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

Nick Geisen | TNSP Camp | Twins | Roadtrips | 27 Days in Japan

Episode # 58
I was first introduced to Nick and his twin brother Chris by my friend Justin Majeczky who was filming the Nick and Chris in the Tahoe area about six years ago. He said, “you should sponsor these dudes, they’re winning every contest out here.”
Since then, Nick and I have stayed in touch, but mostly through the internet or text. We’d occasionally get to chat a bit in person at Seven Springs if our paths crossed, but I didn’t really get to know Nick well until I drove across country with him last fall – we get into that road trip, his relationship with his twin brother, the secret to instagram success in snowboarding and a very sobering story about being jailed in Japan for 27 days.
As a quick note, as you’ll hear at the start of the podcast – this was recorded during the first Podcast Camp at Seven Springs – link to David Zemens article on the camp. If you have interest in attending next year’s TNSP Camp – please listen to the end of this episode for more info.
Follow Nick on Instagram for more amazing POV shots and videos like these:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BZhIDTthCsg/?taken-by=nickgeisen
https://www.instagram.com/p/BTVPixvB_Sk/?taken-by=nickgeisen
Topics discussed:
Winter snowfall 16/17 in Tahoe
Living in an MTV Trap House
Driving across the country with Nate
Nick’s decision making logic
Thoughts on growing up and finding individuality as a twin
Thoughts on money
Ian’s ability to decipher Instagram content
The secret to Instagram success in snowboarding
POV GoPro filming
Controlling his own content production timeline
What it takes to get the shot
Video editing in the blood
Breaking down jumps
Learning skateboarding through trick tip videos
The key to the 1080
Backflips and chicks – the flip frenzy!
Locked up in Japan for 27 days and staying positive about the experience
Pictures and videos from TNSP Camp at Seven Springs:

AJ mini-golf tree pose Mike Talley Photo

DJ ate all the bananas – many of them he didn’t even have to bite once!

I rode David Z's vintage GNU - Fast as hell and little to no sidecut. It was a blast!

I rode David Z’s vintage GNU – Fast as hell and little to no sidecut. It was a blast!

I caught up with part of the gang at lunch and made them pose for a group picture. It was hard to get a couple of them to come out of the bar...

I caught up with part of the gang at lunch and made them pose for a group picture. It was hard to get a couple of them to come out of the bar…

Zack had a blown knee but he still powered through this tail press.

Zack had a blown knee but he still powered through this tail press.

DJ found a huge snowbank - so he posed for a picture with Colleen. He was using this as evidence of the massive amounts of snow on the backside #fakenews

DJ found a huge snowbank – so he posed for a picture with Colleen. He was using this as evidence of the massive amounts of snow on the backside #fakenews

Rayna killed it in The Streets - look out for her full part coming soon!

Rayna killed it in The Streets – look out for her full part coming soon!

Last day of camp - the sun came out!

Last day of camp – the sun came out!

Quotes from the episode:
“A lot of kids have been jumping off the lift into the halfpipe this year.”
“My name’s DJ and my truck is still stuck at Assateague.”
“Every time I come home to Virginia – it’s calming.”
“A lot of people ended up knowing us as “the twins” – I’ve realized now that it became a hinderance.”
“We did everything the same up until three and a half years ago.”
“A lot of people go through life and they feel lonely, but they don’t admit it…”
“Knowing somebody so well that you know everything, just by one quick glance.”
“My problem is learning just to be ok with being you… as long as you didn’t die you learned something.”
“I hate money… We can’t eat it, we can’t roll a joint with it.. (DJ – I think we can)”
“The first fifty to one hundred videos I put out didn’t get a lot of views.”
“I’m not going to warm up with a back 10 and then go do a back 3…”
“You do a back 10 perfect and it feels like a straight air…. I consider it a petty safe and easy trick”
“I’m gonna get girls if I can do a backflip.”
“I made a really stupid choice…”
“No socks, no shoes no bed – the only walking I did was in a an eight by ten cell.”
“I lost twenty five pounds and I was already skinny.”
“Handcuffed to your waist and your feet with six police officers…”
“I will always be a skateboarder.”
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Thanks in advance -Nate and AJ
 

