I just got done watching this video of Travis Rice at the Transworld Riders' Choice Awards and it reminded me how good Overseas really was. Especially Benedek. Here goes.
Rider list: Gigi Rüf, David Benedek, Dan Brisse, Danny Larsen, Björn Hartweger, Marko Grilc, Lukas Goller, Marco Feichtner, Dimi Fesenko, Mike Casanova, Osa, Drew Fuller, Eirik Haugo, Sani Alibabic, Teo Konttinen, Emeric Front, Hannes Metzler, Tyler Chorlton, Jocki Köffler, Hans Ahlund, Kalle Ohlson, Josh Sherman
Opinion: Lots of riders, to be sure. And most of them get after it hard. Let me start by saying that some friends and I are pretty sure that David Benedek wasn't born to parents, but created in a lab somewhere. He does things on a snowboard that don't seem human and he does them with style. Including the trick mentioned by TRice. Gigi is off the chain yet again. Talk about style, his has to be in my top 5 currently. So smooth. Another guy who laid it down was Dan Brisse. You might have seen Dan filming some with TJ in The Snowboard Realms, but that's not even a glimpse of what he's capable. He shows off a toolbox full of hammers in this one, despite being one of very few non-Euros in the vid. Speaking of which, I don't know whether it was the music or all the flips, but this film had a distinctly Euro feel to it. Similar to Isenseven's stuff. Speaking of flips, keep your eyes open for the triple. Madness!
If I had to knock the movie on any front, it would be the pace. Non-stop rapid-fire action. It might have been because I was in a premier setting among a crowd and talking to friends in between segments, but it felt a little fast. That and some of the sections just didn't live up to the standards set by guys like David and Gigi. What can you do? Not everyone has that deep a bag of tricks.
I really got to give the cats props on coming out with Runway to support Boarding for Breast Cancer and SOS Outreach on the premier tour. A few of the riders showed up with the tour to sign autographs and otherwise elevate the vibe. It's always nice to have an event like that for such important causes and every year someone steps up for B4BC and they put on a great event. Salomon and Bonfire also pitched in and free beer and dancing wrapped up the night.
Anyway, back to the film! Snowboards were flexed from every angle: from backcountry booters to cityscape concrete and park action in between. Next-level shit was hammered in every venue. If you don't mind sitting through a couple comparatively mediocre sections pick this one up and get your mind blown from Overseas.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Get Greased
There's no longer any reason to drive solo from Portland to Mt. Hood Meadows. Thanks to the oilers over at Greasebus a round trip only runs 10 bucks! As you may have guessed by the name, the shuttle runs on 100% recycled cooking oil. I hear the exhaust smells like tempura or french fries depending on where they filled up. All you have to do is sign up on their site and if they get 10 riders, the gig is on. Unlike many popular weekend buses, Greasebus will run 7 days a week. The only limitation is the 10 rider minimum. Also, thanks to all their rad sponsors, you might even win some swag on the ride up. Beats a speeding ticket. No word yet on whether they observe the silent rock. Get the hell over to their website and sign up now! Gasoline-free travel to shred, you read my mind. Now all I have to do is get over there by 8:00am...
Open for business!
Open for business!Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Where is the Love? A Manifesto of Sorts
I was checking out X-Games coverage today when I came across an article by Mary Buckheit called "No Shame in Shaun." Never before have I seen an article miss the point so thoroughly I felt the need to write a blog on it.
Let me start with a bit of a disclaimer. I have a journalism degree, not that anyone needs one to realize that sensationalism sells, but it emphasizes the point. I get it. You need to draw a hard line on a topic and ride it through the conclusion. Having an unpopular viewpoint or pissing people off can be a recipe for success. Especially when your topic is Shaun White, someone who people want to read about anyway. So the writer started with a good premise. Then it all fell apart in ridiculous assumptions and meaningless analogies.
