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.

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!

Nico by Jeff Curtes.

We catched Nico on his way to Baldface for Trice’s well expected Ultra Natural this week-end, and right after he got voted Rider of the Year at the TWS Rider’s Poll Awards. A well deserved prize, after too banging parts in one season, with Absinthe and with the Pirates. That’s already a few questions to ask him right there…

Nico, Rider of the Year at the TWS awards: is it the first time, and what does this mean to you?

This is the first time I got the award indeed, and it feel good of course. My personal goal has always been to have as much fun as possible so it’s rad to see all my fellow snowboarders vote that kind of riding. It’s an honour and pretty huge deal over here in the States. People high 5 me left and right, it’s funny.

You also recently rode the Mt Baker Banked Slalom, what did you think of this experience?

Best experience in a long time. I think every pro snowboarder should at some point do that event. The amount of different people that come together from Pioneers, Legends and young riders is incredible. The Mt.Baker Banked Slalom stands for riding, no matter who you are let’s see how you turn your snowboard and may the fastest win.

We’ve recently seen more and more snowboarding legends participate to contests – not only Mt Baker but also at Air & Style etc. How do you see that yourself?

It’s great, I see these events more like festivals. Like cultural snowboard gatherings and it’s always best when generations clash.

Another trend at the moment is splitboarding. Have you tried personally?

I just got one and I feel like once I really go for a mission I won’t want to do anything else anymore…

Next for you is the Ultra Natural. What do you remember from last year’s edition, and what do you expect this time?

My memories from last year are nothing but an amazing time up in one the most beautiful lodges in BC with a roster of legendary snowboard friends. It’s like the dream event. And for the next few days to come I don’t expect anything else. It’ll be lots of fun in the pow and for sure some adrenalin once it’s on and time to drop in.

On this event, what is you tactics: do you pick a line and decide all the tricks in advance, or you more keen to let your instinct do it for you?

I will know what I’ll do once I drop in but at this point I can’t even think about it. It’ll drive me crazy. You wanna stay calm untill you see the course from the side on the warm up day. It’s a long run so there will be moments of improvision for sure. The strategy has got to be to just enjoy yourself and go with the flow.

If you still haven’t seen Nico’s part in the latest Absinthe flick Resonance and want to find out why and how Nico got his Rider of the year Award, just watch this:

We are continuing our Miniview series with another very talented and outgoing ripper, coming from Poland and by the name of Wojtek Pawlusiak. Born in 1986 in Bielsko Biala, Poland, Wojtek rapidly overtook the borders of his native country to become one of the most respected jibbers in Europe – although just like ordinary people, he can take some beatings sometimes from sliding on metal, like the picture shows. Sponsored by Burton, Analog, Red Bull, Anon and Nixon, Wojtek is not only an amazing rider, but also a damn funny character. Here’s his Miniview…

So where are you at and what are you up to?

WP: I’m in Sweden now in Sundsvall. Filming for new Isenseven project, it’s been 4 days already and except the last session it’s going good .

Where was your first shred of 2013?

WP: My first shred of 2013 was actually here in Sweden ! 25 stair downrail !

What would be your best wish for yourself in 2013?

WP: My only wish in 2013 is to stay helthly, without any injuries !

What is the next trip you’re really looking forward to?

WP: I would like to organize a trip to Canada with Burton riders Ludde Lejkner and Niels Schack, i’m so looking forward to hit all the spots I see in the movies with the best crew under the sun !

Where would you recommend to go riding in Poland?

WP: The whole Poland is amazing and good for street riding but if you wanna go ride some mountains, the only decent place is Zakopane in Tatras Mountains.

And because I know you’re good at it: your best recent joke?

WP:A: Doctor, will I be able to play the piano after the operation?
B: Yes, of course.
A: Great! I never could before!

While you’re here, you might as well check Wojtek’s full part in Kaleidoscope if you haven’t seen it yet.

The Polish shreddinator is our third Miniview subject, and if you want to read the previous ones, click here for Kazu Kokubo’s, and here for Dan Brisse’s. Oh and if you want to find out more on Wojtek and follow his blog, just go there.

 Portrait by Yarrek.

