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Snowboard tech, it draws excitement for the season and like a new supercar, everyone wants the newest developments. The reality is most of us have limited funds so buying a snowboard is a big deal because dropping $300, $500, even $1000 on a deck is a something we have so save extra cash for. We all want the board that makes us honestly say "This is the best snowboard I've ever owned" Here is what the guys at Prospect have concocted and where their board construction fits into a long line of snowboards.

Reverse Camber "Tangent Tech" and Concave Base

Reverse camber has been established as boards that are great for park riding, powder riding, and great beginner boards. Although, just because beginners will like reverse camber it doesn't mean a hardcore thrasher won't like the same board. Prospect's "Tangent Tech" is a park and powder friendly board. The main factor is the camber height. Prospect's Tangent tech is designed for an optimal ride with the nose and tail raised by 5 millimeters. Boards with more reverse camber are great in powder, but unstable with any other riding. Less reverse camber improves riding stability, but reduces float in the powder and doesn't have that catch free ride.


Prospect's Concave base construction takes reverse camber to the next level. The base on the Tangent Tech lies deeper down the middle for the length of the board. With the edges sitting slightly higher it offers a catch free ride in the park. This means you won't stick to rails or catch a random edge. The goal of Tangent Tech is to offer a mellow reverse camber that performs well in both powder and park. Tangent Tech and concave base construction make Prospect's boards appealing to an audience that wants a "go to board" for all parts of the mountain.

 

 

Bamboo Sidewalls and Longer Effective Edges


All Prospect Snowboards offer bamboo sidewalls and longer effective edges for better overall control. The Bamboo sidewalls offer multiple benefits. Specifically it is lighter, stronger, and adds stability to the overall ride. Without getting too technical, bamboo is 25% lighter and its tensile "burst" strength is 2 times as strong as regular core material meaning more pop. Being set at the sidewall, the stiffer bamboo offers torsional stiffness and natural vibration dampening, leading to a faster, more stable platform. Bamboo is being used more in snowboarding not only because it of its high strength to weight ratio but it also lasts because it is continuously strong even when temperature drops. Neil Henderson, the owner of Prospect snowboards says "My goal was to make the fastest, hardest carving true twin snowboard available".

To accompany the benefits of bamboo sidewalls, Prospect's geometry stretches out the effective edge, aka contact points as far as it can go. This adds to the ride stability andactually provides the performance of a longer board. According to Neil, "It's like adding 2 to 4 cm of length without having to ride a heavier, longer board." The longer effective edge puts the contact points closer to the tip of the board giving your edges more surface contact to grip in turns. This means less washing out of hard carves and smooth, stable turns for maximum control. Together, bamboo sidewalls and the longer effective edge Prospect's boards offer harder carves and a ride smoother than other freestyle decks. Neil believes this sidewall and effective edge combination are the most underrated manufacturing techniques that contribute to his goal of making the fastest and hardest carving true twin available.

 


Rubber Dampeners and Strategic Carbon beams

Also underrated in the design of snowboards is rubber dampening, carbon fiber beams, and even more so their placement inside the construction of the board.


Prospect uses rubber in sandwich/sidewall snowboard design to reduce shock and vibration in turns and while landing big hits. According to Neil, rubber stripping is placed around the outside of the board and in the middle sections to act like a shock absorber. He says “Rubber placement is key to a boards ride because it turns the overbearing rigidity into smooth fluid movements.” His smooth ride philosophy on rubber dampening also contributes their boards lasting ride and overall durability. The way snowboards are ridden they are continuously flexed over and over again. Without sufficient rubber dampening the epoxy bonds break down leading to a lifeless board with no pop and it will eventually break. The rubber Prospect places inside the board allows small amounts of flex between the layers reducing wear on the epoxy bonds.


The Carbon laminates Neil puts in Prospect’s boards are common among most snowboards, but he believes his carbon “X-beams” also add to the boards ride. “Our X-beams are placed from the feet to the contact point at the edge. This allows Prospect to have lighter cores with added spring back. The carbon placement also contributes to their tensional stiffness, adding to the overall stability at high speed. Neil’s take on carbon fiber is: “We tried different carbon patterns, stringers, an “A” pattern on each end, Inverted “A’s”; the X pattern is the only thing that directly transfers power from your feet to the edge. There is a small sacrifice in low speed carving, but who rides slow?”

Seamless Edges, great construction, and great warranties

Also on the top of Prospect’s priority list is making bombproof boards. While no one should condone using a snowboard as a bomb shield, the fact is Prospect has developed 2 more ways to ensure Prospect is known as a brand that makes premium snowboards that perform and last. Neil’s philosophy is “I’m a product guy. I believe that the best products are better than the best marketing. Prospect isn’t a statement in style as much as it is a statement in quality.”

There is a few steps Prospect has taken to assure they achieve that quality. First, the Premier Special Edition Models have “Seamless edges”. Their edges are high carbon, hardened steel with no cut seam; a real 360 degree edge. This was developed to reduce edge failures from hard hits against rocks, trees, and rails. Second, the Two-part flexible epoxy serves as a dampening system, increases flexibility, and prevents delaminating. Neil’s take on Prospect’s epoxy system: “Our epoxy mixture adds a rubber like characteristic to the compound. It makes the boards tough as nails. “When we do Prospect Demos we always tell riders Hey, go break this board. We’re still waiting.”


Prospect Snowboards is on a mission to bring some killer decks to the table. They aren’t well known and they don’t dump their cash into marketing. Instead they stick to their mission. To drive home their point they gave all Prospect Snowboards a 2 year warranty and Neil Assures they stand by their warranty; if you break your board riding we’ll fix it free or you get a replacement if we can’t fix it. Good points, and Neil concludes by saying “Hey, ya know, we’re putting up a true effort here to bring out boards that pushes the accountability of a snowboard company. We listen to what each individual rider wants and we work to build that into our boards.”



