Sequence Magazine 65 EN

Rain Dogs

Danimals

Evergreen

"Absolute mastery, intersecting with so much style and wisdom. It was radical, and it challenged me immensely. "

"It’s changed a lot now since I was a little kid, but the essence is still the same."

"I’m personally more interested in the combination of it all rather than the difficulty of a single trick."

A BOOT WITH NO LIMITATIONS SO YOU CAN RIDE ANYWHERE AND ANYTHING YOU WANT, ALL SEASON, EVERY DAY. JUST LIKE SAM.

When I was a kid in the 90’s I was a skater that proudly exposed under his board the “Skateboard is not a crime” sticker. Often due to the slides on the benches the word “not” was erased and read “Skateboard is a crime”, my father who was a policeman wasn’t very proud of it. A little later the first snowboards came up. Just a few nights working as a waiter and there I was, with my savings to buy my first set up: a Nidecker Camille Brichet Twin Tip board, Drake bindings and Airwalk boots.

came dressed as a skier you wouldn’t have gone home with a girl. The attraction towards transgression, even if only for a few hours, was too strong. Lawyers dressed with flamboyant outfits went crazy at the parties, managers, employees, workers, students, nobody was missing. There was no distinction, the day was for riding and the night for partying. Then, on Monday, they put their ties on again and went back to the grey lives and the system that had been imposed on them.

In those years there was a strong sense of community, few but united, all together we were fighting for our right to use the lifts, with no results. The Ski Resorts didn’t want to sell us tickets, they told us we were ruining the slopes.

The Olympics came by and Terje Haakonsen, the most influent rider of the snowboarding history immediately showed his disapproval saying in an interview “I hate the Olymipics, they are stealing the spirit of snowboarding, they will ruin our sport”.

I was only a kid who studied photography. I hated and at the same time loved that moment when I was denied the possibility of buying a lift ticket because I felt left out from this system, hiking up the slopes I felt as a criminal. And I liked it! The years go by, I started working as a snowboarding photographer for some magazines, and even if year after year the ski resorts started selling us tickets, we were always labeled as the “criminals” because we went off the slopes, built handmade side hits and kickers and jumped on the handrails with our boards. It often happened that the police asked us for IDs or confiscated the boards at the end of the day.

Then all of sudden, alienated and unsatisfied men, bored by their office job and their house walls began to be attracted by this strange movement called snowboarding, by this lifestyle, by the transgression. Skiing became dreadfully boring. And that’s how, week after week you could see a growing number of snowboarders on the slopes. More and more jumps, snowparks, events and parties where for sure if you

Here comes the 2020. Covid19. Lockdown. Closed resorts. You cannot cross the borders of your town. But for some humans the snow is more important than air they breathe and so the only illegal solution to is to take splitboard and skins, hike up for hours, feel the taste of fatigue and sweat and earn every inch of virgin, fresh powder.

So you put your board in the car well hidden by the blankets, illegally cross the town borders, park the car in a secluded place and start hiking to the top. Sweat, effort, determination. Finally you reach the summit. “Criminal” is the adjective that echoes in your head before dropping in.

A flashback to the 90’s when you were a “criminal” only for being a snowboarder. And again we break the law for the love of transgression, we are back being a community. And only who is part of it can recognize the smile you have on your face on the way back from the mountains.

Snowboard is not a crime (anymore).

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TEXT

Denis Piccolo PHOTO

Sam Taxwood

by Oli Gagnon

Edito°

A flashback to the 90’s when you were a “criminal” only for being a snowboarder. And again we break the law for the love of transgression, we are back being a community.

And only who is part of it can recognize the smile you have on your face on the way back from the mountains.

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Top of the Line.

High-stakes gear for getting to the no-fall zone and back in one piece. [ak] delivers relentless performance when every layer counts.

Explore the [ak] collection at Burton.com

Crew Editor In Chief

Sequence-Magazine.com

Editorial Coordinator

Photographers & Filmers

Denis Piccolo denis@hand-communication.com Matteo Rossato ross@hand-communication.com Tommaso Bernacchi tommaso@hand-communication.com Advertising Office

hello@hand-communication.com +39 333 7741508 Creative Director

George Boutall george@evergreendesignhouse.com Graphic Design

Niccolò Galeotti Editing & Translation

Silvia Galliani silvia@hand-communication.com

Camilla Pizzini camilla@hand-communication.com

PHOTO

Oli Gagnon

Company Editor

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6°

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by Matt Georges

10°

Index 24° Northwave Anniversary

66° Framarin Brothers

112° Sebbe De Buck

28° Burton One World

68° Mellow Livin'

114° Siberian Powder

38° Fjőrd Lines

74° Heroes

122° Danimals

44° Seeing Beyond

92° Future's Looking Dry

132° Rain Dogs

46° Home of Lässig

100° Nico Bondi

142° Evergreen

52° Antti Autti

102° Dolomites

158° Distributors

58° Scandalnavians

110° Stale Sandbech

160° Last Word

K2SNOW.COM

MARK WILSON FRONT BLUNT ON THE 154 AFTERBLACK PH: MARC O’MALLEY ST. JOHN’S NEWFOUNDLAND/LABRADOR, CANADA

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SAGE KOTSENBURG STALEFISH ON THE 160 ALCHEMIST PH: JEREMY THORNBURG UINTA MOUNTAINS, UTAH, UNITED STATES

Northwave 30 years anniversary still everything but ordinary

The historic Italian snowboard boots company turns 30.

Three decades characterized by constant innovation and an unconventional mentality that led it to conceive and then revolutionize the modern concept of snowboard boots. It is the 1989 when PIVA Srl, a footwear company founded in the 1970s and already active in the production of ski boots, begins manufacturing snowboard boots for third parties. Gianni Piva, the owner, sees an opportunity and after only two years, Freedom makes his debut on the market, the first snowboard boot by Northwave.

F

reedom is absolutely innovative and uses technologies up to that time unknown to the young snowboarding market: thermoforming, flex adjustment and cutting-edge design are three of the features that launch the company to conquer the global snowboarding market. After a few years, the company inaugurates a collaboration with the Swiss half pipe champion Reto Lamm, Northwave develops with him the first ever pro model boot specific for half pipe. The boot features an absolutely innovative design, with a reduced cuff height and a customized flex: it will become a standard for all freestyle models for years to come.

The boot features an original oversized sole that wraps the upper: a design that will remain the hallmark of Northwave boots for a long time. In the same years, this design is adapted to a sneaker that become (and still is) an absolute icon of the 90s, the Espresso. The oversize plant borrowed from snowboard footwear crosses European borders, conquering world markets, especially Japan. At the same time, Northwave begins to develop footwear for mountain biking. The iconic two-tone Integral MTB shoe is dated 1993, characterized by an absolutely unusual design for the world of bicycles and two shoes of different colors. This segment will become increasingly important in the years to come.

Northwave does not miss a single opportunity and throws itself into the hard boots market, quickly gaining international success. Debuting in 1993, it

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reaches the state of the art with the .950, which, according to hardcore carvers, still remains one of the best hard boots ever. Thanks to the international success, the brand opens an American office in Seattle in 1996, incorporating a sales and marketing office for the US market. The growing global success of Northwave leads to the inauguration of the Worldwide Marketing Department, also based in Seattle, which coordinates teams, advertising campaigns and brand identity on a global scale, coordinating with the American and European offices.

This is the starting point for the acquisition market for Northwave, which in 1997, with a view to expanding its product offering, acquires Drake, an Italian binding company. Two years later it is the turn of the Canadian accessories brand Bakoda. Similarly to Northwave, it is also aimed at innovation and the numerous design awards and the mention in non-sector magazines such as Men's Journal and Maxim prove it. In the meantime, the innovative and qualitatively excellent products, in addition to the massive presence of Northwave on the sector media and the sponsorship of a team formed by the best riders of the times, make the Italian brand become the absolute ruler of the snowboard footwear business: Mikey LeBlanc, Kevin Jones, Andrew Crawford and Gian Simmen are just some of the names of riders who will play in the brand's ranks.

The first years of the new millennium see the birth of another ambitious project, APX Project. Born for

TEXT

Matteo Rossato

the Japanese market and characterized by an absolutely avant-garde design and the use of innovative materials and technologies, APX will have a great international success and will create one of the most iconic snowboard boots ever, signed by pro Kevin Jones, who in those years was the absolute star of podiums and video parts.

Northwave boots also stand on some of the most prestigious podiums such as Gravity Games, G-Shock Air & Style, X-Games, U.S. Open of Snowboarding and collect Olympic medals in Nagano 1998 and Salt Lake City 2002.

2005 is still another of innovation, on the one hand the brand launches the board brand Venue, which completes the company's hardgood offer, on the other it introduces the first Gore-Tex shoes for cycling. Also in 2005, it presents its exclusive quick lacing system, Super Lace, which revolutionizes the boot closure system. Even today, the brand uses the evolution of this system.

The two souls of Northwave run in parallel since its birth and work in synergy. Many technologies from one sector are borrowed by the other and vice versa, ensuring continuous innovation and a focus on technology without compromise. A new generation of riders populate the Northwave ranks: Antti Autti, Victor De Le Rue, Nejc Puko, Alvaro Vogel, Mercedes Nicoll, Luca Pandolfi, Niklas Askmayr, David Djite, Nick Visconti and Kohei Kudo. New movie projects supported by the brand highlight the amount of talent present in the team such as the Anttisworld series, Camp Out Tour 2012 and many more. In 2009 the company wins the Compasso D'Oro, a prestigious design award for an innovative “The great part of working in the Northwave Lab is that it is an open-minded and strongly committed team of creative talents, where everybody’s contribution is precious to improve and rise up to every day’s new challenges.”

lacing system that is inspired by the concept and by some materials of the world of cycling: it is the T-Track, with lateral overlap closure instead of the classic vertical tongue. Some years later, in 2018, Alex Stewart, a rider and mastermind behind Rusty Toothbrush, enters the scene as International Team Manager and enlists new talents to the team. Ethan Morgan, who will also sign the first pro model after Kevin Jones's, the Gaper69, is followed by a horde of talents from all corners of the world: Jake and Joe Simpson, JJ Rayward, Dusan Kriz, Keisuke Shimakata, Tyler Chorlton, Nejc Pucko, Nicolas Huber and Jason Anderson.

In 2021 a female team is created consisting of Sofia Scholl, Paula Benito and Lia Mara Bosch. The three girls will film throughout the winter and the result will be an edit to be released at the end of 2021.

Finally, to celebrate the 30 years of Northwave, it is organised an American tour for the promotion of the brand and to film together with the US Team, the result will be released shortly and will consist of a series of three edits, with crew of riders divided by generations:, Generation Z, Millennials and Generation X. The three crews challenged each other on as many terrains, riding historic boot models from the entire Northwave historical repertoire. But that’s not all folks! Although the current situation is not the best, the Northwave Lab is working on new technologies and projects worthy of its name, which will be presented with the 22/23 collection. Just keep in mind that, as far as we could understand, they will unleash a new snowboard boot revolution.

Did we expect anything different from Northwave?

