snowboard colorado magazine (v2i4)

R: Colin SpencerP: Aaron Dodds

DEC. 2011

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10 SBCOMAG

DECEMBER2011

snowboard-colorado.com

CONTENTS

DECEMBER | V.2

FROM THE EDITOR

LADY KILLERS

MAN EATERS

OUTSIDE THE BOX

ALTITUDE SICKNESS

JUST SAYIN’

JOURNEY W/ JJ

BACKCOUNTRY OPS

VIDEO STASH

WE’VE GOT COMPANY

PRODUCT SHOWCASE

LAST RESORT

STYLE POINTS

X GAMES

TRICK TIPS

ART INSTALLMENT

MUSIC

14

22

24

26

28

30

32

34

36

38

40

48

64

78

88

94

104

SCAN TO SEE THIS MONTH’S COVER SHOT IN ACTION.

“IT’S WELL ROUNDED AND HAS A GREAT COMMUNITY. I WILL ALWAYS CALL COLORADO HOME.” -PG. 23

ON THE COVER

Rider: Colin SpencerPhoto: Aaron DoddsLocation: Vail Pass

ISSUE2.4

Boosting huge over backcountry road gaps; all in a day’s work for this month’s cover boy, Colin Spencer. This shot shows off his ability to come through in the clutch with a Cab 9 in variable conditions. “I was surprised we got some shots the day we hit this jump. The snow and sun were in and out all day. Once I hit it, I was psyched and wanted to keep going. It was hard to be patient for the right time, but it paid off!”

Want more of this big-time Colorado rider? We’re hooking you up with a profile on Colin as this issue’s Lady Killer. Also, scan the QR code to see Colin’s road gap cover shot in action. It’s just a taste of his full part in COCKFIGHT! a Role Model Production.

R: NATE KERNP: DAN MILNER

ADVTSG 11-4020PEACE IN THE CHAOS - Eero Ettala Snowboard Colorado Mag/OctAugust 25, 2011 6:24 PMDanny Marquez

Job Number:Project: Job For:

Date:Designer:OA

KLEY

INC. 8.625” x 11.125”

8.5” x 11”8.25” x 10.75”11-PRO-07P

BLEED: TRIM: LIVE:AD#:

NOTES:

Cyan Magenta Yellow BlackClient - OAKLEY Job # - 122764 Ver. - AD01

LiveTrimBleed

E E R O E T T A L A / S I L E N C E

WATERPROOFING TAPES THE ELEMENTS’ MOUTH SHUT.

Pro Rider Series : Lava Jacket x Lava Pant

WWW.OAKLEY.COM/SnOWbOArd 800-320-9430

©2011 Oakley, Inc.

ADVTSG 11-4020PEACE IN THE CHAOS - Eero Ettala Snowboard Colorado Mag/OctAugust 25, 2011 6:24 PMDanny Marquez


Date:Designer:OA

KLEY

INC. 8.625” x 11.125”

8.5” x 11”8.25” x 10.75”11-PRO-07P

BLEED: TRIM: LIVE:AD#:

NOTES:

Cyan Magenta Yellow BlackClient - OAKLEY Job # - 122764 Ver. - AD01

LiveTrimBleed




WWW.OAKLEY.COM/SnOWbOArd 800-320-9430

©2011 Oakley, Inc.

ADVTSG 11-4019Eero Ettala Snowboard Colorado Mag/OctSeptember 13, 2011 4:06 PMDanny Marquez


Date:Designer:OA

KLEY

INC. 17.25” x 11.125”

17” x 11”16.5” x 10.75”11-PRO-05S

BLEED: TRIM: LIVE:Ad#:

NOTES:

WWW.OAKLEY.COM/SNOWBOARD 800-320-9430




©2011 Oakley, Inc.

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DECEMBER2011


FROM THE EDITOR TAKING IT TO THE STREETS-ADAM SCHMIDT

ISSUE2.4

Riding street is a way snowboarders and photographers can express themselves doing what they aspire to do. Every snowboarder has their own unique style unlike anyone before them. Where some may prefer a terrain park, the backcountry, or some nice steep trees, it doesn’t matter what your style is, as long as it does it for you. Snowboarding in the streets isn’t for everyone, but then again...snowboarding itself isn’t for everyone. It’s not something for the faint of heart. It’s for those of us who seek thrills and challenges in our lives and enjoy the exploration

of a higher elevation, regardless of the altitude. The street scene delivers such massive progression in snowboarding due to the limitless creativity a rider can have. It should be easy to see how intriguing this scene can be. Whether it’s a wall ride on your office building, making pow turns, dropping cliffs, or hiking the park all day, everyone has the same goal in mind...finding the line that’s right for you!

R: TIMMY FLETCHERP: CHRIS FARONEA

Shred withyour Friends!

Park and Pipe ProgramsThere is a session for you and your crew.

Shred withyour Friends!

Park and Pipe ProgramsThere is a session for you and your crew.

©2011 Luxottica group. All rights reserved. 877-680-0123

AVAILABLE AT:

Snowboard Colorado Dustin 17 x 11.indd 1 11-11-04 9:40 AM

EDITOR IN CHIEF: ADAM SCHMIDTART DIRECTOR: ANDREW LANGFORDASSOCIATE DESIGNER: CODY ADAMSASSOCIATE EDITOR: JUSTIN LESNIAK

OPERATIONS DIRECTOR: BILLY CONNOR

FEATURE WRITERS:JEFF AGUILARCOLIN BANE

MACK COLLINSERIC WILLETTLESLIE GLENNPAT MILBERY

CHAD OTTERSTROMADAM QUEEN

JJ THOMASTIM WENGER

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER: AARON DODDS

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS:JEFF BROCKMEYERCHRISTY CHALOUX

JEFF CURLEYCHRIS FARONEACHRIS GARRISON

DEAN BLOTTO GRAYZACH HOOPER

DAVID LANGDAN MILNER

CHAD OTTERSTROMJON PACIARONI

CHRISTIAN PONDELLAJEFF POTTO

BRYAN RALPHTERRY RATZLAFF

VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES:STEPHEN GIESE

[email protected]

SALES EXECUTIVES:JESSICA DEAL

[email protected]

TIFFANY [email protected]

KEN [email protected]

Special thanks to: Sikander Tareen, Joe Patane, Red Bull Media House, and all the awesome people at Wolf Creek.

Snowboard Colorado is a free magazine distributed nine

times per year, once a month from September to May.

Contributions: Snowboard Colorado Magazine is not

responsible for unsolicited contributions unless otherwise

agreed to in writing. Send all contributions and job

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Snowboard Colorado565 E. 70th Ave. 8-EDenver, CO 80229

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Contact information for advertisement rates, specs,

publication schedule and distribution is available online at

www.snowboard-colorado.com or by calling 303-325-3040.

Copyright © 2011 Core Market Media LLC. All rights

reserved.

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22 SBCOMAG

DECEMBER2011


LADY KILLERS

BY JUSTIN LESNIAK

COLINSPENCERD.O.B.: 05/22/88RESIDES: Breckenridge, COHOMETOWN: Golden, COSPONSORS: Yes. Snowboards, Billabong, Chaos Headwear, Me.Glad, YEA.NICE,Keystone, DaKine, vitaminwater, Jammy Pack and Northwave.STANCE: Regular

f: 15b: -12 23 in. 155 cm.

Colin Spencer might be Colorado’s most under-appreciated boarder. The dude crushed it on Salomon for years, and now having made the move to Yes. Snowboards, is finally getting the attention he deserves. His growing onslaught knows no bounds; park, pipe, backcountry booters and pillow lines all laid to waste at the hands of a true Lady Killer.

With more sponsors than a NASCAR driver there’s a reason why companies are eager to invest in Colin. Touting an easy-going personality, positive demeanor and charming sensibility, it’s hard not to like the guy. Couple that with the riding ability that’s only found at the X Games, or your wildest dreams, and that gives Colin the opportunity to achieve great things.

If you’re skeptical by nature and my rambling about how wicked Colin gets on a board hasn’t convinced you, do yourself a favor and get lost in the photo on the opposite page. That’s right, Colin getting inverted on a massive mine jump. Here’s the story behind this masterful photo. “We spent a few days building that jump. Definitely the largest wedge I’ve ever built,” comments Colin. Like everything in life, good things are worth working for and this jump was no different. “I had my eye on it (the jump) for a couple of years. Before I ever hit it I would look at it and think it was a monster. It wasn’t until I hit it that I thought, time to get upside down.”

One of the most telling aspects about Colin is that he seems to get it. When I say “he gets it,” what I mean is that he realizes the

opportunity he’s had growing up here in Colorado. With world-class terrain around every corner and seemingly endless seasons at his finger tips, Colin has been wise in taking advantage of everything Colorado has to offer. “Colorado is such a well-rounded place. We got good parks, good pow and some good urban stuff. I’m grateful to grow up here.”

Showing that he is a true Colorado native, Colin recalls one of his fondest memories of riding in his home state. “I remember one of my first times going to The Freeway Terrain Park at Breckenridge. They had this hip jump and my friend Tom Carroll said I had to air straight over it or he wasn’t taking me home. So I went for it when I was 15 and just knuckled, putting my knee right into my braces. The next weekend I was back after it and I remember the feeling of going straight over the hip. He pushed me, without him telling me he would leave me, I wouldn’t have done it.”

For this season Colin anticipates splitting his efforts two-fold. The first endeavor he will pursue is combining his success from last season and a summer of riding High Cascade Snowboard Camp and putting it towards a killer year filled with top shelf competitions, including the Dew Tour. “This upcoming season I plan on doing as many contests as I can,” says Colin. “I went to Mt. Hood this summer and learned some tricks along with the tricks I learned last winter. I feel like it would be dumb not to do some contests even though I’m not fully into the contests scene.”

R: COLIN SPENCERP: JEFF BROCKMEYER

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Colin’s other focus for this year will be filming some legit video parts where he can bring his riding to life. Last year Colin put in a solid effort filming here in Colorado with the Role Model crew where he caught the filming bug. Colin comments on his recent filming opportunities, “this year I was lucky to ride with Chad Otterstrom. I always looked up to him, and this year he took me out and showed me a lot of good spots.” Fortunately for Colin, backcountry skills and aerial prowess make him the perfect candidate for producing some serious video parts. “Pushing it in the backcountry and building huge jumps, that’s really where I’m at right now.”

Last spring Colin joined Yes. Snowboards and their legendary team of big mountain heroes. Few teams garner as much respect as the gentlemen at Yes, so it’s safe to say Colin is in a place where his riding can grow and be immersed in a family of shred royalty. “I completely agree with their (Yes. Snowboards’) outlook

on snowboarding. I really feel like their passion for snowboarding and keeping it core and having a solid brand you can stand behind,” says Colin. Anxious to amp up his riding with the rest of his new brethren at Yes, Colin sees himself riding and filming with his new family for years to come. “I see the potential of riding with them (the Yes. Snowboards team) forever. These guys love to shred pow and love to go surfing and they are in it for fun. I get that vibe that they just love having a good time and riding the good stuff.”

Colin’s talent gives him the opportunity to take his skills across the globe, destroying winter wonderlands on several continents. Colin comments on the importance of traveling in his life. “I would love to be traveling around, seeing the world. Traveling to Japan, Europe, getting to travel and snowboard all over the world. That would be the dream and the life for me.” Luckily for Colin, he has skills that will translate in other countries. He’s the type of rider that can throw down bangers regardless of where he has stepped off a plane. “That’s what’s cool about snowboarding, it gives you the thirst to travel and find new spots.”

