Interviews

Crew’d Up – Scuballoon

[Mobile: Scuballoon Gs post-street session. Photo: Markus Rustad]

Riding with your crew, pushing each other and having a blast is one of the cornerstones of this fun old experience we call snowboarding. Now, since the democratisation of videography, more and more crews are producing edits from their exploits and some of them have gone beyond the traditional ‘bro-cam’ cuts to produce entertaining, imaginative, or just downright hammer heavy video content. We’re stoked on that, so over the season we’ll be throwing the virtual Shakas to some of our favourite Euro crews, and up this time is the Norwegian young bucks that make up the Scuballoon crew. The boys just dropped their first street edit yesterday, but it’s equally well worth checking out the earlier clips they’ve been firing out too. We hit up founding member Markus Rustad for the skinny…

How did Scuballoon start?

Scuballoon started in the summer of 2014 at Folgefonna. Some of us had known each other from way back but we all got together at our local hill, Tryvann, the previous season.

What’s up with the name?

We were coming up with names for the crew at Folgefonna when one of the guys found a balloon and another one found a snorkel on the ground. Somehow they figured out you could combine the words ‘scuba diver’ and ‘balloon’ together into Scuballoon. We thought it was funny because of how random it was so we decided to use it, haha.

[Below: Mathias Teigland. Front board. Photo: Markus Rustad]

[Above: Carving at Hovden. Photo: Markus Rustad]

Who is in the Scuballoon crew? Who does what when it comes to filming, editing, website work etc?

When we started it was me, Markus Storsveen, Henning Andresen, Daniel Bø and Sondre Dørum. Last season we also filmed a bunch with Sebastian Nord and Christian Bønness. We have no filmer, so we just film each other. I have the camera and I’m also the one who make the edits.

Speaking of edits, you guys have a tonne of them on your Vimeo page now, all of which have a bunch of views. What was the main motivation for you to go out and film in the first place?

I cannot speak for the others, but my main motivation is to make something that will get people and myself stoked to go snowboarding, and also try to keep it a bit different from everyone else.

What have you been up to this winter?

I was in Hintertux and Stubai in the pre-season, after that I’ve been riding around in Norway and been doing some contests. Now I’m in Colorado. The other guys haven’t been traveling that much because they’ve been working. So far we haven’t filmed anything this year, but hopefully we can get together and make a cool edit soon!

Einar Fuglem spot checking. Photo: Markus Rustad

Sebastian Nord mastering those stairs. Photo: Markus Rustad

What do you think about social media and snowboarding, is it easier or harder to get noticed now?

I feel like Instagram has taken over. There’s not that many people making edits anymore because it’s much easier to put a couple of clips out on Instagram. I get way more stoked to go ride after seeing a proper edit then after seeing some Instagram clips, but also Instagram is a much easier platform to show your own snowboarding to a lot of people on. So my feelings are mixed. I think social media has made it much easier for snowboarders to get noticed, I feel like you either had to be a good contest rider or be a part of a crew that made films to get noticed before.

If the Scuballoon crew had to call one place home, where would that be?

Oslo is our home, and Tryvann (now called Oslo Vinterpark) is our local resort. We are lucky to have a resort with a park so good just a half hour metro-ride away from the city centre!

Einar Fuglem lipslipping. Photo: Markus Rustad

Who inspired you when you were younger? Which crews or movie productions where you looking at?

I think Torstein Horgmo and Halldor Helgason were the biggest inspirations to almost everyone in the crew when we were younger. Torstein.net was actually one of the biggest influences on me starting snowboarding.

You guys seem to get around and travel a lot, riding at Tryvann, Hovden, Fonna, etc. Is it important for you to keep exploring new places?

No, exploring new places is not the reason. We do it because it is important for us to mix up our snowboarding, to seek good conditions and snow, visit friends around in Norway, and to have as much fun as possible.

What are your plans for next winter and the future of Scuballoon?

Hopefully we are going to make some more edits – both from Oslo and other places in Norway – maybe ride some street if there is snow. Other than that I have no idea.