I'm sure you are all familiar with the bunch. Some may have found their first two full length films, "Far out" and "Finesse" hard to wrap their head around, while others have acclaimed the flicks a work of genius. The Bunch continue to evolve, seemingly oblivious to the hype surrounding their ragtag gang, staying humble while traveling the world in search of another, hopefully untapped, city to turn into an urban skiers playground. It seems to me as if they view the streets as a blank canvas. It may sound cliche, but The wild Bunch are truly artists on skis. The swedes are the modern day Picasso's and Da Vinci's of the snow world!
Eric Pollard opened many a skiers mind to how a mountain could be rode. His surf inspired turns and smooth spins have been emulated by thousands of shredders, and of course his prolific ski designs have changed what is possible on snow. There is no doubt in my mind that LSM, Magnus and JNilla, among others, could be viewed as equally influential in a few short years. The unique eye they sport opens an endless amount of doors in the streets. They flow through cities like skateparks and offer a one of a kind take on urban skiing. A take that will be much more relatable, and accessible than some of the more stuntman inspired tricks that the ski industry is currently fascinated with. The features they chose to ski are often available to the everyday 14 year old from Minnesota. They are hardly searching for perfect spots, instead preferring to make something out of nothing and riding every little obstacle they come across with precision, ease and style.
I have known a number of The Bunch members for a few years. My homies and I first linked up with them two springs ago upon Mount Hood. It was apparent from the start that our crews were on a similar page, while they remained miles ahead in other disciples. It was clear they shared the same fascination for the northwest that as us. Seeing how blown away they were by the Mt Hood national forest, natural transitions and pristine spring parks at timberline was inspirational. I was reminded of my first time in Oregon time and time again. Maxi exclaiming that Hood River was paradise and Peyben's take on the WCS park made kicking it with the Euro's a refreshing experience. Myself and a few other Hood Crew homies were lucky enough to have Maximilliam Smith live with us that summer. A serious character in his own right, he continued to keep the stoke high and make us laugh with his odd and unique foreign ways.
This past summer, The Bunch were back in Hood. This time Magnus and Bmak occupied a makeshift campsite known infamously as "the studio". While my own stay in Oregon was cut short due to an injury, I lived vicariously through my friends and updates from the volcano. I was always hyped to hear stories regarding the boys. Whether it was hearing about Maximilliam's enthusiasm for the 4th of July, or Ethan Stone's article chronicling how the duo was editing their segments in a forest with the power of a generator, the stoke was kept high knowing that some good friends were enjoying one of my favorite places in the world.
When I heard from Maxi that The Bunch planned to post up in Boston for 3 weeks this spring I was elated. He proceeded to casually inform me that the crew did not plan to spend the summer on the mahalo volcano. The immediate and obvious choice was to make a move and link up. Salt Lake was having a rough winter, I had personally had been having a difficult time stacking clips and I needed a serious break from the desert like climate that Utah had become.
I had no idea on what to expect before flying to Boston. Stories about snowpoccalypse had teased us normally spoiled wasatch skiers all winter, but after all it was March 15th and I was well aware on how the seasons can change on a dime in East Coast cities. My accommodations were a slight concern as well. I have lived in my fair share of ski bum houses and slept on a floor or 2 but The Bunch have a reputation of cramming a small village of homies into a 1 bedroom apartment. My contact, in Bmak, had been tough to get ahold of. His stories of car troubles and "shuttling" skiers to urban spots made me unsure if there was even room for me. Yet, he assured me shit would work out, and per usual my mind was made up. I quit my job, packed my bags, scraped together my dollars, and sent it by the seat of my pants out east on an 11 hour redeye venture that took me through a hellish layover in Philly.
I spent a sleepless night in the middle seat, crammed between an overweight business man and a visiting University of Utah mom. I'm sure they were as disgusted by my unwashed perma-ski sock stench as I was by his farting and her congested cough. As you can imagine I was relieved to land in Boston at 10 AM the next day. A slight drizzle, stoked as ever Bmak, and internet legend, Mr lip on Blind 2, Tall T Dan, greeted me at the airport. We cruised through the winding streets of Boston as the homies pointed out spots they had hit in days prior, making me wish I had made it out sooner.
I was stoked to lug my ski bag up the stairs, open the door and find not another cramped apartment, but rather a 5 bedroom spot. While it was not exactly a lavish accommodation, the house was full of character and bigger than I ever could have imagined. At first I was perplexed by the size until I realized the scale of the urban skiing operation they had going on. Every free space was occupied by editing equipment, ski and camera gear or people. I think at one point there were 15 people crashing the house. In classic Bunch style it was truly a team effort with no man left out or behind. East coast loc dogs Connor Gaeta and Kieran Mcveigh made an appearance and Cole Gibson and Jerm Vey were residents for the month, their smooth style fitting in the mix perfectly.
