Japan has a special place in the hearts of the people at Korua Snowboards. It’s the place where Korua was born in 2012, and it’s a place with powder unparalleled. That’s why they returned to the Land of the Rising Sun to make the film you see here, Clouds: States of Submersion.
“We witnessed the country’s thriving snow-surf culture and their specifically ‘built-for-deep-powder’ boards,’ the brand’s website explains. “This spoke to our individual riding styles and interests. So when the opportunity arose to start our own brand, it was clear that the focus would lie on making boards that were easy-to-ride in our home mountains, the Alps, and that would turn exceptionally well.”
Clouds: States of Submersion follows Nicholas Wolken as he spends two weeks chasing powder in the mountains of Hokkaido, Japan. Korua makes snowboards that are built for that surfy feeling, and Hokkaido is one of the best places on Earth to find it. Shot by the hyper-talented Matt Foley, it’s as much an art project as a snowboarding film.
“The project grew out of a shared love of surfing and surf films: long, drawn-out turns across an open face, the feeling of disappearing inside a barrel, and the patient way those moments are captured on camera,” Korua wrote. “Nico and Matt set out to see if those feelings could carry over to snow, looking for the places where turning on a wave and turning on a mountain start to share the same foundation. Earning every turn on foot, Nicholas went in search of untouched snow, quiet mountains, and the kind of turns that make you forget about everything else.”
The saying “you’ve got to earn your turns” is on full display in Clouds: States of Submersion.
“Some days delivered bottomless powder, others required a little more of a journey, but the goal remained the same: finding new feelings in a familiar place while getting lost in turning on snow,” Korua explained. “This film is a collection of those moments, an exploration of continuous movement, surf-inspired rhythm, and the simple joy of riding powder.”
