The mindset of surfers and snowboarders are very similar — if not the same — a fact all four team members agree on:

“I think surfing is my biggest inspiration for snowboarding,” Miles tells us.

“In the mountain, or in the ocean, a lot of elements come together” Travis continues, “I think it’s amazing how well the two complement each other. If you just do one, you’re looking at a very imbalanced physique.”

“I think surfing is my biggest inspiration for snowboarding”

For Austen, it’s about expressing and pushing yourself. “You’re going into the mountains, you’re going into the ocean and it’s a great way to just express yourself and see what you’re capable of,” he explains. “They both differ from skateboarding when you’re in the city or an urban environment with a lot of chaos. They’re both more about finding peace.”

Bryan, who grew up surfing before he started riding, found the appeal of snowboarding in how much easier it felt for him. “I could have the control and the speed that I wanted on a surfboard,” he tells us. The pull towards surfing still runs deep in his veins though. “It’s amazing that you can sit out in the ocean and a couple of days before a storm has created the swell that travels across the ocean, hits the ocean floor, and creates the wave you stand up on it. It’s pretty magical. And just like riding powder, it’s an incredible symbiotic relationship. Rarely can you interact with nature in this way that makes you part of it and not apart from it.”

“Rarely can you interact with nature in this way that makes you part of it and not apart from it”

One of the perks of riding for a brand like Quiksilver is the close connection between the surf and snow teams. By taking the snow team into the ocean and vice versa, both athletes get the chance to pick up tips from each other, as Austen describes: “We almost get to share this common interest of learning a new form of board riding. To expand our skills and try to progress together with them.”

“I think anyone who’s at the level of those guys means they have it so dialled in.” Travis continues, “They’re specialists at chasing the heaviest conditions and knowing how to deal with it so it’s really easy to communicate when you bring them to the mountains. They get it. They understand what it is that we do, and how we’re trying to approach it. I think it’s a lot of shared respect for the path. It’s very complementary.”

With all those years of experience, together with Quiksilver, Travis has helped to develop his two signature collections – the HighLine Pro Jacket and Pants and the Travis Rice Stretch Jacket and Pants.

“It doesn’t really work if you’ve got outside pressure or stresses that are pushing you to make decisions”

“It’s a collection based on twenty years of experience from my side and all of the experience from the team that is building and designing the apparel. It’s about trying to find a state of wisdom versus reckless decision making,” Travis continues, “and undoubtedly we humans have to base our positions on past experiences.”

Just like Travis’ riding, the collection too has evolved through the range. “I used to ride a lot more park and street and what I wanted back then from style and technical performance were very different from what it is today. Now I’m looking for the absolute best technical performance garments that are like armour in the backcountry.”

In his own words, the Travis x Quiksilver HighLine pro collection is about “full commitment on winter days and being prepared for anything.” “I think my favourite part of it is the interface between the bibs and the jacket. It’s got this super comfortable over the shoulder upper bib component. The material is tough enough to bounce off trees or scrape against rocks but light enough to be super manoeuvrable and not restrictive. It’s got a loose enough fit that I can layer underneath. And it’s very waterproof.”

Bryan Fox (the best surfer on the Quik snow team according to Austen Sweetin) incorporates his surfing into his riding not only in terms of flow but also when it comes to control and patience.

“So much of my time is spent in the mountains looking for features that would be representative of waves or more or less just runs that flow in the same way as waves do”

“So much of my time is spent in the mountains looking for features that would be representative of waves or more or less just runs that flow in the same way as waves do,” Bryan tells us. “Back in the day, I spent so much time thinking about what tricks I wanted to do but these days I spend more time looking for aesthetically pleasing runs that feel a certain way. That’s definitely drawn from the ocean. It’s just about what feels good.”

But as much as there are similarities between the two, there are also differences. “Surfing is different from skateboarding and snowboarding,” Bryan says. “You can’t push your will on nature because it’s all just dictated by what the ocean gives you. I’d say I’m a pretty spoiled ADHD character that wants things when I want them and when you sit in the ocean you have no control over what comes to you. It teaches you patience – a bit of zen.”

“I’d say I’m a pretty spoiled ADHD character that wants things when I want them and when you sit in the ocean you have no control over what comes to you”

As for outerwear, Bryan values similar technical features to Travis, like premium waterproofing and breathability. However, his series takes on a slightly baggier cut, with more nature-inspired, muted colours. “It’s not that I want to hide,” he jokes, “but I’m okay not looking too bright on the mountain, especially in the resorts.”

To complement his riding, Bryan is currently favouring a few different bits from Quiksilver. “I wear the Mission Jacket which is the cheapest Gore-Tex jacket available. I’m not sure if it’s the cheapest in the industry, but it’s definitely at a price point that I feel comfortable telling my friends who aren’t of means that it is a very good option for a jacket that won’t cost you a month’s worth of wages. I also wear the Forever jacket from time to time”

As for the pants, Bryan prefers to pair up his jacket of choice with the Quiksilver Altostratus bibs that have had years of development pumped into them. Just like Travis, Bryan appreciates being geared up to a certain premium to protect himself from the elements. “If you pick the wrong clothes, in some dramatic sense it is life or death”, Bryan explains, “A lot of the time we’re going into places where preparation is vital for you to be able to enjoy your day: Good layering, good socks, good goggles, all the things that are essential for a good day.”

“If you pick the wrong clothes, in some dramatic sense it is life or death”

You don’t want to go out there and suffer which is why good apparel is so important. In the end, fortune favours the person who is prepared for what is to come. If you put your time and energy into researching your snowboard gear, you’ll likely reap the benefits from it.

It doesn’t matter whether it is surfing or snowboarding: if you have good gear you’re going to enjoy your time on the board more. “All things are not created equal”, as Bryan says, which is exactly why he, Travis, Miles and Austen have placed their trust in Quiksilver’s Surf The Mountain.

Check out the first part of the Quiksilver Interview series with Austen Sweetin and Miles Fallon who discuss the new ‘Quiksilver High Altitude’ collection amongst other things.