Let's start with the topic. As the title implies, she's all about Shaun. Specifically, people not hating on him. I'm all for that. After all, we're all human. We all make choices and no two of us would make them all the same. Get over it. That's why I'm no 'hater.' Would I want Shaun's skills? Sure. Would I parlay them through an agent into the kind of life he lives? Not for one second. That's where our author misses the boat. Plenty of riders have or had the talent and never turned into media wet dreams. Craig Kelly and Terje Haakonsen come to mind. Craig was winning every competition in his day only to give up the competition scene for backcountry freeriding. Unfortunately, an avalanche ended his life too soon or I'm sure we'd still be reading about his epic lines. Terje boycotted snowboarding's addition to the Olympics in his prime. Then, instead of just complaining about how skiers were making all the rules, he started The Arctic Challenge (with fellow old-school ripper Daniel Franck). Out of that grew the TTR, today's main ranking system for competitive snowboarding. Oh yeah, and he set the world record for snowboard air at age 33 on one of his Arctic Challenge transitions, so he's still killing it. Bottom line, your image is the sum of the choices you make and that's where some snowboarders diverge from White. I'm not alone when I say I'd rather hear more about how he helped out kids in Rwanda and less about how he just inked another endorsement deal.
Another idea that's got to go is the one that Shaun, as Buckheit puts it "single-handedly brought sponsors and dollars and droves of fans to the sport." The game was already in town when the White bus arrived. He wasn't in the first two Olympics. He wasn't even the first millionaire snowboard pro. I'm not saying he jumped on the bandwagon, but he wasn't exactly Christopher Columbus either. Near as I can tell he went to camp on Mt. Hood all summer every summer from birth. He (and his parents) probably knew he could shred for a living, but had no idea it would blow up this big. Maybe I'm way off... Hell, the US Open was in its second year at Stratton when he was born. Now, sponsors like hair care products, big box stores and car audio makers (I won't name names because they haven't paid me off yet), those might be new to the Shaun White time frame. I guess you're right there. Those, I think snowboarding could do without. They didn't help us get on the "ski" lifts back in the day and they sure as hell aren't helping drop lift ticket prices now. Without launching into an anti-advertising rant, we have plenty of shred companies that are willing to pony up for quality events, maybe we don't need 20 of the same halfpipe contests every year just to be sold energy drinks from a different angle.
Your ad here?
Now, let me share a funny story about Shaun White fans. I went to the X Games last year. I have a friend near Aspen and I found out it was free to watch so a few of us went to check out the finals of slopestyle . One of the guys and his pregnant wife were not enjoying themselves standing in the cold, so why were they staying? To get a picture of Shaun White. Well, that year was the year he broke his board before his first run of the finals, so when his number got called, he was scrambling and Mikkel Bang ended up riding while Shaun figured out what to do. Meanwhile, this guy and his wife are making for the exit, stoked because they thought they just saw Shaun White, when they actually saw Mikkel Bang. I had to bring them back to down to Bummerville where they begrudgingly waited another five minutes to watch the Tomato let fly on a broken board. What's the point of this rant? Plenty of fans out there watching aren't snowboarding fans, they're Shaun White fans. Snowboarders aren't used to that. We're used to people getting into snowboarding more for the feeling and less for the spectacle. But now the media age and the Shaun White era are upon us. People now see snowboarding as a means to be in commercials and be on every magazine cover. Not all of us like that. Not all of us would have made those choices.
On the same front, here's another line of reasoning that doesn't work:
"He's the little indie band you used to go see in a college bar that just got nominated for a pop Grammy." (another Mary Buckheit quote)
He's never been indie. He's a product of the media! No one knew about him before TV because he wasn't competing before snowboarding was televised. He grew up on TV. It's stuff like this that had me screaming, "Do you even snowboard!?" at the screen while I was reading this article. Now, if you're using Shaun as a metaphor for snowboarding and you think we don't want to share snowboarding with the masses, well, maybe. Personally, I'd love for everyone to ride or at least feel the way I do when I ride. I even mentor kids through snowboarding. Some people do still wish for days gone by, though. Maybe those are the 'haters' you're talking about...
When I say you're missing the point, my point is that Shaun White has made himself into just another celebrity. Just like other figures in the public eye, his choices will be scrutinized. He put himself in that position and I hope he has tough skin about it because no one is going to agree with every decision he makes. Especially the deals that seem to be all about the money. He is the first snowboarder on everyone's lips and we don't all want him speaking for us. My point is, he is not, as Buckheit put it, "an over-achiever in a scene ruled by snowboarding's unspoken statutes of slack." He is a competitor first in a scene whose genesis lies at the antithesis of competition. The only way I see the progression of snowboard competition as beneficial is if it brings the masses to discover the feeling of snowboarding. Otherwise it might as well be another ball sport or fight. And I hate to see it reduced to that.