Published On: 11/17/2009
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Prospect Snowboards isn't in every snowboarder's daily vocabulary and we don't have a problem with that. Being a non-corporate anti establishment board company, I guess you can say our marketing isn't awesome. Well... our commitment to making amazing snowboards is awesome. While we aren't interested in corporate subculture that comes with being a mainstream snowboard manufacturer it doesn't mean the industry isn't recognizing what makes Prospect rad.
The New Kid in Town Prospect as an up and coming board company is getting tons of leverage from people and industry publications because of our "by snowboarders for snowboarders" core culture. Coverage on Snowboard-review.com, by the SoCal Skate/Snow crew Concreteownage.com, and abc-of-snowboarding.com shows our company is winning the favor of core industry players. Among the the best programs going in snowboarding is Prospect's Design Co-op which lets snowboarders and businesses design their own custom boards. Our Co-op gives designers real access to getting their designs published without paying a fortune for an individual custom board. So far, the Co-op has made custom boards for Honey Goat Brewery and Adrenaline Power Sports for the 09/10 season.

09/10 Prospect Gear
Prospect's board construction is also a constantly evolving machine to assure our boards take the beating you dish. Our 2 year warranty proves there is no doubt about the quality of our boards, but innovation with rubber dampening, bamboo sidewalls, seamless edges, and re-engineered carbon placements gives Prospect decks a super smooth ride and consistent flex. Also, our "Tangent tech" reverse camber snowboard is an amazing park and powder deck. The real secret; our convex base. If you want a base that rides super smooth in the powder and doesn't catch on rails in the park you'll never be disappointed. If tech isn't your concern, our "Vitality" line carries the best of both worlds: Built for lighter riders and urban riding the Vitality line yells fun. Other projects coming out of the Prospect development lab demonstrate our values for hand crafted goods. Our newest Project, screen printed Logo T-shirts are made by hand will killer comfortable shirts and no 2 are exactly the same. And last, but no least, our newest product, Prospect Graphite Snowboard Wax makes you board lightning fast in all conditions. It works by conducting electricity to minimize friction with the surface of the snow. Absolutely genius and made with environmentally friendly ingredients.



This Years First Contest
So here is our newest announcement the 2009 Prospect "Tweaked Trick Competition"; Winners walk away with a Prospect Grab bag and an Interview with Prospect. Here is what you need to do; send us a short vid of your favorite trick tweaked out and oozing with rad style. Whether throwing a double cork, a Backside Boardslide, or a 180, it matters less than how insanely steezy you can make it look.
Online Orders
We are adding inventory as it comes in. All boards and soft goods are available for order and should be available for delivery. Check out our latest special!



Published On: 11/5/2009
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2 BIG bits of news!!!!
 
1/ I'm now self-employed running my own mobile phone shop. Doing ok at the moment but only been a month so far so too early to tell. At least I hit my break-even point 2 days ago (10 days before end of month) and, yes, that does include paying myself!
 
2/ I'M GOING TO BE A DAD!!!!!!!!! Bex is due in 4 weeks time! Its a little boy (no name decided yet) and we're both really looking forward to it! Bump seems to be growing daily and its weird feeling him kicking! Nursery is all done - we completely re-did one room, carpets and all!
 
I have yeat another new car. A 98 'S' Nissan 200sx (not standard - not even close!) Tremendous fun to drive and, with a little under 300bhp, quicker than most things out there!
 
Will try to get on a bit more often...


Published On: 7/23/2009
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My Blog: WSSC- Who We Are
By: WSSC


Who we are:

With our world class private terrain park, professional coaches, hotel accommodation, meals, and activities, Whistler Summer Snowboard Camp is the place to be this summer!
 
 
what's included:
 
• Interactive coaching environment. Our coaches are not only professionals, but genuinely love kids and love coaching. Our coaching groups provide a better opportunity for campers to progress, as your coach will get to know you during the week and anticipate your needs and goals.
 
• Value. Everything is included in the camp price. ALL scheduled activities (extra charge for some optional activities) , ALL meals including dinner, a free camp T-Shirt and a camp video.
 
• Private pipe, race lanes, and park. Our on-hill facility is world class with private pipe, race lane, groomed area, terrain park, and lots of other terrain. Because we limit the amount of campers that we can accept each session, our park is never crowded. This means less time standing around waiting your turn, which is the case at the busier camps, and more time for you to focus on your goals!
 
• Supervision. We don't hold back the older campers or forget about the younger ones. All campers under 19 are supervised 24 hrs by our live-in hotel staff.
 
• Luxury-suites, not crowded dorms or small hotel rooms. The suites are equipped with a full-kitchen, living area, 2 bathrooms, 2 bedrooms and a big balcony to enjoy the beautiful mountain views! There is also a heated pool, huge jacuzzi, basketball court and volleyball net. The resort is located just minutes from the base of the hill, too, so there is no traveling to get to the lifts - they're just a short walk from breakfast!
 
• All meals are included in the price of the camp. Some other camps don't provide you with dinner. This can add-up to $100's of additional dollars to the price of your camp.
 
• No hiking. Our lifts run all day.
 
• Walk to the lifts. Some of the other camps have a 30 minute bus ride just to get to the hill but at our camp you can walk there in 5 min after you eat breakfast at a nice restaurant.
 
