Hey Mathieu, great job on A Guide To Mellow Livin’ and congrats on the IF3 nomination! How did the idea for the film come about?
Yeah thanks, we’re stoked that our little trip came out great and we could make a cool mini-film.

The idea actually came from Sam McMahon, Nidecker’s TM (he doesn’t like that title!) and filmer. We had planned this trip to Japan because we needed to be at the Tenjin Banked Slalom the first week of March – it didn’t make sense to go all the way to Japan just for the event so we thought about making a little road trip. Sam found the van, and off we went!

Top 3 Japanese meals?
Udon, ramen, sushi and definitely not natto!

Top 3 locations to ride in Japan?
Tenjindaira, Korudake and just off the roads

Top 3 tips for living in a van?
Have a space dedicated for drying your gear,
A good mate,
An onsen nearby!

You’re a keen surfer, how does the Mellow compare to getting barreled riding actual waves? Does the Nicecker Mellow (and Nidecker Odyssey) take some of its design and inspiration from surfboards?
Yes, the Mellow is definitely a board with a surfy feeling – it lives exactly to its name. Getting barreled or getting a big pow turn is a unique feeling for sure and the Mellow will help at least with the face shot.

For the barrel it’s another story! But yeah, it’s an effortless board that goes in all conditions.

Its strengths clearly lay in deep conditions. Does it still hold up on firmer days?
The short side cut and true camber between the feet makes it pretty strong on the slopes as well. I even rode it for the qualies run of the Mt Baker Banked Slalom last year. It went great!

What boots and bindings complete your set up?
The Kaon-X, the new Nidecker binding with some super comfy straps and the Nidecker Falcon boots.

You’re a co-founder and ambassador of Water Family. Can you tell us a little about the organisation, and what prompted you to set it up?
Water Family is an NGO that I started with my dad and a couple of friends about ten years ago to raise awareness on how the water cycle connects us with the rest of the elements. We build educational programs to be presented and used in school to teach kids how to adapt their way of living to the new challenges we’re facing.

As I’ve been living a life between mountains and ocean, it was natural to me to try to share that passion I have for water in all its forms. It’s an amazing but delicate playground. Protecting it is our mission and to do that we have to learn about it and love it.

What can (and should) the snowboard community be doing to help preserve the environments we play in?
The idea is not to go live in a cave and only eat seeds! It is to keep doing what we love for the longest possible. And we as the snowboard community have a strong voice and role.

I’m no-one to teach lessons but guess we all have to change our habits, by travelling differently, using our connection to the environment to inspire people that don’t have the chance to live daily in the outdoors and push towards a more sustainable economy.

The Nidecker Mellow Snowboard, Kaon-X bindings and Falcon boots have all been selected for this year’s Whitelines 100. Click on the links below for our in depth product reviews.