Pre-X Games, snowboarding counted a long counterculture history before becoming a “sport.” Creative director Alex Dymond’s new Powerhouse book, Snow Beach, collects iconic images from the seminal 1986-96 era. We asked Dymond for a few words on that decade and his project.
Q. What inspired Snow Beach?
A. Snow Beach was inspired by my love for snowboarding during this era, along with art, design and fashion books. While developing the Burton Heritage line, I had so much fun looking through old images with Burton archivist Todd Kohlman. I have lots of books on surfing and skating history that I cherish, and snowboarding didn’t have a good book.
Q. What sort of atmosphere did you want to curate?
A. I wanted to showcase all walks of life in snowboarding at the time. I looked for images that had a rebellious and fun feel to them, such as action and lifestyle shots with cool skate style, and images that were less about size and scale, and more about the character and personality of the riders.
Q. What do these images say about ‘80s and ‘90s snowboarding compared to right now?
A. It seems like modern snowboarding got so “extreme.” But someone once said to me [about skateboarding], “It’s not about doing every trick. It’s about doing the right tricks with style.” I think this applies to anything. It’s not what you do, but how it’s done.
Q. What outfit from this book would you magically wear the next time you go snowboarding?
A. There are so many good looks in there, it’s hard to say. I love Brushie’s Dominos trucker hat paired with the Yankees jersey, Craig’s perfect subtle aesthetic posing with Adam Yauch, or Jamie Lynn in the gondola with the grandma glasses and bleached hair, no gloves. That’s pure style right there.
Images (left to right) by Bud Fawcett, Dano Pendygrasse and Trevor Graves.
This article was originally published in RANGE Zine Issue Six.