Other than a full-on powder day, there are fewer funner times in snowboarding than a slushy spring session with the homies. The Lick the Cat dudes know this and proudly present Spring Break 2 The Movie. Behold!

Riders:

BEN BILODEAU
SAGE KOTSENBURG
SHANE WRIGHT
Merrick Joyce
Nils Mindnich
Griffin Siebert
Sam Taxwood
Spencer Schubert
Jordan Morse
Gus Warbington
Blaze Kotsenburg
Zander Blackmon
Michael Wick
Grant Giller
Blake Geis
Brady Larson
Kyle Fischer
&FRIENDS

Sage Kotsenburg. Photo: Thomas Copsey

When he wasn’t snapping epic selfies or follow-camming homie Eric Willett at last week’s GoPro Snowcamp in Laax, we fount the time to sit down with US ripper Sage Kotsenburg to chinwag about contests, style and why Halldor Helgason is a big influence on his approach to snowboarding…

I guess, seeing as they’ve fed us super well, that we should begin by talking about this GoPro Snowcamp…

Yeah, we’ve been in Laax for the GoPro camp and it’s been crazy all week. Just super sick weather apart from one day, sunset shoots, the whole crew cruising together, it’s been fun. Some of the guys and the chicks I don’t usually get to hang out with so it’s been fun to hang out with them and we’ve been filming each other and stuff, riding with each other and just getting to use the camera. I mean me and Eric [Willett] use the cameras like almost every day so me and him had a bunch of fun because it was just like another day, you know, and some people found out how to use them more. It was just a sick experience because it was the first thing like it; everyone got to goof around, get some sick shots too, we filmed a little – most of the time it’s just you filming or taking photos of you or someone else so it makes it that much more personal. It’s just so fun, you can make your own stuff like so easily. We used to use it like 4 or 5 years ago, when the first one was out or something, and it’s come a long way. It’s pretty rad.

I did good in some contests, got a bunch of shots – some shots for the movie – and now it’s just about filming for edits and filming a lot with GoPro in the spring.

And I guess you’ve been hitting the contest pretty hard all winter. Is it a nice change for you to just come here and have it be a bit more chilled?

Yeah, my winter’s been hectic too. I’ve also gone on a couple of trips with Nike for the movie they’re doing, so it’s been an insane winter for me. I haven’t been home at all, I’ve been filming in between all the contests, but it’s been the most fun I’ve had. It’s kinda crazy, I mean I don’t know how dudes like Lago for instance do it – he’s been doing it for a while – it’s certainly something I want to get into doing both [contests and filming] and it’s pretty crazy. But it’s been really sick to get to hang here and not be filming and stressing out for a movie part and doing contests and getting results. I did good in some contests, got a bunch of shots – some shots for the movie – and now it’s just about filming for edits and filming a lot with GoPro in the spring. We’re gonna be doing some stuff, so it’s just been so nice to come here and film with the GoPro crew and just… It’s been like vacation, you know? Euro X is done, there’s pretty much like park shoots and stuff left so it’s just all fun from here on out.

You mentioned edits. I was wondering about Lick The Cat that we’ve seen a bit of over here. What’s that all about?

Lick The Cat is pretty much a bunch of dudes having fun, riding the park and this year it’s been tough to film because everyone’s been gone or got hurt so we’ve made two or three edits this year and normally we’d have like twice as many so far, so it’s been tough to film this year but we’re gonna go to Big Bear, get some Tahoe action, and some Park City for Spring Break The Movie II – it’s just like a stupid 10 minute movie that we make just having fun snowboarding, we’re gonna go to the beach, we’re just gonna film it all and make a movie and people seem to like it and people seem to like our edits. It’s just good fun.

I just think sometimes you need to chill out on just spinning and flipping with the same grab. Not even doing more spins but just doing the same spins that you’ve been doing for 5 years with the same grab… it’s just so boring to watch for me.

The level of snowboarding is pretty mental right now. There’s this small contest coming up in Sochi next year so how much gnarlier do you think it’s going to get leading up to that?

