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Events/News - Whistler Blackcomb: How is it April already?
By: WhistlerBlackcomb

How is it April already?! It seems like just yesterday we were getting daily powder dumps and I was riding untouched trees… But wait, that wasn’t very long ago! That’s what spring riding is all about here on these West Coast mountains. So always remember “If it’s raining in the village, it’s snowing in the alpine!”

This week I took it easy, hitting up groomers all over Blackcomb. The snow is super fun but only after a hot wax! The warmer temperatures have definitely changed the snow conditions, making it softer and slushy near the bottom. I rode mainly the Crystal zone, everything was groomed and the sun was out! We then spent most of the weekend soaking in the rays from Merlin’s patio; it’s all about the après!

Spring has hit us full force; Sunny blue bird days followed by cloudy stormy days and you can’t walk through the village without seeing goggle tans all over. The TELUS World Ski & Snowboard festival is only 7 days away and the parks are groomed to perfection, so what you waiting for?! Throw some wax on those shred sticks, some zinc on those cheeks and come on up for a visit!

Keep on Shredding

-Alex

Published On: 4/13/2009

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Events/News - Whistler Blackcomb: Park Updates Now on Twitter! By: WhistlerBlackcomb
Follow the Park Ranger updates on Twitter. Get regular updates on new features, changes and events happening on all Whistler Blackcomb Nintendo Terrain Parks. Stay connected to the Parks team as they shape up your favorite jibs, jumps and the superpipe. Follow the Park Rangers at http://twitter.com/whistlerparks Published On: 3/13/2009 Add/View Comments (0)

Events/News - Whistler Blackcomb: Whistler Blackcomb Parks Update - March 8/09
By: WhistlerBlackcomb

Pushing for Perfection

Hey Jibbers and Jumpers,
The past couple of weeks in The Parks have been really exciting times for everyone. We've seen lots of sun and snow. Our Parks are now pretty much built to capacity, giving our teams the opportunity to really pimp out our features. We've been switching rails and jumps in and out to keep things fresh. Both mountains are changing daily. The Showcase Showdown this year was a huge success. Big shout out to Brad Broughton from the shop, and his team of volunteers for their help with design and building. The Atomic Supercross is this weekend; results to come.

On Blackcomb
- The Snowcross track has a new line this year that everyone should check it out. The course is open daily.
- The Highest Level, and Choker lines are riding perfectly every day, the lines are dialed right in nicely. The Highest Level is rounded out at the bottom by a massive re-entry platform with an Up-Rail to Wallride. The Choker line finishes with an awesome Quarter Pipe that is Zaugged daily.

On Whistler
- The Bobcat line (right side of the park) has been filled out with an A-frame rail combo, a couple more jumps, and tweaks to the other jibs.
- The Chipmunk line is fully built out as well, with a couple new jumps, and changes to the jib lines Park Events
- The next King of the Rail comp is going to be March 21st. This is event is the last KOR of the season, and may even be moved to the base of Whistler (next to the GLC) this time. So make sure you register
- The following day (March 22nd), will be the Park Rider Series Slopestyle, on Whistler Mountain. The course will be on Whistler's Bobcat line (right side of park). All levels of riders and skiers are welcome so come on up, and ride in this fun event

See you all up here!
- James Sayers

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Published On: 3/13/2009

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Events/News - Whistler Blackcomb: Andrew Burns and Caley Vanular take first place at the Showcase Showdown
By: WhistlerBlackcomb

Whistler Blackcomb's annual Showcase Showdown went off last Saturday as onlookers crowded into Skiers' Plaza and onto patios to watch the action at the base of Whistler Mountain. After a hard fought battle, Caley Vanular claimed first place in the women's category. Second place went to Molly Milligan and third went to Janelle Prtichard. Meanwhile, Andrew Burns took first in the men's category, while Rusty Ockeneden claimed second place and Mike Osachuk took third.

The six riders, who won a total of $5,000 cash and prizes from event sponsors, including Nixon headphones and Sandbox helmets, will also be featured in Sandbox's next snowboard film "Shine On."

