Maxwell Carl Scott on Snowboards, Slopes, and Spring Break

spring break snowboards

Maxwell Carl Scott is the Owner / Brand Manager of Spring Break Snowboards. When he’s not on the slopes, he’s in the studio creating new projects or lending his creativity to the coolest brands.

What’s Spring Break about? How did it start?
Spring Break began in 2010 as an experimental art project by founder Corey Smith and friends. The aim of the project was to deconstruct modern snowboarding and re-imagine the sport through its surf style roots. To find beauty in simply turning and explore the mountain from an entirely different perspective.

Do you surf as well?
Ah No, I wish. I grew up in the frozen tundra and no where near a beach. Been a few times though, once you catch a wave the sensation is somewhat similar to riding one of our shapes.

Is this your first time heading up a brand? What have you learned?
I learned to be patient and not expect everything to happen overnight. Building a brand takes a lot of time and energy especially without investor money.

What has been the most rewarding part of growing Spring Break?
The learning experience, building something that is important to the snowboard world and watching it progress. But probably the best thing is seeing complete strangers ride the boards at resorts and I get to complement them on their exquisite snowboard taste ;p

What’s most challenging?
Working a full time job outside of building the brand and still devoting enough time to the project. Dealing with retailers.

What sets you apart from other snowboard companies out there?
Our board shapes are defiantly surfy. A lot of the pioneers of the sport had roots in surfing and one the aims of the Spring Break project is to re-connect snowboarding with the style that it since deviated from.

What inspired the unconventional snowboard shapes?
We take inspiration for our shapes from all over. Sometimes a shape can be catered to a specific riders preference or style. Some shapes are inspired by vintage surf or skate shapes. Some are just crazy ideas we want to try out. Its amazing how much the shape can change the way you ride, it may be even more apparent in a sport like snowboarding where turning is greatly emphasized.

Am I posing if I wear a Spring Break shirt but I never actually hit the slopes?
Nah, we are trying to offer a bunch of products in our online store that are more ubiquitous and are just cool shirts etc. Our branding will be in much of the stuff retailers buy but we are trying to keep online separate.

What motivates you?
My late father, and my friends.

Anything else you’re working on?
Genero.us, a pay-what-you-want e-commerce platform
Filtered.by, a link sharing app
Isthis.cool, the largest online image evaluation database / art project
CROCS, my band with my friend Cara
…and achieving zen.

Are you on Spring Break forever?
Fully. Drinking a piña colada right now.
Join Maxwell for perpetual Spring Break on Instagram and Facebook.