This year it’s been like a lot of kids have been, in between contest, going and learning tricks and learning triples and stuff – I put one to my feet but I haven’t landed one yet so in the spring I’m definitely going to learn one, got a couple of shoots lined up just to learn some new tricks. For me all season in between contests I was filming so I wasn’t trying any new tricks, I was learning about contests and stuff so it’s been hectic – for other guys too but on my side it’s just been so crazy all year and so it’s going to be nice to sit back in the spring and learn triples and learn double 12s with different grabs because that’s kinda like my style – just doing doubles and 12s and stuff with different grabs and not just doing tricks with like one grab which I think is so wack. I try to do like back double 10 Japans or front double 10 truckdriver, and I’ve got some other ones I want to start trying. It’ll be fun to start doing that stuff and keep it creative instead of just adding more spins and flips, which I think is cool, I’m definitely down – I’ve done 1440s and stuff and I think it’s rad – but I just think sometimes you need to chill out on just spinning and flipping with the same grab. Not even doing more spins but just doing the same spins that you’ve been doing for 5 years with the same grab… it’s just so boring to watch for me. It’s like if you’re that good at snowboarding you should be trying different grabs and stuff making it entertaining to watch, I think.

I think that’s part of why I hear a lot of people dissing contests or even where snowboarding’s going because they think it’s spin to win, looks ugly and they just want to see front 3s, Methods, back 5s…

Yeah, there’s a balance somewhere in between. Obviously you have to spin and flip a ton to win a contest now but I do think there’s a nice in between. Like if you did a couple double 10s and 12s with insane grabs… I think that should equal a triple for sure, if you did like a double 9, a double 10 and a triple it doesn’t make sense that if you’re mixing up crazy grabs and progressing it that way that should kind of equal out I think. I think it’s rad that people… like Halldor is super sick, doing like the Lobster Flip and doing double barrel rolls and stuff. Judges give the double barrel roll no love just because it’s not spinning…

Wait, really?

Yeah, it’s been kinda crazy. He didn’t make the final at Freestyle.CH with it I think and we were all like “Whaat? No one’s ever done that before!”

That’s the second sickest trick I’ve seen Halldor do. The sickest is that super inverted front 3.

The front 3 RODEO?! He’s so mad it’s awesome, I guess that’s where my inspiration for doing like different grabs with doubles kinda came from was from him doing crazy stuff. It’s definitely rad.

When those little kids are my age then I’ll let them do the progressing that we’re doing now and they can chose the way that they want to do it, whether they want to do a pentacork 18000 or a double thing with a Rocket air, you know? [laughs]

Have you ever considered how gnarly it must be for the groms these days who have dreams of becoming pro snowboarders? I mean there’s 13-year-olds doing triple corks…

I feel so bad for the kids! I feel so horrible for, not for where snowbarding’s going, but for the kids that have to do what we’re doing younger. Because when those kids are my age I’m going to be well into filming hopefully, I’ll be out of contest you know? I’ll be trying to just Cherokee fade at that point. When those little kids are my age then I’ll let them do the progressing that we’re doing now and they can chose the way that they want to do it, whether they want to do a pentacork 18000 or a double thing with a Rocket air, you know? [laughs]. I feel so bad for those kids because they’re going to be doing the gnarliest stuff. It’s cool to see though, those kids are killing it. I remember like watching people that I looked up to when I was young and trying to do the tricks that they were doing but I never even got close, and now those kids are having to look at what we’re doing…

Who were those guys you looked up to?

When I was probably 12 to 13 it was like Danny Kass, Travis Parker a ton on the filming side, David Benedek – he was always crushing it, doing so many doubles and stuff and he was progressing crazy spins and corks and it was so rad to see, and the guys like Travis Parker and stuff were just cruising around killing it doing single cork back Rodeo 10s, which I think is almost probably gnarlier than a double cork rodeo 10. Those guys are pretty rad, I think.

Going back to what you touched on earlier. Do you enjoy doing contests? Or is it just a necessary thing you have to do to establish yourself?

