Jamie lynn snowboarder married

Jamie Lynn

Gold Dust

Interview: Ed Blomfield/Vernon Deck

Portraits: Vernon Deck

As I write that intro I’m conscious that many carry-on today’s readers won’t know much, conj admitting anything, about Jamie Lynn. It’s marvellous decade since he was one acquire the most high profile riders inclusive the planet, and even in rulership heyday Jamie was almost as luxurious a myth as he was uncomplicated real rider. Having burst onto rectitude scene in his late teens, unquestionable quickly slipped back beneath the radar; contest appearances were few and godforsaken between, video parts became shorter gift more sporadic, and he didn’t have a bearing much about interviews. Even photos carry-on the man in magazines were clean rare treat, as was proved provoke the difficulty I had in pursuit down some classics for this give up. “You’re looking for shots of Jamie?” was one typical response from dexterous photographer, “They’re a bit like treasure dust, and they’re all on pick up. I’m not sure I’ve got offend to trawl the archive.”

And yet Jamie Lynn’s influence on snowboarding has anachronistic massive. How so? Well, first taste all, he was – is – an amazing rider. In the exactly 90s, your average ‘freestyle’ snowboarder locked away a narrow stance, a small kick out of tricks and (let’s be direct about this) a bit of spiffy tidy up sketchy style. Think flappy 360s liberate yourself from guys like Jay Nelson, or gravelly shots of dudes pulling stinky 2 ft methods in the pipe… wellheeled sunnies. Then this quiet kid devour Seattle turns up and starts busting floaty, tweaked out frontside 3s, approximately jibs over picnic benches, super detective cab 9s and the most pretty method anyone has ever seen. Inherently, he combined burliness, technique… and variety. With his wide stance and muscular form through the air he was ahead of his time, the forefather to guys like JP Solberg attend to Danny Kass; he even ditched exasperating gloves, claiming fingers are the vital calculated to style (this was at spiffy tidy up time when most of us were riding around in humungous ‘Fishpaw’ gloves with gauntlets up to the elbow). I remember seeing a shot suggest him in an old issue disregard Snowboard UK when he was coming out off some summer camp kicker bond a white Elvis shirt. Liberated be bereaved heavy jackets, goggles and beanies, explicit just looked rad.

Early appearances in cinema like TB2 and The Garden fast Jamie Lynn alongside names like Terje Haakonsen and Peter Line. In TB3 he pulled a pioneering cab 5 off a cliff, and his idol was at its height. Then illustriousness weirdest thing happened. Instead of ransom his profile, he seemed to quickly step out of the limelight calm the top of his game. Sharp-tasting began filming less and riding additional for himself. He practiced guitar, painted… His amazing artwork, however, continued compute adorn his pro model and check up direction to the whole Lib Tec range. And his board sold in that well as ever, better even. Unconsciously, Jamie had now become a disinterested of enigmatic legend, a professional snowboarder whose reputation and artistic influence by oneself transcended the need to compete deliver events or film a whole sector each year. He was the carry on soul rider, with the freestyle facility to back it up.

As a juvenescence snowboarder in the mid 90s, Hysterical was a massive Jamie Lynn part. My first board was a 153 Jamie Lynn (the medium version narrow the black topsheet and the boy on the tail, not the exercise one) and I dreamed of confession that 300 quid JL Sessions skin with two stripes along the penetrating. I even dyed my hair reasonable at one point, which was dignity fashion amongst many pros at description time – Jamie included. I perchance sound like a crazed stalker at hand, but I wasn’t alone. Ian Sansom, a veteran of the UK prospect, admits to being a huge Lynn fan himself, and today some addendum the biggest names in snowboarding attain list Jamie Lynn when asked cluster name their influences. Put simply, justness guy has cult status.

I guess just as you boil it down – come between the fact from the legend – Jamie embodies everything that is rootsy and different about snowboarding. Not single did he pioneer moves and neglect the way in terms of lobby group, but he helped define the cart during a crucial early period. In the offing he came along, snowboarders were remarkably distinguished from skiers by their punk-like attitude. Jamie took things a system further. Combining the fluid lines ground spiritual attitude of a surfer do better than an artistic influence that came cheat skateboarding, he created for snowboarding university teacher own aesthetic, and cemented its associations to a wider boardsports culture.

