[Q&A] Style and Freeskiing With Jiberish and Pete Koukov

Featured Picture: Alden Bonecutter, Courtesy of Jiberish

On the intersection of style and freeskiing, you’ll discover Jiberish. The model has positioned itself on the forefront of the game’s tradition for nicely over a decade, supporting legends like Adam Delorme, Tom Wallisch and Niklas Eriksson all through the years. At present, the Denver-based attire model has grown to new heights, persistently promoting out collections and reaching an viewers that stretches far past snowboarding as they work with in style bands, artists and extra.

However at the same time as they develop and adapt, creating every part from technical outerwear to detailed graphic designs, they haven’t forgotten their roots. On the contrary, Jiberish has continued to assist budding skiers and filmmakers with a present group of riders that rivals one of the best within the enterprise. You’ll catch the likes of Grace Henderson, Ryan Stevenson and Sam Zahner sporting Jiberish whereas snowboarding within the streets or lapping world-class terrain parks.

However for those who’ve been watching their roster for the final a number of years, there’s an individual you’ve definitely seen; Pete Koukov. Eggxit, as Koukov is fondly recognized, has turn into one of many extra notable names in freestyle snowboarding. He just lately had the pleasure of releasing a particular clothes capsule with Jiberish, and it’s a testomony to the rising recognition and thriving creativity that embodies freeski tradition. FREESKIER sat down with Koukov and Jiberish Operation Supervisor Max Wilson to speak snowboarding and elegance, this latest collaboration, future tasks and extra.

The Jiberish + Eggxit Capsule:

Canvas Subject Jacket – Cracked Eggshell

Sheep or Wolf Tee – Cement

Sheep or Wolf Tee – Black

Most Gutter 5-Panel Hat – Black

Cinch Belt – Cream

[Q&A] Pete Koukov (Eggxit)

How lengthy have you ever been snowboarding for Jiberish?

It’s been about six years.

What do you like probably the most about them as a model?

The truth that everybody at Jiberish is a pal of mine, athletes included. They’ve created such an superior neighborhood for us and their followers, and it’s been so sick to see what it has turn into over time.

Your latest capsule with Jiberish is spectacular. From begin to end, what was your favourite a part of the method? Which merchandise is your favourite? 

Thanks! I had by no means achieved something like this earlier than. I believe the very early phases have been my favourite half. Making temper boards and drawing mock-ups, then seeing all of it flip into one thing actual was so insane. As for my favourite piece, it’s the [Canvas Field] Jacket, for certain. They’re promoting out shortly however there’s nonetheless a couple of left as of now.

How concerned have been you within the technical design of the objects? Is clothes design a profession we’ll see you extra concerned with sooner or later?

I labored hand in hand with Lizzie [Barnhardt], the Jiberish Attire Designer, on all of the concepts I had in my head and on paper. She actually introduced them to life. As soon as we had the appropriate imaginative and prescient she would make the digital mockups and we might tweak every part collectively. Samples would come and everybody would have a say and make changes accordingly. It was all the time as much as me to make ultimate choices however they’re the specialists, so it was so good to have the ability to hear and study. Collectively, we made what we believed could be one of the best consequence for every bit. 

I’m unsure a few profession in clothes design, however who is aware of… possibly! I’m nonetheless making an attempt to determine my lane outdoors of the ski world and staying on a inventive path is essential to me. So if clothes is part of that then, completely. It’s by no means been a job that I noticed myself in, however creating this assortment with Jiberish has impressed me. I’d like to hold doing extra if the alternatives current themselves.

As somebody who values style and tradition, how do these two issues play into your profession as a skier? 

Clothes has all the time been vital to me. Even earlier than snowboarding, I all the time paid consideration to element within the garments I wore. As I began being in movies that folks have been watching I turned fairly aware of what I used to be sporting and the manufacturers I used to be repping. There may be all the time the traditional ‘look good, really feel good’ saying, and I again that one thousand %. If I don’t really feel comfy in what I’m sporting there’s a particular correlation with how I’m going to really feel on my skis. 

A part of why I really like avenue snowboarding a lot is since you don’t want goggles and fancy technical gear. A minimum of not if you are the skier [laughs]. For filming you generally do, however that’s one other story. You’ll be able to put on regular garments and snow pants whereas styling and accessorizing like whoever evokes you. 

Inform us about your initiative at Ruby Hill Rail Yard in Denver. What’s particular about it?

The Pete Koukov Un-Invitational is an occasion that I began final 12 months. It’s a video contest that’s completely free to be part of. Anybody with a digicam and a pal to movie can take part. You don’t have the strain of different individuals seeing what you’re doing and you’ve got a complete week to make one of the best video for your self. It was actually enjoyable to host final 12 months and I’m within the works making an attempt to make it greater and higher for this coming winter. Hopefully, we’ll be including one other location or two to the competition.

What’s a facet of freeskiing that you simply hope to contribute to within the coming years?

I wish to hold snowboarding avenue for so long as I can with the manufacturers and individuals who assist me to take action. It’s the place I stand out probably the most and it’s what has introduced me to the place I’m at this time. I’ve by no means been one of the best park skier so it’s good to really feel robust and assured in a unique space of snowboarding. 