Everything but ordinary. part of the evolution of snow-boarding and supporting the scene with the team and sponsorships make me so proud of my job and fuel my passion. I feel like Q in James Bond when talking with pro riders.”

Davide Smania - Marketing & Product manager

Gianni Piva - Northwave founder

”It feels amazing being inside of my own Gaper69 boots.”

“It’s everyone’s dream to turn an authentic passion into a job. At Northwave’s, this dream comes true every day.

Whether we're surfing on the slopes to test a new pair of boots or we’re just out for a chilling ride during the lunch break, snowboarding and cycling in our everyday life inspire us and inflame our imagination.”

Davide Rossetti - Northwave GM

Ethan Morgan - Northwave pro “I am very excited to be part of the Northwave and Drake team. I am honored to join this respec-ted brand and to be part of a great team.”

Kohei Kudo - Northwave pro “It's a real honour to work with a legendary brand that is still pushing to make the best boots in the industry for more years than I have even been alive.”

“I’m living the dream, when I started boarding in the nineties, my first set included Northwave boots and Drake bindings, you never forget your first love! Being

Alex Stewart - Northwave pro & TM

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WE DIDN’T SET OUT TO REINVENT THE BINDING— WE SET OUT TO PERFECT IT. Introducing the all-new aluminum A-Series & composite C-Series RIDE binding collections.

Sparked by our love for Japanese mountains, culture, people, and snow, we moved the office and designed our boards, boots, and bindings in Hakuba, Japan. We rode in the mornings, worked in the evenings, and immersed in culture at night.

PHOTOS

Blotto

ITW

HERE

Alex Adrian

by Matteo Rossato

MariaThomsen

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A

fter an eight year silence, Burton comes back with a team video. Jake Burton wanted it so bad and asked Zack Nigro to "make it short and make it loud”. Sure One World is quite loud, with a very high-end production, music selection, spots and riders list, not sure about being short. But whatever, it’s another masterpiece that you expect from the company that put snowboarding on the map. We sat down with Alex Adrian, co-director of the movie, to talk about how they made it happen in tricky times like these.

Hi Alex, first of all, why the name One World? Haha, good question. The name and the

LEFT

Danny Davis RIGHT

Christian Haller

whole idea for this film came from Zach Nigro.

While pitching the film, he would tell a story from a time he was riding in Japan: it was late at night, the resort was mostly empty and the snow was great. The only other person riding the chair he was on was a Japanese guy, and after a few laps they started riding the chair together. They didn’t speak each others langua-

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ges, but they were both super excited to share the experience of a perfect night of riding powder together. Pretty much everyone has stories of snowboarding bringing you together with like minded people, and sharing this “one world’ of snowboarding together. It was a working name for a long time, but we got to a point where we just decided it was the right fit for the film we were making.

What do you think Jake’s (Burton) words stood for when talking to Zach about working on a new movie? “Make it short and make it loud”? Jake loved to have a good time.

He loved snowboarding and loved going to snowboard movie premieres. The duration of a film can have a big impact on how good of a time you have at a premiere, haha. Basically, you want the film to be long enough to feel like there is some substance there, but not so long that it drags. If at the end, people say they wish it was longer, that’s a win, and that’s what Jake wanted us to do.

Did you feel the pressure since it was the first new Burton team movie after a while? Oh

for sure. We hadn’t made a movie in eight years, I think, and with Burton as the biggest brand in snowboarding expectations are obviously going to be really high. I knew our team riders are some of the best in the world, and our film crew some of the best in the world, so if we couldn't make a great film the blame would fall on me and Lance (co-director).

Can we say One World could be also a tribute to Jake from his ambassadors? Yeah,

you could say that. I think more than that, One World is a celebration of snowboarding and the good times that come along with that. Jake gave us snowboarding, and how better to honor the man than to showcase snowboarding in the best light we can.

What’s the ultimate goal of the movie? Beside the one mentioned above. The goal was just to make a film that would inspire people and make them want to snowboard. Hopefully it did that.

How did the lockdown change your plans?

When Covid hit we were in full swing with our production. We had crews all over, and a lot of trips planned. I was supposed to fly to Austria the day they went into lockdown, and I remember asking Hasi (Burton Europe TM) if I should still come, and he was like: fuck no! It was hard to accept, but it was the right choice. Pretty much everything shut down, our last crew out was in Alaska until the second half of March and they ended up coming home early too. It was surreal, but everyone around the world was in the same situation.

On top of just missing out on the best months for filming, Covid made our post production/edit process way harder. I like to be pretty hands on while working with an editor, sitting with them and watching and talking through things in real time. Covid obviously made this really tricky. Our edit team, Justin Taylor and Dylan Parr, were out in Montana and I was in Vermont, and was only able to head out to there one time for a few days. We all had to adjust our normal routines and spent a lot of time screen sharing on Zoom to make it work.

Who was in the production team along with you and Zach? We were able to put together

an incredible team for the film. Zach Nigro and Ian Warda from Burton were the executive producers, Homestead Creative (Aaron Blatt and Ryan Runke) along with Vanessa Violette produced, I co-directed with Lance Violette, and Justin Taylor edited. Team managers were Pat Dodge, Martin Haslwanter, Karen Yankowski Dunavin, and Alex Andrews. Our film crew consisted of Justin Eeles, Aaron Leyland, Malachi Gerard, Sean Aaron, Gabe Langlois, Joe Carlino, Rafe Robinson and myself.

Pick three highlights from the trips: three unusual ones/sketchy/crazy situations… St.

John’s: Ethan, Neils, Maria, and Max were in St. John’s Newfoundland with Malachi, Blotto, Joe, and Alex Andrews for a street trip when a huge storm rolled in and basically shut the city down.

To the point where food and gas were being rationed, and they had to go around and dig people out of their houses. I was in Hawaii at the time and every day would get the craziest calls and texts about what was going on there. It was a trip to hear about 10 ft. snow banks while I was surfing in trunks, couldn’t help but feel kind of guilty, haha.

Niels Spots: I flew into Minnesota to join Ethan, Niels, Maria, and Luke (along with Joe Carlino and Blotto). I got in late one night and met the crew at dinner. After dinner they told me we were close to a spot Niels wanted to hit the next morning and we wanted to go park a car in landing of the feature so no one else would be parked there when we came back in the morning (landing was a parking lot).

We got to spot, and for the life of me, I couldn't figure out what Niels could possibly snowboard on there. Was it a drop off the building? Or some kind of wall ride? I could see anything. When I asked and he pointed to a little creeper ledge next to all these rocks my mind literally exploded. Hard to translate how sketchy and just weird that spot was, but that’s Niels and that’s what makes him so great. He got it in a few tries the next morning.

Night Pipe: A lot went wrong in the lead up to this, we were trying to do this shoot with way less budget than we needed and had one night to pull it

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off. We had power issues, pipe cutting issues, and were shooting in a blizzard. Far from ideal, and a lot of stress along the way, but turned out great.

Pick up three riders that left you speechless during the filming process of One World. Tell us also what left you speechless of each of them. It’s pretty hard to pick just three, honestly everyone in the movie ripped, haha.

LEFT

Niels Schack RIGHT

Max Zebe

Maria Thomsen: the Minnesota trip was my first time shooting with her and I just couldn’t believe her drive and skill. She’s such a boss, and her footage speaks for itself.

Luke Winkleman: I’ve known Luke since he was a little kid, and have known for a long time that he’s a crazy good snowboarder, but seeing him in the streets was something else. The Minnesota trip was his first ever street trip and he just brought that slope style consistency to street spots. Very cool to see.

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Anna Gasser: Anna is a perfectionist, always wanting to see her shots right away and is her own harshest critic. Getting to spend a few days in the backcountry with her and watching her learn the ropes out there was really cool. She had some good shots and I know she wanted more. I predict in a few years she will be a force in backcountry riding.

Last and hardest question: Jake’s passing left a pretty unbridgeable void not only in his company, but in the whole snowboarding world. How will his brainchild honor Jake’s memory from now on? I think the best thing

we can do to honor Jake is to make sure that snowboarding is as welcoming and open to everyone as possible and that we keep sharing this One World that we’ve got. After Donna watched it for the first time, she said Jake would have loved it, so that meant the world to all of us who worked on this project.

ABOVE

Ethan Deiss

RIGHT

Danny Davis

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YOUR MOUNTAIN

IS CALLING

NEW MELLOW

– IDEAL FOR SURF STYLE SLASHES, TREE RUNS AND ROLLING TERRAIN With a new shape for 2021, the Mellow is made for bringing surf-style turns and aesthetics to the mountain. With a tighter sidecut and an all-wood topsheet, it cuts through deep tree runs and cruises over slush, leaving only dust in its wake.

| SAM MC MAHON PROUD MEMBER OF

PROUD MEMBER OF

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PHOTOS

Rúnar Hjörleifsson & Víðir Björnsson

LOCATION

Eastfjords, Iceland

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Fjцőrd Lines is a passion project between me and the filmmaker and surfer VĦir Bjųrnsson.

I got the idea for the film when I first started hiking in the mountains here, close to my hometown of Neskaupstaрur in the Eastfjords of Iceland. This fjord has endless terrain options, definitely no reason to go anywhere else when you have a backyard like this.

So, we wanted to show what the landscape here has to offer, and our goal was to film as close to the ocean and my hometown as possible.

I myself live in a van during the winter season, to get closer to nature and the mountains, and to focus more on snowboarding. I was in Austria until mid-March, and just managed to get back home to Iceland with my van before everything closed because of Covid. We then started filming at the beginning of April; as the ski lifts were closed here in Iceland as well, we knew we had to do everything by foot.

At the time, snow was not the best in the Eastfjords, but we saw a big storm heading to the North of Iceland, so I drove there with my van and met up with the boys. We actually got

stuck in this small town there, because all the roads were closed and we couldn't go anywhere else. However, we ended having some fun in the blizzard, riding in a sort of a shelter between the houses, where loads of snow had stacked up. When the weather finally cleared up, the waves were pumping! I was surrounded by surfers, so we planned a daytrip splitting with our surfboards to a spot with nice waves and good lines nearby. It was probably the best day we had, even though I fell into a freezing cold river!

After spending some days in the North driving around, I went back home East to ride lines with friends and spend some quality time in the van. The forecast started looking really promising again, so I called Vнрir and Filip, telling them to get here.

They were here for over two weeks and we just stayed in our vans, chasing lines in the Eastfjords. It was such a good time: I hadn't really been able to show people before what the Eastfjords have to offer. For me these are the best mountains in Iceland for snowboarding/ splitboarding, they reach up to 1000m, straight from the ocean. You can find really steep mountains, it's almost like a small Alaska. The-

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re are more mellow runs as well, and most of the mountains are quite easy to reach on foot, sometimes taking just an hour or two to get to the peak. It's kind of a splitboarder's dream.

The mountains here are kind of a blend of the dramatic and steep mountains right by the sea in the Westfjords and the more open and mellow mountains in the North. I can just start hiking from the front door of my house, go straight up the mountain and within three hours I'm on the top, with countless couloirs to choose from. I love riding these couloirs, especially as it's usually really windy in Iceland and the wind gets blown into these gullies.

