Mikey Scott's Column

Back For More: Kevin Griffin

2010-03-11T00:50:00Z

Earlier this year, I received a text message from a good friend of mine asking me if I knew what happened to Kevin Griffin. Knowing nothing about the situation, I started making phone calls to a couple of his friends up in Whistler to find out if he was ok. Due to the fact that the majority of people I called were broke ass and hadn't paid their cell phone bills, I ended up calling Kevin's Sessions Team Manager and getting his contact info. Once I actually had Kevin on the line, I asked two things: 1) Was he ok? and 2) would he like to answer a few simple questions explaining the accident that almost cost him his season. After getting his permission to run the interview, I sent Kevin a list of questions and waited for an email to come back full of answers. As time passed, I took the pro-active approach and called his Endeavor Team manager to figure out what was taking Kevin so long to get back to me. During that conversation I was told that Kevin was back on his board heading out to Calgary to go on a rail mission. "Damn" I thought, "That was fast. What is this kid, unstoppable?".

After reading this interview below, I think it's safe to say that there's not much that can stop a guy that hustles as hard as Kevin Griffin. Read below and find out why highway driving just isn't the same for Kevin.

How did you end up in your situation? What the hell happened that caused your accident?
Well it was dark and icy. It's called a "car accident". Yeah, I'm going with "it was an accident".

Were you with anyone when the accident happened?
Yeah. I was with Ashley Barker and Jody Wachniak.

What was the first thing that came to your mind once you realized what happened?
"Holy f**ck were alive," and "the car sounds like it gonna blow", so we all greased the hell outta there as fast as possible.

What did the doctors have to say about your accident? Did you take their advice?
He said "it's been much worse for everyone else that has gone off that turn." Come to think of it, he also mentioned that we were "some of the luckiest people that he has ever seen go off that turn."

How did you deal with it while being out of your element? Any crazy situations arise?
Outta my element? I'm from Winnipeg, hahaha...a car accident is mellow! We all survived. No, but for real...I blacked out and woke up with Ash and Jody over top of me like, "Griff, what the f**ck". They both went into hero mode and thought I was dying. There was just too much blood spewing outta my arm. Ever since I was a little kid, if I see lots of blood, its pretty much lights out. So that was that. I kinda saw it coming, you know?

How long did it take you to get back to normal health and able to shred again? Anything different now?
Well the doctors told me 3 - 5 months, but I was boarding after two weeks, hahahaha. There was sooooooo much pow in Whistler, I just couldn't help myself. But I'm back to boarding at normal health now, which is good ‘cause the accident was December 5^th, so that's a little over 3 months which isn't really that bad I guess.

How do you feel now and were there any permanent injuries from the accident?
I feel better, but I just did two rail trips to Edmonton and back and now I'm just terrified driving on highways. The second trip was on the Duffy Lake road through the night. I just got back yesterday and I tell ya that it was not a good time in the least. I can't really make a closed fist on my injured arm, which sucks. I probably won't be able to throw rocks as far, or really be able to climb as well as I used to, but I'm sure I will manage.

Did your sponsors help you out once they found out about the accident?
Endeavor and Sessions really helped me a lot. Andrew Burns picked me up the next day from the Willams Lake Hospital, which was cool of him. It was a pretty serious drive, and he came on the snap of a finger for me. Thanks so much Burns! My friend Gillian also helped a lot with getting me back and forth to Vancouver for surgery, follow-ups and what not. I was real lucky to have so many people care about me. We had (David) Brocklebank, E-man (Anderson) and Scotty Brown in Scotty's truck ahead of us. They all got a hotel in Williams and ended up hanging with me at the hospital to make sure that I was gonna be ok. That was pretty awesome of those guys. Thanks guys.

Where can we see this accident? Any web coverage?
Jody filmed the aftermath on his new iPhone with a camera, but he doesn't really want the world to see it. Might be a bit much, you know?

After it's all said and done, what did this accident make you realize?
You really need to enjoy yourself out there no matter what you're doing because shit can hit the fan real quick!

What's next for you with shredding?
I'm gonna really get this 8 Mile part filmed and finished. Once the season is done, I'm going to start roofing so I can buy a truck and sled, and then once that's done I'm going surfing down south in the fall. I'm out.

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Related:
Endeavor Snowboards: By and For Real Riders
8 Mile Life: Full Movie
Video: Spring Sledding in Whistler

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Dave Birnie: A Short Course In Team Management

2010-03-03T23:42:00Z

It's been said that if you love your day job, you never going to have to work a day in your life. Working inside the shred industry, I've seen this firsthand. It isn't going to make you rich right away, or at all for the matter, but the one thing it will do is allow you to enjoy your job. If you're one of the people that's looking to get involved inside the snowboard industry, put down your laptop, crank the death metal and get ready to take a life lesson from Timebomb Distribution's very own snow team manager, Dave Birnie. Although he might seem a little quiet when you first meet him, don't get it twisted; Dave's been known to call your business out on social networks if you give him a reason to.

Yes Mr. Birnie, I'll stomp that switch back 9 clean next time.

How did you end up in your position?
I was sitting on the chairlift with Gman [Garret Louie] on Mt Seymour, we were talking and he asked me about [Timebomb's] current Canadian program and I just told him what I saw and I told him exactly how I saw it. I felt that some of the guys weren't pulling their weight and weren't worth the investment. In the coming months he started to ask me questions like that more and more, and I started helping out their team manager at the time and gradually ended up taking over in 2002.

As a team manager, what duties do you have to carry out?
It's self-explanatory: I manage the team. An important part is making sure the riders suit the company. I also make sure they've got the product they need, make sure they're getting shit done, make sure they get paid for photo and video incentive, and help them meet other people that can further them along. Also, occasionally babysitting grown men. Falling under the definition of ‘man-child' myself, I know the ins and outs and can save them a lot of time.

What's the hardest part of the job?
As much as people who know me might think, it would be easy for me to be harsh and honest with these kids, they're stills kids and a lot of them don't even know what its like to have a job, moreover that being sponsored is a job. It's not just going out riding everyday. I'm the guy that has tell the kids what's it's really like and that it's not always easy. I'm the guy who has to shatter their vision of what it's really like. It's kind of weird when you have to turn kids down. Example: the kid brings me his video, and he's really good and all but I've got to be the one who tells him, "sorry, you're just not what we're looking for."

What would you say makes a good team manager?
An honest understanding of the brand's image and what it represents, and then finding riders who help convey that image. It's not easy. Keeping an open and honest dialogue is important. Making sure that kids know what's expected of them and what they can expect. I also work constantly. If one of my kids calls me at three in the morning I pick up the phone, even if the person calling is just doing it to say what's up. Accessibility is key; while you're helping them out they're also helping you.

What makes a bad team manager?
The worst type of team manager is the guy who was sponsored, and now finds himself being a team manager. Sometimes those guys have a hard time letting go and still think it's all about them. Or the guys who are over it and aren't keeping in touch with what's going on. You can't be over it and work in the industry, especially as a team manager. Your team is depending on you and if you leave them hanging and don't call them back, you're not helping them or the brand you're representing.

What's the worst situation that you have ever been in with your team?
Vegas, SIA 2007. I was still drinking (sober now) at the time and it wasn't so much the team as it was me. We met with JF (Pelchat) and Benji (Richie) and cleaned out the Rossingol booth, relieving them of all of their vodka, then taking the caravan over to the Volcom booth, which, ironically, had an Animal House theme. We were then kicked out of the Volcom booth for tearing down their toga signage and turning it into a giant jump rope. This is three o'clock in the afternoon, by the way. We met up with some more of the Seymour kids, met up with Sean Hogland and he proceeded to throw a drink at a woman. Despite the fact we look nothing alike I was the one pulled out of the crowd by security and spent three hours handcuffed in the back rooms of the Mandalay bay.

How do you determine if someone should get hooked up?
First and foremost is them fitting in with the brand; if it doesn't make sense with the brand, it doesn't make sense to me. After that, a lot of it has to do with personality and personal style. The rest of the team has to be down for it too; a vouch from the team helps things out. A little known thing is that who your other sponsors are plays a role too. If you're riding for whack shit you're going to end up bringing down our brand. It sucks but it's true.

Outside of your flow team, who are a couple of your main athletes?
RVCA Canada team - Jake Kuzyk, Sean Genovese, Jeff Keenan, Ben Bilocq, Laurent Nicolas Paquin (LNP)

32/Enties - Sean Genovese, Jake Kuzyk, Yan Dofin, Andrew Burns, Max Baillargeon, Matt Belzille, Greg Desjardin, Jess Kimura

Dragon Canada Team - Andrew Burns, Max Baillargeon, Frank April, Brendan Keenan, Matt Belzille, Beau Bishop, Jess Kimura, Jordan Bell

In your years as team manager for Timebomb Distribution, how many people have you ended up having to fire?
In eight years there has only been three times I've found myself uttering, "what the fuck was I thinking?"

