CLARENCE GAGNON

Birthplace: Montréal, QC, Canada First Mountain: Mont Habitant, Q.C Years riding: 25 years

Welcome to the Stranda family! Let’s start from the beginning, where did you grow up and how did you get into snowboarding?
I grew up as a weekend warrior skiing mostly on the ski hills surrounding the Montreal area. At first, I wasn’t really allowed to get a board as “skiing was the family sport”. But I was such a pain to get to the hill, because I didn’t like skiing, that one day my dad smartened up and got me what I had wanted for years: a snowboard. I became much easier to convince to head to the slopes once I got that board. Thanks to that, it went from something I despised to a passion I make a living off of. Whats your home mountain? -Since I moved to Sweden I’ve had Kungsberget as a home mountain, but I still feel like Fernie, BC is my home mountain.

Whats your home mountain?
Since I moved to Sweden I’ve had Kungsberget as a home mountain, but I still feel like Fernie, BC is my home mountain.

Favourite place to ride?
Fernie, B.C.

Can you describe yourself in one sentence?
Snowboarding facilitator and mountain destroyer.

What´s your favorite trick to watch?
A big and slow FS540 off a backcountry booter/drop. Preferably no grab and performed by Mark Frank Montoya and his opened jacket…

What is your favorite book?
I am not much of a reader, so I don’t really have a favourite one. But to answer the question, I recently listened to an excellent e-book Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell. It’s a solid reflexion on how people perceive interactions between strangers (or not) and how it all can lead to disaster only because humans are really bad at interpreting each other.

Do you listen to podcasts, if so what´ your favorite podcast?
Revisionist History. The author reviews historical events and shades a different light on them. He’s also an aviation nerd, like me.

Best splitboarding/snowboarding Hack (advice) you have?
Splitboarding: Wax. Your. Skins. I have many hacks, but this has to be the best one. Snowboarding: When turning, look in the direction your board is pointing. So many people disregard that when trying to carve or just create grip and this simple thing is often the only one that is hindering them.

Who have been some of your biggest influences as snowboarder?
Craig Kelly, Jeremy Jones, Travis Rice, Chucky and Demon.

What boards have you gravitated to in the Stranda line up and why?
The Bowlrider 165. They are all absolutely great, and love riding the whole line up, but every time I get to the bottom of the slopes after a run on the Bowlrider, I get a bigger smile than with any other board. I’ve never tried another board that was so playful and surfy, while still having insane edge grip and being able to handle high speeds. The Descender 161. It is listed as a Freeride and Backcountry Freestyle board, but let me add that it is a super solid all mountain board. Whether it’s for instructing, hitting the park, carving, going fast down steep lines, this one does it all, and all in one day’s worth of work!

What does the future hold for you? Any goals, trips or projects for this season?
Having moved away from snow school work, I am hoping to grow my business into holding several snowboard camps every season around Europe and hopefully the whole world.

Boards of choice:  Bowlrider 165, Descender 161, Shorty Split 169
Stance: Last season’s go to was +27/-3 at 21 inches, but we’ll see what I feel like this year.

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