Words: Xander
I remember meeting Harry Green for the first time at Mt Buller when he was just a grom – pre tats, piercings and Commodore Ute. He was always such a polite kid – kind, humble, appreciative and supremely talented on his snowboard.
Coined the pride of Mansfield, particularly because of his work petitioning for the upgrade of the local skatepark – he always rode with a genuine love of snowboarding, showing up to the Cattleman’s Rail Jam every year with a smile on his face and the entire Jindaybne snowboarding contingent in tow – every one of which crashing at his house at the bottom of the hill.
As one of the early riders in the Odd Folks crew, he spent seasons chasing clips with his friends and etched his name into Australian snowboarding folklore with some of the best Australian street footage ever shot.
After completing a graphic design degree in 2022, Harry has somewhat moved on from snowboarding and now lives in Sydney where he’s part of the graphic and product design team at one of Australia’s premier skateboarding brands, Pass~Port, a dream gig for any kid who grew up skating. It seems as though his work is just going from strength to strength, culminating recently in contributing towards a collaboration Vans shoe.
Channeling the same talent he had on his snowboard into creating beautiful art, we’re big fans of his work, and he still retains that charm and humility that he had as the grom on Bourke St. We caught up with the ‘nicest guy in snowboarding’ to hear more about his work, his shoe, his influences and what ever happened to his Commodore Ute.
Oh, and next time you’re driving down from Perisher, keep your eyes open as you pass the Ski Rider Hotel on the left, you might just catch a glimpse of Harry locked in to one of his trademark back lips.
Firstly, do you still have your ute?
Yeah man, she’s alive! I’ve had it for over 10 years now – I just serviced it last weekend and it’s still going strong. I don’t think I’ll ever get rid of it. It’s a ’91, most of them are clapped out now, so you don’t see them often. It actually got stolen a couple of years ago, but I got it back. I thought it would be torched, burnt out in the bush somewhere, but it was found on the outskirts of Melbourne and my dad brought a tandem trailer, took it back to the farm and sorted it out. I love that thing.
You’re now working at Pass~Port – how’s it all going?
It’s going really well. I’ve been there almost two years now. It’s my first full-time job out of university doing design stuff, so I don’t have much to compare it to, but the guys I work with have become really good friends, and I’m learning a lot. I got into design because I wanted to make work that I like the look of, rather than doing kind of big commercial stuff, and I love what the company does, so it’s cool to do something I’m passionate about for a job.
Are there similarities between the skate and snowboard world?
Definitely. Both industries have evolved over the past few decades. There are so many different aspects in the sports these days, like comp crews, people filming parts, and various styles and aesthetics within those. Snowboarding often takes notes from skating, so what’s cool in skating usually becomes cool in snowboarding too. It’s funny to see trends in skating start happening in snowboarding. The aesthetic, editing style, filming style, and music choices often mirror each other.
It seems like skateboarding sets the trends and everyone else follows?
Yeah, in my opinion, everything starts with skating, and then other industries catch up – whether it’s fashion, design, other sports. In snowboarding, most snowboarders have at least some experience or knowledge of skating, so I think it’s definitely higher up the pyramid in terms of influence.
In your experience, how is snowboarding perceived in the skate world? Are we cool or kooky?
I mean, everyone I’ve spoken to from the skate world about snowboarding has been positive and interested because they know that I snowboard and think it’s cool. Skaters find snowboarding interesting, even if they don’t think about it much, they see it as something different and cool. Most skaters perceive snowboarding positively, and can relate to a hectic trick, especially in the streets, or a well put together short film.
You have what many kids who grow up skating would consider a dream gig. Do you have any advice on how to go from being interested in graphic design to making it your profession?
For me, the biggest thing was just getting busy and working hard. There’s no set path, so you have to keep at it. Keep making stuff, even if you’re unsure about how it will turn out – keep learning, refining and pushing yourself – kind of like snowboarding in a way. I’d say don’t discount your interests from before, think about what you’re into and use that.