Also there are many roads around the fjords right next to the mountains, so it's easy to get close to the lines. Definitely a lot of fun stuff to ride here!

We did one more trip in June to “Dyrfjöll”, one of my favourite spots in the East and camped there with my girlfriend and Víðir. The place has really spectacular mountain peaks, giant boulders and bright turquoise ponds filled with glacial water. There was still a bunch of

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snow left to play with, and the whole trip was amazing.

We filmed during one of the harshest winters in decades. The wild Icelandic nature and the North Atlantic winds are not forgiving, that’s why we really appreciate every single line filmed and ridden in this movie. It all came really naturally to us. We just wanted to keep it simple and just do what we do: camping in our vans, finding those lines and enjoying the good times. Filip, our main buddy, helped us get a closer perspective, chasing me up all these peaks instead of only using drones or big lenses. It came out really well, so Filip was a huge help to us!

I also think everyone who was involved in this movie is local to Iceland. We teamed up with Margrňt Rŏn from our favourite band Vųцk, and she did the whole soundtrack for the movie!

We are really happy to have made this happen, and to be able to show our lifestyle and what Iceland has to offer for snowboarding.

STÅLE SANDBECH • STALE MOD STALE CREWZER STALEFISH STALE CLEAVER

ROMESNOWBOARDS.COM @ROMESNOWBOARDS

I

fell in love with snowboarding, now several years ago, because it represented freedom, innovation, style. When I think back to my early years on the board, the images I see in my mind are chairlifts, groomers, snow parks and powder, on the luckiest days. I have really spent many years on the board and I have seen this world change, evolve, take on completely different forms. But maybe, after all, I’ve changed a lot too since then.

Talking about the realities of the valley, to date there is no certainty of the opening of the lifts and, to be honest, in some cases not even the possibility of going to the mountains. We find ourselves having to completely rethink our way of approaching these places, creating possible alternatives to what has been happening so far. Some people think it is economically unsustainable, others think otherwise, but this is the real condition in which we find ourselves today.

Over time I have learned to fall in love with very different aspects of the world around me when I was with a board on my feet. My attraction to what was "beyond" the beaten tracks became more and more irresistible and I decided to take my gaze further, towards slopes not yet traced and towards the peaks of the mountains by whose aesthetic sense I was viscerally attracted .

I moved my first steps in new and fascinating environments with the board on my shoulders and snowshoes on my feet first and then on a splitboard. I began to appreciate everything that I thought was just the "outline" of the snowboard world and, quickly, that “outline" became the absolute center of my own world.

I began to appreciate the solitude, the snow in all its forms, the noise of the natural elements and the uncertainty of those places that seem unable to be reached by anthropization. Or maybe that I hope they will never be reached. I learned that you don't always reach the top but that the top isn't necessarily the destination that gives you the most satisfaction. I realized that removing, very often, is far more important than adding, and that emotions can arise at any altitude and on any slope. I brought back "downstream" everything I learned and it became irreversibly part of me, of my daily life and of my way of being.

I am not a "salesman of optimism" but certainly I am a person who tends to find different solutions or points of view. So I wonder if this condition we’re living could be a starting point to ask ourselves if the mountain can also be experienced differently from how we are used to do. Maybe this could be an opportunity to go beyond what has been the "standard" for years, both regarding the approach of the individual and the logic of territorial development.

As I write these words we are all going through a moment that seemed unimaginable until some time ago.

In a short period of time, our life habits and ways of approaching any action have completely changed.

And with them also the economic, social and organizational dynamics of the whole world.

One of the things that struck me the most the first few times I organized splitboarding camps was how people were amazed that with a split on your feet you could go "anywhere". That we are not necessarily forced to follow the beaten tracks (if not obviously for safety reasons).This makes me think that we have then reduced ourselves to experiencing the mountains in a way that is not too different from how more manmade places are experienced. Following paths, paying a ticket, respecting the intersections. And I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that. But I am convinced that the mountain cannot and should not be just this. So perhaps this could be an opportunity for a slightly different approach, silent, respectful and certainly a little more adventurous.It is a difficult moment for everyone and for many aspects of our lives but, all in all, removed the lifts, removed the artificial snow, removed the shelters, the après skis, the slopes, removed the white weeks, removed the queues, the parking lots, removed all these, the mountains will still be there and, perhaps, we will have the opportunity to know them a little better than we thought we knew before all of this.

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TEXT

Luca Albrisi

PHOTOS

Elisa Bessega & Matteo Pavana

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kicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn; a real freeride paradise in the Austrian Alps. If taking your first turns early in the morning gliding over virgin snow is what you like, Skicircus may be the place to be for your next snowboarding trip looking for some good powder turns. This place really got them all: adrenalinic descents easily reachable through the modern gondolas or, if you like to get off the beaten tracks, cool backcountry spots accessible with a hike.

The area may be known as a holiday destination for mass winter tourism with its perfectly groomed slopes and modern cosy lifts that attract thousands of skiers and boarders every winter.

But it also offers a wide variety of off piste fun that remain often untouched for days after a snowfall.

Here you can get some of the best treeruns that the Alps can serve, thanks to the combination of low Altitude (highest peak at 2,096) and heavier snowfalls than the surrounding areas; and when the skies clear up, you can go look for some steep runs in Fieberbrunn. Considered as a real freeride Mecca, the area is home of the reeride World

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Tour event in March, when the best freeriders of the world all get here to draw their line down the choosen face for the competition. This is a really unique venue and during these days you can really breath the “freeride mood” that surrounds the place; definitely a great time to plan a trip here, if you want to enjoy the atmosphere and see the big guys send it.

Of course, to safely enjoy these beautiful terrains, an Alpine Guide is recommended. They know best where to take you, depending on the conditions of the weather and snow. The Skicirus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn is also an excellent choice if you are doing your first steps into freeriding. Safety here is a top priority and all the mountain workers did an amazing job offering the public a wide range of activities to learn how to experience the backcountry. Camps, workshops, avalanche beacon search fields and checkpoints powered by Ortovox, the Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn offers freeriders of all ages and ability levels plenty of opportunities to prepare themselves adequately for driving off the slopes.

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saalbach.com / Christian Wöckinger / Roman Lackner / Daniel Roos / Klaus Listl

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There are 15 LVS checkpoints installed throughout the entire ski area. This offer combined with the two LVS search fields, the self-developed snow information and avalanche warning system (LO.LA*), the freeride park, and marked freeride routes make it even more safe on the mountain and help ensure that functional and complete freeride equipment is seen as an absolute must on the mountain. Hand in hand with the exclusive safety partner of the Skicircus Ortovox, which guarantees the highest standard in avalanche and emergency equipment.

Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn really offers a wide variety of activities for everyone; a great mix of powder through the days

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and night life fun in the evening. If you want to enjoy the mountain life at 360° this place is really worth a visit.

We asked to the local boy, Clemens Bergmann, a few questions about his home grounds.

Being born and raised in the area; how much it helped you define your career? For me as a

freerider it was such an honor to have the privilege to grow up in an area like this. From my first days on a snowboard I tried to leave the slopes behind and shred my own lines! From then util now, 20 years later, I can tell you, finding new spots, going bigger, steeper and faster here in my home resort is what always is pushing me forward!

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Growing up in this area; you must have witnessed the development of it through the years. What do you like the most from your local resort? A lot has happened over the past years in this area. The merger from Fieberbrunn with Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang made the Skicircus to one of the biggest resorts in Europe! That opened up a lot of new possibilities for freeriding too! What I like most is that there’s hardly any way down without getting out next to a lift station that brings you straight back up to more fun.

Could you tell us the reason why freeriding in this area is so special? The individual areas of the Skicircus offer a lot of differences! On one side

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you can ride some playful powder hills with a lot of natural hits, or you shred crazy steep lines through sharp rocks over big cliffs. If the weather is bad you will find one of the numerous treeruns for sure! On the other side you can race down the slopes looking for some kicking sidehits on your way to the Nitro Snowpark Leogang, where you will have fun for sure even if there’s no fresh pow out there!

What is your favourite line in the region?

There are so many, but I think my alltime favourite is a line from the peak of the famous FWT face down the Wildseeloder! This shady steep northface always brings fun in the right conditions! Maybe just for more experienced riders!

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Matteo Rossato

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Jaakko Posti

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This Theodor Roosevelt quote that Antti mentioned in a recent speech sums up pretty good Antti drive and vision on his own career, going from Half Pipe wonderboy to freeride adventurer and talented storyteller through his three movies. We had a pleasant chat with him about the new normal, life, projects and his deep bond with Mother Nature and Nordic territories.

Hi Antti, could you define the new normal, or is it constantly evolving? I guess definitely constantly evolving. Things change, you grow up and get older, hopefully get wiser, start seeing things in new perspectives and find new ways of doing passions.

You declared snowboarding is your passion, but for your closest ones it is your obsession. What’s snowboarding for Antti? Well, I’d say that If you want to do this sport professionally it requires obsessive reacting also but there is a fine line when it comes to much. In my case, I realized I was chasing the best conditions a lot and going very obsessive about the powder and amount of riding I get to do in winter. So that sort of led me into thinking that if my mind is only satisfied by the quality of the snow and amount of runs I do then there has to be something to do to change that because in long term that kind of chase is not healthy and sustainable. That’s one of the biggest reasons why I decided to start split boarding. You move slower, you are more present and the journey becomes the process and prize rather than the perfect snow and line.

It’s the whole thing that matters.

What’s your fondest snowboard memory? And what’s your greatest accomplishment so far? I have many good memories so it’s hard to pick one, but I can recall many times when I’ve been doing a splitboard tour to a simple and safe run all by myself and those times have been super cool because I’m there with my own thoughts only. I like that kind of stuff. I think my biggest accomplishment is that I’ve been able to evolve in my career and still been able to keep my love for the riding very strong.

Did your contest background helped someway to shape your new direction in snowboarding? Or simply you moved on leaving the competition world behind? For riding and finding natural features, it definitely helped but when it comes to understanding snow and moving safely in the nature I needed to start from scratch. Riding pipe creates amazing base for board control and flow but you also need to understand when it’s safe to put those skills in use.

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with Closer, you brought your personal taste and mood into your movies. Could you tell us a little bit more about that? Thanks, in my projects with filmmaker Iisakki Kennilä we bounce back and forth with ideas a lot. Iisakki directs the cinematography side and my responsibility is to bring up the ideas that could fit nicely into the concept. This can mean a certain part of the board when it’s moving, or different kind of effect of the snow etc. Like we want to get closer to the details and when you do that you can get more into the feeling of riding without talking about it. There needs to be lot of combined emotion evolved in the filming, editing and riding to make that kind of feeling work for the viewer.

How’s your movies genesis process along with Iisakki Kennilä, who’s with you since Closer? Iisakki has been part of the projects a lot. Then I work closely with few other filmers, Jaakko Posti and Joonas Mattila. They are both super strong mountain guys so it’s easy and safe to go out with them. I think when you are working in high mountain areas it is about understanding all around and not only focusing on riding itself. Like in Closer and Yukiguni, we only filmed riding but in my future films we will be focusing much more also on the process of moving in the mountains.

