Ever wonder what happens to pro snowboarders after their time is up? Some burn out and fade away, others slip back into "normal" 9-5 society but a select few continue to live the snowboarding dream and carve out a spot for themselves in the industry hierarchy. We wanted to pay tribute to these unsung heroes with a new feature called Industry BOSS, so we picked our homie Jon "Jigga" Weaver as our first Industry Boss case study. Read on to find out more on what it takes to be one of the best team managers in the game, who knows, you might even find out how to get sponsored by Nike. Or not...
Hey Jon, how has your summer been?
Hey Chriso, yep summer's been good, thanks. I didn’t end up going to New Zealand, instead I have been in France a bunch of times and the US for a week. I also went on an amazing boat trip, surfing in a secret location with Gary Greenshields, Mark Ruparelia, Jenny Jones, Jason Horton and Aimee Fuller. Basically it’s been a great summer and nice to have some downtime after a busy, busy winter.
So tell me a little bit about your background and how you got into the snowboard industry?
Well, I was an average snowboarder at best. Think of me as a third division footballer. I had a couple of good seasons where I was a pro rider for Forum but then I got offered a chance to start working instead of riding for Forum and so it made more sense to me. I wasn’t exactly the next big thing in snowboarding and this seemed like a great opportunity. So I started organizing events for them, then a team, then I became marketing manager and then finally I switched to Nike last year.
Explain to everybody what your job is at Nike?
I am the European Team Manager. Well, that’s the official title, which incorporates many different avenues; everything from working with the riders and planning their seasons, their travels, listening to input and output, I have to see they get paid on time, ensuring they have the right product when they need it. It’s a job, which varies so much depending on the time of year. Summer it’s mostly that stuff above, pre-season is also hectic, we all live together, I usually cook for everyone, take him or her to the gym, go riding, a bit of filming. It is all way more hands-on stuff, basically trying to get everyone ready for winter. During the season I travel with the team to events and shoots. I guess you could say it’s a cross between office guy, chef, dad and taxi driver. All the riders have different needs, so some you need to spend more time with than others.
So basically you don’t just get to shred around the whole winter with Halldor, Gjermund and Peetu?
That comes into it at times, yep. At Dew Tour this year we had a week just shredding and filming with the guys. Doing park laps, which was amazing, and with a crew like that you know it's good times. However there is the extreme opposite of this, and on some trips you don’t even bring a board. Like the Burton European Open, my job is to be on first lifts with the riders, watching all their heats, getting them fed and keeping them hydrated, making sure they have everything they need, and then heading down again after the comp has finished. Not much time left for riding unfortunately.
I heard Nike has a massive warehouse stashed away in France where you guys have lots of loose parties, is this right?
Haha, yep! It’s called the Roundhouse. It’s the second year we have done it. It’s in Anglet and it’s a pretty sweet spot. It is an old nightclub turned into this cool place where we can all hang. It is also used for editing movies and stuff, and then there is a pool for swimming, and a ridiculously sick purpose-built skate park, which is mobbed all summer long. We also bring all kinds of bands and music down there for the parties. This year we saw the Black Lips and even last night was Hanni El Khatib getting it going. Last year DJ Diplo also played, he was the Boss!
What part of your job are you psyched on and what are some you are not so psyched on?
The best parts are probably when the guys you have worked with for a long time start to do good. So like, seeing Jamie Nicholls do so good at the Munich Stairset Finals, Ethan riding so strong at the BEO, and Silje landing on the podium at US Open and X Games. I also can’t wait to watch Ethan’s part in the new Isenseven movie, also Halldor and Gjermund in Standard's new film, TB20. It’s going to be a good feeling to see how they all have done after they all worked so hard on their parts all year. The worst aspect of the job would probably be the late night airport pick-ups, and when riders get injured, as I have been through it myself and know that no matter what you say to them there is nothing to make them feel any better. Injuries suck.
Are you on call 24 hours a day for the team?
In wintertime, yes, I am. However in summer I turn my phone off when I go to bed, otherwise my girlfriend gets really mad when it goes off.