In its twelfth year, the Showcase Showdown has enjoyed another successful transformation and has proven once again why Whistler Blackcomb's Nintendo Terrain Parks are ranked No. 1 in North America.

This year's course was inspired by the mini-parks in locals' backyards all over Whistler. The slopestyle course design, which included rails and industrial-style jib features with happy faces, was a collaboration of Showcase Team Manager Brad Broughton; Kevin Sansalone of Sandbox Films; Steve Petrie master park-builder and designer and builder of the 2010 Olympic Halfpipe; and Whistler Blackcomb's Park Rangers.

For a complete results list visit www.showcaseshowdown.ca. Showcase Snowboards is celebrating its 20th Anniversary. For all the latest gear and apparel, shop online at www.showcasesnowboards.com.

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Published On: 3/4/2009

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Events/News - Whistler Blackcomb: A week of snow & sun
By: WhistlerBlackcomb

What a week! It all started Monday morning... I opened my eyes to see something that caught me off guard; fluffy snow covering the trees outside my window! Snowphone Steve assured me there was at least 25cms of pow in the alpine, so after a flurry of phone calls to friends, I headed up the hill.

Now don't get me wrong, I LOVE powder days, but it's always such a scramble! We had a tough time sticking together in a group of 5 with 3 snowboarders and 2 skiers. We all met up doing a couple of Jersey Cream laps, getting fresh lines and face shots on Cougar Milk. Pretty much all of the alpine was still closed for Avi-control, so we chose to line up at Crystal Chair. We waited and waited... Some trouble maker in the line started throwing snowballs and that was it, a full on snowball war ensued! Our group decided to bail and go riding and it opened after we left! ALWAYS stick with the lift line you choose, that was my lesson of the day.

Over the next couple days the skies opened up and puked a whopping 84cms! My next day to ride was Thursday, so I headed up for a cruise and I couldn't believe it, blue bird! New snow & sunny skies = perfection. The week isn’t even over yet, the Showcase Showdown returns on Saturday (tomorrow) with a different style; the Backyard Slopestyle. Inspired by the mini-parks in locals' backyards all over Whistler, the Showdown will blow the scene up with a snowboard slopestyle at the base of Whistler Mountain. I cannot wait to check it out! Get more info at showcaseshowdown.ca

Keep on shredding!

-Alex

Published On: 2/27/2009

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Park & Pipes - Whistler Blackcomb: Showcase Showdown Returns February 28, 2009
By: WhistlerBlackcomb

Whistler Blackcomb’s Showcase Showdown is back Saturday, February 28 with a new format; the Backyard Slopestyle. Inspired by the mini-parks in locals’ backyards all over Whistler, the Showdown will blow the scene up with a snowboard slopestyle at the base of Whistler Mountain. Despite the larger venue and cash prizes on the line, the chill vibe of the backyard throwdown will remain.

The top three men and women will feature in Sandbox’s next snowboard film “Shine On,” and $5000 cash and prizes from event sponsors including Nixon headphones are up for grabs.

The Women’s competition will take place from 9am to 11am. The Men’s competition will start at 11am with Finals starting around 4pm.

Athlete Registration Information

Athletes can register in person at any Whistler Blackcomb Guest Relations desk. Registration is $50+GST per rider and is open to 60 men and 20 women. Competitor’s check in will take place on Friday, February 27 at the Village Showcase Snowboards from 5-7pm.

******Helmets and bibs are mandatory for all runs including practice.

For registration and more event information call 1-800-766-0449 or visit www.showcaseshowdown.ca

Published On: 2/26/2009

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My Blog: Smokin Snowboards Factory Tour
By: porters_tahoe

Where is your snowboard made? Some foreign country where all the workers have no idea what snowboarding actually is? In northern Reno NV, in an area where trailer parks abound sits a snowboard factory where a creative evil genius lives. You won’t find any high tech computerized equipment or even security guards protecting the company’s secrets from prying eyes. You will find the type of place where some of the best innovation has always come from… a ghetto garage!

