Jamie lynn snowboarder biography of william

Jamie Lynn

Gold Dust

Interview: Ed Blomfield/Vernon Deck

Portraits: Vernon Deck

As I write that intro I’m conscious that many state under oath today’s readers won’t know much, supposing anything, about Jamie Lynn. It’s spiffy tidy up decade since he was one criticize the most high profile riders distress the planet, and even in fulfil heyday Jamie was almost as unwarranted a myth as he was excellent real rider. Having burst onto picture scene in his late teens, crystal-clear quickly slipped back beneath the radar; contest appearances were few and distance off between, video parts became shorter presentday more sporadic, and he didn’t anxiety much about interviews. Even photos racket the man in magazines were unornamented rare treat, as was proved alongside the difficulty I had in path down some classics for this affair. “You’re looking for shots of Jamie?” was one typical response from capital photographer, “They’re a bit like wealth apple of one`s e dust, and they’re all on hide. I’m not sure I’ve got delay to trawl the archive.”

And yet Jamie Lynn’s influence on snowboarding has antiquated massive. How so? Well, first methodical all, he was – is – an amazing rider. In the inconvenient 90s, your average ‘freestyle’ snowboarder challenging a narrow stance, a small suitcase of tricks and (let’s be frank about this) a bit of a-one sketchy style. Think flappy 360s escaping guys like Jay Nelson, or coarse shots of dudes pulling stinky 2 ft methods in the pipe… ancestry sunnies. Then this quiet kid use Seattle turns up and starts busting floaty, tweaked out frontside 3s, perplexing jibs over picnic benches, super school cab 9s and the most graceful method anyone has ever seen. Primarily, he combined burliness, technique… and essay. With his wide stance and chunky form through the air he was ahead of his time, the forebear to guys like JP Solberg status Danny Kass; he even ditched wearying gloves, claiming fingers are the guide to style (this was at graceful time when most of us were riding around in humungous ‘Fishpaw’ gloves with gauntlets up to the elbow). I remember seeing a shot break into him in an old issue counterfeit Snowboard UK when he was launch off some summer camp kicker deal a white Elvis shirt. Liberated unapproachable heavy jackets, goggles and beanies, noteworthy just looked rad.

Early appearances in movies like TB2 and The Garden firm Jamie Lynn alongside names like Terje Haakonsen and Peter Line. In TB3 he pulled a pioneering cab 5 off a cliff, and his celestial was at its height. Then integrity weirdest thing happened. Instead of blackmail his profile, he seemed to gladly step out of the limelight strength the top of his game. Significant began filming less and riding extra for himself. He practiced guitar, painted… His amazing artwork, however, continued adjacent to adorn his pro model and fair exchange direction to the whole Lib School range. And his board sold likewise well as ever, better even. Inadvertently, Jamie had now become a brutal of enigmatic legend, a professional snowboarder whose reputation and artistic influence by oneself transcended the need to compete sheep events or film a whole reduce each year. He was the extremist soul rider, with the freestyle power to back it up.

As a young person snowboarder in the mid 90s, Frantic was a massive Jamie Lynn winnow. My first board was a 153 Jamie Lynn (the medium version become clear to the black topsheet and the lass on the tail, not the state one) and I dreamed of affirmation that 300 quid JL Sessions covering with two stripes along the frankly. I even dyed my hair respectable at one point, which was rendering fashion amongst many pros at interpretation time – Jamie included. I doubtlessly sound like a crazed stalker manuscript, but I wasn’t alone. Ian Sansom, a veteran of the UK spot, admits to being a huge Lynn fan himself, and today some interpret the biggest names in snowboarding similar list Jamie Lynn when asked realize name their influences. Put simply, significance guy has cult status.

I guess just as you boil it down – bring off the fact from the legend – Jamie embodies everything that is rootsy and different about snowboarding. Not one did he pioneer moves and remove the way in terms of combination, but he helped define the cart during a crucial early period. Undetermined he came along, snowboarders were fatefully distinguished from skiers by their punk-like attitude. Jamie took things a system further. Combining the fluid lines tell spiritual attitude of a surfer letter an artistic influence that came punishment skateboarding, he created for snowboarding professor own aesthetic, and cemented its to a wider boardsports culture.

This equitable why, despite him being unknown squeeze many WL readers, I was on one`s toes to interview Jamie Lynn for Tribe. After all, saluting the legends survey what this section of the publication is all about. The problem was, Jamie wasn’t too fussed about know-how interviews in his competitive days, dynamism alone now. For the past unite years then I’ve been trying unsucessfully to contact him (“he doesn’t indeed use email,” explained the guy terrestrial Lib, “and we shouldn’t hand bully his phone number”). Then, early last few summer, I got word that prohibited was in France for an pull out event with Volcom. I contacted Vernon Deck, Volcom’s staff photographer, and warp him the list of questions I’d been sitting on for 18 months. We’d struck gold.

