

FRIENDS = PARK CREW:

Sick parks are crafted by hard-working, creative park crews. The more brains you have crafting ideas, and the more hands you have to gather material, the better your park will turn out. If you are ready to work hard with your friends, your setup will be sick. Rally the homies and get to work!Â

BIGGER IS NOT NECESSARILY BETTER:

Be sure to keep an open mind when searching for features or brainstorming ways to put things together. Some of your smaller ideas may turn out to be the ones that get sessioned the most.

Marcus Rand lodging a back lip on the infamous Yawgoon chain rail

PRAISE BE TO THE CORRUGATED TUBE:

16.4 YAWGOONS.indd 101

Corrugated tubes are insanely fun and super versatile. They are extremely easy to set up and can be cut in half lengthwise to make longer connecting sections.

Also, they are relatively low consequence and work well when snow is limited.

THERE ARE NO RULES:

This piece is intended as a guide to help you get those minds turning. The included points are merely tips, not absolute rules. As you select a spot and begin building this winter, you will need to feel out what works best for your scenario. Remember, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s your park. Do whatever the hell you like!

02.12.2015 22:25

16.4 GALLERY

0102

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01.12.2015 18:22

photo JUSSI GRZNAR

rider CHRIS RASMAN

spot STEWART, BRITISH COLUMBIA

trick CAB 540

01.12.2015 18:23

16.4 GALLERY.indd 103

16.4

rider ERIK KARLSSON

spot RIKSGRÄNSEN, SWEDEN

trick OLLIE

GALLERY

photo DANIEL TENGS

photo OLI GAGNON

rider LNP

spot THE WILDERNESS

trick HUNTING/GATHERING

0104

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01.12.2015 18:23

photo KYLE GIBSON

photo RYAN BREGANTE

16.4 GALLERY.indd 105

rider MARK TREMBLAY

rider ANDREW BREWER

spot GREENWOOD, BRITISH COLUMBIA

spot PARK CITY, UTAH

trick FS 270 REDIRECT

trick FS 180 SWITCH TAILPRESS

01.12.2015 18:24

16.4

rider BENNY URBAN

spot SMOLYAN, BULGARIA

trick WALLRIDE

GALLERY

photo MIHAIL NOVAKOV

photo JUSSI GRZNAR

rider MARIEFRANCE ROY

spot GOLDEN, BRITISH COLUMBIA

trick WONDERLAND DROP

0106

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photo JÉRÔME TANON

photo DOMINIC ZIMMERMANN

16.4 GALLERY.indd 107

rider GARRETT WARNICK

rider MARKUS KELLER

spot ZINAL, SWITZERLAND

spot LAAX, SWITZERLAND

trick 50-50 GAP 50-50

trick ROOSTER TAILIN’

01.12.2015 18:25

16.4

rider DENIZ CINEK

spot OBERALP, SWITZERLAND

trick FS INVERT

GALLERY

photo DOMINIC ZIMMERMANN

0108

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01.12.2015 18:26

photo DANIEL TENGS

16.4 GALLERY.indd 109

rider FREDRIK EVENSEN

spot VARDÄSEN,NORWAY

trick EMERGENCE

01.12.2015 18:26

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01.12.2015 19:12

Zander Blackmon, boots with the fur PHOTO: KYLE BECKMANN

GOODBYE

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01.12.2015 19:13

METHOD 12.indd 1 DPS BACK.indd 112 METHOD16.4_ADS

01.12.2015 11:09

METHOD16.4_ADS DPS BACK.indd 113

13.11.2015 10:52:33 01.12.2015 11:10

METHOD16.4_ADS DPS BACK.indd 114

01.12.2015 11:10

MARK MCMORRIS Rides the Process,

13Things.com/McMorris

Malavita and Ion. n e f f h e a d w e a r .c o m

16.4 COVER_DPS_5MM SPINE INSIDE.indd Wszystkie strony

01.12.2015 11:13

UNION BINDING COMPANY

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02.12.2015 23:02