Prospect Snowboards isn't in every snowboarder's daily vocabulary and we don't have a problem with that. Being a non-corporate anti establishment board company, I guess you can say our marketing isn't awesome. Well... our commitment to making amazing snowboards is awesome. While we aren't interested in corporate subculture that comes with being a mainstream snowboard manufacturer it doesn't mean the industry isn't recognizing what makes Prospect rad.

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The countdown is on and the party begins this Friday. The TELUS World Ski and Snowboard Festival kicks into high gear April 17-26, 2009. The only thing to do is get yourself to the centre of the action. Here are some highlights of what's on the adjenda, including some new events you'll want to check out.

The best things in life are still free. Zune Concert Series line-up promises 10 days of pilgrim-worthy free outdoor concerts, featuring Ozomatli, Ten Second Epic, The Stills, Metric, and DJ Ztrip.

Grenade Games lobs into town. Snowboarding’s infamous end of season party is by the riders, for the riders. Giving Canadians the chance to become Grenadians for the first time in its history, the Grenade Games’ line-up includes a Poker Run, dual slalom moguls course, pipe and slopestyle comp, and entices legends of snowboarding out of retirement to ride alongside current pros and up-and-comers.

Discover tomorrow’s artistic superstars. Debuting at this year’s Festival is the mutant sibling of the Pro Photographer Showdown, the ThreePointOh Multimedia Challenge. Plus, State of the Art, the Canada-wide Designer Search and Expose, and the new Chef Challenge.

Skate comes to the party. The new Festival opener, Skate & Deploy, followed by the Skate of the Art Opening party offers the perfect segue from winter to spring for fans of flow.

Graphic mastery gains momentum. Enter year four of the open crowd-sourcing collaboration that introduces graphic design talent to snowboards as canvass. Masterpiece in Motion entries are due March 1.

Ticketed events are known to sell out in advance so avoid disappointment and get your tickets early. Get yours online now at the Festival E-Store.

Faces of the Fest prepare to face-off to be the Festival’s 2009 on-air video host. Our very own Alex Hearn, voice of the Whistler Blackcomb snowphone, is one of the five finalists! "VOTE HARD, VOTE HEARN" VOTE NOW! Last day to vote is today, Monday, April 13th.

Looking to come up and enjoy all of the action? There are some awesome deals on now, including 2 day lift & lodging from just $82 pp/pn. MORE INFO

Another sweet deal...Buy your 5 or 10-Day 2009.10 EDGE Card now to ski at Whistler Blackcomb from $57 per day next season plus get unlimited spring skiing NOW for just $79! BUY NOW

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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.

 

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Forty of the world’s best skiers and snowboarders will descend on Squaw Valley USA this winter, where for the first time ever they’ll compete on a legendary section of the mountain during the Freeride World Tour Event wtfhttp://www.freerideworldtour.com> : Nissan Tram Face, anticipated to take place February 28th, 2009.

The Freeride World Tour event at Squaw Valley USA, the site of the 1960 Winter Olympics, will help set a new standard for freeride competition, attracting some of the best in the sport.  The Tour promises to be demanding for participants and exciting for spectators when for the first time the legendary Tram Face, closed since Squaw Valley opened in 1949, will be open for the pro event.

”The Tram Face at Squaw Valley is legendary terrain that many have dreamed to ride but few have dared to,” said longtime Squaw Valley USA skier Cody Townsend, ranked 5th in the 2008 World Freeride Tour.  ”Having the first ever competition on Tram Face is like the first time Monaco was raced in Formula 1, Teahupoo was surfed and the Masters was played at Augusta. Opening up the off-limits terrain for the competition is a dream come true for anyone that’s driven into Squaw Valley and seen the amazing Face that dominates the mountain.”

Participants arrive at Squaw on February 26, opening ceremonies take place on Friday, February 27 and competition is scheduled for Saturday, February 28 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. In the case of inclement weather, the event will be postponed to an alternate date between February 29 and March 5. Spectators can enjoy the festive atmosphere with live music and ongoing events at The Village at Squaw Valley plus another village at Squaw Valley’s High Camp.