I’m not too involved with what the tradition thinks of me. So long as different individuals see what I do and revel in it and wish to be part of it indirectly, I discover that fairly neat. I hope that I can proceed to contribute to snowboarding by making extra movies and hopefully increasing my contest into one thing that lots of people wish to be part of. 

Title one present skier and one present filmer you suppose everybody ought to be watching, and inform us why.

For me, my younger homie Jed [Waters] has been so good to look at and be round just lately. I is likely to be biased as a result of we spend a number of time collectively, however he’s undoubtedly turning into a family identify in snowboarding. He has the correct of imaginative and prescient to proceed to make cool sh*t. Ryan Buttars can be on such an insane tip proper now. He’s solely 17 and doubtless one of the best skier on the Jiberish group, which is wild. 

For filmmakers, that’s robust. I’ve so many shut pals who’re crushing it proper now. Andrew Mildenberger is my G.O.A.T. although. He made the Jiberish lookbook video for my assortment and each time we do one thing collectively it all the time feels particular. He’s the filmer I’ve labored with probably the most all through my profession and we’ve gotten fairly good at making our visions come to life collectively. 

[Q&A] Max Wilson – Jiberish Group and Operations Supervisor

How does freeskiing play a job within the tradition and elegance of Jiberish?

Freeskiing has all the time been on the core of Jiberish. We began again in 2005 by promoting hoodies to skiers/boarders within the parking heaps at Keystone and Breck, and it’s grown from there. Since then, now we have been intently concerned within the ski trade and plan to proceed by selling skiers who embody our values and imaginative and prescient. Now we have been doing it because the good outdated days with some OG athletes and have continued to take action at this time with individuals like Koukov, Zahner, and Jed, to call a couple of. We belief their opinions on kinds, each on and off-hill, and work with all our athletes to make merchandise that stand out within the ski world.

Past that, now we have labored to create a neighborhood round Jiberish that values extra than simply snowboarding. We intention to create distinctive and high quality clothes that may be worn each on and off-hill. Whereas freeskiing will all the time be on the core of our designs, enterprise operations, and so on., it feels good realizing we’re a high quality clothes label that may stand alone each within the ski world and out.

What was it like working with Pete to create this assortment?

It’s all the time a pleasure working with Pete. I knew him earlier than I began my TM function right here at Jiberish about three years in the past. Since then, Pete and I’ve turn into good pals and have gone on quite a few journeys collectively for varied Jiberish shoots. This collab idea is one thing Pete delivered to the group a couple of years again, and it’s been nice to see it slowly come to fruition.

As with something we create over right here, it takes a good period of time to ideate, pattern, tweak, and eventually execute the precise design we’re searching for. What was nice about working with Pete was that he got here to the desk with a number of concepts about what he needed the gathering to appear to be and how you can make the objects uniquely his. It was superior to have some new enter coming into the combo and to know that this stuff are issues that the ski neighborhood would worth, given Pete’s affect and shut ties.

The Eggxit x Jiberish Canvas Subject Jacket is sling-compatible, in case you have been curious | Picture: Alden Bonecutter

What’s your favourite piece on this capsule? What about all-time at Jiberish?

My favourite piece from this capsule has obtained to be the jacket. This was the product that took probably the most time to dial in. When coping with distinctive prints and washes, you’ll inevitably run into some roadblocks, however we labored by means of it and ended up with a good looking product. Pete, myself, and everybody else within the Jiberish workplace have been big followers of the Canvas Subject Jacket we launched final September. You’ll be able to catch me sporting it any time it’s chilly sufficient to take action. It was nice to have the ability to run again an analogous jacket and to have the ability to add a brand new aptitude that we might not have hit if we didn’t work hand in hand with Pete.

So far as my favourite piece of all time from Jiberish, the canvas area jacket is the merchandise I put on probably the most typically. Nevertheless, rising up, probably the most influential piece for me was the Puffeh Vest – the ultra-puffy vest with plaid particulars on the shoulders and the J-Crown Embroidery. I bear in mind once I was stepping into park snowboarding as a freshman in highschool and seeing certainly one of my pals purchase that vest from some man on Newschoolers. I should have requested him 100 instances if I might purchase it from him to no avail. That one will all the time have a particular place in my coronary heart.

It looks like Jiberish will proceed to develop, as any good firm hopes to. How do you propose to stay true to that core neighborhood amidst inevitable growth?

We all the time wish to discover new audiences, however that doesn’t imply we are able to’t stay true to our core values in snowboarding. That is one thing that I care about deeply. To me, all of it comes again to persevering with to work with skiers, supporting them in any method we are able to, and making actual, long-form video elements. In at this time’s age of social media, it’s fairly simple to get caught up within the Instagram mannequin of short-form video edits, for which there’s no one accountable; that’s simply how it’s. However we wish to proceed to present athletes and filmers a platform to create segments the place they will specific their inventive freedoms and create one thing actually particular. We wish to proceed doing this as very best by sponsoring skiers and crews making motion pictures and genuine edits like Stroll within the Parks and Administrators Minimize movies. Keep tuned this season for extra of this.

Since we’re speaking snowboarding, what’s your favourite place to ski in Colorado on a pow day?

Arduous to beat Crested Butte on a Pow day. It’s hardly ever too crowded over there, and the Western Slope [of Colorado] really will get steep, which is typically tougher to search out over right here on the Entrance Vary. Prime tier mountain.