FABRIC

22.3

SPENCER O’BRIEN

PHOTO. ERIN HOGUE INTRO. CAITLIN MURRAY

FABRIC, A 5-PART VIDEO SERIES CO-DIRECTED AND PRODUCED BY ROBIN VAN GYN AND HER TEAM, NARRATES THE RAW AND UNIQUE STORIES OF A GROUP OF ATHLETES, ARTISTS AND ADVOCATES FOR WHOM SPORT IS THE VEHICLE, NOT THE DESTINATION. EACH EPISODE FEATURES MENTORS, STUDENTS AND POSITIVE ROLE MODELS IN SNOW, SURF, AND SKATE, ALL WITH A SHARED GOAL OF CREATING SPACE AND EQUAL PARTICIPATION FOR OTHERS TO THRIVE AFTER THEM. THE LADIES INVOLVED IN THIS PROJECT ARE ORCHESTRATING CHANGE ON THEIR OWN TERMS, AND IT’S CLEAR TO SEE THE DEPTH TO THE NARRATIVE OF WOMEN IN ACTION SPORTS. WE SPOKE TO A BUNCH OF THEM TO GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THEIR ROLE IN FABRIC AND WHAT IT IS THEY STAND FOR. AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE CONNECTION WE HAVE TO THE PEOPLE AND THE PLACES AROUND US IS WHAT MAKES OUR LIVES RICHER, SO LET’S ALL SHOW UP, BE KIND AND MAKE THE FUTURE A BETTER AND MORE INCLUSIVE PLACE TO BE.

ROBIN VAN GYN

PHOTO. TIM ZIMMERMAN

Hey Robin, you’ve put together an amazing documentary series and film that highlights the stories of athletes, artists and advocates of various sports. How did this idea come about?

Honestly, I was just surrounded by so many amazing humans contributing to forward progress, but there was a big question mark over why, outside ripping, the other parts of their life weren’t being featured. I think we tend only to celebrate the people who are elite athletes, and it’s weird. Our heroes should be the people doing the work to make our futures better, not necessarily who is going the biggest.

There are some incredible women and stories to be told in this project. How did you pull together such a diverse line-up? Did people reach out to you, or are these people you’ve met on your travels?

Some of them were close friends, others acquaintances, and some I only followed on social media but was a total fan of. Once there was some strategy for filming the project, the people we needed to work with became very obvious organically.

ambitious video project to date?

Ya, this is definitely the biggest undertaking I have ever embarked on. Nothing I have done stacks up to this mountain of a project *laughs*. It became so much bigger than it was originally supposed to be. But once we got going, the stories became so much bigger because they were important, it was just too difficult to leave much behind. In truth, we had to pick and choose our battles, but most of these women are deserving of their own films dedicated to what they do.

This idea that connection to people, place and pursuit is what makes us human. How do you follow this in your daily life?

Honestly, I just do what I can with the tools and skills that I have. I am by no means perfect, and I am a hypocrite in so many ways, but I just make a conscious effort to pay attention and be respectful as much as I can.

Do you have any advice for anyone else pushing their sports in similar directions?

I would say that if it seems like it’s unattainable, make small goals and baby steps that will get you there eventually. It will take time and a lot of work, but you will get there eventually if you stick with it. I was never naturally talented at snowboarding. I just loved it and kept at it long enough to get where I am now.

You won Natural Selection last year in an epic battle with NZ ripper Zoi Sadowski-Synott. Any big winter plans this year?

Ya I did. It was a huge accomplishment for me. I was so stoked to compete against Zoi, I just have so much respect for her snowboarding, and when you’re competing, I think it’s rad to compete against the best in the game. That’s when you get a good battle and progress in snowboarding. I will definitely be back on tour and can’t wait to stand next to all the amazing athletes that will be invited. It’s a true honour to be on that roster of humans.

Last words are yours:

I just want to give a special thank you to all of the women who trusted me with their stories and supported this project. Also big thank you to all of my family, my sponsors and especially our team working tirelessly on Fabric with me. RESPECT.