What we have here is a difference of opinions on the word 'progress.' You see, some people see progress as adding another 180 or flip to a trick. Some people see it as adding another '0' to a paycheck. Some people see it as naming snowboarding right alongside other mainstream sports like golf. Some people see it as another new feeling from sliding down snow on a stick. That's what adds to the richness and diversity of snowboarding. To some it's a sport, destined to be judged and debated. To others it's an art: never quantified, always appreciated. Any way you look at it, there are myriad ways to hate on any snowboarder. It's just another opinion to express. What did he (or she) do? What did he do differently? What did he do first? At the end of the day do any of these guys really need or care about your sympathy? Maybe empathy is what we should strive for. If their intentions are good and they aren't just taking snowboarding to the bank, then what's the deal? Shaun is just another guy and snowboarding is just another way to feel good while passing the time. At the same time snowboarding wouldn't be the same without him, snowboarding and snowboarders don't owe him anything but the mutual respect of a human.
Let me start with a bit of a disclaimer. I have a journalism degree, not that anyone needs one to realize that sensationalism sells, but it emphasizes the point. I get it. You need to draw a hard line on a topic and ride it through the conclusion. Having an unpopular viewpoint or pissing people off can be a recipe for success. Especially when your topic is Shaun White, someone who people want to read about anyway. So the writer started with a good premise. Then it all fell apart in ridiculous assumptions and meaningless analogies.
Let's start with the topic. As the title implies, she's all about Shaun. Specifically, people not hating on him. I'm all for that. After all, we're all human. We all make choices and no two of us would make them all the same. Get over it. That's why I'm no 'hater.' Would I want Shaun's skills? Sure. Would I parlay them through an agent into the kind of life he lives? Not for one second. That's where our author misses the boat. Plenty of riders have or had the talent and never turned into media wet dreams. Craig Kelly and Terje Haakonsen come to mind. Craig was winning every competition in his day only to give up the competition scene for backcountry freeriding. Unfortunately, an avalanche ended his life too soon or I'm sure we'd still be reading about his epic lines. Terje boycotted snowboarding's addition to the Olympics in his prime. Then, instead of just complaining about how skiers were making all the rules, he started The Arctic Challenge (with fellow old-school ripper Daniel Franck). Out of that grew the TTR, today's main ranking system for competitive snowboarding. Oh yeah, and he set the world record for snowboard air at age 33 on one of his Arctic Challenge transitions, so he's still killing it. Bottom line, your image is the sum of the choices you make and that's where some snowboarders diverge from White. I'm not alone when I say I'd rather hear more about how he helped out kids in Rwanda and less about how he just inked another endorsement deal.
Another idea that's got to go is the one that Shaun, as Buckheit puts it "single-handedly brought sponsors and dollars and droves of fans to the sport." The game was already in town when the White bus arrived. He wasn't in the first two Olympics. He wasn't even the first millionaire snowboard pro. I'm not saying he jumped on the bandwagon, but he wasn't exactly Christopher Columbus either. Near as I can tell he went to camp on Mt. Hood all summer every summer from birth. He (and his parents) probably knew he could shred for a living, but had no idea it would blow up this big. Maybe I'm way off... Hell, the US Open was in its second year at Stratton when he was born. Now, sponsors like hair care products, big box stores and car audio makers (I won't name names because they haven't paid me off yet), those might be new to the Shaun White time frame. I guess you're right there. Those, I think snowboarding could do without. They didn't help us get on the "ski" lifts back in the day and they sure as hell aren't helping drop lift ticket prices now. Without launching into an anti-advertising rant, we have plenty of shred companies that are willing to pony up for quality events, maybe we don't need 20 of the same halfpipe contests every year just to be sold energy drinks from a different angle.
