John Jackson
For the record, will you state your full name?
John Anthony Jackson.
When were you born?
October 13, 1983.
Where did you grow up?
Crowley Lake, twelve miles South of Mammoth.
What's the population there?
It's small--two or three thousand.
How long have you been snowboarding?
Eight or nine years.
Where did you ride as you were growing up?
Mostly just Mammoth. When I was starting out, we rode June a lot, because that used to be the best (and only) park and pipe around.
What terrain were you riding at first?
Mostly just freeriding at Mammoth. Some little jumps here and there, but when I started snowboarding, Mammoth didn't really have a park.
Who were you riding with at first?
My friends that I grew up with, The Crowley Crew.
So, you and your brother have pretty much been at it for eight years? Has he been snowboarding for eight years, too?
No, probably not--close, though.
Do you guys ride together all the time?
A lot, yeah.
How old is he?
He's fourteen.
Does he look up to you?
(Laughs) Yeah, I guess so.
How long have you been pro?
Two or three years.
Who are you riding for now?
ThirtyTwo, etnies, Supernatural, Planet Earth, Dragon, Drake, Active and Grenade.
What are the benefits of being a pro versus just going out and having fun snowboarding?
Well, the benefits, of course, are that you get to do it as your work. You get to always be out there having fun on your job. But then there are some disadvantages, like when you're under pressure and you're not just going out there to do turns and have fun with your buddies. But, it still is like that most of the time, so you just go have fun with your friends and go shoot, and stuff.
Do you like entering contests?
Not as much as I like filming, but I do like a few of 'em.
Who are your influences in snowboarding? Who inspires you to push the limits?
Matt Hammer is always up there pushing me, "Let's go do this! Come on! Let's go do that!" Kevin Jones is definitely one of the best riders out there--I'm looking up to him.
How do you feel about street skating-influenced snowboarding (on handrails, etc)?
I think it's good--I love skating.
Who were you working with last season (2001-02) as far as shooting photos or filming?
I've been going out with the Standard Films crew, mostly all Winter. Mike and Dave Hatchett are super cool guys and fun to work with. For photos, Rueben usually comes out with those two--he's a cool guy. All those guys are a fun crew.
What's the movie called?
Notice To Appear.
So, you just got back from New Zealand with those guys. How was that trip? Can you give me a little run down on what you guys did?
That trip was cool. That was my first time heli-boarding. I was a little nervous at first, but it turned out to be super fun and kind of relaxing--you're up there away from everyone. It's just you and your crew and you can pretty much go wherever you want. There are really no rules, no limits, or anything. We had a lot of fun.
How many heli days did you guys get in?
Probably like six or seven--it was kind of pricey.
How many guys were in your crew?
We had five riders, two filmers and one guide. We mostly split up into two crews--three riders and two riders. Some of us would do jumps, some of us would do lines.
How many days of the year do you usually live out of your bags?
Probably close to the whole Winter. Well, I'm in Mammoth a lot, though, so probably a hundred--maybe more.
Where are your favorite snowboarding spots in the world?
My favorite mountain to ride is probably Mammoth, but Japan and Europe are fun. It's a little different.
What's your daily routine when you're home?
Sleep in a little bit. I really don't have a routine, just whatever I need to do in the day. Hopefully, go skating or fishing, go out on the boat--I don't have a routine at all.
How are the Summers in Crowley?
They're fun. I guess this has been the hottest Summer in a while, but it's pretty chill. I just hang out with some of my close friends.
How did you get on ThirtyTwo?
I always hung out and rode with some of the team. Eventually, I was part of it.
What do you like about ThirtyTwo?
Everything--the boots rule, all of the product is really good and the team is super fun to chill with. On top of that, my team manager, Eddie Lee, is the dopest guy ever.
Have you done any boot design?
Not on any particular boot, but I've put my opinion in with little bits and pieces that need to be worked with.
What other interests do you have besides snowboarding? What do you do in the off-season?
Skate, fish, surf, a little bit of wakeboarding and just chill out. I like to hang out with my friends and family a bunch and just relax.
What kind of music are you into?
Pretty much everything, but hip-hop, mostly.
What would your advice be to kids out there that are struggling to get noticed and sponsored?
Just keep on riding. Ride a lot with someone who's a little bit better than you so it pushes you. Don't be scared, go try stuff, watch videos, always go out there--even if it's snowing--because then you can build those good powder jumps and learn stuff.
What are your plans for late Summer and the season coming up (2002-03)?
Not much for the remainder of the Summer. I might go to Hood again, but probably not. I'll probably do that trip to Australia for the ThirtyTwo catalog shoot. Next Winter, I'll shoot with the Standard Films guys again and do a few trips with them, probably.
What have been some highlights of your snowboarding career?
I don't know, maybe my part in the Standard movie. I used to do a bunch of contests. I'd say my biggest highlight was the Chinese downhill mogul-launching contest of '73. I killed it.