The final installment of the Nike Snowboarding Project is live. Directed by Absinthe’s Justin Hostynek, this lo-fi, pow heavy part features Nicolas Müller, Gigi Rüf, Danny Kass and Eric Jackson and will make you want to ride your snowboard. We hit up Gigi and Danny for some chat…

GIGI RÜF

Gigi Rüf. Photo: Cole Barash

You’ve had a long relationship with Absinthe films. How did that relationship begin?

I have know Brusti as a photographer for many years, before he switched to a film camera and became part of Absinthe Films with Justin Hostynek. That was in the year 2001 when I filmed one day in Laax with Nicolas Müller. Absinthe helped many European riders to get recognition.

And what is it about Absinthe’s movies and methods that makes you want to come back for more each year?

As you propose the history that encompasses us and I must say it’s an evolved group dynamic with the same sort of vision to go about an experience.

A big part of chapter 3′s aesthetic is the lo-fi, analogue feel of the edit. How would you explain the virtues of this kind of moviemaking to a kid who’s been accustomed to seeing cineflex, 1000fps phantom cam, ultra crisp HD footage?

I would suggest to look at it the way you perceive it. It is black and white, so love it or hate it.

In the edit, you’re riding with Nico, Danny and Eric. How’s the dynamic between you when you’re riding and shooting?

That’s easy because together we have the best time possible. We know that we are some lucky fishes. So there really is not one dull moment.

For you, where do those dudes sit in your all-time list of awesome snowboarders?

High fivers no doubt.

Not only do you usually lock down a heavy absinthe part each year, you also usually produce an equally heavy part in your homies the Pirates films. Plus now you have things like this Chapter 3, and the X Games Real Snow Backcountry… we want to know: do you have an identical twin or two? How the hell do you manage to be so productive?

I probably take this snowboarding thing way too seriously.

As if you didn’t have enough to keep you occupied, last year you started your own snowboard brand, Slash. What made you want to go there?

Must be some sort of thrill that I get by constructiveness.

How has year one gone for Slash? And do you have plans you can share for year two already?

My focuses are within the four boards, refining each boards ingredients for distinct character that could divide the most relevant genres of snowboarding.

Finally, resorts are set to open imminently. Where is the first place you’ll go snowboarding this season, and do you have an idea of how this winter will pan out for you?

Well I spend the joy of the seasons splendor sucking in that clean fresh air while playing in the snow with my kids, riding my home mountain, drinking tea and eating cookies for now.

DANNY KASS

Danny Kass. Photo: Frode Sandbech

You’ve only just begun your relationship with Absinthe films. How did that come about, and what was your impression of the crew and their movies before you filmed with them?

I have always watched Absinthe videos not just for there epic camerawork but the riders and terrain they focused on. I loosely made a plan with Brusti at ISPO and once getting on a trip with Justin for the Nike project it was on. I spent most of my winter bouncing around the Austria and Switzerland with Brusti.

As we asked Gigi, how do you explain analogue filming to a kid raised on a diet of ultra crisp HD? 

It’s the complete opposite feel to something with extreme slow-mo and over set up tricks. It’s about riding in the storm and catching the shot while enjoying the ride. When I watch I can feel the trip as I’m there that moment. It’s a real movie when you shoot all year and get to see the shots put together with no replays or second trys.

In this edit it’s you, Gigi, Nico and EJack. How was that for you?

We had such an amazing crew. It’s rad cause everyone has there own style but everybody sees stuff differently. Eric is always flying off of something that turns out to be so fun. Shredding with Gigi is like going to a punk show on hill with so much good energy you know something nuts is going to happen.

For you, where do those dudes sit in your all-time list of awesome snowboarders?

For filming videos and riding backcountry/resorts they are at the top of my list. They have a style of riding that is the blood of snowboarding. Nicolas has a way of painting the slope and finding every bump and shoot to air off of.

