Meet and Greet: Rider Charles Evans Jr.

By: Lindsay Fraka

Meet rider Chuck Evans Jr.–a man of many names, talents, and tricks up his sleeve who had another extraordinary season taking over the parks and peaks of Mammoth Mountain, California. “C-Huck,” “Black Falcon,” or “Chuck E.” was frequently spotted blasting and spinning off the lips of the massive jumps in Main Park, charging and lapping all day, or chilling on Main Lodge’s Sundeck and making sure everyone around him was having as great a time as he was.

Photo courtesy Chuck Evans/Sports Chalet

Although Chuck hails from Los Angeles, he’s called Mammoth home since he finished school at the University of California, Los Angeles in 2007. If he’s not riding, you can find him traveling, skating, rock climbing, backpacking, or doing anything else that screams “the outdoors.” He also gets in his video time, such as his recently released video edit from the 2011-12 season, and it created quite a stir within the snowboard community. Both Snowboarder magazine and Transworld Snowboarding featured it on their websites, garnering an impressive amount of views and exposure. As usual, it features him tearing up Main Park, mobbing down through deep powder and attacking all kinds of burly jibs.

We reached out to C-Huck recently to get some more inside info on what this guy is all about and what he has in store for the upcoming winter. Here’s what he had to share:

Where did you spend most of your days riding when you first started?

I learned how to ride at Mountain High and Bear Mountain, local resorts just outside of the greater Los Angeles area.

Photo courtesy Jeremy Condamine

How’d you score your first sponsor and who are your sponsors now?

While working at NineStar (back when the shop was still alive) I scored my first sponsor. I was in college competing in the SCCSC and USASA Slopestyle Events. Brad Teschner from Nitro Snowboards was the local rep and believed in me. He sent me a few boards and bindings to get me started. My current sponsors are Ride Snowboards, Smith Optics, Celtek Gloves, Stickdocs and Monster Energy. Thank you all!

Snowboarder magazine recently blew up your edit from this past season. How do you feel about that?

Thank you Snowboarder mag! I certainly feel the edit was a great introduction to major exposure. I have lots of room for growth as a rider and plan to use this edit as a momentum boost for larger projects and developing my skill as a snowboarder.

Tell us about this past season and how you’re gearing up for the upcoming one.

Last season posed bit of challenge with limited snow. However, I made the most of it, rode lots of park, and got into the backcountry with Gabe Taylor and a large group of local shredders as well as with Kevin Westenbarger (a photographer) and Nate Shute (a camera man) to capture this trip.

This summer I have focused heavily on daily and nightly adventures. I had lots of opportunity to paddleboard on much of the lakes, hike Half Dome under the August blue moon as well as compete in the June Lake Triathlon, the Mammoth Mud Run, and Mammoth Fall Century (a 100-mile bike ride). I also trained at Snowcreek Athletic Club to get stronger for the upcoming season.

What is one of your ‘go-to’ tricks or your favorite trick to land?

I’m big on style and execution so my “go to” trick is definitely a Cab 5; it’s relatively simple, but it always feels good!

Photo courtesy Chuck Evans

What’s your favorite mountain to ride and why.

My favorite mountain is Mammoth Mountain. Mammoth offers a long season, lots of sunny days, and has some of the best parks in the country for progression. Not to mention, it offers easy access to backcountry terrain in the surrounding area.

Would you prefer a hot bluebird day where you’re lapping the park or a day when it’s dumping snow and it’s all about powder slashes?

I’m definitely a fair-weather rider and enjoy bluebird park days with the crew followed by a nice cold one on the Mammoth Sundeck! However, I’ll always love powder slashes and bottomless champagne powder.

What riders inspire your shredding?

Riders like Kazuhiro Kokubo, Lonnie Kauk, and Shayne Pospisil inspire my riding. Big clean style is what I strive to achieve while riding; these guys certainly epitomize this.

How do you feel about the contest scene and how often do you compete?

The contest scene is currently a strong platform where we see the most progression within snowboarding. From double corks to now triple corks, we see contest riders progressing to new levels to stay competitive. I’m not the biggest competitor in this sense…this past season I competing in a few local competitions such as the Burton Bro-Down Showdown, Nike Chosen Big-air, and the Oakley Style Slopestyle event.

Something only your mom knows about you…

My mom, and a few others know that I’m a classically trained violinist and pianist. Sshhhh…

How did you pick/become interested in your molecular genetics major at UCLA?

I took an under division microbiology course on bio-terrorism. This opened my eyes toward infectious disease and how they affect humans. Having had an interest in science, I quickly gravitated toward microbiology, immunology, and molecular genetics. I guess you could call me a nerd.