Words: Jamie Lynn
Photo: Chris Owen

It's a wonderful and blessed life I've been able to live. Having snowboarding come into my life at an early age allowed me opportunities right out of high school. I was able to get out of a small town (Auburn south of Seattle), travel the world and snowboard at mountains I could have only dreamed of.

I’ve had the opportunity to not only ride my snowboard, but also to work on a pro model and paint the graphics for it. By doing that, it kind of helped me develop the ability to paint, or be artistic, in a way that I’m happy with. It’s helped me develop relationships with the companies that I ride for, and they’ve turned more into a family relationship.Working with Mervin to do my board graphics all these years and now doing Mark Landvik’s board graphics each year gives me the opportunity to continue to paint and develop creatively. With Vans I have the opportunity to help them design a boot that I’m happy with, or that I know if I’m happy with, hopefully it works for other people that buy it and enjoy it. Volcom has always been a company that has celebrated the arts and utilized their vehicles to get stuff out there. They used artists or the team riders to really support it. Even through their art series shirts, or just art in general, it’s always something that’s been a focus for Volcom. They’ve helped me develop as an artist because of it.

By pulling back, kind of easing off and being able to recharge my batteries, that helps.

There were definitely times where I had taken on so much, so many responsibilities from all these different angles, that it became overwhelming. That played a big part over the last 20 years. By pulling back, kind of easing off and being able to recharge my batteries, that helps. I definitely, at certain times throughout my career, have taken on a lot of things that I thought I could handle. I don’t like letting people down, so I always try to hit my marks. I’ve learned from those mistakes of taking on too much. I’m at a really good pace right now, in a really good rhythm and feel really comfortable with the companies that I’m working with. The way that I’m approaching all the different projects is definitely a lot more calculated, a lot more focused. It gives me time to approach each project in more of a relaxed state and not just be stressed out and tripping on deadlines.

The opportunity to pull back with artwork and get a better handle on it is the same approach I took with my snowboarding [of late]. What that’s done is given me the ppportunity to get back into it with more of an open mind. I used to place a lot of expectations on myself and on my riding and thought that people expected a certain level of ability at all times. I used to care about that a lot or way too much. Now it seems like that self-placed pressure has been lifted, and I’ve been able to approach it with more of an open mind and more enthusiasm than ever before. What that’s equated to is, fuck, one of the best seasons I’ve had in probably 10, 15 years. Being able to ride good mountains and go on good trips with good friends is the basis and core of why we snowboard. It’s a fairly easy equation.

This article was featured in Volume 8 Issue 3. Don't get the magazine? Subscribe now!

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