Smokin Jay is an evil genius… not in the crazy axe murdering type way, more the artistic friend you had in school that you weren’t sure where his mind was. Jay was busy gluing one of his new 2010 models when we arrived and as soon as he had a chance to step away he was off and running with the “Factory Tour”. I use the term factory loosely since most of the time you might equate the term Factory to thousands of square feet and a building in an industrial district of town. Smokins factory looks like a cross between an old bomb shelter and chop shop. Inside most of the equipment has been piecemealed together, with bare wires and jays own inventions throughout the building.

Joining on the tour was Jay’s sidekick binky who was just as stoked to show us all the funny corners in the building. While at first glance it looks like a lot stuff packed around stuff but as Binky explains it you can start to see Jay’s twisted vision of how the process works. From the room with all the templates and edges, the room where he cuts out the sidewalls and the workstation that he uses to glue the boards together. And as you watch Jay and Binky work what looks like chaos starts to looks like an interpretive dance where both play off each other though out the entire process.

Smokin Jay takes a huge amount of pride in the boards he produces and each board must be perfect for him to sell it. His entire process feels more artistic than mechanical and each board seems like its own individual masterpiece. He inspects each board for any imperfection or graphic blemish before giving the stamp of approval to sell the board. So when you see the tag handmade you know that the board you are receiving was entirely handmade by Smokin Jay and the pride taken to create the board reflects in the quality of the product you are receiving.

When you get a chance try out a Smokin snowboard, these are quality snowboards made by an evil genius snowboarder who believes in making quality snowboards.

Thank you Jay and Binky for the Great night! check out http://smokinsnowboards.com/ for more info or check out the Smokin Snowboards we carry.

Labels: Handmade Snowboards, Smokin Snowboards, Smokin Snowboards Factory

Published On: 1/14/2009

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My Blog: Ok so maybe i should update.... here goes
By: sickwake

Hmmm the snow is pretty sweet but the parks never seem to be built till half way through the season on grouse mt. pretty lame, went up and there was only 3 small rails jibable. maybe this week will have something worth shreddin.

when i get my charger back for my camera ill be shootin some vids and posting them up youtube stlye (although they will probably pull it for some stupid music copyright reason) hate that!

if anyone is still into riding/training this week ill be up on wednesday late afternoon evening.

its weird i didnt know till now that they have these free girl nights for all 3 local mountain. what a gip...... thats gonna create crowds....(i hate crowds) hence the reason i dont ride on weekends. its like a spamathon the mountain.

hows the whistler riders doing? i still havent gotten out there yet.

so by this point ( if you made it this far ) your definitely sick of my blabbing so you should probably stop reading this and be riding (or recovering).

again if your down for a ride im at grouse every week. it might help if your a grouse rider (cheapest passes why not)

hope ya'll having a sweet season so far. definitely the best christmas present this year is the sweet snow. you really know its good when the busses dont run up the hill.

thats why we drive lol.

peace

Published On: 1/13/2009

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My Blog: Snowing all week in Whistler!
By: proride

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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My Blog: Startin the Season Damn it! Lets go Boys!!!
By: sickwake

OK so heres the thing, YES I'm Girl but you know what I'm lookin for guy riders cause any girl that ive ridden with sux and cant keep up I even had a guy
buddy that wouldnt do do parks with me or black runs on fresh powed days.

Ive seen lots of regulars at the quicksliver park so if your one of them let me know, im always hiking the park.

Just to let you boys know im super easy to get along with and got one of those crazy outgoing personalities that lots of girls dont have (not trying to knock anyone just saying i hate drama queens). Im always the chick that goes out with guys on a guys night out type a thing ( i dont know how it ends up that way, being a tomboy or somethin i guess)

Aight seeing that this year is starting off slow (hasnt even started yet) Im gettin real frustrated and POed. If Grouse would just open Id been shredding it till rock bottom.

Id love to upload pics for you all but the upload mobile here dont work at all so i cant even post up mugshots.

for now facebook will have to do

Im hooking up with different rider this year. Really into gettin some good quality footage , both photo and video ( I actually have a proper video camera) I have some Creative works im planning and will post them on Youtube when there done.

As much as id love to take it up to whistler i cant afford it. so local mountains will have to do.

im out in burnaby so if your a local rider lets jam.

