The last one to bed, the first to wake up. That’s Parker Szumowski. He’s the team player, the one that is constantly requested for accompaniment on a street trip or backcountry excursion for the raw energy he adds to the group. Growing up on the waterfront town of Newburyport, Parker learned early on that great things come with hard work, a fact driven home from his days working on a fishing boat off the coast of New Hampshire. Now, he brings the same, unshakable drive to snowboarding. Alongside his Vans teammate, Cole Navin, Parker’s first entered the snow world’s subconscious with an appearance in Root 9, a 2013 film that highlighted some of the best young talent the East Coast had to offer. From there, like many before him, a job at High Cascade Snowboard Camp helped him not only kickstart his blossoming career, but join his friends within the circles of snowboarding’s most dedicated riders.
In the years since Root 9, Parker’s signature style landed him with the avant-garde production known as Rendered Useless, where he once again shared the screen with Navin and another Vans rider, Mike Ravelson. Smooth yet technical, Parker has the uncommon ability to make simple tricks look difficult, no matter the size of the feature. A contemporary example of his riding is on display in Vans’ own Together Forever, as well as Snooze Global, a young production company already making a significant splash in snowboarding. A healthy obsession with all things boarding has only helped him develop the look that he strives for onscreen, as he looks to surfing, skateboarding and music as sources of inspiration for his riding. With an already impressive catalog of video parts to his name and unwavering support from his Vans teammates, rest assured that the best is yet to come from Parker Szumowski.