Ever wondered what’s in the minds of two of the most creative rippers when it comes to putting a Burton movie together? Or what’s it like to direct and perform stunts at the same time for such a project? Well, we did. So we sat down with Niels Schack and Ylfa Runarsdottir and talked about their involvement in the making of “Blooom”. It was, without a doubt, one of the most anticipated films, and it did not disappoint. A picture that doesn’t come without any pressure in the making. Expressing your artistic approaches and sensibilities under such a corporate umbrella is always quite tricky. Let alone the fact that you’re riding some pretty dangerous spots while doing it. Lately, these two have been thriving when evolving in this puzzling equation. We were curious to know more about their state of mind. To explore their visions and challenges about it all, we focused on talking about one of their major trips from last winter, Japan. This is “the art of ripping” interview with Niels and Ylfa.

 

INTERVIEW: JUSTIN DUTILH

PHOTOS: JEROME TANON

ARTWORK: NIELS SCHACK

 

Can you tell us what this movie is you’re making and how it came together?

Niels: We were all in NYC together, and we never really met each other before. A lot of us had been on Burton but not at round-table events. This one was like a team-building experience. We were kind of all hanging out, with a lot of new riders, and when I looked at all these people, I realized that “I really like them, but have never filmed with them” apart from Maria (Thomsen) and Luke (Winkelman) at the time. That trip was kind of crazy. It was like entering a realm of the American dream. We were in GO carts, we were drinking, and there were pool parties and all. It was ridiculous. It was this little vacation of vices and fun times. After that, I realized that it was the first time I felt like the team was a team in the street people. Before, it was like a couple of street kids and the Burton team. And for once, I was like, “Oh wait, we are like a crew of people under the same umbrella now”. It felt like they brought us together, and we were like the street kids. It was really nice, and after seeing “Hot Coco” where they absolutely slayed it, we started chatting with Ylfa and Maria about maybe filming together. Then, I got a little obsessive and took the lead by using this energy to do something new that season. I was doing similar things for the last few years and wanted to get back into this directing role. “Goodbye Horses” was such an artistic experience that I was excited after “Wop” to do something more classic and just bring all the stuff I had learned into something edgy but also popular. 

I wanted to have all these kids come to have fun and go on this kind of road trip adventure where we would continue this New York utopic experience into the “real world”. People got pretty excited and even started shooting before the big trips we were planning on doing. We kind of lost control in the beginning. But these early trips were very good because nobody really knew each other, so it was good to do a little trial run before we all went to Japan. So by the time we got there, Ylfa and I were like, “OK, we’re ready”. Ylfa and I arrived in Japan first, and we had a week together before the rest of the crew kind of spiced in until we were 11 in a van.

 

Sounds spontaneous but well thought out at the same time. What was your mentality when you jumped into that first trip to Japan?

Ylfa: It was good that we went earlier to do a bunch of spot-checking before the whole gang arrived. First, because it’s crucial to spot-check when you’re there. It’s part of the full experience. Also, apart from Jesse, maybe Niels and I are the most experienced in the streets, so we were keen to do the dirty work in a way. So after scoping the area we already had a couple of spots in mind, so the rest of the crew had something to go off of when they dropped in. I think we went to a spot on the very first day when they arrived, and that’s quite rare on a street trip. 

 

Straight from the start of that trip, it seemed like you two were already directing the movie in this way.

Y: Yeah, I think so, at least like with direction, and then people were all Google mapping and finding what they want and stuff. And to not have sort of loose vision in a country where you get kicked out two out of three spots is really important. 

 

“Death abides if the spot is not found."

- Niels

 

Did you ever feel like Niels was directing you or the others as riders/actors in his movie?

Y: I think so, yeah. Maybe not at the spot, but some of us would actually take the lead in general just to get things going. Because with a big crew, it’s good to have a director, but it was always like in the flow. I would say it was co-directed by everyone, but Niels was the heart and soul.

 

It sounds like a lot of pressure for one person, especially for a Burton project. How was it putting together something different from their usual stuff?

N: I think the interesting concept behind this is merging people from different backgrounds. I think energy drink sponsors have curated their visuals to look a certain way, and often these riders kind of stayed together and don’t really branch out. It was kind of nice to have all these kids who are often well surrounded to be with people like us who are often only surrounded by our friends. We never had a coach. We never had people take care of our flights. We both came from different schools. We put the more “competition kids” in this sort of DIY upbringing environment. It was also cool for us to see how good snowboarders they are. It was sort of an exchange like, for example, Grace (Warner), who is amazing at snowboarding, lacks enormously that kind of ignition you need that Ylfa has. I’m speaking of the “finding the spot at all cost” spirit. Death abides if the spot is not found.