What do you hate about your job?
When I'm sitting in a trade show and people are forcing me to watch their demo right in front of them. Just so you know, 90 percent of the time, I don't bring those ones home with me. They get filed under "g". If a kid's that needy from the start, it's bad sign of things to come.

Any words for someone who wants to be a team manager, or get a job in the industry?
Go back to school, get a degree in marketing and go make 30 percent more outside of the industry.

BONUS QUESTION:
On the back of a certain someone's newest snowboard catalogue, there's a question asking "Why all team managers are bitches?" Care to comment?
Oh you mean, Blunter? For most people, their day of being a rider is over and they can't accept it. So instead of shutting up about yesteryears and helping the kids now, they carry a chip on their shoulder and comment about how different it is now and how hard it was back when they were sponsored. Luckily for my riders, I never was that good and spare them stories of how great I was back in 1994.

Don't miss OMB's (Old Man Birnie) annual snowboard contest this Sunday, March 7th at Mt. Seymour. Info here.

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Related:
What Would Birnie Do? (skate)
What Would Birnie Do? Birnie's Side (skate)
Warming Up with LNP
Sunny, Sunny Days with Jess Kimura

Halfpipe: Make That A Double

2010-02-27T02:23:00Z

When I first sat down to write this article, there was exactly two days until the Olympics hit Vancouver, and well, quite frankly I was a bit concerned. There was little to no snow on the local hills, and nothing but rain in the forecast. Now that we are almost done the Olympics, it shouldn't surprise you that all the planning was worth it. Speaking from first hand experience, the month of February has turned Vancouver into a zoo, straight up. I'm not going to use this space to talk negatively about the Olympics, but as a last attempt to beat the double cork to death. I'd like to talk a little bit about progression of halfpipe riding, and it's ultimate effect on the 2010 Olympics.

Progression in snowboarding has been occurring for the past 25 years, so it's no surprise that with the rise of the double corks, we are once again seeing movement into unforeseen territories. From the size of halfpipes to the difficulty of tricks, many of today's professional halfpipe riders have little choice when it comes to learning all the new tricks; if they want to keep the paychecks coming in, they need to be able to do them.

Canada's Brad Martin was rumoured to have a double in the bag, but we never saw it at the Olympics.

Sure, nowadays the airs are bigger and the tricks are crazier, but if it weren't for the introduction of the super pipe, the double corks and twenty-foot airs would never have been made possible. Let's look at some facts shall we: based on construction of the halfpipe through out snowboarding's short life span, the following observations have can be made; 8 foot halfpipe walls are now 22 foot walls, 5 foot airs have become 20 foot airs, rotations that started at 180 are now as high as 1440, and last but not least; with the introduction of the double cork, the inverts have literally doubled (duh!).

Do progression and safety come along with technology? Yes, believe it or not, it's actually true. The construction of the superpipe allows for larger transitions in the walls, and that means fewer flat landings from the athletes themselves. With that said, these new halfpipes still come with some serious health risks. Take for example the severity of the injuries that were sustained by Kevin Pierce (story here). It's injuries like this that clearly shows how progression in sports can be directly linked to serious accidents and permanent heath risks.

Scotty Lago, US bronze medalist, definitely had his doubles on lock.

Every season there's a few hot tricks that arise. From rodeo flips and switch back nines off jumps to back lip pretzels through kinked rails, progression is a hard one to stop. A few years back the double cork made it's appearance in the backcountry, so when it arrived this year in the halfpipe, I wasn't really that surprised. I firmly believe that progression inside the halfpipe has always been tied to progression off straight jumps. When the rumours of the Red Bull x Shaun White private halfpipe session were confirmed inside the snowboard industry, many halfpipe riders were forced to make a decision: learn the double corks or get left behind. Although most riders didn't have the luxury of spending two months jumping into a foam pit like Shaun White, many of today's top halfpipe competitors furthered their progression by learning the double cork on their own. Just as an FYI, my definition of the double cork is two complete flips and anywhere from 2-4 complete 360's (720, 900 or 1080). After paying close attention to all the major halfpipe snowboarding events this year, I can safely say that anybody that was looking to podium in the 2010 Olympic halfpipe event needed to have at least 2-3 double corks in their runs. Although there was mention of the FIS considering banning the double corks in the Olympics due to their injury rate (thanks mainstream media!), I personally feel like this rumor held no ground and would be as stupid as telling a ski racer that he is going too fast during a super G competition.

If there was three things that I want you to come away from this article it's that:

Progression in action sports can be directly related to technology. It opens up possibilities for people to learn new tricks.
The superpipe paved the way for double corks and twenty-foot airs, without it, those tricks would never have been made possible.
In order to win in high-level pipe competitions (like the Olympics), you will need to have 2-3 double corks.

David Benedek with the first double cork back in '05.

Olympic podiums since the 1998 Nagano Olympics

1998
MENS - Gian Simmens, Daniel Frank, Ross Powers,
WOMENS - Nicola Thost, Stine Brun Kjeldaas, Shannon Dunn

2002
MENS - Ross Powers, Danny Kass, JJ Thomas
WOMENS - Kelly Clark, Dorian Vidal, Fabienne Reuteler

2006
MENS - Shaun White, Danny Kass, Markku Koski
WOMENS - Hannah Teter, Gretchen Bleiler, Kjersti Buaas

2010
MENS - Shaun White, Peetu Piiroinen, Scotty Lago
WOMENS - Torah Bright, Hannah Teter, Kelly Clark

What's the winning run for the men's Olympics? Shaun White - backside air, FS double cork, cab double cork, FS rodeo 5 or front 12, double McTwist 1260.

I hope that my little history lesson on progression on halfpipe riding has given you a little bit to talk about with your friends while you're watching pipe contests, post-Olympics. If you were lucky enough to be there in person, hopefully you saw the guy screaming like a first timer, ‘cause it was me!

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Related:
Destiny Fulfilled: Another Gold For Shaun White
Australian Torah Bright Is Golden In Women's Halfpipe
Olympic Snowboard Gallery

What Are You Doing During The Olympics?

2010-01-20T20:10:00Z

With just over two weeks until the 2010 Winter Olympics take place in Vancouver, many Canadians are excited to see their home country play host to such a large-scale global event. With the addition of snowboarding to the Nagano Olympics in 1998, a great debate spawned: is the impact of such a large-scale event on such a niche sport negative or positive? Although there have been strong voices on both sides, the final answer is still based on personal opinions. In an effort to find a few opinions surrounding the fast approaching winter Olympics, I turned to a group of local Vancouverites with deep roots in the Canadian snowboard scene to see what they had to say. Let's meet the group, shall we?

Kevin Sansalone: World-renowned professional snowboarder, team manager for Nike 6.0 and the man behind the Sandbox movies.

Brendan Keenan: One of Canada's younger backcountry snowboarding veterans, currently living in Whistler. This former Seymour kid (aka Skid) recently turned into a Party Snake.

Lucas Ouellette: Up and coming rookie snowboarder, living in Whistler, Whistler-Blackcomb snowboard park groomer, 2010 Olympic half pipe builder.

Geoff Andruik: One of Canada's top photographers published in magazines globally, full-time photographer and full-time team manager for Ripzone (2010 Canadian halfpipe team clothing sponsor).

Survey says...#1 answer: gettin' work done.

When I mention the Olympics, what comes to mind?

Keenan: Traffic, too many people, busy and a lot of leftover trash.

Sansalone: Nutty pipe contest, pictured looking up from the pipe at Cypress, lots of people, everything crazy!

Ouellette: Traffic, overspending, everything is non-stop spending money from this huge mega corporation that's spending to make it look perfect. Money spent on making things look perfect instead of how they really are. Everything has flaws.

Andruik: Very structured and organized events. Huge overspending for a two week window of events that will most likely not benefit us.

What do you think about the Olympics' impact on snowboarding?

Keenan: In general, it's good for the competition side of things, but I don't know. [long pause] I can's really answer that...not to sure what to say about it. Mixed feelings. I don't really care actually.

Andruik: Great for raising global awareness of snowboarding.

Ouellette: That's a good question. It has benefits as far as stimulation for companies; more people take notice of snowboarding so that helps their business. That part is good. Then you get the people that believe the reality is what's portrayed on the show Over The Bolts, which isn't true.

Sansalone: For the kind of snowboarding that we do, the people we snowboard with, it's minimal. Mainstream exposure is cool, I guess, but to the core scene I think it has very little impact.

What will you be doing during the 2010 Winter Olympics?

Keenan: Snowboarding, filming...same old thing. Not getting slowed down because of the Olympics.

Andruik: Depends on how crazy it is. I might be somewhere else shooting snowboarding. Kind of a weird questions, ‘cause I don't know. If I can get access I will be watching snowboarding, if not then it's off to the Kootanies to shoot photos.

Ouellette: Probably shredding every single day, not going to change it up to much. Not being able to drive in Whistler will suck but I can just take the bus. I will be snowboarding and filming non-stop.

Sansalone: I am going to be in Vancouver at Mt Seymour and Whistler a lot. They are going to be spicing up their park...stay tuned.