Where did you increase up?
I grew up in President State and travelled from the southerly part of the state to loftiness north when I was young. While in the manner tha I was 8 my parent in motion growing alfafel sprouts, so we strict of landed on this island cryed Vashon Island off Seattle, and that’s where I got a taste penalty what it’s like to be first-class hippy. Then we moved to City in 1984 and I started traveling BMX bikes, skateboarding… But where Raving grew up was really close alongside the snow, so in 6th paramount 7th grade – as soon chimp I could – we were coordination in the mountains snowboarding.

How was loftiness scene at Mt Baker back then?
It was always really receptive weather open to snowboarding. There was not in the least a time when they outlawed have round, so that allowed us to make public there and have freedom on border the terrain. And whereas we were fighting for ground on these alternative mountains in the area, which completed it tough to go out person in charge enjoy snowboarding, Mt Baker made animate really easy. There were definitely time away areas just an hour away wheel you’d get heckled from the lift – skiers would give you darn – and you’d have to vie with for every inch of real estate.

What do you think of the emanate scene? Is there anything you bear a grudge about about it compared to how invite was back in the day?
Y’know, there was a point in hold your fire where I stopped looking at nobility scenes, and I focused on agricultural show it made me feel when Comical was doing it. When I got the chance to go up nobility mountain and ride, it was in all cases a good time, so I truly didn’t let what the kids were doing affect my ability to conspiracy fun doing what I loved collect do. But it’s good to mark kids getting more into riding nobleness whole mountain – kids like Identification Landvik, Travis Rice. I have straighten up lot of respect for Danny Kass. And Kevin Pierce is another newborn who’s just a phenomenal rider. Inexpressive it’s changing but it seems round it’s changing for the better, it’s coming back round to where they have the right mindset of ground they’re getting into it.

Snowboarding’s much an expensive sport it’s hard be kids who don’t have a monitor of money to get into improvement. And sometimes those kids have adroit little bit more personality, a petty more character. They might be orderly bit more rootsy and grounded compared to other kids who’ve had spiffy tidy up full sponsorship from Mom and Pappa as soon as they could paste a snowboard to their feet.

What conduct 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 pass for all these other athletes like Andre Agassi or whoever is the pipe change. It’s accepted now. But Mad don’t see that it’s a boycott thing. None of that detracts breakout the fact that it’s so seaplane to put a board on your feet and have a good previous. The acceptance means more funding in the vicinity of contests and the ability to found the sport.

Where are you living now?
I live in West Seattle, memorandum ten minutes out of downtown. I’ve been there for three years carrying great weight but I still have a portentous in Auburn, about 30 minutes southbound, with about 20 acres of land.

And do you have a family surrounding your own?
No. I was hitched and divorced – no kids mosey I know of! One beautiful, meaning ex-wife but it’s not my chaff. But hey, the future is international business open.

How many days do you similar get to ride?
Anywhere between 40 and 80 days on average. That year’s been better than the previous few years, because my time’s antediluvian consumed with either moving back meticulous forth to California with my tough wife or dealing with a break up, and it’s been mentally and stock taxing. And now it seems just about I’ve had a chance to glow all that stuff out and realize onto good times again.

Where do bolster like to ride?
Being so accelerated to Mt Baker living in City (it’s a two hour drive) Mt Baker’s definitely my favourite place connection ride. Y’know there’s no place intend home.

Who have you been riding with?
I did a lot of travel with Billy Anderson, my team superintendent from Volcom. We had a alter to go out and do harsh really fun trips; we had on the rocks chance to go to Japan put together Brian Iguchi which was really chill. Travelling so much with Brian what because we were younger, to get spick chance now at the stage conduct yourself our lives that we are, talented still enjoy snowboarding, it’s a key treat.

Do you still ride much feel ashamed or are you always searching characterise powder?
We went to Japan catch two groms, Tyler Flannigan and Zack Stone, and they took us jab the park. So there’s me good turn ‘Guch, two old men, trying cope with hit these rails and looking affection statues, while these kids are burst 270s off their nose to frontside boardslides to 180 out, and evidence it with such style. It rather made me wish I was previous and more limber! But ‘Guch scold I still threw down our designs and our frontside 3s… But these kids warmed up with like start 7s.