 

No coach will do it for you…

N: Nobody is going to. If you take Ylfa and Grace, I think Grace had a huge learning curve. She will probably only realize in a couple of years how much this trip will open her mind to what it means to street snowboard. And it nearly has anything to do with snowboarding. It has to do with everything else. Telling ten people that you should go left instead of right because you have a feeling is a complicated thought process. To trust your instinct, try a spot and then learn how to ride it, eat shit, laugh, try again, and support your friends… All these sorts of things, where everybody has different ways of learning, were some of the most complicated but also the most rewarding aspects of this trip. 

I think Ylfa had a hard time also because we care a lot about what we do. Some people earn more money than others, and things can become a little more difficult when you’re on the other side of the world and committing yourself to a project. There was a lot of very heartfelt discussion, and it was something punk about this project to a certain extent. It puts people together regardless of how stupid things like “skier and snowboarders can’t hang out with each other” can be. Small codes can be broken down slowly by having people being friendly, getting together, and simply enjoying their company.

 

So you’re saying merging people coming from the competition world and the street kids was something punk about this project? It’s a very interesting way of seeing things. Punk has always been so much associated with confrontation and the clash of different cultures.

N: Maybe not punk, but on edge. This mix felt more like an experiment than a punk experience. I just want to use the term punk for Ylfa. *laughs*

 

“When I see the color of a building or a rail, I can get so much more attached to that spot if it matches my energy.”

- Ylfa

 

Y: *laughs* Yes, it’s also cool when the age gap is quite big too. I think some of them are quite younger than us and they got a lot from these trips. Not that they couldn't figure out some things themselves, but they did figure out a bunch following how we process in the streets. It felt like it was very appreciated how experienced and organized we are when it comes to filming street snowboarding. Many people see a snowboard street movie and claim they can do it without knowing much about the process. It’s quite punk to see that come to life in real. And some of them got to see it raw from the base of it.

 

Yeah, I guess they switched from the “standing on the side of kicker” coaches to the “eatshit in the street” coaches with you guys. Cool stuff. I’d like to talk art with you two a bit. Ylfa, you’ve been discussing focusing on colors while picking your spots to ride a few years back. How did that come through when you started filming with Niels Shack, the painter? 

Y: I think he and I are going to do a lot of stuff together. We had never filmed together before this trip, but it felt like we had done it our whole life. I could find spots for him, and he could find spots for me. We see the vision of how each other sees in a way. We can also clear the vision when it’s not even there. *laughs* We’re both big dreamers. Sometimes, we’re super optimistic, like this time when we got Niels on the roof of an apartment building in Japan full of people. Everyone knew it was not going to work. We were going to get kicked out, but we still sent him three times to build the spot. And when we finally got to hit it, we took one shovel and got kicked out right away. We’re kind of dreamers, and we know it, and that’s why it works well between us.

 

I imagine this spot was beautiful in both of your minds, and it would look amazing on camera, so you both thought it was totally worth the try.

Y: It was this kind of thing where we could understand each other. In my heart, I know that there is a ninety-eight percent chance that he’s not going to be able to hit this spot, but I want this two percent to be so true that we would put in all the work. Just because if it is going to work, it’s going to be magic. 

 

True, and you want magic.

Y: Yes, and I think the same goes for searching for colors. I kind of just see life in colors, not only in spots. I like to see colors on people, on my feelings, and on my behaviors. Since I was a kid, I’ve always been fascinated by colors and auras. I think that’s why when I see the color of a building or a rail, I can get so much more attached to that spot if it matches my energy. I like bright and fun. Sometimes snowboarding seems so serious, so when you come across a green roof and get so excited about it, you’re like a little kid again. It’s like if you’re in this “Wes Anderson fantasy world” where if you ride on this green thing, then you’ll be green for the rest of the day. It’s quite magical to be that kind of childish. You completely control yourself to be childish. You know how ridiculous it is, but it makes you feel good, so you just go for it. I would definitely skip five spots just to do my little green rail because it’s green, and I feel like green today. I’m very childish in that way. I like to do what I like and not what I think I have to do. That’s why working with Niels is so sick because he gets it. He understands. He also has that artistic mentality where the reward of that feeling is so much better than the trick. I’m talking about the reward of that feeling from the moment you see this color to the moment when it comes to life. Is there a way to hit this? Is there even speed? We will make it work. I need it to work because that’s my color today. Not everyone understands that…

 

That’s amazing.

N: That’s very heartwarming to hear. I guess we never talked like that.

 

You never discussed these artistic approaches of snowboarding while filming on this filming trip? Or was it just somehow obvious between you?

N: No, I think there was a lot of humor, like we would see a pink spot, and like fifteen minutes later, she would be like: “But that pink, you know!” *laughs*

Y: *laughs* Yeah, I would bring it up.

