Brits Abroad - Laura Berry and Jamie Nicholls

[By Tom Lenartowicz at Thrilly.com]

A cup of tea and a scone, a grey sky and a drizzle of rain… topped off with a boozy Friday night down at the Old Dog & Bone. That sounds stereotypically British enough, I reckon. But surely there’s more? What about… snowboarding? Well that just sounds silly.

Actually, no. Snowboarding in Britain is not something we recently stumbled across while reading FHM in search of the latest trendy things to do this winter. It has been around for a long time. Dryslopes have been scattered around the country for many years - and there’s even 5 indoor artificial snow slopes. For a country with limited real snow riding opportunities (sometimes with the exception of the Scottish Highlands), Britain has a pretty sick snowboard scene. Just ask David Benedek, who believes that the UK has the most positive and laid-back scene he has ever witnessed. However, British snowboarding has often struggled for international recognition. I guess the Brits get the feeling of being the ‘outsiders’ in this case. But as of late, things have changed slightly. Good examples of this are Tyler Chorlton and Danny Wheeler securing stand-out parts in the European production Purple Yeahh, as well as Jenny Jones and Dan Wakeham doing particularly well competitively. And there are other promising things going on for British snowboarding.

At the grom-old age of 14 and 19, respectively, Jamie Nicholls and Laura Berry are two riders from the UK who have the country at their feet. From the true British roots of Snowflex at Halifax in the North of England and the indoor artificial snow of Castleford and Milton Keynes; the two youngsters have dominated the British Snow Tour and are now setting themselves up for international domination. I had a good chat with the two of them about their careers so far, what they think about British snowboarding and how they plan to make it big on a global level....

When did you start riding and how did you get into it?

Laura: Well I started on my 12th birthday when the Xscape in Milton Keynes was built near my house. My Nan bought me a taster lesson and I took all my other lessons there after. But I didn't start properly until I was 13 or 14.

Jamie: I started at Halifax when I was 7 in 2000. My mum and dad took me for a few lessons at first, then I quickly got onto the big slope and I couldn’t wait to get on the jump. I started riding at Castleford Xscape about 3 years later, but I’m not sure exactly when it opened to be honest.

What was your first set-up?

Laura: I used the Nitro demo ones for a while, then a Burton demo board from TSA for ages as I could never afford a board. The first board I owned was an Invasion with some Drake bindings, I think.

Jamie: It was a really old board that was way too big for me. It was even bigger than the one I ride now. Nothing would fit me so I guess I learnt the hard way.

Laura: I entered a local contest at the Xscape. Not sure when it was but I remember being pretty much the only girl in it.

Jamie: It was at an AIM Series [now the British Snow Tour] event at Hillend in Edinburgh. I got first in the kids’ Big Air and Slopestyle. That was 2002.

How long was it until you got sponsored and what deals have you got now?

Laura: Not too long. Maybe 1-2 years. I just got picked up by BBC Snowboard Shop, who in turn got me onto Invasion Snowboards. I was pretty much the only girl around my age doing any contests in the UK so it would have made sense to hook me up. My sponsors are now Red Bull, Ride, Vans, TSA, Grenade and Anon. Red Bull is money, Ride is an expenses contract and the rest are just flow deals.

Jamie: I won an award for best un-sponsored rider and I was put on a flow deal with Salomon who also hooked me up with Bonfire. Then later I became properly sponsored by them and I still am. I’m now on the European team for Bonfire. For Salomon it jumps straight to International but I’m not on that team yet. My main sponsors are probably Salomon, Bonfire and Nike 6.0 who give me a travel budget. I’m not on the pay roll yet because I’m still at school. I’m also sponsored by Anon, RED, TSA, SNO!zone and AKA. AKA is a really cool shop in Halifax.

Who is your usual crew of riders and what about when you’re abroad?

Laura: It has recently been the GB Freestyle Team as they are whom I'm doing my season with. The team consists of Billy Neilson, Dom Harington, Jack Shackleton, Kate Foster and myself. When I'm not with the team it’s normally people like Gary Greenshields, James Carr and Tim Warwood. When I’m abroad, it’s just whoever is around. There are usually a few Brits wherever you go so we just all have a shred together.

Jamie: The Halifax crew, definitely. I ride with them every week so I obviously really like those guys. And of course the crew at Castleford. Just the people I ride with at those places really. Cody Heirons is good to ride with, and also Tom Hunt from Cas... he's one of my best friends. Not really any crew abroad at the moment.

What is your proudest win/moment of your career so far?

Laura: I won the first ever Europa Cup Slopestyle event a couple of months ago, which was pretty cool to do. Winning the Brits Overall Womens’ Slopestyle event when I was around 14 was rad too! I think just whenever you learn a trick that people think you can't do is one of the best things. I am also proud to have placed 5th in the Roxy Chicken Jam as it's a 6-star TTR event and the best riders were there.