 


Published On: 4/24/2009
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My Blog: WSSC- Who We Are
By: WSSC


Who we are:

With our world class private terrain park, professional coaches, hotel accommodation, meals, and activities, Whistler Summer Snowboard Camp is the place to be this summer!
 
 
what's included:
 
• Interactive coaching environment. Our coaches are not only professionals, but genuinely love kids and love coaching. Our coaching groups provide a better opportunity for campers to progress, as your coach will get to know you during the week and anticipate your needs and goals.
 
• Value. Everything is included in the camp price. ALL scheduled activities (extra charge for some optional activities) , ALL meals including dinner, a free camp T-Shirt and a camp video.
 
• Private pipe, race lanes, and park. Our on-hill facility is world class with private pipe, race lane, groomed area, terrain park, and lots of other terrain. Because we limit the amount of campers that we can accept each session, our park is never crowded. This means less time standing around waiting your turn, which is the case at the busier camps, and more time for you to focus on your goals!
 
• Supervision. We don't hold back the older campers or forget about the younger ones. All campers under 19 are supervised 24 hrs by our live-in hotel staff.
 
• Luxury-suites, not crowded dorms or small hotel rooms. The suites are equipped with a full-kitchen, living area, 2 bathrooms, 2 bedrooms and a big balcony to enjoy the beautiful mountain views! There is also a heated pool, huge jacuzzi, basketball court and volleyball net. The resort is located just minutes from the base of the hill, too, so there is no traveling to get to the lifts - they're just a short walk from breakfast!
 
• All meals are included in the price of the camp. Some other camps don't provide you with dinner. This can add-up to $100's of additional dollars to the price of your camp.
 
• No hiking. Our lifts run all day.
 
• Walk to the lifts. Some of the other camps have a 30 minute bus ride just to get to the hill but at our camp you can walk there in 5 min after you eat breakfast at a nice restaurant.
 


Published On: 4/24/2009
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 I just went last week to colorado and it was amazing.  I was staying in Breckenridge.  Unfortunately, they didn't really get any snow while I was there.  It  was a bit icy.
 
But while I was there, Vail got 10 inches to a foot.  It was amazing when I went to Vail the day they got snow.  There were spots when I got stuck in snow up to my thighs.  The back bowls were actually nice, which usually isn't possible during the spring.
 
I'm glad I don't have spring break this week.  All the Colorado schools are off this week and I bet the mountain is busy... Or not because it is suppose to ran all week.  Anywho, I wish I got to go snowboarding one more time this season.


Published On: 3/18/2009
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Forbidden Plateau Snow Report, March 10/09

Mountain temperature: nice and warm.
Wind speeds: fast at times, slower at other times.
Snowfall accumulation: 6 feet of snow.
Forecasts: more radness coming.
Upcoming events: "Tricks R4 Chicks" all girls camp presented by Rugged Riders and JumpCamp, March 14, 15.
JumpCamp Session #2 March 16, 17
JumpCamp Jam (one day) March 19


The first JumpCamp session was awesome! The conditions were wicked with all the new snow we've gotten on the Island in the last month. The season's have switched here this year; we had spring in the winter and now we're having winter in the spring. Man, it's total global weirding.... We had a gorgeous day on Saturday and all the campers loved the new park design. Sunday was a little soggy but that didn't slow anyone down and everyone really progressed their shred skills over the weekend. Thanks to all the coaches for their hard work and all of our killer sponsors for all the prizes!


Coaches Corner: Senor Brown, Cobra Commander and Captain Hatesalot.


Coach Myles getting all inverted.


Campers getting the bro assisted tow ins.

JumpCamp Exclusive:
Very rare photo of Coach Olaf Larsen skiing in a one piece suit. Even back when he was a two-planker wanker he had some serious style. Look at the outfits in this pick! Hahahaha.......  Actually they're not much different than the crazy outfits nowadays.


Hahahahaha........ man.


New JumpCamp whip! Yes folks, it's true. JumpCamp has gotten rid of the hoopty and picked up a nice new truck. Thanks to everyone at Brian McLean Chevrolet in Courtenay for everything. Go in and buy a vehicle and tell them JumpCamp sent you.
www.brianmclean.ca


So next time you see me... holla like ya' know me!

Yummies and Gyros rule! Go get yourself a delicious gyro or donair next time you're in Courtenay. Maybe you'll be lucky and the gals will be sporting their beach wear. Thanks to Katherine and the crew for hooking us up.


wa-wa-wee-wa!!

Onethirtythree window
got a little extra lovin' this year from Breanne at Custom Hand Painted Wall and Window Murals. Check out her work down at the shop when you go register for the camps.
www.designsbybreanne.com Thanks a lot Breanne!


designsbybreanne.com

designsbybreanne.com

"Tricks R4 Chicks" All girls JumpCamp session this weekend!!



.... presented by Rugged Riders and JumpCamp, Saturday and Sunday March 14th & 15th!! Get your registrations in to secure your place in shred history! That's all folks.
See ya on the hill.

 



Published On: 3/9/2009
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   Okay it's been officially one month since the suregery.
I thought I'd write more often. But this is where I am at this point.
There is much less peripheral pain these days, and I can sleep peacefully at night although putting the arm outside the bed sometimes makes the arm a little sore.
 
I can type pretty proficiently right now. I used a sponge for exercises. Now I am using two of them and a pack of mung beans. My ability to pronate/supinate without pain is getting there but not quite there(I can't put on contacts or open a door until that is normal again).
 
 The biggest problem at this point is I can't write yet mainly because the first four fingers have been significantly impacted and still pretty stiff. I would like to start physical therapy, but that will be in two weeks. I will not be going snowboarding again this season because the thought of another two months of this would not be worth it. I had a pretty bad break mainly because my hand fingers are so stiff I can't perform basic tasks essential to work: shaking hands, writing diagrams, opening doors.
 
