November 30, 2013
November 29, 2013
November 28, 2013
November 27, 2013
Full Q & A with JEFF KEENAN
He's always grinning... What is he smiling about... ? What is he not saying... ? If you've ever met Jeff Keenan, you get the sense that he knows something that you don't. The sense that somewhere along the way he was introduced to Sinatra's, 'My Way', and decided those would be the lyrics that he would live his life by. What is his way? And how is he so confident in it? As it turns out, Keenan's 'way' is with friends and in the mountains, continually pursuing his love for snowboarding. As an owner and co-founder of DWD, it's plain to see how Keenan's influence and confidence has kept the brand on it's current course, handling it's growth while maintaining a firm grasp on it's roots. Whether it's the day to day at Dinosaurs Will Die, fine tuning the next version of his pro model (The KWON), helping out friends and fellow team riders, or stacking clips for his next video part... Keenan's got it handled... smiling all the while, letting his actions speak louder than his words... and letting his riding speak for itself.
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DWD - As a kid, there is TONS to do growing up in Vancouver... what was it about snowboarding that hooked you?
JK - I came from a HUGE Hockey family and the cost of hockey programs were to much for a family of 3 boys. Skiing was less expensive at the time, so my parents took that route. We were all on the slops as soon as we could walk, and the first time I went snowboarding was 1990. I was 10. I remember watching old Burton movies and they would be at Lake Louise jibbing garbage cans and hitting picnic tables. I remember my eyes bugging out of my skull at the sight of that. It changed everything, I was embarrassed of skiing, I would wear my ski suit and ski in the morning (because I had to) and at lunch I would run to the car and change into my Wide leg pants and Oversized Plaid Jacket before my friends could see me. I did this for a season and that was it. Skiing was passé and Snowboarding has been my life ever since.
DWD - Is that what still stokes your love for it today?
JK - To me Snowboarding is my life, it’s a true lifestyle, being out in the mountains with my friends and family, filming and progressing. I’m old in snowboard years, but I don’t feel it, every time I go out and ride I want to do something that I have never done before. That’s the thing with it, the options are limitless, you can follow the pack and get bored or you can steer your own course. I used to think it was the backcountry that held all the creativity, then I came back to Seymour, Heneghan and all the young guys were riding park like I’ve never seen. Ollieing over rails to quick turns into down-bars and having ideas to ride closeout rails with wooden banks behind them. It was so fresh compared to the basic FSBS down a 21 stair that I was so over seeing. Now, I look at Larson, Hupp, Brewster and so many of the young creative riders hitting street stuff, and I’m so inspired by it.
DWD - How has your perspective on snowboarding and the snowboard industry changed since you were first introduced to it?
JK - I was sponsored when I was 16 and I’ve seen the money come and go within the industry. The financial situation is one thing but the participants are another; those who stick out the bad times are truly the ones that reap the benefit of the good times ahead. I feel we are in a great position with snowboarding right now. It is coming full circle and the industry is once again in the hands of true snowboarders. Our “Industry” is no different from any other, every industry in the world goes through growth and strategic cycles, and we are a youthful, experimental and innovative group. It took us as snowboarders to revive the ski industry, with sidecuts, twin tips, powder specific boards, camber profiles all come from the brains of snowboarder. If we stay on our path we keep snowboarding alive and strong.
DWD - Is turning something that you love into your livelihood a benefit or a burden?
JK - Burden is pretty strong word, it’s not a burden but a stress. All you want is the best for everything and everyone around you, to balance this is the true key to success. What I loved when I was young is what I love today, there are massive ups and massive downs but in the end you are doing it your way and not answering to anyone other then those who surround you.
DWD - If we were to find you on a 'perfect day'... where would you be?
JK - At 6am already on top of the mountain watching the sunrise with a group of friends. All ready to work and ride, trading off filming and riding cliffs, lines, jibs, and building a jump in the afternoon. Hitting our last feature at sunset and coming home healthy (with a couple of clips) to a bunch of cold beer and positive emails. Haha that would be perfect!!!!
DWD - What influences you?
