ZEB POWELL
Welcome to Planet Zebulon
“It's a trip. I mean, it is a real trip. So many people come up to me and tell me they've started snowboarding because of me. It’s a beautiful thing to be able to get people into it and to see how they are influenced by the way I like to approach snowboarding.”
Zeb Powell is without a doubt one of the most unique, creativeand innovative snowboarders that has ever graced a mountain. At only 25 years of age, he’s managed to become an era defining snowboarder, simply by having fun. And in doing so, he has pretty much singlehandedly inspired and introduced snowboarding to a whole new generation of shredders. Reason enough to sit down with the man himself and find out what’s poppin’ on Planet Zebulon.
Hi Zeb, how are you doing? What’s happening in your world right now?
“Oh, man. Dude. Too much shit, too much damn shit. I'm just trying to stay above water. I’ve got so much to work on. So much to do.”
Now, the one thing I find incredible is that you’re only 25, but you’vealready had some real benchmark achievements in your career. One of those was earlier this year when you became the first snowboarder that was signed by the iconic Jordan brand. How did that happen and what is it like being with Jordan?
“I think it was just from the videos and stuff I was putting out. I think word’s gotten around, and off course the Nike headquarters are not far from Mount Hood. So, there's some people, there's some staff members over there that snowboard. And I think just through the grapevine, they heard about me and reached out via Instagram. Such a new age way of starting a relationship, but yeah, a good friend of mine now, who reached out on Instagram and was working with Jordan at the time, got the ball rolling. He ended up leaving during negotiations, but he's still a good friend, and we still keep up with a lot of stuff. That's how it started really. I think it's just word of mouth, seeing me the last few years.”
What did you think when it all happened? I mean, you must have been like ‘What the hell’, because that's huge…
“…yeah. I was tripping. Nothing's ever far-fetched anymore, but with that one, it was like ‘Shit’. I was like, it's just funny, you know, me getting on Jordan. It's not a joke, but I think it's just so on brand that it's almost too easy. It’s a fully out of range company, but I respect everything. Like, the casual conversations we have, it’s like ‘Oh, yeah, it’s Jordan’. So, when it did come through, I was just like ‘Holy shit, this is really happening. We're really, really doing this and making this work’.”
What was it like when you met the man himself? What was he like?
“I think he's dope. He’s got this energy like, he's really built his empire, which he quite literally has, but he’s very personable. He just likes a giggle and talk shit and have fun. But he's got a really, really strong business mind. And that's what was really interesting to see for me. Just like the way he views his business and the way he does it. I mean, off course it's really obvious in a way. He operates on the court and in the last 20 years, he’s built his whole legacy. But he runs still strong and when it comes to the company, he’s still very hands on with his company. It's super cool.”
Sounds great. Another big moment for you was the recent release of the latest Burton movie ‘Paved’. I think this is your first proper backcountry part, so how much fun was it shredding the pow?
“Man, that was fun. Yeah, that's my first time filming for a backcountry - I guess not so much part, but movie. Just honestly it was so new to me, so it's been a learning experience. Like a huge learning curve, the last two to three years. And definitely just like a different pace for me as far as, like, production, putting stuff out and doing the whole thing. But it’s a good one to learn and I’m hyped to see it pay off and see the clips come to life and the movies. See the reactions and, just get the experience too.”
Danny Davis and Brock Crouch were your guides around the Tahoe backcountry and especially Danny is a bonafide legend really, so what was it like riding with them?
“Yeah, I mean, filming with Danny is sick. Really, he's so…he’s just a natural fit. And, I mean, that speaks for his name and legacy as well. But he's also so easy going in the backcountry. Like, we just had fun hanging. A big inspiration just to see him ride and do his thing and be there to help me to find my way.”
You’ve got a great part in ‘Paved’ and you’re riding this two-meter Super Ultra Blossom board like it’s nothing. I mean, how challenging was it to ride such a big beast of a board in powder?
“Yeah, it's a lot to move around. It’s a lot on normal groomers and in the park. But in the backcountry, falling on that thing, is not fun. It's a big ass board. But riding it, holy shit, was so much fun. And just a good learning experience. The reason I ride that board is for the challenge. It’s something new, something refreshing. For me, it makes me think differently. And I think it did the same thing in the backcountry. I've done so much of it in the parks, and I just wanted to bring a new light to it and take it where it really should be and where people think it should be.”
