These old ‘before they were famous sponsor me tapes are always pretty eye opening. If you hadn’t read that the kid in this was one 16 year old Halldor Helgason would you have been able to figure it out yourself? Even back in 2007 Halldor was getting pretty tech on rails and sending it off massive jumps but hadn’t quite yet dialled in that recognisable style or precision – heck, there’s even a load of zeaches in this! It’s still pretty impressive though and after this was released Halldor got snapped by DC Sweden and managed to get on a few trips with the main DC team before being offered a contract from DC global. The rest is history…

Pretty inspiring stuff for all of the kids out there who have got the skills and are looking to make it big in the snowboard world. Ethan Deiss is another perfect example of a kid who came seemingly came out of nowhere and now has a story that reads like a snowboarder kid’s fairytale: unknown midwestern US kid puts out sponsor tape, gets hooked up by Burton and ends up becoming one of Burton’s biggest jibbers in the space of a couple of years. The difference between these guys and the countless other talented jib kids trying to make it? Personality. Marketability. Both of these guys had flair – some hidden spark that brands know other kids will be able to aspire and relate to. It’s all well and good being a ridiculously good rider, but with so many others out there these days with comparable talents, having drive and a personality that gets you noticed can make all the difference.