January 1, 1999

Nick Francke

Age: 21 (his birthday is 7/7/77!)

Born: New Hampshire

Lives: Portland, Oregon

Hobbies: School and kung fu

Why did you decide to move to Oregon?

To go to art school and live close to larger mountains.

How's that going?

Well, I'm almost finished with school, and it's pretty much been working out the way I hoped. I've been snowboarding more and creating more art.

When did you start snowboarding?

Nineteen eighty-six.

What was it like back then?

There weren't as many people doing it, and we would usually just ride on snowmobile trails and sledding hills. I made my first attempt using old skateboards with water-ski bindings. Later on I got an all-wood Burton Pro Performer, then a Burton Elite, and it took off from there. We used to have to get certified to ride at the ski resort.

What do you think of the snowboard scene today?

I think it's all right. It's come a long way to get accepted, but I still think it has a long way to go.

Any siblings?

My brother Greg is a technician for a billboard-printing manufacturer, and my sister Lidi is a park ranger who works up at Big Sky in the winter.

What are your plans with school and snowboarding?

I plan to keep snowboarding as long as I can while taking care of school, and eventually after that I plan to work as a graphic designer and illustrator.

Are you planning on doing any competitions this winter?

Hopefully, if the U.S. Open has a big-air [contest], I want to do that and the Spring Fling at Waterville. Maybe the Bud Light big air and the X-Games and ESPN series. If you hear of any, let me know.

Anything else?

I want to thank my mom, dad, brother, and sister, my girlfriend, relatives, Jamie Chomo, Dan Zinsmeyer, Eddie Lee, Tim Swart, Blotto and Ethan from Tech Nine, Eastern Boarder, Joel Muzzy, all my friends back home, Matt Harrison, Dan Brothers, Andy Jordan, and all my (few) friends in Oregon from school and kung fu, and my instructor Gregory Fong. Rest in peace to everyone who is somewhere else.