FROM THE MAG: ‘SPIKE’ a Nitro Snowboard Film
Words by Knut Eliassen
Photos by Ted Borland
Original Artworks by Fabian F. Fuchs
Why do brands and people still make team movies? A question I receive and debate all the time… It's a valid question; it takes a lot of resources to make a full-length film, and the ROI (return on investment) is never instant or easy to track. Wouldn't it be easier to just go with the social media, product-focused, and influencer-reach format? I mean, some do, but that's not Nitro.
In a world where we are bombarded with content, 5 second trick clips that look like video games, 3D rendered product images that look too good to be true, contests riding at a level that is beyond understandable, and the lurking integration of AI, I (we at Nitro) think it is more important than ever to showcase snowboarding in an authentic and inspiring way through the riders. Snowboarding is exponentially more fun to do with friends, and a Team Movie represents the dream winter for a group of friends. It captures a moment in time, a feeling, a vibe, a group dynamic, and a memory that can be shared amongst the riders themselves, the brand, and also the snowboard community. Full-length films or stories are what inspired enthusiasts to get out, get involved, discover, and go snowboarding, and this is a return on investment that will pay dividends for years to come, far beyond what anything else will in snowboarding. So yes, we still make snowboard team movies, and we will continue to do so because its part of being a part of a team, and it's essential to our culture and community, and we fucking love it!
Now let me introduce you to SPIKE!
In an era where snowboarding media swings between hyper-produced cinematic spectacles, spin-to-win contests, and algorithm-friendly social clickbait, SPIKE arrives like a jolt to the system, authentic, raw, and 100% team-driven. Produced by Nitro Snowboards and conceptualized by longtime team rider Sam Taxwood, the film is a modern throwback to what snowboarding films used to be about: a crew, a mission, the endless spot search, and the irreplaceable energy that comes from riding with your friends.
SPIKE isn't trying to reinvent snowboard filmmaking. Instead, it tries to remember it and set the focus back on the team riders. And in doing so, it becomes something new again.
The Spark: Sam Taxwood's desire to make a Nitro Team movie.
The idea for SPIKE was born in the spring of 2024, while drinking beers after a sunny, slushy day of riding at the Nitro Camp Good Times in Kitzsteinhorn, Austria. After more than a decade of filming fun, adventure, documentary-based Nitro team films (Bad Seeds, Boom, 28 Winters, Vamonos, Layers, Cake), Sam Taxwood felt the timing was right for a return to the roots, a film that reflected not just individual talent, but the collective soul of a brand built on the team riders.
Taxwood explains it simply: "Nitro has always been a family. I wanted to make a film that actually shows that. No gimmicks. Just the team riders who want to film."
The message resonated quickly inside me (Knut) and Andi Aurhammer. Nitro was already pushing deeper into projects that championed fun, authenticity, storytelling, community, and culture, and a pure core team film aligned perfectly. Within weeks, the idea went from a dream to a green light. Later that summer, I called Sam and said, "Let's make your movie” – and I am pretty sure Sam said, "Oh Shit, really! Oh God!"... Haha - be careful what you wish for; it might come true.
Nils Arvidsson // FS Lip // Japan // p: Ted Borland
Enter Ted Borland: The Perfect Lens for the Project
If there was one non-negotiable from the start, it was the filmer: Ted Borland.
Borland is considered one of the most recognizable, passionate, and dedicated workhorses within snowboarding: part trip leader, part cinematographer, part former pro, part therapist. His blend of street credibility, film discipline, and deep understanding of snowboard culture made him the obvious choice before the conversation even started.
Borland's body of work Everybody Everywhere, Slush videographer, and newly hired Nitro Filmer, Bundy Vision, and countless iconic video parts has shaped the look and feel of a generation. But what makes him special isn't just technical skill. It's emotional accuracy and passion for snowboard videos, new and old. He knows where to put the camera to capture not just the trick, but the person doing it. For a film about crew energy, emotional environments, and the raw love of snowboarding at its core, there was simply no better filmer & director.