Your ad here?Now, let me share a funny story about Shaun White fans. I went to the X Games last year. I have a friend near Aspen and I found out it was free to watch so a few of us went to check out the finals of slopestyle . One of the guys and his pregnant wife were not enjoying themselves standing in the cold, so why were they staying? To get a picture of Shaun White. Well, that year was the year he broke his board before his first run of the finals, so when his number got called, he was scrambling and Mikkel Bang ended up riding while Shaun figured out what to do. Meanwhile, this guy and his wife are making for the exit, stoked because they thought they just saw Shaun White, when they actually saw Mikkel Bang. I had to bring them back to down to Bummerville where they begrudgingly waited another five minutes to watch the Tomato let fly on a broken board. What's the point of this rant? Plenty of fans out there watching aren't snowboarding fans, they're Shaun White fans. Snowboarders aren't used to that. We're used to people getting into snowboarding more for the feeling and less for the spectacle. But now the media age and the Shaun White era are upon us. People now see snowboarding as a means to be in commercials and be on every magazine cover. Not all of us like that. Not all of us would have made those choices.
On the same front, here's another line of reasoning that doesn't work:
"He's the little indie band you used to go see in a college bar that just got nominated for a pop Grammy." (another Mary Buckheit quote)
He's never been indie. He's a product of the media! No one knew about him before TV because he wasn't competing before snowboarding was televised. He grew up on TV. It's stuff like this that had me screaming, "Do you even snowboard!?" at the screen while I was reading this article. Now, if you're using Shaun as a metaphor for snowboarding and you think we don't want to share snowboarding with the masses, well, maybe. Personally, I'd love for everyone to ride or at least feel the way I do when I ride. I even mentor kids through snowboarding. Some people do still wish for days gone by, though. Maybe those are the 'haters' you're talking about...
When I say you're missing the point, my point is that Shaun White has made himself into just another celebrity. Just like other figures in the public eye, his choices will be scrutinized. He put himself in that position and I hope he has tough skin about it because no one is going to agree with every decision he makes. Especially the deals that seem to be all about the money. He is the first snowboarder on everyone's lips and we don't all want him speaking for us. My point is, he is not, as Buckheit put it, "an over-achiever in a scene ruled by snowboarding's unspoken statutes of slack." He is a competitor first in a scene whose genesis lies at the antithesis of competition. The only way I see the progression of snowboard competition as beneficial is if it brings the masses to discover the feeling of snowboarding. Otherwise it might as well be another ball sport or fight. And I hate to see it reduced to that.
What we have here is a difference of opinions on the word 'progress.' You see, some people see progress as adding another 180 or flip to a trick. Some people see it as adding another '0' to a paycheck. Some people see it as naming snowboarding right alongside other mainstream sports like golf. Some people see it as another new feeling from sliding down snow on a stick. That's what adds to the richness and diversity of snowboarding. To some it's a sport, destined to be judged and debated. To others it's an art: never quantified, always appreciated. Any way you look at it, there are myriad ways to hate on any snowboarder. It's just another opinion to express. What did he (or she) do? What did he do differently? What did he do first? At the end of the day do any of these guys really need or care about your sympathy? Maybe empathy is what we should strive for. If their intentions are good and they aren't just taking snowboarding to the bank, then what's the deal? Shaun is just another guy and snowboarding is just another way to feel good while passing the time. At the same time snowboarding wouldn't be the same without him, snowboarding and snowboarders don't owe him anything but the mutual respect of a human.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Avalanche Awareness
Any interest in riding out-of-bounds? How about the backcountry? What's the difference? Do you pack a beacon, probe and pole every time or do you often strike out solo and hope for the best? Who hasn't been gripped by footage of Jeremy Jones or Travis Rice narrowly escaping death while riding the white wave. If you want to know the ropes, take this survey from the Canadian Avalanche Centre and Simon Fraser University to gauge your readiness. You could win a beacon, AvaLung or shovel/probe set. Or you could gain valuable info that could save your life. We're all winners in this one, go take the survey.
Music That Doesn't Live Up To Its Name
I was listening to the radio when the DJ announced a song by the group Chairlift called "Bruises." I thought for sure it would be something heavy, but instead I got this...
Not what I had in mind. That doesn't get me ready to ride! When I think about Chairlifts and Bruises, this is more like it...
That was Amon Amarth with "Cry of the Black Birds." It's also the song used in the 'metal teaser' for "That's It, That's All" which is where I first heard it, so the link is forged. Now I want to shred.
Not what I had in mind. That doesn't get me ready to ride! When I think about Chairlifts and Bruises, this is more like it...
