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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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For video of the Romain Interview, visit http://SlytechProtection.com/blog


Romain Straps it On

Romain de Marchi says: Stop letting the economic crisis paralyze you; don’t listen to the talking heads on TV news; don’t slow down. Your life and the lives of those around you depend on your passion and stoke.

YOU’VE NEVER HEARD ROMAIN DE MARCHI SAY ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE

MAUI, HAWAII – For a moment there I thought I was pondering the intricacies of the Universe, God, and life with Deepak Chopra – the esoteric Indian doctor, author, philosopher – not Romain de Marchi – ball-to-the-walls, huck-myself-down-any-freakin’-thing – snowboard legend.

Prejudiced with images of his suicidal rippings in epic Absinthe films, tabloid sensationalism knocking him as a party freak, and his tattoo covered body, I went into this, our first longer meeting, thinking it would turn out to be another “shoot the shi*t interview” with another fortunate, yet undeserving rider. I got adjusted, hard.

Romain on Travelling

RDM: When I travel I like discovering different philosophies and new cultures. I try to learn more and more the world. TV I don’t think is a good example to learn the world. To me it’s better to be on the terrain and figure out by yourself. That’s what I’m looking for when I go travel: meet new cultures and new people basically.

SWB: How does riding factor into your travels? Can you describe that stoke that you feel?

RDM: Well, I always… when I’m travelling, it’s not really the places you go to, but the experience you share with people. I like the fact that when I go to different resorts, I meet different people and they give me their stoke-ness of wanting to share with me their culture, their mountain and their way of seeing their mountain. That’s what I appreciate a lot when I get to see different places. So, that’s what really stokes me out.

Romain on Fatherhood

SWB: I saw your daughter Annella there. Tell me about her!

RDM: Well, she’s almost 2 years old and she’s growing up by the minute. She’s a fan of Dora as you can see on the T-Shirt and she loves her mama a lot. No, it’s fascinating, I mean, it’s ahhhh, it makes you more mature, makes you go forward in life, to be able to see your kids, the way they interpret life, to see their innocence and their soul. I think it gives you a lot of inspiration! They really inspire me.

SWB: so how did you start to feel in riding after you became a parent? Were there differences in your behavior after you became a parent?

RDM: Yeah, a lot of people said: now that you have a kid your ride should be different, you should be more cautious. Actually for me it went the other way around. I’m more crazy now than before. It really pushed me to go out there and do what I love. Now more than ever, I do it for more and more reason. First it was just for me when I was younger, but now it’s also for my daughter and my kids because I want them to feel my passion and translate that to them, so now I go out there and try to get as stoked as I can, so when I get home they can see how happy I am to do what I love to do and they can feel that. So for me it went the other way around.

SWB: interesting! So she made you live life even more to its fullest?

RDM: Even more.

Romain on the World Economic Recession

RDM: I’m not gonna say it doesn’t affect me. It affects everybody, but, I think that many people live in fear and they’re like “ohhh no, I can’t do this, I can’t do that.” People have been brainwashed with that and they’ve stopped living. I bet if each individual in the world like they did before the crisis, everything would be good, because money would still be spent, people would still be happy and do happy things and the world would still go around. Now everybody is watching TV saying “ohhh no, I can’t do this, because the TV said it’s fear, it’s economic, and it’s the world war, the terrorism and what not…” I think that’s pretty sad that people have been brainwashed like that and have stopped living just because some dude said it on TV. Of course, the economy isn’t as good now, but I think we are as much responsible for it as the people who are leading our country. I think we should keep living and everything is going to be fine.

SWB: ohh man, that’s a great insight. People paralyze themselves by listening to these so-called experts on TV and…

RDM: yeah, it’s been like that for centuries, you know like, create fear so that we can control people. I try to have my own opinion. I know times are hard, but it’s hard for everybody, but you keep living and if you can’t pay the mortgage one day and what not, then well, sell the house and do something else. The world is not going to end just like that. We have many options in life, so it’s not worth worrying about a mortgage or things like that.

Romain on Back Protection and Why Everyone Should Wear One

RDM: For sure it gives you extra confidence. If I hit a rock at least I have the Slytech 2nd Skin to protect my spine.

But I also try not to rely on it too much, because then you forget how your muscles work in your body; they are the first armor, right?

The Slytech 2nd Skin is more prevention. It’s not because I have a back protector that I’m going to launch a bigger thing. Whether I ride the resort or I jump, I always wear it in case something happens. It’s a precaution. It’s not like, “ohhh yeah, I’m just going riding the resorts, so I’m not going to put it on.” No, I put it on anyway.

Whether big jump or not, you know, now that I’m getting older, I got a family, so I kinda need to have that extra protection for me. But I’m not forgetting as well that my body is my first armor. For my state of mind it’s more uhhh… like in a car, you can have one airbag or you can have 5 airbags. Same thing with second skin: I’d rather have more airbags than just 1.

SWB: There are all kind of back protectors out there. What was it about Slytech 2nd Skin to make you choose to use it?

RDM: It’s easy to put on. It’s really comfortable to wear it. The good thing is, the foam they use, it’s really molding your back, so you really don’t feel it. I’ve tried other ones and they’re really uncomfortable. They’ve been using that for dirt biking at first. I feel pretty confident: dirt bikers get more beat up than snowboarders. When they fall, they hit the hard ground! Snow is soft. It makes you feel even better that it’s tested by dirt bike people.

