Absolute Snow: Hey Lewis, how's your summer been?

Lewis: It’s been pretty busy and very lovely thanks.

Absolute Snow: With winter 2024 on our doorstep, we'd love to have a chat with you to hear more about your adventures last season, in particular about your trip to Japan to film the highly anticipated Nidecker film Left Right. The trailer for the film looks epic, we can't wait to see the whole thing. Could you tell us what the film is about?

Lewis: Yeh it’s a cool little project from Sam. Left Right is all about going left and right ;) A little film focusing around turns and not leaving the ground.

Absolute Snow: That sounds awesome! It must have been loads of fun documenting the art of the turn. It's such a cool concept for a film as it really is at the heart of snowboarding, and regardless of ability - every snowboarder can relate to it. Kickers, rails and rotations are super cool but it sounds like you guys were able to get really creative by focusing on turns in a variety of locations and conditions?

Lewis: And a variety of turns! There's a million different ways you can turn a board. It was super fun to film. Snowboarding is fun, but Japan takes it up a level with the amount of snow it gets and the culture. It’s worth going just for the food!

Absolute Snow: What was it like working with Samuel McMahon to help bring this vision to life?

Lewis: We have worked together on a fair few projects including Retrace, we got a little more intimate, and it is always a pleasure. It’s always funny trying to understand how someone else sees something, a lip, bank, pocket of snow, etc so it's nice to work with someone you have already built this relationship with - plus we had Edo-san on the photos, who filmed and shot with us on all the slice n dice vids.

Absolute Snow: It must have been amazing working, filming and riding alongside the likes of Dave Crozier, Sebastien Konijnenberg and Kaori Terabyashi?

Lewis: Obviously! I rode mostly with Kaori last winter and she rips! Her turns are insane!

Absolute Snow: The film is showing at the Nidecker Snowboard Snow Night at the Kendal Mountain Festival on November 17th before its online release on November 30th? Will you be attending?

Lewis: Ooft, I doubt it. It would be fun to see it on the big screen and see all the faces but I live in France and the snow is falling already, sorry!

Absolute Snow: Was this your first time in Japan, if so, did it live up to your expectations?

Lewis: My 6th time, I think. Everytime it has humbled me with the culture differences, just the way it works there, I love it, and the snow is just mind boggling! You have harder times (like trying to navigate trains, especially in Tokyo) but I've never had a bad time :)

Absolute Snow: Where in Japan did you film, and how long were you there for?

Lewis: We moved a lot and we found some amazing places. I think that's the beauty of trips - to go get lost and find the gold, it's meant to be an adventure no? We rode resorts and spent a good bit of time on the sides of roads hiking around.

Absolute Snow: That sounds like a dream! If you had to pick one type of mountain terrain to ride for the rest of time, what would you choose - tree runs, open powder fields, freestyle park, steep technical faces or pistes groomed to perfection?

Lewis: Luckily I don't have to choose!

Absolute Snow: Could you tell us who younger Lewis’s snowboarding idol was and share some of your earlier snowboarding memories?

Lewis: I used to have an Eddie Wall poster on my walls. I started snowboarding at Bracknel dry slope when I was 16 and it went from there I guess. My idols, to this day are the people that have helped me out (and theres been alot, so thanks a bunch all the way back to the early days), got me to the hill, showed me how to do something, stoked me out, and just giving good vibes, that’s what it’s about, that good vibe feeling.

Absolute Snow: Absolutely, we couldn’t agree more! Jumping back to the film - we've heard a little something about a camo/orange jacket transition story and we're desperate to hear more!

Lewis: Yep, I've been wearing the same camo jacket for the last 6 years maybe? I'm sick of all this throw away/use once/one season sh*t.

So I had a good jacket that holds up and is still going, but we had mental weather and so sticking to the trees gives better definition for me to see and for the camera. But camo in a snow storm, chucking snow everywhere; you couldn't see me, so I spent one day riding in my mid layer and got soaked. Saved by heated seats in the car at the end of the day.

We finished riding and went to a hardware store and I found a little yellow number for like 30 bucks. That's the jacket you see in the vid. I liked it, but it wasn't very breathable, it was like a sweatbox when hiking.

Absolute Snow: We'd love to know about your gear that you used for the film, could you give us a little overview?

Lewis: I used a mix between Nidecker Alpha apx, Nidecker Beta and Nidecker Escape, if I had to choose one it would be the Beta. It works so well for me, I love the look of it, so it’s an easy choice. All three are rad boards though. The bindings I used are the Kaon Plus - rad graphics and again work really well. I’ve still got my disco foot (a binding that spins, I can change the angle as I'm riding) on the back binding, so I guess that’s a little weird for people. And for the boots, I had the Rifts - again I like a simple boot, articulated cuff helps you flex and not get creases digging in, and laces which I don't really do up very tight as I like the freedom to move on my board, and not just be a rigid block.

Absolute Snow: Is this your favourite board in the Nidecker line for 2024?

Lewis: There’s a few that I like but yeh, the Beta, I can do everything with and have fun with.

Absolute Snow: We’re also curious to hear your thoughts on the Nidecker Supermatic bindings. Have you used them all over the mountain? And where would you say they perform best?

Lewis: They're rad. I rode one set for a whole season and you can imagine I rode nearly every day and all day. They held up easily, never fell out by mistake, I rode big jumps, rails, pow, you name it - they work. They're a little heavier so not the one for hiking all the time, but you don't really notice. For smashing around a resort, they are brilliant for how quick and easy they are to use.

Absolute Snow: Do you have any other filming projects on the horizon?

Lewis: I do, planning is well in progress. Hopefully we can make something people like again.

Absolute Snow: That sounds fun, we look forward to following your upcoming projects. Thanks so much for your time! We cannot wait to see the film and we're looking forward to seeing what you get up to next, have an epic winter!