My end note here is this. Im all about the love and progression of the sport. No dissin or commercial, or selfish shi*t! keep the Positive Energy, Ride till it hurts and then turn it up anothernotch cuz thats what makes it worth it.

Jess (J girl)

Published On: 11/21/2008

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My Blog: 2009 High Cascade Snowboard Camp!
By: HighCascadeSnowboardCamp

Located at the base of Mt. Hood, Oregon, High Cascade Snowboard Camp offers all-inclusive summer snowboard camps for both youth and adults (age 9 and up). Professional coaching, over 27 acres of private snowboard parks, unlimited demo equipment, video analysis, private skateboard parks, trampolines, whitewater rafting and more await you on Mt. Hood throughout June, July and August. 2009 High Cascade Signature Sessioners announced! Come shred with... SESSION 1. Tara Dakides Darrell Mathes & Andreas Wiig SESSION 2. The Frends Crew* & Jamie Anderson SESSION 3. Peter Line Pat Moore Hana Beaman SESSION 4. Eero Ettala Heikki Sorsa Erin Comstock Alexis Waite

SESSION 5. Jeremy Jones JP Walker SESSION 6. Todd Richards Austin Smith Leanne Pelosi *The Frends Crew: Danny Davis, Kevin Pearce, Mason Aguirre, Scotty Lago, Keir Dillon, Luke & Jack Mitrani Go to www.highcascade.com dates and prices!

Published On: 11/19/2008

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Snowboard.com News: Mammoth Terrain Parks Undergo Big Improvements
By: snowboard.com

Mammoth Mountain Unbound Terrain Parks Undergo Big Improvements in Preparation for 2008/09 Winter Season

Mammoth Mountain, CA – Although it is Mid-August and there are no signs of snow on the ground, the Unbound Park Crew is as busy as ever preparing for the upcoming season. In keeping with its vision of creating the best terrain parks in the world, Mammoth Mountain has made $750,000 in capital investments including improved grading and expansion of current terrain, new “Adventure Zones,” enhanced snowmaking and two brand-new Piston Bully 400 Park Bully Snowcats.

Leading off the improvements for the upcoming season is the massive amount of grading and shaping being done to enhance the existing terrain in Unbound Main. 25,000 cubic yards of dirt are being moved which doubles the useable area of Thunder Road, the site of Lower Unbound Main Park. With the addition of this new terrain, the Unbound Park Crew will have more freedom than ever to create the best jump and jib setups possible.

Another big change for the upcoming season is the enhanced snowmaking capabilities for the Superpipe and Unbound Main Terrain Park. Instead of simply adding new water and air pipes into the ground, Mammoth Mountain decided to recycle underutilized snowmaking systems that were already in place to create a more efficient layout. “We thought it was more environmentally friendly to rearrange what we already had with better placement and layout, rather than putting more metal in the ground,” said Oren Tanzer, Director of Youth Action Sports Marketing at Mammoth Mountain. “This will allow us to have the best selection of features and an earlier opening of Mammoth’s world-famous Superpipe.”

Mammoth Mountain prides itself on offering terrain parks for every level of rider to allow for smooth progression from beginners to seasoned professionals. With this in mind, Mammoth Mountain is excited to announce the addition of four new “Adventure Zones” to complement their Family Fun Parks. These new runs will be fun tracks built into the trees featuring a variety of berms, rollers and small bumps. “For years, the Ski and Snowboard School and Race Team kids have been exploring these ‘secret spots.’ We just decided to share these well kept secrets with all our guests in the hope that everyone will have more fun,” said Finlay Torrence, Director of Eagle Lodge Ski and Snowboard School at Mammoth Mountain. “Adventure Zones” will be located near Disco Park, Forest Trail Park, Wonderland Park and Eagle Express Lift.

Rounding out the list of major improvements for the Unbound Terrain Parks will be the addition of multiple new jibs for the 2008/09 season, some of which are signature features for Vans and Dragons to complement the popular 2007/08 Quiksilver signature jib – a large skate-inspired pyramid made of 100% steel and coated in clear Lexan plastic. Mammoth Mountain is consistently ranked as having some of the best terrain parks in the world by multiple industry publications and these new additions reinforce the commitment Mammoth Mountain puts into its world-famous Unbound Terrain Parks year after year.

