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Riders of the 00s – Rice, Müller & Clark

Tom Copsey — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 08:04:37 +0000

The final installment of our clips of the most influential riders of the last decade wraps up in style with Travis Rice, Nicolas Müller and Kelly Clark.

Travis Rice

Transcendence Part

Absinthe’s seminal flick from 2001 is memorable for many reasons, not least for the opening part featuring some random kid from Jackson bagging the opening part. Legend has it Justin Hostynek was so blown away by Rice’s riding at the Superpark sesh where he stomped the backside rodeo over a 118-foot spine that he immediately invited him to AK. Travis stepped it up, locked down a short but strong section and the rest, as the say, is history…

MPORA Action Sports >>

The Community Project Highlights

Around half-way through the decade, Travis produced The Community Project where they first implemented their ideal of moving away from ‘sponsor pays rider in’ method of snowboard films, session stories and the two-year filiming schedule. Here’s his hits from that, might want to mute this one…

That’s It, That’s All Jackson Ender

A couple years after testing the waters with The Community Project, Rice had another pop at moviemaking with close buddy Curt Morgan, and in doing so not only re-wrote what was conceivable from a snowboard film, but blew minds with his own futuristic, hell-for-leather riding. Doubles are great and that, but the back 7 and cab 9 in this are just insane.

Nicolas Müller

The Process Part

The first few years of the 00s saw Nico announce himself as heir to Terje’s style crown, and, not before time, a spot on the coveted Burton Global Team followed. Here’s the B’s compilation from around 2004.

Futureproof Part

As with Gigi, Romain and Travis, Nicolas’s relationship with Absinthe Films over the years has reaped rewards for both parties, thanks to their mutual appreciation for freestyle shredding on natural terrain. Müller’s part in Futureproof is a classic example.

Kelly Clark

Clark Interview

In this road-tripping interview not only do you get to check out Clark’s undeniable skills in the pipe, there’s some freeride lines and some chat about this and that with Gabi Viteri.

Riders of the 00s – de Marchi, Rüf & Maas

Uli Köhler — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 07:23:47 +0000

Our Riders of the 00s Week continues with video highlights of Romain de Marchi, Gigi Rüf and Cheryl Maas.

Romain de Marchi

Vivid Part

Romain is synonymous for going big. In Absinthe’s Vivid (2002) he already demonstrated his unique skill of technical mastery on insanely big features. And all of this to a tune that is among the best songs ever written.

Pop Part

And if anyone had thought he wasn’t anything but a flash in a pan he left everyone speechless with his next video part. His savaging of Chad’s Gap with Travis Rice in 2004 was immortalised in Pop. It consolidated his reputation as snowboarding’s hellman and singlehandedly redefined the sheer dimensions of backcountry trickery.

Futureproof Part

At Burton he was the rough edge of Un…Inc and bagged countless heavy movie parts with Absinthe Films, who had given him his first break in the movies. Another of his standout performances has been captured in Absinthe’s Futureproof. Since he has left Burton and set out to make a snowboard company that reflects his ideals, YES, and still continues to release gobsmacking video parts.

Gigi Rüf

Destroyer Part

Amongst the handpicked crew of the now all but forgotten ‘Burton Seven’ crew was a diminutive 17-year-old Austrian rookie called Christian ‘Gigi’ Rüf. His dominance of the entire decade started with his exquisit appearance in Kingpin’s Y2K film Destroyer. The part features a double cork attempt that was subject to much debate in snowboard shops all over the world.

Shoot Your Friends Part

Gigi played a strong part in the conception of the Pirates and for their first movie, Shoot Your Friends, back in 2003 he was rewarded with the closing part. Since then it’s common for him to have full parts in two, sometimes three, movies a season. No mean feat.

MPORA Action Sports >>

Futureproof Part

When Absinthe’s backcountry focus met with Gigi’s evolving skills for powder stompage they pushed each other to a level beyond all expectations. In 2005 this symbiosis culminated in Gigi’s all-natural terrain part in Futureproof. It was the kind of performance art all serious shredders aspire to.

Cheryl Maas

Purple Yeahh Part

Since the beginning of the decade Cheryl has been filming with various movie productions, showcasing not only her great talent in parks, but also formidable skills on urban features. Check her out in Yeahh Productions’ Purple Yeahh and you will understand what we are talking about.

TTR Profile

Although she prefers filming for expressing her style and personality she is a regular at most big contests. Her career highlights include winning the inaugural women’s TTR tour, and ever since the inception of the TTR World Ranking she has been in its top 10.

Riders of the 00s – White, Jones & Dakides

Tom Copsey — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 07:34:52 +0000

The midway point of our Riders of the 00s week sees clips of Shaun White, Jeremy Jones and Tara Dakides unearthed.

Shaun White

TB9 Part

Ok, so technically this was from the 90s – 1999 to be exact – but it’s close enough for us. Plus it’s the ginger one’s first full movie part where he announced himself to the world and had the whole of snowboarding going ‘who the FUCK is that kid?!’

