You may remember our Nicolas Müller interview in Issue #8.1, and the subsequent Ask Nico contest. Well, Nico's a busy dude launching his new Atreebutes clothing line and all, but he found time to answer your questions. We appreciate everyone's questions, but we had to pick a winner. So, without further adieu, Chuck will be receiving a prize package from Burton Snowboards, including a backpack, t-shirt and hat, and an iFreq hat and a gun show tank top for his question on style, with reference to one of our favorite quotes to ever appear in frequency TSJ from the late Craig Kelly’s interview in Issue #2.2. Chuck, check your email, and read on for Nico's answers.
Style
Craig Kelly once described his freeriding style as a ball rolling down the terrain, naturally following the flow of the hill and spinning off the drops the way it would naturally spin. How do you envision your runs before you drop in? In other words, how would you describe your style?
- Chuck via frqncy.com
Dear Chuck! I love that description of Craig about his riding style. I would describe my style more like I am skateboarding down the hill while surfing frozen waves. Looking out for transitions, banks and drops to get technical on. Also I get to go bigger and faster opposed to on the concrete plus I can always set a sharp bottom turn.
Beyond the Contest Arena
What up Nico. I always love it when pro snowboarders decide to leave the game of contests and the "spotlight" to achieve more personal goals in snowboarding and in life. In my mind, you are that pioneer. I was curious what your game plan after snowboarding was? And how do you keep yourself stoked on snowboarding during the summer months?
- Adam via frqncy.com
Dear Adam, thank you for those nice words. After a while in the circus, you may realize that the most important ranking list to be on top is your own. I love snowboarding and every part of it. I had a blast at contests but at the moment I feel like I want to ride into the silence. I have just settled down in Grischa, southeastern Switzerland. When I am at home there’s so much that I want to do. In a while I am gonna go shred with kids, like as a mentor. Which makes me think of being a parent one day… till then, I wanna keep telling my story as a snowboarder though. But I am telling you it will be the simple life.
In the summer it is off my mind a lot, but then after a while I start day-dreaming about it again.
And the next thing you know you are at a premiere of a film broin’ out and the snow is fallin’ again. To keep the stoke I got one word…Skateboarding!
Nicolas, I've always been a huge fan of your riding and was interested to read how you stepped back from the contest venue to focus on freeriding. What do you think the next step will be? How will you keep finding new inspiration when you've ridden so much terrain around the world?
- Daniel via frqncy.com
Hey Daniel, yeah, so after a good while the whole contest thing changed for me. I wasn’t as hungry anymore and I just didn’t really care anymore. Showing up and people would be more hyped then yourself, I simply had to realize that I needed to step away from it. I had my time on the podium at Air & Style, X-Trail and all those events and all of a sudden I felt like I wanted to make room for the next rippers. And that simply because I wasn’t hungry anymore like when I was new to it. And I moved on and found more time to just snowboard, more time to find inspiration on the mountain. And we all know it, once we get out there…there’s infinite potential. All you need is to free your mind.
Advice for Beginners
Hey Nico. What is your best advice to a novice snowboarder who is absolutely hooked?
- Jonathan via frqncy.com
Yo Jonathan, welcome to planet snowboard hehe…that’s easy, step on it as much as you can. Try it all in every direction, go with what gives you the most pleasure and take those turns on the road of progression. And you’ll never have to ask for directions anymore. You know it!
I was wondering if you have ever taught a snowboard lesson? Either to friends or professionally. If you were to teach, what would be the three things you would say?
- Marcello via frqncy.com
Hey Marcello, yes I think I did. Not professionally, but for friends for sure. If it’s your first day I would have to say a bunch of things like how to post up and to react. But I would have to see how the first attempts looked. And if somebody can already ride a bit it’s easy. I’d say the three words: let’s go riding. That’s how I learned as well, by observing and studying others; learning by doing and going riding with advanced shredders.
Breathe
What do you enjoy most about your Breathe Foundation? Where do you see the foundation going in the future? Are you planning to do conservation in the Northern Hemisphere? How do you choose projects? Where do you feel the need for conservation is the most in the world? Thank you for your time. I find your foundation very proactive and inspiring; a great way to conserve the environment and connect the community through environment, education and fun.
- Phillipe via frqncy.com
Hey Phillipe, the thing I enjoy most about the Breathe Foundation is that it is about something bigger then a sport, an economic niche or human pleasure. I see the foundation as a platform for events and good information to elevate higher consciousness. As of now I am very busy being a pro snowboarder so I can only support our general manager Drew Stevenson, former TTR CEO and founder of Method Mag, however I can. The focus is on connecting and confronting western people with old culture and traditions, sustainable ways of living and purely providing the chance of a moment to just breathe in this hectic world. Thanks a lot and keep spreading the knowledge in your community. I just heard this phrase I want to share with you: “Love is the only emotion that increases intelligence…” I thought that’s pretty cool, right?
Creativity
With such creativity on the snow, do you express yourself in any other art form such as painting, music, or photography?
- Chau B via email
Ciao Chau B. It is so important to live out creativity right? I love anything that involves a creative aspect of us. For a while snowboarding, skating and other sports were my only expressions of it. There was a time I took a lot of photos on the road. I love photography, but sometimes I’d rather soak up the moment like that. I have recently started to paint and fell in love with it. And now that I have my house I’ve set up turntables and I am stacking up on vinyl. Fredi K now teaches me some techniques on the 1s and 2s! Yeahh.
Another thing that I can spend unlimited time on is working on and around my house. Just makin’ it the way I want to. It feels so good. And last but not least cooking…oh my God there’s so much flavor out there. And it just grows for us…out of pure love.
Thanks to the sun (:
Source: http://www.frqncy.com/news/2010/11/22/ask-nicolas-mller-the-answers
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