Interview with Yusaku Horii

When I first saw him slip about five years ago, the first impression was that he was a clever rider who slipped wildly but took the line and landed in his own image.I was feeling.Of course, when I first talked to him, he was a very good young man, and I'm rude, but the slippery appearance was also the part where I felt a very gap in the actual way of speaking and responding.
A few years later, he has a good reputation in various areas and is now one of the few riders who can have a side-by-side session with riders from all over the world.

Please tell me how Yusaku started snowboarding.

My dad was running a snowboard school at a local ski resort.At that time, my dad was usually a salaryman, and on weekends he went up to the mountains to go to school.And my father is also a surfer, and I have often been taken to the sea, mountains, and various places for a long time.

But to be honest, I wasn't so interested in snowboarding at first.However, at one point, around XNUMX and XNUMX, I think I was in the XNUMXth grade of elementary school, but the number of snowboarders has increased, and there are many adults I know around me. I thought, "Wow! Cool and fashionable!"At that time, there was a high school snowboarder who happened to be from Kyoto, and when I was near the age, I finally started to think "I want to snowboard!".

At that time, I started by dropping leaves with Alpine boots on a board of about 160 cm.About 4 years after that, I feel like I've been absorbed in snowboarding since I was in the XNUMXth grade of elementary school.
In that sense, I think my father had a lot of influence.

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At that time, did you have an image of wanting to do the same kind of activities as you do now?

I remember writing an album-like dream of becoming a professional snowboarder when I was in elementary school (laughs).
After that, my dad quit his job as a salaryman and opened a snowboard shop in 1995, so I had a chance to go up to the mountains every week, and since then the people I play with have been around XNUMX years old, and I haven't done club activities, so I usually skate. Boarding ... I think there were more of them than playing with friends.

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How did you move during the 13-14 season?

At the beginning of the season, I skied at a ski resort in Hyogo prefecture near my house to get used to my feet.After that, I almost never returned to my hometown.I used to go to Hakuba last season.Also once in Hokkaido.In the west, you also went to Shimane prefecture.Also, in Hokkaido, I shot with Keegan Valaika and Forest Bailey.I don't know what it is, but I always felt like I was with a foreigner in Japan.The other day, when I went to Portland, I felt like "Forest, stay at home" (laughs).

1940 tag boat
In the 1940s, it was a weapons carrier during the war, and now it's time to turn this tugboat on the Willamette River in northern Portland into a radio station.projectI was able to participate at the invitation of Forest.With Jack, who happened to be aiming for AK from LA on a road trip.The people who participated in this project, who prepared their own wall materials and attached insulation boards to cold rusted iron, have various backgrounds and seem to have a certain dialogue with themselves as Japanese people. Met.Portland spent time with Forest was a cultural and artistic day like never before. -Yusaku Horii

Like this XNUMX-week trip to the US, he really welcomed my friends over there.Well, this time I went to the mid waist without thinking about anything (laughs)
At first I went to Minneapolis. It was the end of the season at the beginning of April, but it snowed so we all made a small kicker in the park and played.Also, there is a ski resort in Wisconsin called Trollhagen where young Jibber is practicing with jib items, but I skied there on the last day.

After that, I flew to Utah and took a picture of BC, and then I felt like Holy bowly.After this, I was thinking of returning to Minnesota, but the staff of Snowboarder Magazine said, "You're coming to Super Park, right?" ... I didn't have much cash, but it seemed interesting, so I said "Go!" After all, I got over it with my credit card.
While doing so, AIRBLASTER decided to hold an event at Hood, the schedule was also Don Pisha in front of Super Park, and I was lucky to have AIRBLASTER arrange an airline ticket ... but I was busy and slapstick. It was a feeling.And I left most of my luggage in Minnesota, so I went to pick it up (laughs)
Most of them were moving around the United States with their clothes left behind, so I didn't have any clothes to wear, and on the way everyone said "T-shirts".

Oregon coast
It was my first time to visit the Oregon Coast, and after the Air Blaster team meeting, I saw a completely different view than when I surfed in the daytime.Yes, I went out to take a picture with Ben Lynch in the picture.I felt like I was in a good mood with Ben for some reason, but I still feel like I'm in a good mood, not a good friend, but that kind of feeling was comfortable.However, seeing this scenery was something that each other felt without forcing me to say it, and it was just a precious time when I and Ben happened to be there at this moment. -Yusaku Horii

Mt hood
I enjoyed the snow that had fallen alone in the empty spring hood.There was silence and strange comfort that was different from summer chaos.I don't believe in God, but I believe that Mount Hood has a mysterious power. There are many things that I met in this land and started from this land.Mount Hood is not shown.I turned my back on myself, and I am a tiny, powerless, unnatural body that does not fit in naturally. -Yusaku Horii

And yesterday, I came back to Japan on May 5th.This time it was a good trip that I was able to move very actively, and there were few Japanese people in the area, so it feels strange to be speaking Japanese now (laughs).
As a result, I was able to move a lot in Japan, and I was able to participate in Holy bowly and Super Park overseas, and it was a very good season without any injuries.