Olympics or no, nothing stops the party.

Are you excited at all about the Olympics being in Vancouver?

Keenan: That's a tricky one. I am excited for the people in BC that are stoked to have the Olympics, but personally I'm not stoked. Too many people, too busy for my liking.

Andruik: To be politically correct, yes, because I get to see my team guys and friends compete, but no because the traffic will be a nightmare.

Ouellette: I guess yes and no. There are some pros coming out of it, but for the most part, no. Hard to answer that one. The province is going to be in debt for years.

Sansalone: I'm keeping a positive outlook on it for sure, so yeah; I have from the beginning. Everyone in Whistler is "too cool" for it. It's short and quick, so enjoy it while its here!

What's your favorite event at the Olympics and why?

Keenan: I want to say snowboarding, but that's pretty generic. Bobsledding is pretty sweet: sketchy, go pretty fast, good chance of eating shit.

Andruik: I don't even know what's in there. Jamaican bobsledding. Skeet shooting. No, no...halfpipe snowboarding ‘cause I can relate to it.

Ouellette: Oh man, I guess the halfpipe, ‘cause that's the only thing I can relate to. I don't consider the alpine stuff to really be in there ‘cause I don't think that is really snowboarding.

Sansalone: Halfpipe, it's going to be crazy. The level of riding, home turf...hopefully I get tickets to go check it out. I've been trying and there isn't any way to get tickets. I'm a pretty good weasel so I should get in there somehow.

A lucky few will no doubt take cover for a few turns in warmer climates.

Do you plan on attending any of the events at the Olympics?

Keenan: No. I am peacing out, not dealing with that crap. Thinking of going to Revelstoke for a bit during the Olympics, and the headaches are done with.

Andruik: I plan on attending the snowboarding, but I don't know if that's going to happen.

Ouellette: The halfpipe ‘cause I'm going to be working. I will be helping with building it. I will be on deck when it's going down.

Sansalone: I think some of the parties outside the events will be cool.

Who do you think will win the superpipe for men and women's snowboarding?

Keenan: Shaun White, he has the double corks...it's all about those double corks. I'm not backing his style of riding: that he only focuses on contests, that sort of thing. And the helmet doesn't help his look either.

Andruik: Shaun White for men's for sure, Kelly Clark for women's.

Ouellette: Holy smokes. For men's I'm sure everybody's got their money on Shaun White. I don't really follow halfpipe too much. I assume it's going to be Shaun White, ‘cause he spends money on pipes. No idea of who for girls though [asks people in his living room] - "Gretchen B or Torah Bright".

Sansalone: Clayton [Sandbox filmer] is going to help me with this one. Shaun White is going to win for men and for women it's going to be Kelly Clark, or some girl that can do a double cork.

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Related:
Get Over The Bolts
Sansalone's White Gold
Nuulife Cinema: Claiming Their Piece
Geoff Andruik: From Film To Digital

Run It Back with Phil Jacques

2010-01-08T21:35:00Z

Look deep inside the snow scene and you'll find certain individuals that have a special talent for remembering everything that involves snowboarding. This column highlights those people; the kind that know every trick that's been landed, in the videos and on the pages of the magazines, because they were either watching it in person or doing it themselves.

This month were talking with Quebec's very own Phil Jaques. Phil has chosen to stay true to his routes and has successfully filmed the majority of his video parts at home in Quebec. In fact, his filming efforts last season landed him the closing part in the Brothers Factory video, What. After a number of years hitting rails with different film crews in Quebec, I feel confident in saying that Phil's been there in person for some of the best tricks that have been captured on video.

Make no mistake, Phil's been there and done that when it comes to the Quebec rail scene. Sit back and listen as he gives us a little history lesson on some of his favorite spots.

Phil proudly rides for Capita snowboards, Union bindings, Spy Optics, and Sessions clothing.

Battlefield Rail
"We can't talk about Quebec City handrail riding without obviously talking about the infamous Battlefield Rail. This rail was one of the first in the city to get ridden and documented by snowboard film crews. We can almost talk about a perfect rail here. You have a long, flat in-run that gets filled with piles of snow during the winter which forms "natural" drop-ins. That rail is basically just two flat bars, on both sides of the approximately 25-stair set that's pretty steep. The landing can sometimes be a little flat, but since Quebec gets a lot of snow, you can always pile more snow if desired. The number of tricks that have been done there is just ridiculous. From it's first Cab 270 from Max Baillargeon to the plethora of new tricks Louif Paradis did on it since a couple of years, the Battlefield Rail has seen it all."

Stand-out tricks:
- LNP, BS 180 switch 50-50 Half-Cab out in We (Brothers Factory 2005)
- Louif Paradis, BS 180 switch nose press in Bandwagon; BS 180 switch 5-0 in Bandwagon
- Justin Benee, Cab 270 in 91 Words For Snow
- Louif Paradis, Cab 360 switch nose press in Videograss

Session at the Battlefield:
(Please visit the site to view this media)

Old Quebec Ledge
"Another one of the first rail spots to be hit by locals, as well as out of town pros, is the Old Quebec Ledge, which is located roughly in the same area than the Battlefield Rail. This spot has seen numerous sessions from local crews and has been hit by crews such as Forum, People, Transworld and a couple others. The spot consists of a 20 or 25-stair set with a ledge on both sides. One a them is a foot wide down-flat ledge and the other one is a four-inch wide down. This spot was so popular throughout the years because you don't really need to shovel the in-run, since you get your speed from a similar stair set that never gets shoveled out by the city. The whole stairway is closed in the winter so it's basically snowboarders who shovel the stairs for the citizens to use."

Stand-out tricks:
- Greg Desjardins, BS nose press, BS out in Try This At Home
- Etienne Gilbert, BS lip in People
- Nic Sauvé, hardway Cab 270 in First Chair, Last Call
- Louif Paradis, switch BS 180, 5-0 FS out in These Days
- Frank April, switch BS 270 in What

Louif in These Days (Old Quebec Ledge at 1:18)
(Please visit the site to view this media)

St. Georges Double Line
"This spot is situated outside of the Quebec city limits; it's approximately an hour and 15 minutes away. This spot is also a classic that's been seen in a number of movies, including the Sugarshack, Brothers Factory, Mack Dawg, Forum and Transworld movies. The spot is located in a school yard and there is natural speed for both rails. It can be hit as a double line or both rails separately. The first rail is a burly one! It's got 30 cheese grater stairs, with waist-high round bar that's followed by the second, more mellow 20-stair flat bar. Both rails have seen lots of action since the Sugarshack and Brothers Factory crews began to hit it several times per season, both individually and in double lines."

Stand-out tricks:
- LNP, BS tail slide, BS 270 out in Some Kinda Life (small rail)
- Jordan Mendenhall, ollie over metal pole to BS lip in People (small rail)
- Nic Sauvé, FS blunt 270 out to tailslide 270 out in Bandwagon (double line)
- PO Houde, Cab 270 in What (big rail)

Not the St. Georges double line, but Phil Jacques slays it just the same.

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Related:
Get Railed (rail photo gallery)
Louif Paradis: Guilty Of Riding Rails
Warming Up with LNP

The Underrated Snake: Rahim EFD

2009-12-16T22:40:00Z

There comes a time in every mans life when he's got to look at himself in the mirror and make a choice: take life "head on" and make your dreams come true, or find a new dream to follow. I think that everyone has to eventually end up making some sort of sacrifice along the way to achieving what they want for themselves. What about those times when all you really care about is enjoying what you love and having a good time doing it? Is that really so bad? I don't think so. Apparently Rahim EFD doesn't really think it's such a bad thing either. Given the fact that he is one of the most underrated snowboarders I've ever had the pleasure of meeting, Rahim has chosen to avoid all the normal distractions that many of today's kids get preoccupied with. If you're unfamiliar with what I'm talking about, let me rephrase it for you; Rahim doesn't care about being sponsored for snowboarding. What I find most appealing about Rahim is that he's the same age as me and his shred abilities don't show any signs of slowing down.

If you don't mind me asking, approximately how long have you been shredding for?
Hooo! Let's see now...off and on for about 15 or 16 years, I think. Many, many moons, ya dig?

Did you grow up shredding at Seymour? If not, where did you learn to shred?
I actually learned up at Blackcomb when I was like 11 or 12, ‘cuz my pops had a place up there so we'd go for the weekends. I started riding at Grouse after ‘cuz it was hella close for me, and nobody I knew had a whip to drive up Seymour. Plus, when I did get up to Seymour, the Seymour Kids scared the shit outta me back then. I was hella shook...ha ha ha.

Is being hooked up and chasing the dream a driving force in you strapping on your shred and hitting the hills?
F*ck noooooooo homie! I'd be riding, regardless. I do it ‘cuz I have such a good time while riding that I can forget about all my troubles and just have fun kickin' it with my folks. That's what motivates me: my partnas'.

So does "making it" in the shred game really matter to you at this point in your life?
Nah, I'll be 29 next June! I'm more concerned about getting my priorities straight and just trying to live a good life. If shit does pop off for me, then I'll jump right on it and get it done, but I'm not gonna bend over backwards trying to do that industry shit. It's all about the pure pleasure for me.

