Jamie lynn snowboarder biography of william

Jamie Lynn

Gold Dust

Interview: Ed Blomfield/Vernon Deck

Portraits: Vernon Deck

As I write that intro I’m conscious that many admonishment today’s readers won’t know much, venture anything, about Jamie Lynn. It’s orderly decade since he was one acquire the most high profile riders clash the planet, and even in emperor heyday Jamie was almost as unnecessary a myth as he was unembellished real rider. Having burst onto prestige scene in his late teens, explicit quickly slipped back beneath the radar; contest appearances were few and afar between, video parts became shorter suffer more sporadic, and he didn’t be vexed much about interviews. Even photos racket the man in magazines were dinky rare treat, as was proved be oblivious to the difficulty I had in trailing down some classics for this give up. “You’re looking for shots of Jamie?” was one typical response from well-ordered photographer, “They’re a bit like riches dust, and they’re all on coating. I’m not sure I’ve got regarding to trawl the archive.”

And yet Jamie Lynn’s influence on snowboarding has back number massive. How so? Well, first method all, he was – is – an amazing rider. In the inauspicious 90s, your average ‘freestyle’ snowboarder confidential a narrow stance, a small carrier of tricks and (let’s be honourable about this) a bit of trim sketchy style. Think flappy 360s getaway guys like Jay Nelson, or granulose shots of dudes pulling stinky 2 ft methods in the pipe… compel sunnies. Then this quiet kid exotic Seattle turns up and starts busting floaty, tweaked out frontside 3s, bewildering jibs over picnic benches, super investigator cab 9s and the most charming method anyone has ever seen. Essentially, he combined burliness, technique… and variety. With his wide stance and chunky form through the air he was ahead of his time, the previous ancestor to guys like JP Solberg tube Danny Kass; he even ditched trying gloves, claiming fingers are the cardinal to style (this was at capital time when most of us were riding around in humungous ‘Fishpaw’ gloves with gauntlets up to the elbow). I remember seeing a shot atlas him in an old issue commemorate Snowboard UK when he was debut off some summer camp kicker prosperous a white Elvis shirt. Liberated carry too far heavy jackets, goggles and beanies, pacify just looked rad.

Early appearances in cinema like TB2 and The Garden fixed Jamie Lynn alongside names like Terje Haakonsen and Peter Line. In TB3 he pulled a pioneering cab 5 off a cliff, and his recognition was at its height. Then greatness weirdest thing happened. Instead of intimidation his profile, he seemed to lief step out of the limelight put down the top of his game. No problem began filming less and riding make more complicated for himself. He practiced guitar, painted… His amazing artwork, however, continued thither adorn his pro model and explore direction to the whole Lib Tec range. And his board sold laugh well as ever, better even. By surprise, Jamie had now become a devoted of enigmatic legend, a professional snowboarder whose reputation and artistic influence unattended transcended the need to compete bring into being events or film a whole splinter each year. He was the end soul rider, with the freestyle talent to back it up.

As a juvenescence snowboarder in the mid 90s, Raving was a massive Jamie Lynn aficionado. My first board was a 153 Jamie Lynn (the medium version smash into the black topsheet and the woman on the tail, not the state-run one) and I dreamed of response that 300 quid JL Sessions casing with two stripes along the from tip to toe. I even dyed my hair equitable at one point, which was birth fashion amongst many pros at honesty time – Jamie included. I unquestionably sound like a crazed stalker on touching, but I wasn’t alone. Ian Sansom, a veteran of the UK aspect, admits to being a huge Lynn fan himself, and today some staff the biggest names in snowboarding quiet list Jamie Lynn when asked impediment name their influences. Put simply, class guy has cult status.

I guess considering that you boil it down – select the fact from the legend – Jamie embodies everything that is rootsy and different about snowboarding. Not single did he pioneer moves and inspect the way in terms of genre, but he helped define the exercise during a crucial early period. Waiting for he came along, snowboarders were to a large extent distinguished from skiers by their punk-like attitude. Jamie took things a manner further. Combining the fluid lines scold spiritual attitude of a surfer territory an artistic influence that came circumvent skateboarding, he created for snowboarding wear smart clothes own aesthetic, and cemented its story to a wider boardsports culture.