PHOTO. ERIN HOGUE

ESTELLE PENSIERO

I think that the backcountry is a place where gut feelings are respected more than anywhere else. If a group member speaks up about their intuition telling them not to ride a certain slope or not to tour up a certain route, more often than not, everyone in the group trusts that feeling and changes the plan. Somehow, we just know deep down when it’s not the time to do something and when people’s lives are on the line, that intuitive knowledge telling us to save that line for another day has some serious weight. I am honestly still learning how to tell whether the voice inside my head is the voice of fear chirping at me not to try new things or the deep intuition guiding me towards safe decisions. My struggle has been learning to differentiate the two. Being with more experienced people in the backcountry and watching them make decisions has helped me more than anything. Learning about the actual mechanics of avalanches and the factors that produce them has also helped. I used to have no idea why I had these feelings of yes and no, so it was way harder to trust them and believe that they had any merit. But after learning how to understand what’s going on under the snow and what conditions and terrain would produce an avalanche, my gut feelings are informed, and I know they are valid because I can back them up with evidence and realworld, concrete data.

Last winter, I spent a lot of time with Robin and other guides who have mountains of backcountry experience. I am so grateful for the opportunity to learn from them and watch the graceful way they move through the backcountry and make hard decisions look easy. Robin has so much more experience in the mountains than I do. Through experienced people like her sharing their knowledge with me, I have been able to build my own backcountry knowledge with a stepping stool instead of starting from ground zero. I guess that’s what mentorship means to me. I can learn from the experiences of those before me, so I don’t have to make the same mistakes as them. I can make my own mistakes and share my own stories alongside my mentor’s stories with the generation after me. Essentially, everyone’s just paving the way for whoever they choose to mentor by making their own mistakes. I’m just so thankful for everyone who has taken the time to share their knowledge with me. It means more than anything. It sounds so cheesy, but the gift of knowledge and experience is the best gift of all.

SPENCER O’BRIEN

My journey with my culture has been very complex. It wasn’t prominent in my household growing up, and I didn’t feel connected to my heritage on a deep level. It was something I acknowledged but didn’t act on or integrate in any real way. Through my sister’s Meghann and Avis’ individual journeys, I have connected the dots and found a part of myself I didn’t know was missing. Each person has a unique and beautiful cultural makeup, and I am discovering how much power lies within that. I am finding that when we harness that power of understanding ourselves, we are capable of so much more than we ever imagined. I see this power in women like Sandy Ward and Rose Archie, and I’m inspired when I hear their stories and watch them walk their truth.

ROSE ARCHIE

Creating visibility in action sports is so important to me. I believe it will empower the next generation. The opportunity to break down barriers and give space will allow others to learn about the traditional and cultural differences that connect us all together in different ways. If we continue to build a community where everyone can be proud of who they are and where they come from, the action sports world will be honouring and preserving so many cultures. Part of one’s confidence is being heard and seen for who they are, and everyone should feel comfortable in their own skin and not ashamed to showcase their true identity. Action sports can help lead the way and change the narrative to be more inclusive when it comes to visibility.

My first time meeting Spencer was super special. I invited her to be a guest at an event that Nations Skate Youth did on Indigenous Day called „Skate for Change”. It worked out perfectly because our Fabric episode is focused on Cultural Heritage. After hearing Spencer’s story, we connected right away, and Fabric did a great job documenting it for everyone to see and get inspired.

PHOTO. ERIN HOGUE

I think for a long time, I compared what I was doing to others and tried to make myself fit into a box, whether that be athlete or artist. No matter how I contorted myself, I never fitted - my passion for snowboarding didn’t seem to belong in the art and gallery world, and my art didn’t seem to align with my outdoor community. I always felt like an anomaly and tried for a long time to keep those passions separated, almost as if I were trying to hide one from the other. I moved to BC in 2013, and for one reason or another, I decided to stop caring about belonging and just go towards what felt good [moving to a city of strangers and coming out of the dark hole of injury makes you look at the world a little differently, I guess]. I didn’t wake up one day and know what my future would look like, but I decided to get out of my own way and take a chance at trying something new, one day at a time. I realise now that I thwarted my growth by constantly telling myself what and who I wasn’t rather than focusing on cultivating my passions. I try to forget about the galleries I’m not in, the snowboard tricks I don’t do, and the titles I don’t have. Instead, I focus on how good it feels to create from a place of wonder, awe, and joy. Those feelings you get from play, exploration, and snowboarding. I think my artwork connects with others because of all that. Because, for many of us, snowboarding started as an activity and became more of a lifestyle, community, and place of refuge.

