Torah Bright, Photo: Matt Georges

1 Hey Torah, how’s your shoulder after the surgery last summer?

It’s perfect! Best thing I have done yet! I went for about 4 years with my shoulder dislocating every couple of weeks, now life is a walk in the park with that not happening!

2 But that wasn’t the only big thing, right…? 

There have been many wonderful things that have happened! Top of the list is marrying Jake Welch.

3 How many letters from heart broken teenage boys did you get after you
got married?

Haha… I got a few notes!

4 Are you going to become a Desperate Housewife now?

Being a wife is amazing, but I don’t think I’ll ever be a ‘desperate housewife’. Drop the ‘desperate’ and I’m happy for the title housewife!

5 Or rather practice the Triple Cork…? 

I’ll take wife over a triple cork. But double cork I would still like to work on!

6 You’ve already won so much stuff – TTR, X Games, Olympic Gold – which
title has the most value for yourself?

They all mean so much and represent different things! The TTR title was amazing because I love how at the end of the competitive season a rider can be titled World Champion and not just for being good at one discipline. It’s crowning a well-rounded rider!

7 Do you think you’ll want to defend your medal in Sochi 2014?

Yeah, why not?! I still want to progress myself as a snowboarder and this has that energy, so you’ll see me there!

8 What’s the most urgently missing thing in female snowboarding? If you could change one single thing in/about female snowboarding – what would that be?

Hmm, not sure on this one…

9 Anne-Flore Marxer started a petition for girls at Air&Style last year – would you participate and if yes, which trick would you send over that massive jump?

I personally feel that we as female snowboarders have some work to do to be ready to compete in such an event. 720s won’t cut it! We need 900s and above to be considered in competing in such an event.

10 Who’s gonna be the next big star in snowboarding?

Ty Walker and Kyle Mack.

11 How and where are you going to spend your summer? 

I spend my summers down in NZ and Australia and with a beach break somewhere in-between!

12 How many times do you punch your brother per training session?

HAHA! Well, if that was the case, Ben would be home right now… he does not take much crap!

13 If you could punch any person – who would you punch and why? 

Punching isn’t my style.

Will Lavigne, Photo: Matt Georges

You may know Will Lavigne as the chilled dude from Quebec who slays rails and more on a Rome snowboard. But to find out more read on…

How is it to be a Romanoid?

Riding for Rome you mean? It’s dope. Rome is a big family. Everyone working for Rome rides and is good at it. They care about what us, as riders, have to say on product and really take our input into consideration. Everyone is friends with everyone else.

We got told that in terms of tricks there is “good” then there is “Quebec good”? What say you?

A few years back when Max [Legendre] and Yan [Dofin] were there, our filming crew was two people from Montreal, Max and Yan, and three from Quebec city, LNP, Greg and Me. We just like to give shit to people from Montreal so when a trick was looking a little funny, we would call it “Montreal good” and when a trick was perfectly done, we would call it “Quebec good”. It was just a way to give shit to Max and Yan since they’re from Montreal.

Who, in your opinion, is the best French-Canadian rider of all time?

That is a hard question. It would be like asking who is the best music band of all time or what place in the world is the best to live. Each rider has their own style and nobody rides the same thing. In the backcountry, I’d say that DCP had it and still kills it, David Melancon as well. In the pipe,
Guillaume Morisset and Dan Migneault. Park and contests, Charles Reid and Seb Toutant are really on point. If we talk about rails… there are way too many good riders. Everyone has their own style.

If you got locked down to riding one resort for the rest of your days where would you choose to be and why?

I always said I would never move to Whistler. Whistler is like Disneyland or Vegas. I go there for a few weeks and have to leave straight after. But it is a really good place to be, so if I had to lock myself somewhere it would be Whistler. But since I can’t lock myself somewhere, it won’t happen.

What would you choose: a week in a perfect concrete bowl with your buddies or a week in the mountain of your choosing?

It depends on what time of the year it is. If it is summertime and I feel like being in the warm, probably I would pick the perfect concrete bowl. But right now, being wintertime I would pick a week in the mountains. I would go to Bald Face in interior BC. I’ve never been there but I hear it’s awesome; there is no lift, they get you up the mountain by cat. It is kind of a private resort.

Have you watched the Gremlinz movies? What do you think of their take of the shred?

Didn’t see it. Sorry

Did you ever think that a snowboarder would be presenting the MTV awards? WTF?

I didn’t see that either. I’m not against it. It gives some kind of credibility to our sport, to the people out there that thinks we’re just punks that knock beers on our head. In the end the rider that announced the award could have said no. It’s his fault. Somehow it means that our sport is getting more popular.

Where did you score your best pow pow last season?

I rode rails until the end of February last season. We went on a trip to France in the beginning of May and the powder was lacking… We decided to go up to Arlberg where there was some kind of pow but pretty much nothing. After that trip, I was beat and had to take a few days off the snow. I went to south Colorado at the end of March where the pow was heavy. Then came April where I had a bunch of park shoots lined up. I didn’t ride much pow last year. Even if Arlberg pow was so so when I was there, it was the best I had last season.