Jamie: Filming with David Benedek for In Short. That was really good. It was great meeting and filming for him, and getting interviewed by him for the bonus section.

What international comps have you entered and how well have you done?

Laura: Well obviously placing 5th - and 11th - in two of the Chicken Jams and winning the Europa cup. To be honest I haven't done that many since I've been doing full seasons as I've either been injured - or like last year, all the comps got cancelled because of the bad snow.

Jamie: The Burton European Open. The conditions were really bad first time I was there in 2007 and the Slopestyle was cancelled so I didn’t get to compete in that, but I got 5th in the Youth Halfpipe event.

Jamie, at the 2007 Brits you qualified first in the men’s Slopestyle and managed to get 2nd overall. You got 2nd this year too! Does it seem strange competing and winning against guys twice your age?

Jamie: Yeah, definitely… it’s weird. I’m not sure how they feel about it though. I guess they’re pretty stoked for me.

How often are you travelling at the moment? What have you got on this season?

Laura: I would say the past couple of years it has been 6 months-ish but this year it’s more likely to be around 8-9 months. I have been traveling around with the GB freestyle team. We were in Breckenridge in December and have been in Europe since January. We'll be concentrating on Europa Cups on the FIS side while also doing TTRs. As for filming, we'll be filming the whole time and hopefully I'll be able to give my footage to someone at the end of the year.

Jamie: I’m doing quite a few trips this year. I went to Morzine for the powder early in the season. Then I was at the European Open in January. Hopefully I’ll be in Chamonix during February. I’ll be at the Brits, like always, for a couple of weeks in March. Then it’s the board tests at the end of the season. Obviously I’ll be at Halifax and Castleford in between trips. So yeah, I’m getting a good few weeks of snow this season. Definitely more than I have done.

Where is the most far-out / craziest place you've been to?

Laura: I've been to Iceland a few times for the Iceland Park Project which is pretty nuts. It's in the middle of nowhere and the park is tiny and all hand built! It's pretty damn rad.

Do you tend to get home-sick when travelling?

Laura: Yeah of course. You miss your home comforts, etc. I miss my dogs, my mum, and the chance to just be in my own house relaxing.

As a British rider, how do you feel you fit in around other nationalities? Do you ever feel like a bit of an outcast or do you usually feel welcome?

Laura: I think it's usually pretty good. I've never had anyone look down on me because I was British. I don't think I feel the need to prove myself more than any other person. At all girls’ comps everyone kind of knows each other anyway so we just try to have a laugh and ride our best.

Jamie: I think I fit in well. I met Scotty Arnold and he was really pleased to meet me because of seeing In Short. He was like "Wooaah..!" I think people have a lot more respect for British riders now.

Can we consider you as a true British pro snowboarder?

Laura: Yeah. I think people call themselves pros too much. I consider myself a pro because I can live (just about) off what I earn from snowboarding. When people say they are pro because they get flow deals, it is stupid! For me a pro is someone who gets paid a wage.

Jamie: You could say that. I don’t know really, I’m not sure what I’d call myself. Maybe just ‘sponsored’ and that I ride.

Do you feel many pressures upon being a well-known British rider?

Laura: Yeah, I guess so. I mean I can't rock up to a British contest and ride shit! I know how much people talk and there would be a lot of 'why does she get paid' going on. It's not so bad at the bigger contests as most people are in the same boat but if I was to lose to someone who wasn't sponsored or something then I think that's when it gets to you.

Jamie: Sometimes I do but not a lot. Not in British comps anyway, just when I’m in the European comps I feel like I want to do well to represent my country.

Laura, is there an even bigger pressure being a female rider, or do you think there is any pressure at all?

Laura: I guess it's probably the same for the men as well so no not really. The only thing I think is that the British industry probably think it is easier to make it internationally as a female Brit than a male Brit.

Is it still important for you to keep entering the UK comps while you are making a name for yourself in Europe and internationally?

Laura: I think it is fun and nice to still do the smaller British contests. Obviously a bigger contest would take priority but the British comps mean you get to see everyone you haven't for the season and they can be good fun. I think it also shows people that you don't think you are above it all (which I'm not) and in turn I think you gain more respect throughout the British scene.

Jamie: Yeah, definitely. That’s something I would really like to keep doing.

The UK has a very tight-knit snowboard scene (everyone seems to know everyone), built with an emphasis on just having fun - free from much mainstream bullshit and beef from riders. What is so special about the UK scene to you, as opposed to other countries? Is there much difference?

Laura: I think there is a big difference! As you say everyone knows everyone, I don't think anywhere else has that except maybe Holland. I think the UK scene is amazing. Excluding a couple of people I think everyone is so supportive of each other. If I do a big contest then all the younger kids and their mums and dads will wish me good luck, etc. Also, when competing against each other we all still get stoked on another person riding well. Most places would be hating on that person because they wanted to win!

