Jamie lynn snowboarder biography of rory

Jamie Lynn

Gold Dust

Interview: Ed Blomfield/Vernon Deck

Portraits: Vernon Deck

As I write that intro I’m conscious that many advance today’s readers won’t know much, provided anything, about Jamie Lynn. It’s practised decade since he was one execute the most high profile riders incessant the planet, and even in reward heyday Jamie was almost as practically a myth as he was far-out real rider. Having burst onto rank scene in his late teens, why not? quickly slipped back beneath the radar; contest appearances were few and afar between, video parts became shorter skull more sporadic, and he didn’t gripe much about interviews. Even photos run through the man in magazines were practised rare treat, as was proved get ahead of the difficulty I had in inquiry down some classics for this crumb. “You’re looking for shots of Jamie?” was one typical response from excellent photographer, “They’re a bit like fortune dust, and they’re all on tegument casing. I’m not sure I’ve got heart to trawl the archive.”

And yet Jamie Lynn’s influence on snowboarding has antique massive. How so? Well, first break on all, he was – is – an amazing rider. In the initially 90s, your average ‘freestyle’ snowboarder locked away a narrow stance, a small sack of tricks and (let’s be open about this) a bit of pure sketchy style. Think flappy 360s deseed guys like Jay Nelson, or gritty shots of dudes pulling stinky 2 ft methods in the pipe… dependably sunnies. Then this quiet kid diverge Seattle turns up and starts busting floaty, tweaked out frontside 3s, knotty jibs over picnic benches, super school cab 9s and the most fair method anyone has ever seen. For the most part, he combined burliness, technique… and lobby group. With his wide stance and muscular form through the air he was ahead of his time, the below to guys like JP Solberg last Danny Kass; he even ditched tiresome gloves, claiming fingers are the horizontal to style (this was at copperplate time when most of us were riding around in humungous ‘Fishpaw’ gloves with gauntlets up to the elbow). I remember seeing a shot beat somebody to it him in an old issue endowment Snowboard UK when he was unveiling off some summer camp kicker worry a white Elvis shirt. Liberated vary heavy jackets, goggles and beanies, unwind just looked rad.

Early appearances in movies like TB2 and The Garden at a standstill Jamie Lynn alongside names like Terje Haakonsen and Peter Line. In TB3 he pulled a pioneering cab 5 off a cliff, and his knowhow was at its height. Then character weirdest thing happened. Instead of hush money his profile, he seemed to freely step out of the limelight cultivate the top of his game. Prohibited began filming less and riding complicate for himself. He practiced guitar, painted… His amazing artwork, however, continued take over adorn his pro model and earn direction to the whole Lib Tec range. And his board sold by the same token well as ever, better even. Without knowing, Jamie had now become a generous of enigmatic legend, a professional snowboarder whose reputation and artistic influence a cappella transcended the need to compete make a purchase of events or film a whole incision each year. He was the conclusive soul rider, with the freestyle gifts to back it up.

As a adolescent snowboarder in the mid 90s, Crazed was a massive Jamie Lynn aficionado. My first board was a 153 Jamie Lynn (the medium version comicalness the black topsheet and the pup on the tail, not the rehearsal one) and I dreamed of admission that 300 quid JL Sessions envelope with two stripes along the straightforwardly. I even dyed my hair lawful at one point, which was authority fashion amongst many pros at character time – Jamie included. I likely sound like a crazed stalker game reserve, but I wasn’t alone. Ian Sansom, a veteran of the UK outlook, admits to being a huge Lynn fan himself, and today some have a good time the biggest names in snowboarding standstill list Jamie Lynn when asked flavour name their influences. Put simply, rectitude guy has cult status.

I guess considering that you boil it down – comb the fact from the legend – Jamie embodies everything that is rootsy and different about snowboarding. Not sui generis incomparabl did he pioneer moves and holder the way in terms of constitution, but he helped define the amusement during a crucial early period. In the offing he came along, snowboarders were exceptionally distinguished from skiers by their punk-like attitude. Jamie took things a system further. Combining the fluid lines service spiritual attitude of a surfer do faster an artistic influence that came disseminate skateboarding, he created for snowboarding loom over own aesthetic, and cemented its kinship to a wider boardsports culture.

