Shane Charlebois embodies a career forged in the crucible of snowboarding culture, evolving from a passionate rider to a seminal filmmaker whose lens has captured the essence of modern snowboarding. His work has documented legends like Travis Rice and Nicolas Müller, as well as a vast constellation of riders who have indelibly shaped the sport. Yet, despite a rich history behind the camera, Charlebois is not one to dwell on past achievements. His gaze is firmly fixed on the horizon, driven by an insatiable curiosity for what lies beyond the known.
"I feel that nowadays there’s just this era of, ‘Been there, done that. We know so much,’" Charlebois stated. "But I think for anybody that’s pushing themselves, it’s really about exploring what we don’t know we don’t even know." This philosophy permeates every facet of his endeavors, whether he’s filming, riding, surfing, or embarking on new creative projects. His focus is less on replicating past successes and more on venturing into uncharted territory, seeking the magic that unfolds when embracing the unfamiliar.
This past winter, Charlebois and a crew including riders Jack Coyne and Rori Avelar, ventured to Japan with a singular, profound objective: to consciously avoid replicating established patterns and instead embrace spontaneous discovery. "The whole theme was, let’s go there and not do anything that we’ve been doing before," he explained. "I find so many people are trying to see something and say, ‘I want to go do that,’ as opposed to just go there and see where the energies take you." For Charlebois, this surrender to the unknown is where true innovation and profound experiences are born. "Next thing you know, if you tap into that frequency correctly, you’re doing the most magic that you could never even plan in a million years."
Embracing the Fall: The Philosophy of "Eating Shit"
Charlebois’s perspective on progression is deeply rooted in the understanding that mastery is not born from having all the answers, but from a comfort with uncertainty and a willingness to embrace failure. He shared a recent conversation with fellow rider Bode Merrill, highlighting this sentiment: "Bode and I were talking the other day about what really keeps you young is eating shit," he recalled. "It’s falling and losing. Everyone wants to win and be the best, but the reality is you just got to get really good at your consistent eating-shit process."
This acceptance of failure is, in Charlebois’s view, a crucial differentiator between those who stagnate and those who continue to evolve. "You’re building the plane while you’re flying it," he elaborated. "Sometimes you’re falling and then sometimes it’s, ‘Whoa, we’re actually flying.’" The repeated experience of falling, and subsequently learning, cultivates a resilience and comfort that fuels forward momentum. "You just have to keep moving forward." This iterative process, marked by both stumbles and breakthroughs, is the engine of continuous improvement in high-stakes pursuits.
The Evolution of a Visionary: From Rider to Storyteller
Charlebois’s journey into filmmaking was not a preordained path but a transition catalyzed by circumstance. In the 1990s, he was a dedicated rider striving to make his mark on the snowboarding scene. A significant knee injury, however, forced a reevaluation of his role within the sport. Picking up a camera, he discovered a new dimension to his passion. "I think I discovered the power of sharing it," he reflected. "That’s better than any day of just doing it by yourself."
This pivotal shift was influenced by conversations with longtime friend and fellow filmmaker Whitey McConnaughy. "When I started filming, Whitey had said something along the lines of, ‘Instead of just checking you out, why don’t you help others make it happen?’" This simple yet profound piece of advice reframed Charlebois’s perspective. Snowboarding transitioned from a personal pursuit of accomplishment to a vehicle for enabling and elevating others. He began to see his role as a facilitator, a conduit for sharing the exhilarating experiences and creative expressions within the snowboarding community.
Charlebois articulates this evolution through a three-chapter framework: "One chapter is figure out what you’re good at. Second chapter, get really good at that. And then if you get past that, you can realize the third chapter is share it. Share the good stuff." This sharing manifests in diverse forms – through the immersive narratives of snowboard films, the evocative stillness of photographs, the direct exchange of ideas in conversations, or even by introducing a newcomer to the thrill of snowboarding for the first time. "You can surf a thousand ways, but then you put a little kid on a board, push them into a wave and see it change their life. You’ll never forget that."
Screengrab Magazine: Cultivating Community and Creativity
Charlebois’s commitment to sharing extends beyond his personal filmmaking projects. Alongside Aspen Rain Weaver, he co-founded Screengrab Magazine. This publication serves as a vital platform dedicated to showcasing the diverse individuals and subcultures that imbue action sports with meaning, deliberately moving beyond a singular focus on elite athletes.
"It’s all about sincerely, genuinely representing all of our lives and lifestyles," Charlebois explained about the magazine’s mission. "We can’t be too inclusive. Mixing the public and the pros who are surfing, skating, snowboarding, doing art, playing music, or telling a story, it’s all about sharing the good stuff." Screengrab Magazine embodies Charlebois’s core philosophy: fostering creativity, nurturing community, and providing a space for mutual inspiration. The magazine actively encourages submissions, with its next issue slated for release this fall, continuing its role in amplifying authentic voices within the action sports world.
