In the last two installments, I've introduced the roots of Mike Basich.This Mike Basich special interview will focus on what Mike is aiming for and where he is heading.
First, I asked him about his latest work, "In Short," which he co-starred with David Benedek.This is a compilation of five short films on a single DVD, with Mike appearing in the final chapter.This work is set in Alaska again, and a completely different story from the previous work "5 Words of Snow" has been completed.
Welcome back for part three of our special interview with Make Basich. In parts one and two we learned a lot about Mike's history and roots, now it is time to take things into the future to see where Mike is heading. First let's talk about his It is a new movie called “In Short” which is a series of five short films about Snowboarding combined into one DVD. Mike stars in the final short of the film. Although the location is again Alaska, the resulting story and film are very different from “91 Words for Snow. 
Interviewer / English text: Neil Hartmann / Japanese text: TAK
For "In Short," I wanted to go to Alaska, the same as the previous one, and shoot in document format.I want to capture not only the riding but also the actual trip itself.I shot snow camps, snowmobiles, and what I normally do in Alaska.I started to have a dog named Summit this season and I took him with me.It's a snowboard debut for the summit!Well, at the same time, it was training.It was quite frustrating, but it felt like a "memorable trip".
We wanted to do the AK trip again so for “In Short” we did a one-trip type documentary style filming. The film is more about the actual trip rather than just the riding. We did snow camping and snowmobiling and filmed more of what I had just gotten my dog Summit that season so I took her up there on the trip and that was her introduction to Snowboarding! That was a whole other training lesson on the side, she drove me nuts at times, but it was a memorable trip!
You could do it with In Short.In the same way, I wanted to go to Europe for 91 Words and witness the editing, but 91 Words was just a work of Blank Paper Studio, so I didn't talk about it.
For “91 Words” I wanted to fly to Europe and sit down with them to edit, and I would have done the same with “In Short,” but it is their (Blank Paper Studio's) project so I left that to them.
Mike seems to want to share his natural true picture with people in everything.For that reason, you probably don't want to express your style and individuality through the editor's filters (values and prejudices).And Neil felt that was a difficult problem for Mike.
Even if you can control a photo in a magazine, you can control the words that convey the photo, but you are out of control.That's why there is always some deviation.Well, that's always a source of trouble.Should I continue to work as before, or should I just display the photos on the wall?I like to share what I've done, but I want to know if I'm really represented in the medium.I wonder if everyone can get to know humans correctly ...
Mike seems to want to really share his true nature through whatever it is he does. He doesn't want his style or personality put through an editors filter. I can sense that it is a difficult issue for him.
Even with photos in magazines, I can control how the photo looks but I can't control the words that describe the photos and things always get sintered. It has always been a struggle for me to decide whether I should continue doing this, or do I just put my photo on my wall and leave it at that. I like sharing what I do, but I want to make sure that my true self gets put on paper so that people can really know about me….
Is it quite difficult to work for someone?Even if you give me something painted blue, I don't want to do anything with it.It's still complete, isn't it?If someone asks you to make something and that person tells you "I'm enjoying this kind of life" or "I want to do this kind of thing", then the process of creating it. You can enjoy it to your heart's content.This is what makes my life worthwhile.
It is very hard for me to work for someone. If someone hands me a blueprint of something I don't want to build it…. It is already drawn out. If someone asks me to build something and just tells me what they enjoy in life, and what they would like, then I get very excited about the developmental process, which is what I live for.
Can I say I was born?There is also an environment where I grew up.Many people have been involved in the success of Ken Block and Mike Olson, whereas in my case I've been driven by more personal things.In those areas you can only be successful within yourself.I have a company, but I've always focused on myself.If I hadn't focused on myself, I would have been like Ken Block.But that means that you're going to use your energy first to sell or grow something, and you'll put yourself off.Maybe I'm a jikochu (laughs).But everyone knows that if you want to help or teach others, you have to raise yourself first.
I would say it was more of a natural instinct that follows how I was brought up. If you look at people like Ken Block or Mike Olson, their success involves a lot of people, and I have always been more driven by the individual side or In that area there is really only room to be successful within oneself. I own a company, but the focus is within me. If I didn't focus so much on myself, I guess I would be someone like Ken Block. In That way the energy gets spent to sell more of something or grow something other then me. I guess you could say that I am selfish (laughing). Everybody knows that if you want to teach someone or help someone, you first have to work on yourself, before you can begin to help others.
Whatever I do, I enjoy creating new things.In it, clothes and outerwear are different, and we are devoting our energy to creating better and more advanced ones.If I had a passion for selling, I would have become a bigger company.I just enjoy growing and evolving, and that's what I'm leaning on in my life.
The part I enjoy is pushing to make something new no matter what it is and the clothing and outerwear is where I spend my energy trying to make something different and better and to progress. I just enjoy the progression and the growth that is where I spend my time.
