Ranch Hand: A Wyoming-Built Snowboard Project

Snowboarding has never been short on clips. Open Instagram and you’re buried under bangers before your morning coffee cools. But projects; the kind with thought, inside jokes, fried humor, and days that turn into stories, are a different thing. They’re how crews define themselves, how riders show who they are beyond a single trick or clip.

Ranch Hand, the latest offering from the “This Is Us In:” crew, lives deeply in that space. Loose without being careless and funny without losing teeth, the film balances heavy riding with character-driven moments that remind you why snowboard movies matter.

We caught up with snowboarder Cooper Branham to talk about the crew, filming in Jackson Hole, mixing comedy with clips, and why film projects still matter.

The SHREDBOTS crew has always been about riding with people you trust, pushing each other, and not taking yourselves too seriously while doing it. That balance shows up throughout Ranch Hand; from big lines to jump sessions to the moments in between. While SHREDBOTS handled distribution, the core “This Is Us In:” crew behind the film is centered around Cam Fitzpatrick, Yuki Kadono, and myself, riding together in Wyoming.

That balance really comes from the crew. Keeping a tight crew is paramount. We have all trained together for safety (TGR IPRW + Baldface Risk Maturity), and knowing that your buddy has your back is key for being comfortable pushing it out there. I think one of, if not the, most important keys to success in the backcountry is your crew and how tight you are.

Jackson naturally pushes you toward committing terrain. It’s a place where the lines demand respect but also reward creativity. You end up with days where you can stack multiple objectives, which is when things really click.

The skits are a key piece of a good film. That’s something we grew up on. The joke works because the riding backs it up, and the riding works because the joke gives it character.

The Shrub Brothers have an infectious energy- about five minutes around them and you start talking with a southern accent, haha. Those guys aren’t just Shrubs either; they can shred. For those that don’t know, the Shrub Brother skit has been around for a while. It’s cool to bring them into another project and add that flavor to the snowboarding. Check out TGR’s Beyond the Fantasy for the prequel.

That snowboard movies are alive and well. We get inundated with clips these days on Instagram, etc. We do this to show that projects are important; they are the lifeblood of snowboarding. The films that we watched growing up inspired each of us to ride and get where we are at today, and the importance of the skit is a key piece of a good film.

Haha, I hear Cam did some 4H when he was growing up in Jackson. Maybe he knows how to raise a farm animal, but he sure doesn’t like horses. I wouldn’t be opposed to the life of a Jackson rancher… who knows.

There was a day where I rode that spine line straight-line, Cam rode an adjacent line, and then we all four (Cam, Yuki, Taylor, myself) went and had a hell of a jump session. Those long spring days when you can ride multiple objectives are what memories are made of. That was a really fun day.

I think, personally, I’m always a little unsettled on a season’s footage. It’s what keeps you coming back and pushing harder. But my riding in Ranch Hand was true to what I wanted to do, and every year I’m finding that helps unlock the most. Ride what feels good and feels right.

I’m at full gas pedal right now. I want to push my riding. This footage is a step in that direction.

Cam kind of looks like a character from Yellowstone. Arguably, that takes the cake.

Every time I strap in, I’m excited. It takes you immediately into the moment. It absolutely never gets old. I’m just motivated to grow and ride my hardest. I’ve been really hyped on the support from Nidecker Snowboards and the opportunities they have brought to me. The crossroads between that opportunity and the prep/excitement to ride is when things really get good; riding the wave.

Ranch Hand is a reminder that snowboarding has always been about more than individual clips. It’s about shared days, inside jokes, and the trust that lets riders push hard together. When everything else feels gone in an instant, projects like this give snowboarding something solid to stand on.

Pay your respects by watching Ranch Hand linked below: