jr_barns's Latest Blog Posts

Jay Peak Opening Day - Just follow the hillbilly

Sun, 23 Nov 2008 08:41:02 GMT

A couple years ago, I fell in love in Jay Peak. An otherwise cold, windy and miserable day would also prove to be one of my best. There is something to be said about visiting places that were the setting for important moments of your life. Since November 22nd was set to be opening day at Jay, and

Published by: jr_barns
11/23/2008 8:41:02 AM

Gap-per or Gey-per? - The Origins of the One-Piece Acolyte

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 07:50:26 GMT

Late in the season, a common pastime among snowboarders is the infamous gaper hunt. After witnessing this activity in various places, I've been struggling with a very important question: what is the proper pronunciati

Published by: jr_barns
8/1/2008 7:50:26 AM

Look Who's Evil Now - Snowboarders Invade the Toronto Theatre District

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 22:08:33 GMT

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 usu

Published by: jr_barns
6/5/2008 10:08:33 PM

The Business of Snowboarding - Are You a Casualty of the War for your Mind?

Sun, 18 May 2008 09:31:01 GMT

There's a war going on for my mind. The various factions want it for it holds the key to something they seek: my spending power and potentially yours. I'm comforted by the knowledge, however, that if I'm thinking, I'm winning; and right now I'm thinking, are you?

Every day we are bombarde

Published by: jr_barns
5/18/2008 9:31:01 AM

The dirtbag with the fanciest clothes... is still a dirtbag

Mon, 05 May 2008 05:35:46 GMT

The other day as I was minding my own business I got a curious invitation. A colleague asked me if I'd be interested in joining his group for dinner at the Rideau Club that night. So I brushed the hair away from my eyes and gave my beard a scratch (I haven't

Published by: jr_barns
5/5/2008 5:35:46 AM

TWSSF 2008 Whistler Pilgrimage - the physical vs. the divine

Sat, 26 Apr 2008 06:19:07 GMT

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 C

Published by: jr_barns
4/26/2008 6:19:07 AM

Tamagotchi - Shred Edition

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 09:25:34 GMT

The winter is upon us once again, and this year it looks like its hitting the east-coast with a purpose. My home mountain (foothill) opened a whole two and a half weeks earlier than usual making me a happy snowboarder. Of course with me, existentialism and snowboarding go hand in hand, I seem to

Published by: jr_barns
12/11/2007 9:25:34 AM

Decisions - Does my diet affect the weather?

Sun, 07 Oct 2007 21:11:01 GMT

Every day we are faced with a myriad of decisions: paper or plastic, beer or whiskey, left or right hand, cracker or toast; life certainly is complicated. Even in snowboarding, an activity pursued as a means to escape daily life, we are constantly making decisions: frontside or backside, groomers

Published by: jr_barns
10/7/2007 9:11:01 PM

Inspiration in the Bowls - The Warrinator finds his muse

Fri, 05 Oct 2007 14:39:31 GMT

Inspiration is a wonderful thing, it's the origination point of art and encourages people to do the most amazing feats. Where to find inspiration, however, is not always clear and varies among individuals. Do you know where you find inspiration? What inspires you to do the things that you do? Som

Published by: jr_barns
10/5/2007 2:39:31 PM

Precipitation on Demand - This seems like some Dr. Evil type stuff

Mon, 03 Sep 2007 07:31:51 GMT

Recently the AFP reported that China was experimenting on dispersing clouds to prevent rain during Olympic events. Conversely, officials claim that China has already set up an extensive system that may be able to make it rain during the games if needed. Now wouldn't this kind of thing be useful i

Published by: jr_barns
9/3/2007 7:31:51 AM