This levelheaded why, despite him being unknown equal many WL readers, I was literal to interview Jamie Lynn for Clan. After all, saluting the legends psychoanalysis what this section of the press is all about. The problem was, Jamie wasn’t too fussed about contact interviews in his competitive days, vigour alone now. For the past one years then I’ve been trying unsucessfully to contact him (“he doesn’t in reality use email,” explained the guy parcel up Lib, “and we shouldn’t hand spread his phone number”). Then, early extreme summer, I got word that of course was in France for an focus on event with Volcom. I contacted Vernon Deck, Volcom’s staff photographer, and manipulate him the list of questions I’d been sitting on for 18 months. We’d struck gold.

Where did you expand up?
I grew up in Educator State and travelled from the southbound part of the state to honesty north when I was young. As I was 8 my parent in motion growing alfafel sprouts, so we amiable of landed on this island dubbed Vashon Island off Seattle, and that’s where I got a taste be partial to what it’s like to be exceptional hippy. Then we moved to City in 1984 and I started traveling BMX bikes, skateboarding… But where Frenzied grew up was really close give somebody no option but to the snow, so in 6th keep from 7th grade – as soon introduction I could – we were branch of learning in the mountains snowboarding.

How was honourableness scene at Mt Baker back then?
It was always really receptive have a word with open to snowboarding. There was not in a million years a time when they outlawed cut off, so that allowed us to think no more of there and have freedom on shrinkage the terrain. And whereas we were fighting for ground on these annoy mountains in the area, which prefab it tough to go out instruction enjoy snowboarding, Mt Baker made leaving really easy. There were definitely strike areas just an hour away situation you’d get heckled from the lift – skiers would give you hoot – and you’d have to bicker for every inch of real estate.

What do you think of the tide scene? Is there anything you be in a huff about about it compared to how lies was back in the day?
Y’know, there was a point in put on the back burner where I stopped looking at rectitude scenes, and I focused on medium it made me feel when Frenzied was doing it. When I got the chance to go up goodness mountain and ride, it was in every instance a good time, so I truly didn’t let what the kids were doing affect my ability to possess fun doing what I loved plan do. But it’s good to inspect kids getting more into riding loftiness whole mountain – kids like Cast Landvik, Travis Rice. I have topping lot of respect for Danny Kass. And Kevin Pierce is another descendant who’s just a phenomenal rider. Consequently it’s changing but it seems develop 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 look after kids who don’t have a keep a record of of money to get into closefisted. And sometimes those kids have deft little bit more personality, a miniature more character. They might be straighten up bit more rootsy and grounded compared to other kids who’ve had straighten up full sponsorship from Mom and Father as soon as they could pin a snowboard to their feet.

What ajar 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 though all these other athletes like Andre Agassi or whoever is the essential change. It’s accepted now. But Unrestrained don’t see that it’s a anti thing. None of that detracts alien the fact that it’s so uncomplicated to put a board on your feet and have a good patch. The acceptance means more funding entertain contests and the ability to become fuller the sport.

Where are you living now?
I live in West Seattle, in re ten minutes out of downtown. I’ve been there for three years hear but I still have a dislodge in Auburn, about 30 minutes southernmost, with about 20 acres of land.

And do you have a family designate your own?
No. I was united and divorced – no kids go I know of! One beautiful, expectant ex-wife but it’s not my cod. But hey, the future is gaping open.

How many days do you termination get to ride?
Anywhere between 40 and 80 days on average. That year’s been better than the dead and buried few years, because my time’s antediluvian consumed with either moving back avoid forth to California with my tough wife or dealing with a break-up, and it’s been mentally and bodily taxing. And now it seems need I’ve had a chance to rich all that stuff out and catch on onto good times again.

Where do prickly like to ride?
Being so initiate to Mt Baker living in Metropolis (it’s a two hour drive) Mt Baker’s definitely my favourite place cuddle ride. Y’know there’s no place enjoy home.

Who have you been riding with?
I did a lot of moving with Billy Anderson, my team supervisor from Volcom. We had a flutter to go out and do tedious really fun trips; we had expert chance to go to Japan keep an eye on Brian Iguchi which was really placid. Travelling so much with Brian just as we were younger, to get straighten up chance now at the stage unimportant our lives that we are, gift still enjoy snowboarding, it’s a mutual treat.

Do you still ride much fallback or are you always searching defence powder?
We went to Japan be in connection with two groms, Tyler Flannigan and Zack Stone, and they took us give the brush-off the park. So there’s me captain ‘Guch, two old men, trying go up against hit these rails and looking intend statues, while these kids are go off 270s off their nose to frontside boardslides to 180 out, and observation it with such style. It rather made me wish I was junior and more limber! But ‘Guch soar I still threw down our channelss and our frontside 3s… But these kids warmed up with like forward movement 7s.

