American Shredder Goes Euro!

Out of the blue, Nick Francke was at the airport in Innsbruck when photographer Scott Sullivan and I landed. Luckily for us, too - the friggin' rental car company was closed. Francke hooked us up - for an American, he's got Europe dialed. Upon finishing art school in Oregon Nick fled to Germany to spend his winter riding and exploring Europe. In a short time the foreign became familiar as Nick traveled to all the shred hotspots. When he joined us in the Arlberg, I asked him a few question on making the move to Europe.

What made you decide to move to Europe?
I just needed a change, plus I wanted to be exposed to other languages.

Was it expensive to get there and get situated?
The plane ticket of course was kind of expensive, and costs add up when don't have connections. It helps to try to meet and hang out with new people everywhere.

How'd you find a place to live?
I visited Garmisch on another trip and really liked it - plus it's a pretty central location. I knew I wanted to live there, so I just started looking for apartments. It was easy.

How do you get around?
Public transportation in Europe is great, I can go out my door and get on a bus or train to anywhere. But don't buy those stupid Eurail packages, most times it's cheaper to just buy the tickets as you go.

Is the language barrier a problem?
Sometimes, but if you try and learn their ways - get a basic understanding - people are generally really helpful.

Are you legal here?
Right now I'm working on getting permits to live and work here. I'm legal as long as I don't stay for too long at a time.

Is the riding all it's cracked up to be?
It's excellent - good freeriding, backcountry, good snow, steep mountains, cool mountain villages.

So is Europe better?
Well, the riding is sick. I also like Europe for it's multitude of city parks, bike paths, hiking trails, and for the unique styles of architecture. But, I don't like the way people drive, or how it seems like each country has some ancient grudge against another, that they still haven't forgotten about.

Where will you be next winter?
Riding powder with friends - somewhere.