Slash Snowboard Magazine Issue #4 English

#4

www.slashmagazine.ca

Martin Gallant // Method Photo // Phil Tifo Spot // Whistler

INTERVIEW

MARTIN GALLANT a.k.a The Godfather

QUÉBEC Street Riding CAMP OF CHAMPIONS 20 years already !

co ntent s Vo lum e 2 .1

08 Martin Gallant a.k.a The Godfather 22 Back to the middle age of snowboarding 32 QuĂŠbec Street Riding 36 Best and worst with Campos and Craven 46 Photo Gallery 50 Trick tip with Dan Migno 62 Check out Front line 64 COC: 20 years already ! 66 Music with Wes Makepeace 72 Outro: The Importance of Teams 74 Intro: Free yourself

Subscribe: www.slashmagazine.ca Handplant // Scott Shaw Photo // Oli Gagnon Spot // Mont Hood

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Editor: Pat Burns Photo Director: Oli Gagnon Editorial Director: Etienne Gilbert Advertising sales: Etienne Tremblay Creative Direction: Ralph Samson Claudia Renaud

Contributing Photographers: Ashley Barker, Angel Rodrigez, James Holm, Phil Tifo, Julien Sallenave, Dom Gauthier, Adam Moran, Alexis Paradis, Scott Sulivan.

Contributing Writers: Etienne Gilbert, Louis Gravel, Sylvain Beauchesne, Nima Jilali, Eddie Wall, Emanuel Krebs, Dan Migno, Mike Hager, Muzzey, Alex Auchu.

Contributing art: Karen Lapointe Patrick Beaulieu Printed inCanada: ISSN 1913-8385 Printer: Litho Chic

Slash Magazine 425, Gérard-Moriset, suite 8 Québec, Qc, Canada, G1S 4V5 www.slashmagazine.ca info@slashmagazine.ca Le magasine Slash(ISSN 1913-8385) est publié 3 fois par année. La rédaction n’est pas responsable des textes et des photos publiés, qui engagent la seule responsabilités de leurs auteurs. Les constributions sont les bienvenues, toutefois, vous devez fournir une enveloppe pré-affranchis pour le retour.

Toute reproduction sans l’accord de l’éditeur est interdite.

Slash magazine(ISSN 1913-8385) is published 3 times a year. Opinions expressed in articles are those of the autor. All rights reserved on entire content.

Slash magazine welcomes edittorial submissions; however, return postage must accompagny all unsolicited manuscripts, art, or photographic materials if they are to be return.

Web: Gc media

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Free yourself by Étienne Gilbert

INTRO

« (...) your mind is the one talking, judging your own condition and trying to act upon this new need you created for yourself ; the need to be free. You can’t work towards freedom ; it emerges. » Everybody wants to be free. But do we really know what freedom means ? Do we become free or instead of being something we pursue, could freedom be something we need to simply let emerge by itself ?

Last winter I visited Austria for the first time. For me, travelling has always allowed me to open my mind and reset certain aspects of my perspective on things. Not only does it break the routine, but for a lot of us it reanimates our presence and attention.

Seeing people with different habits, manners, language, facial features and lifestyle with the same ambition- being happymakes me realize that our differences, as many as we might have, are meaningless compared to our similarities.

On the ski resort we visited, the difference between the European scene and our North American scene was obvious. The 8 // slash snowboardmag

percentage of skiers was much higher than the snowboarder.

The snowboarders didn’t wear many of the most popular brands that we see around here and the skill level wasn’t at the same caliber. Despite all of this one thing remained the same, people’s enthusiasm for the mountain and for fellowship.

As I was listening to some Austrians speaking in German, the concept of language was taking a different dimension.

Words were just sounds and noises to my ears. But isn’t that precisely what they are ? Over time we have turned words into concepts loaded with symbolization. Concepts created to express things and actions but also feelings and emotions.

But do words really serve justice to what we live, feel and want to express ? What is languages true limitation ? Can’t body language sometimes mean much more then words ?

On my flight back home while I was scanning through my fresh

Layback // Devun Walsh Photo // Oli Gagnon Spot // Whistler, BC

memories of the great trip I just had, I came to realize that the real trip is the one that takes place within us. In order to welcome a new experience within ourselves, we have to create room for it. You can travel all over the world but if you are not ready to be alert to the little voice in your head without being possessed by it, it’s like you never went anywhere. Only your body traveled while you stayed exactly where you’ve always been; in your head. For some people, even traveling doesn’t alter their intellectual disposition and they remain constantly a prisoner of their own thoughts and mind.

Easier said than done ! Thought processes are complex. It would be easy here to say “ being prisoner of my thoughts is “ bad ” so I’m gonna free myself from them, as if they were separated from you. Yet once again your mind is the one talking, jugging your own condition and trying to act upon this new need you created for yourself ; the need to be free. You can’t work towards freedom; it emerges.

At some different level, we all are slaves to our thought process. Would it be possible to live every moment of our life without constantly judging, analyzing, comparing, liking or disliking, calling good or bad etc. ? What makes one thing better than the other ? Are we truly free of our own opinions ?

Are we truly free to choose what influences our opinions ?

Can our opinions truly be free if we don’t fully control what influences them ? Is it possible to make a completely free and new judgment if we constantly analyze the present through old thoughts and ideologies of the past ? Like language, can thoughts have their own limitations ?

all experienced the feeling of being free from everything. Our mind is quiet and it feels like time has stopped or is standing still. Well, that’s pretty much what happens. The concept of the past and future dissolving for the “ now ” is something that truly needs to be experienced. In one way, we could say that once you are free from your own self and from psychological time, true freedom emerges. This is how snowboarding can be for many of us, a form of meditation that can keep us young at heart. Obviously, we wouldn’t be able to function in this world without thoughts but they have their limitation too, just like language has. A free mind has room to welcome the present; therefore it is open to new things and has the potential for true creation. How many times have you been searching for a word or name where you feel like it’s hanging on the tip of your tongue ? Yet the more you search the less it feels like you’ll be able to remember it. Then, at the very moment you give up and stop searching it pops into your head. When we are free from our mind and get out of our own way, true freedom and creation emerge by itself.

Get out of your head and of your own way ! Free yourself !

Go snowboard !

Is it necessary to have a definite answer for every single one of these questions ? How free and true would these answers be ?

I don’t know anybody that can say they have never been caught up in their own thought process. Although, we have all had our moments where our presence is complete and our thoughts absent. When we snowboard for example, we’ve

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Cab corked 540 indy // Martin Gallant Photo // Julien Sallenave Spot // Whistler, BC

Aka “The God Father”. Martin Gallant is a unique character.

In fact, everything about him is unique: style, the way he speaks, stories, lifestyle, career as well as his plans for the future. We did our best to keep the interview in its integrality to show you the numerous aspects of our favorite “old timer”.

Martin honored his storyteller reputation and had a lot to say.

We had no choice but to cut a few things. Unfortunately for the English readers the translation probably won’t do justice to Martin’s communication skills. Those who know him can imagine what it could have been like. For those who have never met him; what follows will give you a good idea of the incomparable character that is Martin.

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Interview

by Joel Muzzey and Etienne Gilbert

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Cab corked 540 indy // Martin Gallant Photo // Phil Tifo Spot // Whistler, BC

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- What lead you to move to Whistler ? What was the context ?

One day my buddy Pat Van and I were watching the snowboard movie “In Exile”. There was this part in the movie where you could see the “wind lip” in Blackcomb. After seeing that part we exclaimed “Wow ! We have to go to Whistler.” I dropped out of school around seventeen. Pat was done with school. I bought a 1968 Maverick and we headed to Whistler.

