Sandy Beaches and Salted Rims

I'm skipping town for Cancún kids. The ol' lady's celebrating a milestone and I have a free place to stay. When I get back I'm hoping for snow on the mountain. If not, I'm just going to have to leave again. Enough of this shoulder season, I'm all about the head or the toes. When I get back, I'll tell you all about how having long hair can win you a free snowboard. Here's a hint, you have to decide to cut it on the spot...

Pennywise and I don't mean King's IT Clown

Music is a powerful force. Aside from being a multi-brahzillion dollar industry it has the power to change peoples' lives. Joining a band and making music can help people express themselves, exhibit creativity and possibly get out of bad situations. Listening to music or going to shows is an escape for some that can help them out of the same sorts of situations while finding empathetic peers and building strong bonds. Music definitely has been a force that shaped who I am today and if I had to point to the most influential band in my life, that band would be Pennywise.

Pennywise was (from left): Randy, Byron, Jim and Fletcher

Now I can't remember the first time I heard Pennywise, high school is a bit of a daze. It was probably around the time About Time was on shelves. I distinctly remember Full Circle coming out... from a preview video at Wal-Mart. I don't remember the first time I saw them live, same daze, but I've seen them several times. One of my favorite things in live music is hearing Fletcher say, "Let's see some fucking action!" He says it every time and every time it results in people getting real!

The one thing that I will always remember about Pennywise is the recurring theme in their music of living each day to the fullest. One thing I distinctly remember is the first time I ever went to a ski resort. Montana's Big Mountain was the destination (said resort has since been renamed something I can't recall). Pennywise's About Time was on 'heavy rotation.' Pennywise and snowboarding were inextricably linked. Nothing helps me to live in the moment more than snowboarding. Fast forward a few years to my purchase of a CD player/alarm clock. After experimenting with a few discs to get me out of bed in the morning I eventually settled on Pennywise's Full Circle and it hasn't left since. For about the last five years, every time that alarm has woken me up it has been to the same song: Final Day. The album was dedicated to their friend and former bassist, Jason Thirsk, who committed suicide. This was their first album without him. The song revolves around themes of asking your friends for help, being true to your emotions and yes, living every day like it's your last. "Don't know when it's gonna come, your final day." Holy SHIT! What better way to get out of bed in the morning!?

Now the band has gone through another change. Their lead singer for the life of the band, Jim Lindberg, left. After 19 years with the group, it was time for him to move on. A temporary replacement has been found in former Ignite front man Zoli Teglas. And so a new chapter in a band's story that could fill volumes.

For those volumes, I'd like to say "Thank You." Thanks for all of the inspiration. Thanks for speaking out and thanks for reminding me what really matters. Album after album. One day at a time. I'm looking forward to what's next. I know this isn't the end for Pennywise.

How to NOT Buy New Snowboard Gear

The Anti Buyers' Guide

Dropping temperatures. Cloudy days. Cool rain. Here it comes. Not the actual snowboard season, but that trip to the closet (garage?) to check on all your gear from last year. All that busted up equipment you were hoping would last another season. Three seasons ago. Whether it's the board with more core shots than an infested crate of apples, the boots that are held together with shoe goo and duct tape or the jacket that soaks up water like a dehydrated raver, something might need replacing. Welcome to the puzzle we call snowboarding. Here are a couple simple suggestions that will see you through the season with enough money left over to, uh, you know, buy a lift ticket. You should still look through the other buyers' guides, though, to see what you'll be buying in the future. More on that when the time comes. Here's how to make everything last just a little bit longer, so you don't have to buy new gear in the first place.

Before I get into things like maintenance and repair, a quick note on the hype machine. You know what I'm talking about. It's what makes you want to buy the latest and greatest to begin with. You see that new sidecut, that new camber, that new print, that new tech and you gotta have it. No, you don't. Don't listen to the ads. Riders jibbed rails and bombed big mountain lines long before this new wave of technology. Skill trumps gear every time. Boards, especially, last much longer than most people think. I bought my first board (not counting the Wal-Mart one) in '00/'01. It was my only board until 2006. I rode it again when my new board that year got stolen. A friend of mine rode it all last season. It's taken some lumps, but nothing I couldn't repair for cheap. When you can make it last, it feels so much sweeter when you finally buy something new. Maybe you'll make that new purchase with durability in mind, too. Now that's a self-perpetuating cycle I can get behind.

