If you still haven't heard of Sebi Müller, you must be living under a rock. Or else you are really into gold medals and boring contest runs... Homie crushes life on the regular, be it on his shred blade, laying his paint brush onto some fresh canvas or strumming some tunes on his guitar. Sebi is one of the raddest dudes we've ever met, and it's an honor to have him grace our first cover of the season. We recently sat down with Sebi and sprayed some ketchup all over his face!

Yo Sebi! How has it been? Can you introduce yourself to those who don't know you.
My name is Sebastian Jens Müller, born and raised at my family's farm in Annaberg. I'm a modest person and I have a hard time talking about myself. I've been riding since I was 9 years old and I can relate almost everything I've experienced in life to snowboarding. It brought me a rebel way of life, traveling, music and art. I feel unconditional love for snowboarding and I look forward to maintaining it for the rest of my life. I like drawing a lot and I skateboard. I recently left my home to spend the season In Austria. It's been a hellride so far.
You moved from the East of Germany to Vienna lately. Can you tell us some reasons for this decision? Is there still a distinct different vibe on the Eastern side of Austria compared to the West?
The whole thing just fell into place like destiny. I ride a lot with my good friend and now teammate David Struber, who moved to Vienna about a year ago. We get along well and it’s a blast riding with him. He was filming with BLV/NTHNG for the “In Good Faith” movie and I really liked what I saw. During my visit for the premiere I told them how I felt about it and was down to contribute or be a part of it somehow. Next thing I know, they asked me to move into their apartment for this season and go film with them. I'm very thankful for the opportunity. Vienna is great, it has a long history in culture, and it's home and grave for a lot of artists that I look up to. It just hit me, like: I want to live there, paint some canvases and have a good time riding with Davo. The geographical difference is that the west has the mountains and the east is more flat. So far I can't compare the vibe between the areas because everywhere I went I felt welcome. Good vibes. People use different slang, I really dig that.

Do you feel like you left a lot behind or was there nothing holding you back these days?
I only left material things behind. Like clothes, vinyl records, books and paintings. I gave a lot of stuff away as gifts to friends. I took the least I could with me to Vienna, I'm trying to keep it simple. As far as family and friends go, they support me in what I do and back my decision, they wouldn't hold me back.

Is it true that home is where the heart is? Is there such thing as a heartless home?
Depends on how you look at it and the person who is facing the situation. In my opinion you can be at home everywhere you feel comfortable and have a desire to stay. I guess there is such a thing as a heartless home, but this must be really painful and unbearable.
Your Vienna-based crew BLV/NTHNG (Believe in Nothing) seems pretty motivated to film. How is the Vienna shred scene in general? You guys gonna edit to classic music?
Yeah, right! I'm happy to be on their program and go out filming with such a motivated crew. Honestly, I've only had three nights in my new apartment since I moved to Vienna. We're out all day on missions, crashing on couches and seeking spots constantly. I can't really tell you about the shred scene here because I'm in that microcosm of our crew. But if you consider our crew a scene, then it's great! Please check out blvnthng.com.

Have those guys wiped your brain of all that you believed before? Why is it important to believe in nothing?
You should not look at the name and judge on the first impression, it would be stupid to believe in nothing. I have the same personal beliefs and principles that I used to have before. Believe Nothing to me is more like a reminder to think twice and not believe in everything the media or corporations try to brainwash our minds with. It's about questioning things and having your own opinion, looking from a different perspective, being an individual and true to yourself.
You are good friends with TJ Schneider, do you know what happened to The Snowboard Realms? Is it back this year?
TJ is an authority for me. I've always looked up to him and everything he does. I was lucky enough to meet him during Airblaster's "August" camping trip at Mt. Hood a few years ago. We became friends and did at least one trip each year together filming for the Realms. He taught me a lot about snowboarding, art and life in general. I don’t know if it is common knowledge yet, but it seems like he stepped back from professional snowboarding. He's working at his shop in Vancouver. So I guess he's not able to make the Realms as regularly as he used to. But thesnowboardrealms.com will always be there. I'm looking forward to some new episodes!

Tell us about what you and your grandmother thought about you being on the cover of Method Mag 13.1?
I actually didn't know about it till it came out. It's my first cover ever and it was kind of a big deal to me. My grandma was so proud. I gave her the mag and she goes around showing off in front of her friends with her grandson flying through the air. Imagine a bunch of old people having a coffee with the mag on the table and my grandma is introducing snowboarding to these old folks. So rad. Being on the cover made me happy and made me feel that I achieved a goal that my whole family respects and actually makes them appreciate what I do.
Do you still have good memories from Greece? Pretty funny how you were pretty sick and stuck in bed for some of the trip but it still turned out so productive, right?
Lots of memories, man. Stray dogs, riots, ruins, tons of snow, amazing spots, good people, hospitality and I witnessed the longest fart ever recorded in human history. The riding was pure fun even with that Japanese flu. But I feel like I just did a lot of frontside 360's.

