I started this interview a while back with Matty when the season wasn’t in full swing. Time, lack of snow, and injuries have passed in between finishing this up and getting it posted to the site. It’s good to see the Lamar and Atmosphere man am having a good season and out doing what he loves. Here’s what went down in our little interview.

Angry Snowboarder: Last season you did Gatorade Free Flow and the Alt Games. Those contests went pretty well now it’s a new year so what’s on the agenda for the contest circuit?

Front board at the best park on earth.

Matty Kirchgasler: Thanks man, both of those contests were a blast. This season I’m planning on competing in Dew Tour Slopestyle events as well as any Grand Prix slopestyle contests. I’ll also be looking for random contests and rail jams to slay all season long. So watch out!

AS: The contest circuit right now is dominated with some serious talent how hard is that for you coming up as a rider when you’re going against guys that have done it a while and are more favored?

Definitely not the small side.

MK: Yeah there is definitely some serious talent in the contest scene. All i can do is ride hard and hope the judges like my shit! That’s pretty much all you can do in contests these days because judging is always a little unpredictable.

AS: What do you mean by unpredictable, there some politics behind the judging?

MK: What I mean by unpredictable is that a lot of times the riding isn’t the only thing judges take into consideration… Which makes it hard to come up, but like I said you just gotta ride hard and hope they dig you.

AS:How gnarly was it hitting that jump at the GFFT at Snowbasin? I saw that thing and it was fucking HUGE!

MK: HA yeah it was pretty big… So floaty and perfect though and the speed was on-point! It was just super awesome to get to ride that course all together.

AS: For you as a rider what makes a good slope course that’s fun and challenging? Do you ever find that some of these contests you’re riding in are lacking in either creativity or challenge?

MK: What I hope to see when I show up to a contest is always something that both challenges me as rider, and also some features that will separate the huckers and kooks from the rest. Weather it’s through innovative multi-features which are always fun, well built jumps that aren’t so small that a 7 feels hucked, or just an innovative flow to the course. I get so sick of the same old jump, jump, rail, rail, set up so when I show up to an event that wasn’t afraid to push the boundaries and creativity of the course I’m automatically more stoked to compete. It seems like a lot of contests try to put together a stereotypical slope-style course but I have enjoyed riding some recent Dew Tour Courses that aren’t afraid to push the bar . Hopefully creativity keeps growing in contest course design because it makes it a hell of a lot more fun and challenging to put a solid run down.

AS:Think being on Vails park crew this year will help your perception of what a good park is?

MK: Without a doubt. Most people stroll through a park and expect that it just pops up over night. I am already experiencing the hard work that it takes to put a solid park together and I think more people should show love for their local park crew. Setting up and maintaining a park is no joke and takes a solid crew of people that actually care about the terrain park to make it happen. Next time you see a park crew worker closing/raking a feature to make it enjoyable to ride don’t get all impatient and frustrated, they’re doing it for YOU so quit crying and let him know that you’re thankful, instead of bitching.

AS: How do you feel about the FIS shitting all over the TTR in regards to the Olympics adding slopestyle?

MK: Honestly, FIS can take a hike. They obviously show no love for snowboarders nor do they give a shit about all of our opinions. I think they need to realize that the riders control the direction of our sport, not the Olympics, not these bullshit organizations, the riders. Personally I could care less if snowboarders boycotted FIS events all together… Maybe then they would put down their ski poles and listen.

AS: For you as a rider is there anything the public, media, IOC/FIS/TTR should consider that they’re not looking at to make contests better?

MK: I think that they should make a collaborative effort to ensure that competitors are happy and willing to risk their lives and bust their asses to compete in their events. TTR kills it in my opinion. I think FIS needs to either start listening and caring about what us competitors are looking for or double eject from their skis and yard sale. Keeping events creative, fresh, and fun to compete in/watch are the things that I think they should keep in mind.

AS: How’s it feel to be bumped up to the LaMar AM team?

