Interview
Unusual Vizzness
All Eyes On Austin Visintainer
Snowboarding is full of clichés. But if there was ever a snowboarder who embodies the saying “they let their riding speak for itself,” it’s Austin Visintainer. Austin, aka Vizz, isn’t a big talker. But over the last few years, Vizz has slowly been coming out of his shell. His newfound confidence compliments his rising notoriety. At 28 years old, Vizz has been a well-known figure in the Pacific Northwest snowboard scene for at least a decade. More recently, thanks to a steady stream of notable video parts, he’s also emerged as a force to be reckoned with the world over.
Vizz is far from the first pro snowboarder to come out of Washington state. Multiple generations have cut their teeth in the powdery meccas of the Cascade Mountains and gone on to become stars. The western part of the state is known for its big, beautiful terrain and some of the deepest powder on the planet. But Vizz grew up in Spokane, which is 200 miles east of the Cascades. It’s drier over there and more famous for the Gonzaga University basketball team than any nearby snowboarding. Rope tows and small, family-run ski areas are the norm there. But Vizz didn’t need to grow up in a mountain town or attend an elite private academy. In a snowboarding sense, he’s a self-made man. From modest beginnings, he’s carved out a place for himself amongst some of the biggest names in the industry. It’s the culmination of his raw talent and, more importantly, consistent effort.