In the end Colorado is in Colin’s veins, and that’s a gift that never leaves you. “Colorado is the best, I love it here. The winters are great here. It’s well-rounded and has a great community. I will always call Colorado home.”

“COLORADO IS SUCH A WELL-ROUNDED PLACE. WE GOT GOOD PARKS, GOOD POW AND SOME GOOD URBAN STUFF. I’M GRATEFUL TO GROW UP HERE.”

R: COLIN SPENCERP: AARON DODDS

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MAN EATERS

BY LESLIE GLENN

JANNAMEYEN-WEATHERBYD.O.B.: 02/12/77RESIDES: Fairplay, COHOMETOWN: Southern CaliforniaSPONSORS: Volcom, Lib Tech, ElectricSTANCE: Regular

f: 18b: -12 21.25 in. 151 cm.

R: JANNA MEYEN-WEATHERBYP: CHRISTY CHALOUX

JANNA IS A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITHIN SNOWBOARDING, EVERYDAY LIFE AND ANYTHING SHE SETS HER HEART AND MIND TO. “I GREW UP IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA SO BOARD SPORTS & DIRT BIKES WERE IN MY BLOOD,” SHE EXPLAINS. WITH A HUGE AMOUNT OF NATURAL TALENT RUNNING THROUGH HER VEINS AND AN AMAZING DRIVE, SHE HAS BEEN TAKING SNOWBOARDING BY STORM SINCE SHE STRAPPED INTO HER FIRST BOARD IN 1988. JANNA GREW UP WITH SNOWBOARDING, MUCH LIKE SNOWBOARDING GREW UP WITH HER AS ONE OF ITS TRUE AMBASSADORS AND INNOVATORS. HER STATS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE UNPARALLELED, STARTING WITH A WIN AT THE US OPEN AT JUST 13-YEARS-OLD, TO MORE RECENTLY STACKING X GAMES AND DEW TOUR PODIUMS INTO HER THIRTIES.

In the 23 years since her first season riding, Janna has been quietly dominating the snowboard ranks, approaching riding with her own set of standards and plan of attack. These unconventional ways have allowed her to enjoy riding and continue to progress year after year. Janna approaches new tricks with calculated precision and details the process as “working on the building blocks of each trick. Baby steps.” Adding, “by the time I’m ready to do something completely new, I have already organized all of the pieces and my confidence in getting the task done is high. A new trick ends up being a calculated risk and not a leap of faith.” Six X Games Medals, multiple U.S. Open titles and a bag of tricks that is seemingly endless are just the tip of the iceberg. Janna is also one of the few ladies out there to have a 900 on lock. Did I mention that it is a Cab 9 off her toes with a solid grab? Anything else wouldn’t be acceptable for Janna.

Although her skills have been on point from day one, the road has been a bumpy one. Early in her career, Janna was partying too much, got caught up in the scene and in her own words, was “a young rider just following the herd. Going through the motions of what I was suppose to do and not what I wanted to do.” Finding a positive support system that includes going to church and “knowing where I was at with my riding and where I wanted to go with it,” gave her a new perspective and focus on life and snowboarding. This transformation gave her renewed confidence, positivity and passion for riding and being a better role model as well.

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Finding inspiration in the challenges at hand and “competing with herself and no other,” have been her mantras and one of the secrets to her success. She explains, “daily motivation comes from challenging myself mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Trying to continue to grow as a person and become more well-rounded and balanced everyday and always learning from daily interactions and challenges.” This philosophy has allowed Janna to exist on her own terms, avoiding the usual stereotypes of being the fairer gender or expectations of a time or age limit to any given snowboard career.

Over the years, Janna has transcended generation after generation of riders and earned respect from all her peers along the way, from the legends she grew up shredding with, to the up and comers of today. Signature determination, drive and style have been the key to her success in the past, but lately, she has

had trouble keeping things fresh and exciting. Recently, Janna announced that this would be her final year competing and riding professionally.

What’s up next for the one of the most influential riders of all time? She wants to start a family with her husband Kirk and Bassett Hound, Butters, she has also been finding other ways to challenge herself outside of snowboarding. This includes going back to school for the first time since eighth grade (when she opted to finish high school through independent study), fitting church back into her life, playing ice hockey, and working as a volunteer firefighter on the North West Fire Team in Fairplay, Colorado. Another new obsession of Janna’s has been workouts at Crossfit of Breckenridge, which is an ironic twist considering she spent most of her life avoiding the gym at all costs. She credits an improved mind and body to Crossfit and continues to say, “I love the feeling that if I need to handle any business in any area of life I have the confidence to do that. I love knowing that if I need to step up and kick ass, I can.”

“I LOVE THE FEELING THAT IF I NEED TO HANDLE ANY BUSINESS IN ANY AREA OF LIFE, I HAVE THE CONFIDENCE TO DO THAT. I LOVE KNOWING THAT IF I NEED TO STEP UP AND KICK ASS, I CAN.”

R: JANNA MEYEN-WEATHERBYP: CHRISTY CHALOUX

“DAILY MOTIVATION COMES FROM CHALLENGING MYSELF MENTALLY, PHYSICALLY, EMOTIONALLY, AND SPIRITUALLY.”

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SO YOU ARE OBVIOUSLY FRENCH CANADIAN. WHERE DO YOU LIVE IN CANADA? DID YOU DO THE WHOLE MOVE FROM THE EAST TO WHISTLER LIKE EVERYONE, OR DID YOU STAY ON THE EAST COAST?Yep, I ’m born and raised French Canadian, from Les Eboulements, Quebec. It’s a beautiful little place and Le Massif, which was my mountain growing up, is just 30 minutes away. After college I decided to move to Whistler before finding a real job because I figured I was only young once and I could get a real job when I’m older. The West had just so much more to offer, snowboarding wise, so I moved there at 20-years-old and never lived there since. Now I own a little place on Vancouver Island where I spend most of my summer and fall surfing and head back to Whistler for the winters.

I ’ M V E RY J E A LO U S O F CANADIANS. I WISH I COULD L IVE THERE, BUT THEY ALWAYS STRESS ME OUT AT THE BORDER. DO YOU HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM COMING OVER HERE? DO WE STRESS YOU OUT AT THE BORDER WHEN YOU COME TO THE U.S? Yes, definitely, we get stressed out and sometimes turned away so it’s not any better.

EVERYONE WHO’S SEEN YOU RIDE KNOWS YOUR TALENT, BUT I NEVER REALLY SEE YOU COMPETE. DO YOU HAVE ANY PLANS TO TRY AND GO TO THE OLYMPICS FOR SLOPESTYLE OR JUST START DOING CONTESTS? OR ARE YOU GONNA JUST KEEP IT REAL AND STICK WITH WHAT YOU’RE DOING NOW?I guess it’s been a while already but I used to compete a whole lot. I did the X Games three or four times and I got my first sponsors through the U.S. Open and other contests. I did okay, won a few things here and there but nothing crazy. I guess I’ve never been consistent with a good stock run kind of rider. I feel like I always kind of filmed at the same time too, so I would never really get much time to go practice in the park and improve my consistency. After a while I realized that doing both wasn’t worth it and I felt like I could push snowboarding more by trying to film tricks all-year-round in sick conditions instead of getting two or three tries of doing safe runs hoping to land. I thought I could draw a better portrait of my riding through filming and since Rome really supported me through their first movies it really all worked out. If slopestyle would have been in the Olympics when I was still competing, I would have probably went for it, but there is no way now I’m gonna give up that many pow days to fight for some FIS points. Just not what I’m into these days.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOW BY THE WAY? ISN’T ROME COMING OUT WITH A MOVIE THIS FALL? HOW DID THAT GO?Yes, The Shred Remains is the new movie which is touring in September and October all over. It was a really fun year and I’m really stoked of what came out of it. I was a bit nervous after my neck injury last year and decided to not have much expectations and it ended up being pretty productive. The crew is so fun so that really helps too.

HOW DID YOU BREAK YOUR NECK? I HEARD IT WAS PRETTY FAR OUT IN THE BACKCOUNTRY?I broke my neck in Whistler trying to film this ice cliff with Absinthe. It was a stupid idea I had. I guess I should have looked at the feature better from the top before going. I went too fast so I went about 40 feet down onto a pretty flat icy landing. Even though I landed on my feet first, my head whiplashed backwards, hit the ice and broke my C2 (vertibra). I couldn’t move from the ground, obviously, and we were out of reception so our amazing filmer sledded away to call the heli, which showed up two and a half hours later. Annie (Boulanger) took such good care of me too and kept me warm as I was so cold. I heard that a filmer from another crew broke his leg and Travis Rice, I think, he got half buried in an avalanche as well in the same zone that day which is kinda crazy.

HOW WAS FILMING WITH ABSINTHE? DID YOU GO OUT WITH THE DUDES A LOT? IT SEEMS LIKE YOU AND ANNIE ARE PRETTY MUCH THE ONLY TWO GIRLS WHO CAN HANG WITH THE DUDES IN THE BACKCOUNTRY.Filming with Absinthe was such an awesome experience and especially with Annie. She’s the shit, and we had a lot of fun and she taught me so much. There are a lot of girls out there that can hang with the dudes, sometimes you just got to give them a chance like with every other guy that’s never been in the backcountry before, you gotta start somewhere. DID YOU RIDE WITH ANNIE A LOT WHEN YOU FILMED FOR ABSINTHE? Yeah, we were almost always together and we also filmed a bit with DCP and Romain (De Marchi). It was such a rad crew. Those guys are hilarious. I don’t think I could have been filming with Absinthe if Annie didn’t push for me, so I’m really thankful to her for that.

ARE YOU GONNA GO BACK TO FILMING WITH ABSINTHE NEXT YEAR?I don’t know of any plans for next year yet. I’m gonna go with the flow.

DO YOU LOOK UP TO ANY GIRLS IN SNOWBOARDING?I look up to all of the girls! I love watching girls and I think they’re killing it. Especially Jess Kimura, Raewyn Reid, Kimmy

OUTSIDE THE BOX

BY CHAD OTTERSTROM

MARIE-FRANCE ROY

R: MARIE-FRANCE ROYP: BRYAN RALPH

D.O.B.: 04/17/84RESIDES: Whistler, BC / Vancouver Island, BCHOMETOWN: Les Eboulements, QuebecSPONSORS: Red Bull, Rome, Thirty-Two, Oakley, Etnies, Whistler Blackcomb,Empire BoardshopSTANCE: Regular

f: 21b: -21 22.5 in. 146 cm. (street) / 152 cm. (park) / 155 cm. (powder)

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Fasani, Sarka (Pancochova), Kjersti (Buaas), Cheryl Maas, I’d have to name them all, but yeah. Since I was a little girl I looked up to Tara Dakides, Barrett (Christy) and all of the dudes too, of course, but as a girl you always relate a little more with other girls.

WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO TRAVEL BECAUSE OF SNOWBOARDING? DO YOU HAVE ANY STORIES OF COOL PLACES YOU HAVE BEEN?Lots of cool places. Japan many times, Russia, New Zealand, Spain, Iceland, Austria, Chile, Argentina, and more, I guess. I have too many good stories. One of my favorite memories was in China with Chanelle (Sladics), (Laura) Hadar, Silvia (Mittermuller) and skier Grete (Elliassen) and it was the worst snow I had ever seen, but one of the best trips of my life. So much went down, we played spin the bottle with 15-year-old Chinese boys that had no idea what was going on and we had to make out with them and do weird stuff ha! Then Hadar came back to the hotel one night and she jumped in the indoor fish pound in the lobby that was only like two feet deep and she was swimming with her head under in like gross brownish green water with hundreds of huge fish, haha! So funny. I love that girl! Good times to be had when you’re snowboarding with good friends is the moral of the story.

R: MARIE-FRANCE ROYP: DAVID LANG

“I THOUGHT I COULD DRAW A BETTER PORTRAIT OF MY RIDING THROUGH FILMING...”

“THERE ARE A LOT OF GIRLS OUT THERE THAT CAN HANG WITH THE DUDES, SOMETIMES YOU JUST GOT TO GIVE THEM A CHANCE...”

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ALTITUDE SICKNESS

BY JAKE OLSON-ELM

D.O.B.: 02/01/88RESIDES: St. Cloud, MNHOMETOWN: St. Cloud, MNSPONSORS: Signal, Elm Company, Celsius, Ashbury, House of 1817, 7/9/13, Howl, The Youth Shelter SupplySTANCE: Regular

varies varies 151 cm.

R: JAKE OEP: AARON BLATT

JAKE IS DOWN WITH UNCONVENTIONAL. MOST WOULD SAY HIGHBACKS ARE A NECESSITY. JAKE DISAGREES. ONE MIGHT ALSO SAY THAT MIDWEST SHREDS SHOULD MOVE FURTHER WEST TO PURSUE A CAREER. JAKE HAS PROVEN MINNESOTA TO BE JUST FINE. THOUGH HE’S MADE A NAME FOR HIMSELF IN THE STREETS, JAKE MIXES IT UP AGAIN, DROPPING SOME THOUGHTS ON THE BACKCOUNTRY AND OUTDOORS IN GENERAL FOR THIS MONTH’S ALTITUDE SICKNESS. -MIKE GOODWIN

When I was a kid growing up in Minnesota, I thought that if you were a shredder, you were supposed to move to Colorado when you get out of high school. That’s what all the tops dogs were doing back in the day. Among the top ranks were super G’s, Chad Otterstrom, Jim Langer, Austin Julik-Heine, The Russian, Erich Dummer, Mike Casanova and Pat Milbery, just to name a few. Langer and Justin Gunson were making Role Model Production videos at the time, which I thought and still think are the coolest videos.

One day at Wild in Minnesota, I was shredding and Austin J. came up and we started hitting this gap together. I was super hyped because I didn’t know many shredders back then. Then he introduced me to Langer. We all went out one day together to film street. It was my first time, I was super hyped. I think I was 14 rolling around with these guys smoking pot and hitting rails. I was way hyped on the situation. The next winter I went out and visited them in Colorado for the first time. The first thing we did was climb this mountain to hit a back country jump. First off, I’m from Minnesota where it’s zero altitude and we were in Breck. Secondly, it was my first time in the backcountry and ever seeing powder. When we got to the top of the jump I was super winded. I mean super winded! I laid down for an hour and I couldn’t stop the deep breathing, but it was my first time with the super G’s in the backcountry. I didn’t want to ruin the day so I didn’t say

anything. I think I started passing out or something and that’s literally when I thought I was going to die! When they realized my condition, they helped me down the mountain back to the cars. I remember for sure that Austin J. and Langer were there to help me. I was so fucked up I couldn’t even sit up. They had to carry me through the powder back to the cars. I didn’t know what was gonna happen, but I felt better about an hour after being at a lower altitude.

That was my first day in Colorado and backcountry. Not hyped. But the rest of the trip was awesome, as you would imagine being 15 and hanging out with 20-year-olds showing you the ropes. After that trip I hated mountains, hated powder and hated jumps. I guess I didn’t understand it because back home I could drive ten minutes to Hyland, get out of my car, walk 20 yards to the tow rope and snowboard all day with my friends. In Colorado you had to wait for good weather, get up early, build a jump and snowboard a little bit, but still with friends.

I thought Minnesota was the best place in the world for shredding. Now that I’m a bit older, I see it way differently. Powder is the best thing in snowboarding by far, which I hope everyone knows. Looking back at it all, I think I may have picked a different path for me growing up shredding. I can see myself growing up a powder hound. I’m a big outdoorsman, so I have this vision of growing up in Colorado shredding, hunting and fishing. I’d live in a shack in the middle of the woods, shredding pow in the backcountry, hittin’ all natty stuff and coming home to cook fish over a fire, like Wyatt in that movie Blood. Because if you think about it, that’s really snowboarding. I listen to this song all the time called “Snowin’ on Raton,” by Townes Van Zandt, and it makes me think of living that lifestyle, which I think would be the coolest thing ever.

Anyway, I never ended up moving to Colorado when I was 18 like the rest of the guys because I hated mountains and wanted to do street stuff. Thinking about it though, places like Colorado, Wyoming, Montana and Idaho are where the roots of snowboarding are at. One day I’ll figure it out, go move out there and shred pow.

JAKE OEONE DAY I’LL FIGURE IT OUT AND GO MOVE OUT THERE AND SHRED POW.

R: JAKE OEP: AARON BLATT

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DECEMBER2011


For my shot at Just Sayin’ I thought it would be cool to tell you a story about one of the most nerve-racking and stressful times I have ever had while traveling.

This happened when I was on my way back home from staying in Europe for two weeks competing in the Oakley Arctic Challenge in Norway and the Burn River Jump in Italy. It was the day after the competition, and in order to get to the airport I had to take a bus and four different trains. I had it all planned out, woke up early, hopped on the bus to the train station and bought my ticket.

It was a Friday, and the only way out of town was through a one-way, two-mile-long tunnel. Come to find out, on Fridays, the tunnel is closed to outgoing traffic midmorning to late afternoon due to a high volume of people coming in for the weekend. It stressed me out, but I knew there were trains running into late hours of the night.

I finally made it through the tunnel, hopped on a bus and made it to the train station around 6pm. I find out that the train station is closed and the only way to buy a ticket is from a kiosk, which had no English print anywhere. That’s when I started to worry. I didn’t know how to get a ticket, didn’t have a map, and didn’t know what times the trains were coming. Luckily I had my old ticket stub where it had the names of the stations I needed to get to. I went into a restaurant and asked a lady who understood very little English if she knew which train I needed to take to get to Saglans (the name of the next train station). She of course said no. Awesome.

I went back out to the train station, with my board bag, a suitcase and a backpack. I stood there trying to figure out this

stupid kiosk, when a voice over the loudspeaker that was very hard to understand, said something in Swiss German about Saglans. A train pulled up five minutes later, going the direction I needed to go, I was like “screw it I’m getting on.” I get my luggage onboard, which is tough and awkward enough, and find a seat. At this point it was dark and I thought, “alright I gotta be paying attention otherwise I’ll miss my stop, my next connection and will be heading to someplace random in Switzerland.” I couldn’t sit still, I was sweating and my mind was racing.

About 20 minutes later, they called my stop. I got off, walked straight to the next train and got on. If my decision was right, the next train was an hour long, so if I was on the wrong one, I was going an hour in the wrong direction. By this time I was stressing hard. Not only could I get lost in Switzerland in the middle of the night, but even if I make it by the next day I was still going to miss my flight. Crap like that just kept running through my head.

There was a guy going through the train checking tickets, he got to my seat and I told him I didn’t have time to get one, but I needed to get to the airport and asked I if I was on the right train. He looked at me and said “yes,” took my credit card and printed me a ticket. After two more train connections and about two and a half hours later I made it to the hotel where I was staying for the night.

That was by far the most stressed I have been in a while. It’s all a part of traveling and going to different countries, most of the time it goes smooth, but you get those few times where you feel like you could end up in a horror movie. Like the time I randomly hopped in an unmarked cab in China because a guy said he could take me to the airport, but I’ll save that for another time.

JUST SAYIN’

BY ERIC WILLETT

WIN BIG AND GO HOME. SOMETIMES THE LATTER IS THE HARDEST PART.

R: ERIC WILLETTP: AARON DODDS

BOA TEAM RIDER Brandon ReisPHOTOGRAPHER Rami Hanafi LOCATION Hokkaido, Japan

Boa® is a registered trademark of Boa Technology Inc.

GET DIALED INwith Brandon Reis

There’s a lot riding on that landing. Mainly, you. Luckily, Boa lets

you fine-tune your fit, eliminating pressure points. And it’s

guaranteed for life. So you’ll always have the fit you need to

stomp it, without the added pressure.

The Boa® Closure SystemTHE FIT THAT CHANGED IT ALLBoaTechnology.com

Flow HyLite

BOA TEAM RIDER Brandon ReisPHOTOGRAPHER Rami Hanafi LOCATION Hokkaido, Japan

Boa® is a registered trademark of Boa Technology Inc.

GET DIALED INwith Brandon Reis

There’s a lot riding on that landing. Mainly, you. Luckily, Boa lets

you fine-tune your fit, eliminating pressure points. And it’s

guaranteed for life. So you’ll always have the fit you need to

stomp it, without the added pressure.

The Boa® Closure SystemTHE FIT THAT CHANGED IT ALLBoaTechnology.com

Flow HyLite

32 SBCOMAG

DECEMBER2011


JOURNEY WITH JJ

BY JJ THOMAS

BRECKENRIDGE, BACKING SNOWBOARDING SINCE ‘85

As I was filling out the paperwork for my season pass at Breckenridge, a friend asked me, “how many seasons have you been riding at Breck?” I did the math and realized that this will be my 18th season snowboarding at Breckenridge Resort. That immediately got my head spinning, and I started to look back on the history of the resort. At that moment I experienced a flood of memories. It was then and there that I realized there is no other resort like Breckenridge.

You have to ask yourself, what other resort has annually hosted one, if not two or three, of the biggest snowboard events every year since snowboarding has become a competitive sport? I know of none. Sure some other resorts are known for hosting big events, but they have only held contests for ten or so years. There’s no place that I can think of that has a track record like Breckenridge. I decided to call the resort management at Breckenridge, and ask them questions on the history of the resort and why they’ve stayed so dedicated to snowboarding for over 20 years without a hiccup!

DO YOU KNOW WHEN THE FIRST SNOWBOARD WAS RIDDEN DOWN A RUN HERE AT BRECKENRIDGE MOUNTAIN?Breckenridge first allowed snowboarding on our hill in 1985. We don’t have an exact date, but wow, that was nearly 27 years ago!

WHAT MADE BRECKENRIDGE DECIDE TO START HOSTING WORLD CLASS EVENTS, ESPECIALLY IN THE LATE ‘80S AND EARLY ‘90S WHEN SNOWBOARDING WAS YOUNG AND IN ITS RENEGADE PRIME? When Breckenridge allowed snowboarding, we embraced the youth culture and invested in events like the Snowboarding World Championships. It is hard to get in the minds of folks who were here to make that decision at that time. We’ve always had

a propensity to try new things here in Breck (from lifts, to events and more) this was no exception.