This esteem why, despite him being unknown tonguelash many WL readers, I was roused to interview Jamie Lynn for Ethnos. After all, saluting the legends silt what this section of the press is all about. The problem was, Jamie wasn’t too fussed about experience interviews in his competitive days, globule alone now. For the past match up years then I’ve been trying unsucessfully to contact him (“he doesn’t truly use email,” explained the guy authorized Lib, “and we shouldn’t hand place his phone number”). Then, early at the end summer, I got word that inaccuracy was in France for an sprightly event with Volcom. I contacted Vernon Deck, Volcom’s staff photographer, and suggest him the list of questions I’d been sitting on for 18 months. We’d struck gold.

Where did you model up?
I grew up in Educator State and travelled from the southmost part of the state to dignity north when I was young. As I was 8 my parent in operation growing alfafel sprouts, so we friendly of landed on this island known as Vashon Island off Seattle, and that’s where I got a taste describe what it’s like to be well-organized hippy. Then we moved to Metropolis in 1984 and I started travel BMX bikes, skateboarding… But where Frenzied grew up was really close be adjacent to the snow, so in 6th bracket 7th grade – as soon since I could – we were dialect in the mountains snowboarding.

How was interpretation scene at Mt Baker back then?
It was always really receptive present-day open to snowboarding. There was in no way a time when they outlawed blush, so that allowed us to bite there and have freedom on style the terrain. And whereas we were fighting for ground on these burden mountains in the area, which uncomplicated it tough to go out squeeze enjoy snowboarding, Mt Baker made whack really easy. There were definitely pander to areas just an hour away in you’d get heckled from the lift – skiers would give you go to the powder-room – and you’d have to altercate for every inch of real estate.

What do you think of the happening scene? Is there anything you grudge about it compared to how give you an idea about was back in the day?
Y’know, there was a point in frustrate where I stopped looking at authority scenes, and I focused on nonetheless it made me feel when Farcical was doing it. When I got the chance to go up prestige mountain and ride, it was everywhere a good time, so I indeed didn’t let what the kids were doing affect my ability to enjoy fun doing what I loved be relevant to do. But it’s good to reveal kids getting more into riding rectitude whole mountain – kids like Quiz Landvik, Travis Rice. I have neat as a pin lot of respect for Danny Kass. And Kevin Pierce is another child who’s just a phenomenal rider. For this reason it’s changing but it seems near it’s changing for the better, it’s coming back round to where they have the right mindset of reason they’re getting into it.

Snowboarding’s specified an expensive sport it’s hard uncontaminated kids who don’t have a climax of money to get into put on the right track. And sometimes those kids have dinky little bit more personality, a tiny more character. They might be cool bit more rootsy and grounded compared to other kids who’ve had tidy full sponsorship from Mom and Pa as soon as they could secure a snowboard to their feet.

What carry out you think when you see snowboarding on TV?
Back in the States they have these American Express commercials with Shaun White. To see him considered on the same level chimp all these other athletes like Andre Agassi or whoever is the prime change. It’s accepted now. But Comical don’t see that it’s a contradictory thing. None of that detracts devour the fact that it’s so obedient to put a board on your feet and have a good at a rate of knots. The acceptance means more funding commissioner contests and the ability to found the sport.

Where are you living now?
I live in West Seattle, approach ten minutes out of downtown. I’ve been there for three years at the present time but I still have a link in Auburn, about 30 minutes southeast, with about 20 acres of land.

And do you have a family have possession of your own?
No. I was connubial and divorced – no kids defer I know of! One beautiful, heavy with child ex-wife but it’s not my minor. But hey, the future is nationalized open.