SWB: How were you introduced to the Slytech people?

RDM: What went down is… basically, I got hooked up with Shred and they said, “hey, you want to try the Slytech 2ndSkin?” and I’m like “YEAH SURE!” They sent me some and I went riding and I didn’t feel it. I went riding all day and I didn’t feel it at all, “OK, wow! This is a freakin great product!” You have it on and it’s extra precaution for you and it doesn’t even bother you; it doesn’t even make you uncomfortable when you ride so I was like “yeah right on! This is a great product, so let’s do something with it!”

SWB: Would you recommend a back protector for non-professional athletes?

RDM: Yeah, I would recommend all the protection they can get. Most of the time, beginners just sit on a hump on the slope and if a skier or snowboarder just comes up from behind and BOOM, it could paralyze them. But if you have a back protector, it might save you from that. Helmet, back protectors are key.

As I left that interview, I never thought that I – as a philosophy guy living in Hawaii with all the inspiration I need around me – would have walked away with so much newfound inspiration to go for whatever I could possibly conceive of.

I want to publicly thank Romain de Marchi for sharing the inspiring stoke he collects through his experiences as a shredder, a father, a world traveler and as a free spirit (the snowboarding world’s own mini Deepak). Thanks also for believing in and endorsing the Slytech Back Protector. It took many years to develop and test, and now that it’s available to the general public we hope it will be as universally loved.

About Slytech Protection
The team and riders at Slytech Protection feel that life is best lived with maximum passion, confidence, comfort and protection (comfortable protection). We’re based around a rider's love for shredding and being free, to keep pushing the limits and to give yourself the chance to get up and ride again. Being sidelined with a bad spinal injury is the last thing we want, and so comfortable back protection is the first thing we grab.

Go to http://slytechprotection.com and signup for more inspiring rider tales from Romain and the rest of the shredders.

 

Slytech Protection distributors at www.slytechproteciton.com/contacts
Headquarters:
CERSAL srl
Viale Ancona, 26
30172 Venezia Mestre
Tel.+390412517211
Fax +390412517200

www.slytechprotection.com

###



Published On: 9/4/2009
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When asked, if you had a job title, what would it be? he  had to stop and think it through for a moment. If I were to put a title on  myself as a job, I'd say pro snowboarder, life-time traveler.

A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of interviewing legendary  shredder Romain de Marchi from his new home in far-off western Canada near  Vancouver. With kids in tow, tumbling around in and out of the Skype video frame,  Romain talked candidly about life as a father, how that's affected his  snowboarding and risk taking, as well as other controversial subject matter like  the Natasha Richardson tragic death and his bitter divorce with his old sponsor, Burton.

We also spoke about his new dedication to smaller  up-and-coming brands like his new sponsors Shred and Slytech Action Sports Protection with whom he recently signed (yes, having 2 little  tykes running around now, he straps on back protection wherever he goes to ride). And then of course, we covered that hot new  startup brand YES Snowboards you will want to hear about what he has to say about his new partners and why bigger is not always necessarily better.

His answers are not quite what you would expect from the rather  notorious party animal we have read about in the past. His contemplative nature  and deep insights paint a picture that is more Obi Wan Kenobi than a young reckless Anakin Skywalker.

I'm looking forward to share the insider look into  Romain, the pro snowboarder and life-time traveller's life and will let you know when and where it can be found in its entirety!

Later,
Stephan

Stephan  is a  writer for Slytech Action Sports Protection(http://SlytechProtection.com) and Shred Optics (http://ShredOptics.com). Besides an interest in winter sports, he spends most of his time in Maui, Hawaii where many athletes, including Romain, regularly come through to scratch their tropical itch. Follow his tweets on all things Shred and Slytech at http://twitter.com/ShredOptics and http://twitter.com/SlytechProtect respectively.







Published On: 5/27/2009
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The 2008~09 season was incredible. We had a whole bunch of cool and unique guys and girls train with us this season and a lot of returning campers pushing their limits as well. Big backcountry jump days, deep powder runs, terrain park improvement, Core night park action, secret pillow fields, cornices, tree runs...you name it, we did it all. From novice riders sliding boxes and riding powder for the first time to seasoned returning campers grabbing their inverts, sticking larger cliffs and every level and experience in between.Good times, great memories, huge improvement and the end of the season video to prove it. From all of the staff and coaches - A huge “Thank You” to all of the great campers who allowed us to be a part of their winter season! It was an amazing season with all of you guys here and keep riding on.

Published On: 5/25/2009
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Events/News - Whistler Blackcomb: It's ALL about the glades!
By: WhistlerBlackcomb


   Day 15/30: As I’m trying to decide which adventure to write about, I’m getting far too distracted by the thought of fresh snow in the alpine. Could yesterday really have been the first day of spring?! Not on the mountains, not in the trees and not in my mind.

   The other day I uploaded with two good buddies; Stu and Derek. Stu had his Vholdr cam so we were on a tree mission! It’s no secret the coverage hasn’t been good enough to venture too deeply into the woods this season. That was until last weekend when a huge storm hit Whistler Blackcomb dumping 158cms in total. So that was our cue to head out and rip some pow!

