Gus Engle | Van Life | Hawaii | Music | Introspection | Dostoyevsky

Episode #47

AJ joins Nate in The Not Snowboarding Podcast studio (Nate’s basement) and they connect with Gus via Skype to discuss a wide variety of topics. The conversation ranges from Russian literature to moose milk and everything in between.

The following words written by Matt Vantta back in 2012 (link to the full ESPN article) articulately describe Gus:

“Gus Engle is a true original, a bohemian lover of life that appears to be drawn right out of a Kerouac novel. His snowboard seems to be less an instrument of athletic progression and more like a paintbrush of a master. To really dig Engle’s snowboarding you have to be open minded, because it’s not manufactured and doesn’t meet industry standards for how you’re supposed to ride.

Based on our chat with Gus, I’d add: “Gus has a kind, authentic infectious energy and an appreciation for the beauty that lies in the subtleties of everyday life.”

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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Nate’s giving away these Vintage Sims Bindings, Size 10.5 32 Boots (used one season), Revenge of the Grenerds and Cue The Birds. To get this stuff just screenshot your receipt from your Let It Block purchase and email it to Nate@shredsoles.com

This episode covers:

Moving to Canada and marrying a French Canadian – Estée Preda

Literature and reading Dostoyevsky

How Alaska shapes personalities

Reading in French and learning the language

Spending the winters in Hawaii and summers in Alaska as a kid

Coffee, tea and dark chocolate

Milking soose

Boogie boarding

Jesse Burtner’s thoughts on Gus’s first skateboard

Skateboarding and snowboarding culture

Cops VS. Skaters

Skateboarding and snowboarding in Alaska

The Think Thank movie – The Weather Outside is Weather

The power of LOVE in human relationships

Alone time for introspection

Path to snowboarding professionally and dropping video parts

Pozi Pozi – video embedded below

Making music

Sport vs. Art

Surfing and contest scoring

Van life and living in a VW Jetta

Brothers

Moustaches

Video Games in the X-Games

City snowboarding guide service

Managing life’s path

Filming with Think Thank vs. Videograss

Snowboard graphics – Gus’s wife did the graphic for AJ’s board on Pseudo!

Listener questions from: Jeremy Barker, Steve Lauder, Chas Truslow, Jeff Holce (The Athlete)

Dave’s Killer Bread

Vegan snowboarding boots (Nate’s giving away a pair of vegan boots)

Consumerism and zero waste

Quotes from the episode:

“There’s a special kind of sadness that comes along with Alaska.”

“I have two sides… A lot of people from Alaska do – summer is so wonderful and, winter, it’s wonderful too, but it’s like a happy sad place.”

“We lived in a little cabin in Alaska, totally off the grid. We gathered all our water, totally off the grid.”

“I can’t drink coffee either – it’s like two week long emotional rollercoaster.”

“It’s so culturally acceptable now to be a skateboarder – from all walks of life, there’s more people doing it. It’s still beautiful though, both skateboarding and snowboarding.”

“Football isn’t even in the Olympics – skateboarding is!”

“I really do have a hole in my heart for all my friends, the Pacific North West, Think Thank… I miss that so much.”

“I seem really easy going,but I’m really hyper obsessed and stressed out.”

“I was just so nervous around girls that I couldn’t even imagine one liking me and I can’t believe that one does.”

“I’m excited by ideas!”

“Come to Quebec – that’s the secret, there’s really amazing girls.”

“I lived in a van for three or four years… I really loved it – it’s so fun to travel all the time.”

“I just usually wake up super early and open the doors and brush my teeth and pee on the street.”

“One little step off to the side and you can be somewhere strange and uncharted.”

“We’re just all floating around in a big pool of influence.”

“When I was living in Hawaii, I just shook trees and got fruit!”

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