On September 2007, 9, in a room in Tokyo, I was able to talk to Mike Basich, one of the legends in the snowboarding world and the founder of the brand "20". He met snowboarding in 241 and became a professional in 1985, and he has been evolving ever since.Mike appeared wearing a black hairband.The design of the black T-shirt I was wearing had three colored squares printed as "yellow + blue = green" instead of words.When asked if he made it himself, he replied, "Yes, do you understand what it means?"He is the man who has experienced the best and worst times in the short history of snowboarding, and has continued to make achievements in his own style.What can we learn from Mike Basic today?
It is September the 20th 2007 and we are sitting in a small room talking with Mike Basich a legend in Snowboarding and the creator of the brand 241. He discovered Snowboarding in 1985, turned Pro in 1991 and he has never looked back since. Mike comes His T-shirt is black with a self-made silkscreen design that says Yellow + Blue = Green. Not with words just with small blocks of the color. I ask him if he made it himself and he says, “Yeah, do you get the meaning”? This is a man who has been through the both the good and hard times in Snowboarding's short history, he has survived and continues to leave his mark and tell his story and he has done it all his way! Lets see what we can learn from Mike Basich today!
Interviewer / English text: Neil Hartmann / Japanese text: TAK
I've had a woodworking atelier since I was little.I think it was about twice the size of this room. (The room we were in was about 6 tatami mats) When I was young, I was absorbed in woodworking, and when I was 5, I already had my first workbench.I've been making it all the time.
In the last two years of high school, I started drawing a lot, learning silkscreen, and printing my own pictures on T-shirts.It was around that time that clothing sponsors began to be attached as snowboarders.
At that time, I came up with the idea of making something else for myself as a sidework.You can also make use of your hobby production.I think this idea continues until now.I wasn't going to make it bigger at first, just to provide it if something suits the needs of others.I'm still passionate about making belts, silkscreening and creating my own.I don't have the ability to sew clothing, but ... I like designing.
After that, I started focusing on making clothing that wouldn't have to be a pain when hiking up a halfpipe.Sweaty cotton isn't fun!
I think this is the only thing I've been doing for roughly 15 years since I met snowboarding.I have a lot of memories of my feet getting chilly and sweaty in the game.It's changed a lot now with technological advances, but I enjoyed this process of advancement at my company.I was fortunate enough to work with Goldwin because I was able to make clothes that are comfortable to spend even in the cold.
Growing up I had a little workshop, which was for woodworking. It was maybe twice as big as this room. (The room we are in is about 6 tatami mats) I did a lot of wood working when I was young. I had my first workbench when I was 5. I have always been creating things. The last two years of high school I started drawing a lot and I learned how to silk screen so I started taking my drawings and silk screening on t-shirts and this was at So the idea started to come to mind, ok I can promote someone else's stuff or maybe do this on the side and promote my own back yard thing. And it has kind of stayed like that because that was my first vision, not making it huge, just making something available to people if they want it. I still silk screen, I still have the passion to make the stuff myself. Whether it is sowing belts or silk screening…. I don't have the ability to sew my own outerwear but…. I like designing it. That was my new focus, lets make something that is not going to be a miserable experience hiking the half pipe because sweating in cotton is not fun! That is basically what I did for the first 15 years of snowboarding. I have a lot of memories That has changed for everybody now with equipment improvements, but I have enjoyed the process on my own with my company. Luckily I have been able to work with Goldwin, which has made it possible to make an outfit that is comfortable in cold weather.
T-shirt design started without a name.In the summer of the same year, think about what to name with my mother and sister, from the phrase "two pizzas for the price of one" that you often see in supermarkets, all in numbers I decided to do 2 for two reasons: it's international and common to everyone.Then I actually sold two T-shirts on my truck for the price of one, and the following year I made reversible pants.If you buy one and turn it over, it will be a completely different pair of pants.So that was the brand concept.
It started as making artwork on t-shirts with no name and that same summer I think I sat down with my sister and my mother and we were trying to figure out a name. The numbers 241 came up for two reasons. You see those numbers in the supermarket “two pizzas for the price of one”, and because it is just numbers it is very international so everyone can relate to it. I was also selling t-shirts out of the truck of my car two for the price of one People could buy one pair of pants and turn them inside out and have a totally different pair of pants so that was the concept.
I became a professional in 1991.In the same year, 241 was first introduced in Japan.I was in 16th place in the situation where the top 16 players could qualify for the next match in Japan by participating in a World Cup qualification match in June Mountain, California.Then the sponsor sent me to Nippon Open.That was when I and Andy Hazel wore 241 hats.I made only about 10 for my friends, but one week after I returned to Japan, I got an order for 1 hats and 200 T-shirts.
The silkscreen tools I had at that time were handmade and very difficult to use.At that time, it took me four years to buy 4 yen commercial silkscreen tools.After that, I finally got to know the art of T-shirts.
In 1991 I turned pro and it was that season that 241 first got introduced to Japan. I did a contest at June Mountain that was a qualifier for the World Cup series. I got 16th place and the top 16 could go to the next contest, Which was in Japan. So my sponsor sent me to Japan for the Nippon Open. It was there that I was wearing a 241 hat along with Andy Hetzel. I had only made about 10 for my friends, and when I got back home I got a call about a week later with an order for 200 hats and 100 t-shirts! So that became my summer project to make all that stuff. My silk screening equipment was all hand made and hard to use, but it took me four years to buy a real metal silk screening machine for a 1000 dollars, that is when I really learned the art of making t-shirts.
It was 1993.For the first two years, I've been making T-shirts, hats and pants.At that time, I was still sponsored by the clothing, so after two years I decided to say "OK!".I went to San Francisco and rented out a factory to buy zippers, buttons, velcro and all the other materials.I made the garment from the place where the pattern is created.
