TERREX, the outdoor specific sub-brand of the household name and sportswear juggernaut, adidas, has created durable, functional and stylish pieces for hiking, skiing, snowboarding and pretty much any situation where you’d find yourself battling against harsh weather conditions. In the short film below, the TERREX team document the real-life story of Neil Campbell, the Luton-based Snowboarder, known as “Nine Lives” for his ability to recover from near-death sketchy landings on the daily.
Campbell’s story begins in Milton Keynes at the age of 18 at Woodhill prison, where he was serving a sentence in the juvenile ward for being a bystander at a fight that got out of hand at a local fair. He was released after the case revealed that he’d played a much smaller part in the incident than they’d initially thought, leading to Campbell discovering Milton Keynes XSCAPE Snowdome where he found employment.
Campbell became friend with a group of kids that would sculpt their own parks, who he’s still frineds with today, and after moving from the ticket office to sales, he was able to find pockets of time on the slopes where he began his self-taught snowboarding journey. It’s not just near-death experiences that Campbell is known for, but also his unorthodox approach to tricks, making each run captivating to watch with a real sense of unpredictability.
Fast forward to 2022, the time the film was made. Campbell is 40 and now a grandfather, with a son and two grown-up stepchildren, with a ton of tours under his belt and opportunities to return to these scenic parts of the world through PR and photo shoots. His words of advice? “Put yourself out there and find your community…don’t ever think something isn’t for you”. You can watch the full documentary above.