Mike Casanova has long been a presence in the snowboard world, albeit a sporadic one. At times he has been stellar, wowing crowds in rail jams worldwide, whilst inventing tricks and gaining a cult following. At other times, he's completely off the grid; a specter dipping in and out of the spotlight to provide a bit of wonder before slipping back into darkness. He has been quiet of late, so we snagged him back at home for a bit of Midwest Ketchup.

What's up, Mike? You are in Wisconsin at the moment?
Yeah, I am figuring out when I can get back out to Colorado. I am here for the time being.

Are you there working?
Kind of. Honestly, I am back here because I got into some mischief four years ago for OWI and I am trying to get that taken care of. I don't know if that is too off topic. Basically, I am trying to get my life organized to be able to snowboard this winter. That's what it comes down to.

So snowboarding is the main goal this winter?
Yeah.Anything in particular you would like to accomplish?
I am trying to do as many contests as possible and actually film a legitimate video part for once.

I was going to get to that later in the conversation, but let's talk about a video part now. You have had your stake in snowboarding for quite a while. A full part has to be at the top of your list?
I can't say that (in the past) I have been in the right place to realize what my priorities are in life, to be honest. Now that I am getting older and everyone is getting younger, a video part is something I really want to do and just haven't committed to 100%. It is something I am hesitant to do, but I really want to do it.Do you have a specific crew or filmer in mind?
I have talked with Austin Julik-Heine about it and I am going to see what his plan is for this winter. Not to hop on his bandwagon, but in their video this year (Smoke Signals), they got shit done. So if there is an opportunity to go out with those guys… Their riding speaks for itself. If I can bring out my best, like they brought out their best, I am curious what I could do.

I think a lot of people are curious. You have worked with Pirate Movie Production in the past. What was that experience like? Is that something you would do again?
I would do it again, for sure. They are very professional. When it is time to hit record, everything is set up perfect. They know what they are doing and everyone knows their place. Everybody is pretty damn comfortable. People might not like my approach (at spots) because I usually get psyched out and am always talking to myself a bunch. I will get quiet and I don't say much, and then once it's over and I feel like it's cool and done with, I will actually talk a little bit. But up until that time, I guess you could say I am really superstitious. But with Pirates, it was awesome. Listening to people talk in different languages is cool, too. It was a really fun experience.How did that relationship come to be?
It was something where I was at Camp of Champions, maybe four or five summers ago, and they had a signature session, or they had a bunch of riders out there, and I got to go to one of their photo shoots on this jump at night. I was hitting this down bar into a jump and I think the invitation came from that session. They asked if I would be interested, and at the time I had nothing else going that was on that level, so I took it.

Would you prefer to be part of a video this year or release your own online part?
I don't know. I've never thought of that. It is a lot of responsibility when you are doing it by yourself, but then again, I don't know where I stand because I didn't film one shot last year. Not a single shot. I did not go to a spot or set anything up. I like the drive of being with other people, not from a competitive standpoint, but just when someone turns it on, you are like, "Oh shit, if they got that, maybe I can try this. And if I got this, then we are both going to be stoked". I like the give and take of being in a crew.

Also, there are spots where I don't know if I would want to be by myself. I have never tried snowboarding by myself, so I don't know what that would be like. It is really rewarding when you are riding with people you respect and they see something work and they know you tried for it. The sharing of it is pretty sweet. I would like to film with a crew, ideally.Is this the year to put that hesitation aside, take care of any other nonsense and put it all on the table?
I have been in so many situations where it is an all-or-nothing thing. It either scares me or it brings out the best in me. Who knows, maybe there is an avenue still. For me to make a video part this year, I really need to get creative and have the right influences around me. People that believe that I can make something better than what I have done and not something I settled for out of fear. Fear of making a half-assed part, instead of being like, "Just do it, dude". You always wonder, "what if?"... Fuck it, here is your "what if" chance. Go figure it out.

That pressure, I have been under it before and am familiar with it. It is a scary thing to step back into. At the same time, at this point in my life, as embarrassing as it is to say, I really don't have any other avenues going. Snowboarding is my ultimate release, my favorite passion. It is everything to me.

You are riding for Mantis United right now. Are you riding for anybody else?
INI Cooperative just got a hold of me. I will be riding for them for outerwear this winter. Also, my friends started a small, independent company back here, The Interior Plain Project, and gave me a couple boards to ride.
What did you think of Street vs. Snow last year?
It was super fun and the riders brought great energy. A lot of hungry up and comers who were really talented. I thought the event was creative and without death consequences so you could get pretty tech. Good time.

Will you be there there this year?
I'd love to come back if they have it again. Super fun event!

Check the video from STREET vs SNOW

Maybe once this makes its way to the internet someone will read it and fly you out.
That would be sick! I would move to Europe if it came down to it.

Any parting remarks?
Thank you to all those people out there who still see it in me. Those times when you don't see it in yourself it is really uplifting to hear the support. It is really awesome, especially when you are going through things, like, "Am I done? Did I ever even start?". It is a humbling experience. Having been where I was to where I am now, if I can still be a player in the game, I want to do it. I've got dreams, I've got goals for tricks. I don't feel like I have met my full ability, so I would love to see what I am capable of. I guess that is it.
Interview by Mike Goodwin