I still don’t understand how you make riding such a big board look so effortless…
“Yeah, I don't know. I really I think it looks fine, but it's a lot to move around and get it popping when it comes to jumps and stuff. But just riding powder, oh it floats. It truly does feel like a boat, like floating. Honestly, I need to rip it more, like steep slopes on that thing are so sick. I found a little spot, like tight trees and stuff, and it almost skates. I remember that’s the most hype I got the whole trip. We were riding out of the zone and I was in this little area where it should not be. And it was just ripping. And I was like ‘Oh my God, this thing is soooo sick’. It just floats differently.”
Sounds dreamy. Who are the other Burton riders you like riding with? I saw some clips with Mark Mc Morris on your IG the other day, where he did a bit of I-Phone follow cam with you…
“…I mean, he's just so well versed in every aspect of snowboarding. He does the competitions. He does the streets. He does backcountry, and he’s heavy in the backcountry. I’d say he's just a good friend. So, to have him around is dope, and I can feed off his energy because it's pretty mellow and pretty welcoming. But yeah, I mean, I pulled up to that jam session. I didn't get to ride with him in the backcountry, but this was at the jam session late in the season. I was kind of hanging all day, just watching people break in the jump, gettingcomfy. And it was insane. I was kind of like sun-baked, just kind of chilling, like ‘Mmmmh’. Just hanging out. But I ended up taking a lap, not really that I was searching to go and hit the jump. But I ended up rolling up to the top just to say what's up to the homies. And Sparky was like ‘Hey, do you want to hit it?’ and I’m like ‘I’m kind of down’ and he was like ‘All right, you can follow me in’, so I just followed him in and hit it, and it was chill. So then we just started sessioning it and he just wanted to get the iPhone clip, so that's how we sessionedit. I think we hit it once or twice on our own but then he decided to follow with the iPhone and we were just trying to get some clips, but it's hectic. It's hectic doing that thing, you know. We both overshot one time. He overshot one time, I overshot one time. Then we did it together. So, it was pretty funny, just that process of it all.”
Okay, let’s jump back a little bit to the beginning: you grew up in Waynesville, North Carolina, so how and where did you first start snowboarding?
“I skateboarded first. That's how I got my footing with board sports. And, yeah, I kind of wanted to go big with skateboarding, but my skate park shut down and within that lull of my skate park shutting down and me being a kid, I realized that all my friends were snowboarding. We had a mountain like 30 minutes away from us. So, I got my family friend to take me up and within the first night, I was in the park. Well, the park was right over the bunny hill, like the learning hill over the lift. Like one side was the bunny hill, the other side was a training park and I immediately wanted to hit the training park. So, once I got my footing down, I went straight to the training park and didn't leave for the next six years pretty much.”
I heard that you didn’t like snowboarding initially because some instructor tried to force you to ride regular and you’re natural stance is off course goofy. So what happened exactly?
“That was actually the first time I went snowboarding. That might even have been before skateboarding. But yeah, I went with my whole family and they all just went out and did their thing. I got put in the snowboard class, but my instructor was mean: she set me up regular instead of goofy and, so of course I wasn't going to really excel then. But yeah, I don't think I really hated snowboarding, but I wasn't like, ‘Oh, I want to do this now’. I think it wasn't until I skateboarded and then went with a good friend that it really, really hit for me.”
And how did it progress from there? I think you did a couple of Chad Otterstrom camps and went to the legendary Stratton Mountain school. How much did those help with your progression?
“Funny enough, it was just through snowboarding in my hometown. I was really just there with my friends and I just happened to love the park, so I was hanging out with the park crew a ton and the park crew just happened to be really in the snowboard scene. And up in Boone, North Carolina, that's where ‘Recess’ is, that's North Carolina's local shop pretty much. That's where App Ski Mountain is. That place was jumping back then, it was so good. There was a ton of mountains up there, like two hours away from us. But they were really tapped in with everyone up there. So, between just loving snowboarding and going with friends or doing it for a hobby, I was just excelling naturally. And between that and the park crew, who actually were in the snowboard scene, I got just pretty well versed in riding a ton and being in the scene. Like, being influenced by the actual snowboard scene, like training parks and stuff. There were events up there. They had the ‘Recess’ shop. They had sponsors, who were actually coming in, showing love at these mountains. They were filming videos, and I really was lucky to be with such a crew that was in the scene. That’s really, I think what shaped my mind to even get out of North Carolina. Because I think through them, I realized that there was a snowboard camp that I could go to in Woodward. And then, when I went to Woodward at Copper, that's when I got involved in the whole snowboard industry. First they looked at me crazy, like, what the hell is this guy on, you know, coming from small little North Carolina. But I was outriding a lot of the kids, and they saw something in me immediately that I didn't even know because we were just kicking it and snowboarding. I was just having fun. I think I wanted to be a pro snowboarder, but I didn't really think of it like that. I was just like a little kid ‘I want to be a pro snowboarder’, and it was like ‘Okay dude, hahaha’.”