- What is most memorable from the beginning of this time in Whistler ?

We arrived in town in autumn and had nowhere to stay so we would hang out real late in bars every night. We were just like homeless people and living everywhere. We had built a little shelter in the woods. We also slept in saunas, hostels, closets and even on the roof of the Chateau Whistler. We used the shower and the gym in the hotels we would manage to sneak in. We lived like kings when it worked. I also remember our first day at the “wind lip”. We got up on Blackcomb and were asking everybody “Where’s the wind lip ? ! ? Where’s the wind lip !” When we finally got there we couldn’t believe it. We spent the day hiking and jumping it. We felt like we had accomplished our mission.

- Who were the members of the crew in the first year ?

Pat Van, my brother, Bebite Odet, Cafe Blouin, Bill Boine... many people. Eric Marchand and Marc Morissette were the only other “frenchies” in that time.

- How was the “vibe” towards the “frenchies” in those years ?

Not long after we left Quebec there was the referendum for separation of the Quebec province.

Everywhere we would go people told us to go back to Quebec as we were “ fucking frenchies” and all that. My really moderate skills in English kept me from saying much, but Pat was bilingual and didn’t like to be bothered. We ended up pretty much every night in a bar with a fight. Pat could take a lot ; one guy, two guys, three guys and then oops ! four. That is when he started to get in trouble and it is exactly where I came in with a good kick. We were often squabbling with people.

- Did you have any expectations toward snowboarding when you arrived in Whistler ?

In that time the only thing that I wanted was to ride everyday. I think that I didn’t miss a single day of snowboarding in the first winter. I didn’t even have a season-pass but I managed to get up there everyday. People would call me the invisible man ( laughter ). I didn’t really know where all this was going to bring me but I knew that I wanted to enter contests and hope for the best.

- Did you have any sponsors ?

In Quebec, I was sponsored by Norteck Rebel Snowboard. In all my life I only bought one board and it was a Norteck that I bought at the cost price of $100 before they started supporting me.

Norteck paid for the contest entry and for me to get there. I was the Canadian Half-pipe Champion during that time.

After we got to Whistler, it wasn’t long before our boards were all broken. The edges were destroyed.

One day there were many companies showing their boards just down the chairlift in Blackcomb.

Every company was there but Kemper was the best at that time. They also had the best team.

We went to see the sales rep at the tent. We talked a bit and brought him with us on the slopes to test the boards. The guy was astonished. As soon as we arrived down the hill he gave us boards and O’neil clothing. At that moment I had no idea where it was going take me. So we ended up having some cool brand new gear. I met another Quebecer ; Eric Berger. He used to take photos of kayaking when I met him. He is now a well-known snowboard photographer. He ended up asking me if I wanted to go and shoot some snowboard pictures. I had no idea what that meant since I never did that kind of thing before but I said “OK !” So I jumped a couple rocks here and there and that was it. I eventually forgot about this afternoon and when summer came I went back to Quebec where I had a good job. I worked at the skatepark that the town owned and I think they paid me $20/hour under-the-table. It was the best job ever. I thought that I was going to work there forever. One afternoon the kids came to me and said : “Martin, close the park and come to the shop you’re in the mag”. I was like “really ?” So I locked the Bois Brillant skatepark and we went to the convenience store running like crazy. When we got there I grabbed the Transworld and “bang”, I was in the central split page, an Eric Berger photo. I was really happy but that was it. I did not even call Eric or anything. After the summer I went back to Whistler and the phone rang at the beginning of the winter. It was Kemper Snowboard USA. They started offering me a deal. I was really happy. I was still on the am team but they helped me with my expenses to enter contest.

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Backside 360 indy // Martin Gallant Photo // Julien Sallenave Spot // Whistler, BC

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Gap to rock // Martin Gallant Photo // Phil Tifo Spot // Whistler, BC

- How did you step-up to the pro rank?

Back in those days you had to win money in a Pro contest to go pro. That same winter my friend Simon and I planned to go do the ‘baker bank slalom’. At this time I was still an am on Kemper but Simon wanted me to enter the pro contest. The entry for the pro contest was more expensive and I didn’t have the money. Simon “borrowed” his mom’s credit card and entered me in the pro contest without telling me because he trusted my skills. He said : “Don’t bother, just go and win the contest. You’ll give me the money back later.” Simon broke his knee a few days before the contest. I was without a cent and alone with nobody to drive me to Baker. Simon told me : “Don’t worry, I will find you a ride. I know this one guy, his name is Ross Rabligliati” ( laughter ). So I jumped in Ross’s van and we went to Mount Baker. We had a good time together going there and we were both excited about the contest. When we got there I couldn’t help but laugh when I saw Ross put on his spandex suit and his hard boots.

I was like “I don’t know this guy !” ( laughter ) “What is he doing ?” He didn’t care at all. All the big guns were there. Andy hetzel, Palmer, Craig Kelly, Ranquet, Noah Salaznek, Tom Burt.

Think about any pro at that time, they were all there. We partied with everybody. We drank beer before and during the contest. It was a big party. And Ross wore his tight suit and his hard boots and we laughed like crazy. Ross was all serious about it. At that time, Craig had never lost the bank slalom in his entire life. Ross was saying : “The only way I will be able to beat him is with my suit !” We couldn’t stop laughing. Finally Ross won the race and I ended up sixth. We came back to Whistler really happy and partied big time. I had money in my pockets. Everything was great !

When the winter was over Kemper asked me to not go back in Quebec. They wanted me to go film in New Zealand and at Mt Hood for the movie “Creature of Habit” and then turn pro. It was the full kit. I didn’t wait long to seal the deal. I told them that I had a great job in Quebec and that if they wanted me to do as they ask they would have to give me a shitload of money ( laughter ). So they gave me a shitload of money. They gave me an unlimited budget and a ‘Kemper Snowboard’ Visa gold “free for all” card ( laughter ). That was the dream ! It was like my new job even if I didn’t take it as a job. Back in those days it was not so serious. We didn’t film much. It was all about riding with friends, have fun, drink beer at night and that was it.

Just being yourself. Sponsors did not expect much media exposure at that time. It was the good life. I still entered a lot of contests though. I use to do well in freestyle contests. Then one day the guys called me and were like : “Yeah Martin it’s cool the contests and stuff but we think that you should focus more on taking pictures and filming.” I said : “Oh yeah ? ! Well hang on tight because that Visa gold is going to get some. Send me over a Tom Burt 170.

I don’t want to ride my small 55 freestyle board. I’m heading to Alaska next week.” They said ;” You’re too small for a 170” and I answered :”Send me over a 170 I’m fucking going to Alaska.”( Laughter )

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So I went to Alaska and I had the craziest time of my life. I went there a lot during the two following seasons. At that time there were no guides or anything. I just went to the helicopter office with my Gold card. I pointed to the mountains and I was like “I want to go there”. They use to give you tokens. The blue tokens were $35, for $35 they could drop you on any peak. You had to ride down to the road. You could also get the black tokens for $50 for the spots that were further. You had to be picked up after your ride. The black tokens were for the “big shots”. My pockets were full of black tokens. ( Laughter ) I did so many first tracks. I even went down side by side yelling like kids with Craig Kelly on “Diamond” which is a very popular mountain is Alaska. We had sooooooooo much fun.

We were one of the first to ride it. Craig knew what he was doing while I had no idea. It’s ridiculous that we didn’t have more accidents than that. Craig taught me a lot about security.