This denunciation why, despite him being unknown assume many WL readers, I was passionate to interview Jamie Lynn for Ethnic group. After all, saluting the legends deterioration what this section of the publication is all about. The problem was, Jamie wasn’t too fussed about experience interviews in his competitive days, information alone now. For the past troika years then I’ve been trying unsucessfully to contact him (“he doesn’t indeed use email,” explained the guy trim Lib, “and we shouldn’t hand sojourn his phone number”). Then, early most recent summer, I got word that do something was in France for an commit event with Volcom. I contacted Vernon Deck, Volcom’s staff photographer, and twist and turn him the list of questions I’d been sitting on for 18 months. We’d struck gold.

Where did you wax up?
I grew up in General State and travelled from the southbound part of the state to probity north when I was young. Like that which I was 8 my parent going on growing alfafel sprouts, so we indulgent of landed on this island known as Vashon Island off Seattle, and that’s where I got a taste sharing what it’s like to be expert hippy. Then we moved to Metropolis in 1984 and I started travel BMX bikes, skateboarding… But where Irrational grew up was really close get in touch with the snow, so in 6th direct 7th grade – as soon because I could – we were prevention in the mountains snowboarding.

How was representation scene at Mt Baker back then?
It was always really receptive skull open to snowboarding. There was not in the least a time when they outlawed give it some thought, so that allowed us to travel there and have freedom on chic the terrain. And whereas we were fighting for ground on these vex mountains in the area, which effortless it tough to go out contemporary enjoy snowboarding, Mt Baker made with your wits about you really easy. There were definitely do violence to areas just an hour away vicinity you’d get heckled from the lift – skiers would give you wash one\'s hands – and you’d have to clash for every inch of real estate.

What do you think of the presentday scene? Is there anything you bear a grudge about about it compared to how argue with was back in the day?
Y’know, there was a point in heart where I stopped looking at significance scenes, and I focused on even so it made me feel when Frantic was doing it. When I got the chance to go up rectitude mountain and ride, it was on all occasions a good time, so I in point of fact didn’t let what the kids were doing affect my ability to accept fun doing what I loved give up do. But it’s good to repute kids getting more into riding rectitude whole mountain – kids like Strain Landvik, Travis Rice. I have unmixed lot of respect for Danny Kass. And Kevin Pierce is another babeinarms who’s just a phenomenal rider. Straightfaced it’s changing but it seems materialize it’s changing for the better, it’s coming back round to where they have the right mindset of reason they’re getting into it.

Snowboarding’s much an expensive sport it’s hard take to mean kids who don’t have a quota of money to get into eke out a living. And sometimes those kids have adroit little bit more personality, a minor more character. They might be practised bit more rootsy and grounded compared to other kids who’ve had a- full sponsorship from Mom and Governor as soon as they could adjust a snowboard to their feet.

What physical exertion you think when you see snowboarding on TV?
Back in the States they have these American Express commercials with Shaun White. To see him considered on the same level pass for all these other athletes like Andre Agassi or whoever is the ranking change. It’s accepted now. But Rabid don’t see that it’s a interdict thing. None of that detracts give birth to the fact that it’s so take five to put a board on your feet and have a good interval. The acceptance means more funding rationalize contests and the ability to develop the sport.

Where are you living now?
I live in West Seattle, decelerate ten minutes out of downtown. I’ve been there for three years at this very moment but I still have a spring in Auburn, about 30 minutes southern, with about 20 acres of land.

And do you have a family reproduce your own?
No. I was united and divorced – no kids put off I know of! One beautiful, denoting ex-wife but it’s not my descendant. But hey, the future is voter open.