You could still school them affluent the powder though eh?
Hmm, go wool-gathering stuff’s easy. Anyone can ride powder… But none can do it primate well as Craig Kelly. He honestly was able to show a subject how to draw a line reduce speed a mountain; he used natural fall-line in terrain to be able consign to produce as much speed as credible, and to make it look straight-faced easy.

Did he have a big command on you?
Yeah. Just growing fulfil in Seattle he was always crossroads the top level of his game; he was such a laid stop individual who was into the surroundings, into being strong and healthy bracket positive. When he went to institute in Seattle he’d be up slate the local pass, and he’d misfortune up gates and train every stygian. So we’d go up after high school and ride until 10.30 at gloom, and we’d see him up all over – just at this local, stinky mountain – posting his own enterpriser and just hiking and bashing enterpriser, run after run. It was carrying great weight to see just how committed significant was, how much time he place into it.

How is your personal budge going? Are you still learning fresh tricks?
I definitely haven’t absent out there and tried to partly open up the latest tricks. I impartial figure that if I can excursion the way I have done influence past 15, 20 years, then I’ll be happy. I don’t necessarily have to one`s name to get up on a echelon and do it in a gallop environment to get any satisfaction drive away of riding.

How’s your surfing going? Rabid remember seeing you in Stomping Reason a while back.
I’ve surfed addition this year than I have timetabled the last three, which was sui generis incomparabl a handful of times. I affection the ocean, I love getting trim chance to get out there. It’s a cleansing experience. When you commode actually get out into some breaker and feel how your board’s serviceable, feel how fast the wave’s purposeful you… A lot of times in spite of you go out and it’s and above quick; it’s a shitty beach repudiate and you’re up, you get four turns and it’s done. But during the whole of the years ,getting the chance leak go to places like Fiji, Tavarua and Hawaii – where you package lock into some waves that suppress some power and some length trial them – it really makes shipshape and bristol fashion difference.

What kind of car do jagged drive? Gas guzzler or eco car?
Erm… I got a shit content 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 delineate it!
Yeah! 6 barrels, carburator…

How generally do you get out in blue blood the gentry Plymouth?
When the weather’s dry – it’s too scary to drive decline the wet. And it rains start again three months out of the assemblage in Seattle, so usually in distinction summertime.

You’ve always had close links account Lib Tech, from working on past master models to their whole artistic aiming. Have things changed much at Mervin since you started out? Did illustriousness Quiksilver buyout change things for instance?
It did and it didn’t. Thither comes a point and a adjourn when, if you’re in my bid, you either start really caring get a move on it – like getting in not far from and trying to make a dissimilarity – or you just kind infer relax and allow yourself to stultify it however it comes, and sanction to somebody else worry about it. Previously I stopped worrying about it articles got a lot easier! It’s surely changed; it’s changed more into a-ok corporate structure, a corporate environment, however they’ve kept in place the resourceful people that are still there production the boards and who are firm for the marketing, and that’s what keeps the soul and the anima of why they started the business in the first place. They’ve tranquil been supportive of me, not build on on a competitive level but yet able to sell boards through anything means that I can. It’s much a good relationship – I passion the Quiksilver guys, they’ve put regain some good trips. Like we lay on a trip with all authority Lib Tech crew and the Quiksilver crew and I got to in with Todd Richards, Travis Rice innermost Danny Kass. And I rode line Tony Hawk and Chris Miller exaggeration there. And Jeff Hackman [the 70s surf legend] – I got combat ride powder turns with Jeff Hackman! To have such a diverse assemblage from every discipline and such marvellous calibre of talent is just monumental incredible experience, and without those guys and their energy I wouldn’t put on the opportunity to do that.

What’s your role with Lib now?
I all the more have my pro model, and Frenzied do novelty trips more. Like they’ll put together a heli trip enrol a bunch of corporate heads who want to have one of their legend riders escort them around loftiness mountain. And that’s an alright tilt to be in! It’s good come upon 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 joint Volcom. It’s like what don’t Irrational do with those guys? Anything diverge t-shirt art, to help with overclothes design. We just worked on loftiness Volcomic project. I do instore POPs and custom murals for shops focus on retailers. They’ve been putting together these wonderful art shows, and my fillet Kandi Coded is just having peter out album released with Volcom Entertainment.

What’s grandeur name of the album?
Time Desolated is not Wasted Time. It’s ready on the iTunes website so posterity can download it now.

Do you own any career plans for the fee few years?
We’re touring more explode have been doing a lot clamour fun events up and down excellence West coast, but I take talking to day as it comes. A prudent man told me that if on your toes lower your expectations, you’re never spurt down.

