Conversations with the most interesting, funny and inspiring people in snowboarding.

Antti Autti | Olympics | Skateboarding | Surfing | Backcountry | I’m Not Gifted | New Zealand

1 September 4, 2016 by

Episode #44

AJ and Nate connect with 31 year old Finnish snowboarder Antti Autti over Skype as he’s preparing to head to New Zealand for some backcountry shredding. Antti has been one of the main riders pushing superpipe progression over the past decade. He’s won tons of contests over the years including the X-games. He also represented Finland in the 2006 Olympics where he very controversially ended up in fifth place after a nearly flawless run. We get into Antti’s thoughts on surfing and skateboardings recent admission into the 2020 olympics as well as his transition from competitive snowboarding to the backcountry.

This episode is brought to you by Let It Block Sunscreen  Let It Block is a mineral based paraben free sunscreen that both Nate and AJ use and 100% back. Nate recommends Goth Block for anyone that wants to protect their tattoos from the sun!   Use discount code “TNSP” for 40% off of two packages sunscreen or more (valid through the end of 2016).  

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This episode covers:
  • Packing to head to New Zealand for a month in the backcountry
  • Pow Surfing
  • Skateboarding and Surfing in the Olympics
  • Mixed feelings on snowboarding in the Olympics
  • Heikki Sorsa’s mohawk
  • Stale Sandbech
  • The International Roller Sports Federation
  • Seven Springs Half-Pipe better than the Olympic pipe.
  • Both the US Open Laax Open having better set-ups than the Olympics
  • World Surf League
  • Mick Fanning and the J-Bay Open
  • Anttie’s World Cup
  • Banked Slalom
  • Anttisworld.com 
  • Transitioning from competitions to the backcountry
  • Blog posts:
    • I am not gifted & Turning.
    • Statements video series
  • Backstory to a line next to the tallest mountain in Sweden
  • Skateboarding in Finland
  • Cloudberries
  • Nest Oil Company partnership
  • Listener questions:
    • Mike Happy Bauer
    • Uncle Rufus
  • Antti’s nicknames
  • Polar Bears
  • Advice for Antti’s younger self
  • Thoughts on the weather
Quotes from this episode:
“Surfing with handle this but Skateboarding might be in trouble.”
“Have really mixed feeling about the olympics…. with parks and pipes, there’s not that much imagination that they use. There’s actually not the all of the best snowboarders in the world there since each country can only have the top four.”
“Started in final and I only wanted to ride halfpipe… and the only way to get out (of Finland) was to do the FIS contests.”
“At the end of the day, I just want to snowboard.”
“Sponsors really need to find a way to promote their stuff at the olympics.”
“You have to put tape over your helmet because there’s a graphic (while competing in the olympics.”
“There’s always been major issues between snowboarding and the FIS… They ran the contests that I was doing really well… But it’s really bad when it comet to the the Olympics – they’re not using the top level guys to do build the pipe.”
“When the riders show up for a competition like this – you need to have everything ready for them…. The weather should be the only thing that could affect the course.”
“US Open and the LaaX Open are made by snowboarders for snowboarders and you can tell.”
“Surfing already has a very established tour, the World Surf League… It just seems that it’s very clear in surfing – how they want to do things. I don’t think that people will give so much respect to the olympic winner.”
“I look up to how things are done in the World Surf League. It’s the most interesting tour in the worlds to me right now. You have no idea who is going to win because every wave is different.”
“They forgot about what’s super important in snowboarding – it’s the grassroots. There needs to be contests that are not so serious all the time.”
“I was living in this bubble that was like – I’m doing competions every weekend and doing good… Then you come out and you just want to snowboard with your friends.”
“You didn’t start snowboarding for a medal or a video part or even to become a professional. I think you started snowboarding because you really really enjoyed being on that board and making turns.”
“If you really want to get good at riding powder lines you have to put everything else aside.”
“I was riding for Flow and they didn’t like the idea of me focusing on videos and not contests…. I rode for flow sense I was 14 years old.”
“The guys were telling me, that’s no good (about Flow bindings), but I was like they are my sponsor.”
“If you really like something a lot and you put a lot of time in it you will be able to do something with it.”
“Learning tricks for me was really hard at first.”
“Learning how to really turn your snowboard is probably the best trick that you’ll ever learn….”
“You can’t hurry nature, weather comes when it comes.”

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