Those are such good memories. For approximately four years we lived like rock stars. Booze, restaurants, women and plane tickets were an everyday thing. I went in New Zeeland, everywhere in North America, China, Alaska, Yukon and everywhere in Europe. I think Europe is my favorite. You can go from France to Italy on your board. The terrain that is accessible by chairlift is infinite. I even had a pro model before the company “pulled the plug”. I have probably lost around $200,000 in my career because I was too lazy to make the follow up with my sponsors. In those days the photo incentive was so high that it brought some companies to bankruptcy. After that I went from one company to another. I did not have a board sponsor for approximately 2 years while I entered a lot of boarder cross contests. I use to do well in those and earned good money from it.

- Did you make enough money during your snowboarding career to build a future for yourself ?

Yes ! I owe everything to snowboarding. My house, truck, toys, lifestyle, and friends. I am so grateful.

- You manage to get as much photo exposure as some youngsters at the top of their career. - How can you explain that ?

When I get up there I ride what I like the most. I like to ride a lot of different stuff. I try not to spend the whole day building a jump that I will 20 times. It is also easier to produce more pictures when you don’t have to worry about the video camera.

- Are you still so enthusiastic about snowboarding ? Don’t you start to be “burnt out” ?

No, No ! I am far from being “burnt out”. I love to get up there when I want and take pictures.

I was getting “burnt out” when I worked on the Gathering movie with the whole “business” to be taken care of. Now I don’t care about that. When I get up there it’s really to have fun. I always did it for myself but now it is true more than ever. At the end of the day I don’t expect anything else than staying positive and appreciating life. I ride what I want. I think this is why I have been riding really well in the last few years. I don’t feel any pressure from my sponsors or anybody. I ride and that’s it.

- Do you think snowboarding evolved for the best ?

The riding side of it is totally sick. It’s crazy how big people go now and how sick the tricks are. But I think people were more original back in the days. Everybody had their own style.

Nowadays, everybody follows a trend. Some people go from one style to another every year.

Obviously not everybody is “fake” nowadays. But I think that people were more authentic back in the days. Be yourself kids.

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Spines // Martin Gallant Photo // Phil Tifo Spot // Whistler, BC

- What are you most grateful for from this snowboarding career ?

Snowboarding reconnected me with nature. When I was a kid and I lived in Montreal I dreamt of a world covered by concrete without trees and grass. A place where we could skateboard anywhere. I started snowboarding and now I respect the mountains and the nature. It also taught me to appreciate life, sights and also to take the time to breathe calmly.

- What do you like the most in a day in the backcountry ?

The freedom.

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Method // Martin Gallant Photo // Oli Gagnon Spot // Whistler, BC

- Did you have a road-trip that was particularly memorable ?

It’s been ten years already. I was always with my brother, Dom Gauthier, Pelchat, Chanut and Martin Gagné. My brother didn’t want to work in the restaurants anymore.

I told him “We’ll buy a “motor-home, two ski-doos, a trailer, a camera, and we’ll go on trips. You’ll film all winter and at the end you will sell the footy to get your money back”. We left for the whole winter with our photographer Ryan O’down. We even did a story for SBC ( magazine ). The following winter we were talking in the “motor-home”.

Martin Gagné was saying how much he was tired of working in restaurants and that he was thinking about going back to Quebec. That is when I proposed to make a movie. We bought a computer and Martin Gagné was going to edit it and everybody will ride and film like crazy. I bought some more cameras and we left on the road again in the “motor-home” a couple times here and there with different riders. This is the way the Gathering started. At the end we did “The Gathering’ Triumph’ Clockwork’ Gong show and Remote Control”. During all those years we gave the opportunity to a lot of up and comers to step up in the snowboard industry. Unfortunately, the industry being what it is, every year we lost our best riders for bigger filming companies. It was great for the guys’ careers but it was also what killed ours. At the end of the day it was 5 years of good times. It allowed me to make a freestyle comeback as I focused more on freeride before that.

- What do you do now and what have you been doing in the last few years ?

- Do you have plans for the future ?

It might be hard to believe but I am still living the dream. I still have sponsors that support me. Apo snowboards, it is a honor to ride for the snowboard legend that is Régis Roland, Dakine, Drake NorthWave, Wick wam, Black flys, North Face. I am still lucky enough to go and ride everyday, put gasoline in my truck and in my sled.

I am really lucky. During summer I work on construction. For example, this summer I’m working on a log bridge. My master “Yoda” got the contract to build the first log bridge in Whistler in Rainbow Park for the Olympics. I am currently learning the job. I am also collecting and stocking some logs in order to build my own log house on my new piece of land. Once my new house will be done I will sell the one that I have now.

With the money I will buy a 40-foot boat in San Diego and travel the world. My plan is to hire a captain that will show me everything for the first month. He will show me everything I need to know and I will buy him a plane ticket to get back to San Diego.

After all that I will be ready to navigate toward new adventures.

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FS 360 // Charles Reid Photo // Julien Sallenave Spot // Whistler, BC

BACK TO THE MIDDLE

by Louis Gravel On November 8th 2007, a trivial press release changed the realty of snowboarding in Canada (and yes, skiing also). The famous Resort of the Canadian Rockies (RCR) had decided to be an “innovator” for security. The main direction revealed its new policy on the security in their parks. It meant the abolition of all the jumps defined as “big air”. According to RCR who doesn’t want to jeopardize the security of their clients; these kinds of jumps have a risk of injury that is considered too high. This new direction follows the decision of an American court to condemn an American ski resort to pay 14 million dollars to a skier who became quadriplegic after jumping on a jump in bad shape. Yet, RCR tries to make people believe that the decision of the court didn’t really influence their own decision. The main decision makers obviously consider the security of their clients endangered by the presence of “big air” jumps. The big bosses took that new direction without consulting each of their resorts about their own reality. Roughly: this decision was made by a bunch of blind 32 // slash snowboardmag

men in suits. The term used in that release was not right. Here is a better one: retrograde.

The Canadian industry was shocked by the RCR’s press release. A few companies’ sales reps tried to boycott RCR but couldn’t gather enough people. This modification of the policy comes after the season pass pre-sale period so it frustrated many people. RCR decided to give money back to those no longer interested in riding at their resorts. By doing so RCR said to their clients: “We made our decision, we don’t need your opinion and we don’t care what you think.

Good bye!” In 2008, you could only find handrails and nothing else but a half-pipe depending on which resort.

AGE OF SNOWBOARDING This is only a summary of what happened at the beginning of the 2008 season. There was obviously a big reaction on the Internet. A website named “Save RCR snowparks” was created and many facebook groups emerged as well as numerous forums that showed disagreement. The main argument of this “coalition” is that RCR is going backwards in a sport that has freestyle roots and always grew around it. I totally agree with that. Snowboarding evolves constantly and taking out the big air jumps is like going back to the middle age of our sport. It was easier back in the 80s to get a kicker done in Stoneham than it is today. Is it really the best way to make the slopes safer? Instead of having a space conceived, designed and realized for jumping, the riders will have to search everywhere for airtime.

This could easily increase the risk of accident for the riders but also for the rest of the RCR clients. People will now jump everywhere in

the mountains, on the sides of the slopes as well as off the beaten tracks. I guess that it is what they meant when they wanted to lower the risk of injuries.

