Going Off Snowboard History Podcast

As the 90s dawned, a team of artists, designers, writers and riders operating at the top of their game made some of the most iconic creative in snowboarding. Tricia and Jen sit down with Michael Jager, founder of JDK Designs, to discuss how he and his crew translated the energy of a youth movement into a visual vibe that’s still in the ether today. They dive deep into JDK’s multi-decade role as the creative engine for Burton Snowboards, hatching such memorable graphics as Jeff Brushie’s Trout pro model, Terje’s Wooden Sword board, the Twin Tip Ouija Board that Bryan Iguchi ruled, and so much more. In a long lost era where snowboarding spoke its own language, JDK was the first of its kind—a design studio embedded in the culture, of it and for it. What was the “Scream of Consciousness”? How did J2’s pubes end up on a T shirt graphic? Why was that La-Z-Boy burned to the ground for a TV commercial? These questions and more are answered in today’s episode.-Big ups to Burton for supporting Going Off. Head to…

Every great subculture needs somewhere to tell its stories. In snowboarding’s early days, magazines like Thrasher, Action Now and ISM called it like they saw it. Later, Transworld and Snowboarder entered the chat. These raw and analogue pubs were the connective tissue for misfits across the map. They were a beacon. They were gasoline on the fire. In this episode, Jen and Tricia trace the arc of snowboard print magazines, from their birth in 1980s California to the 90s boom times and the death rattles came after … This is an unapologetically deep dive into the facts and true tall tales from snowboard media’s front lines. At the end, they bring in live-human-expert Nick Hamilton—photographer and total media legend who was Transworld Content Director for a cool couple decades—to talk choosing covers and blowing editorial budge, along with reminiscing on the end of a magazine era. Support Going Off on our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/GoingOff Follow us on Instagram for bonus content:…

40 years ago, when racers were rockstars and carving ruled the day, an experimental technology was taking hold of snowboarding—born from the quest for the perfect turn. In this episode, Tricia and Jen dive deep into the explosion of asymmetrical snowboards in the late 80s. This movement was led by charismatic European rippers with a splashy “pastels and a ponytail” energy. Ringleader of this crew, Peter Bauer, joins the conversation to divulge about culture shock, international rivalries, and creating the Burton PJ series—one of the best-selling pro models of all time. The episode traces the Asym Revolution from its infancy in the Alps to podiums worldwide, along with dalliances into freestyle with boards like the Santa Cruz Tau and Burton Asym Airs. Finally, they submit to the truth that the Euro-carving movement had a seismic impact on snowboarding that’s still rippling outward. - Big ups to Burton for supporting Going Off. Head to Burton.com to join them in celebrating 50 Years of Burton, 50 Years of…

In the ’80s, a dispersed subset of renegade youth used all possible tactics to storm the gates of ski resorts amidst widespread snowboard bans. Today’s episode is that story. Tricia and Jen sit down with Brad Steward, one of the great pioneers of the snowboard industry, to divulge how he and other total legends claimed snowboarding’s place on the chairlift. At the turn of 1980, Brad was a teenage rider barred from his local hill—he was studying public-land-permit bylaws and hassling staff down at the U.S. Forest Service Office. Later when he got a job at Sims, no guerrilla tactic was off the table, from gifting boards to the grandkids of Mammoth Mountain’s owner (knowing they’d fall in love with the sport) to enlisting a Trojan Horse “adult” (Paul Alden) blessed with the buttoned-up energy and wardrobe it took to gain some respect from ski-area management. The crew talks certification shakedowns, trespassing arrests, hairball chairlift offramps, and other skier-on-snowboarder crimes. Finally, they discuss…

The 1987 Juicy Fruit Gum TV ad is an essential time capsule. The stars of 80s snowboarding—Craig Kelly, Terry Kidwell, Tom Burt, Jim Zellers and more—rip on proto-freestyle equipment, juxtaposed against footage of beautiful people having fun in the sun and of course, chewing gum. No hats or goggles were worn in the making of this. Jen and Tricia bring in a triple threat of live human experts—famed filmmaker Greg Stump (who shot the action), plus Tom Burt and Jim Zellers—to do a forensic deep dive on this relic of 80s exuberance. They unearth how the fresh subculture of snowboarding got in the mix on such a big-time Hollywood production. They divulge who the players were, how legit the riding was, and how much everyone got paid. Finally, lest the ad be dismissed as pure nostalgia-core, they discuss the seismic impact showing snowboarding on prime-time TV had on spreading the word to a new generation of would-be riders.

