Commentary

Real Snow: Scott Stevens

This East Coast one-foot tech master never thought he'd be a Winter X athlete

Originally Published: January 13, 2012
By Matt Vanatta | ESPN Action Sports

    We tracked down all of the Real Snow snowboarders as they were out, literally hitting the streets trying to put together their parts to ask them how it was going. Here's a behind the scenes look at this year's contest, through the eyes of the people in it. Read, enjoy, and then go vote for your favorite on the Real Snow homepage.

If Scott Stevens' snowboard were a spell-casting wand he would be the mightiest wizard on Earth. Merlin would drop whatever he was doing to stare in disbelief at the mind-melting tech magic going down right in front of his eyes. Stevens is in a class of his own, unbound by the laws of physics and what's deemed possible by mere mortal shreds. His relentless filming and hard work has made him a stand out in every video he has ever appeared in. From Transworld's "Get Real" to his groundbreaking riding in Think Thank's films to his most recent opening part in Capita's "Defenders of Awesome," Stevens is pushing the boundaries of what's possible on a snowboard.

Where have you been filming so far?
I've actually only filmed in Anchorage, Alaska. That's where I am right now.

A lot of people seem to be up there. Have you been running into the other crews?
Yeah, there's been a bunch of hearsay about what other crews are doing up here. There are a lot of spots, but when you have everyone in the same city it makes it a lot more competitive.

You definitely have a different approach to snowboarding than the other competitors. Do you see that as an advantage when you all have to hit the same spots?
Well it is and it isn't. I really love all aspects of snowboarding, but my style is lower to the ground technical stuff. So it really all just comes down to how people perceive the footage in the end. There could be one person who sees my stuff and likes it while someone else might not relate to it at all.

Real Snow is an X Games event, so it's not just made for a core snowboarder audience, so a lot of people might not understand your snowboarding.
Yeah, exactly. It's kind of a scary thing to go into, but I haven't changed my approach to snowboarding for it, so hopefully it resonates with people.

Scott StevensFraser/CapitaScott Stevens: So tech it's hard to even understand what he's doing.

So we can still count on your creativity and ingenuity shining through in your part?
Yeah, it's a little tough because you are limited to only a minute part. When I have three minutes it's more helpful because it gives me a chance to showcase my snowboarding and be really creative. If you look at one shot of Bode, Brisse, or Pat Moore it's really breathtaking, whereas I might need more time to really illustrate what I'm trying to show in my snowboarding.

What was the most unexpected thing that happened during the filming for this part?
I think for me it's the pressure. I don't usually put so much pressure on myself. I think it's awesome that I got invited, though, and I'm super grateful for the opportunity.

You said you got hurt. Does having a deadline for a project force you to push through that and keep filming?
Yeah for sure. You want to put your best foot forward with this competition. Usually I would be a lot more laid back about how things go. I've literally never have had this many shots this early in the season.

Do think this contest is a good opportunity to show a more mainstream audience a different side of snowboarding than they are used to seeing in the X Games and the Olympics?
Yes, it's awesome. Snowboarding both inside and outside of this contest is at such a crazy place -- sometimes it's something I can't really relate to and I end up just being a spectator, so to be able to take part in this is crazy to me. The fact that they realize that video parts are a really big part of snowboarding is huge. It's a really big step for the X Games.

If you do win what are you going to do with the money?
[Laughs] Wow, that hasn't even crossed my mind at all. I don't even know. I'm pretty bad with money, so I would probably blow it and just wonder where it all went.

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