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dude, it’s been a rockstar few weeks in minnesnowta. the state fair just rolled through, the republicans had their little convention, and rage against the machine played. yeah, rage against the machine.

i usually tell people that minneapolis and saint paul are like big cities nobody has moved into, yet. they look like big cities, but traffic isn’t that bad (i’m looking at you, bay bridge), and it’s mostly just half-rich white kids getting bored and causing trouble. that safe feeling fully eroded after seeing what the police had done to our cities.

credit (required): http://flickr.com/photos/trevino/

since last saturday, 422 people have been arrested in association with the RNC, with like 280 of them happening on monday. some of those rowdy rousers were the anarchist type, and you know how dumb breeds dumb. a mini riot broke out on monday, and that set the tone for the rest of the week.

the rage concert was ok. i wish i could say it was great, but the acoustics sucked. not their fault, but at $72 a ticket, i want my f*cking acoustics. rage played a lot from the first album, a few less from evil empire, and even less from battle of la. i was ok with that. single encore, then a plea from the band to “leave peacefully, but not passively.” zach encouraged everyone to show discipline, to show the police that we can get down in peace while still saying “f*ck you, i won’t do whatchu tell me.” yeah, it’s ironic, but get over it. it’s still possible.

the papers said we were greeted outside the concert by about 50 riot police. unless they meant “per sidewalk,” that number was a bit low. whatever. point is, unless you’re insanely drunk (i wasn’t), there’s no way you can walk past that many armed and armored police and feel like sneezing won’t get you your sheat beat down.

it took about a half hour before any half-assed protest broke out. the loudest kids didn’t like being told they couldn’t sit in the middle of the street (me: let evolution do its thing). the rest of us just didn’t like the idea of being told you can’t stand on this sidewalk by police in riot gear (and now gas masks). the police stopped us about half way down the block.

credit: http://flickr.com/photos/diversey/

after some fat guy yelling through a loudspeaker about as clear as they do at the airport, the police blockade broke down. someone in the group said “walk that way” and everyone did. and we kept walking, probably about a few blocks, in the road, mostly because it was cleared. as soon as the block wasn’t cleared of traffic, these retired american gladiator cops on schwinns started riding people down, shoving them to the sidewalk, and almost getting a couple of the crowd to push back on them. dude, i know there are good cops, but some of the cops out that night had that look like “say what again mother f*cker.”

somewhere between the schwinns and the cops on super horses, 3 little piggies came riding up on one of those atv golf carts (didn’t see any segways) with that short stubby looking thing that usually shoots tear gas. after we heard the pop pop, we looked for the area with the least amount of cops, ran, and gtfo. police said it wasn’t tear gas, but, they were the ones wearing the gas masks.

hey man, there’s usually not shi*t to talk about in minnesota.

read more about the rage show post-party or the fun around the

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matt albiniak is a sellout that traded days in tahoe for doing interwebs stuff for a route 29, a small candy company in minneapolis, mn. (http://www.route29.com)

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Whistler recently hosted the Telus World Ski and Snowboard Festival from April 11th to the 20th. In what has become an annual event for me, I made my usual pilgrimage to Whistler to attend; an attempt to escape the concrete, mortar, metal, and glass wilderness for the snowy peaks of British Columbia.

Upon unloading at the bus loop in the main village, I came to the realisation that my accommodations were actually in the upper village. This meant that all my gear had to be hauled to the proper location. I guess the gods wanted to make sure that I was properly warmed up and exposed to the nature I was so fervently seeking, so I ended up rolling my wheelie locker through Fitzsimmons trail (a failure of my geographic knowledge of the village indeed) to the condo. When I finally got myself and my gear to Glacier Lodge, it was time to ring up the peeps in order to exchange greetings, hugs, hi-fives, and tall tales. I tracked them down at the Longhorn and joined them up for a little après (après bus trip for me, après snowboarding for them).

The amazing thing about the Telus World Ski and Snowboard festival is that, although it only happens once a year, there's a sense of familiarity when you run into friends you haven't seen since the last festival. It was as though last year's festival never ended and everyone just picked up where they left off (with the possible exception of the new faces which were promptly integrated into the group of dirtbags).

