Louie Vito Checks In for Hump Day

Ok so we’ve covered the tight pants kids, some industry dudes, even some ams you’ve never heard of. But let’s face it, there is this whole subsect of snowboarding that rides the pipe and seems to care about contest results. Call them jocks if you must, but what sort of respectable snowboard journalists would we be if every once in while we didn’t talk to one of them? So we picked Louie Vito. On top of winning contests, he is super good at the internet. He even knows how to respond to email! Oh yeah, and if you are into pipe, he is good at riding it and this year, thanks to an added boost in amplitude he has become one of the names the statisticians (ok, just X Games researchers) throw around when they are trying to pick the winners. So yeah, he’ll do.

YoBeat: There’s no question you’re serious about training, but how often do you get to ride powder?

LV: I never really think of hiking a pipe as training because I am always cruising and every time I ride I am trying to learn something.  I get to ride pow whenever it snows in between contests, sometimes its a lot, sometimes its a little.  It really depends on the timing.

YoBeat: How did you get into snowboarding, growing up in Ohio and all?

LV:  I grew up outside a resort called Mad River Mountain.  I use to ski and then one day my dad and I thought snowboarding looked cool so we tried it out and were stoked.  They have night riding and I use to just ride everyday after school.

YoBeat:  What do you think of the Winter Dew Tour?

LV: The Dew Tour was dope.  Good set up and a lot of good riding goin down.

YoBeat: Is the more hectic contest schedule this year cutting into your social networking?

LV: I got Myspace and Facebook, so I am always social networking.

YoBeat: Obviously the Olympics are a goal for you, have you always wanted to go?

LV: Yea, just growing up doing other sports the Olympics were always the big time thing.  So now having snowboarding in the Olympics it is a goal for sure to go.

YoBeat: Did you ever consider trying to make the Olympics for gymnastics?

LV: (laughing)  Well I always wanted to be the best at whatever sport I did, but I had trouble with how strict gymnastics was.  It is so straight-laced and I have ADHD to the max and was always talking, running around, doing something so having the discipline was a little hard for me for that sport.

Yobeat: Do you have a backup plan if it doesn’t happen for you in snowboarding?

LV: I have ideas but nothing really set in stone.  Take everything as it comes and try to be smart with my money now so in case something does happen, I am not screwed.

YoBeat: How did you learn to dance?

LV: (laughing) I’m not sure.  School functions probably.

YoBeat: Are you bummed that Volleyball chick beat you out for Dancing with the Stars?

LV: It is hard to argue with them choosing an Olympic Gold Medalist, but I wouldn’t have gotten hurt dancing.

YoBeat:  Do you feel like the amount of rotations in most competition pipe runs is getting out of hand?

LV: It is getting there I think.  I am still waiting to be impressed with a 1260 in pipe, but I will probably try one sooner or later.

YoBeat: Do you ever get any Louis Vuitton jokes? Are they funny?

LV: I get it every once in a while.  I just claim that it’s my company when I see people with Louis Vuitton stuff.

YoBeat: What’s it like riding for Todd Richard’s company? Do you consider him a role model?

LV: It is so sick working and riding for Todd.  He has so many ideas, funny, and someone how has been around the sport and is someone I can always go to for advice.  He helps me out a lot.

YoBeat: Your blog is maintained by Louie Vito staff. Do you really have a staff?

LV: I have a few people helping me out.  That website is a little old though but we are working on re- doing it and getting it up to date.

Finally and most importantly, who is weirder, the Dingo or Little Jon?

LV: That is a tough one. (laughs) Naw, they are both chill.  Lil Jon is funny and fun to hang with.  Dingo is like my older brother and always takes care of me.  Weird?? Well they both wear sunglasses at night and in clubs so its whatever you think of that.