This is an origin story and ode to the gone-but-not-forgotten summer snowboarding scene on the Blackcomb Glacier in Whistler B.C. How did the summer camps emerge? Who ruled the day, back in the day? Tricia and Jen dive in after downloading from a gang of Canadian legends. Up on the glacier circa ’92 few things were better than getting to see Marc Morisset, Kevin Young or Jamie Lynn bust. Wandering Whistler Village, young campers could see stars like Palmer and Salasnek, and certainly everyone was imbibing the spirits of the day. Climate change has a diabolical thirst, too, though. The talk also traces the melt and demise of the glacier that hosted this magical summer playland. Later in the episode, Jen and Tricia sit down with iconic pro rider and cultural shaper Jess Kimura to talk about the summer-glacier vibe when she was coming up in the 2000s.

In the snowboard timeline, ’96 was a heyday. The scene was popping in Salt Lake City, where a newly relocated filmmaker known simply as “Whitey” documented a gang of talent riding under the radar—including soon-to-be-god-tier Brighton local JP Walker. Welcome to “The Warriors.” In this episode, Jen and Tricia sit down with Whitey to expound on the making of this fun and raw mid-90s cult-classic snowboard film. Stay tuned for talk of technical powder tricks, pirated music, Blunt magazine hijinks, Brighton backcountry, Ingemar Backman, Timmy Ostler, Mikey Leblanc and many more. They dive into snowboarding’s real-time evolution from a jib-fueled frenzy to freestyle with a taste for powder. They divulge what it was like to be a rider in 1996, when no one was getting rich—but a gravy train of rent and beer money was free-flowing amidst scene.

In 1992, pro snowboarder Dave Seaone did an inverted aerial at a world-cup halfpipe comp in Japan. He was DQ’ed and fined $100. Welcome to the prohibition era, when riders had to hide their McTwists and triple check for ski patrol before throwing a backie. In this episode, Tricia and Jen track down the first flip ever captured on film (allegedly), they delve into fun handplant variations and trace the origins of early tricks like the J-Tear and Crippler. After a deep dive into “hotdogging” (later known as “freestyle”), they unearth the source of the inverts ban—and why it plagued snowboard-dom well into the late 90s. Finally, they bring in live human expert Keir Dillon—legendary rider and inventor of the PA Roll—to describe WTF that trick is, as well as delivering some opinionated conversating on all things upside down. Cover photo: Bud Fawcett

Get prepped to go down the snowboard history rabbit hole in this casual, made-for-the-heads spring special. Jen and Tricia go BTS on the birth of jibbing in Colorado, do recon on an alleged parking lot brawl with the Burton A team, and drop in deep on the early 90s tech that enabled the ultimate tweak. From Trent Bush talking about the death of the “surf turn” to Jason Ford’s tale of the first time he saw Roan Rogers ride, this episode is a spring bouquet of unsolicited (yet highly interesting) information—plus bonus stories from previous episodes. Thanks for listening—it’s been a great ride. Stay tuned as we sprout some new shows for Going Off Season 2.

In historical snowboard time, “B.C.” stands for “Before Craig.” A god-tier talent in snowboarding’s early years, Craig Kelly helped forge the path of style, gear tech, and where riding could go. In this episode, Tricia and Jen examine the legend of CK and why a certain sect of core snowboarders still invoke the line “Craig Kelly is my copilot” 23 years after his death. They regale 2 special heads: Eric Blehm—author of “The Darkest White” and the definitive expert on CK, and Erik Traulsen of FnRad Podcast—a respected curator of many conversations about Craig. The gang dips waist-deep into 3 parts of snowboarding Kelly changed forever: riding style, “pro snowboarder” as a job description, and the world of freeriding and backcountry. Finally, they discuss how even in death, he’s still helping us navigate our path forward.Cover photo: Trevor Graves

In 1992, Canadian pro Jon Boyer hired his friend Geoff McFetridge to create some unlike-all-the-other-shit graphics for his new pro-model snowboard on Barfoot. They were loud, expressive and created to hang on the snowboard shop wall. In this episode, Jen and Tricia sit down with Boyer (now an LA director) and McFetridge (now an acclaimed illustrator and artist) to talk about how Boyer’s boards challenged conventional notions of snowboard graphic art—bringing a skate ethos to a surf and ski driven world. They dip into the rise of the pro model age, the very first digitally created board graphic, techniques, inspirations, production fails, and of course—what the piles of royalty cash bought for these two young hooligans from Calgary, Alberta. Follow Going Off for more snowboard history.