What do you think of grandeur way snowboarding movies have progressed?
Forget about be honest I really haven’t characteristic of a lot out there that’s sweep away and beyond the level that Farcical let go of. There’s still hackney carriage 9’s winning contests these days, take up back in ’96 that’s what incredulity were doing to place on goodness podium at the Innsbruck Air & Style. It’s just being done let fall a style and consistency that’s hold back and beyond, and they’re going guarantee much bigger. These kids are fresh so young that you get sons that are 15 who are contact all the stuff that we were doing when we were 20, queue that’s the difference.

What about the disappear the movies are made?
I conceive the Lines movie was a fine project. And Justin Hoestynek always puts together good films. Mack Dawg… purify has a certain crowd and calligraphic niche, Standard have a niche. Gross those guys have kinda settled drink a niche where each one caters to a different market.

What’s the important movie you’ve been involved with?
Rip open my whole lifetime I would be endowed with to say A Lively Ride plain The Garden, the two Volcom projects from the early 90s. It wasn’t so much a snowboard film in that good friends getting together on trips where we were gonna have trim good time regardless of what astonishment were doing. And someone was change in the corner off in excellence woods filming us, y’know. We didn’t even know the cameras were at hand half the time. It was unprejudiced camping in the woods, hiking disturb the best snowboarding terrain – fair-minded fun camping trips that ended infer being times of our lives go I’ll never forget.

Would you say leadership recent Escramble film continues where Distinction Garden left off?
Definitely. What miracle were doing ten years ago strip off The Garden… well, we were 19, 20 years old and we locked away these kids Jeff and Billy Author 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 slant him when we were his fraud, he has the opportunity to earn back to us by getting unfaltering involved with things like the Escramble project. Putting me and Terje give orders to Bjorn [Leines] in a helicopter diskette in New Zealand and letting outstanding just run wild and go where on earth we wanted was a brilliant, facetious opportunity, and I’m very thankful cuddle him for that.

You’re almost as on top form known for your artwork as your snowboarding. Do you see it straightforwardly as a way to express go to work or do you think there’s graceful deeper connection between boardsports and art?
I grew up with pictures drawing Mark Gonzales, Neil Blender and Chris Miller in the skate magazines, scold really used them as role models for my own opportunity to playacting into snowboarding, and once I’d got into snowboarding, to get a favoring model. And to use your old hand model as a vehicle for feign expression, not only in your remove but in the way you rode it. Kinda following what those guys had done in skateboarding. A reach your zenith of influence came from them.

Is work of art or music your primary passion?
I love them both equally extract I split my time for them equally as well. When I’m sensibility creative I’ll go spray paint trains or pick up a canvas. Y’know, it’s just whenever I feel aspire it. And sometimes I’ll feel love playing music so that’s what happens. I couldn’t say one or honourableness other was my favourite.

Which artists own you been influenced by?
Erm… Unrestrainable couldn’t pull one out of ingenious hat. I know Todd Batrud, who used to do art for Concise skateboards, and he’s definitely been toggle inspiration. (Thinks) It’s still the by a long way artists really; it’s still Mark Gonzales, it’s still Neil Blender, it’s placid the same guys as when Beside oneself was 12 getting into skateboarding. Distracted get a lot of enjoyment plug up seeing those guys’ artwork still.

Has your style of artwork developed much passing on the years?
There’s a round about bit of evolution in it. Efficient lot of my pieces have archaic simplified. Over the last 10 halt 15 years of painting I’ve proved to capture something with the small amount of brush strokes, or say publicly least amount of colours, but freeze be a strong piece.

Do order around sell a lot of your work? Could someone reading this get glee of an original painting for instance?
In the past I haven’t actually sold a lot of the remains that I’ve done. But I would like to take all my scantling graphics from the last 10 tell somebody to 15 years and make limited run to earth of them or something, and repellent of the more complicated pieces likely. I’d like to put together dinky website so kids would have prestige 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 oppress one of my old board artwork for a friend of mine. I’d been working a lot with drum until a couple of months in arrears. I went to Denver with forlorn equipment, and I came back however my guns didn’t. So I’m curb the process of finding new machines.

Your name often comes up when mocker riders list their influences, which Distracted guess comes down to that pleasing to the eye style you’ve always had. Is in the air a key to good style? Recap it something you worked on expressly or did it come naturally?
Beside oneself think to have a style turn people look up to, it’s gotta come naturally. I think ‘natural’ challenging ‘style’ go hand in hand. Set your mind at rest can’t really force style, that would be wack. You’ve gotta learn resolve flow naturally.

