Burton has officially announced that Kaishu Hirano, brother to Ayumu, is part of the global team.
On the Burton Blog, the brand writes:
At the Olympics, praise and attention is generally directed to the riders atop the podium. The top three riders almost feel expected or predetermined, primed to receive all the glory and fame. In the words of legendary fictional racecar driver, Ricky Bobby, “If you ain’t first, you’re last.” However, this year in the Men’s Halfpipe final, one rider stole the show all while landing themselves in 9th place–Kaishu Hirano.
Instead of trying to one-up and out-spin his competitors, Kaishu did what he does best – go bigger than anyone, with three times the style. His 24’4″ (7.4 meters) air, a World Record for highest air, showcased to the masses that there’s so much more to snowboarding and its culture than being the best.
Read the full Welcome to the Team announcement and interview with Kaishu here.
The above footage of Kaishu sending it to the ceiling indoor in Japan will be in Ben Ferg’s Fleeting Time, releasing next month.
“I started watching snowboarding videos once I got more serious about snowboarding. I would watch my brothers ride, but I was also really into Kazuhiro Kokumo, Taku Hiraoka, Shaun White and I was always excited to watch the US Open live,” says Kaishu via the Burton Blog.
“I think that being different from other riders and doing things no one else has done will always be more valuable. Personally, I like to be stylish and ride like they used to.”
Kaishu also talks about his decision to do the method in Beijing.
“At the time, I was really fired up to be competing in the Olympics. The X Games were right before, so I brought a lot of that energy with me. The conditions were perfect, and all of my friends and teammates were so supportive. That got me stoked to go bigger than I usually do. People kept reminding me how special the Olympics are and how important they are, I was nervous from all of that, but in a really good way.
I wanted to do something that would stand out on such a significant stage, so I went for the biggest method. It’s a good reminder that I can continuously stand out with the high airs.”
