It's not a stretch to call Jeremy Jones the greatest snowboarder of all time. The pro rider has made a career of bringing backcountry snowboarding to the mainstream. His expeditions and innovations—including the designs he helped create for his company, —stem from his drive to explore winter in meaningful and often insanely demanding ways.
In 2007, Jones founded , a nonprofit that works to reduce the effects of climate change and draw attention to the snowy places we’re in danger of losing. The newest film of his human-powered snowboard trilogy, , dropped in October. The day we caught up with him to talk about his favorite places to ride and his favorite gear, gusts of wind bludgeoned his phone. We pictured him hanging from a cliff with one hand while calmly giving an interview with the other.
Favorite Destination: Squaw Valley, California
“I originally moved here because of the resort, but over time I realized how lucky I am to have the huge variety of backcountry terrain. The Sierras boast over 400 miles of totally protected mountain, only accessible on foot, with relatively safe coastal snowpack. It’s a splitboarder’s paradise.
“I love that I can still make new backyard discoveries. I’ve been in this range for 20 years, and one day it just hit me that I was looking at one of the most amazing faces in the range. That’s the exciting thing with the mountains—your brain is only ready to see things when it’s time to see them.”
Favorite Gear: Jones Snowboards Solution
“I started the company when I realized that the last frontier are mountains you can only access by foot. The ($849) was my answer for getting there: on any given day you could start in dirt and end up in high, winter snow. We built the board to handle the switch from bulletproof ice to deep powder to funky crust. We’ve put tons of attention to the nose and entry point because that’s where a lot of falls happen. Between the feet, the board is meant to hold on to ice. And the tail is freestyle.
“The best part of owning a snowboard company is getting to thoroughly test the stuff. Hey, it’s a tough job!”