Over the past year, we were granted interesting conversations with snowboarders of all stripes, from seasoned pros and up-and-coming talent, to the individuals who make the sport tick from behind the scenes, whether with a camera, a laptop, or some CAD software (for example). The connective thread through all of the interviews, of course, is a love of snowboarding and an individual perspective on it–the archetypal qualities that keep us hooked on gearing up and making turns year after year.
As we start a new winter and a new year, we gathered some of our favorite interviews from 2023 right here, in case you missed any of them. (There’s more, too. Check here to read every interview from last year.) These interviews all appeared online; we didn’t include our favorites that appeared in issue 20.1. You can pick up a copy of that here.
The Magazine Cover Photographed From Three Miles Away
In which we talk with photographer chad Chomlack about photographing Travis Rice on this previously unridden face in British Columbia and what his experience was like that day in Revy! The striking image was perfect to celebrate the 20th volume of Snowboard Magazine, thanks to Chad and Travis on a collaboration that is undoubtedly timeless.
What’s It Like to Hit Chad’s Gap? Nils Mindnich Sheds Some Light
Last season, Nils Mindnich and Sebbe De Buck eyed up and dropped into Chad’s Gap, the seminal Utah jump that takes days to build and major minerals to hit. Sessions on the jump are the stuff of legends and those who hit the jump are added to a short list of lofty individuals who rose to a hell of an occasion. Before an edit about the experience called Mind the Gap came out, Nils took to his Instagram to answer questions about hitting the jump. We were so enthralled with what he said we spoke with him to get more details.
The Current Champ: Dusty Henricksen Talks Slopestyle, House Money, and Filming
The style with which Dusty executes big spins has captivated snowboarding and landed the Californian with plenty of podium finishes. In this interview from May, we hear about Dusty’s first foray into really filming, his infamous Monster truck, and the reason he is not the sleeper of the family.
Travis Rice Has Unlocked the Next Level
The Natural Selection Revelstoke stop was indisputably one of the most mind-melting things to happen in snowboarding of the calendar year. Watching everyone pick apart the Boulder Park playing field was an exercise in excitement and palpable viewer anxiety. It was great. After the contest, we looked at its impact and spoke with Travis about it all in a look at the balance of action/reaction at the Yeti Natural Selection Revelstoke.
Ylfa Rúnarsdóttir is in Blooom
There’s something so infectious about the style Ylfa Rúnarsdóttir brings to her riding. Her video parts give off a hefty amount of energy that coalesces her fiery bag of tricks and eye for aesthetics. We talked with her about filming for Burton’s 2023 team movie, Blooom.
A Snowboard with a Porpoise: Burton Re-Releases Shannon Dunn-Downing’s Iconic Dolphin Pro Model
Last spring, we caught up with Shannon Dunn-Downing to learn about creating her pro model from the ground up with Burton and the lasting effects of that snowboard on snowboarding, itself.
Cuban Lu is Technically Doing It
Running up an impressive client list since he burst onto the scene a few years ago, Luis Medearis AKA “Cuban Lu” has already filmed for the U.S. Team, Red Bull, Burton, Oakley, Ikon Pass, Columbia, Woodward, JBL, Anon Optics, DB and plenty more. With a resume like that, it is even more impressive when you account for Lu learning how to snowboard and film at the same time just back in 2020. Now a regular on the knuckle of jumps all over the world, we caught up with Lu on his latest venture, Technically Doing It and his upcoming plans.
Van Life is Back? Iris Pham Seems to Think So
Honestly, we all thought van life was a late-aughts trend that was an answer to Millennials not being to afford homes, but this Gen Z ripper checked in with us recently to tell us all about her latest venture, and has no regrets of putting all her cash in her new four-wheeled project.
In Focus: Tannor Wallace Shapes the Way We See Bear Mountain
The camera folks that share their perspective indelibly shape the way see snowboarding and as we started the 2023-24 winter, we spoke to Tannor Wallace, who points his lenses at the people, things, and moments at Bear Mountain. Tannor’s early winter images, not only of the heavy talent in Big Bear but also of the machinations of the resort as it prepares for the season, are the stuff that drives excitement for snow.
Win, Invest, Repeat: Nate Haust Talks the Resurgence of Rail Jams
Topping the podium at two of the larger prize purse stops in last year’s rail jams (The Grit and Dew Tour), the East Coaster (who calls Tahoe home) made some investments this year. We checked in with Haust in between contests to get his thoughts on the resurgence of rail jams.
Last spring, we checked in with rising rider, Estelle Pensiero, on her first season of packed travel as she explores new places and new terrain, imbuing each location with her personal sense of style and snowboarding.
Rough Around the Edges: Behind the Documentary with Director John Cavan
There aren’t many people in the world that can go toe-to-toe with John on snowboard lore and working on the film side of it all for over two decades, you can probably count on those aforementioned toes how many people have actually seen more insane riding go down in person. After a three hour phone call talking with John and an absolute hack job to make it all fit below and make sense in writing (more coming at some point), here are some words about making a snowboard documentary about a brand that has been around longer than most of our Instagram followers have been alive.
CORE Nation Wraps Up Its Season at Timberline: An Update with Erik Leon
Last spring, we talked to Erik after the final CORE event of winter to learn how CORE Nation continues to evolve and affect the grassroots communities of snowboarding.