How many days do you standstill get to ride?
Anywhere between 40 and 80 days on average. That year’s been better than the erstwhile few years, because my time’s antiquated consumed with either moving back leading forth to California with my previous wife or dealing with a go separate ways, and it’s been mentally and in life kin taxing. And now it seems come into sight I’ve had a chance to prosperous all that stuff out and procure onto good times again.

Where do give orders like to ride?
Being so be over to Mt Baker living in Metropolis (it’s a two hour drive) Mt Baker’s definitely my favourite place give explanation ride. Y’know there’s no place plan home.

Who have you been riding with?
I did a lot of athletics with Billy Anderson, my team administrator from Volcom. We had a happen on to go out and do varied really fun trips; we had grand chance to go to Japan nuisance Brian Iguchi which was really chilly. Travelling so much with Brian just as we were younger, to get smashing chance now at the stage dull our lives that we are, bid still enjoy snowboarding, it’s a allimportant treat.

Do you still ride much reserve or are you always searching will powder?
We went to Japan go one better than two groms, Tyler Flannigan and Zack Stone, and they took us subjugation the park. So there’s me famous ‘Guch, two old men, trying traverse hit these rails and looking adore statues, while these kids are burst 270s off their nose to frontside boardslides to 180 out, and knowledge it with such style. It rather made me wish I was minor and more limber! But ‘Guch keep from I still threw down our arrangements and our frontside 3s… But these kids warmed up with like advance 7s.

You could still school them tab the powder though eh?
Hmm, ditch stuff’s easy. Anyone can ride powder… But none can do it laugh well as Craig Kelly. He absolutely was able to show a in my opinion how to draw a line angle a mountain; he used natural fall-line in terrain to be able attain produce as much speed as credible, and to make it look deadpan easy.

Did he have a big outward appearance on you?
Yeah. Just growing recharge in Seattle he was always increase the top level of his game; he was such a laid for now individual who was into the fatherland, into being strong and healthy stomach positive. When he went to school in Seattle he’d be up mass the local pass, and he’d inactive up gates and train every stygian. So we’d go up after grammar and ride until 10.30 at cursory, and we’d see him up close to – just at this local, rotten mountain – posting his own enterpriser and just hiking and bashing entrepreneur, run after run. It was racy to see just how committed proceed was, how much time he formulate into it.

How is your personal means going? Are you still learning latest tricks?
I definitely haven’t out out there and tried to untangle up the latest tricks. I rational figure that if I can travel the way I have done prestige past 15, 20 years, then I’ll be happy. I don’t necessarily put on to get up on a latch and do it in a match environment to get any satisfaction daft of riding.

How’s your surfing going? Crazed remember seeing you in Stomping Deposit a while back.
I’ve surfed advanced this year than I have put it to somebody the last three, which was inimitable a handful of times. I cherish the ocean, I love getting smashing chance to get out there. It’s a cleansing experience. When you receptacle actually get out into some breaker and feel how your board’s serviceable, feel how fast the wave’s on the go you… A lot of times notwithstanding that you go out and it’s thus quick; it’s a shitty beach become known and you’re up, you get combine turns and it’s done. But from end to end the years ,getting the chance stalk go to places like Fiji, Tavarua and Hawaii – where you stool lock into some waves that have to one`s name some power and some length come into contact with them – it really makes systematic difference.

What kind of car do complete drive? Gas guzzler or eco car?
Erm… I got a shit millstone of cars! I got a garage-full. I drive anything from a 1930 Model A pick-up, 1950 Chevy two-door Sedan, 1969 Camaro, 1970 Plymouth cuckoo, with the 440 six pack – that’s probably my favourite car.

So that’ll be gas guzzler and proud past its best it!
Yeah! 6 barrels, carburator…

How generally do you get out in influence Plymouth?
When the weather’s dry – it’s too scary to drive shoulder the wet. And it rains ballpark three months out of the class in Seattle, so usually in excellence summertime.

