Cole Atencio is More Chill Than…

My first interaction with Cole was one that made me want to choke this little fucker and then punch him in the face. Now I just want to interview him and point out that he has a love for Justin Bieber and snowboarding. One of those two things I can relate to, but the kid is hungry, shreds for the love of it, and does his own thing. He’s going to have another video part in the bHappy film this year and stoked that he finally graduated high school and can now officially hold the title of cougar bait. So here’s what one of Tahoe’s finest had to say.

AngrySnowboarder: Sponsors?

Cole Atencio: Haha alrite.. Technine, DC, Skullcandy, Celtek, and Eternal board shop

Cole keeps it real in future chairs

AS: Current set up?

CA: I’m currently riding the T9 enforcer 156, with the Lucas Magoon bindings, and DC park boots

AS: Scrub hooks?

CA: It depends.. if I do ride with wings, I have em on the inside instead of outside.. more leverage I feel like.

Nickole at Boreal from bHappyFilms on Vimeo.

AS: Who’s in your crew?

CA: Ohh man! the crew is sick! It usually consists of any of these guy: Ross Ramage aka Boss Chilligan, Durell, Sammy, Paul, bStrause, basically all of the bHappy crew!

AS: Looks like a solid crew to be shredding with your guys edits have come a long way since last year and the new teaser looks solid. So what can we expect from you for this year?

CA: Yea, i think we all kinda got hungry watching videos the people we look up to are in and got super motivated off that. I don’t think our video is going to be anything super hammer.. hopefully what we do with it is show some snowboarding people can get stoked on and hopefully feed off us like we did with the guys we look up to.

Taking the easy way down

AS: In my opinion that’s what a video should do, there’s too many video’s out there now that seem to make people go fuck I could never do that, but Happy Meals I can watch and be like my friends and I can do this stuff this is sick.

CA: Haha yea! basically that’s what it was, and still is. were just a bunch of friends doing what we love to do.. and filming it trying to make a video out of it!

AS: Good way to go about things for sure, obviously not everyone is going to be able to have custom made park features built for them. So speaking of park features which ones broke you off this year?

CA: Haha Oh man… luckily i didn’t have any bad injuries! dislocated my shoulder in the pipe at northstar doing a hand plant though.. Its probably not a good thing if doing something like a handplant can dislocate your shoulder that easily.. haha. My record is 3 dislocated shoulders in one day. Just kept popping it back in!

AS: You ever get paranoid an injury will end your sponsorships?

CA: Honestly, not really. when I first linked up with Mike Montemurro about three years ago.. he was sending me my first kit for T9. I was so stoked! Then broke my leg before I got it.. he was cool though and kept me going! and I don’t really worry about injuries too much, its hard to snowboard I feel like if you’re super paranoid, just gotta have fun in the moment!

AS: Damn right! You think that mind set is helping you take your riding to that next level where you’ll start to get more notice from your sponsors?

CA: I hope they dig that mind set! To me its the only way to snowboard.. its why we all started doing it! It looked fun! I never really saw it and was like.. oh no! They could get hurt! It is way too fun to think like that!

AS:What has being sponsored given or allowed you?

CA: Its been pretty darn cool, backing a brand you love, and to be backed by them is a really sick thing. I’m no xgamer, or future Olympian, but the support my sponsors give is awesome. It makes riding street a little more easy! Its crazy how quick you can destroy a board in the street..

AS:Haha been eating some alive this season?

CA: That’s for sure! Riding a park is nothing like street.. shit gets destroyed riding street… not just the board, but yourself.

AS: Comes with the territory though. How much pressure do you have on you by your sponsors to produce for them?

DreamComeTrue (Happy Thoughts Update #3) from bHappyFilms on Vimeo.

CA: They are super cool! They just like me keeping in touch, sending em video, and any contest results and all that jazz. and helping out with demos and such. nothing like being on a TM deal i don’t think.. so its pretty relaxed

AS: I had someone ask me once why a rider thinks they deserve to be sponsored, whats your take on that?

CA: That is a super hard question! Haha! I guess if i were to be a rep or TM of a company, I would want my riders to obviously be able to shred, but there is more to it I think than just being a sick rider. I think you gotta be personable, and be someone people can get along with, and have some qualities that other people are going to respect you for. I think your actual ability to ride can only take you so far. If you’re not a good person, people aren’t going to respect you as much, let alone want to ride a snowboard with your name on it.

MFM does not press like that

AS: So sort of like how MFM has this gangsta image and is a sick ass rider but if you meet him in person he’s probably the nicest guy in snowboarding, while Shaun White is this polished image and is all wholesome but has just become this giant douche to people?

CA: Hahaha! I remember when More was premiering in Reno.. me and my bud Ross saw MFM and MFM took the time to stoke us out and talk to us for a bit! Super rad! I personally don’t know Shaun.. haha but he does seem to get that rap though! Who knows man, he shreds for sure so I respect him for that!

AS: So when you going to throw down a double cork or are you just going straight for triple?

CA: Haha! honestly.. I would love to get a double of some sort some day! I guess it will come down to the right day and right jump!

AS: For sure that stuff seems to happen when everything lines up.

CA: Definitely. So we will see! Could be next season.. could happen when im 55 and still loving to ride!

AS: Haha doing doubles at 55 would be crazy as hell. So I’m guessing no doubles for your video part this year?

CA: Nahh, it will be all handrails and street stuff. its just more accessible for us right now. pow has some gnarley consequences and its super hard to get out there. i want to get into that area of snowboarding for sure though.

AS: You think that’s going to be the progression of your riding?

CA: I hope so! i love riding street and love watching street video parts. My ideal video part would would have Jed Anderson type street riding and Jake Blauvelt style pow shredding! That would be such a ridiculous video part!

AS: That would almost be some old school Kevin Jones shit.

CA: That would be the sickest part ever in my eyes

AS: Shout out and thanks?

CA: Ummm definitely Schopen, Matty G, Ron D, Allie H, and Hank L for all the support with my snowboarding! all my friends I snowboard with that keep me pushing myself! bHappy crew for keeping the fun in it!