In any case, I am progressing slowly but surely. Next step is the campbells soup can gripping and typing like with elbow down not elevated. Some exercises I have also started are: flexing extending each fingers and in between the finger webs.
 
I get to see the doctor in two weeks when the bones are fully healed and start pt. Cheers in the meantime.


Published On: 2/21/2009
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"Tricks R4 Chicks"presented by Rugged Riders and JumpCamp

On March 14th & 15th Rugged Riders and JumpCamp are joining forces to bring you the best All girls snowboard camp on Vancouver Island.

This camp is for female snowboarders who want to have fun and progress their skills, especially in the park and backcountry. For 2 days you’ll have the opportunity to enjoy your very own private snowboard park specifically designed by females to meet your needs. Come ride with Rugged Riders team members, pro riders and people you like!! Some of the pro coaches in the past were Amber Stackhouse, Alexis Waite and Erin Comstock. Whether you're a beginner or just want to learn some new tricks, "Tricks R4 Chicks" is the place to take your skills to the next level.



Rugged Riders Rule! photo by Heather Macleod

Tricks R4 Chicks includes 2 days of professional instruction from 9:30am - 3:30pm, a daily yoga practice lead by Moksha Yoga Victoria and awesome female-specific product giveaways!
Campers will have the choice to enjoy their lodging at "The Riding Fool Hostel" with the Rugged Riders crew, in downtown historic Cumberland. This camp has limited space so sign up to secure your spot!
Check out more action at www.RuggedRiders.com.


Get Rad at "Tricks R4 Chicks" camp! photo by Heather Macleod

 



Published On: 1/28/2009
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I am going to talk to you about affiliate marketing or what is most commonly know as MLM – Multi Level Marketing.

For those of you who have not heard of MLM it is considered the best way to make money online although I have to say this method has received a lot of stigma over the years namely from those people who never made money from them and quit.

 

The fact is that 70% of people that TRY MLM programs usually quit within 2 months of joining and are usually for the same reasons, that they never made any money.

Truthfully those people were probably told they would make a small fortune in a very short period of time but sadly the person that introduced them was only interested in signing them up and failed to explain how to build a successful business.

 

To build any business successfully will require hard work and should be treated as a full-time job although this is not permanent it is necessary to build a solid foundation in the early days.

Sadly most are not presented with these facts so I guess you cannot blame them for quitting or even giving the MLM opportunities a bad name.

 

There are 3 main reasons to be able to succeed in any MLM program which I am about to share with you and in my opinion are key to success.

 

  • The Right Program - You need to find the right MLM program that is low cost and offers the best compensation plan.
  • The Dream – This has to be one of the most important ingredients because if your dream is big enough you will do whatever it takes to achieve it.
  • Support – You need support with anything that is new especially from those who are already successful and are willing to help you succeed.

 

 

Ok now let’s look at these 3 key reasons in more depth to help put things in perspective.

 

The Right Program

 

Now although there are a lot of MLM programs on the internet it is important that they are an established company, offer an excellent compensation plan, provide tools to help you build your business and have a product that most people want and need.

GDI or Global Domains International are in my opinion the only MLM company that offers all of this and for only $10 a month.

Now one thing you have to realise is that if you want to work online from home and be successful in any business there will be some cost attached to it. Although GDI offers you your own business, product and unlimited income opportunity for only $10 a month plus you can try it for 7 days free.

So lets break it down and see what you get for your hard earned $10 a month.

 

  • Web Hosting
  • Your own domain name
  • 10 email addresses
  • Web site building tool
  • Access to the GDI Forum
  • Tools to promote your business
  • Unlimited income opportunity

 

 

As you can see you get your own website, the tools to build it and can be active online within a few short hours but what’s more incredible is you can earn money too.

 

So who are GDI and how do I make money?

 

Global Domains International, or GDI, was founded in 1999 by Michael Reed, CEO and Alan Ezeir, President who both recognized another opportunity that was largely ignored. The dot com boom that was so popular back in 1995 reached its peak around march of 2000. What Michael Reed and Alan Ezeir wondered was if there were other available extensions that businesses could use as a domain name. They ultimately focused on the domain extension .WS, which belonged to the tiny island nation of Samoa, deep in the South Pacific. They were able to execute a deal with Samoa stating they had to produce 15,000 registered domain .ws extensions in 3 years. Well they accomplished that goal in GDI’s 1st month of business and the rest as they say is history. In the 2002 Special issue of Inc. magazine, Global Domains International placed #37 on the Inc 500 magazine’s “List” of the USA’s 500 fastest growing private companies and #5 in the state of California. If you have come across any .ws adresses on the internet you can rest assured that they have been registered through Global Domains International, as GDI has single handedly captured the market share for the .ws extension. But what really puts the icing on the cake is the amazing business opportunity they have incorporated in to the equation.

 

So now let’s talk about how you earn money.

For every person that you refer to GDI you will earn $1 every month for as long as that person remains a member.

That person that you refer – for every person that they refer to GDI, you will earn $1 every month for as long as that person remains a member. This continues down for 5 levels.

So even if you only refer one person, but that one person referred 50 people, you would earn $1 for each of those 50 people. If those 50 people referred just 1 person each, that’s another $50 per month you’d earn.

Remember though, as I said earlier you only get out of a program what you put into it. You could very easily get someone in your downline that could refer 50 people and that would be great, but you might not, so don’t just rely completely on your downline, especially in the beginning, try to refer a few people.

Let’s look at an example of the sort of income you can earn with GDI.

