On the other side of the valley, Jeremy Jones was watching his twenty year old daughter win the Verbier Xtreme. Mia made the family proud, lacing a beautiful line on a face full of powder and rocks. But apparently there’s more to the Jones brand than touring and turns. Just a few kilometers from the new Whiteout office, The Tweaker Open kicked off a new chapter for the brand. We caught up with the man behind the scenes, Florian “Floppy” Weber, to find out more…
Hey Florian, how did the event go for you?
I’m super stoked on how it went down! It was the first, but definitely not the last time. The vibe and the weather were nice, the DJ’s did a great job and the riders seemed to be hyped — so I’d call it a success.
A lot of people were surprised to see a brand like Jones organizing a proper freestyle event. How did it all come together?
True, Jones is already well established as a freeride brand. But maybe not everyone knows about their Tweaker collection, which is more freestyle oriented. For me, it’s the best twin tip board that I’ve ever ridden and there are also some very good looking outfits. So that was part of the motivation for making this event. We wanted to do something special for the community while spreading the message that Jones makes gear for every type of snowboarding.
It’s probably been a decade since we had a proper snowboard event in the Villars/Gryon region. Why did you decide to hold it here?
Villars is the home resort for me and Charlotte Corbaz, our amazing shop rep. So it seemed pretty obvious to us to make it happen here, since we know how good it is… haha. Back in the day the local ISBC snowboard crew made plenty of events here, so the inspiration was easy to find. The shaper crew from Ravach is very talented and it’s always a pleasure to work with them! The resort manager and the tourist office were very open to the idea and that made everything much easier.
What are the key ingredients for a good snowboard event?
It starts with a nice local snowboard shop, like Mcboard, who’s willing to push the local scene. Add some badass DJs and a good MC. And of course you have to invite some good friends and encourage the whole community to show up. It’s also great to have a fun set up in the park that everyone can ride and maybe a unique feature to keep it fresh. And of course the right people behind the bar… because the bar is the key!
Maxime Jaccoud is my new favorite snowboard event MC. I thought he had the perfect combo of humor, shit-talk and trivia. What’s the most ridiculous thing you heard him say?
It’s really hard to pick just one, Max has no brain and no filters. I can only agree that he was more than perfect for the job. We already signed him for life! But maybe he doesn’t know about it yet…
Who’s riding impressed you?
Matisse Dorsaz… a 10 year old little dude who killed it! Keep an eye on him.
What’s up with the limo?
My friends Baptist and Edouard from the Chums Chalet and Le Refuge de Frience had the idea, so we imported it from Les 2 Alpes. It was quite a mission to drag it up the mountain and park in the middle of a beginners run.
Who rode the tunnel better? You or your brother?
Christian, definitely. To be honest, getting to the top is the sketchiest thing about it. I used some random wood blocks, but my brother somehow made it with no assistance, like a ninja.
Who was your favorite Tweaker?
I don’t know how the picnic table pile-up got started, but I think that prize has to go to Carlos Gerber and Romeo Wicht. They spontaneously built the most stupid feature you can imagine, but the crowd loved it! I’m glad no one died tho…
Any last words?
Big thanks to Charlotte, Edith and Jimmy who made all this possible! El Tony for hooking up the cash for tricks. Télé Villars-Gryon-Les Diablerets and La Maison de Tourisme de Gryon for their trust. McBoard, Chums, and Le Refuge de Frience for the precious help. Ahriel for the photos. Ravach Parks for the nice playground and Tonton and Ben for their judging.
Can’t forget Adolpho & Franky for the music, Max Jaccoud for the laughs and everyone who showed up. And of course Jones Snowboards!