Let’s talk about Roam, your latest two year project. Is it also a way to celebrate your motherland? It celebrates the Nordic mountain and snow areas. It showcases a splitboarder journey in the area of ever changing light. Roam will most likely be my last short film with Iisakki. This film focuses on similar style as Closer and Yukiguni. We’ve been wanting to do this type of project in the north for a while! I think it will make people want to come up here to make some nice turns!

It is pretty clear you love your Northern territories, but you spent a lot of time in Japan too. How different is snowboarding in the Land of the Rising Sun compared to Europe? I think in Japan, the mountain culture varies in different regions but I like their mindful approach and respect to the feeling of riding there. That is what has made me want to go there year after year, the connection I’ve been able to make with locals and that have now become my friends. Also, the snow is simply best in the world!

How deep is your bond with Mother Nature? Deep and I feel that every year it turns a bit deeper. There are things and issues I ponder a lot when it comes to respecting nature. Traveling is one for sure but in generally I think a lot about the state of politics in this world we are living. The change needs to happen there and only way to do that is get out and vote.

You recently entered the Jones family. Do you feel closer to Jeremy and his personal take on sustainable snowboarding? I feel that Jones Snowboards is at the blue ocean of snow-

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boarding. I mean, they have simply taken the love for the mountains and nature to the level where most of the other brands are just waking up, which is obviously a good thing for the sport when others also start thinking about environment.

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We guess there’s no need to introduce Scandalnavians and the second chapter of their homonymous video project, arguably one of the best snowboard movie out of this strange winter. A brave two year project involving la crème of one of the best breeding ground for riders, Scandinavia. We sat down with Kristofer Fahlgren aka Kuske, the mastermind of the project and Barbarian crew sheperd.

Who are the Scandalnavians? Scandalnavians

are pretty much our favorite riders from the Scandinavian region. It could be anyone I guess if we dig your vibe, your style and your way of life. It’s not a set crew, it can differ from year to year. But the general rule is that we have to like you, it doesn’t matter if you are the sickest snowboarder. If we don’t enjoy hanging out with you, it’s not gonna work out.

The first Scandalnavians movie has been released in 2013. Then an almost 6 year sleep and in 2019 the announcement and the teasers started dropping. What’s the real story behind the comeback? The biggest reason

behind the reunion must have been Len Roald Jørgensen. He was in the first movie as well, and ever since we filmed that first movie he’s been talking about making a sequel. Every year he has been hitting me up to see what other plans I had, but both me and the other riders been busy with other projects. Then all of a sudden, it just seemed to work out. No one had any plans for 2019 and once we could lock everyone in for one year, we figured why not make it a two year project. Must be twice as good end result of everyone get double amount of time to film their stuff. Plus that also allowed for some people that still are in the contest scene, to finally have time to film a full part and not just take a couple of weeks in the spring as they usually do on a normal year.

The soundtrack is full Nordic, too: do you want it to be a full Scandinavian manifesto?

Hell yeah. I think the music scene is really strong in Scandinavia and I wanted to showcase that as well.

It really helps with setting the vibe from the whole movie with songs that have a natural connection to the rider and their countries and languages. I think about 30% of the songs in the movie are in their original language while the rest are in English. But still, all the songs originates 100% out of Scandinavia.

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Matteo Rossato PHOTOS

Erik Nylander

Everything is exclusively Scandinavian but the spots: did you plan to go out of the Nordic territories to chase the snow or were you looking for some specific terrains? We didn’t

wanna limit anyone on where they could go to film, since we are from Scandinavia with pretty limited snowfall, terrain and weather conditions we figured its better to be able to go anywhere to find the best snow. So we went to Japan, Canada and the Alps in the beginning, but then Covid hit around march this last season and pretty much the entire world shut down. We where forced to stay at home within our own countries and take it from there.

How was the process to put the crew together? As I mentioned before, we didn’t have a

set crew of riders so we could pretty much hit up all the riders that we wanted. Obviously we wanted to have the O.G riders from the first movie up in the mix such as Sven Thorgren, Len Jørgensen

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Sven Thorgren

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and Nils Arvidsson. Then we handpicked 2-3 riders from each country and ended up with one hell of a line up.

Who was ruling the situation room? That

was me running the show. I double checked with the riders on what tricks they wanted to have in their part and not and also checked if they were cool with the song. And then they gave me pretty much total control in editing their part and the movie. Too many opinions and different point of views would just be too overwhelming and too stressful, so I figured it was better to just be the one in charge of the whole thing instead.

Any Nordic rider you missed the chance to have in the movie for some reasons? We

actually tried to hit up Rene Rinnkangas and get him to film a part for the movie as well, but first of all, he decided to film for the Snowboarder Mag movie and then the second year he went to film the Xgames Real Snow part (which gave him a double gold medal, so good choice I guess). After all that, he got injured and had surgery on his ankle mid season. That was pretty much the only rider that we had on our list that missed out on filming together with us, cause you have to draw the line somewhere. We ended up with 10 riders in the movie which is about the maximum number you can have in a

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snowboard movie. But still there are a lot of great riders that we would love to see in a full video project someday in the future. Niklas Matsson, Markus Olimstad, Sami Luthanen, Roope Rautiainen and all the other young Finnish rippers.

How did you come up with the idea of a 2 years project in the era of TikTok and Instagram Stories? Weren’t you scared on the average kids attention span? That was a bit tricky and

scary to be honest. But I heard a really good thing the other day on the Bomhhole podcast with Justin Meyer, the filmer and editor of the Videograss movies. And he said something like: with Instagram,

TikTok and all these single clips flowing around in the feed, you are constantly snacking. You never get full, but you are always eating. While with the full movie, you sit down with all your friends and have a big feast. And you really enjoy it instead of constantly snacking. On top of this, being able to gather all the friends, family and people that are hyped on snowboarding on a premiere, watch it on a big screen, have a few beers and talk afterwards, is priceless. Obviously this year because of the Covid situation we weren’t able to go on a full scale premiere tour, but we managed to squeeze one in in Stockholm before the regulations got tighter and that really makes everything worth while and I

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Kristofer Fahlgren RIGHT

Ludvig Billtoft

think that’s why big projects like this will still have a place and purpose in the future as well.

Differences and similarities between the first Scandalnavians movie and this second one?

Well, this year we had a lot bigger budget, so we where able to pay filmers and pay for a bit of travels, but in the end it didn’t really feel that much different. We are still just a group of friends trying to make the most out of the situation. You can’t plan too much ahead when it comes to spots, trips and tricks. Just go out there and make the best you can everyday. If we like the end result and if we are proud of it, it’s just a bonus if people that are

watching it enjoy it as well.

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Best and worst moment of the filming process? Probably when I got a second degree frost

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bite on my toes on the first day of filming during our second year (-20 Celsius degrees in Kiruna, Sweden). Forgot the log shots and deleted the memory card also on that same day, so a total waste of time that whole day.

Should we wait for further 6 years or the warm welcome of this new film brought you to keep working on a third sequel? Hmm, yeah. Probably. I think one movie every 7 years seems more reasonable.

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Nisse Arvidsson Sven Thorgren

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How does a snowboarder live this lockdown? Loris: A passionate snowbo-

arder in this situation still manages to do some quality snowboarding, hiking with the split, building spots and exploring.

Closed lifts don’t mean no snowboarding.

Leo: A snowboarder uses a moment like this to train, rest and visualize new tricks to get back stronger than before.

riding on powder on the side of the skilift.

Leo: While my brother was already snowboarding, I was skiing, then slowly my friend Matteo and my brother convinced me to try and from there I never stopped, I fell in love with this sport.

Some people say: snowboarding is dead. What do you think? Loris: For

like to think I am a complete rider, both in terms of tricks always trying to turn in all 4 rotations, and in terms of riding, therefore on jumps, rails, in powder and spots.

Leo: I would say quite allrounder, even if right now I mainly do competitions. I like all aspects of snowboarding, from powder to spots to competitions.

me it is far from being dead and I am so focused on it that I don’t realize if something is changing, I really hope not.

Leo: That's not true, I see snowboard clubs having more and more new members and very excited kids. And I see movement even among older guys, for example splitboarding and freeriding are increasingly practiced. We hope that this is not the peak of this beautiful sport but rather a starting point.

When and how did your love for snowboarding begin? Loris: It began

Tell me about the relationship with your brother. Loris: My brother is the

What kind of rider are you? Loris: I

in Courmayeur about 10 years ago, I remember that the thing I liked most was

person who gives me the greatest satisfaction, I am always very excited to ride

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with him and see him improve more and more. I feel very lucky to be able to share this passion with him.

Leo: My older brother is a great rider!

We have the same passion and we both love to play sports so we definitely get along, sometimes we argue but it is normal between brothers.

What would you steal from him and from his riding? Loris: My brother is very solid and stylish, if I had to choose something in particular I would say his frontside 1080 indie, it’s really super stylish!

Leo: Honestly nothing.

Any plans for this crazy 2021? Loris:

Between! Aside from competitions, I’m going on with my edit project with Dave, you can find the whole series of edits on my Instagram @loris-framarin.

Leo: The goal is to destroy every spots, plus do some competitions with the National team!

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Denis Piccolo

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Loris Framarin BELOW

Leo Framarin

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t’s a solid negative 15 degrees outside our 1990 Isuzu Rodeo as I step out into the waist high powder that’s fallen overnight. This was meant to be a “low-tide” season for Japan, and the forecast had predicted around ten centimetres, but the first day of our trip is looking like it’ll be one of those days that until now we’d only dreamed of. There’s serendipity in taking things mellow, I guess.

ople’s hardships at the office. Any work is hard, that’s why it’s called work. But the last time I was in Japan, I was struck by how much pride people took from doing their job, whether it was snow clearing, directing traffic or waxing snowboards.

It’s called “ikigai”, a philosophy of finding satisfaction through a purpose.

Even if you’ve never picked up a camera, it should come as no surprise that filming snowboarding is hard. Instagram captions are full of stories of long days on the hill to collect a three second clip, and even movies often fall into a selfreferential spiral of telling their own behindthe-scenes as they go. For the most part, this moves me as much as hearing about other pe-

Mathieu Crepel is a great companion for this mission. As long as you let him win the odd game of cards in the evening his spirits remain high and he’s down to explore different aspects of snowboarding, his resume speaks volumes and is only matched by the talent he has for riding boards.

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Of course, you have to lay the right foundations for mellow living, which is why we found ourselves camping in the central mountain ranges of Hokkaido. Japan’s biggest island after the mainland, it’s where the bulk of those powder shots you’ve seen are filmed.

Narihito, our Rodeo’s owner, is a quintessential Hokkaidan. Each of the camper-vans in his fleet comes with an iPad loaded with his custom maps, showcasing his favourite onsens, overnight parking spots and “nice places to be”. It proves invaluable as we bounce our way around the island with the goal of not chasing stoke but trying to find it by happenstance.