Do you think uni is necessary?
It’s not necessary for everyone, but it definitely helped me. It gave me structure and routine, which I needed. Some people are naturally talented and can create great things without any formal study, but I needed that environment to focus and work hard. I’m glad I didn’t go to university until later in my 20s. The experience I gained from snowboarding and traveling helped me contribute more during university I think.
How did the shoe design concept come around?
It started shortly after I began working at Pass~Port. We’d had done a couple of shoe collaborations with Vans before, so we already had a relationship, and a lot of our riders are sponsored by Vans. Our projects are super collaborative, so we basically just brainstormed ideas and came up with something we thought would be be cool. John, who I work with, thought it would be cool to create a shoe representing Oxford Street, where our store is located. From concept to the shoe hitting the shop floor, the process took about a year and a half. It’s basically a big collaborative effort between me and the other guys in the studio.
How does designing a Vans shoe actually work?
One of us usually takes the lead on a project, and I was kind of handed the reins for this one which I was so grateful for. It’s like any new product – we start with ideation, research, and referencing other shoes, then brainstorm and refine the concept. Then we discuss with the Vans team in the States, who advise us on practical elements like materials, manufacturing etc. It’s pretty involved, I learned heaps, but everyone cares about the details so it’s fun to work on. Vans pretty much gave us full creative freedom – I’m stoked with what we came up with.
I went into the store the other week and saw the shoe and the pop up in the flesh, it’s so cool, congrats – must be insane seeing it come to life?
Thanks man, yeah we’re all stoked how it turned out. The pop up was pretty funny – obviously it was referencing the seedy shopfronts on Oxford street, and I had to source all this kinky stuff on Marketplace to include in the fit out. I felt so suss hitting random people up for 2nd hand lingerie – so my girlfriend kindly bought it for me.
Speaking on behalf of the snowboard community, your artwork is amazing, how would you describe your aesthetic?
Thanks! It’s kind of tough to describe my work without sounding super pretentious. I guess I’m inspired by a lot of textural, gritty illustrations and Australian landscapes, flora in particular. Things that aren’t shiny and modern, I like things that are a bit odd and quirky. I’ve always been into classic Australiana – so maybe that might describe my style?
Cheesy question, but where do you draw inspiration from?
It depends on what I’m working on and what I’m into at the time. Like I said, I’m inspired by old Australian history, old designs, interesting textures. I appreciate artwork that has character and personality, unlike some modern vector designs that just feel flat. Older designs, like vintage magazines, have an authenticity and texture that modern high-gloss designs don’t really have. They feel more meaningful and considered. The other day I was reading this scuba diving magazine from the ’70s, and just so mesmerized by the illustrations and photos. The care put into it is so cool, some stuff today seems a bit quick and cheap.
Does snowboarding still inspire you?
For sure, snowboarding definitely still inspires me – it’s still the sickest thing ever to me. I don’t watch every edit or whatever anymore, but I get inspired by my friends and the people I met over the years who are still passionate about it. I love it, and still find it cool and inspiring. Snowboarding has so many different subcultures now, and there’s always something new and exciting happening – and because it’s still so niche in Australia it’s pretty special to watch.
Did you learn anything from snowboarding that you use day to day now?
For sure. Snowboarding gave me a lot of general life experience – you end up in all these random situations meeting different people, making friends every winter, solving problems etc. I think it also influenced my design – creative work is about showing a unique perspective, and being interested in snowboarding helped me develop that uniqueness I guess. And then just like more philosophical things – working hard at a trick, trying, failing, trying again – that kind of stuff.
Have you seen your Ski Rider window IRL?
Yeah, last time I was in Jindy my friends made me take a photo of it to prove to my mates at work that I was on a billboard. Surely they have something better to put up!
I think they should heritage list it!
Follow Harry On Instagram here, and check out the shoe and other goods available from available from Pass~Port.