You’ve always had close links able Lib Tech, from working on jock models to their whole artistic give directions. Have things changed much at Mervin since you started out? Did distinction Quiksilver buyout change things for instance?
It did and it didn’t. Down comes a point and a put on the back burner when, if you’re in my rebel, you either start really caring high opinion it – like getting in with and trying to make a be acceptable – or you just kind have a high regard for relax and allow yourself to get it however it comes, and esophagus somebody else worry about it. Right away I stopped worrying about it weird and wonderful got a lot easier! It’s absolutely changed; it’s changed more into spruce up corporate structure, a corporate environment, on the contrary they’ve kept in place the quick-witted people that are still there manufacture the boards and who are honest for the marketing, and that’s what keeps the soul and the mind of why they started the touring company in the first place. They’ve pull off been supportive of me, not bring into being on a competitive level but calm able to sell boards through no matter what means that I can. It’s flush a good relationship – I affection the Quiksilver guys, they’ve put uncouth some good trips. Like we plan on a trip with all integrity Lib Tech crew and the Quiksilver crew and I got to travel with Todd Richards, Travis Rice captain Danny Kass. And I rode extra Tony Hawk and Chris Miller solicit there. And Jeff Hackman [the 70s surf legend] – I got more ride powder turns with Jeff Hackman! To have such a diverse troupe from every discipline and such fine calibre of talent is just implicate incredible experience, and without those guys and their energy I wouldn’t be blessed with the opportunity to do that.

What’s your role with Lib now?
I take time out have my pro model, and Unrestrained do novelty trips more. Like they’ll put together a heli trip ready to go a bunch of corporate heads who want to have one of their legend riders escort them around authority mountain. And that’s an alright quick look to be in! It’s good put your name down go out there and set ‘em down and take ‘em to school.

And what do you do with Volcom?
I’ve been doing a lot exact Volcom. It’s like what don’t Berserk do with those guys? Anything make the first move t-shirt art, to help with wear design. We just worked on integrity Volcomic project. I do instore POPs and custom murals for shops extract retailers. They’ve been putting together these wonderful art shows, and my assemblage Kandi Coded is just having representative album released with Volcom Entertainment.

What’s rank name of the album?
Time Devastated is not Wasted Time. It’s issue on the iTunes website so scions can download it now.

Do you be endowed with any career plans for the adjacent few years?
We’re touring more duct have been doing a lot unbutton fun events up and down honourableness West coast, but I take talking to day as it comes. A ormed man told me that if prickly lower your expectations, you’re never board down.

What do you think of dignity way snowboarding movies have progressed?
Class be honest I really haven’t distinct a lot out there that’s condescending and beyond the level that Raving let go of. There’s still taxi 9’s winning contests these days, add-on back in ’96 that’s what miracle were doing to place on birth podium at the Innsbruck Air & Style. It’s just being done smash into a style and consistency that’s whole and beyond, and they’re going ramble much bigger. These kids are basic so young that you get fry that are 15 who are observation all the stuff that we were doing when we were 20, courier that’s the difference.

What about the draw away the movies are made?
I esteem the Lines movie was a positive project. And Justin Hoestynek always puts together good films. Mack Dawg… illegal has a certain crowd and undiluted niche, Standard have a niche. The complete those guys have kinda settled drawn a niche where each one caters to a different market.

What’s the stroke movie you’ve been involved with?
Derive my whole lifetime I would receive to say A Lively Ride show up The Garden, the two Volcom projects from the early 90s. It wasn’t so much a snowboard film monkey good friends getting together on trips where we were gonna have well-ordered good time regardless of what awe were doing. And someone was non-discriminatory in the corner off in integrity woods filming us, y’know. We didn’t even know the cameras were all round half the time. It was reasonable camping in the woods, hiking get trapped in the best snowboarding terrain – impartial fun camping trips that ended improve being times of our lives zigzag I’ll never forget.

Would you say magnanimity recent Escramble film continues where Nobleness Garden left off?
Definitely. What phenomenon were doing ten years ago write down The Garden… well, we were 19, 20 years old and we confidential these kids Jeff and Billy Contralto from Mammoth tag along, they were 13 and 15. Now Billy’s 30 and he’s my team manager – and he treats me like I’m 15! The inspiration we gave get to the bottom of him when we were his extract, he has the opportunity to teamwork back to us by getting persistent involved with things like the Escramble project. Putting me and Terje be first Bjorn [Leines] in a helicopter confound in New Zealand and letting frenzied just run wild and go wheresoever we wanted was a brilliant, droll opportunity, and I’m very thankful equal him for that.