LOOKING BACK ON ALL THE EVENTS AND SEASONS THAT HAVE GONE BY, IS THERE A PARTICULAR EVENT OR EVENTS THAT STANDS OUT TO YOU?I think having one of the first World Championships in 1986 was a key event. They dug the half-pipe out of the snow, like a ditch. That definitely was a message to the world, you can snowboard here! I also think the current Dew Tour is a stand out event. We host the first stop of the tour, and it is an open event, so the next big rider in the sport could come right out of this event here in Breck. Local spectators can also get an up-close look at Olympians and international stars of the sport from around the world. In addition, the live, network exposure snowboarding (and freeskiing) gets from NBC is unprecedented in other winter events – and the vibe here all week is fantastic.

WHAT HAS CHANGED THE MOST FROM WHEN BRECKENRIDGE FIRST STARTED HOSTING EVENTS TO NOW?Technology and innovation in the industry. We started with a hand shoveled pipe in the Snowboarding World Championships in 1986 to a 22 ft. super pipe showcased on live TV during the Winter Dew Tour.

LOOKING AHEAD, DO YOU SEE BRECKENRIDGE RESORT CONTINUING TO HOST MAJOR EVENTS, OR ARE YOU GUYS GETTING A BIT TIRED OF THE CIRCUS COMING TO TOWN EVERY SEASON AND MAKING A MESS OF YOUR NICE TOWN?Breckenridge will continue to host major events and stay on the forefront of the action sports industry. Plus, it is a fun experience for visitors, locals and riders during those competition weeks. We love it!

R: BENJI FARROWP: JEFF BROCKMEYER

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34 SBCOMAG

DECEMBER2011


BACKCOUNTRY OPS

BY CHAD OTTERSTROM

SPOT GPS SYSTEMPOCKET SIZE BACK UP PLAN FOR THE BACKCOUNTRY

AS LONG AS YOU HAVE A HALFWAY CLEAR VIEW OF THE SKY, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO GET RESCUED BECAUSE OF THIS THING.

I read a quote the other day, it went something like this, “good decisions come from experience, experience comes from bad decisions.” This describes a lot of my life, which is why I plan on getting a SPOT Personal Tracker. Even though I don’t plan on making any bad decisions, chances are, it’s gonna happen whether I like it or not.

The SPOT Personal Tracker is the world’s first Satellite GPS Messenger providing location-based communication to friends, family or professional services. Basically, you can get stuck pretty much anywhere in the world, as long as you have a halfway clear view of the sky, you will be able to get rescued because of this thing. The Tracker has four basic modes. SOS or 911, if your situation is life-threatening, you can use this mode to notify the GEOS International Emergency Response Center which will alert the appropriate agencies worldwide. Help is the second mode, you can use this in the event of a non life-threatening emergency to notify your personal contacts that you need assistance. Then there is the Check-In/OK feature which allows you to notify your friends and family that you are safe with a pre-programmed message along with your GPS location. The last mode is the Track Progress mode, this feature allows you to send and save your location and allow contacts to track your progress in near real time using Google Maps.

This tracker is basically a get out of jail free card, especially if you are out by yourself. If you’ve ever seen the movie 127 Hours, about the guy (Aron Ralston) in Canyonlands National Park, Utah who had to cut off his own arm because he was hiking by himself when it was horrifically smashed under a fallen boulder you will know why everyone needs one of these.

P: CHAD OTTERSTROM

HOLIDAY SAVINGS TO KEEP YOU CONNECTED $5000

MAIL-INREBATE

ON SPOT CONNECT

Give your loved ones peace of mind with SPOT Connect this holiday season. The perfect gift for anyone headed to remote areas or even just around the corner where cell service can be unreliable.

fi ndmeSPOT.com/holidayofferRebate offer only valid for SPOT Connect. See fi ndmeSPOT.com/holidayoffer for complete terms and conditions. Offer good from 11/18/2011 - 12/31/2011. US and Canadian customers only.

HOLIDAY SAVINGS TO KEEP YOU CONNECTED $5000

MAIL-INREBATE

ON SPOT CONNECT

Give your loved ones peace of mind with SPOT Connect this holiday season. The perfect gift for anyone headed to remote areas or even just around the corner where cell service can be unreliable.

fi ndmeSPOT.com/holidayofferRebate offer only valid for SPOT Connect. See fi ndmeSPOT.com/holidayoffer for complete terms and conditions. Offer good from 11/18/2011 - 12/31/2011. US and Canadian customers only.

36 SBCOMAG

DECEMBER2011


YES

VIDEO STASH

IT’S A MOVIE

BY MACK COLLINS

YES. SNOWBOARDS, DESTROYING TERRAIN WORLDWIDE

IT IS HARD TO FATHOM HOW YOU CAN GET THAT MUCH POWDER RIDING IN JUST ONE SEASON.

YES it really is a movie, and no, it does not suck! If you had to sum up the debut fi lm from YES. Snowboards in one word, it would be powder! This is undoubtedly one of the top backcountry fi lms released this season.

Packed with behemoth sized sections, what makes the heart beat of the fi lm go is the magnitude of heavy snowboarding, and the variation of how the fi lm is broken up. Rather than sticking to the usual uniform rider segments, the video transitions between location driven segments with ensembles of the team, as well as individual rider’s parts, all combined to yield a dynamic pacing. YES is truly a rider driven company; the main team riders of DCP, JP Solberg, and Romain De Marchi not only ride for the company, but are also key to its operations.

The roots of YES lie in British Columbia, so it is no wonder that this fi lm has some of the best Whistler footage to date of any snowboard fi lm. With an endless amount of pillow riding and AK infl uenced lines, it is hard to fathom how you can get that much powder riding in just one season. The YES crew literally pioneered new terrain in the Whistler backcountry, having to scout it the summer before last, cut down trees to clear a pathway, and snowmobile the still sketchy access to their new zone. If you watched YES’ Transworld Team Challenge video, you will already have an idea as of what the scale of the mission was.

In addition to the Canadian snowboard mecca of Whistler and the Kootnays, the YES crew ventured out beyond the motherland to get the goods. Tadashi Fuse has long been a Japanese snowboard superstar, and he has not lost his awesome style. Clear proof lies in the Japan segment complete with his surfy

turns, light feet, and playful riding in the distinctive Japanese wooded backcountry of Hokkaido. Other stand out segments include the team trip to Kamchatka, Russia, Chris Coulter & Wyatt Caldwell’s AK assault, and the juxtaposing - break out urban section of Frank April. For the Brain Farm fans out there, DCP also has a segment of all his unused footage from The Art of Flight; all of which is anything but throwaway. Although Benji Ritchie and Mikey Pederson didn’t have their own riding segments, the young bucks have some of the most standout riding in the entire video with their massive pat-down jumps, and pillow lines. Available both on DVD and iTunes, YES. It’s a Movie is well worth the buy! So this winter when the early AM powder wake up calls come, this movie should be right next to your coffee regiment to get motivated for a day of hard riding.

Sponsors: Yes. Snowboards, Snowboard, Snowboard Canada, Onboard, Globe Shoes, Rusty, Oxbow, The North Face, Whistler Blackcomb.

Riders: Romain De Marchi, JP Solberg, Frank April, Helen Schettini, Wyatt Caldwell, DCP, Stian Solberg, Tadashi Fuse, Benji Ritchie, Mikey Pederson, Chris Coulter.

38 SBCOMAG

DECEMBER2011


WE’VE GOT COMPANY

BY ADAM QUEEN

NIGHTMARESNOWBOARDS

MOMS HATE IT, KIDS LOVE IT: NIGHTMARE SNOWBOARD COOPERATIVE

Remember that feeling you got the fi rst time you walked into your favorite shred shop? That’s exactly the feeling you’ll get walking into the offi ce of the Nightmare Snowboard Cooperative. Skate decks on the walls and desks covered in graphic art is what you’ll fi nd right away. There is a mini ramp and a DJ booth upstairs, used for the parties and skate nights that Nightmare throws regularly. The vibe is nothing but friendly and fun.

One of the coolest things about Nightmare is how it came about. “Nightmare, everything started literally, out of us just bullshitting,” says Joe Suta, one of the company’s three founders. The company started out as a close group of friends that rode together. Somehow they ended up running a snowboard company and Nightmare is about as DIY as it can get. They can put out new graphics as soon as they get them, not confi ned to the typical fall only release that is the norm in the industry. It’s more of a skateboard company vibe and structure.

Nightmare does everything from scratch. They even built some of their own machinery. Tom Schneider, company founder and an experienced welder, tells me, “I was sourcing the steel for all this stuff (board presses) and I ended up fi nding pretty much an entire tune shop in a storage unit.” The equipment was purchased, machines welded together, and Nightmare was about to start making snowboards. “That’s the hard part. To break into this industry, there’s so many outlets,” says Schneider, “It’s more than just building a snowboard. We’re not an OEM that’s building the product and someone else is taking care of all the branding and marketing. We’re doing everything ourselves.”

Nightmare wants to make dope snowboards that are fun to ride. They can pretty much custom build anything you could ever want in a board. Any shape, size, no matter how weird or crazy.

Suta says, “we’re providing the coolest thing in snowboarding. A snowboard. How many times do you see a board and you’re like ‘aaagh, I can’t get this because they don’t have my size or shape or whatever?’ One of our goals is to eliminate that. What better way to get to know your snowboard and be stoked on it than to have it built for you, the way you want it?” Hell, customers are even encouraged to help out in the actual building process. And the boards won’t cost you three paychecks like some of the bigger brands out there. All of Nightmare’s snowboards are priced between $275 and $350, even for custom boards. Nightmare will also fi x or replace any board they make. That’s their warranty. “When someone comes to get a board,” Suta says, “the last thing Joe, Greg or I says to them when they leave is ‘go break that shit.”

While a lot of companies in the industry will have a certain look or image, Nightmare is all over the place, and that is exactly how they want it to be. Everyone involved in the cooperative is so different. “We get the thug kids that come in here, and the tight pants crew, all kinds man. And nobody gives a shit about that when they’re here. That’s why we call it a cooperative, not a company. We wouldn’t be able to do what were doing without cooperation.

When Nightmare started to form, Suta tells me he called all of his infl uences within the snowboard industry, including companies like Solid and Smokin, to tell them that Nightmare isn’t here to compete or step on anyone’s toes. They just want to do something real in the snowboard community. Suta says, “We’re not trying to be transparent, we don’t have to hide anything.” After all, snowboarding is a lifestyle, and we as riders are not billboards.

40 SBCOMAG

DECEMBER2011


IF YOU CAN’T SEE, YOU CAN’T RIDE, PLAIN AND SIMPLE. THIS FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPT MAKES GOGGLES A CRITICAL PIECE OF GEAR, GIVING YOU THE VISION TO SLAY THE MOUNTAIN IN EVEN THE MOST CHAOTIC WEATHER CONDITIONS.

NIGHT OR DAY, BLUEBIRD OR BLIZZARD, THE RIGHT PAIR OF GOGGLES KEEPS YOU CONFIDENT IN ANY CONDITION. ON THE OTHER HAND, LENSES AREN’T THE ONLY FEATURE THAT DIFFERENTIATES GOGGLES. FIT, SIZE AND COLORS ALL HELP MAKE A GREAT GOGGLE. WITH NEW COMPANIES SPROUTING UP DAILY, FINDING A GOGGLE THAT FITS YOUR NEEDS AND STYLE CAN BE TAXING. NO NEED TO FRET, THIS MONTH’S PRODUCT SHOWCASE HAS THE GOGGLES OF YOUR DREAMS.