Riders participating in the Squaw event, which is the second leg of the Freeride World Tour, will arrive in California after showing their stuff in Sochi, Russia. After Squaw, the riders will travel to Tignes, France and Verbier, Switzerland. After this final event, the four Freeride World Champions (ski/snowboard/men/women) will be crowned.

For Freeride World Tour PR and free of rights photos, visit: www.freerideworldtour.com wtfhttp://www.freerideworldtour.com> . For Squaw Valley Central Reservations call 888-685-9245 visit www.squawvacations.com wtfhttp://www.squawvacations.com>  or email vacations@squaw.com

The four events of the Freeride World Tour 2009 are:

 
  1. NISSAN RUSSIAN ADVENTURE - SOCHI, RUSSIA
  Dates: 20-25 JAN 2009, Preliminary contest day: Wednesday 21 January




           2. NISSAN TRAM FACE - SQUAW VALLEY USA
           Dates: 27 FEB-05 MAR 2009, Preliminary contest day: Saturday 28 February





 
    3. NISSAN FREERIDE DE TIGNES, FRANCE
 Dates: 8-14 March 2009, Preliminary contest day: Monday 9 March





 4. NISSAN XTREME - VERBIER 09, SWITZERLAND
 Dates: 20-29 March 2009, Preliminary contest day: Saturday 21 March




Confirmed Freeride World Tour Qualifying Events Include:



THE NORTH FACE MASTERS OF SNOWBOARDING - SNOWBIRD (USA), 30 January -1 February SPYDER BIG MOUNTAIN FIEBERBRUNN (AUT), 5-15 February 2009

THE NORTH FACE MASTERS OF SNOWBOARDING - CRESTED BUTTE (USA), 13-15 February 

WINTER MYSTICXPERIENCE (ITA), 19-22 February 2009

SALOMON EXTREME FREERIDE CHAMPIONSHIPS AT TAOS (USA), 4-7 March 2009
THE NORTH FACE MASTERS OF SNOWBOARDING - KIRKWOOD (USA), 6-8 March

NENDAZ FREERIDE (SUI), 13-18 March 2009 -

JASNA ADRENALIN (SK), 31 March-5 April 2009

RÖLDAL FREERIDE CHALLENGE (NOR), 22-26 April 2009 (2010 qualifier)

The partners of the Freeride World Tour 2009 events are:

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Perry & Louise... Videos videos videos!!!

So Perry calls us up last minute late Wednesday afternoon because Ben's out of town and he wants someone from the office to head over to Boardroom around six that night to do the IS Eyewear PK for him. Steve's out of town, I have plans so Jr.Burger agrees to help out. I help JB "short for Jr.Burger" get stuff ready then leave the office for the day. The next morning I ask JB how it went. So he gives me the run down then starts telling me about Perry's cute little introduction where he kisses JB's ass for saving his day and shi*t talks me & Steve. "JB's a super hard worker... Blah blah blah... I love him so much... Blah blah blah... he's the only person in the who office that actually works... Blah blah blah... Once Scientists figure it out I want to have his Child... Blah blah blah... I can't believe Karl gets paid a salary to do a blog and I don't even know what Steve does over there?" Real nice Perry. Didn't you just get back from a 3 week holiday where you and your buddy Thelma and Louised it across Canada... You poor thing, Couves must really be working you to the bone.. Haha



The IS Video Player is slowly filling up with content. Its pretty cool, you can download video directly to desktops or to mobile devices. I've set up a bunch of channels with more to come. So far we have PartySnake, Airhole, Kale, Dev, Duff, Daves Updates, Lil Bastards, 15Peddler and Archive channels where we'll be constantly uploading footage. We'll be setting up a SponsorMeChannel shortly where we'll be posting all the sponsor me videos we receive for the world to see and our team to watch and decide who makes the cut. To get your sponsor me video on the SponsorMeVideo channel send it to info@iseyewear.com in a quicktime format.

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I am going surfing this weekend, yipee!  I have been out of town traveling a lot and I finally remember to get my winter wet suit out.  I was fishing in Kentucky last weekend and next weekend I am hiking in Portland, OR.  I am looking forward to seeing the Columbia River Gorge, it is supposed to be fantastic, I will take pics to share!  We were going to go boarding but not enough snow on Mt. Hood yet :o(  Soon though.. soon...