Jon Kramer & Jason Smith | Heavy Metal Motorsports | Rally | Art of The Flick | Co-Driving | Board Tuning | Expert Class

Episode #48

While AJ was home this summer – we drove it up to Jon’s house for the day with the intent of recording a podcast. Little did we know that we’d be in for one of the most fun days of our lives. When we got to Jon’s he asked if we should record the episode before or after going out for a few laps in his rally car….. AJ and I both said “after!”
Peep the edit that AJ made here – click on it to get it to play:

Hella stoked on going out for a rip with the legend Jon Kramer (@jetskiattack) . Rally is so fun! Feels like ripping on a snowboard brah ?. Jon’s family invited us back for an incredible #Vegan dinner! It felt like family. Susie and Jon are #TheAmericanDream. One day that will be me. Nate Musson (@natemusson) even called out Ken Block (@kblock43) for a race!!! Historical day! Very #Rare. Look out for an episode with Jon for @thenotsnowboardingpodcast. Featuring an exclusive appearance by legendary snowboarder/turbo rally racer Jay Smith @jahhm! @thehoonigans @monsterenergy @redbull @rockstarenergy @cloroxbleachenergydrink @prius @hummer @croatianstyle #MonsterArmyBigAirDriftXGames #BestPodcastEver #TNSPFieldTrip

A video posted by AJ Lawson (@gucci_bible_belt) on

I’ve been lucky enough to be able to get to know Jon and Jason over the years via their roles in the industry and from their preexisting friendship with Tim and Mal from Pitcrew.
Jason and Jon get deep into many aspects of racing rally cars – they share stories from times that they’ve crashed, what it’s like to be a co-driver and what it takes to participate – Jon mentions that the driving is the easy part. About a third of the way through Jason has to leave and put the kids to bed and we change subjects a bit and get into snowboarding and business.
Check out Jon’s Rally America bio and race history here: Rally America
Sharpen your hooning skills here: Hoonigan 

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).  

Let It Block - Sun DMC (SPF 30) Original Formula (SPF 30) and Goth Block (SPF 50)

Let It Block – Sun DMC (SPF 30) Original Formula (SPF 30) and Goth Block (SPF 50)

 

Jon wheels up!

Jon wheels up!

This episode covers the following topics:

  • The day of rally fun
  • AJ joins the PA rally scene
  • The electric car
  • How Rally driving compares with snowboarding
  • Nate and AJ’s experience riding along with Jon in the rally car
  • Co-driver’s role
  • Rally event logistics – stages.
  • Jon’s race stats
  • The Sno-Drift rally
  • Wellsboro PA rally
  • The art of the flick
  • How Mal at Pitcrew influenced their rally passion
  • Rallycross
  • How Ali Goulet introduced Jon to rallycross
  • Seven Springs
  • Heavy Metal Racing
  • Wrecks and ruts – Jon’s first roll
  • Naturally aspirated verses turbo charged
  • Driving verses co-driving
  • Engine trouble
  • Pierre Wikberg / Ken Block
  • Jon’s obsession with camo
  • Engine swaps

    Sno-Drift Rally drift.

    Sno*Drift Rally drift.

  • Race prep
  • Brandon at All Wheels Driven in Wellsboro PA
  • Jay exits
  • Jon’s role at Hoonigan
  • Ken Block’s racing team
  • The Hoonicorn
  • Gymkhana
  • Nardwar
  • Killington
  • How to get paid for photo incentive when your sponsor is stingy
  • How to (not) tune a board
  • Flipping cars via the Baltimore abandoned vehicle auction
  • Listener questions:
  • Clutches
  • Superstition in racing and snowboarding
  • Blood Sweat and Grease Paint
  • The first 1080 into powder – Colin Lentz
  • Broken bones
  • Step-in bindings
  • “Expert class” – sharing advice on snow at just the right time.
  • AJ signs on with Hoonigan
  • Family vibes
  • Getting to the hill before noon…
  • East Coast/West Coast – Tupac and Biggie
  • Adventure-mobiles
    • Nate’s truck
    • 4wd minivans

      Jon Kramer SnoDrift Rally

      Jon at the Sno*Drift Rally after impact.

