A prominent blogger posted a piece on his site a few days about a snowboarding accident that nearly cost him his life. A very moving story, well worth reading - http://www.copyblogger.com/the-secret-of-life/
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So who do you want to see designing clothes? Vote and let us know why! And if I don't have your pick then put it in comments.
On a side note Gretchen Bleiler will have some signature streetwear pieces in the Oakley line, but that's not a full collection nor produced for mass market consumption.
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Last year Ana Rumiha narrowly missed out on a podium place at the Nikita Chickita contest when she placed fourth. No such problems this year - Ana won the event in Serfaus and picked up 1000 euros and a one-year Nikita contract as a result. 
pic by Andy Kuljis
Ana has been talking to Nikita about her day and what winning the even means to her...
"I think I first found out about Nikita Chickita on the Internet last year and four of my friends were ready to go straight away. Last year's contest was the most fun one I've ever been on, so I decided to come back again this year.
Just the night before I was supposed to set off for Serfaus, I was considering not going, due to the bad weather report and pretty high travel expenses, but I woke up next morning full of good energy and I had that travel itch.
I called my friends, Anja and Andy and told them that we had to go. It doesn't take much to convince them. So that was it, three happy friends went to Serfaus.
As the competition morning was kind of cold and snowy I wasn't too motivated to jump around right away, but that's why I love Nikita Chickita. You can ride however and whenever you want, no pressure. In the qualifiers I couldn't do a single trick I wanted to, so I was just hoping to get in to the finals and be able to ride the park for the rest of the day.
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| pic by Andy Kuljis |
Because of all the positive atmosphere I was relaxed and I had so much fun from the beginning ‘til the end of the contest. I think it's really difficult to make a contest where the riders can have all the freedom they need and can do whatever is on their mind. This one makes me feel free and that's how I comprehend snowboarding.
It was great that we had a snowcat driving us up the hill because the girls had to wait for each other and watch each other ride, so there was a really nice and friendly feeling among us.
I also got to know some great girls there, cuz it's not every day that I meet people with same interests and same passion for snowboarding and skateboarding as me.
So... I had some funny runs in the finals and I guess the judges liked it, but I sure wasn't expecting to win. I have to admit that I was really stoked when I found out, especially when I remebered that I almost nearly didn’t go!
Nikita Chickita is still my favorite contest. I wouldn't even call it a contest, it's more like a gathering for the girls who want to have fun, ride and show each other what's new in the female snowboard world."
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| Marie France pic: Chanelle Sladics |
Quebec native Marie-France Roy is the latest rider to send us her thoughts on her 2007/8 season. Here she goes…
Highlight of the season: "Getting snowmobile (thanks to Red Bull!) and getting in the backcountry a bit more."
Low point of the season: "I went through pretty rough times this season. I felt like I was a bit burnt out. I think I just missed riding for myself."
Goals for next season: "I want to spend more time in the backcountry, less contests, more time in whistler which is the best place to snowboard."
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So you’re going on holiday with your insanely tall boyfriend and don’t want him to grumble, or want to be able to stretch out your achy legs after a week of powder hiking – would be good to find out where the best seats on your plane are wouldn’t it?
Seatguru.com is a service from Tripadvisor which shows the seat layouts of planes used by the world’s major airlines and highlights seats you might want to try and bag – and those you want to steer clear of if possible.
Thankfully it doesn’t point out the blatantly obvious – that the seats in business class are always going to be more comfy than anything at the back….
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Shaun White hit the streets and shops of Munich in Germany recently - and him and his crew tried out some traditional German clothing. Check it out...
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Bonfire has announced the date for it's 7th Annual Pipe to Pipe competition. It will take place on June 28 at Windells and includes a snowboard rail jam and skateboard street comp.
more info at http://bonfiresnowboarding.com
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Maddison was chosen as a recipient of the Douglas F. Smith Memorial Grant. If you are interested in donating via paypal (it's charitable and tax-free) you can visit the CharitySmith website and learn more about the Douglas F. Smith Memorial Grant.
There is also a Maddison Page blog that keeps up with what's going with Maddison and the fund raising. I got teary reading it.
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Found this cute l’il animation on Vimeo – hope you like…
Lazy Sunday Animation: Snowboard from Martin Goguen on Vimeo.
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The Snowboard Test. from LOCKDOWN projects on Vimeo.
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Check these out. They’re created by NY-based designer Beck Hickey from recycled skateboards. She makes a range of bags, earrings, necklaces and ipod cases, all available direct from her site and from stores around the US and Canada. To keep her supply of skate decks topped up, she donates cash for every board she receives to organisations dedicated to building and maintaining public skateparks.