That was Amon Amarth with "Cry of the Black Birds." It's also the song used in the 'metal teaser' for "That's It, That's All" which is where I first heard it, so the link is forged. Now I want to shred.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Gnar Wars, No I'm Not Kidding
I just watched this again. Unfortunately, my ribs are bruised from a hard fall yesterday, so it hurts to laugh. Don't watch this video if it hurts to laugh...
Gnar Wars by Mike Benson from Mike Benson on Vimeo.
Check out more of their stuff at knifeshowinc.com most of it is pretty cool, if a little over-produced. Fun with After Effects, anyway. I wish I knew how to do that shit on FCP. Must take forever or they know a lot that I don't. Always watch 'til the end, too, funny stuff after the credits.
Gnar Wars by Mike Benson from Mike Benson on Vimeo.
Check out more of their stuff at knifeshowinc.com most of it is pretty cool, if a little over-produced. Fun with After Effects, anyway. I wish I knew how to do that shit on FCP. Must take forever or they know a lot that I don't. Always watch 'til the end, too, funny stuff after the credits.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Record Exec Nazis Stealing My Fun
I just found out that the video I link to in this post got taken down by the control freaks over at Warner Music Group. The song I refer to is T.I. featuring Rihanna "Live Your Life." Now, you can still find some bad versions like this or worse versions like this (trainwreck? no question, hilarious? oh yeah!). Watch them now before they get taken down on quality alone. Actually, I'd recommend just finding a Bit Torrent site and downloading the song or possibly just finding the lyrics. Regardless, next time you listen to rap, change the words 'paper' and 'hater' to 'gaper' and it will have a whole new relevance. Example, the T.I. album is called Paper Trail. Change it to Gaper Trail and you've got something I can relate to!
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Video Review: Actionhorse Films' Pony Tale
Anytime you can get free shred porn, you should snatch it up. No matter how bad it looks. Anytime you can get free shred porn with names like Per-Hampus Stålhandske (filmmaker), Jakob Wilhelmson and Hampus Mosesson attached, you should download it and watch it immediately (not forget about it for two months like I did).
Jakob and Hampus are joined by a slew of talented riders from around the world. Names include Eiki and Halldór Helgason, Eero Ettala, Knut Eliassen, Marku Koski, Pat Moore and Austin Smith, just to throw some out there.
The first thing you will notice about this film is it's lack of a standard rider-part layout. Instead the video moves chronologically through the winter and from place to place, similar to From __, with Love from a couple years ago. This really gives a feel of tagging along with a group of guys throughout a winter. I would have liked to see a little more 'lifestyle' to add to this, but as it stands it flowed better than most.
The next thing you will notice is just how well put together this movie is. The shots are on-point and the editing couldn't be better. The whole package works with the music to create an amazing production. Per-Hamus is a guy who knows when to use a twerky transition and when to let the riding speak for itself. He is definitely someone I want to see more from in the future.
What about the guys in front of the lens? Yeah, they were on it, too. Nordic cityscapes fell to the likes of the Helgason brothers, Wasatch pow was slashed by Knut and Oregon even had a section featuring Austin Smith among others. The two constants were the stars of the show, Jakob Wilhelmson and Hampus Mosesson. They dabbled in the city scene. They buttoned up their pow skirts and got crazy in the backcountry. They definitely ripped the park. In short, these two snow-cial butterflies showed all the young debutantes how it's done. (Gnarly AK lines notwithstanding)
Any downfalls? Well, some of the music was a little, umm... Euro? If that's the only complaint I can think of, then I guess they did it about perfectly.
This movie is super fun to watch from the intro (which brought me back to The Name of the Game) to the out-takes. Some riders just have brief 'cameos' while others have bigger roles. Just like some friends you ride with all the time and others you just never get to see enough. The riding and filmmaking are both first-rate. Oh yeah and it's free. Like you needed another reason to pick it up. Now get over to the Actionhorse website and watch it for yourself. While you're at it, peep their blog and donate a couple bucks to the cause. Quality videos are worth supporting, especially in these tough times...
Jakob and Hampus are joined by a slew of talented riders from around the world. Names include Eiki and Halldór Helgason, Eero Ettala, Knut Eliassen, Marku Koski, Pat Moore and Austin Smith, just to throw some out there.The first thing you will notice about this film is it's lack of a standard rider-part layout. Instead the video moves chronologically through the winter and from place to place, similar to From __, with Love from a couple years ago. This really gives a feel of tagging along with a group of guys throughout a winter. I would have liked to see a little more 'lifestyle' to add to this, but as it stands it flowed better than most.
