Photos: ©Dylan Thompson and Jason Tackitt

Here we go again here on Candiesmagazine.com with another kid that’s really blowin up the shred-scene down in the States. Not one of the many but the on-fire one. His video part on Happy Thoughts is something insane and his style is second to none. Plus well, he’s a hard worker and surely you’re going to hear more of this guy soon.
Durell Williams!! -  Let’s make it out!!!!

Hi Durell, thank you for your time. Let’s start with the basics: how old are you, where are you from and how long have you been snowboarding ‘til now?
I was born and raised in Palo Alto, California then moved out to Lake Tahoe about 3 years ago. I’ve been riding for 4 seasons now and I’m old enough to party.

What are your sponsors and hook-ups?
Capita, Union, Coal, Ashbury, 686, Celtek, Nike Snowboarding, magical go-go and Milosport.

Which board are you using – or better, destroying  – at the moment?
Right now I’m riding the Ultrafear FK 147, I use that one in the park and the Horrorscope FK in the streets when I’m filming.

What do you require from your board? We’re seeing tons of new features on brand new boards each season, do You think we’re really talking’ of progress of the boarding industries or it’s more an hyped commercial war ?
When I ride I like softer boards just because they’re so much fun. I like the Ultrafear cause it’s a little more stable and real good for all around riding, good for pressing and the Flat Kick helps out in pow too. I think it’s a mixture of both. A lot of people hype up their product up as something new and different but in reality there’s no big difference then the other board out there. I think a lot of board companies have good products; you just gotta find what you like and what fits your riding.

What did bring you to snowboarding for the first time? How was the feeling, suddenly?
I had been skateboarding my whole like since around 7 so that was always a huge influence. I was going to school at the University of Nevada in Reno for a few years and a lot of kids were snowboarding so I thought it couldn’t be much different then skating and tried it out and loved it since the first time I started riding.

I know you’re used to take some laps in Tahoe, where actually you’re killing it. Is this your favorite spot?  Other spots you’re going to hit this winter?
As of right now yeah Tahoe’s my favorite. I haven’t got a chance to really ride anywhere else but I spend summers in Hood and I love that place as well. I also had a chance to ride Bear mountain last spring and that was awesome. This season I plan on filming at lot out here in SLC and making trips back home to Tahoe and out to Minnesota and mid west spots, I’d love to go to Canada for a bit too.

We saw Your part in this year video from bHappy Films, Happy Thoughts. Definitively hyping. And also the video was really sick (You could find our video review here). Do you feel satisfied about it?
Happy, yes. Satisfied, not really. I don’t think anyone should fully be satisfied with their part because then its like they have nothing to push them to try harder next year. There were a lot of tricks that I wanted to get but was either kicked out trying it or never landed, especially in the backcountry. I definitely want to try to get some backcountry shots next season and some jumping cause it’s important to be somewhat well rounded.

What does it mean to you being part of the bHappy Family? How did this project born, and who’s part of it?
bHappy is and will always be my close friends/family. It’s amazing, we just have the best times riding together and are always laughing and singing or whatever just being in a good mood. Paul, Bryce and Joel were the originators and then I met them my first season riding at Boreal for the Academy snowboard camp and we all just became good friends. Then we just decided to start filming edits and added more friends from Tahoe in the crew like Sammy, Ben, Cole, Colton, Dylan, Casey, Zander and Ian.

You also helped the guys with some editing and shooting, isn’t it? Do you like being behind the cameras? What is your set up for filming\shooting and what’s your editing software?
Yeah I help out with filming whenever I can and so do a lot of the riders, which is good and hectic sometimes. I help Paul (Heran), Bryce (hymans) and Sammy (spiteri) with editing when it comes to making the full length movies or small edits when I’m around. I wanted to be a film major so I’ve taken a few film/editing classes here and there. I always enjoy that side too but I feel its better left to the people who are truly into it and super talented like Paul, he’s amazing. For setups Paul uses a Canon 7D, Mac Book Pro, Final cut pro and After Effects for ramping.

Is it really “snowboarding getting too serious” nowadays?
I think if you want to keep it fun you will and if you try to make it serious that’s what snowboarding’s going be. The more you want to make things happen with your snowboarding things are going to have to get a little serious to some extent. Whether if you’re out filming or trying to talk with people in the industry that’s just what has to happen. But if you just want to ride resorts all the time and enjoy just riding with friends and not pursuing anything then yeah it will always just be fun, not that its not always fun. You just have to try and find a even balance with everything.

Is this your stand-alone project or did you also join other crews?
For the most part yes I only filmed with bHappy. I did go on a few trips with our good friends at Tahoe-Dangerzone and filmed a few times with Rob Balding with ‘Get in the van’, which should be dropping soon, the videos amazing!

