Backdrop Journal's FFS Backcountry Podcast The Backdrop Journal Crew

Episode #27 - Jure and Marcus created Moonchild Snowboards, to offer bespoke designed and beautifully crafted stock boards.

But it hasn't stopped there! Jure now heads up Moonchild Skunkworx, with groundbreaking designs, based on everyday life items, such as a kitchen spatula and ice cream cone.



Jure talks about starting a snowboard brand, including the good, the bad, and the ugly. His love of Pow Surfing has seen him design the Atlas Hybrid, a splitboard on the way up a bindingless Pow Surf on the way down.

Episode #26 - Trent Bush was literally there at the beginning, riding boards straight out of the kryptonics factory. His business life is full on Fear(less), Failure and Success.

He’s worked on and created some of the founding snowboard apparel brands; Wave Rave, Twist, Burton, Analog… to the present where he’s set up Artilect, out of Boulder, Colorado.

Trent had so much to tell that we’ve split the pod in two, firstly chatting about the Colorado scene, before (in part two) moving onto setting up and developing brands, concepts, and much much more.

Episode #25 - Trent Bush was literally there at the beginning, riding boards straight out of the kryptonics factory. His business life is full on Fear(less), Failure and Success.

He’s worked on and created some of the founding snowboard apparel brands; Wave Rave, Twist, Burton, Analog… to the present where he’s set up Artilect, out of Boulder, Colorado.

Trent had so much to tell that we’ve split the pod in two, firstly chatting about the Colorado scene, before moving onto setting up and developing brands, concepts, and much much more.

Episode #24, the 2nd of our podcasts from Swedish Lapland, here Andy from the Backdrop crew talks with Upguides’ lead guide, Fred Buttard, and with Stranda Snowboards founder and shaper, Mats Drougge.

The chat was recorded in the Kebnekaiser mountain station, in the far north, above the actic circle during the Stranda backcountry hut trip, in March 2022.

Expedition food is discussed, the landscape of this enormous area, the crazy weather and touring experiences that week, as well as splitboard tech, and a bunch of other topics.

Regarding the La Norma Splitboard fest’ that we discuss, being run by Upguides:


It's being held in the La Norma ski resort, in the Maurienne valley, in France.
From Friday Jan 13 2023 afternoon, to Sunday Jan 15 afternoon, 2023.
Check out more details here.

And for Stranda’s Swedish Lapland Backcountry hut trip, running again in March of  2023, find out more info here.

Happy listening!

Episode 24 - Runar Hjorleifsson, is probably best known for his film Fjord Lines, made with Vioir Bjornsson.

During the summer months Runar is a cod fisherman in the Arctic Ocean, but come winter he loves nothing better than to explore his local mountains of East Iceland, searching for new lines and first descents.

We talk; life, asperations, fishing, and all things Iceland.

Watch Fjord Lines on the Backdrop Journal website.

Episode 23 - Ilia Berulava is a man on a mission, not only has he set up the Georgia Guide Office from scratch, he was also instrumental in gaining IFMGA recognition for the mountain guide training in Georgia. We chat life, culture, the mountains of his homeland, and what’s on offer in this special part of the world. 

After training as a guide in Chamonix Ilia returned home to set up his own little Chamonix in the village of Mestia, high in the Svaneti region of the caucasus mountains, close to the Russian border.  It’s been a great success, increasing local on mountain employment, filling hotel rooms and showcasing the regions abundant pow to the world.

“All safety comes from fear... nothing is 100% safe and once you’re in the mountains, aside from your knowledge, you have this gut feeling.”