I like contests a ton, It’s what I grew up doing. I live off of… like if we’re playing a contest here for who can get the best photo of the week I’m like ‘man I hope I win that contest!’ It’s just cool to have something to aim for, but it’s definitely not the end all for me. If I don’t want to do contests any more then I’m gonna go film, but I love doing both. I think it’s so rad if you can do both it’s so sick because you can go film and do that stuff and then come back to a contest and kill it… I think it’s like the sickest feeling.

Last question: how does it feel to be always asked how you feel about stuff?

[Laughs] It’s interesting, because usually when people ask me that I feel like crap. Really sore, tired, jetlagged and I’m like ‘Yeah, we’re at this sick contest, it’s so much fun,’ when the course probably is like a sub-par Olympic qualifier event and I’m jetlagged from travelling and stuff and pretty much just putting a smile on my face. Yeah, it’s pretty funny I guess [laughs]. Sometimes you make the best of being tired and sore, but it’s what we do and I have so much fun being tired and sore [laughs].

This week GoPro brought together a bunch of their heavy hitting international team in Laax for 5 days of chilled out shred and afternoons spent nerding off learning the possibilites of the new Hero3 camera. Check the rad gallery of selfies and a lowdown of the haps…

Would I like to spend 5 days with GoPro riders Sage Kotsenburg, Eric Willett, Jamie Anderson, Iouri Podladtchikov, Ralph Backstrom, Elena High, Xavier de Le Rue and Hannah Teter while getting schooled on how to use the magical box of tricks that is GoPro’s Hero3? The fact that it was being held in Laax – right up there in my list of ‘Most Awesome Resorts In Europe’ – only hastened my reply in the affermative. Having said that, even if they’d held it on a dryslope in Bognor Regis the chance to hang with that crew of bosses and tinker with the GoPro would have been too hard to pass up.

Ralph Backstrom, still smelling of Champagne from his winning of the whole damned Freeride World Tour a couple days before, was already there by the time I rolled in, while the rest of the crew, who’d been crushing the Euro X Games, cruised into town on the 12-hour party bus a little later accompanied by a bunch of dudes who boast a knowledge of what those little black and silver boxes can do that borders on the extreme.

This was to become apparent the next morning when we met up for the first of many clinics on how to work the Hero3. Now, previously I’d pretty much only ever hit Go and Stop, so to get the lowdown on what that camera can actually do, and how to do it, was an eye-opener. Videographers I know have expressed bafflement at the amount of sheer tech they can cram in and the quality of the output the Hero3 produces, and we’ve all marvelled at the Hero3 promo video, but to truly get the most out of the camera you really need to learn the modes, the software, the different ways of mounting it and so on.

Reeling with a mind full of ’1440p for POV’, ’30 shots in 2 seconds’, ‘timelapse mode’, ’4K capability’, ’720p shoots at 120fps and can be slowed down to 1/4 speed’, it was interesting to see how into it all the riders were. Perhaps unsurprisingly, as it offers them the chance to provide a unique angle on their riding and to pump out a bunch of content without even needing to wait for the filmer to drag his ass out of bed. You had Iouri strapping himself into a back brace with a pole jutting out the side and grilling the tech dudes on what was possible and how to achieve shots he’d been dreaming up, Elena having a bizzarre extension grafted on to her helmet and Hannah being wowed by the app that connects using WiFi so you get a live view of what the camera sees.

Ordinarily such technically-focussed nerd-offs would have sent many to sleep, but the media specialists they brought in from the US were just a bunch of laid back shredders who managed to strike the right balance of information and bro down-ery so it never felt like being at school. Of course, it wasn’t just about the nerd room and when up on the hill the guys and girls cut loose as they filmed and shot themselves, follow-cammed each other, while us media types failed miserably at bagging anything more than a Finnish faceshot. The riders earn their coin for good reason and bagged a bunch of bangers lapping Laax’s epic freestyle setup – Eric and Sage even managed to pass the camera between them mid-air, which is so insane that when you doubtless see it in a GoPro ad you’ll probably think it’s faked, while Ralph and Xavier sent it off the booters before heading off for some steep action.

Undoubtedly the highlight was the last day when the weather really turned it on and we were able to stay on the hill late for a sunset session that will have produced a heap of sick footage, the crew all smiles and high fives reflecting on this few days of deserved wind-down after a hectic season of travelling, filming and contests.