PHOTO. MATTHEW BRUHNS

MARIA THOMSEN

I have come to realise that you can create your own reality even after having children. It took me a while to get there. While being pregnant, I had a mountain of worries about how motherhood was going to fit in with my lifestyle as a snowboarder. I didn’t have any role models that seemed to have the same life as me. My own mother stopped her handball career when she was pregnant with me. It was hard to picture that it was possible. But determination, adaptation and trusting my own intuition have made me understand that you can shape the life you want with or without children.

With overcoming any challenge, there’s a reward of empowerment. It was an important lesson for me to learn that the power is in my own hands, and it translates to any part of my life. It has also benefited me to witness and connect with other mothers pursuing their ambitions. Just trust yourself and work hard. I don’t think there’s only one recipe. We’re all different. I can’t tell anyone how to live their life or how to parent, but whatever your dreams and goals look like, you got this.

PHOTO. ERIN HOGUE

PHOTO. CHAD CHOMLACK

MARIE-FRANCE ROY

As people who benefit so much from nature, I feel that it is our responsibility to do all that we can to help protect it. The outdoors and wild ecosystems are essential not only to sustain life and ensure our survival but are also vital for our wellbeing, for a sustainable economy, for true reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and their land, as a source of joy and a space that creates community. To have access to the outdoors, fresh air and clean water on a daily basis is a huge privilege, and with it should come a mutually nurturing relationship. If we, the people most privileged and the most directly connected to nature, fail to show up and stand up to protect what is left, then who will?

It can be challenging and daunting to find the right ways to activate, and none of it will ever feel perfect or good enough, but I believe that we must keep faith in the power of people coming together to take action. Many movements throughout history have proven that they can create positive global change. Nobody has to save the world alone, but if everyone just shows up to the best of their abilities, with whatever time they can spare, with whatever skills they can offer that feel comfortable to them, with respect, love and support for each other and for Mother Earth, we can make the world a much better place. This is a time of emergency, we are living in a climate crisis that affects us all, and that is also directly linked to social justice. We owe it not only to the future generations but also to our own because we all benefit from protecting what gives us life in the first place.

22.3

CHELSEA WOODY, DANIELLE BLACK LYONS, MARTINA DURAN

INTERVIEW. CAITLIN MURRAY PHOTO. JIANCA LAZARUS

What is Textured Waves, and how is it connected to the idea of community?

Textured Waves was created by three African American female surfers to amplify diversity in sur ng. As black women who surf, we often felt our imagery and women who looked like us were missing from the narrative. Although the imagery is starting to emerge out of the woodwork, media outlets and mainstream surf have essentially ignored the existence of black women in this space. We decided to stop waiting for someone to share our stories and create the space and community we wanted to see and felt needed to be represented. We started out as an online platform because this allowed us to control our own narrative. We then branched out to working with brands and eventually holding our own meetups and gatherings. We feature women from all over the globe, whether professional or leisurely surfers. We feel that the imagery, lms, books, etc. should re ect the world we see every day.

You have a very powerful voice in sur ng in empowering the voices of African American women. What are your aspirations with TW?

Our motivation was giving the next generation of young black women who may take up sur ng something to stand on. We want to give them what we didn’t see. We hoped what we would create would make black women, especially African American women, never question their presence in outdoor and aquatic spaces. We don’t want the future generations to worry about seeing the imagery or building the community, but just to be free to enjoy the art and feeling of sur ng without hesitation. Ultimately this is not just about action sports. It’s a re ection of society at large. We want black and brown women to know that whatever they dream can be theirs. We are not limited by the things we cannot yet see.

Last words are yours:

We are reclaiming a space that was always meant to be ours. When the narrative is dominated by a particular voice, you often don’t get other viewpoints, and folks feel that they do not belong. We want black and brown women to con dently take up space. We have seen so many new groups getting brown and black women in the outdoors emerge since the pandemic, and we are so excited about that. We know there is still a long way to go, but we do see change happening before our eyes, and that is amazing. Sometimes you work so hard at something and don’t get to see the e ects of it until later down the road, and it’s really empowering to see how the narrative is shifting.

