Jay Rawe Speaks on World's First Sit Ski Trick at The Nines Japan

Featured Image: Isami Kiyooka | Skier: Jay Rawe

There are plenty of impressive skiers out there who, for one reason or another, are making waves thanks to their creativity, willpower, talent, or some wild mix of all three. And then there's Jay Rawe. The sit skier has claimed multiple world firsts, inspiring others while paving his own path.

You don't have to look deep in the freeski history books to find proof of this. Just last month, Rawe joined a stacked crew of skiers and boarders at The Nines Japan, where, despite challenging conditions, he was able to stomp several tricks that left onlookers speechless. A textbook pole drag three over the knuckle and his never-been-done flair out of a quarterpipe were both making rounds on social media and it certainly caught our attention.

But perhaps what we love most about Rawe isn't his skills on the hill but his endless stoke and optimism. We sat down with the man himself for a few questions following his return to his home in California after a few weeks on the road. Check out the full conversation below.

FREESKIER: Thanks for taking the time, Jay. Had you been planning to try the NBD flair at The Nines, or did it come spur of the moment?

Jay Rawe: The flair is something I've been thinking about for almost five years. I've tried to do it on a quarterpipe but I kept landing on the deck, so instead I changed it into a 450 from the hip instead of a quarterpipe. I've done that trick a bunch of times, so I'm familiar with the rotation. I knew that with the amount of time in the air and the way the spin comes around, if I could find the right type of jump, I would be able to land it.

When I saw the build for The Nines this year [in Japan], where the landing for the quarterpipe was extended up and behind the takeoff, I thought it would be the perfect jump to try it out on. It was honestly the only plan I had for trying something new and once I thought of it, I couldn't think of anything else the whole time leading up to the event.

Knowing that, it's safe to assume this was your favorite trick of the session, yeah?

Yes, it was definitely my favorite trick of the session! We had some funky weather so I didn't really get the opportunity to do a few of the other things that I would have liked, but I got to do the flair several times. The pole drag cork three on the step up was super fun as well, definitely a close second. The visuals on that were so insane.

Your NBD cork three to 50-50 slide last year at The Nines was mental. Which one meant more, and why?

That's a hard question. The cork to the rail was arguably more difficult and technical than the flair and it felt crazy good to land. It just kind of came together as the event went on. That one still amazes me that I was able to land it and it opened some really cool doors for future tricks. I had always wanted to try the cork to a box but hadn't ever thought that a resort would build a feature where it would be possible so it kind of hung in the background. To check it off still feels surreal.

The flair was something I knew in my heart that I could do, so I was always looking for a way to make it work and do the 450 out of [quarterpipes]. It had been nagging at me for a while. The Nines had a feature on The Perfect Hip a couple of years back that was super similar, and I thought that I'd have the chance to try it then. But when I went to cruise down and inspect it on day one, I misjudged a jump and flew like 60 feet to my back. I ended up dislocating my first rib and had to take it super easy, so I wasn't able to try it and I felt like I missed my only shot to finally try this trick. I was so psyched to see the setup and realize it was exactly what I needed to pull this off. 

I suppose they were both super meaningful in their own ways.

Were there any riders there that you took inspiration from watching?

I always get super inspired watching the whole crew throw down. It's really hard sometimes not to just hang out and watch them [laughs]. I was getting several ideas from watching Oyvind Kurkus and LJ Henriquez snowboard, and some of the creative stuff Jesper Tjäder was doing was also giving me neat ideas for things to try. Ultimately, I didn't get the opportunity to go too far outside my comfort zone with the weather we had but I definitely have some cool stuff in mind for the future. 

Looking back now, is there a moment that stands out that summarizes the incredible vibe at The Nines that you're describing?

The whole event was so sick. It was my first time in Japan. Everything was next level: the food, the sights, the people, all so amazing. Getting to the top of the jump line and looking at what I knew were massive features, but looked so small with the giant Mount Yotei volcano in the background, was surreal. Catching up with friends I hadn't seen all year was incredible, and, of course, getting to watch the madness unfold is always super special.

There's a moment that always happens at The Nines where you just look around and can't believe that it's all real. My favorite moment was after lunch on the first day, when we had a huge session on the quarterpipe. It was kind of like a one-up session, where all the tricks just kept getting crazier, more unique and more creative. I had never seen so much radness happen in such quick succession. Everyone was stomping, the stoke was super high, a huge crew kind of formed at the bottom to watch and cheer between runs.

Photo: Isami Kiyooka (one and two), Ethan Stone, Jonas Gasser | Skier: Jay Rawe

The Nines continues to adapt each year and stay interesting, and that communal hype seems to be a big part of it. What separates this event from others in your opinion? Why do riders keep coming back?

For me, The Nines is always something to look forward to. You never know what the design will be, but you know it will be epic. You see the craziest-looking features and feel like you're in a video game or something, and then you see everyone start throwing the kinds of tricks you only see on Instagram highlights.

The environment they cultivate has a strong family feel. You see a lot of the same people every year so it's really cool to get to catch up and hang out with them for the week. Since it's not a competition, the vibes and energy are always there. Nothing's on the line, so there's a relaxed feel to the riding, which sort of pushes the riding even further, ironically.

There are so many options for getting creative and playing with them that everyone seems to find a place to shine. The whole crew absolutely loves what they're doing, and they go out of their way to make sure that it's the best possible experience. From the shapers who work overtime to make the park perfect, to the teams running the media, working all day and all night, to the resorts that they partner with, so excited to have us there and making sure that our stay is incredible, it's a team effort.

And then you have [The Nines founder] Nico... I don't think I can adequately express how much of a vibe this guy is, and how much of a gem he is for the outdoor sports community. There's so much that goes into these events, and when you take a step back, it's easy to see how much everyone who's involved cares. There are a lot of rad events out there, but for me, this one is just next level.

If you had to say, what trick are you eyeing up next on the bucket list?

My bucket list is honestly getting a little thin for new tricks at the moment. I really need to find time to dial in my 720. I think once I get that down to where it's comfortable on different jumps, I can really start eyeing a dub 10 but that feels a little far away at the moment. I still have a sit-ski BASE jump in mind and am working on finding the right location. Also, a road gap has been on my mind for the last couple of years, so hopefully, conditions will line up to make that happen next season.