The Mammoth Mountain Unbound Terrain Parks lead the industry in innovation and quality with seven parks, three pipes, 65+ jibs and 50+ jumps on 90 acres of California’s favorite mountain resort. Using state-of-the-art equipment to provide a progressive environment for all levels, from beginners to a team of 13 professional athletes, the Unbound earns consistent ratings among the top parks of the world. For more information on the Unbound and Mammoth Mountain Ski Area, visit mammothunbound.wordpress.com or call 800.MAMMOTH.

Published On: 9/1/2008

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Snowboard.com News: Frequency TSJ #6.3 is out
By: snowboard.com

Mt. Baker, WA – You thought it was over? Think again. With several feet of fresh these last few weeks, lifts running well into May, no crowds, full snowpack, and tons of daylight, frequency TSJ #6.3 drops just in time for those who ride beyond December. From Snowbird to A-Basin, to Whistler, to Tuckerman’s to Alpental: snowboarding continues in full force, and South America/New Zealand deep pow sessions are just around the corner.

With the stellar photography and strong writing that frequency TSJ readers have grown to expect, #6.3 features an amazing piece with freestyle legend Jeff Brushie by one of Snowboarder’s former editors Joel Muzzey, as well as photos from Bud Fawcett, Trevor Graves and others. From humble beginnings in New England to practically writing the book on modern halfpipe riding, Brushie reflects on his career, accomplishments and future. Senior Editor Colin Wiseman takes on the issue of snowboarding’s cost barriers and accessibility with a compelling case for municipal snowboard parks a la skateboard parks. With a lot of kids in snow-bound cities who can’t get afford $80 tickets, is it time we bring the hill to them? Mammoth native son and wunderkind Eric Jackson sits down with Senior Editor John Laing to talk about his rise through the ranks, escaping the contest circuit, and getting kicked off helicopters. China has, until now, largely been a presence in snowboarding mainly via manufacturing the gear and clothing we all utilize, contributor Lorenz Holden and Mr. Wiseman however, break down this emerging shred scene and take a look at a potential massive resort explosion. As if this all isn’t enough, premier photog Adam Clark takes us on an incredible tour of his photography throughout the years with his Gallerie section. Via gut-sucking descents by Jeremy Jones, Ash Christiansen, and amazing landscapes, Adam reminds us how truly incredible it all can be.

Snowboarding: It’s not just for Christmas anymore.

Keep your subscription up, subscribe new today, or consider a gift for a shredder you love. www.frequencysnowboarding.com.

Published On: 5/9/2008

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My Blog: Things: FTL vs FTW
By: seanhunt3r

Ok. So I'm going to explain about my saturday riding session with a FTW (for the win) vs FTL (for the loss); lets begin....

FTW:
- 6 inches of fresh snow in the tree's with nice 'not to choppy' main groomed runs.
- Keeping speed in the park despite new snow
- Riding solid in the park
- Yelling at people in the park to get out of your way and then having them clapping for your trick once you've landed it.
- No wind
- No precipitation
- Vegetate '08
- Beer for lunch breaks
- Good crew to ride with

FTL:

- Crowded parks
- Douche bag skiiers in the park
- Smashing your face into the snow with no landing gear
- Get a resulting headache from said face smash
- Getting snow inside your goggles
- Having boots to small
- Needing to use chains on a RWD car
- Having idiots run into your female riding buddy
- Having to get ready to fight said idiots and have them back down after them yelling.
- Did I say smashing face into snow?
- Getting cut off at the wall ride 3 times in a row.

It really was a fun day and all 3 of us rode super good. Just a bummer that idiots ride too.