At that time, an outerwear company called "Backbowl" was sponsoring a meeting for the contract for the next season, and I met Tom Nishida of Goldwin who was there for the first time.A week later, I quit "Backbowl" and invited Mr. Nishida to spread 241 together.
It was '93; I did two years of hats t-shirts and pants. I still had an outerwear sponsor at that time. So after two years I decided ok I am going to do this! So I went to San Francisco and hired a factory, I bought all the zippers the buttons the Velcro the material everything. I cut out all the patterns I did everything it takes to make outerwear from scratch. At that time I was still riding for an outerwear company called “Backbowl”, I had a meeting with them to talk about contracts for the next season.
And it was there that I met Tom Nishida from Goldwin. A week later I quit “Backbowl” and asked Goldwin if they would be interested in working with me to distribute 241?
That would be the case.Everything from there was a ton ton.I was really happy that Goldwin agreed.You don't have to look for a factory and get all the materials!It was really hard, I ran out of all my money and it was a nightmare.Well, that was one of the reasons, and that's why I am now.
Yeah pretty much, it all a happened so quick and I am glad they came on when they did, I don't ever want to have to hire the factory buy the zippers and material again! That was such hard work, spent all the money I had and it was such a nightmare, but it served its purpose and that is what got me to where I am now.
1992 was the best time for a rider.I was able to win second place in the world championships.At that time, the international competition was only once every two years.Since then, there have been a lot of names.I was sponsored by KEMPER at that time, but I got offers from other brands as well. (From this time Mike starts riding the Hooger Booger)
When I just graduated from high school, I participated in many competitions.I moved to Utah the same year, but at that time there wasn't a half-pipe in Utah yet, and skiing on a big mountain was training for the game.
After graduating from high school, I spent a lot of time making T-shirts in the summer and attended competitions in the winter.The only event at that time was the halfpipe.I think it was 94 or 95 that I first started playing Big Air. With the start of Air & Style, we shifted to big air.Until then, I had only participated in the halfpipe for 10 years.
1992 was the highlight of my career I got 2nd at the World championships and the “Worlds” was only every two years at that time. So my name started showing up in the contest results. I was riding for Kemper at the time and I got (Mike started riding for Hooger Booger at that time) I was just out of high school and doing lots of competition. I also moved to Utah that year in 1992 and there are no halfpipes in Utah. At that time right after finishing high school I would spend all summer making t-shirts and then all winter just doing contests. At that time contests were only Halfpipes, the first big air contest was maybe in '94 or '95. When the Air and Style started I having more to doing Big air contests. I had already competed in Halfpipe for about 10 years at that time.
I wonder if I was absent in America for a couple of years.Then again, I started making little by little for my friends, not for sale as a product.At that time, I had already established a good situation with Goldwin so that I could ask "Can I do it?" When I came up with an idea for what I wanted to make.It's fun to bring up new concepts that go beyond the tolerance of the technology used in the garment.
There was a time in the US where I took a break for a few years. Then I started up again making small quantities just to have available for friends not really to sell. I already had a great situation with Goldwin, where I could come up with ideas and give it to them and say, “can you do this”? That is a part I really enjoy, coming up with concepts and really trying to push the envelope of technology with outerwear. I like to try and bring things to the next level with whatever I am doing.
At the beginning of the interview, Mike took out the two belts he gave to Goldwin's partner from his bag.The belt was handmade by Mike himself, with a design reminiscent of camera film, lined with a number of photographs he had taken and stored over the years.
The attached tag said "Individually built from a 100% experience. Underground since 1991 (manufactured from 100% experience one by one. From 1991 in the underground)".
At the beginning of this interview Mike pulled two belts out of a bag to give to his working partners at Goldwin. The belts were hand made by Mike Himself. Each one looked like a filmstrip, made up of pictures that he has taken over the years . The tag said, “Individually built from a 100% experience. Underground since 1991”
I've never done anything just because it's fashionable.I usually sit down and draw pictures, expressing straightforwardly based on what I want to do.This is what we keep as the essence of the company. "What the rider wants, to spend comfortably in the snow" That's it.It's not the focus of selling or not, but making what you, the riders, want.Luckily Goldwin has the belief that he can do what he wants to do.It doesn't matter what sells 100, 1,000 or 100,000.Make what you want.If someone sells 100,000, I don't want to be in it.When I'm with the snow, I just do what makes me happy by feeling right.
Can you imagine creating a brand as soon as you graduate from high school?It's never easy.Mike has an American entrepreneurial spirit.What is the driving force for snowboarding, art, company startup and various other things?Next time, I will discuss Mike Basic's childhood in Part XNUMX to answer this question.In addition, I would like to tell you about Mike's film production and famous self-portraits.
Well I have never done anything because it is the hip thing, usually when I sit down and draw, it is just straight thought based on what I want to do that is what I have tried to keep as the heart of the company, just doing I don't think about whether things will sell or not, I make what I want to have. Luckily Goldwin has always had the faith in me to let me do what I I want to do. It doesn't matter if something sells 100 or 1000 or 100 thousand units I will just make what I want to. Somebody else can sell 100 thousand units I don't want to be a part of that, I just want to do what feels right to me so I am happy when I am in the snow.
Wow! Can you imagine creating your own brand right out of high school? That is not an easy thing to do. Mike certainly had the American Entrepreneurial spirit! Snowboarding, art, producing his own company, what could have made him want to do all We will also talk about his now famous self-portraits and more recent film projects. We will also talk about his now famous self-portraits and more recent film projects.
Prohibited to Use or Copy All Pictures and Articles
Special thanks
NAOMI / Mr. / ATSU / 3rd eYe's DESIGN
