Bryan Iguchi first leapt into the snowboarding public’s consciousness as part of a golden generation of West Coast riders who put the ‘style’ into ‘freestyle’ in the mid-90s. But while his peers Noah Salasnek and Jamie Lynn concentrated on translating their skateboard tricks to the snow, Guch (as he became known) seemed to take his cues from the laidback, soulful movements of surfers. In the late 90s, he swapped his California stomping grounds for Jackson Hole, Wyoming, attracted by the steeps of the Teton Range and the wildness of continental US’ least-populous state.
His move helped cement Jackson’s reputation as a backcountry Mecca, especially when the exploits of a local lad named Travis Rice (who Guch mentored early on) went global. Now one of snowboarding’s elder statesmen, Guch still rides professionally, gets out on his splitboard whenever conditions are right, and rips the kind of turns most young grommets could only dream of. Here, he explains what it is that makes his adopted hometown so special—and gives us the inside track on where to eat, drink and ride.
SNOW: What was it that made you first fall in love with Jackson Hole?
Bryan Iguchi: It was the access to good riding that you get from the main Tram lift, combined with small town vibes, and sense of community. I didn’t know much about the place before my first trip, but beyond the riding, I discovered a sense of freedom, and a connection to the land. It’s a place where you can find solitude, and explore a vast unspoiled wilderness. I felt like it was a place where I could learn and grow—both as a person and as a snowboarder.
S: What have you learned to appreciate since moving there?
B: The idea they have here of stewardship, and the preservation of land for perpetuity. I didn’t really think about how special my home really was, or why. But to designate and protect land for future generations as “National Parks,” and even better, as “Wilderness,” is the greatest idea our country has come up with.
S: Where’s the first place you go when there’s fresh snow, and low avalanche risk?
B: I’ll head out into the backcountry with a couple friends to check out somewhere we haven’t been before. We wait patiently all winter for those special days when the conditions line up and allow safe exploration.
S: Where would you go when it’s totally tracked out?
B: I might venture further out into the backcountry or just spend the day riding groomers and doing park laps—it’s all good either way.
S: Where’s the best tree run for when the weather’s bad?
B: I never really thought about it, because the whole mountain here has an ideal setup for riding in bad weather. Aside from the bowl, which is above the trees, you can ride top-to-bottom with good visibility even when it’s snowing by connecting rocky chutes in cliff areas to tight gullies, and then, lower down there’s everything from perfectly-spaced tree lines to bushwhacking through willows. I guess the way I approach that kind of storm riding is to try to keep things flowing. Conditions are constantly changing, as are the fall-lines, so I just go with the flow as best as I can.
S: What’s the best run in resort for screaming down at speed, or cracking out some eurocarves?
B: Hmm, maybe the Grand or the Gros Ventre?
S: What’s your favorite mountain restaurant, and what’s your favorite dish?
B: It’s hard to beat the peanut and bacon waffles at Corbet’s Cabin. But after a day of riding pow, some hot soup at Teton Thai is my favorite, for sure.
S: What about when you want to go ‘out out’ to a late night party spot?
B: The Moose—they’ve been booking a lot of good music lately and it still has that old school Jackson vibe.
You can follow Bryan Iguchi on Instagram at @bryaniguchi and find out more about his mountain-inspired artwork at bryaniguchi.com
