Behind each of those graphics is an artist, someone who’s poured their soul into the work so that you can rip powder with meaningful, original art atop your skis or board. We called up four artists who’ve helped give brands Black Crows, Coalition Snow, Giro, and Ride their visual identities.
Hannah Eddy / Giro
Snowboard, skate, and surf enthusiast Hannah Eddy has been drawing since kindergarten, and her work is often inspired by the activities she loves. She studied art while pursing snowboarding and eventually, she was able to combine the two into a career. Now, her work—which is colorful, playful, and imaginative—adorns goggle straps and helmets from Giro. “I want to help create an appreciation of the natural world and a connection to it,” Eddy says.
Yorgo Tloupas / Black Crows
Parisian designer Yorgo Tloupas was working in design for magazines and fashion brands when a friend asked him to help create a logo for his new start-up ski company, which he was calling Black Crows. The graphic he created—a simple chevron pattern, in the design of a flock of birds flying in unison—ended up being the foundation for the entire brand’s identity, a sleek but simple shape that signified all that freeskiing can be.
Lauren Bello Okerman / Coalition Snow
Lauren Bello Okerman worked in finance on Wall Street, then got a degree in architecture. But living in the city and designing buildings didn’t fill her up. So, she gave it all up and moved to the mountains, unsure where her career would go next. A long carpool ride with friend Jen Gurecki turned into her next step. Gurecki was launching a women’s ski brand called Coalition Snow—and she needed help designing the topsheets of her skis. Okerman was just the person for the job.
Dave Banks / Ride Snowboards
You’ll find undertones of heavy metal music in the dynamic graphics Dave Banks designs for Ride Snowboards. As the brand’s global senior graphics designer, he’s in charge of creating the art that graces your favorite boards. Banks got his start as a skateboarder and snowboarder from the East Coast who went to art school with a very clear vision of what he wanted to become. The fact that he’s doing his exact dream job is still mind-blowing to him.