Bjorn Leines is a super pro - from riding for HOT snowboards to the Forum 8, Rome Snowboards and most recently with Cardiff Snowcraft. He has done it all - from the streets to Alaska and all points in between. In this first of two parts, we cover Cardiff, trends in the sport, the Forum 8 and the characters behind it, as well as the challenges of starting his own glove brand Celtek. Bjorn is a true inspiration for those who seek a long term career in the sport.

Charles Reid • A Snowboarder’s Snowboarder • Episode 155

Fridge St AKA Fridge AKA Fridtjof Sæther Tischendorf is perhaps best known as the rider always wearing a backpack when riding. Perhaps he should be better known for his innovative approach to the sport. First breaking out on the scene at the 2017 Superpark event, Fridge has got on to win the inaugural X-GFames knuckle puck. this year his inadvertent line in the X-Games Slopestyle course went viral - doubling his following overnight - literally.

“Be the person you want to meet. Be the coolest guy you can be and treat people with respect and it’s not all about how many f*ckin spins you do and this and that. That’s my main advice to those kids is: don’t be a dick, literally. They can be punks sometimes so you gotta slap it in.”

Desiree came from Riverside CA. She knew, early on, that she would be a snowboarder. From Big Bear, she went to Mammoth, Bend, Portland and finally Salt Lake. This season she is working on filming with Ted Borland for the Snowboarder Movie, which she will also art direct. She is also doing artwork for her signature model on Salomon and well as the aesthetics for her signature 32 boots.

Kyle Mack came from the suburbs of Detroit. As a promising up and comer, racking up results, he moved to Summit County in Colorado to pursue riding full time. Clearly it paid off, as Mack went on the US Snowboard team and the Olympics where he took home the silver medal at Big Air in Korea throwing down his 1440 Bloody Dracula - demonstrating a different approach to the competition - which Kyle takes to his riding outside of competition - beit designing a signature pant with 686 or filming for his film Permission, has an understanding of the sport that goes well beyond his 22 years.

Pat Moore has done it all - from the streets to the backcountry, from New Hampshire to Alaska. Pro model gear on Vans, Volcom and Electric makes him one of the legends of the sport.

Jill grew up in SoCal, getting a relatively late start at snowboarding - quickly racking up a number of impressive AM parts. She lives in Salt Lake City today and has quickly become a fixture of the street scene there. An avid skateboarder - Jill has arrived but has just begun to show her true potential. This episode is a candid look at following your dreams in the sport.

Nik Baden is on fire. Winner of the last Rookie of the Year title from TRANSWORLD Snowboarding and featured in the Joy Snowboarding Movie, he is the envy of riders around the world. After turning his back on a promising career in Olympic and World Cup Slopestyle competition, Nik has been refining his signature style. Something that has the world of snowboarding focused on Nik - and for good reason.

Lucas was a phenom growing up in Glacier, Washington. Early in his career he rode for Burton and even won the title of Rookie of the Year from Transworld. He was featured in many an Absinthe Film and then walked away from professional riding and his contracts. On this episode we had a break on our ISDN line part way through - unfortunately you will not hear the part about his new passion of rock climbing, growing up in Glacier and walking away from lucrative contracts at the end of his career.