Kazu in Japan © Sami Tuoriniemi.

Miniview for a maxi rider by the name of Kazuhiro Kokubo. After Dan Brisse a few weeks back, Kazu is our second rider in this new web feature, just because he’s awesome, and also because his recent moves to CAPiTA snowboards, Union bindings and Adidas outerwear have created a real buzz around the Nippon master. A ‘new year’s style’ Miniview to see what the Kazu’s up to.

So where are you at and what are you up to?

KK: I am in Colorado getting ready for X Games

Where was your first shred of 2013?

KK: We did Stonp trip in Hokkaido filming for Stonp or Die 2. Snow is so good in Japan now.

What is the worst/best for you about living in the States?

KK: Worst is, it is not Japan. Best is, it is not Japan.

What would you dream to achieve in 2013?

KK: I just want to keep riding and have fun. If I do good at a contest cool, if I don’t, that’s cool too. Just have fun.

What is the next trip you’re really looking forward to?

KK: SuperNatural. So stoked to go back this year.

Where would you recommend to go riding in Japan?

KK: Everywhere is so good right now. Hokkaido is always best!

Sylvain Bourbousson – Frontside 5 – Stranda, Norway © Matt Georges. Click the image to see it BIG.

Behind the Shot is a new regular on this site, and will bring you every week or so an iconic shot from an iconic photographer, where he explains the context of the photo session, as well as all the technical aspects you might want to know about. You are a snowboard photo geek? This is for you!

Let’s start with one of our long time senior photographer, Matt Georges.

Here’s his breakdown:

Sylvain Bourbousson – Frontside 5 – Stranda, Norway

Camera: Hasselblad FCW2003
Lens: Carl Zeiss T* 150mm F.4
Film: FUJI 400VC
Speed: 1/1000e
Aperture: f16

The Tech

With the old medium format cameras, you can only find fixed lens, no zoom. So you need to get your legs out and find the right angle and distance for the compisition of shot you want to have. Here, I used a Carl Zeiss T* 150mm f/4 lens, giving a 6X6cm format, which pretty much correspond to a 100mm lens for a classic 35mm format.

When I shoot with the Hasselblad, I often shoot from the ground. It give me the texture I want for the foreground, and gives more pop to the rider. I learn that through my years of shooting skateboard photos, laying down in dog piss more often than I would like…

In my composition, I pretty much respected the 1/3 rules, at least vertically. It gives a certain rhythm to the shot with a distinct fore ground, second ground, back ground. Since I was shooting with a negative film 400 ISO that captures a lot of light, I needed a high speed to freeze the shot – minimum 1/1000th second – and with the sun striking, I could play a lot with a large depth of field and a closed up aperture like f16. The wide depth of field place the subject nicely into the scenery, and everything looks sharp although I did the focus on the kicker in the first place.

The Context

The North of Norway is a real nightmare when it comes to weather, and you’d better be ready to have some down days. Sometimes you wait for a good old week before you can get lucky enough for a sunny window. And sometimes when the light comes, it arrives together with the wind, which is not great for the riders. In short, it’s pretty tricky. So we had shaped a kicker during the storm so it would be ready in a blink for the first ray of sun. It had taken us 2 solid days of shaping under snow and rain, with the Absinthe crew filming for Twelve back then. The crew with me was Sylvain Bourbousson, David Bertshinger, Mat Schaer and filmer David Vladyka. A week after the shape, it was finally time for Bourbousson to guinea pig it with a nice and ballsy Frontside 5. He took it pretty much full speed despite the heavy wind and flew quite dangerously. There were rocks and ice patches all over the place. Basically, this is the one and only shot that got done on that lovely spot. A real shame. Really gutted, we decided to bail and move North to try and get some stuff down toward Narvik area. If the worste comes to worste, at least we’d have new bars to drown our sorrow in…

I would have loved to have more time and better conditions to shoot that spot, it just looked insane didn’t it! But who knows, we might be back one of those days! But what’s even more sad about this, is that this diptic collage should have made it into last year’s Onboard Photo Annual… That’s if some friend at the mag I won’t say the name – he’s bald and speaks funny – wouldn’t have forgotten about it. The shot didn’t make it into the final selection. Double bummer. But revenge taken, it’s now here on the site for your enjoyment!

