Cover – Chas lives in a sick hood overlooking Reno and the Sierra Nevada mountains yet close enough to Wal Mart to get what he needs, close to the Reno airport and maybe most importantly, the same exit where Andrew Crawford had a sick photo doing a brodie in his car on the freeway off ramp in Transworld some years back
Sponsors: Rockstar, Under Armour, Electric Visual, Hatch Ltd., Porters Tahoe, Neff Headwear, Northstar at Tahoe, Kicker Audio, NEFF
2010 Contest Results: 1st Place Snowbasin Dew Tour Slopestyle, 1st Place Mammoth Grand Prix Slopestyle, 3rd Place X games Slopestyle, 4th Place Mount Snow Dew Tour Slopestyle
Videos and other stuff: Full Part in Standards Black Winter and three other appearances in Standard video parts, Transworld cover, Snowboarder photo annual cover, various awards and accolades
From: Laconia, New Hampshire
Lives: Reno, NV
Website: www.chasguldemond.com
Chas cruising his home mountain, Northstar
Chas Guldemond straight up kills it; slope comps, rail comps, video parts and even seen winning pipe events, so basically throw anything at him and he will crush it. He has won or gotten a podium at about every comp there is. Speaking of throwing anything at him, he lost his biggest sponsor last year and instead of getting down, Chas rose to the occasion, made positive adjustments and got on with life. What else could he do, he loves snowboarding? Not only did he show us his sick house in Reno but we talked to him about sponsor changes, longevity, what's next for the sport of snowboarding and more, check it out
with the legendary Pat Bridges of Snowboarder at the Grand Prix in Mammoth, 2010. Chas waon the slope event there
SR: How has your season been so far?
Chas: Going into this season I had some sponsor changes so it was kind of a transitional year with some new companies. I was suddenly on my own program, I had to make my own schedule and mostly travel alone since I was no longer travelling with a team. It was pretty fun going on the road with my family, doing things exactly how I wanted to do them, on the road in my truck, that worked out really well. From Mammoth, to Snowbasin to the X Games, I did really well when I was on the road on my own program. The season started off really well and I got some results I really wanted to get. With it being a transition year I really wanted to get better at snowboarder and getting towards the end I feel like I have gotten better at snowboarding so the main goal for the season was accomplished. Now I just want to get some photos and a couple of video shots and get my website going. Overall it's been really successful, really busy and everything's kind of new and fresh
SR: With the sponsor changes has it been challenging yet it seems like maybe a positive change with some adjustments?
Chas: Yea, losing my main sponsor was really crappy and really stressful but getting on with Rockstar and turning them into my main sponsor with the boards and everything. I'm really happy with what came of it. I do what want and I ride the best boards, just how I want em. I feel like the sponsors are treating me the way I deserve. I'm happy and I'm having fun.
SR: So what boards are you riding with the Rockstar logo, who makes them?
Chas: The boards are made at Sentury Snowboards in Reno. I can go and make my custom board at their factory and print the Rockstar graphics on the board. Hopefully have my own pro model graphics soon.
SR: Does Rockstar sell em?
Chas: No it's promotional right now, maybe one day we'll sell em but right now we just want to get people stoked on me riding Rockstar boards, promote Rockstar as much as I can because they helped me out when the situation called for it. They put me on a board, got me where I needed to go. I think people are catching onto the boards and they want them, we'll see where it goes from there. It's good marketing for Rockstar and for me
SR: So you have more freedom?
Chas: Well, all my sponsors are kind of separate and I don't have Team Manager that travels with me so I set my fiancee up with that job. She manages my schedule, travels with me sometimes, makes sure everything's running smoothly, I just do what I want to do, have fun with it and be as productive as I can.
SR: Was that freedom hard at first, figuring out what to do as opposed to having it all laid out?
Chas: This last month was really hard; contests are over and in the past I always had a set schedule doing team stuff. Now I kind have to create that buzz; all the park shoots, all the photos, pretty much on my own so I'm kind of a lone soldier. I don't have a team to roll with but when you have a finished product; I set up a park jump, get the shots, when I make it happen, it's pretty rewarding. The more and more I do it, the better I get and I get to ride with whoever I want, so that's cool too.
SR: last year you had a sick part in Standards Black Winter, what about this year?
Chas: This year I lost the financial backing so this year I didn't get that opportunity. Next year we're hoping for something different. I love filming with Standard. They've taught me a lot over the years and to have parts in those movies is pretty special so I'd like to get back on that program. I'm still filming on the side for my website, doing some webisodes. Really start showing people who I am as a person, the life of Chas.
SR: How do you balance being good at contests and getting a video good part because not many people do both well?