Homeboy, I'm 29, and I don't feel old, so don't worry. You're in the clear on that one. You seem like a pretty mellow guy but you're always hanging out with a pretty rowdy bunch of homies out on the hill. When you're off the hill, do you really get down on all the crazy nights with those guys?
I can't say I'm always getting crazy with the [Party]snakes. A few of us are way more laid back and we just marinate on the real's. But when I am feeling greasy I get stupid.

All your homies always seem to mention you as being the most underrated shred at Seymour. Care to comment?
I dunno about that. All my boys got game; I wouldn't single myself out or anything like that.

Here's a hard one for you to answer without getting all weirded out: Do you consider yourself underrated?
Nah nah, I don't consider myself to be underrated. I really don't care what people think of my riding...it's for me, you know? I just do what makes me feel good, that's all.

With all the coverage the Partysnake dvd got last year, has anybody really stepped up and ended up hooking it up for you?
I owe that to ECS [Evan Chandler-Soanes] and Matt Heneghan, that ginger bread man; they pretty much did it all up for me. I wasn't too concerned about sponsors or anything before, but those dudes hooked me up proper. I also gotta thank Damon Pyett from Coastal Riders, Tenaya Nash at Elm Company, Karl and Dave from IS Eyewear, Chris White at Skullcandy, Mount Seymour, the Psnakes and DWD boys, and yourself, Mista Mikey Scott for Union Bindings.

What is it about snowboarding that appeals to you?
I dunno...maybe the feeling of riding away from a flossy trick, or just gliding down the hill, poppin' off whatever? It's just hella fun cruisin', straight up.

How you describe your style of snowboarding?
Sometimes I try to flow smooth like water, other times I get all wild-style with it. Kung fu and ninjas definitely have an impact on my movements too, hahaha. They got dope stee'.

Who's snowboarding do you respect and why?
MY LOOIE'S!! Russ Tha God, Kiv and Mills for their ill style. Pretty much all my homies cuz' they keep it real. I also dig Keegan Valaika and Chris Grenier, Nico Mueller and Gigi Ruf, and anybody who just rides for the f*ck of it. That's word. Stay up, playas!

---------------------------
Related:
The Quotable Snake: Matt Heneghan
Adam Mills and Life With The Partysnakes
The Partysnake Video, Part 1

The Quotable Snake: Matt Heneghan

2009-11-13T21:57:00Z

I don't want to admit it, but I can hardly remember the first time I met up with Matt Heneghan. I had seen him riding out on the hills a bunch of times, but it seemed like every time we were in the same place at the same time, something would come up where I had to peace before getting the chance to say what's up. I don't mean to "fan out" and sound like I really wanted to go out of my way to meet him, but it just seemed odd to basically know everything about this guy through all of his friends. After finally getting the chance to meet up with him and take a few laps in the park, I knew that it was only a matter of time before he would end up as a friend that makes snowboarding fun again. Instead of me just telling you how cool he is or how much he rips at shredding, I suggest you read the interview below to find out a little more about Matt Heneghan; one of Vancouver's best kept secrets.

First off, where are you currently living and who are you living with?
I currently reside at the Fort, aka the Vortex, in the Maplewood Gardens, North Vancouver. I live there with Sean Keating, Rupert Davies and what/whoever else might be crashin' there at the time. It's been host to a who's who of shred dudes and nortons alike. We've got a pool table in that bitch so it's been getting some serious summer love. Plus, we've got a bunch of other homies living in the complex so the whole zone is pretty hilarious. Shout outs to the Fish Tank and the Den.

So if you're living with all those shred dudes, where do you usually head out to get on the snow?
I shred Seymour daily. It's the funnest place to go cause there's a bit of everything there and we (Partysnake crew) have a big impact on the type of stuff that they set up in the park. It also snows so heavy there, so I get to cruise around on powder after hitting the chute for a few wobblers. When I'm not there, I'm shredding as much street as I can in Vancouver or on a trip to the interior to shred more street. Being from Newfoundland, the lack of parks and large city snowfalls [back home] had me only riding stuff in the city.

You mentioned the Partysnake Crew. Who is that and who else do you usually shred with?
The Partysnake crew is: Mealz, Rahim EFD, god, nice guy, prb, Chain Justice, Old Dogg, Keating, ECS, Heringa, Jkwon, Bkwon, Ratfink, Deedle Doo, Max Sandwich, Skineghan, Tommy Gunz, Huh, etc. I'm down to shred with anyone riding Seymour. Other than those heads, I like riding with new faces that are down to grind. Props to dope whis homies too: Geeves, Loosh, Eman, Brockle, Lsho, Kuzyk, Jody, Griffen, Sandbox, and of course Gnarcore.

Damn, that's a serious list of talent. It seems like you live the shred life pretty seriously, like 24-7. When you're not out on the hills, what keeps you busy?
Working some bullshit job, saving up for shredding. I also stay really involved in Partysnake all year round. Now that it's getting bigger, I like working on the business side of things, talking to sponsors and what not. I also love to get greased, watch Chain set a couple free, hang out with my amazing girlfriend Sarah, and listen to music. Either that, or I'm at home watchin' The Wire (amazing show).

Yeah, The Wire is pretty dope actually. They always got some greezy shi* going on in those episodes. Speaking of greezy, what's in the iPod these days?
Hip-hop. That's the only thing I really listen to and I need it in my life all the time. Right now, I'm hyped on the Purple Tape. Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx 2...can't believe that finally dropped. I love any hip-hop from New York. I am a huge Mobb Deep head. I love Nas, Cormega, Capone N Noreaga...all that Queens bridge shit. Love Sean Price, Biggie Smalls, Dipset and the Wu. I used to listen to a lot of underground shit and still do a little but I kinda grew out of the elitist attitude of it. Bumpin' all kinds of rap. Jeezy, Ludacris, etc. Evan even got me goin' dumb on some of this hyphy shit. Other than that, I might fuck with some Cat Stevens.

That's an interesting mix of music you got on that device. I have to be honest...I didn't think that Cat Stevens was really going to make an appearance in there. On another note, how was the year as far as travel and whatnot?
This year was weird. Can't complain ‘cause I got out a lot but I wish I had been focused a bit more on shredding than filming. It's hard when you have to focus on two things ya know. I'm still happy with the season but I know this year coming up is gonna to be a lot better. Myself, Rupert Davies, Sean Hoglin, Adam Mills and Matt Standish went down to Tahoe for 10 days and that was hilarious. Got some good footy, I got a cool concussion and we all went to Safeway like ten times a day courtesy of Hoglin. When we had all that snow In the city, me, Justice, Mills, Brad Saraurer and ECS went over to Nanaimo and hit some cool shit over there. We also rallied the hell out of Evan's golf cart. Check the teaser for the golf cart sideshow.

Back in the day, did you used to look up to the Seymour kids/Skids?
Hell yeah, I was such a shred nerd, man. I felt like I had already ridden Seymour the first time I was there. Both the Keenans are my good friends now and have helped me so much since I got here, so it's amazing to be riding with them. I remember seeing photos of Pat taken by Evan in SBC so long ago man. I remember when Standish got a "Who Dat". Sansalone sold me my cam and has always been cool to me...and that dude was in the Summer X Games big air. Its' amazing to meet and become friends with the people that made Seymour what it is. Not to mention Wildcats...shittt. Those movies fucked me and my friends up. I went to a family photo when I was like 16 with my face covered in marker, so big shout outs to that whole crew.

Who hooks it up for you these days?
I have the most amazing sponsors. Not just ‘cause of the company, but my team managers are the best you can get. I ride for LRG, 32/Etnies, Union Bindings, Dinosaurs Will Die, IS Eyewear, Celtek Gloves, Coastal Riders, and Mount Seymour. Huge thanks to Dave Bernie, Mikey Scott, Damon Pyett, Jeff Keenan and Sean Genovese, Karl Fuhre, Dirk Yarmush and the whole staff at Mount Seymour. My team managers shred/party/listen to better death metal than you.

Now, I'm pretty sure I saw you up at he Grenade Games this year, right? I heard the Partysnake guys were chilling with the man himself, MFM [Mark Frank Montoya]? Is this true?
Grenade Games was hilarious. The kind people over at Monster Energy (shout out to Libby and Nelson!) gave us the key to city (and a Partysnake hotel room) and we managed to swindle our way in to tons of high profile parties. MFM had already heard about Partysnake. Real talk. Magoon was in effect big time. Gnarcore homies...shit got real deal out there. A-list shit. Dingo used to ride Seymour. Thanks again to Monster Energy. Too bad it was in Whis though. Hahahhaha.

Without getting too deep into the meaning of life, what to you think the future holds for you?
Hopefully a ton of trips on some other peoples' dimes. I want to shred as much as I can for as long as I can, then I am excited to move more behind the scenes. With the people I've been meeting and working with as a snowboarder, I'm really excited about working on some other projects. Guys like that I know on a personal level, like Dave Bernie, Damon Pyett, Karl Fuhre, Mikey Scott, Jan Snarski, Jeff Keenan, Sean Genovese and Clayton Larson, get me hyped. They have dope jobs. I'm sick of this construction shit.