Published On: 4/7/2008

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News and Stuff: MGT SUMMER SESSIONS!
By: MGTSnowboardCamp

SUMMER SESSIONS

Register now HERE

COLD RUSH
August 8th-24th, 2008

MGT BIG MOUNTAIN SESSIONS AT SASS: Why get a tan when you could be getting Gnar with MGT in South America this Summer. MGT is teaming up with South America Snow Sessions for the MGT Big Mountain Session in Bariloche, Argentina. With winter in full swing and big dumps daily, this session is designed for the girl who wants to get really good at hitting backcountry jumps, shredding the trees, riding big mountain lines, and dominating the park. This camp crushes it, The MGT crew gets daily Spanish lessons, an amazing cultural experience, professional coaching, and a whole lot o chocolate. This session is 18 full days of sick snowboarding, meeting friends, learning Spanish, and spreading the shred worldwide with MGT and SASS.

SUMMER SLUSH
August 7th-14th, 2008

MGT SESSION AT HCSC: Better than Band camp: High Cascade+ MGT Snowboard Camp= More Good Times. The MGT Girls Session at High Cascade is droppin’ in Session 6. With a staff of some of the best hot-doggers in the biz, including Leanne Pelosi, Marie-France Roy, Spencer O’Brien, and many others, MGT plans to tear it up south of the boarder on one of the best summer terrain parks on this planet. High Cascade Snowboard Camp in Mt.Hood, Oregon offers some serious summer park shredding to get girls amped to shred while hammering out a new bag o’ tricks. Filling the schedule with some serious boardin’, skating, Singstar sessions, dodge ball, and tons of other banger activies ,HCSC and MGT getting down to biz to make sure campers are get really, really good this summer. Get your, cobra dogs, volcano cones , and your summer snow fix at the HCSC MGT Girls Session this Summer.

Published On: 4/6/2008

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My Journal: season ending... but still snowing!
By: kendrat

so here it is, march 28, and in southern ontario it's still snowing. apparently this is unusual?!

for my first season here, it went pretty well, all things considered. of course i miss being out west on the real hills, but at least i'm not somewhere where i can't ride at all. we had some pretty wild storms this year, which helped appease me. the season managed to start at the end of november, which i have no real complaints with. and it's still going now, so hopefully i can get another day or two in before heading to whistler! it's also snowing today so i guess that's alright.

i've sampled a bit of what ontario has to offer by way of ski bumps, and managed to find something to keep me occupied at all of them, with the exception of chicopee. sorry to any who call that home, but ouch. i didn't make it to glen eden, mslm, or tremblant. leaves me something to do next year! this year i did get a hot new onesie, which is fanfreakintastic.

so here's where i went this year.... complete with pictures now since apparently i should always include pictures! in no particular order..

blue mountain

made full use of my 5x7 pass. it was nice to stand at the top and see water, reminded me of riding mt washington at home in that sense. i pretty much lucked out on the days i went, had one icy day the entire year, and that's not so bad. taught a couple friends to ride here, and it was still fun. broke my helmet overshooting a landing. glades weren't too bad, they had snow again the other day so i was happy. figured since i'm in ontario i should check out the park, but definitely wasn't ready for the big air/big rails of the real park, so it was nice to have a couple beginner options. not that i used them much, i was too busy hip checking trees!

horseshoe valley

for the first day of the season it wasn't all bad. pretty tiny, they only had one lift open and a couple runs, but it was enough to say "winter's finally here!". it was great to get a feel for my new setup, it felt fantastic from the moment i strapped in.

hidden valley

having a free place to stay in huntsville made this more exciting. easy to get bored here though, not a lot of challenge on the main runs. had a decent park for beginners though, so i got to pretend like i was a real ontario rider and hop on and off rails.

chicopee

we went for $10 tuesday, thinking damn, can't beat that deal! and so it was insanely crowded (it was also march break). their idea of a black diamond is about half a second of steep incline followed by flat. the park was poorly designed and there was no park etiquette to speak of. in fact, no mountain etiquette at all.

if only it were a more impressive list... but i guess we make do with what we have! and being in dundas is actually pretty good, since we're right on the escarpment. when there was snow in town, it made it easy to find at least little hills to ride on.

the dundas valley conservation area was my favourite though.

after the disappointment of chicopee mike and i went to the conservation area, built our own mini booter not 5 minutes from our door, and spent the rest of the day practising hitting that. i finally figured out how to pop and grab, and it turned into one of the best days all season for me.

sure ontario doesn't hold a candle to out west, but i figure, for ontario, this season wasn't half bad. i can't wait to ride some real glades in whistler, hike a couple bowls, and ride some runs that last for more than thirty seconds.

hoo-ray for telus!