The resorts that share the market with RCR greatly took advantage of it. They even used the new policy to promote their resorts and their big air jumps. The snowpark of Stoneham had the reputation of often being crowded but the last year was really mellow from the beginning to the end. As an employee of the resort, rumors of a drop in the sales came to my ears but they are only rumors. I hope that this income drop is real. Why? Because these men in ties like their pesos more than anything else; money talks. Hopefully they will understand that this loss of money is linked with the withdrawal of jumps but I doubt it.

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WHERE are our The fact that big air jumping is not yet an Olympic discipline and the lack of a strong voice such as a federation that listens to us didn’t help. It allowed the RCR to make that decision without a “legitimate” opposition. Why didn’t the CSF (Canadian Snowboard Federation) force Stoneham, which is a national Halfpipe training facility, to have training infrastructures such as big airs for example? It is such a ridiculous training facility.

However, I believe that this situation must lead us to reconsider the security in our sport. I admit that snowboarding implies a risk of injuries but what sport doesn’t? I recently had a discussion with a member of the snow patrol in the chairlift. He told me that most of the injuries were broken limbs and that there were fewer concussions. As we all know; measures were taken in the last years to prevent injuries like the obligation to wear helmets, the park-pass 34 // slash snowboardmag

for the XL-Park as well as maintenance standards that became stricter. Most of these rules are not applied correctly.

In my opinion, the park-pass is not applied correctly because you only have to fill out a form that has no value in court and also because the skills of the rider are not even questioned prior to selling the pass. Nobody even knows if the rider is able to use the XL obstacles. Why not test the rider’s skills or at least show him a video about security in the park before giving him the pass.

As for the maintenance standards, most of the resorts offer stepdown kickers that give strong impact at the landing. Why not build real pyramids (true-table) or even some step-ups like in the 2008 X-Games? The answer is quite simple; the step-down kickers are easier and cheaper to keep in a good shape. I don’t know if theses

BS 720 // Torstein Horgmo Photo // Oli Gagnon Spot // Whistler, BC

jumps ? arguments made a difference but as I said before: money talks!

All of this leads us to discussing the personal responsibility of the rider. Each user of the park must know his limits and also accept the risks that go with snowboarding. However, it is important that the resort offers obstacles of a good quality. What is frustrating for us is the fact that we no longer have the freedom to ride what we choose to ride. Some people took the liberty to choose for us, as if we were kids in kindergarten.

According to one of my sources it is possible that jumps may make a comeback for the 2009 season. Yet there will be a lot of supervision around those obstacles and not everybody will have the privilege to get some air.

I do hope to see a comeback of the jumps in the near future. Why? For the sake of the evolution of our sport and also to see some new local riders make it on the international scene. I am still pessimistic about all this because it is never easy to change things in a business like RCR. But I strongly encourage you guys who ride to get heard. It is up to you to put the pressure on them since you are the customers. Mention that you want jumps when you buy the ticket for the day or your season pass. If there is a demand, there will eventually be a response to it. It is probably the best way to bring the jump back in the RCR.

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Nosepress Pop out // Will Lavigne Photo // Oli Gagnon Spot // Chicoutimi

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by Etienne Gilbert In the last 10 years, the snowboard industry has witnessed the popularity of jibbing and street riding grow increasingly fast. Things couldn’t have gone better in a province like Quebec that is covered in snow for at least 4 months of the year. The diversity of the terrain in cities like Montreal, Quebec, Trois-Rivières or Chicoutimi leads to an infinite number of possibilities. As seasons passed by, local riders learned to take advantage of their motherland. Nowadays, the snowboard industry acknowledges the province of Quebec for its large number of perfect spots as well as for the talent of the local riders. Obviously, there are a couple of factors that have influenced the emergence of our scene. Movies such as the ones made by the Gathering, Sugar Shack as well as events like the Empire Shakedown help a lot. However, our riding in

the streets is the main reason why people have talked about us in the last three or four years. This is the reason why many international companies specializing in snowboard movies such as MDP, Absinthe, Rome, Forum and Standard organize filming trips in Quebec every year to get the best footage possible for their new production. We are proud to welcome them here and our hospitality is definitely a good reason for them to come back every year. It is also because people here are passionate, dedicated and motivated. More and more riders from here are showing great skills on the international level. The Quebec scene is now stronger than ever. As long as our cities will be covered by snow during winter, numerous snowboarders from all over the world will come and enjoy this playground.

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180 switch 50-50 // Darrell Mathes Photo // Alexis Paradis Spot // QuĂŠbec

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I started snowboarding in December 1994 but my first complete winter with a season pass was in Whistler in 1998-99. Quebec City was my training facility during my first three seasons. We would spend hours, days and years building kickers everywhere in town. My friends and I started to ride urban rails in ‘97. However, it was in 2000 that we really started to take advantage of the insane potential that the city had to offer. Guillaume Brochu, Phil Paré, Mat Laroche and I, along with Fritou as camera man, Karl Rousseau and Oli Gagnon as photographers, were the crew. We were one of the few crews originally from Quebec City. The red ledge, the green ledge, the University red kink, the Hôtel-Dieu kink, the D’Youville Square ledges and the green rails in Chicoutimi are a few of the spots that we discovered and were the first to ride. It’s crazy to see how much the phenomena exploded since then. I am proud to be part of the history of Quebec street riding, but also proud to see our scene gain a lot of exposure because of it. I would also give big props to the new generation who stepped up and now hold it tight.

- Etienne Gilbert

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“It was just a matter of time, it had to happen.” Unlike many Quebec riders I grew up on the south shore of Montreal where skateboarding was well established. I adopted the skateboard lifestyle years before I knew about snowboarding. The hunger to ride our skateboard during the winter led me and many other skateboarders of the area to try snowboarding. That was our way of riding all year round. The season of procrastination was over. This was a sacred gift; so many possibilities were offered to us. Everything was yet unachieved. But just don’t think that street jibbing was “invented” recently. It was already there many years ago in this marvelous industry. You would be surprised to see great footage in some of the oldest videos such as “scream of consciousness” by Burton in 1991 where you can see Terje Hakonsen riding down the streets popping snow bumps and boardsliding multikinks (a must see). Seeing all that, and looking at where street jibbing has landed now in the snowboard industry makes me say: “It was just a matter of time, it had to happen.”

- Sylvain Beauchesne

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Switch bs nosepress // Travis Kennedy Photo // Oli Gagnon Spot // Trois Rivières

When I went to Quebec for the first time I couldn’t believe it, there was 2 feet of snow everywhere and the city looked like it was made for snowboarding. The city looks amazing, so the camera men are always excited. From one spot to the next we didn’t need drop in ramps and couldn’t believe how perfect the rails were. No wonder all the Quebec kids are so much better at rails than us.

- Nima Jalali

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Nosepress // Nic Sauvé Photo // Oli Gagnon Spot // Québec

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Quebec is to snowboarding what Barcelona is to skateboarding.

Over the past three years it has become the single most progressive place for ‘urban’ snowboarding. From rails to wallrides, from gaps to ledges, Quebec has it all and nothing is left untouched. There has also been a great increase of riders coming out of Quebec due to their raw talent. Riders like LNP, Charles Gagnon, Nic Sauve, MarieFrance Roy and many others have proven again and again that Quebec has a large influence on snowboarding both for its perfect spots and talented shredders coming out of it.