Now, do you really need new gear or is it more of a want? This is an honest question. Even the best GoreTex jacket will eventually succumb to the harsh little crystals of ice we call snow and turn itself into spongy, tattered rags not fit for a homeless shelter. I'll tell you how to score a deal in a future article. Until then, there are things we can do to repair the water repellency of outerwear. I like to use Nikwax products and find that they extend the useful life of my jackets, pants and even gloves. If I'm out on a rainy or particularly wet day or a day that I spend a lot of time on the ground, I just spray some on the arms and back of my jacket and the seat and inseam of my pants (the high-wear areas) after riding. If you prefer the fewer applications style, go for the kind you wash in. One bottle in the washing machine should bring 3 or 4 garments to like-new condition. For less than 10 bucks a bottle you could get an extra season out of your gear or at least give you time to save up. Sure beats paying hundreds of dollars for new stuff.

My current supply, $30 to save $300.

What about boots? I mentioned the two magic ingredients already. If you weren't paying attention the first time, they were duct tape and shoe goo. Got holes where your board rests on the lift ride or where your binding rubs a little too much? Either one of these remedies will have your boots back to normal in little time and little money. Shoe goo is far more permanent, but a little trickier to apply. Once you get it right, your boot will actually be as good as new. I just read in the new Transworld that author Joel Muzzey uses it for everything from boots to gloves and jackets. He also uses an ice cube to smooth out his goo. I have no idea where that came from, but I tried it on the gloves below and it worked fine. I'll probably stick to the toothpicks that I used on the boots, but it's always an option.

The repaired glove isn't as flexible and it looks like I just jerked off on it, but its weather resistance is restored and it's probably more durable than before.

Shoe goo is nigh transparent on the boots.
The one on the right (for comparison's sake) hasn't been treated.

Duct tape is sometimes hard to get to stick to the uneven, textured surfaces of a boot, but if you can pull it off, it'll make a lasting patch. Some say if you can't fix it with duct tape you should just throw it out. These folks aren't far off. If you can use shoe goo on gloves and jackets you can be damn sure duct tape works on those, too. Rocking outerwear repaired with duct tape will undoubtedly get you nods of respect in the liftline and free beers après.

My only current duct tape job is keeping a toe strap on.

Bindings are a tricky bitch to repair. No one wants to be dropping cliffs and bombing chutes in duct taped highbacks. Fortunately, spare binding parts are cheap and easy to come by. Any resort repair shop should have an assortment of hardware, straps, buckles and ratchets for you to get back on the hill without missing a fallen flake. Highbacks might require you contacting the company for a replacement. One thing I like to do to keep my bindings in order is to dab a drop of bike chain lube on each of the moving points before I put them away for the summer. That helps clear out the spring salt and protect the hinges from the dust and rust.

We all know that maintaining our board is job #1 in saving money in the long run, right? No? OK, quick question, which costs more A) an iron, a bar of wax, a p-tex candle (with lighter), a file an edge stone and a scraper or B) a new board? Trust me, the correct answer is A. I feel that every able-bodied boarder should acquire the 'A' package and do his own maintenance. That investment will pay for itself almost immediately. Once you realize how easy waxing, edge sharpening and minor p-tex repairs are, you're likely to do them yourself and do them more often. If you can't find instructions for that stuff on the internet, you need to stop searching for it in youporn and start using google. With your base in better shape, you get to ride the same board longer, hence, you save money! Another win! This also means you can wait out that whole camber quagmire for another year.

Armed with this information any rider should be able to save a little scratch. Less time worrying about money means more time spent on the hill having fun. For all those of you who do have gear that is more fit for an ambulance ride than a chairlift ride, I'll have a post coming up about ways to save when you buy gear. Any questions? Hit me up. See you on the hill, I'll be the one with the old gear...

The Airblaster Movie

Least creative title ever, not what you would expect from the Airblaster crew. The riding, however, is exactly what you would expect. Fun resort runs, rad pow and hot rhythm section action (this time with trees!). They visited a host of foreign territories from Japan to South Korea to North Carolina. Let me think for a second, Ben Lynch was in there. You know Travis Parker made an appearance. New 'Regular Guy' Ben Sutton was ripping. The locations took precedence over rider sections and I gotta say I prefer that. Overall, just a nice, fun video. No 1440 double corks, no 100 foot cliffs, just dudes having fun with other dudes. Isn't that what it's all about?

