Before starting Mitchells Nutrition, Rob Mitchell was chasing powder and carving lines as a sponsored rider for Huffer. In this month's Q&A, we sat down with Rob to dig into why snowboarding still holds such a strong place in his life, how those early years shaped his mindset, and why staying connected to the ride still matters.
Let’s rewind. How did the slopes first become a big part of your life?
I was born and raised in coastal town Mount Maunganui. Surfing and skateboarding were a big part of the culture and what most kids gravitated towards, having the beach in our backyard. My dad introduced me and my brothers to the snow.
My first day was at Whakapapa, Mount Ruapehu and it pretty much only took one day — I knew I was going to do this as much as possible. It came quite naturally, having already been surfing and skateboarding for many years. Huffer was always a brand that I looked up to as a kid, so when I got the opportunity to ride for Huffer, it was a no-brainer for me.
You talk about getting sponsored by Huffer, what was that chapter of your life like? Any standout moments from back in the day as a sponsored rider?
This chapter of my life seems like a bit of a “did that actually happen?” these days, in the sense of the incredible adventures and opportunities we were presented with. We were a crew that travelled the world across both Northern and Southern Hemisphere winters, snowboarding as much as possible. Creating magazine travel articles, filming video parts, competitions. Landing on the cover of NZ Snowboarder Magazine twice was definitely a highlight. Pretty surreal.
What’s your go-to mountain?
I always love going back to Ruapehu. It's a place where I’ve had so many incredible days and met some of my oldest friends. It can be a challenging mountain to get a good weather window, but when the stars align, it’s as good as anywhere in the world on its day.
How has your relationship with the mountains changed since launching Mitchells? Do you still carve out time to hit the snow, or has it become more of a rare reset moment?
I definitely don't spend as many days as I used to on snow. I still put aside a few days a year to scratch the itch. Plus the body doesn't bounce back as quickly as it once did. Great to have Mitchells products to assist with that.
Nutrition and recovery are a huge part of your philosophy. What’s in your winter kit to fuel a day on the mountain?
A big day in the mountains requires a lot of energy. It’s usually an early start, followed by packing in as much riding as possible. Every day starts with a coffee with Bone Broth Protein Powder. Having them in single-serves now makes it super convenient to add to coffees on the road.
We won't give too much away, but we're dropping a pretty epic winter collab giveaway tomorrow. What would your ‘ultimate winter escape’ look like?
I think the giveaway is gonna be so epic and I would be genuinely be so fricken stoked to win it myself!
The ultimate day for me now is jumping in the heli down in the Southern Alps with some good mates. Studying the weather maps, making travel plans, multiple phone calls trying to score the best conditions — and when it comes together, nothing beats it. Definitely quality over quantity these days.
What’s the story behind teaming up with Huffer, Pure Turoa & Canopy Camping?
It was coming into winter and starting to get cold in the Mitchells warehouse, and I thought it would be cool to get the team wrapped in Huffer Puffers. I then touched base with the commercial manager Rach at Huffer, who’s a good friend of mine, and we started brainstorming other ideas for how we could strengthen the Huffer & Mitchells community together.
The Winter Escape is where we landed, and we pitched the idea to Pure Turoa and Canopy Camping. I really hope whoever wins this giveaway, the stars align and the weather gods play ball, and they get to experience a special place that has given me some of my best memories.
Last one! What’s one piece of advice you’d give someone chasing performance — whether on the slopes or in life? From your time in business and on the board, what’s stuck with you?
I think commitment and backing yourself are two things I learnt from snowboarding that also apply to business.
Leave a comment