Mornings were slow, generally we woke up late and a walk into the kitchen would leave you engulfed in spliff smoke and breakfast for ten. The cooking alone was a sight to behold. Everyone tossed 50 bucks for groceries and enormous egg dishes were prepared for breakfast, pasta for dinner, Magnus taking control of the kitchen like a seasoned chef.
The Bunch have the group living thing perfected. Nearly everything was dished out equally, piff, beer, food, if you tossed on it you had what you needed. The relaxed vibe was just the right thing to make a trip of this magnitude work. Instead of stressing and trying to knock out as many spots as possible the crew embraced the monstrosity of the operation. Leaving the house at 12 or 1 and descending on a (hopefully) natural speed spot was the status quo. Group meetings at breakfast, spearheaded by Bmak, were essential in deciding where we would spend our day skiing.
Cole's tundra was weighed down with a dozen skis, shovels and a winch. Homies piled into the back with the leftovers heading over to Trevor Woods's rented soccer mom style mini van. With the exception of a sunrise mission followed by an excursion to the Boston suburbs, we stayed close to home. Generally heading to a nearby park, plaza or school to see what kind of shit we could get into.
I was amazed by the Bunch's ability to turn a seemingly one dimensional spot into into something way more. While some may see a downbar, this crew would manicure a perfect spine, gap over a fence and side lip to make shred possibilities endless. While viewers may see some of these same spots in a few different places next fall, no two shots will be the same or even all that similar. This was summarized perfectly at the end of my stay when we descended on a classic plaza and 5 unique lines were set up and slayed by a double digit squad. Liam Mccinley kept the angles fresh, which must have been a task at this point in the season as he has filmed street in brutal weather for months on end. Every little detail was finessed to keep each trick, feature and shot as fresh as possible.
I left Boston after a week. The Bunch had been in the streets for almost 6 months and were headed up to Vermont for some mellow shredding before heading back to Sweden. I was exhausted. Spending a week scraping the streets dry for spots, snow and possibilities had worn me out and I couldn't begin to imagine how they felt. I took with me a greater sense of appreciation for what these homies put into the game. They embody the core of the sport, the most grassroots operation out. Between their event "creation nation" this spring, the constant flow of content online, or free movie releases each year, it's clear that they are miles ahead of the rest and leading free skiing into the future.
Eric Pollard opened many a skiers mind to how a mountain could be rode. His surf inspired turns and smooth spins have been emulated by thousands of shredders, and of course his prolific ski designs have changed what is possible on snow. There is no doubt in my mind that LSM, Magnus and JNilla, among others, could be viewed as equally influential in a few short years. The unique eye they sport opens an endless amount of doors in the streets. They flow through cities like skateparks and offer a one of a kind take on urban skiing. A take that will be much more relatable, and accessible than some of the more stuntman inspired tricks that the ski industry is currently fascinated with. The features they chose to ski are often available to the everyday 14 year old from Minnesota. They are hardly searching for perfect spots, instead preferring to make something out of nothing and riding every little obstacle they come across with precision, ease and style.
I have known a number of The Bunch members for a few years. My homies and I first linked up with them two springs ago upon Mount Hood. It was apparent from the start that our crews were on a similar page, while they remained miles ahead in other disciples. It was clear they shared the same fascination for the northwest that as us. Seeing how blown away they were by the Mt Hood national forest, natural transitions and pristine spring parks at timberline was inspirational. I was reminded of my first time in Oregon time and time again. Maxi exclaiming that Hood River was paradise and Peyben's take on the WCS park made kicking it with the Euro's a refreshing experience. Myself and a few other Hood Crew homies were lucky enough to have Maximilliam Smith live with us that summer. A serious character in his own right, he continued to keep the stoke high and make us laugh with his odd and unique foreign ways.
This past summer, The Bunch were back in Hood. This time Magnus and Bmak occupied a makeshift campsite known infamously as "the studio". While my own stay in Oregon was cut short due to an injury, I lived vicariously through my friends and updates from the volcano. I was always hyped to hear stories regarding the boys. Whether it was hearing about Maximilliam's enthusiasm for the 4th of July, or Ethan Stone's article chronicling how the duo was editing their segments in a forest with the power of a generator, the stoke was kept high knowing that some good friends were enjoying one of my favorite places in the world.