- Eddie Wall

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Switch 50-50 bs 180 out // Frank April Photo // Oli Gagnon Spot // MontrĂŠal

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The streets of Quebec City have always been favorable to snowboarding, perhaps even more so with the strong resurgence of the exploitation of rails, ledges and other urban obstacles. When I discovered snowboarding in the ‘80s as a very pleasant means to fill the long months of wintery wait between the last session of skateboarding in autumn and the first one of the spring, we had only the existing infrastructure of our city because the access to ski resorts, as the name indicates, was forbidden to us. Whether it’s Sherbrooke, Gilmour or another hill in town, or even the Plains of Abraham, Quebec City’s urban character –upper and lower parts- has always been the heart of snowboarding, ever since it first emerged in the province of Quebec. The recognition of Quebec City on the international snowboard scene in the last few years has confirmed what us -snowboarders from Quebec- always knew: Quebec is worth a try!

- Emanuel Krebs

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BS 360 // Shandy Campos Photo // Oli Gagnon Spot // BC Interior

os p m a C y Shand Best contest ever entered Toilet bowl sword fighting Worst contest ever entered Toilet bowl sword fighting.

Best snowboarding day ever They keep happening but I could give you the quick run down. Wake up, huge breakfast, coffee/smoke, onto snowmobiles, breaking trail to some new terrain and then shredding the piss out of it with all your best boys, dinner, beers/smoke again and done by 8pm.

Worst day ever snowboarding.

Not being able to be on my board after a fresh dump.

Best trick ever landed I will work on it this year and let you know.

Tricks are for kids.

Worst bail ever (Injury) I fucked my collar bone up something good.

I was out in Chatter Creek snow cats about 3 hr from any highway. I busted my shit up on the in run to this cabin gap thing. Busted my shit, got doubled out 1 hr on snowmobile, friends loaded my sled for me and then I drove 11 hr back to Whistler with one arm and the other in a sling from my broken collar bone. That was a bitch.

Best way to get over the worst the booze Worst way to enjoy the best the booze Best time of the day the beginning Worst time of the day a boovey day Best thing you ever did Got my girl Worst thing you ever did dumped my girl 46 // slash snowboardmag

Best trip ever (snowboarding and/or non snowboarding) My best trip ever, snow or sun, I would have to say hands down was my trip into the Kootenay Region (my home) with the only man who can make me star struck: Craig Kelly. It was mid winter when we got the call. ‘We’ being myself and Jon Cartwright, my best friend and hands down one of the most talented shredders out there (this guy does it all and kicks the shit out of her while doing it). We got the call that the two super stars supposed to go on this trip backed out and we were next up. This trip was awesome, it snowed every day, we shredded like long time bro’s and I sat on top of a first decent shitting my pants right along side my hero Craig Kelly. It was really cool to do this trip with my best friend and my all-time hero, in my home land. It was a lot of fun.

Worst trip ever /snowboarding and/ or non snowboarding Never had a worst trip. “life is what you make it” and my life rocks, yahoo!

Best sport other than snowboarding Skateboarding and soccer Worst sport Monoboarding and fruit booting.

Best thing that ever happed to you my first skeet Worst thing that ever happed to you my pre major skeet Best season ever Last season was huge. Snowed a ton, started a new tour business organizing trips for action sport media groups (bcactionadventures.com) and shredded her down with a lot of friends.

Worst season ever yet to come Best party ever parrrty Worst party ever noo parrty

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n e v a r C Dustin

FS 360 // Dustin Craven Photo // Ashley Barker Spot // Whistler, BC

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Best sport other then snowboarding Surfing Worst sport Inline skating Best way to get over the worst Think about how goood the good times were Worst way to enjoy the best Having a negative friend with you wrecking it Best contest ever entered Arctic challenge Worst contest ever entered ASA halfpipe contests Best day ever snowboarding 3 feet of fresh snow in Revelstoke Worst day ever snowboarding When it was cloudy Best trick ever landed Double cork 10 Worst bail ever (Injury) I was 14 and I compressed my vertebrae Best trip ever (snowboarding and/or non snowboarding) One of the best trips ever is probably going to the shakedown to party every year Worst trip ever (snowboarding and/or non snowboarding) The worst trip I had was when we went to northern BC and o nly got 2 days of sun for the whole month

Best time of the day When the bar lets out Worst time of the day Sunrise Best thing you ever did Probably that time I won the Shakedown Worst thing you ever did Well, the condom broke Best thing that ever happed to you Being born was really rad Worst thing that ever happed to you MY bedroom burnt down. That was a real bummer Best season ever Next year Worst season ever Never had one Best party ever My birthday Worst party ever The ones that get cancelled

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DCP // Method Photo // Oli Gagnon Spot // Whistler, BC Illustrations // Patrick Beaulieu

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FS 540 // Tj Schneider Photo // Oli Gagnon Spot // Keystone

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Gaetan Chanut // Pillow Line Photo // Oli Gagnon Spot // BC Interior

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SW BS 540 // Matt Dano Photo // Dom Gauthier Spot // Whistler, BC

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FS 360 // Mikey Rencz Photo // Adam Moran Spot // Revelstone

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Ben Bilocq // Air to fakie Photo // Ashley Barker Spot // Whistler, BC

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Method // Jake Blauvelt Photo // Angel Rodrigez Spot // Whistler, BC

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Kareem El Rafie // Tailbonk revert Photo // James Holm Spot // Akureyri, Iceland

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FS 180 switch 5-0 // Max Ballargeon Photo // Oli Gagnon Spot // Ontario

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It was Friday night when I received the call that one of my sequences was picked for a double page trick tip for the next issue of Slash magazine. I was already in full motion for the Whistler night life when I got the news. I sat down with my laptop on my lap and a drink in my hand and started typing it right away ‘cause they needed it asap! I took me a few tries before my stuff got approved. Don’t drink and type letters, hahah So here it goes, this is my best switch frontside 270 sequence to date. Thanks to my bro photographer Oli.G who always comes through with some sick pictures. Hopefully you guy’s enjoy it.

First of all I need to be in a positive mind-set to be able to ride well. My life and my snowboarding are one. If I’m happy in my life I ride well and vice versa. Everybody should find out what works for them and live their life the way they want without letting other people decide what’s good for them.

As I drop in switch, I like to keep my approach parallel to the rail.

As I get closer to the rail, I look toward where I want the tip of my tail to go over the rail to make sure it won’t clip. Clipping your tip while spinning on a rail is the last thing you want to do, yet it’s the first mistake most beginners do when learning spin on.

Start your frontside rotation while you switch ollie and start looking down at the point on the rail where you’re gonna land.

This street rail is deadly steep so in this case you have to make sure you lean way forward to match the rails steepness but keep in mind that you’ll need to even it out at the landing.

In mid spin start taking your upper body the other way around ready for a frontside boardslide. Make sure you don’t over spin off the take off if you want to keep it back to foward. It’s a harder trick than landing it to fakie. Yeah bro!

Once you lock your frontside board, look down the rail until you spot the landing zone.

The hardest part, besides spinning 270 not 200 degrees, is to lock your frontside board perfectly. This means the rail should stay in the same spot underneath your feet the whole way down the rail (without traveling sideways) This is also how you’ll be able to make it perfectly to the end of the rail without coming off early.

This is what makes your trick legit. It’s also what makes the difference between a OK shot and a banger. Rails are all about being flawless.

You don’t want to go home, look at the shot and say «I wish I did it again» As you get off the rail bring it back forward. Take the impact for a long and straight run out The steeper and longer the rail is, the harder it is to land because the impact is brutal unlike in the park where the landings are on a slope.

Have fun trying this trick. Try it on park rail first, and then take it to the street if you dare!

«You can check out Dan Migno’s part in the new Standard films AESTHETICA».

Peace !