Check out the range at beckycity.com
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If you’re in London any time from May 15 to 18, might be worth shimmying down to the Old Truman Brewery on Brick Lane for the Fashion Made Fair event.
It’s a shop-fest of eco-friendly, sustainable and fair trade brands with samples, bargainous older stock and current collections on offer.
Brands taking part include Howies and People Tree – so there should be some pretty good stuff on offer. There are also food and drink stalls, DJs and complementary therapists.
Full details at www.fashionmadefair.com
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| Lisa picture by Carlos Blanchard |
Continuing our series of interviews with riders talking about their 2007/8 season, Lisa Filzmoser spills the beans on her winter…
Highlight of the season: "My highlight was a catboarding trip to Selkirk, interior BC. It was a one week photoshoot with the Helly Hansen team. It was late March but the powder was amazing and the sun came out everyday. We rode all day long, got some fun free runs and were also productive."
Low point of the season: "Actually I didn’t really have a bad low point. But I had a not fun riding day. I qualified for the Burton European Open finals and felt really good but I had a bad crash and didn’t really realise that I had a concussion. So I rode the finals and my eyes couldn’t focus on the obstacles, I had to do it by feeling. It was awful. "
Goals for next season: "I wanna get a really good movie part, so also a movie to film with and I wanna get some new tricks done. And enjoying my life."
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How to Crochet a Cat Hat
from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can EditWith these instructions, you can crochet a charming hat for your kitty. You'll probably spend a lot more time making this hat than your cat will spend wearing it (unless your cat likes playing dress-up), but it's still a fun, easy project for a beginning crocheter (and avid cat lover). To follow these steps, you'll need to understand crochet patterns.
Steps
- Make a slip knot, and crochet 4 Ch (Chains); Slip stitch in first ch made. This will make your ring that you'll crochet into.
- Crochet 7 sc (single crochet) into the ring, use slip stitch to join sc into first sc made: 7 sc.
- Ch 2, work first hdc (half double crochet) in same stitch as the ch 2; work 2 hdc in each stitch around in circle; Slip stitch in first hdc made: 14 hdc.
- Ch 3, dc (double crochet) in same stitch as ch 3, 2 dc in each stitch around, slip stitch in first dc made: 28 dc.
- Ch 1, 8 sc in circle, ch 13, skip 4 stitches, re-attach using slip stitch. (This will create the first ear hole.) sc 10 more stitches in circle, ch 13, skip 4 stitches, re-attach using slip stitch, sc 3 more stitches, slip stitch in first sc made. By now your hat should start to curve a little bit, which is what you want.
- Ch 1, 7 sc in circle. Note: You will be working into the 'ear hole' now, so you will be working in the space under it, but it's basically like working a normal stitch. 16 sc in the 'hole', sc in in each stitch until you hit the next ear hole, 16 sc in hole, 3 sc, slip stitch in first sc made; cut yarn and tie off. Weave in yarn ends with yarn needle.Alternate explanation:Ch 1, sc in next 7 sts.16 sc around ch of 13.Sc in each st up to next ch.16 sc around ch of 13.Sc in next 3 sts, slst in 1st sc made.
- ch 4, slip stitch to first ch to form a ring.
- ch 1, 7sc in ring, join with sl st to first sc. (7sc)
- ch 2 ( this will be the first hdc) hdc in same st, 2 hdc in each st around, join with sl st in top of ch 2. (14 hdc)
- ch 3, dc in same st, 2 dc in ea st around, Sl st in top of ch 3. (28 dc)
- ch1, sc in same st and in next 7 dc, ch 13, skip 4 dc, sl st in next dc, sc in next 10 dc, ch 13, sk 4, sl st in next dc, sc in next 3 dc, sl st in first sc.
- ch1, sc in same st and next 6 sts, 16 sc in ch 13 loop, sc in ea st around till next loop, 16 sc in ch 13 loop, sc in last 3 sts. Sl st in first sc. Fo weave in ends
Tips
- You can make a chin strap but this is only for the most patient and mellow of cats, and definitely not recommended if there are children who'll be trying to put this hat on the cat. Cut a 6 inch piece of yarn, and tie it onto the middle of the ear hole, try the hat onto your kitty to determine how long the chin strap should be, hold the spot and cut off the extra yarn, but leave an inch so you have room to tie it loosely. If the cat is clearly stressed, tying the hat on with a chin strap is not a good idea--it's rather cruel!