DANNY SOKOL. PHOTO. ADAM LEITERMAN IAN, AL NASH, DANNY SOKOL, TANNER MANNINEN. PHOTO. ADAM LEITERMAN

22.3 POSSE PAGE

WORDS. IAN CICHACKI

Where is American Dirt from? Southeastern Wisconsin, USA

What does the name mean?

Some dirty dudes from the Midwest make a shred ick.

Who’s the most organised of the crew?

We all work pretty well together.

AL NASH. PHOTO. AARON STERWERF

Who’s the loosest member of the crew?

The homie, long neck Kramer, wild as hell. Absolutely o his shits. Hits the bong while driving, straight chucks carc, no regard for human life.

What gets the crew red up the most?

Kwik Trip and a fresh pack of natives.

What’s the crew technique for dealing with kickouts?

It depends on the spot. Usually, explain yourself and try to reason with the hero that is wanting to kick you out. O er to clean up the spot better than it was before you got there. „We will come back and paint the rail”. Feel out the vibe of the hero and see if you can convince them for a couple more attempts. If the hero calls in the feds, give it a few more tries and start to clean up. Or at least act like it so when/if the narcs show, you can say you were in the process of leaving.

One memorable story from the winter:

We were at this spot, and Mikey was banging this girl in the back of Kevin’s Jeep. Sammy D was running the generator, wasted, and went back to the car to grab more beers. He doesn’t even notice the two in the car. He comes back to the spot and starts asking if anyone had gotten a sh fry cause he thought Kevin’s car smelt bad.

What’s up with American Dirt 4?

One-year project to be released this year. Coming soon.

Last words are yours:

Don’t get caught slippin’. Less is more.

GABE FERGUSON CONTOUR GOGGLE

22.3 LITTLE LABELS

How did Brethren start?

A: I was studying Fashion at university and Chris had been snowboarding around the world for a few years. He called me about making a few products for himself that he couldn’t nd on the market. We realised that if he wanted this gear, maybe other people would too. We made a few samples, and then a small batch of hats which he sold out of the back of his van at the snowdomes in the UK. Eight years on, we’ve got a full range of garms, stockists throughout Europe and sell internationally online.

What’s the attitude behind Brethren?

C: The real heartbeat of the brand is the people-over-pro t mantra. There’s something about the community aspect of this lifestyle that drew Chris in from an early age, long before Brethren began. We try to convey that in how we present ourselves to the market, how we treat our customers and the people we work with, even down to the name of the brand [which is the old English term for brothers].

How do you split your roles?

A: We’re still guring this out! It’s very much a ‘whatever needs doing gets done’ kind of approach. We work on the designs together. I still make the initial samples right on the kitchen table and am mostly in charge of getting them from A to B. Chris does sales and the webstore. We’re both awful at marketing. If anyone would like to help out, apply within! We’ve never been ones to toot our own horns and say our gear’s really great and you should buy it… But it is, and you should!!

Tell us the story about winning that competition.

A: So when we were rst starting up, we were given an opportunity to enter a Santander Dragon’s Den contest and win £5K through my university. Anyone who’s met us will know that we don’t really believe in polishing ourselves into something we’re not, so we came pretty casually dressed, mildly prepared but pumped to talk about our ideas and plans. We were met with rows of suits who’d been there all day and instantly thought, ‘Ohhhhh lucifer, what have we done?’. When they rst announced the winners, they pronounced my name wrong in a way I didn’t recognise. [Ed. It’s pronounced Ash-ling]. I thought someone else had won, so I sat politely clapping until Chris shook me and said it was me, we won! It seems our approachable style was well received. That paid for our rst production run in London and was the end of me making everything by hand in the garage.

INTERVIEW WITH SIBLINGS

CHRIS & AISLING KYTE

PHOTO. SYO VAN VLIET & LEONIE SAILER

What are the biggest challenges you face as a small brand?

C: Promotion. We’re completely independent and have never taken nancial backing, except from our grandma, who loaned us our rst £500 to buy fabric. So we’ve grown organically, but we’ve never really had the budgets to promote ourselves up there with the industry giants, so not too many people know about us.

What have you learnt along the way?

C: Everything. We started with zero business acumen and de nitely could have made some better calls. One of the most valuable things we’ve taken away is the importance of a solid network. We’d not be where we are today without all the people who’ve helped us out along the way and are still helping us now. We’re grateful for every single one of ya! We try to pass this forward whenever we can.

What might people not know about Brethren?

