Going Off Snowboard History Podcast

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: https://www.instagram.com/goingoff_podcast/

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, and what exactly “Burger King” boots are. Link in bio to listen – and score your own limited-edition print of the image.PRINT FOR SALE: Style that started it all. East Street Archives excellently printed a limited run of this 1985 Scott Clum frontside air by Trevor Graves in Utica, NY. Link in bio to get one for ya wall.https://www.eaststreetarchives.com/store/p/trevor-graves-limited-edition-17x22-photo-rag-matte-print

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 of it may bring.