A Tribute to Marko “Grilo” Grilc

Words by Tom Kingsnorth. Photo by Sani Alibabic.

The first thing I noticed about Grilo was his laugh. It was one of those laughs that came from deep down inside of him. You could walk into a room at an event and you would know he was there by simply listening out for it. His laugh was loud, contagious and once you heard it, it was unforgettable. It wouldn’t take you long to hear it either.

Becoming a pro in snowboarding certainly isn’t easy, but it’s possible for those that have the drive and want it enough. Grilo became more than that. He became a mentor, an advisor, a fountain of knowledge and subsequently, he was an inspiration for so many others. That is a position that is earnt and one that can only be obtained by a select few. Grilo grew into the ultimate role model for snowboarding.

Grilo was always one of the most professional people that you could deal with. I would see him at every event from Burton, all the glacier resort openings and if you wanted an interview with him or a photo, or even get him to perform a trick on a shitty and icy kicker because you needed a shot, he would never let you down, he was always Mr Reliable. He would have a lot of fans approach him, I would watch some of them and they would be starstruck and overcome with nerves to talk to him. Grilo would smile at them and greet them warmly; he had a gift that made you feel at ease around him. Those fans were not only happy to have met him but to be treated as an equal and a friend. It’s a rare skill to become so well-known yet remain so polite and humble, but it was a skill he had in abundance. 

Grilo was not only an incredible snowboarder that saw him have a pro career on Burton lasting 24 years, but he was also able to constantly reinvent himself. These career transitions saw him switch from contest rider and video part superstar, leading up to the immensely popular “Grilosodes” on YouTube. He understood better than anyone that he had the skills and the capabilities to build his own following and utilize his gift of being funny, charismatic and highly watchable on film.

Grilo, Nina, and their two kids Maxx and Emma.

The arrival of a firstborn is often the end of a snowboarder’s profession, but it was the arrival of his son Maxx, later joined by Emma, which took him to the most popular chapter of his career. Who would have ever expected when they first met this young, Eastern European park rider in Dachstein, surrounded by his Yugo-Gang, that this rider would become the biggest inspiration to snowboarding parents across the world? 

Watching him pass his love of snowboarding down to his offspring has inspired thousands of people to do the same. Snowboarding owes Grilo a huge thank you for encouraging so many parents to get their kids off the couch, ignore the skis and strap on a board, hopefully for the rest of their lives too. The expression “Rad Dad” has never been so apt. 

It would be foolish to think that Grilo was alone in this journey as his fiancée Nina was very much an important component too. Her life was transformed from being in the background as a girlfriend to being very much at the forefront of the Grilc family’s daily life. Many people would oppose to this constant exposure of their private life, but she has not only been supportive but a key piece in creating this now iconic snowboarding family. To have his life taken away when Maxx and Emma are so young and with another child on the way is probably the most heart-breaking part of Grilo’s untimely death. I hope that Nina and the children will one day find comfort in the monumental grief and respect that has been openly shared about her partner.

Snowboarding hasn’t just lost a great snowboarder; it’s lost one of its most crucial cogs. He created a path for riders that doesn’t has to end when the contest tricks get too technical, the videos don’t have the budget and when the magazine printing press comes to a halt. He showed the world that they can create a following for themselves on their own. He inspired so many and never lost his sense of humour, professionalism or that infectious laugh.

Grilo Forever.