JK - My Surroundings, I never really put anything on a pedestal when I was young. You see, growing up on Seymour you would see guys like Kevin, Devun and even Peter Line, ripping around. I’d watch what they did and pull little tweaks and styles from what I saw. Seymour was a teaching ground it taught me that nothing is perfect and you can only create with the tools you have. For me these tools are the mountains, ocean, friends and family.
DWD - What are a few of the things that you knew you needed to have in your board (The Kwon) when you were designing it? How does that set the KWON apart from the rest of the DWD line?
JK - I had the pleasure of riding with Tyler Lepore for two years. He is a tiny guy and rides wide boards. When I stopped riding Option boards, Tyler hooked me up with a couple of his pro model Capitas. They floated in powder like no other board I had ridden before, however it was too stiff for the quick maneuvering I like. I wanted the Kwon to be a little wider for Powder with a more forgiving flex pattern for tree riding. I like to compare the Kwon to an Anti-Hero or Creature bowl board. It is made to rip fast and strong with a slight forgiveness.
DWD - What are some rad things that you're seeing on the horizon for snowboarding?
JK - Innovation in board technology is insane. The ideas and visions that have come to life and the resurgence of past ideas made better are truly shaping how we will perceive Snowboards in the future. As for snowboarding itself, the paths that one can take are growing year to year. From seeing the streets as a blank canvas to the allowance of split boards into where only helicopters could go, we are pushing into the unknown. As we explore deep into these areas progression endures.
DWD - What advise would you give your younger self now?
JK - To stop going big and save your body, wait I need to tell that to present day me. Ummmm, Don’t take things to personal and don’t hold grudges. Your time will come, and you will be stronger once you know this.
DWD - The people wanna know... when can they expect that next J-Kwon video part?
JK - Well the last one took a couple of years, the next one will take quite a few, lets say 10-20 years.
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Follow Keenan on instagram and on facebook, and go get your DWD Kwon board are your local DWD retailer before they're all gone!
#KwonKillsDinosaurs
November 25, 2013
footyFIEND full Keenan Filmer park edit
A Keeenan of a younger variety. Check out Keenan Filmer goin' park rat in this footyFIEND.com edit!
Keenan Filmer Black Park from FootyFIEND.com on Vimeo.
November 24, 2013
Have you gotten your #Kwon board yet? They're going fast! The Kwon is available in 3 sizes. 153cm, 156cm and 159cm. It incorporates DWD's very own 'lowrider camber' and is designed by Kwon himself, @KeenanJeff, to meet all of your snowboard needs. Follow @KeenanJeff to see how his season is starting off!
November 22, 2013
TEAM VID pow re-edit
With a bunch of mountains opening this past week, and pow days on our doorstep, we thought a little DWD TEAM VID pow re-edit was much needed.
Ride Dino's in pow... Repeat until death!
Ride Dino's in pow... Repeat until death!
November 21, 2013
November 20, 2013
November 18, 2013
November 17, 2013
November 16, 2013
November 15, 2013
November 14, 2013
November 13, 2013
November 12, 2013
November 11, 2013
November 09, 2013
November 08, 2013
November 06, 2013
November 05, 2013
November 04, 2013
Q & A with Lucas Ouellette
Follow Lucas on Instagram. @Lucas_Ouellette
photo by Mike Jones
What's in a name? Well, if you can't pronounce the damn thing, nothing. So let's get it straight, it's pronounced Ew (like "Ew, that's gross")-Let. Yes, Ew-Let = Ouellette.
Lucas grew up in Stouffeville, Ontario, discovered snowboarding, and made the move out west with his then girlfriend, now wife, Ashley. That all sounds normal, but in actuality, Lou lives the Peter Pan lifestyle, but didn't have to go to never never land to avoid 'growing up'. Yes, he's married and now has a 1 year old kid, but that was more of an abstract way to secure long term play mates and best friends. His childhood BMX bike now adorns a 650cc motor that wakes up all the neighbors; his Tonka Trucks have taken on the form of full size snow cats; the sand box is now a mountain; the felt pen that he drew on his arms is now permanent; and the punk rock music that drove his parents crazy, well, he's still driving them nuts with that.
