Back in 2002, six close friends made the decision to start a snowboard company in an already crowded market. Fueled by the desire to create something that truly represented their beliefs, they launched Endeavor - a brand now being embraced by riders on a global scale. Having been in business for six seasons now, and with so many accomplishments under its belt, I decided it was time to sit down with Endeavor co-founder and managing director, Max Jenke, to get the inside story.

What led you to start Endeavor?
In 2000 I was riding for World Industries, Dub, Wildcats, IS Design, Northwave, Drake and Drop; shooting with Scott Serfas, Derek Kettela, and the Wildcats. My Transworld Snowboarding cover had just come out along with an interview. Everything was popping until World canceled their program and left me without a board sponsor. I rode the ‘00/‘01 season on various company boards, but I wasn't feeling any of the companies -- none of them had brands I related to, or product I loved. In the spring of '01, I had the opportunity to sample some boards from a factory in Oregon. I rode these decks throughout the summer in Europe, and in New Zealand and Australia, and wrote a business plan during my travels. The fall of '01 I returned to UBC and continued school, my third year, taking commerce and economics.

I took the business plan to my good friend Scott Serfas and we both decided it would be fun to put some money into a project and see where it went. We wanted to create a brand that represented us - our style, our opinion of what looks dope on a snowboard, how it rides, and how the brand operates.

We put together our team: Randy Ross on creative, Rob Dow, Paavo Tikkanen, and Chris Martin on sales. Our first range debuted in the hotel room at SIA of one of our reps, who ironically was the World Industries rep as well!

That fall, of '02, I was in school again, but I couldn't focus because of the work that Endeavor was demanding. I'm a bit bummed that I wasn't able to finish my degree, but the life experience has been amazing. I think it was then that I committed 100% to it and hung up my snowboard boots for my laptop.

Six years have passed since then, which is a trip. Nothing has been boring, everything has been stressful, but the reward is we have the best brand in the world and are making the best snowboards and clothing out there.

What changes have you faced since starting the brand? What mistakes did you learn from along the way?
Where do I start? Factories going out of business, world economies changing, currency fluctuations, recessions...  These are challenges that most other companies face, but you need to experience them to grow and become stronger. Through all of our challenges I am so proud that we still own Endeavor. Many independently owned businesses in the industry couldn't survive and merged with larger distribution groups. Scott Serfas, my father-in-law Bruce, and I are still the sole owners of the brand. I think we're really the only brand today that can claim rider-owned-and-operated.

As far as mistakes... It's only a mistake if it happens twice, otherwise it's an experience. We are always trying new strategies to make the brand better - some work well, some not so well. We learn from them all and move forward.

Endeavor has been involved with some creative partnerships throughout the years. Who have you worked with recently and who would you like to work with in the future?
Partnerships are definitely fun and a powerful tool, especially for us. Things like having Nissan give us a truck to tour around in on our Stormchaser Tour, and Nokia giving us video camera phones to document it all is dope and helps us create content.

Our most recent partnership is with Ransom Holding Co., a Canadian streetwear brand out of Toronto. The principle, Matt George, went on trips with me to Europe and throughout the USA helping me film my video parts. It only seemed fitting that we would do a project together. This November we're dropping a limited-edition Ransom snowboard. It comes in a 154 and a 158, with tone-on-tone topsheet graphics and a bright, coloured throw-back base.

Product collabos seem to be a dime-a-dozen these days. We only do them when there is something more behind them than two brands trying to hype up each other. In this case, I wanted to get Matt and the crew on their own boards when they were shredding Whistler!

As a brand still in the growth stage, you have had a tremendous amount of exposure with little to no advertising. Care to comment?
The focus is on content - we spend our marketing dollars on creating interesting projects, whether it is tours across North America, editing movies, or throwing parties. A lot also goes into getting the right people on, and in, the gear. I think if you have the right product and newsworthy things going on, people will want to hear about it and media will want to showcase it.

I'm really excited about our campaign for 2008/09 - Endeavor's Next Top Rider. We're looking for someone to join Jake Koia, Johnny Lyall, Kevin Griffin, and the guys. Keep posted for more on this.

Speaking of which, how important is the team to you?
Team is definitely important. We focus on a tight team that is able to spend time with Scott Serfas, Endeavor's staff photographer, and a team that we're able to take care of with the right amount of product and support. Jacob Koia, Kevin Griffin, and Johnny Lyall demonstrate what the product can do and looks like, which is very important. Team is an essential element to marketing and sales. We focus on having the right people on the product - the innovators who are the kids working the shop floor and industry heads.

Can you pinpoint when people stopped buying the brand because of personal relationships and started buying it for their own reasons?
I think the first year we launched, our friends took on the brand because of who we were. I think the second year was when people started hooking into the idea - and not just our friends. Six years later, though, I think it is a mix of the two - you can't have an amazing brand without having the ones closest to you supporting it. Winning quality/performance awards from Transworld Snowboarding Magazine and Future Snowboard Magazine also helped to establish our credibility as a quality snowboard brand making the best boards.

Other then size, what sets you apart from other snowboard companies in today's marketplace?
Graphics: Endeavor boards have the best graphics in snowboarding. We use the most innovative artists and pioneered the artist collabo by putting art on decks. Marok, Derek Hess, Jeff Hamada - all of the dopest designers in their fields.

Function: Endeavor has award-winning snowboards that are of the highest quality. Every year Endeavor boards win board test awards because they are simply the best riding snowboards.

Exclusivity: Endeavor products are only found in limited, specialty snowboard shops. If you're rocking an Endeavor, you stand out from the pack.

And we're the only snowboard company independently owned in the industry.

You've decided to introduce outerwear this year. Why?
Clothing is a passion of ours so it was the next step after streetwear. Since my last season on Dub, I haven't been happy in any of the outerwear I've rocked and I saw an opportunity to do something unique. Our outerwear is all three-layer, tape-sealed, durable gear that is designed to endure the elements. It is the toughest shit on the market and we love it.