N: It’s not like we don’t talk about it. We would talk about it all the time but not intellectualize too much like you would in the aftermath. The obsession can be amazing and inspiring, but it can also be too much sometimes.

 

“The obsession can be amazing and inspiring, but it can also be too much sometimes.”

- Niels

 

 

N- *laughs* Yeah, it’s just like following the green on her vibe. She’s just so excited to ride. I think that’s what I like the most. You can be scared, but the more you let fear in and let it along, the more it disperses among the members. It’s like Ylfa said: there was some experience in that crew. In each of them, if there was some inexperience, we would share it and get really nice feedback. It would create this nice panel of push that was needed. 

Arthur (Couvat) wanted to shoot a lot of not-too-snowboarding-oriented clips. We would have artsy ideas in mind, like riding down a street or something. And everybody was super receptive and eager to do things differently. Honestly, since we knew we wouldn’t have enough time to have a lot of tricks, people were kind of down. If they saw one or two spots that they would really want, we would make it work, and the rest was kind of searching for fun.

 

It seems like you tried to enjoy the trip as much as possible and have a healthy balance between heavy spots and lighter ones, let’s say. Maybe searching for that mix somehow brings the ingredients for you to send it more. Ylfa, you manifestly went over the roof on that trip! What do you think happened here? I remember reading you on these very pages that you were always aiming to film fun spots to ride on rather than stressing about picking gnarly stuff.

N: Hot Coco happened…

Y: *laughs* I think I’ve just come to that place where those things are not as gnarly as I would see them back then when I did that interview. When you get more experience, a gnarly spot might not feel as gnarly as something very technical, for example. Sometimes, I’m less scared of hitting something that’s really big rather than something that’s really hard. It all comes down to how we grow as humans and what gnarly means to you.

I don’t like to feel gnarly. I like adrenaline, but I don’t like being scared. If I’m not scared of something, it’s not gnarly in my head, you know. If I see the vision clearly and know what I want to do, then I am choosing the spot that’s fun to ride. Even if it might look gnarly for someone else, it’s still something that I so clearly see that it’s not gnarly for me. To this day, I don’t feel like forcing things. When you see that people are scared, you usually don’t see the same outcome. It doesn't look the same. It feels forced. It’s never been my goal, and it still isn’t, even if I’m hitting bigger stuff. That’s not my intention, and I’m still calm when I do it.

 

What do you think of that, Niels? You know a thing or two about mixing fun and flowy spots with gnarlier ones.

N: I think it comes down to taking over this sort of duality between craziness and pragmatism. Sometimes, I see the stuff that I ride as gnarly, and I do like that sort of “death-defyingness” to spots. But as the puzzle kind of comes together, and when I find a spot that really ignites the fire in me, then a more pragmatic person takes over and leaves that crazier person aside. That’s when I put all the things to let my body do the work rather than my mind. I would identify all these mind pieces that would stress me and make me scared and place them as little totems, you know. 

For the past four years, I really have found this sort of emptiness where I just trust a little more that I will have the right speed or that it will simply work. I let go and trust my instincts more. So the moment I drop, I get it, and then it gets in this flow. I ride really fast as well. The idea is to fulfill the mission. However, I am still scared right until my very first drop. Then there’s so a lot of information that comes from that first try, and today, I can put the formula together way quicker than before. Landing can take quite a bit of time, of course. There’s so much going on. 

We gained a lot of confidence while filming the WOP movies, too. This ease has made me enjoy snowboarding so much more. I was like really, really scared before that. I always felt anxious, with my stomach always ticking. I feel less like that now, especially since I’ve been allowing myself to say no. I used to go to a spot, and it was either death or I would get it. Since I hurt my knee, I don’t feel bad to decide not to do a spot even if I built the whole thing. I’m also less angry than I used to be. I used to like wanting to get to the top, climb the ladder, and make it as a professional snowboarder. Now, I don’t feel the same anger, and I’m also enjoying myself a tad more and pushing myself less. It’s the drawback of these things. 

 

Y: And just like with other stuff in life, Niels, you can be very present. You are like a little Yogi, doing things in the flow for spot choices and stuff like that. I don’t think you fully know if you will hit the spot. If it’s gonna happen, it happens, and the flow kind of comes. That’s really charming. I noticed that you would get stressed out and start breathing from up there while being in the director’s role, but never when you start snowboarding. You are the kind of person who wants everyone else to feel good before you do. It’s a very beautiful trait for other people you have, but for yourself, it can be harmful when you put others first. I think that’s how you are in your everyday life, and that’s when you would stress. With snowboarding, you can take this space for you, and you can tell that you’re there and you’re enjoying it. You’re comfortable and in your element because you’re calm. Snowboarding calms you.

