FROM THE MAG: Dominik Wagner Interview
Switch Backside 50-50, Tromsø, Photo Markus Rohrbacher
Trying to describe Dom is like writing a blurb for a book rich with history, one that gets better the deeper you read. He’s admired for his consistency, discipline, endurance, and the sheer longevity he brings to everything he does. His dedication to snowboarding, both professionally and personally, is unlike anything I’ve witnessed in nearly 30 years on a board. You could call him stubborn, but it’s a focused kind of stubbornness, with a clear vision of what he wants and likes. That mindset has shaped his incredible contribution to snowboarding over the past 15 years at the pro level. Dom has given his life 1000% to snowboarding. He doesn’t just go the extra mile, he goes two, especially when it comes to finding something unique. Just look at the front page of this magazine, you’ll see what I mean. Spots like that don’t show up on every corner. He lives for the grind and the mission, and that commitment always pays off. He’s a powerful example for the next generation, showing what it really takes. And through his thoughtful and supportive way of being, he’s helped so many of us get to where we are today.
I’m so glad you’re here, my friend.
Thank you. I love you.
- Benny Urban
Interview by Tom Kingsnorth
You've been riding street for a long time. What keeps you motivated?
I feel like it's kind of easier with riding in an urban environment, because you can just find so many spots. Every year, you basically have four months to film a video part. Once you get into that zone of filming, you have a plan, and you have this one approach for the season. Then the next year comes, and all of a sudden things change, snowboarding changes, your taste changes, your riding changes. I’ve been doing it long enough that you don’t want to keep doing the same things. You can change your approach to riding, to the spots, to filming, even just the angles. Let's say even if you just do a boardslide on a down bar, you can find a thousand different down bars to do it on. You can film it differently, do it at a different spot, in different conditions, and as snowboarding and myself evolve, you just see stuff differently.
In an ideal world, you just keep going to new places, and that keeps it really interesting. I love the element of traveling a lot, actually.
Do you find it hard to find new spots? Does it feel like most spots are done now?
Oh, it's definitely getting harder and harder, and now, with Google Maps, it also makes it a little more exhausting. You basically have no time off anymore on trips. Back in the day, you’d snowboard all day, then drive around looking for spots in the car until the light is gone. Then you’d usually just go home, maybe prep a spot in the evening, but once you're at the apartment, you're basically done.
These days, especially last year, filming Transparent with Kas Lemmens, Will Smith, and Ivika Jürgenson, we would go home and each of us would just be on our phones looking at Google Maps all night. Even just driving from one location to another, you're on Google Maps the whole time. Because, like you said, so many spots have already been done. It used to be that you went to Helsinki, and you filmed in Helsinki. Now it's more like, you go to Finland, and the spot might be four hours away, it doesn't matter. You just drive there, hit it, and then drive another four hours to the next location.
Tromsø, Photo Markus Rohrbacher
Every street rider seems to have their own way of getting into the right headspace. What’s your process before hitting a spot? How do you mentally prepare?
I guess now, since I've been doing it for a good amount of time, if I really want to do something, then I'm just going to go do it. I have the skill set to know what I can do and how to prepare stuff I want to do. So, if I know there's something I want to do, for the most part, I know I can do it. Then it's just like, f*ck it. These days, I'm just trying not to waste time. I’ll just go for it. In my head, if there's something you really want to do, you should just go, and f*cking do it. The more time I waste setting up or thinking about stuff, the more I build it up in my head and make it crazier than it actually is, even if it's not. So yeah, if I see something I want to do, no matter how sketchy or scared I am, I’d rather just go and do it, and not waste too much time. That’s been pretty helpful. Always sucks, but yeah.
That frontboard that Markus Rohrbacher shot in Sweden, the really sketchy one with all the gaps in it. Did you plan to frontboard that when you found it? How many tries did that take?
Yeah, it’s basically like a firecracker rail with circles all the way down. I kind of knew I had to do it. It was for the Nitro video, and I was with Nils Arvidsson and Jordan Morse. Jordan and I are both pretty honest with each other and just kind of have the same mentality. I found the spot, and we were all like, “This is sick. I want to do it.” So, we set it up. I think I did a 50-50, and then Jordan just looked at me, and we were like, “Now you know what you gotta do, right?” There was no way around it, I just knew I was going to frontboard it. It’s not a huge spot, but you don’t know what’s going to happen. It was long enough to definitely get your board stuck, which kind of happened on the first try. But it wasn’t too bad. It’s one of those spots where you see it and you know you want to do it, so you just go through with it. I did a 50-50, then a second 50-50 just to get the speed right and the approach dialled, and then on the third try, I just had to go frontboard.
Frontboard, Sweden, Photo Markus Rohrbacher
That’s crazy. I feel like most people would do a 5-0 on that and be hyped.
Oh, it would be crazy to do a nosepress. But for that video, we were also just kind of trying to go hard. It was a super shitty winter, and we knew there were only certain places we could go. The spots we had were the spots we had. There was no “maybe we go here or there.” We knew there was only one place in Europe you could go. So, we were really limited in places and spots, and then it was just like, okay, this is it. Try to do the best you can.