Quotes form the Episode:

“I hope you’re right – cause if not we’re going to go into a tree!” Jason Smith
“Right four over crest – five short.”
“The cool thing that I like about rally is the adventure in between – the time’s don’t always reflect what happened.”
“The snowdrift in Michigan – you’re going to go off the road.”
“You shift the weight of the car – like riding a snowboard.” Jason Smith
“It was a $400 car so I didn’t care about it – anytime it snowed, we’d attack the streets.”
“We’d get the $9.00 insurance on rental cars so that you could just drive it like a race car – I sent a car back on a flatbed, I won’t say where.”
“You’ve seen the roads around here, there’s no straight roads – it’s a rally to Seven Springs.”
“If it died, just light it on fire and leave it – when you pass that point where you no longer care, you can do some pretty cool things with it.”
“I’ve rolled three times – the first one was with Jay and we didn’t have a cage.”
“To do well in race you have to be close to wrecking.” Jason Smith
“Not bursting your bubble, but you’re a better driver than co-driver (Jon to Jay).”
“You see my car – this isn’t some high roller thing, I buy an engine for a couple hundred bucks at a junkyard.”
“I popped a tire, the front right, we had to go six miles more, but we won the stage… We just kept it pinned and kept going!”
“Carbon fiber is not my deal – I just don’t have a fancy car… I’d rather have people think that my car is turd and them beat them.”
“Killington had the half pipe… We’d sleep in our cars.”
“I can part out a car in my head, just by looking at it – it’s a weird skill to have.”
“Typical Colin (Lentz) – he did an amazing run and then he was like, I’m good – got in the truck and left.”
“There was no easy way to try em – you had to use some else sweaty boots (step-ins).”
“Adventure is cool right now….Rally is that, your phone does not work, there’s snakes, there’s tic’s…”
“All my grade school teachers marked does not work well with others.”
“It was almost like, if you’re not from the east coast – we can’t hang out.”

Want to help the podcast grow? Just click the banner ad below before shopping on Amazon and the podcast will receive a small commission from your purchases at no cost to you. Thanks in advance -Nate and AJ 

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

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).  

Let It Block - Sun DMC (SPF 30) Original Formula (SPF 30) and Goth Block (SPF 50)

Let It Block – Sun DMC (SPF 30) Original Formula (SPF 30) and Goth Block (SPF 50)

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.”

Right Click here to download the episode:

 

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Chad Otterstrom | Hard Boots | Dogs | Van Life | Primal Diet | Photography | Following Your Passion

Episode #43

For this episode, by buddy Paul (from the Todd Richards episode), joined me in my basement AKA TNSP HQ – we connected with AJ and Chad over Skype. Paul used to ride with Chad in the 90’s – they kick the episode off discussing the good ole days.

Cover photo shot by Chip Proulx 

Topics we discuss:

  • King Pin & Wild Duck days  
  • Chad’s dogs Calloway and Chopper 

    Calloway & Chopper - Love over Money.

    Calloway & Chopper – Love over Money.

  • Instagram – Follow Chad here: @chadotterstrom
  • Photography – Peep Chad’s professional photography website: www.chadotterstromphoto.com
  • Chad’s nickname 
  • Hard Booting
  • Paying attention to the minor details of Chad’s set-up 
  • Moving from Minnesota to Colorado 
  • Working at Walmart to ride 
  • Crews
  • Summit County
  • First chair at Loveland 
  • Van life
  • Driving the Pacific Coast Highway
  • Splitboarding 
  • Bivy sack camping
  • Head tents
  • Buy Chad’s $700 North Face Tent 
  • Following your passion 
  • The dirt own Connor Manning 
  • Judging X-Games
  • How Chad got into coaching
  • Solo missions