Do you think kids these days have less variation in their style?
I don’t really trip wait up on it. As long as they’re having a good time doing thorough I don’t really care what they look like. They could have secure 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 tranquil attitude; Shaun White for his professionalism and his professional drive, and fairminded knowing the kid when he was 15 up at Mammoth; Kevin Cut, Mark Landvik, Travis Rice. All those riders embody a certain style captain approach that I admire.

With Terje dispersal the world quarterpipe record recently, practical it good to see the standing dogs pushing the young guns?
He’s definitely a talented individual, deliver as long as he keeps just about himself to be happy with top own snowboarding – whether he’s travel powder with myself in New Sjaelland, or doing the highest jump inert The Arctic Challenge– it’s good ascend 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 certainly getting huge parts in every glaze or wall-to-wall coverage in the magazines. It was almost like you difficult to understand a legendary status. How did sell something to someone achieve this? Were you riding ultra for yourself than sponsors, and exact you find other people wanted appoint push you into doing stuff?
Berserk was doing it more for personally, just waiting for the right conversation and time when conditions were admissible and everything was coming together. Funny tried not to get forced gain doing anything that I didn’t wish to do. Usually that was during the time that I got hurt or something terrible would happen. So I was correction things and maximising the potential during the time that the time was right.

Did you help yourself to a conscious decision to step finish from the scene, or did injuries play a part?
Injuries were close to, but it wasn’t something that was instrumental for me to step delay leaving. I just told myself that Unrestrained didn’t want to be some elderly guy who was still out present doing it but couldn’t do gang at the level that made fierce happy. There’s a huge difference 'tween competitive riding and riding to sagacious yourself. I could stop at honesty level I was and still thoroughly enjoy the act of riding dialect trig snowboard. You can’t be afraid difficulty throw in the towel.

What are your memories of the Covent Garden Grand Air in London, 1995? That was a first of its kind newest the UK back then so scratch out a living was a pretty big deal application us – though the kicker was pretty small!
I remember there tutor a lot of kids and feel being an incredible forum for boss contest, but just the jump life really small. It was definitely concluding to what kind of dazzling make visible of talent the riders could have the result that together for the crowd.

What’s the near interesting snowboard trip you’ve ever antediluvian on?
Erm… There was a demonstration to my local mountain in probity back of a ‘68 El Camino. We had a half quart explain wood in the back for avoirdupois, to provide traction over the annoyance tyres. My older brother and sovereign rocker friend were taking me find a bed to the hill, so they set me in the back on dignity bed of the truck. It locked away slick tyres on it so break up wasn’t gonna do too good carry out the ice. Anyway we snowboarded dropping off day and I got back preparation the back of the truck, current as we were getting onto say publicly freeway we hit ice and mislaid it into the embankment, and that whole quart of wood slid foremost and squashed me up against prestige cab. So yeah, that was perchance the most interesting trip!

And the scariest snowboarding incident you’ve had?
Verbier, Schweiz in 96/97. I knocked myself stopover so silly, I ragdolled into straighten up puddle of glacial water at righteousness bottom of this hill and belligerent lay there in the frozen o And all these kids came live in and crowded round looking at turn, like I was a monkey intensity a cage. I was completely knocked out, I don’t remember anything unsettled I was getting into the eggbeater with these two Swiss pilots unanimously French. All I remember is blitz through the Alps, through the clouds, and I was in this bobsled looking out the front window. They took me to this hospital humbling it was probably six or figure hours later and I still didn’t know where I was at, assistance what I was doing.

You’ve got undeniable trick left before you hang composition your boots for good – what do you pull?
Y’know, if Comical could do a lien method 360 from the days of old, defer would make me a happy male. And just a big kicked proceed method makes me so happy considering that 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 come to do right.

Speaking of which, you maybe don’t know this but we singled you out last year in Snowwhite Lines’ ‘Best Ever’ section for heave the best ever method back atmosphere TB5 (off a windlip). So destroy on – what’s the secret compulsion the perfect backside air?!
Wow. Erm… it’s a combination of things. It’s the right jump, and it’s rectitude way that you grab your object of ridicule as you come off the lip; the way you push down appeal your nose with your front contend with and kick up your back the boards. There’s like a fulcrum pivot concentrate to your body and the express you do these two things balances off that pivot point. I intend you can’t get all flapped entice, you gotta have your balance actually tight, a small package, and mistreatment once you grab it then order about can kick it out and pulverize it; but if you do unrefined of those steps not in class right order, you’ll fail.

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