Insiders: Joe Simpson

What it takes to hit the rails. A rough guide to street snowboarding.

Let’s dive into the snowboarding universe… At its highest levels, it’s divided into two categories: contests and videos. Contest kids are the closest to athletes snowboarders get. But this is a story for another time. The filming side is also split into two groups: street and backcountry riders. Backcountry shredders are like mountaineers. They enjoy getting up early, hiking through waist-deep powder and constructing cheese-wedge take-offs into nothingness. 

Then there is the street scene. Some would say the loosest of the three. You spend most of your time sitting in the van, driving around, hopefully, snow-covered cities, shooting the shit and searching for down rails. Human interaction is more prevalent in the streets, as you tend to jump off things without permission. Dealing with angry pedestrians and the police becomes a daily chore. The day-to-day life on a street trip is a bit more relaxed. You can pop to the corner store for a snack, or go sit in a coffee shop to warm up. Once strapped in, however, the risk escalates. 

Filming in the streets is no easy task, so I wanted to share my ‘rough guide’ on how to begin your first street trip, make it a successful one. If you are not ready to throw yourself at rusty rails yet but are curious to know what it takes to film a street part – hopefully, there are some good insights here for you…

 First, you will need a camera and some knowledge of how to use it. Rewatching your favorite snowboard and skate videos whilst concentrating more on how they film certain tricks and spots is a great way to learn. Don’t be afraid to get things wrong, it will take a while to figure out how, and what, you want to film.

 Your crew is a major factor. Surround yourself with people who are motivated and that will go the extra mile it takes to make something great. Street trips are not always easy, so having the right people around you is a must. 

 Snow forecast: keeping an eye on the weather patterns and storms around you should become a regular thing. There’s nothing worse than arriving somewhere with no snow. It is always a gamble, but knowing what the weather is doing is good for keeping spirits up.

 Money: street trips aren’t cheap. If you live somewhere that gets snow every winter, you’re lucky. Most people have to fly to their destination. This means getting flights, renting a car, accommodation, buying shovels: the list goes on. A summer job and saving as much as possible leads to more trips, more clips, getting sponsored, and, ultimately, working less in the summer. If you put in the work, you will reap the benefits. Just don’t get impatient, and enjoy the journey.

 Respect: you will inevitably get told off. Guaranteed. Dealing with kick-outs is a skill in itself. I try and put myself in their shoes. I understand why a lot of people get upset with us, so I try not to aggravate it by being disrespectful. After all, we are getting in their way in their country.

 Whilst on the trip, expect to work hard. Getting back home after spending all your hard-earned cash and having nothing to show for it is a shit feeling, trust me. A couple days to scope the city, creating a plan of action and finding backup spots if things don’t work as expected will keep the stoke high! Eating well and having good living conditions really help in the long run. Ideally, you want to get clips every day, so the longer you can keep the motivation going, the more successful the trip will be.

 And finally, the “unwritten rules’… Dictated by our community and ever-evolving with the times, and of course, some being more important than others. You can decide for yourself which ones to adhere to, but here’s a few:

• Clearing snow off stairs
•  No tapping on presses
• No zeaching on slides
• No huge take-offs onto rails
• No ABD’s (Already Been Dones)

The ‘unwritten rules’ are a tricky subject. Adhering to them will earn you respect from the community or give you an obvious path to take in certain situations. On the other hand, they may stifle creativity by stopping you from doing something you want to do. In my humble opinion, rules are made for breaking, especially unwritten ones, so don’t get too caught up in them and do what feels right for you. In the end, the person having the most fun is the real winner.

Good luck, and see you in the streets!