Photo: Tim Peare

Extended interview with John Jackson from the February issue on newsstands now!

John Jackson is a true mountain man. He could survive with only the shirt on his back and make due in the dead of winter. His drive for the mountain life comes across through his hobbies of choice including fishing, climbing and sledding but his true calling can be captured by his mind-blowing capabilities on the slopes. It’s no wonder why this Mammoth Mountain native by way of Crowley Lake was snatched up by Forum last season. They know a talented specimen when they see one and have recognized John J. with a signature board named the Conflict for the 2010/2011 season.

What have you been up to lately? What have you been doing early season?

Well, I fished a lot this summer and spent a lot of my summer being on the river. Early season I’ve just been climbing a bunch and getting ready for the winter- doing a bit of yoga, and just working on some core strength, and getting my body in shape. My knee is little bit injured coming off of last year. My ACL is partially torn, but it feels fine. It’s all good though. I’ve just been working it out a bunch.

Have you been climbing all of your life, or is it something you just started doing?

I’m actually just now really getting into it. I started a long time ago when I was young because I had a buddy who was a little bit older than me and he was a sick climber. He would take me out and show me stuff. Now I’m getting back into it. I’ve been going with Lonnie Kauk and he is retarded- he’s insane, and he has been definitely showing me some moves. He is a mad man!

Really? I’ve never done it. How do you start out and how do you even know what to do?

There are all kinds of different climbing, but really what I like, and what I’m starting to get into is leading, where there are bolts all up the route. Unless you’re climbing with gear, that’s like crack climbing, where you are putting in your own bolts. This is just where you climb up whatever route, and there will be bolts, and you clip in your quick draw and you’re being relayed from the bottom. And then also just a bunch of top roping too if it’s hard, because I don’t like falling on leads! It’s super fun. I’m still a rookie for sure, but it’s good for you mentally, and physically, all around. I think climbing is some of the best training for my snowboarding, and Lonnie will tell you the same thing. His mental strength is so next level in being able to relate to snowboarding.

In the last few years, have you even really been riding at resorts? Or is it mostly back country?

A lot of my early season is at resorts, and that’s fine, but ya it’s mostly back country. It’s hard to find those days now, to just go out and play on the mountain. I love coming back to Mammoth early season and riding the mountain where I grew up. I know every little nook and cranny on that mountain so it’s pretty fun. And then Squaw is tight too when I’m in Tahoe because that’s where I’ve been living.

So you’re based out of Tahoe again this season?

I was buying a house in Truckee in summer and it fell threw. It was for the better but I had already given up my original place in Truckee so I have just been cruising since July- just floating around, being a bum. It’s cool. I like it. No ties, no commitments. It’s perfect. I like just cruising around and being free.

How has your perception of snowboarding changed in the past few years?

Um…My perception of snowboarding and what it is to me, and why I do it, is still the same. It’s never really changed. I never really let it get to a level where I let it get to me. The way I see it is that the seriousness is becoming next level. In order to be a professional snowboarder these days, you can’t really just ride good, you have to take care of business as well. So my perception of being a pro snowboarder is a little bit more serious these days. Ha. I don’t know. I like not taking it too serious. I like to keep the fun in it. It enables me not to get burnt out and keep doing what I love without getting stressed out.

How do you have a sense of security when you can be one of the best riders today, but that almost doesn’t prove anything- you can still dropped in the blink of an eye. How do you deal with that?

Yeah, that’s true. I mean it’s all about your own personal hustle. You not only have to be a good rider, and take care of business, but you also have build relationships with everyone you work with. You gotta be on top of it with your team managers. I feel secure, like even if I were to get dropped, I mean knock on wood, God forbid but I think I would be ok. It’s not like back in the day, when you would go up to AK riding down stairway to heaven on shrooms. I mean naw, it ain’t like that. Haha.

I mean you could.

J- [laughs] Well ya..

Are you still smoking weed, or have you stopped?

Haha, uh I smoke a little bit. You know it sucks because in past interviews, I’ve had some where smoking weed is a question that is asked freely, and I kinda wish it wasn’t because it’s not something that I really want to put out there, and like advertise. I don’t know it’s kinda of a weird one.

