What state are you running your license plate these days? (Just a formality question, we already know)

Vermont

Are you afraid of needles (Derek had just called after having his blood drawn)?

No, I overcame my fear. I was afraid of them before I started getting tattoos. I have like over 30 tattoos. I honestly like needles now, but not in a sketchy way [laughs]

How many Dunk’s stops this season? Make it up to Tim Hortons at all?

Oooo, Honestly not that much, because the Dunk’s in Burlington is rough. Not a fan of them. I honestly drank a lot of my own coffee.

Wow must've saved a lot of money.

Yeah honestly a lot. But let’s say a dozen times tops. 

Side piece, how many spliffs this season? That’s your breakfast right?

Oh god. Definitely over a thousand.

That’s lenient.

When I have weed I’m smoking like 5-10 spliffs before the mountain, but overall 20-30 a day. I always make sure to eat breakfast before smoking. Wake up, glass of water, food and roll a spliff. And then a lot of weed. (Rolling a spliff as he’s driving on the phone).

How many East Coast Resort days vs West Coast, expressed in spliff ratio?

60/40, I rode a lot at Woodies (Woodward Park City) when I went out for a month with norm. It was either Norm or Dillon going up every day and then East Coast going once or twice a week. I was doordashing my ass off.

It snows 2 feet in New England, where are you headed? The resort or the streets?

Streets. Maybe Massachusetts would be sick, but it’s run through. So Maybe Maine or upstate NY. 

Boston?

So sick. It’s so sick. Any clips in Boston are just classy, the same with NYC. It just looks good. Even if it’s a spot that’s been hit, if they get a lot of snow a lot is unlocked. Cities go crazy.

What city are you getting in the car to drive 3 hours to get a clip?

Providence, RI. The whole city is just a funnel, it's all hills. I think that would be sick. I just don’t know what spots are there.

Who’s in that car?

Probably Noah, Micah, Skoot and if Norms around. And we would get Yoni in there somehow. We might have to kick Skoot out if there’s not enough room. But definitely Norm.

Most interesting or convenient vehicle you’ve been in for the street?

There was this one day where Boston got snow. I drove down and Yoni drove down and we packed into both of those cars and Yoni's car’s heat fully broke. It was an older car and it was freezing in there. So during a winter storm we were rotating who was in it. But probably ripping around in a Dillon’s van in Utah just smoking cigs. He drives pretty aggressively and I love it. No windows, just a bench seat in the back, so it’s pretty sick. Just like a candy van.

Do you own a North Face puffy jacket?

I do not. I own a Hardies Hardware puffy jacket though. 

On a perfect day, which resort are you pulling up to? Sugarbush, Killington, Magic Mountain, Bolton Valley….?

Mount Snow, Carinthia Parks for life. That’s where I learned to snowboard and met all my early days homies, like Norm, Skoot and Savannah.

Bagel and cream cheese or Avo Toast?

Bagel and Cream cheese. 

Thank god.

Preseason, are you hiking rails or hot lapping?

Hiking rails. Definitely hiking rails. But definitely take some hellride laps too. 

Rain Boarding? Yes or No

If I get caught in the rain that’s one thing, but if it’s raining all day, I don’t know. I’d rather hit a spot. That’s definitely an argument I had with Skoot. 80 miles round trip just to get soaked, no way. But it is fun if you get prepared.

Rails or jumps?

Hmm. Rails. 

Goggles or no Goggles?

No Goggles

What resort should get a tow rope?

Honestly,maybe Magic Mountain. They have a cable tow, but if they got a tow rope and revamped it, it would really get something going there. It’s got so much heart there, if they got it going a lot more people might go there.

Have you ridden powder yet?

I have not had too much of it. I did some stuff in Tahoe when I was younger and that’s where I actually met Denver Orr. But not on a big mountain level. I’m excited to move to Utah.

That covers my next question.

So, when are you moving to SLC.

I’m driving out after Labor day. Then I’m moving in with Norm. 

Weren’t you supposed to go to Hawaii?

If I had gone to Hawaii I probably would’ve fallen in love and quit snowboarding. So maybe it's a good thing I didn’t go. 

So you’re going out west to help with Garage Mag?

Me and Norm create shit really well and I like talking to Norm and giving input on the magazine. If I can get a role helping out with it, I would love that, but if not I’m still going to love it. Sophomore year of high school is when I met Norm and we made Derek and Norm. Beena pair of nuts ever since. 

He loves to write he’s an amazing author and poet. He made a zine with mantis and a photo book before that too. That was really fun and he was like damn I have more stuff and saw how much he liked it. When he told me he was making a magazine, it made a lot of sense. 

What finally got you to make the migration?

Honestly, this winter I spent a lot of time being like what the fuck am I doing. Why am I paying rent in VT when I already live in VT. But I wouldn’t have met Noah, Micah and Yoni. It was hard to be like, “Fuck it, I am going to move to Utah”, but I just felt like it was time. I just want to open more doors and swim in a different pond.

It’s sad but that seems to be the only way people might take you more seriously. That is the stigma attached to East Coast snowboarding. Nobody wants to put more into people that just stay in the East. But out west you don’t have a car, but you can still get twice as much shit done. There are people out there that are like minded and will help out. I just wanted to do different snowboarding and really boost some shit. 

Derek’s Core score took a hit when he moved out west, but we still love him. His final score is 8.5/10 spliffs.