But planning a family gathering is a big undertaking at the best of times, even more so when it’s one as big and global as Monster’s, “We wanted to do a spring shoot, just for the vibes and the fun times.” Austin says. With the Monster team being made up of backcountry riders, pipe riders, contest riders and Natural Selection Tour riders, it also felt like a safe bet to throw the event at the end of the season, which paid off, as Thomas explains, “90-95% of the riders made it out”.

“But when a snowboarder is dropped into a mix that not only caters for their needs on the mountain but also allows them to let loose, Monster wanted to throw in a little extra something to encourage the riders to go the extra mile”

Few brands have a team as big and versatile as Monster, and a bunch of the riders were asked to give their input on the course too, “We wanted to make what they wanted to ride. The whole thing is without pressure, we just want them to ride, and we just wanted to film it.” Austin tells us.

On top of the riding, the week offered a bunch of other activities, including a tattoo parlour, barbershop, wakeboarding, and an abundance of booze (arguably the most popular activity of the week). “This event was born like a ‘let’s do just a fun week for the riders to get together and to strengthen the family vibe that we already have’. We didn’t want it to just be another snowboard shoot because they are so used to it, we wanted to do something different,” Thomas explains.

With all the different activities on the list, Crans Montana proved to be the perfect place to host the event, “We wanted to have all these extra side activities and here, they have the surf wave, the skate park, and so many cool options. In the end, the surf wave broke the day before we arrived but…” Thomas laughs.