   Stu’s been around these parts for ages, so I was expecting him to teach us a thing or two, but it just so happens we showed him some sweet spots he had never hit before. We started in Crystal by dropping off our bags at the snow fort, from there we headed to a super fun & short section of trees referred to as “the picnic table.” It’s literally a picnic table sitting on top of a knoll in the trees. It has an awesome view of the valley but that’s not why you go there. Below the table is a sweet pillow line, but watch your speed as it ends in tight trees and comes out onto a cat track.

   Next we ducked into some tight trees to skier’s right of Rider’s Revenge; this took so much out of us! There was a big cliff in there that we had to maneuver around and that wasn’t too much fun. My advice, stick to marked gladed runs if you don’t know the area. These trails are actually protected bear habitat in the summer, so keep an eye out for the signage explaining the bear program. I would suggest checking out a glade like Arthur’s Choice or Outer Limits in the Crystal zone to get some good turns in spaced-out trees.
 
   After lunch we zipped over to 7th Heaven to session the trees there. It was waist deep and untouched in places! I had such a great day laughing and shouting the whole time with good friends. There’s nowhere I’d rather be than a powdery tree run on Blackcomb!
 
Keep on shredding!
 
-Alex


Published On: 3/21/2009
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So Brendon took me Backcountry riding in Idaho for my bday.  BEST Bday of my life!!!!  Best snow I've ever experienced. 
Our first decent was 2,700 feet of trees, meadows, a gnarly boulder field, and all in the lightest, deepest snow of my life.  We took a few more 800ft decents and for the finale, we went where noone's gone all season.  All I can say is CHEST DEEP.
 
I'm tempted to leave good ol Washington now.  Too bad it's so wonderful here. :)  Thanks babe for a killer ride.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


Published On: 3/7/2009
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The marketing department wanted me to promote Copper Mountain’s Spring Special. They told me it was a big deal, so I dug deep into my attractive mind cave and came up with something big. So, traveling people, check out “The Deal.” www.nationalsnowday.com/icemelts -Captain Fred McGilicutty



Published On: 3/3/2009
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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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After an hectic pre season I was ready and excited to leave to Austria with my friend Vanessa Andrieux. We go there every year to find good snow condition, I was all packed, board and bags in my trunk and as i was driving back from Barcelona it started dumping everywhere, and by the time i was in Switzerland my home mountains were covered by a good 60cm of fresh snow ! This is when we both decided to join the Demonium base camp in les diablerets (definitely the best place to stay, hang, mini shred and skate up there) and shoot a couple things home before heading to the austrian mountains. We waisted the first day looking for features to shoot along the road and at 12pm, after 3 hours driving around for nothing, we decided to go up on the mountain and shred. luckily the place wasn’t totally tracked yet, I found a couple good friends at the first chair lift, they took me to the good spot and I got chest deep for my first run of the winter !! I can’t remember a better start of the season ever ! sik ! The next day we built a kicker with Eman, Damien, Nico and Tonton not too far from the road in a safe area as avalanche danger was quite high at that time. It was fun to be shaping a kicker already. The snow was deep in the landing, the sun was shining we had a good thermos with hot tea and good meet, cheese, bread and chocolate. Family style ! After that we joined Nicolas Droz in Chatel to get a couple shots, each day we were pushing the austrian destination a bit later and we finally never made it there. That’s when my friend Annie Boulanger called, there was no snow in whistler and she jumped in the plane to come shred with me.. I was so stoked to have her here because I m always the one going to canada or US and for once I got to show my place to a good friend ! as soon as she got off the plane we called Jonas Emery who could eventually give us heads up on the conditions where he was staying.. and we ended up staying at his place for a good 4 days.. We got sik tree runs in still really good snow on our first day and it dumped overnight !! We went to Verbier the next day, same thing, good tree pow runs under the cabin, and the great thing is that no one was on the slopes before christmas ! We joined Emilien Badoux the next day for the same luck with sunshine this time! After that we headed to my home resort with my both of my parents my cousin, my boyfriend and 2 other good friends with whom we shredded all weekend.. It really felt like christmas ! This last couple of weeks were such a blast, I got to practice some Quebecquien expressions, I got to shred for the fun of it which happens very rarely, i got to stay at my grand parents cabin and the conditions were fantastic ! That was definitely my best christmas present this year.. and i wish you just as much fun and good shred !  
  WWW.ANNEFLOREMARXER.COM


Published On: 1/6/2009
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After a week of consistent snow, the riding here in Whistler is back in business! We're into our 5th week of camp and the second group of long term campers are packing their bags and preparing to hit town as we speak.
 
Christmas in the camp houses was celebrated in true Whistler style with wine and cheese, pressies, partying in town and of course, Christmas day spent riding on the mountain... how else would you rather spend your holidays?!
 
We're super stoked that we've been able to take our groups to secret powder stashes on the mountain without getting stuck in long holiday lift lines. Also, now that the upper alpine lifts are staring to open, we're looking forward to some steep pow runs in the bowls and maybe a hike or two for some of the best untracked powder on the mountain. It's that kind of inside local knowledge that means we can ride harder, faster and in deeper pow that anyone else hahaha!
 
The terrain parks are already starting to look good. The Nintendo Park on Blackcomb has a number of hip, box and rail features and a couple of jumps. As more snow falls we'll begin to see the Terrain Garden (beginner's park) and Higher Level (XL) parks take shape. We're also looking forward to seeing the double rainbow stall feature and dancefloor jibs they're building in the Whistler park using the cable reels from the construction of new Peak to Peak gondola.
 
