Nick Russell has dedicated his life to being in the moment in the mountains. With a riding style that he describes as "a blend between low stress pow riding in the forest and intentional movement into the alpine", Nick has been on our radar for many years at Lé Bent. The sock gods saw fit to intervene and after leaving his socks at home, Nick finally dipped his toes into a borrowed pair of our Signature Merino Blend... and he couldn't go back.
We caught up with Nick to welcome him to the team.
LB: Hey Nick, welcome to the Lé Bent pro team!!!
Thank you! I’m honored and excited to be here next to some heavy hitters on the team, not to mention to be running the best socks in the game.
It sounds like we have Cody Townsend to thank for getting you in our snow socks. Is it true the first pair of Lé Bent socks you wore were a ‘rental pair’ Cody had in the back of his van?
Yes, this is true. I showed up to do one of the Fifty lines with him in the Eastern Sierra and realized I forgot my socks. Thankfully the guy had an extra pair. If I remember correctly, they were his pro model socks which were perfect for a long spring day.
LB: A long spring day for Nick = A sufferfest of epic proportions..
Hopefully, they were a clean pair… what did you think of them?
For someone that spends 8 months non-stop in their boots, socks are perhaps one of the most important elements to my overall happiness in the mountains. Everything from the merino blend that makes sure I don’t sweat, to the fluid articulation in the ankle and up to compression in the right spots, I’m honestly blown away with the performance of these socks.
And, did he ask for them back?
I think he knew better than to ask for them back ;)
Thankfully we were able to send you your own pairs that you could actually keep… How do you find the different cushioning options and do you have a favourite pair now?
I find myself bouncing between the lightweight cushion and zero cushion options for longer warmer spring days and the slightly thicker Xavier De Le Rue Pro Series Sock for colder days.
Just like how you adapt your board for current conditions, it's the same with socks. It’s amazing to wear something that clearly has had so much attention to detail go into it. After a full season of heavy duty use, I think I only circulated between 3 or 4 pairs, which says a lot about their durability.
You’ve been dragged along on a lot of Cody’s Fifty lines and been a fan favourite in a bunch of episodes. It looks like you always draw the short straw and get the pure sufferfests though... How has that project been for you?
For the majority of those lines we did together, there was always a caveat that likely, it was going to be one of the longest days of your life and the approach would have some level of ridiculousness to it. But at the end of the day, it all lends to the elusiveness of certain lines that always makes it worth it.
In addition to riding with Cody and Bjarne, what personal projects have you been working on in the past 12 months?
I’ve been working on a film with Patagonia from our expedition to Papsura, India this past spring. It’s called the “Peak of Evil.” This will be likely my proudest project to date and I’m excited to release it to the world. We’re slated to start premiering it in December and the online release will be in January 25. I was also involved in a French film project called “The Octopus”, from my time in Chamonix with Pica Herry and crew. Additionally I’m a part of a short film with Austin Sweetin coming out called “Hogs on the Horizon.” I also recently signed with United Shapes snowboards which is also really exciting.
Sounds like you've had plenty on the plate. What are your goals for the coming season?
A magician never reveals their secrets.
Haha well we look forward to the show. What about in the longer term. What are your future goals in snowboarding and how would you describe your style of riding?
To continue exploring my backyard of the Sierra Nevada and beyond, stay healthy and share the love of snowboarding with others. I’d say my riding style is a blend between low stress pow riding in the forest and intentional movement into the alpine.
Well Nick, we look forward to following along and seeing all the incredible places you end up this season and beyond! Thanks for taking the time to chat and we’re stoked to have you on the team! Bring on the good times ahead. Yew!
Thanks guys! Can't wait.
ABOUT NICK RUSSELL
Age: 36
Hometown:Truckee, Ca
Home Resort:Sierra Nevada backcountry
Nationality: USA
Sponsors: Lé Bent, Patagonia, United Shapes, Anon Optics, Backcountry Access, Deeluxe boots, Pomoca skins, Spark bindings
Favourite Lé Bent gear: Any of the light cushion snow socks!
Follow Nick here: @nick_russelll