There was an image that Yusaku-kun's slipping image was quite injured.

That's right ... I'm glad I didn't have to be hospitalized, although I often do a little bit.However, last season I fell into the river with Hakuba.I landed during the shooting and made up, so if I was a little careful, I just fell into the river.It was really dangerous.

YUSAKU boots will be released in Japan and around the world at Deeluxe this year. How did you feel about making these boots?

After all, having your own name means that your personality is expressed in these boots like a portrait.I think that you can feel your lifestyle, behavior, and snowboarding movements through your boots.And I want you to be the one who sees, wears, and connects you with everyone.

It's the same with 1817, it's the same with DAYZE, and I'm the only individual, but it's a very interesting and fun boot because it's a boot that has been completed with the support of me. It says For Life, but 1817 put up a message as 1817 for life, and there was a part where my image was similar, so I put it as FOR LIFE.

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The movement of the outer boots and the flex, etc., have been exchanged with JT many times.After that, the sole is made thinner to make the sole feel more important, and the height of the outer is lowered by a little less than 1 cm.And I made it possible to use both boot laces and speed lace.Whether you use it hard for riding or something, you can tighten your boots with either.Of course, it would be interesting to remove the string and slip only in the speed race.I think it is better to use both the string and the speed race in the actual experience.

I was worried about the material.I talked a lot with Ryosuke of DAYZE here.I had them design various things such as artwork near the heel cup.The two of us searched for the texture in detail, asked JT to coordinate with our home country, and searched for each of the hundreds of materials.This was a fierce exchange (laughs)

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JT's comment

"This was a spectacular exchange (laughs).
I had a meeting on the phone every day, and I had to wait while Skypeing with China and talked with Yusaku and Ryosuke quite a bit.
It took a lot of effort to create the material to print out, such as the fact that the artwork was too detailed and it was difficult to make it beautifully.And even if I had an idea before creating Deeluxe's ​​home country, he supported me very cooperatively.So I'm deeply moved to think that I was able to create it if there was such a reaction. "

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Comment from DAYZE, Ryosuke Horii

"We talked a lot about the materials we like, which are not found in other boots. For example, silver reflectors like in the 90's.
I always wanted to have an impact.The color and design are also.
The design of the heel cup is also very detailed, so I had a hard time printing it out.I think it looks like a gradation, but since it was a quality that could not be made at the factory if it was a true gradation, I remade it many times to make it look like a gradation.And another important thing was to release what I made as emotional boots. "

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With that in mind, the process itself was very good. When I decided to make boots with Deeluxe, I hadn't been to my home country at that time.But at a very good time, JT took me to the tour last year, so I had a good time and experience with everyone in Austria, and the atmosphere of Deeluxe and the atmosphere of 1817 Minnesota were mixed in a good way. I think we have made a great product.
At first, I used to say, "All in suede!" (Laughs)
JT said, "That would make more than XNUMX boots" (laughs)
That was one of my good memories.

As a result, I can assure you that my lifestyle comes from these boots.And thank you for the release of boots of my name from Deeluxe.

What kind of snowboarding style does Yusaku aim for?

In the past, I had a strong desire to slip, and to be like this, but now I have a strong desire to slip cleanly.For example, I think it's very important to take a line.To put it in detail, I think it has already started when we head to the mountains.I would like to draw a good line that includes such a life.The flow of the day, the flow of the week, and the flow of the season are the same.

Regarding slippage in the sense of appearance, we are still exploring the process in the process.
I am different every time, including the width of my stance.There are years when the highback is removed, and there are years when it is attached.However, it is not appropriate, and I think it is important for me to change, including that.In short, I think that I want to be sincere in my feelings at that time.By the way, my current stance angle is 12 degrees forefoot and -12 degrees for back.However, sometimes I try to angle it very much, and sometimes I do not angle it at all.And I think I'm still looking for it, and I don't want to make a difference, like jib, park, free run.I want to continue to maintain that feeling.

This is my snowboard style, isn't it?

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Profile

Name: Yusaku Horii

Age: 29 years old

Favorite thing: Stupid story Drinking chaos
Dislikes: I hate hate that I don't understand, so I think it's important to have respect and gratitude every day.

Sponsor: SIGNAL AIRBLASTER DEELUXE UNION ASHBURY HOWL GNARLY AREth
CRABGRAB ONE BALL JAY PLUS ONEWORKS MICA ARCADE STONP 1817
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