Vol. 14 Shingo Takahashi SNOWSURF ~ A pioneer in the crossover scene and BD x bern collaboration
With 36 years of snow surfing experience, Shingo 420 Takahashi, also known as Shingoman, dominated the snowboarding world in the 1990s and became a top professional. He later founded the SOBUT BRAND and became a charismatic figure in the domestic snowboarding industry. He also demonstrated his talents as a surfer, DJ, and artist, and continues to reign as a pioneer of the crossover style.
BEACHED DAYS has recently released its first collaboration in three years with the active sports helmet brand "bern" and the Japanese street fashion brand "NEIGHBORHOOD." Shingo 420 Takahashi, an expert in snow, surf, and fixed gear bike culture, has been selected as the ambassador for the collaboration. We spoke to him about his creative lifestyle.
In recent years, you have often been seen riding classic logs in the waters of Kugenuma. Could you please tell our readers a little bit about your background?
I was born on April 20th, 1971, and my hometown is in Nerima, Tokyo. I lived here in Kugenuma for over ten years until about four years ago, and I co-ran ART FCT with Katsumata (professional surfer Masahiko Katsumata). My senior runs it alone now, but the place has a shaping room and an art garage gallery, and I applied art to wetsuits, and at my peak I was making around 20 outfits a month.
You have been promoting a crossover style of horizontal activities such as snowboarding, surfing, art, and music, the so-called Shonan beach culture, but what is your current title?
Up until now, you may have wondered what he does, but now I'm a snowboard shaper. I'm currently running a pop-up (for a limited time) for my brand, HITRIBE, at the California General Store, and I handle all the processes for these snowboards myself.
In the winter I'm in the mountains all day snowboarding, but the rest of the time I'm at the factory in Maebashi, Gunma, shaping snowboards for most of the week, about four days a week, and the rest of the time I'm in Nerima, where my family is. The winters in Gunma are great, but the summers are really hot, and you can't make anything good just by working, so I'll go to the ocean before shaping, or I'll drive about 40 minutes to the glamping camp in Ikaho Onsen run by a junior colleague, and soak in the hot springs while I'm working.
(In Alaska, 2002. Photo: Hiro Yamada)
Shingo Takahashi/ Shingo 420 Takahashi (Takahashi Shingo) was born on April 20, 1971. He is originally from and currently resides in Nerima, Tokyo. He has been snowsurfing for 36 years and is a snowboard shaper. He is the founder of HITRIBE BOARD. Shingo dominated the snowboarding world in the 90s, continuing to reign as a top professional. He then launched SOBUT BRAND, and took the domestic snowboard brand world by storm. He then disappeared from the scene, but after spending his days immersed in DJ club culture, fixed gear bike culture, contemporary art culture, and Kugenuma surf culture, he arrived at the world of snowboard building through his days spent on the beach. In May 2025, a documentary signature movie produced by YONEFILM and himself was released as part of the 30th anniversary project for DEELUXE, a boot brand with which he has had a 30-year relationship, and it has attracted a lot of attention.
Interview / Kawazoe Mio Born and living in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture. Graduated from the surfing club at University of California, San Diego. With a father who was a first- generation Japanese surfer, Kawazoe was exposed to overseas culture from an early age. From the early 1990s , she lived in San Diego and Malibu, California, for 10 years, experiencing the longboard revival. After returning to Japan, she became editor-in-chief of ON THE BOARD and worked on GLIDE and other magazines. Using her unique network, she has introduced real California logs and the alternative surf scene to Japan.