Dan Migno

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Photo Trick // Oli Gagnon Photo Face shot // Alexis Paradis

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COMPAGNY CHECK OUT How long has Frontline been in business?

Frontline started originally around 1999-2000 as a joint venture between myself and my best friend Fredric Heiroth. We loved snowboarding and rode every day and just wanted to have our own thing.

As time passed we met more and more people and friends through riding and the crew grew. In the beginning we printed our own T-shirts with computer printed iron-on transfers and made stickers. We sold those to friends and people we met on snowboarding trips and it started spreading faster and faster. Around 2004 we decided to make a proper collection with T-shirts, Hoodies, sweaters, headwear, bandanas etc... We made the first collection in Egypt to get good quality and a fresh feeling and ever since, we have developed a new and improved collection every fall.

Now we have started to get more and more recognition around the world, a lot through our annual railjam (Frontline railjam) and our sick team killing it around the world in movies, mags, comps and parks.

How did Frontline become involved with Intransit Trading?

RM: I met Kareem in Whistler, winter of 2005. The next summer, I spent 2 weeks in Stockholm at a friend’s place and then got in on a snow-

Full name: RENO MILETTE / Intransit Trading KAREEM EL RAFIE / Frontline Clothing Date of birth: RM:1978/03/30 KER:1984/06/20 Where do you live now ?

RM: Whistler KER: Stockholm mais je passe beaucoup de temps à Whistler Year riding: RM: 20 KER: 11 Where did you grow up ?

RM: TRcity KER: Stockholm / Sweden

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boarding trip in Norway to the Folgofonna summer camp. Right after this trip, we started thinking about importing our clothes to Canada.

After 2 years of discussions and research, I started the Intransit trading company with the aim of distributing Frontline.

What got you interested and stoked on starting a snowboard brand in this fairly saturated industry?

Well as I said, it never was the intention from the beginning.

It was more of a passion that grew with time to create something of our own. Being able to use your creativity and mind for something else other than just riding…

Who are your partners in crime? Who is on the team?

Where can we see your team riders in action?

Rm: Frontline is mainly driven by Kareem and John Uppfeldt. They also work with designer Erika Erlando and other graphic designers for logo creation and designs. And for the crew, I couldn’t ask for a better team.

We have guys from all around the world. In Canada, we have David Melançon, a snowboard pioneer, and up-and-coming E-man Anderson as well as Kevin Griffin and Jody Wachniak. We also have Eiki Helgason, Fredu Sirvio, Peter König, Chris Sörman, Halldor Helgason, Andreas

Gidlund, Werni Stock, Benjamin Wetcher, and last addition to our team, Mike Casanova. Check those guys out in productions such as Sugarshack, Rome, Stepchild Movies, Factor Films, Pirates Film, Sandbox and Action Horse.

More and more riders are starting their own companies, what do you think about the big corporation and ski company being involved in our industry?

I think it sucks that soulless companies come to the industry just to make money. For instance, look at all the ski brands that hated and feared snowboarding when it started blowing up. When it grew to a certain point they realized that they could make money from it and then all these ski brands started making snowboards. There are just too many brands nowadays that seem to run without a soul or passion for snowboarding, they only have profit in mind. While at the same time, the genuine brands are struggling like never before. Unfortunately, it probably comes down to the fact that kids buy the shit that their favourite pro rocks no matter what the history is and that makes it possible for anyone with a bunch of money for marketing to succeed.

How has the first year in Canada been for Frontline?

RM: To be honest, we didn’t really know what to expect! For the first year we decided to only promote the brand in Slash magazine. When David Melançon joined us we decided to invest more and collaborate along with Sugarshack. Then when the end of season came we had an offer to take part in the Camp of Champions. We had the ‘’Frontline team week’’ which took place during session B. That opened up even more opportunities, such as having the brand at The Circle shop in the Whistler Village. This is way more than what we would have hoped and we’re pretty stoked on that.

Do you have people you want to thank?

SB, TM, Euro and Whistler crew, every riders, Yanick Nolet, Etienne Tremblay, Slash Snowboardmag, Strategik Creation, Jeff Pearlman, James Holm, Daniel Blom, Oli Gagnon, Matt George, S. Mihalik, Fabia at C.O.C, Steve and Dre @ the Circle, Dave Milette, agency KL and everybody else who has helped us. Thanks a lot !

«If you believe in something, go for it and make it happen»

Photo // James Holm

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20

years

of Camp of Champions

Since 1989, thousands of snowboarders, skiers and more recently mountain bikers have flocked to Whistler to get a dose of the good life and spend part of their summer vacation at what has become the legendary Camp of Champions. Hosted by camp founder and snowboard hall of fame member Ken Achenbach, Camp has proven to be the place to be in the summer if you are passionate about any of the above.

Starting with a mere 75 campers in the summer of 1989, Camp of Champions now averages a thousand campers every summer. The park, for which COC has become legendary for, now takes a month to build by the careful hands of Steve Petrie and Arena Snowparks, and comes with a building cost of a cool half-million dollars — transforming a section of the glacier into eight lanes that make up the largest private summer terrain park on earth.

When camp is in session it takes roughly 100 staff to run the show and keep track of hundreds of campers at any given time. Staff includes a wealth of coaches who are well respected athletes, as well as park builders, groomers, photographers, videographers, accommodation supervisors and drivers to make sure each and every attendee is having the time of their life.

This summer, when campers weren’t getting wicked in the park or ripping lines through the bike park’s Boneyard, they’d go catch the latest movies, go paint balling, hit up the Whistler skate park or the camp’s private mini ramp, hit some golf balls at the driving range, go mini putting, play basketball, video games, ping pong or simply relax and hang out with other like minded campers and sample a slice of life in Whistler.

I had the chance to sit down with the camp guru himself and here is what he had to say. First, I want to say thanks to him for giving me a job 8 years ago and creating this camp which has brought nothing but good things and good times into my life since then.

by Etienne Gilbert

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Photo // Angel Rodrigez Spot // Overview COC, BC

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Interview with Ken Achenbach

by Etienne Gilbert

E.Where are you from?

K.Calgary E.How long have you been in Whistler for?

K. Full time since ’92, part time since ‘88.

E. What does part time mean?

K.In ‘88 me and some of my friends were here shooting a French movie called “La nuit de la glisse” We fell in love with the place right away, rented the first empty shop and opened our second snowboard shop.

E. So you already had a shop up and running in Calgary at the time?

K. Yeah! I opened my shop in 1980, it was the first exclusive snowboard store in the world, called ‘The Snowboard shop’.

E. Wow! K. Within six months we were the biggest dealer in Canada.

E. So you were kind of at the right place at the right time with the right idea?

K. Pretty much, it seems it’s been the story of my life. At the same time, it’s not only about being at the right place at the right time but mostly about acting upon it. More like “fuck it lets do it ourselves”, a bit like you and your mag. For me it’s always been “I can’t be bothered waiting for somebody to do something for me, I’ll just go and do it myself.”

E. So where does this attitude come from?

K.I think it comes from my mom. You know, being a single mom raising 4 boys.

E. No shit! She got her done! Ha ha!

K. Yeah! She did everything for us you know.

E. So when is the first time you snowboarded?

K. I think it was January 1980. I quit ski racing in 1979 at the age of 15 or 14.

E. So you were a skier beforehand?

K.Oh yeah! Quit ski racing ‘cause you needed to be rich to ski race. I could have started snowboarding a little earlier but skiing is what I was doing at the time. I wish I had started snowboarding before though, just so I could say I started riding in the 70s. Ha ha! I missed it by a month!