The next thing you will notice is just how well put together this movie is. The shots are on-point and the editing couldn't be better. The whole package works with the music to create an amazing production. Per-Hamus is a guy who knows when to use a twerky transition and when to let the riding speak for itself. He is definitely someone I want to see more from in the future.
What about the guys in front of the lens? Yeah, they were on it, too. Nordic cityscapes fell to the likes of the Helgason brothers, Wasatch pow was slashed by Knut and Oregon even had a section featuring Austin Smith among others. The two constants were the stars of the show, Jakob Wilhelmson and Hampus Mosesson. They dabbled in the city scene. They buttoned up their pow skirts and got crazy in the backcountry. They definitely ripped the park. In short, these two snow-cial butterflies showed all the young debutantes how it's done. (Gnarly AK lines notwithstanding)
Any downfalls? Well, some of the music was a little, umm... Euro? If that's the only complaint I can think of, then I guess they did it about perfectly.
This movie is super fun to watch from the intro (which brought me back to The Name of the Game) to the out-takes. Some riders just have brief 'cameos' while others have bigger roles. Just like some friends you ride with all the time and others you just never get to see enough. The riding and filmmaking are both first-rate. Oh yeah and it's free. Like you needed another reason to pick it up. Now get over to the Actionhorse website and watch it for yourself. While you're at it, peep their blog and donate a couple bucks to the cause. Quality videos are worth supporting, especially in these tough times...
Monday, January 19, 2009
Board Exam: 2009 Lib Tech Dark BTX 161
The big, early-season demo day at Mt. Hood Meadows got pushed back a week because, well, the resort wasn't even open when the demo was originally scheduled. What a difference that week made. Some crazy storm systems merged, stars aligned and Üllr's whiteout dropped 100" on the joint. Perfect day to demo some pow sleds, right? Try again. A quick pissing of rain turned 'waist-deep' into 'bulletproof' quicker than you can sing the chorus to "Umbrella." No matter, I made the trek with a couple friends and was determined to try out a new Lib Tech Banana Traction board that I'd heard so much about.
At the time of the demo I was around 6'1" and 170# with size 10.5 dogs. I wore new DC Ghost boots (also 'demo-ing' from Ben) and mounted the board with my Technine MFM bindings. This is a pretty soft/flexible boot and binding combo, for reference.
The first thing I noticed about the board was that... shit, they set it up goofy and I ride regular, so I took the first run backwards. My first time on a banana-ed out magne-tracion board and I'm backwards. How awkward. OK, got that fixed. Now for a real run...
I need to preface this one more time. The board I'm coming from is an Option Kevin Sansalone pro model circa 2001. That board is brick stiff. (Yeah, I'm demoing boards because I really need a new one, not just for shits) Keep that in mind when I say that the Dark was softer than I expected. Maybe it's the banana, maybe it's my supreme strength but probably it's just contrast to my most recent board. I didn't jib anything, but I bet the board would handle that arena just fine. Oh, and believe the hype. Banana = telepathic butter-ablility: you think about buttering and it's done. Simple.
Stability is also a strong point for the Dark. Both in straight lines and turns. I found the magne-traction to be subtle. It took a run to get used to, but it wasn't as radically different as I thought I might be. It did keep me in turns even through icy chop and I rode plenty of that throughout the day. When pointing it straight, the board soaked up the lumps and charged ahead like a fighter through the gauntlet. Definitely a reassuring ride.
For whatever reason, I wasn't expecting much pop from this board and I was pleasantly surprised in that regard. The thing really did "pop like a volcano," just like Lib says. The park wasn't up yet, but trail-side hits launched me farther than I was ready for before I got the board under control and knew what was up.
Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to ride any powder or trees with the board. That's what I enjoy the most and if/when I get a new board those performances will guide my choice. I'll have to wait 'til next time as, again, I've heard these are places where BTX excels.
Overall, the 08-09 Dark BTX handled everything I could throw at it. Too bad the weather didn't leave me with much chuck. I have a friend who swears by his older Dark model for everyday riding and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the Dark to anyone. I'd be remiss to leave out intangibles like all of the environmentally friendly techniques and materials Lib uses in construction and their Washington state production. Things like that draw me to a brand more than any marketing hype or sponsorship could. Drawbacks? If you can afford a price tag over 600 bucks, come to the Dark side.
