Christophe Bouvier, Global Chairman and Mountainwear Product Manager.

Which one of us shred lovers never dreamt of becoming a pro rider, and then when comes the end of your short but intense snowboarding career, turn into an industry boss? Well, that’s pretty much what happened to Christophe Bouvier, and this certainly didn’t happen by chance. For this Tech Heads, the boss of the winter product at Rip Curl goes deep into his job, his inspirations, and the line coming up soon. Another passionate guy who makes the snowboard world spin in the good direction.

I’m pretty sure a lot of readers out there are wondering how can they land such a cool job. So how does that happened for you?

Cool you said? Ahah! If you love XLS sheets, hard negociations, and try and make the whole world happy about your stuff in such a difficult market, then I guess it’s a cool job!
I’m actually a former rider and a coach. I did that for about ten years and a lot of trips around the world, before starting at Rip Curl at the bottom of the scale. I was in the warehouse in Australia for 2 years, then 2 other years as a marketing assistant, and another 2 years as a tech rep in Victoria state, Australia. 2 other years as mountain wear product manager for the South hemisphere, then I came back to France doing this job for the Europe zone. And now I’ve been the Global chairman and mountain wear product manager for only two weeks. I guess I love new challenges! But the main thing for me as always been moved by one goal: the ride. It’s the ultimate goal for all of us right? Live the search!

Well I guess everyone has an idea of what a Global Chairman does – or maybe not? But let’s concentrate on your other title: mountain wear product manager: what are the different aspects of this role?

Unlike most companies out there in our business, this role is anyway linked to the brand manager role, as far as the mountain wear division goes. The product manager is in fact the last person to check if everything is ok, and also the first person in charge of the results of his division, so it’s the guy who’s getting his ass kicked by the General Manager and the owners in case of a problem.
My job consist in coordinating, direct and check the good processing of all our mountain product line. So I’m involved at all the stages of the garment production: market research, collection’s structure, design brief, prototype validation, price negociation, sourcing, buys, shipment, inventory, stock… It’s also very important to coordonate well with the marketing departement as well so the communication stays tight and understandable, and also in the spirit of the brand. In short, it’s a bit like being the conductor of an orchestra, as you are taking care of the product from before its birth to its adult age – when sold to the final consumer. And even after sometimes, when a default product is coming back!

With the complexity of your job, what would you say take the most of your time among these different tasks?

Definitely the product development. It’s the stage when the quality of the product is in process. The sales and the feedback from the field is also very important to ameliorate and get rid of all the little problems we might have before we validate the final product. That’s where the feedback is really important. It pretty all together takes from April till November every season.

Rip Curl outerwear girls line 13/14.

Where does your inspiration come from regarding product design?

Observation, talks, being on the ground and feel what’s going on. You can’t be disconnected from the filed, I mean you need to be out there and shred. I have the final word on this but I work with a very good team of people that I really trust. We listen a lot to our riders, especially for the technical aspect of the outerwear. They also have their word on the design. And we also listen to the sales guys, it’s important too.

Rip Curl is a massive company in our industry. Is it not a problem to get reactive on the trends, fashion?

Rip Curl is a big company in surfing, not so much in snowboarding. In fact our team is pretty small and it can react pretty fast for whatever we need – a small limited collection or reacting on trends etc. It’s not all prefect for sure, but it’s good to be part of the Rip Curl DNA, for its roots aspects and its authentic identity. And that’s exactly this mix who makes working at Rip Curl such an unique experience. As of today, Rip Curl is still a private company, even a family company I would say. It’s still managed by its founders, Brian Singer and Claw Warbrick. They built the company during the hippie years of surfing, being core surfers themselves, and with quality wetsuits in mind. The product has always been the main thing in the company, and not the processes. Because of the simple and pragmatic approach, I don’t think we can picture Rip Curl as a massive brand, or heavy in term of processing the product, but it just gives us the chance to imagine maybe more possibilities than others.

Speaking about it, how would you describe the identity of the brand?

Fun, Technology, leadership, irreverence, belief, tradition, Search!

Having such a renowned name in surfing when it comes to technical gear, how was it to transfer this into snowboarding?

I think it’s just a question of respecting your values, which I have depicted in your previous question. If you keep the same line, the same way of seeing things or dealing with issues, then there is a great change the company’s DNA goes into everything you do. The main idea is to create quality and technical product, for the young, fun audience. For example, the Cocona technology (increasing the breathability of the outerwear), mixed with 4 way stretch material and applied on a multi-layer system – the Ultimate Gum Series, this is how we stick to our values of leadership and innovation in technology. This way, we offer one of the best multi-layer system out there in term of waterproofness, breathability and flexibility, that really makes your riding experience more comfortable, with a super competitive price.