It even looks like there's almost enough snow for our first backcountry jump day to be held in a secret location yet to be revealed... can't wait!
 
Happy New Year form the team at Proride. Hope your new year sounds as exciting as ours!
 
 
Check out our picture diary at Pro Ride Snowboard Camps Diary
 
 


Published On: 12/31/2008
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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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My Blog: Afton update
By: bernwern


Been shredding as often as I can, assuming conditions are at least OK.  I refuse to ride on ice and crap this season.
 
So yesterday it started snowing around 11AM.  High temp of 7° yesterday, so snow was very light and dry compared to typical MN snowfall.  I was kicking myself in the ass for not coming prepped to leave from work, but I knew I had domestic responsibilities with my wife gone a few days.  As I left work, i knew I needed to ride the freshies, so I busted ass to get my errands done.
 
What was usually a 20 minute trip to Afotn turned out to be 70 minutes courtesy of dipshi*ts doing 20mph on the multi-lane interstates.  As soon as I got on the regular highways I easily did 55 with no issues.  I got to Afton about 6:10, ans on the slopes by 6:30.  Hardly anyone was there!  Even better, those that were there had crappy wax jobs and/or didn't know how to ride in fresh snow!  Most were in the chalets :)  I had free-reign!  Snow was slow in the flats, but no issues if you pumped your legs to build speed.  Soft and easy to cut!  Best night at Afton I have had in nearly 2 years!  No groomers out to ruin the fresh stuff either :)
 
The only draw-back was the cold.  I was warm and had to open vents to dump heat, but sitting on a snowcovered chair caused it to melt, then freeze to my legs and ass on my next run.  This took it's toll ad required 2 pitstops to the chalet for a Rusty Nail.  I lost about 45 minutes of riding, meaning I only got a little over 2 hours on the slopes.  I made the most of it, shedding like a mad man and possing people left and right (the few that were out there).  One skier was keeping up with me....or should I say I was keeping up with him?  I had to strap and unstrap afterall, and we were always 1 chair apart.  Most times I would get 2+ runs in before others made it down, and I like to lay some deep lines.
 
So, all in all, Afton is doing pretty damn good.  They are 95% open now with good coverage.  More snow in the forecast on Thursday night and Friday AM, so hoping this will be a great winter!
 
-B
 
EDIT: forgot to mention I started ordering new gear yesterday....boots and board are coming already, but the bindings are awaiting new stock and I was told the website will be updated in 1-2 days.  I'll post pics once it all arrives!


Published On: 12/17/2008
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My Blog: One Upper
By: Drewbage


Do you know someone who always did exactly what you did but somehow a little bigger, better, faster? I will be the first to admit that my favorite subject is me and I think deep down that is pretty much the norm for everyone; after all is there a subject you know more about than yourself? However there is a certain type of thunder thief that will commandeer your story and add a bunch of bullshiz to it and take the entire spotlight for nothing more than a "me too". Sure its hard to sit on a story when you know yours is way better but what are the odds someone has a ...I threw rocks through a hotel room window while I was naked in the parking lot story...really what are the odds?

 

La Quinta don't play by the way...



Published On: 12/8/2008
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So for those of you shredders in the know, you've just been waiting to walk into your local shop to check out the Burton Hero Late Release snowboard. For the rest of you wondering what the big deal is, well this is Burton's entry into the "rockered" category.

What's that?

While I personally refer to them as rockered boards as opposed to "reverse camber", sometimes the less initiated, or non-surfer or non-wakeboarder, or cross-over skier is only used to hearing the word "camber". The result of camber in a snowboard or ski is the slight arch running lenthwise from tip to tail that you can see. When you put one on a perfectly flat surface, it rests on two spots - near the tip and near the tail - with a very small gap between the ground and the middle of the snowboard or ski. Obviously then reverse camber would be where the contact occurs in the middle and the same contact points in a traditional shape are slightly off the ground. Think of it as this shape ...(... turned clockwise versus this shape ...)... turned clockwise.....or looking sideways at a banana with its tip and tail making a frown shape versus rotating it to make a smile.

Eeegads how's that for layman tech?

In the medium of water there are tons of recreational things with rocker - including surfboards, wakeboards, water skis, kayaks, and on and on. Depending on your point of reference, riding conditions, terrain, and some other things, you can obviously have an argument for or against rocker. I haven't made up my mind which shape I like better in all conditions and all terrain scenarios like powder, groomers, park, etc yet., but I can say that I'm a firm believer in deep powder conditions.

And I don't think it's a coincidence that when you have bottomless powder turns on a snowboard that it's pretty darn close to how it feels to make the same turns on a surfboard. The sensations can be felt good in wakeboarding or even some water skiing too. It's that sensation of pushing into the snow / water and sinking but then rebounding back to the surface as the snow / water feels like it is pushing back. Making huge untracked, first tracks, powder turns down a steep bowl and then slashing into a deep, powerful "bottom turn" is heaven or nirvana or zen or whatever you want to call it. For many of the early pioneers of snowboarding - who came from the surfing world - this is the sensation that made them snowboard junkies. They could surf the snow.

