features
Marc Baker Interview
Oct 09, 2009 / 02:15:43 PM
Inside the mind of Marc Baker. He's intelligent, talented and not scared to say what he thinks, Marc wears his heart on his sleeve and has copped some serious flack from other riders - mostly for just being true to himself and his vision of snowboarding. Ironically snowboarding can be a tough place for people with a great sense of self like Marc. Nevertheless Marc, 1 of 3 brothers who are all very passionate about snowboarding, keeps focused on doing what he loves. He came back from Utah earlier this year with a handful of great images, so we thought it about time to delve into the mind and the snowboarding of Marc Baker - a diverse and talented individual.
Age: 22
Home Town: Melbourne.
Stance: Skate goofy, snowboard regular.
Home Mountain: Mt Hotham.
Sponsors: Ride Snowboards, Holden Outerwear, Ashbury Eyewear, Brixton, Trigger Bros.
Favourite Animal: Hounds.
Here we go! Alright, well for snowboarding I would have to say America, I just love going to Utah. Right now I have a romanticized vision of California that I just can't shake. Also Europe is awesome; the dream is to retire to Como next to the silver fox.
You spend a lot of time in Utah snowboarding during Australian summers. What's up with Utah and why do you always head back there to ride?I was just talking to my dad about this, the first time I went there was when I was 10 years old and I've been back every year since. I can get more out of a month there than I can a whole season here. I just feel so detached from the Victorian resorts; none of them seem to care about snowboarders. So when I'm at art school five days a week and working weekends and nights, I'd rather save my money and give it to Jared at Brighton than the turkeys at Mt Hotham. One of the reasons Utah feels like home is it's the only place for me where snowboarding turns into skateboarding. It reminds me of when I was a kid riding the train to skate spots in Melbourne, because it turns into that, people find spots in Salt Lake, you get in the car with a good crew and go try to find it. It's good livin'. However I do try to get to a few of the Australian contest, I had a lot of fun at the Forum contest at Baw Baw this year. Ralph does a good job for that thing.
No we don't get to ride that much. We used to, but I think it's been a really long time since we all got together. It's just really hard these days because we are all so busy and in different parts of the world. Drew is living in-between NYC and LA and is super busy doing great things. Rick is always busy with Pop Magazine but we get the chance to snowboard every now and then, which is fun. Hopefully we can all get to a point in our lives where we can all snowboard together stress free but until then I'm just happy for them. We will just have to appreciate the days we can get in for now.
Back a few years ago it was The Baker brothers from Victoria and the Allan Brothers (Clint, Mitch and Jamie) from NSW always going head to head at comps and video parts etc. Was there rivalry there, and do you think your guys style and approach to snowboarding was way different to the Allan's?Well I don't think there was ever any sort of rivalry; well I never thought there was. I think my brothers and I where always up to different stuff then them. The Allan's where just more legit snowboarders than us. We've always had lots of different pots on the boil outside of snowboarding and stuff, where as I think the Allan's kind of saw more of a future in it for them. I mean, those guys are really good, you know? I was always pals with Mitch because he is closer to my age, but I never thought I could out snowboard him or anything silly like that. I kinda' always knew snowboarding was never going to be an income type thing, and whenever it got like that I would freak out.
Every time I'm asked this question, I feel like it's a trap, like people want a certain reaction. It's just who I am and what I do, you know? To me, it's hilarious that wearing jeans snowboarding is still a talking point within Australian snowboarding. I think it's indicative of the wider issues within Australian snowboarding. It's certainly been difficult to be creative and maintain a level of individuality without hearing a lot of negative comments from 'industry' people. It really worries me that the Australian snowboarding 'community' isn't embracing the artistic individuality of snowboarding. I feel it's only going to be, and actually already is, to the detriment of the local scene. Everyone has a problem with everyone else, I just feel like if we didn't have that, we would all be better off.