What would you say at this stage are the main point of development for Rip Curl in snowboarding?

To focus more and more on quality, innovation, and technology. Even if that means reducing production numbers. We want to keep reaching to the core mountain lover who’s passionate about big mountain and backcountry.

Do you think we will see one day Rip Curl boards or Rip Curl boots in stores?

No, because it’s useless to start diverting into products where you don’t have the necessary expertise. I think it’s a much better idea to put our energy on what we do best, in order to make those strong points even stronger.

Victor Delerue Pro Serie jacket for next winter.

What product make you the most proud in this coming and yet to discover (in our Product Guide out this summer) 13/14 range?

In term of look, the Victor Delerue Pro Serie jacket. And in term of technicity, the Ultimate Gum Serie jacket.

What are you working on right now?

Winter 14-15 design.

Can you give us a little insight on the design trends for that line already?

A lot of punchy colors, and also some heritage looks. But I can’t tell you more right now… It’s secret you know!

Check Rip Curl’s website.

Davun Walsh, Cab 3 by Colin Adair.

This is the second entry in our column for this American photographer after this epic shot of Anto Chamberland. And this time, it’s no other that Devun Walsh himself who’s not only showing that he’s still ripping, but also puts Colin’s talent in the spotlight. Here’s the story behind the banger.

 Shooting up on Mt. Seymour in Vancouver, BC, where Devun Walsh grew up riding is always fun.

Camera: Canon EOS 1d Mark IV
Lens: Canon EF85mm 1.8
Speed: 1/1000
Aperture: f/5.6

THE TECH

Nothing too crazy here. Just natural light on an overcast day and my camera set to manual. I like to use the 85mm lens as much as I can because it’s so sharp and you get really good contrast, color and depth of field. I pushed the ISO to 200 in order to get my aperture up to 5.6 because even though I wanted some shallowness to the depth of field I still wanted it sharp as can be. The foreground trees are a bit of out of focus but not so much that it detracts from the photo. Even though Devun is wearing bright colors in the white environment I still tried to frame him in a bit of window between the trees so he pops out even more.

THE CONTEXT

Shooting up on Mt. Seymour in Vancouver, BC, where Devun Walsh grew up riding is always fun. A short hike up past the lifts and you’ve got some fun and varied terrain. There are a lot of trees so when it snows up there you can find great stuff to do and the light is good even on cloudy and foggy days. We definitely spend a few days up there shooting every year and it’s usually just like this because on the best sunny days we are up in Whistler in the backcountry. This photo ran on the back cover of Snowboarder Magazine in North America this winter. I was really happy to have it chosen even though I think it should have been on the front cover, haha!

Check Colin’s work on his website and follow him on his blog.

Also check all the previous photo tips on this Tag.

In only a few seasons, Mathieu Schaer has climbed up the shred ladder to become one of the main riders in the Absinthe crew. In fact, you only have to watch this overtalented Swiss ripper to realise how good he is, and how naturally he evolves in the backcountry. This, plus the fact that he also goes to university at the same time leaves us speechless. Like with Jari Sorasalmi, we met Mat in Meribel during the DC Shred Days and asked him about this mystery…

This season is now nearly over for most, how did it go for you?

This season wasn’t as good as the last one for me. I’ve been injured quite a bit and this knee injury bugged me for longer than expected this winter. I guess I got back too soon, and in the end it wasn’t a great idea. It’s kind of hard in the head when you know it’s going to hurt if you don’t land correctly… I also had less time to ride because of university. It was hard to get back into it as well since I had stopped my studies last year to concentrate fully on snowboarding. But next winter I will be more free again and will have more time to shred.

We always wonder how you manage to combine snowboarding and studies. How do you find the time to succeed in both?

Good question, ahah! I don’t really know. I do work a lot, I’m very motivated and I always try to organise my stuff in advance. It’s not always easy, for sure, like trying to study after a day out riding. But the good thing is, I love to switch from one to the other. Studying offers me more perspective than just snowboarding, and shredding help me stay focussed on what I want to achieve. Plus I get to meet all kinds of different people, and I sometimes have the impression to live 2 different lives! So I take it as a privilege, even though it’s demanding sometimes.

What was your best snowboard trip this winter?

We went twice in the Dolomites in Italy, it was cool. We had a crazy amount of snow there, and the mountains are beautiful and fun to ride. The good pizzas at cheap price don’t hurt either! They also put signs everywhere to stop people riding off piste, so most people stay on the piste and the backcountry stays spotless for days! That’s the best thing about it when you compare with how it is at home!