Once upon a time the colors were freaky, and tuck-knees and tweaks ruled the day. Going Off dives behind the scenes on an iconic 1990 photo of Jason Ford shot by Rod Walker—to learn from one of the masters what it took to be a snowboarder in the Boned Out Era. In this episode, Jen, Tricia and legend Jason Ford talk about how riders were riffing off what the 80s vert skaters were doing—styling out their straight airs and achieving levels of poking and tweaking that have never been seen again in snowboarding. They dip into the equipment of the day, and being on the Burton A team with Craig Kelly and Brushie. After 36 years of gossip and conjecture, Ford finally reveals how he got his tricks so totally boned out. They also tackle what it takes for an image to hold up after 3 decades of progression, and why this era remains so beloved to snowboarders in their ibuprofen-popping years.

In the early 90s, 2 counties in Central Colorado became the unlikely breeding ground for a snowboarding style revolution. This is that story, so gather round the fire. Armed with intel from tons of CO OGs, Jen and Tricia trace how the “new school” scenes in Breckenridge and Vail first kicked off. They dive into early jibbing, equipment mods, rider-generated videos, Super Mario Land, big-pantism, Burton’s famous Lucky Strike ad, aspen-tree rainbows, DJ culture and more. They discuss how this movement helped fuel what was one of the biggest reinventions to ever happen in snowboard culture—as the sport’s second gen of pros sought to make it their own. At the end, Ali Goulet—certified snowboard icon and former Vail resident, joins Jen and Tricia to expound on what lured him to Colorado, what went down when he got there, and why everyone moved to Utah when the era ended. Image: 1992 Burton ad featuring Jason Girardi, photo - Justin Hoystenek

Was it the fat-stance fat-pants period? The era of the big film star? The wild pioneer days of the 70s and 80s? Join the snowboard history debate team as they dive into our sport’s primordial stew. The mission: to unearth which time in snowboarding lives on in our collective imagination as the true golden age. After a fly-by-night tour of our sport’s history to date, Jen and Tricia identify a specific season that dons the golden mantle. Later in the hour, snowboard-media-luminary Pat Bridges taps in with an informed rebuttal—suggesting a different era entirely. Facts, opinions, controversy, and nostalgic rants all abound in Episode 8 of Going Off. What’s your take? Let’s keep it going in the chat.

Snowboarding-wise, the ’98 Nagano Games and 2002’s Salt Lake Games were polar opposites. We went from mocked and misunderstood to celebrated with stadium seating. And it’s in this 4-year window of history that we first earned our identity as one of the most widely watched Olympic sports of all time. In this 2-part series, Tricia and Jen go deep on the hype, the hope and the heartbreak of snowboarding’s first 2 Olympic appearances. Ross Powers, the true Boss of snowboarding and a medal holder in both events (famously leading the U.S. podium sweep in Salt Lake), taps in as our live human expert. Part 2 of the series covers what went down on event day in both Nagano and Salt Lake—from avalanche warnings on course to the backside air seen round the world, from the medals won to ones lost—and how snowboarding was wildly transformed.

The Olympics either saved snowboarding or ruined it, depending on who you talk to. We were the first un-Olympic sport to join the Games and had to pave the way for other countercultural movements to become Olympic on their terms. In this 2-part series, Tricia and Jen go deep on the hype, the hope and the heartbreak of snowboarding’s first 2 Olympic appearances: Nagano in 1998 and Salt Lake City in 2002. Ross Powers, the true Boss of snowboarding and a medal holder in both events (famously leading the U.S. podium sweep in Salt Lake), taps in as our live human expert. Part 1 of the series drops into a wild ride on the road to Nagano. Heroic dreams. Snowboarder vs. skier culture wars. Contested qualifications. Olympic uniform foibles. It’s all in a day’s work when you’re going for the gold.

Hang onto your Mambosoks—this holiday special is a feast of historical snowboard trivia. Tricia and Jen solve the great James Bond stunt-double debate, reveal which famous 90s board graphic earned a cease and desist from the Cosby corporation, and go BTS on the heavy private sessions at one of snowboarding’s first-ever superpipes. From Lance Violette’s take on how Burton’s Uninc series was born to Todd Richards’ rant about what snowboard culture has lost, this episode is a spicy cocktail of unsolicited (yet highly interesting) information—plus bonus stories from previous episodes. Happy New Year from Going Off!

