Gigi Cappello interview

I wanted to interview this guy since I knew him in Lagorai resort two or three seasons ago. It was the poorest season ever, but just there a gigantic snow dump trasformed a hot snowless day in a freeride journey. He was riding the park with Mike P. and  I immediately noticed his natural skills and his unique natural way to be, free from all that stupid snowboarder terms from the average rider vocabulary and full of humbleness.
Luckily, Yle Giachetti made it for me.
Madame and Monsieur, a good example of how the average Italian rider should be:

Hi Gigi, finally I’m going to interview you! Are you ready for a load of questions? Let’s begin introducing you: tell us who you are and what you do…

How are you Yle? I’m Gigi Cappello, I’m 27 years young,  I’m from Vicenza where I ‘ve lately lived very a few but where I’m always glad to come back. What pushes me far away is snowboard, but besides there are a lot of things I love, such as architecture, the seaside, the boxe, my job ( I’m the owner of an Hotel ), spending free time with the people I love, dogs, the quiet after the storm, the motorbikes and music.

From how long have you been snowboarding?

From a few years ….!!! I was 14 when I begun, and 13 years already passed…damn!

Which are your supporters?

My main sponsor is Freeonboard Distribution, with trademarks BATALEON ( boards ), CELSIUS ( boots ), IFOUND ( truckers )… if I’ll be able to get pants and a hot meal per day, I’ll move to their company! SPY gives me the goggles and GRENADE the technical equipment. For all the rest there’s  Mike Pireddu or Mastercard.

What can’t you leave home when you snowboard? ( like music, or protections…)

Well., it may seem strange… I wear a necklace of antique amber my father gave me as lucky charm …. I don’t’ know why, but it makes me feel more centered on the snowboard, ah ah!, then some friends and Coke.

Lately I watched you riding and you’re really great, I know you’ve been  blocked by a shoulder injury. After an accident, how can you find the right determination to be back on the trail faster than before? ( I’m asking you because at the moment some riders are living the same experience, maybe your advice could be useful to get over the shitty moment )

Firstly, thank you…Injuries are always considered as the Achille’s heel of any sportsman/woman, for they can compromise your career. Unfortunately ( or luckily ) we don’t play draughts, and we need to budget for some alarms. I think that these are the best moments for stiring up the best of you and the true fighting spirit, for showing to the rest of the world that it’s you who decides when to stop, not ‘cause of the bang. Personally, while I’m recovering from a crash I figure out every trick I’ve still to try and the places to go to when I’ll be on the run again.

Where and with whom do you usually snowboard?

I’m often in S.Martino where I’m also busy in maintaining the park. But my favourite place ever is the Jurassic Park to the Fiorentini, mostly for a fact of welcome: all my friends are there. Martino the bear and Matteo Pastega who I’ll never stop thanking  for their support when I don’t want to make a trick ‘cause I’m scared or insecure. There’s Matteo Meneghetti together with me in the team, so whether I like it or not he’s always where I am; luckily we get well together, he’s great, he’s always the right good word and the right trick…. I like snowboarding with Mike when he’s available, but just because he lives near me and we pay the full  50-50, ah ah! Then Nanni, Ale Barbu … the old good Zibi.

What’s your secret dream?

I’ve many in my drawer, but I never open it.  Indeed, I suppose all of them meet the ideal of a peaceful future lived together with the people I love. I figure my self doing my business as I always did, but in a different way, i.e. balancing myself within fun, work and my family. I dream of serenity, maybe cutting the grass doing the housework, able to appreciate the things I’ve got avoiding doubting that there could be something better…..I don’t know if my thought is clear, does it?

And your nightmare?

Maybe witnessing  my body and my mind getting old, while years and time don’t go by, for time makes you grow mature, and I like that. I’m afraid of getting my way of thinking old, of meaning to do something and not being able to, what I cannot control makes me uneasy.

How did you begin snowboarding, and thanks to whom?

It’s a contradiction, I begun ‘cause I like the seaside, and surfing. As I wasn’t so lucky to live in a place where waves are the main course, I had to find out a compromise, and snowboard seemed to be the right one. Water is icy is in this case, but we always talk about H2O.

Can you describe us your ideal line (in park)?

I’d begin with a 8 mt.  jump for trying  new tricks, then a nosedive and a 18 mt.  jump to improve already catched tricks, a wide funbox, spine, a tasty 45° rail, the wooden hut where an icy bottle of Coke is waiting for me, one of those 30 cl bottles.

Do you fancy freestyle? Would you try it?

I like it a lot, and I really appreciate the guys who practice it, although they bother me when they’re in park, for they intrigue me, they rock, they need too much free space and I always fear they could pierce my face with their sticks. Ski means unlimited chances, maybe even more than snowboarding and, humbly speaking, it seems easier, more foseeable. I’d love to try, but i could never foster it, ‘cause of the previous mentioned intrigue, I’d feel like Fantozzi caught by competitive hallucinations in Canazei.

Last question … if I told you the word RACE, what would you anser me?

If Matteo comes too, no problem … how’s the jump? Can you land? Well, I like them, I like tasting the pre-contest tension, thinking of what I’ll do on the way and learning from the other racers, supports the riders and insult each other. To the contests I always meet friends I never see, like you and Pina … they can be intended as meeting points.

Well, I think we’re done, if you don’t have anything else to tell us, we can end up with the greetings…

Claudia for all, my family, the crew: Davide Zeno from Dufresne, Mike, Piero Righetto and Valentino Rossi, Zanna, Alberatone and Ughinz, Zibi, Nanni, Barbu, Galzi, the wise  Andrea Rigano, Pro sport, Macho, Carlo, Matteo, Julo, Gio, Aliz the Freeonboard, Gabry and Fra, Pasi, Filo, Bataleon, Ifound, Grenade, SPY, Lobster and 100. And I thank you.

text: Yle G.
pics: Mike P. – Andrea Rigano

http://www.freeonboard.it