With Standard not making a video this winter, Absinthe got a few more riders on its rooster. Who are the ones that really impressed you?

Yes, we were stoked to get to ride with those guys. For example Mathieu Crepel, Nils Arvidsson and Victor Delerue are really sick riders and I was stoked to rider with them. They are not new in the game, but just shredding the backcountry with them is so amazing!

How was it to end your season in Meribel for the Shred Days? Generally park isn’t your thing?

The Shred Days were cool, it’s nice to be there and see all this people and feel the brilliant atmosphere. For sure park isn’t really what I’m used to, so I don’t go crazy. But it was really fun to ride there with the whole team, and watch the rail machines destroy the park. But it seems the season isn’t over for me yet! At this moment, it’s snowing in Saas Fee, so I’m off there now! After a good season like this, I wonuldn’t be surprised if there’s stuff to do until like end of May, for those who don’t mind walking a bit!

I know Alaska is one of your favorite place to ride. What’s your best story from this place?

Alaska is amazing, it’s like time stops when you’re there. This one time this fisherman brought us a King Crab, alive and enormous, saying that this was the best ever and that it’s really rare to find one, especially that big. Then he explained us how to prepare it. First you go by the ocean, put your hands in the animal’s mouth and pull his head back and crack it open. The you empty it, alive… You throw all the organs into the ocean and just keep the eatable part. Then you simply boil it into sea water. The best taste ever, but it was very disgusting to do all this to this poor animal. Especially the ‘head breaking technique’ didn’t go as well as expected… It was a bit of a carnage. But the taste was amazing, best thing I ever tasted!

Read all about Mathieu in the Profile we published a while back. Also check this short edit of Mat in his hood.

To read about the previous Miniviews, click this tag.

This young Finnish rider broke out on the Euro scene a few years back when he scored one of the strongest part in the French-Swiss production ‘La Cassette’ from Ero One. Still on the path of filming, Jani have found a new family with the locals from KBR and he’s doing pretty well with them too. We met him during the DC Shred Days in Meribel, where he killed the park with both his skills and motivation. So, in the end, who’s Jani?

 First thing, how were the DC Shred Days for you?

Shred Days was a perfect event for relaxing and having fun with all the DC people after filming most of the season for the upcoming KBR movie. Even though we did a lot of parkshootings and some ads in Meribel before and during the Shred Days, it was still a lot more relaxing time than filming for a moviepart. Good parties and good people as well!

What are you up to now?

Right now I’m visiting home for a few days. After Shred Days I went to Davos for MBM magazines photoshoots and I just got back home two days ago. The season is pretty much over in Helsinki and we were supposed to go straight away to North Finland but it’s been too bad weather up there so we decided to stay a few extra days at home. Actually it’s pretty good to have a couple days break and just chill at home a little bit.

When are you finishing your season?

I think we are going to spend 2-3 weeks at North Finland for the last parkshoots and of course for Wappulounas. After that the season will be over at least for me.

I remember your sick part in Ero One’s ‘La Cassette’. Now you’re with KBR, how different is it for you?

It was really good times to film with Ero One and I learned a lot especially about backcountry riding with those guys. But for sure it’s been easier for me to be back filming with a Finnish crew. About half of the KBR crew, including one filmer, lives now around Helsinki so it’s been really easy to organize all the street sessions. And when most of the crew spend their season in Helsinki, there is no hurry to film the streetrails. At least for me it’s much better to ride at least once or twice a week just for fun in my home resort Serena to keep up the motivation.

Does it feel more natural to film for a Finnish project?

Yeah for sure. I have never learned French so pretty often I had no idea what was going on around me and for example what were the guys talking about the spots. Of course they did speak English to me but I know it’s sometimes really weird to speak English with your friends from the same country even if there is a foreigner around… Actually this season it’s been pretty much the opposite for our French filmer Jon Vital, who used to be Ero Ones filmer before. Now he even has the Finnish spring ahead, so we really have to try to speak some English too!

What can we expect from ‘Golden Years’ coming out this fall? What would you say are the strong points of the footage – although it’s not edited yet?

What I know is that there has been really motivated crew behind it, so there is a lot of good footage for the movie. Lots of bangers that I have seen and heard from different riders. And after seeing the teaser, I’m sure the movie is going to be great!

What was you best trip this season?

It’s really hard to say. I spent a lot of time in the Alps this season and had so good luck with the weather every time so there were for sure no bad trips on this season at all. But if I have to choose one anyway, maybe it’s our trip to Les Crosets with the KBR crew in January. We had a lot of fun there and it was the most productive backcountry trip for the movie.