The one thing that always stood out to me with your riding is your style. You have a smooth rail game, a lot of flow and you clearly like your tweaked-out grabs and shifty spins. How important is to you to have your own, unique and creative style?
“I don't know. I just think it's fun, you know. I think it comes from the drive of just wanting to do what I want to do and not what other people want to do. I just really do my thing. I think that perspective doesn't make me study other people's style and be like them. Maybe I can take tricks and inspo, but I see a beauty in my style and also the way I approach snowboarding, which is like, I have this left brain, right brain style. The left brain is fully creative, I don't know what the hell I'm going to do. It's just like I have a million tricks in my head and I know how to do them. But I don't know which ones are going to come to fruition. Like before I take off or as I'm on the rail, I can like….Okay, let me break it down: my left brain which is just creative, so whatever the hell comes to mind, I do. And then my right brain, which is calculated and it's actually intentional. Now which way my brain is going to go while I' riding, I don't know. I can fully not care and just do whatever. But the other side is like okay, I'm going to be calculated, but this side can still kind of fade over you know. I can start doing whatever the hell. That's really where it comes from. I see the beauty and I believe in it. Sometimes it is crazy, and sometimes it's easy to criticize. Some of the stuff I do, I don't like and I don't want to, but a lot of the stuff I do love and it's the uniqueness and how different it is. I can do a trick six different ways - just never do a trick the same - and I love that. I don't want to be perfect all the time. I think having that perspective is really freeing and really helps me do something really different.”
That makes a lot of sense. Snowboarding and style should be the extension of someone's personality and that’s obviously the case with you and your riding style. Now, I’m jumping a bit here, but I’d like to know if you had ever any issues being black? I’m asking because there are still not that many black riders on most American or European mountains, so was that ever an issue? Did you ever experience any racism?
“I don't like to dive into it too much. It's a good question, though. I’d say my take on it and I never even really thought about this. I grew up in an adopted family, so we’re all different, loads of colours. My parents are white, one of my brothers is bi-racial, one of my sisters is black Asian Indian, one of my sisters is white. I'm just black. So, like, all different colours. And we grew up in North Carolina, in small-town South, so you would think we would have to deal with a lot of racism. My brother ended up dealing with some, but I didn't really deal with any. I never really had to deal with it on the mountain either. And I feel like it's really about perspective sometimes. You know, if you lean into the fact that you're black and people don't like you, maybe you're playing into it. I don't know, I'm just saying my perspective on it is that I never really thought that way in the first place. I was genuinely just always having fun with my snowboarding. Never looked at my skin.”
Too right. We talked about benchmark moments earlier. Probably the biggest one was you winning the 2020 X-Games Knuckle Huck, when youbecame the first black snowboarder to win an X-Games Gold medal. How big a deal was that?
“Yeah, winning X-Games was insane. You know, the year before I saw it happening and, I wanted to be a part of it. I ended up not being able to, but I think that just made me go even harder for the next year, to really make sure that my name was on that list. So then, one by one, I did make it, and it was insane. It was like Hollywood because I don't do big competitions. And I had to go from a few Rev Tours, maybe one that was broadcast, and small, regional events to a worldwide event, X games, where all the pros are. It was so insane. It was fully out of my comfort zone, but I'd been working on so many tricks. It was super chill, just fun, doing my thing. It was such a cool experience and I think the best part of it is I got to display all of my riding, like my creativity, but also just the nature of it. Most people don’t see me fall. But if you are with me a lot of the time like all my friends, they know me and they know that I fall a lot. But it's the way I get back up. It’s like everything from when I drop in to when I get on the lip - it's not just when I get to the park and hit this one rail. It's like in between the rail, from one rail to the next rail, it’s like off the side of the jump. With my riding you never know when you're going to see something insane. So, to be able to capture one of those moments on live television, I think that's my favourite part because everyone always asks me about ‘Was that fall intentional?’ and I’m like ‘No, it wasn't’. But my friends, who saw it, probably didn’t flinch because they know that's just how I ride. That's a part of me, what makes me, me.”
That playfulness reminds me a lot of Rene Rinnekangas. He also has this unique, playful style and a lot of people just like watching this kind of snowboarding. I mean a lot of kids aspire to be and ride like you and have started snowboarding because of you. How does it feel, to be a role model and inspiration to so many youngsters when you’re only 25 years old?
