Scroll Call: An End of Season Chat With Clemens Millauer
We sat down with Clemens Millauer, #BurtonTeam rider, to catch up on a winter full of street missions, contest highs and lows, and the grind behind his latest film project, Schnitzel Time.
Internet fans dissecting rail tricks and judges judging slopestyle runs mean a lot of screen time for Clemens Millauer
A rarity among the pros, this Austrian ripper comfortably throws triples on the competition track and fires up the generators to film urban video clips. Pushing his holds to the limit or smashing his way out of difficult rail spots, Clemens leads the European freestyle scene with effortless style and technical passion.
So, what's your summer usually like?
This summer I had a bit more free time since I wasn’t editing a film like I have the past two years. I always start my day with skateboarding—then I’ll hit the gym for a quick workout. I honestly wouldn’t go to the gym if I didn’t get to skate first; it balances the fun out. We live close to a lake, so I spend time swimming or wake surfing. But after a month or two, summer starts to feel long, and I’m already looking forward to heading to Australia. Riding there is one of the best parts of the year—soft snow, spring conditions, all the homies and no contests—just snowboarding for fun.
You're currently recovering from an injury, what happened?
Urgh. I went with Anna (Gasser) to XGames as a birthday present for her—usually, I just support her from home, but she always seems to get injured there so I wanted to support in person. She landed her cab triple and won Big Air. The next morning, I tried to film a follow-cam clip of her run. I’m a bit of a perfectionist with filming, so I didn’t want to just follow over the knuckles. Everyone said the last jump was slow, so I figured I’d be fine but I caught up to her way quicker than expected, and mid-air I realized, ''okay, I’m dead''. I still did Spring Battle and World Champs, so the season had some highlights, but that was definitely a bit of a reality check.
Your Spring Battle entry was insane, how many tries did it take?
Good question. I was working on this trick and just couldn’t get close—it felt so far off. I started feeling bad because Ian was standing there filming, and I kept falling off the rail super early. I think it took me around 40 tries to finally land it. I was hiking twice as fast as everyone just to make up for how long it was taking. Then Anna rolled up, did her trick first try, and I was standing there sweating my ass off like noooo way!
You said you usually spend your summer editing. Is this for Schnitzel Time?
Yeah and I always underestimate how much work it actually is to make a full movie. It gets a little stressful—trying to plan good trips, get enough shots—but I’m really lucky to be part of a crew like this. Guys like Gigi (Ruf) and Werni (Stock) are so experienced. Riding with them has taught me a lot—especially in the backcountry. I feel confident on jumps, but when it comes to picking lines and riding natural terrain, I’ve learned so much just watching how they move through the mountains. I love being able to film both powder and street. If the snow’s bad in the mountains, there’s usually a city somewhere that’s firing. When you're not competing, your mindset totally shifts—you're always thinking, ''Where can I get a clip?'' It can be frustrating during slow periods, but when you stack a few clips in a week, it’s honestly the best feeling. For me, it’s more rewarding than winning a contest—knowing that it’ll come together in a movie released in fall is such a payoff.
What are you enjoying more, filming or editing?
It’s hard to say—both have their moments. Editing can be really fun, especially when you’re working on a part and find the perfect song that fits the flow. But when you’re deep into a longer project—like a 30-minute or hour-long film—you definitely hit roadblocks. You start spinning in circles, and that’s when I have to step away, go for a walk, clear my head, then come back with a fresh perspective. I definitely prefer filming over editing. There’s just way more energy in it. When someone’s close to landing a trick, it gets you hyped—and sometimes you can surprise the rider by capturing an angle that makes it look even better than they expected. That moment of stoking someone out through your filming is super rewarding. Editing, on the other hand, is a lot of sitting in front of a screen, and time disappears fast. If you sit in front of your computer for a month, things can get freaky.
Do you have any favourite clips from the winter?
Probably my backside 18. I’d been battling with that trick for about five years, and I knew if I wanted to stay competitive and still podium, I had to land it. It honestly became the hardest trick I’ve ever worked on—years went into it. I’m a slow backside spinner, so unlocking that move felt really special. I was super proud to finally land it and post it, and I was also hyped on how it was filmed. That one meant a lot.
What board were you using?
I actually sized up to a Custom 162 this year. I’ve always loved the shape and feel of the Custom, but I was looking for a bit more stability. I wear a size 11 boot—EU 44—so I’m on the bigger side, and going up in size gave me the extra width and sidecut radius I needed. It really helped keep my boots from catching in the snow and let me ride more aggressively overall.
If we asked Anna what the most annoying thing you do is, what would she say?
Oh, I think I know exactly what she’d say—she always tells me I can never just chill. Even when the snow is terrible, I’m the one saying, “Let’s give it a try, let’s build something.” I’m always pushing to go out and do something, and I’m probably a little too positive sometimes. It can be annoying for the crew when they’re not feeling it and I’m still out here saying, “If we don’t try, we’ll never know.”
How's your Olympic preparation going?
These days, a lot of it starts with riding airbags in the summer—it’s just the easiest way to work on new tricks or refine something you’ve been thinking about. This year, I’m also planning to ride indoors a few times. So a mix of indoor sessions, glacier riding at Hintertux, and some airbag work.