Follow My Lead | The Power of Mentorship
There’s a reason why mentorship is an ever-present element in storytelling. Without the guidance of our elders, we’re fucked. How could Beatrix have learned the Five Point Palm Exploding Heart technique needed to Kill Bill without the ruthless teachings of Pai Mei? Luke would’ve been useless with a lightsaber without Obi Wan, and if it had not been for standards set by the riders who came before us, snowboarding could’ve maxed out at tindy 3’s. Yes, anyone who straps in these days benefits from our forefathers and foremothers discovering how far they could push it on a snowboard. Apex-level riding doesn’t just happen. And it’s not just skill and technique that gets passed through generations—the cornerstones of our culture get passed along as well.
Despite what Hollywood suggests, mentors aren’t always white, bearded wizards. They’re fellow team riders, older siblings or even random boarders who show you the hit runs after meeting them on the chairlift. A mentor might teach you something as simple as cleaning up after hitting a handrail, or how to carry your board on a snowmobile. They might help you ink a contract with a new sponsor. Or, in the case of a backcountry mentor, they might, quite literally, show you how not to die. With that in mind, we gathered a few current examples and spoke with them about why passing on wisdom is one of the pillars of the sport and culture we love so much.
by Mikey Nixon
Dustin Craven & Mateo Massitti
Mateo Massiti [o] Dan Stewart
Sometimes it’s a stretch to call the dynamic between two snowboarders a mentorship. But in the case of Dustin Craven and Mateo Massitti, we’ve got ourselves a classic, almost cinematic definition of the concept. Like Point Break’s Angelo Pappas to Johnny Utah, the battle-hardened veteran provides guidance to a wayward, young up-and-comer. It’s beautiful, really. And it’s the kind of thing that makes snowboarding better for everyone.
“I never really understood the importance of mentorship or guidance,” says Mateo. “I didn't really know it was a thing within snowboarding until I met Dustin.”
“With Mateo, one thing that I'm really trying to show him is that, as Canadians, you just can't stop,” says Dustin. “You got to be on every year. It doesn't matter what you did last year. You have to put in the hard work.”
Dustin also prides himself on being a bit of a backcountry gatekeeper, “Also, a lot of people will want to come to Canada and use your skill set to get places. So, if you're taking the time to tour people around and be their guide, then you shouldn't let them ride better than you.”
The cool thing about mentorship is that, for better or worse, Mateo’s actually benefiting from Dustin’s influences as well. “I always say that TJ Schneider was the good influence [on me] and Andrew Hardingham was the bad,” says Dustin of his own mentors. “I met TJ first and got my yin and then met Hardingham and got my yang.” He goes on, “TJ was always checking the boxes of autograph signings and communicating super well. He was one of the first snowboarders to have a YouTube channel, and he interacted with people and fans really well. Then, obviously, Andrew was a bit more of a give'r hell wild style. So, I learned from TJ, but then also learned a lot of lessons from Andrew about how to be a hardcore snowboarder and that you don't always have to do everything that people say.”
“If you're taking the time to tour people around and be their guide, then you shouldn't let them ride better than you.” —Dustin Craven
Dustin learned more from Hardingham than how to say “fuck you” to the man. As far as Canadian big mountain royalty goes, Hardingham’s in the pantheon alongside riders like Jonaven Moore, Greg Todds, Joe Lax, Brian Savard and more. You don’t end up on a list like that without an acute awareness of how to travel in the mountains, a skillset that’s now getting passed onto Mateo through Dustin. “One thing I’ve noticed with the younger kids is that a lot of times, they don't know where they are. So, I try to teach that if you're always in the back of the pack with snowmobiling or any of that, then you don't really actually look around at where you're going,” says Dustin. “I encourage Mateo to break trail. Then you have to make those decisions, and you're not just relying on following a track.”
With only a few years of experience navigating Revelstoke’s backcountry, Mateo is self-aware, “I'm still working on building up my inner trust with myself and where I can and can’t put myself,” says Mateo. “But it's cool seeing how Dustin's not cocky out there. He has no ego out there. He truly respects mountains, which is something I really respect about him.”