If you referred 10 people and those 10 people referred just 5 people each, and those 5 people referred 5 people each, and so on for 5 levels. Your monthly income would be $7810.

Sound Good???

Well that’s not all, GDI also offer a weekly bonus scheme of $100 for every 5 people you personally introduce. So for example if 20 people joined your business you would be paid $400 for that week and best of all there is no limit to the amount of people you refer. If you were to do the same every week that would an average of $1600 a month which for a lot of people would replace their job salary.

You may be thinking it sounds too good to be true or how can I refer 10 people, I don’t know 10 people that would be interested in this.

Well its not too good to be true, there are people earning even more than that with GDI.

As far as referring people GDI offer the tools to help with this however as I mentioned previously support in this business is key to your success from those who are already successful.

 

The Dream

 

To be successful you need to have a reason or a dream this could be a few hundred dollars a month to begin with or a new car.

What I have found is that people fear to dream because they don’t believe it will happen. It has amazed me being around this business how quickly people underestimate themselves and what started out as being a dream of making a few hundred dollars a month turned into buying their dream home cash.

This business offers so much its about people helping people and the feeling of knowing you have helped others take back their lives is priceless.

 

 

Support

 

Most people that join MLM programs have little or no experience on how to build a successful business and sadly quit before they even get started.

Having support from those who are already successful in this type business is by far priceless and it amazes me that so many people do not grasp this when inviting people to join.

After all the core of all MLM businesses is helping others to succeed which in turn helps you succeed.

Failing to grasp this simple concept and not put in any effort will surely lead to failure and again these types of people will only end up hopping from one opportunity to another but never finding success.

 

 

So there you have it an honest opinion on Multi Level Marketing which I hope this article has helped you in your pursuit for financial freedom

 

Donna Fielding is a successful network marketer with GDI. Click the link below to watch a video presentation on the GDI opportunity and the 7 day FREE trial and see if Global Domains International is the right choice for you.

 

www.themoneyprospect.com

(copy and paste into your browser)



Published On: 1/25/2009
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

The North Face Masters of Snowboarding 2009 Tour Dates Announced by The North Face and Mountain Sports International

The North Face Masters of Snowboarding is the largest big mountain snowboarding tour in the country, with a prize purse of $45,000 and two new world-class venues

 

Registration is now open on www.thenorthfacemasters.com

 

Salt Lake City, Utah, December 17, 2008 – Now in its sophomore year, The North Face Masters of Snowboarding (TNF Masters) has become the largest cohesive competitive big mountain snowboarding tour in the country. A three-stop tour, TNF Masters is designed to cater to the motivation, talent and skill of world-class big mountain snowboarders. The 2009 tour visits Snowbird, Utah, Crested Butte, Colorado, and culminates at the ultimate big mountain competition venue of Kirkwood, California.

 

“The North Face Masters tour is going to be off the chain this year,” said TNF Masters Alyeska, Alaska, 2008 champion Rob Kingwill. “I am excited to be a part of the movement toward giving big mountain snowboarding competition the recognition it deserves. All three 2009 venues are world-class, and I can't wait to see what happens.”

 

TNF Masters features a $45,000 cash prize purse and serves as a qualifier event to the Freeride World Tour. Winners from the Snowbird and Crested Butte TNF Masters events will have the opportunity to compete in the Nissan Tram Face at Squaw Valley, California.

 

"Freeriding, the use of natural terrain, fall line, and innovation from riding style is the essence of big mountain snowboarding,” said TNF Masters Head Judge Tom Burt. “The TNF Masters series is designed around this and that is the reason why I agreed to become the head judge. The terrain will be delivered by Snowbird, Crested Butte, and Kirkwood. All have different flavors of terrain so each will bring its own challenges for the riders, and every rider will bring their own style and innovation to each venue. When the two mesh the best freerider will emerge.“

 

TNF Masters gathers big mountain snowboarding tribes from all around the world. All male and female snowboarding competitors above age 18 are welcomed to participate. Registration is now open on www.thenorthfacemasters.com.

 

The North Face Masters of Snowboarding 2009 Series Schedule

Stop #1 – Snowbird, Utah.                  January 29-February 1, 2009

Stop #2 –Crested Butte, Colorado. February 12-15, 2009

Stop #3 –Kirkwood, California         March 5-8, 2009

 

Fans of big mountain snowboarding can catch same-day coverage of the Semi-Final and Final rounds of each TNF Masters event on www.thenorthfacemasters.com where there are complete videos, photos, athlete profiles, detailed event schedules, registration information and more.

 

For more information please visit www.thenorthfacemasters.com.

 

Special Thanks To:

The North Face

Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort

Crested Butte Mountain Resort

Kirkwood Mountain Resort

Primaloft

Snowboard Magazine

Mountain Sports International

 

REGISTRATION INFORMATION AND ATHLETE INQUIRIES CONTACT

Sara Pinsoneault

Athlete Communications

Mountain Sports International

801.349.4650

sarap@mtsports.com

 

MEDIA INQUIRES AND FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT

Cara Williams

PR, Communications & Media Manager

Mountain Sports International

801.349.4608

cara@mtsports.com

 

Pamela Bennett

Communications Manager

The North Face

510.618.3654

pamela_bennett@vfc.com

 

About MSI

Mountain Sports International (MSI) is a private company, founded in 1997, to develop and produce action/adventure sports events and programming in North America. MSI owns and produces the U.S. Freeskiing Series, the U.S. Skiercross Series, and the Freeskiing World Tour, in addition to several other properties and concepts.

