Renaissance Rider: Shred White and Blue’s Jeremy Jones Interview

Tahoe, California (Shred White and Blue) — It’s no secret what huge Jeremy Jones fans we are around here at Shred White and Blue. From his unbelievably smooth big mountain snowboarding style to his visionary planning and implementation of the Protect Our Winters Foundation – already one of the coolest movements in action sports environmentalism – the guy’s been a hero for awhile.

But when we saw the trailer for Deeper, the turn-earned big mountain backcountry snowboard quest he’s developing with his brothers at Teton Gravity Research, we collectively said, “how does he do it all?” Then we got word that he’s about to introduce his own signature JONES Snowboard line, and had to give him a call.

Halloween Day, on his way to Antarctica, Jeremy took the time to talk. Here’s what he had to say:

Shred White and Blue: Jeremy, thanks very much for taking the time. It looks like you’ve got five different careers going right now, including being a dad, an extreme athlete, making a movie, building an action sports environmental movement, and now launching a snowboard brand? How do you stay focused on all those things, and make sure they’re all moving forward at the same time?

Jeremy Jones: It can be a little overwhelming at times but the key is the people I am surrounded by.  I have made amazing relationships over the years and I draw on those relationships to achieve success in all these different ventures. In order for my world to work I rely on a lot of people to do their job. Being a pro rider is job number one and I have no problems unplugging and losing myself in the mountains for weeks on end. This keeps me grounded and energized.

Shred White and Blue: Starting with the snowboard launch, it looks like you’ve already been riding some prototypes on some pretty big exposures – what’s different about what you’re going to bring to market? Why pick now to start a snowboard brand?

Jeremy Jones: The last few years I have had a growing desire to put more focus toward the freerider.  There are hundreds of park boards out there but a limited number of good freeride boards and I am seeing more and more people stepping away from the park and starting to explore more of the mountain. This is super important for the growth of snowboarding. We are losing a lot of older riders because all they know about is the park and they are getting sick of getting hurt so they are heading to the beach.  With this company and my new movie Deeper I hope to inspire people to keep evolving their riding.

We will have a strong focus toward freeride boards. Unlike most companies where freeriding is an afterthought, for us it is the primary focus.  This focus will hopefully lead to innovative products for people that like to ride the whole mountain – steeps, jumps, etc. and keep snowboarding.

Shred White and Blue: And I’ve got to admit that I already watched the teaser for Deeper 8 or 12 times. Not to put too much pressure on your filming for this year, but so far it looks awesome. Why does it appear so unique? What’s so different about what you’re doing?

Jeremy Jones: Hiking has always made up a large part of my winter but when it came time to film I often used heli’s and snowmobiles. These areas (where we film) have become over crowded and we had hit all the low hanging fruit.

I wanted to get back to solitude, adventure, and new descents. By hiking past boundaries set in place by helis and snowmobiles we are able to get into bigger mountains, away from people and back to first descents.

Shred White and Blue: On the environmental aspect, part of our mission here is to celebrate that inherent sense of soul and native soil in American boardsports, and we’ve drawn a lot of inspiration from what you’re doing with the Protect Our Winters Foundation. Why has this movement begun to gain so much traction?

Jeremy Jones: From the start all my energy was put toward making Protect Our Winters a legit organization. I have relied on experts in the field and 98% of the money we have raised has gone toward programs that show tangible results. Real front line programs were I can show people where their money is going and they can be confident that their money is going as far as possible to slow down climate change.

A lot of these projects are just getting completed now and are starting get some attention.  Our volunteers have really helped in are success too. Chris Steinkamp, our executive director, has been working nights and weekends the last three years keeping everything in line. I am proud to say he is now full time with Protect Our Winters and we are now expanding faster then ever on all fronts.

Shred White and Blue: Mentally and physically, what are you bringing home from all this time in the mountains?

Jeremy Jones: The mountains are my energy source. They make me the person I am and if I am away from them for to long I become lost.  So I am in this weird world where I do not want to leave my family but it is on these longer trips that I get inspiration and I bring that home and feed it to my kids.

Shred White and Blue: How are you sharing it with your children?

Jeremy Jones: I have been taking my kids into the mountains since they were born. I think my daughter’s first peak she climbed she was six weeks old because I needed to get out. Now they are getting older and starting to be part of the activities.  A day of skiing with my four-year-old is in many ways as fulfilling as a day in the backcountry for me.

Shred White and Blue: And last time we talked you said you were about to head to Antarctica – what have you got planned?

Jeremy Jones: We are focusing on the northern peninsula where the mountains rise right from the ocean. So we will be staying on a boat and riding these 2,000 to 4,000 foot peaks. The photos look promising but the weather is a crapshoot. As always we will take what the mountains give us. We will shoot a documentary about the trip and if the riding is legit a segment for Deeper.

Shred White and Blue: Thanks, man.

// Main photo by Bernhard Ritzerlow, Jermey Jones Portrait by Jeremy Jones.

POW – Protect Our Winters Sunday Shout Out

Global Snowfall (Shred White and Blue)—Just wanted to give the first official Shred White and Blue Sunday Shout Out to big mountain snowboarder Jeremy Jones’ own Protect Our Winters (POW) environmental action campaign.

There have been a lot of good marriages between action sports and the environment of late, from the OE (original environmentalist) template of the Surfrider Foundation to the mossy snow feel of the footage from Sweetgrass Productions latest films. Like them, what I like best about POW is that they are all staying so close to their grassroots.

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