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Mammoth Mountain, CA – The Town of Mammoth Lakes and Mammoth Mountain Ski Area welcomed the first commercial aircraft in over a decade to arrive in Mammoth Lakes, California on October 14, 2008. Travelling from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), the 74 seat, high-speed, twin-engine turboprop Bombardier Q400 operated by Horizon Air safely touched down as scheduled at 10:05 a.m. 

 

With a snowy Mammoth Mountain in the background, courtesy of an early-season snowstorm the previous weekend, the first passengers exited the plane to be greeted by a gathering of town dignitaries and local residents. This inaugural flight was designed to give Horizon Air staff and special media guests a glimpse of what will come when nonstop daily service from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Mammoth Lakes begins on December 18, 2008. 

 

“We have been working very hard to get commercial air service back to Mammoth after a 13-year absence,” said Howard Pickett, Chief Marketing Officer at Mammoth Mountain. Pickett continued, “Horizon’s daily flights will make it even easier to get to California’s biggest playground here in the Eastern Sierra. Now winter enthusiasts will be able to spend more time enjoying the slopes, and less time trying to get here.”

 

Horizon Air will run daily service from Dec. 18, 2008, through April 12, 2009. The 65 minute flight departs Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) daily at 2:20 p.m. and arrives at Mammoth Yosemite Airport (MMH) at 3:25 p.m. The return flight leaves Mammoth at 4:05 p.m. and arrives at LAX at 5:10 p.m. Introductory fares for select flights from Los Angeles to Mammoth Lakes are available for $79 each way, and standard fares are available starting at $99 each way.*

 

In preparation for commercial air service from Horizon Air, Mammoth Yosemite Airport recently underwent $12 million in improvements including a new 5,000 sq. foot commercial terminal building, a reconstructed runway and taxiway, new runway lighting, new ramp lighting and a new automated weather system. The last commercial air service to MMH airport was Transworld Express in 1995. 

 

Photo: Horizon Air touches down at Mammoth Yosemite Airport. Credit: Peatross/MMSA

 

*See horizonair.com for complete fare rules. All schedules subject to change without notice.

 

Mammoth Mountain Ski Area is the leading four-season mountain resort in California. With 1.5 million annual skier visits, Mammoth Mountain is currently the third most frequented ski resort in the United States. The company owns and operates a variety of resort businesses including recreation, hospitality, real estate development, food and beverage and retail. Specific businesses owned and operated by Mammoth Mountain include Mammoth Mountain Ski Area, June Mountain, Tamarack Lodge and Resort, Mammoth Snowmobile Adventures, Mammoth Mountain Bike Park and the Mammoth Mountain Inn. Mammoth Mountain also operates Juniper Springs Resort, the Village Lodge and Sierra Star Golf Course in Mammoth Lakes, California. For more information on Mammoth Mountain, visit MammothMountain.com or call 800.MAMMOTH.

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THE MESSAGE  - OCTOBER 2008

Welcome back to another exciting edition of THE MESSAGE.. da da da DUNNNNN.
Good new snow fiends, We got are first dusting on the Sierra's last week, so lets hope that this will be an early season for all us!  THE BLOCK, THE BLOCK is gearing up for Snowboard Season by sponsoring a bunch of snowboard premieres and parties. I just saw the new First Tracks Video,  Knock on Wood at Mont Bleu, and what a great turnout we had, THE BLOCK was soldout and Flick was dope as all hell! 

Hot Dawgs and Hand Rails

If you missed Hot Dawgs and Handrails last month, you done F@cked-up. ! Hot Dawgz & Hand Rails 5th annual snowboarding specatcular tested the skills of some of the best jumpers and jibbers in the world and paid out $15,000 in prize money!  Rio and the entire Bear Mountain Park Staff pulled off the 1st contest of the year with Grand Style!  The Dropin, The Gap, and the rails were epic and riders were stoked to be throwing down for the first time of the Season! Big props to reelcomp.com for broadcasting a live feed of the event besure to check it out on their website.

