Drafted: Jody Wachniak

Aug 19, 2009

Author: Eric Greene

Age: 20      
Years riding: 8
Years sponsored: 4
Sponsors: Technine, Electric, Westbeach, Grenade, Elm, FL Clothing, Eesa, Ogio, Props Snowboard & Skateboard, The Circle
Board and bindings: Technine B-Shaw, Technine Icon bindings
Stance width: 23 inches
Angles: 18º front, –18º back
Hometown: Oakbank, MB      
Current residence: Whistler, BC
Vehicle: Whistler Express bus
Snowmobile: Doubling on the Kevin Griffen-mobile whenever I can because I’m broke
Preferred terrain: The mountain
Crew: Gypsy Mob and friends
Shred heroes: Chris Saniuk, Marc Frank Montoya, J.P. Walker, Devun Walsh, Danny Kass, Scotty Wittlake
Favourite trick: Switch Noseslide or Frontside 180
Ideal conditions: Weekday, fresh powder, sunny, 9 a.m., Red Chair, good friends, iPod fully charged
First setup: Liquid board, Kemper bindings, Limited boots
Best album of all time: Nas, Stillmatic

Two years ago I was riding Khyber trees in Whistler with a farmboy from Manitoba who was riding powder for his first time. We were lost because our friends ditched us, and we had never been there before. Sketchy? Yes, but we were still having the best time ever. That’s because Jody Wachniak is the kind of kid who—no matter what the situation is—puts a smile on your face. Since that day, Jody has stepped up from a prairie rail shredder to an all-around good snowboarder. He has done nothing but impress everyone around him with his progression and love of snowboarding. Anyone who gets the chance to ride and hang with him will agree that his riding is only surpassed by his attitude and personality. He’s modest, hardworking and fun as hell to hang with, so it’s about damn time he got a Drafted. —Mark Sollors

How do you pronounce your last name?
Wash-nee-ak. It’s Ukrainian, and everybody pronounces it wrong.

Why are you Manitoba kids so into rap music? Doesn’t Jimmy Page’s guitar solo in “Stairway to Heaven” speak to you in any way?
Hip-hop is just the hype shit. There are definitely some other good music genres out there, though. We don’t all love rap in Winnipeg; we have some heshers there too.

How did you end up in Whistler?
I went to the Camp of Champions one summer, and Jesse Fox told me to move to Whistler if I wanted to seriously pursue snowboarding. A couple of years later, when I realized I wanted to experience snowboarding outside of Manitoba, I rushed my graduation and challenged the exams online, then peaced out. I remember finishing my exam, and my mom was waiting outside to drive me to the airport. I showed up in Whistler by myself with no clue what I was doing. I rode alone for a few months before my friends Andrew Geeves and Chris Saniuk moved to [Whistler] from Winnipeg too. I had two good friends and a brand-new mountain. I was stoked.

What’s the biggest difference you’ve noticed about the snowboarding scene in Whistler as opposed to Winnipeg?
It’s a small scene in Winnipeg, but there’s no hate there. When I first started snowboarding, I used anything I could get my hands on for equipment. I wore an old Calgary Flames jersey, huge leather mitts and a massive snowmobiling helmet. Nobody cares about your style or what you’re doing. Everyone just wants to snowboard and have fun. Whistler has more of a scene than I was used to, but I try not to pay attention to it. I just shred around in my own little world, and it’s awesome to have a good group of friends here who all have the same interests.

Frontside 3 at Brohm Ridge. Barker Photo.

You had the chance to film with Sandbox last season. How did that contribute to your riding and understanding of the big leagues?
It’s been awesome. I used to film with a crew called Gypsy Mob back home. It was basically my friend Jake filming us in –40°C weather with a single-chip camera. Most of the time we would get a trick, try to watch the playback, and there would be nothing but blue screen. Sandbox is so much more professional. [Kevin] Sansalone has done so much for me. He’s given me opportunities to shoot with them and go out on trips. Clayton Larsen is also a really good guy to work with.

Does snowboarding influence the rest of your lifestyle? Do you try to eat healthy, exercise or play a lot of Shaun White Snowboarding in order to help your riding?
My whole life is snowboarding. Since I realized that, I’ve tried to eat a little better than I used to, like trying to avoid fast food and all that. I go to the gym for about two months before the season starts to get my legs in shape, and I go biking and swimming as much as possible. Playing the Shaun White video game is not going to help my snowboarding at all, man. Maybe if MFM or J.P. Walker came out with a game it would. I used to be really into skateboarding, but I worry about getting injured skating and not being able to snowboard, so I cut it back a lot. Now I just skate mini-ramp and mellow street stuff. In the off-season I mainly lay bricks. It’s good for strengthening your legs and making some cash for the season.

What are you saving up for with all that hard-earned money? Truck, sled, season’s pass, plane tickets, bar tabs?
Bar tabs, bro. [laughs] I live in Whistler—how else am I going to find a girl? No truck and sled for me. I’ve got a few alternative ways of getting into the backcountry, but I just don’t have the money for those luxuries yet. I’ve mainly saved money for rent, food, my season’s pass and traveling. I don’t party a lot in the winter. I try to keep that scene pretty mellow.

If I were to ask you what the worst trend in snowboarding is, would you say tall tees like everybody else?
Wearing pink XXXXL tall tees and medium jackets. I just don’t get it. It’s like a huge, pink, frozen skirt. I’m not hatin’, though. If that’s your steelo, rock it.

Tell us something that most people don’t know about you. Can you speak Vietnamese or anything cool like that?
I used to play the lead trumpet in a jazz band in junior high school. Maybe don’t tell anyone that. I don’t know. Snowboarding kind of just took over everything in my life.

Word on the street is that you have some solid game with the ladies on the dance floor. Care to comment?
I guess I get stoked on the dance floor sometimes. And that’s what you’re supposed to do, right? Send it, dance and then peace out.

What’s worse: bad breath or pink eye?
Bad breath. With pink eye you can just stay home for a couple of days and take eye drops until it’s cured. There’s no excuse for bad breath, and you can get a bad rep for life.

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