So all that to simply say that I've really liked how it felt the two times I've ridden rocker in good, deep Tahoe powder.

And to make a long story short, after the huge success of Lib Tech's Skate Banana and K2's Gyrator, Burton introduces its own interpretation that it calls "V-Rocker".

So all that to say that the Burton Hero Late Release snowboard is now in stock: http://www.porterstahoe.com/istar.asp?a=6&id=215849!BUR



Black metallic finish with a holograph



Of course in Burton's new ICS mounting system



2009 Transworld "Good Wood" Award Winner



A decent shot of the V-Rocker and the gentle rise in the gap between the floor and the base of the Burton Hero



the base...



Published On: 10/10/2008
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You Can Fix the Xbox 360 Red Light Easy!


Click here: Xbox 360 Red Light Fix


Although it might seem unbearable, it is actually not that difficult to learn how to fix a broken Xbox 360.

In fact, it is feasible to repair yours right at home without any  technical
know how or use of special equipment. Most individuals shouldn't have any problems at all when fixing their Xbox 360, 99% of them time and depending on what the problem is, you should be able to fix it within an hour to 2 hours.

When it comes to fixing your console, you'll find within this article, exactly what you should do and where you should go to get started on repairing your broken Xbox 360, I won't necessarily be able to describe the entire process in this article, but I can recommend a great place to start.

Because the Xbox 360 contains such a large amount of processing power in such a small space it is quite prone to overheating.Just play one for a few of hours non-stop and it is likely that the console will become
exceedingly hot.

Of course this heat is not at all good for the delicate components inside, and the
lack of an efficient cooling system only adds to the issue.

Extreme amounts of heat can cause damage to the processor, memory, hard drive
and basically anything else inside! 

The funny thing is, why the every so notorious "3 Rings of Death" occur, is because the Xbox 360 heats up so much that it melts lead free based soldering around the GPU processor, leading to 3 flashing lights on the outside of the console and an entire system shutdown.

Because of the poor design of the Xbox 360, you can now better understand how to repair a broken Xbox 360, because you now understand why most problems due eventually happen from overheating.

Before you jump in knee deep and start taking your Xbox 360 apart, you're going to first have to identify the main fault and what you need to do to repair it properly.

One of the best moves you can make for yourself is to get a repair manual, not just any repair manual, but Xbox 360 red Lights repair manual, but that's just my opinion, however, whatever repair manual you choose, you'll get the instructions, video tutorials and step by step guidance you need to get the job done correctly the first time, you can be sure of that!

Another thing you can do, is find a few reviews on the different, there are lots of Xbox 360 repair guides available, but not all of them are good, so finding a review or two, you'll get a better idea of what guide will work best for you and your particular Xbox 360 error code.

Please visit the Xbox 360 Repair Guide Review to Fix the 3 Red Light Error Now


Published On: 10/9/2008
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http://www.new.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=759347&op=1&aid=33024&auser=504444892&id=504444892&ref=mf

Click above for the poster...trust me it's nice.

It's finally f*ckin' over! 2 plus years have come and gone and now it is time to release what has become Paint the Town Red.
We are premiering in Toronto on October 16th at Republik Nite Club, showing in Toronto on October 18th at the Great Hall during the You Look Good kick off party, featuring the Toronto premier of Sandbox's new film, we are showing at the good ol' Thornton Arms in Oshawa on October 24,where the last three video premiers were just rediculous and lined up out the door all night, and we are finishing up the October events with a shaker in Barrie at Fitzy on October 25 with three live bands, cheap beer and cheap shots.

Paint the Town Red....balls deep for two years.......


Check shops as of October 20th for the Paint the Town Red DVD. The DVD will also be available online at:
www.platinumdist.com
www.sjsales.com
www.snowboard.com
www.trendybitch.net

www.stubfilms.com - the official film web site
www.kontaktfp.ca - check it.

http://www.new.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=759347&op=1&aid=33024&auser=504444892&id=504444892&ref=mf


Published On: 9/29/2008
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Overcome the elements with UV activated X-Ray stealth
 

 

Westbeach is proud to introduce the industry’s first UV-responsive jacket. The YVR’s discreet white design features a default suitcase print; as UV exposure ncreases, so does the visible contraband in the suitcase. Just like the variety of planes that pass through Vancouver’s International Airport, the YVR is available in a wide array of sizes, from S -XXL. Westbeach does not condone the use of contraband substances… unless it’s maple syrup.

Westbeach exclusive custom UV reactive print
RPL pocket = cell radiation reduction
Classic pocket package: Music, goggle, cell and key clip pockets
Pit Zips with mesh lining
Passholder pocket.
Fixed waist gator with GCS
Peripheral hood adjustment
Inner lycra cuffs with thumbhole
Hem adjustors in front pockets
 
 
 
Westbeach Peak to Creek Thermostat Jacket
 

 

Westbeach Introduces Temperature-Regulating Jacket

Named after the legendary Peak to Creek run which stretches 7 km from mountaintop to valley floor, the Peak to Creek is our highest performance jacket, boasting built-in climate control. The shell is comprised of C-Change, a revolutionary fabric from Schoeller, which reacts to body heat, becoming more breathable when you sweat, or sealing in warmth when it’s cool. Tested and triumphant at Whistler, this jacket will deliver optimal comfort anywhere you ride, important when you start in knee deep pow, come down through a fog band and end up in rain—four times in one day.