If you were confronted by a line of four rails in the street – a down, a kink, a squirly down and hand rail to drop at the end what tricks would you put down?

On the first try I would probably go 50-50. All depending what size the rails are. Sometimes you show up to a rail and you know what trick you want to do. Sometimes you have to ride the rail for a little bit and then you figure a trick to do. That’s probably what I would do there, ride the set up for a while a then figure out a line I want to get on tape.

Have you ever fancied getting a bit of contest shredding under your belt?

I used to do a lot of contests when I was younger. That is what would keep me alive. I was living off the money I was making at contests. I’m not against doing contests but I’d way rather go on a film trip than go to the US Open. When you film, you decide everything. The set up, the size of the jump, how much snow is on the landing, and if you don’t want to drop at that moment you don’t. In a contest situation, when it’s your turn, it’s your turn. Even if it’s snowing, the wind is blowing like crazy, someone just knocked himself out in the landing and there is blood… you have to go. I do the contests I feel like doing and if I don’t feel it I’ll just go easy. I do Shakedown every year.

What was the best movie you watched last season and why?

My favourite movie last season was the TWS movie. Most of the time, I have something to say on the music/editing/tricks but the TWS movie was really good overall.

What is your best tale from the road?

Oh, There are a lot… My first time in Europe when I was 17 I went to Tignes in France for a contest. I was supposed to meet up with some people but when I got there I realised the people I was meeting didn’t make their flight. I waited for my bags for a while and they never showed up. I was in Geneva and I knew I had to go to Tignes and the name of my hotel was Diva. I took a bus to get there and soon realised that the Alps were bigger than our resorts in Quebec. The bus driver didn’t know where my hotel was. I just got off at the last exit in Tignes, I was exausted, and started to look for the Diva hotel. Walking in the snow late at night, I ended up at the base of the mountain where a huge jump was, and right in front of the jump was a hotel named Diva. I went inside and the people at the front desk told me I was two days early. They gave me a room anyways. Two days went by and I still didn’t have my bags. I started to look around Tignes to see if I could rent a board to make the contest and I ended up finding a stiff board that was a little too long, the kind of board I don’t ride much. The day after was the contest and somehow I landed a good run, I won and went back home with 9000 euros.

What you got going on for this coming season?

I’m actually in Breckenridge getting ready to go film, just getting used to my board. I’ll be filming for the Rome movie The Shred Remains. That’s what I’ll be doing this winter. I might do a contest or two but I will put my energy into filming.

JP Solberg, Photo: Matt Georges

JP Solberg has been a household name in snowboarding ever since he won the Transworld Rookie of the Year award in 2002. Over most of the  decade he impressed us with his backcountry prowess and style. However, with his untimely exit from the Burton global team, his era seemed to have ended. But fortune favours the brave and he landed on his feet with his own board company YES. and banger movie parts in the last two Absinthe movies, Neverland and NowHere. Time to catch up with him to see what’s been going on with our favourite switch rider.

1. You are part of the YES. crew, a bunch of riders most of the scene has looked up to for years. Is there anyone left that you yourself still look up to?

Terje has always been a huge inspiration for me and he still is, he says what he feels and never really gets caught up in politics or bullshit. You can always count on him to rip the shit up and represent snowboarding to the fullest.

2. What’s your exact role at YES.?

Hehe, PR Manager and Chief of Special Operations.

3. Are you thinking about focussing on the business side and stop fi lming video parts altogether?

No not all, the plan was to get over the hump with YES. and that took a lot of time, energy and effort. I knew that was gonna happen but now that we are proving to people that we are here to stay and more people get involved it’s time to get back to what I love doing the most!

4. What’s your best memory from the past season filming with Absinthe?

Romain and I went on a trip to Japan with Tadashi and his peeps for 3 weeks doing tradeshows, meeting shops and exploring the scene and the way they roll. We never knew what we were doing next because nobody really speaks English and all I can say in Japanese is cheers, YES. and boobs. But going there more then 15 times so far I feel like that was my first real trip to Japan, so effi ng sick, best place ever!

5. There’s rumours about a YES. movie. Can you tell us more about it?

Yeah, we want to explain the story behind YES. and show what we think snowboarding is all about. The movie is called “YES. it’s a Movie” and if you go to our website YESNOWBOARD.com you can follow step by step how it’s all coming together with webisodes updated weekly.

6. Whose movie part is better? Yours in NowHere or your brother Stian’s in Hooked?

Probably my brother’s in Pirates.

7. When the two of you go riding together are you guys really competitive or is it all mellow brotherhood?

Mellow style finished with après ski.

8. If you had to pick either California or Norway what would you choose and why?

Norway, less polluted, better food, less people, better girls, no earthquakes, better fi shing etc. The list is long. But Cali is sick, uhmmmm…….

