Mikkel Bang
Photos: Russell Dalby
Words: Evan Rissi
SO, MIKKEL. WHERE YOU AT?
Right now I’m in Oslo, at my house. I’ve been on the road for a while, so it’s nice to be home again. I’ll be here for the next month and then probably go somewhere to snowboard.
HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU GET TO SPEND AT HOME PER YEAR?
I’m always doing something, snowboarding or not. Definitely living out of my suitcase more than being at home.
I ASSUMED SO. DOES THAT SUCK?
Well, I’ve been doing it since 2001, so I’ve gotten really used to it. You can’t complain when you get to travel around and see cool things for a living. Still, there’s nothing like coming home from a long trip and sleeping in your own bed. It’s special.
I’D IMAGINE. YOU’VE BEEN SNOWBOARDING FOR A LIVING FOR MORE THAN HALF YOUR LIFE, RIGHT?
Yeah. Since 2001 when I was 11. I didn’t travel back then as much as I do now, but that’s when it started and slowly ramped up. I remember my first big three-month trip. I think I was 14 and got really homesick. It was crazy, but I slowly got used to it.
IT’S YOUR LIFE NOW.
Yeah. Winter starts in December or so, and I don’t go home ‘til around May pretty much. Two months off or something like that, but it’s nice to go to the Southern Hemisphere or Europe to snowboard and keep the ball rolling.
WHAT’S CHANGED THE MOST SINCE YOU WERE 11?
It’s a strange life [laughs]. Fuck, I don’t know what to say. You wear the same outfit for months. It’s a good life, though. You get to meet so many interesting people and see beautiful places. In my case, it’s beautiful mountains and riding the most insane terrain. It’s crazy. In the winter, I’m up in the woods for months at a time.
BEAUTIFUL PLACES AND… BEAUTIFUL GIRLS? IS THAT GOOD OR BAD?
It’s really bad [laughs], because I’m always up in the mountains. You’ll be up there for months and then come down to the city and trip out, like, “Holy shit, there are actually girls.”
DO YOU GO CRAZY UP THERE?
Yeah, a little bit. We get to snowboard, but then we go to the city and it’s better. We still drink up there. It’s nice to let loose a little bit. Everybody is different, but I need to loosen up every once in a while.
Frontside 720, Whistler, BC. Photo: Russell Dalby
ESPECIALLY IF YOU’RE AROUND EXCLUSIVELY DUDES FOR MONTHS. CABIN FEVER.
[Laughs] I haven’t gone crazy or anything. I’ve learned to always find stuff to do. I always bring my guitar everywhere. It’s nice when you’re in between trips. Like, Canada to Europe or something. You’ll have a few days in between snowboarding that you know you can do whatever you want.
BASED ON ALL THAT, IF YOU COULD CHANGE ONE THING, WHAT WOULD IT BE? WHAT BUGS YOU EVERY FUCKING YEAR?
It would probably be bad weather. Last winter, I went a whole month without getting a single shot. It’s frustrating because as the season goes by, you feel a bit of pressure to deliver something, so searching and working your ass off for weeks and then not getting anything… I would probably change that part.
YOU CAN ONLY GET SO MANY LIFESTYLE SHOTS.
[Laughs] Right? Before everybody gets sick of it.
MIKKEL BANG SO YOUR LIFE IS KIND OF ENTIRELY AT THE MERCY OF THE WEATHER.
Totally. It’s all about the weather, the snow, wind… There are so many factors. It’s crazy. If you’re doing rail trips and stuff, you show up in your SUV and there’s Pizza Hut right next door. But in the backcountry, there are so many things you need to prepare for. I gotta say, though, the days that are good are unforgettable and make you forget about the bad ones.
WHAT ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA? DO YOU HAVE TO DO THAT?
Yeah. The sponsors really want it. I’ve learned to like it. When it first started, I wasn’t really into it, but I’m getting into it now and trying to post as much as I can. It is what it is.
I KNOW CERTAIN PEOPLE THAT HAVE TO REACH A CERTAIN QUOTA OF POSTS PER MONTH. IT’S CRAZY HOW WHEN WE STARTED SNOWBOARDING THAT DIDN’T EXIST, AT ALL.
We’ve actually been talking about that recently. Before, you just went out for the entire season and nobody saw anything until the next year—especially for video parts in old snowboard movies. People were way more excited for them to come out because they hadn’t seen anything all winter.
THAT WAS THE THING. YOU’D SEE SOME ADS OR SOME SEQUENCES, AND HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE VIDEO TO COME OUT TO SEE IT ALL.
It’s totally changed. It’s crazy.
DO YOU THINK IT’S A BAD THING? SOME PEOPLE EMBRACE IT AND PUT STUFF OUT ON THE WEB INSTANTLY.
I like it. It’s easy to say, “It was nice before,” but I do like seeing stuff all the time. It keeps people motivated. Social media is cool for that kind of thing.
IT’S THE FUCKING INTERNET, MAN.
Yeah. The only thing is, when you see it once, you’re almost done with it. Something new will come out next week. Compared to before, when you’d always be re-watching your favourite videos.
Backside 180, Whistler, BC. Photo: Russell Dalby
THERE’S SO MUCH SHIT, IT JUST GETS PUSHED DOWN THE FEED. YOU COULD BE OFFLINE FOR A WEEK AND MISS SO MUCH. SNOWBOARDING IS IN A WEIRD PLACE. YOU CAN EITHER PUT EVERYTHING OUT IMMEDIATELY, WHICH IS ALL ABOUT CONVENIENCE, OR YOU CAN GO THE OTHER WAY BY SHUTTING IT DOWN AND DOING A TWO-YEAR PROJECT OR SOMETHING. WHAT WOULD YOU PREFER?
I was filming for Travis Rice’s new project and we didn’t post anything. That was all secret. It’ll be out next year. That’s cool, but I would love to make my own project one day. Maybe tease it, but not have it online so quickly.
LOOKING TO SPICE THINGS UP?
The thing is, every season is so different that it never gets boring. Different snow, different projects, and different crews… It all changes along the way. It was challenging this winter because I was working on a bunch of different projects. This year, I think I’ll be able to put everything in one place. Then, maybe next year, if I could get the support to do my own thing, I’d love to. It’s hard to explain, but it would be different. Bring it back a little bit, so it wouldn’t be so posh with crazy cameras and a huge budget, but a bit more down to Earth. Just snowboarding, lifestyle, not so much talking, good music… I always thought it would be so cool to make a film and the soundtrack is to one album, from start to finish.
WHAT ALBUM YOU THINKING?
If I could, with money and rights, it would be cool to do it with some early Black Sabbath albums.
BURTON COULD PAY FOR THAT SHIT, TOO. IT WOULD COST LESS THAN FLYING AROUND WITH GODDAMN HELICOPTERS.
[Laughs] I hope so. That would be sweet. Hopefully they read this. Danny Davis and those guys have been talking about making their own movie. He’s been running around with a Super 8 camera. It’s great.
YOU’RE 25. HOW MUCH LONGER DO YOU WANNA BE DOING THIS FOR?
I would love to keep it going. I’ve got one more year with Burton, so I’m gonna try to do my best to ride well and we can set up a new contract. My snowboarding has changed so much. What I want to do, what I used to do… Everything. I love to just turn on my snowboard. Turning is my favourite. Maybe getting into bigger lines and doing stuff like that. I’m getting more experience and love doing it. I’ve always told myself that if I can ride professionally until I’m at least 30, I’ll be satisfied.
IT’S NOT LIKE YOU’RE SLOWING DOWN. GO OUT WITH A BANG.