The White Album NZ Session

There’s only a handful of riders who’ve had their own films and, unsurprisingly, Shaun’s one of ‘em. Though clearly no Subjekt Haakonsen, it gave insight into the mop of red hair and showed him having it all over the shop. This is the private NZ session – a taste of things to come…

Second Olympic Gold

This boy’s won a couple of contests in his time, but this is the one that counts most to him. With the gold already in the bag he could’ve just slashed his way down but he chose to put on a show instead. Interesting to hear the pre-drop chat with coach Bud Keene.

Winter Olympics 2010: Shaun White Gold! >>

Jeremy Jones

White Balance Part

Though he’s made a career out of riding lines regular dudes wouldn’t even look at, the needle he’s heli dropped onto in this Standard part is insane even by Jeremy’s standards.

Ready Part

After a couple of years off the Absinthe roster, Jones returned to roost with this hairball part. It’s also memorable for the killer Bowie song.

MPORA Action Sports >>

Deeper Teaser

For the last two years, Deeper has been Jeremy’s life. His idea was to pull together some of the world’s best big mountain riders and ride gnarly lines accessing them by foot only. Here’s a rather dramatic teaser.

Tara Dakides

Video Parts Montage

Tara’s video parts from the late 90s and early 2000s still stand up to scrutiny today. How many girls you seen doing backside rodeo recently?

Against the Grain Teaser

Tara’s ride has been far from easy, but as one guys says she’s “the girl that really put women’s snowboarding on the map.” Looks like a documentary well-worth sniffing out.

Riders of the 00s – Benedek, Buaas & Oksanen

Tom Copsey — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 07:06:13 +0000

The second day of our Riders of the 00s Week sees three more legends in the video throwback spotlight.

Turn back the clock and check out some of these slayer’s greatest hits…

David Benedek

91 Words for Snow Ending

Though he made his name shooting with Standard and cemented his place in snowboarding history with his parts in the Robot Food Trilogy, it’s arguably after this period that David really took off. With his Blank Paper Studios production company he produced two of the most innovative shred flicks, lead the double cork charge and experimented with new kicker designs to elevate the sport. Here’s the ender from 91 Words, with Benedek and the boys. First ever pipe double?

GAP Session

David, along with erstwhile compatriot Christoph Weber, built a monster wedge geared towards progression in Garmisch, invited snowboarding’s most progressive riders to throw down, and then won himself the best trick award. Nice work.

Cauterets Session

The same year, Benedek pushed the boat way the hell out at what was perhaps his finest display of technical snowboarding. Rumour has it that he spanked his head so hard the boys had to give him a sheet of paper with the answers to all the questions he kept asking over and over. “You’re in Cauterets. You knocked yourself out. Your girlfriend’s name is…”

MPORA Action Sports >>

Kjersti Buaas

Transfer Part

Chunky Knit were pretty much the first all-girls film crew out there and Kjersti bagged parts in all of ‘em. This one in Transfer sees her having it at The Arctic Challenge, taking on park wedges, jibs and backcountry hits with the infamous Buaas style.

That’s My Name Roxy Podcast

If there’s one clip that sums up Kjersti it’s this – some heavy riding mixed to her own hype-box. And although in real life she’s not dating herself, she does love to rap battle. Funny girl.

MPORA Action Sports >>

Jussi Oksanen

TB10: Optigrab Part

Jussi was almost guaranteed openers or enders at the start of the decade. Regular or switch, downtown or backcountry, Jussi dominated. Look out for what we believe to be the first switch back 10 on video near the start.

Follow Me Around Part

Sending it loooong off bigger wedges, natural hits and even the odd freeride line, Jussi’s part in MDP’s classic also has the first ever switch back 10 into powder at the end. Plus you get to check Heikki’s part at the start. Woohaa!

Picture This Part

2008′s MDP effort is memorable for his all-out pow attack and that fuck-off step-down Jake Blauvelt would overshoot the same season.

Riders of the 00s – Walker, Ettala & Bright

Tom Copsey — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 07:15:09 +0000

To back up our rundown of the last decade’s most influential shredders in this month’s mag, we’ve pulled together some of their stellar moments on video for your visual stimulation.

We’ll be dropping three per day all this week, so come back tomorrow for another trio of shreds who defined the 00s.

JP Walker

The Resistance Part

JP closed out Forum’s first team movie and, as well as straight up killing it, was responsible for making an army of groms decide that YO! was the way to go.

Shakedown Part

MDP dropped this flick when Walker was in his pomp. Despite blowing his face up and having to deal with a truly horrific song, he showed his undeniable skills and versatility and even managed to stomp the first double cork on film. Watch for it at the end. Heavy part.

Eero Ettala

Follow Me Around Part

Arguably Double E’s strongest video part to date, and memorable not only for his crushing of all kinds of terrain and stomping the first double backside rodeo 10, but for his ‘B-Shot’ part in the extras that one-upped many guys’ real ones.

X-Games 14 Slopestyle Gold

Eero put down this howitzer of a run to take last winter’s X-Games slopestyle. Welcome to the future.

Day in the Life

We followed Eero around at the Air&Style to see what goes down in his days. Turns out it’s keeping the next generation of Finnish rippers in line and stomping back 12s…

Torah Bright

X-Games 13 Gold

Torah’s pipe runs are just nuts. How many guys do you see pulling the back three to switch back 7 McTwist? Exactly.

Practicing Pipe Doubles

So far no female snowboarders have bitten the double’s cherry. We’ll put a virtual tenner on Bright being the first.