My friend Jan sent me a copy of Videograss to watch the other day and I was so impressed to see a video with Bittner and Bennee parts next to guys like LNP and Darrell. That's some very distinct styles and personalities coming together to make something different. Sure, it's not for everyone, there's always going to be the kids that want to be like Shaun White or Travis Rice, but do you think someone like LNP would ever be given a cover in Australia? I doubt it.
Interesting POV. I agree wearing jeans snowboarding is fun, but why do you think LNP wouldn't get a cover in Australia, are you a little burnt out on Aussie snowboarding scene?That's the thing though, it isn't for 'fun', it's not to get attention, it's who I am. I'm not prepared to compromise my own individuality for the sake of 'fitting in' or to help me get a photo run. I'm in the mindset that kids that dress differently in Australia are looked at as some sort of novelty or gimmick. Burnt out? No, not at all. Just because the style of snowboarding I like to do isn't in vogue in mainstream Australian snowboarding magazines doesn't mean I'm 'burnt out' or going to 'quit snowboarding', it just means it's been difficult to keep positive. But having said that, I still got a handful of photos I'm happy with, did a hand-rail contest that I actually enjoyed and am saving like crazy for another season in the US, so I'm still excited about snowboarding.
Most snowboarders in Melbourne love Mt Buller, but you ride Mt Hotham.Well that's manly because of my parents, but I want to address something with this question. There is this stigma about Buller, especially from people who are outside of the Victorian scene, that it sucks and is the worst mountain around, and in some aspects people are right. I don't always enjoy riding there but you need to ask yourself this, out of all the best snowboarders in Australia right now, who would you consider the most successful, the one really 'making it' in North America? I would say Robbie Walker. So for all Buller's down sides, it can still put together some pretty damn good snowboarders. I mean look at all those TSC kids that Christine and Jarrod are working with. They are already dominating. Rich Hegarty said Nick Woods was one of the standouts at Stylewars this year. Nick's from Buller. You can't ignore these kid's any longer because they come from a shitty mountain in Victoria. Another thing about Buller is it's so close to Melbourne so that's why most people go there. Yeah, it rains there a lot, but it rains everywhere in Australia. Shit, I've been to Jindabyne and it's rained for weeks on end. It's just all part of the game in Australia; everyone just need's to realize we are all in the same boat. I'm just down to have fun wherever I am, Mt Baw Baw, Friday Flats, it's all snowboarding isn't it?
What do you think it takes to go international for an Australian snowboarder?You're asking the wrong guy, I tried for a few months to film a part and couldn't do it. Early mornings, broken bones, no money and lot's of time away. It's hard to do. I think someone like Robbie (Walker) or Ryan (Tiene) would say it's takes a lot more than just raw ability; it's everything else that happens outside of actual snowboarding. Motivation, sponsorship, visas, personalities, politics and I'd say a fair amount of luck.
One of your bros runs Pop Magazine in Melbourne, and he told us he won't run shots of you snowboarding. Is that frustrating, cause some of your shots in this interview are pretty sweet?I can hear it now and I've heard it before, "the only reason he gets shots run is because it's his brother's magazine". It happened with that film Rick did, Two Weeks In . Holden and Ride got me in that film, I worked my arse off for two weeks in Utah. First out to the car in the morning, first to dig, trying to get shots. Like pissing everyone off I was trying so hard. Still people gave me this nepotism bullshit. So yeah, both Rick and I struggle with that. I think it's almost harder for him. Like Rick would never run a photo of himself, because he's a magazine editor, you can't be two things in that situation. He's not running a magazine to boost his own snowboarding aspirations; he's doing it to help other people's, you know? But I am glad you think the photos are sweet though, I worked really hard at getting those shots. Maybe next year you'll run one in the magazine, eh? (Laughs).
We are always told print is dead! So this interview should be as good as it being in a mag if you listen to all the papers and newsreel bullshit. So what do you like about a mag over online?Is print dead? Well it is and it isn't. I think there's certainly room for snowboard magazines in Australia, but three mainstream magazines? For this small of a market, it seems a bit ridiculous. Running average photos and the same stories over and over again isn't helping the scene progress or evolve. All that's doing is making kids think they don't have to try hard. Should a photo of a kid sliding a box get published? I mean I know about Japan, I don't need to read about it in three different magazines every year. All that is doing is getting editors free trips; it isn't raising the bar creatively or doing anything that hasn't already been done. I think Australian magazines have a lot to account for in Australia.
