JAKE
SNOWBOARDER (HE/HIM)
KUZYK
Jake Kuzyk is a Vancouver-based snowboarder, filmmaker, creative consultant, curator, LGTBQIA+ advocate, and community leader whose unique approach has influenced the subcultures of snowboarding and skateboarding for the last decade.
As a professional snowboarder for over a decade, he is widely recognized within the industry for his snowboarding video parts, spot selection, attention to detail, and timeless style. With years of well-documented and highly celebrated coverage, from award-winning videos to magazine covers, Jake has made an impact on the sport and the culture that will be felt for years to come.Â
As a professional snowboarder for over a decade, he is widely recognized within the industry for his snowboarding video parts, spot selection, attention to detail, and timeless style. With years of well-documented and highly celebrated coverage, from award-winning videos to magazine covers, Jake has made an impact on the sport and the culture that will be felt for years to come.Â
Jake has a unique sensibility and viewpoint that is on full display in both his personal projects and his professional career. Jake never had any interest in the competitive circuit, which meant that his focus within snowboarding is a more classically inspired approach, dreaming up tricks, finding the right spots, and filming video parts.
He spends his winter season blending athletics with aesthetics, and working with top cinematographers in snowboarding to produce finely curated and highly anticipated audio-visual executions that aim to expand possibilities and push progression.
In 2018, he received Transworld’s Video Part of The Year Award for “Landline.” He has created original products and artwork, hosted major snowboard events, curated art exhibitions, and been published in Torment, Lilypad, Slush, Snowboarder, Method, and Kingsnow, among many other media outlets.Â
He spends his winter season blending athletics with aesthetics, and working with top cinematographers in snowboarding to produce finely curated and highly anticipated audio-visual executions that aim to expand possibilities and push progression.
In 2018, he received Transworld’s Video Part of The Year Award for “Landline.” He has created original products and artwork, hosted major snowboard events, curated art exhibitions, and been published in Torment, Lilypad, Slush, Snowboarder, Method, and Kingsnow, among many other media outlets.Â
WHO DID YOU LOOK UP TO IN SNOWBOARDING WHEN YOU WERE GROWING UP?
I was obsessed with the KidsKnow videos that Mikey LeBlanc was putting out at the time. They still hold up so well, perfect videos in my opinion. I haven't really seen snowboarding portrayed that way since. Aside from that, I worshipped the Robot Food trilogy. Afterlame might be the best of all time for me.Â
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE SIMPLE JOYS THIS SPORT OFFERS YOU?
The speed and distance you can travel on a board. Not much else offers that, it feels amazing. But just popping a frontside 360 on flat is nice too.
WHAT DO YOU WISH MORE PEOPLE KNEW ABOUT YOU & THE SNOW WORLD?
That I'm a gay professional snowboarder. It's important to me that people know that detail so it can serve as further representation within the sport. There aren't many queers riders holding sponsors right now. People want to believe that the snowboard community is welcoming, but until there are more queer folks marketed as pro athletes with influence then it's tough to make change and see our sport evolve. When I first started riding, no one was out. I considered quitting so many times because of it. I can't help but imagine the impact it would have if more diverse folks were being supported and pushed by major brands. Snowboarding would be so much cooler.
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I want to use my experience and personality to help tell queer stories in a fun and light-hearted way. It should be deeper than just checking an identity box or filling a blank. And no more sob stories or digging into painful pasts. We want to look forward and celebrate now. It’s a time when queer culture is so exciting, a moment where we’re surrounded by so many interesting and talented creatives who are waiting to share their stuff.
”
In 2020, Jake sparked change within the greater action sports community by becoming one of the first professional snowboarders to come out. That same year, he co-founded Seen Snowboarding, a platform and community initiative that seeks to make queer snowboarders more visible within the sport. The group hosts meetups, distributes gear and resources, and creates videos that center queer and trans snowboarding while challenging the disproportionately white/straight/cis culture of the sport.
His experience as a queer person in sport informs his sense of compassion, his curatorial outlook, his design aesthetic, and his pursuit of deeper stories and insights. He is driven by a deeply held commitment to the culture and community of snowboarding, especially when it comes to the intersection of contemporary art, queer stories, and the next generation of athletes. He is passionate about the creative challenge of capturing footage to make storytelling connections that amount to more than just tricks on a snowboard.
His experience as a queer person in sport informs his sense of compassion, his curatorial outlook, his design aesthetic, and his pursuit of deeper stories and insights. He is driven by a deeply held commitment to the culture and community of snowboarding, especially when it comes to the intersection of contemporary art, queer stories, and the next generation of athletes. He is passionate about the creative challenge of capturing footage to make storytelling connections that amount to more than just tricks on a snowboard.
JAKE’S FAVORITE
PRODUCTS
PRODUCTS