What are your expectations for next winter, what would you like to achieve?

I haven’t planned next season yet at all but I hope it’s going to be at least as good as this season. Most importantly I want to stay healthy, ride a lot of powder and film a good videopart!

Everything on the DC Shred Days on this tag, and about KBR productions on this one.

Marc Salas, Nollie Back Tail to Fakie, Are, Sweden © Matt Georges

Our French senior photographer Matt Georges once again shares his thoughts, doubts and passion about snowboard photography. Not only do you get to fix your eyes on a banger, but hopefully you also learn how to take better photos yourself!

Marc SALAS – Nollie BackTail to Fakie – Are, Sweden

Aperture: f/4,5
Speed: 1/100th
ISO: 400
Camera: CANON EOS 1D MARK II N
Lens: Fisheye CANON 90mm Tilt-Shift

2 Flashes connected with Pocket Wizards Radioslave

I’m not so sure about the flash at the bottom right behind the car window…

THE TECH

When I go on a trip I try to think about a general feel or style I want to have for my photos. For this trip and because it’s only night time up north in Sweden at that period I knew we will only shoot with flashes and lights so I bought those “stars filters” to make obviously all the lights look like stars, wishing it won’t look too cheesy at the end. Well I was right because I really think it looks cheesy at some point, especially in colors with the flare added. It can work in Black and White thought so I shot a bunch for the rest of the trip. On this photo I had set up 2 flashes as backlights to get this silhouette feel and to had two more “stars” to the composition. I’m not so sure about the flash at the bottom right behind the car window. At first I thought it looks cool but the more I see the photos the less I like it. The rest of the stars are random lights. I have used a tilt-shift lens but as a normal 90mm which is really sharp. The composition itself is pretty simple and the photo is kind of cut in two parts from the top left to bottom right.

THE CONTEXT

That was the first trip of the season, beginning of december in cold and dark Are, up north in Sweden with the Euro Forum team 3 winters ago. I remember Gerben Verweij from Holland drove all the way up with his trailer full of lights, generators, shovels, winch etc. for a solid 48hrs, drinking at least 50 cans of energy shit and probably smoking 6 packs of cigs. Who said snowboarding is a healthy sport? Anyway, we started the trip with this very good looking but unfriendly wooden rail and had to freeze the wood with water before hitting it. Marc has this Spanish mellow touch and got this smooth skateboard south style when riding and nailed this tech trick pretty quickly. He even did it few times to get other angles. Thanks Pollo!

Check Matt’s website. And if you want to see the previous ‘Behind The Shot’ articles, here’s the tag.

Jake Blauvelt has been following his own agenda for a few seasons now, and earned the respect of all his peers for his big mountain freestyle abilities. His movie Naturally is the best example of the flawless, aesthetic style of the Vermont native. The teaser is mouth-watering enough to attest it. We caught up with him just as he was about to come to Europe and visit his Euro-brother in shred, Fredi Kalbermatten. And in case you missed the Naturally teaser, you’ll also have the opportunity to catch up on this incredible void in your snowboardistic knowledge…

You had a pretty special winter so far, can you give us an overview of what went down for you these recent months?

The First film trip of the winter was to Hokkaido, Japan. I went there with Eric Jackson to film in the deep light pillows. It’s always a nice way to start the season snowshoeing around and hitting mini golf pillows and slashes down there. Then we came back to North America and filmed at Monashee Powder Snowcats with Shayne Pospisil who I grew up with on the east coast. Next was to SIA and ISPO trade shows, and while we were at ISPO the snow started dumping so Eric Jackson and the rest of the crew and I drove to France and linked up with Fredi K. After that I was off to UltraNatural for the week, and then to Eagle Pass Heli in Revelstoke to film deep pillows in the trees. Lastly, I was north of Whistler, BC once again with E-Jack, heliing with Black Tusk. It’s been a whirlwind to say the least, but we’ve been hitting the snow real well, staying healthy for the most part, and stacking hammers!

How has shooting for Naturally been so far?

It’s been good. We’ve been lucky to hit the snow well everywhere we’ve been, and lately we’ve been able to shoot Ciniflex in British Columbia, which really gives the film a unique look into the lines we’ve been riding.

How did you manage to include such a sick crew of riders?

Luckly a lot of riders on the roster share at least one of the same sponsors as me so it’s easy in that sense. We’ve just kinda gone with the flow for the past two winters and seen who is available at the time and tried to make it work. I look up to and respect all the riders that I invite on trips, so it’s an honor to shred with them and have them be a part of the flick.