At the time of the demo I was around 6'1" and 170# with size 10.5 dogs. I wore new DC Ghost boots (also 'demo-ing' from Ben) and mounted the board with my Technine MFM bindings. This is a pretty soft/flexible boot and binding combo, for reference.
The first thing I noticed about the board was that... shit, they set it up goofy and I ride regular, so I took the first run backwards. My first time on a banana-ed out magne-tracion board and I'm backwards. How awkward. OK, got that fixed. Now for a real run...
I need to preface this one more time. The board I'm coming from is an Option Kevin Sansalone pro model circa 2001. That board is brick stiff. (Yeah, I'm demoing boards because I really need a new one, not just for shits) Keep that in mind when I say that the Dark was softer than I expected. Maybe it's the banana, maybe it's my supreme strength but probably it's just contrast to my most recent board. I didn't jib anything, but I bet the board would handle that arena just fine. Oh, and believe the hype. Banana = telepathic butter-ablility: you think about buttering and it's done. Simple.
Stability is also a strong point for the Dark. Both in straight lines and turns. I found the magne-traction to be subtle. It took a run to get used to, but it wasn't as radically different as I thought I might be. It did keep me in turns even through icy chop and I rode plenty of that throughout the day. When pointing it straight, the board soaked up the lumps and charged ahead like a fighter through the gauntlet. Definitely a reassuring ride.
For whatever reason, I wasn't expecting much pop from this board and I was pleasantly surprised in that regard. The thing really did "pop like a volcano," just like Lib says. The park wasn't up yet, but trail-side hits launched me farther than I was ready for before I got the board under control and knew what was up.
Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to ride any powder or trees with the board. That's what I enjoy the most and if/when I get a new board those performances will guide my choice. I'll have to wait 'til next time as, again, I've heard these are places where BTX excels.
Overall, the 08-09 Dark BTX handled everything I could throw at it. Too bad the weather didn't leave me with much chuck. I have a friend who swears by his older Dark model for everyday riding and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the Dark to anyone. I'd be remiss to leave out intangibles like all of the environmentally friendly techniques and materials Lib uses in construction and their Washington state production. Things like that draw me to a brand more than any marketing hype or sponsorship could. Drawbacks? If you can afford a price tag over 600 bucks, come to the Dark side.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Bored at Work
I'm waiting for some video to capture at work and YouTube is my time-killer of choice. Anyway, I one day I was riding to the mountain and a friend put in a T.I. CD. This song came on. It reminded me of how shitty the drive can be, but when you get to the snow, you forget about it and everything is fine. It happens all the time. You go through the shit to get to the hits. I gotta say, though, it's so much better if you change all instances of 'paper' in the song to 'gapers.' If you don't know what a 'gaper' is, the first few definitions here should help. I'm back to work now. Just livin' my life.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Brakes on the Train!
The snow may have played havoc with my Christmas vacation schedule, but I still made it back to North Dakota to spend a couple days with my family. I got to see my parents and most of my brothers and sisters. I also caught up with some friends from ND that I don't get to see nearly often enough.
A high point of the trip was when a few of us took our nieces and nephews out sledding. I'm not talking snowmobiles, I'm talking flexible fliers and innertubes. Oh yeah! Here's a shot of the very first hill I ever snowboarded on...
Here's a shot from the hilltop. How cute is my niece?
Another from the bottom. Not far, but sharing makes the load lighter.
No snowboarding today. I did try to stand up on a sled and nearly blew out my knee. Come to find out that a friend of mine in Portland did exactly that on nearly the same day. Freaky. Here's wishing him a speedy recovery.
After that we warmed up with some slopeside cocoa and headed to a friend's house for some sledneckery. First we busted out the mini.
The kids are stoked for some tube towing.
But first a little 'mini-shred' (photo by Maverick Thompson)
A high point of the trip was when a few of us took our nieces and nephews out sledding. I'm not talking snowmobiles, I'm talking flexible fliers and innertubes. Oh yeah! Here's a shot of the very first hill I ever snowboarded on...
Here's a shot from the hilltop. How cute is my niece?