Things You'll Need
- Size H 5.00 mm crochet hook
- Yarn
- Yarn needle
Related wikiHows
- How to Crochet a Granny Square
- How to Hold a Crochet Hook
- How to Crochet a Hat
- How to Crochet a Snowman
- How to Repair a Crochet Blanket
Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Crochet a Cat Hat. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.
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Jason Legge, a pro snowboarder for Rossignol, Smith, Vans, Dakine, Atmosphere and Copper, has been promoted to Windells Head Digger. Jason plans to build some of the largest jumps Mt. Hood has seen to date. With Mack Dawg Productions(MPD) and others coming to film Sessions 1 and 2, you will without a doubt, see some amazing riding. Jason is bringing in his experienced Canyons park crew and an all-star line of pro snowboarders including: Jake Welch, JJ Thomas, Josh Sherman, Travis Kennedy, Eddie Wall, Chad Otterstrom, Luke Mitrani, Jack Mitrani, Jonas Carlson, Kyle Clancy, Scotty Arnold, Mason Aguirre, Scotty Lago, Molly Aguirre, Drew Fuller, Charlie Morace, Nick Dirks, Mark Frank Montoya, Jake Blauvelt, Kevin Pierce, Alex Sherman, Danny Davis, The Dingo, Danny Kass, Todd Richards, Lane Knaack, JP Tomich, Madison Ellsworth, Kelly Clark, Hannah Teter, Seth Westcott, Shaun Palmer, Nate Holland, Lindsay Jacobellis, Louie Vito, and many more.
http://www.windells.com
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Check out this l'il promo video for the Girl Powder clothing company - lots of fun rail action...
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Over the Easter weekend, Dave and I took the Avalanche Skills Training Level 1 course run by Whistler Alpine Guides Bureau. It involved two evenings in the classroom and two days on the mountain, including some backcountry powder turns.
We’d booked split boards for the course, but unfortunately they were needed by someone else, so we got a refund and had to use snowshoes instead. In a way that was a good thing, as we’d wanted to try them out for comparison.
The first evening in the classroom, we met our fellow students (Ashley, Ian, Sholto, Brigitte and Tim), and our instructor, Jeff. All but Ian and Jeff were snowboarding; Jeff used to be a snowboarder but learned to ski because it’s much more practical for ski touring and guiding.
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We learned about avalanche terrain - start zones, terrain traps, the effect of the steepness and aspect of the slope; and a little bit about weather, snow conditions and snowpack. We were each given an ‘Avaluator’ card, which helps you to assess the risk and complexity of the terrain you want to ride. You use the ‘ALPTRUTH’ acronym to assess the risk (A - have there been any Avalanches in the area in the last 48 hours? L - has there been significant Loading of the slopes due to snowfall or wind? P - are there any avalanche Paths on the terrain you want to ride? T - are there any Terrain Traps (such as gullies, crevasses, cliffs, big rocks) to look out for? R - what is the avalanche patrol’s Rating for avalanche danger today? U - have you come across any Unstable snowpacks (have you heard any whoompfing noises or cracks as the snowpack settles)? TH - are there any signs of Thaw?)
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You then look at how many factors need to be taken into consideration (this is a bit complex to go into in detail here) and decide whether the terrain is ’simple’, ‘challenging’ or ‘complex’. Based on all of that you decide whether to proceed with normal caution, with extra caution, do something mellower, or just go home!!
Normally, the first day on the mountain is spent learning how to use avalanche rescue equipment and conduct a proper search for buried victims, but the weather forecast said that Saturday would be beautiful and the avalanche risk low; whereas it was going to be windy and snow a lot overnight, so the avalanche risk would sky-rocket by Sunday.
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So we spent Saturday touring in the backcountry, looking at the terrain, discussing its risk, practising ‘avaluating’, doing lots of trudging uphill, and getting some sweet powder turns. (First we had a coffee in the Roundhouse, looked at a topographical map of the region we were heading for, and discussed the weather and snow reports.) We practised cautious travel, such as checking the terrain above for start zones before picking a route up, and crossing more risky zones one at a time so that if a slide were to happen, only one person would be in danger and the rest of us would be able to rescue them.
I hadn’t realised, though it seems obvious now, that you’re in more danger from avalanches when you’re hiking up than when you’re riding down, because you move so much slower and are exposed for much longer.
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(It turns out that although snowshoes work pretty well, the fact that you have to carry your snowboard on your back rather than converting it into skis makes the whole thing much harder work.)