    4wd Safari Van Life

    4wd Safari Van Life

  • Coyotes 
  • Living in Colorado
  • Legal weed
  • Avalanches 
  • Loveland pass
  • Snowboarding in India
  • Chad’s favorite cheeseburger 
  • Chad’s primal diet 
  • Turning 40 
  • Paul’s rollerskating 40th b-day 
  • Forty kick-flips for 40
  • Chad’s snowboard video archive 
  • Army of Darkness (AOD crew) and the Hell Cats crew
  • Bluebird Snowboards (Smokin & Marty)
  • The two year curse 
  • Making snowboard movies
  • Performance enhancing drugs 
  • Legal weed
  • The rumor mill
  • Listener questions
  • Golfing or lack thereof
Quotes from the episode:
“So my friends started calling me Chopper.”
“Turns out that it’s actually more fun than soft boots (hard boots).” 
“It’s fun to do a 360 in hard boots.”
“I did the Damian flip with my hardboots – I call it the iguana flip.” 
“Back then you could work at Walmart and make enough to live up here.” 
“Working at Walmart is better than working the lift.”
“Last year we had to stand in line for four days (to get first chair at Loveland).” 
“I run a straight Safari van, I just took the back seats out and put in a bed… Basically I did it because of my dogs – it’s hard to get rooms with dogs.”
“The van’s good for splitboarding, you can just sleep at the trailhead and get going first thing in the morning.” 
“I don’t need a $700 tent.”
“I like to hike mountains to take photos.”
“I take care of my dogs…I’m a part time photographer, part time snowboarder, part time judge, part time snowboard coach – I live in Breckenridge is what I do.”
“People would ask what I’d do when I was done snowboarding – duh you’re like, I’m gonna snowboard.”
“All of sudden you’re forty and you’ve only got five friends left in town.”
“Most snowboard coaches feel like the end all is getting a gold medal in the Olympics, but for me it’s like the beginning… like free riding you know?”
“I always sleep with  knife on me – one of these nights I’m gonna have to take on ten coyotes.”
“…especially in Colorado you’re swimming with sharks all the time (in regards to snowpack safety).”
“There’s so many people moving here now that weed is legal – I call them trimagrints.”
“That’s kinda like feeling like a ghost… That morning I heard that five people died on Loveland Pass.”
“I’m itching for next season.”
“You got to Breckenridge and they’re selling $18 cheeseburgers all day.”
“My Primal diet is 100% to beat skiers (up the skin track).”
“Chairlifts really hurt my feelings – I don’t ride em unless it’s a perfect powder day.”
“We were a bunch of diggers at Hood in 98… And then we wear the Hellcats – I was shredding with Devon, he was like we’re the Wildcats.. I went home and I was like guys we can’t be the Hellcats – that’s not gonna work.”
“I live in Breckenridge which is the Red Bull donkey stamp town of the world.”
“Don’t put me on the team and give me a paycheck – or you’ll be out of business in two years.”
“When you get to the Fourth Phase level, that’s when your brain explodes and I don’t think I want to do that.”
“At forty years old I’m a better snowboarder now than I’ve ever been and skateboarder – for sure.”
As mentioned - things got weird on Paul's 40th. Rollerskates, Leotards, Diapers and Coors Light.

As mentioned – things got weird on Paul’s 40th. Rollerskates, Leotards, Diapers and Coors Light.

“I live on the highest road in the country and I don’t smoke weed.”
“If I could snowboard for the rest of my life, I’d do that…. But, I’d probably say photography.”
“I haven’t golfed in three years, but I’ve saved a ton of money because of that.”
“Never quitting is such a big thing…. Powder is the answer in the end.”

 

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Marty Bonacci | Custom Cult Snowboards | New Mexico | Tim Ferriss | E-Bay | Moccasins | Bow Hunting for Humans

Episode #33

My buddy, Paul Horning, and I sat down and chatted with Marty over Skype – we discussed Marty’s new custom snowboard company Custom Cult Snowboards. Paul and Marty reminisced about the good ole days a bit which was quite funny as Paul used to work for Marty at Whitetail. We walked down the path that Marty took in building his first online business – which actually has nothing to do with snowboarding. It was a really fun conversation- Marty is amazing at deconstructing processes and seeing opportunities that others don’t see or act on.

We covered:

  • New Mexico living

  • Reminiscing the good ole days at Whitetail

  • Paul’s mullet and goatee

  • Eric Gibson’s vert ramp teardown

  • Skating vert in snowboard boots

  • Paul’s work ethic

  • Nate’s bow hunting skills and the zombie apocalypse

  • Paul gets shot with an arrow

  • Working for Kingpin Snowboards

  • Background on Custom Cult Snowboards

  • US Open at Stratton

  • Tim Ferriss and his book The Four Hour Work Week

  • Western Belts and moccasins on E-bay

  • Snowboards made out of dirt

    Nate's Custom Cult snowboard. Graphic by Justin Majeczky

    Nate’s Custom Cult snowboard. Graphic by Justin Majeczky.