N: True.

 

It feels like you both meet in the things you’re looking for in snowboarding, and it’s nice to hear. It also seems to be working well because you bloom and do beautiful crazy shit with your snowboards. What’s the role of the camera crew in this search of this filming serenity?

N: It’s major. For this project, I tried to figure out who we should film with and quickly called Colt (Morgan), whom I had met a couple of times while joining the Dustbox. He’s very sensitive, gentle, and thoughtful, and I connect with him. He instantly embarked on the project and was receptive, which was heartwarming. So everybody was thrilled when I told everyone he was down. Also, I asked Arthur, a Parisian friend who’s like a video director in advertising, to come along and shoot some 16mm. He’s always been asking me for the past ten years to come film snowboarding but never knew if he was serious about it. It turns out he was and joined the crew along with Jerome (Tanon), the best photographer in the world, and Blotto (Dean Blotto Gray) joined for a few days as well.

 

“The relationship between the art of filming and the art of snowboarding can be so fragile. If it doesn’t feed off each other, it doesn’t work. ”

- Ylfa

 

 

Y: Yes, it’s crucial. I discovered how amazing Colt is as a filmer. He sees everyone. Even if he sometimes doesn’t like the spot, he will always trust the vision of the rider. He’s there for you either way, and he’s there, honestly. Some filmers are there, but not honestly, you know. They’re holding a camera and putting up a face, but they’re not there for you. Also, he doesn’t want to push you, but if he knows it’s genuine, he will, and he will do it very, very gently. He’s a carrying person. With that crew where everyone is so strong-minded, and as an artist with a strong vision as well. Just like a chameleon, he always finds ways to work around the rider's plans or thoughts, putting his own view into that without clashing with anyone. The relationship between the art of filming and the art of snowboarding can be so fragile. If it doesn’t feed off each other, it doesn’t work. 

N: So true. And that goes on to Jerome as well. He’s just a glue that can bring everybody to a constant uplifting. He always has the right distance between the moment and what we’re living to make any experience just how it is and not this emotional rabbit hole or something. It was really nice when Blotto showed up. It was so generous the two together. They would really take different angles and different vibes. They had so much fun talking about their subject. We were like their study. It was fun to witness. I’m the biggest fan of Jerome as a friend, person, and artist. He uplifts, he puts his heart in, and at the same time, he’s so professional. He’s kind of like the director but always in the shadows. He answers questions that no one dares to ask or propose. 

Y: He’s the unfiltered kid in the back seat but with all the wisdom. *laughs* He’ll say whatever he’s thinking if it’s accurate. He’s the funniest guy. You know these types of friends when you meet them, and they're immediately your best friends, and you have inside jokes you don’t even know what they’re about anymore. That’s Jerome. You just know.

N: Also, it was interesting to see how both filmers Arthur and Colt positioned themselves in sort of this “gonzo” journalism/second angle/what the fuck was he doing there kind of vibe.

Y: Yeah, and it was so refreshing to have someone filming that had worked so much on sets and stuff but never in snowboarding, really. He was the person who would make us realize how crazy we are sometimes and would just bring us back to basic things like to go eat something, you know. Or go relax in the onsen instead of turning around for hours in a van full of riders scoping for spots and not finding any. You know how things can be tense on street trips when everyone is exhausted and with crazy work ethics where we can never stop. If we get a clip, we just want to get another one and would easily forget to enjoy here and now. So he really contributed to that, and that was pretty cool. He was fully in for it but contributed with a “take a step back and enjoy this because we’re in Japan” mentality.

N: He made fun of us, too. You can see how far we’ve become between actually snowboarding and actually thinking we’re snowboarders. He absolutely saw that delusional side of it and kind of like respected us for it. In a very humorous way, he made us feel appreciated, and at the same time, he would make us feel fucking crazy. Which is like a nice place to be to have a laugh. And we laughed a lot.

 

 

Cool to hear how a caring and light-hearted media crew can help in the bonding of a crew and the general success of a project. Okay, well, it’s been a very nice chat, and I think we can wrap it up here. The last words are yours:

N: I mean, thank you for keeping being interested and pushing up. So happy you suggested this conversation because it’s kind of what this project is, anyway. I don’t feel like it’s a directing Niels Shack movie. Even if it was our idea, I kind of led the idea to where people trusted me to take it. 

 

Y: You know how you talk about dreams, and you say things like: “That would be sick!” and nothing happens after that. Well, it was so cool that Niels stepped up and took the role that needed to be filled by one of us. None of us were ready to do it. It’s a lot of work. So thank you for doing that, Niels. I had the trip of my life and will always remember my first time in Japan and shit. This was amazing.

 

 

WATCH BLOOOM HERE!