RPL pocket
Classic pocket package: Music, goggle, cell and key clip pockets
Pit zips with mesh lining
Passholder pocket
Fixed waist gaiter with GCS
Fixed hood
Peripheral hood adjustment
Inner lycra cuffs with thumbhole
Hem adjustors in front pockets.
Laser cut waterproof zips on cuff and left chest
“Blow Me” Whistle
RPL pocket – cell radiation reduction lining
Safety whistle to make noise
Fixed powder skirts
GCS – gaiter connection system
Fixed hoods.
Inner lycra cuff with thumbhole
Classic Series inner pocket package: RPL, mesh goggle, cell phone, music pocket with key clip
New and improved peripheral hood adjusts
Pitt zips with mesh lining
Hand warmer pockets
New and improved hem adjusts through front
Mesh lining



Published On: 9/9/2008
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The doors at Olympic Village Lodge at Squaw Valley opened at 7:30 last night and Standard’s movie AESTHETICA was set to start at 8:30. Fuel TV, a sponsor, was on hand filming and reporting from the event. The Fuel TV reporters for the night were Tina Dixon and Jim Rippey. Other sponsors for the night were Porters Lake Tahoe, VAS Entertainment and Squaw Valley USA. As the clock edged towards show time the line to get in was spreading into the parking lot. Soon a roar of applause erupted from inside Olympic Village Lodge. Show time!

Once inside it was shoulder to shoulder and there was standing room only to watch AESTHETICA. The way that the lodge is laid out gave everyone in every corner a view of Standard’snew movie release. Some highlights of AETHETICA was Johan Olofsson’s part on Burton’s Nofish… he was killing the steep and deeps on this bindingless wonder. Torstein Horgmo part where he had an amazing shot at Homewood Ski resort on the west shore of Lake Tahoe As well as the monster spring jump at Alpine Meadows. Another favorite was Mads Johnsson’s part with plenty of fresh powder and steeps. For the rail junkies there was enough urban shredding to feed that need.

When the AESTHETICA drew to a close people started to migrate outside to a cooler and fresher atmosphere then inside where it was smelly and hot. Many folks left because the 21 and under crowd was not allowed at the after party.

To kick off the second half of the night Fortress came out to melt some faces with some good old metal, Fortress was formed in the early 1990’s in Lake Tahoe melting guitar solos by legendary Dave Hatchett, head banging guitarist Brian Harrison, bass by Mike Hatchett and insane drums by Rob Jaeger… Lights, Camera, Action. A little Priest, Maiden, UfO, Metallica and some Slayer had everyone head banging, crowd surfing and beer drinking. The crowd was hungry and thirsty for more metal and Fortress gave it to them rocking out the standard crowd for a solid hour and a half.

For More info about past and future film premiers please visit www.porterstahoe.com.

Published On: 9/4/2008
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The final day of snowboarding at Stylewars was held under perfect Australian skies without a breath of wind.

The riding standard was beyond ridiculous, the course was softening in the hot sun and tricks were getting thrown that have never before been seen on snow down under.

Leading the charge today was a man on a mission, last year’s grand master Torstein Horgmo (NOR) who was sending massive smooth tricks with rarely a hand out of place. He took out best trick with an insane switch backside 1260 melon deep into the landing of the first jump. 

“I wanted to try the 12 and I got it around so I was pretty happy about that and I got the front ten a lot better and a few mellow fives. The jumps just got better and better everyday… everyone was killing it, we couldn’t have had a better day.” Torstein said.

The overall winner of the event was Canadian Charles Reid who dominated for the entire three days of the gruelling event that included today. Charles fresh from winning the 28 Stair rail event presented by Volvo last night powered on today with a slew of 1080’s, rodeos and a consistent style that had him pushing out fellow Canadian Matts Kulisek for the win. Matts finished 3rd behind Torstein.

Charles rode through a bruised heel injury with only the win in mind. “My heel is alright, but it just hurts really bad when I land on it. We had 20 minutes left of the competition, it hurts so bad but I just had to keep riding.” Charles said. “Usually in a contest its spin to win but with the rider judging I’m going to vote for style for sure, Shayne Pospisil (USA) and Robbie Walker (AUS) were riding insane.”

After the riders vote was tabulated into the results Shayne Pospisil ended up 4th overall and had this to say. “The standard was so high it was motivating me to step it up and throw down. Everyone was stomping everything. For the riders vote I was looking for just who was smooth over the three days.”

Chas Guldemond after knocking himself out heavily in NZ flew into Stylewars at the last minute to compete and take 5th overall. His result moves him into first place on the overall standings of the Swatch TTR World Tour. 
“It’s only the second comp of the year so I’m sure Charles Reid will be biting at my heals after this contest… I wanted to come in to Stylewars and check out the contest, slow it all down a bit and enjoy the contest and focus on my style. I’m going to take this as a good base for practice for the start of the season.”

In the coveted Bledisnow Cup competition between Australian and New Zealand, the Australian team stood strong today with incredible riding from Ryan Tiene, Robbie Walker, the Allan brothers and 15 year old Jye Kearney who was whiskers away from stomping 90-foot front ten tails. One to look out for from Down Under.

“Snowboarding is great for the Aussie scene cause we get a lot of amazing riders down here for it and get a lot of publicity out of it and more and more riders are hearing about, it’s a good thing for sure.” Ryan Tiene said.