E. So you were aware that snowboarding was out there?

K. Yeah!

It’s funny; I can close my eyes right now and see it. I picked up the phone, called Tom Sims and ordered a snowboard. Got my first board and one day later I was like “Holly shit” is that the best thing ever! Borrowed my mom’s credit card, called Tom back and bought six snowboards and that was that!

I look back now and I can recall one day, I think it was ‘81 or ‘82 where my friends and I were like “Man, can you imagine how it’s gonna be in 2000. Snowboarding is gonna be huge, BMX is gonna be huge, skateboarding is gonna be huge, it’s gonna be on TV all the time, people are gonna make millions of dollars doing it. Wouldn’t that be rad!”

Then you go about doing what you are doing and you don’t realize that you are creating the future. You don’t consciously think “OK I’m gonna create the future” E. Yeah! You do what you do and 10 years down the line you look back and you realize what you have been part of.

K Exactly! It’s funny, I remember waking up on new year’s day of 2000 at my friends place, turning the TV on and the first thing I hear in the year 2000 is “We’ll be back with vert skateboarding after vert BMX” I was like “Holly fuck dude, I woke up in the future”. It’s like I forgot about it since 1980 and then all of the sudden it hit me. “We created the future we dreamed of!”

It was not even on purpose and I’m not taking claim of it or anything like that!

E. Yeah but you were part of it from the start!

K. It just feels so cool you know!

E. So are you happy with the monster you created?

K. I mean, I did not create it from scratch obviously! But it’s like if somebody had to sell their soul to make it happen, I’m glad it was me.

E. Ha ha!

K. Yeah but it’s true! I mean we took every penny we made from the shop, from the day it opened to the day it closed to make snowboarding happen. We were so big at one point companies thought we were the distributor. We were selling about 3000 boards per month in the winter and all that money went into snowboarding.

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Pivot to fakie // Eiki Helgason Photo // James Holm Spot // Whistler, BC

Marie-France Roy ‘‘When I was a kid, it was my dream to go to a snowboard camp. Now that Im up there I can tell that some of these kids are having the best time of their life! Its so worth that shitty summer job just to be there for a few days. Put one of the best park ever with sunny weather and summer slushy snow and you learn so much faster everyday than in the winter back home. New friends, good hangs, One Life!!’’ slash snowboardmag // 69

FS 720 // Alex Cantin Photo // James Holm Spot // Whistler, BC

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E. That’s crazy!

K. Maybe I was not the smartest business man. Some may say “You should have gone to business school or blah blah blah and made money”. But I never did it to make money. If I wanted to make money, I would have gone and got a “real” job! To me it never felt like a job. It’s just what I do! I was never sponsored by anybody really. I never had the best style or was the best rider but my friends and I were committed to snowboarding. One of the best things about the shop was the lab at the back where we would come up with a new idea, shape, bindings etc… I mean we were the first one to introduce twin tip shape and baseless bindings. So we were working with Barfoot helping them developing the boards. They were making us what we had in mind and then we would sell them ourselves.

E. I always say snowboarding saved skiing. So what do you think about freestyle skiers being inspired by us?

K. Obviously I never thought what we did would ever influence skiing. But I think it’s rad too.

I have never been into the ski vs. snowboard “war”. I mean I was a big skier myself and I just moved on to snowboarding ‘cause it was fresh and fun. I don’t care what you do as long as it get you stoked.

E. So did Camp of Champions started the same way the shop started?

K. Kind of. The shop started ‘cause I bought six snowboards and I was going around to ski shops and skate shops asking them if they wanted to sell snowboards and they were like “Hum No!” So I decided to open my own shop and sell them myself. The camp started ‘cause we had our shop in Whistler and Craig Kelly had his camp in Whistler which was rad. But there was that other camp from the CSA which we called ‘Completely Supervised Alcoholic’. The kids would come in the shop and say “This camp sucks” So we were like OK well we’ll do our own next year. We had pretty much the best team back then so we were like “yeah sure, our team will be our coaches lets do it”.

E. Did you ever think that this whole snowboard thing would make it this far?

K. Hell yeah! From the get-go we knew the potential snowboarding had.

E. What are you the most proud of when you look back at 20 years of camp?

K. It’s really nice to hear from parents that their kid has a whole new outlook on life after coming to camp. We get a lot of parents that send their kids for years saying that it changes their lives. That really makes me happy. It’s really fun to be the person that makes it possible for people to meet other like-minded people from all over the world. They see that the world doesn’t have to revolve around money, jobs, materialism or any of the other things that get programmed into kid’s heads. Watching campers become aware that there is this whole world out there that involves having fun snowboarding, skiing or mountain biking and being somewhere fantastic like Whistler, and that they don’t have to go down the well worn route that society says they have to follow is really great.

It’s funny how half the time the highlight for me isn’t even the riding, no matter how sick it is, it’s just hanging out with 200 people just like you who like what you like and do what you do.

For most campers that’s their highlight of camp. For me it is too. I get accused of acting like a 14 year old a lot. Perfect. I think that means I have the best job in the world.

E. I agree! Often it’s more about who you do things with than what you are doing.

E. So what about the other half?

K. Man! That park is so sick! I mean park building as come a long way since the day I started.

E. No shit!

K. Since hiring Steve Petrie and Arena Snowpark to build our park we went from having a good park to having the best park in the world.

It’s amazing when pro snowboarders and skiers say we have one of the top three parks in the world... winter or summer. That’s what we aim for every summer. The best park on earth and that every person that comes to camp, camper or coach, has to have the best week of their life.

E. So are you gonna be doing this forever?

K. Oh yeah! There is no ‘after snowboarding’ for me. I’m in for life!

Handplant // Dustin Craven Photo // James Holm Spot // Whistler, BC

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WES MAKEPEACE Wes is the kind of guy that would do anything, at any time to help out a friend, no matter what. That’s the reason why his friends would do anything for him, at any time.

The music, don’t get me started, Wes can pack BBK’s any night, because he’s just that good. The music is great, check his myspace page, count the fans and check the comments. He’s put a lot of blood, sweat, and beers into his music, it’s sick that more people are starting to be exposed to it.

I can’t even explain the fun days of snowboarding and skateboarding with Wes, it’s never a bad session; he makes you want to push your own limits.

When someone says «you’re the man» I say “No, Wes is the Man»

Mike Hager Photo // Scott Sullivan

E- Some people might wonder if Wes Makepeace is your real name?

W- Yeah! I didn’t change it! If I did, it would have to be Slim Pickin’s or Buck Naked or something like that (laughs).

I guess Makepeace is an English name but that’s all I know really.

E- Where are you originally from?

W- I was born in Surrey BC, but I consider myself from Red Mountain, Rossland BC. That’s where I started snowboarding in the winter of ‘87-‘88. Those were the good old days ... Fast and Loose forever!!

E- Tell us more about your early Whistler snowboard days! I remember you from the movie ‘Milk’ (which was one of my favorite movies back then) something like 13 years ago.

W- I moved to Whistler in ‘92, ‘93. A year later I met Jamie Mosberg who filmed ‘child games’ starring the ever-so stylish, Kevin Young. ‘Child Games’ was super sick and also had this amazing footage of one of my heroes, Christian Hosoi skating a pool .

I loved it and wanted to be a part of his next movie for sure.

W- We started filming in Utah in ‘95. I remember the first day we all rented sleds. I think we totaled three sleds in one day. It was an expensive day for all of us. (Laughs) E- So were you making your living off snowboarding for a while there?

