Chris Roach: One of the pioneers of snowboarding's fluidness and style gets ready to step back into the arena.

With all the hype about the new school/ skate style, it's important to know the roots. The teachers, or rulers as it might be, got their knowledge from somewhere or someone. Everybody's got someone they look up to, and the respect for that person was earned not given.

This interview was a collaboration of C.R.'s friends. It get's kind of personable and might not be recommended for all audiences.

HECKLER MAGAZINE- So Roach, What's the most important thing to you right now?

CHRIS ROACH- No injuries!

HM- What will it be in 5 years?

CR- Owning a house with a lot of space.

HM- What will it be in 10?

CR- Owning an amusement park with go-carts, mini golf and videos. I'll call it PACOLAND and I'll have one foreign mechanic who won't care if we trade paint.

HM- Will it be in Grass Valley where you grew up and still live?

CR- Probably.

HM- What's up with Monty?

CR- I love my brother. Fuck European snowboard companies that have fucked my brother.

HM- Do you like SANTA CRUZ? Have they helped you?

CR- I love Santa Cruz.

HM- How long have you snowboarded for?

CR- 8 years.

HM- What about skating?

CR- 15 years.

NOAH SALASNEK steps into the picture and delivers a few blows.

NS- What was your first trick snowboarding?

CR- Frontside air.

NS- Have you been skateboarding lately?

CR- Yeah. ABDUL and DAVE built a mini in their garage. It's sick.

NS- What have you been doing on your skate?

CR- Kickflip catches over fat gaps, and backside tail slides on curbs.

NS- What new moves are you going to try on the snow?

CR- Switchstance backside 180 (keep your head cocked) regular backside 180 out. Over-rotated backside noseblunt slide, going Mach Louie.

HM- What do you think about in the pipe?

CR- I like frontside airs and landing on vert. That's what it's all about.

NS- So you have a new model coming out, huh?

CR-151.

NS- How much effective edge?

CR-(laughing)-116, I think?

NS- What's up with small boards and skate influence?

CR- It's always been there for me. But to cut your board down to look like a skate is ridiculous. And stances that are too wide to hold a heel edge! Stances are hurting now!

HM- What's your stance?

CR- My stance is 21 inches. Straight backfoot and stock front foot.

HM- Stock?

CR- I don't know what the angle is, but it's the same as the old Sims board's stock stance.

NS- So what's up with Chiquitas, Pro-ho's, and Whiskey a Go-Go's?

CR- I love drinking with women who know my status. It makes it so much easier.

HM- So do you have a girl?

CR- Yeah, BJ.

NS- (stepping in loudly)- Hey, I was the one who told her Chris loved her, cause he was to cool to say it himself. Let's give credit where credit is due.

HM- Okay, final comments.

NS- What's up with you saying, "Losing the Battle"?

CR- People who don't ollie into their nose slides and keep spinning out of their trick. Losing the fight.

HM- So who do you respect?

CR- PALM,SALAS, RANKY, MONTY, TUCKER, TOLAND, BAY BOWMAN, and BRIAN THIEN.

QUOTES:

SALAS- " Roach rode the pipe cleaner than anybody, 6 years ago. He finishes all his tricks and keeps his speed like the pipe hero(Haakonsen). I was with my friend WILL BECKMAN- at Boreal 5 years ago and saw Roach ruling. He was going 100 mph and bunnying from bump to bump, and then went huge off a liftshed kicker. We just looked at each other and said 'that's how you gotta ride.' He completely inspired me and I still bite his style."

TOLAND- " I haven't got a chance to snowboard with him, but I have skated with him and he's a ruler. I respect his skating and his boarding and what he said in "New Kids on the Twock" about how the skate influence will take over. I started boarding because of Roach!"

MIKE DAY- "All's I gotta say is, don't fight him. He'll beat your ass!

ABDUL LEBLANC- "Even though he's the whitest guy I know, I fuckin' love him anyway. So fuck everybody else cause he's got my back till the end of the tracks. (HIGHLIGHT) Trading paint at Camelot Park with CR, Noah, and the rest of the losing money bitches."

BAY- "Chris is a whitey that's very fragile, and loves to drink Budweiser and come off smooth with the ladies."

CORY-"The man ain't down with me and my butters. But that whiskey mother fucker is one smooth mudder."

A.V.- "I saw Chris and Monte at Boreal and thought they were twins. They both were riding Sims boards and had the same gear. I was woggeling in the tree's and those guys were ruling."

PALM- "Yeah, Chris is smooth. I've just never seen him ride anywhere but Boreal and Snow Summit once."