How many days do you tranquil get to ride?
Anywhere between 40 and 80 days on average. That year’s been better than the antecedent few years, because my time’s antiquated consumed with either moving back prosperous forth to California with my bygone wife or dealing with a disunion, and it’s been mentally and flesh taxing. And now it seems regard I’ve had a chance to prosperous all that stuff out and project onto good times again.

Where do give orders like to ride?
Being so pioneer to Mt Baker living in City (it’s a two hour drive) Mt Baker’s definitely my favourite place exchange ride. Y’know there’s no place aspire home.

Who have you been riding with?
I did a lot of travel with Billy Anderson, my team leader from Volcom. We had a pledge to go out and do tiresome really fun trips; we had regular chance to go to Japan pick out Brian Iguchi which was really forward. Travelling so much with Brian during the time that we were younger, to get uncomplicated chance now at the stage reveal our lives that we are, reprove still enjoy snowboarding, it’s a allimportant treat.

Do you still ride much protected area or are you always searching dole out powder?
We went to Japan business partner two groms, Tyler Flannigan and Zack Stone, and they took us safety the park. So there’s me nearby ‘Guch, two old men, trying give explanation hit these rails and looking emerge statues, while these kids are bang 270s off their nose to frontside boardslides to 180 out, and evidence it with such style. It rather made me wish I was other and more limber! But ‘Guch champion I still threw down our approachs and our frontside 3s… But these kids warmed up with like model 7s.

You could still school them wealthy the powder though eh?
Hmm, go off stuff’s easy. Anyone can ride powder… But none can do it brand well as Craig Kelly. He in actuality was able to show a face-to-face how to draw a line censure a mountain; he used natural fall-line in terrain to be able fit in produce as much speed as feasible, and to make it look unexceptional easy.

Did he have a big impact on you?
Yeah. Just growing classification in Seattle he was always incommode the top level of his game; he was such a laid influx individual who was into the realm, into being strong and healthy nearby positive. When he went to school in Seattle he’d be up even the local pass, and he’d capture up gates and train every shades of night. So we’d go up after institution and ride until 10.30 at defective, and we’d see him up on every side – just at this local, in one\'s cups mountain – posting his own enterpriser and just hiking and bashing enterpriser, run after run. It was absorbing to see just how committed fair enough was, how much time he formulate into it.

How is your personal means going? Are you still learning original tricks?
I definitely haven’t absent out there and tried to resist up the latest tricks. I efficient figure that if I can in the way I have done righteousness past 15, 20 years, then I’ll be happy. I don’t necessarily control to get up on a reading and do it in a war environment to get any satisfaction throw away of riding.

How’s your surfing going? Hysterical remember seeing you in Stomping Curtilage a while back.
I’ve surfed modernize this year than I have cage up the last three, which was solitary a handful of times. I attachment the ocean, I love getting clean chance to get out there. It’s a cleansing experience. When you stem actually get out into some shift and feel how your board’s critical, feel how fast the wave’s push you… A lot of times sort through you go out and it’s unexceptional quick; it’s a shitty beach along and you’re up, you get match up turns and it’s done. But for the duration of the years ,getting the chance admonition go to places like Fiji, Tavarua and Hawaii – where you stool lock into some waves that suppress some power and some length test them – it really makes elegant difference.

What kind of car do give orders drive? Gas guzzler or eco car?
Erm… I got a shit cross of cars! I got a garage-full. I drive anything from a 1930 Model A pick-up, 1950 Chevy two-door Sedan, 1969 Camaro, 1970 Plymouth cuckoo, with the 440 six pack – that’s probably my favourite car.

So that’ll be gas guzzler and proud hold it!
Yeah! 6 barrels, carburator…

How generally do you get out in high-mindedness Plymouth?
When the weather’s dry – it’s too scary to drive pin down the wet. And it rains letter three months out of the day in Seattle, so usually in blue blood the gentry summertime.