The winners in the Men's Finals were...
1st Place- Jed Anderson
2nd Place- Chas Guldemond
3rd Place- Scott Vine

and the winners in the Women's Finals are...
1st Place- Desiree Melancon
2nd Place- Marie Hucal
3rd Place- Raewyn Reid

Scott Vine brought home Best Trick. Congratulations riders! Additional Heavy Hitters were Ben Bogart, Scott Stevens, Louif Paradis, Bode Merill, Keegan Valaika, Leanne Pelosi, Elise Borelli, Nick Dirks, Zak Hale and Tim Eddy. J.P Walker, Seth Huot and Hana Beaman were chillin' at Bear and Josh Sherman and Dave Duncan were announcing! If you missed Hot Dawgz this year, we'll see you next September! Big ups to Nam for organizing the afterparty, DJ Slip Matt and Matty Mo held it done hard. If you aint heard Matty Mo got a new mixtape out so be sure to Grab Government Cheese Vol 1. 

THE BLOCK BOOTCAMP 2008

Has been rescheduled to December 1st -13th in South Lake Tahoe. We are selecting 50 lucky recruits from an applicant pool of over 500+ that I received. It has been no easy task going through the applications, so if you were selected congratulations you will be receiving your deployment orders at the end of the week!  Remember that during bootcamp you will be tested to your physical and mental limits. So do yourself a favor and start working out and jogging now. This is not going to be a walk in the park. 

Knock on Wood

Who wants to see some sick snowboarding action for cheap?! Well, South Lake Tahoe based First Tracks Productions is offering a special deal to friends of The Block. If you click on the following link, you'll get to a hidden page on First Tracks' site where you can purchase their new movie, "Knock on Wood" for $10 off retail! http://firsttracksproductions.com/knockonwood091317257375.html If you haven't seen the trailer for Knock on Wood, check it out for free here:

Upcoming Events

Big Bear

October 18th is the last Bear Mountain Job Fair at Snow Summit from 8am-2pm. If you got to ride Bear and cant pass the bootcamp, this is a good option for any shredder.

October 18th and 19th is the 38th Annual Big Bear Lake Oktoberfest! So if you missed the job fair you can atleast Drink it off.

October 19th @ Active Ride Shop in Le Brea - F.O.D.T. Presents "Familia"  and TWS These Days from 7-9pm with DJ Episode! Be there!

Lake Tahoe

Wednesday Oct 15th  Technine's own Eric "MessyHair" Messier aka The Snow Man, will be playing with his group "The Fiz" at Whiskey Dicks with The Mathematicians in South Lake Tahoe.


This Thursday and Every Thursday BAR24 is holding Battle of The Bands until a winner is announced on November 6th, so get down their and show your support!


Saturday, Oct 18th – Late Nite productions brings the Original Wailers back to Tahoe at Moe's Place.


Wednesday Oct 22nd – Collie Buddz  is playing at Whiskey Dicks with Rise of the Revolution and DJ Pee Wee.  Rise kills it so sure to get there early and check em out!


Wednesday Nov 12th – Pato Banton with the Mystic Roots Band and Planting Seeds! Mystic Roots is dope and Pato got love for THE BLOCK so don't miss this show!


Friday November 14th – Finger on Da Trigger presents "Familia" Premiere at Bar24, signing with the Technine Team, Snowbunny Contest, Live Performances by the worlds top VJ; DJ Crime,  Hip Hop by Concise Kilgore from the Cali Agents and more TBA Lots of other bar24 contests for lots of SWAG and giveaways! Be sure you are there!


Saturday November 15th – The Premiere and the team travel to the Sandbar in Sacramento. We got a Snowbunny contest with the Déjà vu Girls and Zsu Swimwear, a Rail Jam in the back, T9 Team Signing and so much more so be there!!!


Tuesday Nov 18th – One Block Radius come to town, Marty James, MDA and Z-Man throw a tough show, pickup there new hit "you got me" and come to the show.


Friday November 28th – Del The Funky Homosapien has been add to host the "Blizzard" Pray for Snow Party with A-Plus and Bukue-one! So mark this one down cuz its going to GO OFF in Tahoe that weekend!


Saturday December 28th– "How The Grouch Stole Christmas" with Grouch and Eli from the Living Legends! I am looking forward to this show the most! So get up on game and go buy his new album that came this past spring and be sure to celebrate X-mas with the GROUCH!!!


Ok that's all I got for ya for now, I am working a bringing a "Familia" premiere to Vegas as well as planning THE BLOCK PARTY 2009 at the SIA Tradeshow. More info when I got it all confirmed but until then, Pray for Snow and see you on THE BLOCK!


