Following Nico on a run peppered with side hits is something every snowboarder should do. Thanks to Burton you can now achieve this without pitching up to Laax for the winter and stalking the poor dude like a mental.

A place like Mt. Baker is already basically a natural snowboard park for any riders, but for someone like Nicolas Müller, it’s heaven. Bouncing, buttering, and jumping off everything, it was hard to keep up with him for these follow cam shots, but watching him send it further and bigger than everyone else was jaw dropping.

The Red Bull Ultra Natural saw Gigi Rüf as its deserved winner, but fellow European and eighty-nine-times Rider of the Year Nicolas Müller was no small slouch on the Baldface run, either and came in second. Bryan ‘I Drink Water’ Fox scored third place with his run.

For more highlights from this one-of-a-kind competition you can check this edit from our friends at Snowboarder MBM Magazine.

Hello hello, Absinthe Films just dropped a profile on their most coveted rider, none other than Nicolas Müller. Listen to his peers describe his personality, riding style, and memorable moments while watching him lay down some of the steeziest action in the biz and lose 30 grand the easy way.

Nicolas Muller is hands down one of the most stylish snowboarders out there. A natural talent, Nico rides lines with a truly creative approach. He finds pure joy from being in the mountains strapped to his snowboard, and with style on par with Jaime Lynn and Terje Haakonsen, Nicolas’ riding is definitely worthy of admiration and emulation. Hear what his fellow Absinthe Films riders including Travis Rice, JP Solberg, and Annie Boulanger have to say about Nicolas.

BAUStrian Gigi Rüf takes the title at the second edition Red Bull Ultra Natural [previously called Super Natural - they had to switch the name for copyright reasons we heard] ahead of Nicolas Müller and wildcard Bryan Fox. Check the gallery of shots and a pretty sick course-prep video…

The second edition of Travis Rice’s backcountry freestyle competition of extraordinary magnitude went down on Baldface’s Scary Cherry run yesterday, with Gigi posting the highest score of the day to secure this pretty damn prestigious title. Basically the start list was a who’s who of next level backcountry freestyle and to run out as the winner here you need the winning mix of skill for days and spuds of steel. Gigi has both in spades.

Here’s a tasty course prep video that deals with the course setup. As for footage of the event proper you’ll have to wait. As last year, NBC has the rights to it and will drop the show on March 30th so hopefully after that we’ll be able to get our paws on some footy. However, as last year we’re sure some goodness will be leaked before. Stay tuned… 

RESULTS

1 - Gigi Ruef 
2 - Nicolas Mueller 
3 - Bryan Fox 
4 - Terje Håkonsen 
5 - David Carrier Porcheron 
6 - Mark McMorris 
7 - Eero Niemela 
8 - Pat Moore 
9 - Lucas Debari 
10 - Travis Rice 
11 - Jussi Oksanen 
12 - Bode Merrill 
13 - Jake Blauvelt 
14 - Wolfgang Nyvelt 
15 - Torstein Horgmo 
16 - Mikey Rencz

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’re sure there is still some resistance regarding the big sports brands entering the snowboard market, but come on: Watch this video and all you want to do is strap in and go riding yourself. And if you really need some additional information, this is a Nike clip of some heli-riding and pow slashing in Valle Nevado with the all-stars Gigi Rüf, Nicolas Müler, and Danny Kass plus local/Absinthe rider Maunel Diaz. “Set your drool meter to 11.”

One of the immutable Laws of Snowboarding is that any video with Nicolas Müller in it will be worth watching. Another is that riding with him is funner than a bath full of boobs, so watch this!

Doodah is a chain of Swiss snowboard stores who throughout the season will be sending some of their team riders to hook up and rip with shredding’s great and good at their gaff. They kick off by dropping in on the boss of bosses, Mr Nicolas Müller and hot-lap their way through Laax pow. Riding with Nico is one of the most enlightening experiences in shredding, and the boys clearly had a grand old time…

Riders: Menno Labruyère, Dario Kneubühler, Markus Mathis and Bastian Jauslin.

1. Len Roald Jorgensen in Norwegian Rippers Slay Colorado 

Arguably in the best park clip of the young year, Norwegian rookie Len Roald Jorgensen kicks things off with an amazing knuckle trick that is worth being put on constant repeat.

2. Rusty Ockenden in Pretty Wise Springtime Section

Even though things can’t get any more mid-winter we don’t care and gif you this nice topless, and darned near bottomless, backflip by Rusty Ockenden from the People Film Pretty Wise Springtime Section.

3. Nicolas Müller in his full part from Absinthe’s Resonance

To honour the guy who got more people stoked on our website than anyone else we converted Nicolas Müller’s astounding double cork in the Laax backcountry.

Behold, world. It’s Nicolas Müller’s FULL PART from Absinthe’s Resonance. With Nico’s pedigree for producing some of the most epic, inspiring video parts each winter, it’s not surprising that this was the most popular video part we posted in the whole of 2012. Even if yu sent it to the moon and back last night and are currently hanging on for dear life, this should blow the cobwebs away nicely…

Sit back, relax and have your mind blown. And Happy New Year!

1. Ulrik Badertscher in Shred Bots Do the Dew Tour

Ulrik Badertscher lays down a fricking 1620 and makes it look like a 1260. Amazing.

2. Scott Stevens in Videograss at Bear Mountain

Scotty Stevens is always good for some dazzling snowboard move. Here he is again with some one-footed jib madness. It is as much joy to watch as is every single clip he appears in.

3. Nicolas Müller in his Nixon Welcome Video

While most brands’ welcome videos are pure boredom things change when it is about Nicolas Müller, the most beloved snowboarder on this side of our galaxy. And when you’re done admiring a classic powder turn we recommend checking out his full part from the latest Absinthe snowboard movie Resonance.