Lucas has persevered in keeping a few weird kid tendencies too. It's only been a few years now that Lou decided salads had an acceptable place in his candy and meat diet. He loves blueberries, blueberry juice and everything else blueberry, but hates the color blue. He loves snowboarding. He hates ACDC. ... and the list goes on. These might not all sound weird (or kid like), but when you meet Lou and add these to the mix it's easy to lump it all under the 'weird' umbrella. All in all, Lou's got it made. Here's a short Q&A. Pay attention and learn how it's done!
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DWD - Halloween just passed... and it's also your wedding anniversary. This is something that will follow you to any interview you ever have... You got married on halloween!? You were carried in to the ceremony in a casket and everyone that attended was dressed up. How fuckin' cool was that?
LO - Hell yea we did! It was fuckin awesome. We went full out. Cemetery, with guests names on tomb stones, taxidermy animals jumping out at people, a pirate was the minister, misfits songs blasting all night. Even our grandparents thought it was rad haha.
DWD - Is your motto to never 'grow up', and/or never to conform to grown up rules?
LO - The only suit I'll wear is a snow suit haha. I've actually only owned one suit and tie in my life, and it's in my closet, all ripped up with fake blood on it from my wedding. Sure, I got a wife, kid, full time job, mortgage, car payments... On paper I'm a grown up. But I think snowboarding and skateboarding keep me from growing up. Plus I still can't even grow a mustache, and I still think dick jokes are hilarious!
DWD - Is it true that you would eat an entire blueberry farm if you could?
LO - Yup. They're delicious!
DWD - ... BUT, it's also true that you hate the color blue. ?? What's up with that?
LO - Yup. It's just a shitty color.
DWD - ... That's weird. Do you think that it's a coincidence that the board that you prefer to ride in the DWD line ends up being the board that is blue?
LO - The first year The Rat came out it was BLUE. I also was given BLUE bindings that year... And a fucking BLUE jacket! That was also the year I BLEW my knee out. See! Fuck BLUE!
DWD - Growing up in Ontario how did you find yourself out west?
LO - I had made a couple of trips out west to shred and knew that's where I'd end up. I came out to ride the glacier the summer before I moved to Whistler. Made some good connections and was back out in the fall. Never looked back.
DWD - Explain your day job, and why it rules.
LO - In the summer, I work for Arena Snowparks. I build and maintain COC June and July. After that I work in our shop and build rails for resorts across North America. Come winter, I shred all day, then jump into a snow cat and build the Whistler Park. It's pretty self explanatory why that rules.
DWD - Do you feel that having this job along side filming during the season provides you with more freedom than if you relied solely on sponsors to make your season happen?
LO - I've never expected snowboarding to pay my bills. I've always had a job since I was 15. I just like to work. Not that filming a part isn't "work". But in my position, to solely rely on sponsors paying me, I don't think I'd be able to afford the things I own today.
DWD - Music among other things is a good way to peer into someone's true personality... Since we know you're never listening to ACDC, enlighten us to what might be found on your most played list.
LO - Most of the same shit I've listened to since high school. Adolescents, Bad Brains, Danzig, Dead Kennedys, Fucked up, Gwar, Hellmouth, Minor Threat, NoFX, Propagandhi, Rancid, Red Fang, Social D, Tom Waits, Wes Makepeace...
DWD - In your opinion... What's the best song ever used in a snowboard video?
LO - Shit... I think a lot of it (your favorite song or part or both) has to do with nostalgia. What we were first introduced to in snowboarding. Hell, every time I hear "Everybody wants to rule the world" makes me think of snowboarding because of Travis Parker and Robot Food... I don't know if I have a "best song", but I'll always remember, I was working at a shop in Ontario for a hot second back in the day. I had Happy Hour playing on the tv and was obsessed with Scotty Wittlake. His part with The Casualties - "For the Punx", was so sick! Some little kid came in when it was on and said "This is the worst song I've ever heard". I thought, to someone who isn't in to punk, yea, this song fucking sucks haha. But I was! I always went to slam dance in the pit at a Casualties show. And the fact that other people hated it, made it way cooler for me to like. So, that one has always been one of my all time favorites.
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Check out Lucas in the new video YEAR OF THE SNAKE, available online soon! and follow Lucas on Instagram. @Lucas_Ouellette
#DinosaursWillDie #DWD #LucasKillsDinos
November 02, 2013
November 01, 2013
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