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Gettin’ Gigi With It | The Gigi Rüf Interview

We sat down with Gigi Rüf to talk Freeride World Tour, Slash Snowboards and his upcoming movie project together with Pirate Production, 'Driven'

Photo Above: Gigi Ruf. Pic: Mitchell Cheek

Gigi Rüf has probably had one of the most successful careers in the history of snowboarding – one that we can’t see ending any time soon either. Back in 2000, Gigi became known to the larger audience with his legendary part in the Kingpin Productions ‘Destroyer’. Two decades later, the guy is still smashing it.

“Gigi Rüf has probably had one of the most successful careers in the history of snowboarding – a career we can’t see an end to any time soon”

From filming with Kingpin, Absinthe Films and Pirates, to being part of the Burton Uninc crew, all the way to building his own snowboard company Slash, Gigi has seen snowboarding evolve from more than just one angle. And as if this wasn’t enough, he also decided to partake in The Freeride World Tour too, just to “stay busy”.

We sat down with Gigi just before the end of last year to catch up on how his latest movie project ‘Driven’ is coming along, what one decade of Slash Snowboards has brought with it and how he ended up on the Freeride World Tour to begin with.

Gigi Ruf. Pic: @freerideworldtour/©JBERNARD

Gigi, tell us a bit about your latest movie project with Pirates, ‘Driven’, how is it coming along?
G: Last season we filmed in Canada. However, due to covid and the travel restrictions, we could not complete the last part that was meant to take place in Alaska, so we decided to add another year to it.

For now, we’ve only filmed freeriding but with this extra year, the producers might have a chance to add some more creative type of riding to the mix, like street. So, hopefully, there will be the chance for them to add a bit more cast, different type of riding, others than myself, Victor Daviet, John Jackson and Manuel Diaz, who are all freeriders.

Originally, we wanted to release the film this autumn, but with nobody able to go anywhere… Even if online things are starting to get so much better, we want to make a big deal about the release with a tour and whatnot. It’s so hard to think about that now but yeah, we’ve got another year to get those plans on track.

“We gave each location about 5 weeks, so we didn’t have to travel back and forth and scatter ourselves too much”

We did definitely make the most out of the season, as you will see. We gave each location about 5 weeks, so we didn’t have to travel back and forth and scatter ourselves too much. We wanted to take our time with two locations per season, giving 5 weeks on location, and take what we get from that time.

That’s kind of our concept, not to scatter too much, not to travel too much, and therefore it’s been really nice for me to plan in some other things. Like our first-year filming, we were in Japan, and I could combine that with the FWT. I don’t like to add any extra travels.

It’s almost been 10 years now since you founded Slash. If you think back about your journey with the brand, what are some key moments you like to think back on?
G: First of all, it was the right time for me to start Slash when I did. I’d previously worked with other companies and was very involved in all the development stuff. Getting involved in rider driven companies such as Burton and being a global team rider for them for 12 or 13 years, kind of lead me to start my own company.

“I think that, to an extent, I’ve also inspired the industry in terms of shapes, tech and design, and aspects of freestyle oriented and directional boards”

Back in 2011/12 when I started Slash, people told me I could wait another six years to start my own company, but I wanted to start it right then and there when still actively snowboarding too. I thought it could help my career. I wanted to get the performance I wanted out of a board, the performance I was used to, and at the time I wasn’t really able to get that which is why I wanted to start developing and designing my own boards.

Gigi Ruf. Pic: @freerideworldtour/©DDAHER

I took on the business side, maybe three years ago, which was another turning point. Other people were trying to make money out of Slash, but it was never good enough for them, so I made the decision that I’m content with what Slash is for me. It’s helped me through my career, and I think I’ve achieved pretty good results after starting the company, so basically, it all comes down to what Slash has given me. It’s created freedom and given me something to do.

I look back and I’m proud of what I’ve done, which leads me to the third key moment. I think that, to an extent, I’ve also inspired the industry in terms of shapes, tech and design, and aspects of freestyle oriented and directional boards. It’s kind of a tap on the shoulder when I see how much it [Slash] has developed in the last 10 years, and the influence I also may have had.

How do you feel like Slash has influenced snowboarding?
G: I think Slash has influenced the direction of the snowboard industry and I think it has been at the forefront in shapes and designs. I’m trying to keep the entry-level low and to make snowboarding accessible to everyone.

Nowadays there are so many different trends and opinions, and they’re changing so quickly, but I think I’m investing my part in the right spot and doing everything it takes to help out and inspire the industry in a positive way, rather than giving in to the next trend. I’m pretty happy with where I’m at. It’s a continuous learning curve, which I am excited to be part of. So basically, the progression I’ve made within Slash, I’ve also made in my active career.

Do you feel like your background as a professional snowboarder has had an impact on how you run your business, in both positive and negative ways?
G: Yeah. The double side to it is that people know me from my riding, but they don’t know me from a business perspective. I try to combine both.

“The double side to it is that people know me from my riding, but they don’t know me from a business perspective”

As a business owner, I’m looking for the human aspects in the business as well, rather than just the profitable ones. I see myself as a part of snowboarding, and rather than following the latest trends in snowboarding, I just want to represent what my company stands for. I think my background allows me to keep one foot in the door through the company and stay in touch with the scene and everything that surrounds it.

