[THE POWERS THAT BE]
ROSS POWERS

Interview By Michael Nevin

YOUTH IS MOVEMENT. Ross Powers 2000.
Screen Print propaganda: Seth Butler.

 

"...it's all about putting in the time, sticking with it and following your dreams."

 

Ross Powers has dominated snowboarding for the past several years. His riding has left a heavy impression on the competitive circuit with everything from a Bronze Medal in Nagano to a U.S. Open victory in '99. Despite being considered by many as the world's best halfpipe rider, Ross appears to keep a level head.
> There's a street sign by my house in Manchester, Vermont with a sticker on it that reads: "ROSS PEROT FOR PRESIDENT"; only somebody crossed out PEROT to make the sticker read "ROSS POWERS FOR PRESIDENT". It must have been four years ago that I first noticed that sticker.
> On the way to do this interview that sticker reflected from the light of my highbeams as I drove down West road. When I got to his house I noticed a stack of medals hanging above the kitchen sink on a hook and trophies in the corner with clothes on them. After I watched him strain pasta through a milk jug with holes in it we sat down and I asked him some questions.

> Since the Olympics and everything else are girls throwing themselves at you?
Not really, if I made as much money and met as many girls as people think I do I'd be a happy man. Just joking, no there's definitely a little money but there's not so many girls. It's not like people think it is.
> Are you working on any video parts?
No, I don't have a big video part. I've been working with Jared Slater a little bit. I got some shots with him. I don't know, a few shots might turn up here and there. In the future I'd definitely like to get my own part in a big movie and get out there a little more.
> What did you do after you won the Bronze Medal in Nagano?
Being in Japan was so stressful, it was the first time that snowboarding was in the Olympics. I was just kind of stressed out and there was nothing to do over there so you just thought about it all the time. After the contest was over and I did well and everything all the pressure was off and I got to hang out over there for a few days. On the way home our tickets were booked through Hawaii so I went there for two days and hung out on the beach. For some reason I wanted to get home pretty bad. I made it back and thought I was going to be able to relax for once. It was crazy, I couldn't even go into the grocery store, there were signs across the road. It was cool I was psyched that everyone was behind me from home and everything. I was just ready for a break, then I just finished off the snowboard season and did the Open. Then after a few months it died down a lot.

1.Ross pens his name with frozen fingers to good Vermont Kids. Camera: Seth Butler.
2.Ross gets so much tail that if he were running for president the Star report would be three times as long. . Camera: Jeff Curtes.

 

Above. Ross puts in extra hours at the office with this sunset method.
Camera: Jeff Curtes.
Below. Ross and Adam Petraska peruse journal entry 01 hot off the presses.
Camera: Tim Zimmerman.

> How old were you over there?
I turned 19 like two days before the halfpipe competition. I had my birthday over there.
> Who's pushing the limits right now?
Definitely Michaelchuck's changed it up a little with the double backs and his flip 'the Michaelchuck'. There's a lot of different guys, some people are changing up the style a little bit, some are going big. I don't know
> Too many to say?
Yeah there's too many. I respect so many different people for maybe their one trick or how big they go.
> Do you think it's more important to do a lot of tricks or to have a good style?
I think it's a combination of everything. Having the tricks is great but if you don't have some style in there it's not going to look as good and people aren't going to be as psyched on you. I think a big part of snowboarding that makes you stick out is going big. If you can do your tricks big, land smooth and carry your speed that's a really important thing that separates a few people. I mean a lot of people these days show up at a regular pipe on a mountain and kids will be throwing nines and all kinds of crazy stuff. If they can do it smooth, keep speed and do tricks on the next hit that's when they're going to stand out.
> Is the Wet Cat the most technical trick you're doing?
Yeah, it's probably one of them. I like the way Todd (Richards) does them, his are sweet. This year actually I landed a switch Mctwist nine. I've got to get them a little bigger and a little smoother. Those are probably the hardest trick that I can do right now.
> What kind of music do you listen to?
I'm into a bunch of different music. I definitely like hip hop, some alternative stuff and heavy metal like Metallica. It all depends on who I'm with and what kind of mood I'm in.
> Who are your sponsors?
RLX Polo Sport, Burton Snowboards, Spoon Watches, Powerbar.
Do you have any closing words or advice to the people who read this?
Thanks to all the people that helped me out along the way, my mom. To all the people that are into snowboarding, it's all about putting in the time, sticking with it and following your dreams.
> And it's still fun after all these years?
Yeah definitely, I'm definitely having fun.

 

entry02 >the_management >nasdaq_tip >illusion >Andy_Mac >the_powers_that_be
>f.stop >retroboard >u.s. open >pandamonium >Beatbox >product|media-tion
>In Focus >the_unsaid_everything >the end



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