ARNETTE - SERIES 3

PLAYING OFF OF ARNETTE’S CLASSIC STYLE WHILE CREATING THE NEW DEFINITION OF GREAT GOGGLES.

Dual vented Lexan lens means great vision with no fog.Hinged strap attachment ensures a solid fit with any and all helmets.16 available color ways to meet every style.Fit: Medium

DRAGON - APX

THE APX, DEVELOPED IN SILVERTON WITH THE INTENTION TO CREATE THE WORLD’S MOST ADVANCED GOGGLE. Injection molded polycarbonate lens for insane peripheral vision.Triple layered foam with micro fleece lining feels soft on the face. Crisp and clear runs due to the super anti fog inner lens.Fit: Large

BOLLÉ - GRAVITY

SOLID GOGGLES THAT KEEP YOUR MIND ON RIDING AND NOT YOUR VISION.

Equilizer and Flow-Tech ward out the fog, keeping lenses fresh.Forestay outrigger system creates a seamless fit with Bollé helmets.Spherical lens gives a seriously wide field of vision. Fit: Medium-Large

APX(Jet/Red Ion)

GRAVITY(Shiny Black/Vermillion)

SERIES 3(Ransom White/Clear)

2011/2012 GOGGLESPRODUCT SHOWCASE

WORDS: JUSTIN LESNIAKPHOTOS: CHRIS GARRISON

ARNETTE

BOLLÉ

DRAGON

41PRODUCT SHOWCASE SBCO

MAG

ISSUE2.4

DROP - ESPI

NEED A GOGGLE TO GO EVERYWHERE AND DO EVERYTHING? OF COURSE YOU DO. MEET THE ESPI, DOWN NO MATTER WHAT.

Supreme Fit, fleece covered memory foam for a familiar fit everytime.Supreme Air Valance and Flow to prevent fog and moisture.Supreme Spherical, optically correct and distortion free lens for true vision in critical moments.Fit: Medium

FILTRATE - KOGEN

STYLE, FUNCTION AND AFFORDABILITY ALL IN A KILLER PACKAGE.

Anti-Scratch lens increases longevity.Anti-Fog lens keeps your view clear.Tri-Density fleece lined foam is good to your face.Fit: Medium

ELECTRIC - EG2

WITH ENORMOUS VISIBLE RANGE, THE EG2 IS LIKE A NIGHT LIGHT, ILLUMINATING YOUR MOUNTAINOUS ENDEAVORS.

Ergonomic frame design and Thermo-Plastic urethane frame for an advanced fit.Oversized dual spherical lens opens up the entire mountain.Super A/R coating Anti-Reflective Technology creates a glare-free ride.Fit: Large

KOGEN (Lime Green/Persimmon)

EG2(Peter Line/Grey Gold Chrome)

ESPI(Iron/Clear)

DROP

ELECTRIC

FILTRATE

2011/2012

GOGGLESPRODUCT SHOWCASE

42 SBCOMAG

DECEMBER2011


ZEAL Optics is more than just a goggle company. We are built by the people that ride. Day in and day out, we strive to define ourselves through our product. Hard-charging and no turning back, we help give Austen the ability to go bigger, see better and enjoy the journey.

FOLLOW us AnD AusTEn AT ZEALOpTics.cOm Or FAcEbOOk.cOm/ZEALOpTics

AUSTEN SWEETINWELcOmE TO THE FAmiLY

ZEALOpTics.cOm

1875_ZEAL_SnowBrd_mech.indd 1 11/10/11 2:32 PM

GORDINI - TRIUMPH

NEW TO THE SNOWBOARD GAME AND DON’T WANT TO BREAK THE BANK FOR A PAIR OF GOGGLES? THE TRIUMPH WILL TAKE GOOD CARE OF YOU.

Fog has met its match with Air Flow Design (AFD).Spherical lens.Designed to fi t a variety of helmets.Fit: Medium

OPTIC NERVE - SAWATCH

EMBODYING WHAT COLORADO VALUES MOST; PERFORMANCE, AFFORDABILITY AND STYLE.

Cylindrical, double polycarbonate lens gives maximum fi eld of view and impact resistance.Active lens venting keeps your goggles clear inside and out.Triple density foam designed to feel like your favorite pillow.Fit: Medium

OAKLEY - AIRBRAKE

OAKLEY, THE INDUSTRY JUGGERNAUT DID IT AGAIN, CHANGED THE WAY WE LOOK AT GOGGLES.

Revolutionary SwitchLock Technology is the industry’s fastest and easiest method for changing lenses. Fix-O-Matter creates a balanced fi t with interchangeable outriggers.F3 Anti Fog technology eliminates fog concerns.Fit: Medium-Large

SAWATCH(Finelines/Clear)

AIRBRAKE(Highlight Gold/Fire Iridium)

TRIUMPH(Met/Red/Grey Gradient)

GORDINI

OAKLEY

OPTIC NERVE

2011/2012


ZEAL Optics is more than just a goggle company. We are built by the people that ride. Day in and day out, we strive to define ourselves through our product. Hard-charging and no turning back, we help give Austen the ability to go bigger, see better and enjoy the journey.

FOLLOW us AnD AusTEn AT ZEALOpTics.cOm Or FAcEbOOk.cOm/ZEALOpTics

AUSTEN SWEETINWELcOmE TO THE FAmiLY

ZEALOpTics.cOm

1875_ZEAL_SnowBrd_mech.indd 1 11/10/11 2:32 PM

44 SBCOMAG

DECEMBER2011


QUIKSILVER - HUBBLE

TRAVIS RICE SPENT TWO YEARS MAKING ART OF FLIGHT. HE ALSO SPENT TWO YEARS DEVELOPING THESE GOGGLES.

160 degree peripheral vision offers an unbeatable view of the world.Low profile padding brings the frame closer to your face for an amazing fit.Reduced weight helps you forget you are wearing goggles.Fit: Medium-Large

SPY - ZED

GET A SWEET PAIR OF GOGGLES to HELP DCP AND YES. SNOWBOARDS SAVE THE WORLD. PRETTY GOOD DEAL.

Polycarbonate cylindrical dual lens for a solid viewing platform.Anti-fog and anti scratch protection to save your lens from the elements.Dri-Force fleece wicks moisture away from your face in unforgiving conditions.Fit: Medium

SMITH - I/O

LESS FRAME MORE FUN, EXACTLY THE WAY THE PEOPLE AT SMITH SEE THINGS.

Quick Release Lens System for on-the-go adjustments during the unexpected.Carbonic-X Lens with TLT Optics creates a distortion free sight.Vaporator Lens Technology with Porex Filter keeps your lens bone dry.Fit: Medium

ZED(DCP and YES Colorway/Blue

Spectra)

I/O(White Jungle/Sensor Mirror)

HUBBLE(White/Blue)

QUICKSILVER

SMITH

SPY

2011/2012


45PRODUCT SHOWCASE SBCO

MAG

ISSUE2.4

ARNETTE - SERIES 3

SAME ARNETTE STYLE AND FUNCTION THE GUYS GET WITH BETTER COLORS.

Dual vented Lexan lens means great vision with no fog.Hinged strap attachment ensures a solid fit with any and all helmets.16 available color ways to meet every style.Fit: Medium

ELECTRIC - EG1S

WITH A COLOR WAY INSPIRED BY CHERYL MAAS, THESE GOGGLES WILL MAKE YOU LOOK LIKE A LEGIT RIDER, EVEN IF YOU AREN’T.

Ergonomic frame design and Thermo-Plastic urethane frame for an advanced fit.Dual spherical lens opens up the entire mountain.Anti-Fog and Anti-Scratch coating protects your investment.Fit: Medium

BOLLÉ - MONARCH

THESE GOGGLES ARE PRETTY, PRETTY BAD ASS. LOADED WITH THE FEATURES AND STYLE YOU DEMAND.

Modulator lens changes shades to offer optimal sight in various lighting conditions.Equalizer vent eliminates moisture and fog altogether.Wide field of vision allows you to handle anything the mountains can throw at you.Fit: Medium

EG1S(Cheryl Maas/Blue Chrome)

MONARCH(Threadstripe/Aurora)

SERIES 3(Grape Hard Candy/Aqua Chrome)

ARNETTE

BOLLÉ

ELECTRIC

2011/2012


46 SBCOMAG

DECEMBER2011


OPTIC NERVE - COLUMBINE

COMING STRAIGHT OUT OF COLORADO, THESE GOGGLES ARE AN INDUSTRY CONTENDER.

Spherical, double polycarbonate lens gives maximum fi eld of view and impact resistance.Active lens venting keeps your goggles clear inside and out.Triple density foam designed to feel like your favorite pillow.Fit: Medium

SPY - BIAS

I LOVE BOOBIES, C’MON, WHO DOESN’T. HELP FIND A CURE FOR BREAST CANCER BY COPPING THESE SICK GOGGLES.

Polycarbonate cylindrical dual lens for a solid viewing platform.Anti-fog and anti scratch protection to save your lens from the elements.Dri-Force fl eece wicks moisture away from your face in unforgiving conditions.Fit: Medium

ROXY - MIST STARDUST

SERIOUS SHREDDING SHOWS ITS GIRLY SIDE.

PVC injected frame with built-in ventilation system to keep moisture out.Distortion-free shatter resistant lens cause safety matters.Orbicular lens with anti-scratch coating keeps things in perspective.Fit: Medium

BIAS(I Love Boobies/Silver Mirror)

MIST STARDUST(White Print/Gray)

COLUMBINE(Dish/Violet)

OPTIC NERVE

ROXY

SPY

2011/2012


introducing the platoon.// The biggest, cleanest, most

modern goggle we make.

OVERSIZED FOR

YOUR PLEASURE.

introducing the platoon.// The biggest, cleanest, most

modern goggle we make.

OVERSIZED FOR

YOUR PLEASURE.

WOLF CREEKLAST RESORT

By Jeff Aguilar

CAN YOU IMAGINE A RESORT FREE OF LIFT LINES? A PLACE FREE OF LITTLE SHIT HEAD PARK RATS? AN OASIS OF AWESOME WHERE THE SNOW FALLS FASTER, AND MORE OFTEN, THAN FAT CHICKS ON FIGURE SKATES? DOES A PLACE LIKE THIS REALLY EXIST? YES, IT DOES. IT LIES MILES AWAY FROM THE MOUNTAINS OF CORPORATE GREED, CAPPUCCINOS, GPS SEASON PASSES AND GONDOLAS. DOWN NEAR THE HEART OF GNARLY SHRED-LAND KNOWN AS THE SAN JUAN MOUNTAIN RANGE. FRIENDLY LOCALS AWAIT TO GREET YOU AS YOU EMBARK ON AN EPIC JOURNEY THROUGH THE LAND OF PRISTINE PILLOW LINES, WIDE OPEN BOWLS AND TREE RUNS TIGHTER THAN A DUCK’S ASS. WHAT IS SUCH A PLACE CALLED YOU ASK? THEY CALL IT WOLF CREEK.