The insane snow is a product of westerly winds, freezing Russian tundra and the mountains’ relative proximity to the coast, but after several trips over the years, it’s the people that keep me coming back. Interestingly, the bulk of the population are relative newcomers, third and second generation transplants from Honshu fed up with the pace of city life. It’s a place where people have chosen to live, which tends to cultivate a sense of pride and connection with the landscape.

Which is how we ended up in the Asahidake Ropeway car park on day one. It wasn’t until we’d pulled out of the Nari’s driveway that we’d started thinking of where to go, and from all reports Japan had been unusually suffering for snow that year. The new Mellow from Nidecker that we had been tasked to shoot turns as good on hard snow as soft, so we vowed to make the most of

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whatever we found. The jet lag that pulled me out of bed at 5am, and into the powder-filled car park. We had inadvertently scored the day of days here, the unexpectedly deep snowfall making access to those not already there hard enough to ensure that we almost had the place entirely to ourselves. Dazed, we bought tickets and joined the small queue of other lucky souls that the stars had aligned for and waited.

ce. It’s like flying on clouds. We head to Rumoi on the West coast, hopeful of catching a swell as Mathieu has his surfboard with him. The waves however are no good, but there’s always the mountains, so we head back to Asahidake again to round out the trip with the sun finally lighting up the alpine. The peak is now visible, along with six to eight gigantic steam vents that from a distance look like columns of snow shooting back into the sky.

The snow is so light that we’re often riding old ice and hardpack beneath a few feet of fresh, so airy that any slight movement away from the fall line results in an instant whiteroom that just hangs in the air after. Mathieu makes the adjustment however, and in a lap or two we’re flying, knowing that this is a one-of-a-kind experien-

We can finally see the vastness of the playground here. It’s small compared to my stretch of the Alps or Mathieu’s Pyraneean backyard, but compared to the coastal ranges of Hokkaido that we know better the options here are endless.

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Sitting in the middle of Mt Asahidake’s crater, we have to pick our moments for each shot depending on tourists wandering over, but we’re content to wait. Not that we’ve had much mind, approaching it this way seems to have blessed us with perfect conditions. Neither of us really feeling the summit fever, we opt to spend the last days picking off ridge lines and little spines around the treeline, always racing back for the half-hourly gondola, always seeming to miss it.

It’s glorious how much terrain there is to access from one ropeway with 500m of elevation.

last shot of the video we’re making, A Guide to Mellow Livin’, is filmed on my phone on the cat track run out after the last line, with light so good you could film it on a potato and it would still look amazing.

I can’t tell if the the trip was so good because of our philosophy, or if it would have been the same with different conditions, but I do know that by taking our feet off the pedals and letting the road take us we ended up in a pretty good place. As we head back to the airport, we’re already bracing ourselves for the calm insanity of Tokyo, back to the hustle and bustle and then onwards into the rest of 2020. I tell myself, try and remember to keep things mellow.

As the day slips away from us, we head back up to the vents to wait for the golden hour, and are rewarded with the mother of all sunsets. The

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Jerome, when was the Heroes project born? When I finished making The Eternal

tion with actual actions, and budgets. But I was hoping to get more support from the industry, which did not happen. Only after the book came out they came in to support it, but a bit too late to help.

Beauty Of Snowboarding in 2016 and realized there was not a single girl in the movie, I was bummed and started questioning this fact. I kept in my head to make a project focused only on women, and a few years later I was able to make room for it, and give it two years of work!

Why in such a digital moment, where everything is on social media, there are people willing to buy a paper book?

What is your explanation? Print projects

Why did you choose this name? Heroes

are coming back in snowboarding! Beware!

Look at Curator, Club Sandwich and such prints. People want high quality material they can proudly keep on their table at home. Digital stuff does not decorate your house, you can't cherish it. Art books in general I think are loved by everybody. You can feel it, touch it.

and icons are the most necessary thing for younger riders when they grow up, without female heroes, no girl can picture herself being a snowboarder. And to be honest, these badass girls in the book are total heroes to me! They rip so hard, and have such a great spirit.

The book has been funded by a crowdfunding campaign which went very well, how many copies have been printed? Did you expect such a great success? I expected

Do you think snowboarding is a male world? Or at least it has been until today?

I think so yes, only recently have females been in head positions of brands, and that is a great way to install change from the top to the bottom. Doing this project I discovered how less girls are paid for snowboarding and how more they have to struggle to find a filmer, a crew, a photographer. Obviously things are changing fast this last couple years but there is still a lack of media attention, especially in magazines. That's why I needed to make this book.

support but was surprised to presale 400 copies! That is huge. It shows how important this theme is for the community. Thanks to it I was able to print 2000 copies, and I'm probably gonna be sold out somewhere in 2021.

Did any company support the project?

Salomon Snowboards supported it from the start, they back women projects a lot, it is one of the few brands to match their communica-

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Denis Piccolo

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I love they way Heroes is adding a little brick to the wall, and I love how the world is changing. More representation, more equity, more diversity. If you forget that diversity is the first richness of snowboarding, then we loose our roots.

Have women always been shot and filmed very little? Is there a reason in your opinion? They have, for sure. But the vir-

insane! We have known you for a long time and this is your “style” but what all this means in terms of creativity, budget and time? Budget wise it's crazy, that's true.

tuous cycle of having one female in a video is making ten young girls pursuing a life in snowboarding. In the past it was cool and fun to have girls in projects, but we never fought to have them onboard. We agreed to judge only by technical ability to make it easier to say girls were not as good, therefore no need to shoot them. This biased view is wrong and poor, but is still strongly installed in the snowboard world. Once you watch girls without comparing them to men, everything changes!

I spent around 5000€ just on photo film, chemistry and paper for just this project. It takes a lot more work as well, for just one picture.

Time wise, it's insane. It took me about one full day in the darkroom to get 2 photos for my serial work. But in terms of creativity, it's hard to beat film photography. There is so much stuff done by hand, and so many techniques, processes, styles to explore. And then you can mix different process and you have an infinity of styles. For example in Heroes I mixed darkroom printing with etching on copper plates techniques, except I was etching in the negatives.

How many riders have you captured and in how many places you have been to in order to shoot all this content? I would say

What is different in film photo compared to a digital one? It has an existence of its

about 40 girls. And I went to USA, Canada, Finland, Austria, France, Switzerland to meet them. It took a couple years but it was necessary to have a good overview of the scene.

own. A negative is unique, there is just one of it in the world. And darkroom prints are also unique. So even if the goal of photography is to be copied infinity, it still has uniqueness to it.

Can you tell me a particular episode of a session that has impressed you? I must

say I was very impressed when I was shooting with Desiree Melancon and Nirvana Ortanez because they were so efficient, so dedicated to shooting photos and videos. Riding street spots with absolute focus, all day, every day.

And they destroyed pretty much every spot they tried!

Thanks to “Heroes” you have given a voice to thousands of women who love snowboarding, how do you think they will change the world or how would you like it to change? I love they way Heroes is adding

a little brick to the wall, and I love how the world is changing. More representation, more equity, more diversity. If you forget that diversity is the first richness of snowboarding, then we loose our roots.

In an era where almost all media use photos taken with smartphones, you shot totally on film and with a Pentax 6x7. That’s

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“She has been pushing street snowboarding for more than a decade, and keeps doing so with amazing talent.

She a true ambassador.“

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“A godmother of backcountry in the North West, she rips AK spines as well as Whistler jumps.

She has balls of steel, for sure!“

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“Maybe the most loved rider out there.

Everybody is in love with her smooth style, beautiful turns & backside airs. Local of Whistler now, and POW activist.“

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“A talented representative of the upcoming US scene. She rips at all the snowparks and also shoots in the streets. “

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“California raised park rider, she left competitions to shoot street parts, and did so in the last two Snowboarder movies, Veer and Tangle.“

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"Elena Graglia is a jib machine with a big smile, and a breath of fresh air recently revealed worldwide with her first videoparts."

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“Whistler backcountry legend with insane parts in Absinthe Films, she defined female backcountry riding and inspired a generation of new riders.“

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Chiara Guglielmina

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Matt Georges

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he real hope is to not accumulate much dust on our boards instead of powder. We cannot give a certain answer to a question that it is as complex as frightening, we must be informed and act. Observing the phenomena that surround us without letting a copious but isolated snowfall in the Alps at the beginning of winter make us commit serious errors of evaluation, deluding ourselves of a countertrend that is not occurring.

Recalling the words of the former American president with canary yellow hair “global warming is a hoax” in the face of isolated events would be an unforgivable mistake. Faced with the exceptional wave of frost that occurred between the end of 2017 and the beginning of 2018 in North America, in which the cold even made Niagara Falls freeze, Trump replied jokingly at science with a nice “global warming please come back fast, we need you!”.

A gross error son of presumption and disinterest for the future. Because one thing it is to talk about a meteorological phenomena, but it is quite different to talk about climate. To make a comparison with our world, we can compare the weather to the performance of a single McTwist of a rider who, naturally, can change based on various factors. The climate, on the other hand, is comparable to the style of riding which, pre-

cisely because it takes much longer to change, defines the entire career of a professional athlete. Long story short, ten days of cold or a few more meters of snow on the roofs of the huts are not enough to ward off the threat of global warming. The evidence of its drama is tangible and can be found in the melting of the ice or in the rise of the sea level, just to give concrete examples.

One of the most impressive abilities of the human being, even if the exaggerated comforts of recent years are making us forget it, is the good old spirit of adaptation. Like the famous snowshoe hare that changes the color of the fur according to the terrain for camouflage and escape from prey, so the snowboarder, unable to change his skin, changes the playing field. But be careful not to stop fighting believing that you have found a valid alternative. Because no matter how sophisticated the processing of synthetic slopes may be, it can never replace the pleasure of powder that jumps into your mouth between one turn and the other. And we're still comparing a polypropylene terrain with fresh snowflakes. If it is true that “something is better the nothing at all" and that “beggars can’t be choosers", it is equally true that we should instead “making things right” instead of just "waiting for a godsend" also because, according to what the experts say, it seems it will not arrive.

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The consequences of our actions take us by the scruff of the neck, altogether indifferent to the fact that we have “improved” in the meantime." - Friedrich Nietzsche Without bothering to bring up great philosophers, the consequences are evident from the images. If on real snow, the white and cold one, in the past you risked meeting roe deer (as in the famous episode of Kristian Ghedina on the Saslong in 2004), now you are skiing in the middle of green meadows covered with sheep. We are not questioning the utility and ingenuity behind these artificial structures, however we hope it will remain an excellent alternative in the summer months and not the only possible choice. Also because, beyond the sorrow that we all would feel from a farewell to the snow, the suffering we would face would be unspeakable.

Greenland, just to make an example, which has the second largest ice sheet in the world after Antarctica (1.7 million km2), is melting faster than expected. Its total disappearance would result in an increase in the water level of the oceans by 7 meters. The latest study carried out in 2013 by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (the highest authority on climate change) estimated that the melting of the ice covering

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the entire island would contributed, by 2100, to raise the level of global waters by 10cm. The hypothesis has recently been revised and the estimate must be almost doubled: it will be 18cm.

