Nick Russell

Nick Russell has a way of finding himself in the right place at the right time. 

For example, maybe 10 years ago, Nick, Wyatt Stasinos, Doran Laybourn and Forrest Burki had rented a dark, swampy place for the winter down the hill from Mt. Baker Ski Area. They let me crash for a while through solid storm cycles. One morning the guys left super early. Soon I learned the road was closed. Trees had fallen and shut down Washington state’s Highway 542, but not before Nick, Wyatt and a few hundred lucky souls made it up to a mountain that was loaded with fresh snow. Baker spun the lifts and this small group got to experience a legendary day in a legendary place. 

During the decade since, Nick’s always found a way to pursue unique experiences. He’s pushed the realms of exploratory snowboarding, from its rudimentary roots in Turkey, to the alpine heights of Bolivia and the rarely ridden peaks of Antarctica. He’s buddied up with some of the world’s best and most devoted riders such as Jeremy Jones and Jim Zellers and maintained his youthful connections via riders like Danny Davis and Kevin Pearce, which has helped usher things along, too. Somewhere in the middle of all that, a random near-death experience halted then accelerated his growth. Having chased competition as a grom, he eventually found his calling in the niche of foot-powered alpine exploration...

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