From what you said hooking up with Absinthe happened pretty late last year. Would you be stoked to hook up with them to film this coming season? Is it already on the cards?

Yeah, I am excited to film more with them. Gonna be doing a few projects but after last season I look forward to more trips with those guys.

When we interviewed Louie Vito a while back he said you told him to ‘ride the contest train as long as you can – there’s plenty of time to film after’. Are you now at the stage where you’re wanting to devote less of your energies to competing and more to filming stuff like you did with Absinthe?

I have done a lot in the contest circuits and still enjoy riding parks and pipes. I feel like there’s a lot of arenas of snowboarding. For me right now I can dedicate more time to learning and progressing my filming side. As a snowboarder we are always chasing the storm and I would like to keep riding wherever that snow falls.

Finally, where are you going to go snowboarding next?

Mammoth mountain, CA. Come get some, the mountain’s open.

Watch some bangers from Gigi Rüf’s 8mm camera and get hyped for the final backcountry instalment of the Nike Snowboarding Project, dropping December 11.

The third and final chapter of Nike’s Snowboarding Project is set to drop on December 11, features Gigi Rüf, Danny Kass, Nicolas Müller and Eric Jackson sending it in the backcountry, is produced by Absinthe’s Justin Hostynek, and this bonus edit focussed on stuff shot on Gigi’s 8mm film camera will get you pumped for the full, lo-fi experience…

Here’s the Swoosh chat: For the backcountry chapter, Justin Hostynek and crew took things back to basics. In this bonus video, Nicolas Muller, Gigi Ruf and Danny Kass spend are captured on Super 8 film, and take some time to reflect on the changing landscape of the video world. Stay tuned for the premiere of the full edit on 11.12.12

Louie Vito. Photo: Nike

Nike will drop part 2 of their self-titled Snowboarding Project any minute now, so we took the opportunity to hit up Louie Vito, get the dirt on the edit and grill him on, amongst other things, the upcoming Olympics and if pipe triples are on the cards…

Chapter 2 is centred on the hammers that got thrown down at the Nike Chosen Sessions last winter, where the whole team rolled into Montafon for a week of sending it in the most elaborate park setup we’ve ever seen, had fun with Phantom cams in the valley and had ‘issues’ with the Austrian authorities. We had a word with Louie to find out more.

You’re best known for your pipe riding. How was it for you to be let loose on that insane park setup for a couple of weeks?

It was super fun. People only see me riding mostly half pipe stuff but I love riding everything and I can ride everything. So to have a sick park set up just for us to session was dope. Plus having a lot of the team there made it even better.

How often do you get to ride with all the other dudes on the team, and if it’s not that often how was it for you to get to hang and shred with all the crew?

I get to see a lot of the Nike team who do contests quite a bit throughout the winter. But most of them who film I don’t get to see as much. I had a good time riding with Austin Smith all week, Danny [Kass] is always fun and I got a day with Nico [Müller] too which was cool.

For you, do you think it’s important for a team to get together and hang from time to time?

I think having the team get together and riding fun features, filming and just having a good time is super important. I mean getting together for meetings is cool but I at least like riding with everyone the most. Everyone rides different so it’s easy to push yourself while having a good time.

Being that the park was so full of hits this may be hard, but did you have a certain feature you particularly enjoyed hitting?

To be honest, I liked the unique features – the half pipe wall to jump landing, the bowl set up with wall rides and rails, the jump over the lift cables, and of course doing snake runs through the curvy mini pipe. It is hard to pick just one.

Which other riders, or even sessions, particularly blew you away in Montafon?

Peetu [Piiroinen] rode well, and so did Ethan [Morgan], Kevin [Backström], and Jamie [Nicholls]. Austin and I cruised together for most of the week which was fun since I never get the chance to ride with him during the winter.

Can you give us the definitive story as to why poor Austin found himself incarcerated by the Austrian Polizei?