Check out Matt’s new website.

Back in the day Eero and Heikki were inseparable: riding together, travelling together, filming together… but as time went on they inevitably got on different schedules and weren’t able to hang and shred as much as they’d like. But today the internet’s kind of a big deal and they’ve managed to pull it together to hook up and produce a series of webisodes, titled Cooking For Gas, that’ll follow their exploits this season as they beat the snow-chasing trail around the planet. Episode 1 will be live and exclusive on Onboard next week, so we caught up with the Finns in Japan to find out what we can expect.

Check out the chat, plus some exclusive action footage.

We’ve known li’l Jesse Augustinus for what seems like ever and he’s still only 16. How the hell does that work? Now we’ve got him to drop us his top 10 tunes and, well, if you’re down with hip-hop then get your g-thang on bitchezzz…

ALTHOUGHT ONLY 21-YEAR-OLD TOM KLOCKER IS ALREADY ONE OF THE BEST RIDERS ON THE INFAMOUS ISENSEVEN ROSTER. IN ISSUE #117 WE TOOK A GANDER AT THIS AUSTRIAN’S PASSAGE TO THE TOP. NOW WE HAVE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE EQUIPMENT THAT MAKES STOMPING THOSE SWITCH BACK 12S OH SO EASY…

Tom Klocker, Photo: Carlos Blanchard

FACTS

BIRTHDAY: 05.12.1990
HOME TOWN: Hippach, Tirol
HOME MOUNTAIN: Penken Park, Mayrhofen
STANCE: regular, 64cm, +13/-13
SPONSORS: Head Snowboards, Oakley, Moreboards & Transform Gloves

Board: Head Tribute I. 153

Why did you choose the Tribute I. out of all Head boards?

I actually tried most boards from the Head range. Of all of them the Tribute I. fi t my riding best. The flex is neither too soft nor too stiff, and it is perfect in the park, on rails, and in the BC. That’s why I chose this board. The board has a regular camber.

Why didn’t you jump on the reverse camber bandwagon?

I’m not a big fan of new shapes, that’s why I stayed with the regular camber boards. I think I will stick to regular camber for good.

Do you ride one length only or do you switch boards depending on the terrain?

In park, BC and for jibbing I ride the same board, but in the BC I ride a rocker shape. To me this is just better for pow. But I always stick to the same length.

Boots: Head Team Boa

What do you like most about your boots?

They are fairly lightweight and fi t my feet really well.

What do you like best: speed lacing, Boa or traditional lacing?

I prefer traditional lacing. I don’t think much of speed lacing, Boa is kind of cool, but I like regular laces the most.

BINDNG: Head NX Five

According to its description these bindings are ‘precise and in control.’ What else do you like about your bindings?

Exactly. These bindings are sick, a little different from the rest. They fi t around the boot really well and offer a very good hold.

Do you ride your bindings as they come straight from the box, or do you adjust them somehow?

I always change the straps for some extra stiff ones. But other than that they are perfect.

Outerwear: Oakley Jacket & Pants

What do you look for in your outerwear?

The jackets shouldn’t be too baggy but rather long and slim, and not too colourful. The pants should be slim around the knees, not too baggy, and most importantly not too tight.

What features do you like most about your Oakley Outerwear?

They always come with cool pockets, for example for your iPhone, and they always have sick cuts.

Back 1 over the infamous Helsinki gap, Photo: Sami Tuoriniemi

Gloves: Transform

What makes a perfect pair of gloves?

They have to be waterproof, warm enough in cold winters, and they shouldn’t be too stiff, or else you don’t have much feel in your fingers.

GOGGLES: Oakley

What do you like most about your goggles?

In terms of looks Oakley goggles are the best. And they also have the best lenses, perfect for all conditions.

Do you take various lenses up on the mountain – and if yes, which ones?

I usually take Polarised lenses up on the mountain. They are the best lenses by far, as you can see every bump no matter what the conditions are.

Extras

What else do you usually take on the mountain?

Most of the time I have a GoPro and my iPhone with me.