Published On: 3/28/2008

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Park & Pipes - Whistler Blackcomb: Brian Finestone's Park Report - Feb 29, 2008
By: WhistlerBlackcomb

The level of skill being displayed in all of the Whistler Blackcomb Parks is astonishing these days. The progression we are seeing in athletes is at light speed and tricks formerly reserved for the rare mutants are now being thrown with ease by local kids skipping school to ski and ride. (Don’t skip school!) This week I witnessed 16-year-olds throwing double back flips, 19-year-olds spinning corked 10s and a 4-year-old slide a four foot round bar. This progression has pushed the Park crew to step up and create the best possible playground for these athletes and then work backwards to ensure we have a smooth progression. The bar is being set high for the next generation and we are doing our best to evolve at the same rate.

The Parks all got new set-ups this week, some even seeing changes daily. On Whistler Mountain we changed up the top section to include a new barrel bonk in addition to the stump jibs as well as freshening up Bobcat with a never-been-tired-before combo box with a quad kink. There are also new jump styles on Chipmunk and two “Skate Style” spines with log and metal coping for every transfer trick imaginable.

The Choker Park saw the addition of the Quicksilver and Nintendo boxes set up in series as mellow up-boxes as well as the addition of a mini shack booter style step over jump. The Superpipe rebuild has resulted in the best pipe I have ridden in a long time and special props go out to Andy Morrison for his epic 17 hour shift grooming the pipe se we can all rip it this week!

The Terrain Garden continues to be one of the busiest parks with hordes of newbie riders getting their legs on the small jumps, mini spine, boxes and rails offered up in this line. We are hoping to add a few more basic flat boxes to the mix so trick development can progress here too.

The HL Park has basically been split into Lucas Land’s rail line for metal grinders and the main park for jumpers. The left line continues to be the BIG XL line while the right side offers up the L / XL multi-takeoff options.

If you have not been up in the parks yet this year, you are missing out! Don’t wait to see it in next year’s vids, come on up today.

See the Photos

Published On: 2/29/2008

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Snowboard.com News: The Quiksilver Night Rail Session Presented by ispo china Went Off!
By: snowboard.com

Beijing, CHINA –

Hundreds of people from all over the world gathered
in the Nokia Nanshan Melow Park under floodlights that could be seen
for miles. China’s top riders were showing the crowd what this great
country has produced; rail ninjas true and true.

DJ Wordy took to the decks at 8pm with his original hip-hop-to-heavy-
metal-mash-up sound while spectators from near and far headed up to
the park. The riders jibbed, destroyed and got their grind on in
this rail only event during the one-hour jam session and showed us
all what Chinese snowboarding is about. The park was in perfect
condition, including the ispo rainbow box made entirely from snow not
to mention free beers were flowing courtesy of Quiksilver and ispo
china.

The riders had only 60 minutes to show what they had and Li Xian Yi
was the first to pull a sick Gap to Flat to BS Boardslide Down which
scored him the first of the crisp cool 50 kuai bills offered by the
judges. X-Fox was also on point with a couple of mad whirly birds
over the fun box leaving him in the running for Rail Disaster Of The
Night. Andrew Wilde warmed up and schooled them all with a more then
sick FS to BS Boardslide Combo and we were definitely blown away by
Wanglei who pulled a crazy Rodeo Back Flip Maneuver over the ispo
Ice Box. Whew! All these guys walked away with sick prizes courtesy
of our gracious sponsors. Even the ladies were on point with Yindi
leading the pack and walking away with a Dakine wheelie board bag,
not to mention three crisp, cool 50 kuai bills.

With tonight’s giant crowd including some of the biggest names of the
Snowboard industry, The Quiksilver Night Rail Session made history
once again. This once small but influential event brought the top
riders of this great country together and along with the love from
ispo china and Quiksilver we were able to promote snowboarding and
push our favorite sport even further.

