Snow-centric Art Site, N-Grained Inc., Is Live

N-Grained Inc. logo, vaguely tribal. What does it mean?

Heavy hitters like Mark Landvik, Jamie Lynn, Mike Parillo and a hit squad of other artists and photographers recently launched N-Grained Inc. Last time something like this came along it was Asymbol and that turned out OK. Here's hoping for the best for them. You can't buy much there yet, but go check out the story and peruse various coffee mugs, stickers and shirts.

[Link: N-Grained Inc.]

Board Exam: 2012/2013 Lib Tech Jamie Lynn C3 Phoenix Classic

What the rep said: C3 is camber dominant, banana submissive. The board is based on an overall camber shape with a small amount of rocker at the waist.

Stats/Setup: I checked in at 6'1" and 165 pounds when I rode the Jamie Lynn 157 Mid-Wide with Salomon Dialogue Boots (size 9.5) and Union Force SL bindings at Mt. Hood Meadows, Oregon.

Conditions: variable groomers, some ice, some ankle deep fluff from a couple days ago off the groom

First impression: Of course, Jamie's signature graphics. The base is as curvy as the sidecut. I wonder when Lib is going to make a board with C4. That would really pop... Average weight.

Move on over to lib-tech.com for more specs and Jamie Lynn videos.

The Ride: The first thing I always do when I demo a board is get up to speed and rail some mid-radius turns. This board handled those turns well enough to put a smile on my face that didn't leave until I gave the board back. Magne-traction is the real deal, people. With less banana than C2, this Phoenix was really ripping. While we're on the subject of ripping turns, this board got edge to edge pretty well for a mid-wide, though my feet would have preferred the narrower 160. It was at home in the trees, too, but its real element was laying down deep trenches with big, fast turns.

Going from C2 to C3 also rewards you with a welcome increase in pop and stability. This board had some spring that's been missing from Lib boards since the banana takeover. It's also less likely to rotate through turns and more apt to link them up with power. It handled speed and landings like a boss with that trademark Lib Tech dampness.

You're not going to butter this board around like a full banana, but it's not plywood-stiff, either. It has a nice, all-mountain, medium-stiff flex. It won't do your nosepresses for you, but it will give you what you put into it.

As with most demo days, I didn't ride any rails or substantial pow. I think this would be a capable board in either of those avenues. It has a relatively short contact length for its overall length, giving it plenty of nose to float. It's also set a half-inch back on a twin shape. Move the bindings back more for pow and closer to the center for optimal switch riding. If you want to ride switch in the pow, well, get a bigger board.

Bottom Line: More camber means a more snowboardy, less skateboardy feel than past Lib offerings. The pop is back. The flex is right. For me, this is where it's at. This is my favorite Lib Tech board since a pre-banana TRS MTX. And I'm not the only one who likes it. Snowboard Magazine made it a Platinum Pick this year. It definitely lets you charge the whole mountain. Can you cover the bill?

Similar Boards: Salomon Man's Board

Demo-lition

Sunday's demo day had a huge turnout. The line for paperwork could have easily been confused for the line for some hot band's autograph signing, perhaps Ween. For good reason, too. This was easily the biggest demo day Meadows has hosted. About 10 snowboard companies were on hand (and as many ski brands) with boards and bindings and wait times for all but the hottest boards (GNU Impossible, Never Summer Cobra) were minuscule.

I put the screws to five new boards. Many of them were similar in the all-mountain freestyle category, but all had their pros and cons (that pun will hit you in a second here). I got on the following boards, in chronological order - all 2013 models - Lib Tech's C3 Jamie Lynn (back to camber-dominant, banana-submissive), Salomon's Man Board (camber profile, radial sidecut, how old school), Ride's Berserker (Jake Blauvelt's narrow, directional destroyer), Burton's Con Artist (152cm micro pow shredder) and Never Summer's Proto CT (twin, all-mountain freestyle, rocker-camber). Full write-ups forthwith. 

I Wonder If They Need An Official Blog Sponsor

Need something to do this weekend in Portland? It's gonna be hot out, so maybe taking your ass to the coast and learning some water sports is in order. Failing that, we get a snowboard rail jam and a park skating contest on back-to-back days. Let me give you the dirty dirty.

First off, the Cricket Campus Rail Jam has been gnawing its way through college campuses in the west for months now. What started in Arizona will come to a spinning, sparking, pressing and sliding conclusion in Portland's Pioneer Courthouse Square (not really that close to any college campus, but whatev'), Saturday, May 30 at 1pm. They better have the snow cone machine on ludicrous speed to keep up with the projected mid-80s heat wave. Oh yeah, and Todd-would you rather-Richards is going to be there. He needs no intro and he is still high-larry-us. Probably the best MC/host type of all tyme-ah. All the proceedings are 100% free, so if nothing else, show up for the product toss. Maybe you'll score some panties from the energy drink sponsor.

Next day, not much different. Still predicted to be hot. Still sizzling, amateur, board-on-rail action. