Featured picture: Trevor Brown, Jr./X Video games
In the event you haven’t been taking note of snowboarding’s golden boy, Colby Stevenson, we’re genuinely curious what you’ve been doing together with your life the previous couple of months. From claiming slopestyle gold at X Video games in January, to an insane profitable run off of Jackson’s famed Corbet’s Couloir and clinching yet one more gold at Dew Tour’s Tremendous Streetstyle, Stevenson is sweeping each single competitors he enters. However his storied profession doesn’t finish there, he’s additionally a wizard on a snowmobile and doesn’t shrink back from huge backcountry strains.
Whether or not he’s stepping right into a high-stakes begin gate or teeing up a line for this 12 months’s Good Firm ski movie, Stevenson has etched his identify in snowboarding’s historical past books as one of the vital well-rounded skiers within the recreation. Ever. His tenacity and skill to place a run down below strain is second to none so we at FREESKIER needed to meet up with Stevenson to grasp how he does all of it, and does all of it so effectively. Hold studying for the total Q&A, under.
You might be on an absolute tear this 12 months, having claimed gold at X Video games, Kings and Queens, and Dew Tour, to date. Which win was probably the most satisfying to take residence?
I might undoubtedly say X Video games gold as a result of slopestyle continues to be my favourite factor to do and it’s undoubtedly probably the most inventive and difficult to create a run. Additionally having my complete household there and my greatest pal. I received in 2020 and the final couple years I simply barely tousled my run—that’s what made it so particular, solidifying that I may do it once more.
I’ve heard some mumblings you’re additionally engaged on a movie venture, are you able to give us a sneak peek into what that venture goes to appear like?
I’m filming with Good Firm, which is Tom Wallisch and mates. I introduced my roommate on this 12 months, Jack Francis—that is his first 12 months filming however he bought a very sick digicam and we began filming in December. We bought some loopy photographs in Jackson in early December and that type of set the tone for the remainder of the 12 months, we’ve been filming a bunch of jumps and snowboarding strains. I’m actually hyped with the place we’re at, even when we stopped filming now I nonetheless assume I might have a loopy half however we’ve bought much more journeys forward and I’m actually excited to be engaged on a film venture with mates. I haven’t had a full phase in a video actually ever, I filmed IGNITE in 2019—a five-minute backcountry video—and I’ve actually simply been ready for a 12 months that I may high that however I needed my subsequent main movie phase to point out even crazier stuff. I’m actually hyped.
Do you ever sleep?
[laughs] I’ve been type of hanging on by a thread, actually, the final month and a half. Simply between a month straight of slopestyle comps earlier than [Kings and Queens of] Corbet’s after which after Corbet’s filming for 2 weeks in Jackson and taking slams. The one factor retaining me collectively was massages, I bought like 4 massages in per week. A pair days off earlier than Dew Tour was good however I’m undoubtedly sore [laughs]. I’ve bought the subsequent two weeks type of off, filming another individuals for the [Good Company] film after which I’ve bought a pair extra competitions on the finish of the 12 months. I maintain saying that I’ve been on this vortex of competing and filming, it’s simply continuous and no time to hang around with mates however simply hunker down, make plans and rise up early. I’m usually a 9 hours of sleep an evening type of man however I’ve now change into a seven-hour man this winter, which is alright nevertheless it’s been loopy. I’m actually fortunate to nonetheless be wholesome.
You’re a few years out from a catastrophic automobile accident, do you assume in some bizarre or twisted means that accident was meant to occur and set you up for the trail you’re on?
Positively. Some would say it’s only a wholesome means to consider it however I undoubtedly know in my coronary heart that it occurred for a purpose. It gave me a brand new mindset and strategy to go about life, this new appreciation for all times that I wouldn’t have in any other case. I’m actually grateful I used to be in a position to come out of it wholesome and with a redesigned plan. Additionally simply realizing that it occurred and I can now encourage different individuals to push via main accidents and horrible issues that occur in life usually. All of the worst issues to occur to you in life are moments for progress.
In the event you had to decide on only one ski self-discipline for the remainder of your life, metal or pow?
It might undoubtedly be pow as a result of it’s such a finite useful resource we get to experience and it’s so restricted. There are solely so many locations on the earth the place you’ll be able to experience deep pow. It’s so much simpler on the physique, too. It’s been my plan all alongside to experience metal and park and slopestyle for so long as I can and really feel the necessity or need to, after which work on that transition of lifelong powder snowboarding and filming. The older I get the extra I understand I will likely be browsing and snowboarding pow my complete life, that’s all I need to do. Simply going to do no matter I can to make that occur.
What will get your inventive juices flowing extra, competitors or movie creation?
They’re fully completely different inventive juices for me. I really like constructing a slopestyle run, that’s simply my favourite artwork kind. The backcountry is completely completely different. Earlier than you construct a soar, you’re visualizing the place you’re going to place it and what tips you’re going to do. That complete course of is de facto fulfilling. Additionally simply snowboarding strains, taking a photograph of the road from the underside and visualizing which tips you’re going to do the place, after which really snowboarding it you see the variations of what you visualized and what you’ll be able to really do—I feel that’s such a cool and artistic a part of freeriding. You don’t at all times do what you visualize nevertheless it often finally ends up fairly cool.
What do you want to see extra of within the ski business?
I want to see extra freeride-style occasions that aren’t the Freeride World Tour. I feel there’s a variety of house for that and I feel there are a variety of riders who would do effectively in that. I feel that’s a aspect of the game that also must be developed. I may see myself in just a few years host an occasion like Travis Rice’s Pure Choice.
What does the proper ski day appear like to you?
It might in all probability be a mid-week sleeper pow day the place you ski the resort the primary half of the day then go get on my snowmobile, perhaps even hit a pow-surf lap [laughs]. Then end off the day in a sizzling tub with an ice chilly Pacifico.
Who’s somebody you’ve by no means skied with however want to and why?
Candide. I’ve by no means skied with him however I’ve met him a pair instances. It might be so sick to ski the resort with him and simply observe him round for the day. He’s the smoothest, he’s the perfect, he’s the one all of us idolize and I feel it might be so enjoyable to observe his line.
You’ve bought three seats in a heli to fill, who’re you taking? They are often useless or alive.
Oh shit…Positively Seth Morrison is the primary to return to thoughts. He’s my largest idol for Alaska and heli snowboarding. Rising up watching him huck 100-foot cliffs, like who is that this freak? After which…rattling, that’s a tricky query. Who else? I feel Sammy C as a result of I see him and I snowboarding the identical terrain and feeding off of one another. Another spot to fill, useless or alive, I’m gonna must go together with Shane McConkey, the GOAT of GOATs. That will be insane, are you able to think about!? Oh my god that may be the sickest heli ever [laughs].