When you’re filming a part, what’s your approach? Do you go in with a plan for types of spots and tricks, or do you let the city and what you find shape it?
Obviously, everybody kind of knows they need certain things, but honestly, these days, I want to do stuff I haven’t done before. For the most part, the spots are my main thing. The spots basically tell me what trick I’m going to do. I just need to see something that excites me to snowboard. I always wanted to snowboard bigger stuff, maybe do tricks I haven’t done yet. But it’s more like the spots shape the part. I definitely have tricks in mind, maybe I want to do a certain trick on a down rail. So, I’ll go to a place, even if it’s a new place, and I always have it in the back of my head. If I get lucky and find the perfect down rail for that trick, that’s the ideal situation. But I also spend so much time in Finland that I now have certain tricks in mind for certain spots there. But that’s rare.
I’d just rather go to new places, find new spots, and then figure out what I’m going to do, rather than planning everything out. I feel like that’s just boring. I like the excitement. I like finding stuff. I like surprising myself, doing things I didn’t think of or didn’t think I could do. That’s what keeps it interesting, I guess.
How do you balance risk and reward when riding? Are you someone who takes big risks or is everything carefully planned?
I’ve been talking about this with Sam Taxwood this year, because he’s more the kind of person to just go and risk it, not in a reckless way, but more like, “Fuck it, I’m going to try this no matter what happens.” I’m kind of the opposite. I’m more cautious. I just basically don’t want to get hurt. But it’s a fine line. Sometimes I finish a season, look at my footage, and I’m like, “Fuck, I wish I did something harder. I wish I had tried that spot instead of walking away.” But I just enjoy being healthy and doing what I love -snowboarding. I don’t want to get hurt and not be able to snowboard. With filming, it’s hard to balance that. I’ve definitely gotten more confident, I have more trust in myself these days. Back in the day, I wouldn’t trust myself and would be like, “No way, I can’t do this.” Now I take more risks, but they’re more calculated.
Boardslide, Tromsø, Photo Markus Rohrbacher
What’s the new Nitro project that’s coming out this year, I heard it’s different to what Nitro usually put out?
I guess this is kind of the first real core Nitro video we’re doing. Normally, those videos were made to be fun, accessible, and kind of mainstream. But now the whole team felt like it was time to make something that really reflects us, the core side of snowboarding within Nitro. There's so much talent on the team, it felt like a shame not to showcase that properly. The project’s called ‘Spike’. It's mainly me, Sam Taxwood, Nils Arvidsson, Jordan Morse, Iris Pham, and Bryan Fox. A few others, like Tom Tramnitz and Nick Miller, came on some trips too, but it was mostly the six of us. Ted Borland is making the video, Fabi Fuchs is the art director, Alex Pfeffer and Dylan Ross were the main filmers.
Was Hexagon your favourite part? And are you someone who’s happy with what you’ve put out, or do you always think it could’ve been better?
I think you're never really happy with what you did. I always think I could do better. Hexagon, I really liked it, especially because we were all out there: Toni Kerkela, Sebi Springeth, Kas Lemmens, Benny Urban, and Max Zebe, myself, and Marco Jhonny Morandi was filming. It was kind of a dream of ours because we’ve all known each other for so long. That was a cool thing to film for. But I think my favourite is Transparent. Just because I was out with Kas, Tim Schiphorst, Ivika Jürgenson, and Will Smith, and there were no limits, and none of us had boundaries. There was no “too much driving” or “too much build” or whatever. When you’re with a crew of five or six people, you're just more limited in what you can do and where you can go. With Transparent, if we were in Helsinki and I said, “Hey, I have a spot that’s five hours away,” the only question was: “When do we leave in the morning?” For that video part, we all worked our asses off. I put a lot of pressure on myself because I only had one season to film for it, and the others had already stacked a bunch of footage in the previous season. I was really proud I came through and got the amount of footage in that short amount of time.". It was the first time I was really going for new spots, finding stuff that was special. I really like Hexagon, but Transparent just worked out better.
How often have you landed a trick on camera, kept going for hours trying to get a better one, and then ended up using the first make anyway?
Honestly, all the time. I’m an idiot, I just keep trying things over and over again, thinking I can do it better. But usually, it’s the last make we use. There's always this little nuance I’m chasing, even if most people don’t really see it. The last one usually ends up being the one where other people, filmers, other riders are like, “Yeah, that’s the one.” But yeah, I definitely keep going. I don’t know if it comes from insecurity or maybe some bad experiences. It’s happened where I thought something was good enough, and then you get home, see the footage, and you are just bummed. I guess that’s why I keep going. I just keep doing it because I’ve learned the hard way.
Tromsø, Photo Markus Rohrbacher
Are you happy with how street riding has progressed during your time snowboarding?
