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Pure & Wild

Words Bruce Johnston | Photos Justin Kious

Printed in Issue 17.3

Ever since I was a kid, I’ve loved going on adventures. It used to be as simple as riding my bike across town—now, I go on surfing and snowboarding missions to remote places to get away from the crowds and score empty waves or pristine powder. 

I’ve come to realize the one thing we can’t seem to escape is garbage: plastics washing up on shorelines, trash dumped at trailheads. I’m far from perfect; I drive a pickup truck, ride a snowmobile, and have been a sponsored snowboarder for almost 20 years. I’ve gone through an insane amount of gear.

Bruce Johnston

That being said, I use my gear until it’s ruined. I fix what I can, give stuff away to friends, or, in a pinch, sell it. It was in a moment of stark reflection that I came up with the idea for a short documentary. 

The film was to be called Pure & Wild, because that’s how I want to keep the environment. I had three goals for the project: educate people about sustainability within our subculture, promote a foundational awareness that our actions have consequences, and inspire people to get outside with their friends.

What The Fuck Does Sustainability Even Mean?

Simply put, sustainability is about fulfilling today’s needs while ensuring that future generations can still meet their own. Picture a pristine forest that is used to harvest wood to make snowboards.

We can't cut the whole thing down and load up on wood, as this would destroy the ecosystem. A sustainable approach would be to only cut what we need, to let parts of the forest regenerate before extracting more resources. This would ensure more wood from the same forest for future generations, providing more snowboards for us, and a healthy climate to enjoy riding them in.

Sustainability isn’t limited to the snow beneath our feet. or the trees above our heads. There are three integral pillars of sustainability:

Environmental:

• Protect Ecosystems
• Reduce pollution
• Conserve resources
• Respect nature
• Don’t litter
• Use eco-friendly wax
• Buy quality, long-lasting products

Social:

• Facilitate a safe and inclusive space on-hill
• Build community
• Ensure fair labour practices
• Promote equality in our spaces
• Healthy lifestyle inspo

Economic:

• Promote long-term growth without depleting resources
• Research and invest in sustainable materials and production
• Sharing technology
• Practice sustainable resource extraction

Splitboarding, Surfing, and Scientists

I came up with a plan of approach for the film. We’d go on two trips; one snow, one surf, to secluded locations to witness first hand, and capture the pervasive nature of trash.

I reached out to Michael Hoy and Adam Franks on the boarding front, with Dan Norberg, Billy Parkinson, and Justin Kios as our media crew. Ryan Kenny answered the call for directing and editing the film.

Michael Hoy, Adam Franks, and Johnston

I’ve spent my time snowboarding and surfing, not studying, so to better understand sustainability within snowboarding, I needed to interview experts. We called on snowboard industry veterans Tommy Delago (Founder, Nitro Snowboards), Andi Aurhammer (Marketing Manager, Nitro Snowboards), and Jason Broz (Owner, Fix Binding Co, KNWN MFG, Ashbury Eyewear).

On the scientific side of things, we sat down with Renny Talbot, Senior Fisheries Protection Biologist and founder of Rugged Coast Research Society, and Sarah Dudas, a Research Scientist at Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

Pemberton, BC

On March 14th, 2025, we headed north of Pemberton, BC, to Zipper Mouth Creek for a multi-night splitboard mission. It was myself, Michael Hoy, Adam Franks, my rad skier friend Jas Clancy, photo legend Justin Kious, and Billy Parkinson on the sticks.

The snow was incredible, but avalanche conditions were sketchy. Right off the bat, we saw a snowmobiler trigger a massive slide across the valley, which set the tone for the trip.

Michael Hoy

Franks had never split-boarded before, which was funny at first, but he got the hang of it quickly. Of course, as soon as he strapped into snowboard mode, you couldn’t tell he was on a split—the guy rips. As for Hoy, he's got so much style, I could watch him board all day. 

We slept in tents by night and shredded powder in the middle of nowhere by day. We played it safe, explored new zones, and talked about what sustainability meant to us—brainstorming ways the average person can make a difference. We scored great snow, had a few beers, and nobody froze to death in their tent, which was a nice bonus.

Vancouver Island 

On March 18th, 2025, we ventured to a remote zone off the northern tip of Vancouver Island. We began by floating down a river to the ocean on paddle boards, towing pack rafts loaded with surfboards, food, and camping supplies.

It was sketchy, with pouring rain and heavy winds. At one point, our rafts flipped, and we were scrambling to collect our stuff. At that point, the crew looked at me like, “What the fuck have you gotten us into this time?”

We set up camp in a storm, nervous a tree might fall on us—and one actually almost did, crashing down nearby in the middle of the night.

The wind wrecked the swell, but when it calmed, we surfed a fun little left, picked up trash, and crushed some beers and tequila. Collectively, what shocked us the most was the sheer amount of plastic waste.

Way more than we could carry—we needed a dump truck and an excavator. The saying goes, “Pack it in, pack it out.” I want to change that to “Pack out more than you pack in.” 

A Mindful Approach; Anti-Greenwashing

In recent years, “sustainability” has become a marketing buzzword. Some brands genuinely care; others are just greenwashing for profit.

Greenwashing is defined by the Government of Canada as when businesses provide false or misleading environmental ads or claims about the environmental benefits of a product, service, or company. A large issue is the lack of a governing body that monitors suspected greenwashing. 

There’s a growing skepticism of the little green “environmental” checkmark on product packaging, as, without proper regulation, bullshit companies can essentially buy these credentials, tricking consumers into thinking their factory is green.

It can be confusing to identify which brands actually care about the environment. Check its website and see if it has a sustainability page, or look into what kind of events the company runs or charities it supports.

Poke around and see if it's owned by a larger corporation. Alternatively, look at the materials their products are made of: are they eco-friendly, or perhaps made from recycled materials?

Every time you buy something, you’re voting with your dollar, supporting that brand’s vision. We had to be really careful making this film for that reason; we had sponsor support for some necessary gear and a very small budget, but it was strictly no logos, no “brought to you by” bullshit.

Bruce Johnston

It would be easy for someone to call out a brand for sponsoring a film like this and call it greenwashing, without doing any research or having a clue what they are talking about. Luckily, we partnered with brands that understood the vision of the film and supported it while staying anonymous. I respect that deeply; it shows us that there are brands that still care.

While it’s still very much a work in progress, if everyone takes small steps toward a more sustainable future, we can make a real difference. Ultimately, protecting these special places comes down to simple actions repeated by many.  Through making this film, I learned that mindful choices, extended gear use, and responsible consumption can collectively make a difference. 

What People Can Do

• Fix ripped or torn gear—a seamstress isn’t that expensive.
• Buy used if you can’t afford quality gear, as it generally outlasts cheaper gear.
• Research brands’ sustainability pages — understand what the brand is doing to help?
• Use your gear until it’s fully torched.
• Hand down used gear to kids who need it, “One man’s trash...”
• Check thrift shops and Facebook Marketplace—you might score something rad and still have money for a case of beer.
• Sell old gear and keep the cycle going.
• Pick up trash or plastic anywhere you can.

• Always keep a reusable bag in your vehicle