Can you name them and define the best quality for each one of them?

Terje Haakonsen- Flow and natural ability
John Jackson- Huge airs and powerful riding
Eric Jackson- Stomping ability and overall stoke for everything
Nicolas Muller- Unique lines and sick style
Shayne Pospisil- Powder surfing and sick slashes
Fredi Kalbermatten- Swiss precision and stomping bolts
Kazu- sleeping samurai… all around talent on anything in front of him

How hard is it to explore a new direction in snowboarding, like you’re doing in Naturally?

I wouldn’t say we’re exploring a new direction in snowboarding. It’s more bringing it back to it’s roots and where it all started. All the first shred films were riders ripping everything the mountain had to offer. They didn’t have the perfect parks and pipes, but were just as happy jumping off tiny bumps and cracking methods. That’s what we’re trying to show in Naturally is the pure essence of snowboarding in the mountains, on whatever they give us. It doesn’t feel difficult at all, I’d say the complete opposite. It feels natural. We’re just going with the flow of winter and trying to shred as much terrain as the mountains give us.

You also participated in the UltraNatural a few weeks ago, how was this?

It’s an amazing event with the craziest crew of riders there, both judges and competitors. I rode like shit, but still had a blast taking cat laps once the event was over. The snow wasn’t great, which made it pretty difficult landing off from the features, but all in all it was a good time. It’s not my favorite kind of riding, but it’s an honor to be invited and one of the only contests I could see myself competing in.

Is this the only kind of contest you can imagine doing for now?

Never say never, but I don’t have any desire to do the majority of freestyle contests that go on lately. It seems like style and creativity are often overlooked in the regular contest circuit, but the UltraNatural definitely takes that into consideration. It’s always hard to judge style and creativity though… I also like racing like the Banked Slalom and Dirksen Derby. There’s no argument there… Your time is your time.

To use the last sentence in the teaser: where you’re gonna go? What you’re going to do next?

Well, we’re up here in Norther B.C at Last Frontier Heli waiting for some snow so we can rip some bigger, more AK looking lines, and then we’ll be heading to Saas Fee with Fredi K to ride up on the glacier. I’ve never been to Saas Fee so it should be good to check out a new place.

Check Jake’s website for all the updates on Naturally, and to follow his blog!

To check back on all the Miniviews, click this link.

The DC Area 43 Mottaret park in Meribel saw 3 days of fun and shred from an all-star cast, despite the changing weather.

The DC Chalet has been busy all season long but last week was kind of the apotheose of a full, fun and productive season for the DC crew. For this final gathering, some of the team’s superstars showed up, as well as most of the Euro, French, GB and Spanish teams. Check it: Lauri Heskari, Mat Schaer, Piotr Janosz, Jani Sorasalmi, Elias Veijola, Rachida Aoulad, Dimitri Biau, Petr Horak, Mons Roisland, amazing 8 year old Benni Fridbjornsson, Lucas Benacchio, Franck Moissonnier… The list was long, and the show at the bottom of the piste on Wednesday was epic. The minishred course built after a first day on the park was taken by force by thousand of tourists and seasonnaires at the Rond Point, and 8 year old Benni pretty much killed it and got the respect of the crowd with pretty nice airs on the corner and frontflips on the volcano.

Lauri also brought his friends Eero Ettala and Heikki Sorsa along to film some ore for the fifth episode of Cooking with Gas season 2. They also represented proudly on that minishred session by throwing some of the biggest airs of the day, way above an half drunk half ecstatic crowd.

The park was where the stuff happened all season but for the Shred Days it all started on a street rail the night before: Jani and Elias pretty much destroyed a super long rail in Mottaret village – didn’t count the stairs but it was freaking long before the things even started. At least Elias will go back home with a banger, because injury didn’t leave him alone for very long: the gap flat down on the park punished a front board with a bad slam on the shoulder. And on the same day, Basa Stevulova, who was around with the rest of the Roxy crew, took also a super hard slam on the rail into town (the one from the first night), and had to go to hospital for a head check – she’s now fine. In the park earlier that day, Elias and Jani managed to transfer the massive hip in the middle of the park – that’s just before Elias got hurt… While Lucas and the Frenchies were concentrating on 7s from the two mid down kickers.

The second day on the park was pretty foggy and white, but that didn’t stop neither the little boardercross style course, country by country – I think the Frenchies won this – nor the BBQ up the hill. But you know, the Shred Days are also about the parties, and every night was a great night, filled with surprises, like this amazing magician playing tricks to Lauri and his friends.