For sure. It was so strongly associated with your image for so long that it’s hard to separate it for people.

Yeah now it comes back to that. I have dreads and it is fitting to me, like that is who I am in my personality. I have a lot of love and I love reggae.

I know what you mean…but you don’t want to put that out there like before.

I took a little break from smoking for like a year and half, and that was good for me. I was able to focus on what I wanted to do and really know who I am without anyone, or anything telling me or influencing me- without any dependency on that.

So what’s with this whole X-treme Bar in Reno with you and [your bro] E-Jack? What’s your commitment with that?

They want to promote me and Eric and they are always hooking us up when we go in there. We are down to rock it ya know. They take really good care of us, and it’s a real cool bar. Good atmosphere.

You guys have ownership in it or anything?

No, they are just sponsoring us. They are talking about opening more of the same so they could take it to another level.

Tell me about your pro model with Forum coming out next season.

It’s a sick board. Probably my favorite board I’ve ever ridden. It rides very aggressive, super fast and strong. It’s a directional board, really stiff tail, and its got a ton of pop, and I like riding a big board so I just charge and blast and pop all over. With the long stiff tail you can pop off any little mogul so hard. There is really good connection with a board like this from your feet to the snow and it’s really responsive.

Is that the board you use the majority of the time when you are riding?

Yeah a 163 all around in the park, and the little bit of rails that I do, and in the backcountry. It’s just comfortable to me. I feel like it’s my ride. I went on a rail trip last year to try and drop in to some weird ass quarter pipe wall ride transfer thing. I didn’t even know what the fuck to do. I set up a 54 or something. I almost ate shit dropping in and I was like, “I don’t think I can ride this little board.” It’s just not enough. If I was a jibber I’d get used to it. It’s weird now seeing all these soft boards.

Do you have any other pro model equipment?

No I don’t. Forum and Special Blend are more of a team thing. They’re more about the team focus which is cool. I still get to put in a bunch of input when shit falls apart, but it usually doesn’t.

Well you’re the ultimate tester probably.

I know. I abuse everything I touch. I left my wallet in my buddy’s glove compartment the other day and I was like “Dude grab my wallet. I forgot it.” He pulled it out and later he was like, “Dude I thought your wallet was gonna attack me. It’s so haggard” There’s like credit cards falling out and my id’s crushed with receipts everywhere. Kind of hard to explain. You’d have to see it but it doesn’t really fold into a wallet. It’s more of a rectangular box.

That’s pretty funny. So what boots and bindings do you ride? What’s your set up?

The set up is the Symbol with the Republic bindings. Those things are super good too. Really light and nice stiff highbacks. Let see what else? The Stunner boots. The Stunner speed racers. Those things are really comfy, really supportive and super easy to tie. The lacing system is fast in and out. So that’s the setup and it’s a good one. I recommend it.

So what are your travel plans this season?

Nothing’s planned too much until it snows. Just kind of waiting to see where it snows and hopefully we gotta a lot of snow a lot here in the States. I’d like to plan at least one heli trip. We’re talking about Alaska so hopefully that goes through. We didn’t get to do any heli last year. It sucked but it was cool we still managed to make an awesome movie. That’s pretty sick actually. I never even thought about that. It’s pretty insane to make a sick ass movie without one heli trip. Usually you get a lot of insane footage out of a heli trip.

Are they gonna make another Forum movie this year?

I’m not sure. They’re doing something but not sure what that is right now. I’ll hopefully be filming with T. Rice a little bit too.

Oh sick. Do you remember the first board you ever owned?

Yeah. Very well I do.

Do you still have it?

No, I wish I did. That’s what I don’t remember is releasing it. I remember gaining it and then all of a sudden it disappeared so that’s a heartbreaker. It was sick. It was this old 125 or 135 Burton Free’3 with the old school flat tail. The one with the clouds on it. The Burton air 3’3. It was my sister and I’s. We convinced my parents to get one and so we had to share it. I’d go out every other day. That was sick. It was a good board.

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