Line Skis, to me represents my childhood, friends and our belief that skiing could be so much more than what it was before 1995. The J Lev story is well-known but what a lot of people don’t know is that Line Skis was run by a group of high school buddies who were hell bent on shaking up the industry. J Lev was the ring leader, his brother Doug Lev worked the production line and was in control of graphic design, his other brother Matt Lev worked the production line and was the brand photographer, Tom Doyle was the chief designer—and a self taught CAD genius—Matt Connelly managed sales, Brad Russell worked the production line and I was a team rider. If I’ve missed anyone I apologize. That, to me, is the best part of the brand — it was just a bunch of high school friends who decided to band together with no experience in the industry or opportunity handed to us and ultimately make it a worldwide success. We did it all on our own.

Transitioning away from being an athlete came after I made the decision to focus full-time on building Siver Cartel and my career in the industry. I knew there would be certain things I would never do again on skis. I can’t tell you how many years it’s been since I’ve thrown a cab nine or a real zero spin, which at 39 is now easy to accept, but back then I was only a few years out from my competition and filming days. It was a tough pill to swallow. When I would go to the hill I knew kids in the park recognized me and expected me to throw down the way I used to. I felt they always wanted to see a “show” and it was a real mind game to accept the fact that I was officially getting rusty. Now I’m just stoked to throw some 3’s, shred spring bumps and freeride for the fun of it. We were throwing spread eagles in the park at Stowe the other day. Who does that?

Siver Cartel was my personal legacy. Siver was the brand and the Cartel was my way of representing every kid on skis who had a different vision of our sport. The Siver legacy will live on forever as the newschool ski generation’s original rider-founded softgoods brand. The craziest thing to me is that despite having been put on ice almost seven years ago, I still see Siver product on the mountain. We made quality product that represented those who wore it. They still wear it, it still represents them and when I see them wearing it, it’s like a secret handshake. A symbol that says they were there in early days.

My time at Orage was my education. It was invaluable. I spent 15 years with the brand and saw, witnessed, lived through and experienced just about everything the ski industry can throw at you. I had the opportunity to work with some people that I consider to be lifelong friends and would not change a thing about my experience with the company.

Leaving Orage is a major milestone in my life and has lead to some very interesting conversations over the past few days. After hearing the news people kept asking me, “how can you leave? You are Orage.” The answer to that is yes and no, because Orage remains in the hands of its original co-founder. The brand is made up of individuals, and yes, I was a very recognizable person at the brand but there are others in the foreground and background that make Orage what it is. I’ve always said, no one person, athlete or ambassador is bigger than the brand. Even Burton would carry on if Jake left. A brand is built upon the direction set by its founders but once that direction is set and proves to be working, like driving a car, you have the luxury of cruise control if you want to use it from time to time. But, no matter what, someone needs to remain at the wheel to make adjustments and stay on track.

One of the hardest things…I’m really not sure. This was the hardest question to answer—there’s my answer. This question was the hardest thing. I can’t say anything’s been hard—challenging yes, sometimes stressful, sometimes uncertain—but not hard. If you allow things to become hard or difficult they will [be], if you keep it in perspective you’ll be all good.

Moving forward, I know that I did everything within my power for the benefit of Orage and helped make it a staple brand within skiing.

The progression of freeskiing will never stop from the athlete perspective but on an industry level I think we’ve hit a plateau. Brands are rethinking how they promote themselves, how they do business and how they will manage the future. The dichotomy between athletes, brands, consumers and retailers is very interesting, sometimes confusing, challenging and ultimately what needs to be addressed. It needs to be addressed in order for our sport to continue to grow and be healthy moving into the future.

In the ski industry, I look up to people and brands who take a stand. [I admire] the ones with a unique vision, that do it differently and continue to reinvent themselves to stay current and ahead of the curve. The ones who realize that skiing isn’t rocket science and won’t save lives but is meant to provide entertainment and good times to the people who enjoy the snow and the mountains. Those are the ones who seem to have a good grip on it all.

Organizing the Orage Masters is like putting 40 clowns into a circus tent and asking them to remain calm, play nice and follow the rules. That’s most likely not going to happen. One of them is bound to step out of line and then the rest of them are sure to follow suit.

Regarding Orage Masters, I still can’t believe how many resorts over the past 12 months have put in requests to host the Masters 10. Be careful what you wish for.

My all-time favorite places to ski are Retallack and Stowe.

My favorite ski partner has to go out to J Lev. I’ve been skiing with him longer than anyone on the planet. Also, my kids, my wife and anyone who’s ready to have fun on the hill. It was always a blast skiing with the Orage team, they had such a range of talent and diverse personalities.

In five years I’ll be 44, my oldest son will be driving, my youngest son will want to be in the car with him and my wife will most likely be freaked out by it all. And I’m sure I will be too.

Skiboards are are so hot right now.

Something I think people should always keep in mind is to keep it fun. If you get into an industry that you have a passion for, you need to be able to separate work and play. But, most importantly, you need find a way to live both at the same time. It’s a balance of the two that will keep you fresh.

I’ll miss the poutine and the Portuguese Chicken Sandwiches at the Montreal office. I hadn’t put a food reference into this interview yet so this seemed like a good opportunity. And, of course, I’ll miss the staff, the reps, the retailers and the athletes. I’ve made amazing friends during my 15 years at Orage and wish them all the absolute best.

Finally, I’d like to extend a big thanks to everyone I’ve worked with over the past 20 years in this industry. I wouldn’t be here without you and I truly appreciate your support.

Related: Things I’ve Learned: Sports agent Tom Yaps on representing some of freeskiing’s top names

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