In the evening, we regrouped in the classroom for more book-learning and slides, then watched a genuinely harrowing video about a real-life avalanche incident and its victims. I’m pretty sure one of the main aims of this course is to scare the students into realising that going into the backcountry is not something to take lightly. It worked.
As predicted, on Sunday the avalanche risk was very high. We established ourselves in a big patch of deep snow near the base of Harmony chairlift, where we spent several hours telling hopeful people that avalanche patrol were still blasting Harmony Ridge and the chair wouldn’t be open for a while. Meanwhile we learned how to use our transceivers, shovels and probes efficiently, and how to work as a group in a burial situation.
Jeff set up several scenarios, and pretended to be a panicking guy whose friends had got buried. It was very well done - we learned from a lot of mistakes along the way. For instance we learned that as well as making sure all of us had turned our transceivers to receive instead of transmit (so we could find the buried transceiver), we had to check whether the panicking guy was wearing a transceiver and had switched it to receive. We spent ages getting confused because we were picking up Jeff’s beacon signal…
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We also learned to look for surface clues such as ski poles and pieces of clothing, to check if they were attached to a person, and to probe near them and near other potential burial sites such as trees and rocks, while two people conducted the transceiver search; to have a spotter to check that we weren’t in danger of the rescuers being caught in a second avalanche; how to dig effectively so that we had access to clear an airway and get the person out easily if there’d been trauma; and the importance of having a group leader who asked lots of questions, directed the team and kept an eye on the big picture.
We did get some powder too, once Harmony opened and we were able to access Symphony Amphitheatre, where we were able to hike a small distance for some untouched snow and do some more rescue scenarios. Jeff also took some time to dig a snow pit and show us how you test the snow density and check for weak layers.
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The end result was that we all got a lovely certificate, and left the course knowing a lot more than we did before, but also knowing how little we still know. Jeff’s advice was to do some low-risk backcountry riding to put what we’d learned into practical use, and then take the Level 2 course. He emphasised that we are definitely not qualified to take other people into the backcountry. But he was excited that we’d all enjoyed it so much.
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| Laura (left) with her fellow Red Bull Home Run winners |
As the season draws to a close, it’s time to look back at the highs and lows of the season. We’ve asked some female pro riders around the world for their thoughts on the season. First up is Britain’s Laura Berry.
Highlight of the season: “Winning the first ever Red Bull Home Run the Brits. I was especially stoked to do it with a broken collarbone! I have not had an adrenaline rush like that for a very long time, if ever. I most definitely have never been anywhere near that fast on my snowboard either!”
Low point of the season: “Breaking my collarbone and being told it requires surgery and 4-6 months off. It was rubbish.”
Goals for next season: “Not to break my new collarbone. Also would like to land all four 5's off a good size jump.”
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Kory Wright is hoping to compete at the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver representing the nation of his birth – the Bahamas.
Kory has spent most of his life in Canada but still wants to represent the Bahamas and coaches reckon he’s got the skills to make it to the Games too.
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The charity’s 2008 camps were featured on Channel 5 News in the UK last night.
Click here to see the short film about their work.
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Follow the blog of the Eastpak hobos online at www.e-eastpak.com/hoboriders/
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However we know you're healthy ladies who look after your bodies as well as the base of your boards so we we've been searching for more nutritious and healthy pocket snacks. There are only so many semi-frozen Mars Bars and Snickers you can gnaw your way through on a windy chairlift.
In this occasional series we'll tell you about tasty alternatives you can pick up before you set out for your day on the mountain - and banish the Mars bar from your winter diet.
Not all the options we'll look at are available in every country but we'll look for some options where you live - honest!
First up are these Nakd bars which you might have seen pop up in supermarkets, chemists and wholefoods shops in the UK over the past year.
They're moist, chewy bars that are seriously filling. They're made only from raw fruit and nuts and contain no dairy, wheat or added sugar. Best of all they taste of what they should taste of.
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Nakd bars come in two sizes – a snack size 30g bar and a chunky 68g bar which will definitely keep you full up til lunch. The smaller bars contain about 100 calories and the large ones still a reasonable 220 to 230 calories. Much better for you than a bar of chocolate and much more likely to fuel you properly for that halfpipe hiking.
More info at www.naturalbalancefoods.co.uk
Oh and look out for a chance to win a massive supply of this good stuff on powderroom.net soon.
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| Balenciaga | Steve Madden |
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Check out this movie of the Fluro Flash Fun session held in Isenau, Switzerlad, last week. Lots ski suits, tindies and some moniski action. Rad!