One of the common forms of mentorship is veterans including clips of the younger riders in their video projects. After they rode together for the first time, Dustin included a few clips of Mateo in 2021’s Oh Man. Mateo is also quick to point out the influence of Craig McMorris, another one of his mentors, who included him in 2022’s FIXIN’. Mateo got the ender in Dustin and crews’ Wet Fur the following year, and 2024’s Swamp Donkey project was basically just Dustin and Mateo filming with Evan Lavallee—sharing the starring role of the film. Those video parts have helped Mateo transition from a competition rider into the backcountry slayer that he is today.
Dustin Craven [o] Dan Stewart
“For Dustin to put my clips in Oh Man was kind of the start,” says Mateo, “like, okay, we can do this again, and we can have another go at it in a different way.” Dustin is more than impressed with what he’s seen of Mateo, “I feel like Mateo’s riding is way more mature than a lot of people. So is his understanding of the backcountry and safety.” The benefits of this relationship goes both ways. “He's obviously a really good snowboarder so it's nice to have someone around that will make you push yourself because you have a really good riding partner.”
Dustin and Mateo feed off one another and help one another progress. But maybe one of the most important things that Dustin has taught Mateo is not to stand in his way. “You make mistakes and I've lost sponsors and stuff, and I'm sure at some point I've lost the respect of some people,” says Dustin. “But you just gotta keep going and learn from those mistakes and try to better yourself. At the end of the day, everyone's their own worst enemy.”
Robin Van Gyn • Research & Development [RnD]
Robin Van Gyn [o] Andrew Miller
Talking about mentorship is one thing. Creating one of snowboarding’s most inspiring new events is something else entirely. Robin Van Gyn’s Research and Development contest—an all-girls’ backcountry freestyle event that debuted at Whitewater Resort last spring—is a money-where-your-mouth-is example of large-scale mentorship. Not just for the 14 invitees but for the entire community of ripping female borders. The event’s overall goal is equal representation for women in backcountry freestyle competitions. And the winner, decided through one day of judged competition and two days of filming, was awarded a slot in this year’s Natural Selection Tour event.
There was nothing like this when Robin was coming up, especially for girls. So it’s rad that RnD and events like Jess Kimura’s Uninvited Invitational are showing what's possible to this next generation. Of course, Robin’s successful career is the product of mentorship, and RnD is a great way to pay that whole process forward while creating visibility for women in snowboarding.
“[Mentorship] is almost like having a guide and honestly, it could be a make-or-break difference,” explains Robin. “Is there anybody showing you the ropes? Is there anybody showing you how to do this? If you don't have anybody doing that, the longer and steeper the hill.” Robin speaks of her own mentors, “Leanne [Pelosi] took me under her wing and opened doors for me. Hana [Beaman] took me under her wing, showed me how to go big and get up and go again. So I had these really amazing friends and mentors showing me the way. And I just kind of took inspiration from them and made lifelong friendships.”
[o] Andrew Miller
With the guidance of other riders being so instrumental to her own career, RnD gives Robin and a few other veteran riders a chance to pass their wisdom and experience onto the invitees. In the media surrounding the event, the judging panel—which included Hana Beaman, Marie-France Roy, Leanne Pelosi, and Maria Thomsen—were all called ‘mentors’ at the event as well. “We were wearing two hats,” explains Robin. “I wanted the riders to have help leading up to the contest, just to navigate and do the best runs that they possibly could, and then also to have the runs judged by the people who know best.” The event gave the younger invitees—Stefi Luxton, Katie Kennedy, Marissa Krawczak, Melissa Riitano, Naima Antolin, Kaleah Opal, Telma Särkipaju, Madison Blackley, Zoe Vernon, Ellery Manning, Mia Jones, Nelly Steinhoff, Estelle Pensiero, and Gillian Andrewshenko—the chance to talk sponsorship and opportunities with people who understand the business side of snowboarding. “It was definitely an opportunity for the riders off the record and unofficially to ask us about ‘Hey, I've got this interest from this brand, what should I be asking for? What's my negotiation tactics? What should I do? Or if I want to get a sponsor, how do I do that?’”
“[Mentorship] is almost like having a guide and honestly, it could be a make-or-break difference.” —Robin Van Gyn
All business aside, though, Robin’s got a solid set of principles that she’s passing onto the next generation, “I think the one thing that is important to pass along is the element of grit required. No matter the support you have, being a professional snowboarder and getting to that elite level requires a lot of work and perseverance and falling down and getting up over and over again.”
