FreestyleXtreme Magazine Issue 23 | Page 84

Good, thanks. I managed to catch the last flight home yesterday after a few days riding out in France with a photographer. The weather was pretty shocking though, it was all wind and cloud, so we didn’t get everything we wanted. How often do you get out to the snow? I try and get out as often as possible and contact photographers wherever I go, just to capture a few clips. I normally have a little chat with them before arriving, talk through ideas, then exchange some cash and beers as a thank you and everyone’s happy. Lately shooting for videos and magazines has been my focus as for the last two years as I’ve been taking some time out from World Cup events after my injury. That’s left me free to go and shoot for magazines like Whitelines and Reason, which has been cool. Do you prefer shooting to competing? No, I do love competing. The buzz you get when, say, you fall on your first run and it’s all on your second… then you land it. Right now, snowboarding is leaning a little more towards a sports vibe because the Olympics and World Cup circuit have been looming large. There are more competitions around, more publicity, and that’s great for getting your name out there, but really it’s about getting out there on your board and enjoying yourself. 84 | FreestyleXtreme.com How much does your style change between when you’re competing and when you’re shooting? So much, it’s completely different. When you’re riding to get photos, you work on getting stylish tricks that look good - like 540’s and 180’s - but when you get to competition it’s all about throwing down your biggest and best tricks. Everything’s about hitting the triple. All of this is a far cry from where you started out on the dry slopes of Yorkshire… Yeah I started snowboarding at 16, riding dry slopes and indoor around Halifax and Castleford. I’d finish school and wait for my Mum to finish work, then we’d drive two hours to the centre. I’d snowboard for a few hours and then we’d drive back at like one in the morning. We’d literally do that five days a week. That’s some serious commitment at that age… To be honest I used to be a little s**t when I was younger. Out skateboarding on the street; drugs, violence, not going to school. Then one day I went to Castleford Xscape indoor ski slope and got talking to Wayne Taylor, who coached Olympic snowboarder Jamie Nicholls at Halifax Ski slope. After learning a bit there, I went on a family holiday snowboarding with Jamie and a few others who happened to be there for team selection, and within three months was signed by the British junior team. Snowboarding has completely transformed my life and made me who I am today. u M orning Sam, how’s it going?