Yeah, I'm passionate about print. I'm in art school. A lot of people still are. You only need to look at places like Metropolis Books or Magnation - they are full of people looking at print. I like the feeling of owning things, of having the spines match up on my bookshelf. It's like buying vinyl you know? That feeling you get when you bust the record out of its sleeve.
As for online, well we all use the internet, but most of the Australian snowboard websites are a bit half-arsed. Regardless, online is never going to be the place snowboarders want to get their hard earned photos run. That bible is always going to be Transworld Snowboarding.
Well I know it's not super gnarly or anything, but I have had this type of shot in my mind for the last three seasons. It's the most satisfying thing about snowboarding to me; visualizing something and seeing it come together. To me, that photo is just aesthetical pleasing, and that is a credit to Chris Swainston, the photographer. I love how snowboard photography is such a collaborative effort.
Like I said earlier these shots are a really personal thing to me, because you put so much effort into them and you just want people to see them and get stoked on them. So that's all I try to do. But that photo was taken at a spot that is 45 minutes out of SLC, it's this park, it's like another rail gardens. There was a crew of four. Swains' buddy set this spot up for us and he was kind enough to let me hit it. The landing was right on this running trail so we kept landing in front of people running around this track. We were so happy afterwards we went and ate Mexican food. It's what you do in Utah.
Yeah I'm about to finish my Bachelor of Fine Arts, Majoring in Painting at Victorian College of the Arts. It's a three-year course, but I took a year off in the middle. I'm pretty excited to be finishing, it's a big deal for me. I'll be the only one in my family to have a degree.
What got you into art and what keeps you motivated?I just decided a long time ago that art, and the artistic process, was something I wanted in my life. I've always been a creative person and I think that's all due to skateboarding and then, in part, snowboarding. I grew up inspired by people like Ed Templeton, Spike Jonze and even Mark Gonzales. All people who have been involved in one way or another with skateboarding, but yet still have a creative drive and output that skateboarding becomes almost like a secondary thing. Or maybe it's the other way around? That's something I'd like to achieve with my life.
Now with school, I'm totally involved in it, and it's great. When I first started going to VCA, I didn't really know that much about art, I just knew I enjoyed making it, but now it's like I am with snowboarding, I can gossip about whose doing what, it's quite funny. I've totally changed in that regard, for better or for worse. I think it's just a hard thing to understand for people, because there isn't that much money in it, but for me I can't understand living any other way. What keeps me motivated is the feeling you get when you finish making something, that is the best, or when something comes off mildly successful as far as your practice goes. That is a great feeling. But I always think I can do one better and that is something that keeps me striving for more. Just like in snowboarding.
Hot
1. Where The Wild Things Are.
2. Phoenix: Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix.
3. Jason Schwartzman.
4. Opening Ceremony.
5. Jeff Wall.
Not
1. Dreaming that you shat the bed, then waking up thinking you did, but didn't.
2. The band breaking up.
3. Fireworks laws in Australia.
4. Not having Café Rio.
5. Not having Barbacoa.
6. Not having Ben & Jerry's.
1. Chris Boadle. In terms of shear ability and work ethic. If you're not better than your team manager, you shouldn't be on the team.
2. Ashley Muller. For his guidance and teaching me the fundamentals.
3. Bear Agushi. On a steel horse he rides, a loaded six string on his back. He plays for keeps.
4. Robbie Walker. The first guy I actually knew that 'made it big'. And he's a super nice guy.
5. Peter Baker my dad. He only snowboarded a few times, but it changed my life.
(This is the hardest list for me to fill out and I immediately think it's wrong)
1. David Hockney in the 60's
2. Mike Mills
3. Wes Anderson
4. Jon Campbell
5. Conor Oberst
tags: transfer, feature, features, photo, photos, marc, baker, interview