Well, Bobby [Meeks - Nike honcho] seemed to have forgotten to pay for Austin’s gas for his car when we were driving to check out some castles for the day. Bobby paid, got us all snacks, and the lady even came out to the car because she forgot to charge him for something. A little ways down the road there was a cop standing in the middle of the road directing traffic. The car I was in with Bobby got waved on to keep moving while Austin’s car got motioned to pull over. That’s when all the pieces came together. We had to go to the Polizei station while Bobby and Austin talked to the cops, then we had to drive BACK to the gas station and pay, and then BACK to another Polizei Station. A lot of driving in a small area and we never made it to the castles, BUT we didn’t lose Austin to jail!

Danny Kass has an amusing bit at the end of the edit being told off by an angry Austrian. No one said this interview would be easy, so sum up Danny in one word.

One word is HARD, but… Entertaining.

Switching things up now, the road to Sochi begins in ernest this season. Will you be trying to secure a spot on the US team again? If so why is the Olympics important to you?

Yeah, I will be trying again for a spot on the US Team. I have always wanted to go to the Olympics growing up. As a contest rider it’s the biggest contest, media and exposure wise, that we can do. I made the Olympics in 2010 but fell just short of my goal of getting a medal. I want an Olympic Medal.

What motivates you to continue concentrate on pipe rather than, say, moving into filming a part?

First, I love doing contests. I love the pressure and I love the fact you have to do it right then and there. Second, Danny [Kass] told me this a few years ago and it stuck with me – I have always looked up to Danny because he is someone who could ride everything, film, and go win a contest. He definitely has helped me out a lot – He told me to ride the contest train while I could. There is plenty of time to film after. And it’s true. Contests are working for me right now, my body can take the toll that it puts on you. Maybe when I’m a little older and get over riding icy half pipes I’ll go film some pow stuff. Right now I am happy with what I am doing, and in snowboarding, that’s all that matters.

How much do you hate Shaun White? But seriously, how hard is it to compete against that guy, and what do you think it would take to wrestle that gold medal off him?

Hate is a strong word, and I don’t hate Shaun. Shaun is good, real good. But he pushes people to ride better when he is at the contest. He is consistent so when he is there, you know you have to be on point. I won’t be wrestling any medal off of him, he earned his first 2 and will have to work for another one too just like everyone else.

Finally, triple corks have entered snowboarding’s kicker lexicon. Do you think such a trick is possible in the pipe, and would you even want to go there if it was?

I think it’s a super risky trick in half pipe especially having to land perpendicular to a vertical half pipe wall and a gnarly, icy coping. But never say never, it could happen. I am just going with the flow and seeing where that takes me.

The second installment of Nike’s trilogy of short shred films will drop soon, so to get you hyped for that Brad Kremer-directed park riding spectacular they’ve released this pre-edit bonus that’s mad gay for the Phantom camera and its 1000 fps slow-mo capability. Pretty tasty.

Much like they did with their street-focussed Chapter 1 of The Nike Snowboarding Project, the Swoosh have released a teasy bonus edit to get you frothing for the full edit, which is set to drop November 13. This one, directed by legendary filmmaker Brad Kremer, looks set to focus on park riding and more specifically the madness that went down in the Nike Chosen Sessions‘ opulent features at the tail end of last winter. It also takes full advantage of the Phantom cam’s ridiculous mega slow-mo capabilities and the results are pretty jaw dropping – the riding looks rad but seeing our mate Jamie Nicholls take an egg to the chops is just priceless…

The Swoosh-wearing crew over at Nike Snowboarding have just dropped the first chapter of their three-part team video, The Nike Snowboarding Project. Check what it’s all about in our exclusive chat with Halldor Helgason…

Featuring the likes of Jed Anderson, Justin Bennee, Jess Kimura, Johnnie Paxson and of course your boy Halldor, you know it’s gonna be full of hammers and having watched it we must say it’s sick. Joe Carlino did a solid job on the edit, too, as you’ll see here. We caught up with Halldor to find out more…

Photo: Phil Young

A couple of off the cuff remarks after watching that jib-centric Chapter 1. That rail of yours. What the fucking fuck? How many kinks were there in that beast, how many tries did it take, and was it the one you guys tried to hit with Factor Films back in the day?