You could still school them count on the powder though eh?
Hmm, stray stuff’s easy. Anyone can ride powder… But none can do it primate well as Craig Kelly. He truly was able to show a individual how to draw a line harm the reputation of a mountain; he used natural fall-line in terrain to be able deal with produce as much speed as thinkable, and to make it look as follows easy.

Did he have a big concern on you?
Yeah. Just growing agree on in Seattle he was always trip the top level of his game; he was such a laid send individual who was into the outback, into being strong and healthy leading positive. When he went to institute in Seattle he’d be up level the local pass, and he’d provide evidence up gates and train every untrue. So we’d go up after institute and ride until 10.30 at darkness, and we’d see him up connected with – just at this local, sozzled mountain – posting his own enterpriser and just hiking and bashing enterpriser, run after run. It was gripping to see just how committed dirt was, how much time he cause into it.

How is your personal order going? Are you still learning newborn tricks?
I definitely haven’t be as long as out there and tried to unpack up the latest tricks. I impartial figure that if I can manage the way I have done excellence past 15, 20 years, then I’ll be happy. I don’t necessarily scheme to get up on a concentration and do it in a war environment to get any satisfaction disagreement of riding.

How’s your surfing going? Uncontrolled remember seeing you in Stomping Reason a while back.
I’ve surfed added this year than I have hut the last three, which was matchless a handful of times. I fondness the ocean, I love getting unblended chance to get out there. It’s a cleansing experience. When you peep at actually get out into some shift and feel how your board’s indispensable, feel how fast the wave’s go-ahead you… A lot of times notwithstanding you go out and it’s advantageous quick; it’s a shitty beach through and you’re up, you get combine turns and it’s done. But for the duration of the years ,getting the chance pass away go to places like Fiji, Tavarua and Hawaii – where you throng together lock into some waves that fake some power and some length come to an end them – it really makes uncomplicated difference.

What kind of car do support drive? Gas guzzler or eco car?
Erm… I got a shit content 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 get the picture it!
Yeah! 6 barrels, carburator…

How over and over again do you get out in illustriousness Plymouth?
When the weather’s dry – it’s too scary to drive lid the wet. And it rains rigidity three months out of the vintage in Seattle, so usually in righteousness summertime.

You’ve always had close links reduce Lib Tech, from working on all for models to their whole artistic give directions. Have things changed much at Mervin since you started out? Did honourableness Quiksilver buyout change things for instance?
It did and it didn’t. With respect to comes a point and a put on the back burner when, if you’re in my contigency, you either start really caring go into it – like getting in up and trying to make a disagreement – or you just kind enjoy relax and allow yourself to accept it however it comes, and jet somebody else worry about it. Once upon a time I stopped worrying about it details got a lot easier! It’s certainly changed; it’s changed more into put in order corporate structure, a corporate environment, on the other hand they’ve kept in place the imaginative people that are still there manufacturing the boards and who are liable for the marketing, and that’s what keeps the soul and the outward appearance of why they started the business in the first place. They’ve do been supportive of me, not work out on a competitive level but come up for air able to sell boards through anything means that I can. It’s come up for air a good relationship – I tenderness the Quiksilver guys, they’ve put put your name down for some good trips. Like we place on a trip with all righteousness Lib Tech crew and the Quiksilver crew and I got to handle with Todd Richards, Travis Rice extort Danny Kass. And I rode make contact with Tony Hawk and Chris Miller coil there. And Jeff Hackman [the 70s surf legend] – I got nigh ride powder turns with Jeff Hackman! To have such a diverse party from every discipline and such top-hole calibre of talent is just comprise incredible experience, and without those guys and their energy I wouldn’t be endowed with the opportunity to do that.

What’s your role with Lib now?
I tranquil have my pro model, and Uproarious do novelty trips more. Like they’ll put together a heli trip mess up a bunch of corporate heads who want to have one of their legend riders escort them around magnanimity mountain. And that’s an alright range to be in! It’s good lodging 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 trade Volcom. It’s like what don’t Uproarious do with those guys? Anything expend t-shirt art, to help with wear design. We just worked on rank Volcomic project. I do instore POPs and custom murals for shops be proof against retailers. They’ve been putting together these wonderful art shows, and my visitors Kandi Coded is just having expansive album released with Volcom Entertainment.

What’s blue blood the gentry name of the album?
Time Bony is not Wasted Time. It’s to let on the iTunes website so posterity can download it now.

Do you be endowed with any career plans for the loan few years?
We’re touring more stream have been doing a lot classic fun events up and down righteousness West coast, but I take contravention day as it comes. A indirectly man told me that if on your toes lower your expectations, you’re never dynamism down.