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The World Backcountry Freeride Jam will be held at Whistler Blackcomb on April 18-20 2008, towards the end of the Telus World Ski and Snowboard Festival.
Features and events include the North Face Backcountry Village outside the Roundhouse; the opportunity to demo backcountry equipment, including Prior split boards; taster 'randonnee' ski and split board tours with Whistler Alpine Guides Bureau; kiteboarding and telemarking clinics; short clinics on avalanche safety; and a couple of parties including a fundraiser for a popular backcountry hut.
There will also be three races (for crazy fit people, I suspect): the Whistler Wind-Up race uphill from the Village to the Roundhouse (1200m vertical rise); the Whistler Dash (in-bounds ski mountaineering race); and the epic Spearhead Passage race (26km out-of-bounds including 2200m of climbing).
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http://rockymountainsherpas.com/ftp/FineLine_Teaser1.mov
As the trailer says it's "for young people by young people" and the cinematography in trailer looks amazing. Much of the footage wouldn't be out of place in a standard snowboard film.
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Nikita have announced the winner of their Snowboard Clip Contest.
Girls were asked to send in short clips to be in with a chance of wining a trip to Iceland to meet and shred with the Nikita crew.
The winner was 18-year-old Kasia Kwiecien from Poland who submitted the three clips below.
There were 68 clips in total from girls in 19 different countries and some special prizes were also awarded to some other entrants. See those clips on the Nikita website by clicking here and see Kasia’s riding vids below:
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Stay safe out there!
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Clearly having a good time on the course was Charmaine Ironside from Calgary. She had already won the Flaunt It Norquay stop with her clean powerful style, and used that to take home the Flaunt It Tremblant slopestyle crown. Her run, including a Frontside 720, Backside 360, and a Board-slide on the up-flat-down rail helped her take home the $2500 first place money. Second place went to Claudia Avon, with Valerie Collin rounding out the top 3. On the win, Ironside commented ‘This was such an amazing time. To get to ride a course like this with girls from across Canada and the US was super fun. I’m stoked to have won obviously, but just glad to be here’.
The day was rounded out with a fashion party in the evening. All the girls and their friends were invited to a private suite, where hair stylists and make up artists pampered the girls, and pizza and drinks were enjoyed by everyone while checking out the Billabong Summer ’08 fashion line. ‘This whole day was a culmination of a great event tour for us. To see the girls this stoked on the riding, the fashion and party is why we created something like this to begin with’ said Catherine Desrochers, JRS Marketing Coordinator for Billabong Canada
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Spirit Mountain—Closed
Alpine Valley—Closed
Cascade Mountain—Closed
Afton Alps—Meh
Lutsen Mountain—Isn’t that place in Canada?
March 30th—Despite an amazing winter, and record snowfalls in many parts, the Midwest’s season came to an abrupt end as March went out like a lamb. A grey, overcast, not exactly warm lamb, but a lamb nonetheless. After deliberating the idea of making the 7-hour trek to Spirit Mountain we opted for Tyrol Basin, just outside of Mt. Horrible, WI.
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| Tyrpl Basin (Photo: Erik Ludwig) |
Rolling out of Milwaukee we passed Miller Park. It’s parking lots free of any left over snow and the sign reminding us that opening day was just over 5 days away. The beauty of the situation would have been richer if the boards would have been in the roof rack. Instead they were tossed in the trunk with a grill, various meats and imitation meats, folding chairs, and other necessities for a proper closing day.
The crew was pretty small, as everyone seemed to have more important things to do. I think this is just code for “I’m over snowboarding for the year.” I was with Nate, who I’ve been riding with since 1992, Claire and Erik, who are both in their first years of riding but with whom I look forward to many more opening and closing days.
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| Photo: Erik Ludwig |
By the end of the day the snow was quickening again and we did our best to destroy everything. But as all things do, our season came to a close. I spent it with the people I spent the most time riding with throughout the year at the place I spent some really good days this season. In the end I think it was fitting. There are still a few places that are open but I’ll save those for when I’m really getting the ache to ride. As we rolled back into brew city, the Miller park billboards told us we were 12 hours closer to opening day. It got me to think about the months of mountain biking and baseball games ahead. And naturally after that I was on to the 09 snow season.
Tyrol Basin in Mt. Horeb, Wisconsin will be hosting their annual Spring Jam April 19-20. For info: http://www.tyrolbasin.com/en/families/spring-jam-08/
Spirit Mountain and Damage boardshop, both of Duluth, will be hosting Damage Revisited after-season rail jam on May 10. For info check out: www.damageboardshop.com or www.spiritmt.com
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If you’re in the Swedish capital between April 10 and May 5, make sure you drop by the Galleri Jonas Kleerup.