Another from the bottom. Not far, but sharing makes the load lighter.After that we warmed up with some slopeside cocoa and headed to a friend's house for some sledneckery. First we busted out the mini.
The kids are stoked for some tube towing.
But first a little 'mini-shred' (photo by Maverick Thompson)Then came the big dog. This one is Shawn's baby. He's got it all kitted out. The thing pulls like no other. He says it's got a 30-shot of NOS, whatever that means. I did understand the part about 200 horsepower. I think that's about 100 more than my car. Check it:
Still life...
Shawn with some backyard action
Still life...
Shawn with some backyard actionI took a few hot laps around the yard, but mostly took it easy. That thing is scary. It needs some space to roam. At full-throttle on the road, it peeled my lips back into a spontaneous grin and nearly took the beanie right off my dome.
Shawn pulled out his 4-wheeler for a little while, too. I swear, that kid's got more toys than KB. And they all go really fast. All thanks to ND's black gold. Good times were had by all, but they wouldn't last. I only got to spend 2 days at home before it was back on the rails of the Empire Builder.
After the cancellation on the way out and 9 more hours of delay en-route, you'd think I could catch a break eventually. Not on the way back. The iron horse was an hour late leaving and then we got another surprise on arrival into Shelby, Montana: avalanche control in the Rockies would keep our train at the station in Shelby for 8 hours. I know your question and the answer is bunker down in a bar, play pool, watch some lifeguard reality show and drink copious Bud Lite. Luckily the bar I landed at (along with 4 other sad, Portland-bound passengers) was owned by a train conductor. Upon hearing our story, he bought us a pitcher. Throw in some snowboard videos and a nap on the train and the time actually passed more quickly than you might think. Oh, but then there was another 2-hour delay in Whitefish, MT. UGH!
Stare at this picture for 2 hours and you'll feel my anguish.
Shawn pulled out his 4-wheeler for a little while, too. I swear, that kid's got more toys than KB. And they all go really fast. All thanks to ND's black gold. Good times were had by all, but they wouldn't last. I only got to spend 2 days at home before it was back on the rails of the Empire Builder.
After the cancellation on the way out and 9 more hours of delay en-route, you'd think I could catch a break eventually. Not on the way back. The iron horse was an hour late leaving and then we got another surprise on arrival into Shelby, Montana: avalanche control in the Rockies would keep our train at the station in Shelby for 8 hours. I know your question and the answer is bunker down in a bar, play pool, watch some lifeguard reality show and drink copious Bud Lite. Luckily the bar I landed at (along with 4 other sad, Portland-bound passengers) was owned by a train conductor. Upon hearing our story, he bought us a pitcher. Throw in some snowboard videos and a nap on the train and the time actually passed more quickly than you might think. Oh, but then there was another 2-hour delay in Whitefish, MT. UGH!
Stare at this picture for 2 hours and you'll feel my anguish.If there was an upside to the vast delays it was that the train navigated Montana in the daylight hours instead of at night and the route was full of scenery that would make any human, certainly any snowboarder, glue his head to the window. I took so many pictures that I ran out of battery in my camera and had to switch to my phone, so bear with the change in quality.
Kootenai River, near its confluence with the Yaak River, Montana.
Just some of the wildlife sighted from the train window, near Glacier NP.
Lake Pend Oreille, near Sandpoint, ID.
Kootenai River, near its confluence with the Yaak River, Montana.
Just some of the wildlife sighted from the train window, near Glacier NP.
Lake Pend Oreille, near Sandpoint, ID.The final bonus of arriving 12 hours late was that my girlfriend could pick me up at the train station. So nice not to have to take a bus home with all my bags. In the end, it was a fun trip, but it will make me think twice about taking the winter train again next year. Enough of my bitching, though. I hope everyone had a happy and safe holiday season and is ready to rock in 2009.
I'm headed to San Francisco for a job in a couple days. With any luck, I'll regale you with stories of New Year's and Mt. Baker between now and then. Maybe I'll even tell you about the Lib Tech Dark BTX 161 I rode so long ago. Don't get your hope up, though, lest they be dashed...
I'm headed to San Francisco for a job in a couple days. With any luck, I'll regale you with stories of New Year's and Mt. Baker between now and then. Maybe I'll even tell you about the Lib Tech Dark BTX 161 I rode so long ago. Don't get your hope up, though, lest they be dashed...
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