The final day was more mellow, and the visit to the park got shortened by a pretty wintery weather. But the mission was easily accomplished, and that’s not even talking about the final night with concert on the ice ring, lead by Ministry of Sound / London.

Thanks again DC for the great times, we always love to come to Meribel, and we’ll be back!

More photos here: www.facebook.com/DC.Area43

Sage Kotsenburg. Photo: Thomas Copsey

When he wasn’t snapping epic selfies or follow-camming homie Eric Willett at last week’s GoPro Snowcamp in Laax, we fount the time to sit down with US ripper Sage Kotsenburg to chinwag about contests, style and why Halldor Helgason is a big influence on his approach to snowboarding…

I guess, seeing as they’ve fed us super well, that we should begin by talking about this GoPro Snowcamp…

Yeah, we’ve been in Laax for the GoPro camp and it’s been crazy all week. Just super sick weather apart from one day, sunset shoots, the whole crew cruising together, it’s been fun. Some of the guys and the chicks I don’t usually get to hang out with so it’s been fun to hang out with them and we’ve been filming each other and stuff, riding with each other and just getting to use the camera. I mean me and Eric [Willett] use the cameras like almost every day so me and him had a bunch of fun because it was just like another day, you know, and some people found out how to use them more. It was just a sick experience because it was the first thing like it; everyone got to goof around, get some sick shots too, we filmed a little – most of the time it’s just you filming or taking photos of you or someone else so it makes it that much more personal. It’s just so fun, you can make your own stuff like so easily. We used to use it like 4 or 5 years ago, when the first one was out or something, and it’s come a long way. It’s pretty rad.

I did good in some contests, got a bunch of shots – some shots for the movie – and now it’s just about filming for edits and filming a lot with GoPro in the spring.

And I guess you’ve been hitting the contest pretty hard all winter. Is it a nice change for you to just come here and have it be a bit more chilled?

Yeah, my winter’s been hectic too. I’ve also gone on a couple of trips with Nike for the movie they’re doing, so it’s been an insane winter for me. I haven’t been home at all, I’ve been filming in between all the contests, but it’s been the most fun I’ve had. It’s kinda crazy, I mean I don’t know how dudes like Lago for instance do it – he’s been doing it for a while – it’s certainly something I want to get into doing both [contests and filming] and it’s pretty crazy. But it’s been really sick to get to hang here and not be filming and stressing out for a movie part and doing contests and getting results. I did good in some contests, got a bunch of shots – some shots for the movie – and now it’s just about filming for edits and filming a lot with GoPro in the spring. We’re gonna be doing some stuff, so it’s just been so nice to come here and film with the GoPro crew and just… It’s been like vacation, you know? Euro X is done, there’s pretty much like park shoots and stuff left so it’s just all fun from here on out.

You mentioned edits. I was wondering about Lick The Cat that we’ve seen a bit of over here. What’s that all about?

Lick The Cat is pretty much a bunch of dudes having fun, riding the park and this year it’s been tough to film because everyone’s been gone or got hurt so we’ve made two or three edits this year and normally we’d have like twice as many so far, so it’s been tough to film this year but we’re gonna go to Big Bear, get some Tahoe action, and some Park City for Spring Break The Movie II – it’s just like a stupid 10 minute movie that we make just having fun snowboarding, we’re gonna go to the beach, we’re just gonna film it all and make a movie and people seem to like it and people seem to like our edits. It’s just good fun.

I just think sometimes you need to chill out on just spinning and flipping with the same grab. Not even doing more spins but just doing the same spins that you’ve been doing for 5 years with the same grab… it’s just so boring to watch for me.

The level of snowboarding is pretty mental right now. There’s this small contest coming up in Sochi next year so how much gnarlier do you think it’s going to get leading up to that?

This year it’s been like a lot of kids have been, in between contest, going and learning tricks and learning triples and stuff – I put one to my feet but I haven’t landed one yet so in the spring I’m definitely going to learn one, got a couple of shoots lined up just to learn some new tricks. For me all season in between contests I was filming so I wasn’t trying any new tricks, I was learning about contests and stuff so it’s been hectic – for other guys too but on my side it’s just been so crazy all year and so it’s going to be nice to sit back in the spring and learn triples and learn double 12s with different grabs because that’s kinda like my style – just doing doubles and 12s and stuff with different grabs and not just doing tricks with like one grab which I think is so wack. I try to do like back double 10 Japans or front double 10 truckdriver, and I’ve got some other ones I want to start trying. It’ll be fun to start doing that stuff and keep it creative instead of just adding more spins and flips, which I think is cool, I’m definitely down – I’ve done 1440s and stuff and I think it’s rad – but I just think sometimes you need to chill out on just spinning and flipping with the same grab. Not even doing more spins but just doing the same spins that you’ve been doing for 5 years with the same grab… it’s just so boring to watch for me. It’s like if you’re that good at snowboarding you should be trying different grabs and stuff making it entertaining to watch, I think.

