Elio Fumagalli, the art of snowboarding

Elio, you tour and live in Laax. For what strange reasons did you end up right here?

“I’m from Italian Switzerland, my father is from Padua though, so I also feel a little bit Italian and I’m proud of my origins. I ended up in Laax because I attended the Davos sports school, which introduced me to the freestyle scene that is concentrated in this area.”

So it is true that you attended the Davos snowboard school. Can you tell us about it?

“Yes I went to the Davos Sports School but I ended up there by accident! I never had the dream of becoming a professional snowboarder. When I started practicing, I was going around the various Swiss snowparks and ended up in the Ticino Freestyle Snowboard Federation, where they told me I could join the school. It is an elite sports school for kids who want to become athletes. At first I didn’t really know where I ended up so much that I struggled a bit to integrate and find my personality. At the school I met Lucas Baume and with him I started hanging out with Laax more and more, realizing that in snowboarding you don’t always just have to do crazy and dangerous tricks, but it can be interpreted in your own way. Although the school was challenging and I struggled to find my identity, it gave me the opportunity to snowboard every day, even abroad, and to turn my snowboarding career around. I also met so many great people and athletes.”

Speaking of Lucas Baume, tell me about your relationship and the projects you have together?

“We both went to the Davos sports school and immediately hit it off. Unlike many other kids at the school, we didn’t have that competitive spirit so strong that drives some people to necessarily want to be better than others. Snowboarding for us is first and foremost fun. We later went our separate ways for various reasons. Lucas self-managed his clips and his projects. I decided to focus more on filming, freeriding and street. Our brotherly relationship never changed, though.”

It seems that snowboarding is returning toward its roots. Freeride, fast turns on the track, freedom and fun, as if all that super technical tricks in park or contest are no longer fashionable. What do you think?

“I think it’s the normal evolution of the sport, because the competition at some point reaches its physical limits. The creative aspect of snowboarding, on the other hand, is endless, kind of like art. Giving everyone the chance to interpret snowboard as they wish will certainly help to Have an increasingly diverse and inclusive community. In the end, we are all kids having fun on the table, each with our own personalities and passions, and this aspect should always be valued. Certainly going in a more old-school direction also allows us to bring in a lot of kids who are maybe just getting into the sport, so that we can inspire them to be part of this community.”

How would you define yourself as a snowboarder?

“I don’t consider myself one of the strongest snowboarders on a technical level, I don’t do crazy things, but I think I can convey the passion and dedication I have toward this discipline. I hope to be able to inspire people to be authentic and to interpret both snowboarding, but also any other activity, in their own way. Show who you are to bring color and diversity to your community.”

You have shot with a lot of European-level photographers, is there anyone who has particularly impressed you?

“I have had the privilege of getting to know many photographers in the field because in the end here in Laax we all know each other. If I have to mention one that particularly impressed me I say Silvano Zeiter, with his Chroma project. I was also lucky enough to shoot with him for a day and I saw what a crazy professional he is: you can snowboard with him any way you want, he always manages to bring home epic photos.”

What would you like to do when you grow up?

“What a difficult question! Let’s say that I prefer to focus on the present without necessarily directing my life on predetermined tracks. I think about snowboarding, doing interesting projects and always staying open to new fields and passions, such as music.”

You shoot with Funky, what can you tell me about these guys who are a little crazy?

“Ride with Funky for about 7 years now and I consider it as a family. I am very good friends with all the guys at Funky, I see in them so much passion for what they do and together we have had some really memorable times. It’s hard for me to even imagine snowboarding for another brand. The relationship I have with the guys at Funky goes beyond snowboarding.”

How do you see the European snowboarding scene right now?

“I think the European snowboard scene can boast a lot of great talent. There are a lot of good, passionate kids, and each of them makes a contribution to the community, both artistically and technically.”