Haha, I’m pretty sure it was a 12-kink and, no, it’s not the same rail that we tried a few years ago. It actually didn’t take that many tries – me, Eiki and Gulli all got it within 3 Hours so we were pumped!

When you’re setting up for something serious, arent you ever worried those little octocopters are gonna go mad and crash into you, leaving a chewed up hunk of Icelandic flesh where a Halldor used to be?

Haha, for sure sometimes, but I always try and focus on how sick it’s going to feel if it actually works out. If you would think too much about the bad things that could happen you wouldnt go to far as a snowboarder I think… Just seeeeeeend it.

Seeing as you have your own project, Pepping!, too, was it a pain in the arse to decide which footage went where?

Nah, it was mellow this year. I actually didn’t end up getting as much on film this season as I wanted, since I only filmed street stuff in Iceland from November till beginning of January, then I had X Games and some more contests and ended up fucking my ankle at the beginning of March during the World Championships in Oslo. My first day back was at Superpark in May so I only filmed a little bit of park at the end of the season, till I fucked my other ankle in June, hehe. The shortest season for me so far. Hopefully a better one is coming up now, my ankles feel bulletproof, 7-9-13, (lucky number in Iceland, incase your wondering) so I’m stoked.

Where did you shoot for this part, and was it a couple weeks here and there or was your footage pulled in from across the season?

It’s only stuff from my first and only street trip of the season, which was back in Iceland in Reykjavik and my hometown Akureyri.

Is there a particular trick of yours in this edit that you’re particularly stoked on? Something that was super hard work or a memorable session with the bros?

Probably the one that I’m most stoked on is the FS blunt on the C-kink, only because I started up with a FS 5-0 and then decided to try a FS Blunt, so I was thinking “If get this it’s a huuuge bonus,” hehe. Plus all the other guys ended up getting bangers as well. Gooood day

For us the heaviest trick in there is Bennee’s wallie bombdrop. What’s your personal highlight from the other dudes? Be specific – dont want any Swedish neutrality here…

It’s hard to say, everyone straight up killed it in that edit, It was sick to see. My favourites are: Justin Benne that gap to landing on the rock and the huuuuge wallie to drop, then Jed’s boardslide on the flat gap to boardslide on the ledge and Paxon’s wallride ender – not kidding around. It’s cool to see that after the bonus edit where he is getting destroyed trying to get it.

I just had one of those nightmares when you’re back at school and have to do an exam, so to make you feel my morning pain, here’s an exam-themed question: Though they’re at complete opposite ends of the spectrum, urban riding and backcountry freestyle are the areas of snowboarding in which there’s the most room for creativity. Discuss.

Not really sure whats going on here… Boardercross and slalom have a lot of room for creativity, I have some banger ideas for that so just wait, hehe. But I love seeing creative riding or just something that I haven’t seen before always gets me so damn stoked and it keeps snowboarding fun in a way you can’t get over it with it. I can relate way more to urban creativity since I do that way more then backountry, but when I see something new in the backcountry just a little bit different then a cheesewedge drop, pow turn, normal jump or all those classic things, I get so stoked. For example I’m going to take the Nitro powder part in Hyped!, I was so damn stoked on that one: Austin Smith pow turn burying his friends in snow to a frontflip of the piste. Baaanger stuff!

Did you get a chance to ride with the other guys appearing in Chapter 1? Whose riding hypes you most?

I actually didn’t have the opportunity this year to session with them, but it’s for sure going down next season. I really love seeing Jed ride since he has a way different style than I do and his riding is always fun to watch.

Leaving aside the things you’re in, what other movie content – online or even one of those old-fashioned DVD things – has stoked you out this fall?