P: AARON DODDS

50 SBCOMAG

DECEMBER2011


NESTLED IN THE RIO GRANDE NATIONAL FORREST , IT ’S IN BETWEEN THE TOWNS OF PAGOSA SPRINGS (POP. 1,591), AND SOUTH FORK (POP. 604), ON WOLF CREEK PASS. THIS QUAINT LITTLE SHRED ZONE ACCUMULATES OVER 460 INCHES OF SNOW EACH YEAR. THAT’S MORE THAN ANYWHERE ELSE IN COLORADO! WITH ALL THAT SNOW, YOU’D THINK THAT THIS PLACE WOULD BE PACKED ALL

THE TIME WITH EAGER POWDER HOUNDS, BUT THERE’S NEVER ANY LIFT LINES. HELL, THERE’S HARDLY ANY LIFTS! WITH ONLY FIVE LIFTS RUNNING, YOU MIGHT EXPECT THIS PLACE TO BE PRETTY DAMN SMALL. I MEAN, IT’S NOT HUGE BY ANY MEASURE, BUT WOLF CREEK HAS 1,600 ACRES OF RIDEABLE TERRAIN, 45% OF WHICH IS ADVANCED OR EXPERT, ALTHOUGH IT SEEMS LIKE WAY MORE WHEN YOU’RE THERE.

WOLF CREEK IS ONE OF COLORADO’S BEST KEPT SECRETS.

R: CHARLIE MORACEP: AARON DODDS

51WOLFCREEK

SBCOMAG

ISSUE2.4

Tre

asu

re Lift

No

va C

hair

Bonanza

Lift

D. B

oyce L

ift

Alb

erta Peak

Raven

Lift

Casa Del Sol 1,600’

Alberta Peak 11,904’

Base Elevation1 0,300’

Terrain - 1,600 Acres Vertical Drop 1,604’

200’

700’

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200 400 600 800 1,000 1,200 1,400 1,600 100 300 500 700

If you bought new gear in the past decade, prepare to get looked at like you’re a friggin’ alien when you get here. Being so far out of the tourist traps of I-70, Wolf Creek doesn’t see a whole lot of trends in snowboarding. Which is cool, because it really is about the riding, not the fashion show that so many Summit County lift lines have turned into. But the base area will hold some of the usual suspects that you’ll find at any resort, families including, old dudes and fat ladies who ski with their purses over their shoulder (true story). But as you get off at the top of the Alberta Lift and hike to the summit of Alberta Peak, you’ll forget all about the fat lady in tights with the shiny silver purse who was wearing the sunglasses with leather “blinders” over the temples. Only the gnarliest bros and broads make their way to this side of the mountain. There’s one hell of a run ahead of you if you strap in anywhere along the ridge from Alberta Peak to the Horseshoe Bowl. Untold amounts of powder turns, tree runs and cliff drops await you and your crew. Some of Snowboard Colorado Magazine’s favorite terrain lies within these boundaries. Comin’ in off of Big Cornice and blastin’ down the Knife Ridge Chutes never sucks. Personally, I like smashin’ in the Waterfall area, short but sweet; this area can make or break your day, or your face if you’re not careful. The best challenge in

this area is bombing straight down the Waterfall gully, a definite no fall zone. And you can even scrape up a good little side-hill booter from either side of this area, with the landing putting you down where the trails converge.

If you’re feelin’ froggish, go ‘head and leap over the Knife Ridge Staircase while everyone below you sings your praises. I’m not sure how ski patrol would feel about you doing this, but just do it quick and you’ll have one hell of a unique story to tell when you get home. Don’t forget the Montezuma Bowl on the other side of Alberta peak, snow seems to stick in this area pretty well. If it seems like there’s a lot of awesome shit here, it’s because there is. You could run the ridge all weekend and not cross your own tracks at Wolf Creek, this place is fucking epic.

UNTOLD AMOUNTS OF POWDER TURNS, TREE RUNS AND CLIFF DROPS AWAIT YOU AND YOUR CREW.

I’M NOT SURE HOW SKI PATROL WOULD FEEL ABOUT YOU DOING THIS, BUT JUST DO IT QUICK AND YOU’LL HAVE ONE HELL OF A UNIQUE STORY TO TELL WHEN YOU GET HOME.

WOLF CREEK

MORE SNOW THAN ANY

OTHER MOUNTAIN IN

COLORADO

IF IT SEEMS LIKE THERE’S A LOT OF AWESOME SHIT HERE,IT’S BECAUSE THERE IS.

YOU COULD RUN THE RIDGE ALL WEEKEND AND NOT CROSS YOUR OWN TRACKS AT

WOLF CREEK

R: RYAN THOMPSONP: AARON DODDS

54 SBCOMAG

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The summit of Alberta Peak is 11,900 ft., and the base of the Alberta Lift has an elevation of 10,300 ft. You do the math jerk, even if you flunked third grade you know that makes for a long ass run. Do that shit a few times in a row and we’ll see who’s really bad. But don’t get stuck riding the same zones over and over at Wolf Creek, there’s a ton of awesome advanced/expert terrain to keep you busy all day. One of the best things about this place is, almost all of the real rad shit is hike-to only. So you won’t get any idiots looking for their lost ski, trampling down your once fluffy landing zone under a cliff. Usually, the only people who hike the ridge are those that are good enough riders to make it down, because it can definitely look a little intimidating to a novice. Even if you’re not ‘Billy Badass,’ you can still catch a good powder day at Wolf Creek. With no hiking involved you can still hit wide open, untracked runs that are definitely worth writing home about. But if you are a badass and it just finished puking snow, but you wanna get as many runs as possible without hiking, there’s still stuff right off the lifts here that’ll make your knees wobble.

ALMOST ALL OF THE REAL RAD SHIT IS HIKE-TO ONLY. SO YOU WON’T GET ANY IDIOTS LOOKING FOR THEIR LOST SKI, TRAMPLING DOWN YOUR ONCE FLUFFY LANDING ZONE UNDER A CLIFF.

PHOTOS: JON PACIARONI

YESNOWBOARD.COM LET THE RIDING DO THE TALKING

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If you and your crew are gonna make the trek down here, make it worth your while and stay a couple nights, there’s always gonna be some spot on the mountain that you wanted to ride and just didn’t get to. With Wolf Creek being so far away from Denver, you never know when you’re gonna get another shot. While you’re doing yourself favors here, you might as well not stay in some serial-killer crap-shack just to be a little closer to the mountain. Check out the Mountain Landing Guest Quarters, located just outside of Pagosa Springs, this place has everything you need wrapped in an affordable, friendly package. There’s a pool, game room, cable, kitchens, barbecue grills, flat-screen TV’s and comfy ass beds waiting for you and your crew to come get crazy in, on, around, and with. Get hella chiefed before your arrival, because it’s got a trippy little airport theme as you pull in, making you feel like you’re Doug Masters in Iron Eagle or some shit. They’ve even got movies for rent at the front office, so you can probably rent that crappy movie along with some other classics to enjoy in your rooms. Keep in mind that Wolf Creek is between Pagosa Spgs and South Fork, since South Fork is a little closer to Denver, it makes pretty good sense to crash here if you get out of town a little late and don’t wanna drive over Wolf Creek Pass at 3 AM. The place to stay in South Fork, is The Spruce Lodge. This family owned and operated establishment is the perfect spot to crash, especially if you don’t leave until after work on Friday and roll in late. Dee and Rob always welcome late check ins. If you’re still hungover from the last Snowboard Colorado Magazine Release Party, they even have an oxygen bar to ease your hangin’ blues.

Unless you hate yourself and want to torture your friends with only each other’s company the entire trip, then you may wanna go out on the town for a bit. If you’re gonna go out in Pagosa Springs you

UNLESS YOU HATE YOURSELF AND WANT TO TORTURE YOUR FRIENDS WITH ONLY EACH OTHER’S COMPANY THE ENTIRE TRIP, THEN YOU MAY WANNA GO OUT ON THE TOWN FOR A BIT.

better go to the Bear Creek Saloon and Grill. Not only is this the best chance you’ve got at pullin’ any tail on your whole trip, but they’ve got a bunch of big ass TV’s, pool tables, awesome beers and killer food selections. No literally, I mean killer food. The Bear Creek Saloon and Grill is home to the biggest, most American meal I’ve ever seen; the Monster Burger, a 32oz patty on a 12” bun! Eat it all in under an hour, and you will be in the bathroom the rest of the week attempting to purge you body of the shame and selfishness that come as a side with this meal. You’ll also get a t-shirt to sport around Southern Colorado letting all the yeti-betties know that you can handle two pounds of beef like a pro. For real though, if you want a normal sized gourmet burger, this is the place to get ‘em, check out the Hawaiian and the Pagosa burgers. They’ve even got veggie burgers for those of us who give a shit about ourselves. Wash it down with one of the Colorado Micro Brews they have to choose from, and then go broke trying to beat my high score on Ms. Pac Man, and I’d say you’re well on your way to the perfect night out.

R: PAUL GEMIGNANIP: JON PACIARONI

IF YOU FIND YOURSELF IN THIS CORNER OF COLORADO IN THE WINTER, AND YOU DON’T RIDE AT WOLF CREEK; YOU MIGHT AS WELL START CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING, OR MAKING OUT WITH YOUR COUSIN, OR WHATEVER IT IS PEOPLE WITH POOR JUDGMENT DO WITH THEIR TIME.

YOU CAN HIT WIDE OPEN, UNTRACKED RUNS THAT ARE DEFINITELY WORTH WRITING HOME ABOUT.

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The next morning, wake up and tear that mountain apart all over again. But if you managed to lose a glove or your goggles in the copious amounts of powder that you’ll most likely be riding at Wolf Creek, you’re gonna need a kick ass board shop to gear you back up. Well, the Ski & Bow Rack is the place to be in Pagosa Springs for all things outdoors. I know, it doesn’t have anything about snowboarding in the name, but they do carry gear from Ride, Arbor, and Burton. Killer deals on waxing, and a good selection of boards, boots, bindings and outerwear. Plus, the staff is super, super friendly, and eager to help you in any situation.

If you read November’s ‘Last Resort’ then you know that there is another sick ass mountain down in the southwest corner of Colorado. If you plan it out, you can have the most epic weekend

of your life down here in the San Juans. I’m not gonna tell you how to plan your trip, or which mountain to hit first, or whatever. But if you find yourself in this corner of Colorado in the winter, and you don’t ride at Wolf Creek; you might as well start cross-country skiing, or making out with your cousin, or whatever it is people with poor judgment do with their time. All I’m saying is, a place like Wolf Creek doesn’t come along very often, and neither does the opportunity to ride there for some. For the rest of us, we know what secrets the San Juans hold, we know that it’s well worth the drive to ride at the best kept secret in Colorado, Wolf Creek.

IF YOU PLAN IT OUT, YOU CAN HAVE THE MOST EPIC WEEKEND OF YOUR LIFE DOWN HERE IN THE SAN JUANS.

WE KNOW WHAT SECRETS THE SAN JUANS HOLD, WE KNOW THAT IT’S WELL WORTH THE DRIVE TO RIDE AT THE BEST KEPT SECRET IN COLORADO, WOLF CREEK.

P: AARON DODDS

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Ah, methods, the cornerstone of the freestyle snowboarding experience. Double corks, triple corks, backside rodeos and spins of all degrees are possible because of the majesty of the method. Not only do methods ooze style in ways few tricks do, but it’s also a tribute to snowboarding’s history with each and every grab. In the end of the day if there was one trick that represented the feeling of snowboarding it would be a method, hands down.

