Rewind

On Our Own Trip

As told to Josh Poehlein

Working on Issue 0 at 2 a.m., Portland, OR. From left to right: Jessie Lu Galbraith, Jeff Galbraith, Chris Brunkhart. Photo: George Covalla


JEFF GABLRAITH
Publisher, The Snowboarder’s Journal

It was late, we were exhausted, and nothing was working. We couldn’t get copy justified, images placed or a single page fully designed without Chris Brunkhart’s computer crashing every 30 seconds. Our nerves were fried and concern was creeping in.

We had a print date. A drop-dead deadline.

At some point on that rainy night in a Portland, OR rental 25 years ago, Jessie Lu Galbraith (née Lovett)—who had actual professional design experience at an actual professional design agency—stepped in to save our asses. “Let me take it home,” she said, “I can do it on my computer.” And she did, and she did.

The process for the first issues of The Snowboarder’s Journal (originally frequency: The Snowboarder’s Journal), was what I would later describe as a “beautiful train wreck.” The issues themselves, however, were simply beautiful.

With my own experience as an editor at Snowboarder Magazine—plus Jessie Lu’s design acumen, Chris Brunkhart’s (RIP) ethereal photography and editing skills, Jamie Lynn’s creativity and support, and NYC cultural icon Ari Marcopoulos’ oversight and insight—we were well positioned for content. Production was another matter.

Later, as we sat on the floor looking at the proofs from that first issue, which Jessie Lu had finalized, we knew it was a watershed moment for us all. Stepping away from our jobs with nothing but a love for snowboarding and each other, we were at the high-dive terminus, and no one was climbing down.

Flash forward 25 years and we’ve survived recessions, pandemics, seasons with too little snow, seasons with too much, and everything else this world could throw at us. We remain today as the longest running, continually published snowboard title in the world. Never missed a beat, never missed an issue.

 

 

ARI MARCOPOULOS
Founding Creative Director, The Snowboarder’s Journal

The cover image for the first issue [Issue 0] of frequency: The Snowboarder’s Journal is an image of Johan Oloffson in Austria. Johan and I had been riding together during a photo shoot for Burton, and we were kind of on our own trip that day. The other riders were working with different image-makers on built kickers, and Johan and I were exploring the resort.

As we rode up the chairlift, we happened to look down at where the supports for one of the lift towers were moored. There was a perfect side-hit feature already set up, just waiting for us. I wanted to shoot Johan from above, but timing his in-run while riding the chair up seemed tricky.

Climbing the tower itself was the way. The ascent was hairy. I was way up high and hoping to remain unnoticed by ski patrol. Luckily, we had two-way radios. Johan called his drop, I took the photo, and there it was.

When Chris, Jeff and I were discussing the potential of the image for a cover, I had initially made a black and white print to review. But the prevailing thought was to be a bit more unpredictable. After all, we were about to announce our arrival into the snowboard media world. I decided to re-photograph the print with a Polaroid camera, and that’s ultimately what ended up being on the cover. 

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