Ethan Morgan interview | Nike team snowboarder | Relentless Energy Drink

The German-American snowboarder gives us his inside story

Only just out of his teenage years, German-American snowboarder Ethan Morgan has looked like increasingly hot property over the last few years. A hugely versatile and creative rider, he’s an impressive force whatever he’s tackling – be it kickers, rails, pipes, he always delivers a bit of magic with a deservedly confident style. He's the latest rider to join the acclaimed roster in the Relentless Energy Drink snowboard team, so it's about time we introduced him to you all.

We caught up with Ethan while he was relaxing business-lounge style, waiting to depart for Air & Style in Beijing. Look out for him competing at Relentless Energy Drink BIG AIR presented by Quiksilver in Stuttgart from 16-17 December.

Tell us a bit about your current sponsors. Nike 6.0 seems to have taken the snowboarding world by storm and is putting out some next level stuff. It must be amazing being on the same team as the likes of Halldór Helgason, Nicolas Müller and UK prodigy Jamie Nicholls...

Altogether I’m just happy to be with such a legit company. It’s cool to be with all those riders and when we’re on trips we always have such a good vibe. We’re always on the road together and when we hit up contests, we hang out a lot together. That’s more important to me. It’s not just about Halldór being on the team or Peeto or Nicolas Müller – and those are big names and everything – but this is more of a thing where the whole team fits together and blends and has a good time, and that’s what I’m most stoked about. That’s what’s most important to me, honest: the way everyone just blends in together and has a good time.

Also with the US team, with Mason and Sage and all the guys, we have such a good time. The whole team were in Norway last year and so were the Nike Snowboarding crew. Obviously now it’s only Nike and not Nike 6.0 – Nike Snowboarding. Now we’re merging together it’s going to be a bit more family, more put together, instead of two separate teams, so that’s going to be good. I’m really happy that I’m on the Nike team. It’s cool.

Give us your thoughts on Bataleon’s TBT…

"To have the opportunity to have my favourite hobby as a job is just amazing."

I have to say I was kind of sceptical about the whole Triple Base situation and everything, and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to do it. Then I tried it out first day off – andboom, it was having it. It was so much fun riding with it, such a buttery, cool feeling, and at the same time you got so much good grip and strong feeling on the board; it’s really safe and solid. At the same time, it’s not only about the board. Obviously the board is very important. But I think the whole team and whole vibe of the team and everything is the second most important, at least when it comes to stuff like that because the Bataleon crew is more of a core company and Nike is more mainstream and big.

Bataleon is so much more core; it pulls you down towards the middle instead of having every big company out there that you can get. It’s a good balance and I like the whole team. It’s just cool vibes. I’m getting to know the team more and more and last week we were shooting together. We had a little team trip for a week and we all got along well and yeah it’s cool – I’m really happy with how it’s working out with them.

What’s your opinion on being labelled a 'professional' snowboarder? There seem to be some mixed opinions of what a pro snowboarder is. What does it entail in your opinion?

In my opinion a pro snowboarder is someone who is internationally known, who can earn enough money through snowboarding to live on his own and everything, and be able to just get over the days instead of having to work. It’s a full-on job for me and I’m really happy that I can do it. To have the opportunity to have my favourite hobby as a job is just amazing. It can’t get any better… living the dream!

I’ve been pro for a year and a half. I’d almost say that ever since I got on the Nike team I’ve been kind of seeing myself more as a pro. It’s hard to claim that you’re pro, but obviously I got a whole part this year in the Isenseven movie and everything worked out well. In the contests, I was quite constantly decently up there. I never made a podium or anything but was still making it to finals and everything. And being up there with the really big guys – you know, the big headers – kind of makes me feel that I’m getting closer to what they are. It’s the same with video parts and getting a full part. I was really happy about that as well. That’s when you start noticing. A few good years in a row and then you notice how you feel fame and moneywise, and how it works out, if you really are pro or not. And I’ve noticed that this year is probably the best year I’ve had.

When did you realise you had the potential to make it pro?

When I signed for Forum back then – when Jon Weaver signed me. That was four to five years ago. Then I noticed this could get a bit more serious than it actually is right now, and I just tried to go for it, to see how it would go. I would just go for the best and have fun all the time and see if I could just live off the fun, and eventually, and luckily, I got the chance to do it – so I’m really happy right now.

"I don’t really plan that much ahead; I just do whatever I feel."

