If you've ever seen Iikka Backstrom ride his shred stick, then you know how buttery smooth dude's style is. But what you would never guess is that behind the cool and collected riding lies one of the wildest and wackiest personalities in snowboard. There is never a dull moment when hanging with this freaky Finn, his boundless energy and stoke make even the shittiest days on the hill turn into the most epic time you've ever had. Iikka's gotten banger parts in some of the most respected and influential movies of the last decade and his section in Transworld's new movie In Color is no exception, AAA-grade HAM! We threw some questions at his face and this is what he threw back at us, so without further ado, heeeeeeeeere's Iikka!

Yo Iikka, how's it hanging?

Pretty damn tight, going fishing in Mexico tomorrow, pretty excited about that. 

 What are you up to at the moment? 

Chilling at my house in Cali and answering this interview.

 What do you tell yourself right before your about to slam? 

"Fuck, you're gonna die…"

Who in your crew or team has the worst English accent? 

The Frenchies have good ones up in Whistler, JF (Pelchat) says some funny shit. 

Snowboarding would be better without:

…the contest scene.

When is the last time you rode powder without a camera man following you? 

Whistler had a good snow year up top last season but not a lot of sun, so we rode the hill a lot with no cameras. That place is so fun to ride when you finally start figuring it out...

If you were forced to sacrifice a body part or never snowboard again, which one would it be?

One of my fingers, for sure. Oh fuck, I dunno, actually not that good for playing guitar…

What do you wish you could eat when you're lost in far-off countries with food you can barely stand the smell of, let alone eat? 

Reindeer. 

Do you think snowboarding still has that excitement of "this is some totally new, ground-breaking shit"?

Yea, I think there is so much that can be done in snowboarding still, I dunno about ground breaking but who cares.

What is your Method?

Laugh and figure it out.

Who's the hottest pro rider you would shag?
That Norwegian chick Silje is pretty hot.

When was the last time you "apres-skied" too hard and lost your kit/dignity/consciousness?
Grenade Games last year.

What’s your top destination to go shredding? 

I really like riding the Alps cause it's like a full-on vacation...but never too productive for me. Mt. Baker is amazing as well, and of course Whistler. 

What do you pack in your boardbag when you're going on a trip?

My DC snowboard kit, avy/survival kit, some clothes, pretty usual stuff...

Anyone to thank or say hi to?

Hi, grandma!

Interview by Edgar Lanting

All photos by Colin Adair