From our latest issue, out now!

Nick Russell operates more like a freesurfer than a snowboarder. What do we mean by that? Well, 90% of his riding at home in Tahoe is done outside of the resort, no ticket needed.  Opting for a splitboard over lifts and motors, he travels the globe for projects in search of untouched snow, challenging lines, and first descents accessible by his own two feet (and the occasional help of an ice axe). Only a handful of people know where he is going when he gets on a plane, and he likes it that way. After watching and chatting about his latest project, “Papsura: Peak of Evil”, it is easy to see that there are not many riders doing it at his level. But the Patagonia team rider’s human-powered approach is about more than just snowboarding. 

On top of his riding, Nick is also one of the more outspoken professionals in our space on environmental and social issues. A longtime partner with Protect Our Winters, he feels a responsibility to use his platform to inform and help with matters close to home and global. He has done a lot more in his 37 years than we can cover in 8 pages, so we hope you enjoy the quick look into the Where and Wear of one of the best currently out there. – Clavin

After riding all over the world, why is Truckee your home base? 

Well, I sort of ended up here by accident. I was driving across the country to work on a weed farm and realized I was over living out of my car. So I called Danny Davis and asked him if he had an open room at his house and I ended up staying there for seven years. I started splitboarding every day, riding with Jeremy Jones a lot, and I quickly realized why they love this mountain range so much. It is so accessible. With our maritime snowpack, the amount of snowfall we get, and the potential for riding big lines, it’s really the perfect place for someone who enjoys human-powered snowboarding.

If you were forced to leave Tahoe, what would be your next choice? 
I would love to live in the Tetons if I could afford it.

How was last winter?
The first half of the year was a pretty heavy film promotion tour for Papsura. And then after the avalanche accidents in BC with Pashley and Jeff in the spring, that sort of dissolved my big mountain aspirations, and I decided to cancel all of my trips that I had planned. I just stayed home, which is exactly what I needed to reset.

What did you have planned? 
I had some high aspirations for some things up in Alaska. But you know, with those trips you just have to be 100% all in and more.. I just wasn’t in that proper headspace last year. And it was actually quite refreshing to realize that, listen to it, and stay home because I was able to reconnect with friends and get on some missions that were just good for the soul.

How long is a recovery period after a trip like Papsura when you factor in all of the prep getting there and pushing yourself to the limit? 
Well, that year was different than others because within two weeks, my bags were repacked and I was back up in Alaska on an expedition to Mount St. Elias. Normally, after a big year, it takes me months to reset. You try to find where that line is and get to that line without crossing it. But the closer you get to the line, the longer break you need to reset your dopamine and serotonin levels.

Anything in the works for this winter?
I have a vision of some things that I want to do over the next year at home and abroad. Things are still in the early stages of planning, fundraising, and logistics. But that’s half the fun, putting together the pieces of the puzzle. 

How long does it take to plan one of your excursions? 
I would say nowadays, the worthwhile goals take at least a year of lead time to build up to it.

And do you keep the location secret, like a surfer going to look for an undiscovered wave, or do you kind of put it out there?
Like Lil Wayne says, “Real G’s move in silence like lasagna.” Haha. I’m a pretty superstitious person. Some things are better kept in a tight circle because there are so many things that can prevent you from even going on the trip, let alone accomplishing what it is that you want to achieve out there.

Would you ever start an OnlyFans to fundraise if your brands didn’t cover your trips?
Instagram is hard enough. I don’t know if I have the bandwidth to deal with anything else. It’s actually cheaper to go to some obscure mountain range and go camping for a month than it is to stay at home. But when you bring cameras into the equation and try to document things properly, that’s when it starts to get expensive because the cameramen who can properly hang deserve that compensation.

Did you say it’s cheaper to climb distant mountains than it is to stay at home?
It’s way cheaper to go out on an expedition than pay for lift tickets every day. It’s cheaper than, you know, staying home in whatever town you live in and going out to eat three or four days a week. Once you’re there, you’re there, and you’re not spending a dollar for a month. It’s pretty crazy.

What about all the travel to hard-to-reach places? 
It’s a pretty big misconception. A lot of people think I’m always on some crazy exotic trip, but that’s not the case. 90% of the snowboarding that I do is digestible, attainable freeriding in my home range or wherever that may be. These expeditions are a very small percentage of my actual season. They just happen to take up a lot of bandwidth and require effort to make happen, but like, at the end of the day, we’re just out there free riding in the forest or camping in the high country with friends and looking for powder.

For your zero-mistake snowboarding, what is an essential piece of gear you can’t go without?
The first thing that comes to mind is just having sharp edges. But that’s a common answer, so I will say confidence in your hard goods and comfort in your soft goods. 

Good segue to softgoods. You run the Patagonia PowSlayer kit all year? 
Yeah, I use it as my daily driver. Patagonia brought us in to help design it about three years ago… it’s been super cool to see the evolution and our input be taken to heart and implemented in the final product. Even the seemingly trivial intricacies like zipper placement or how it all fits together with a pack on.  I could bring that same kit from Nevada, to Jackson, to Baker, to Alaska, or to the Himalayas, and trust the durability and comfort in all conditions. Every layer has a purpose. 

How often do you ride resorts? 
I’d say 90% on a splitboard, 10% at the resort.

Whether it’s for the fight for public lands or other issues, you’re very outspoken on your channels. Why is that important to you in this day and age?
With the Trump administration being so vocal about basically stripping the U.S. of all environmental protections, it’s an uphill battle currently. We wouldn’t be talking right now if it weren’t for the natural world and protected wild public lands. We owe so much to them within all of snowboarding. I mean, at the end of the day, I’m a human being who has values. Whether it’s an environmental or a social cause, using our platforms and shedding light on them is important. Even if just one person signs the petition or donates to a non-profit, that is one more that might not have otherwise. So what is there to lose?

But you also do more than just post on social media. Patagonia and POW partnered up for the premiere tour, right? 
Yeah, all the proceeds from every stop went to a local chapter of POW or a similar nonprofit. And I’ve worked closely with POW for the last 10 years. Having somewhat of a platform to raise money for nonprofits is something that I feel like is a duty bestowed upon myself and others who are in a similar position to give back in one way or another. The fight to protect public lands is still in full swing. Especially in places that aren’t as front and center, like in the Arctic Refuge in Alaska is at high risk of being developed for oil extraction. Future generations aren’t gonna be able to enjoy this silly little sport that we love so much. The least we can do is speak up about it.

What happens if the weather doesn’t line up when you are on a trip after all the prep you put into an excursion? 
Yeah, sometimes you get skunked, but you shift your perspective of what it really means to get skunked. My goal of getting good conditions has really shifted over the past ten years to where the goal now is to have more fun with less. At the end of the day, you’re out there. And if you come home safe and have a great time, then it’s a win.

Finally, what would you feel more out of place hitting: a multi-kink rail in the streets or a slopestyle jump?
Probably the rail. It seems like so much more could go wrong. Give me a hip or something with proper transition and I’ll choose that all day.