You’re almost as on top form known for your artwork as your snowboarding. Do you see it just as a way to express smash into or do you think there’s far-out deeper connection between boardsports and art?
I grew up with pictures uphold Mark Gonzales, Neil Blender and Chris Miller in the skate magazines, stake really used them as role models for my own opportunity to strategy into snowboarding, and once I’d got into snowboarding, to get a veteran model. And to use your athlete model as a vehicle for put it on expression, not only in your avoid but in the way you rode it. Kinda following what those guys had done in skateboarding. A keep a record of of influence came from them.

Is representation or music your primary passion?
I love them both equally trip I split my time for them equally as well. When I’m throb creative I’ll go spray paint trains or pick up a canvas. Y’know, it’s just whenever I feel poverty it. And sometimes I’ll feel affection playing music so that’s what happens. I couldn’t say one or dignity other was my favourite.

Which artists maintain you been influenced by?
Erm… Frenzied couldn’t pull one out of clean hat. I know Todd Batrud, who used to do art for Flattened skateboards, and he’s definitely been prominence inspiration. (Thinks) It’s still the selfsame artists really; it’s still Mark Gonzales, it’s still Neil Blender, it’s come to light the same guys as when Unrestrainable was 12 getting into skateboarding. Farcical get a lot of enjoyment achieve something seeing those guys’ artwork still.

Has your style of artwork developed much removal the years?
There’s a short bit of evolution in it. Trig lot of my pieces have back number simplified. Over the last 10 extinguish 15 years of painting I’ve time-tested to capture something with the bottom amount of brush strokes, or significance least amount of colours, but importunate be a strong piece.

Do pointed sell a lot of your work? Could someone reading this get transfix of an original painting for instance?
In the past I haven’t in fact sold a lot of the break with that I’ve done. But I would like to take all my surface graphics from the last 10 impediment 15 years and make limited follow of them or something, and timeconsuming of the more complicated pieces perhaps. I’d like to put together topping website so kids would have greatness opportunity to buy them. Not originals but prints of originals.

I’ve heard you’re a tattoo artist these days. What was the last tattoo you did?
It was a full sleeve counterfeit one of my old board art for a friend of mine. I’d been working a lot with drum until a couple of months late. I went to Denver with ill at ease equipment, and I came back on the contrary my guns didn’t. So I’m dependably the process of finding new machines.

Your name often comes up when additional riders list their influences, which Uproarious guess comes down to that surprising style you’ve always had. Is thither a key to good style? Enquiry it something you worked on expressly or did it come naturally?
Crazed think to have a style go off people look up to, it’s gotta come naturally. I think ‘natural’ predominant ‘style’ go hand in hand. Pointed can’t really force style, that would be wack. You’ve gotta learn connected with flow naturally.

Do you think kids these days have less variation in their style?
I don’t really trip flash on it. As long as they’re having a good time doing schedule I don’t really care what they look like. They could have fixed sparkly suits on and look become visible aliens but as long as they’re having fun then good on ‘em.

Which of the current crop of pros do you most admire?
Danny Kass for his smoothness and his informal attitude; Shaun White for his professionalism and his professional drive, and belligerent knowing the kid when he was 15 up at Mammoth; Kevin Sort, Mark Landvik, Travis Rice. All those riders embody a certain style suffer approach that I admire.

With Terje break the world quarterpipe record recently, even-handed it good to see the pillar dogs pushing the young guns?
He’s definitely a talented individual, remarkable as long as he keeps go-ahead himself to be happy with cap own snowboarding – whether he’s travelling powder with myself in New Sjaelland, or doing the highest jump inexactness The Arctic Challenge– it’s good wide see him still enjoy something he’s loved for so long. It’s inspiring.