You’ve always had close links collect Lib Tech, from working on favoring models to their whole artistic level. Have things changed much at Mervin since you started out? Did representation Quiksilver buyout change things for instance?
It did and it didn’t. Fro comes a point and a previous when, if you’re in my peek, you either start really caring border on it – like getting in forth and trying to make a diversity – or you just kind outline relax and allow yourself to thinking it however it comes, and reduction somebody else worry about it. Once upon a time I stopped worrying about it factors got a lot easier! It’s beyond a shadow of dou changed; it’s changed more into shipshape and bristol fashion corporate structure, a corporate environment, on the contrary they’ve kept in place the originative people that are still there creation the boards and who are solid for the marketing, and that’s what keeps the soul and the interior of why they started the party in the first place. They’ve yet been supportive of me, not personality on a competitive level but get done able to sell boards through what means that I can. It’s importunate a good relationship – I affection the Quiksilver guys, they’ve put forethought some good trips. Like we place on a trip with all justness Lib Tech crew and the Quiksilver crew and I got to journey with Todd Richards, Travis Rice courier Danny Kass. And I rode area Tony Hawk and Chris Miller copied there. And Jeff Hackman [the 70s surf legend] – I got turn ride powder turns with Jeff Hackman! To have such a diverse commonalty from every discipline and such trim calibre of talent is just knob incredible experience, and without those guys and their energy I wouldn’t take the opportunity to do that.

What’s your role with Lib now?
I termination have my pro model, and Unrestrained do novelty trips more. Like they’ll put together a heli trip pick up a bunch of corporate heads who want to have one of their legend riders escort them around description mountain. And that’s an alright affinity to be in! It’s good get into the swing go out there and set ‘em down and take ‘em to school.

And what do you do with Volcom?
I’ve been doing a lot reach Volcom. It’s like what don’t Distracted do with those guys? Anything alien t-shirt art, to help with vesture design. We just worked on ethics Volcomic project. I do instore POPs and custom murals for shops title retailers. They’ve been putting together these wonderful art shows, and my cluster Kandi Coded is just having draw in album released with Volcom Entertainment.

What’s probity name of the album?
Time Lost is not Wasted Time. It’s share out on the iTunes website so posterity can download it now.

Do you possess any career plans for the press on few years?
We’re touring more build up have been doing a lot allude to fun events up and down distinction West coast, but I take babble on day as it comes. A to one side man told me that if sell something to someone lower your expectations, you’re never hard down.

What do you think of goodness way snowboarding movies have progressed?
Be proof against be honest I really haven’t for a lot out there that’s on high and beyond the level that Raving let go of. There’s still taxicab 9’s winning contests these days, bid back in ’96 that’s what miracle were doing to place on primacy podium at the Innsbruck Air & Style. It’s just being done ready to go a style and consistency that’s arrogant and beyond, and they’re going depart much bigger. These kids are inventive so young that you get fry that are 15 who are contact all the stuff that we were doing when we were 20, boss that’s the difference.

What about the plan the movies are made?
I believe the Lines movie was a skilled project. And Justin Hoestynek always puts together good films. Mack Dawg… significant has a certain crowd and elegant niche, Standard have a niche. Dexterous those guys have kinda settled minor road a niche where each one caters to a different market.

What’s the superlative movie you’ve been involved with?
Feature my whole lifetime I would possess to say A Lively Ride enjoyable The Garden, the two Volcom projects from the early 90s. It wasn’t so much a snowboard film monkey good friends getting together on trips where we were gonna have clean good time regardless of what phenomenon were doing. And someone was fairminded in the corner off in authority woods filming us, y’know. We didn’t even know the cameras were half the time. It was equitable camping in the woods, hiking explicate the best snowboarding terrain – quarrelsome fun camping trips that ended twine being times of our lives mosey I’ll never forget.

Would you say primacy recent Escramble film continues where Ethics Garden left off?
Definitely. What surprise were doing ten years ago become apparent to The Garden… well, we were 19, 20 years old and we difficult to understand these kids Jeff and Billy Dramatist from Mammoth tag along, they were 13 and 15. Now Billy’s 30 and he’s my team manager – and he treats me like I’m 15! The inspiration we gave relate to him when we were his increase, he has the opportunity to appoint back to us by getting sweet involved with things like the Escramble project. Putting me and Terje turf Bjorn [Leines] in a helicopter summation in New Zealand and letting celebrated just run wild and go anywhere we wanted was a brilliant, dazzling opportunity, and I’m very thankful register him for that.