Next season is probably going to bring a lot of challenges to the whole industry. How is this going to affect Slash?
G: I’ve made some investments with tiny retailers for my first webshop that I launched this year, selling not only direct to the customer but allowing retailers to partake in the sales too. In general, my priorities are set for inclusion in snowboarding which also includes retailers and the connected scenes in the different countries. I hope this is two-way communication, where retailers that have inventory can sell to my website, so customers’ orders get shipped from the retailers’ side if they have the inventory.

It’s not only B2C but also communication, as the business part gets to partake. I like the personal relationship I’ve been experiencing throughout the sales business and the connections with the distributors. It’s just a better filter to work with, more people, than just doing everything online. I am still learning the business world and finding the right road. I’m trying to get better and it’s a steady process.

Moving on to FWT, what made you get involved in the tour in the first place?
G: I like to stay busy. When I got involved, it was the first year I didn’t really have a project to work on, as we were in the middle of planning ‘Drive’. I wanted to give the FWT a visit because I found it interesting for a couple of different reasons.

“On a personal side, competing turned out to be much more difficult than I had expected”

For one, there is not much going on for a rider like me, with the skiing federations who took hold of most of the snow events. The real platform for me to show my creativity in has always been filming video parts. So, the FWT seemed to be like an interesting platform to visit. I wanted to see how it works and see for myself how I would do, and also to get out of the filming bubble a bit. I also wanted to see what drives other freeriders – both snowboarder and skiers.

On a personal side, competing turned out to be much more difficult than I had expected. The first year of FWT was very eye-opening. And I don’t like to make things easier for myself, I’d rather go at them the hard way.

I was very keen to ride and stick to my commitment. The first year I joined the tour I got a wildcard, and I stuck to it, so I rode out the whole tour, and was confronted with more riding challenges at every stop.

Do you find that your history in filming video parts has benefitted you in the tour?
G: It should have. I’ve had so many practice runs and being in the position to have to stand up and deliver. But, in the end, I don’t think it did. Maybe I set my own expectations for myself a bit too high, and I don’t even want to know about other people’s expectations, but it made me a lot more human. Everyone around me has the same struggles and goes through the same learning process. It’s been an interesting one for sure, with only having “one chance”.

What’s the biggest difference between filming in the backcountry and competing in the backcountry?
G: The difference is that when you’re filming, you can plan it out a lot better, and find the right time, but when you’re competing you are told to when and where. And that’s the hardest aspect of it, to be kind of under pressure, and everyone around you is worried about their line and what they are going into.

Gigi Ruf. Pic: @freerideworldtour/©MKNOLL

In filming it is more loose, more sporadic and spontaneous, so the competition is limiting a lot in the sense of what I was used to, but there are connections that are very similar. To put yourself in a state of comfort and not panic too much. But the pressure is much higher when you’re competing. And being in a live format may be another reason that I was attracted to the FWT. The format of live performance is a viable and interesting part, and I’m sure a lot will evolve there.

“I keep on telling myself that I’ve earned myself the spot, standing up there”

I keep on telling myself that I’ve earned myself the spot, standing up there. And it’s very few people that have that access. After a year I can understand a bit better what drives those people, the freeriders that are partaking. It’s not an easy task.

Do you think the mental mindset is different from competing to filming?
G: Yes. The competition mindset is a lot more pressure. There’s a lot going into it. It all comes down to one day when in filming you have eight weeks to capture the best conditions. On the tour, it’s a constant pressure to perform.

We’ve seen a lot more competition formats bending, like the X Games Real Snow, do you think the format of the FWT will change in the future?
G: There have been some talks about making the FWT more freestyle open rather than keeping it the freeride way. I think it’s already become more open to freestyle, which is what attracts spectators and the young crowd of both snowboarders and skiers. Adding some trick to all the difficulties you already face on the mountain, that’s the progression I’ve been gaining in my own riding.

“Adding some trick to all the difficulties you already face on the mountain, that’s the progression I’ve been gaining in my own riding”

What I like about the FWT is that it is an independent tour, a ground programme of qualifiers, a chance to give access to people to develop away from the halfpipes and parks. And this is a good foundation to build more layers on top of.

What board are you riding in the tour?
G: This year, I’ll be riding my newest creation, the Slash Vertical, which is also available as a splitboard. The vertical is my go-to board right now, and I’m already spending days on it just to get used to its behaviour and how to set my weight on it in certain tricks. It’s interesting. My task for this season is to build a good relationship with the board.

Otherwise, I have my go-to board, which is a twin directional board, the Slash ATV, which is the original slash design, and still my all-time favourite camber board.

This year hasn’t really been as anyone expected. Have you got anything you want to take from 2020 as we enter a new year?
G: With losing a lot of normal behaviour I’m trying to adapt and be more compassionate and talk about things more directly. I’m more actively asking questions and making sure people are aware of my personal thoughts too. And also care more about people’s wellbeing, like my family’s.

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