agr: Alright, let’s begin at the only place to begin: what did you have for breakfast?
Riley Erickson: Well I just got home from a rail trip so my breakfast was in another state. I was at a friend’s parents house and they made us eggs and toast. It was way better than what I normally have.

agr: That is a pretty cool breakfast. What is normal breakfast?
RE: Water and cigarettes.

agr: Shaky. What comes after breakfast in the House of 1817?
RE: Depends on the season. In the summer we go skate. For most of the day, then catch a movie or savers or something. In the winter time we are all in different places. Dan is at school, Joe is in Canada, Hodge is blogging and I’m out filming somewhere.

agr: Out in the mean streets. So let’s clarify this, the House of 1817: who is it, where is it, and how many babes are running wild there?
RE: The House of 1817 isn’t actually a house at all. We live in the attic of a four-plex apartment building. It’s a two bedroom apartment that my friend Dan Nicholas and I moved into in St. Paul, Minnesota and our two good friends Joe Sexton and John Hodge needed a place to live so they moved in. Joe lived in a nook then moved into a huge closet, and Hodge lives in the pantry. But he made it sweet. It’s probably the nicest room in the apartment.

agr: That sounds like a something out of a fairy tale.
RE: And the house came with a blog! Tell me a little about that. It is a magical place. Well when Hodge and Joe moved in, the four of us hung out all day every day for like the first month or so and we are pretty cool guys so we figured people would want to know what we (Joe) were up to so we decided to start a blog. Hodge started it up and he just ran with it. I almost gave up with updating because Hodge just kills it. Oh and to answer your earlier question we get mad babes. I’ve got a girl but there are mad pigeons that make it into the House of 1817.

agr: Noted. There is a poll on the blog at the moment, “Pow or street video parts.” What is your vote?
RE: For me it all depends on the rider. Being a park kid from Minnesota I love rails, so naturally I love rail parts but the style has to be there. Someone can just slay rails but if they look goofy doing it I cant back them. But on the other end of the spectrum I don’t know as much about backcountry so for me its all about style. I love watching certain people jump into pow. You just got to have the right style

agr: Well put. You sound like a skateboarder. I thought snowboarding was all about doing double backwards wackie flips and stuff.
RE: To some people it is. Which I’m fine with. I think there are people progressing the sport in all aspects. I’m not too big into contests, but there are some people that can link four 1080’s and maybe throw a 1260 in there, I mean you have to respect that. And Travis Rice and David Benedek are just from another planet I think and the rail world is getting turned on its head by a handful of people. I think snowboarding is progressing in a lot of different directions. I don’t agree with all of them but that’s what its all about. Progression.

agr: Agreed. What direction are you most excited about?
RE: Like I said before being a rail kid from the Midwest, I will always be hyped on rail footage and I think people are started to do and try tricks no one ever thought possible. I’m not so sure how I feel about some rail kids clothing styles though.

agr: Haha. Dream catchers are pretty hot. Speaking of snowboarding for cameras, you have a new project. What’s the scoop on the new gig?
RE: The way I look at it is same shit, different day. The only thing that changed from Newsroom to Role Model is we got a new producer, a few new riders, and some new sponsors. The filmers and editor are all the same. It should be pretty sweet. If people liked Newsroom they should expect the same from Role Model.

December Throwaway from riley erickson on Vimeo.

agr: I heard some babes got Newsroom tattooed on their tits, that is a good indicator. Where has filming taken you so far?
RE: Sketchy hotels, really cold cities and the blood bank because I’m so broke.

agr: All fine places.
RE: I love it though. I’d do it for free. In fact I have been for the last 3 years now. I think that videos turn out better if it’s just a bunch of friends having fun snowboarding together not really giving a fuck. I mean I want it to look as good as I can make it but I have next to no budget and I’m convinced that skateboarding is way cooler then snowboarding so I tried to make a snowboard video like I would want to make a skate video. You’re going to fix all my spelling and grammatical errors right? Make me look smart.

agr: For sure. We will both look like scholars. Bad Ideas had some interesting shots in it…what are some of the elements that you consider in getting shots?
RE: I usually think of where I would want to see something filmed from, there are some spots that you can only film from one angle. Or I think of how it would be filmed skating. That was advice given to me by John Hodge and I still use it to this day.

agr: So skating, are there any other film influences that you have?
RE: Not really when filming snowboard videos. For sure in editing. I did go to film school so I could give you the super cliché French silent film directors that really inspire me when I’m filming a switch nose press.

agr: If it helps get babes, I would list it.
RE: I was mostly joking, but Alfred Hitchcock, Akira Kurosawa, Orson Welles, and John Ford have got the goods. None of those are French or silent…

agr: And not too cliché either.
RE: Hitchcock is boss.

agr: Dude, Vertigo is my jam. And Rear Window.
RE: You should see rope.

agr: Any thoughts on the state of shred films?
RE: It goes both ways. I can respect any one that knows their camera and can get good images out of it, but the whole super epic, super slow-mo movement bums me out. I don’t feel like getting bored and impressed by scenery. It doesn’t matter how tall your jib arm is or how fast your dolly can move. I just wish people would remember that it’s just snowboarding. There are a few movies I’m excited about still though

agr: Favorite skate videos?
RE: That is a tough question. There are far too many too list but I like every Transworld video, the Fallen video this year was heavy. Sorry, Really Sorry, Menikmati, Yeah Right, Fully Flared is a given. But all time, best videos are Bag of Suck and Baker 3. That was a really hard question

agr: Good answer. I saw somewhere that last year the trick-o-the-year in skate was the pole jam. Do you agree?
RE: As in most popular, or best trick-o-the-year?

agr: Most popular.
RE: I think Richie Jackson single-handedly made it so. I’m way down for pole jams though I just learned them this summer. They can be sketchy.

agr: What about in snowboard land, what was the hot trick in 2007-2008?
RE: Double corks. In the rail world it had to be back 1 on switch back 1 off. There weren’t that many but everyone was talking about doing it. That or swivels. God damned swivels.

agr: What do you predict will be the trick this year?
RE: Never know. I think more than a new trick people are starting to blow up new features. I think there will be a lot more pole jams in snowboarding this year. We’ve already done one.

agr: Nice. Now the important stuff. Best snack?
RE: Mike n’ Ikes, Newports.

agr: Best use of $5?
RE: Little Ceasar’s “Hot N’ Ready” pizza, Newports.

agr: Read any good books lately?
RE: Where the Wild Things Are. I read it every year.

agr: Midwest or head west?
RE: Depends on what for. I love it here. Only place with 4 actual seasons. Definitely harder to “make it” in snowboarding or skating in the Midwest. Just do what you love where you want.

agr: Favorite major league sports team?
RE: Harlem Globetrotters. Undefeated!

agr: If you had to have one album on repeat, what would it be?
RE: David Bowie. Either Hunky Dory, or Ziggy Stardust.

agr: Solid. Any closing remarks?
RE: Shout-out to all the haters, the contest kids, a big thanks to you good sir. And hello to Jake Olson-Elm. (I’m talking to him right now). 1817 for life fool.