Ellery Manning [o] Andrew Miller
“A principle that is really important to me is gratitude for what you have. Snowboarding doesn't owe you anything because you think you're really good. I’ve been kept outside the gates, and I've been the gatekeeper. It's been part of our culture in certain ways. And I think that we just need to relax a little bit and recognize that snowboarding is for everyone and that everyone is welcome. And the more that we can do to facilitate more people getting involved, the more we're going to benefit.”
Louif Paradis & Seb Picard
Seb Picard [o] Joseph Roby
It’s hard to find a name more synonymous with street riding than Louif Paradis. The video parts documenting his exploits in Quebec City and beyond are a style of mentorship unto themselves, inspiring mass audiences of impressionable young riders to take to the streets and make a mark of their own. Seb Picard was one of those riders. And now—in part thanks to Louif’s guidance—Seb’s unlocked a whole new level of snowboarding. From spot selection to the importance of flawless execution, Louif’s influence runs deep. “He’s been an inspiration and my GOAT forever,” says Seb. “His creativity, style, and dedication to pushing the boundaries of the sport are truly remarkable. Louif’s ability to blend art with athleticism has really changed the way I view snowboarding.”
“Louif’s ability to blend art with athleticism has really changed the way I view snowboarding.” —Seb Picard
Kind recognises kind, and Louif has always seen something special in Seb’s riding, prompting him to include a clip of Picard in the Déjà Vu’ crews second installment, Encore back in 2015. “I’m impressed by his consistency in landing all these different tricks effortlessly,” says Louif of Seb. “His bag of tricks is deep and he always has a bunch of new spots lined up for them. He's very productive, even with little to no help.”
“I think the first time that we got to hang together was during the filming of Encore,” recalls Seb. “He hit me up to help him get a clip, which was also the first time I met Hayden [Rensch]. I was filming second angle them! It was really impressive to see how they were working together and how seriously they were taking their job. It showed me the key to having a productive winter.”
Being a part of the crew on this day was pivotal for Picard, “After he got the clip, we had some daylight left so they offered me [the chance] to go film one of my spots. It was a life-changing day and a step forward in my snowboard career. I also got my first clip in a major movie.”
Louif had help along the way as well. But given that street riding was so new in Quebec when he first started out, Louif, his brother Alexis, and their friends, would basically replicate what they’d seen in other videos. Eventually, they connected with The Sugar Shack Crew—guys like Guillaume Brochu, Etienne Gilbert, Phil Paré, and Mat Laroche—and learned a lot of the things that have been passed on to riders like Seb.
“Everyone has their own style and you can’t be like someone else,” says Seb. “While I was trying to shape my vision and style of snowboarding, I always wanted to be myself, but also wanted all those aspects that Louif inspired. That’s why I try to find unique and creative spots. He also made me realize that using natural speed is what you need to really connect with your board.”
At this point in their careers, the dynamic between Seb and Louif is more of a friendship than anything else, with the two of them meeting up regularly and sessioning the mini park in Louif’s backyard. There are no hard-and-fast rules for how mentorship occurs, and for Louif it comes naturally, leading by example and not really thinking about it. When asked about the principles he’s passing along, he took a few moments to respond. “I think mostly about being professional. Waking up early, setting up spots properly, being respectful and cleaning up after yourself. Getting as much as possible out of the day and going home with the feeling of accomplishment is the best.” And even though the business side of snowboarding has changed so much over the years, Louif tries to help others with that side of things as well, “Just sharing my own recipe for being successful. I know it's not the only one, but it's the only one I know. So [younger riders] can take bits of it and combine with others.”
Louif Paradis [o] Oli Gagnon
When asked if he had any nuggets of wisdom to pass on, not just to Seb but any young rider who’s coming up, Louif came correct with the kinda knowledge that you’d expect from the GOAT: “If it doesn’t hurt now, it doesn’t mean it’s not gonna hurt later. Avoid unnecessary impacts, land in transition and in soft snow as much as possible. I used to jump down to flat on anything and now I’m paying for it. I thought everything was repairable, but it’s not the case.
“Keep moving, literally and figuratively. Keep learning and progressing, try something you’ve never done every time you go riding, anything, even just a little 180 or a butter or a new carve. I wish I had done it more. You often get stuck repeating what you know you can do well.”