 

MSI provides event management services for Burton, Salomon, and Red Bull and has provided infrastructure and expertise for the NBC Gravity Games and ESPN Action Sports Projects, including the Tony Hawk Gigantic Skatepark Tour. MSI specializes in matching clients with events for brand penetration into target demographics, developing product identification and loyalty. MSI matches brand and culture, company and credibility to create sought-after events that help to define the action sports culture.

 

About The North Face

The North Face, a division of VF Outdoor, Inc., was founded in 1968. Headquartered in San Leandro, California, the company offers the most technically advanced products in the market to accomplished climbers, mountaineers, snowsport athletes, endurance athletes, and explorers. The company’s products are sold in specialty mountaineering, backpacking, running, and snowsport retailers, premium-sporting goods retailers and major outdoor specialty retail chains.

 



Published On: 1/19/2009
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I love receiving last minute phone calls with the 2 stroke hum of snowmobiles in the background. PortersTahoe.com Team Rider Brendon Drury hit me up and said he and his younger brother were up at Mt. Rose riding around on his snowmobiles in search of some terrain for some snowboarding.



It is always fun riding side saddle getting up to your destination as it can be quite a task. I did bail once off the sled on my belly like a land seal! Out in the backcountry you never know what kind of characters you'll run into as we ran into these slednecks who offered us cheeseburgers, beer and some of that funny smelling "rope".



After a brief chat with these friendly dudes (Brendon snatched a brew), we proceeded to find our zone where we could get some shots. Brendon dropped into a face that was really sunbaked and it was hard to get the spray that we wanted. It was a fun turn but we wanted more.



Brendon got another ride up on the sled and I was scouting a zone trying to find a good place where he could snap a turn. The snow surface had about a 3-4 inch crust layer on it so I had to find an area that was thinner. I found just the spot.
Brendon hiked over to where i was camped out & we planned our shot.



In pure anal photographer fashion...I had to light this shot up. Packing light this time out I had my Lumedyne 400 WS Action Pack, Canon 1D Mark II, Canon 15mm fisheye lens, Canon 50mm 1.4 prime, and my Canon 70-200mm lenses. This is a great 3 lens & one light setup to have out in the backcountry or anywhere for that matter.This is what we got.



Not bad considering the snow only had an inch of crust in this zone. He did break through to the bottom and hit the rock, but in the end it was all worth it. On the way down we had to stop just one more time to take in another epic Lake Tahoe sunset.



Published On: 1/7/2009
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JumpCamp online newsletter providing breaking news in condensed form, with illustrated, entertaining, and often sensational tidbits.

Happy Holidays from JumpCamp
What does every shred dog dream of waking up to Christmas day? A JumpCamp session under the tree of course. Don't be lame and buy your loved ones something like a sweater or a  touque. Sign up a friend or family member this Christmas and become their favourite person for the rest of the year.
Go to Onethirtythree, call or sign up online today.

Road trips

With the lack of snow on the Island this last month we were getting a little too antsy to sit around so we headed out on holiday road. First we went out to Banff and hit up Sunshine Village. It was my first time out to the rockies and it was awesome! The weather was perfect; sunny and cold and we got lots of killer pics and footage for our new movie project. We'll definitely be going back again. Thanks a lot to Doug Firby for the great hospitality. www.skibanff.com

Patrick Kitto enjoying the cold smoke out in Banff. Mmm Mmm good

When we got home there was still not very much snow so we packed up some clean undies and headed out again, this time to Whistler. Whistler is always wicked and this trip was no exception. We shredded the opening day of Blackcomb and then Whistler the next day and it rocked ( my board and my mind ) haha. Early season conditions joke... Thanks to Ryan Proctor for hooking us up. www.whistlerblackcomb.com

Myles col' kickin' it with his favourite run on Blackcomb behind him: the Sudan Couloir

When we got home from Whistler, guess what? Still not that much snow. So we packed up some more clean undies and headed out again, this time to Golden. Now if you've been to Kicking Horse you know it's rad. Steep, deep and gnarly. We had a wicked time there until the third day when the temperatures were a cool -28 in the hills and our nostrils were sticking together when we went outdoors. We all looked like Michael Jackson with our noses frozen closed so we bundled our Vancouver Island butts back into the truck, cranked the heat and headed back west. Thanks to Jordan Petrovics for the hook up.
www.kickinghorseresort.com

Matty, Joe and our main man Eric. "Close the damn door, it's cold!" Thanks to Eric for setting us up so good. You rule Rolston!

Matt Trigg riding some deep, cold stuff with Ole in the background filming. Trigger kind of looks like Darth Vader coming out of there.

Back Home
Now don't get me wrong, we've had a few good days of hiking around here. We've been noboarding up the hill quite a bit and even hitting some urban stuff in town with the cold temperatures.

No bindings? No problem... Ole loves noboarding. photo by Patrick Kitto

The Green Room "Eco-friendly Styles for Your Home"
Do you enjoy breathing? Of course you do. You probably enjoy drinking water too. Well, these luxuries will not be available if we don't start taking care of our lovely planet. Our friends
Rebecca Wood and Cortney Upham are proud owners of Courtenay's first housewares and gift store entirely dedicated to eco-friendly living. Go down and check out the goods. Do it for the kids... www.greenroominteriors.com (250) 898-0400 A407 5th street Courtenay

New Onethirtythree Team Manager
That's right folks, Patrick Kitto has been appointed the new TM of Onethirtythree. Send all your sponsor-me videos and pics to the shop and you could be living the high life of a sponsored rider full of free stickers and t-shirts. (250) 897- 1907; 143A 5th St, Courtenay

Avalanche Course Coming Up January 24, 25
Avalanche is the greatest hazard facing "out of bounds" backcountry snowboarders, skiers, sledders and ice climbers. This course is a must for those venturing into the backcountry and highly recommended from your friends at JumpCamp.