What inspired you to start snowboarding and who motivates you to push yourself to have such high standards? Do you come from a skate background?

Ah, no… I skied and jumped over to snowboarding, and skied and snowboarded at the same time for a few years. Then I decided that snowboarding was a bit cooler – it’s way cooler, so…

I never really skated that much. I did skate a little bit with my friends but nothing serious and I’m not that good at all. I actually had a four-year break from skating because I was kind of scared of getting hurt. Now I’ve just started again this summer. I’ve been trying to get back into it, cruising around with some friends that have just started as well, so it’s perfect.

Mainly I just saw it in the Sports Illustrated magazine. There are these sports columns and there was one with Ross Powers and I was like – oh my god, this guy’s amazing, this guy’s mad…and then I decided I have to try that as well, it looks so cool, how he’s flying in the air and everything. I just gotta try it. I was always open to new things when I was young.

I used to play a whole bunch of different sports – like I used to play hockey and soccer and all that stuff. I actually used to take hockey a bit more seriously and then eventually I stopped as soon as I got my first sponsor. I just got into it from seeing it from other places, because where I’m from not that many people snowboard. Actually, nobody does at the moment. So it was kind of hard to get a friend to go do it with, but I found some friends later on.

What was it like growing up in Germany and how did the American accent come about?

Funny story…I was actually born in Japan in an island in the south called Okinawa because my dad works for the US military. He’s not a soldier or anything. We lived in Okinawa for a few years and then we left and since I’m half-American and my dad’s American, we moved over to Virginia and stayed there for four years, then DC for a year. After that we went to northern Germany for one more year, and I’ve been in southern Germany now for 13. I’m actually moving to Innsbruck next week, which should be good. I hang out a lot there so it should be cool.

You've already achieved so much at the age of 19 – what's next? What places are you looking forward to visiting and what's new on the trick list?

The trick list just comes and goes. You never know. I don’t really plan that much ahead; I just do whatever I feel, whenever, and then I go up on the hill and maybe this is the day I do something new, or maybe this is not the day. You can’t really plan out what tricks you want to do. For sure you always have tricks in your mind, always but…yeah.

Otherwise I’d love to see X Games maybe this year, or maybe next year if it doesn’t work out. I’ve been to the European X Games, so the US X Games would be cool and the slopestyle there would be awesome. Maybe I’d film with some good crews and everything and see how far I can get with it, as filming’s really important to me too.

"Anything can be my favourite trick – it just depends how I do it."

To be honest, I’m not really planning on going anywhere special. I’d like to go to Japan and cruise a bit there in the backcountry in the powder because that’s cool. I’d love to go to Canada this year for a backcountry shred and see some different cities for street rails and everything. That’s what I’m planning. Contest-wise it’s always the same locations anyway. You always get brought to where you’re invited. But taking whatever into your own hands and trying to get your own trip going, that’s when you can decide where you want to go, and that’s the most fun part about snowboarding. You can just decide your destination and go where you want to go, you know. For example, I’ve never been to Finland, so maybe hit some rails over there and then head over to Canada and ride some pow.

Tell us about your association with Isenseven…

Altogether I spent one year filming for Isenseven, but it didn’t really work out that well. I was probably not experienced enough to film; I was a bit too young. I had a two-year break just doing contests for a while, and then they decided we should try it again. I’ve been hanging out with the crew for a while and it’s so much fun being with them. I just had a video part – a whole part – and I’m really happy that it worked out. They have a really cool vibe and they make great videos.

What’s your favourite trick of all time? And what’s the scariest thing you've done in snowboarding?

Anything can be my favourite trick – it just depends how I do it. Obviously I’m not super into the hucking, spinning and triple cork situation, but it can also be cool. Like what Mark McMorris did is cool and altogether the sickest back 5 could be the sickest trick that’s ever been done.

My favourite trick to do is probably a back 5. It’s just the funnest trick, you know. I just like it. It’s not always about hucking and doing the biggest spins; it’s also about having good style, making the smaller spins look unique and not making it look like the same back 5 that everybody else has.

I’ve been scared a bunch but nothing major. You’re always scared when you hit something new but it’s hard to say. I guess I’m just a rock. I’m just a hardcore rock.

What makes a perfect day in your book?

I’d say good weather, hanging out with friends and a good park – that’s all I need. I’ve had a lot of perfect days and fun days. Those are the days you don’t want to go down the hill and stay up there for ever.