Everyone had a fabulous time and we really could not have asked for a
better night. A special thanks to our sponsors Quiksilver, ispo,
Dakine and Kagen…Yee Haw!

All photos courtesy of Xiao Kuan! Xie Xie!

Published On: 2/24/2008

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Snowboard.com News: Casanova takes home top prize
By: snowboard.com

CASANOVA TAKES HOME THE TOP PRIZE AT THE JEEP® UNION SQUARE STREET SESSIONS

LARGEST URBAN RAIL JAM IN THE COUNTRY TO BE BROADCAST ON NBC

Large crowds gathered in Union Square, NYC on Thursday, Feb. 7th to view The Jeep® Union Square Street Sessions as the event returned to New York City for a second year of competition. Athletes competed in for a $30,000 purse by riding over a Red Bull designed wall, a down bar with stairs and a gap which led to a rail set up over a Jeep Rubicon,. Taking home the $15,000 grand prize was Wisconsin native Mike Casanova followed in second by Jason Dubois and Chris Rotax respectively. The event was run in partnership with NYC Parks & Recreation and the New York City Sports Commission.

The Jeep brand returned in 2008 year as title sponsor joining supporting sponsors Red Bull, Oakley, Burton, Sunday River Resort, and Mountain Creek Resort.

The Jeep® Union Square Street Sessions will once again be broadcast on the Emmy award-winning Jeep World of Adventure Sports® on Feb. 16, 2008 at 5:00 p.m.

For more information please visit www.streetsessionsnyc.com

Published On: 2/11/2008

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My Blog: Quiksilver Showdown Over the City
By: GrouseMountain

Quiksilver Showdown Over the City

Grouse Mountain presents Vancouver’s largest Pro Am Snowboard Contest

with a roster of elite international riders.

January 30^th, 2008, North Vancouver BC – Vancouver’s largest Pro-Am Snowboard Contest is coming to Grouse Mountain on March 28^th and 29^st. The Quiksilver Showdown Over the City brings together the best professional and amateur riders from around the world to Vancouver’s backyard playground. For the first time, this event has been selected to be included in the TTR World Tour, the largest international snowboard contest body. With a $20,000 cash purse up for grabs and international recognition, this annual Grouse Mountain event has reached new peaks.

“This is, hands down, the biggest park event to hit Vancouver” says Jeff Silcock, Events Manager at Grouse Mountain. “Being selected by the TTR World Tour means this year’s event will attract even more pro riders. With an event of this calibre happening minutes from downtown Vancouver, we’re expecting to draw some pretty high calibre talent and big crowds over the course of the weekend.”

Located on the Side Cut run, overlooking the city, the Quiksilver Park at Grouse Mountain is a favourite location for local and international pro riders and filmers not only for its world-class features, but for its unparalleled location and pristine, panoramic views.

“Partnering with Grouse Mountain for this event is exciting for Quiksilver as it allows us to work with our local community” says John Rainnie, Quiksilver Director of Sales and Marketing. “An event of this scale has a significant impact on our local riders, because they are exposed to international talent in their own backyard.” With Quiksilver as the title sponsor of both the Quiksilver Park and the Showdown over the City, Grouse Mountain continues to evolve its parks and events to meet the demands of the substantial Vancouver park market.

Course Details:

The course will consist of highly progressive jib combos and Grouse Mountain’s infamous twin hips that create the illusion of flying over the Burrard Inlet. The hips, located at the bottom of the course, are expected to be the biggest and steepest ever to hit the Quiksilver park, attracting veterans like Travis Williams, Spenser Forbes, Logan Short and Johnny Lyall.

Friday: Amateur qualifier and Night Jib Session

Saturday: Hip, jib and open sessions, awards presentation and afterparty

Photo and filming opportunities include: qualifier, jib session, vendor village, rider practice, jib/hip/open sessions, award presentation and after-parties.

All editorial writers, photographers and filmers must confirm attendance at least 48 hours in advance. Accredited media will check in at the Base Guest Services office to receive contest and afterparty passes.

Published On: 1/30/2008

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