Austin doing a back lip in downtown Seattle. Gotta love people doing skate tricks with style. Not many people do back lips on a quarter pipe on a snowboard, with style no less. In fact it was a pictorial in Snowboarder of Austin crushing a skateboard style bowl they had set up for snowboarding up at Summit at Snoqualmie that made me think this guy is for real, skills wise. He cancan do way more than the giant airs he does at the Holy Oly every year
Having seen Austin rip it 2 years in a row on the massive Holy Oly quarterpipe, he definitely stood out in a group of riders that is definitely hard to stand out in. you know when guys like Peter Line, Wille Yli Louma, Jeff Brushie, Sean Genovese and other NW chargers are crushing it, just getting noticed is an accomplishment, let alone getting a highest air award. Some coverage recently in Snowboarder, shows Austin is versatile rider. The NW breeds riders that let the riding do the talking and surely Mr. Hironaka will be around well after you read this
Name: Austin Hironaka
Age: 23
Sponsors: Ride, Airblaster, POW Gloves, Summit at Snoqualmie and Saves Clothing
Videos: Think Thank “Cool Story”
Hometown: Tacoma, WA
Lives: Seattle, WA
Austin and his lady
SR: Where do you usually ride
AH: At Snoqualmie, it’s too hard to go anywhere else. You get on I-90, drive 50 minutes and you are there
SR: You have been getting some coverage lately, how does that work, living in the NW?
AH: It’s still blowin my mind, it has not really set in yet. I have been sticking to my own program. Someone out there is liking it I guess
SR: Because a lot of people don’t make it to Seattle for photos and stuff
AH: Yep, in our little Northwest corner here
SR: Did you have to pull any favors to get all those photos in Snowboarder like wash Pat Bridges car or anything?
AH: No, see that’s the thing, as awesome he is and how much I love him, I hardly ever see that guy. I don’t know..
SR: Well the pics speak for themselves
AH: Yea, just have fun snowboarding and things happen
SR: How is living in Seattle and being a snowboarder
AH: It’s so good man, oh my god. There’s no scene here, actually there is a scene but it’s real mellow. It’s low key, you can go boarding with your friends, have a good time, I don’t know you go to other places and people vibe you out
SR: Plus, you get to live in the city with the benefits
AH: You’re in the city and a 50 minute drive takes you to the mountains
SR: You don’t have to live in a mountain town with like 10 dudes for every girl
AH: No, I live in civilization, see people day to day and not the same people
SR: Who influenced your riding
AH: Definitely Peter (Line) and Jamie (Lynn), definitely Craig (Kelly) he definitely made snowboarding look fun, what it is and what it should be. Those are definitely my main influences
SR: Who do you ride with?
AH: Up at Snoqualmie we got a huge crew of homies, our crew has 10-15 people rolling on a park lap day you know? Out in the back country, we got the Think Thank crew, mix it up a little bit
SR: Seattle is famous for coffee, what is your favorite coffee shop
AH: I don’t even drink coffee, it’s bad for you
SR: Summit at Snoqualmie or Bear
AH: I went to Bear for the 1st time ever for Hot Dawgz and Hand Rails a couple of weeks ago so I can’t really give you an honest opinion since Bear was not really open but you already know I am going to say Snoqualmie
SR: Mt Baker or Mammoth
AH: Baker, come on
SR: Favorite terrain
AH: I love everything; I just love being on my snowboard and having a good time and riding whatever is there, be creative. Just whatever, I love to ride Pow, jumps, love to mini shred, tranny, I am not the greatest pipe rider but I love me some stalefish grabs in the pipe
SR: Music
AH: I have been stuck on a hip hop kick for a while
SR: What’s the best thing about the Northwest
AH: Everything!
SR: Worst thing?
AH: Nothing man this place is great!
Damn proper indy air at the 2008 Holy Oly
all around rider; Blunt in downtown Seattle
Highest air award winner at the 2009 or 6.66th annual Holy Oly
Red Bull is everywhere, thanks for providing this jib for Austin and others to hit. Since Austin feels drinking coffee is unhealthy it seems logical to assume that he may prefer an Acai bowl to energize instead of a Red Bull but who knows
Big Airs, rails, here's a spin and he can probably ride pow like a mad man too
blasting a hip, photo by Pat Kennedy, yanked from summitatsnoqualmie.com