Caught Up with Sean Genovese

lgallagher

• November 21 2008
• 22 comments

Sean Genovese wears quite a few hats. He snowboards, makes snowboards and films snowboarders. Him and Jeff Keenan started Dinosaurs Will Die and it’s Sean and Jesse Burtner that put out the Think Thank videos. Simply put, Sean is DIY incarnate and his example should make us all ask ourselves, what the hell am I doing for snowboarding?

TWS: Hey mang, gotta minute?
Sean: Might have two, or three even.

T: Cool, was hoping I could do a quick interview.
S: Sounds sketchy, it doesn’t involve me taking off any clothes does it?

T: Yep
S: Okay then.

T: You’re the one preaching the marketability of sex with Dinosaurs Will Die right? Tell me a little about how you guys started the company
S: Ya. sex is good. It’s natural. Sex had nothing to do with why we started DWD though. I think that it was “because we saw a need for it in the industry,” actually, we did…A real, by the riders for the riders kinda deal. Jeff and I were both riding for other companies and had a bunch of ideas that weren’t getting used… and may not ever have been used if we didn’t start Dinoaurs. Everyone was in the “FUN FUN FUN” stage. We like to have a good time… but it just wasn’t us. And we wanted people to know that there was still people in snowboarding that weren’t wanting to be marketed in that light. Fuck’n gross.

T: What light did you want to be marketed in?
S: I dont know… whatever we ACTUALLY are…

T: What are you ACTUALLY?
S: Still figuring that out. Ha…. I’m an astronaut, or an alien…alienated, maybe, or maybe I do that to myself.

T: You sound confused. Is running a snowboard company hard?
S: Naw, not to bad. It’s a lot of work, but its not really hard. Working heavy construction in the rain is hard. The “business” side of anything is just a pain in the ass I think. Its got ups and downs…and ins and outs, like sex I guess.

T: So how many years have you been at it now?
S: pretending I have a real job? Been sponsored for a long time. But dinosaurs is in its 4th season. and been working with ThinkThank on vids going on 6 seasons now. how long is a “long time” you think? sounds like i’m 60.

T: Knees of a 60 year old maybe, heart and mind of a 16 year old
S: Ha. ya eh? Immature zit face, that’s crippled below the waste.

T: So are you making money of DWD?
S: Fuck no. Its been growing non-stop. So as long as we can afford it, the money it makes goes right back into it. we’re like a non-profit organization for now. Until we cash in and get the fuck out!

T: Growth is good, and it must be rewarding to be able to do what you set out to do…Do you think it’s important for snowboarders to making products for snowboarders?
S: No its not…but, if you like going shopping with your parents and letting them pick out your new school clothes, then…We ride and film video parts and read all the mags and watch all the vids, so we have our opinion of what we like, and though it might not be everyone’s, its a hell of a lot better than most. Nothing is based on “market trends” nothing that we make. Like say… “whoa. tight pants are cool right now… and kids like bright clown clothes right now… here’s an idea, lets make a bright, tight pair of pants… and hey, lets make em insulated to puffy, tight, bright pants.” Fuck. We know that ain’t gonna work. Make em black and tell the kids to learn a thing or two about layering. Call it money in the bank. But, I just speak for myself.

T:Cool, that should do ‘er. Thanks Sean, gonna go eat some lunch.
S: Sounds good. Now that I’ve rained on snowboarding, go eat some lunch and think of all the good things about it. Hahaha. Like going fast.

To check the Dinosaurs Will Die website click here