In the early 1990’s snowboarding was still a fresh faced grom, still fighting for an identity after a decade of resort bans, hard boots, and gate bashing. There was a new generation of snowboarder entering the scene in the late 80’s to early 90’s and a large majority of those snowboarders were skateboarders who either lived in areas that didn’t allow for skateboarding during the winter months, or skateboarders who just thought it would be rad to take their skate style tricks and lifestyle to the slopes.
No one, and I reiterate no one, embraced the skate to snow mentality more iconically and progressively than Marin County, California native Noah Salasnek. A pro skateboarder for the legendary H-Street team in the 1980’s, Salasnek brought a fresh perspective and way of riding to the mountain that was obviously taken from his immense abilities on a skateboard.
Tweaks, bonks, and butters were all part of Salasnek repertoire and they were a visual shrine for any snowboarder who found their way to the peaks from the street, as opposed to snowboarders, who were just reformed skiers looking for a new way to race down the mountain.
Salasnek wasn’t a one trick pony though, he ripped and he ripped everything from beefy Alaskan lines to hand-dug halfpipes in the Sierras. No matter what terrain Noah was riding though, he did it with a Nor-Cal skate style that would come to define a whole generation of riders, and whether people realize it or not, influence the direction of snowboarding indefinitely.
The most directly obvious correlation of this influence being, that without Noah Salasnek, Mack Dawg Productions would have never started making snowboard movies. Mack Dawg and crew set the standard for progressive freestyle and street riding for well over 20 years. If you have jibbed, slid, or tweaked on your snowboard you owe Noah at the very least a nod of respect and if we are being direct, probably a bit more.
Snowboarding for all of its beautiful attributes has differed from its sibling sports, surfing and skateboarding, in the treatment of its legends. We haven’t held up the icons of our sport with the same sense of gratitude and honor that our boarding brethren have. But with that being said we now, due to unfortunate circumstances, have the opportunity to stand with one of snowboarding’s greats.
The news started circulating recently that Noah was diagnosed with cancer, specifically liver cancer, which he’s seeking costly treatment for. Those that are closest to Salasnek specifically the McEntire’s (Mack Dawg), Roach’s and Hatchet’s (Standard Films) are leading the charge to help Noah get the treatment he needs, and to help assure that one of the best snowboarders of all time is taken care of so he can focus on his health and his battle against cancer.
Noah, displaying his skate steeze in the pages of Thrasher.
I recently read that Noah Salasnek doesn’t have a family and while I know that was said in the context of family in the traditional sense, I’ll counter that, pointing out that Noah actually has a huge family, a family that has been inspired by him and is dedicated to seeing him make a full recovery. He’s one of ours, and hopefully we’ll be able to collectively step up and show our brother just how much he means to us.
In the early 90’s I walked into a snowboard shop in Salt Lake City, Utah, while on a family ski trip and I spotted a Sims sticker with a drawing of a shaggy haired, beanie wearing thrasher holding a hobo stick and snowboard (one of Noah’s pro graphics) and I knew that I had found my tribe. Since then I have watched snowboarding grow and progress beyond what I ever thought was possible. But at the heart of our sport, our lifestyle and our industry the same energy of rebellious youth that lead us away from being hard-booted gate bashers still exists, and for that Noah, I thank you.
To donate and help Noah kick cancer’s ass, please go here.