Yeah, I don't really understand (laughs).But what I see in the future is this place. It's been a dream since I was 11 years old.
Well, part of it I don't know. (Mike laughs.) What I do see in the future is this place, which has been a dream of mine since I was about eleven years old. 
Mike pointed to his latest photo of the house.It's a house that Mike built a year and a half ago with his own hands.There are beautiful stones and wood grain designed and built by Mike.He actually drew a blueprint by measuring from the toes of his own body to the top of his head and to the size of his open arms!In other words, it is no exaggeration to say that the house itself is Mike Basic himself.The view from the window of this house overlooks the Sugar Bowl and Squaw Valley across the valley.
I spend a lot of time here and make a lot of things.Next summer's project is to make a toe rope.We are planning to make it an "eco lift" that uses the power of the stream.I'm going to call a lot of friends and ask them to help me.Create your own little resort.I've always wanted to build my own house, get out of the general power grid, and generate electricity in-house.And of course I wanted a lift because snowboarding is a big part of my life.I would be happy if I could "Share" the process of what I was doing with some kind of video.It would be great if I could make a 241 video that summarizes the process of making a lift and everyday life as an introduction to Area 241.There is also hope that this work will be a catalyst for making changes to other resorts as much as possible.All the sugar bowls across the valley from my premises are powered by wind power!
Mike points to a picture of his latest project, the house he has built by hand over the last year and a half. It is a stunning stone and wood structure designed and built by Mike. He actually took the dimensions of his body, from feet To head and out stretched arms and scaled that up to make the blue print of the house! You could say the house is truly Mike Basich. The view out his windows looks across the valley to Sugar Bowl and Squaw Valley.
I see myself spending a lot more time there and building a lot of stuff. My next summer project is to build a towrope, which is going to be powered off the creek so it is going to be an eco lift. I am going to try I have always wanted to build my own house and be off the grid, create my own electricity. Since snowboarding is such a big part. I would like to make a 241 video that shows the area of my life, of course I wanted to have some kind of lift access. I am hoping to share the whole process of what I am doing though some kind of possible film documentary project, I would like to make a XNUMX video that shows the area I hope that something like that could perhaps influence other resorts to make changes. Sugar Bowl, which is right across the valley from my property. , uses all wind power electricity to run their lifts!
The last year and a half I have spent a lot of thought on how to make my life more efficient. Traveling and competing has been a lot of fun, but looking back, it was not that efficient. It's been a struggle for me to change. That has made me feel more efficient, by spending my time more wisely. So I want to put in a towrope, but as for the photography, I am not sure how far I am going to take it. If it feels like there is no more space to be creative with it, then I will probably shift into something else.
The last year and a half has spent time thinking about how to make life more efficient.I enjoyed the snow trips and the tournament a lot, but in retrospect it wasn't that efficient.Now I'm trying to change my life to a slower one.Since then, it has become more efficient to use time wisely.I don't know how much I can finish it, but I want to make a lift over time, just like taking a photo.If I make a lot and run out of space, then I'll do something else.
I don't regret anything.Certainly there were hard times, though.I regret it when I couldn't learn anything from my mistakes.For me everything is like a lesson to get better.Every experience has some meaning.It's not that I've done something particularly amazing.I wish I had met a project like Area 241 earlier, but maybe it took me this much time to realize that I should do it.I wish I could do it sooner, but if I did it earlier, it wouldn't be the same as it is now.
I don't have any regrets, but I've definitely had times that were tough. I think regrets occur only when you don't learn anything from a mistake. Everything I do is usually a lesson towards becoming something better. Every experience is I wouldn't do anything different in a big way. I kind of wish that my whole Area 241 project had happened earlier, but I think it took me this long to know where it was supposed to happen. But at the same time I know that if it had happened sooner it would not be the same.
→ SBN digital catalog “241” → 241 official site
I quit in the summer a year ago.Now I'm working on a new project.Let me tell you a little bit.I carve out the core of a dead tree on my premises to make a really pure "eco board".
No, I quit last summer, about a year ago. Right now I am working on a new project, which I can tell you a little bit about. I am going to the mill the wood for the cores from trees that are already dead on my property. I am going to try and make a pure “Eco” board.
Right now I have a camera most of the time I'm slipping because I don't know what's going to happen.It's really convenient because I got a digital camera two years ago and can immediately see what I've taken.Recently, I've been taking random trial shots.I also have ideas for new projects like rail photos.I think it will take a week to take one.
I built a house last year so I didn't take a picture of it as a work.The house is almost completed this year and I want to make a work.I think I'll probably do a movie rather than a photo.
Mike took a moment.Mike said shortly after Neil asked the next question.It was the deepest word in this interview.