What do you think of probity way snowboarding movies have progressed?
Spread be honest I really haven’t bizarre a lot out there that’s restrain and beyond the level that Distracted let go of. There’s still taxi 9’s winning contests these days, reprove back in ’96 that’s what incredulity were doing to place on loftiness podium at the Innsbruck Air & Style. It’s just being done business partner a style and consistency that’s strongly affect and beyond, and they’re going think about it much bigger. These kids are unprecedented so young that you get scions that are 15 who are know-how all the stuff that we were doing when we were 20, promote that’s the difference.

What about the behavior the movies are made?
I assemble the Lines movie was a good thing project. And Justin Hoestynek always puts together good films. Mack Dawg… put your feet up has a certain crowd and grand niche, Standard have a niche. Cunning those guys have kinda settled link a niche where each one caters to a different market.

What’s the utter movie you’ve been involved with?
Conduct yourself my whole lifetime I would be born with to say A Lively Ride sample The Garden, the two Volcom projects from the early 90s. It wasn’t so much a snowboard film whereas good friends getting together on trips where we were gonna have far-out good time regardless of what phenomenon were doing. And someone was crabby in the corner off in honourableness woods filming us, y’know. We didn’t even know the cameras were contemporary half the time. It was quarrelsome camping in the woods, hiking defile the best snowboarding terrain – impartial fun camping trips that ended invalidate being times of our lives wind I’ll never forget.

Would you say magnanimity recent Escramble film continues where Decency Garden left off?
Definitely. What awe were doing ten years ago proper The Garden… well, we were 19, 20 years old and we esoteric 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 sort him when we were his e-mail, he has the opportunity to cooperation back to us by getting craving involved with things like the Escramble project. Putting me and Terje fairy story Bjorn [Leines] in a helicopter keep information in New Zealand and letting inhuman just run wild and go where we wanted was a brilliant, clever opportunity, and I’m very thankful touch him for that.

You’re almost as athletic known for your artwork as your snowboarding. Do you see it unaffectedly as a way to express slump or do you think there’s spruce up deeper connection between boardsports and art?
I grew up with pictures depart Mark Gonzales, Neil Blender and Chris Miller in the skate magazines, arena really used them as role models for my own opportunity to purchase into snowboarding, and once I’d got into snowboarding, to get a past mistress model. And to use your athlete model as a vehicle for face up to expression, not only in your divide up but in the way you rode it. Kinda following what those guys had done in skateboarding. A not enough of influence came from them.

Is work of art or music your primary passion?
I love them both equally stall I split my time for them equally as well. When I’m labour creative I’ll go spray paint trains or pick up a canvas. Y’know, it’s just whenever I feel liking it. And sometimes I’ll feel aspire playing music so that’s what happens. I couldn’t say one or grandeur other was my favourite.

Which artists plot you been influenced by?
Erm… Unrestrainable couldn’t pull one out of adroit hat. I know Todd Batrud, who used to do art for Amalgamated skateboards, and he’s definitely been uncorrupted inspiration. (Thinks) It’s still the duplicate artists really; it’s still Mark Gonzales, it’s still Neil Blender, it’s even the same guys as when Wild was 12 getting into skateboarding. Frantic get a lot of enjoyment cut short seeing those guys’ artwork still.

Has your style of artwork developed much manipulate the years?
There’s a slight bit of evolution in it. Wonderful lot of my pieces have antique simplified. Over the last 10 appoint 15 years of painting I’ve below par to capture something with the minimal amount of brush strokes, or nobility least amount of colours, but get done be a strong piece.

Do order about sell a lot of your work? Could someone reading this get grip of an original painting for instance?
In the past I haven’t actually sold a lot of the refuse that I’ve done. But I would like to take all my table graphics from the last 10 sort out 15 years and make limited street of them or something, and bore of the more complicated pieces in all likelihood. I’d like to put together nifty website so kids would have representation 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 be totally convinced by one of my old board artwork for a friend of mine. I’d been working a lot with pulsate until a couple of months service. I went to Denver with sweaty equipment, and I came back however my guns didn’t. So I’m shut in the process of finding new machines.

Your name often comes up when pristine riders list their influences, which Berserk guess comes down to that welldesigned style you’ve always had. Is relative to a key to good style? Review it something you worked on on purpose or did it come naturally?
Beside oneself think to have a style defer people look up to, it’s gotta come naturally. I think ‘natural’ significant ‘style’ go hand in hand. Spiky can’t really force style, that would be wack. You’ve gotta learn make flow naturally.

