NEW FAVORITE GUY A textbook cab 540 over Rosen’s Gap at Ste-vens Pass, WA. “This is my favorite shot ever,” Matt says. “That zone is our little playground.” Photo: Brian Schaefer “Yeah, that is what Matt would say,” Pat says. He’s quick to call bullshit with regard to Matt’s so-called luck. “He puts in the extra work, or puts a bootpack into some sneaky zone by himself, and he’ll be the guy that says, ‘Let’s leave at 4 in the morning instead of 6.’ With his overall outlook and the way that he carries himself, Matt is the humble beast. The way he works, the way he stomps, the way he always gets more pop than other people, the way he interprets terrain and jumps—he’s definitely on that level.” Pat also notes that Matt’s understated nature may be what’s held him back in the past. “The one thing about Matt that is so awesome, but could also hinder him a little, is that he’s so humble,” Pat says. “When you’re a pro snowboarder, you’ve got to kind of be your own hype man and build yourself up, talk a lot of game and then throw down. Matt has more of a Northwest approach to it: He lets his rid-ing do all the talking. I think that’s why it took people a bit longer to grasp on.” Matt hasn’t had the same financial support as some of his counterparts when it comes to traveling and filming. So he’s been paying his own way, working construction jobs every summer since he graduated from Western Washington University in 2013. Fortunately, Matt’s skills speak volumes reaching 11. He produced a standout video part for 686’s first team movie , 686 Seconds (2015), and backed it up with another in Rabbit Hole (2017). Those parts, in addition to word of mouth describing Matt as the people’s champ of the Northwest, helped convince Justin Hostynek to invite Matt to film for Absinthe Films’ Isle of Snow. “At the [Mt. Baker] Legendary Banked Slalom, Justin came up to me and was like, ‘I want to give you the golden ticket, wild card rider spot in our film this year,’” Matt says. “Justin came to Stevens and slept on my couch for a week, and we filmed together one-on-one.” Matt led Justin around his home turf and stomped several hits that would later end up in the movie before heading off to Nelson, BC and Salt Lake City to film the rest of his part. In September, Matt traveled to Europe on his first international tour with Absinthe Films. He came into Isle of Snow’s global premiere giddy with anticipation, but was ultimately shocked to see that he’d scored the shared opening part with fellow Northwest rippers Blair Habenicht and Mark Rainery. “I was in disbelief the whole time,” Matt says. “I think the music helped a lot, and Blair’s footy helped a lot too.” There he goes again—consistently quicker to talk up others before giving any credit to himself. Like a sapling becoming a full-grown Sitka spruce, Matt seems to have strengthened with age. He doesn’t seem to be letting go of that chip on his shoulder anytime soon, and his work ethic remains firmly intact. During the off-season he’s transitioning from concrete work to landscape construction, and he’ll continue spending winters filming for his next big thing. “It’d be rad to film another year with Absinthe, and I’d also really like to be a part of some Northwest-focused movies,” Matt says. Pat has even higher hopes for the humble beast. “I think the future is in Matt’s hands,” he says. “Matt can make whatever he wants out of snowboarding; he’s obviously proved that. Every time you bring him out, he brings more to the table than he takes. You just can’t lose when you have people like that.” 106 THE SNOWBOARDER’S JOURNAL
The Snowboarder's Journal frequency 17.4: Page 108
