Snowboarding in the streets is more popular than ever and it’s contributing to a cultural shift in the sport that’s attracting new riders and continues in the guise of the anti-establishment platform from which snowboarding was birthed. The following list of riders are those who, in this writer’s opinion, put down the most impressive segments in this year’s crop of films. For this, it’s not just the riding that’s taken into consideration but rather the watchability of the segment. That is, the segments that would get scuzzy lines from being overplayed if VHS was still a thing.
This list is just a sampling of the massive talent pool that has come to surface in the streets in recent years. The riders below are some of the most influential in the space and the parts all stand alone as pieces of artwork as much as they are evidence of incomprehensible athletic ability.
Ed. Note: The accompanying video isn’t necessarily from the part mentioned but showcases the rider’s ability nonetheless.
Cole Navin
Film: Rendered Useless, Chicken Meat
Region: East Coast
Vet Status: Rookie
Section: Ender
Why: If his riding is any indiction of the future of street riding then we’re in luck. Cole steps to heavy spots and puts down unheard of tricks. His part will go down as legendary and anyone who progresses snowboarding with their first mainstream segment deserves to reside at the top of the list.
Notable Feats: Fastplant to one footed boardslide, five rail 50-50, “The Nose Bonk”, etc., etc.,
Ozzy Henning
Film: Eversince, Absinthe
Region: SLC
Vet Status: 3rd Full Part
Section: Centerpiece
Why: Style. Ozzy’s lanky form allows for the most ridiculous tweaks and controlled, albeit bound-up spins. His knees seem to be able to flex in ways most people’s don’t and this gives Ozzy gorilla-like stomping power.
Notable Feats: 180 to tail press to BS 360 roof drop, 50-50 to gate stall to board slide through triple kink, 50-50 through triple kin c-rail
Jed Anderson
Film: Videogracias, VideoGrass
Region: Calgary, Alberta/NYC
Vet Status: Two-time Snowboarder magazine Jibber Of The Year
Section: Ender
Why: Proper tricks with proper style. Jed’s aggressive approach to multi-kink features, high-consequence drops and jibs is unparalleled. When the level of everyone else’s riding is so high that you can’t image Jed being able to hang, he drops even bigger hammers that only he can seem to execute.
Notable Feats: Frontboard to back-lip transfer, Switch hardway 270 through triple kink, Back Lip to pretzel 270 on the triple down rail.
Louif Paradis
Film: Encore Deja Vu (two years in the making from Snowboarder magazine)
Region: Quebec
Vet Status: First to frontboard the Red Ledge… so yeah.
Section: Ender
Why: Possibly the best combination of progressive riding and proficient execution. Louif has been the gold standard of street snowboarding for years and there is no sign of him letting up.
Notable Feats: The roof line (pick one), FS Boardslide to BS 360 transfer to boardslide, FS 720 off the Balcony
Dan “Vinny” Vinzant
Film: Rendered Useless, Chicken Meat
Region: 1817
Vet Status: Rookie
Section: Pre-ender fluffer
Why: He grabs his board while sliding and generally appears to give few fucks about the way things are supposed to be done.
Notable Feats: Indy Bentknee boardslide through big boy dub kink, Urban pillow line, 50-50 Indy through a quad kink
Chris Grenier
Film: 2032, ThirtyTwo
Region: SLC (Native Masshole)
Vet Status: Fist part was to Edward Sharpe and Magnetic Zero’s before they were popular
Section: Opener
Why: Much of the footage in his opening segment procured him an X-Games Gold in Real Street this past season. He goes bigger and oozes style.
Notable Feats: One-footed backflip roof gap, Fence drop to 50-50, the BS Lipslide
Tommy Gesme
Film: Videogracias, Videograss
Region: Midwest/Cali
Vet Staus: Second Part
Section: Post-Opener
Why: Style. Style. Style.
Notable Feats: Hardway FS 270 disaster, 50-50 to fence ollie to 50-50, SWBS 270 to regular
Scott Stevens
Film: 2032, ThrityTwo
Region: SLC (Native Masshole)
Vet Status: Rodney Mullen
Section: Ender
Why: He revolutionized the one foot game before that was a thing. Stevens continues to come up with the most creative ways to slide on a snowboard (and at times off of it). He is now the rightful pioneer of the no-footer.
Notable Feats: No-footed boardslide through dub kink, ditto, ditto.
Jason Robinson
Film: Eversince, Absinthe
Region: MANtana
Stance: Regular
Vet Status: Already a big mountain legend, street status is close behind.
Section: Ender
Why: J-Rob is the only rider on the list that steps out of heli’s on to desolate, standing-room only peaks in Alaska. He put together his first street part in years and laid down a heavy segment. He is as raw and capable a snowboard talent as there is.
Notable Feats: Boardslide to FS Rodeo, Cartwheel to layback boardslide, boardslide through the elbow kink
Forest Bailey
Film: SFD, Snowboarder
Region: East Coast
Stance: Goofy
Vet Status: Putting out full parts since 2011, has had a Pro Model with GNU since then
Section: Centerpiece
Why: More pop and more style. Forrest’s incredible board control is an obvious testament to his jibbing ability. That combined with his creative outlook on otherwise mundane features ensure that he will always have something fresh in his segment.
Notable feats: Boardslide to 270 tail grab, 50-50 to bs 270 rail transfer, boardslide to pretzel 450 drop out