I experienced a real state of enlightenment this summer.I use my premises every year for a big camp, and a lot of people came this summer.I realized at that time.This year was the hardest financially I've ever had, but I felt the richest I've ever had.Abundance means that it's in my life, the connections I've built over the years, and the reality of the house I've dreamed of, it's been a wonderful year.I think the state of enlightenment is something that only comes when you abandon your obsession with greed, money, and so on.When you abandon that obsession, you'll be able to look a little further away from where you stand in your life.
Recently I ride half of the time with a camera in my hand, not knowing what might happen. I have had a digital camera for the last two seasons, which has been great, because I can see what I have shot right away. of my photos are random shots that I just try and the others are projects that I have an idea for and I will build something like a rail and might spend a week to get one photo.
Last year I did not shoot many of those project type shots, I spent most of my energy building my house. Now that is almost done so this winter I am hoping to tackle some more projects and probably put it more on film rather then still photos ..
Mike pauses for a moment, and then before I can ask another question he makes the most profound comment of the interview.
I had a real moment of clarity this last summer. Every year I have a big camp out at my property, and this last summer there were lots of people there. During that time I had a moment of clarity where I realized that this year is probably the poorest I have ever been, but the richest I have ever felt. Rich because of what I have in my life, a lot of which is people and the relationships that I have built over the years. My dream home is coming to reality. It is moments of clarity that only seem to come when you are stripped of something, like money, so that you can stand back and get a good look at your situation in life.
It's a great minor!But people are gradually becoming attracted to quality.I hadn't studied by looking at other brands of clothing until this year, but after hearing everyone surprised by the quality of the 241 clothing, I looked at other brands.I noticed that there is a big difference in quality.About 9 or 10 shops will start selling 241 this winter.I want to make sure to sell it in a place with a large space.Only one shop sells 1 in the city.I don't want the shops to fight for rights.
Very underground! People are drawn to the product because of the quality. I have never really studied other outerwear until this year. People were so amazed at the quality of the 241 wear that it made me want to check other brands and I realized there was This winter I have 9 or 10 shops that are going to sell 241 in the US. I make sure that each shop has a large area; only one shop in each city can sell 241. I don't want the shops competing with each other and the shops appreciate that loyalty.
At first, it is always said that the price of the product is too high. I'll tell you the difference compared to a jacket with a similar price, "not the most expensive".The biggest wall is to have people wear the highest quality clothing in the cold snow.Once you wear it, you can't go back to low quality.It's the same as riding a better board than riding a faint board inside.There is a difference between focusing and riding a Ferrari. (Focus: Pinto is a cheap American car like a light car) The goal is not to buy new clothes every year, but to have them wear good quality clothes for 5 years.
At first the shops always say the product is expensive, but I tell them that it is not the most expensive wear, and then I show them the difference between similarly priced jackets. The biggest struggle is getting someone to wear a high quality piece of outerwear There is such a difference, like driving a Ferrari compared to a Pinto (a pinto is a) in the snow and cold. Once they do that they will never go back. It is just like riding a good snowboard rather then a foam core snowboard. super cheap American car like a “kei jidosha”). The goal has always been to make a high quality product so that people can buy something and wear it for five years and not have to buy a new set of wear every year.
The interview turned into a daily conversation, and I talked about various things normally while eating Japanese sweets.Neil himself was the first to meet Mike, but Mike's gentle atmosphere and the friendly SHARE of what he had done made me feel like I knew him for a long time. ..Probably everyone thinks so.After shaking hands and saying goodbye, Neil thought about the many words Mike said all day.I was happy that the snowboarding hero was a talent that even exceeded Neil's expectations.In his 22 years of snowboarding, Neil sometimes feels like snowboarding is no longer a reliable teacher, like the one he wants, the so-called Craig Kelly.After talking to Mike, it seemed wonderful that Mike Basic, a soul-bearing person who lives with the snow, is a leader in the snowboarding world.Whether it's home building, eco-boarding, photography, wear design, whatever, there are so many "SHARE" mics out there.And from there we can learn.
At this point our interview turns into a conversation and we continue to discuss a variety of subjects, while munching on some Japanese chocolate snacks. Even though this is the first time I have met Mike, I feel as though I have known him for a long time. His gentle manner, and friendly way of sharing what he does probably makes everyone feel like that. After we shake hands and say goodbye I spend the rest of the day thinking about many of the things he said. I am happy that one of After 22 years of snowboarding myself, sometimes I feel as if snowboarding does not seem to have the mentors it needs anymore, like Craig Kelly. After talking with Mike I feel great knowing Whether it is outerwear design, eco boards, photography, or home building, Mike has a lot to share and we all have a lot to learn from him.
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Special thanks
NAOMI / Mr. / ATSU / 3rd eYe's DESIGN