C: We’ve started donating to snow charities with every online sale, directly o our own pro t margin. There’s also the option to add your own donation at the checkout, where we wholeheartedly encourage everyone to contribute.

What’s coming up in the future for you?

A: We’re dipping further into the softshell outerwear line. Watch this space!

Last words are yours:

Be kind, but give ‘em hell. Also, don’t break the law while you’re breaking the law.

SNOWBOARDS FOR EVERYBODY

EQUALLY PSYCHO

PHOTO: SILVANO ZEITER RIDER: SEVERIN VAN DER MEER AS SEEN IN CHROMA

RIDER: HANA BEAMAN PHOTO: ERIK HOFFMAN

22.3 ART PAGE GRIFFIN SIEBERT

Do you have a background in art, or is it a more recent thing?

Not at all! I actually have a degree in geology. But when my dad rst got out of college, he was an art teacher, and he recently gave me all these art supplies and linocut stu , which I’m hyped on. I did some of my own Nitro graphics, and a couple of years ago I did an internship with Paul Brown. I showed that I was willing to learn, and Nitro gave me the opportunity. Then COVID hit, and I worked at a little local grocery store for that summer. It was actually pretty fun. I was still painting and playing on the computer, then last year Nitro o ered me a job as a graphic designer.

How do you balance the two?

It can work, but it can also be a little tricky to give each one enough time. Sometimes I’d feel like I was blowing it with one or the other. This year Nitro gave me a cool little window where I have more freedom to ride. It’s nice because they obviously understand what I need to do in the winter because I work for them in that regard too.

Do you bounce from one medium to another, or do you have speci c things that you get into for a while?

A bit of both. I’ve always been a fan of surfboards and how they’re glassed, so I kind of got into resin art. I’m the sort of person who has to go do something outside like climb or skate, then all of a sudden, an idea pops into my head, and I just have to get home and do it. I like to do di erent things, so I would say mixed media is my thing. I’m also stoked about painting on furniture at the moment. Most of my board graphics have been painted or drawn by hand. I’m a huge advocate for that. It has that human touch, and you start to love the imperfections.

What other things do you nd inspiration from?

Lately, I’ve been stoked on old cars and basketball. Just random stu that’s not in snowboarding. Skateboard art is so disposable, so I think they can get more wild with ideas. Snowboards are a bit trickier because they’re a big purchase for someone, but I think we need more of that skateboard art culture in snowboard graphics. Obviously, there’s room for clean boards like Gentemsticks that are just so pretty, but it’s also fun to get colourful and weird.

You’ve done a few designs with Autumn. How did those come about, and what’s it like working with them?

Brad [Alband] and Je [Richards] knew that I doodled and painted, so they asked me to do something for them. Working with them is always super fun and easy. They kind of let me do whatever. Sometimes Brad has ideas, and I kind of like it when people have a concept. I feel that if I contain my creativity, then it can expand. But if someone tells me that I can do whatever I want, I can get caught up and can’t think of anything!

We used one of your Autumn illustrations on our collab beanie this year. Not sure if you actually knew that?

I did, and I was stoked. I’m hyped if my work goes to a snowboard mag. I think that one is Nick Russel. It’s an abstract drawing, but a lot of those gures are actual people.

You recently made a lm called Groove, which was sort of a patchwork of snowboard feelings… I don’t really have a question. I just wanted to say that I liked it.

Thanks, I appreciate that. We wanted to make something that was more an art project than a snowboard video. We wanted to leave it mysterious. Hopefully, it’s something relatable that people can get stoked on. We were just searching for moments, like a weird shadow on the snow or something. Stu like that gets me super stoked.

So from your artwork to your riding and your lms, you seem to do pretty consistently cool things. What’s the secret?

I don’t even know! I feel like I’m always scrambling last minute, and then something comes together. I was kind of mentored by Austin [Smith] and Bryan [Fox]. I always respected them because if they wanted something, they just went and did it instead of waiting for someone to do it for them. Even if it turns out to be shitty, at least you’re going to learn something. I just truly, truly love snowboarding, especially in powder. No matter what, I want to create stu that captures that feeling and will maybe inspire others to go out and try it. It’s just so damn fun that I want everyone else to experience it.

ARTIST: GRIFFIN SIEBERT

HOLD FAST TWEAK HARD

22.3