Interview by Kyle Clancy
How much do you love beer and why?
On a scale of one to ten I’d say I love beer an eleven. My love affair with this holiest of beverages stems from one incident in my early teen years. My neighbor Sam and I were walking from my house to go to his house. It was the middle of winter. Along the way something caught our attention in a near by snow bank. Rushing over to investigate we discovered a full unopened beer. Someone must have left it there the night before while leaving the party. The two of us ran off into the woods with our new found treasure. There we did the only diplomatic thing there was to do. We took turns drinking it until the bottle emptied. Since that day forth I have always had a love for the barley soda.
What in snowboarding has to change?
Big corporate companies are buying up a lot of core brands to improve there image and make more money. These monopolies put the direction of snowboarding into the hands of the marketing and business departments. Ultimately this is taking the control away from the snowboarders themselves and gives it to someone sitting behind a desk.
What at the moment in snowboarding is cool?
For me it is scaring myself. It is amazing what you can do when you step out of your comfort zone. Plus it is good for your heart!
Is there such a thing as a lame trick?
I don’t think so, what one person thinks is a wack trick might be someone else’s favorite. It is all about how it feels to you. I have seen some pretty sweat tindys in my day and maybe more people could use a J-tear in their lives.
There’s a storm a brewing with all the kids making their own videos now, like The Chronicales of Gnarlia (Lane Knaack) and Bozwreck (Bozung/ Ryan), will it be a Revolution?
Viva la Revolution! I am really excited about both these movies. I haven’t seen Bozung and Mattys but I am sure its sweat. With Chronicales we just wanted to make a fun movie that you would want to watch before going riding. Make sure you go buy these two as soon as possible. Unless of course you want to go buy the same video that you bought last year, with the same riders you always see, doing the same stuff they always do. Boring!!!!
What’s your favorite observed holiday?
St. Patrick’s Day , which coincidentally falls on my birthday. My twenty first fell on the day of U.S.Open slopestyle finals. After my runs I went straight down to the beer tent where I was greeted by Ross Powers and Shaun Palmer. They must have been there for awhile because they were pretty drunk. Tim Windell bought me my first legal beer. It was sick just hanging out with those guys.
Complete this sentence: The Olympics are________________.
Another halfpipe contest on T.V. with far too many commercials, I watched them at my brothers house though and he has tivo. It still took a couple minutes to fast forward through that crap just to watch a couple 1080’s.
You hear riders complaining they have to take their girlfriend riding today, but sometimes it seems like you wouldn’t even get to the mountain without Maribeth (Swetkof)
Yeah definitely she’ s the best. She a little tomcat. We travel together a lot and I never have to wait for her. Its like having your cake and eating it to, wait that sounds pretty bad.
You come around the corner at June mountain and there is a new 50 ft table top. Who’s going off it first you or Mary?
I guess who ever is in front.
Is the true test of a snowboarder is how many spins he can squeeze into a pipe run or through the park?
That may be true for some, I have seen others who think it is how many bong hits you can take before going riding, its all relative. Who is to say what the true test of a snowboarder is?
So many great riders have given up boarding because their sponser(s) flaked on them, you’ve had your up’s and down’s and just kept snowboarding. Just like Brian Regis. What’s the key to that?
I think that its because I am doing this stuff for me, for the love of the sport. I know I will be riding for the rest of my life. Just because the checks stop coming doesn’t mean you won’t see me in the lift line.
Snowboarding is an elitest sport much like golf, mostly rich white people in funny looking pants, where do you fit in?
Ha ha ha, There’s defiantly been plenty of funny looking pants as of late. I am not really sure where I fit in, but I don’t need a friend and a pair of pliers to get into my snow pants.
Is it true you used to snap really bad during skate sessions, when you couldn’t land something?
I have a real bad temper but I have stopped blaming it on my skateboard. It’s like a bad carpenter blaming his tools.
Not every jerk can say they drove across the states and back in the old Grenade Van! With no insurance and $420?
We didn’t have any insurance? I also lost that last $160 in Aspen, hell of a town. Then we coasted into the June Lake gas station after driving on empty for 130 miles through the desert. That was a great trip.
Is it true you’re the luckiest man alive?
Yes and no, but mostly yes. I have an uncanny ability to fall in a pile shit and come out smelling like roses
It’s rumored you beat the “Editorial Giant John Cavan” in consecutive Scrable matches?
Yes and I have witnesses. When he reads this he will probably accuse me of cheating but I never cheat. Anyhow I think now I am hooked on Boggle.
Is mayor of June Lake in your future?
I really hope so. Next year I am going to try to get on the ballot. You’d vote for me right?