Saturday morning finally rolled around and it was time for the long awaited first runs up Blackcomb to hold congress with the mountain. In keeping with my usual modus operandi of deep metaphysical self-discovery on the chairlift (not self-exploration you perverts), I got to thinking about the struggle between the physical and the divine. I was cogitating on the true nature of the connection between the body, soul, and the mountain. The physical connection is obvious (this was on my mind due to a knee injury sustained the week prior in Banff), but the spiritual connection was a bit more difficult to pin down.

I went snowboarding everyday that I was in Whistler resulting in my body being in various states of "ache and pain" throughout, but I felt content. The crew I was riding with was also changing daily from groups as large as twelve to being by myself. The same sense of contentment, however, was always there regardless of how large or small the group was. This led me to remember a quote from a famous Jedi master in the movie "The Empire Strikes Back." When Luke asks Yoda what might be found in the cave, Yoda's answer was "only what you take with you." This is significant in many ways and is especially evident on those solo freshie manoeuvres that I often partake in. It led me to realize that whenever I'm snowboarding, all my loved ones are there with me in their purest essence (without any noise caused by things so caustic as cliques or inter-personal drama). This I believe is where the spiritual comes in. Although Whistler/Blackcomb, the resort, is itself a morass of steel, concrete, cables and glass, when the p-tex hits the snow, none of that really matters, all that's there is what you brought with you. Although the sensations are dramatically physical, the exileration is just as dramatically spiritual and this is what drives me, and I'm sure many others, to pursue this congress with the mountain.

Between the crazy parties, the jokes about shi*t-tickets (toilet paper), the drinking, and the general shenanigans, the occasional runs on mahogany ridge, the important part of Telus seems to have been coming together with people we care about in the nature we all love. To borrow a phrase from a loved one, I left Whistler with my body having that used and abused feeling, however, I also left Whistler feeling enriched from revisiting old friendships and making new ones. With that, I can honestly say that I can't wait until next year's festival. I hope to see you all there. Until then...

Keep Shreddin' the GNAR!

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(Saint-Sauveur, April 5, 2008) – Mont-Tremblant native Charles Reid has won the 2008 Empire 

Shakedown grand finale, presented this Saturday at Mont Saint-Sauveur.  In addition to honours, the 17 

year old snowboarder also won himself $15 000 in prize money.  

Empire Shakedown is one of the premium snowboarding events in the world - classed in the top five by 

the snowboarding industry.  This year’s competition also had two other Quebecois boarders climb onto the 

podium, namely Sébastien Toutant, a 15 year old boarder from Lanaudière, and Sherbrook’s Antonin 

Chamberland.  Chamberland was in fact one of only two amateur snowboarders to take part in the finals, 

the other being Saint-Sauveur’s Matt Kulisek.   

In total, 35 professional and 3 amateur snowboarders participated in the event; the finals saw the 15 best 

athletes retained for a showdown.   

‘I’m very excited to have won, it was a fantastic day, and the conditions were ideal for snowboarding – we 

could have even competed in fleece and t-shirts!  I think the moves I really succeeded with, the front side 

1080 and the back side 270 were what won me the competition.  I don’t really know what to do with the 

$15 000 prize money, but for the moment, its going to the bank.  One thing is certain; I will be ready for 

Shakedown 2009.’  explained an elated Reid.  

Empire Shakedown is a unique competition among competitions, requiring that athletes master two 

different snowboarding disciplines (the AMP booter jump, followed by the rail) in a jam format (unique to 

the Shakedown).   

Additionally, during the VANS Skateboarding half-time show and competition, Thomas Parent won top 

honours and a money prize of $2 000. 

An estimated 20 000 people have been present for the competition which has taken place over the past 

two days.  ‘The level of competition is very high and the boarders have been extremely creative; some 

jumps we’ve never even seen before.   The ambiance was incredible, especially today with the beautiful 

weather we’re experiencing’ commented Brendan O’Dowd, President of DIZZLE Productions Inc, and one 

of the Empire Shakedown’s organizers.   

