At just 21 years old, Annika Morgan is quickly rising in the ranks of the international snowboarding scene. One of the newest members on the Salomon team, the competitive slopestyle rider is almost as infamous for her DJing as she is on hill amongst the contest circuit. With strong finishes at just about every major comp in the world, and a passion for German techno, the young sister of fellow pro Ethan Morgan gave us a little background on where she is at, as well as her plans to get in front of the camera a bit more soon. – Mark Clavin

So you are currently going through a move?
Yeah, I got back from New Zealand yesterday, so I just started moving in to my new place in Innsbruck. Just renting now, but I’m looking into some spots that I could buy at some point here. 

Why did you decide to move to Innsbruck?
For the vibe.  Everybody is so down with snowboarding here, and everybody rips. All the resorts are close… it’s just the perfect place to be. Oh, and the preseason is sick because everybody’s staying here as well.

How was New Zealand?
For my social life it was awesome but snowboarding-wise, it sucked. The mountain would close every second day because it was too windy. We went to the bar pretty much every day. It was great, but not the best for my liver.

Congrats on joining Salomon, even though that happened I guess a few months ago, right?
Yeah, that happened in February, I think. I started riding their boards right after the Mammoth World Cup Qualifiers to test them out. I was really stoked and then pretty much signed a few days later. 

Finals were canceled at that one for wind, right?
Yeah. 

Do you think you would have won if you rode those boards in the finals?
Haha, I came in third… I don’t know, the girls were killing it on that course. Julia Marino definitely had a sick run. I’m very spontaneous when it comes to pulling up and doing the tricks that I have to hahah.

First time riding those boards? Thoughts?
Yeah, they feel the best! I was pretty stoked to just be on the slopes carving and do my thing. The pop is insane.

How’d the rest of your season go?
Pretty good! I qualified second for big air at World Champs and made finals in slope, which I was really stoked on sick… and team Europe won the Winter Obsidian event in NZ, it’s like the Winter Games comp. There are four different teams: Oceania, America, Asia and Europe. We had a rail jam, big air, and backcountry… which was pretty sick. 

Did you compete in all the different disciplines?
Yeah with our team, it was Mia Brookes, Nicolas Huber, Sven Torgren, Joona Kangas and some others.

As far as this upcoming year, are you going to keep up with the 1440s?
Oh, god. I feel like I have to, but I’m not stressing about it. I’ll just do it whenever I feel like it… I’m not claiming anything. I have to do well at a few comps, but I’m not doing everyone, would like to film a little bit of street, a little bit of backcountry, but I don’t have any specifics planned.

Would that be your first jump into filming?
I filmed with my brother, Ethan, for Meet the Morgans. We had a few days in the backcountry and in the streets but I think all together I only filmed for like four days.

How was your trip to Sweden with the Salomon crew?
It was nice, but the first day, like two hours into shredding, I got a concussion. So I couldn’t really snowboard the whole week. We went to Sven’s backyard and got to hit his jibs on the last day, which was so sick since I healed up. But it was nice to hang out with everyone and meet everyone. And I went to Hood for the Salomon Team Week. That was sick. That was definitely a culture shock for me because I’ve never been around so many street riders

Is there a big change when you change board sponsors?
It’s definitely a change and you have to get used to it but it’s nice meeting new people. You wouldn’t meet that crew in that way in your life again if you weren’t on the team. If I didn’t change sponsors, I wouldn’t meet all the street riders that I have looked up to for awhile., you know. I was so starstruck when I saw Tommy Gesme. He’s my favorite snowboarder ever… and to get to hang and have that dynamic is sick.

Do you think you could beat any of the street riders in a Game of Snow?
Maybe Tommy. Hahah, no.

What about on a slope course?
All. Yes. Hahaha. 

And you have a ton of teammates on the slope course as well.
Yeah! Tess, Dusty, Sven, and Judd are always down to coach and help out, we are a pretty tight crew at the top. Everyone is good homies and loves to shred with each other and film stuff.

How is the contest aspect?
Women’s slope is the thing to watch right now. It’s the most interesting… so much is happening. The first 1440, back 1440… women’s progression is so sick right now. Two years ago, Jamie was doing back-to-back 1080s, and now I’m doing back-to-back 10s and I’m not even on the podium. Other chicks are doing 1260s and 14s. I’d rather see a style event happen than back-to-back 14s, but it is sick to see the progression as well. 

True. When did you start snowboarding?
When I was like seven, and then competitively when I was around 16. I started skating at like two and competing at three or four haha. I did like the outfits though. They are crazy decorative. And my costumes were made for me, for my programs, and my last figure skating routine was actually a Michael Jackson song… so I got to wear a suit for my last competitive year. It was sick. 

Were you a serious figure skater at one point?
Yeah, until I was 15. 

Did you do Junior Worlds and all that?
Nah, figure skating is a different world. It’s hard to even get into regionals.

So you’re saying snowboarding is much easier than the competitive figure skating world? Yeah haha, but also, figure skating is very toxic. That’s why I chose snowboarding because I’d rather like not have any toxic people in my life. Other parents get involved, parents get mad at the kids and the coaches are kind of harsh on you. 

So you chose snowboarding because it was like a much more relaxed environment?
Yeah, and I was winning and I liked the feeling of winning, so I went with snowboarding.

What’s the biggest spin you did in ice skating?
A triple toe loop, which is a 1080, and I only landed that once. But I could do a double axel, which is basically a 900.

Any lessons from spinning while skating that you applied to snowboarding?
I am definitely better at spinning to the left because of figure skating. It is way easier to do a 1080 on skates… still hard to land, but nowhere near as scary to fall like when you are flying in the air on your board.

Skating routines have a pretty big blend of music, obviously, and competition. Do you ride with music when you’re competing or no?
I started to not ride with music this year because I’m just way more focused without it. I would listen to techno right before I drop in to do a new trick and I would be so stoked on the song and just couldn’t focus on the trick at all. 

When did you start DJing?
Last summer. 

I thought you were doing it for much longer because you’re already an infamous DJ in snowboarding.
Yeah, I got my first gig in October last year in Queenstown, NZ. Homies in Christchurch got me the gig and ever since I have had a few here and there. Peace Park, DIYX, I DJ’d in LAAX for the Oakley community days, but then the homies from Indy Bar were not stoked because it got a bit too German at some point.

What does “getting too German” mean?
Berlin 6 a.m. vibes.

Sounds intense. Do you ever get too German in any other aspects of your life?
Um… I don’t know. Hahahahaha.

Do you take anything from your DJing that you apply to your snowboarding or no? Sorry, that is such a dumb question.
Hahaha. Actually, maybe a little bit. Like, I don’t give a fuck. I’ll just do my own thing.

What is your DJ name?
Niek. 

Why?
A few years ago the Kiwi homies would leave the A’s out of my name for some reason so my teammates all started calling me Niek. 

Alright, that is enough haha.