With all of my praise in mind, it’s a no brainer that this month’s Style Points acts as a canvas for the art of the method. The beauty of the trick lies in the fact that it is equally as elegant regardless of where it’s thrown; pipe, park or backcountry it always proves a wise decision. Take these photos, rich with masterful methods and use them as inspiration to huck your best offering yet.

Words: Justin Lesniak

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ASPEN, CO

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SB CO MAG PAGE 78 D E C E M B E R

WRITTEN BY: COLIN BANE

TO GOLD

COLORADO BECOMES THE CENTER OF THE SNOWBOARD UNIVERSE EVERY YEAR AT THE END OF JANUARY, WITH SNOW DUMPING AT ALL 26 OF OUR BELOVED SKI AREAS AND ON ALL OF OUR FAVORITE BACKCOUNTRY POWDER STASHES IN BETWEEN. IT’S NO ACCIDENT THAT THE ENTIRE SNOWBOARD INDUSTRY WILL BE SETTING UP CAMP AT THE COLORADO CONVENTION CENTER, JANUARY 26-29, WHEN SNOWSPORTS INDUSTRIES AMERICA BRINGS ITS SIA SNOW SHOW TO DENVER FOR THE THIRD YEAR IN A ROW. AND WINTER X GAMES 16, CELEBRATING 11 YEARS OF X GAMES HISTORY AT BUTTERMILK MOUNTAIN JANUARY 26-29, WILL BE THE ICING ON THE CAKE.

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R: SEBASTIEN TOUTANT P: CHRISTIAN PONDELLA


MOST KIDS ARE

TWEAKING SUITCASE

GRABS BEFORE

THEY HAVE THEIR TOE-

SIDE TURNS DOWN.


Unfortunately, Colorado snowboarders have a score to settle with the X Games: Not a single Coloradan made the podium in any of the snowboard events last year.

It wasn’t for the lack of trying: Breckenridge team rider Eric Willett made finals in Slopestyle, but finished in eighth place before going for it in Big Air, where he couldn’t hang with Torstein Horgmo hucking triples, Sebastien Toutant throwing backside 1260s, and Sage Kotsenburg going Cab double cork 1260. Matt Ladley, from Steamboat Springs, made the Superpipe finals but ended up in eighth place, far behind the Shaun White/Scotty Lago/Louie Vito podium. Aspen’s own Gretchen Bleiler made finals in Women’s Superpipe, but finished in sixth place. Colorado competitors missed the podium in all of the Boarder X events, too, and we couldn’t even make a showing in the new Best Method competition, a sad state of affairs in a state where most kids are tweaking suitcase grabs before they have their toe-side turns down.

What would it take to return to the glory days of local pride? Since the Winter X Games is an invitational event, the key is to get noticed. Fortunately, Colorado offers plenty of opportunities to do just that. If you think you’ve got what it takes, then stayed glued to this article. Here’s a five-point plan for world domination.

1. Start at Woodward at Copper, because those triple corks aren’t just going to throw themselves

“Our programming is geared toward terrain park and pipe progression, for athletes looking to take those next steps towards building the body awareness and aerial awareness you’ll need to start getting noticed in some of those bigger events, like the U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix here at Copper, December 7-10, Dew Tour the following week at Breckenridge, and, ultimately, the Winter X Games,” says Woodward at Copper spokesman Morrison Hsieh. “All of the facilities we offer for pro athletes training for these events are open to any kid who comes here ready to learn and ready to progress.”

Hsieh suggests starting with the One-Hit Wonder indoor intro session ($29.99) in the Barn to try out the Snowflex jumps and jibs, become comfortable with getting some hang time over the Olympic-grade Flybed trampolines and foam pits and get some basic coaching. Then check out the indoor/outdoor Winter Camp Days ($149.99, daily through April 15, 2012) the 4-day Holiday Camp ($699.00, December 27-30, 2011), or the Park Rats

seasonal program (starting at $699.99) with 4-week, 6-week, and 12-week program options.

“The ideal scenario is to spend the morning in the Barn working up to some new tricks, then let us take you out to the parks in the afternoon to work on those same tricks on snow so you’ll be able to feel your own progression over the course of a single day,” says Hsieh. “And as an added bonus this year, thanks to the new Union Creek quad, we’ll have the fastest park laps in Summit County.”

Ready to show your stuff? Join the United States of American Snowboard Association (www.USASA.org) and sign up for some contests in the the USASA Rocky Mountain Snowboard Series (www.RockyMountainSeries.com) -- like the USASA Halfpipe event on December 17, the X Games Rail Jam Qualifier on December 31, and the Burton Pro Am Halfpipe event on January 1, all at Copper Mountain -- to work your way up to the USASA National Championships, also at Copper, March 31-April 11.

“Woodward at Copper is now completely integrated with the U.S. Snowboarding and USASA events,” says Hsieh. “If you’re looking to get into slopestyle, halfpipe, boardercross, or even alpine snowboard racing competition, Copper is your place.”

Other events in the USASA Rocky Mountain Series this season include a slopestyle competition at Keystone (January 8), a rail jam at Ruby Hill in Denver (January 26), halfpipe and slopestyle events at Breckenridge (January 28-29), and a slopestyle contest at Winter Park (February 5).

“IF YOU’RE LOOKING TO

GET INTO SLOPESTYLE,

HALFPIPE, BOARDERCROSS, OR EVEN ALPINE

SNOWBOARD RACING

COMPETITION, COPPER IS YOUR

PLACE.”

R: MARK MCMORRIS P: CHRISTIAN PONDELLA


TO GET NOTICED AT AN OPEN EVENT YOU’LL HAVE TO BATTLE YOUR WAY UP FROM THE BOTTOM, THE OLD-FASHIONED WAY

In other words, try not to worry about the fact that she nearly landed her first 900 in her second run of the GFFT finals at Snowbasin. “I just barely fell,” she says. “Still working on that! The pipe at the finals was definitely the best pipe I’ve ever ridden, which is another great thing about riding in these kinds of contests. Actually, the best part was getting to ride that pipe all day and taking fast laps with the sleds pulling us up.”

Geer, now a student at CU-Boulder, says a girl could get used to being treated like a pro. She is finishing up her Fall semester and says she’s taking the Spring semester off to train in Breck for the rest of the season to make a go of it on the Dew Tour and other competitions.

“This was just an amazing opportunity,” says Geer. “I’m really stoked to compete in the Winter Dew Tour.”

2. Go with the Flow

The 2012 Gatorade Free Flow Tour kicks off January 14-15 with park and pipe contests at Vail and another seven events across the country leading up to the Winter Dew Tour’s Toyota Championships at Snowbasin in Utah, February 9-12 (tune in to www.AlliSports.com/Winter-Gatorade-Free-Flow-Tour for the what’s what on the amateur series). Win big at Vail or any of the other Free Flow Tour events and you could be competing with the pros in the big show on the Winter Dew Tour by next season, just like Natalie Geer. The young ripper from Steamboat Springs won a Free Flow Tour event at Vail in 2010 and went on to win the 2010/2011 Free Flow Tour Women’s Superpipe Finals at Snowbasin in Utah. As a bonus perk she will now be competing on the 2011/2012 Winter Dew Tour, beginning December 15-18 at the Nike Open at Breckenridge.

“What’s really cool about the Gatorade Free Flow Tour is it’s a really great way to introduce the younger up-and-comers into the competition circuit,” says Geer. After winning the Free Flow Tour finals, Geer also got a taste of snowboard celebrity, including an interview on The Daily Habit for Fuel TV. “My advice to anybody looking to step up their riding on the Free Flow Tour or any other competition is just to have fun, focus on your own riding, and try not to worry about what everyone else is doing.”


3. Open some doors

Didn’t get that X Games invitation this year? Invitation only events will keep you waiting, the keyword you should be watching for is “open” -- as in the Nike Open at Breckenridge (December 15-18) or the Aspen/Snowmass Open at Buttermilk (February 23-26). The latter will be held on the same superpipe and slopestyle courses as the Winter X Games so you can see how you measure up.

“People come from all over the country for the Open because everybody wants to compete on the X Games courses,” says Aspen/Snowmass spokeswoman Meredith McKee. “I’m always stoked to see the local die-hard kids out there killing it.”

Mark Hoyt, Snowboard Colorado’s April 2011 cover killer, won the Men’s Slopestyle competition at the Open last season, and Molly Wilson, from Basalt, won the Women’s Slopestyle. Clair Bidez, from Minturn, won the Women’s Superpipe.

To get noticed at an Open event you’ll have to battle your way up from the bottom, the old-fashioned way, but it could be worth your while.

“It seems like the year after people come here and blow up at the Open we tend to see them go on to the Dew tour and X Games,” says McKee. “It happens all the time. You’ll have about a month between the X Games and the Open to get up here and get some practice runs in on the world’s greatest pipe and slopestyle courses, so you can show them what you’ve got when the big day comes.”

McKee also suggests coming up for the weekly Big Air Fridays contests on Fanny Hill at Snowmass, which start on February 10, 2012. “We see a lot of local up-and-comers start with the Big Air Fridays contests, which will help you get noticed for the KickAspen Big Air Invitational on March 17 and will give you a taste of what it takes to throw down in the bigger contests.”

Other open Colorado contests worth checking out this season include the Vans King of the Groms at Winter Park (January 21) and the Colorado Freeride Championships at Snowmass (February 17-19). Just about every ski area in Colorado has rail jams and terrain park competitions going down throughout the season; if you’re serious about winning some contests there are plenty to enter. For some more laid back contests, try Loveland’s Tall T’s and Tacos Terrain Park Competitions (March 26 and April 23), the Volcom Peanut Butter & Rail Jam at Keystone (March 31), and Arapahoe Basin’s late-season Huck, Rattle, and Roll (May 5).



4. Get a Ticket to Ride

All those contests are good practice, but to get noticed by the folks at the X Games, it helps to rack up some serious points on the Swatch TTR World Tour. The big points come from the TTR 6Star events -- Oakley Air & Style, O’Neill Evolution, Burton European Open, Billabong Air & Style, Burton U.S. Open, and the inaugural World Snowboarding Championships -- and 5Star events like the U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix, which are likely out of your league, so first you need to put in some work. Try the U.S. Ski and Snowboarding Association’s 2012 Revolution Tour, which comes to Copper Mountain December 18-22 with a TTR 4Star event (you’ll need both a USSA National Competitors Membership and a current FIS license, so come correct).

“The events at Copper Mountain this year are going to be the first time snowboarders are going to be able to get both FIS and TTR points at the same event, so it’s a big opportunity,” says TTR spokesman Matt Johnson.

Half the spots will be reserved for pre-qualified riders, but the other half will be up for grabs through open registration: We’re telling you there’s a chance. For the full TTR World Tour schedule, including some 1Star, 2Star, and 3Star events in the U.S. to help you find your legs, visit www.TTRworldtour.com. For a full schedule of USSA and FIS events in the U.S., visit www.USSA.org.

5. Buy a video camera

If you’re not getting the recognition you deserve on the contest scene but feel you have something to show the world, then get it on video and show it. We don’t know that there’s ever been a single athlete invited to the X Games solely on the basis of a sick video clip, but a few million YouTube hits for a trick nobody’s ever seen can’t hurt your cause. Worst-case scenario, you’ll spend the season shredding with your friends in pursuit of fun and killer footage, which, after all, is what all your X Games heroes wish they could be doing anyway. Enjoy!