Jamie: Everyone’s really friendly and that’s probably because everyone knows each other. You see everyone at the comps and you just get to hang out… it’s really fun. That’s a reason why it’s important for me to help promote the UK snowboard scene as I go abroad more.

David Benedek recently said in an interview that he thought the British snowboard scene was one of the most laid-back and least egotistical scenes in the world. Do you think maybe the fact that we have that attitude means people just aren't actually bothered whether Britain produces an abundance of amazing, world-dominating talent? Or is it simply because we have a relatively small population of snowboarders compared to other countries?

Laura: No, I think it's just the way the British scene works. I don't think it means that we don't want people to ride well and get known internationally. I feel I have a lot of support from people wanting me to succeed internationally but we just don't go shouting from the hills that we have these people. Maybe we should, maybe it would help things go along faster but I like it how it is and think it is a good thing. People don't need someone to be yelling about them, if they are good enough it will come, and the quiet support is good enough.

How hard is stepping out of the UK scene while you make a name for yourself internationally? Do you ever just think, "what's the point"? Or is it just a roller-coaster of fun, fun and fun the whole way?

Laura: No, of course it isn't fun all the time. To be the best you have to push yourself and I think that can be stressful and not fun sometimes. Stepping out of the UK scene can be difficult, it's away from your friends and support but if you want to make it you just have to go for it.

Perhaps you think it is easier to break onto the international scene being from the UK than it is if you are from a country with a larger snowboarding population, say from France of Switzerland?

Laura: Well yes and no. It's a hard one. You look at the UK scene and think there are less people, but we still have to compete against all the same people that the ones from other countries do. You also have to think most of us won't be on a mountain until we are 12-13 whereas these guys grow up with the snow and learn from age 6 or something. So I guess it’s swings and roundabouts. I personally don't think it is any easier to make it being from Britain.

Do you have any involvement or influence on your sponsors' product?

Laura: No, not yet. I think that takes time. I spoke to the O'Neill designers once but that’s about it. It doesn't really bother me. It would be rad to be involved but it's not a big deal.

Jamie: Yeah, I went out on a team trip to Saas Fee with Scotty Arnold, Jamie Anderson, David and others. We had meetings about their new stuff and gave our opinions to them. That was a really fun trip. We didn't get to do much riding together during the trip because it was so icy and rubbish. So we just did lifestyle shots and stuff like that. But I don't mind doing stuff like that... meeting new photographers and all that.

What are your thoughts on outside-sponsorship; getting hooked up by companies who are generally not snowboard-related?

Laura: To be honest, I don't care. You have to do what you do to pay for snowboarding. People get annoyed at me sometimes about Red Bull, saying they are mainstream. At the end of the day they are helping me progress and become a better rider. I don't see what can possibly be bad about that.

As you progress with your career, where do you see most of your focus going? Comps, video parts..? What about the Olympics?

Laura: It's a hard once because I think comps are becoming more and more important. I would love to have a banging video part but then I would also love to win a TTR event or something like that so I guess a bit of both! Being on the GB team and doing FIS comps means that is the Olympic route but I still want to do all of the TTRs. I think it's a lot to do with the disciplines too. I prefer slopestyle to pipe at the moment, so that’s why I'm sticking with both.

Jamie: Hopefully travelling around doing comps... and winning big comps! I'd love to invent a new trick, but that's getting harder and harder to do now. Gosh knows what I'll invent! I'll have to wait and see. I would like to be doing both comps and filming. Winning a big comp would be pretty helpful in boosting my career... it'll keep my sponsors happy! At the moment the TTR is the most important thing for me. I would like to do both TTR and the World Cup at one point but it’s just all a bit too much at the moment with school and everything. So I’ve chosen TTR for now because I really like the events. I would also like to make good friends and contacts along the way.

Do you have any future plans outside of snowboarding, or do you want to always remain within the industry?

Laura: I've not thought about it too much to be honest. It would be nice to stay within the industry as maybe a team manager or something but then you never know what's going to happen so it's hard to tell.

Jamie: I would like to work with my sponsors or something once I've packed in with my riding. I haven’t thought about setting up my own company or anything like that but it’d be cool to do something with clothing.

Why is snowboarding important? Are there not more worthy things to be involved with? Does it matter?

Jamie: I dunno… I just love snowboarding!

Laura: People always find things they like important and I like snowboarding so yes, it is important to me. I'm sure other people would say it isn't but it’s the same as most things in life - personal preference.

Laura, are you the next Tara Dakides?

Laura: [Laughs] Who knows? Would be nice to think so but I guess each person is different so I couldn't be her, huh! I'd like to push female snowboarding how she did though, for sure.

Jamie, would you like to hit something similar to Benedek's Gap Session kicker?

Jamie: Yeah, definitely! I doubt I'd be able to get over it at the moment though… I'm too light. I'll have to eat some more pies!

Any thanks?

Laura: The usual thanks to all my sponsors, family and people who have made me laugh or shredded with me!

Jamie: Same!

Thanks guys.