Quotes from the episode: 

“I remember – every year that I instructed or worked at a ski resort. I never made enough money to cover my expenses. I went into debt deeper everyone of those years.”

“I’ll get this ramp and people will just magically come help set it up… people would rather be snowboarding than setting up a ramp.”

“See Nate, Marty’s a good friend.” -Paul

“I ride with a zero zero stance… I tried to have a skateboard stance on my snowboard.”

“It was an eye opening experience – just how different you can make a board by tweaking just one spec”

“There’s a handful of custom shops around the world”

“I think you can make a surfboard with less equipment and overhead than a snowboard.” 

“I’ve been doing the board design for Smokin since they began.”

“I’ve started my businesses by accident… I was completely broke, unemployed and almost homeless.”

“I noticed that I’d get up in the morning and spend 5 minutes pronging ou the labels and sending via the internet fax regardless of if I sold one item or a hundred items.” 

“About a year ago, I took all my snowboard making equipment and threw it out.”

“You don’t want a board designed for you by someone you don’t know. You want a board designed for you by someone who’s riding style that you look up to or that you’d want to emulate. You don’t want a board designed for you by someone that’s a poser or someone that sucks or an engineering nerd.”

“Shit I know a bunch of people that look up to Paul’s riding…”

“I hated sitting in front of the computer screen all day… and I realized that I’d probably die a virgin.”

Want to help the podcast grow? Just click the banner ad below before shopping on Amazon and the podcast will receive a small commission from your purchases at no cost to you. Thanks in advance -Nate

Right Click here to download the episode.

Kevin English | High Cascade & Windells | Business Management | Flying Planes | Real Estate

Episode #30
AJ and Nate chat with We Are Camp (HCSC & Windells) CEO Kevin English about:
  • Banshee Bungee 
  • Working construction as a kid 
  • Real Estate development
  • Blue Montgomery and the K2 days
  • Business Management 
  • K2 Snowboarding meets rollerblades 
  • Listener question from Blake Adam 
  • Getting an MBA 
  • Growing up on Donner Summit 
  • The Trifecta – Surfing, Skateboarding and Snowboarding in one day. 
  • Auckland New Zealand 
  • Flying planes 
  • Airplane Repo 
  • AJ starts a new trend in snowboarding #sexwax #stickybumps
  • Kevin gives AJ his annual performance review
  • Jesse Burtner 
  • The future of High Cascade and Windlell’s 
  • Kim Bohnsack 
  • Social media anxiety 
The photo of Kevin and his wife Kim that AJ mentioned during the episode.

The photo of Kevin and his wife Kim that AJ mentioned during the episode.

Quotes from the episode: 
“When you manage people there’s always an issue – we’re emotional beings.” 
“I’m going to be a land developer, I love that, it’s art, you’re creating spaces.” 
“I started at High Cascade as a counselor back in 1999 and worked my way up.” 
“You’re trying to get two different cultures to mesh….. The High Cascade Culture and the Windless culture… To me, best practice wins…” 
“When you’re 20 it’s (snowboarding) the world. When you’re 30 it’s still a big part of the world, but you realize that there’s more to it.” 
“Is Windell’s or High Cascade going to have a rollerblade camp… Or scooters? No – never.” 
“My dad used to say that going to college is just a sign to the world that you can follow through with something.” 
“Put maybe a little bit more on your plate than you think you can handle, because you usually can handle it.” 
“Listen to Airline Pilot Guy – it’s a podcast about flying airplanes – Flying is fucking awesome.” 
“It’s better to feel like an idiot on the ground than feel like an idiot in the last 100 feet before you kill yourself.” 
“This combining of the two camps gives a financial platform for both camps.” 

<strong>Want to help the podcast grow? Just click the banner ad below before shopping on Amazon and the podcast will receive a small commission from your purchases at no cost to you. Thanks in advance -Nate</strong>

Right click here to download the episode 

Nick Hyne | Trick Bag Snowboarding App | Diaries Downunder | Japan | JBMC

Episode #26

In this weeks episode Aj and I talk with New Zealand snowboarder Nick Hyne. Nick’s also a filmmaker, an App developer, and quite the world traveler.

