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Surreal Snowboarding | A Snowboard Movie By Women

Inspired by Surrealism, a bunch of rad ladies are putting together a snowboard edit we can't wait to watch

The Luminaries Series is about shining a light on some of the most inspirational people in our industry, documenting their rise in their given professions, and sharing some of their insights from along the way.

 

We all have that one day we like to think back at and smile. Bluebird, springtime vibes and slushy slopes. Cruising down the pistes with your girls, and having the best time ever. These are days that stick with us forever.

“The vision for this project is inspired by creating a movie based on the phenomenon that snowboarding can be real and surreal at the same time”

Inspired by moments like these, Surreal Snowboarding is an all-girls snowboard crew who decided to put together a snowboard film showcasing the unique mountains, urban spots and parks that are their backyards.

The vision for this project is inspired by creating a movie based on the phenomenon that snowboarding can be real and surreal at the same time. By using their snowboards as tools of art, the ladies turn the mountains and streets into artificial realities, and thus look to inspire the audience to try and create their own “sur-reality.”

We sat down with the girls from Surreal Snowboarding to find out what it’s like to film an all women’s snowboard film during a pandemic.

 

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A post shared by surreal ~ so real (@surreal_snowboarding)

Hi ladies and thank you for taking the time to sit down with us. You’ve put together a pretty solid crew. How do you all know each other?
Most of us have known each other through the snowboard industry for a pretty long time, so it feels like a natural evolution to come together and start this film project.

What’s the story behind the film? Is there a specific message, aim…
Our aim is to show snowboarding from a creative perspective which in our case includes a feminine approach to produce a movie.

“Our aim is to show snowboarding from a creative perspective which in our case includes a feminine approach to produce a movie”

As Snowboarders, we experience mountains in an exclusive way. Obstacles in the park, shapes of the backcountry, handrails in the streets are only seen as those through a snowboarder’s eye. We shape our own dream landscapes. In our film, we point out the dissolution of dream and reality. It seems surreal to us to step from one world, the one we call our everyday life, into another where we are living our dream on the mountain.

Pili de la Cruz. Pic: Felix Pirker.

Tell us a bit about the name Surreal, where did it come from?
Surreal describes something dreamlike, something unreal. It’s the adjective to Surrealism. Surrealism is a direction of modern art and literature which is based on the unconscious, dreams and visions. To us, snowboarding seems surreal. It’s something we can’t put into words and we find many elements of surrealism art in.

How has the pandemic affected your plans filming?
If anything the pandemic has forced us to stay in our local areas and focus on filming in the spots that we know, rather than travel away to other places. You could say that, up until now, this movie is shot mostly in Austria which is pretty cool!

What locations have/will you been hitting? Any favourite spots?
We have our Innsbruck crew, our Zillertal crew and our Vorarlberg/Kaunertal areas. These have been used the most.

Lea Baumschlager. Pic: Fabian Sandholzer.

Any favourite/memorable moments from filming?
Lots of shovelling and getting to know Austria better. We just had a great trip thanks to Damuels Tourism, and we caught a massive snowstorm in East Austria. It was nice to experience Japow landscapes in our own backyard!

“Unite with girls that are like-minded and enthusiastic about the same thing”

What’s it like being a woman in a male-dominated landscape?
When we talk about the filming side of snowboarding, it definitely gives the incentive for us females to bond together. Even when doing so it’s still quite difficult to navigate.

Do you think there are certain challenges you face when filming as an all-girls-crew (compared to a guys/mixed crew)?
Finding other women that are experienced and that we can go to for good advice and support. If we need help with being guided around the mountain for spots these guides will mostly be men. It is also challenging to find other women that have the mountain experience and equipment to film as well. So, mostly just an overall lack of females in the industry.

Mary Luggen Pic: Felix Pirker.

