Hop in, graphics nerds. We’re going on a wild ride from the explosion of 80s neon through the pro model snowboard era that kicked off the 90s board graphics revolution, then on to the great consolidation that happened at the turn of the century—and what rippled out when the bubble burst.
In this episode, Jen and Tricia bring in a host of live human experts—Brad Steward, Barrett Christy, Shannon Dunn, Lance Violette, Corey Smith and more—to divulge the stories behind some of the most important snowboard graphics and board-graphic movements of all time. Hot takes abound, like why Sims refused to put mountains on their boards and how Original Sin may have been the first brand to bring true art to a snowboard deck.
For a fun Going Off drinking game, take a big sip every time someone says the word “iconic.”
Before it became an icy 22-foot U-shaped monstrosity, the snowboard halfpipe was a hand-shaped, Roman Coliseum-style venue where snowboarders would go to see and be seen, meet other misfits, and throw down for a chance to be recognized as best rider in the world. In this episode, Jen and Tricia trace the snowboard halfpipe from its origins in backyard ditches to its machine-cut glory days across the world. They talk about the tools, technologies and tricks that changed everything, and which riders reigned supreme over these early eras. They track down who built the first superpipe (allegedly). They talk about how much it costs to build a modern-day snowboard halfpipe (hint: a lot). And they try in earnest to zero in on which nail was the exact last nail in the coffin for this lauded terrain feature. After an unapologetically lengthy deep dive, they bring in a live human expert, legendary pro snowboarder Todd Richards, to expound on what halfpipe has meant to snowboarding as a subculture and what the future of it may bring.
Going Off is the snowboard history podcast. As the early days of snowboarding begin to slide into the long past, Going Off documents its oral history. We trace back what made it so strange and explosive, why it changed all those lives and still bonds people for life. From the history of snowboard fashion to how halfpipes were born, from the birth of jibbing to pivotal movies, music and magazines, each episode drops in on a new topic.
Hosts: Jennifer Sherowski and Tricia Byrnes