Snowboard photographer Vincent Skoglund has an exhibition there called Lightyears. It’s not a specifically snowboard-themed show but will be a chance to see what other strings he has to his bow.
The gallery is located at Tegnergatan 18.
Check out his other work at www.vincentskoglund.com
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Click here to check out the article.
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But I've been told the skies did clear pretty shortly afterwards and the Animal British Slopestyle Championships were able to go ahead.
The week ended with the Red Bull Home Run which saw skiers and snowboarders hoon down the mountain to the finish line at the base, just outside the Crap Bar.
First home for the snowboarders were Laura Berry (complete with broken collarbone) and Ben Kilner. The was much jubilation when the two made it to the bottom and donned their Chinese hat trophies. Looking forward to seeing some footage from that!
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So how about you?
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They've got a video in case you're curious about how a chondola works.
http://www.sundayriver.com/TheMountain/chondola.html
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It has been snowing here in Laax for more than 24 hours and most of the mountain is closed today. The final events of the Brits - the Animal Slopestyle Championships and Quiksilver Freeski Big Air Championships have been postponed until tomorrow when we're told the weather will clear.
Til then it's a powder day!
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In the worst weather day at the Brits since the contest moved to Laax, the Brits continued with the Sno!Zone Halfpipe Championships today.
Despite heavy snowfall and sporadically high winds, visibility in the pipe (which had been painted almost entirely blue) was good enough for the contest to run.
MC James Thorne had his work cut out keeping the riders motivated in such cold, unpleasant conditions but his string of useless facts and rider-teasing kept every one happy on a pretty miserable day.
In the women’s contest, Olympians Kate Foster and Lesley McKenna were in action alongside newcomers such as Roxy’s new signing Aimee Fuller and other respected riders including Ivy Taylor and Laura Hill.
The guys were going huge all day. Sparrow Knox sparked a jubilant family pile up after his awesome qualifying run whilst riders with three letter names shone all day – shooting seriously high out of the massive pipe. Dom, Dan, Ben, Sam to name four of them. I was wondering how I’d add Angus Leith to this bunch but when one of the photographers shouted ‘Yeah Gus!’ during one of his final runs it became pretty clear he could safely join the three letter rider gang too.
Prize-giving takes place tonight – once we’ve all dried and thawed out!
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Transworld Business has the full scoop on these changes.
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So day two of the Brits got underway with some clouds and a bit of flat-light – rare for the usually blue-sky Brits. Also not ideal for riders spending the day hooning off massive kickers in the big air competition.
First up were the women and junior riders. Junior team GB coach Sonia Shaw has clearly been nurturing her young brood – the teeny girls in particular were flying off the kicker – mixing up some solid grabs and stylish tweaks.
The women’s field was fairly small but a couple of excellent jumps in the final by Samantha Rodgers and Claire Frost are sure to put them up amongst the winners. We have to wait til prize-giving tonight to find out who takes the titles.
Due to lack of time the men’s contest became a straight two run final rather than the planned knock-out contest. Some massive 9s and smooth 7s mean that too could be a close call.
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The Brits 2008 kicked off in Laax, Switzerland today with the boardercross and ski halfpipe contest.
The results are top secret until prize-giving later tonight but I can safely report there was some superskilled riding, some near misses and some pretty scary collisions.
Zoe Gillings – who has had a fantastic season on the FIS World Cup boardercross circuit – easily qualified in first place in the timetrials for the women’s contest. What left many jaws on the floor was that her time was also faster than virtually all the men too.
Lesley McKenna competed in her first Brits boardercross for years and was on solid form. Laura Berry was also back in action at the Brits – after missing a year through injury. She’s still injured – but just decided to compete with a broken collarbone this time. Having broken it seven times now she didn’t seem that phased by the concept of a four-way battle down a rolly, windy boardercross course. Rather her than me.
There are a couple of sad faces in town. The disastrous opening of Heathrow terminal five has left some people still waiting for their luggage – including several riders who have had to borrow kit to take part in today’s contest.
I went through the airport yesterday fairly uneventfully so it’s getting better. We just had to wait on the tarmac for 45 minutes while they got our bags on the plane – but I’d been upgraded to business class for some reason so I wasn’t complaining!
Fingers crossed everyone gets everything they need soon.
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Remember Duffs skate shoes? They’ve been pretty quiet for the last few years but expect to see them back in the shops soon.
