A Whole Lotta BS is Brian Schroy’s new weekly column. Check back weekly for the grittiest gossip the industry has to offer, as seen through the eyes of Brian.
Hello all Freeskier viewers! My name is Brian Schroy, and I am going to be working at the Freeskier offices for the summer. I will be reporting the best of stories for you once a week, so hopefully you will be thoroughly entertained. I was born in Massachusetts, but quickly became a weekend warrior at Sunday River, in Newry, ME. It was only when I moved to Boulder, CO that I became closely tied in with the ski industry. I live in a disgusting college house on University Hill with pro skiers: Michael Clarke, Henrik Lampert, and Willis Brown. I also have the pleasure of living with Freeskier’s own Shay Williams. This house might sound familiar if you read last year’s Freeskier athlete profile on Peter Olenick.
Since I have just done a series of name drops I figured I would make the point that my friends are pro. That is why I decided to catch up with John Symms to discuss Team USA’s new website [https://www.myfriendisapro.com], their upcoming album, and plans for the future.
Symms rolls out a Rodeo 540 Japan for the kids during the Salomon Jib Academy Finals at Mammoth. (Photo: Dave Amirault)
Freeskier: It seems Colby West and you stole the spotlight at the Jon Olsson’s Super Sessions. How did the judges react to team USA’s Video?
John Symms: LOL! Good Question. Personally, the judges all came up to both Colby and me before the premiere show to tell us how much they loved our video. Chris Turpin had already memorized many of the lyrics by the end of the first day he’d seen it. Officially, the judges gave our video 0 points out of 48 total possible points. We could have pulled off a complete shutout, but Alex O’Brien screwed us up by getting 2 points out of a possible 12 for his slideshow. So overall, the judges’ official reaction was 2 points out of 60 possible.
Freeskier: So Whistler was your first live performance. Is there going to be a Team USA Tour?
Symms: Yes. Whistler was our first live performance. It was freaking amazing. The whole freaking place sang along with our whole song. And I knew/was acquainted with less than a third of the people there. Greatest rush of my whole life. Colby and I are both hella into this whole project — which is to say that our JOSS video has become, for us at least, a project much bigger than JOSS. And if there is a way for us to create a legit Team USA tour, we’re going to do it. We’re already talking about IF3. That is, IF3 wants us. And it’s more or less up to us to get ready for it. So I’ll give you a tentative yes.
Freeskier: That is what we like to hear.
John Symms’ signature backie.(Photo: Dave Amirault)
Freeskier: What is it like being a YouTube celebrity? Do you know the guy from “My New Haircut?
Symms: Being a YouTube celeb is really cool. I’d like to make real money off of it, but I’ll settle for Internet money for the time being. Amazing story related to YouTube celebrity: I’m at a PBP park shoot in Mt. Bachelor right now. The US Ski Team also happens to be in Mt. Bachelor at a late-season training camp. We are riding the same lift all day. Today, while we were readying our jump, which sits directly below the chairlift, some young US Team racers rode over us. One of the racers turned around in the chair, looked back, and called to us, “This is my life dog. This is what I do.” And all the other dudes on the chair with him said, “Yeah!!!” And I thought to myself, “Holy shit. This thing is really a sensation.” So booyah!
Freeskier: Now there are some excellent titles on the track list of your debut album. The title that really stood out for me was Jossi Wells. Can you elaborate on this?
Symms: Jossi Wells might be our biggest fan. He was undoubtedly the most excited person in the crowd in the night that our video premiered, and he was the person that we were most excited to show our video to at JOSS. Jossi is an exceptional skier, a tremendous athlete, and an all-around admirable young man. If I could do it all over again, I’d try to make myself more like Jossi Wells. And there is sure going to be a Jossi Wells song if there’s going to be any. For more info, check out jossiwells.com
Freeskier: Great plug
When Symms isn’t in the booth layin’ down tracks he’s keepin’ his game sharp. (Photo: Dave Amirault)
Freeskier: How has the song, “Shake That Bush” affected your interaction with the ladies?
Symms: My interaction with “the ladies” has always ranged from strained to awkward. On an unrelated note, I haven’t noticed any change to my interaction with the ladies as a result of our performance of “Shake That Bush”
Freeskier: So what are the chances of me getting a John Symms autograph?
Symms: What are the chances of you putting a lucrative contract in front of John Symms? Or a Miami Dolphins promotional football? Those are the only two things that I will sign
Freeskier: Touché
Symms: Actually, if you are a waiter at a classy, exclusive, expensive restaurant, you also might get a shot at my signature… If I pay with a credit card instead of peeling a few benjis off of the huge roll of cash that I carry with myself everywhere I go
Freeskier: Well, rumor has it that Willis Brown [https://www.willisbrown.com] applied for a job at the Flagstaff Restaurant. Maybe he will be lucky enough.
Symms: If Willis is my waiter, I’m ditching my tab