Top 3 Runs:

1st Charles Reid 

- Jump: Front side 1080 

- Double Kink rail: back side 270 lip on the kink rail

2nd Sebastien Toutant: 

-Jump: Backside 1080 double cork 

-Double Kink rail: gap to back lip

3rd Antonin Chamberland 

- Jump: Front side 900 

- Down rail: Front side 270

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The original Jeep 4.0L inline-six was hewn from a solid block of granite by lightning bolts. Its cylinders were bored by the Imperial Winds and its rotating assembly was balanced by the Scales of Justice. The Ancient Egyptians used Jeep 4.0L engines to move the blocks which built the Pyramids, only switching to slave labor when it was found to be cheaper than the olive oil used to fuel the engines. Scientists have ranked the Jeep 4.0L engine as one of the strongest forces of nature, racking right up there with tectonic plate shifts for its low-end torque, and being surpassed by hurricanes only for its comparatively low redline. Mechanics have found imprints of fossilized dinosaur bones in block castings, and serial numbers in Roman numerals are a common sight. The design of the 4.0L's fuel injection system has been traced to the archives of Leonardo DaVinci, and early manuscripts of Shakespeare plays have been used as head gaskets for this engine (which, incidentally, explains the gaps in Shakespeare's collected works as well as the 4.0L's tendancy to leak oil). The engine's ancient roots also explain its ability to run on some very non-conventional fuels (original translations of the Rosetta Stone include evidence of Jeep 4.0L engines running on ox blood) as well as lubrications (during the Middle Ages, Jeep 4.0L crankcases were often filled with barley, with no detrimental effect on power output). Historians maintain that the fall of the Roman Empire hinged on their inability to design a superior engine, and had the Titanic been powered by a 4.0L Jeep engine, 1912 might have been a much happier year. Yes, had early-20th-century naval engineers had a touch more foresight, the Jeep 4.0L may have saved mankind from ever having to endure Leonardo DiCaprio and Celene Dion in the same sitting.

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Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Still B's Vancouver Premiere Tonight!

Its Wednesday! You deserve a couple mid week tacklers.
For the real thirsty crowd we have a Bastard pre-party at El Furni kicking off at 5pm.
Premiere Starts at 7:30pm at Empire Theatre.
After Bastard party at Tonic.

Work on your sick day strategy because Tonight could be a big one.

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www.33mag.com/ wrapped up their 2007 season of 6 snowboard shows. Their shows include some tight editing mixed with different snowboarding footage mostly from the Quebec  area. If you understand French they have numerous informative interviews with different people from within the industry.

Pee the 6 shows at 33 WEB TV.

The 6th show covers the Telus World Ski and Snowboard festival.
The 5th is an interview with Brendan O'Dowd on the 2007 Empire Shakedown.
The 4th is am interview with event organizer Ben Ouellete, event coverage of contest “Snow Mission” in Rimouski, and a veteran’s pipe jam at Mt Tremblant.
The 3rd episode has an interview with 2006 Empire Shakedown winner Seb Touts and event coverage of Snowboard Jamboree; Qubec’s most notorious street rail.
The 2nd has an interview with photographer Mathieu Couture, event coverage of Stonehame’s Rumble competition, and Vermont’s 2007 US Open.
The 1st show features an interview with Mathieu Cowan from Sunset films on his standpoint on producing a snowboard video, event coverage of the Golden Bowl with Patrick Bernier, a Ride contest and much more.

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Dickie used all his life saving to go to the biggest and the best snowboard comp in Canada, the Empire Shakedown. This was Dickie first time flying and he compares it to be like an acid trip.  He rode in the practice on Saturday and showed everybody what’s up, throwing down crazy moves on the rails and jump. I asked him why he wasn’t doing the comp and he said "Dickie doesn’t give a f++k about contest, Dickie only came for the parties and the Ho’s". That same night Red Bull had a private party for all the cool people and Dickie went nuts all night dancing and drinking heavily, rumor as that there was an incident involving a window being in his way, Dickie you're a total prick and we love you for it.

