BLOGS / HELLO WINTER / COMMUNITY VIGNETTE

behind the lolo

AN INTERVIEW WITH AUSTIN SMITH

IF YOU HAVEN’T CHECKED OUT THE NEWEST SNOWBOARD IN OUR LINE, THE LOLO … WELL YOU SHOULD. AN ALL MOUNTAIN FREESTYLE BOARD DESIGNED BY AUSTIN AND TONINO, THE LOLO IS OUR LATEST ALL AROUND, ALL CONDITION BOARD. IF YOU CAN’T TELL, WE LOVE VERSATILITY. WE CHECKED IN WITH AUSTIN TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE DESIGN PROCESS, BUILDING A TRUE DAILY DRIVER AND WHY SOMETIMES IT FEELS GOOD TO RIDE SOMETHING FAMILIAR AGAIN.

WHERE DID THE IDEA FOR THE LOLO START?
THE LOLO STARTED AS A COLLABORATION WITH TONINO COPEN, WHO’S A BIT OF AN UNSUNG HERO IN SNOWBOARDING. HIS INFLUENCE GOES BACK TO HIGH CASCADE SNOWBOARD CAMP IN THE EARLY 2000S AND HIS HELP BUILDING NITRO IN THE U.S. HE WAS ACTUALLY MY BOSS BACK IN THE DAY, SO GETTING TO WORK WITH HIM AGAIN THROUGH SEASON WAS A DREAM COME TRUE. WE PROTOTYPED THE BOARD IN HIS GARAGE IN SALT LAKE CITY, WHICH MADE THE WHOLE PROCESS FEEL SURREAL IN THE BEST WAY.

WHAT WAS MISSING IN THE SEASON LINE THAT LED TO THIS BOARD?
WHEN I LOOKED AT OUR LINEUP, IT LEANED PRETTY DIRECTIONAL AND POWDER-FOCUSED. BUT WE WERE MISSING THAT TRADITIONAL STAPLE — THE BREAD-AND-BUTTER SNOWBOARD YOU RIDE DAY IN, DAY OUT. NOT LIKE A COPY OF ANYTHING, BUT THAT FAMILIAR, CLASSIC SHAPE. TONINO WAS THE PERFECT PARTNER FOR THAT BECAUSE HIS KNOWLEDGE AND HISTORY IN SNOWBOARDING RUNS SO DEEP.

HOW DOES THE LOLO REFLECT YOUR PERSONAL RIDING STYLE?
I’VE BEEN TESTING AND PROTOTYPING THE LOLO FOR ALMOST TWO YEARS, AND FROM THE FIRST RIDE IT FELT LIKE A BREATH OF FRESH AIR. I’VE SPENT THE LAST DECADE RIDING AND DESIGNING MORE DIRECTIONAL BOARDS, BUT THIS JUST FELT LIKE THE SNOWBOARD I GREW UP ON. IT WASN’T NECESSARILY NOSTALGIC, BUT IT WAS FAMILIAR IN A REALLY GOOD WAY — HOW IT LOOKS UNDER YOUR FEET, HOW IT REACTS, HOW IT RIDES.

WHAT WAS THE PROTOTYPING PROCESS LIKE?
TONINO HAS LIKE A SMALL SNOWBOARD FACTORY IN HIS BACKYARD SHED WHERE HE’S BEEN BUILDING BOARDS FOR HIMSELF AND FRIENDS. THE EARLY PROTOTYPES DEFINITELY HAD IMPERFECTIONS — RESIN INCONSISTENCIES, ROUGHER EDGE WORK — BUT THAT WASN’T THE POINT. THEY GAVE US SOMETHING PHYSICAL TO STAND ON, RIDE, AND REFINE, INSTEAD OF JUST SENDING DRAWINGS TO A FACTORY. IT BROUGHT THE BOARD TO LIFE EARLY IN THE PROCESS.
WHAT SIZE DO YOU RIDE AND HOW DO YOU SET IT UP?
I MOSTLY RIDE THE 159, AND THIS YEAR I’LL ALSO BE ON THE 158 WIDE. THE BOARD IS A LITTLE STIFFER AND MORE RESPONSIVE, SO I’M ABLE TO SIZE DOWN COMPARED TO THE 160–162 BOARDS I’VE RIDDEN IN THE PAST. I RIDE THE RECOMMENDED STANCE, WHICH IS SET SLIGHTLY BACK — I THINK THAT’S THE SWEET SPOT.
DID YOU RIDE THE SAME SIZE EVERYWHERE?
YEAH. I RODE THE SAME 159 EVERYWHERE. JAPAN, ALASKA, AND THE PARK AT MT. HOOD — WHICH I THINK KIND OF SPEAKS VOLUMES TO JUST LIKE HOW VERSATILE AND FUNCTIONAL IT IS.
WHAT EXCITES YOU MOST ABOUT THE LOLO?
BEING ABLE TO GET ONE OF THE PROTOTYPES UNDER DAN SCANLON’S FEET — WHO IS A SNOWBOARDER AT MOUNT BAKER THAT ALSO SPENDS A LOT OF TIME IN ALASKA — AND GETTING HIS FEEDBACK WAS SUPER REWARDING TO ME. SEEING HIM RIDE IT AROUND BAKER, IN ALASKA AND HAVING IT BECOME ONE OF HIS FAVORITE BOARDS WAS REASSURING AND ENCOURAGING. I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHO RIDES IT NEXT.
HOW DOES THE LOLO FIT INTO YOUR EVOLUTION OF DESIGNING BOARDS?
I SPENT YEARS RIDING BOARDS LIKE THIS, THEN MOVED INTO MORE SPECIALIZED SHAPES LIKE SWALLOWTAILS, WHICH FELT NEW AND EXCITING AT THE TIME. AFTER RIDING THOSE FOR A WHILE, COMING BACK FULL CIRCLE TO A MORE TRADITIONAL SNOWBOARD FEELS NEW ALL OVER AGAIN. IT’S BEEN INCREDIBLY REWARDING TO RECONNECT WITH THAT FEELING.