Looking at statistics, this means that 150 million people will be underwater by 2050 if we are not willing to change our habits. There is no need to report the drastic chain reaction that our actions have triggered and which, if unchanged, will speed up the process. Without focusing only on our beloved powder, we also think of the serious economic and social damage that would result from it: from massive migrations to ever-increasing damage caused by floods. Also according to the IPCC, the latter could increase up to 1000 times by 2100, taking with them, in the absence of adequate prevention works, even 10% of global GDP. So, what are the consequences of our actions?

The short and gritty answer is that if we continue to make the mistake of focusing too much on ourselves and on our here and now, without thinking in a visionary and global way about the future, landing from a 720° on plastic rather than on powder will be the least of our problems.

We like to stay confident, but the line between optimism and naivety is thin. Let's say it bluntly, leaving aside the deniers who, by faith or by simple desire to go against the tide, often spread news that is far from true. If the latest scientific studies are objectively analyzed, the numbers speak for themselves. The ridges and the highest peaks will still be covered with snow, yes, but for now. High altitudes will be less affected, at least initially.

ble to ski has decreased by about 20-30 in the Alps, with more and less affected locations.

It is not even necessary to explain that, in order for water to change its state from liquid to solid, the temperature must be 0 Celsius degrees. As my eight-year-old cousin told me the other day.

At the altitude of famous places such as Livigno (1816 meters), the total amount of snow is expected to decrease by 40-50% compared to today. For higher locations, such as the Stelvio Pass, the reduction is estimated at around 30% compared to today's values.

The isotherm (the lines that connect points on the earth with the same temperature) of zero degrees in winter, fifty years ago, averaged around 600msl. Today, due to winter warming, the altitude has risen to around 850msl. This fact is frightening and the damage is already clearly visible. The sharp rise of the isotherm of 250 meters has led, among others, to a sharp decline in the thickness of the snowpack in the mountains, especially at medium altitudes. In addition, the number of days per year with snow cover, the days in which it is possi-

The forecasts for the future, according to current climate scenarios, are not at all positive. In the absence of adequate measures to protect the climate, zero degrees, and consequently the snow level, will rise by another 400 - 650 meters by 2060. Our beloved white blanket will therefore be found between 1300 and 1500 meters high.

In conclusion, it cannot be said that we are facing a promising scenario, but it can be said with certainty that while it is true that global warming seems unstoppable, it is equally true that none of us have yet really tried to stop it. In recent years, too many things have already been locked up in garages to gather dust. We want our boards and skis, already stopped by the Covid19 emergency, to be covered in nothing but what we all now call powder. Let's fight for this. Together.

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Hi Nico, how are you living this lockdown? I trained a lot in the gym, skated a lot at home thanks to the new bowl in my city, and I try to go as much as possible to Laax where I am at the moment to ride as much as possible.

se two. Street and curving are not in my mind at the moment.

What do you think of the Italian National team? It's cool to be part of such a team, I hope one day I'll be one of them too.

What are you going to do this winter? If Madonna di Campiglio won’t open we will try to stay as much as possible here in Laax to progress with my riding.

Tell me about when you first started snowboarding. My dad is a snowboard coach so it was easy for me to try it and I loved it right away.

What does snowboarding represent for a young person of your age? Fun, fun and more fun!

Freeride, park, street or carving? What do you like best and where would you like to progress? You can always progress in park but when there’s powder is impossible not to ride, so I'd say the-

Many riders choose not to be part of the National team in order to have more time for shooting and filming. What do you think about it? First I would like to participate in the most important races, then there is always time to film.

Which rider are you most inspired by lately?

Dusty in America is super talented, then Red, Stale, Torger and many more, I don't have a particular rider in mind, I try to copy the best from athletes I like.

Do you have any tricks in your head that you would like to try soon? I would like to try cab 10, and why not bs 12!

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Denis Piccolo PHOTOS

Vermon Deck

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Denis Piccolo

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Roberto bragotto

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Three snowboarders, but first of all three friends with different characteristics and styles.

Today they are among the major landmarks of the Italian scene, we often see them locked inside a park flying over frozen landings, but when powder calls their smartphones sound unreachable.

Alby, how does a snowboarder live this lockdown? I’m suffering a lot this lockdown, like everyo-

It seems that this year many brands are going back making movies with their top riders. It's

ne else I think. Even if it seems that everything is fine for us because we still manage to go ride on the snow, it is not really like that! Competitions get canceled every day, resorts are closing, programs are changing and you always have to organize yourself at the last moment with great difficulty!

great that brands have started making highend videos again! But I also believe that it is right that it is limited only to the big snowboard companies that want to enhance not only the brand but also their riders.

In short, I believe that if you have to invest to make a video like this it must be a bomb, nowadays it cannot be just cute or acceptable.

In the last few years you’ve spent a lot of time riding in park, what’s your level today and what will be your next evolutionary step as a snowboarder? The park has always been my main focus and I think I've reached a very competitive level compared to most riders. My goals have shifted a bit from just learning new tricks, going in the direction of trying to bring perfection and style to even the most difficult tricks.

You’re one of the oldest guy of the Italian National team, tell me about the present and the future of this group. Goals and programs. I must admit that the team right now is great, closeknit and growing more and more every day, I don't think we have anything to envy to other nations. As for team B, there is Leo Framarin who is progressing a lot, and the others are doing good too.

You often ride with Simon Gruber and Emil Zulian, tell me a pro and a con of both of them! I met Simon when I joined the team and I have always looked at him as a sort of idol to imitate, he is a true friend and one of those people you always want to have around you! His con is that he’s Kraut!

Emil is a fierce snowboarder, always ready to improve and learn something new, the only thing is that, every now and then, he convinces himself that he no longer knows how to do a trick until he doesn't do it again, after maybe a year. The biggest con is that he never leaves Airdrop on that damn phone.

Many people say: snowboarding is dead.

What do you think? I often hear that said and always makes me laugh, those who say that snowboarding is dead simply can't admit that snowboarding has changed and is changing! But it is definitely not dead.

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Alberto Maffei

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Simon, how does a snowboarder live this lockdown? Personally, quite well, I live in Trentino

Is it still possible to make a living out of snowboarding in Italy? There are really few pe-

and here we can do any type of activities. I'm focusing a lot on split boarding and backcountry and I'm enjoying it a lot, I'm discovering a new way to snowboard and approach the mountains.

ople in Italy who make a living out of snowboarding and in any case it has to go hand in hand with other activities during the year.

You are an eclectic rider, now that you have reached your maturity as an athlete, what is your natural terrain and what do you think about the other ones? I’m 33, and no longer ride in park even if you see me wandering there from time to time, but it is more suitable for young riders.

Now I'm totally focused on powder, freeriding and backcountry. I used to ride in street years ago when I was in Forum but I don't like it anymore.

You’ve lived the era of filming and shooting, traveling and exploring in search of spots and tricks with the best filmers and photographers of the scene. In the age of social media, how have riders' lives changed for better and for worse? I’ve lived the two generations, when I was shooting video parts I used to ride all winter to put together those 3-4 minutes of videos that would have really rock, today if I take a photo or video it is immediately posted but it is also immediately forgotten, it loses value and expectation. I personally preferred it when there were video premieres years ago.

You often ride with Alberto Maffei and Emil Zulian, tell me a pro and a con of both of them! Alberto Maffei is a real Play Station pro, he plays all the time! Emil Zulian’s music taste is, let’s say, revisable!

What’s the situation of the Italian snowboarding scene? We are now just a few, but I would say few but good. Almost everything revolves around the National team and The Garden is raising interesting kids for the future, like Nico Bondi. Let's see what happens.

Many people say: snowboarding is dead.

What do you think? I don't like who thinks so, snowboarding is not dead! Just go to Madonna di Campiglio and it is packed with snowboarders.

On your socials you seem very attentive to global pollution. Can you tell me your thoughts and how can we do something in our small way? As for me, I collect rubbish whenever I see it, I find it unbearable to see rubbish around the mountains.

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Simon Gruber

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Emil, how does a snowboarder live this lockdown? Let's say that with the lockdown everything

personally don't know but who seems to have a lot of determination.

has become a little more complicated, the choice of places where to train is more restricted but the whole situation was also an opportunity to find new ways to snowboard, from building spots in the street to exploring powder with snowshoes or riding on the snowmobile.

On your socials you seem very attentive to global warming. Can you tell me your thoughts and how can we do something in our small way? The problem of global warming is very

You've spent a lot of time riding in park over the last few years. Will contests and parks always be your favorite terrains or are you starting to see a different future as a rider?

I don't think much about my future in a different way than it is now.

Some people say that you are an underrated rider because you have less visibility than others but you prove things with facts. What do you think about it? I don't think I deserve much more exposure than what I have now. There are definitely riders much more underrated than me.

Who’s the next big champion in Italy? The situation of young riders in Italy is really cool! It is almost difficult to pick just one name because there are so many talents who will give a good boost to the Italian scene and I hope they can continue their careers in this world! If I really had to give you a name to bet on, I'd say Lisa Francesia, a 12-year-old girl who I

important to me, seeing glaciers melting and winter seasons shortening, I wanted to start making a contribution by sharing my experience to make as many people as possible understand the need for change.

And this year I have also become a proud ambassador of Protect Our Winters, a non-profit association that I invite you to follow.

You often ride with Simon Gruber and Alberto Maffei, tell me a pro and a con of both of them! Let’s start with cons: Alby is stubborn beyond belief but he is a very generous person. Simon's con is that he is grumpy, while his pro is that he has a crazy experience in the world of filming and shooting.

What’s the situation of the Italian snowboarding scene? In my opinion in Italy we have a very varied scene full of strong and stylish people, there is a lot of hating between the different faces of snowboarding that should instead support each other.

Snowboarding is cool because you can choose to do it the way you like best, but there isn't one way better than the others.

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Emil Zulian

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“The main idea was to make some rad snowboards inspired by the riding and design I like. I wanted 3 boards I could use in different conditions and styles of riding,” We are used to have a pro model in a brand's snowboards line, but a whole collection, that's something special! What was the main idea behind this project? Yeah, it is pretty rad to have been given this opportunity! The main idea was to make some rad snowboards inspired by the riding and design I like I guess.

What were you looking for when defining the shapes? Since I was able to create a collection of 3 boards I wanted 3 boards I can use in different conditions and style of riding, but also make them work in all sorts of terrain and snow.

The "Stale Mod" is your weapon for contest days. What's the key behind it? What’s the best feature in it that gives you the confidence to go bigger and raise the bar? It is a super powerful board that I can trust in high speed and on big jumps and heavy landings.

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Tommaso Bernacchi

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How difficult and how fun it was to develop these products? It went pretty smooth actually. We have a great team at Rome who helped out creating the shape and specs and when we looked in the Never Grow Up theme on the graphics, it came together perfectly.

I see a common line in the graphics of the three boards, what was your inspiration when designing those? I guess I answered that above. But when we came up with the Never Grow Up theme it tied all the boards and the graphics together at the same time, as it is a bit of what snowboarding means to us. Where we can forget about the daily struggles and just let go of everything and just be a kid again.

