Every year around this time, a fresh crop of snowboard films appears to remind us just how far the sport has progressed. We stand witness as tricks get bigger and more technical. We watch as styles are born. Not to mention the means of capturing the action seems to grow more creative with every clip.

Torstein Horgmo's latest full-length snowboard film is the most recent example. Featuring some of the best riders on the planet, Shred Bots: The Movie delivers action spanning the world, covering terrain from the backcountry to city streets, and in the end reminds you that snowboarding is, above all else, a lot of fun.

We talked with Torstein to learn about his influences and find out what it was like to ride alongside his childhood role model.

What were some of your favorite snowboard videos growing up?

In the beginning, I was really into Kingpin Productions and Mack Dawg films. My all-time favorites are the Robot Food movies.

The same fun vibe of the Robot Food movies definitely comes through with Shred Bots. When you’re filming, do you have a vision for how the trick will be shot and how it will look in the final edit? Or do you just send it and leave the cinematic decisions to the filmmaker?

I usually have some type of input in the beginning of a shoot, but once the session really gets going there is nothing on my mind but snowboarding.

In the movie, we see you break your collarbone at the Olympics in a tragic turn of fate. How did you spend your time there after your injury?

I couldn't leave right away because of the injury so I stayed and hung out with the team, tried to help them out in practice as much as I could and tried to enjoy my time there as much as possible. You are pretty limited to what you can do in the Olympic village, so we all just tried to have a good time and enjoy ourselves.

Mark McMorris won the bronze medal in that same Olympic event this year. What we’re really wondering, though, is who would win in a cage fight? Mark, or his brother and fellow Shred Bot Craig McMorris.

Probably Mark, but Craig is the most flexible person ever. Craig might be able to pull some sneaky ninja moves to end up on top.

One of my favorite parts of the movie was the hip session with Terje Haakonsen. Did you look up to Terje when you were growing up? What was it like riding with him?

Yes, I think everyone from my era of snowboarding had Terje as a role model. He was and still is one of the greatest to do it of all time. It still trips me out a bit when I'm around him or I'm able to session with him.

You share the screen with a few other snowboarders as well. Notably Andreas Wiig, Craig McMorris, Anto Chamberland, and Stale Sandbech. Which of them inspire you the most?

Right now I'm looking to a lot of the young riders coming up for inspiration; kids like Brage Richenberg and Stale Sandbech really inspire me and make me want to snowboard. Kids who love snowboarding and are stoked on everything.

Thanks Torstein!