-Dirty D from THE BLOCK


PS Check out these Videos:
Live From the PALMS Pools and Bungalows - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ru3vhbtu7tI
Live From Hot Dawgs and Handrails - http://reelcomp.com/videos/view/6990

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After Spending a winter in Whistler and then doing some traveling in Asia I have decided to come back to Sun Peaks for the 08/09 season. Trust me when I say that Whistler IS everything that it is hyped up to be. While living there, I was working at a board shop and my schedule revolved around riding. I was riding 4 to 5 times a week. I got the chance to shred the kind of powder that I had previously only dreamt of.

However, there was a downside to all of this. After years of shredding Sun Peaks, I had grown accustom to the laid back atmosphere and there is very little attitude. Then I arrive in Whistler and am faced with hordes of "Bros"all trying to "out Bro" each other in terms of attitude, fashion and connections in town.  For most of the snowboarders I met in Whistler, Snowboarding was secondary. They were more concerned with retarded shi*t like: where you were partying tonight, which bartenders you know, who you saw in the lift line, who you rode up the chair with....are my pants tight enough?.....is my Tall-Tee long enough? I felt like people were so busy trying to look the part that they were forgetting the most important part.....actually snowboarding!

I truly felt that these people did not LOVE snowboarding the way that I did. I felt that they were in love with the image of snowboarding and the perceived lifestyle of the "Hardcore" rider. 

So this winter I'll be living in Kamloops and shredding Sun Peaks on a regular basis. And I am really looking forward to riding with people whos' main concern isn't fashion or who you know, but rather just going out and having fun on your snowboard...period.



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I woke up the other morning to the realisation that it's already the month of June. Which means that winter is less than six months away. One reason I suspect the time seems to have gone by so quickly is that, by most standards, the weather this spring has been rather sub-par with cooler than usual temperatures and lots of rain (let's save that precipitation for the winter folks). In the spirit of making the best of it, the Snowboard.Com east coast crew decided to end the month of May with a bang (from a boom stick) by taking in a musical.

The city of Toronto has a rather vibrant theatre scene. Which is not something you would expect snowboarders to notice but we can be highbrow once in a while too. Of particular interest, the Diesel Playhouse was putting on an adaptation of a classic cult zombie movie Evil Dead throughout the spring. When I tell people about it, they usually give me a strange "it's a musical about zombies?" look. I'm quick to point out that It can't possibly be any worse than the opera adaptation of An Inconvenient Truth (an opera about a PowerPoint presentation? Really?) Besides, how often can you say you've been to a musical and left covered in fake blood (I assume it's fake). It's like Shakespeare meets Gwar, how can this possibly suck?

The Ottawa contingent of the crew stayed at the Holiday Inn on King street, only two blocks away from the playhouse. Upon arriving, we shared the elevator with some nice ladies who were in town to see the Dirty Dancing musical at the Princess, and they asked us if we were there for the same reason. Based on my general appearance, I found this question somewhat odd. The look on their face was priceless once we told them we were going to see Evil Dead, and it led me to the conclusion that we probably wouldn't to be going down with them (in the elevator you perverts).

The East Coast Crew waiting to get Evil

After scattering to track down food and beer for later, it was time to meet up with the rest of the crew. Since we were all coming from different directions, and not everyone had actually met in person prior to this meet, the logistics of meeting up were a slight bit difficult. In fact, one of my road trip companions, Chris, called my cell to tell me he was going to meet one of the other members of the crew, also named Chris, whom he had never met previously. I said "you don't know what he looks like, how are you going to spot him on a downtown Toronto street?" His response: "He's a snowboarder." That's when it occurred to me that we snowboarders do live at a different pace than most people (skiers too). Especially in a metropolitan area such as Toronto where people seem to be in much more of a hurry and much more concerned about their image than in most places. I actually had faith, due in no small part to Chris' response, that my shred pals would have no problems finding each other. I was not mistaken, I caught up with the rest of the group in front of the hotel and we made our way to the playhouse.