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Matteo Rossato PHOTOS

Julien Pearly

Everything about Sebbe is quite Paradoxical. A 1.95 m kid from Belgium becomes one of the most renowned snowboard superstar. There’s no terrain where Sebbe riding doesn’t stand out: rails, kickers, backcountry, he handles them all with a unique grace and style, despite his very tall size. Finally, he’s so humble and seems like everything simply happened to him for no reason, while his many awards prove he worked a lot to earn his spotlight in the snowboard world. And trust me, Sebbe is here to stay.

Seriously, how did you develop such all terrain flow; seems like you grew up shredding Mammoth or Whistler, not an indoor slope. That was always my dream, as a kid, to be growing up in the mountains somewhere but now I’m glad i didn’t. The fact that I didn’t live close to a resort only made me appreciate the times I was on the snow so much more. I took every opportunity I got to get on my board and tried to make the most out of every day I had.

Another unique thing of you is your grace on the board.

Tall dudes are usually powerful but little bit goofy while you’re so natural and amazing to watch: mother nature or you had to work hard to be like this? Wow thank you man,

A tall Belgian kid from the domes become one of the most recognized snowboarding superstar. Sounds like a Fairy tale. It sounds like a fairy tale to me too. I was privileged

you’re too nice. I don’t think I have a straight answer for this. I just tried to find my own way of doing new tricks instead of listening to some coaches trying to tell you how to do it the “right” way or “textbook style”.

I think doing it in your own way looks more natural.

enough to be able to go on a ski holiday with my family ever year to Avoriaz, France. I started skiing first when i was 3 years old but quickly got inspired by skateboarding and the snowboarders around the resort. My parents told me I had to be able to ski first and be a little older before they let me snowboard. I couldn’t wait to try it out so one time I took my moms Moon boots and her board when my parents were at the Après and tried it out on the beginner slope. I got the hang of it pretty quickly so after some more begging they finally let me do an indoor summer camp in Belgium where I eventually learned how to snowboard.

I know you have an amazing story about how the Belgian Federation. It all got created by a snowboard fanatic called Tom Coeckelberghs. He wanted to a create federation with government funding that would give us, snowboarders in Belgium, the opportunity to travel to the mountains and certain contests. He always had the best interest for us as a snowboarder and not necessarily as an “athlete”. He under

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stood that snowboarding was more than just FIS contests. Unfortunately for us, he got promoted to a higher position in the governments sports department. So he doesn’t work there anymore but he still looks over us and i’ll be forever grateful for the opportunities he gave me.

yet for the next one. I’ll do some contest here and there and see where that brings me.

You were known to be a party boy. Party was a big part in snowboarding until few years ago but now seems to be more chill and about healthy living. Do you think snowboarding is missing its wild side? Definitely not anymore, I

How was your first experience with backcountry with Iikka, Devun and Torstein when filming for Transistors?

My first trip for Transistors was to Japan with Devun, Anto and Torstein. I felt really honored to be a part of that crew and see them ride backcountry in real life was very impressive. But watching them ride and work to get the shots, taught me to look at spots differently and really opened my eyes to the backcountry. Later that season we did another trip to Whistler where Iikka and Torstein taught me how to sled. This was an actual dream come true for me. I couldn’t have asked for a better introduction to sledding in the backcountry than getting taught by these legends.

got diagnosed with a genetic mutation that causes me to get ancreatitis when I drink alcohol. I’ve been alcohol free for a little over 2 years now.

Snowboarding is thankfully not missing its “wild side”. Maybe It got more serious in the competitive scene since it’s turning more into a real sport where you can’t really be hungover on the day of the contest. The tricks in contest are gnarly and can be dangerous if you’re not focused. So i guess it requires a healthier lifestyle or at least until the contest is over!

And tell us a little bit about Olympics, you told you wanted to do it for the experience more than for the medals.

Are you doing the next one? Yes the Olympics was all about the

tains and a small snowboard scene, it wasn’t so easy to get recognized or so I thought. So for me, doing contests was my way to get out there in the industry. Which would eventually give me the opportunities to ride sleds, fly helis and film video parts in the backcountry. At this point I’m still doing a bit of both but sooner than later I would like to leave the bib behind and only ride pow.

How much snowboarding is there beyond Medals?

Sebbe and competitions? Coming from a land with no moun-

life experience for me. Off course I wanted to do good in the contest too but it all felt more like something that was expected of me instead of something I really wanted to do. I haven’t fully made up my mind

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Ben Dietermann

PHOTOS

Louisa Marie Summer

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S

iberia? A harsh, remote territory with extreme temperatures and endless tundra. Most people often don't know much more about Siberia. It extends from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east and southward from the Arctic Ocean to the hills of north-central Kazakhstan and the borders of Mongolia and China. What really appealed to our troop of four, however, were the promising reports of early winter days with especially dry, powdery snow and the desire for adventure off the beaten path. Equipped with Konvoi splitboards and powder surfers, we set off.

Will there really be enough snow in early November? How will we communicate and get around?

How will we get to a log cabin in a remote valley near Lake Baikal? And will the terrain and snow conditions allow for much powder surfing?

Soon our troop sits over a cup of chai in a lovely little kitchen in the town of Irkutsk. Surprisingly our communication with the babushka is fluent, albeit in French. Meanwhile her son is loading the

terrain vehicle and the endeavour is becoming more real by the minute.

Mamay is a small valley on the southern eastern shore of Lake Baikal. Here there are unadulterated deep snow pleasures in all directions and up to the log cabin. Of course, it snows a similar amount in the neighboring valleys, however, there the wind that often prevails in the area carries the captivating white away faster, as the adjacent valleys are straighter.

Across the upper part of the valley there are quite a few huts scattered, but at this time of the year only a few are inhabited. Before we know it, our small and rudimentary log cabin becomes a lively meeting place. Every evening there are several knocks on our cabin door and the most colorful rounds are formed. Whether local legends like Sergey Klimov, guides from the Elbrus region, snowboard beginners from Moscow, the cook of the neighboring hut or other winter sports enthusiasts

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like us, it is always fun and cordial with shared stories, drinks and laughters.

The incredibly loose snow inspires quickly and so the valley is explored in all directions and mostly until dusk. Several runs are enjoyed daily and the terrain of the forests offers more than optimal conditions to plow through lots of powder with the bindings-free boards.

The banya, a Russian steam bath, directly on the river bank is refreshment for body and mind and makes us forget the sometimes yet very cold temperatures and general efforts of the day. Several times we have fresh snow fall and everyone is inclined to stay longer. However, the train tickets are already booked.

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We leave the beloved valley on foot and reach the next relevant station with a short car ride. Time to get out of the snowboard clothes and repack while desperately trying to get useful information from the loudspeaker announcements. After a fully packed sprint to the correct train car and strict passport control, we are on board. Instead of vastness and cold, suddenly narrowness and heat. It is the third class of the Trans-Siberian Railway, 28 Celsius degrees warm and we will be 39 hours on the road.

The colorful hustle and bustle on the train contrasts sharply with the barren landscape outside the windows. Guest workers, soldiers, small children, senior citizens and an uncommonly relaxed and respectful interaction. Despite massive language

barriers, a lively exchange takes place and even hasty fish sales at the stops and mutton skulls as travel provisions soon seem completely mundane.

After an exciting overnight train change, we arrive in Novokuznetsk surprisingly fresh and alert and, above all, more than ready for further snow adventures. An unofficial but competent cab driver transports us to the suitable destination Sheregesh the same afternoon.

day directly with best weather and a good load of super fluffy fresh snow.

When you find out about the winter sports resort from a distance, you are first amazed at various absurdities that are difficult to classify. Mass rides in swimwear, active coal mine and power plant in the middle of the village, almost more lift operators than lift facilities on the mountain and two local prisons at once.

At this time of the season Sheregesh is a meeting point for winter sports enthusiasts from all over the Eastern Bloc. Later in the season, everyone is at work, but now there is still a little time to get together for carefree descents in Siberian powder.

Whether it's mountain guides from Kamchatka, snowboard pros from Kazakhstan, powder veterans from the Caucasus, they're all happy to be there and devote themselves to winter again. And they are also happy to have a few new faces from further away with them.

We were not unsettled by this in advance and simply trusted the verbal recommendations of a local powder hound. Promptly welcomed us the first

Good slopes are right at the lift, easily accessible around the area and even in the village you can have fun with the boards, because snow is really everywhere. The local kids are quickly taken by it and so a young and exuberant gang almost does not want to give back our boards.

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Matteo Rossato

PHOTOS

Matt Georges & Oli Gagnon

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Midwest rope boy turned into one of the most amazing and long standing street rider out there is a quite fitting definition for Dan Liedahl aka Danimals. Soft speaking, quiet and very humble in the approach, wild and explosive on the board, Danimals is calm and collected, and absolutely not scared to show his human side: Clark Kent in daily life, Superman when strapped in. It has been cool to catch him and talk about his midwest roots, the future of boarding and how everybody miss so much Dillon Ojo. Hey Dan, why the nick Danimals?

You know I've gotten this question many times and I don't know exactly how it came about, but I've had it for like 15 years now, my friend Nick Buckner started it one day when we were riding Hyland, and it just stuck to me. It might have been the day he took a serious digger on the big jump and we were all checking in on him.

How’s growing up in Hyland Hills?

Growing up in Hyland is insane! It’s exci-

ting and intimidating, but you meet so many friends and you learn so quickly.

It’s changed a lot now since I was a little kid, but the tow rope is still the same, and because of that I couldn't ask for a better place to grow up riding.

Why has a tiny hill in the midwest become the cradle of snowboarding 2.0? Well, for one the tow rope had a

huge roll in that, and also I think just because it’s pretty central to so many kids out here. Furthermore, it’s cheaper and easier for people to ride there instead than on a big mountain.

Would you ever see yourself stepping up and leaving the streets to ride backcountry in the future? I

definitely see myself getting after the backcountry a lot more. I love it out there, such a different feeling from what I grew up riding and that just makes me happy to do something different.

Where do you see Danimals going in the close future? I’d say riding more

powder! I think I’ll always ride the streets

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because that’s just who I am and so many of my friends that I enjoy riding with don't seem to be slowing down in that department, but I've been taking a bunch of avalanche safety courses over that past few years and the mountains are really where I would like to transition in to.

How would you define your style in three words? Holy smokes! I don't know if that’s up to me to define.

The way you see and ride is so different. What’s your mind process when checking for a spot to ride?

I just try to find different things and keep an open mind to every possibilities. Sometimes that’s hard to see, other times the spot is just right in your face and you know it instantly. I also don't want to hit spots that are basically the same thing that I've been filming my whole life.

Do you see any upside for snowboarding in this scary situation with Covid19? Yeah for sure, I mean we still get to do it. That’s a huge plus for me. It may not be exactly the way we want to be

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riding, but for me personally it’s getting me and my friends back together and enjoying our time.

Dillon’s name is everywhere. He’s featured in every Vans movie since his passing, on your Ride board too.

