Peter Line. It might sound like a cliche, but this man literally needs no introduction. Arguably the most influential snowboarder in history. Raised by chipmunks. No big deal. We squirted some ketchup on his face. Read, you will like.

Hey Peter, what the hell are you doing these days?
I’m still doing the snowboarding thing during the winter. Eddie Wall and I are actually putting out a free movie we did with some friends. We called it The Peddie Files. It will be available at the end of October.

Where are you based now and how do you spend your time away from the hill?
I’m still here in Seattle. I live right downtown, so it's pretty nice during the summers, everything is in walking distance or super easy to grab a quick cab. The summer weather is amazing here and not the usual rain we get 9 months of the year. Right now it's 75 degrees and sunny outside. Beautiful. As for my time off the hill, I started working a bit more with the Foursquare branding and design. I started doing a lot more photography, shooting some fun and funny shoots for magazines. I have been working on some art stuff for a show I want to do, e.g. photos and paintings. I just had a small art show with my friend in LA last week and that went well and was super fun. So, I guess I am staying busy.
You have been described as one of the most influential riders in the history of snowboarding, how does that make you feel?
It makes me feel honored and appreciated on two fronts. One, that I was able to give back to snowboarding after all it had given me, and two, that the snowboard community actually liked what I brought to the table. Whether it was from my video parts, my view on tricks or my style off the slopes with companies I helped start, add ideas or graphics, snowboarding has taught me a lot in my years riding; it feels good to have helped influence the sport in, hopefully, a good way. There have been many who influenced snowboarding, in not such good ways, in my eyes.

You came back after essentially quitting snowboarding to film a full part a few years ago. How was it to get back in the game?
It felt really good, through those years that I had "retired" I still rode a lot, but riding chairlifts didn’t give me the opportunity to hit big jumps and try new tricks that I had always been thinking about. After a few years of this, I was motivated again to get out there and film. I had been burned out on filming for so long before that, it felt good again to do it.
  What was it like riding with the next generation of rippers and who do you think is killing it?
It was great. The kids are awesome these days, actually really respectful too, which is a good indication of how long they’re going to be on the team. No matter how good someone may ride, if their attitude isn’t there, they won’t last. These past years, I’ve been really impressed with Austen Sweetin. He’s a kid that rides my local hill, but it seems he stepped it up big time within the last year and a half. He has a genuine love for snowboarding too, which is a huge key to staying on top.
You have been around for ages, do you still get respect from the kids or do they think you’re a burned-out has-been?
Ha, I get respect for being a burned-out has-been who’s still around! One of these days, I’m going too be older than the parents of some of these kids I’m still riding with.
Do kids still recognize you when you shred the hill?
Maybe at my home mountain, because they know I ride there and have seen me before. But other hills not so much anymore, maybe some of the older guys.

How much are you still involved with Forum since Burton bought the company?
Not as much now, I’ve done some board graphics and designed a few accessories through the years. I don’t go to the offices as much since the acquisition. I am getting more involved in the Foursquare side of things coming up.
You've seen a lot of trends come and go, what are some of the ones that should be forgotten?
Trends are pretty fun; they keep things alive and interesting, no matter how stupid. I’m not into the loose binding shove-it thing, that seems a little too razor scooter-ish for me. The baseless bindings didn’t make sense to me either, they just made it harder to mount onto your board.
You were heavily involved in progressing snowboarding a decade ago, what do you think of the progression going on nowadays?
I’m all for progression, who am I to say what is wack and what isn’t. When I came onto the scene as a kid, some older riders were harshing on my tricks saying they were hucky and shit, but that’s the way things start out, looking desperate. But after things get dialed in and smoothed out, those hucky tricks start looking really sick. I never thought a 1260 could ever look smooth. Well, I was wrong. Kids are killing it and most importantly keeping the style there. Style dictates progression, it can be a hard trick but if it looks wack, it won’t be part of snowboarding for long.
Is it true ESPN fired you for doing too many weird interviews at the X-Games?
I guess I got "let go" is how you can put it. I broke my arm and couldn’t compete one year, so they had me do interviews of riders before they dropped in at the top of the pipe or slopestyle. I was always bored with the same ol’ questions like "are you nervous? What’s your plan of attack? etc", so I asked a few people of my own questions. I had a Gatorade bottle full of vodka and got personal with my friends before their runs. I didn’t psych anyone out, just asked them about if they get the nervous pees, or if they feel their ugly jacket is going to get them more points, that’s all!

This year you spent some time with Danny Kass and the Dingo in an Indian reserve in Montana, what were you doing there?
I was invited to go out with those guys for an episode of the Danny & Dingo show, a TV show on Fuel TV over here. It was amazing; we slept in a cold-ass teepee in the middle of winter for a week. We went and did Indian games with the natives on the reservation, went riding at Big Mountain. It was crazy fun... I’m not good at riding horses.
Would you rather have sex with a Koala bear once and nobody would ever find out or suck off a lizard and have everybody find out?
The only reason why people don’t have sex with animals is because some person said it is bad and made it against the law. That, and it's rape, unless, of course, the animal consents.

Is it true that you rode with no baseplates in your bindings for 3 years because you were paranoid that you were starting to grow too quick?
Never heard that rumor!
What are your plans for rest of summer?
I just got back from a Forum team trip to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, which was super fun and also served as my summer vacation trip. Now I just have to sit here and type out interviews and columns and deal with all the shit I let go throughout my traveling. I left my dog in the car for two months, but he had plenty of food and water so he should be fine.

And winter, do have you any rad projects in the pipeline?
I think Eddie Wall and I are going to do another project this year, but hopefully we'll start filming sooner and more seriously than this winter. The movie is cool, but it was our first, so I think now that we know what needs to be done etc, next year's will be pretty fun.
Thanks mate, what are some words of wisdom you can pass onto any fellow snow shredders?
Boys: dance with girls, it's easier than pick-up lines.
Girls: short guys pay more attention to your pleasure.


 

Photos courtesy of Forum Snowboards www.forumsnowboards.com