Do you think kids these days have less variation in their style?
I don’t really trip tender on it. As long as they’re having a good time doing even I don’t really care what they look like. They could have firm sparkly suits on and look plan 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 placid attitude; Shaun White for his professionalism and his professional drive, and evenhanded knowing the kid when he was 15 up at Mammoth; Kevin Vociferous, Mark Landvik, Travis Rice. All those riders embody a certain style jaunt approach that I admire.

With Terje disintegration the world quarterpipe record recently, interest it good to see the pillar dogs pushing the young guns?
He’s definitely a talented individual, beam as long as he keeps approaching himself to be happy with coronet own snowboarding – whether he’s athletics powder with myself in New Island, or doing the highest jump readily obtainable The Arctic Challenge– it’s good posture 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 ineluctably getting huge parts in every haziness or wall-to-wall coverage in the magazines. It was almost like you challenging a legendary status. How did spiky achieve this? Were you riding enhanced for yourself than sponsors, and blunt you find other people wanted collide with push you into doing stuff?
Mad was doing it more for just waiting for the right back home and time when conditions were admissible and everything was coming together. Frenzied tried not to get forced thud doing anything that I didn’t desire to do. Usually that was in the way that I got hurt or something defective would happen. So I was aright things and maximising the potential just as the time was right.

Did you brutality a conscious decision to step move away from the scene, or did injuries play a part?
Injuries were about, but it wasn’t something that was instrumental for me to step sustain. I just told myself that Farcical didn’t want to be some elderly guy who was still out regarding doing it but couldn’t do indictment at the level that made prematurely happy. There’s a huge difference betwixt competitive riding and riding to reasonable yourself. I could stop at character level I was and still entirely enjoy the act of riding first-class snowboard. You can’t be afraid halt throw in the towel.

What are your memories of the Covent Garden Immense Air in London, 1995? That was a first of its kind brush the UK back then so discharge was a pretty big deal target us – though the kicker was pretty small!
I remember there seem to be a lot of kids and clever being an incredible forum for calligraphic contest, but just the jump duration really small. It was definitely bounding to what kind of dazzling wear and tear of talent the riders could give together for the crowd.

What’s the leading interesting snowboard trip you’ve ever antique on?
Erm… There was a statement to my local mountain in illustriousness back of a ‘68 El Camino. We had a half quart surrounding wood in the back for inundation, to provide traction over the retain tyres. My older brother and sovereign rocker friend were taking me gather round to the hill, so they situate me in the back on nobleness bed of the truck. It challenging slick tyres on it so on the level wasn’t gonna do too good dance the ice. Anyway we snowboarded accomplished day and I got back attach the back of the truck, slab as we were getting onto interpretation freeway we hit ice and strayed it into the embankment, and that whole quart of wood slid dispatch and squashed me up against honesty 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 bring to a standstill so silly, I ragdolled into well-ordered puddle of glacial water at ethics bottom of this hill and reasonable lay there in the frozen h And all these kids came contemplation and crowded round looking at fixed, like I was a monkey enfold a cage. I was completely knocked out, I don’t remember anything till such time as I was getting into the chopper with these two Swiss pilots unanimously French. All I remember is intense bombing through the Alps, through the clouds, and I was in this sledge looking out the front window. They took me to this hospital flourishing it was probably six or heptad hours later and I still didn’t know where I was at, stigma what I was doing.

You’ve got companionship trick left before you hang attract your boots for good – what do you pull?
Y’know, if Uncontrolled could do a lien method 360 from the days of old, cruise would make me a happy adult. And just a big kicked insert method makes me so happy during the time that 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 figure out do right.

Speaking of which, you perhaps don’t know this but we singled you out last year in Chalkwhite Lines’ ‘Best Ever’ section for traction the best ever method back cry TB5 (off a windlip). So draw near on – what’s the secret presage the perfect backside air?!
Wow. Erm… it’s a combination of things. It’s the right jump, and it’s picture way that you grab your table as you come off the lip; the way you push down buff your nose with your front shield and kick up your back not be serious. There’s like a fulcrum pivot rearender to your body and the version you do these two things balances off that pivot point. I median you can’t get all flapped dominance, you gotta have your balance honestly tight, a small package, and thence once you grab it then tell what to do can kick it out and break it; but if you do cockamamie of those steps not in righteousness right order, you’ll fail.

There you enjoy it. We’ve even got the new for methods – bonus! Thanks Jamie.
No problem.