Yes, I was fed well and they bought me a couple of drinks, and, no, I have not tried any of the competition, but the fact is that the GoPro is an incredible bit of kit that allows everyone – from these cats on the team to Peter Punter – to create a ton of super high quality photos and videos. Are there any faults? My camera froze up from time to time (to fix just take out the battery and put it back in again), the software, while very good, is not the most intuitive, to get the best result you need to learn the modes and the post-production software, and they’re not cheap – the Hero3 Black edition with the WiFi remote is in the region of €450 – but if you’re into shooting yourself or your homies shredding, surfing, skating or whatever, it’s an investment you won’t regret.

We’re trying to get an edit of the trip dialled, but in the meantime peep this one from the DC Finland team for an example of what this box of tricks can do..

These guys ride Park City, but are also fond of tonguing felines. Additionally, they make rad shredits and this is their third one. Booming.

Riders: Nils Mindnich, Sage Kotsenburg, Sam Taxwood, Griffin Siebert, Ben Bilodeau, Merrick Joyce, Cody Lee, Evan Drage, Michael Wick, Blaze Kotsenburg, and Drew Brighton.

A while ago, Neff spent some bucks on a brand-new park at Park City. It is called Neffland, and it’s all candyshop themed and aims at people who want to get their jib game on. Why we’re telling you about this? They’ve already released two sick clips featuring the Kotsenburgs, Zak Hale, Dylan Thompson and many more. Now go and watch those clips!

Of all the free snowboard movies of 2012, Nitro Snowboards’ full length team flick, Hyped! was probably the one making us want to go snowboarding most. It is a great combination of stellar riding (by the likes of Eero Ettala, Austin Smith, Nils Arvidsson, Justin Bennee and more) and fun stuff on and off the hill that people can relate to. And this is what it’s all about, init? Or as we said earlier this year when the flick dropped:

This is snowboarding as it should be: fun shredding and bangers, and if this doesn’t make you want to strap in and shred you should probably check your pulse. Good job, Nitro. Mission accomplished!

The I Ride Park City crew have been well and truly teasing us for the release of their full movie, “IRPC”, centred on their epic park and starring a host of North America’s finest. The wait is over – watch the full flick NOW!

I Ride Park City is proud to release our full length movie “IRPC” It features all of the Park City All Star’s along with a list of pro’s too long to list! You’ve see the sneak peek series this past month, now sit back and watch your favorite riders rip every square inch of I Ride Park City’s incredible terrain parks!

Nitro Snowboards’ full length team flick, Hyped!, is now live and direct. Check the likes of Eero Ettala, Austin Smith, Nils Arvidsson, Justin Bennee and more bossing it and getting hyped.

This is snowboarding as it should be: fun shredding and bangers, and if this doesn’t make you want to strap in and shred you should probably check your pulse. Good job, Nitro. Mission accomplished!

Watch what gets Bryan Fox, Austin Smith, Markus Keller, Eero Ettala, Marc Swoboda, Benny Urban, Dominik Wagner, Knut Eliassen, Sam Taxwood, Sage Kotsenburg, Nils Arvidsson, Elias Elhardt, Anton Bilare, Anton Gunnarson, Jon Kooley, Justin Bennee, Torgeir Bergrem, and the rest of the team Hyped when they are snowboarding.

Locations: Salt Lake City, China, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Austria, Poland, Canada, Mt. Bachelor, Big Bear, and Mt. Baker.

Directed by Per-Hampus Stålhandske. Filmed and edited by Per-Hampus Stålhandske and Pirmin Juffinger. Produced by Nitro snowboards

Hyped! is the feeling we all get when we strap into our snowboards

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

Sage Kotsenburg apparently created this fine piece of snowboard video, and he most likely wrote this description, too:

Follow Sage as he road trips from Utah to Mammoth for the West Coast Invitational where Sage claims the Best Trick Award. From there, Sage treks up to Oregon for Snowboarder Super Park to link up with the Nike crew for the Battle of Brands.