What’s up with snowboarding in SLC? For us here in Europe is seen like a shred-mecca, but how are things really rollin’, out there?
I’ve actually only been here for a few weeks now but so far it’s been good. A lot of good homies out here that I met at High Cascade over summer and good boarders to, which will definitely push my riding this season. I’m really excited being in a new place, ride a new resort and meet some new people. You have the city life 10 min away, you have cool neighborhoods, skate parks and the mountains are only 30 min away, its all here.

How do you feel coming up in the States? Tons of pressure, tons of competitions, and tons of “rivalry” from other crews, I mean.  Do you think this competitiveness is somewhat good or it is pretty heavy to handle sometimes?
I don’t think there’s any ‘rivalry’ between crews, I think for the most part we are all homies and down for one another. Competitiveness is good because it keep you motivated to get things done and work harder. There’s no real competition between everyone or pressure, we are all super down for all other crews riding, filming and styles!

Track records – What has been the best moment snowboarding brought you ‘til now?
Meeting the close friends that I have now and still ride with everyday. Boreal preseason for the last 3 years has been the best moments I can remember and will continue to be every season I’m out there.

How do you approach riding? Does it cost a lot of sacrifice for you to handle “private life” (schools, works, whatever) and also getting on the board all winter \ summer long?
I just go out and have a good time. I find a good balance mixing in my private life and snowboarding. Its good to find other things to do other then snowboarding sometimes because then you’re just going to get drained out and then its no fun.

Well, how do you spend your time while not shredding?
A lot of skating! I go to Reno a lot with my roomies and go to like 3-4 parks every time. It’s always super fun. Other then that basically just working, trying to visit friends I haven’t seen in a while, going on road trips, going to the movies. There wasn’t too much time when I wasn’t riding this season because right when the season ended in Tahoe I moved out to Mt. Hood for summer.

Do you have any best trick in your portfolio? Or something you just love to make down while sessioning?
Haha I don’t know. I just try whatever I’m feeling for the day. I like tricks that are fun to do like hand plants, 5-0s, methods, and simple stuff.

Snowboarding is definitively takin’ the streets. Do you like or share this attitude? If you had to  define your riding style in percentage, how would it be composed between rails/urban riding, park riding and, uhm, powder. riding ?
I feel like people will ride what they want to. If it’s shifting to the streets then cool, but there will always be the kids out there that love nothing better then riding pow in the backcountry and that’s awesome. Percentages I guess rails/urban riding 55% park 40% and pow 5%. Its not that I don’t like pow or didn’t want to get out there more, its just harder, which is why I have all the respect in the world for what people can do out there. I don’t have a sled to take back there and I’m not experienced enough and avalanches scare the shit out of me. It just takes so much effort to wait for perfect conditions and maybe only get a few chances to get shots and spending a whole day out there and coming back empty handed sucks especially when you could possibly get 3-4 shots in a day at a urban spot. I don’t like sitting around.

Any feeling with other boarding sports? I feel like some of your tricks are performed more from a skater than a snowboarder!
I love skating and it’ll always be a huge influence on my snowboarding. Its what I first learned to do and I try to mimic my skate style the same way on my snowboard, but I don’t try to act like I’m skating, if that makes sense?

Have you ever been in Italy? Or in Europe, at least. We got some sick urban spot here hehe.
Haha no but I want to! It definitely seems like you guys have some good spots out there. Hopefully I can save up some extra money to travel out there and check it out! I’ve actually never even left the U.S. and Europe would be one of the places I want to visit the most. Check out a new culture.

You’re for sure one of the guys on the rise, to keep under the spot. There is anyone else making it out between your friends?
Johnny Brady. He’s an amazing kid and amazing snowboarder. He’s finally starting to get the recognition he deserves and I’m stoked on him and happy because he’s one of my best friends. Sammy Spiteri has one of the best styles and I think he’s going to blow up real soon! Shane Wright once he actually moves to Tahoe and rides more and Blake Geis when he stops being such a asshole, Cole Atencio, Colton Morgan. There are a lot of good riders out here that can really make the industry better.

Well. I’d love to ask more but I suppose you have to take your time now. Last words, feelings, missing point. Feel free to add whatever You want mate:

I just want to say thanks to my family for supporting me in everything I’ve done, my close friends for always being there and giving me shit, the bHappy crew, all my sponsors and reps for supporting me. Thanks!

Thank You for Your time Durell! Check out his video part and stay focused on the kid – he’s a destroyer, you know! Now go shredding!!!

Photos: ©Dylan Thompson and Jason Tackitt