2008 STYLEWARS presented by Oakley 
FINAL OVERALL RESULTS

RANK    NAME
1    Charles Reid (CAN) $7000
2    Torstein Horgmo (NOR) 
3    Matts Kulisek (CAN)
4    Shayne Pospisil (USA)
5    Chas Guldemond (USA)
6    Ville Uotila (
7    Ryan Tiene (AUS)
8    Stef Zeestraten (NZD)
9    Will Jackways (NZD)
10    Mitch Allan (AUS)
11    Tore Holvik (NOR)
12    Robbie Walker (AUS)
13    Keiji Okamoto (JPN)
14    Clint Allan (AUS)
15    Jacob Koia (NZD)
16    Roland Morley Brown (NZD
17    Nick Brown (NZD)
18    Masaharu Nakao (JPN)
19    Jye Kearney (AUS)
20    Tyler Chorlton (UK)
21    Mario Kappeli (SUI)
22    Dustin Craven (CAN)
23    Quentin Robbins (NZD)
24    Cohen Davies (AUS)
25    Andy Lloyd (AUS)
26    Kerian McLaughlin (AUS)
27    Jonas Carlson (SWE)
28    Chris Sörman (SWE)
29    Jaakko Ruha (FIN)

The final day of snowboarding at Stylewars was held under perfect Australian skies without a breath of wind.

The riding standard was beyond ridiculous, the course was softening in the hot sun and tricks were getting thrown that have never before been seen on snow down under.

Leading the charge today was a man on a mission, last year’s grand master Torstein Horgmo (NOR) who was sending massive smooth tricks with rarely a hand out of place. He took out best trick with an insane switch backside 1260 melon deep into the landing of the first jump. 

“I wanted to try the 12 and I got it around so I was pretty happy about that and I got the front ten a lot better and a few mellow fives. The jumps just got better and better everyday… everyone was killing it, we couldn’t have had a better day.” Torstein said.

The overall winner of the event was Canadian Charles Reid who dominated for the entire three days of the gruelling event that included today. Charles fresh from winning the 28 Stair rail event presented by Volvo last night powered on today with a slew of 1080’s, rodeos and a consistent style that had him pushing out fellow Canadian Matts Kulisek for the win. Matts finished 3rd behind Torstein.

Charles rode through a bruised heel injury with only the win in mind. “My heel is alright, but it just hurts really bad when I land on it. We had 20 minutes left of the competition, it hurts so bad but I just had to keep riding.” Charles said. “Usually in a contest its spin to win but with the rider judging I’m going to vote for style for sure, Shayne Pospisil (USA) and Robbie Walker (AUS) were riding insane.”

After the riders vote was tabulated into the results Shayne Pospisil ended up 4th overall and had this to say. “The standard was so high it was motivating me to step it up and throw down. Everyone was stomping everything. For the riders vote I was looking for just who was smooth over the three days.”

Chas Guldemond after knocking himself out heavily in NZ flew into Stylewars at the last minute to compete and take 5th overall. His result moves him into first place on the overall standings of the Swatch TTR World Tour. 
“It’s only the second comp of the year so I’m sure Charles Reid will be biting at my heals after this contest… I wanted to come in to Stylewars and check out the contest, slow it all down a bit and enjoy the contest and focus on my style. I’m going to take this as a good base for practice for the start of the season.”

In the coveted Bledisnow Cup competition between Australian and New Zealand, the Australian team stood strong today with incredible riding from Ryan Tiene, Robbie Walker, the Allan brothers and 15 year old Jye Kearney who was whiskers away from stomping 90-foot front ten tails. One to look out for from Down Under.

“Snowboarding is great for the Aussie scene cause we get a lot of amazing riders down here for it and get a lot of publicity out of it and more and more riders are hearing about, it’s a good thing for sure.” Ryan Tiene said.

2008 STYLEWARS presented by Oakley 
FINAL OVERALL RESULTS

RANK    NAME
1    Charles Reid (CAN) $7000
2    Torstein Horgmo (NOR) 
3    Matts Kulisek (CAN)
4    Shayne Pospisil (USA)
5    Chas Guldemond (USA)
6    Ville Uotila (
7    Ryan Tiene (AUS)
8    Stef Zeestraten (NZD)
9    Will Jackways (NZD)
10    Mitch Allan (AUS)
11    Tore Holvik (NOR)
12    Robbie Walker (AUS)
13    Keiji Okamoto (JPN)
14    Clint Allan (AUS)
15    Jacob Koia (NZD)
16    Roland Morley Brown (NZD
17    Nick Brown (NZD)
18    Masaharu Nakao (JPN)
19    Jye Kearney (AUS)
20    Tyler Chorlton (UK)
21    Mario Kappeli (SUI)
22    Dustin Craven (CAN)
23    Quentin Robbins (NZD)
24    Cohen Davies (AUS)
25    Andy Lloyd (AUS)
26    Kerian McLaughlin (AUS)
27    Jonas Carlson (SWE)
28    Chris Sörman (SWE)
29    Jaakko Ruha (FIN)
 
Learn more about Stylewars at www.stylewars.com.au


Published On: 8/28/2008
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’ve never been exposed to military life, and I’ve certainly never been in a combat zone - until last week.



