"Basically an editors nightmare" | Jed Anderson on Ride Snowboards 'Rated R'
Jed Anderson - what is there to say that hasn't already been said?! He's unanimously one of the greatest snowboarders to ever strap in. Currently on what could arguably be viewed as his third stint as a professional snowboarder, he's proven himself time and time again as a rightful recipient of high praise. Jed's mindfulness towards his own progression is the archetype of how to film a video part.
The hype behind the latest Ride Snowboards full length 'Rated R' was very real. Filmed over the course of two years, with the first year consisting of one great trip - see Torment Mag's 'Collapse in Pittsburgh: Two Tales in Three Rivers' - the stage was set for year two to be a big one, and the whole crew showed up. The right filmers, clean art direction and a pointed rider list all lead towards a video that's worthy of multiple viewings. As many of us anticipated, Jed secures the ender part and the two-song barrage leaves the viewer in awe as the curtains fall and the credits spin. Righteously, we wanted to know more from this Canadian icon, and Jed was kind enough to answer a few questions for us.
Photos: Oli Gagnon + Tom Monterosso
Words: Finn Westbury
You don’t shy away from revisiting spots over the years, particularly spots where you already hold the honours of having the best clip. What drives you to go back to spots and one-up yourself?
Usually, it's just knowing there's still something that could be done on the spot. Maybe there's still a move that is just as cool, or better. Sometimes it will be a couple years and someone hasn't done another trick on it, and I get re-sparked to hit it again. If it's a trick that compliments the trick I already have done, say a different 270, then I think that can be dope, too - that's motivating. It can also be the result of being out of ideas or spots. Just going to something because you know works and being like "well, I could go try something?" (laughs).
Take us through the past couple of winters filming for Rated R. Double song ender part is no minor feat. How did it come together so well? Was it your personal mindset? Was it the crew? Or how was the winter delivered, condition and spot-wise?
It was honestly just a lot of work from everyone. There was a lot of support for one another, and commitment to help each other get clips. For myself, I just really wanted to take the opportunity seriously. It was the first time in a long time I was apart of a project of this size. I knew there was going to be premiers and a lot of people were probably going to see it. Ride put a lot of trust in us and I just really wanted to work hard.
We went on one trip the first season which was so fun, then the full winter last year. To be honest, it was kind of a difficult season. It never really snowed anywhere we had planned on going when the year started. We ended up in cities like Minneapolis and Montreal, which is still cool, but not the dream scenario. Those cities have been ran through for about two decades now, so it’s more difficult to find new spots or come up with interesting ideas. Don’t get me wrong, people continue to produce amazing footage from those cities, and they are still good destinations. Either way, to have the support like we did, and be able to go and film consistently was amazing. Even though we maybe didn’t get to go to the ideal cities or mountains, we were able to stay on our boards quite a lot and be out filming. I’m really grateful for that.
It was also really cool to just spend that much time with one another. I knew everyone already of course, but I feel like this project really brought us closer together.
Ledge to Roof in Kuopio, Finland. Photo: Oli Gagnon.
When did you start filming, and when did it wrap up? Do you have a favourite trip you went on for the project?
We started filming in January of 2022. For my favourite trips, Two come to mind. Like I mentioned, we went on one trip the first year. We had just got the okay from Ride to start filming, and we heard it was going to snow a bunch in Pittsburgh. That trip was so cool. Myself, Spencer, Krugs, and Jon Stark showed up two days before the storm to scope. I’ve never taken this approach (laughs). It felt pretty wild cause it was like, "is it actually going to snow here?" It was pretty warm out and we just drove around peeping shit and compiling spots. Thankfully, it did end up snowing and staying cold for about eight or nine days. We all snowboarded a bunch and got some of my favourite footage in the video. Stark’s photographer friend Topher also pulled up… that guy was pretty twisted but looking back it added to the trip and was pretty awesome (laughs). It was just a fun and exciting trip. That city is really cool. The spots look good, it’s easy to eat, and it’s pretty blue collar so the general public don't really bother you too much. We were really productive and hyped since it was the start of it all.
The other trip that comes to mind was at the start of last season. I drove from Toronto to upstate New York to meet Savannah and Parrish. They drove from Vermont and we met in Ithaca. I was kind of going through it at that time. Having some time on the drive in the car to myself, and then just filming the three of us was really what I needed. It was super lighthearted and chill. Not much expectation or commitment from anyone. We were kind of just driving around and would snowboard on one or two things and just hang out. It felt like when I first started filming with my friends. It was maybe only a three or four day trip but it really sticks out for me. Our airbnb didn’t have a tv so we would just chill and watch snowboard videos on the computer and eat treats. Savannah ended up getting a stomach bug the last day and I barely made it home to Toronto before bursting and through my doors and immediately puking (laughs). I slept on the bathroom floor for two nights.
How was working on this video with the whole Ride team? They seem to have things dialled in over there.
Just before a moment of friction between Jed and these rails. Photo: Tom Monterosso
Do you have a favourite trick in the video from one of your teammates? If so, what trick and why?
There’s a lot of them…Honestly everyone has such amazing footage. It’s tough to pick it apart. I’ll pick something from each part (laughs). There’re a couple of Dan that come to mind. He does this nose slide pop over into this cement bank that’s really cool. Pretty much everyone was there at that spot helping out, so it was also sick to just be squadded up that deep at one spot. You can’t really tell but we built a huge drop in at that thing. He also does this rainbow rail type thing and hits the backboard of the basketball net. I just love watching him snowboard and have been a fan forever so basically anything he does I’m down for.