W- I had no other job but snowboarding for 8 years or so ... and the last 5 years I was on Lamar I was making good cash for sure. I had some great trips all over the world. Sometimes I went where my sponsors wanted me to go and sometimes just where I wanted to go. Whoops! Lots of trips to San Francisco to visit friends, drink beer, get tattooed, and bomb hills on my skateboard. My friends rule!!

E- So how did the transition out of the sponsor world happened for you?

W- Well, I blew my knee again in ‘99 and af-

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ter I got my knee fixed, Bruce Irving, an old roommate and a horrible drinking buddy, offered me a job to be a trainer for the snowboard school with the infamous Mike Hager.

How could I refuse? We’d train the Whistler/ Blackcombs snowboard school staff when they weren’t teaching lessons.

E- So you blew your knee twice?

W- I tore half of my ACL in ‘97 snowboarding and ended up blowing the rest while playing basketball a year later. After that I stopped riding, started staying up for days at a time learning to play my guitar... people thought it was crazy but it just seemed like the right thing to do. It was a crash course and I hit it head on with a smile and a bottle of Jack (laughter). I don’t regret it for a second.

E- Was that the first time you picked up the guitar?

W- Pretty much!

E- What got you started writing and all?

W- Once I started to learn to sing along to what I was playing, the writing soon followed about a year after that. I just started making shit up and next thing I knew I had my first song.

E- Which bands influence your music?

W- The bands I like are all O.G.’s: originality and great fucking songs. Motorhead, Queens of the Stone Age, The Hellacopters, The Ramones, Townes Van Zandt, Hank Williams and don’t forget The Fall of Summer.

E- How would you describe your music?

W- Technically barbaric, but jam packed with Sorrow and Adventure !

W- You don’t have to be a good guitar player to write good songs. But you gotta feel it, and then you can play and sing it at the top of your lungs. I think the people that like my music feel what I’m trying to do.

E- You usually play a one man show right?

W- Mark Bannok drums for me while drinking

at least 20 beers. He can blow my whole bar tab before we even start, but you gotta respect that kind of intake! (laughter)

E- Do you have an album out?

W- Not even close, but my burned cd’s just went gold in whistler.

E- So how can we listen to your music or learn more about you?

W- You can’t. I’ll stay underground forever. I’m just gonna try to write some good songs . That’s all that matters. No matter what ANYBODY thinks! I’ll do it right or not at all. If things sound good, I’ll make a cd, if not, I still have my integrity. We’ll let you know at Gnarcore.com where they always let you know... thank you Mr. David Rouleau.

WAR IS HELL was in the credits for Absinthes snowboard movie ‘POP’ and TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN was in the credits for ‘PROMO COPY’. Future mag also used HOLD THE LINE and FORSAKEN for one of their dvds. FORSAKEN has also been used on Fuel TV and Temple Cummins used 639er in his Gnu part for the Mervin DVD. Burton is using THE HARD WAY in an upcoming dvd credits. There’s a few more but I forget...

E- So you have been recording!?

W- It’s a secret.

The Importance of Teams text by Alex Auchu and Blue Montgomery illustration by Ralph Samson

« (...) it is the entire team that gives an image to the brand and influences the tastes of the consumers. Many brands opt for a united and tight crew instead of a couple mega stars... » - Alex Auchu When I hang out with people that have nothing to do with the snowboard industry I can see that they hardly understand how professional snowboarders are able to live off their sport without being an Olympic champion. Sports like skateboarding, surfing and snowboarding allow the professional riders to manage their career the way they want. They have the opportunity to promote their sponsors in videos and magazines really well without being the one and only world champion. For the well-being of this industry it is necessary for the companies to have a team. The team is composed of athletes that represent the brand, give it credibility and promote the products.

74 // slash snowboardmag

This situation can be explained by the importance of the lifestyle that goes with the sport. This is what these specialized medias propose to their readers. The style of clothes and the image of the riders are the starting point of the companies’ marketing. The brands are careful about choosing riders that will represent them well. That lifestyle is a dream for the people who are passionate about snowboarding. They all would like to ride everyday and party hard without having to work 9 to 5 to pay the bills. It is obvious that not everybody who buys a snowboard dreams of such a lifestyle. However, this image makes this sport really interesting to people in general. A company without a team would not be tolerated by the industry.

There are a couple of “levels” to pass before reaching the pro status. The first one is a sponsor from the local snowboard/ skateboard shop. The shops choose riders to represent

« (...) you’ll find real snowboarders are the core of any credible company. Sometimes they’re professional athletes in front of the camera and sometimes they’re passionate riders behind the scenes who shape the look, feel, and image of a brand..» them in their area and during contests. After that the shops will eventually help the riders get in touch with company representatives to get a hook up. At this point a few of them will have the chance to receive free gear and have a couple privileges. The riders are often employees of the shops and their job is to promote the products as well as the vision of the company. They actually become essential to the sale of the product. Sadly enough, some riders think that a back flip on a 40 stair-length rail should earn them the right to require this and that from a company. This is not the case; they must understand the reasons why they are sponsored and be conscious that talent, efforts and personality will lead them to the next step.

In Canada, most companies work with a distributor to supply the shops more efficiently. Unfortunately this tends to slow the ascension of the Canadian riders; they don’t have a direct contact with the companies and need to work it out through the Canadian distributor. At this level the rider becomes a nation-wide promotional tool. The objective is to get coverage in Canadian magazines and videos. Usually if the rider gets enough “hype” he will be approached to film with an American company or enter contests in the U.S. The rider becomes a professional when he starts getting exposure on the international level and gets enough money from his sponsors to live off it without any other job.

Each company has a pro team that gives an image to their brand. The team does not directly sell the products, but they are important for the promotion of the brand. The members of the team also contribute in the research and development of the products. They give their feedback and the brand listens to them to design better boards, clothes, boots and bindings.

The companies also give “pro models” to their most skilled and globally appreciated riders. The most famous pros like Shaun White, JP Walker, and Devun Walsh, just to name a few, allow their sponsors to sell products with their names on it. Not all riders get a pro model over their career. However, it is the entire team that gives an image to the brand and influences the tastes of the consumers. Many brands opt for a united and tight crew instead of a couple mega stars to promote their image. They choose influential riders who have unique styles that kids can relate to.

So why is it important to have a team? The riders help the companies design products of a superior quality and sell them. On top of that, they inspire us with their unique lifestyle and their crazy footage bringing the sport a step further every season. A team of non-respected riders equals a brand that will not be respected either. The shops are aware of what happens in this industry. They purchase their merchandise according to the perception of the brands. That is why we find brands with no team in the non-specialized stores.

From the shop rider to the pro rider every level of sponsored snowboarder is essential to the marketing and development of the brands’ products. The team is a fundamental element of a company and the companies who listen to them are by far the most successful.

- Blue Montgomery You’ll find real snowboarders are the core of any credible company. Sometimes they’re professional athletes in front of the camera and sometimes they’re passionate riders behind the scenes who shape the look, feel, and image of a brand. One of the things that has set CAPiTA apart in the past is that our athletes and our creative team have largely been the same people. Guys like Tj Schneider, Tyler Lepore, and Corey Smith who have not only established themselves as riders, but also completed board graphics, designed softgood categories, hand painted tradeshow booths, and executed custom in-store displays. A lot of companies claim to be «rider driven,» but we’ve always been a step or two beyond that. So, the original question was «how important is the team at CAPiTA?» and the answer has always been: «VERY Important.»

slash snowboardmag // 75