Duffs 93 Ltd have bought the brand from Duffs International Inc and say they’re planning to develop a new range of footwear and clothing products to make it a major player once again.
Several experienced footwear designers have already been hired to work on new products.
“Duffs is an authentic skate brand with a strong and rich heritage,” said Alex Hall, senior principal of Duffs 93 Ltd.
“The product needed attention so we have staffed that area up to meet the demands of the retailers and the market.
“We will be working very closely with our skate and BMX team to ensure the products are technically correct, in particular our designers are looking forward to working alongside the team riders including Duffs icon Skate Pro Louie Barletta on the development of his signature models, and building other pro models.”
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Here is the article in german: http://salzburg.orf.at/stories/265156/
Click here to read it translated by google.
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I just discovered the Dutchtub in an interiors magazine and thought you might like to see it – and add it to the list of items for your fantasy mountain chalet.
It looks a bit like a giant teacup and is a hot tub with a wood-burning fire attached to it. It takes a couple of hours to heat up, uses two bags of wood per use and doesn’t need to be near an electricity supply. It also comes in loads of colours and has a matching cover to keep the cold out.
In the UK a Dutchtub costs around £3000 but you can hire them for special events and they’re available worldwide.
Check em out at www.dutchtub.com
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Snowboard photographer Vincent Skoglund has given his website a makeover. There's a ton of nice stuff to check out - snow and non-snow images. Go visit www.vincentskoglund.com
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Eka - the fairtrade headwear company run by British snowboarder Gilly Seagrave - has a pretty healthy sale on. There are hats, headbands, mittens, laptop cases, iPod cases and other accessories in loads of colours and designs. Postage is worldwide and really reasonable too.
Visit www.ekawear.com
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Check out this film from Mpora about a backcountry trip to Wyoming featuring Jenny Jones, Lesley McKenna, Andrea Binning and Lisa Filzmoser.
More Snowboarding Videos >>
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| Salomon Sick Stick |
Salomon started a new program called the G.I.F.T. Project: Green Initiative For Tomorrow. Salomon says the purpose of this project is "to minimize our impact on the environment and maximize our impact on your riding." They've spent three years looking out how they could improve riding performance while decreasing the ecological impact of manufacturing.
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| Salomon The Answer |
Bamboo has become a very hip material to use in the snowboard industry these days, but Salomon chose bamboo because it best met the goals of the G.I.F.T. program. Salomon's Communications Manager, Rian Rhoe, told me that Salomon would have "made boards out of recycled sports bras if they performed well and lowered our eco footprint!"
By using bamboo Salomon has been able to reduced their use of petroleum based materials by 20%, reduced use of non-renewable materials by 25%, and decrease board weight by 10%. The bamboo is a locally sourced materials, so Salomon also reduces the carbon footprint of these boards by not having to ship materials into the factories. Bamboo is also one of most environmentally friendly materials available since it is fast growing and absorbs CO2 while growing.
Salomon has 2 boards coming out for Winter 2009 that take advantage of bamboo technology. The first is the Sick Stick - a powder board with a double pointy nose that won the Volvo SportsDesign Award for Eco Design in the boardsports category at ISPO. Anne Boulanger has been using this board for her backcountry assaults, so I'd expect you'll see it in her video parts next season. The second board is The Answer- a directional twin all mountain board.
I got a chance to demo the Sick Stick 156 on a powder day at Snowbasin. This board was perfect for those conditions. It's floaty and fast in the powder but bamboo makes it really fun and poppy too. Salomon just needs to make on a few centimeters shorter so I can ride it in the trees. Pretty please?
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Dane Williams. a surfer and intern at Hurley International was found dead in an alleyway in the early hours of January 29 in San Diego, during the action sports tradeshow ASR.
The reward for information leading to an arrest over his death has been raised to $10,000 after Jack's Surfboards in Huntington Beach added $9,000 to the total.
For more details on the story visit CBS News.
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The guys at Legion have relaunched their website – www.ilovelegion.com
The site covers the Scottish freestyle scene – both skiing and snowboarding.
It will continues to provide articles, blogs, gear reviews and interviews and will cover Scottish events, whether they take place in the mountains, on Dendex or anywhere else for that matter.
Go check it out.
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It's the cutest thing - check it out!
http://blog.technine.com/?p=236
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Anyway, not all the snow is good as many roofs can't handle the weight.
NY Times: New England's Snow Become Too Much for Roofs
Of course the better news for us is that this is one of the 10 snowiest winters in Vermont in the past 130 years. The New York Times also reports on this (near?) recordbreaking season.