Have a safe and happy holiday.
See ya in the hills.

 



Published On: 12/20/2008
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I figured since the new season is beginning I'll keep updates on here :)

Unfortunately I haven't had the chance to go boarding yet.  Sorta sucks being a poor college kids but I'll be working two jobs over break so hopefully it'll be cash money.

I also have my same old set up, nothing much has changed with that.  Over break I'll more than likely be in at Okemo or Mt. Snow but while I'm at college I'll be hitting Ski Saw Mill in PA.  It's a tiny mountain but whatever, it's the closest.

Not to mention I'm pumped, I'll be going to my buddy's lodge as soon as second semester starts, I believe it's in PA.  I'll also be hitting up Gore in NY :)

It's going to be an insane season and I cannot wait!



Published On: 12/16/2008
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Hello fellow boarders! The Austing Haus B&B is happy to welcome snowboarders and skiiers of all ages. With the Taos Ski Valley now open to snowboarding, we are happy to accomodate a new crowd. For a couple or family of four, there are rooms that will suite your needs at close to the slopes at off slope prices. The Austing Haus in only 1.5 miles from the lifts, with a free ski shuttle and a lavish hot buffet breakfast to get your morning started. Please visit our website at www.austinghaus.net
The wind is blowing and the clouds are rolling in, an expected storm to dump 6-12" in the next 24 hours, and more to come!
Bring on winter!!


Published On: 12/8/2008
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Well we went to ride @ Norway on Saturday. We were there about 15 minutes on our seconds run when One of my sons friends went down hard. The kid (Matt) already had a broken right hand. So we had to take him to the hospital. after being there six hours we finally knew for sure that he had broken his collar bone. I'll post up x-rays later. It's a pretty sick break, it broke completely in half. He was in a lot of pain. So needless to say we really didn't get to ride that day. O well there's always next weekend.

Published On: 12/7/2008
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I decided to say heck with working this morning and took off for the mtn!!!  15 minutes into my journey to make first chair I realized I had forgotten to grab my Season's Pass..  There went first chair..  At least I realized it before I got to the mtn.. Laughing.. 
 
When I finally made it to the mountain there wasn't a whole lot of people there.. PERFECT! I flashed my riding clothes on in record time and off to the chair I went..  Let the havoc begin.. I searched out any sorta fluff I could find.. After a couple of quick test runs to reacquaint myself with the board I'd brought I hopped into the trees.. Ooo I found FLUFF!   AND all sorts of hidden "treasures!"   Tree stumps, rocks, roots Ooo my!  Laughing..  Good thing I can bend like gumby..  
 
2 hours into my seek and destroy fluff mission I heard the music of my cell over the music of my ipod..   Drat my vehicle for ratting me out..  Now I could pretend not to have heard it but since I'm not good about making up missed calls I answered..   I get a "Hey Doll meet us at the park".. Hmmm.. Now I could pretend they were breaking up and I couldn't hear them.. Then go back to my seek and destroy fluff mission.   Alas I'm not good at acting either.. Soo I   s_l_o_w_l_y   made my way to the park.. I told myself the WHOLE WAY I was just going to watch them have at the rails.. I was just going to watch!  Yeah uh huh right.. And into the trap I fell..  I'd ask where my brains went but alas they were still in my head fully intact.. 
 
 
All my friends know I don't like to ride rails (back during my halfpipe competition days I saw a kid break his jaw on a rail.. Lots of blood..).. And to give my friends credit they never push me to ride the rails nor give me crap about it.. However there wasn't only rails in Birch Park.. There was a 25' culvert..  And there spelled my doom..   "Come on Doll you can ride that".. "Look it's easy"..   Ooo they definitely made it look easy.. And the nifty little tricks they were all pulling.. Looked fun..  DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB BLONDE!  I jumped up with a feeling of WOOHOO.. Charged that sucker.. I was sliding and feeling elated that I was going to make it.. Got 3/4 of the way through it (with my teeth chattering the whole way) and next thing I knew I was taking a snow sample..  The only comment I heard was a snickered "Want me to kiss it and make it better"..
 
I swear to God they set me up.. 
 
After all systems were checked and found to be in good working order.. The dumb blonde that I am tried again..  And took another snow sample, and another and another.. But you know what.. I finally made it!  Laughing.. Take that BOYS! 
 
I made them buy me lunch.. 
 
I had a great time on the snow.. I can't wait until it starts dumping..


Published On: 12/3/2008
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A couple years ago, I fell in love in Jay Peak. An otherwise cold, windy and miserable day would also prove to be one of my best. There is something to be said about visiting places that were the setting for important moments of your life. Since November 22nd was set to be opening day at Jay, and due to the personal significance of the resort, I decided to get a car load of bros to go down there and ride.

Yeti, Marc, and Brad on the lift
The unusual suspects of the bro-down in Jay.

The road trip started out early, I picked up Yeti and Brad, and with Yahoo! directions in hand, we proceeded east for what we hoped would be a good day of riding (first for Brad and Yeti, second for me). The drive was mostly uneventful up until the Canada-USA border where we got pulled aside by the customs agent. He asked us if we were carrying more than $10,000 in cash (I wish we had that much scratch). I guess he wanted to search our stuff to make sure we weren't secretly part of the wealthy elite.