------------------------
Related:
Adam Mills and Life With The PartySnakes
New Kid: Rupert Davies

Adam Mills and Life with the Party Snakes

2009-10-15T22:51:00Z

I'll be honest: when I first got a call from Colton Showers about moving from Whistler to Vancouver, I was stoked. In fact, I'm always stoked when people I know move out of Whistler and come enjoy the city life and get a taste of something different. Curious about how he could afford it on his own, I asked who he was going to be living with. Upon hearing that he was living with Party Snake's very own Adam Mills, I made it a personal mission to get down to the bottom of how this all got started. After posing a few short questions about Adam's shred life, I felt ready to pry into his personal life and expose the decisions that led him to move into the big city. Turns out I didn't have to pry to deep into the real motive behind the big move: "...living close to the bar may help out my game with girls." Amazing. Take a read below for more laughs.

How was the past season? What did you get up to?
The past season went pretty damn good. No injuries, which is a plus, and I basically just shredded Seymour and tried to get out of town as much as possible. I might have hit the bottle a little as well...

Hit me with some stand out moments from last season.
Well, basically any good day up Seymour with the boys is a good day, but stand-outs would be and early snow dump in Nanaimo with Heneghan, ECS and the one and only Sean "Chain Justice" O'Brien; as well as a last minute Tahoe trip with Standish, Hoglin, Rupert and Heneghan. Driving in a rental car for a long period of time with this crew brought nothing but comedy.

Were you stoked on how your part ended up coming together in last year's Party Snake video?
I was actually rather surprised that it all came together considering I got broke off two times throughout the season, but all-in-all it was pretty good. Maybe you can turn water into wine.

Let's get down to some real talk... I personally thought you had the best song in the video. So this is a two part question: 1) How'd you end up picking that song and, 2) Do you actually get down with Too Short on the regular?
All right, real talk it is then... Well, I'll break it down. I can't lie: ECS is the don when it comes to beats; he picked the song and edited the whole part for me, and what can I say? He picked gold... he may have killed it this year as well. As for the second question, despite Too Short being a little ahead of my time, I for sure get down with the Oakland-grown boss.

Why did you move to Vancouver?
Well, we haven't made the move yet... I am still in my hometown of North Vancouver, but in a couple weeks the big move will go down. I grew up in North Van and have been there since day one, so change is good. It may also have to do with the fact that living close to the bar may help out my game with girls.

Now tell me this: just how did you choose to move in with Colton Showers?
Well this, my friend, just seemed to happen. I met Colton at Grenade Games this year for the first time and needless to say, he likes to get down and have a good time, and its weird ‘cause I like to do that as well. So basically we put our two brains together and said, "le'ts live it up downtown, so high in the sky that we see birds out the window," ya dig? Seems like it could all be downhill from here, but in a good way...

Now I'm almost positive that your new pad will get a few parties thrown in it, but just how can you make sure it doesn't turn into the Party Snake downtown crash pad?
Well, Mr. Scott, quite frankly I don't think I can assure anyone anything when it comes to this matter. I work a nine-to-five, Monday-to-Friday job, so weekdays will be mellow, but come the weekend there is nothing else in this world that would make me happier then waking up to a 900 square-foot room filled with all my dirtbag friends.

Having lived downtown myself, I think that there's a 50-50 chance this move might negatively affect your shredding abilities. Care to comment?
I would love to comment. I figure it is gonna save some money for cab rides, which in turn will mean more money to shred. The goal for this winter is to be out of town for most of it anyhow, so it should pan out just fine, but if the snake bites for a week or two on end, then really there is not much you can do.

You got a whip to get to the hills? What are you pushing?
As far as our crew of friends that we shred with, I am one of the rare few to have a dubbed-out buggy, which we refer to as the Mother Ship. We're talking eight seats sitting on chrome with screens falling from the ceiling, so the short answer is 2007 Chevy Suburban. It does the job.

Do you have any future plans in life besides shredding?
Shred ‘till I can't shred anymore. I work for my old man's pen and pencil company, so that is always a bonus to have that going for me and allows me to shred when I need to. But other then that, no plans, really. Work, ride, have fun with my homies... If it ends tomorrow it was a good run

Final question: Is there anything that we should know about the new Party Snake video?
The less you know the better. Hate it or love it. Actually everyone should just hate it. It makes it feel like we have accomplished more that way.

Any thanks?
Thanks to Damon at Coastal Riders for holding me down since day one. Thanks to Flynn at Nitro, Dave Birnie at LRG (Time Bomb), Brady at Ogio and POW, Jon at Westbeach, Karl at IS design, Libby and everyone at Monster, everyone at Mount Seymour, and to my family and homies. Thanks to the P-Snake crew: you made me the shithead that I am today. As well, thank you, Mikey Scott, for helping me feel more comfortable about making the move into this concrete jungle.

Partysnake's Again, Teaser #2
(Please visit the site to view this media)

-------------------------
Related:
watch The Party Snake Video Now!

When To Call It with Blue Montgomery

2009-09-24T20:48:00Z

Imagine having it all. I mean literally: getting paid to travel the world in search of powder and epic parties. Although this isn't everyone's version of "having it all", some people in life actually do get to experience a job that allows them to do what they love. When I got the chance to interview former professional snowboarder Blue Montgomery, I made it my goal to figure out how he was able to create such a good life for himself by doing what he loved most. He said the biggest perks of being a professional snowboarder were having complete autonomy and, most of all, an endless list of first experiences. Sounds like something you could never walk away from right, right? Wrong.

"When to Call It" is a column about former pros that decided to call it quits, and the process that led to them making that decision. With a guy like Blue still making a living inside the industry that he now owns a piece of - thanks to the success of Capita Snowboards - nothing could be more interesting than hearing a honest recollection about how he made it to where he is today. And guess what? I was right. Get ready for a good lesson in how to stay credible and make cool shit.

So Blue, how long were you pro for and who did you ride for?
I was pro from ‘94 to '99 and rode for One, Division 23, Yang, Vans, Technine, Dragon, Rossignol, and others.

Who did you snowboard with when you were pro?
Cody Dresser, Bobby Meeks, Jason Bump, Travis Wood, Brian Thein, Ami Voutilainen, Joni Makinen... We called ourselves the "Boulder Hollow Crew" after the apartment complex we all lived at in Utah.

What was the worst decision you made during your career?
In the context of my career as a pro snowboarder, I'd say trying to build relationships with some companies that probably weren't the right fit for me to begin with. There were times when I rode for brands where I didn't really believe in the people or the product; Rossignol is a good example. At that time I didn't push myself... I under achieved. It didn't do much for me or them. I didn't really think about it; I was just snowboarding, partying, living, going with the flow... but I see the fault in it now. The mistake I made, that I don't want kids to make now, is you have to ride for companies that you truly believe in and identify with. Otherwise it's all bullshit and going nowhere.

On the flip-side, what was the best decision you made during your career?
Well, as much as I didn't feel aligned with the Rossignol brand, that time period introduced many experiences outside Salt Lake that I might not have had other wise. Riding for a French company meant traveling to Europe, and getting to travel, ride, and make crazy party with Dionne Delesalle, JF Pelchat, Paavo Tikkannen, Dave Basterechea, Jonas Emery... It was a pretty awesome, funny, and wild time. To meet and work with people like Mark Gallup, Trevor Graves, Vincent Skoglund, Vianney Tisseau and others was inspiring and eye-opening. So in the context of making unique memories and lasting relationships, I'd say that decision was a great one.

What was the stupidest purchase that you made as a professional athlete?
Travis Wood will tell you any up-and-coming pro shred that buys a brand new car is an idiot. I was a VW head growing up and when they came out with the first VR6 in 1997, I had to have it. Actually, Bobby [Meeks] and I both bought the same car in the same month. Travis was going off about how stupid we were, and how we were blowing it. I bought mine at night and thought it was dark blue. It wasn't till the next day in that Salt Lake sun that E-Stone started laughing and said, "Dude, you bought a purple car!" Bobby got his repo'ed a few years later and I ended up driving "the purple cush" for 12 years. That was a bit ironic since Bobby's career lasted so much longer than mine. I ended up selling it to one of the Capita warehouse dudes, so I still get to see it every day. That was my best purchase as a pro shred. I didn't make too many stupid ones... I didn't grow up with a lot of money, so I'm pretty careful with it.

What was the best memory of your career?
There isn't just one best memory, but the first one that comes to mind is my 22nd birthday in Japan. It was my first trip outside North America and I went with Jason Bump, Peter Line, and Marc Morriset. It was the peak of snowboarding's popularity in Japan, and we literally couldn't make it from our hotel room to the cafeteria at the resort without people mobbing us for autographs. Chicks crying over Peter Line and shit; it was nuts. Japanese kids didn't even know who I was at the time, but they didn't care. American? Snowboarder? Here with Peter and Morry? Here's a permanent black magic marker, please sign your name all over my brand new outerwear! The first time in Japan for anyone is mind-blowing, but this era of treating snowboarders like rock stars was just really crazy. It's not like that anymore. I'm glad I got to experience it.