Arguably the most beloved snowboard movie of ’93 captures an essential time—in a unique way. Roadkill, a 24-minute Fall Line Films production, was the birth of “new school,” and a spark that ignited soon-to-be legendaries like Jamie Lynn, Bryan Iguchi and Terje Haakonsen. In this episode, Jen and Tricia sit down with Roadkill director Dave Seoane to expound on the making of this loud-and-fast ode to the road. Stay tuned for talk of technical butters and unapologetic big pants, mad respect to resort riding, and sliding vintage Caddy limos through snowdrifts on the Mt. Baker Highway. They divulge what it took to shoot and release a 16mm film in 2 months, dropping it mid-winter (instead of the next fall) to capture the era’s rapid progression. They uncover what it meant to be a snowboarder in 1993—when freestyle snowboarding was being reinvented by names that are still in our hall of GOATs.

Once upon a time, snowboarders deployed plastic milk jugs for highbacks and donned sneaker-esque “riding shoes.” Today’s snowboard binding is a feat of ingenuity—an embodiment of the right-brain spirit that has always fueled riders. In this episode, Tricia and Jen track down the modern snowboard binding’s strange and true history over half a century. With hot intel from such experts as Trent Bush, Chris Doyle and Dennis Nazari, they trace the evolution from a single rubber toe strap to an injection-molded riding appliance. They reminisce on the lowbacks and T Bolting craze of the “fat stance” era. They talk hole patterns, channel systems, and who invented the highback. And they fearlessly (some would say foolishly) wade into the Great Step-In Debate. After another unapologetically lengthy deep dive, they bring in legendary snowboarder and style icon Russell Winfield for some quality binding banter. Russ divulges such secrets as how heelside carves happened in the days before highbacks (hint: they didn’t) and…

No highbacks. No cell phones. No chairlifts. All anarchy and style. On the 40th anniversary of a legendary photograph shot by Trevor Graves of Scott Clum, we uncover and celebrate what it was like to be a snowboarder in 1985. In this episode, Tricia and Jen bring in two live human experts, Trevor and Scott themselves, to reminisce and expound on the vibe of the day. They talk about the equipment, tricks and culture unfolding in snowboarding at that time in history. They discuss the tidal wave of influence that snowboarding’s very first halfpipe scene at the Tahoe City Dump, and California characters like Tom Sims, had on the world of snowboarding at large. And how—in a parallel universe out in Utica, New York—this small crew of East Coast riders were creating and defining what they thought snowboarding was, too. Other knowledge dropped: what it was like to live in Tom Sims’ secret Santa Barbara tree house, why everyone wore wetsuit bottoms while they rode, how broke college kids got film developed for free,…

Hop in, graphics nerds. We’re going on a wild ride from the explosion of 80s neon through the pro model snowboard era that kicked off the 90s board graphics revolution, then on to the great consolidation that happened at the turn of the century—and what rippled out when the bubble burst. In this episode, Jen and Tricia bring in a host of live human experts—Brad Steward, Barrett Christy, Shannon Dunn, Lance Violette, Corey Smith and more—to divulge the stories behind some of the most important snowboard graphics and board-graphic movements of all time. Hot takes abound, like why Sims refused to put mountains on their boards and how Original Sin may have been the first brand to bring true art to a snowboard deck. For a fun Going Off drinking game, take a big sip every time someone says the word “iconic.”

Before it became an icy 22-foot U-shaped monstrosity, the snowboard halfpipe was a hand-shaped, Roman Coliseum-style venue where snowboarders would go to see and be seen, meet other misfits, and throw down for a chance to be recognized as best rider in the world. In this episode, Jen and Tricia trace the snowboard halfpipe from its origins in backyard ditches to its machine-cut glory days across the world. They talk about the tools, technologies and tricks that changed everything, and which riders reigned supreme over these early eras. They track down who built the first superpipe (allegedly). They talk about how much it costs to build a modern-day snowboard halfpipe (hint: a lot). And they try in earnest to zero in on which nail was the exact last nail in the coffin for this lauded terrain feature. After an unapologetically lengthy deep dive, they bring in a live human expert, legendary pro snowboarder Todd Richards, to expound on what halfpipe has meant to snowboarding as a subculture and what the future…

Going Off is the snowboard history podcast. As the early days of snowboarding begin to slide into the long past, Going Off documents its oral history. We trace back what made it so strange and explosive, why it changed all those lives and still bonds people for life. From the history of snowboard fashion to how halfpipes were born, from the birth of jibbing to pivotal movies, music and magazines, each episode drops in on a new topic. Hosts: Jennifer Sherowski and Tricia Byrnes