Live from the desk of Ella Sorensen:
In Order of Appearance: Ella Sorensen, Gavyn Hanson, Ava Frothinger, Bella Warren, and Jaylen Hanson
Jaylen and I started hitting a few spots early last season, both new to the street world but antsy to learn more. We rallied our girls, I got my hands on a camera, and we were able to make something happen.
Excited to share what we made ♡
THANK YOU, ENJOY !
FIRST TIMERS INTERVIEW BETWEEN THE INTERN & THE ROOKIES
This crew of young Minnesota rippers spent their first season away from the ropes and out on in the streets. With no drop in ramp, no filmer, and no budget, these girls ended the season with plenty of footage to be proud of. I got to catch up with Ella Sorensen and Jaylen Hanson to chat about their experience as the new kids on the block.
Interview by: Isabella Gomez (intern)
Did you ever expect your film to get any media attention?
JAYLEN HANSON: We were so excited because we didn't think the media was going to get much hype over our video.
ELLA SORENSEN: Jaylen and I were texting about this last night; we couldn't believe it. If you would've asked us last year, I would've said, 'No way!'.
Well, I'm glad we are making this happen! The media attention is well deserved. Your crew seems like you guys all bond really well together how did you girls all meet?
JH: Well, Gavyn and I are sisters, and I met Ava when I first started snowboarding at Buck Hill when I was about 10. And we all competed with Ella at the Hyland USASA contests when we were little. I remember seeing Ella and thinking she was so much older than me and thinking, 'Oh my gosh, I want to be her!'.
ES: We met Bella at Hyland since she basically lives there during the winter.
I bet your little crew is a force to be reckoned with, do you think you're the cool girls at Hyland these days?
ES: Not really, I don't think about that. It's kind of cool though because I realized that when I'm riding around, the younger girls are probably looking at me like how I looked at Emma Crosby.
JH: Yeah, I feel like there is a younger generation of little girls that I've met and I try to be the older girl that I wish I had when I was their age. So I feel like it's sick to see it all come back around and now we can be there for the younger girls.
I had a similar experience growing up watching Emma and Lex Roland and thinking they were so cool. Outside of the Minnesota natives, are there any video parts that have inspired you guys?
ES: Last year when we were getting into filming, it was right about when Hot Coco dropped. I used to watch that EVERY morning before we would go out.
JH: For me, The Uninvited films were the first kind of series that I saw with a full girl crew that inspired me. I'm normally super bad at watching all the snowboard movies but I feel like the Uninvited films are ones that I've watched multiple times. All of us had specific things in the videos that we were using as inspo, from the tricks to the style to the editing.
ES: I think there are smaller crews in Minnesota too. It's nice to see everyone having so much fun, even if they're not getting paid and filming everything inside Minnesota.
Being one of those smaller crews in Minnesota, what were some of the mistakes and triumphs of going out for the first time?
ES: It was so spontaneous. We lost so many days, which is the reason for the title. We didn't have a plan. We didn't even start filming until December, which was probably way later than we needed to start.
JH: I remember being at a spot and Ella was like, 'Should we make a movie?' and I said yes but neither of us really knew what that entailed. It was so much work! Especially trying to edit everything together during the summer.
So you guys were running a loose operation?
ES: Loooose operation!! We didn't really have a drop-in ramp either, so we were limited on the spots we could hit. There were a couple of days when Jaylen and I went out to find a spot, and we would try to hit it just the two of us, which doesn't always work.
JH: It was so hard sometimes, especially without having a drop-in ramp. We used Ryan Paul's ramp once towards the end of the season, and the build was so quick and easy that it was crazy.
So, would you say not having a ramp was the most challenging part?
ES: Yeah, we would spend like 20 hours trying to shovel enough snow. One day, it was like negative 20, and we were at this down rail, and it was so cold that the snow wouldn't pack down. We were getting bins from my car and stacking them trying to throw snow on top.
JH: We never went back to that spot and we never got the clip. This happened like multiple times.
So you guys were out there breaking your backs over this takeoff and not even getting the trick?
ES: Exactly!
JH: We learned so much from doing everything wrong.
When you girls were able to hit a spot, what were some of your pre-drop rituals?
ES: We never really played music at the spots, but we sing all the time.
JH: I'm zoned in; I can feel what it's going to feel like to do the trick and feel how excited I'd get if I landed it.
ES: That makes one of us! I'll have to pick that up!
When Ella is not singing acapella at the spot, what music are you guys listening to? How did you pick the soundtrack?
ES: Last year we had a big ol playlist that everyone would add to throughout the season.
JH: We would listen to a lot of music in the car too. But it's funny because I usually get hyped to female rap and Ella would blast country. It works out though!
A good shared playlist has always been my favorite. Did you girls collaborate on the editing for the film as well?
ES: Yeah, pretty much; we did a lot of editing together in the summer. We live so far away from each other that we only met up twice and would grind for hours just to get a skeleton of what it would look like. Since editing this video and watching other videos, I realized that a lot more goes into the aesthetics and things to make it look good.
How were you guys able to get all your shots without a filmer?
ES: Um, a GoPro pole.
JH: Which wasn't a tripod, so we had to hold it.
ES: I don't know why we didn't have a tripod?! I thought I had one but I think my mom gave it to Goodwill.
JH: Shoutout to Ryan Conway, though, because he helped a lot too. He showed us the ropes, and we would not have been able to do anything without him teaching us all that he did. 
It is really rad though that you girls were able to go out and be independent enough to film your own movie. Do you have any advice for young girl crews out there who want to start their film journey?
ES: Find your girls, find your crew!
JH: Yeah, it makes a big difference. I also had a couple of people say that our film would be a joke or hate on us for trying to make a movie. You can't let it get to your head and let them invalidate you like that. It sounds cliche, but if you want something and have a vision, go and get it! There is just no room for that negative energy you know?
ES: Minnesota is full of sweethearts, but there is definitely some intimidating riding at Hyland. I feel like growing up riding there, I would be so scared sometimes, but I always felt so much better riding with my crew of girls.
I definitely remember being one of the only girls on the hill when I was riding at Hyland. This is why it's so cool to see you all come together and do this on your own accord, fully independent from everyone. For those hating, it's like get with it or get lost! But jokes on them right? Because now you guys have released an awesome film! Definitely something to be proud of. 