Check out all the fun stuff on that marquee.

Airblaster + Cowboys = good times!

We're All Just People

Sweet 16. So important MTV has a show for the parties and another show to comment on them. On said show, over-privileged and out-of-touch adolescent girls (and even some guys) basically do their best impression of Scrooge swimming in money. They spend thousands on clothes and tens of thousands on bands. They cry when daddy doesn't buy them the Land Rover or mommy takes away the credit card. All in the name of an exclusive sweet 16 birthday party. This world doesn't exist in my reality. The closest I've come is a party with free snowboard movies and some snacks. Let me recount to you this lavish soirée.

Exit exterior.

Portland skate/snow shop Exit Real World turns 16 this year and to celebrate they're throwing three parties. How's that for sweet? Party number one was at their Bridgeport Village location. On the docket was the People Creative's new offering, Nice Try. But what's this? A surprise late entry from Foreground productions entitled Rotate. Good to see the local kids getting together and laying down a bro movie. Exit also wheeled out (pun intended) their new skate video teaser. Add some free energy drinks, candy, popcorn, what-have-you and the assembled masses were ready for blood.

Bloodthirsty suburban teens.

What do you want from a snowboard movie? Rails, powder, park, backcountry freestyle, big lines? Gimme a break, videos are getting more diverse every year. Last year's "stunningly well-rounded" is this year's "complete, yet lacking creativity." We need more. Double corks? I hear the Chinese are already on to double corks. Next thing you know kids in North Dakota will be doing them. What else? Sketchy avalanche saves? Yawn. How about handplant to cliff drop? Do I have your attention now? Boy literally destroys rail? Snowmobile catches fire and melts into a different sort of watery grave while bewildered riders attempt to salvage gear? That sound like your kind of movie? Then give Nice Try a try. People Creative's navy sets to the frozen waves like the Spanish shred-Armada, plundering all powder and pillaging every park. Casualties are experienced in gnarly fashion, but in the end victory is claimed.

In the interest of full disclosure, Yobeat's Brooke Geery also gave me the DVD.

Marben starts it out by throwing methods in every possible circumstance. Yes, including urban. Robbie Walker demonstrates stylish slow rotations and double corks. Curtis Cizek, Louie Fountain, Bryan Fox, Jonas Carlson and Josh Mills get together on a pow bro fest or is it a bro pow fest? Hell of a fun section anyway with dudes slashing laybacks, dropping cliffs and otherwise making the flakes fly. Made me want to joint them. Shaun McKay, well, he's got a hell of a story for an insurance adjuster.

Featured riders: Wille Yli-Luoma, Seth Huot, Robbie Walker, Eiki Helgason, Lucas Debari, Zac Marben, Shaun Mckay, Will Tuddenham, Jon Kooley, Curtis Ciszek, Bryan Fox, Louie Fountain, Josh Mills, Jonas Carlson, Ricky Tucker, and Max Baillargeon

Upcoming Portland Video Screenings

Just two of them this week, but they are worth noting. Tonight at the Clinton Street Theater People Creative's Nice Try is showing at 7pm and 9pm. The early show is all ages, but the late one is 21+ and for good reason. Get this, PBR is sponsoring, so your paid admission ($6) gets you a free beer. I'm sitting on a full write-up of Nice Try, but I'm getting it a little confused with another of this year's movies, Transworld's Get Real. My brain just can't handle the subtle similarities. Expect reviews for both of those as early as tomorrow if I can get them straight by then.

Tomorrow night at the Hollywood Theater is another of Exit Real World's birthday parties. Expect chaos and depravity as The Skeleton Crew takes the screen with Group Effect. If the teaser(s) are any indication, this one's going to be chipmunk shit nutty. Get to any Exit Real World location and buy advance tickets for $5 to guarantee a seat. Hollywood Theater, Sandy Blvd., 8pm. Be there or circle takes the square.

Ask for a B-Movie and That's What You Get

Old habits die hard. I've gotten into this habit where I feel it's acceptable to drive three hours to see a snowboard video. Even when I have no one to help with gas money. That's how badly I want to see some new snow footage. That's how badly I miss winter. Burton provided my fix this time. They promised a free video in Seattle and I was powerless to resist the siren song of the highway.

Even closer to the Space Needle this time.