MK: It feels pretty good man! LaMar is definitely an easy company to deal with as a rider and they are down to help me out so I’m more than willing to return the favor and stoke up the product!

AS: Thanks and shout outs?

MK: Shout out to the Vail Park Crew, LaMar Snow, Atmosphere Outerwear, HollyHoodz, SSCV snowboard team, and all of my room mates! ONE LOVE

After pulling into a rail yard in Guliford, CT, I found myself at the Crispy Whips Warehouse. I rolled up to door number 4 and before I could open it, team rider Collin Smith popped the door open and began blasting me with a Nerf gun in my face. Now that I had paid the entrance fee I walked into the Crispy Whips workspace which is half skate park half art gallery a shredders paradise.

Nerfed

Before we get too far into the Q&A. I really need to explain more of what I saw in this building basketball hoops, multiple couches, and loose drawings/paintings everywhere. On the tables were casino slot machines, toasters, TV’s, power tools, and the largest stack of toy guns that I have seen since middle-school. Needless to say the warehouse was a product of good times and hazy nights.

Slots, Dogs, Brews, Kids, Couches, and Shrimp!

I also ‘just happened’ to visit on their Shrimp and Skate contest night. This is where they cook lobster tails and shrimp, while leaving an open door to any skaters in the area to come down to feast and jam. So far I could tell that the Crispy warehouse was constantly full of life, hard work, talented riders, and lots of good food. This is one place I would like to frequent daily.

Jimbo the shrimp. See what I did there.

After meeting the crew I finally got to sit down with Jim in his hiding hole of an editing dungeon. I’ve ran into Jim a few times at local mountains and contests but this was the first time we actually formally talked. Knowing little to nothing about Crispy Whips other then they run Mount Snow and have a solid crew of local heavy hitters on their team. I wanted to know what made them work and how they’re currently expanding.

Being on the shoreline of CT doesn’t make it a happening spot for shred heads to meet up and go ride. Knowing this, in 2006 Jim Marino and Steve Anderson the founding fathers of Crispy Whips used this set back not as a deterrent to snowboarding but made it into a goal to “create a family to ride with and let people know who they are”. With a band of friends coming together they started from the ground up.

Skate madness.

The Crispy Whips name was born from the crew using this name to reference their snowboards. Starting simple with getting their stickers out wherever they found an open spot and flinging t-shirts with their new born logo a buzz started to form. “Smoking Trees Doing Threes” has become a shred head household saying around these parts and these t-shirts have been seen all over on all types of people. Not to mention Halldor Helgason has been wearing one since Jim flung it his way at Dew Tour. “Everyone
rocks those tees, basketball players who burn and shoot 3’s, hoes think it’s about threesomes so I guess it’s whatever people want it to be.” [Colin] Started in on a story about a skate trip to NY were they had a sketchy run in with crack whore, who tried to get Colin to join a threesome, due to his shirt. What???…Anyways…

Moves started to really be made when the Crispy Whips Crew met the Buck 90 crew at Mount Snow. (The Buck 90 Crew ran Mount Snow and produced a bunch of videos in their higher education years on the east, peep their latest work and Ben Wachowiak in the Nike Chosen contest under Buck 90 Ham Squad.) Buck 90 and Crispy Whips became one in the same with most of the B90 members repping Crispy shirts and stickers, creating a huge following and demand on the east for their gear. The buzz was created and the next season they began making snowboards since their skate decks had taken off during the off season.

The Buck 90 crew became part of the family and the team. Jim says “Without Buck 90 I don’t know where we would be! Without Stu (Steve Lauder former team rider and still in Crispy Whips family) and crew showing Mount Snow who we are, we wouldn’t have gotten this far.” The rest is the same story as every other company starting small in a niche market at various mountains and creating demand for their product.

Crispy Whips are well on their way as a home brewed local company to expanding across the states. Currently they have 4 boards out in their line with graphics done by local artists including Mekowhy (aka Beast aka Nick N.), Maruno design, and Sket One. They currently have a jib rocker board called Smile, a park crusher known as Trippin Out, a mid wide called Smokin’ Trees & Doing Threes. Under Jim the company has been able to keep charging with new board plans, “next year a flat camber will be coming out along with a fish for powder, because our riders have been asking for it.”

