MEET THE FOUNDER

Born in Hamilton, Ontario and raised in Tottenham, a small Canadian town an hour's drive north of Toronto, James Shelley grew up as one of eight kids who had the privilege of being raised in the hills of New Tecumseth.

In the winter, with beaten-up floodlights to guide the way after dark and a rickety, back-firing old snowmobile to bring the boarders back to the top, the small hill in James' backyard became a training ground for perfectly executed board grabs, perfectly embarrassing face plants and an unbreakable passion for the sport.

When the short drop and the long walk of the backyard hill could no longer satisfy James and his brothers started riding at Blue Mountain Resort. After school, on weekends – anytime was fair game. Life was viewed through goggles.

James spent his school hours distracted with ideas and art – the result of a mind too abstract to worry about mundane things like homework and grades. Binders, textbooks and long, dull geology essays were filled to the margins with doodles, slogans, signatures and veiled threats from frustrated teachers. Having a motivating brother-in-law with a Masters Degree in Design and Marketing, created the framework and inspiration, where James' thoughts could be put to paper, and where a passing idea could materialize and evolve.

After high school, James packed up his life, snowboard, goggles and a couple other necessities and moved across the country to Chilliwack, British Columbia to live for a year and a half with his older brother. Having the Rocky Mountains in his backyard, James had the opportunity to board in the most pure, natural conditions found on earth. After experiencing the beautiful landscape, views from the peaks and thick, divine powder, James returned to Ontario with a newfound appreciation of the sport.

James' goal in life is to prioritize a healthy lifestyle so he can give back to his family, and he hopes to one day earn enough to buy knee replacements for his dad. He plans to use his business as a vehicle to give back to the community … and, naturally, to have a little fun on the way as well by traveling the world, stopping off someplace where he can surf and snowboard on the same day.

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Which stance do you ride?
Regular.

How long have you been boarding?
My dad bought my first board when I was 10 and I've been riding ever since. I have the misfortune of being very accident prone, however, so I've been set back with many injuries.

Were any of those injuries a result of snowboarding?
Yes, sprained wrists and bruised knees were all common but on the more set backing, major scale - I broke my tailbone when I was 14 and tore the LCL in my right knee when I was 16.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Developing new and practical products that we all wish were out there.