What was your favorite sponsor during your career?
Vans: Hands down. No pay cheque makes you feel as cool as two pairs of shoes a month. Every other Friday I'd roll to the bar in fresh sneakers; iIt was awesome. Since I have to buy shoes like everyone else now, this concept seems crazy. I was one of the first snowboarders on Vans, and they were the only sponsor that supported me throughout my entire career. They're obviously a big company, but a big company that felt very much in touch. Good people, good product, and it was nice to be able to call and say, "Thank you for the years of support, I appreciate it very much. You don't need to send me a paycheck next month."

Looking back now, what were you able to learn from your pro years?
A lot of life lessons. A lot about nature, the mountains, weather patterns, and snow safety that I still use to this day. I learned that complacency and progression can't exist at the same time. Looking back, I guess that was my first exposure to entrepreneurial theories. Putting yourself out there, recognizing opportunity, risk versus reward, marketing yourself, execution, self- preservation, and so-on. Snowboarders have to do all of that if they want to get paid.

Why did you decide to back away from it all?
I stopped progressing and sponsorship stopped being fun. I knew at that point it was over and was compelled to figure out what was next in life.

Was it hard to make that call?
Not really. 99% of pro snowboarders have no idea how good they have it, what real world employment is like, or what they're giving up when they're done. People just get jaded and over it. Sooner or later, the ways of the real world present themselves and at that point, every single one of us has looked back and realized that we were livin' the dream.

What's different now in the industry compared to your days?
The major differences are the reduction of the Japanese market, the influx of non-endemic corporate involvement, the rise of internet sales, the plight of the core retailer, the epic advancement of athleticism, and the general marginalization of contemporary snowboard culture.

That's a lot... That being said, do you have any advice for those people coming up in the industry?
Don't be a pussy. Make cool stuff. Create your own path. Get a job in snowboarding for the good people you'll get to work with and around, and don't delude yourself into thinking you're going to make a bunch of money.

Do you think it's easier or harder for pros now-a-days?
No, so many kids are so good, that I'd say it's harder to really separate yourself and stand out. The level of snowboarding now is incomparable to 1996. Dudes are so gnarly these days.

What's your title with Capita? Do you feel like you owe snowboarding anything now that you're running a company?
I'm the president and brand manager for CAPiTA Super Corporation. I don't feel like I owe anything... Snowboarding has been my life since I was 13. I'm 35 now. It's just what I do.

Do you get the same satisfaction level with what you're doing now, as compared to being a pro shred?
I get a different satisfaction... If you gave me a choice between riding pow and living the life of leisure, or sitting in front of a computer every day, I'd be riding pow and living the life of leisure. But when I meet and talk to people stoked on CAPiTA, it's the most rewarding feeling ever. It makes everything we've been through over the last nine years worth it.

Do you miss shredding?
I still shred. Pow days at Alpental with [Todd] Schlosser are off the hook.

Who else could you recommend to get a "When To Call It" interview?
I'd love to read answers on this topic from Dale Rehberg, Roan Rodgers, Chris Roach, Kevin Young, Andy Hetzel, Jon Boyer, Cody Dresser, Bobby Meeks, Brad Scheuffele, Jeff Brushie, Tina Basich, Damian Sanders, Stevie Alters, and of course, Russell Winfield.

-------------------------
Related:
When To Call It: Marc Morriset
When To Call It: Rob Dow
That's "Mister" Peter Line To You

Sunny, Sunny Days With Jess Kimura

2009-09-17T19:14:00Z

There's only one thing that's better than sleeping in past noon on the weekend, and that's going snowboarding during the summer months. When I got the call about going up to Whistler and riding the Blackcomb glacier, I must admit, I definitely planned my weekend around it. Since I was already heading up there, I decided to make it interesting and run an article with the Canada's hottest rookie shredder Jess Kimura. With a full season of filming under her belt and a list of sponsors a mile long (32 boots, Electric goggles, CAPiTA snowboards, Union bindings, The Circle boardshop and Volcom outerwear), Jess deserves everything that she has coming to her. Take a look below to learn a little more about a typical summertime "day on the hill" with Jess Kimura.

The plan was simple: wake up at 6:45 am, make it to whistler by 9:00, wake up Jess at 9:30, get on the hill by 11:00 am. Notice how many texts it took to get Jess out of bed?

After giving Jess a fake guilt trip to get her out of bed, she showed up within minutes. Perfect. Next we headed over to meet up with Fabia and the rest of the Camp of Champs people to get a few park passes. Let me just say this: Camp of Champs has the best park on the glacier, hands down.

In preparation for the long chairlift ride up the mountain, Jess made the executive decision to stop at the farmers market for some fresh fruit!

A little early for the lift to open. That's no problem, we got fruit!

Get your tan on, chairlift style.

Jess Kimura: 15% blue steel, 20% teen magazine, 65% smiles!

After taking a few warm up laps, Jess decided that it was necessary to head straight for the 50-foot tabletop.

Sunny days filled with hiking sure makes for some good exercise. This is the point where I realize I can't keep up with her, and I accept the truth: she's the athlete and I'm the writer.

Lots of people complain about hitting hips frontside. Not Jess, check the style on this one!

After a bit of lunch, Jess heads back to work on filming her part filming for Nuu Life Cinema's Sixes and Sevens, due out this fall.

With the jumps out of the way, there's nothing like a little mini-pipe invert action to end out a great day of shredding on the glacier.

Now for the one hour boring ride down to the village. Jess keeps it all smiles on the journey downward.

After all is said and done, Jess hasn't stopped smiling all day. I think that I actually feel younger from spending the day shredding along side her. Thanks Jess!

All photos: Brian Caissie

------------------------------
Related:
Peep Show Teaser
What, More Good Times? Seriously? (MGT Camps)
The Blackcomb Glacier: Last Chance For Summer Shredding

Pros and Cons with Kael Hill

2009-09-10T21:38:00Z

I've always found it easier to point out the negative in any situation. Maybe I'm just a "glass half-full" kind of guy. Regardless, no matter what comes my way in life, I always try and identify at least one pro and one con so I can figure out what I'm supposed to learn from it.

Kael Hill is a man of similar thought. This young, open-minded snowboard rookie has been on my shred radar ever since I caught his part in last year's Brothers Factory video. Let's just say he is one hell of a shredder, with one hell of a future. After catching Kael on the phone a few weeks ago, I decided to throw a few random topics at him in an effort to find out the pros and cons of each one. Take a look below to find out what Kael really thinks about living in the Whistler bubble and dating girls that aren't in the snowboard industry!

Living in the Whistler bubble
Pro: "Sledding access near by."
Cons: "Poverty, malnourishment, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, overabundance of girls involved in the snowboard scene, staff housing, STD's, sausage fest, Surrey weekends."

Getting boxes of free stuff from your sponsors
Pros: "You don't have to pick it up at the post office, and you don't have to buy it!"
Cons: "Sometimes you have to deal with the UPS guy, and that's a con because they hire cons to work for them and they might snap!"

Shredding the hills without goggles
Pro: "One less lens passing the illusion of reality."
Con: "Getting hit in the eyes with snow."

Street Rails
Pros: "You have the ability to turn nothing into something. It's so sick in the summer when you can check stuff out. I like the whole process of finding a rail, and then doing it."
Con: "Having to deal with the police; that always sucks. If you get busted you become the ‘con' and that's not good."

Snowboard Contests
Pro: "Tons of people united in one place, surrounding a common cause."
Con: "Groupies."

Pow days on the mountain
Pro: "Guilt-free face shots."
Con: "Sometimes powder kills people..."

Girls that don't snowboard
Pro: "They are awesome... In fact, there's nothing better then a girl that doesn't hang out in the shred scene."
Con: "Sometimes they don't understand travelling."

----------------------------
Related:
Canada's Next Top Badass (Kael, Geeves, E-man)
Andrew Geeves: Eyes On The Prize
DC and Quiksilver at Lake Louise (video)

Catching up with E-Man Anderson

2009-07-16T16:17:00Z

With the cold winter months behind us, most of us shred dogs can safely say that our snowboard seasons have come to an end for the year. Hopefully it was a good one, because unless you're fortunate enough to make it to Whistler for a summer session, the only snow you're going to be touching will be in the arena parking lots. A few weeks ago, I ventured up to Whistler to sit with Emanuel "E-man" Anderson to shoot the breeze about how his shred season went. With support from Sessions outerwear, Union bindings, Electric eyewear and Stepchild snowboards, he surely has enough dough to get out of Whistler right?

Here's what E-Man had to say.

Winter in a nutshell:

"I started out the season with a couple of handrail trips, but once I got back to Whistler I ended up shredding the Blackcomb park as many days as I could. Actually, I've been here for six years and although I don't know any names of the runs, I do know where the best snow is on a pow day!