Their current snowboard team is a solid crew of local, west coast transplants. Jon O’Doherty, Ben Wachowiak, Braedon Bellavance, Luke Mohr, Steve Anderson, Timmy Sullivan and Dillon Wilson.

During our conversation of all that is Crispy, a mother walks into pick up her son that was still skating as we drank and feasted on the crustaceans. This Catholic looking mother I thought for sure was going to scream and holler at her kids for being here. When actually it went quite the opposite, she sat down amid the sweaty skate rats, empties, and particles of sea food flying out of Scotties mouth. I decided to approach her and get her opinion of her son hanging out with the Crispy Crew. (Keep in mind that I’m possibly one to many deep at this point).

“Mom how do you feel about the CW crew and your son being around it?” The mother gladly stated that she was proud of her son for being part of the scene, “It gives him motivation and makes him more confident when he’s around the Crispy Whips guy, I have no problem letting him come here I know it’s a positive and Jim looks after him.” This coming from a high school freshmen’s mom at a 20+ year olds skate party, I was blown away at CW’s connection with the community. While Jim was still talking with the mom the dude that cooked this awesome meal approached me and said, “I’m telling you this because Jimmy will never tell you this, he’s too modest. Honest and truly Jim has done so much for community.” The CW has sponsored a local community basketball league, sent boxes of shirts to a refugee camp in Rwanda, and they gets countless emails from parents about how their children had met a rider or member at some point who had a positive reflection on their children.

Smokin Trees and Doing Threes while playing slots.

I left that night with a complete new mind set on Crispy Whips, that they really truly are a family. Taking care of what they feel is proper and that it’s not always about business. Since they were sold out of decks this year giving me nothing to take photos of, I feel their 2012/2013 season will be just as good with the plans Jim has for the family.

“If you ain’t crispy your soggy” – Jim

If you want to peep their hats, shirts, hoodies or boards check out their website or stop by local shops like Channel One, Eastern Pulse, Cutting Edge or Ramp Page.

Baker pow slashing with some urban and creative art shit. Here’s what they say about this, “The Mad Ones is a a web-based video project by Liam Gallagher. Inspired by the Beat Generation and specifically the writings of Jack Kerouac, The Mad Ones will follow the freaks, all winter long. Web flicks will be released every Monday through May. Some will be action edits, others about odd balls or oddities seen, weird experiences or whatever else happens to happen. Then, next September it’ll all be mashed into a free-for-download movie.”

Arbor sent over this video of their riders Ian Sams and Scotty Vine. Road trip to SLC to shred then on to Colorado for some Aspen action where the beer flows like wine. Just another day in the life of some pro shreds.

With all the hype behind this contest every little teaser that comes out seems to fuel the fire. Lib Tech put this one together and it shows a bit more than what has already been shown.

Found this little flick from 2004. Needs a bit of that deinterlacing but still a fun flick of plenty of park jumps and rails.

Part one of the Chuck Barfoot era which really seems to be more about the whole emergence of the Canadian snowboard seen what with Ken Achenbach stealing the show. Here’s another look at our history of shred in a few minutes thanks to Vice.

Do you know who Adam Dowell is? Do you like people that listen to metal and shred big mountains? Who cares what you think snowboarding just got a whole lot more metal with the intro into his life in this video.

Cool concept even if it has been done before. Here’s the official break down of this: It’s Every Third Thursday and we’re pumped! For those of you new to ETT, we build a new concept board each month to push ourselves in board building for fun and inspiration. So relieve some pressure, hit play and fill up on some good ol’ fashioned web content. Nozzle Tov!

The Mars Collective is getting crazy in SLC and Bubbles from Trailer Park Boys decides to tag along for a beautiful day at Brighton. Oh Brighton you truly are the gem for local status in Utah!