The Snowboarder's Journal

HOPING FOR THE BEST: Snowboarding the Chugach Range - Eric Jackson, Austin Smith, Mary Rand and more

The Snowboarder’s Journal and Smartwool present Hoping for the Best, a short film documenting a week on a glacier deep in Alaska’s Chugach Mountains. Eric Jackson, Austin Smith, Curtis Ciszek, Mary Rand and Blair Habenicht set out to ride big lines via splitboard with Jason Champion and Alaska Snowboard Guides, and embrace the unpredictability of Alaskan weather with a smile.

PURE INTENTION: Keegan Valaika and Something Unpredictable

Keegan Valaika has been through some shit. That’s the short of it. Keegan, who is 28 now, says he could write a book about it all. Exactly what he’s been through, nobody other than him can know fully. But he talks about it some. Five years ago, Keegan had a mental breakdown. At the time he was living in Glacier, WA and partying a bit too much. He returned to his home and family in Laguna, CA for treatment. He read a lot during his recovery and really connected with Mark Vonnegut’s memoir, which details his psychotic breakdown and subsequent recovery. That’s what Keegan went through. Is still going through. He’s doing better now. He’s still at it.

But that’s just part of his story. After all, he’s been getting paid to snowboard since he was 15 years old. We should all ride with such abandon. Dude makes it look easy. And there’s an element of improvisation to his riding. It’s unpredictable, engaging…

FULL GO: Mary Rand and her transition from street snowboarding to backcountry riding

From Narraganset, RI to Skykomish, WA, Mary Rand has transitioned from street to backcountry riding with drive and intention. She’s worked diligently to learn the ropes of backcountry snowboarding and is poised to lead the next generation of female chargers. This is Full Go with Mary Rand, supported by Arbor and Vans.

Heli Snowboarding in Haines, Alaska: MADE SURE WE MADE IT

Made Sure We Made it tells the story of Sean "Seandog" Brownell and Alaska Heliskiing through the eyes of Austin Smith, Mary Rand, Blake Paul, Spencer O'Brien, Curtis Ciszek and Blair Habenicht. A strike mission to the legendary Chilkat Mountains outside of Haines, Alaska, sees the Smartwool crew at the no-frills heliskiing operation for steep and deep snowboarding amongst pillows and spines, and life in the A-frame at 35 Mile. Filmed in less than 48 hours, and featured in The Snowboarder's Journal Issue 20.3.

SHAKEDOWN RUN: A thousand mile snowboarding road trip by firetruck with Austin Smith

The Snowboarder’s Journal and Nokian Tyres present Shakedown Run, a short film documenting the transformation and travels of Austin Smith’s 1953 GMC firetruck. During the winter of 2019-20, Austin redesigned his firetruck camper to be lighter, more efficient, and more roadworthy. We joined him in March for a trial run around Oregon—a thousand miles from Bend to Willamette Pass, Anthony Lakes, Mt. Hood, Hoodoo Ski Area and back home at Mt. Bachelor. Camping in the parking lot, he reconnects with the soul of snowboarding while minimizing distractions and maximizing his time on-hill.

The A-Rob Plant A Seed Project

The A-Rob Plant a Seed Project is a non-profit snowboarding organization to help underprivileged children enjoy the mountains through snowboarding at Whitefish Mountain Resort, MT. Aaron Robinson was an inspirational up-and-coming rider from Montana who tragically passed away while snowboarding in Chile in 2011. He touched everyone who met him through his infectious stoke and genuine kindness. The Plant A Seed Project, spearheaded by his mom, Pam, continues to carry his legacy of good times by creating on-hill mentorship opportunities for young riders to have a positive experience not only on-hill, but also to build community and learn valuable life lessons. As Aaron liked to say: Smash life.

THAT MUCH SWEETER: A Different Line with Wolle Nyvelt

Two decades into the snowboard game, Wolle Nyvelt remains fresh. This is “That Much Sweeter: A Different Line with Wolle Nyvelt,” a short film based off Wolle’s feature profile in Issue 15.2.

Filmed on location at Island Lake Lodge and utilizing footage from Absinthe Films and the Aesmo archives, Wolle talks growing up in Austria’s Zillertal Valley, taking the bindings off, good snowboarding, bad dancing, and the endless pursuit of a feeling which is that much sweeter than the last.

Film supported by Dakine, Salomon Snowboards and 10 Barrel Brewing.

Ice-Rink Street Snowboarding Mission

On September 1st last year, Justin Norman set out to do a bit snowboarding along with a crew of friends. Summer snowboarding isn't exactly easy. It means transplanting snow from the local ice rink to the spot and working quickly to setup then session before it all melts away. After Justin found the ideal rail to slide, he and the crew picked up some shovels and got to work. The rail session lasted late into the night as the stoke for winter riding continued grow.

The Most Hit Backcountry Snowboard Jump Ever | Mount Baker Seshup

he Mount Baker Seshup was brought to life by a few friends in 1999 as a snowboard jump session to put a capstone on a successful season. Now, twenty-three years later, it has become a staple event for local Baker snowboarders and beyond. Rumor has it that Seshup is the most-hit backcountry jump in existence, getting a few hundred hits every season. Thanks for all the good times Winter, see you next season.

Holy Bowly 2022 at Sunshine Village

Krush and crew truly “crushed” the build this year, with some of the biggest features in Holy Bowly history, paired with unique and flowy lines. Multiple high-speed quads serviced fantastic groomers on the way to the course, and a freak April pow day had people exploring further afield. Rumor has it that a few brave souls even took on Sunshine’s infamous “Delirium Dive”, a gated double-black requiring avalanche gear and a serious disregard for fear. Inside the course, people were chucking carc left and right, and hiking to the absolute end of each day.

Check out the full event recap in the 'follow' link below...