John Robbins: The Montana Slama

Hometown: Bozeman, Montana

Home Hill: Bridger Bowl, Montana

Years on board: 8

Coin Kickers: Ride, Beacon, Pure, and World Boards

Board-O-Choice: '97 Ride Twin 53

Three words friends use to describe you: Goofy, whitetrash, fu**er head.

Are you a pro?

Hmm. Now that is a difficult question. I have competed in pro contests, but I'm not on salary. I guess not really. I like to think I can hold my own, but I don't think I'm a pro.

How did you get sponsored?

John Robbins tail-grab- bing over Montana's Lone Peak. (Photo: Ben Croft)

I was friends with the guys who own World Boards and they sponsored me. One day Dane Hjort, the Ride rep at the time, came into the shop saw my resume and decided to float me stuff. With Beacon it was just through friends. All of my sponsors really were through word of mouth and meeting the right people.

What pushes you to ride?

Progression of tricks and learning. As soon as I stop learning I'll quit and try something else. A lot of the people I rode with this year were in their first year and watching them taught me a lot. It's cool to see someone else do a trick for the first time because you can see their excitement. I love riding with people who rip, but it's also fun to ride with people who are really learning.

What tricks are you working on?

A lot of switch stuff. I am just everything I am doing now and switching it. Especially, switch blind stuff because I'm not very good at that.

What do you consider a sick trick?

I think pretty much any spin. Going switch, grabbing, and sticking it. That's smooth-the real of the sport. Also something that has always been awesome is just really big airs. Straight airs. I would rather see someone go off something monster and hold it for two seconds with a grab than a spin off a small hit. Snowboarding is about the closest thing that you can do to flying.

What's an ideal day?

Probably get up to the hill early, chow down on a bagel and some coffee. Then finding four or so of my really good friends, any fresh over a foot helps make an epic day, and just riding around. Picking lines and trying new stuff all day.

What's the scene like in Montana?

It's really mellow. Everybody here is really lax. The biggest rippers here ride with guys that are in their first year. Everyone has funny outfits on. You know, like wool hats and pants, mitts that come up to the elbows, boards with twelve inch stances and 60 degree angles. Boards that are eight inches back from center.

Whose riding style do you admire?

Wow. Let's see. Bozeman-local Chris Ankeny. He was the first snowboarder I ever met, and he has always been a big influence because he is so smooth. Also Todd Richards, because he really rips. He is somebody that is high up on the influential scale in snowboarding that I have ridden around with in the summer when I am at Mt. Hood. You watch him ride and learn.

What's the most extreme place you've ever been snowboarding?

I guess I would say Big Sky because of the tram and some of the new lines that are up there now. Ankeny took me up to ride some lines recently that had never been ridden-I was scared.

If you could go anywhere in the world today, where would that be?

I would love to go to South America and check it all out. I want to see the beaches, mountains, different people. It would be culture shock for me. I would also like to go to Siberia, a really remote part and see how people function there

Snowboarding for a living is many kids dream, what is the reality?

The reality of snowboarding for a living is a long shot. You have to be super committed to progressing, and more than that, committed to riding all the time. Unfortunately, you have to know people because the only way to make money is to get into the industry and work it. You have to do a lot more than just ride. And even if you do get the opportunity to make a living, you should always try to progress in other things because you can't snowboard forever.