We first connected with Morgan Schofield in 2015 when we opened our Queenstown store. At the time, Morgan was riding for Bataleon Snowboards through their New Zealand distributor and started riding for the team shortly after. Almost a decade later he continues to be a core member of our team, and a major contributor and driver in the New Zealand snowboard scene. As well as riding for Boardertown. Beyond Medals and Bataleon, Morgan is the force behind the New Zealand Snowboarding Instagram account, plays a part in a number of grassroots snowboard events, publishes the New Zealand Snowboard Photo Annual and somehow still manages to snowboard, splitboard, shoot photos, film, and tow people on his sled.
Morgan's a busy man but managed to find a few minutes to sit down and answer some questions for us about snowboarding, motivation and balancing life.
How did you get into snowboarding?
My mum sent me on a snowboarding camp to Whakapapa during the school holidays when I was 11. I picked it up pretty quickly as I had been skating for a few years and had little progress, and let's be honest, snowboarding is a lot easier so I committed. Luckily for me, with Snowplanet 10 minutes up the northern motorway I developed my obsession there and dove deep into riding rails. Through the guidance of some older crew I decided it was the best way for me to see the world and create a life for myself doing something I love
You have been a consistent presence in New Zealand snowboarding for a while now. What motivates you to keep filming and shooting photos?
I appreciate that acknowledgement. I grew up in the era of Magazines "back in my day" (pause for cringe). You could buy a subscription for New Zealand Snowboarder Mag and receive 4 issues a year. These magazines inspired me in my youth and sparked my imagination so naturally I wanted to have images of myself I could look back on one day. But shit now... I love the process of going out into the mountains and finding a spot and dialing in a shot with a photographer or filmer. It's a lot more work than riding around a resort for a day and it's a lot less actual snowboarding but it's a lot more memorable.
More recently you have moved into media, running the New Zealand Snowboard Photo Annual and the New Zealand snowboarding Instagram page. What inspired this?
After the death of the snowboard magazine scene here in NZ and the NZSnowboard website vanishing overnight with no explanation, I felt a massive hole was left in the industry and community. It was the way riders and snowboard photographers came up here for so long and it was the way I came up in the industry. I spent years thinking about what I could do to make a difference and after a failed attempt at restarting NZSnowboarder magazine, Alex Lucchese and Jay Smith got me on board with the New Zealand Snowboarding Instagram page. To me it’s a new platform that can give a larger audience to Kiwi riders that want to make their mark (and washed up blokes/ladies their final showing haha). Instagram alone doesn’t cut it though so Troy Tanner and I sat down and came up with the New Zealand Snowboard Photo Annual with the idea to inspire up and coming photographers/riders to have their work published and I think it's done just that. The number of quality images I've seen this past season was insane! We are taking a break this year but will be back with something I’m sure of it!
What are the best and worst parts of living in Queenstown?
If you had of asked me this 8 years ago probably would have said the 30-odd bars in close proximity. Still, now the best part would have to be living within 45 minutes of 3 resorts and a lot more backcountry alpine roads giving you the ability to fit riding and working all into one day. The worst part? Probably the month of May, there's usually snow, its cold, and the daylight hours a short going to working the dark and coming home in the dark is no fun it’s the waiting room for winter.
What advice would you give to snowboarders that want to pursue a career in the snowboard industry?
Look after your body. I wish someone had slapped me around the head and got me into the gym when I was 18. It doesn’t matter if you’re not competing or getting coached - if you want to free ride, hike down bars, or ride street rails and you want to do it for a long time you got to put in work, other than that just do whatever makes you happy and focus in on it.
Any final comments?
Shoutout to you the whole Boardertown crew. Correct me if I'm wrong but this is my 9th season riding for you guys Boardertown - it is), the support you guys have given me has helped me attain my goals within snowboarding and I am absolutely honoured to ride for a company that not only pushes the boundaries within the snowboard industry but supports and creates opportunities for local riders to push their own boundaries. Not only is it dope but it is the guiding light in creating an industry standard for shops and brands to have local teams again, so here’s to you guys.