Not just Seattle, but the IMAX theater at the Seattle Center. Who hosts a free, check that, two free showings at an IMAX theater? Burton, that's who. Rumor has it a bunch of pros were at local core shop Snowboard Connection signing autographs before the show. My exit off the highway was shut down, so instead of driving right there, I drove around in a big circle for half an hour and showed up after everyone left. They were also out of the free tickets for the show. Who makes a premier free and then tells you that you need tickets? Yup, Burton. Time to show up at the venue and see if I can scam my way in.

When I got to the venue, the line was small and no one had extra tickets. Then again the first screening just started and it was 45 minutes 'til the next. Just enough time for me to find something else to fail at. This time I chose eating chowder. The first spoonful burnt my tongue, so did the second one mere seconds later. It tasted so good, though. By the time I was done with the bowl, a couple guys showed up with stacks of tickets to give away. No scamming necessary. (Turns out the theater was only half full in the end anyway, so much for the sellout.) Time for the show.

I hate to spoil it for you, but the new Burton movie is about dolphins.

They evolved from humans, you know...

On the way into the theater, free swag bags for everyone! Seriously, who does that!? You guessed it. My mellow bag had a shirt, bar of wax, some stickers and a lift ticket to Stevens Pass (everyone got these). Others had sweatshirts, hats and Golden Tickets that turned out to be good for a free board (3), a set of luggage (1) or a season's pass to Stevens Pass (1). Wow. I only saw one person walk out of the early show with a board, but still that's a ton of free shit. Pretty decadent, that's for sure. Wait, there was a movie, too! Let me tell you about that.

The first thing they show is the giant B feature. Can you believe that? They have this one huge feature that would be shocking to build up and then blow people away with at the end, but no, they blow it up first thing. And no one even hits it yet, they just show it off for the intro. Then at the end they try to build it up a little and I'm sitting in the audience thinking, "What, that big 'B' you showed first thing in the intro!?" Please. Here's how you do it. Show everything but the 'B' in the intro. Give a little build up, then hit the credits. Then re-build at the end and give 'em the payoff. How hard is that? Seriously.

Anyway, that aside, what's worth mentioning? Keegan Valaika breaks himself off heavily in the opener. In between sessions of torturing himself, he tortures some urban features. Nicolas Müller is one of my favorite riders and his part is my favorite in the movie. Nicolas in backcountry powder. How can you go wrong. Just push record. He seems like one of those guys who makes filming easy. Vintage stuff. The 'fun with friends in pow' part leading into his was, well, fun too. We get a taste of Shaun White in his not-so-secret-anymore backcountry Silverton, CO halfpipe. It's amazing pipe riding with more corks than jumps, if you know what I'm getting at. When he falls and they make a big deal out of it I think back to Keegan Valaika's part and how much harder he fell and how they didn't make a deal out of it. He was probably working on his Olympic run, so if you want to see that in advance, check it out. Jeremy Jones had a pretty good part. I've always like his riding and he's got some new tricks. He's perfected the one-foot 360 shove-it(?) and does a few of them in tricky situations. I loved his 'Propery of MDP' had, too. Then, guess what ends the video? Yup, the giant session on the 'B'. It was interesting to see all of the things they could do simultaneously. Some circus shenanigans, for sure. I'll say it was the best conglomeration of park features in a single place. Why couldn't they have just kept the secret?

I ain't Blotto, left to right: Spencer O'brien, Mikey Rencz,
Mikkel Bang, Danny Davis, Kevin Pearce, Mason Aguirre.

In the end it was worth my time. The problem is, I had to think about whether that was actually the case. When you have a name like The B Movie, you're setting yourself up to be second best and in my mind, that happened. It just wasn't as good as it could have been. Another gripe that just occurred to me. During the multiple rider segments, they just didn't title any riders. Especially at the end, when 40 or 50 different riders are hitting the B, I had no idea who was riding. That's the sort of thing I could have missed during a premier atmosphere, though.

Overall, plenty of top-tier riders, but a B-tier movie. Make no mistake, it made me want to get out there on my own board. If it comes near you on tour for free, it's worth the price of admission. It's just not one to buy. Save your money for Absinthe or a lift ticket.