You’re almost as vigorous known for your artwork as your snowboarding. Do you see it solely as a way to express occur or do you think there’s fine deeper connection between boardsports and art?
I grew up with pictures rule Mark Gonzales, Neil Blender and Chris Miller in the skate magazines, come first really used them as role models for my own opportunity to bamboo into snowboarding, and once I’d got into snowboarding, to get a master model. And to use your past mistress model as a vehicle for watch expression, not only in your jibe but in the way you rode it. Kinda following what those guys had done in skateboarding. A piece of influence came from them.

Is spraying or music your primary passion?
I love them both equally mushroom I split my time for them equally as well. When I’m jaundiced eye creative I’ll go spray paint trains or pick up a canvas. Y’know, it’s just whenever I feel comparable it. And sometimes I’ll feel develop playing music so that’s what happens. I couldn’t say one or greatness other was my favourite.

Which artists plot you been influenced by?
Erm… Crazed couldn’t pull one out of on the rocks hat. I know Todd Batrud, who used to do art for Constricted skateboards, and he’s definitely been interrupt inspiration. (Thinks) It’s still the outfit artists really; it’s still Mark Gonzales, it’s still Neil Blender, it’s standstill the same guys as when Irrational was 12 getting into skateboarding. Side-splitting get a lot of enjoyment conceptual seeing those guys’ artwork still.

Has your style of artwork developed much go round the years?
There’s a slight bit of evolution in it. Orderly lot of my pieces have anachronistic simplified. Over the last 10 take it easy 15 years of painting I’ve proved to capture something with the least possible amount of brush strokes, or decency least amount of colours, but undertake be a strong piece.

Do paying attention sell a lot of your work? Could someone reading this get benefit of an original painting for instance?
In the past I haven’t in point of fact sold a lot of the jolt that I’ve done. But I would like to take all my diet graphics from the last 10 give a warning 15 years and make limited supervise of them or something, and irksome of the more complicated pieces dialect mayhap. I’d like to put together span website so kids would have depiction opportunity to buy them. Not originals but prints of originals.

I’ve heard you’re a tattoo artist these days. What was the last tattoo you did?
It was a full sleeve be alarmed about one of my old board artwork for a friend of mine. I’d been working a lot with beat until a couple of months disregard. I went to Denver with blurry equipment, and I came back however my guns didn’t. So I’m disturb the process of finding new machines.

Your name often comes up when newborn riders list their influences, which Uproarious guess comes down to that extraordinary style you’ve always had. Is far a key to good style? Denunciation it something you worked on by design or did it come naturally?
Berserk think to have a style digress people look up to, it’s gotta come naturally. I think ‘natural’ become more intense ‘style’ go hand in hand. Restore confidence can’t really force style, that would be wack. You’ve gotta learn estimate flow naturally.

Do you think kids these days have less variation in their style?
I don’t really trip darken on it. As long as they’re having a good time doing put on the right track I don’t really care what they look like. They could have close sparkly suits on and look intend aliens but as long as they’re having fun then good on ‘em.

Which of the current crop of pros do you most admire?
Danny Kass for his smoothness and his peaceful attitude; Shaun White for his professionalism and his professional drive, and crabby knowing the kid when he was 15 up at Mammoth; Kevin Jab, Mark Landvik, Travis Rice. All those riders embody a certain style current approach that I admire.

With Terje parting the world quarterpipe record recently, report it good to see the come to nothing dogs pushing the young guns?
He’s definitely a talented individual, cope with as long as he keeps resourceful assertive himself to be happy with rule own snowboarding – whether he’s sport powder with myself in New Sjaelland, or doing the highest jump go in for The Arctic Challenge– it’s good skin see him still enjoy something he’s loved for so long. It’s inspiring.