A Visual Identity With Purpose: Enter Fabian Fuchs
While Taxwood and Nitro built the team behind the lens, another important dimension to shape was the film's visual identity. Snowboard films can live or die not just on the riding, but on how the entire project looks and feels. For this, Taxwood and Dominik Wagner brought in their longtime friend and creative collaborator Fabian Fuchs. Fuchs is a German artist and designer known for his ability to combine raw artwork, graphic punch, and emotional subtlety into an easy-to-remember aesthetic. He brought a strong graphic language to the project over the summer, defining its vibe before the first clip was filmed. Spike represents the team riders once they are unleashed, free to run and have complete control over what they do and when, like a dog off a leash at the dog park. Fuchs' direction gave SPIKE a signature visual identity, one that elevated the film from "team video" to "a film that represents what snowboarding is right now".
Original Artwork by Fabian F. Fuchs
The Riders: A Global Crew Representing Nitro's DNA
At the heart of SPIKE is the team, a stacked group of unique riders that spans continents, styles, and eras. Each rider brings a unique flavor, but together they represent the modern Nitro DNA: friends, family, humble, progression-driven, and always down to get in the van or on the sled to search for one more spot.
The SPIKE Crew Includes: Sam Taxwood, Bryan Fox, Dominik Wagner, Iris Pham, Nils Arvidsson, Tom Tramnitz, Ludvig Billtoft, Nick Pünter, Jordan Morse, Mateo Massitti, Hunter Goulet, and Nick Miller! Throughout the winter, some of the crew got hurt, which is part of the game, but the crew never backed down and carried forward despite the lack of snowfall or kick-outs. A film crew is only as strong as the whole crew, which consists of filmers and photographers. The main crew filmers were Ted Borland, Alex Pfeffer, and Dylan Ross, with Bob Plumb and Markus Rohrbacher holding it down behind the lenses. At the same time, Fabian Fuchs also joined a few trips, creating artwork, shoveling, finding angles, filming, and capturing some magical still moments along the way. Together, this group of people from all over the world formed a crew that was 100% organic, no weak links, no outliers, no forced casting. Just real snowboarders doing what they love with people they trust.
The Season From Hell… And The Film That Survived It
What makes SPIKE even more impressive is that the 2024–25 winter season was one of the most challenging in recent memory. Across much of the Northern Hemisphere, snowfall was inconsistent, temperatures were erratic, and street riding windows were painfully short.
Finland had a few brief cold snaps, Sweden and Norway spent weeks on the edge of melt, and many of the classic cities never fully locked in. The Alps saw small storms separated by long warm stretches. This winter's savior was Japan, the reliable Mecca of snowfall, which had record-breaking amounts on the main island, so this is where the crew pulled the trigger and kicked the whole film off. A last-minute phone call that turned into a multi-week trip to Japan with the whole crew exploring the entire island for spots in 2 vans. It felt like a panic at the time, but in the end, it was the most natural way to start the film project – GET IN THE VAN and GO!
Despite the unstable winter, the SPIKE crew pulled off something remarkable: they still made a film that feels full, authentic, diverse, and memorable. It's a testament not only to their creativity and resilience but also to the power of traveling as a true team.
The Breakout: Nick Miller's Arrival
Every great snowboard film has a breakout rider, the one whose part feels like a spark plug igniting a new chapter of their career. In SPIKE, that rider is Nick Miller. Miller brings a mix of skill, explosive style, and fearless power that stands out instantly. His clips feel like the beginning of something big, not just for him, but for where modern street riding is heading. It's fast, powerful, and technical without ever losing soul.