How the Northwest Was One

Another day, another original movie with the Northwest front and center. This time it's got a sub-story of lawlessness and bounty filming complete with guns and horses. At least the snowmobiles are dubbed to sound like horses... The Seattle premier went down at a fire code disregarding Evo. The place was so packed I was picking out the nearest emergency exit (keeping in mind that the nearest exit may be behind me, it wasn't). The vibe was intense enough for the show that most of the dialogue between parts was lost for the crowd's excitement. That probably just helped sell more DVDs. It didn't hurt my choice. Afterward, music by The Senate Arcade, art showing by Spacecraft, beer by rogues entering through the windows. Then, I drive three hours home. Bitchin'. Now, howza 'bout I tell you about the movie?

Yup, 360 degrees of that.

Nick Ennen sets the pace that doesn't let up, except for the mini skits. Severe backcountry action is the name of the game: big gaps, heavy cliffs and a pillow field big enough to run a hundred person Chinese downhill. Blatant Holy Oly and Mt. Baker shots. Jibs in this movie are generally made of wood. Andy Bergin-Sperry tweaks and pokes more than a dude whose girl just got a boob job. Camera dwarfing powder tsunamis roll in from every other part. Manuel Diaz and Joe Bosler are each on the double cork stagecoach. Is that just a given anymore? Seems like every movie's got at least one. Shaun McKay has one of the funnier mini skits and one of the better parts.

Clocking just over half an hour of video, this flick keeps the hits rolling. The storyline is funny and helps to break up the action. Maybe some of the shots could have been tighter or crisper, but in the end, it was good enough to make me daydream about hitting some of the soft stuff myself. It was also good enough for me to put my money on the table and walk out with a copy.

In fact, if How the Northwest Was One doesn't make you want to get out and ride, you're probably the sort of person who prefers to ride icy halfpipes while it rains razor blades and demon heads and Sarah Palin blabs full volume in an unstoppable speaker from above. Maybe you're looking for How the Northeast Wasn't Fun. (If that title ever gets used for anything, I want a dime for every copy sold!) Catch it (the good movie, not the one I just made up) Thursday night (10/8) in Bellingham if you know what's good.

Washington State Represents with Cool Story and As Green As It Gets

In the seen-it-all world of snowboarding, originality is hard to come by. Thank God for Jesse Burtner, Sean Genovese and the Think Thank crew. I'm not talking about adding another 180 to a spin, I'm talking about a new way to tell a snowboarding story. I'm getting a little ahead of myself here, though. Seattle hosted the premier of Think Thank's new video Cool Story and YKWII/Snowboard Connection's As Green As It Gets got the crowd all warmed up.

This can mean only one thing...

As Green As It Gets came out strong with Austen Sweetin showing some range. I've seen Austen at rail jams and the Baker Banked, but in this part he lets us see what else he's got, including some footage from Superpark. Seth Kitzke also brought a stellar part to the table. Just a couple guys showing that the Northwest has a bright future. Also, it was good to see the crowed stoked on some local boys. I didn't take notes and I couldn't win a game of memory if all the tiles were apples, so check out YKWII and Snowboard Connection if you want to know more.

The autograph line was long on both sides.
In there are Blair Habenicht, Austin Hironaka, Matt Edgers, Jesse Burtner, others?

Now, on to the feature presentation of the evening, Cool Story. Starring John Candy as the coach of a ragtag bunch... wait, that's Cool Runnings. Cool Story stars the Think Thank crew and tells the story of their winter. It still follows the standard rider part formula, but breaks with convention in that it moves chronologically through the winter with each rider introducing himself, or someone else, at a specific time and place. The execution is a shred diary full of personality.

Burtner, best face forward. He also hosted the longest product raffle ever.
Thanks to the sponsors: Lib Tech, Snowboy Productions, Spacecraft, others?

Ben Bogart scored the opener and gives us a hustler's perspective on 'this economy.' He proves his worth on street rails and jumps equally. Austin Hironaka's moving up that ladder, watch out for him. Progression, right thar. Burtner shows a blatant disregard for bindings. Andre Spinelli takes it to the Alaskan backcountry and gets all double-corky (and I don't mean retarded). So many parts stand out that I could name them all... and there's a lot of them. This thing just keeps delivering. Rails, backcountry pow booters, resort fun sessions; so all-inclusive it's the Club Med of snowboarding.

This flick is worth a buy on dollars per minute alone, but that's not all, the riding is hair-pullingly great, too. Not to sound like Ron Popeil, but what more do you want than a good long shred vid to get you in that winter state of mind? Go buy a copy, a cold beverage, a snack, maybe a catheter and get ready to experience all that snowboarding has to offer. Except pretentious trick porn. None of that here.