→ What interested you about the NORDJÖRK project?​

Seeing the fun and the energy that Nordjork brings to everything they do really resonated with me. Their style is all about being fit and fast and fun. I always want to be a part of it when someone is throwing that kind of party. I am very excited about painting on unexpected and unconventional shapes, and ski poles were such a unique challenge for me. My work has a ton of color and pattern in it, but the form factor of a ski pole is so thin and light that it presented me with a very unique space to play with. The printed pieces also gave me a chance to do some designs that would be really difficult to produce directly in paint. The complexity of the layers would be super hard to produce, and, of course, the actual fabric itself wouldn't really be possible to paint on. Working with a repeating pattern that will scale and stretch and wrap around things is another unique challenge that I really enjoy exploring for the soft goods.

 

​

→ In an outdoor market filled with neutral apparel and gear, how do you want people to respond to your designs?​
People want fun colors! More than that, fun colors inspire strong connections between people and the things they consume. Do I remember the black or navy blue backpack I had in high school? Of course not. Do I remember the colorful bag I used to keep my toy cars in when I was 5 years old? Hell yeah, I do! I took that thing everywhere! The same thing can happen with our outdoor gear. Plus, it can be a positive for the environment if the stronger relationship can lead to more loving and less frequent patterns of consumption. Buy it once, and love it for years to come.

 

 

→ What do you think your fans in the cycling world will say about this snowsports collab?​
Road and gravel cycling fitness overlaps with Nordic ski fitness quite a bit, so I'm really keen to see how many of the people in our respective audiences participate in both sports. If we each have people who have previously stuck to one lane (cycling or skiing), it would be amazing to see them expand their range - cyclists checking out Nordic skiing and Nordic skiers checking out cycling. Ride all summer, ski all winter? Sounds like a good life to me.​

 

 

→ What products are you most excited to see out in the world?

That's a tough one! I think I'd have to say the poles because we'll get a chance to see how many people are ready to fully commit to our shared vision. Any two poles will look good together, but they will come as deliberately mis-matched sets - no matching pairs. That will be super challenging for some people! Especially if they are comfortable in the 'matte black everything' sporting gear universe. We're opening a new lane here where people have a chance to do something really weird and fun, and I'm excited to see how many people take that chance when it's offered to them.

​

​

→ How do you find the balance to create, ride, live and run a business?
When I was a little kid, the first job I ever wanted was to be the person who designs Lego sets. This kind of work actually feels really close to that because I get to design experiences that are defined by form and pattern and color. Sometimes though, the result is that I really don't take a lot of breaks! I love producing this work, but I know I need to avoid burning myself out. This collaboration is a really good example of sustainable long-term balance for me. The printed pieces allow me to play and expand my style because fabric can do so many things that simply aren't possible with paint; plus we can scale those without me having to be in the studio producing each and every piece. Then I still get to produce custom paint but maybe on a slightly more limited-run kind of basis. I honestly love interacting with the people who use the things I make, so the extra time I'm able to recover lets me connect with clients and reconnect with myself and my own sporting goals as well. 

 

​

→ What is your go-to music when painting or designing?
I am a huge fan of Clairo - I have been listening to her a lot for the last few years honestly. This is going to sound very Gen-X (even though I was born in 1983), but not that many people produce albums anymore! Clairo's records are super beautiful, and they're great to listen to straight through. She also has a ton of range as an artist. Her first singles and albums are very pop and DIY, and then later albums are very vintage Fleetwood Mac sounding with great studio instrumentation, and her newest album is a little bit of a blend. Love her. If anyone reading this knows her, tell her I said so!

 

​

→ When can we get you on Nordic skis?
I'd be so into it! The Olympics are going to be in Milan and Cortina this winter, so they'll be happening right in my backyard. I'm 100% ready to give it a go.

 

​

→ What's your favorite candy?
I love gummy things big time. The classic gummy bears are so good, especially the white ones. Some say they're pineapple flavored; I say they're a little more coconut or pina colada flavored. Whatever they are, they're amazing. My mom liked gummy cola bottles when I was a kid. At the time, I didn't really like them, but now I am totally into them too. Sometimes being an adult isn't so bad. You have to learn about a lot of boring stuff like taxes and car insurance, but you can also learn to love more gummy candy.

​

​

Learn more about Curtis's art, projects and general doings on the grid