Sav’s last trick is really dope. I love the brick hubba. Just a cool spot and she did it really well. She also does this back board that lands onto a ledge that I really liked. Reid’s gap back 50 into the kink was also really sick. There’s a bunch in Reid’s part. He worked super hard and it was cool to see it all put together. Krugs gap switch back lip was awesome and the first slam (laughs). Homie is a twisted legend. Jill 5050 wall scrape thing into the alley was so sick. Spencer double flip and front board on S rail was dope - ATV mode. McDonald’s clip was also great. Cole’s two tricks were really awesome. He was dealing with an injury all season and basically went full beast mode and fought through the pain and got those clips. I believe they are both in Portland on a freak snow storm. Really epic he got those. And of course, Mikes ollie. I wish I was there - the celebration at the bottom is too good. Such a random squad of people just so hyped. Bummed I didn’t get to witness that in person.
Is there a clip or spot that you got that sticks out as your favourite? Why?
I’d probably say the clip from the pool in Pittsburg, or my last trick in Minnesota. The one in Pittsburg is special to me for a few reasons. I feel really lucky to have found a spot like that with a huge hill into it…and just that it even ended up working at all. When I first started messing around I was kind of doing these backside Ollie’s…and just trying to feel things out. I ended up sending one to flat and murking my back before I started trying to slide around the corner. It felt painful, but I had never hurt my back before, so I was like “it’s probably fine” and just pushed through the pain for a bit. I started trying the back lip, and I could barely bend over to do my bindings up. Once I started trying the backlip, I knew I had to do it. I forced my way through it and that was the last time I boarded all season. It was the start of January. I ended up compressing a disc in my lower back at the start of that session and pretty much just fucked it by continuing to board. It took me like three months or so to recover. I still think it was worth it (laughs) I’m glad I stuck it out and got the clip.
The line in Minnesota was my second time back. When we were planning the trip, I knew I wanted to film a line there. The first time I went, I frontboarded the first kink then back boarded the second. I was happy with that I watched the clip later and I still liked it, but I knew I could do something better. It felt a little uneventful. It was a cool clip but not anything that crazy. I knew I could backlip the second rail and that would be a way better clip (laughs) I was hesitant to bring this up with everyone because that spot is kind of a mission. It’s at a big church in St. Paul, it opens at like 9am, so you have to go before sunrise and be ready to go right when the sun is coming up. It also lands in a road so you need spotters and since it’s a line sometimes the wait between tries is long. It was also -30, so it was a big ask especially already making them go through this process once. Basically to hit it you need at least the filmer and another person to watch for cars to get up stupid early. The first time I hit it I built a tiny drop in and got slung in. I knew this time around I wanted to build a drop in so I didn’t have to ask more people to come (laughs) I went the night before and right before I finished they came out and made us take it down. Now we had to get up even earlier so I could get there and build the drop in and hit it before it opened and hopefully get the clip. We showed up early and got it all dialed and I started trying it. I started trying front board then backlip for the first while. I couldn’t land the front board with my body position right, so I started doing switch board slides first and that set me up way better for back lip. I ended up riding it for a decent amount of time and somehow didn’t get kicked out. I eventually did one I was happy with and we went to a diner to celebrate. We all got milkshakes and a fucked meal because we were all so hungry and exhausted. It was so awesome. I knew that it was an option for a last trick and I felt relieved to get that out of the way. Thank you Dan, Sav and Parrish for getting up early with me! Another fun fact about that spot, Chad Otterstroms dad is the custodian of the church. I found that out after he had seen the video this fall. Pretty crazy (laughs).
Pre-milkshake in St. Paul, Minnesota. Photo: Tom Monterosso
Durham snapped on your section. The editing seems to fit your snowboarding perfectly - how involved were you when it came down to putting things together?
Both Parrish and Durham edited the part. They did a really good job and are both so talented. Parrish did the initial lay out and then Durham went in and added his flavour. I was very involved, probably too much from their perspective (laughs). I picked the music and general order of tricks…I’d also usually come back with notes and revisions. Basically an editors nightmare. I felt so emotionally attached to the outcome and honestly a bit controlling, which sucks to admit. I just really had a vision, so it was hard to let go. Moving forward I want to try to take a bit more of a hands off approach and let people do their thing more. Not be so intense (laughs)
Are you happy with the general response to Rated R?
For sure. People seem to enjoy it. I mean, I don't think people would tell me if they didn't like it, but yeah, it’s cool to see what sticks out to people and what everyone is taking away from the vid.
Not gunna lie, we really like this photo. Photo: Tom Monterosso
We heard rumours about you sitting on some solid slackcountry jump footage. Is that true? If so, is that footage ever going to see the light of day?
I mean, there was some in the Brighton section of the video. I had a few other things but nothing that was too dope. I’d like to get out in the backcountry a lot more this year. It’s hard!
The Kink, adorned with your signature graphic, gets some serious love from the rest of the team. Care to share a few quick words on the design process, and how it feels seeing your friends riding your board?
Where do you place this part against ones you've done in the past?
A top 3 part from one of our top 3 snowboarders. Photo: Tom Monterosso.
Big thank you to Jed, and everyone over at Ride who had a hand in 'Rated R'. Big ups. Watch the video again below, conveniently embedded begin as Jed starts doing his damn thing.