“Yeah, it's insane. It's a trip. I mean, it is a real trip. How many people come up to me and tell me they've started snowboarding because of me. Like it's nonstop but it's cool. Snowboarding is so cool. The way I like to snowboard and approach it, I just think everyone should be a part of it. So, to be able to get people into it and to see how they are influenced by the way I like to approach snowboarding, it's a beautiful thing. And I just, want to do more of it now andwhat I'm doing is obviously working. So, I just want to keep working on doing it better, you know, just creating this experience, filming these videos, having fun, showing up for communities. Everything else comes naturally.”
You just mentioned showing up for communities and one thing that is clearly close to your heart, is helping to bring people to snowboarding that perhaps don’t really see themselves in the sport. What drives you to do that and how much have your Red Bull Slide In Tour and other events like Culture Shifters and Mosaic Session been part of it?
“Like I said, I never really was stressing about getting on the mountain. That’s just the way I grew up, and I was never really scared to do anything. But a lot of people grow up differently. And coming from all-black communities, it doesn't feel like, you know, no onewould come to an all-white community, or a mostly white community, which is the ski resort. You know, it's hard. It's hard when you're learning. You have to get there, you have to find parking, you have to find where the rentals are, you have to get the gear, you have to get a board that works, you know, and everything in between that…”
…well and it costs a lot of money!
“Exactly. It costs a ton of money. And we all know snowboarding doesn't take a day to learn or get comfortable with. Usually, people are going to give it a day, maybe two. So, to be able to just speed up, expedite that whole process, has been super cool. And I mean, it's just one step, but being able to invite people of colour from all different backgrounds, like DJing,music, like athletes, journalists, big time creatives and writers – being able to bring them to the mountain and give them the experience that makes snowboarding feel good, and being able for them to tell their story, how the mountain was, tell other people how it can be - is beautiful. Also, to be able to create a space for people of colour, you know, for everyone to feel comfortable, to grow in snowboarding and learn together is just so cool. That's what I'm all about. It's not just giving people the gifts, it’s about creating the experience that I have on a snowboard for them. It’s about showing up, hanging out, and not taking it seriously. We're just hanging out, having fun on a snowboard, like look at this mountain, look at this zone over here. Like don't try this over here, let's go hang out, let's go hang out at the lodge andhave a drink, eat some food and talk shit. That's truly how I am on the mountain. Everything else comes naturally. Like I said, first and foremost, you’ve got to feel comfortable, feel comfortable having fun with your friends.”
Now a couple of other things I’d like to talk about: first of all, there is no more kit crisis and you’ve got your own Burton collection coming out. How excited are you about that collection and how much were you involved with the designs?
“I'm super hyped. I just like to be really hands-on with everything I do, so this collection, I fully designed it, I fully directed it I guess. Actually, it’s pretty simple stuff so I guess I did design it. But yeah, I did the direction, so I was like ‘maybe we do a skit just to pack a bit of a bigger punch, you know, add another layer of creativity into it’. So that was the idea behind it and the idea for the future is to keep doing skits, so if you see a skit coming, you know that I’m probably producing something with Burton.”
Is that something you enjoy about snowboarding, the fact that it’s not just about the riding, but that it’s a culture with music, fashion and a lifestyle connected to it?
“Oh yeah. I like to do my own thing when it comes to snowboarding, but creatively it’s the same. I want to be growing in it and what I’ve learned is that it’s not just within snowboarding. It’s personally within me to want to really be part of the process, to really be able to put my name to it. It’s like everything from the boots to the snowboards and the videos and I just like to be part of all of it. And yeah, that creative muscle goes way beyond just snowboarding. It’s really fun to be part of it all and hard work pays off.”
And what about music, how important a part is that in your life?
“I need it every day just for vibes and growth and mental health, but also it’s just energy. It’s what I’m about. It’s like matching my moods, and I just love music. I’m mad about that stuff. Funnily enough I don’t listen to music when I ride. If I could 24/7, I would, but I just don’t like it when I’m on the mountain. I like to hear what’s around me. I think I push the limits so hard already in snowboarding with how fast I ride, so I don’t think it’s even safe to take away a sense like that just because of the way I ride. But yeah, I love music. I like a lot of rap artists at the moment, but I have a lot of other stuff mixed in too like EDM, R&B, slow songs – I’m all over the place with music.”
Last thing: how excited are you for the incoming winter and what are your plans?
“Yeah, winter is definitely upon us. This winter I’m trying to do what I want to do. That’s really the biggest thing I want to do this winter. A lot of videos, just trying to make videos with friends, you know bringing people snowboarding, you know tap in with some cool people, I’m going to do that too. And, I also try and do some events. We might have some events on the way, you know tap in with the community, so there are a lot of projects coming out from us and I’m looking forward to pushing it more.”
Words & interview: Goetz Werner
Pictures: Blotto / Burton Snowboards