We get into:

Quotes:

“It’s all snowboarding so it’s all pretty fun to me. I’m obsessed with snowboarding!”

“Japan is actually the biggest market for the Trick Bag App. US is number 2.”

“I’ve spent twelve New Zealand summers (winters) in Japan now.” 

“I didn’t even know that Japan (had snow) – I mean, I knew they had snow, but I didn’t realize that it was the powder maker of the world.” 

“There’s a different kind of culture in Japan. What you do is not for yourself, it’s more for society.”

“When you get a good day at your home resort it’s kinda hard to beat.”

“The progression that snowboarding is taking relies less and less on the conditions…”

“To learn a new carving variation –  you can do it literarily on grey bird rainy day and it might break the internet.” 

“Not everybody wakes up at seven in the morning like, ok, today’s 1080 day…”

Want to help the podcast grow? Just click the banner ad below before shopping on Amazon and the podcast will receive a small commission from your purchases at no cost to you. Thanks in advance -Nate

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Thomas Heckler | Burton Knowbuddy | Superpark19 | Day Trading | Engineering Music

Episode #24

I set-up a podcast studio in my hotel room at Superpark 19 at Seven Springs and had a chat with Burton Knowbuddy rider, day trader and music engineer, Thomas Heckler.

Thomas going long on pow. Photo by Zachary Nigro

Thomas going long on pow. Photo by Zachary Nigro

We covered:

  • Growing up and snowboarding at Stowe
  • Moving to Norway and going to a snowboarding school
  • Bud Keene BKPRO
  • Knee injury and recovery Dr. Tom Hackett at Steadman Clinic
    • Electroshock therapy – jk 
  • Investing for today’s generation.
  • Day trading
  • Technical and fundamental stock analysis
  • Going long vs. going short – the loaf of bread supply and demand story 
  • Emotion and psychology in trading
  • Music recording arts and mixing/engineering 
  • How the digital ge has affected music quality
  • Snowboarder Magazine / Seven Springs / Nexen Tire Superpark 19 

Quotes:

“I have a lot of friends who are my age or maybe a little bit older who don’t really know anything about investing.”

“The more money you have the more money you can make.”

“It seems like my generation is much less in tune with how money or wealth is accumulated.” 

“I think it’s important for younger people to think about how they got to where they are….The ability to be able to go ride every weekend, have a pass, that stuff costs so much money.” 

“You think, money, it’s just money, it doesn’t make me happy, snowboarding makes me happy……And then you have ACL surgery and you realize that it costs a hundred grand to fix a knee.”

“Guys like Warren Buffet have made billions of dollars basically by dumbing it down.”

“The smartest guys in the room are the guys that can see through all of that noise and see an opportunity.”

“At the end of the day what matters is that your ATM still spews the money out.”

“As far as trading is concerned, by the time the book comes out, the strategy is blown.”

“My dad used to say – it’s not rocket science, keep it simple…But it’s the stock market – it’s not simple…”

“A lot of it is trial and error, it’s really tough to make money in the stock market – in investing.”

“I went to school for sound technology, recording arts – recording and mixing records.”

“After the fact you go in you arrange, set levels and add different types of processing to create a picture with a song.” 

“Back when vinyl was the medium… It was so much about creating a visual picture…. you could see the band.”

“I think that listeners don’t really understand that engineers are as much an artist as the actual musicians that play the instrument.”

“You can create this movement – this movie – with the sound. It’s very artistic, it’s cool.”