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1.            Lupe Fiasco     Kick Push

2.            the Sounds       Painted by Numbers

3.            the New Pornographers    Sing Me Spanish Techno

4.            Anti-Flag          Hymn for the Dead

5.            Arctic Monkeys  I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor

6.            Hilltop Hoods    the Blue Blooded

7.            Islands              Rough Gem

8.            Los Capitanes         Scene Queen

9.            the Kooks       She Moves In Her Own Way

10.       the Herd          Burn Down the Parliament

11.       the Killers       Bones

12.       the Sounds             Tony the Beat

13.       Wolfmother               the Joker and the Thief

14.       Yeah Yeah Yeahs    Honeybear

15.       Gnarls Barkley    Crazy

16.       the Decemberists            Summersong

17.       Anti-Flag          the W.T.O. Kills Farmers

18.       Arctic Monkeys           Mardy Bum

19.       Belle and Sebastian   Funny Little Frog

20.       Ben Kwellar     Penny on the Train Track

21.       TV On the Radio     Playhouses

22.       Kisschasy        Do-Do's and Whoa-Oh's

23.       The Rapture    Get Myself Into It

24.       Kanye West      Touch the Sky

25.       the Subways           Rock and Roll Queen

26.       Los Capitanes         the Underpants Song

27.       Malajube           Montreal -40C

28.       Snow Patrol     You're All I Have

29.       Talib Kweli         Ms Hill

30.       Tokyo Police Club       Nature of the Experiment

31.       the Herd          77%

32.       the Killers       Bling

33.       the Lawrence Arms   Like a Record Player

34.       the New Pornographers    Streets of Fire

35.       the Strokes             You Only Live Once

36.       the Tough Alliance My Hood

37.       Wolfmother               Dimension

38.       Wolfmother               Woman

39.       Alexisonfire               This Could Be Anywhere in the World

40.       the Faint         Birth

41.       Akon               Smack That

42.       Beck                  Nausea

43.       City & Color      Comin Home

44.       Gotye             Thanks For Your Time

45.       Islands              Where There's a Will There's a Way

46.       Les Trois Accords           Tu

47.       Metric             IOU

48.       None More Black     Who Crosses State Lines Without a Shirt?

49.       Tegan and Sara       Wake Up Exhausted

50.       the Cat Empire    Down at the 303

51.       AFI                  Miss Murder

52.       the Flaming Lips    Yeah Yeah Yeah song

53.       the Kooks       Ooh La

54.       the Sounds             24 Hours

55.       Eagles of Death Metal   I Got a Feeling

56.       Of Montreal               Disconnect the Dots

57.       Akon               I Wanna Love You

58.       Anti-Flag          Confessions of an Economic Hit Man

59.       Ben Kwellar     Run

60.       Chris Cornell     You Know My Name

61.       Coldplay           Fix You

62.       the Sainte Catherines   Ring of Fire

63.       Goldspot           Float On

64.       Jet                   Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

65.       Justin Timberlake       Sexyback

66.       Kisschasy        Shake

67.       My Chemical Romance   Welcome to the Black Parade

68.       Nelly Furtado    Promiscuous Girl

69.       the New Pornographers    Bleeding Heart Show

70.       Rhianna            SOS

71.       Sacre             Mad World

72.       Snow Patrol     Hands Open

73.       the Killers       For Reasons Unknown

74.       the Marble Index      All That I Know

75.       the Sounds             Night After Night

76.       Wolfmother               Tales from the Forest

77.       the Tough Alliance   Keep It Pure

78.       the Whitlams          Fondness Makes the Heart Grow Absent

79.       Dirty Pretty Things    Bang Bang You're Dead

80.       Red Hot Chili Peppers   Dani California

81.       Arctic Monkeys           From the Ritz to Rubble

82.       Ben Lee           Into the Dark

83.       the New Pornographers    Jackie, Dressed in Cobras

84.       Alexisonfire               We Are The End

85.       DJ Champion        No Heaven

86.       Fronda              Rullar Fram

87.       Mates of State      Think Long

88.       Yeah Yeah Yeahs    Gold Lion

89.       Rise Against            Under the Knife

90.       Scissor Sisters    I Don’t Feel Like Dancing

91.       Sufjan Stevens    Adlai Stevenson

92.       Tegan and Sara       Take Me Anywhere

93.       the Decemberists            July, July

94.       the Killers       When You Were Young

95.       Juelz Santana           Gone

96.       the Pack         Vans

97.       the Streets             Hotel Expressionism

98.       the Subways           Oh Yeah

99.       Three Days Grace    Animal I Have Become

100.   Billy Talent        Red Flag

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