Any self-reflecting snowboarder would get worried that the things they do might affect the thing they love to do the most: snowboarding. Especially in these times of climate change, where CO2 levels are at the highest they've ever been and the weather has simply lost the plot. "Economy change" (if that's even a term) is in full effect and the money river for many is beginning to run dry, making snowboarding difficult to afford. Martin Winchenbach wasn't going to just bitch about snowboarding being so expensive and watch the glaciers melt away. He was a man with a plan that might help make a difference. Martin started a website called go-shred.com. It's more than a carpooling site, why not catch a ride with someone that has the same passion as you (instead of someone trying to give you copies of "The Watchtower" whilst claiming Jesus lives behind his ear). On Go-Shred you can save some money on gas, get off your ass, win stuff and ride with a bigger crew, so why wouldn't you? Anyway, I will let Martin give you the break down on how it works...

Tell us when and why you started www.shred-com.
I started to develop the concept in 2007. Go-shred.com went online in September 2009. I had the idea while sitting on the toilet and thinking about all the money I spend on traveling to the mountains. It was such a large sum and that’s when I asked myself, "What can I do to reduce the costs?". And then it just popped in my mind, car-sharing to the snow!

Give me the basic steps on how to get or give a ride.
If you want to find a ride, you have two possibilities:
    • You just check the list with all the ride offers by clicking on “search ride” on this page go-shred.com/rides
    •Or you enter at least one detail in the search window: Either a destination, a price, or the number of people
      who need a ride

Let's remind the readers of Method Mag why carpooling is good.
    •The driver saves money on gas and tolls by sharing costs with passengers.
    •Cheapest way to get to the hill for all the passangers in the ride.
    •Less CO2 emission and fewer cars on the street.
    •You get to travel with people who have the same passion, shredding!!!

Do you guys have a team? I've see a lot of people reppin' go-shred.
It’s not a team in the industry way, like shredders sponsored by a brand. The goal behind go-shred.com is to help people get as many days in the snow as possible. Wintersport is expensive and only possible if we have snow on the mountains. So we need to find a way to save money and protect our playground. This ideal is in the heads of all real shredders and I think that’s why a lot of people represent go-shred.

Can you offer stuff instead money as payment for the ride?
Yes, generally, everything can be accepted as payment. It's always a deal between the driver and the passengers because go-shred.com as a website is just to heIp people find a ride or passengers. I already heard from go-shred users that they were paid in food and candy.

Is there an age minimum to catch a ride?
No.

How do you ensure that no one will kidnap you, lock you up in a hut at 2,000 meters and make you tap dance naked for food?
We just provide the platform where everybody can offer or search for rides. Everything that happens from that moment, when the driver and the passenger decide to travel together, is at their own risk.

Can I use the service to just go hang out at the lodge, drink hot chocolate and listen to the sweet sound of ski boots walk by?
For sure, basically everybody can use go-shred.com for wherever he or she wants to go. The first idea was car-sharing to the snow, but I think everybody is interested in reducing travel costs and acting environmentally friendly. This is the reason why we decided to introduce go-shred to skateboarders and surfers as well.

What other cool stuff is there on go-shred.com?
We have an event agenda, where all the events we cooperate with are listed, or our own events like the one and only GAME of go-shred. We have a blog, where we post all the news. Every week we have a new trick of the week. Everybody can send us a shot and if we like it we post it. The TOTW is to show people what’s possible, what kind of trick they could try and also to give shredders a digital home to hang out in.

We post our monthly go-shred lottery. The go-shred lottery has been developed with the idea that if you share, we will reward you! Everybody who offers a ride automatically takes part in the lottery and can win stuff and lift tickets. By the end of the month we draw 3 winners. Every winner gets stuff and 2 day tickets from our lottery partner. 

What is GAME of go-shred exactly? How does it work? Is it basically like game of S.K.A.T.E.? When is the next one?
The GAME is inspired by the idea of making a contest unlike regular contest formats where you get bib numbers, where you have to wait until it’s your turn, where you have to throw your best tricks to get a chance to win. We want to play a game, not make it a battle. Yes, in a certain way it is similar to a game of S.K.A.T.E., you have to complete the word GAME though. But we also adapted it with some extra fun disciplines, like duck walk, longest tripod slide and so on... One of the main advantages is that depending on the weather, the slopes and the number of participants we can diversify the GAME. The most important thing is to have FUN on the snow and learn some new stuff with the other shredders! Next GAME is not confirmed yet, but we'll try to make another on the last week of June in Les2Alpes.       

Can you win anything if you have the top spot for the most rides given during the season ranking on the site?
Yes, you can! It's the second year we give out the “Driver of the Season” award. The guy who offered the most rides during the season wins an all-inclusive weekend at the Pleasure Jam at Dachstein. Again, you share and we reward!  

Can I use this service to ask someone to transport my cat?
Yes, everything is allowed as long as the driver is down with the deal.

Can I ask someone to bring me back some snow from the mountain so I can have an urban rail mission in my dry-ass city?
Good idea, and yes, you can.
Here are some edits from the last GAME of go-shred:What is the Spot Guide section on the site and how can I get my business on it?
For all those who have never heard about it, The Spot Guide is an independent section in the menu which contains useful information for a certain destination, kind of like a guidebook. The destinations of the Spot Guide are accessible as well via the list of ride offers. All destinations which contain info are marked with a blue "I”. In the Spot Guide itself there are 2 categories: the free basic placement and the premium placement with costs. The difference between those 2 is that the premium ones' info shows up much more often than the basic ones.

Examples: 
    •Basic Spot Guide entry: http://go-shred.com/locations/au-schoppernau
    •Premium Spot Guide entry: http://go-shred.com/locations/feldberg-schwarzwald--28

If you want to represent on go-shred.com, just send us a banner and your web address and you’re in! If you want to have a Premium place, please send us your request to [email protected] and we will give you the form to enter all the needed information.

It seems like go-shred is a lot of work. Who is involved in go-shred?
Yes, true. Promoting and pushing go-shred is a full-time job. There are so many things to do and if I didn’t have all the support from the go-shred family then it would not be what it is today.  Many thanks to Alex P. (creative director), Anika H. (translation department), Lukas L. (editor), Jens H. and Felix Pf. (stuff), Martina (Italian agent), Lars O. (adviser), my brothers Simon and Johannes for all the motivation and for sure to all the shredders out there who transmit the go-shred spirit on the slopes!
What happens if I don't go-shred?
You die!

Go catch a ride to a glacier this summer or give someone a ride this season on go-shred.com