NY Times: The Year It Snowed in Vermont, and Snowed, and ....
Of course all this leads me to wonder why none of this happened during the years that I had a season pass at Killington. I'm going to Okemo this weekend, and do you know what's in the forecast? RAIN!!! Boo!
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The Night Rail Jam (Friday, February 29th)
Rail Jam Results| Women | Mens |
| 1. Molly Aguirre ($3,000) 2. Desiree Melancon ($1,500) 3. Cheryl Maas ($1,000) | 1. Chas Guldemond ($10,000) 2. Brandon Reis ($7,000) 3. Kade Madsen ($3,000) |
| Best Trick: Joey Sexton |
Slopestyle (Saturday, March 1st)
There were a series of unfortunate events that occurred for me on Saturday. Unfortunately, I lost my pass in the village and my phone on the hill. Unfortunately, I left my camera at home and had to borrow my pal Ryan’s. Unfortunately, Ryan is VERY slow to e-mail me the photos I took. I’ll put them up as soon as he gets them to me. =)Slopestyle Results
| Women | Men |
| 1. Cheryl Maas ($15,000) 2. Kjersti Buaas ($7,500) 3. Chanelle Sladics ($3,000) | 1. Andreas Wiig ($20,000) 2. Mason Aguirre ($14,000) 3. Robbie Walker ($7,400) |
| Best Trick: Cheryl Maas – Backside 720 | Best Trick: Mason Aguirre – Truckdriver frontside 1080 |
Superpipe (Sunday, March 2nd)
Some more unfortunate events happen on Sunday. I had forgotten to charge my camera while leaving it at home and my batteries died right after the women’s finals. Fortunately, though, I was able to coax my lil Cannon into turning on for a few seconds to capture the podium.
Molly Aguirre looked very strong after her first run, but broke herself off on her second go. She tried to get up again, but fell. After sitting at the base of the pipe, she went up to go for her 3rd and final run. She gave it another go, but she was obviously hurting, as she slipped out again, unstrapped, sat on her board, and rode it down the pipe. The competition seemed to be between Molly and Elena after the first run, but with Molly injured, Elena easily secured the top women’s spot with a frontside 9. I was able to grab a few moments with Miss Amber who let me know that she hadn’t been in the pipe in over a year and that this is the best the pipe ever gets, so how could she miss it?
Superpipe Results
| Women | Men |
| 1. Elena Hight ($11,000) 2. Lizzy Beerman ($6,500) 3. Kjersti Buaas ($3,000) | 1. Danny Kass ($20,000) 2. Louie Vito ($14,000) 3. Iouri (iPod) Podlatchokov ($7,000) |
| Men’s Biggest Air: 1) Andy Finch 2) Danny Kass 3) Steve Fisher |
The event was a great thing to take part in. I can't wait to go again...I'll make sure to make it out to the parties next year.
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If you’re in East London over the next couple of weeks, make a beeline for the StolenSpace gallery on Brick Lane.
There’s a new exhibition opening there on March 7, running until March 23, called Draw.
It features work by 300 artists covering the tattoo, literature, design, illustration, animation, skateboard, music, urban and contemporary art worlds.
You can see work by artists including Moby, Barry McGee, HR Giger, Clive Barker, Gibby Haynes, Ron English, Kat Von D, Tim Biskup, Ben Cho, ark Gonzales, Derek Hess, Rich Jacobs, KAWS, Neck Face, Rick Griffin, Hank Williams III, Kerry King, WK nteract, Aurel Schmidt, Louis Molloy and Phil Kyle of London Ink, Doze Green, Chris Johanson and Dalek.
25 artists from the UK are debuting works.
Their pieces will continue as part of the Draw exhibit as it continues from London, on a six-country world tour that includes showings in Tokyo, Berlin, San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Draw debuted in October 2006 at the Fuse Gallery in New York also drew crouds during the SXSW 2007 Music and Interactive-Film Festival in Austin,Texas.
You can check it out at StolenSpace in the Old Truman Brewery on Brick Lane.
More info and opening hours on their website www.stolenspace.com
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Click here to read the story and see the pictures.
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A top skier Austrian had to have his leg amputed after an accident during a World Cup race in Norway at the weekend.
Eyebrows are now being raised about the safety facilities available at World Cup events after it was revealed that Matthias Lanzinger had to be airlifted off the mountain at Kvitfjell by tourist helicopter because medical helicopter was not available.
The Austrian Chancellor has criticised the organisers of the World Cup circuit for the poor medical facilities.
More on the story on The Times website.
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