I spent a good part of my summer vacation in Afghanistan. Danny Kass, Grete Elliassen, and I spent 10 days in the Middle East, visiting our troops on an "X Games themed meet and greet." Our mission was simple: boost moral. If you’ve ever hung out with Danny, Grete, or I you’d know not only did we accomplish our mission, we went above and beyond the call of duty. It was a small sacrifice compared to what the servicemen and women of the Armed Forces are doing for our great nation.

I went over to Afghanistan with an open mind, to see first hand what was going on and how the troops were doing. I came back humbled and with a true understanding of sacrifice. I mean, I know how trying “the road” can be, but giving yourself for 15 months of your life, away from family and friends, is one hell of a sacrifice and a test of a true patriot in my book.

Our Middle East tour started in Qatar, a small but very wealthy country on the Persian Gulf just off of Saudi Arabia.

Qatar is the hottest place I’ve ever been to - including the sauna at your local health club. The temperatures ranged from 120 degrees during the mid-day heat, and would drop to around 90 degrees at night. Needless to say, we spent the majority of our time in doors soaking up every ounce of air conditioning we could before bolting to an air-conditioned car, and off to the next air-conditioned building.

Other than the heat being almost unbearable, the troops were amazing. The base in Qatar isn’t only a fully-functioning military base, it’s also a rest and relaxation base for solders to get out of the combat zones in Iraq or Afghanistan for four days every six months. This was their R&R time. The feeling in Qatar was pretty light hearted. The solders were allowed three beers a day, which loosened them up enough for Danny to olli four of them laying down - including Col. Cotter on his skateboard.



From Qatar we boarded a C130 military plane flight into Afghanistan. Once we arrived in Afghani air space the plane blacked out completely into the night sky. A young soldier with a thick Kentucky accent leaned over and said, “We're going to drop in fast, they have a tendency to try and shoot these things down.” That’s when the realization that I was in a war zone fully hit me.

He was right, too, the C130 plane dropped like a rock out of the night sky from about 20-30 thousand feet up to the runway below. A “combat landing” is one of the coolest things I’ve ever experienced. My face was glued to the window praying I didn’t see a rocked fire out of one of the many clusters of lights seen below. Thankfully nothing “exciting” as another soldier put it happened.



Once we were “safely” in Afghanistan, Grete fell ill with salmonella poisoning. She was hospitalized and our tour was put into a holding pattern. Not only would Danny and I visit Grete in the Afghanistan Hospitals but we ventured around a met most of the Doctors, Nurses, Staff, and of course the injured and sick. Carmen our guide practically lived at the bedside of Grete, what a guide! My experiences of Hospitals are that they always have an eerie feeling to them, and this one was no exception. My heart sank as we toured room after room. Everyone had a different story to tell why they were there. A group of local Men were all smiles getting routine check ups, so they were able to get a job on base. Then there was an American Soldier awaiting hand surgery after his armored vehicle was rolled during a roadside attack. The most disturbing was by far the small children. One little girl lost her leg from an old Russian land mind, and in the very next room a little boy laid out dressed in bandages healing burns from an explosion. Experiences like these are reinsuring my thoughts and wishes to have peace on earth.



Danny and I carried on and entertained ourselves by exploring the rest of the base. While checking out the base we met a group of armored truck guys who called themselves “The Reapers”. These guys were cool as hell and had story after story to tell Danny and I about their life in the military and their tour in Afghanistan.
While hanging with The Reapers I felt safe - these guys were the bad asses on the front lines. They gave Danny and I a full tour of their armored vehicle, including sitting in the gunner’s chair. Spinning around in that chair armed with a 50 cal and a grenade launcher was quite a feeling.

Grete wasn’t getting any better after a couple of days so Danny and I left her and our tour guide Carmen behind as we ventured to a FOB (Forward Operating Base) named Solerno - better know as Rocket City.

While in Rocket City, the Air Calvary gave us a tour of the Heli pad holding Blackhawks, Apaches, and a smaller surveillance chopper. We took shooting lessons from a sniper and visited an artillery group of guys who are responsible for shooting back at the Taliban after Rocket City is attacked by, well, rockets. Danny and I were reminded that we were at a FOB nicknamed Rocket City at about 2 am by our guide McKnight. I was abruptly awoken my McKnight’s deep voice saying, “come on, get your sh*# on, get your sh*# on, we got to get to the hard building.” I looked over at Danny while he was throwing his bulletproof vest and helmet on and started to do the same.



We all grabbed our blanket and pillow and ran across the street to the hard building, aka a bunker. It was thought that we may be getting attacked by rockets that night so we all spent the night tossing and turning on the concrete floor wearing bullet proof vests and Kevlar helmets. Let me tell you that was one hell of a night. Let’s just say I wasn’t missing my flight out of Rocket City.



After our Rocket City adventures Danny, aka Afghan Dan, and I met back up with Grete and Carmen, did one last signing in Afghanistan and started our trip back home.



Although our trip was short and sweet, I think I got a pretty basic taste of military life in a war torn country. The highs of hanging out with the gung-ho soldiers and their weapons, to the lows of visiting a four year old girl who lost a leg from a land mine are just two extreme emotions I felt in just one week.

Again my hat goes off to the servicemen and women who sacrifice so much to protect this great country we all love.

www.porterstahoe.com


Published On: 7/23/2008
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