This year you had the opening part in our little Gnarcore movie The Power Normal. How does that feel and what does that mean to you?
It means a lot. I feel that I’ve done a lot the last couple winters and it’s good recognition for what I’ve done. I feel great about opening a movie like this. I use to do it back home in Quebec but its not he same as out here.
That’s right you had some pretty big parts in those old WigTime movies. What’s different about snowboarding then in Quebec as opposed to now?
It’s much different [laughs]. Lets just say that snowboarding got….harder to find your place in the sport. Before if you slid 10 ft of the rail you got the shot right? Now it’s getting harder and harder…it’s good though
Your from Bromount wich Is just out side of Montreal what was the scene like there when you started? .Who did you look up to?
Vince’s cousin Dave Fortin who’s on the couch next to him pipes up, “pfhh there wasn’t many”
Ya There wasn’t many. We were the guys killing it around our place.
Where’d you guys ride?
At Bromount..
Was there a resort?
Ya Bromount. It was night sking. every night after school we’d go snowboarding till 10 and then back to school..and then you know it was like that. Ride, school, ride, school.
Did you and JF live beside Dave?
Pretty close….He was in Granby I was in Bromount its like 10 min apart we use to ride a lot together
Well, I notice that you don’t do many sessions or contests any more and you kinda just stick with your brother or a couple other close friends. Why is that?
Back in Quebec I was all over comps every weekend. When I moved to Whistler, I saw snowboarding in a totally different way. Seeing my brother get snowboard parts in the backcountry and building his own jumps and stuff; I kinda fall in love with that. I been into it since then, so I just bought a snowmobile bought a truck I try to enjoy it as much as I can.
Enjoy it eh? So would you say that your own happiness is more important then, say doing what needs to be done to achieve success in snowboarding?
What does that mean? [we both laugh] I’m a frenchy. You gotta speak to me so I understand.
Ok ok! [laughs]. Well it seems to “make it” you gotta have the total package. Are you ever worried that you won’t get as noticed in the snowboard industry and get as far with sponsorship?
Not really…I guess its good. It’s good to go to those things for sure… that’s where people see you at first. They only see me after the season, and what I’ve done on video. But, I dunno, I just really enjoy what I’m doing.
You and JF are pretty tight. What does that mean to you and your snowboarding?
I think it’s great. He pushes me a lot.
You guys built a secret backcountry cabin in the woods last year. TelI me about that freaky little stabin’ cabin.
Well, we were going to the cabin in Brandywine that’s been built for years. It got trashed, so we were like, “We gotta build a place to go party, sleep and then shoot the next day and stuff,” so we decided to get some wood and built it.
So you guys just built it by yourselves… just randomly? [laughs]
[laughs] Yeah, in like two weeks.
That’s awesome. When did you build it?
In October…just before snowfall
So what’s the attraction to being in the woods and sleeping in a cabin by your self?
I’m a camping kinda guy. [laughs] I love to be outdoors, that kinda stuff.
[Dave Fortin cuts in] You’re so in-tents
[we all laugh] Yup.
What kinda stuff goes down in that cabin?
Well, fuck, a lot. Can’t really talk about that [laughs].
It’s pretty cool to have your own place to go to that no one knows about. You and JF are always out on little missions building stuff and always seem to be the first guys that I hear about going sledding every year. Why Is that?
Cause we love it. If there’s snow up there, we’re going for it. We’re not going to wait till the mountains open to reach the snow
What’s the earliest you guys have ever gone up?
I think it was this year eh? (turns to J.F and a couple other boys in the room) October….mid October…19th…21st !.
Really? Where’d you guys go?
Brandywine… we went and built a big bear… a snowman …but out of a bear
(I start laughing uncontrollably) so it was a bear made out of snow?
Ya… it was like two meters high
What’d you guys do with it.
(Pauses) it just melted there (the whole room bursts into laughter)
So what do you think of the Olympics coming in and the closure of the Calaghan sled zone.
I think this really sucks cause most of the best places are going to be closed….like they are talking about closing pretty much every thing around whistler. Which is kinda bad cause look at how many people come here just for that… you know bring their sleds and go out and do stuff
But what about the Olympics… every one will come here for that won’t they?
I think that’s fine. I don’t really mind about that. The Olympics in whistler I think it’s going to be awesome to see. I’ve never really been close to the Olympics.
Ya I hear you I guess, I think I’d rather go sledding…
Ya ya ya me to….i dunno. I think people are just gunna find a way (to go sledding) you know? Start cutting trees down to find a new way up
What are your plans for this year?
Ya lots of plans this year (laughs) killing it is the plan for this year. I’m really looking forward to our new filmer that I got here Aaron “trout” Macsymec. That’s the problem I’ve had all those years is finding a filmer that wants to film..there’s lots of ridders who want to film but not lots of filmers… I’m definitely stoked now that gnarcore has a filmer with a snowmobile that wants to come out and film.
Gnarcore’s always just kinda been this little friends video with a mixed group of guys with different styles and personalities. How do we make it all work?
Well. I don’t know that’s a hard one.. I don’t really get that one. It’s kinda all about the love you know? We all work hard to make a movie happen..but it’s not our job you know. It’s something we do after work and we love it so ya we keep doing it.
Well said my friend. Well you know we gota end this with some shout outs, any thanks?
Thanx for all the snowfalls, the invention of sleds
max @ Oneill, Jeff @ Ogio, Karl @ IsDesign
my parent’s for supporting me all these years,
Julien Sallenave, my bro JF, my cousin Dave
mr Dave Rouleau and all the Gnarcore crew
for the love of snowboarding…
- David Rouleau, gnarcore creative inc.
