Insight

Rad Dad of the Year Takes Daughter Snowboarding on His Back | TransWorld SNOWboarding

Now this is how you get kids stoked on snowboarding. Josh Dirksen spent his winter in Oregon filming for the TransWorld movie, Insight, in order to ride the natural, local terrain, and also spend more time with his family. This meant more quality time with his daughter, Alana, who is also getting into the family business: ripping carves. This short edit is seriously awesome.

Behind The Cover : Insight Photo Book & DVD with Elias Elhardt

Get yourself a copy of the limited edition Insight photo book, packed with over 170 pages of amazing photos from the filming of Insight: http://twsnow.co/un48yc

Snowboarding Legend Bjorn Leines Teaches Nils Mindnich the Fundamentals of Heliboarding | Insight

The Monashee Mountains receive absurd amounts of snowfall, and nestled within lies a place called Eagle Pass Heli. The topography below the feet upon feet of flakes is variable and featured, setting up a perfect playground for snowboarders.

Anyone with a thirst for deep, dry snow would be satisfied at Eagle Pass. But getting to hop in a heli with someone you’ve grown up idolizing, then sessioning with them? That’s even better. And it’s exactly what played out for Nils Mindnich.

The legendary Bjorn Leines got in the bird with Nils and took him under his wing, showing up the up-and-comer the ropes of heliboarding, as the two took lap after lap, hitting launch after launch. It’s safe to say this is a trip Nils will remember for quite some time.

How Pro Snowboarder Victor Daviet Spends Down Days in Alaska | Insight

When you think objectively about the concept of snowboarding in Alaska, it sounds deranged. Thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours spent waiting for runs that last mere seconds and have the capacity to end you. It’s a preposterous scenario with magnetization that grows stronger the closer one comes to it.

Since he was young, seeing the word printed at the bottom of page after page in the magazines he poured over, Victor Daviet felt the pull of Alaska, dreaming: “I need to go there to try to ride that amazing powder.” But it wasn’t until recent that the high-flying freestyler from the French Alps got close enough to experience the vastness that is Alaska firsthand.

He arrived to realize what anyone who has spent time in AK will at some point: the place is cloudy almost all the time. Fortunately, the expansive beauty of Alaska is riddled with potential for activity that doesn’t involve a helicopter or snowboard, and Daviet took advantage, biding his time. After playing the waiting game long enough, Daviet jumped out of a heli on top of an AK peak and dropped in.

Courage is Only One Part of Snowboarding in Alaska | Insight

Alaska isn’t for everyone. Not only does it take legs of steel and audacious courage to stand atop an AK face and drop in, it also requires knowledge, forethought, logistics, and a rock-solid crew. The margin of snowboarders equipped to handle what’s up there is as narrow as that for error, and Elias Elhardt is among the rare breed that can hold his own and then some. But big-mountain snowboarding is not a solo endeavor.

For each shot of a dude descending an unfathomable spine, there are five behind the scenes, often more. And in a place where miscalculation can mean catastrophe, one’s mental state is heightened, and the strength of bonds formed is expedited and enhanced.

Elias understands and appreciates this. He believes that snowboarding is about humanity—the people he meets and the friendships he makes—because those are the truly enduring aspects of what we do as snowboarders.

Victor De Le Rue Rides Deep, Fluffy Powder in Japan | Insight


In snowboarding, the last name De Le Rue evokes images of hairball lines and massive backcountry kickers—every trick and every line executed with effortless style—and Victor is quite competent with those things. But his approach to snowboarding is nomadic. Words like “search” and “explore” are intrinsic to his ethos. They manifest in his riding. This year he traveled to Japan, and his time there was more than a week-long trip with the sole goal of stacking hammers.

Japan was a location for Victor to absorb; the snowboarding was part of the equation. The cultural learning was on par with the conditions ridden, and Victor came away from his month spent there with gigabytes of footage and a newfound appreciation for the place in which it was logged.

The terrain Victor and Elias Elhardt rode went beyond the low-angle tree-riding often associated with Japan, but the greater experience is what will keep these two coming back to this place which is like no other.

