“Low tide in the spring at Riksgränsen, Sweden, revealed runs full of rideable rock features that let Scott’s creative style shine.” Photo: Tal Roberts Words Ben Shanks Kindlon “ N obody knows me for this and there’s hardly any foot-age of it, but when I was younger, I used to hurt myself a lot,” Scott Stevens says. “I would chuck. I broke my back in front of Ross Powers in the Stratton [VT] ter-rain park when he was at his height. Honestly, I wanted to be a pro so bad that I didn’t care how badly I hurt myself. I had more brawn than brain at the time. But when my snowboarding changed to be a little bit more fun, that was good for my body and my mind because—wait. Hold on, Violet! There’s poop right there. OK, take your shirt off…” ing lives far from contest scenes and backcountry lines. He’s remained at the forefront of creative snowboarding, carving out such a distinct-yet-refined approach to filming video parts that even the most traditional riders can’t help but enjoy it. From improvisational one-footers to skateboard-inspired tricks, incorporating somersaults and sofas into spots, gracefully grabbing tail while pressing nose and so, so (so) much more, Scott’s list of never-been-dones runs long as a CVS receipt. By consistently shining his lighthearted light on aspirational alternatives in freestyle snowboarding, this magical Masshole has amassed quite the following. But even with all the well-deserved acclaim, at times Scott’s sensitiv-ity makes him second guess how he was lucky enough to ever go pro in the first place. He overthinks some things. For better more so than for worse, his train of thought rides on alternative tracks. That’s apparent in the way our conversation bounces from one topic to the next. It’s a midafternoon in early November. Scott is on the phone with me from his home in Portland, OR. From this end of the line, it’s unclear if the excrement is human or canine. Violet, Scott’s two-year-old daughter, has been playing around with Maddy, one of the family’s two Austra-lian shepherds. Scott’s wife, Naomi, is currently busy with Violet’s five-month-old sister, Elsie. The excitement never ends for the Stevens. It’s controlled chaos in a fun kind of way, though at times it’s more challeng-ing than it looks—very much like the snowboarding Scott has become known for. Beloved, even. When it comes to technical trick wizardry, Scott is pretty much Merlin. Gandalf. Or Harry Potter. Stevens is the boy who jibbed and has continu-ously discovered new ways to do so over a pro career that is going on 20 years. Not many people can command such sustained stature as a profes-sional snowboarder. In Scott’s case it’s all the rarer considering that his rid-SCOTT STEVENS 043
The Snowboarder's Journal The Snowboarder's Journal 20.4: Page 43