I think that’s part of why I hear a lot of people dissing contests or even where snowboarding’s going because they think it’s spin to win, looks ugly and they just want to see front 3s, Methods, back 5s…

Yeah, there’s a balance somewhere in between. Obviously you have to spin and flip a ton to win a contest now but I do think there’s a nice in between. Like if you did a couple double 10s and 12s with insane grabs… I think that should equal a triple for sure, if you did like a double 9, a double 10 and a triple it doesn’t make sense that if you’re mixing up crazy grabs and progressing it that way that should kind of equal out I think. I think it’s rad that people… like Halldor is super sick, doing like the Lobster Flip and doing double barrel rolls and stuff. Judges give the double barrel roll no love just because it’s not spinning…

Wait, really?

Yeah, it’s been kinda crazy. He didn’t make the final at Freestyle.CH with it I think and we were all like “Whaat? No one’s ever done that before!”

That’s the second sickest trick I’ve seen Halldor do. The sickest is that super inverted front 3.

The front 3 RODEO?! He’s so mad it’s awesome, I guess that’s where my inspiration for doing like different grabs with doubles kinda came from was from him doing crazy stuff. It’s definitely rad.

When those little kids are my age then I’ll let them do the progressing that we’re doing now and they can chose the way that they want to do it, whether they want to do a pentacork 18000 or a double thing with a Rocket air, you know? [laughs]

Have you ever considered how gnarly it must be for the groms these days who have dreams of becoming pro snowboarders? I mean there’s 13-year-olds doing triple corks…

I feel so bad for the kids! I feel so horrible for, not for where snowbarding’s going, but for the kids that have to do what we’re doing younger. Because when those kids are my age I’m going to be well into filming hopefully, I’ll be out of contest you know? I’ll be trying to just Cherokee fade at that point. When those little kids are my age then I’ll let them do the progressing that we’re doing now and they can chose the way that they want to do it, whether they want to do a pentacork 18000 or a double thing with a Rocket air, you know? [laughs]. I feel so bad for those kids because they’re going to be doing the gnarliest stuff. It’s cool to see though, those kids are killing it. I remember like watching people that I looked up to when I was young and trying to do the tricks that they were doing but I never even got close, and now those kids are having to look at what we’re doing…

Who were those guys you looked up to?

When I was probably 12 to 13 it was like Danny Kass, Travis Parker a ton on the filming side, David Benedek – he was always crushing it, doing so many doubles and stuff and he was progressing crazy spins and corks and it was so rad to see, and the guys like Travis Parker and stuff were just cruising around killing it doing single cork back Rodeo 10s, which I think is almost probably gnarlier than a double cork rodeo 10. Those guys are pretty rad, I think.

Going back to what you touched on earlier. Do you enjoy doing contests? Or is it just a necessary thing you have to do to establish yourself?

I like contests a ton, It’s what I grew up doing. I live off of… like if we’re playing a contest here for who can get the best photo of the week I’m like ‘man I hope I win that contest!’ It’s just cool to have something to aim for, but it’s definitely not the end all for me. If I don’t want to do contests any more then I’m gonna go film, but I love doing both. I think it’s so rad if you can do both it’s so sick because you can go film and do that stuff and then come back to a contest and kill it… I think it’s like the sickest feeling.

Last question: how does it feel to be always asked how you feel about stuff?

[Laughs] It’s interesting, because usually when people ask me that I feel like crap. Really sore, tired, jetlagged and I’m like ‘Yeah, we’re at this sick contest, it’s so much fun,’ when the course probably is like a sub-par Olympic qualifier event and I’m jetlagged from travelling and stuff and pretty much just putting a smile on my face. Yeah, it’s pretty funny I guess [laughs]. Sometimes you make the best of being tired and sore, but it’s what we do and I have so much fun being tired and sore [laughs].

Anto Chamberland, Miller Flip, Quebec City © Colin Adair.

Colin Adair and his beard have been picturing snowboarding for a good while now, and the American native is considered as one of the main talents in the industry. Colin has been traveling across the planet for clients like DC, Red Bull, Burton, The North Face, Monster, and he’s regularly published in tons of different magazines, including ours. Here’s his first entry to your beloved Behind The Shot feature.

Anto Chamberland – Miller Flip – Quebec, Canada.