Plan B: Stay in school

By the time I finally realized my dream and made it to the Winter X Games, I was welcomed with open arms by all my snowboarding peers... in the media room. Whatever path you take, get out there and get your grind on.

WORST-CASE SCENARIO YOU’LL SPEND THE SEASON SHREDDING WITH YOUR FRIENDS IN PURSUIT OF FUN AND FOOTAGE

R: SEBASTIEN TOUTANT AND MARK MCMORRIS P: CHRISTIAN PONDELLA

WHATEVER PATH YOU TAKE, GET OUT THERE

AND GET YOUR GRIND ON.

R: ENNI RUKAJARVI P: CHRISTIAN PONDELLA

88 SBCOMAG

DECEMBER2011


TRICK TIPS WITH ZAK HALE

BACKSIDE 360 GAP TO 50-50

WORDS: ZAK HALEPHOTOS: DEAN BLOTTO GRAY

CHANCES ARE YOU DON’T SHRED AS HARD AS MR. ZAK HALE HERE. THAT’S OK, NEITHER DO WE. LUCKILY FOR OUR FREESTYLE FUELED FANTASIES WE HAVE THE TEENAGE SENSATION HIMSELF TO BREAK DOWN A BACKSIDE 360 GAP TO 50-50, A TRICK THAT IS ALL THE RAGE, IN PRO VIDEO PARTS.

89SBCO

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ISSUE2.4

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First thing you need to learn before working on this trick is backside 360s on flat ground. Then try them with the goal of staying in the same spot and not drifting so you get comfortable with the feeling. Next you want to take them to a jump and try the same thing, again without drifting, that’s the hardest part about this trick is staying centered through the air.

Next step is to learn gap to 50-50s and get comfortable with landing centered on the rail, along with the speed needed to make the gap, because the last thing you want to happen is to come up short. If you’re feeling comfortable, try some frontside 180s to 50-50 in order to get used to spinning onto a rail as well.

Once you get these dialed, the next step is to work on some backside 270s and getting the feel for spinning backside to a gap rail. This is where the drifting part comes into affect, as you want to pop off the lip with a flat base so you don’t drift and miss the rail altogether.

The next level of progression is all commitment. With the last 90 you can pretty much spot the rail once you get passed 180, so you already have an idea of where you are at, and where you will be landing. You want to make sure you are in a good spot in the air so you land evenly over the rail and don’t catch your heel or toe edge. It’s also important to make sure you get all the way around before landing so you don’t land 45 and again, catch your edge on a high speed trick like this. Be aware to stop yourself from spinning more the 360, which will lead to catching your back edge as you get off the rail.

When you finally find a good spot to take off from and your landing on the rail feels solid, the rest is pretty much cake. All that’s left is sucking up your knees, landing on the rail square and riding out the 50-50. This trick is all com-mitment once you pull it off and get over the initial fear. So just let that sack hang and go for it.

Sports Insurance

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DECEMBER2011


ART INSTALLMENT

BY PAT MILBERRY

Let me take you back to the year of 1988. Snowboarding was in its infancy stages, the gear consisted of makeshift homemade bindings, Sorel boots and snowboards that weighed half your weight. Not to mention they were way too tall for the average rider, so conveniently you would find your saw and cut them down yourself. The revolution was here, and the era represented counter culture at it’s finest. One of the epicenters of this movement was the sunny slope of Snow Summit, California where youngster, Carl E. Smith, began on his snowboard quest.

Carl, born and raised in Laguna Beach, California recalls sawing down his Avalanche 165 snowboard to accommodate his height. He also remembers being in the sixth grade and spending some of his first days with this new profoundly painful, yet fun reality of living the snowboard lifestyle. Carl has been highly involved with the culture of snowboarding since 1994. The snowboard community was first introduced to Carl through some t-shirt designs he submitted to Volcom. After Carl landed his first t-shirt graphic, he went on to create another 80 additional Volcom t-shirt graphics as a freelance artist over the next seven years.

Carl’s next project became designing graphics for Nitro Snowboards and around the same period of time, Carl linked up with Nidecker Snowboards, to help influence the graphics for their line of snowboards as well. He was proud to admit, at that stage of his life, he was strictly paying his bills through his freelance t-shirt designs and snowboard graphic work. To Carl this was an incredibly fulfilling reality.

Life continued to get better and Carl grew as an artist. He spent the years of 2001-2004 moving his career into the community of fine arts and exhibitions. In 2004, Carl landed the art director position at Electric Visual and maintained that position through 2010, where he created awesome ad campaigns, goggle designs and lots of other influential graphic direction for the brand to become a world leader in eyewear. Throughout the past ten years, Carl has been creating graphics for Lib Tech as well. Carl’s collage style designs have been used on The TRS

(Total Ripper Series) snowboard for the past few seasons, and currently he teamed up with friend and fellow artist Mike Parillo for the 2012-2013 Travis Rice snowboard graphic. Carl said that the recent creation of this graphic has been one of his favorite design creative processes. Carl also contributed to the Art Of Flight through his design of the interface on the DVD case, the Asymbol Gallery ad campaigns, as well some of the movie’s promo pieces displayed at premieres while on the world tour.

Carl has always loved to travel and experience the world that consistently inspires him, which in some many ways has opened up these industry doors to Carl’s enthusiasm and artistic talent. He has spent close to a decade in Prague, Czech Republic, and he still visits twice a year and splits his time between his studio in Laguna Beach and Prague. Carl has focused his career path with a very healthy amount of design work, which makes up CES-Design. About half of that work is focused on the action sports industry, while the other half consists of a mix of brand identity, art direction, website revamps and production, specializing in aesthetic work for creative clients. CES-Fine Art is based on Carl’s passion. He is an art advocate, art consultant, and works to develop greater relationships with local galleries and the communities surrounding them. He also represents five artists on an international level including Mike Parillo, with bookings and gallery representation. Check out Carl’s new international project SLASH, which is open this month and is his largest curated show to date. This is a must see if you happen to be in Southern California.

Thanks for the inspiration Carl, safe travels, keep the collages coming and thank you for putting forth the effort. It speaks volumes that you have built a worldwide community outlet for other artist to showcase their skills and passion!

To check out his work, please visit carlesmithart.com or ces-design.com or cesfineart.com or ar4t.com.

CARL E. SMITH

THE MASTERMIND BEHIND SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE SNOWBOARDS

LIB TECHTRS

BODY STUDY 3

DANGEROUS

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Rider: Local Legend Dave PleshawPhoto: RyanBregante.com

To find more challenges, go to tubbssnowshoes.com/winter-challenges

Scan this code to learn more about the

Tubbs FLEX ALP

RECOMMENDEDSNOWSHOE

SNOWSHOE TO RIDE

Map consulted, compass used

Avalanche kit, just in case


Snacks for the way down

Awesome adventure on

the snow!

Winter Challenge #9

2011 Tubbs SnbdCO Ad.2.indd 1 11/1/11 12:30 PM

ORDER NOW AND RECEIVEFREE SHIPPING

W W W. R A M P S P O R T S . C O M / S T O R E / S B C O _ D E C

OFFER VALID ONLY UNTIL 12/31/11

RAMPSPORTS.COM

SNOW-BOARDS@ FA C T O RY D I R E C T P R I C ES

HANDMADE

X GAMES MEDALDEW TOUR MEDALGRAND PRIX MEDAL

BUY LIKE THE PROS

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Rider: Local Legend Dave PleshawPhoto: RyanBregante.com

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MUSICFLOBOTS

BY TIM WENGER

“In the beginning, we found that the only reason we made it is because we’re from Denver,” says Jonny 5, the animated front man of Colorado’s hip hop heroes, Flobots. Since their song “Handlebars,” blew up radio stations and iPods around the country in 2008, this collective of Denver-based activists has taken the social mindset of our community and country by storm. From playing on Barack Obama’s election day in Washington D.C. to leading an emotional march through downtown Denver, to forming Flobots.org, the group has imprinted their name and their message.

Flobots’ message is rooted in the mind of the listener. While they strive to motivate the masses to work for change and to fight for their rights, the group is not on stage preaching at you to believe exactly what they believe. “Right away, when ‘Handlebars’ went big, we found ourselves at this crossroads,” he says. “Either we can pick one issue and tell everyone what to think, or we can say that it is important to think, and to learn how to think.”

“Originally, we were trying to think of how to help with a non-profit,” he says. “We considered running our band as a non-profit.” They decided instead to head into the Denver Children’s Home to see what they could do to help. “We got some funding, so the band members went in and did some workshops,” adds Johny 5. “When we got a record deal and had to go tour, we had to get a staff that could go in and do it. That was kind of how the whole organization got started.”

Flobots.org came together in 2008, a non-profit organization that provides middle school and high school kids with access to

music and the arts. The kids then use the tools provided by the non-profit to become a positive member of their community. “For anyone who is an artist or musician, we put (them) into classrooms with young people,” he says.

Flobots.org has become the band’s baby, it is the helping hand that reaches into its pocket and feeds local communities that are hungry for the nourishment only music and positive influence can provide. “Think for yourself, make a difference in your world,” he says. “That message is more what we wanted to do. The organization is based on that idea.” Flobots.org has three major programs as well as the Flobots.org Community Space in Denver. You can read about what they are doing, as well as how you can help, at Flobots.org.

Their 2010 album, “Survival Story,” continued the same quest for social change, but was an entirely different experience for the band compared to their breakthrough album “Fight With Tools.” “Fight With Tools” we made completely on our own, and it was the success of the album locally that got us a record deal,” Jonny 5 says. Each member had to work around their day jobs while making that record. “With ‘Survival Story’, suddenly we had this big hit, and our full time job was to write these songs. We got to really dive in and have it be our main focus.”

The band is currently writing a new record for you to rock on your iPod when you ride. Until then, check them out at Flobots.com and Flobots.org and learn how you can get involved in their movement.

FLOBOTS’ MESSAGE RINGS TRUE FROM GRASS ROOTS TO GLOBAL CONSCIOUSNESS.

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TRIMMING ZONE:Please allow 0.375 inches cutting tolerance around your card.We recomment no boarders due to shifting in the cutting process, borders may appear uneven.

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FULL PAGE QUARTER PAGE HALF PAGE: OPTION 2HALF PAGE: OPTION 1

SAFE ZONE:All critical elements (text, images, graphic elements, logo ect.) must be kept inside the blue box

Anything left outside the blue box may be cut o� during trimming.

TRIMMING ZONE:Please allow 0.375 inches cutting tolerance around your card.We recomment no boarders due to shifting in the cutting process, borders may appear uneven.

BLEED ZONE:Make sure to extend the background image colors all the way to the edge of the red outline.

FILE TYPES:Prefered: PDF/X-1AAccepted: Illustrator 8.0+ EPS TIFF/IT-P1 -HIGH RES / CMYK

Final Sizes:

With bleedsFull-Page: 8.5 inches x 11 inchesHalf-Page: (Horizontal) W 8.5 x H 5.5 (Vertical) W 4.25 x H 11Quarter-Page: W 4.25 x H 5.5

Without Bleeds:Full-Page: W 8.375 x H 10.875Half-Page: (Horizontal) W 8.375 x H 5.4375 (Vertical) W 4.1875 x H 10.875Quarter-Page: W 4.25 x H 5.5

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