Is tsipouro your new favorite or are you still down with old faithful, schnapps?
Actually I'm not that down for booze, I'd rather keep a clear head. Although the motherland of Ouzo and Tsipouro got me into it for that period of time. My new favorite drink is a Radler.

Snowboarding seems to be going through some growing pains, or do you think it has matured into something to be proud of?
Yeah, fuck all that pain. There is good and evil in any kind of culture or sport. Snowboarding's already kind of fucked, but the true core of riders will always be there and treat it respectfully, as something to be proud of. To me snowboarding in its simplest form gives me a lot of joy and I'm proud of that. I'm also proud of people like Jamie Lynn who have had a career for a long time and seem to be successful in the way of life they have chosen.

What does snowboarding need the least of in your opinion?
That’s a hard question to answer. Snowboarding leaves a lot of open space for creativity in all kinds of directions and ways to move your body. The thing it needs the least are avalanches and the second thing it needs the least are the Olympics. The contest format, the rules and obligations are way too much like competitive sports. I don’t like the vibe of contests like that, I want to be free and not be judged by some airhead. This I why I chose snowboarding instead of gymnastics or any of that crap. Fuck the Olympics.
What does snowboarding need more of?
A collective awareness about its history and respect for the legends. My love for snowboarding burns bright when I see new footage of Jamie Lynn and Bryan Iguchi. Maybe a little more Scotty Wittlake and Travis Parker would be rad too.

What is new on the tip of your paintbrush these days?
I have a lot of ideas and motivations, although in wintertime my main focus is riding. But I look forward to getting something done during down days.
Do you want to tell us a little more about your skull paintings? Are they a part of something that’s bigger than all of us and in all of us?
They are part of a series called "Gatcode". It's all about a more childish approach towards the canvas. It's kind of an immortal image in snow and skateboarding. I have no intent other than creating a radical piece. To see something in there is the duty of the observer.

What is the most common image you see in art or in the streets? Skulls? Penises? What does they say about the present collective consciousness?
On the streets it's the words HELLO or SEX. In art I see images of love, dreams, life and death which have always been there, think about it. It says that the collective consciousness of humans hasn’t changed that much since forever.
Would you rather lose yourself or find yourself through painting? Or both?
In this case I can't really control it. It’s a mix of both that makes me seem weird at times. You'll probably find yourself in the ideas, images and work that’s been done. During the process I get lost or obsessed about little things and mixing colors. So I guess I'd rather find a balance between both.

Do images relate to words/concepts in our head while words create images in our head? What direction does the traffic flow in your head?
I could imagine one or the other. But I guess I think mainly in pictures and sounds. I remember scenes and images very well and I like to go through them in my mind from time to time.
We heard you had a Gatland exhibit recently, how was that? What laws govern Gatland?
It's actually still on, till spring or even longer. Maybe it doesn't really qualify as an exhibit, more like a presentation of my Gatcode paintings hanging on the walls at the local skateshop. I got a lot of positive feedback and people are interested in purchasing my work. But I won't sell any of it until end of this year. I'm planning a huge exhibit for the upcoming summer with almost all my works. I'll be showcasing around 50 canvases, 40 prints, and a lot of smaller drawings and sketches. I have to figure out where and how to do it. I'm new to this and would be thankful for any kind of help I can get. So if you feel like supporting me in any way or even have a gallery or exhibition space… hit me up!
Who are you sponsors these days? What makes a company for you, the product or the people behind it?
The most important is a well functioning and good looking product. An awesome product is most likely created by awesome people who have a vision and know how it's done. To me it is important that the company is rider-owned and operated. I like to support smaller, core companies where I can be sure that the earnings go to a real snowboarder who put all his heart into it. It is also important that my sponsors stand behind my riding and the human being I am in general. My sponsors are Deeluxe, CAPiTA, Union, Airblaster, Celtek, Niffa Eyewear, Stance and Coal.
What JRBK jams should we look out for this season?
Bully BBQ on the 2nd of March.

Did you figure out how to live a good life? If so, can you share some of your wisdom?
Ha! I wish. I figured out that for me I'm happier when I keep my standards simple and less material. Find a fulfilling occupation and a person to share your love with. Think positive and treat everyone with kindness until they fuck it up.
PMA.

Peep game!