Camera: Canon EOS 1d mark IV

Lens: Canon EF 70-200 f4 shot at 109mm

Speed: 1/125

Aperture: f5.0

Flashes: Mix of Elinchrom Ranger and Canon 580 EX speedlites

If it’s too low at night it’s easy for autofocus to miss your spot and blow the shot. I usually focus with auto and then turn the lens to manual focus before getting the shot.

The Tech

I shoot urban and jibbing probably once or twice a year, 2 weeks total for the whole winter I’d say. I like working with flashes and lighting even though I curse and yell at them because they never work properly when you want them to. The cold temperatures and moist air really messes with the electronics and remote triggering signals. I always like to have one big powerful flash with one or two heads (Elinchrom Ranger kit) to create the ambient light and then use smaller flashes hidden from view closer to the subject to create the highlights. Pretty basic stuff but if you do it properly it looks great. If you don’t do it properly your images will look really flat and unexciting. I chose to shoot at 400 ISO mostly because the smaller flashes aren’t too powerful so I needed more light to come in. I also wanted a bit more of an f/stop even though 5.0 is pretty low. If it’s too low at night it’s easy for autofocus to miss your spot and blow the shot. I usually focus with auto and then turn the lens to manual focus before getting the shot. I also like to add a bit of the light from the video lights into my photos. It adds color and texture. Using a shutter of 1/125 on this one let in some of that light but not too much to overpower the shot.

The Context

In this photo I couldn’t get the big flash exactly where I wanted because cars were driving by and having to run back and forth to move it all the time wasn’t an option. Anto Chamberland hit this thing only a few times and it was really cold (-20C) so I was happy to get the shot and get out of there. This spot is in a very small town in Quebec, Canada. People drive their snowmobiles in the streets when there is enough snow and at our hotel there were snowmobiles parked in the parking lot right outside the rooms. Anto is from that area and he knows a million spots so it’s great to link up with him for a week or so each year and get some shots.

Check Colin’s work on his website and follow him on his blog.

Also check all the previous photo tips on this Tag.

Fresh from the slopestyle contest here in Tignes that saw this French Canadian ripper one-up his friend McMorris and Finnish machine Piiroinen, we grabbed a few words with the best rider of the day – Monsieur Seb Toutant.

How does it feel to win such an event in ahead of your friend Mark McMorris?

It’s cool! We were also on the podium together in Aspen, and it’s the best way to finish the season. I didn’t achieve my best season this year, so it’s even better to finish it off with the X Games gold!

What does this medal represent for you?

It means a lot. It represents all the work and effort that I put in my riding, it’s a wonderfull reward for all this. I’m going to keep this medal all my life now, I’m sure I’ll be still proud of it when I get old! The X Games might happen every year, but it’s still a very prestigious event to win.

How would you see it compared to the Olympics?

It’s for sure different. Ok the common point is, a victory is a victory, you know. But for the rest, it’s not the same vibe. At the Olympic, Mr and Ms Smith can watch you, they know about the Olympics. The riders take it a bit differently as well I guess. But for me the X Games as just as prestigious. Proof is, the level you’ve seen today, and that level will keep growing as well. And each big comp pushes the riders to progress and throw down bigger stuff.

And I’m sure winning those gives you a lot of confidence for the future, right?

For sure, it feels like the more you win in one season, the more you get chance to win the following event. that’s called confidence, for sure.

What did you think of the course today?

When I first saw it, I found the kickers a bit small, even the rails. But after practicing on it, it happened to be quite creative with lots of rail options, as well as taking maximum speed for the jumps, which were very secure and fun to ride. So in the end, it wasn’t the biggest, but I had a lot of fun. I wish I could ride that course everyday! And the good conditions helped tremendously as well to make the most out of it.

What’s your program for the rest of the season?

I’m going to the Shake Down in Montreal, this will be my last contest this season. Then I’m going to shoot some street rails. I have now a filmer – Sunset Film Productions – that follows me at competitions and on every shoot, so I can be efficient at producing stuff. We bought a Red camera to optimize things so hopefully it pays off! I plan to go to Superpark as well. The shoots are important too, even though I’ve always concentrated more on the contest side of things. Both are good to do.

Precisely. You don’t miss the Canadian backcountry too much?

For sure, I also love backcountry. But you know I think I’ll have time to do more of that and put all my energy in it later in my career. For the moment I’m lucky enough to win some contests and do well on the competitive side of things. Plus I think riding contest helps my overall level, I become a better rider doing all these contests, my bag of tricks is growing and hopefully when it’s time to go shooting full time, I’ll be able to throw down some interesting video parts!