98 THRASHER
because the terrain is just so immense,
extreme and fun to ride. The resorts there
are so big, you can basically do anything
you want. It's kind of like being in the back
country. That's the problem with the States,
everyone just wants to sue each other. That,
and the fact that there's too many rules and
regulations at the resorts. I don't like some
geek telling me that run's closed, so that's
why I usually end up in the back country. In
the back country, there are no rules and
nobody to sue.
When did you start rock climbing and
how does it relate to snowboarding?
I've been climbing for about ten years. I
feel that climbing and snowboarding relate
in a few ways. First off, you're dealing with a
big exposure over cliffs, so mountaineering
skills are utilized in both. For me, snow-
boarding a gnarly line has a similar rush as
doing a difficult rock climb.
What was a highlight of climbing for you?
Breaking the 5.13 barrier and doing six
separate routes on El Capitan in the
Yosemite Valley. Climbing a 5.13 takes a lot
of physical and mental strength. Being able
to pull down on small holds on steep rock
and figuring out all the technical moves is
really tough, even though it's over in a mat-
ter of minutes. Whereas climbing something
like El Capitan is more mental, you're
spending several nights on a 3400' vertical
rock face. It's very physical in the aspect
that climbing such a huge face is strenuous
and a lot of hard work. But nothing can
match the feeling of climbing using a lot of
crazy moves all day, then sleeping on a
Clockwise from top left: Scaling "The Headwall"-
Salathe Wall on El Capitan. Getting over-vertical on
Medicine Man. Rock jump baby. Taking flight in the
Southern Sierras. Slotted in the surf, down Baja way.
ledge that's as wide as a coffee table and
then waking up the next day and doing it all
over again. We climbed the "Dihedral Wall"
on El Cap. This took six days of difficult
climbing, and there's no turning back.
What are some of your other hobbies?
I'm into surfing and I like fishing. Just like
any other pro boardsman, I'm in a band,
and it's called Fortress.
Who do you like to watch snowboard?
Anybody who's good. There are so many
riders, known and unknown, it's impossible
to name a few. I like watching all types of
riding as long as the person is in control and
has a fluid style. My favorite is fast, powerful
freeriding. I'm not that stoked on watching
park footage or jerky out-of-control spins.
I'd rather see a big, slow spin off some
natural terrain.
Do you think snowboarding gets its fair
share of respect?
I think snowboarders themselves proba-
bly respect each other the most. They know
how hard something is and what can be
done. I hear people dissing snowboarding
and saying it's easy. That's dumb. Snow-
boarding will never have any limits. If snow-
boarding is so easy, then somebody should
huck a 900 off a 50 foot cliff and stomp it,
and someday, somebody will.
Who do you give thanks to?
My parents for putting up with all my shit
when I was a teenager, my sponsors for pay-
ing my bills and keeping me on the hills, my
friends for having someone to share the
killer times with, and "Dan the Man," our
helicopter pilot in Alaska last year, for land-
ing me on Mendenhall Towers. That was the
raddest run of my life. It was the first
descent I did last winter in Alaska. It's 2400
vertical feet of a 45-55 degree run with a
500 foot cliff band in the fall line and a huge
crevasse ollie at the bottom.
Any other comments?
Powder rules!
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