Normally a customs search would be no big deal, however, in this instance Brad really needed to use the restroom. So he asked the customs agent "do you guys have a public washroom in here?" To which the agent replied "It makes no sense for us to have public restrooms here because if you were smuggling drugs you could go flush them, or if we say something you don't like you can smear the whole place in poo." (no joke, he said that). Of course that's when we realized that Brad had probably set off a red flag with his request. Fortunately it didn't take long for them to search the car and they didn't make a huge mess of it. Once we were out of visible range of the border, we had to pull over to the side of the road so Brad could take care of business.

Yeti and random guy with identical gapers.
Yeti meets his doppleganger. What are the odds of seeing two of the same gaper.

With our urinal emergency behind us, we continued on toward Jay. However, we ended up taking a wrong turn (we turned up VT-105 instead of VT-242). Once that feeling of being in the wrong place set in, we decided we should pull over and ask someone for directions. Fortunately there was a pedestrian up the way. Yeti started joking how it was probably hillbilly with a shotgun. As we approached, we realized that this guy did in fact have a rifle slung over his shoulder. Not to be deterred, however, we stopped and asked him for quick directions. He confirmed that we had in fact taken a wrong turn and kindly directed us on how to get back. We thanked him and made our way. When we finally arrived at Jay, we were stoked to realize that it was snowing pretty heavily.

No sooner had we started unpacking did the gaper hunt begin. The first victim: Yeti. He decided to rock a purple one piece but because he does it in typical Yeti style, it had a certain panache that couldn't be ignored. However, Brad had been instructed before he left to make sure to spray a gaper wearing skier, so he looked at Yeti and said "expect to be sprayed."

Although Yeti's was the first, it certainly wasn't the last gaper we saw. In fact no sooner had we gotten our lift passes did we notice another skier wearing the exact same gaper. An instant friendship was forged.

For our first run of the day, we decided to go with the more difficult of the runs that were available to us. The snow was good but the moguls were large and the visibility basically nil. Which is probably why we hadn't noticed that we had ventured onto one of the closed sections of the run. This is when I fell in the creek (I seem to do this at least once a year). None the worse for wear, I tried to make my way back to the lift except I found the going to be tough (Yeti and Brad were already way ahead of me). That's when I realize that I have about 2 inches of sluch caked onto my base. I finally cleaned it off so we could resume our riding.

Yeti and Brad standing in the snow.
Gene Kelly sings in the rain but Yeti and Brad sing in the snow. The Jay clouds strike on opening day.

We spent the rest of the morning shredding up any run that was open until our legs were sore and our finger tips frozen. We decided to head inside for a while to warm up our fingers and take a bio-break. This is when things almost went south. While going to the restroom, Yeti's iPhone fell out of his pocket. He realized it was missing and we spent the next 15 minutes or so re-tracing his steps trying to find it. After asking pretty much everyone in the lodge if they had seen it, and only seconds before Yeti lost it and started throwing tables around, he realized that it had fallen into the hood of his gaper. Crisis averted.

The rest of the afternoon was a lot more of what we experienced in the morning: snow, lots of riding, some freshies, some gapers, more snow, and lots of laughs (did I mention it was snowing). At one point, while marveling at the heavy snowfall, we came upon a guy sitting in the snow, seemingly trying to fasten up his bindings. What was significant was that he was complaining that he wanted to go back to Delaware. I said "But there's no snow in Delaware!" "Exactly" he said which made me wonder what he was doing in Jay in the first place.

Finally when it was time to call it a day, we packed up all of our gear and made our way back toward the border. Four hours or so and 63 litres of fuel later, we made it back to Canada's capital craving massages and sleep. We were thankful to have benefited from the mystical Jay clouds for a truly epic opening day in Jay and to have averted any potential buzz-kill worthy crisis. I was happy to have gone back to a really important junction place of my life. The day was truly epic but at the same time made me realize how much I missed those who could not be there.



Published On: 11/23/2008
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My Blog: Morality
By: JaredMG


There is no rhyme to this, yet there may be some reason. I write without a thought and without a care as images and thoughts swirl about my head. This morning was fine, the college skylights were breathtaking.
The sun shone brightly through the melting snow above my head. It bore through a spot here and there but was cast back for the most part by a wall of white. Where it did break through golden hues arose like the light of heaven. I could not help but sit and stare for as long as life permitted me, which was long enough.
There is more, there is always more, for me and for you to find.
The computer is humming, the music is silent and the bed is waiting.



Published On: 11/21/2008
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This just in - Sunparties.com has donated two free trips to Mexico, Spring Break 09', to be given away at the whistler premiere.

-ROUND TRIP AIRFARE 
-7 NIGHTS HOTEL
-WELCOME PARTY 
-BEACH PARTIES 
-THEME PARTIES 

check out http://www.sunparties.com/index.asp to get more info on Mayhem In Mexico and other parties vacation packages.

and if you haven't got the rest of the info here it is:

For the last stop of our premiere tour, we're bringing it home to Whistler, NOVEMBER 22

WE WILL BE GIVING AWAY 7 SNOWBOARDS 

Westin Hotel - Emerald Ballroom

DOORS - 8PM
SHOW STARTS - 9:30PM 

TICKETS $10 AT THE DOOR
OR AVAILABLE AT:
The Circle - Whistler
Showcase - Village & Vancouver
Boardroom - North Van

MASSIVE AMOUNT OF PRIZES 
DUAL SCREENS 
PRO PHOTO CHARITY AUCTION

THREE CASH BARS & DJ VINYL RITCHIE PRE PARTY 

With the new location this year the premiere will have a capacity of 700 people, promising to make it bigger and better than ever... this is gonna be a massive party.

This is gonna be a big event so we have to go with 2 bars for the after party.

GARFINKELS & SAVAGE BEAGEL 

FREE COVER 
VIP LINE 
with your premiere wristband 



Published On: 11/21/2008
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