A Young Man’s Road with Drew Smith

Everyone has a motto or a life philosophy, ours at Firestone Walker is “Beer Before Glory.” It is a philosophy that puts the beer at the heart of all our decisions. We are brewers, passionate about brewing, in pursuit of the perfect beer.

Similarly, Drew Smith lives by a quote from his dad, “Take advantage of cheap thrills and make goosebumps last as long as they can.” It’s an ethos that puts adventure, good times and chills at the heart of his decisions; and passion that goes into everything he does. It is this passion and philosophy that we at Firestone identify with; it inspires us in our own pursuit and led us to our partnership with Drew.

Drew Smith is a climber, photographer and nomad continuously seeking the next cheap thrill to give him goosebumps that last. A good friend of Dylan Gordon’s, they have traveled throughout the world seeking those cheap thrills and goosbumps. From climbing in Hong Kong to exploring the Highlands of Scotland. Earlier this summer they went out into Drew’s backyard, to climb, explore, and seek out adventure while filming the whole thing.

A Young Man’s Road with Dylan Gordon bridges the gap between art and adventure and celebrate the wild through the lens of those who have found purpose in it. Check out the film here and get to know Drew and what inspires him to do what he does.

Growing up in a family of boys in Montana, Drew was no stranger to adventure and getting out into nature to appease his restless spirit. After a snowboarding accident where he broke his back at the age of 23, as he healed Drew started a job at an outdoor store, where he was introduced to the world of climbing.

It was through climbing that Drew also started to explore the world of photography. Drew’s older brother Garrett, who is also a photographer, gave him one of his first cameras and pushed him to document the incredible adventures. Drew began to bring his camera everywhere with him and publish his photos on his blog, DrewsPlan, as a way to keep his family and friends up to date with his travels.

Drew has never been one to follow the crowd. After leaving home at 18, he rarely found himself in one place for more than six months. So, at the age of 23, he decided to live out of his Toyota 4Runner and eventually move into his current van that he has had for the past six years.

The ability to be mobile is a constant stream of inspiration and creativity for Drew. He is continually meeting new people and finding new places to shoot, allowing him to grow as a human and photographer. Drew is also able to avoid the restlessness he often feels when he is in one place for too long. This never-ending change drives him and is his routine.

Even though Drew always knew this was the life that suited him best, he struggled with it at first since it wasn’t the typical choice for most. However, after he began to climb, he met other like-minded people who lived a minimalistic lifestlye on the road. Many didn’t last and usually gave into settling down with a regular 9-5 job. It wasn’t until Drew started to shoot professionally that he knew this was it for him, and what he wanted to do.