Any advice for people looking to film their own movie/edit?
Especially, when it comes to women filming for a project we would say: lift each other up! Unite with girls that are like-minded and enthusiastic about the same thing. It is challenging and hard work but as a strong crew, it’s easier to stay motivated and productive.

When are you planning on dropping the edit and what can we expect to see?
The plan is Autumn 2021 if Corona let us. We wanna surprise the audience and not tell too much in advance, but you guys can take a look at our Behind The Scenes Edits for some starters!

Shoutout to sponsors?
It was challenging finding supporters in these tough Covid times, so a massive thank you to our sponsors Eivy, Volcom, Gnu, Protest and Anon!

Who are the girls behind Surreal Snowboarding? Check out the crew below.

Maria Kuzma (Shot on GoPro).

Rider: Maria Kuzma
Sponsors: Ride, Thule, Dragon, Protest, Transform Gloves
Snowboard: Ride Psychocandy
Bindings: Ride Fame
Boots: Ride KarmynX
Backpack: Thule Upslope
Goggles: Dragon Alliance NFX2
Technical Underwear: Protest
Gloves: Transform X Eivy

Lea Baumschlager. Pic: Alex Papis

Rider: Lea Baumschlager
Sponsors: Gnu Snowboards, Deeluxe Boots, Union Bindings, Volcom Outerwear, Smith Goggles and Helmet, Eivy
Snowboard: Gnu Pro Choice
Bindings: Union Trilogy
Boots: Deeluxe Empire Lara ID
Volcom Outerwear: Swift Bib Overall (pants), Mirror Anorak (jacket)
Goggles: Smith Squad Mag

Pili de la Cruz

Rider: Pili de la Cruz
Sponsors: Nitro Snowboards, Moreboards Innsbruck
Snowboard: Nitro Victoria
Bindings: Nitro Ivy
Boots: Nitro Faint TLS

Tini Gruber. Pic: Christian Eberl.

Rider: Tini Gruber
Sponsors: Capita Snowboards, Deeluxe Boots, Union Bindings, Volcom Outerwear, Eivy, Zur Blüte, Transform Gloves
Snowboard: Capita The Equalizer
Bindings: Union Legacy
Boots: Deeluxe Empire Lara
Volcom Outerwear: Fern ins Gore Pullover (Jacket), Elm Gore Bib Overall (Pants)
Technical Underwear: Eivy Icecold
Gloves: Transform Gloves

Mary Luggen. Pic: Felix Pirker.

Rider: Mary Luggen
Sponsors: Volcom Outerwear, Deeluxe Boots, Union Bindings, Capita Snowboards, Stance, Peepshop
Boot: Deeluxe Areth Rin
Snowboard: Capita Horrorscope
Bindings: Union Milan
Volcom Outerwear: Volcom 3D Stretch (Jacket), Volcom ELM Gore-Tex Bib Overall (Pants)
Technical Underwear: Reversible Polar Jacket /black

Sophia_Schroll. Pic: Igor Swieczak.

Rider: Sophia Sülze
Sponsors: Hanfstube, Eivy, Northwave Boots, Drake Snowboards
Snowboard: Drake Misty
Boots: Northwave Helix Spin
Bindings: Drake DL
Wear: Eivy Redwood Sherpa Jacket

Steffi Neusser. Pic: Jakob Wallner.

Rider: Steffi Neusser
Sponsors: Nitro Snowboards, L1 Premium Goods, Eivy, Sungod, Transform Gloves
Snowboard: Nitro Cheap Thrills
Bindings: Nitro Ivy
Boots: Nitro Crown Tls
L1 Outerwear: L1 Boreum Theorem (Jacket), L1 Sao Theorem (Pants)
Goggles: Sungod Vanguards and Revolt
Gloves: Transform Gloves

More Like This:

Luminaries | Our Tribute To Women In Snowboarding

Eyes On The Prize | The Marion Haerty and Erika Vikander Interview

Triple Crown | The Marion Haerty Interview

Breaking Trail | The Elena Hight Interview

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