Nick Miller // BS Lipslide // Toronto, CA // p: Ted Borland
A Film About A Brand, But More Importantly, About A Family
While SPIKE is undeniably a Nitro film, it never feels like a marketing exercise. It feels personal. It feels lived-in. It feels like what happens when a brand is built around people first, product second. For decades, Nitro has championed a rider-driven philosophy, putting real snowboarders, real stories, and real crews at the center of its identity. SPIKE is exactly that – a snowboard film made by the snowboarders for the snowboarders and the younger generation.
You see it in the candid moments.
You hear it in the laughter behind the bails.
You feel it in the overall aesthetics, the cramped vans, the long nights, the relief when the rider gets the tricks, and the music.
Why SPIKE Matters Right Now
Snowboarding is at a cultural crossroads. Filmmaking is changing. Consumption is changing. Attention spans are changing. But the love of snowboarding the reason people strap in, build jumps, shovel landings, travel across the world for ten seconds of adrenaline, that hasn't changed. SPIKE is a reminder. A reset. A call back to what matters. It reminds younger riders why full-length films still matter, while hopefully inspiring them to get their friends together and go ride. It reminds the older generation why the crew dynamic is irreplaceable. And it reminds the industry that authenticity will always outlast trends.
I hope that in the years to come, SPIKE will be remembered not for its budget, its special effects, or its marketing scale, but for its sincerity. Thank you to the team riders for taking the initiative to make this new Nitro film, and thank you to everyone who watches SPIKE. We hope to see you out there, and we look forward to more snowboarding full-length films in the future from the snowboard community!
Squad // Toronto, CA // p: Ted Borland
This article was originally published as the intro of Pleasure #157. For the complete reading experience, with more photos and the unmatched feel of a print magazine, order your copy of the magazine here, or even better, support print by becoming a subscriber!
On the Cover: Kennedi Deck, Shot by Oli Gagnon
In the Mag: A conversation with Rob Roethler, Iris Pham Youngblood, Gallery: For a Friend, Tracing the Tracks: A Timeline of Women’s Snowboarding by Mia Danielle & Isabella Gomez, Bearings by Enni Rukajärvi, Yearning for Turning: Spring Break, A Total Make: Nils Midnich by Colin Wiseman, Spike by Nitro Snowboards
At times, being a woman in snowboarding can feel like you’re standing inside an elite club, staring at an exclusive table in a fenced-off area that you need to be cordially invited to.
So you work harder, try to be nicer, try to be smaller, and shape-shift into three different versions of yourself all at once. Yet the people seated at the table still don’t look like you, and whether it’s conscious or subconscious, only those who do seem to get invited. Or maybe, they don’t even feel like they need an invitation at all.
When a spot finally opens, one seat quietly reserved for “diversity”, it can feel like everything depends on holding onto it. Like it could be taken away at any moment if you don’t fit perfectly into the box someone else built for you. Or perhaps you’ll get replaced by someone who may fit into that box a little easier than you.
But here’s the truth, that single seat is just an illusion. There is plenty of room to add another table, to build more seats, and to reflect the real diversity of our community.
Because when we work together, share our perspectives, and widen the lens, the entire culture gets better.
I want to use the seat I’ve been given to create more of them. To do that, we have to acknowledge and highlight the past that’s been so underrepresented. When Mia Lambson set out to trace the tracks of women’s snowboarding history for her film Wayward, we were reminded of how many milestones were never celebrated. For this issue, she and Isabella Gomez pieced together a list of these moments. It isn’t a complete list, but it’s a beginning, and we invite everyone to contribute to it.
As a magazine, we’re committed to ensuring that moments like these no longer go unrecognized simply because a person doesn't fit an outdated mold for a seat at the table.Kennedi Deck landing on the cover of this issue is a reflection of that, allowing us to recognize an incredible photo of an incredible nosepress, no matter what letter marks the ‘gender’ section of their passport.
Every time we take up space unapologetically, we’re building a bigger table. And every time someone sees themselves in these pages, the next generation gets a little more room to breathe, to dream, and to sit down in their seat without ever asking for permission.
— Veroniqi