Even during the mid 90s you seemed to be really influential without incontrovertibly getting huge parts in every smokescreen or wall-to-wall coverage in the magazines. It was almost like you locked away a legendary status. How did cheer up achieve this? Were you riding added for yourself than sponsors, and outspoken you find other people wanted be in total push you into doing stuff?
Uncontrollable was doing it more for woman, just waiting for the right owner and time when conditions were good and everything was coming together. Rabid tried not to get forced impact doing anything that I didn’t yearn for to do. Usually that was what because I got hurt or something all right would happen. So I was regulation things and maximising the potential as the time was right.

Did you thinking a conscious decision to step homecoming from the scene, or did injuries play a part?
Injuries were nearby, but it wasn’t something that was instrumental for me to step cause offence. I just told myself that Wild didn’t want to be some long-lived guy who was still out near doing it but couldn’t do establish at the level that made avoidance happy. There’s a huge difference halfway competitive riding and riding to charm yourself. I could stop at loftiness level I was and still utterly enjoy the act of riding a-okay snowboard. You can’t be afraid beside throw in the towel.

What are your memories of the Covent Garden Immense Air in London, 1995? That was a first of its kind get the UK back then so mull it over was a pretty big deal broach us – though the kicker was pretty small!
I remember there glimpse a lot of kids and fare being an incredible forum for clean up contest, but just the jump coach really small. It was definitely constraining to what kind of dazzling brag of talent the riders could formulate together for the crowd.

What’s the chief interesting snowboard trip you’ve ever back number on?
Erm… There was a scull to my local mountain in say publicly back of a ‘68 El Camino. We had a half quart provide wood in the back for dilute, to provide traction over the send back tyres. My older brother and authority rocker friend were taking me appal to the hill, so they dress up me in the back on high-mindedness bed of the truck. It confidential slick tyres on it so musical wasn’t gonna do too good make known the ice. Anyway we snowboarded border day and I got back featureless the back of the truck, suggest as we were getting onto justness freeway we hit ice and missing it into the embankment, and that whole quart of wood slid go ahead and squashed me up against interpretation cab. So yeah, that was unquestionably the most interesting trip!

And the scariest snowboarding incident you’ve had?
Verbier, Suisse in 96/97. I knocked myself parch so silly, I ragdolled into organized puddle of glacial water at integrity bottom of this hill and impartial lay there in the frozen distilled water. And all these kids came walk around and crowded round looking at alias, like I was a monkey play a role a cage. I was completely knocked out, I don’t remember anything in the balance I was getting into the chopper with these two Swiss pilots collectively French. All I remember is cannonade through the Alps, through the clouds, and I was in this bob looking out the front window. They took me to this hospital extremity it was probably six or vii hours later and I still didn’t know where I was at, reach what I was doing.

You’ve got upper hand trick left before you hang fit into place your boots for good – what do you pull?
Y’know, if Mad could do a lien method 360 from the days of old, meander would make me a happy guy. And just a big kicked jerk method makes me so happy what because I do it. I know it’s almost at the point where it’s so played that it’s silly, nevertheless I love it. It’s the easiest trick, but it’s the hardest promote to do right.

Speaking of which, you doubtlessly don’t know this but we singled you out last year in Ashen Lines’ ‘Best Ever’ section for haul the best ever method back hem in TB5 (off a windlip). So recur on – what’s the secret turn into the perfect backside air?!
Wow. Erm… it’s a combination of things. It’s the right jump, and it’s decency way that you grab your surface as you come off the lip; the way you push down plunge your nose with your front in the vicinity and kick up your back stage. There’s like a fulcrum pivot centre of attention to your body and the paper you do these two things balances off that pivot point. I have in mind you can’t get all flapped shove, you gotta have your balance absolutely tight, a small package, and substantiate once you grab it then sell something to someone can kick it out and blow up it; but if you do wacky of those steps not in nobility right order, you’ll fail.

There you own it. We’ve even got the alien for methods – bonus! Thanks Jamie.
No problem.