10 years in business. Evgeny Ivanov: a good rider is an old rider

This year, from March 29 to April 7, one of the largest snowboarding festivals Quiksilver New Star Camp will celebrate its 10th anniversary at the Rosa Khutor resort in Sochi. In its honor “Championship” launches a series of materials “10 years in business”. Each story is a story of a pro rider’s formation, a memory of “how it was then” and an answer to the main question: what should be done today to continue to develop snowboarding in Russia and make it more popular, fashionable and attractive every day?

Most of these stories are not about Olympic gold or a career in professional sports, but they are all about love for one’s work, one’s own unique style and personal victories and overcomes on the slope. The hero of this blitz-interview is Evgeny “Jun” Ivanov, a pro rider with a well-deserved “pro” prefix, a man who loves waves and the ocean as much as he loves snowy slopes and steep turns his board can take him into.

Pro rider profile

Age: 27 years old.
Skating experience: 15 years.
Location: Nadym, Yamal Peninsula, far north.
Favorite places to ride: Novo-Peredelkino.
Favorite trick: Method grab.
Rider who inspires: Gigi Ruff.
Instagram account: @joonivanov.

First time on a board: what was it like?

It was 2004, I was cross-country skiing on the lake with my mom, and a snowmobile rushed past us with someone riding sideways on one “ski” behind it. I asked my mom: what is that? She replied that it was called snowboarding, it was very injury prone and I didn’t need to get my head around it. About less than a month later, my dad and I made me my first snowboard out of plywood.

What was it like before?

10 years ago there was more enthusiasm for snowboarding and it was more romanticized, or something. There were no elevators or rentals where I started skiing, but there was a lot of desire and interest, which helped us to go as far as possible and climb higher (meaning our hills). In general, we looked for new routes, went on hikes, which are now called by a fashionable word – ski-tour.

Where snowboarding can take you

I’m insanely grateful to snowboarding – I’ve been everywhere! I’ve traveled all over Russia as part of different video projects, as a judge of competitions, with premieres of the same projects, for master classes. I’ve traveled all over the Alps, lived in a car for six months traveling with a board in America, been to Canada, rolled out the fluffiest snow in Japan and so on. But most importantly, through snowboarding I was introduced to surfing, which in turn helped me start traveling and growing in other directions.

Avalanche on the slope. Scariest moment

In 2011 I got to shoot in big mountains for the first time, it was in Kamchatka. My first experience of real backcountry skiing. I was still very green then in terms of knowledge of mountains. We were building a ski jump, and when it was ready, our operator went to the point on the opposite side of the couloir, and halfway there was a rumble and a crack, the ground started to shake – an avalanche. I thought at the time that avalanches were only in Travis Rice’s movie.

In general, everything was like in the movies, like when a man crossing the road stops halfway when he sees a car – I stood like a stump, swore and saw my friend being carried away by the avalanche. The more experienced guys, of course, had already pulled out feelers and shovels, put the beeper in search mode and were ready to rescue the operator. Fortunately, he was lucky and stayed on the avalanche surface the whole way, and he was covered up to his neck at the bottom of the avalanche. Andrey Pirumov quickly dug him out.

Riding for motivation

People’s gratitude. I often receive messages of gratitude on Instagram or other social networks when I post my videos or photos. Motivating people to take a trip or go to the nearest slide and try something new is an incredible experience. I think that’s what we become pro riders for.

On how to develop snowboarding in Russia

To educate people, to introduce them to culture – to hold more open meetings and communicate. On different topics. Talk about different types of snowboarding, about boards. About who we are, finally. I’m less interested in the sporting component than anything else right now. I want people to know the creative side of snowboarding – the backcountry. How interesting and challenging it is. For that I need to do more video projects.

Dream ride

I would really like to go to South America, Chile for example. I’m sure it’s very interesting there, and winter is different there, and the surfing is cool. I dream of surfing in Nicaragua.

Just one piece of advice

Ride with your head! There is a saying: a good rider is an old rider.

What’s better than the mountains?

The only thing better than mountains is the ocean. And it’s better when the mountains are near the ocean. Ride wisely, travel, because traveling inspires us to do the most unexpected things!