Who was Dillon Ojo? Dillon rubbed

off on you in all the right ways. Thinking about him doesn't make me sad, he makes me happy and every once in a while I shed a happy tear for him. He was just so inviting and open, and had no doubts in what was right and what was wrong, or what was cool and what wasn’t. He is still a great role model.

Would you ever compare midwest blowup to the SLC street golden era? Well, I don't think so actually. It

may seem similar in some ways and I think a lot of the pros back then were coming to Minnesota to film as well, but

the style was different. Almost like the midwest blowup was cause and effect of the SLC street golden era. I think the the blowup here was bound to happen regardless, just because of how many kids are here and how good everyone gets with the tow ropes. I think the SLC street golden era accelerated that because at that time that’s what we were all watching and wanted to do as well.

Is Instagram killing the movie industry, or viceversa kids are starting to recognize that Instagram contents are just snacks and if you’re really hungry then you need movies? You

know, I think a little bit of both nowadays. I enjoy seeing people post stuff on Instagram and at first I thought the video scene was dying because of it, but now we're getting a good bit of both.

The videos coming out right now are pretty sick and all those kids making

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the videos and riding in them are posting and still putting out parts. I just wouldn’t like people to spoil good shots by putting them on Instagram right away when they could fit so perfectly into a part. I like the surprise.

Solo projects VS team/crew movies? Oh, I like them both. I think solo

projects and team videos make a lot of sense for the brands those people ride for. In the solo projects might seem a little easier to organize trips and go since you'll be with a smaller crew, but there could also be a bit more pressure to do good. There’s a lot more responsibility when you don't have the whole team with their ear to the streets on what’s good in the world and what isn’t. I like hanging with the whole team during the making of a video but I think the style of some of the solo videos over the past couple years now is really cool.

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TEXT & PHOTOS

Morgan Maassen

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s a life-long surfer, my exposure to snowboarding was (shamefully) only brought about recently, as visiting the snow was something faroff both my family’s radar and my own free-time in my early twenty’s. Upon my first run though, I was hooked, and the ensuing deep-dive into the culture landed me at the feet of Korua’s social media, where I fawned over their obsessive hunger for speed and design. My cries for attention were finally acknowledged and I was invited to join the team as they sojourned across the Pacific Northwest at the beginning of 2020.

I met the Korua crew on a dreary February afternoon in Portland. Slightly downtrodden from a wet experience at Mt. Baker in Washington, they had their sights on Oregon’s Mt. Bachelor to see if a change in luck was in store. The ensuing week of snowboarding was absolutely wild. No two days were the same; some eerily calm with fresh trails to explore, others wind-swept to high hell, ice blasting through every entrance of one’s garments.

The mountain was breath taking, a towering volcano that loomed over the little town of Bend.

We explored every centimeter of it, weaving inand-out of ski schools, lot lizards, friends and foes alike. Evenings were spent sampling fine beers, hiking national parks and taking in the majesty of Oregon, a state I reckon to be the most beautiful in the country.

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As I tried to keep up with the crew, juggling a Red camera and a few of my heavy vintage lenses as we traversed ice patches and bombed groomers, my mind was blown. Watching Nicolas, Lars and Aaron snowboard to their level was inspiring; like the first time I saw Kelly Slater or Stephanie Gilmore in the flesh. Absolute mastery, intersecting with so much style and wisdom. It was radical, and it challenged me immensely. I was not days off the plane from shooting free-diving under a frozen lake in Iceland, and trying to keep up with Nicolas on the groomers made that seem like a walk in the park. But in my deficit of ability, I found an incredible challenge of pushing my speed on the board, learning new mountain terrain, and operating a camera like I never have before. And at the end of every day when we’d watch footage, it was a rush to be so nervous to present my vision from my left-field, someone who went from zero to one hundred in shooting the sport. While I may have missed some shots or had some close calls a seasoned snow filmer wouldn’t have, everyone accommodated me immensely, and this quick jaunt up to Oregon turned into one of my favorite trips of this last decade of shooting.

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Tanner Pendleton byMatteo Rossato PHOTOS

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Hi Tanner! The name “Evergreen” name suggests something that never gets old.

The movie itself is so fresh and entertaining that it could easily become a movie that you can watch in 10 years and never gets old. Similarly, Vans has remained a staple from the very beginning. Do you see a connection between the two? Thanks so much! Yea, definitely, I think that Vans is one of those brands that has such an awesome legacy and they continue to build and improve on that all the time. It’s really an honor to get to contribute to that in some way. They are really hands-off when it comes to these videos, but I always try to keep their brand history in mind. I want to make something that feels true to all of the riders in the video, but also to Vans’ legacy or aesthetic in some way.

If Evergreen is really the culmination of the last three Vans Snow projects, which part of Landline, Together Forever and Lovely Day you put in? We wanted to make a video but the idea of duplicating or trying to one-up Landline wasn’t very appealing. So I’m not necessarily sure Evergreen is a culmination in the sense of a pinnacle. I think it’s more the result of learned experiences and growing as a family, through doing these different projects over the years.

Seriously, why Evergreen? I think it’s open for interpretation, but I’ll give my two cents! These last few years have been a big learning experience for all of us. Way beyond snowboarding: life, friendships and loss after Dillon. Looking back on it we were very green. We’ve all grown up

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a bit, but I’d like to think there’s still a bit of that energy from the early days floating around.

Camaraderie, friendship, passion, joy, are all recurring terms is snowboard marketing lately. Pure business or also snowboarding really needs to show more the human side? I’m not so sure about the marketing side of things, but I think we’re all really blessed that friendship, snowboarding and joy often come hand in hand.

anything, but I forget what stance people are all the time. Not because I don’t care but because I’m not really too concerned with the details. I think people’s personalities inevitably come out through the combinations of spot selection, trick, dress code, etc. I’m personally more interested in the combination of it all rather than the difficulty of a single trick.

How important It is the human side (people) for Vans. And for Tanner? Yeah, I think

You had a really stressful time when you were finishing Landline, because it matched with a deadline you self imposed.

Was it way easier after that? Or each deadline comes with some stressful matters?

that’s everything. I’m super proud to surround myself with such an amazing group of people that I truly look up to in many different ways. As far as filming goes, I’m not sure if this tells you

The riders are my perceived audience when editing, I want to make them proud. They spend so much time and energy putting their clips together so I feel I have a responsibility to do them justice.

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Arthur Longo

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Mainly, I want them to be represented in a way that feels true to them. Beyond that, music rights are really the only stressful part of the equation because sometimes you find that perfect combo and the song falls through which is just heartbreaking. Honestly, I used to be a lot more stressed in general while editing. I had the mentality that I would sit at the computer and make it happen. It didn’t really work and made my back hurt haha.

In the last few years I’ve found that spending time away from the computer, staying active and working through things in my mind, actually helps so much. Working smarter, I suppose.

It definitely isn’t a linear process, but in many ways, yes. Before doing the interview with Torment I was out to everyone around me for quite some time, so it wasn’t a major day-to-day shift.

It was really special to share that side of myself with the whole snowboard community, though.

Not to mention sharing that moment with Jake, Kennedi, Chad, and Jill. The response was really amazing, life changing for sure. It has been incredible watching the queer snowboard community grow day by day.

Personal question: has been life become easier after your coming out? And how did the snowboarding world received that? I read you were scared to come out.

think I can choose favorites! I love them all.

If you had to pick 5 mind blowing shots of Evergreen, which they would be? I don’t Your works are undoubtedly shaping modern snowboarding and its actors, where 152°

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Kennedi Deck

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is snowboarding going in the close future?

Thanks. I hope snowboarding will become more inclusive and we can get rid of some of costly barriers to entry. For example, 150$ lift tickets. Hopefully brands will start investing in initiatives that make snowboarding more accessible, which will in turn make snowboarding more exciting and provide longevity.

the outdoors and their time here on earth. Maybe just slow down a bit and take in the little things.

Big picture, I think the virus has exposed a lot of serious faults in our society. Hopefully, we can learn from these warning signs and continue to support each other and hold our elected officials accountable for a better and fairer future.

What are the three most important elements for a successful and entertaining snowboard movie? Friends, music, pants.

Do you see any silver lining in this weird year? I think there are a lot of ways to access snowboarding, whether it’s the street, split boarding, hiking a local hill, etc. Hopefully, people will be able to get outdoors this winter and appreciate

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TEXT

Ettore Personettaz PHOTO

Nicolas Wolken

by Morgan Maassen

Let's start from the beginning: in general I am against the concept of restriction. I prefer to educate, train and empower a person in order to allow and not prohibit, except in particular situations. A concept of freedom extended and connected to individual and collective responsibility that can hardly find opponents, especially if applied to the world of the mountains and its passionate enthusiasts.

linked to the one of respect for yourself and for the other people? Perhaps the mountains have not yet managed to teach many of its enthusiasts what the true meaning of sacrifice, of renunciation is, in order to reach a better situation for everyone. To what extent are we willing to defend the concept of freedom by trampling the principles of solidarity of a civil state, especially in such a current difficult situation?

A concept of freedom that this prolonged pandemic situation has put a strain on and that can be easily misrepresented due to an increasingly widespread superficiality and a prevailing selfishness that results, in particular, on "social" channels in an easy persistence and a immediate media lynching, but without the necessary information. This is the recent case, for example, of the so-called pre-Christmas "scandal" aroused by the ordinance of the President of the Aosta Valley Region where ski mountaineering activity in the area was allowed only if accompanied by a professional, an Alpine Guide or a Ski Instructor. A ordinance that, albeit temporary, has aroused a flood of reactions and criticisms where the strongest argument, and we would say hardly not acceptable, has been: "the mountain belongs to everyone and must remain a free territory, without restrictions”.

These are just some of the questions that I think would be useful to ask ourselves. Because we should not forget that when we decide to venture into the mountains, it will never be at our own risk as we always will have the intervention of the Alpine Rescue, people prepared and ready to risk their lives every day to help others. Because we should not forget that when we decide to oppose or, worse still, not respect the rules established for a possible lockdown, we put serious danger not only ourselves and other people but also the health personnel who are in front line to protect us all.

Talking about this case, the President simply highlighted to the Region the possibility of carrying out this type of activity as already provided for the ordinance for the Aosta Valley Alpine Guides: this would have allowed colleagues to train by carrying out ski mountaineering activities where permitted. Nobody was asking for an exclusive privilege. From here the tempers immediately started to flare. I want to focus once again on the much claimed concept of freedom. To what extent are we willing to defend it when this can have direct or indirect repercussions on others? Perhaps the forced but necessary lockdown of March-May 2020 has make us forget how closely the concept of freedom, especially in the Alps, is

160°

Precisely the respect for these "angels" who operate, under any conditions, bring us back to the initial concept of relative freedom. I believe that this pandemic is allowing us to understand how important it is to restore that freedom that should reflect the French constitutional motto "Liberté-Egalité-Fraternité" but above all to regain our main focus that this virus has turned upside down and that we risk to trivialize: humanity. We are people and despite all our weakness in the end we will be able to react by freeing ourselves from this situation, finding the right path.

If we were looking for a good resolution for 2021, maybe we have found it.

Word out.