Hot Weather & Hard Slams at Hot Dawgz & Handrails | Insight

In action sports, Southern California has no equivalent. It is the epicenter. There are consistent waves, warm water, and perfect skate spots. The surfing is good, and so is the skateboarding. But snowboarding?

Bear Mountain is an oasis in a region otherwise sparse with opportunity for those of us who enjoy snow as much or more than concrete or water. The SoCal resort has served as a hub for freestyle progression since snowboarding’s inception.

Hot Dawgz and Hand Rails is a critical piece in both Bear’s legacy and that of snowboarding as a whole. It began as a contest on the actual handrails outside the lodge and has evolved to serve as one of the most progressive setups of any rail jam worldwide.

Each year as summer comes to a close, rail riders from around the world make their way to the San Bernadino Mountains in hopes of hoisting a five-foot wide check and cementing their place on a long list of winners that reads as a rolodex of snowboarding’s best jibbers.
Snowboarding is not a great spectator sport, but HDHR is an exception to this rule. Onlookers have the opportunity to witness snowboarding in all its glory and madness—the sprints to the top of the drop-in, the slams, and the makes—all larger than life, feet away.

Whether competing, heckling, or just soaking it all in, Hot Dawgz and Hand Rails signals a season about to begin.

Victor Daviet and the New Wave of French Snowboarding | Insight

He goes by Vic, Vivi, Vicouille, Tchoul, or Dandy, but we know Victor as the comical Frenchman who sends massive backcountry jumps and isn’t afraid to tear down an AK face. Daviet grew up in the small town of Gap in the southern French Alps, where he started riding quaint resorts like Reallon, Céüze, Orcières Merlette, and Vars with his mom.
From there, he began riding with hometown friends in a small snowboard club, meeting local heroes like Bruno Rivoire, Gaby Bessy, and Brynild Vulin. With no terrain parks to speak of, Victor and friends sought out natural jumps and terrain and began building booters at a young age. Daviet’s comfort out of bounds and cool calm in AK likely stems from his early years exploring steep, natural terrain with friends.

“We were all freeriding naturally because it was fun and because it was the only thing to do,” says Daviet of growing up in the Alps.

Later in high school, Daviet met other riders in France including Victor De Le Rue, Thomas Delfino, Arthur Longo, Mathieu Crépel, Sylvain Bourbousson, and Morgan Le Faucheur—a few of whom are now his closest friends and riding partners. Whether they know it or not, this group represents the new guard of style for French snowboarding.

Innsbruck: The Heart of the Alps and Home for Pro Snowboarder Elias Elhardt | Insight

Elias Elhardt rides the backcountry with the acuity of the best of his predecessors. From pillow lines and spines to natural booters and mogul patches, he’s one of the most versatile snowboarders today. If you’ve watched his video parts, you know. His style builds upon itself. Powder-heavy cornice drops segue into handplants on rotting trees, back sevens, and lofty methods. Plain and simple, Elias kills it. That’s why he gets paid to snowboard.

That’s why Elias resides in Innsbruck, Austria, in the heart of the Alps. To him, it provides normalcy within a hectic life. He can come home and be around friends whose lives don't revolve around snowboarding. He can relax and recharge for his next trip to the mountains, be it around the world or 20 minutes from his front door.

Alek Oestreng Trades Contest Life for Street Rails | Insight

Alek Oestreng is a student of snowboarding with a minor in skateboarding. He executes his tricks properly, often in a line. He’s not into performing stunts; he’s interested in snowboarding, and his views stem from dedication to a lifestyle that comes with riding a board on concrete or snow.
Alek speaks of the difference between snowboarding and skateboarding, for him:

“[Snowboarding] kind of got a little serious, while skateboarding’s always been just fun. I can go out and do whatever I want to do, ya know? I don’t have a trick I have to learn or need to learn… Just go out and skate with your homies, and if you learn a new trick you’re stoked.”

The carefree attitude Alek associates with skateboarding provided the inspiration for him to take his snowboarding in a different direction this season. Shedding the pressures often placed on someone in his position—someone who gets paid to snowboard—Alek stacked textbook clips this year that prove his mastery of board control, and he had fun doing it.