Find Thomas on Instagram: 

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Kimmy Fasani | Marriage | Injury & Recovery | Self Work | Triathlons | Rock Climbing

Episode #23

Aj and I caught up with Kimmy while she was driving home from Vancouver shortly after a month in Europe. We covered the following topics:
  • Picking up the truck at the airport to the tune of 280 bucks
  • Kimmy’s relationship with her husband, professional skier, Chris Benchetler
  • Kimmy’s injury at Mammoth
  • The mental game
  • Triathlons
  • Aj’s dinner
  • Mimi’s Cookie Bar Organic Bakery 
  • Living in Mammoth
  • Rock Climbing
  • Breaking news on the Amusement Park 2015
  • Social Media and snowboarding

Quotes from the episode:
“My middle name is now Fasani and my last name is Bencheter on all my travel documents.”
“When we’re out in the mountains we are best friends – just like the way we are at home.”
“I drifted off the side of a jump… I did my ACL, MCL, PCL and broke my pelvis in that crash, it took me off snow for a year.”
“I  was able to reconfigure who I was and what I wanted to accomplish.”
“I felt like my mind was stronger than my body for all of last season.”
“I repeat reading this book …It’s called Be Like Water.”
“Fear really can’t exist when you’re in the present moment.”
“During my injury one of my biggest focuses was being ok with just being quiet and listen to my mind.”
“I got out of surgery and I asked my doctor if he thought that I would be able to do a triathlon six months from my surgery date.”
“I figured that if I could do a triathlon before I got back on snow then I would be strong enough, mentally and physically for the season.”
“I try not to eat dairy – except when I was in Europe for a month.”
“My diet mostly consists of a vegan diet.”
“For me school was just my way to make sure that I had a back-up plan.”

 

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Scott Stevens | Seinfeld | Instagram | Skateline | Snowboarding Videos | Dogs

Episode #19

AJ was in Salt Lake so he sat down with Scott in person and I joined via Skype.

We covered:

 

Some of my favorite quotes:

“I’m almost moving away more from the shit that I don’t enjoy.”

“When I’m snowboarding by myself and not with a huge crew is when I do some of my best stuff.”

“High Cascade is like the All Star Games for snowboarding”

“I learned (my style) from watching people like Travis Parker and Kyle Clancy.”

“You got to be ready to see stuff that you thought would never be possible.”

“One footed snowboarding is kind of like – we’ve raped this pretty hard right now.”

“In my head, I would love to say that backcountry would be a thing…but, my knees are getting bad.”

“I was hanging out with this kid… I was watching how he ate and I was like holy shit I eat exactly like you.”

“When it comes to loading a sled up, waking up at the butt crack of dawn and driving out to Whistler – that part of it kills me. I’d of been better off there back in the 90’s when snowboarders were perceived as lazy.”

“I want to snowboard on my terms and that’s not all that possible when you get paid to do it.”

On snowboard videos: “I probably have most of what’s come out since 1997” 

“It’s gotten a little bit creepy how into it (tramp skating) I am… It’s something that I’ve gotten, in my eyes, better than snowboarding.”

“Bode is fucking good at everything…. he wont lose – you can’t even call him an alpha male, he’s a god amongst mortals.”

“I’ve built tramp skate followers on Instagram that don’t even know I snowboard.”

“My first job a High Cascade was the trampoline monitor.”

On video parts – “I pay attention to what been done and what has not been done.”

“It’s slightly hard to find a balance and only be slightly parkourish.”

“I see these Too Hard chicks hitting rails that I don’t want to hit.”

“If I find out that some of my friends don’t like dogs, we don’t hang out so much.”

“My parents were super into Seinfeld, they’d have Seinfeld parties.”

“George is probably my favorite character.” 

“I turn into Larry David on an airplane… I feel like the middle seat should get both arm rests…”

“Chris and I want to give back to snowboarding – with Change That Tape.”

Find Scott on Instagram at @sleepystevens and at www.changethattape.com 

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Lane Knaack | Boreal | Splitboarding | Weddings | Japan | Motorcycles

Episode #16

Aj sits down with Lane and Mini (the dog – see pic below) at Boreal for a  chat about the following:

  • A day in the life and Lane’s role as a snow surfaces specialist
  • Split-Ski-boarding and splitboarding solo.
  • The Mammoth,  Grenade and Kingvale days.
  • Nate’s buddy Joe Wallace – Joey’s garage sessions & Todd Falcon.
  • The Dang Shades Oakley Lawsuit
  • Making boards at Smokin and swapping bindings with AJ.
  • Becoming an ordained minister and marrying his friends.
  • Lane’s wedding night dinner at Del Taco.
  • Japans 7-11’s and warm canned coffee machines.
  • People of Boreal Instagram account
  • Lanes 8th grade graduation at Manchester Elementary and Middle School.
  • Lane’s Motorcycle Gang the Death Diggers.
  • Snowboarding psychology with Danny Kass and Rodney Mullen.
  • Urban splitboarding

    Aj and Lane's dog - Mini

    Aj and Lane’s dog – Mini

Some of my favorite quotes:

“If I ever have it (splitboard) on the mountain I have it split in ski mode – for shits and giggles.”