Yeah, for sure, there are a couple of different things that have changed, and I like a lot of them. One big one is safety. Back in the day, you weren’t even allowed to have snow on the stairs, everything had to be dry, like in skating. But, we’re snowboarding, you know? I’m not gonna ride a down rail with snow all over the stairs, but I’m also not gonna fully dry them out like a skate spot. I’ll dig them out and make it look good, but I want it to be snowboardable. And for me, the spots count more than the tricks. I’d rather see a nice boardslide on a beautiful spot than some crazy trick on a boring setup. I just like seeing snowboarding in an urban environment, making the most out of the location instead of just going to a down bar and checking off a trick. Louif [Paradis] does this super well. He’s even doing powder street spots in a way. Just going to a place that holds snow and riding it, using everything the environment has to offer. That’s more interesting to me than rails and ledges alone.
There’s talk about rails going into the Olympics. What are your thoughts on that? Would you go if it happens?
I honestly don’t think I have the tricks to go to the Olympics, and I just don’t care that much, I’m neutral about it. If snowboarding rails is in the Olympics, cool, I’ll watch it if there’s a webcast or whatever. It’s not good or bad to me, whatever helps snowboarding, I’m down for. If rail riding made it in and someone asked me to go, I’d definitely try. Why not? But like I said, I don’t think I have the tricks for that level. I’m just not super invested in the whole Olympic thing.
What are your thoughts on rail jams? Do you like doing them?
I have a love-hate relationship with rail jams. I like being there, seeing friends, maybe strapping in and riding, but I hate the competition part. That’s honestly why I film. I’m just not competitive when it comes to sports. It’s not for me. I don’t feel comfortable in that setting.
Jill Perkins said the increase in rail jams is killing street video parts. What’s your take on that?
I don’t know. Snowboarding is changing a lot in general. I feel like people should just do whatever they want: If they want to do rail jams, sick. If they want to film video parts, go for it. I don’t think one is killing the other. Right now, it’s just a trend that certain brands or companies are putting money into, and it makes sense. I was on a trip with Iris, Pham, and she said, “I gotta go to X Games,” and I was like, “Of course you do, you’re gonna win.” I’d seen her ride, and I knew she’d probably win. And for someone young trying to get their name out there, it’s a good thing. But I don’t see the kids who are doing rail jams now will still be doing them in five or ten years. It’s not something you keep doing forever. I remember kids who used to hit every rail jam back in the day, and now you don’t really see them anymore. Back then, it was all during pre-season, but now rail jams are during the actual snowboard season. That’s the main difference. Still, it doesn’t take up your whole season. So, I don’t think it’s killing anything, it’s just another piece of the puzzle.
Switch Frontboard, Tromsø, Photo Markus Rohrbacher
I heard you went bikepacking from Istanbul to Croatia. What inspired that trip, and what did you learn from it?
It started with a friend of mine, Martin, who restores old ’90s mountain bikes into gravel bikes. You can take a look at them on Instagram: “Margherita Bikes". He was doing these bikepacking tours around Austria, Italy, and once, they visited me in Croatia. They biked from Zagreb to Split, and I met up with them there. After that, I was like, “Damn, I really want to try this.” So, he made me a bike, and we planned the trip. Since he’d already done so many of these, it just kept escalating. I guess that’s how it is with anything when you’ve got a bit of an addictive personality, you want to go bigger and bigger. And I just loved the idea of zoning out and going from one place to another at your own pace. I didn’t bike at all before that. I wasn’t into it. But I figured, it can’t be harder than a snowboard trip. I’m used to suffering. I like challenges and adventures. That’s why I still love filming and going to new places, not knowing what’s going to happen. We took a train to the Turkish border, then biked for 16 days. It was like 1500 KM and 25,000 meters of elevation, but not too crazy. You wake up, bike all day, and eat good food. It actually felt more like an adventure vacation than some hardcore survival thing.
You’re known for going hard in the winter and chilling hard in the summer. What does your summer actually look like?
I don’t know if I’d call it chilling, honestly. If you ask the people around me, or my girlfriend, they’d probably say I do everything pretty extreme. We’ve been building a DIY skatepark near Vienna called “The Bowlriders Club”, and that got out of hand, and it’s huge now. Then biking took over for a bit, and I fish a lot, too. Not fly fishing, just fishing on the coast. I started spearfishing one summer in Croatia, where my girlfriend has a house. I was bored and started snorkelling, and then bought a harpoon. I wanted a reason to stay in the water all day. It’s funny because most people don’t know this, but I’m basically on a plant-based diet. But once I caught my first fish, I decided I’d stop eating animals and only eat fish that I caught myself. That’s how I got into spearfishing. Then I started freediving to get better at it, diving 20 to 25 meters down, holding my breath for minutes. After that, I got into fishing with rods too, because you can’t spear every day if the sea’s rough. My summer’s kind of insane. I remember talking to Theo Acworth once, and he was asking, “Wait, you don’t work a job in the summer?” And I replied, “No, I can’t, I have too much stuff I need to do.” (Laughs) Whether it’s building, skating, diving, fishing, or biking, I just go all in. I get way too excited about stuff. That’s just how I am.
This article was originally published in Pleasure #155. For the complete reading experience, with more photos and the unmatched feel of a print magazine, order your copy of the magazine below or, even better, support print by becoming a subscriber!