Chas: I think as the years progress you see less and less film guys doing well the contests and the guys doing well in the contests doing less film parts. There is a select group of guys that can pull it off and I've been one of them in the past and I know I have enough time and energy...
SR: Energy is the key thing
Chas: Energy is the key thing. You've got to schedule everything perfectly, conserve energy when you can, balance it all and make sure you're having fun at the same time. Constantly working 10 months a year
SR: There are so many great riders but the level of riding at contests and in videos had gotten so high so maybe it's hard to do both?
Chas: To be on top of the contests you have to be constantly training and riding jumps and park. People that film and think they can drop into a contest and win, it is pretty much a slim chance. You have to train so hard just to be in the top 10, always be honing your trips. When you get out into the backcountry to film you have to step right into it to produce. Both of the levels are extremely high. You have got to be on it, strong and if you're pulling off both your a valuable rider
SR: So you have good video parts and contest results why did you lose your main sponsor?
Chas: Budget cuts happened and I wasn't considered one of the marquee guys on the team so I got let go. That gave me a great opportunity to out with something new and fresh and be who I am. It was really shitty but everything happens for a reason and I kept my head positive and now I have taken a huge step in the right direction. My fans and family are still there to support me. I am better off now.
SR: Plans for the rest of the season?
Chas: It's been a long season so far. My knees are feeling like they did last year at Superpark and it's still three weeks away. The plans are to stay healthy, continue to improve and I got a big park shoot at Norhtstar coming up. Going to do some shoots at a couple other of the Tahoe resorts all the while conserving energy for Superpark so I can put on a good show there. After that, straight to Mexico for like 10 days, hang with some family and friends. After that three weeks at Mount Hood for my session at High Cascade and work on some stuff.
SR: You are on the forefront of crazy tricks, it seems like things have gotten out of hand trick wise, where can it go from here?
Chas: Pretty much it could go anywhere you want it to go, anything you can think of.
SR: Will people be doing 10 rotations with 3 flips or just like switch back 12's with more style?
Chas: I've seen a guy do a 1620 fully stomped and he's on the contest scene now. I think 12's are going to stick around for a couple of years and double corks are gong to be really strong in the contests. At some point somebody's going to land a 14, I have done it before but I am waiting on it.
SR: I have seen 14's but it was more like a big air trick or grand finale kind of deal
Chas: Exactly but you'll see 14's in runs sooner than later. The way things are going people are hungry and motivated snowboarding' growing really fast. Shaun White's been helping a lot with the growing of the sport. Halfpipe and slopestyle snowboarding are some of the most competitive sports in the world
SR: Who are some riders people need to watch for?
Chas: Eric Willett, Ian Thorley, Sage Kotsenberg, Tyler Flanagan, Mark McMorris, Ulrik Badertscher. Those guys are all starting pressure on like me, Torstein, Mikkel.
SR: It's insane because like you and Torstein were new in snowboarding a few years ago, or so it seems
Chas: Yea and now we're veterans. I am only 23 and I'm a veteran and 16 year olds are beating me. I think it's about longevity, throwing method's for 20 years, that's the most important thing for me. Being able to throw those those tricks for as long you can and enjoying it.
SR: I was just watching Roan Rogers killing it today on a snowboard, a lot of older riders still rip!
Chas: That's so sick. If I stay healthy I got another 10 years
SR: Well, in skateboarding, Eric Koston, Adam Dyet, Tony Hawk, Bucky Lasek , they are into their 30's and even 40's and on top of the game
Chas: keeping the love for it. It's a big business thing but the important thing is the love for it and having fun snowboarding. It's something you love so much, you can't leave it
Dew Tour at Mount Snow Slopetyle, 2010, 4th place
Like any man engaged to be married, Chas has his man zone – the garage. Complete with a hoodie with all his friends that are no longer with us, an Arctic Challenge bib and a US Open trophy on the wall behind him
Shifty 180 at the 2009 US Open which coincidentally he won AND the Burton Global overall photo by John Centi
Chas Guldemond back 12 in the way back time machine, 3rd place at the Icer Air, 2007
Shred Reno!
I think BMXers would call this a flare or maybe it's a back flip to fakie at Hot Dawgz and Hand Rails at Bear Mountain, that would be a second place finish
gap to back lip to first place at the 2008 Tahoe Cup rail jam
Back 9 at the Vans Cup slopestyle, 3rd place
Burton US Open, Stratton Vermont, second place photo by Andrew Miller
Tribute to Dave Andrecht at the 2008 WCI Fiesta de la Pipa – Chas won! Photo by Andrew Miller
2008 WCI rail jam and you got it, he won photo by Andrew Miller
A victory lap of this Chas Guldemond photo gallery if you will, Snowbasin Utah