Words: James Herring
They say there is beauty in simplicity. Not many other board companies (if any!) capture this
simplistic beauty better than Korua Shapes and their film series Yearning For Turning.
The Yearning for Turning series is based on relatable riding, long deep smooth carves and what
every snowboarder wants at the end of the day; fun with your mates in tit-deep powder or resort corduroys!
Starting in 2015, Korua Shapes simultaneously launched their board company with a flock of edits that stood out from almost everything else. These are the kind of video’s that, through their riding, editing and soundtrack, are a swift Swiss bitch slap to the face. And I mean that in the most pleasing way possible.
The film aesthetic of black and white is perfect for snowboarding. Being able to identify every crisp detail of the waist-deep powder, every shadow, every nuance. With the only colour being an occasional splash of red that shake you out of the hypnotic dream state Nicholas Wolken lulls you into with his seamless turns and style.
Now, to launch themselves into the Northern Hemi winter, Korua Shapes have released their 10th Yearning for Turning edit: VOLUME X – MEMORY LANE. A compilation remix including some
of the clips used in previous YFT edits. Perfect time to catch up on what you’ve been missing if all of this is news to you.
We were lucky enough to borrow some of Korua Shapes Co-Owner Nicholas Wolken’s time for a
quick chat about the series.
Transfer: Hey Nicholas, how’s it going?
Nicholas Wolken: Hey, all good here. It’s starting to snow here, so pretty exciting!
So what was the conception of Korua Boards?
At the very beginning, we were just a bunch of tight-knit friends who lived and breathed
snowboarding. After a few encounters with the Japanese snowsurf-culture, we eventually got the opportunity to start our own thing in Europe, which sparked a lot of brainstorming and soul
searching about what really appeals to us in snowboarding after all these years. That’s what started it all.
Was it always the plan to have these immersive high equality edits to go along with the growth of Korua, or did it come about after the fact?
It sort of just happened. We shared quite a lot of experience around filming, especially as riders and in the very beginning we were lucky that one of our friends Christoph Weber-Thorensen was (and still is) on the cutting edge of drone & gimbal filming, he had all the equipment & skills hence the immersive imagery. We knew we wanted something short & focused on turns in resorts and the backcountry. Once we had some footage, we spent a lot of time to find the look, energy and feel that represented our love for snowboarding.
Who was the driving force behind the Yearning for Turning series? Was it a total team effort with everyone pulling in the same direction or a few really pushing their belief in these projects?
It was definitely a team effort and still is. The first edit with some sort of impact was YEARNING
FOR TURNING Vol. 2 – Carving Europe, in which Stephan Maurer and myself were the main
driving forces. However, we always got feedback & ideas from our friends during that process.
Is there a standout instalment of the Yearning for Turning series that is special to you? Maybe one where you think the riding and editing all came together or one that just reminds you of an awesome time spent while filming?
I think that would be Vol. 6 – Carve Oddity. By that time, Aaron Schwartz had enriched the crew, and I felt like we all knew what we were doing. It also stands out to me because I love the Major Tom song. That season we spent a lot of good times on different trips, but it was also the season I may have invested too much energy busting my Achilles tendon in the process.
Are you guys planning on producing many edits this winter?
We have ideas & plans, but I think it will all depend largely on how the Winter & the Virus situation develops. So far, we are off to a good start in Europe with some base and the first snow storms rolling in.
What are the chances we can get you, Lars and the full team down here to rip apart some Aussie and NZ groomers next winter? We’d love to have you guys down here!
Oh man, actually, chances are pretty high. This would be one of our dream trips! We have been
discussing a trip down-under several times, and I really want to visit my relatives in Sydney. So
fingers crossed we can make it happen in 2022!
Be sure to check out Korua Shapes amazing visual catalog, trust me, it is one of the most enjoyable rabbit holes you’ll find yourself in.