The season ended for me when I broke my nose and cracked my collarbone. I did the big air at the Grenade Games with a broken collar bone and I didn't even know it! While I was at the hospital asking the doctor if my nose was healed from a previous injury, I mentioned that my shoulder was hurting me. Turns out that it was a cracked collarbone, and that was pretty much the last day of shredding for me."

Riding partners:

"I rode with everybody! I guess I floated around on the hill, and then went sledding with Sean Johnson and this guy named Jeff Bizowy. That guy is nuts, man! He guinea-pigged the same road gap that Travis Rice did a while back, with a backside 7. I don't think he landed it, but he definitely went for it. I went up sledding with Simon Chamberlain and Chris Wimbles -- before he quit -- a bunch. Wimbles could be a Travis Rice-kind of shredder. He is in touch with everything on the hill. He is one of the best I've seen and although he may not be a jibber, he can do any trick out there."

Shooting:

"I was filming for the Stepchild video called This Video Sucks. Not, like, a full-on part, but a little one. I've actually got a few tricks in the teaser. I also filmed for The Piece with Gnarcore.

I didn't shoot photos that much, actually. I went up with Ashley Barker on the handrail missions and Dice K in the backcountry. I didn't get much done in the backcountry as far as shooting photos, probably just a cover shot. [laughs] They say that every photo that is taken of you takes a piece of your soul away, so it's probably a good thing I didn't shoot to much this past season. I barely have a soul as is."

Contest and trips:

"I went up north to Prince George and the 100 Mile House on a rail trip. Oh yeah, I also went to the Interior for a few rail missions in the Okanogan. I went sledding in Whistler and in Tahoe. On the first trip to Tahoe I broke my truck, and then I broke my nose on the second one.

For contests I did the Quicksilver Showdown Over The City, the Grenade Games big air, and the Showcase Showdown."

Best and worst moments:

"The best moment for me was landing a trick that was somewhat legit in the backcountry. The worst moment was when I broke my nose right after landing my first legit trick in the backcountry. I tried to one up myself and kneed myself in the face."

What's up now:

"I'm working and slaving like a slave. Recently I've been painting everyday, but I am coaching at the Camp of Champs, and then it's back to painting and saving money. I need to save so I can film in the backcountry and be a "star". [laughs] Snowboarding on rails is getting to be super gnarly; actually it's pretty much insane... I don't want to be known as a jibber kid, I want film a full, rounded part."

Bonus Questions and Answers

Do you skate?

Yeah, I just got mad road rash a few days ago. I was shirtless, skitching down a hill on my skateboard, and bailed pretty good. My arm and face are all torn up. Skateboarding is so dope, but snowboarding is kinda like rollerblading when you get into the change-ups, you know, like the 180-in and 360-out stuff. It's not really natural. It's not like you're just jumping on your skate and hitting the rail. You've got to get a drop-in and all this other stuff. I find it funny when I see myself hitting a handrail on film... it just looks weird.

Dude, your hair's long. What's up with it?

This season I grew my hair. I haven't cut it in years!

Did you party at all this season?

Party? [he asks his friends in the room] Hey guys, did I party this season? [all of them yell out "yeah"] Yeah, I partied a little bit, I guess... actually yeah, I partied for sure.

E-Man Anderson in the Blackcomb Park:

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Big Break: Simon Chamberlain

Why Bother: RadGalz

2009-05-26T21:48:00Z

I was once told that if you love your job, you'll never have to work a day in your life. Why Bother is a column about people who have recognized what they love and turned that into a career inside the snowboard industry. This Why Bother is about Sarah Johnson, who started up RadGalz, one of the first all girls event companies inside Canada. We'll cover all the ventures that Sarah has chosen to take on and carry out while establishing herself as one of Canada's most legit "girls-only" entrepreneurs. Gheah!

Quick Bio: Sarah is 28 years old and has been skating and snowboarding since she was 14. Damn, that's dedication.

The RadGalz crew.

When did RadGalz start?
I founded RadGalz Promotions Inc. in 2002, launching our flagship event, which was Canada's first all girls event (competition) in 2003 at Big White called the RadGalz Classic. Then in 2005 we launched a wakeboard school in Kelowna. Since then we have hosted various other all-girls events, fashion shows and parties, and the first grassroots all girls snowboard competitive series in BC, Ontario, and Alberta in 2007, AND hosted Wake and Yoga Clinix in BC and Ontario last summer. At the time RadGalz Inc. was launched there weren't any girls-only events, but I believe MGT Snowboard Camp launched that same year, so in many ways a girl's action sport event and camp industry began with us. At a time when the girls market was just starting to take off, it took a lot of cold calling, proposal writing, and still does today. But it's our work that has paved the way for other girls-only event companies to start-up and host events. Resorts needed a lot of convincing at first; they didn't think girls would do events. We showed them and still are showing them how to properly appeal to them, as the girls market continues to grow and girls get out and involved.

How did you get into throwing events?
I got into the event and sponsorship game while going to university in Kelowna. At the time I was competing in boardercross, half-pipe, and slopestyle, but after being sidelined by an injury, I came up with the idea to create a girls event, and volunteered at local events and BCSA events to learn the initial ropes. I've become very passionate about events and marketing, and have read every book on event management. I've also taken the professional certification program in event management, as well as marketing and business courses. Creating RadGalz was a dream of mine since my early skating days, as I was always trying to get more girls to skate and snowboard. I feel like I have always, on some level, hosted girls shred events and been driven to get girls into it. Pretty much ever since I started boarding, I hated being the only girl at the skate or snowboard park, and wanted to get more girls stoked on the lifestyle and even the fashion style.

RadGalz event at Big White.

What came first, the contest or the clinics?
Actually they began at the same time. RadGalz Snowboard Classic (our first and annual event) began as a clinic / contest: the riders received coaching and support throughout the contest. I created this format and event concept, and approached Flynn Seddon from Big White who helped bring the idea to life. This format and all-girls concept event was developed to alleviate the fear and anxiety most girls feel about competing and to get more girls out and try a comp. And it worked!!! Hundreds of girls had their first competitive experience at a RadGalz event over the years, and now tons of other girl-shred event companies mimic this format.

Where have you done events?
BC, Ontario, and Alberta. For 2009, we will be hosting events in Ontario for winter, and BC and Ontario this summer.

RadGalz in Ontario. Darren Chow photo.

What has been your favorite event so far?
I loved and miss hosting the RadGalz Classic, which I founded and help with, alongside many amazing people for about 5 years up at Big White. But really I love all the events I ever had a chance to put on for RadGalz, as I am completely in love with the sports, lifestyle, and overall creative marketing. I think this is what keeps our events so legit and the girls connect with this.

What have you learned throughout the years of running events?
Get deals on paper. I've been left hanging by some sponsors (some very large corporations, at that), but one day I will expose them in a tell-all book. On the other hand, good sponsor relationships are everything; it really makes or breaks what we offer to the girls, so I am constantly working to develop new contacts and build solid relationships.

Fashion show.

What does someone get out of your events/camps on a personal level? ...on a progression level?
On a personal level they get experience, memories, and connection with other like-minded galz. I am constantly meeting girls who still ride with girls they met at one of my events. On a progression level they learn from each other, push each other - when girls get together and shred its like a domino effect: one girl does a trick then the next is not as afraid to step it up, and next thing you know its pure inspired radness going down. We all have the rad gene in us; we just need to get inspired, channeling radness!!!

Why is it important for there to be girls-only events?
Because we are girls! It is important for the women who participate in action sports such as snowboarding, skiing, and wakeboarding, to have an opportunity to ride with girls and learn from one another, in events designed for girls, by girls. This allows girls action sports to continue to develop and progress as a whole. It also helps to showcases the girls' side of the sports and lifestyle from their perspective, and highlights girl's specific products, helping the companies that support and want to appeal to the female market.

You sponsor people. What's the story there? Team?
We sponsor girls who are up and coming, passionate, inspirational, progressive, and help promote them. Over the next year I will be putting more focus on the team, figuring out things to do with them to help them better reach their goals. I want to constantly help progress their opportunities in the industry. If they are competitive and have ambition and talent, they need a support system. But there are also the girls on our team who just live and love riding, skiing, wakeboarding etc... I want them to better share their experience with other girls as it's both types of actionista's that love and live what they do that makes them rad. They are all a huge inspiration to me and many galz. ONE LOVE.

Yoga break.

Are you involved with any other side projects?
Yes. I am constantly hustling, consulting for the action sports industry as well as promotional, marketing, sales and consulting work in the realms of media, fashion, entertainment, and advertising. (Writer's note - Damn girl!) I want to get into freelance fashion writing and do more fashion show co-ordination, and styling for the action sport industry. This is my current side project as fashion is a passion of mine; you should see my accessory trunk, it's out of control.