I was so stoked when my Icelandic friends dropped their movie A2M by The Barf Bags, haha. It’s really inspired by the Wildcats, Jackass I guess and the Whisky movies, and that’s what I love to see. Snowboarding has to stay naaaasty dirty and sketchy: that’s what CLEAN really is if you think about it….

Seems like you’re not in any ‘regular’ movies this year – just this and Pepping! and being dirty in A2M. Is that true, if so how come? Has the internet fully killed the video star?

We also do a lot of edits on Helgasons.com. But no, the internet hasn’t fully killed the video star, but it is the way things are changing. I really like it to be honest since it’s so easy for everyone to get a hold on, and everyone is watching things on their computer way more than on their TV. People are for real getting too lazy to go through the process of putting a DVD in to the DVD player, hehe.

This winter’s just beginning. What have you got coming up? And what will you be focussing your attentions on? Contests? Filming? Getting nasty?

A little bit of everything like always, but mostly just [focussing on] staying in one piece. I’m going all in to film for the Nike Project which I’m really looking forward to – I think it’s going to be a banger! – then we are going to keep on doing our Sexual Snowboarding movies because it’s way to much fun to quit and people seem to really like what we are doing, so that is awesome. Then “Harold” hopefully gets another part in the new Barf Bags movie and on top of that I’ll do a few contests and work with all my brands: Lobster Snowboards, Hoppipolla Headwear, 7-9-13 Belts and Switchback Bindings… So my main goal? Have as much fun as possible, like always…

Finally, it’s the start of the road to Sochi. Will you try to go to the Olympics, get the spot, and then get kicked out for shitting on someone’s tits?

Hahaha, thank you, thank you. I don’t dare to claim anything yet, but I would love to go there with my Coach Thunder and see what happens, heheh…

Check Chapter 1 of The Nike Snowboarding Project like now.

Chapter 1 of the Swooshers’ team movie, The Nike Snowboarding Project, drops on October 16, but to keep our appetites wet they’ve dropped this edit of Johnnie Paxson working super hard to bag a shot in Japan. Interesting and awesome in equal measure.

They want you in their social networking web of sin, and will hook you up if you follow their asses. “Follow @nikesnowboardng on twitter where we’ll announce a password for early access on 11/10/2012,” they say. Stay tuned for the premiere of the full edit on 16/10/2012.

Have yourselves a first look at footage for the Swoosh’s three-part team video project, cunningly titled The Nike Snowboarding Project. Wallop!

Before we start waxing lyrical about Nike’s video project, look out for Peetu’s backside air towards the end of this. DOUBLE WALLOP!

Nike, it’s fair to say, are not short of a bob or two and have assembled one of the finer, all-round-ripping-from-street-to-backcountry-to-contests-to-pipe kinda teams on the planet. Look at the names, just LOOK at them. They’ve also enlisted the help of three of snowboarding’s finest filmmaking lensemen to produce three short films – Joe Carlino, Brad Kremer and Justin Hostynek – and this here is the teaser for them. A mish mash of heavy riding and dicking around that, like the team, looks like it’ll have all aspects of the shred covered.

Each filmer hooked up with a particular crew of riders and the results will be released over the coming weeks. Here’s the deets and dropping dates:

16.10.2012 – A short film by Joe Carlino. Featuring the riding of Johnnie Paxson, Jess Kimura, Halldor Helgason, Justin Bennee and Jed Anderson.

13.11.2012 – A short film by Brad Kremer. Featuring the riding of Sage Kotsenburg, Louie Vito, Gjermund Braaten, Jamie Nicholls, Danny Kass, Ethan Morgan, Jan Scherrer, Peetu Piiroinen and Austin Smith.

11.12.2012 – A short film by Justin Hostynek. Featuring the riding of Gigi Ruf, Nicolas Muller, Danny Kass and Eric Jackson.

Check out the latest at NikeSnowboarding.com/getlacedup