9. What’s the most Norwegian thing about you?

Probably that.

10. Who’s the best surfer on the YES. team?

DCP

11. What are the plans for the YES. team anyhow? Will you add more rookies to the roster?

Fuck yeah, we wanna make sure that whoever is on board is on for the right reasons. We’ll never add someone because they rip and their agent thinks it’s a good fit. Agents make me laugh. It’s one thing if you have someone who needs help because there’s a language barrier but this is a snowboard company. We will only add real people and riders that have their head and heart in the right place, who share the same passion, I’ll see to that as long as YES. is alive.

12. Is there anything you think hasn’t been said about your move away from Burton two years ago?

Thank you!

13. And does it blow your mind that there is a freeski pro with the same name?

I think it’s funny, but at the same time if I ever catch him using my name parallel and drawing a comparison I’ll whoop his ass.

For this month’s 13 for luck we tracked down young german ripper Marco Smolla in his beloved hometown of Munich. For the first time in three years the bavarian steered clear of severe injuries and locked down a solid video part in Isenseven’s latest banger Don’t Panic.

Marco Smolla, Photo: Sami Tuoriniemi

You’ve been really unlucky over the past few years and tore your ACL in both knees. How did you manage to stay healthy throughout the season?

This year I took things rather easy, which included turning down hitting a kicker when I wasn’t feeling it – it’s quite hard to take decisions like these. My long lay-off, however, taught me that this is the only way to make it through a season in one piece. You might even end up with more coverage when you risk less and therefore don’t suffer that many injuries…

What’s best about being able to ride again?

Being able to ride again! With trips across the Alps, to the Pyrenees and to Spitsbergen all in this season you hit the ground running.

Which trip stood out in your opinion?

The trip to Spitsbergen was an extraordinary experience. Being only about 1000 kilometers away from the North Pole the island consists of nothing but snow, rocks, and ice. The island is fairly isolated and during the winter; the only way to get there is by plane. Just 2000 people live in the only two villages. During our stay we took our skidoos and a few tents and went on a three-day trip to an abandoned Russian settlement. It was like travelling back in time: all those Communist buildings from the 70s are still intact, and there is nobody around to stop you from entering and having a look around… Add seals, reindeer, and good friends and you will get an unforgettable trip.

This winter you filmed for IsenSeven again. Are you happy with your performance?

You’re never really satisfi ed, because you always know you could have done better. At the beginning of the winter I focused a lot on photo shoots. When the season came to a close I realised that I have a lot of FS3s and BS180s on tape, since these are the tricks that look best in a photo, but I hope it will be enough to make a good part. The main thing is that you get to see how much fun I had this winter!

In January you used a winch to go shooting in downtown Munich. How did it feel to shred the sights of your hometown?

Those three days were awesome! I went to uni in the morning and afterwards went riding until three in the morning. We had a great crew and Red Bull helped us being super efficient during the shooting. Check it out yourself on YouTube under ‘Marco Smolla’s Winch Weekend’! You seem to dig this whole Bavarian thing: we’ve seen photos of you snowboarding in Lederhosen.

How did that come about?

On a Sunday night I had been at a friend’s BBQ. From there I went straight to the Stubai Valley for a shoot. The next morning the weather was so good that I just kept wearing my Lederhosen throughout the day…

Do you have any routines you go through prior, during or after riding?

Nope, rituals are not my cup of tea.

If you could choose, who would you take on the perfect snowboard trip – and where would you go?

Christophe Schmidt, Fips and Tobi Strauss to Alaska in a campervan.

What can we expect from you in the coming season regarding films, contests, and trips?

Once again I will focus my energy on fi lming and photo shoots. I haven’t really fixed any trips as this depends on the snow conditions. I just hope for great snow in the Alps, which would mean a lot of time in powder this winter.

You are doing a degree in physics. What is so special about physics?

Physics is all about fi nding the general laws and concepts of nature. It is all based on the assumption that these concepts can be applied to any other place in the universe. Also, the sheer number of complex concepts that have already been found and that are proven by nature is very
impressive.

We heard some crazy story about fi nancing a trip to Mexico. Can you tell us a little more about it?

Through friends I heard about a clinical trial on some new diarrhea medication. We took part in it, got vaccinated twice, and now “must” go to Mexico for three weeks. We are a group of seven people and will be able to spend a regular vacation there – apart from the fact that we get blood samples taken three times during our stay. In return we will get 1,500 euro each, which will cover most of our costs. I am not really concerned about anything because the trial has been going on for a year and I know a lot of people who have already taken part in it. It is just a nice paid vacation!

Is it true that you are into pub facts of all kinds? Here is ours: There are one million ants for every person in the world. Which one do you know?

It is roughly ten times more likely that you’ll get killed by a coconut than be eaten by a shark.

If there was one word of wisdom you could pass on to an ambitious young snowboarder, what would it be?

Go riding because you like it and not because you want to get sponsored. If you are good enough things will work out anyway.