This is another Print's Not Dead from Method 12.3. Get the lowdown on what the organizers and invited riders of the 2011 Nixon JibFest really felt about the revival of this awesome event. This was a return of the big dogs that once dominated the industry and the new breed of young bloods that are now tapping on the heels of progression. Was this a contest? Fuck NO, just a bunch of heavyweight jibbers sharing an insane private course with a bunch of young frothers who were hand-picked to crush the course. They are inarguably the future of snowboarding. Sun, beers, BBQ's and a whole lot of tech shit was thrown down!
DAVE DOWNING:
The Nixon Jibfest is something that is just meant to be a good time. Really, it’s not about advancing the sport or taking it to the next level or anything. Our idea was to get a group of people together to feed off and inspire each other. It's a 3-day event where we just ride whatever we want and at the end of the day it's all about how much you smile and have a good time, as opposed to winning. It was hard to know who to invite but JP, Jeremy and I just put a big list together. There are so many good jib-style riders now that the list ended up pretty big, but the main goal of the event was that everyone should have a good attitude and get along well. It wasn't just about being a good handrail guy. It took about a month to whittle down the list to 12-15 names to invite. Every rider we invited stepped up and rode super hard all day, every day. Brian Thien is amazing, he doesn't even snowboard much anymore. He has a concrete cutting business and is a family man, but he just buckled in and started ripping the first day. Zak Hale was the youngest and ripping. LNP was charging, doing the sickest high-speed boardslides. E-Man is crazy, he was all over the place just ripping. Simon Chamberlain hit every feature and killed everything. Seth Huot is a workhorse that just won't quit. Louif Paradis was so smooth and made the hardest things look too easy. I really liked watching Scotty Stevens and how he approaches snowboarding, he has so much fun and it's unbelievable how tech his tricks are. But overall the most impressive thing was the whole group and how everyone acted, everyone had a lot of respect and that was the thing that impressed me the most. Just seeing the passion and enthusiasm of the younger guys and the good style that each of them have was really inspiring. Before going to the event I wasn't even going to ride, but watching everyone just got me amped to get out there and be a part of it.
JEREMY JONES: The original goal was to host a "not-contest" while still offering rewards for the "winners". It stopped in 2004 because we hit a wall, a bunch of Jibfest-style events started popping up and that we thought it was diluting what we started. So we pulled the plug and left at the top of our game. Bringing it back this year was awesome. We had the old and the young and everything went off without a single hitch, it was amazing. I was totally impressed with every person on this year’s roster. It's inspiring for the old farts to see the kids just chucking, going for broke and seeing all the tech they got. I talked with some of the kids and they all had strong memories of the first years of Jibfest and how it affected them. To say we paved the way might be little arrogant, but it had an impact and that is something that is super rewarding for me personally.
JP WALKER: In the beginning, the JibFest had such a high standard and I felt we were starting to reach a point where it would be hard to keep elevating the bar. We brought it back this year because we just felt it was time. It felt good. When I look at those dudes I can't help but feel proud that what I've done with my career has somewhat influenced some of the best riders out there.
LNP: It’s the best thing I've been invited to in my entire life. The vibe, the riders, the people around, everything was so fun and so mellow. I have no idea why they chose me, maybe because I look funny, haha. I was like a kid in a candy store. I really liked the steep handrail next to the wall ride, going mad fast at it was fun. It was crazy to hike up and have Dave Downing, Jeremy and JP telling me “that was sick” and high five-ing me.
ALEX ANDREWS: The Jibfest was the funnest thing I did all season. The setup was really rad, and it was cool to see all my favorite snowboarders riding together. If you ever watched the old Jibfest movies, this one had the same feel. When I got the invite I couldn't believe it. I grew up watching the Jibfest, and it was an honor to actually be a part of it. I'm not sure why they chose me, ha. I don't feel like I deserve it more than someone else, but I'm stoked that they did. As soon as I saw the course, my mind went straight back to the old Jibfest. I was hyped that it was so similar, S-rail, circle rail, kink rail, and lots more. It for sure pushed my riding, but like I said, there was no pressure. Riding with all those guys was the coolest experience, watching Brian, Dave, Jeremy and JP bringing back the old memories from the movies. Then watching Louif, LNP and Scott with the new-era tricks and styles. There were moments where I just needed to stop riding for a minute and take in the whole experience. The person that impressed me the most was Brian Thien aka Chico. The dude snowboarded twice last year and he still kills it. Second would probably be Dave Downing, he is over 40-years old and rides just as hard, if not harder, than the young kids. I hope people can respect the Nixion Jibfest for what it has done, and recognize the people who started it. 
SETH HUOT: The Jibfest is a jibber's dream come true. Private custom snowboard park, BBQ, DJ, beers and bros. They have all kept the same vibe, exclusive, progressive and all about fun. But this one was special because a lot of the kids that grew up on the Jibfest movies were now invited. So many times while I was hiking up I would have to step back and have a little moment to take in all the radness and reflect on how cool this event is, as well as all the people involved. I love the energy the younger kids brought. It made me feel so fortunate to be invited back.
CHRIS GRENIER: It was one of the funnest events I’ve ever been to. We were snowboarding the best private park ever, with prime ribs being served on the hill for lunch. There were legends there that I felt honored to be hanging out with. It was sick. Honestly, I have no clue why they selected me. I watched and studied all the Nixon Jibfest videos growing up, I have looked up to a lot of those guys for a long time, everyone was fucking shit up. Those videos had a major impact on my snowboarding growing up. Each year they would come out with new tricks and new riders would come up. I remember watching the clip of JP doing a front board 270 out, I just freaked out. There are so many timeless shots from the old Jibfest videos. It influenced a lot of the tricks that I do today, without a doubt.
ZAK HALE: The Jibfest was and is going to be one of the most memorable snowboarding experiences I will have. It was really funny being the grom of the bunch, I’ve always kinda been the youngest around but being the youngest here was awesome. I spent a lot of time with Jeremy and Dave last year, but nothing like this. Just watching everyone ride is like a time machine to when I was around 10 or 11, watching them on my TV. Having the opportunity to just snowboard with them was so fun. Chico and the rest of those guys are just BOSSES, so you always learn from them.
E-MAN ANDERSON: The Nixon JibFest was rad, never in a million years would I have thought that I'd ever shred with Dave Downing and Brian Thien. I have no idea why they picked me, they must've been high or something. The set up was perfect, those boys know how to do shit proper. My favorite feature was probably the little QP stall thing. I love skate-style shit. I was sooo hyped to shred with everybody that was there, but I dunno if it helped push my riding. I was kinda nervous, just trying to do my stock shit. Keep it G, you know?
LOUIF PARADIS: The Nixon Jibfest to me is a legendary event that changed snowboarding in many different ways. I was super stoked when I got the invitation. It was a big surprise, especially since they hadn't done one in years. I don't know why they picked me out of everyone else out there. We got to shred this perfect little zone that looks like it's from a video game. I was surprised they picked me as the winner of this year's Nixon Jibfest because I didn't think I had ridden that well, a couple of 270's here and there but nothing major, but I was super happy that these amazing snowboarders were down for what I had done. I'm still hyped.