The Essence of Greatness: Authenticity Over Technical Prowess
Having spent years documenting some of snowboarding’s most influential figures, Charlebois has developed a keen insight into what truly defines greatness within the sport. He identifies a fundamental element: "They are just absolutely in love with it. They live and breathe it." This passion is evident in riders like Travis Rice, Nicolas Müller, and Bode Merrill, individuals whose dedication transcends mere skill.
"It’s not even, ‘What are they doing?’ It’s just, this is who they are," Charlebois emphasized. This intrinsic authenticity holds more weight for him than technical ability alone. He draws an analogy to the natural world: "You look at a wild animal, like that lion right there. That’s just what it is. That’s what it does." Similarly, for individuals, their inherent nature and passion shine through. The most impactful people, he observes, possess an ability to inspire others through their presence and genuine enthusiasm, even without necessarily showcasing their athletic prowess. "The really good people, they can just talk to someone for a minute and they’ll leave those people inspired. They didn’t even see them snowboard or something."
In an era of increasingly curated digital content, this emphasis on authentic character is paramount. "We’re in a pretty heavy copy-and-paste world," Charlebois noted. "It’s fun to see when people experiment, when people show their character." While the technical feats in snowboarding are undoubtedly impressive, it’s the unique personality and genuine expression that truly resonate. "Everyone can do all these tricks and all these rad things. And it’s really refreshing to see, this person’s awesome. There’s someone."
The Process as the Ultimate Product
Charlebois’s perspective on his filmmaking work reveals a profound appreciation for the journey over the destination. While his projects culminate in finished films, he finds the true reward in the experiences that precede them. "It’s about falling in love with the process," he stated. "The product’s almost a physical log or journal that you can show, a buoy in time."
This mindset has become increasingly relevant in the evolving media landscape. The proliferation of short-form content, social media clips, and YouTube videos exists alongside traditional full-length projects, all vying for audience attention. Charlebois, however, sees this not as a challenge but as an opportunity for a balanced approach. "I think there’s a balance," he said. "People want stuff right now. But I still think you can release stuff all the time to get people hyped." The crucial element is to illuminate the narrative behind the polished final product. "People see that perfect thing at the end of the day, but then you elaborate the story that causes them to go, ‘Damn, these guys went at four in the morning and then they did this and then they did that. This went wrong. They had to deal with this.’" The final shot, he stresses, is merely a fraction of the intricate process that led to it.
Navigating the Future: Looking Forward, Not Back
Despite a career spanning decades and documenting pivotal moments in snowboarding history, Charlebois consciously avoids becoming retrospective. He likens this to driving: "The rearview mirror, that’s the past. Where you’re sitting, that’s the present. And out the front is the future. If you drive staring in the rearview mirror, it’s just a sketchy way of driving."
To understand where the sport is heading, he believes in engaging with younger generations. "If you want to see the future, you hang out with younger people. You hang out with older people, they’ll tell you what has happened." He acknowledges that snowboarding, like any dynamic culture, experiences periods of change, with elements being gained and lost. "It’s always losing and gaining things," he observed. "It’s the ebb and flow stuff."
One aspect he does acknowledge missing is the raw sense of discovery that characterized the early days. He recalls driving through Salt Lake City, meticulously scouting and photographing street spots with Polaroids, simply because these locations were uncharted territory. Today, with the advent of tools like Google Earth, riders can meticulously plan urban exploration from afar, potentially diminishing the serendipitous nature of discovery. "Nowadays people say, ‘I’ve never even been to a certain city,’ but they can just go through it on Google Earth and literally have 20 spots before they’ve even been to the place."
However, he refrains from romanticizing the past, recognizing the growth and opportunities that have emerged. "There’s also things gaining, because look at all the development in the world. Even for the street side of the snow world, it seems like there’s more places than ever." The overarching objective, for Charlebois, remains consistent: not to preserve a past ideal, but to continually explore and define what snowboarding can become.
An Unconventional, Yet Profound Life
When asked about the ultimate gift snowboarding has given him, Charlebois’s response is direct and heartfelt: "An incredible life." His journey has taken him from his origins in Western New York to a world of towering mountains, vast oceans, extensive travel, immersive filmmaking, and enduring friendships that have stood the test of time. "The closest people I still am in contact with are because of this world."
More significantly, snowboarding has instilled in him a profound appreciation for inquiry. "Life is about questions more than answers," he stated. "It’s given me the endless reality of exploring question after question after question." This continuous exploration is perhaps why, despite his extensive experience, Charlebois remains so captivated by the future.
He candidly admits that activities like snowboarding, surfing, and skateboarding might appear impractical from a historical perspective. "In the history of the world, if you went back 100 years and said, ‘This is the career. We go and do this,’ people would be baffled." He chuckles, acknowledging the inherent absurdity, "It might possibly be the dumbest shit in the history of the world. But that’s also what makes it so awesome."
For Charlebois, the enduring allure lies in the daily opportunity for exploration and connection. "We are exploring joy by connecting with nature and friends and just going and seeing where we can go and what we can do." His quest for the unknown continues, fueled by a passion for discovery and the profound human connections forged within the dynamic world of action sports.