The musical itself was extremely entertaining. Since it's based on the Evil Dead series of movies (Evil Dead , Evil Dead 2, Army of Darkness), we were expecting a certain amount of camp, and this stage show was certainly full of it. It was done in the perfect self-effacing way which rendered it amusing rather than annoying. The actors even joked about how Spider-Man 3 was a horrible movie (Sam Raimi directed the Evil Dead movie). The highlight of the musical was the final battle at where Ash slayed all the zombies (sorry for the spoiler). I have never seen so much fake blood used in my life. It was squirting out of the walls all over the crowd. Fun times.

After the show, stoked on being evil, the crew got up to some pre-drinking at the hotel in preparation for painting the town red (with blood?). After getting nicely warmed up, we were off to find establishments to consume refreshments. Yet somehow this feat could not be managed without a tree being transplanted into the hallway to our hotel. Apparently alcohol turns people into landscapers.

After walking around for a while and ducking into a number of pubs for refreshments, along with some other random shenanigans, it was time to call it a night since the bars were closing. On the way back to the hotel, I received a text message from Chris saying that apparently someone was shot behind the princess theatre. They were cleaning up the scene as he was walking to meet his ride to Whitby. All this time, I was expecting that our musical would prove more violent than Dirty Dancing, which our lovely friends from the elevator were attending. Clearly I was mistaken on that count.

Puppet Jesus sitting at the top of the Big Apple in Colborne.

The following morning, we decided to locate a Golden Griddle we had seen the night before to have breakfast before we left. After fueling up on the all you can eat buffet and omelet bar, it was time to hit the road. On the way home, we decided to stop at the Big Apple in Colborne to buy some pies. This is where our trip took on a whole new dimension of cool when picked up an itinerant puppet with long hair, a beard, and some crazy ideas. That puppet turned out to be Jesus (or at least a very striking likeness thereof). The irony in all this is that we found him at a Big Apple which, if memory serves, is the forbidden fruit of the Genesis. Jesus was quick to participate in our road games of "hot or not" and was surprisingly good at it. Although I suppose I shouldn't be surprised since he is the son of god. In any case, Jesus is dope and he's certainly a good road trip companion, a fan of metal and a darn good dancer. When we first picked him up, he was rather subdued. Nathan even thought he was dead but we knew not to worry, "he'll be full of life in three days." It certainly didn't take three days, especially after a can of Saskatoon Beaver Buzz.

The Beaver Buzz turned out to be a bit of a mistake. Although tasty, it must contain some kind of super diaretic because it made me have to pull off the highway to pee. I was going to wait for the gas station restrooms until Jesus pointed out that the world is my gas station rest room. He's so wise. We finally made it home satisfied with our road trip shenanigans and happy for having found Jesus.

In sticking with my usual modus operandi of never walking away from an experience without learning something, here's what I learned this past weekend:

• Snowboarders are recognisable everywhere. They seem to have a different gate about them.
• Apparently the Dirty Dancing musical, counter to conventional wisdom, was much more violent that the Evil Dead musical... go figure.
• Jesus Saves... road trips. Although ours didn't need saving by any stretch. He sure made it more interesting. Keep your eye open for him, you never know where you might find Jesus.

Phew! Those are important life lessons indeed. Now I'm looking forward to my next live theatre excursion. Rumour has it that Monty Python's Spamalot is coming to Toronto in the fall, maybe I'll check that out. I'll be staying away from the Dirty Dancing musical though, that's much do violent for my sensibilities. In the meantime, I'm rejoicing in the fact that there's less than six months until winter and you can bet that I'm counting down the days.

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So I busted down to california, 25 hour drive in a 3 seater truck with 3 people, pretty comfy to say the least. We got into town a day before the West Coast Invitational Rail Jam, so I got one day on my injured ankle too see how it was going to perform. My ankle felt great and I rode fairly well in the event. The rail was too close on one side of the scafolding to get my banger tricks out,  but I could make alot more excuses than that if I felt like it. The next day I was riding threw the park just cruising, and I corner cut a jump and landed right on a japanese guy that wasn't paying attention and re-sprained my ankle. That took me out of Snowboarder Magazine's Superpark, so I ended up helping the filmers and rider communicate during the event because I was too bunged up to ride. I ended up partying though, because if you can't ride, you gotta enjoy yourself somehow. Here are some pics from a couple of the nights, and a pic of me really motivating the guys to go out there and get after it.
 
Logan





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