Purgatory: A Brief Guide to Videos, Since You Probably Can't Ride Yet

No, not the formerly-known-as ski resort. I'm talking about when you can see the goods, but can't get in. As in, this time of year. It's snowing. The weather outside is shitty, but still you can't snowboard. It might be another couple weeks, even by the resort's most optimistic forecast. How the hell is a pusher of p-tex supposed to stay sane? Watch a ton of videos, that's how. The following is a brief 'what's what' of the few videos I've watched this season. No one can tell you what to watch, but I can lay out the info as objectively as possible. Pick out the one that most suits your taste and it'll keep you from going cuckoo for snow snow puffs until you can finally get out there.

In a land...

Title: Jeremy Jones' Deeper

Crew: Teton Gravity Research

Riders: Jeremy Jones, Travis Rice, Xavier De Le Rue, Josh Dirksen, Ryland Bell, Jonaven Moore, Forrest Shearer, Johan Olofsson, Lucas Debari, and Tom Burt

What It's Got: backcountry, documentary style, big lines, long trips, hikes to every drop, huge mountains, Alaska, Chamonix, Sierras, Antarctica, a few backcountry booters, that epic feeling

What It's Not: parks, rails, anything urban

My Opinion: If it doesn't make you want to shred, it will make you want to get better.

A fresh one-footer over a foot of fresh powder

Title:  Right Brain, Left Brain (disclaimer: I only saw the Right Brain)

Crew: Think Thank

Riders: Jesse Burtner, Matt Edgers, Scott Stevens, Sean Genovese, Gus Engle, Pat Milbery, Nick Visconti, Tim Eddy, Mark Thompson, Jason Robinson, Chris Beresford, Austin Hironaka, Blair Habenicht, Chris Larson, Ben Bogart, Sam Hulbert, Austen Granger, Andre Spinelli, Chris Brewster, Jess Kimura (no wonder they 'needed' two discs)

What It's Got: lots of jibs, some park, some backcountry, crazy one-footed stylings, crazier 'kickflips' and other no-footed shenanigans, some big spins off of big jumps, fun feeling, fast pace

What It's Not: that self-serious feeling that so many videos get these days

My Opinion: It will make you look at snowboarding (and your snowboard) differently and that's a good thing.

Yes it was

Title: In Color

Crew: Transworld Snowbording

Riders: Chris Bradshaw, Devun Walsh, Iikka Backstrom, Jake Olson Elm, Jussi Oksanen, Keegan Valaika, Mark Sollors, Mikkel Bang, Phil Jacques

What It's Got: shred porn, good mix of urban and backcountry (maybe leans more toward urban), giant glacier-maw gap, old-school and new-school riders, solid

What's It's Not: big mountain lines, lacking

My Opinion: Plenty of amazing riding, so why was I feeling a little 'meh' at the end? Was that just me?

Minibike himself showing love at his hometown screening of 9191.

Title: 9191

Crew: Volcom

Riders: Gigi Rüf, Nicolas Müller, Austin Smith, Curtis Cizek, Wille Yli-Luoma, Wolle Nyvelt, Jake Blauvelt, Blair Habenicht, Luke Mitrani, Bryan Iguchi

What It's Got: Gigi-centric without actually feeling Gigi-centric, custom-made soundtrack (Slayer's drummer performs a drum solo), extraordinarily creative backcountry, enough of said backcountry to make you want to spring for a heli this year (as if you didn't already)

What It's Not: urban, bad

My Opinion: This one really made me want to ride. Add a little more documentary and it's up there with the best ever.

No, it's not censored in the actual movie

Title: Fuck It

Crew: Forum

Riders: John Jackson, Stevie Bell, Nic Sauve, Niko Cioffi, Austen Sweetin, Jake Welch, Cameron Pierce, Pat Moore, Andreas Wiig

What It's Got: funny intro sequences, urban, big park jumps, John Jackson getting gnar in the backcountry, some others get a little in the backcountry

What It's Not: Peter Line, Daniel Ek

My Opinion: I was bored with all the rail and park porn. Then John Jackson came on and I got stoked.