Any expansion plans for the future?
RadGalz will be expanding into more promotional and female-targeted marketing events/programs for brands and retailers, helping them connect with the young and progressive female psycho-shred-logical mindset and culture. We are also working on some RAD collaboration opportunities; stay tuned to www.radgalz.com for some amazing new products. We have plans to expand our team focus and are ramping up that program very soon. It's an exciting time to be involved with RadGalz, both for the industry and for girls out there that want to connect, network, progress, and make their mark. Girls can join our mailing list via our website to stay up to date on all events, and promotions. ONE LOVE.

Footage from '06 Ontario events:
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------------------------
Related:
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MGT Camps Blog

When to Call It with Marc Morisset: Part Two

2009-05-05T20:58:00Z

As promised, here's part two of my conversation with legendary shredder Marc "Morrie" Morisset.

In case you missed it, click here to read part one. As I said before, whether or not you're old enough to know who Marc is, I hope you'll appreciate how much of an impact he's had on snowboarding and our industry after reading this article. Let's pick it up from here...

After all is said and done, what did you learn from being a professional snowboarder?
Even though we were basically a bunch of burn-outs, we had to be pretty good at getting up early, especially when the backcountry thing kicked in; we had to be organized and help keep a crew organized and safe. As far as how to manage a career, I learned a lot about what not to do and tried to share that with kids coming up. I also learned that doing something you love becomes a job when you start collecting cheques, and that can be both good and bad.

Why did you end up deciding to back away from it all?
It was kind of a mix of things... Type A went under in an ugly way and I was left without a board sponsor and short a bunch of cash. My distribution company was taking off at the time and required more involvement. I had already started distributing Forum [in Canada] and felt it would be weird for me to be on another board company.

I was spending less and less time on the hill and still trying to film some stuff, and that probably wasn't such a good idea... you need put your time in the backcountry to be on it.

Was it hard to back away?
It took two years for me not to get completely angst-ed out on a sunny day, because I was so used to having to make those days count. Sometimes a season's filming was dependent on as few as 10 days of good conditions. I still miss being in the backcountry, in the middle of nowhere...

At the end of the day though, snowboarding was mine again and so the last couple seasons I lived in Whistler I appreciated that. I was really lucky to be given certain opportunities and to have timing on my side while building my business. It was fun to do, so that took a lot of the pain out of walking away from snowboarding as a career. The worst part was really just realizing that snowboarding-wise, I would never attain the same level, that I wouldn't have access to the type of terrain that I really wanted to snowboard on, so I couldn't keep the learning curve going.

1996 at the Westbeach Classic.

Yeah, that makes sense... Are you sill working with snowboarding at all?
Not in snow so much. I am in marketing now; I'm the Global VP of marketing for Four Star Distribution.

Would you say that you get the same satisfaction level with what you're doing now, compared to being a professional athlete?
I don't think you can really compare them.... apples to oranges.

What about other sports that interest you these days? What gets you stoked?
Surfing and sailing. And I'm not getting any younger, so I try to spend time on my road bike - it keeps my ticker in shape. I wish I could skate more, but my back gets jacked pretty quick, then I can't do much for a couple weeks, so it's not much of an option for me anymore.

Do you miss snowboarding?
I don't have to miss it; it's right in my backyard any time I want to go up the hill, and I'll be spending more time up there as my daughter gets older. I'm just in a different chapter right now and change is a good thing.

What's the best memory of your career?
Man, just spending time in the mountains with friends... Getting dropped off by a helicopter onto some crazy spot and just laughing once the chopper has taken off and you're just sitting up there; it was surreal. Just freeriding every day with my friends... I had some days up at Lone Goat that I'll always remember, Mad Max shit to get fuel up there for the sleds and just waking up at 5 AM in the alpine with a foot or two of fresh, hiking into some chute or a wind lip somewhere.

That sounds sick... Do you still stay in touch with your friends that you used to hang out with when you were professional?
Yeah, for sure... Gonna go surf with KY [Kevin Young] later this spring. I hang out with Warbs [Alex Warburton] and [Sean] Johnson every now and then. I just spoke to Shin Campos yesterday; he and his wife had a baby, which is exciting. We are all still around, doing our things.

Shin Campos, still in it.

Who else could you recommend to get a "When to Call It" interview?
Kevin Young, Alex Warburton, Sean Johnson, Nate Cole...

As a last note here, do you have any advice for people coming up in the industry?
Opportunity has a lot to do with timing, but also having the ability to see the opportunity in the first place. I've seen some great kids come up through our shop; the ones with heads on their shoulders have all made something of their foot in the door.

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Related:
When To Call It With Marc Morrisset: Part One
Devun Walsh: Team Captain
When To Call It: Rob Dow

When to Call It with Marc Morisset: Part One

2009-04-29T01:19:00Z

Whether or not you're old enough to know who Marc Morriset is, I hope you'll appreciate how much of an impact he's had on snowboarding and our industry after reading this article. I'm not trying to get too emotional here, but given the fact that Marc is one of the original guys who shaped snowboarding in Canada, I was pretty damn stoked just to interview him for this column.

Marc was a pro snowboarder from 1992 to '99, which may not seem that long, but he "called it" much sooner than most to pursue business opportunities that proved to be very fruitful, as you'll soon find out. Since I have an 800 word maximum length for these columns, I've decided to keep the integrity of this piece intact and run it as a two-part series: There was just too much good information in here, trust me! I hope you enjoy part one, and stay posted for part two.

Marc, circa 1997.

Who did you snowboard with when you were pro? Who was in your crew?
Kevin Young, Sean Johnson, Rich Carlson, Alex Warburton, Sean Kearns, Chris Brown, Devun Walsh... We didn't think of it as "crews" in the same way back then, but you ended up hanging with whoever you were filming with and that would change all the time.

What would you say was your favorite sponsor during your shred career, and why?
I rode for Sessions, Sims, Division 23, Special Blend, Type A, and The Circle. I remember being really amped to be on Sessions early on; it was like ‘93 or something. Joel Gomez [the Sessions owner] was selling band shirts by mail-order back then, and he let me grab some Joy Division T's. That's when I first got on Type A. I really felt like that was going to be good: Nate Cole, Roan Rogers, and Danny Way were on the team. Kids might not know what Roan Rogers was doing at the time... he was so good. But Special Blend was the longest standing sponsor I had, and by far the most supportive.

And you had some signature products, right?
I had three boards with D-23 starting in ‘94 or something. Then a couple models on Type A... I had some "designed by" stuff from Special Blend, but that's about it.

Looking back, what were some of the best perks?
Just having the freedom to spend the hours necessary to excel at something; it's something I am very grateful about. They say you need 10,000 hours doing something with conviction to be at, or near, the top of your field in any given profession. Try finding the time if you aren't getting paid to do exactly that!

Here's a good one: If you could have a chance at making a comeback as a professional snowboarder, which three companies would you ride for?
Someone who makes surfboards... and wants their washed-up pros to ride a lot of powder. If you're out there, give me a call, let's talk. [laughs]

Marc at Bachelor, circa 1992.

Now that we're laughing, what would you say was the worst decision you made during your career?
I'm sure I made a bunch... looking back, probably trying to ride for smaller companies. It worked out on the apparel side, but I rode a lot of shitty boards over the years. The worst single mistake was signing with Type A.

And the best decision you made during your career would be?
Probably the flip-side: trying to ride for smaller brands and having some control over what I did. I guess moving to Whistler was a good one, too.

True say... what about the stupidest purchase that you made as a professional athlete? Cars? Bar tabs?
Best and worst would have to be my snowmobile; that thing turned out to be amazing but those things hammer your back.

Do you think that there's a difference in the industry now, compared to when you were a professional?
I don't know... it got crazy there for a while, with lots of big contracts flying around. I think that's coming full circle, and pretty soon it will be a little mellower, and then as a result there will be more brands starting up and keeping things fresh.

What about being a professional snowboarder? Do you think that it's easier now-a-days versus back in your time?
I would just say it was different. I mean, the kids are so good these days, it's pretty crazy. Our challenges were like, our bindings ripping out, or like showing up to a pipe contest and the thing would basically be a ditch with a few kickers on the lip. I mean, it's just totally different now. There was no consistency to what we rode and that made us good freeriders. Now there's parks with perfectly groomed everything, but the level of riding is crazy.

After receiving so much as a rider, did you feel like you owed the industry a few years of giving back?
I‘m grateful to everyone who supported me and gave me opportunities... Before I left Quebec I'd go up to this little resort in the Laurentians called St. Donat. I was on a shop team and my teammates' parents just let me stay at their house there every weekend, and every spare week or holiday. The level of generosity they showed let me spend so much time snowboarding... And there were more of those people along the way that I owe a lot of gratitude to. If they were industry-specific, I ‘m grateful for that too, but not the industry specifically, if that makes any sense.

Devun Walsh started out riding with Marc and is still in the spotlight today.

What was the process like when you walked away from being pro?
I just kind of slid into obscurity... it was nice...

To be continued in Part Two...

---------------------------------
Related:
When To Call It With Marc Morriset: Part Two
Devun Walsh: Team Captain
When To Call It: Rob Dow