“There’s a million things that can go wrong while you’re out there…. I’ve just always enjoyed snowboarding by myself.”

“Snowboarding’s been my life since I was a child… it’s something I will do as long as my body will let me.”

“I’ve listened to Brooke’s (podcast episode) quite a few times… that chick is amazing…. I love what she does with Yobeat” 

“That place is the shit (Kingvale), Rest in Peace.”

“I’d just go put my VX on a tripod and hit record and film until I’d run out of tape.”

“If you eat shit and no one is there to see it, you didn’t eat shit.”

“When you’re doing things on your own it’s because you love it.”

“That’s one of the best things about Smokin – Jay’s a diehard snowboarder.”

“If you’re not that much of a religious person having a random stranger marry you is weird.”

“After about five minutes of surfing the web and 10 minutes of figuring out how to pay for it – I was ordained”

“I went through the whole ceremony and married them without actually asking them if “they do”…. I was so embarrassed until the entire crowd started laughing.”

“I ate 7-11 twice a day there (Japan) and I ate better food that if I ate at Trader Joe’s here.”

“Hopefully my dad doesn’t hear this… We were about as smooth as sandpaper… we got busted for drinking vodka.”

“Crotch rockets are so much fun, but they are just a deathwish”

Lanes 82 Yamaha XS 400 is for sale!

Lanes 82 Yamaha XS 400 is for sale!

“I saw too many Juvenile videos on MTV and wanted a street bike.”

“We got our own motorcycle club out here… The Death Diggers.”

“Never worry about am I going to get hurt… Rodney Mullen breaks everything down to the most simplistic plan of events.. your brain can’t tell the difference between visualizing and doing.”

“Danny Kass would say think of the worse case scenario and try to think of a way out of it before it happens.”

“It’s something that I fucking love so if i hrt myself doing it fuck it, I hurt myself doing it.”

“Bring your splitboard to a rail in the park.. Hit it, Split-it…” 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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David Zemens Agnarchy.com – Original Snowboard Commentary Since 2009

Episode #3

Aj and I chat with David Zemens from the snowboarding blog Agnarchy.com. David describes the blog as original commentary & opinion on snowsports industry trends and news, and unbiased reviews of the newest gear without overwhelming you with every single press release and recycled web edit.

David on the snow at A-basin November 4th 2014

David on the snow at A-basin November 4th 2014

For me – even though this was the first time we’ve ever spoken to each other, chatting with David was like reconnecting with an old friend. We’re even planning to get together and shred together this winter.

We cover the following topics and much – much more:

  • Pitcrew 20 year anniversary.
  • Handwritten notes from the lead singer of Old Indian (best band ever). 
  • Skateboarding in stripclubs.
  • Aj and David’s mutual friends.
  • Nate offends the entire south eastern snowboard scene by calling them rednecks.
  • How and why David started agnarchy.com.
  • Balancing work, blogging, riding and mountain biking.
  • How politics correlate with team sports.
  • Stripers using Bitcoin and AJ making it virtually rain in the club.
  • We dig deep into currency theory and economics. We come away with the realization that you can’t eat money and when the zombie apocalypse comes – the real currencies will be denim tobacco, whiskey, food and water.
  • No friends on a powder day/ lost at Vail.
  • Bucket list snowboarding trips.
  • David’s favorite boards…. Spoiler alert: Mahar Throwback
  • Shout out to People Skate and Snowboards shop. 
  • Monetization of the blog. 
  • Shop Demo days and board reviews. 
  • Planning a trip to Seven Springs and/or the Upper Peninsula. 
  • Reach David at www.Agnarchy.com | https://www.facebook.com/agnarchy | http://instagram.com/agnarchy | https://twitter.com/agnarchy |

 

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