When I heard from Maxi that The Bunch planned to post up in Boston for 3 weeks this spring I was elated. He proceeded to casually inform me that the crew did not plan to spend the summer on the mahalo volcano. The immediate and obvious choice was to make a move and link up. Salt Lake was having a rough winter, I had personally had been having a difficult time stacking clips and I needed a serious break from the desert like climate that Utah had become.
I had no idea on what to expect before flying to Boston. Stories about snowpoccalypse had teased us normally spoiled wasatch skiers all winter, but after all it was March 15th and I was well aware on how the seasons can change on a dime in East Coast cities. My accommodations were a slight concern as well. I have lived in my fair share of ski bum houses and slept on a floor or 2 but The Bunch have a reputation of cramming a small village of homies into a 1 bedroom apartment. My contact, in Bmak, had been tough to get ahold of. His stories of car troubles and "shuttling" skiers to urban spots made me unsure if there was even room for me. Yet, he assured me shit would work out, and per usual my mind was made up. I quit my job, packed my bags, scraped together my dollars, and sent it by the seat of my pants out east on an 11 hour redeye venture that took me through a hellish layover in Philly.
I spent a sleepless night in the middle seat, crammed between an overweight business man and a visiting University of Utah mom. I'm sure they were as disgusted by my unwashed perma-ski sock stench as I was by his farting and her congested cough. As you can imagine I was relieved to land in Boston at 10 AM the next day. A slight drizzle, stoked as ever Bmak, and internet legend, Mr lip on Blind 2, Tall T Dan, greeted me at the airport. We cruised through the winding streets of Boston as the homies pointed out spots they had hit in days prior, making me wish I had made it out sooner.
I was stoked to lug my ski bag up the stairs, open the door and find not another cramped apartment, but rather a 5 bedroom spot. While it was not exactly a lavish accommodation, the house was full of character and bigger than I ever could have imagined. At first I was perplexed by the size until I realized the scale of the urban skiing operation they had going on. Every free space was occupied by editing equipment, ski and camera gear or people. I think at one point there were 15 people crashing the house. In classic Bunch style it was truly a team effort with no man left out or behind. East coast loc dogs Connor Gaeta and Kieran Mcveigh made an appearance and Cole Gibson and Jerm Vey were residents for the month, their smooth style fitting in the mix perfectly.
Mornings were slow, generally we woke up late and a walk into the kitchen would leave you engulfed in spliff smoke and breakfast for ten. The cooking alone was a sight to behold. Everyone tossed 50 bucks for groceries and enormous egg dishes were prepared for breakfast, pasta for dinner, Magnus taking control of the kitchen like a seasoned chef.
The Bunch have the group living thing perfected. Nearly everything was dished out equally, piff, beer, food, if you tossed on it you had what you needed. The relaxed vibe was just the right thing to make a trip of this magnitude work. Instead of stressing and trying to knock out as many spots as possible the crew embraced the monstrosity of the operation. Leaving the house at 12 or 1 and descending on a (hopefully) natural speed spot was the status quo. Group meetings at breakfast, spearheaded by Bmak, were essential in deciding where we would spend our day skiing.
Cole's tundra was weighed down with a dozen skis, shovels and a winch. Homies piled into the back with the leftovers heading over to Trevor Woods's rented soccer mom style mini van. With the exception of a sunrise mission followed by an excursion to the Boston suburbs, we stayed close to home. Generally heading to a nearby park, plaza or school to see what kind of shit we could get into.
I was amazed by the Bunch's ability to turn a seemingly one dimensional spot into into something way more. While some may see a downbar, this crew would manicure a perfect spine, gap over a fence and side lip to make shred possibilities endless. While viewers may see some of these same spots in a few different places next fall, no two shots will be the same or even all that similar. This was summarized perfectly at the end of my stay when we descended on a classic plaza and 5 unique lines were set up and slayed by a double digit squad. Liam Mccinley kept the angles fresh, which must have been a task at this point in the season as he has filmed street in brutal weather for months on end. Every little detail was finessed to keep each trick, feature and shot as fresh as possible.
I left Boston after a week. The Bunch had been in the streets for almost 6 months and were headed up to Vermont for some mellow shredding before heading back to Sweden. I was exhausted. Spending a week scraping the streets dry for spots, snow and possibilities had worn me out and I couldn't begin to imagine how they felt. I took with me a greater sense of appreciation for what these homies put into the game. They embody the core of the sport, the most grassroots operation out. Between their event "creation nation" this spring, the constant flow of content online, or free movie releases each year, it's clear that they are miles ahead of the rest and leading free skiing into the future.
