Nicholas Wolken, Laax, Switzerland. This morning is the closest we ever came to “going viral” on the internet—whatever that means. We joined Joos Caviezel and the Snowpark Laax crew on the extra early coworker’s gondola and found a snowed-in halfpipe just as the sun was rising, a perfect setting for Nico’s classic pipe turns on the right wall. Joos got the phone clip that later became our most viewed Instagram Reel to date. For some reason I still decided to shoot black and white during a beautiful and colorful sunrise. Some things never change. Photo: Aaron Schwartz.

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The Cool Things

Aaron Schwartz’s Conscious Ascent

To spend time appreciating Aaron Schwartz’s photography is to really know the stoke of the turn, the intense beauty of mountains and the vitality of friendships. His photography is a glimpse into a world of purity, creativity and love. He captures what it means to be a snowboarder.

Aaron’s universe of high-contrast, often black-and-white imagery transports viewers instantly to the hill, the top of the pipe or deep within the woods. His photos are diversified as they are palpable: the crispy perfection of freshly cut corduroy, the soft silence of snow accumulation on overloaded branches, tracks in deep powder representing two friends’ best day ever, the harsh beauty of daunting yet familiar mountains, or just plain old hanging out on the hill. That’s why Aaron’s photos make people want to go riding.

His career (I can see him cringe at that term) has been a conscious ascent from one strength to another, from humble teenage beginnings photographing punk shows and drawing band typography in Vancouver, BC, to his current role as Creative Director at Korua Shapes with an extensive list of accomplishments and projects. Although Aaron’s deep humility and countless black t-shirts remain in spades, humor me as I paint a picture of but a few of Aaron’s accolades: He oversees every visual aspect of the ever aesthetically appealing Korua Shapes and is co-founder of the Tidal Art Show in Laax, Switzerland, which brings together some of the snowboarding community’s most esteemed artists including Jamie Lynn, Bryan Iguchi, Hannah Eddy, Sarah King and Schoph. Aaron has exhibited both art and photography across Switzerland, along with having his work regularly published in the likes of Whiteout, Pleasure, TransWorld Snowboarding and The Snowboarder’s Journal.


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