How do you keep snowboarding cool?
By doing my signature Jiggaflips and methods here and there!
Have you ever had to tell one of your riders to man up and stop being such a pussy?
Ah, yes, Kevin Backstrom and his switch back 5 malarkey. I've had to tell him a few times to watch and learn from his old ass team manager, as I've got a perfect switch back 5 on lock, and he always ends up giving it the whole “I can't, how do you do it” spiel, haha. Off the hill, they are all up for it. Maybe the new generation of kids don’t party as much as we did back in the day, but when the time comes Sergeant Helgason and Corporal Braaten will always be on the frontline, ready for battle in any scummy Chinese nightclub.
If you can’t get your riders to respect you on the hill is it true you have to be able to drink them under the table to earn it?
They all R-E-S-P-E-C-T the Boss. I do have a good go at showing them what’s up off hill as well. In Norway this year we ended up in a weird game of "Have You Ever...". Halldor, Ethan and I ended up chewing Snus (Swedish dipping tobacco) and having a team puke off the terrace at the end of the night. Quite a spectacle! Halldor and I were fine after, Ethan was kind of messed up for the rest of the night. I’m pretty sure Jamie Nicholls is holding onto some pretty cool pictures of the German, haha!
How do you think Nike is perceived in the industry?
I think a few people were probably wary at first, but when you see the things they are doing to actually grow the sport, you can't argue with them. I have had my eyes opened since I joined the Nike program, especially as to what Nike can bring to action sports. A perfect example is the Just Do It/Chosen advert, which was all over the Internet and TV. That commercial aired at halftime in the last game of the NBA finals in America! I mean, how crazy is that, in the middle of one of the most popular global TV spectacles, snowboarding, skating and surfing were showcased to the world. That ad alone reached so many kids around the world, and can hopefully bring more participants to the sport. I know when I was a kid, it was insane seeing snowboarding on the TV, and it made you want to do it. So hopefully it has the same effect on other kids. The more people go snowboarding, the better the parks will be, the better the product will be, the more accessible it will become and the more jobs it will create for people like you and me. Some people may still be wary of it, but they should grasp that Nike is trying to grow action sports, which will is great for all of us.
What things are you hyped on right now in the world of Nike?
The new Gigi Rüf Kaiju boots, which change color. That’s where my feet are at. It makes me feel like I am playing for Swansea all winter long. (Ed - I think he means that’s a good thing. Just kidding, Jon! Not really though.)
Education vs. experience, which do you think is more important?
A bit of both is the perfect mix, definitely education is great, I went to university and got a degree in International Business but at the moment, with how much it costs and the saturation of graduates in the employment world, if I had kids of that age right now I would probably suggest to them to just get an internship somewhere and get straight to work. So many people have shitty, irrelevant degrees, but so few people have any actual work experience.
What is the best perk you have received since working for Nike?
There have been a few. I got watch the US Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach, California. That was insane. Oh, and we got tickets to see Man United, (even though I don’t like them), but Gjermund was all stoked to see them so Nike arranged it. We got the whole box treatment. That was good. We also sat in the family enclosure section on Centre Court at Wimbledon to watch Rodger Federer play, which was great too. I also got to meet Carl Lewis, which I was happy about because he is the Boss, well at least back in the 80’s. But for sure you can see he still is a player. Hopefully the guys in the UK are going to come through with some tickets for Arsenal against Swansea, and that will be the ultimate highlight.
What would be the best way for a kid to get sponsored by Nike?
Ride well, be a nice kid, have good style and please don’t bother sending me lame "sponsor me" emails.
Any advice for anyone wanting to pursue a career as a TM?
Work hard, try and make a lot of contacts in the industry, get out of your own country's comfort zone and meet people from around Europe and the rest of the world.
Final words of wisdom?
Thanks for the interview, keep up the good work, chaps, and see you on the snow sometime for some average-looking snowboarding. Check out my blog at www.the-goodlife.co.uk or follow me on twitter @jonathan_weaver.