Hopefully this list will help you get a grip on some of the videos out there this year. As usual, you have dozens of choices and they're all different. Mostly different. The few I've listed are but mere flakes on the grand mountain of shred celluloid. Fortunately, unlike Indy's choice in The Last Crusade, you can't really go wrong. And with iTunes out there, you can put a couple bucks away toward your season pass, too. If you're lucky, you have friends who like shred flicks, too and you can borrow some. Trade back and forth and get a little library thing going. Which makes me think, why isn't there any place out there where you can rent these videos? Would anyone else partake in this? I know I would. While I'm mini-ranting, does anyone else feel like it's giving away the ending when people who preview videos tell you who had the ender? I do. That shit has got to stop!

Deeper and 9191 are the two from this list that I'll buy. Their re-watching potential is sooo high. I'll also probably buy Absinthe's NowHere (though maybe on iTunes) because I know, instinctively, that it's going to be good. I might have to get Right Brain, Left Brain, too, if only to see the other half.

No matter how close the season is, it will always feel like an eternity. With the right exercise and stretching routine to get you in shape (you know, so you can actually ride without feeling like every bit of soft tissue in your knee is going to explode on every landing) and a couple movies to keep the kid in you alive you'll be on that first chair in no time. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to find someone to convert my old, twisted Mack Dawg tapes to DVD.

Forum Double Fucks Portland

No one does Willamette waterfront warehouse snowboard video parties quite like Forum Snowboards. Don't believe me? Check out the On Air warehouse at 1300 N River St. on Saturday, October 16. Forum's new team movie Fuck It will be playing not once, but twice this weekend. The all-ages showing is at 7pm and PBR will be flowing at the 9pm show ($2 each or 2 for $3, no freebies here). Also at 9, riders Peter Line, Stevie Bell, Jake Welch, Austin Sweetin and Cameron Pierce will be tossin’ out product to the jams of DJ ISM. Aforementioned riders will appear for an autograph signing on Friday the 15th at US Outdoor Store. Check their blog for more details. And if you want to check out a teaser that will remind you of Top Gun, head over to Forum.

Video Review: Forum or Against 'Em

Rider List:
Peter Line, Eddie Wall, Joni Malmi, John Jackson, Pat Moore, Jake Blauvelt, Stevie Bell, Nic Sauve, Travis Kennedy, Jake Welch

Opinion:
A well-done, trippy opening sequence (if a bit long), set the tone early. This video has a ton of personality and I actually learned something about the riders as people throughout the each section. How about that!? It isn't the case of personality being the compliment because the riding sucked, either... in fact the riding was on-point, too. That's right, the rare double of being full of bangers while also giving you time to catch your breath. It seemed like every other rider in this flick got broken off hard. Lots of injuries on the Forum team last season and lots of gutsy parts from riders who weren't playing with a full deck, so to speak. By now, you've probably seen that both Pat and Jake were nominated for Transworld Awards. Jake's is not the part you might imagine. Pat's is, and then some. It was great to see Peter Line out there this year with his distinct style yet again. All the parts are really solid in this video. It really doesn't let up throughout. The action is mostly urban with a bit of park and backcountry freestyle and even some big mountain when you least expect it.

My only let down came at the end. Daniel Ek's section (and Greg Bretz's, but I don't know much about him) was limited to 2 shots at the very end. I'm not talking during the credits, I'm talking after the credits. I don't know if he was hurt or what, but fuck that shit! I'm expecting big things from that kid. He's got so much energy and talent it's unreal. Set a Google alert for his name and watch it blow up. You'll see. Anyway, I was talking slops on this video. The only other one was that they recycled some spots. I'll let 'em off the hook this time, but only because they used some shots from Mt. Hood SkiBowl, which is the closest chairlift to my front door. Represent! or something

Overall, Forum or Against 'Em kicked ass and for 6 bucks on iTunes, you can hardly go wrong. Get it, you won't regret it.