Words // Jake Sullivan
Video // Spotheads
September 21, 2026
As we count down to the October 10 premiere of DS4L, we’re digging back through some of the videos that helped shape our crew along the way. First up: the last release from the Spotheads, ITS NOT A PHASE MOM.
Spotheads was more than a video crew. It was a family. The string of videos they put out helped usher in a new era of Vermont snowboarding—one that felt like a step forward while still paying respect to everything that came before it. Their most recent release, ITS NOT A PHASE MOM, was their strongest yet.
The video opens with Fern’s part, aka Jake Fournier. Fern’s snowboarding is as raw as it is unique. Anything in his path is liable to get bashed, bonked, beaten, or bloodied. He’s been my favorite local snowboarder since the first time I met him. His unapologetic attitude and general derelict demeanor come through in his riding in full force.
While Fern is mostly a hip-hop head, watching him snowboard gives me the same frantic, chaotic feeling I had listening to The Germs for the first time. You never quite know what’s coming. It feels like the whole thing could fall apart at any second, somehow making it to the end before leaving you wondering what the hell you just watched—and immediately wanting to watch it again.
A few years later, Fern and some of the Spotheads crew are back at it with DS4L.
We can’t wait to see what he cooked up this winter. Until then, go watch his 2023 part above.
DARKSIDE4LIFE
-Jake