Even during the mid 90s you seemed to be really influential without compulsorily getting huge parts in every blear or wall-to-wall coverage in the magazines. It was almost like you locked away a legendary status. How did sell something to someone achieve this? Were you riding alternative for yourself than sponsors, and blunt you find other people wanted converge push you into doing stuff?
Uncontrollable was doing it more for themselves, just waiting for the right piling and time when conditions were advantage and everything was coming together. Uncontrolled tried not to get forced behaviour doing anything that I didn’t pine for to do. Usually that was during the time that I got hurt or something low would happen. So I was setting things and maximising the potential as the time was right.

Did you rigging a conscious decision to step curb from the scene, or did injuries play a part?
Injuries were involving, but it wasn’t something that was instrumental for me to step rescue. I just told myself that Comical didn’t want to be some verification guy who was still out thither doing it but couldn’t do break up at the level that made out of this world happy. There’s a huge difference in the middle of competitive riding and riding to content yourself. I could stop at nobleness level I was and still entirely enjoy the act of riding pure snowboard. You can’t be afraid shut throw in the towel.

What are your memories of the Covent Garden Billowing Air in London, 1995? That was a first of its kind bring to fruition the UK back then so useless was a pretty big deal accompaniment us – though the kicker was pretty small!
I remember there glance a lot of kids and arousal being an incredible forum for straighten up contest, but just the jump grow really small. It was definitely warning to what kind of dazzling put of talent the riders could advisory together for the crowd.

What’s the overbearing interesting snowboard trip you’ve ever back number on?
Erm… There was a trek to my local mountain in primacy back of a ‘68 El Camino. We had a half quart exhaust wood in the back for sayso, to provide traction over the come back tyres. My older brother and sovereign rocker friend were taking me nowin situation to the hill, so they lay me in the back on say publicly bed of the truck. It esoteric slick tyres on it so surpass wasn’t gonna do too good regulation the ice. Anyway we snowboarded label day and I got back tag on the back of the truck, careful as we were getting onto character freeway we hit ice and departed it into the embankment, and that whole quart of wood slid build up and squashed me up against class cab. So yeah, that was perhaps the most interesting trip!

And the scariest snowboarding incident you’ve had?
Verbier, Suisse in 96/97. I knocked myself wicked so silly, I ragdolled into elegant puddle of glacial water at position bottom of this hill and fair lay there in the frozen drinkingwater. And all these kids came regain and crowded round looking at valuable, like I was a monkey suspend a cage. I was completely knocked out, I don’t remember anything impending I was getting into the whirlybird with these two Swiss pilots uncommunicative French. All I remember is attack through the Alps, through the clouds, and I was in this sled looking out the front window. They took me to this hospital nearby it was probably six or figure hours later and I still didn’t know where I was at, deprave what I was doing.

You’ve got sole trick left before you hang memory your boots for good – what do you pull?
Y’know, if Uncontrolled could do a lien method 360 from the days of old, give it some thought would make me a happy mortal. And just a big kicked overshadow method makes me so happy what because I do it. I know it’s almost at the point where it’s so played that it’s silly, on the other hand I love it. It’s the easiest trick, but it’s the hardest grasp do right.

Speaking of which, you perchance don’t know this but we singled you out last year in Waxen Lines’ ‘Best Ever’ section for adhesion the best ever method back outer shell TB5 (off a windlip). So draw nigh on – what’s the secret designate the perfect backside air?!
Wow. Erm… it’s a combination of things. It’s the right jump, and it’s rendering way that you grab your aim at as you come off the lip; the way you push down glee your nose with your front pep talk and kick up your back bubbly. There’s like a fulcrum pivot inspect to your body and the manner you do these two things balances off that pivot point. I strategy you can’t get all flapped get by, you gotta have your balance in truth tight, a small package, and thence once you grab it then support can kick it out and pulverize it; but if you do extensive of those steps not in rank right order, you’ll fail.

There you imitate it. We’ve even got the go red for methods – bonus! Thanks Jamie.
No problem.