Backdrop Journal's FFS Backcountry Podcast

Episode #27 - Jure and Marcus created Moonchild Snowboards, to offer bespoke designed and beautifully crafted stock boards.

But it hasn't stopped there! Jure now heads up Moonchild Skunkworx, with groundbreaking designs, based on everyday life items, such as a kitchen spatula and ice cream cone.

Jure talks about starting a snowboard brand, including the good, the bad, and the ugly. His love of Pow Surfing has seen him design the Atlas Hybrid, a splitboard on the way up a bindingless Pow Surf on the way down.

Episode 22 - During a week Backdrop spent in the arctic region of Swedish Lapland, around Kebnekaiser, in March of 2022, we stayed in some remote huts belonging to the Swedish Tourist Association. Mats was the hut host at one of them - Tarfala - while we were there, making sure we were going to follow the rules, and crucially, how to operate the sauna.

Have a listen as Mats describes how the very democratic Swedish hut system works, how he got his love for the mountains and becoming a hut host, along with a few tales of his experiences up there.

(A little bit less of our FFS theme to this podcast - like, er none - enjoy!)

Episode 20 - Recorded in early January, on a Backdrop Crew visit to the Verbier valley to check out a couple mountain huts, we took the opportunity to interviewed Daniel Coquoz - Verbier’s Head Mountain Guide.

The Verbier valley is renowned for its extreme terrain, especially as it hosts the Freeride World Tour final each season. This recognition has seen a huge rise in backcountry skiers and boarders hitting the slackcountry zones straight from the lifts, often without the skill set or knowledge to do so, and even more frighteningly the necessary safety equipment.

Pete Coombs catches up with Daniel to hear what the resort is doing to enhance safety, and to find out more about what life as a head guide means. He also chats with local guide Richard Michellod, and hear direct from the skin-track, as Pete skins in the morning sunshine high above the Cabane Brunet Mountain Hut.

Episode 19 - Xavier De Le Rue three times Freeride World Tour winner; four times World Boardercross Champion; backcountry legend; Olympian; splitboard enthusiast… the list goes on.

Yet when we chatted with Xavier De Le Rue, in his Verbier home, we found an honest and grounded individual who wears his heart on his sleeve: passionate about backcountry safety, family values and the sport we all love.

In this pod Xavier talks about avalanche education, the thought process behind riding big lines, future aspirations and of course - Fear, Failure and Success.

“I’m trying to broaden the range and spectrum in the mountains and transform - ice - into a feature rather than an obstacle.”

“My biggest close call in 2008, when my daughter was two years old, made me feel really guilty. Seeing death so closely it’s made me extra careful. ”

Episode 18 - Mats Drougge, from Stranda snowboards, has a fascinating take on life and snowboard design.

Riding sideways has always been part of Mats life, and after time in a punk band, a life of surf and snowboard travels, and an inspirational kick up the arse by his wife, he started his Stranda Snowboards journey.

Inspired by 60’s longboard surfers and the directional riding of Japan and time in Colorado, Mats makes snowboards that maximise float, glide and edge hold, cause it makes him happy.

Finding himself somewhat disillusioned with snowboarding, and by what his personal perception of what a snowboarder should be, he moved the goal posts.

Nicholas shares his time between working as a psychotherapist and designing some of the most thought provoking boards on the mountain, with the simple turn becoming the cynosure of Korua Shapes fresh designs.

Nicholas’s considered approach to life, board design and environmental issues had the Backdrop Crew captivated, so crack a beer, sit back and open your  homes to one of the most influential guys in snowboarding.

Episode 13 - John Keffler has been splitboarding since day one. He’s not only the founder of Phantom Snow Industries, but also a co-founder of the Silverton Splitboard Festival.

He started by offering wanna-be splitboarders a cutting service to turn their solid boards into splits, before then turning his NASA engineering knowledge into the development of hard-boot splitboard bindings. Phantom has now developed a splitboard-specific hard-boot to work perfectly with the Phantom Binding system, straight from the box.

We talk; guide culture, the progression of the Colorado splitboard scene, the development of the Phantom bindings and the new Phantom Slipper hard boot.

For those not familiar with Tignes, it covers a huge area - and when joined with the neighbouring linked resort of Val d’Isere it makes up some 10,000 hectares, containing 300km of groomed pistes alongside miles of off piste routes.

Tignes Hors Piste contains 275 routes for all off-piste abilities, ranging from short descents between the pistes,  through to multi-day backcountry missions. 432 loaded pages contain a wealth of local information and adventures, with excellent topos, routes images and descriptions in both French and English.

All of the publisher's profits go to SOLEA – a  local Tignes charity which supports cancer research.

Episode 8 - Pallas Snowboards is one of too few female only splitboarding brands, designing boards by women for women. 

We get the low-down from co-founder Steph Nitsch on why she felt there was such a need for a female specific brand, offering dialed in performance splits for women that ride hard in hairy terrain, and why the Pallas brand talks to women that want to access the hinterland that is the beauty of  unruly backcountry wilderness. 

Episode 6 - Often overlooked, Montana has a wide and wild expanse of splitboarding areas to hit. We get the lowdown on Montana’s splitboarding scene from Zach Bailey, Co-Founder of the Bozeman Splitfest.

We learn how a backcountry weekend rolls Montana style, get a heads up on the best spots to hit, including Yellow Stone National Park and a new yurt camp, and learn of Zach’s inspirations on how the Bozeman Splitfest hopes to educate and build a backcountry community, not just a splitboarding one.

Episode 4 - The Backdrop Journal Crew get the lowdown from Erik Lambert, co-founder of Bluebird Backcountry, an inbounds backcountry ski area designed for learning and adventure in Kremmling, Colorado.

The third of our Colorado trilogy, including Silverton and Weston Snowboards, sees Erik explain the oxymoron concept that is Bluebird Backcountry, an inbound-backcountry resort. No lifts just patrolled terrain with; pre-set skin tracks, backcountry rentals, lessons, avalanche classes, toilets and a snack yurt.

Episode 3 -The Backdrop Journal Crew talk turkey with Leo Tsuo, owner of Weston Snowboards, based out of Minturn, Colorado. The second of our Colorado trilogy, including Silverton and Bluebird Backcountry, sees Leo mull over the impact of covid to the backcountry, splitboard design, mentorship, backcountry introduction and cultural inclusion.

Episode 2 - The Backdrop Journal Crew catch up with Jen Brill, co-owner and co-creator, of the super cool Silverton Mountain Resort, Colorado.

Silverton Mountain has only one - two person - chairlift, no permanent buildings and absolutely no pistes. Under 100 people a day get to ride the lift in small groups, each group has a guide and is arranged on how fast and how far you’re likely to hike from the top of the chair. Once down an old school bus drives you back to the lift and you’re good to go again.

They also run a heli operation too, which includes the chance to add one drop hit to your day of guided riding.

Episode 1 - Guest presenter, Ben Atherton, chats with the Backdrop Journal Crew, discussing the concept behind the FFS pods, the history of the crew, building a likeminded community and the reasons behind starting the Backdrop Journal site.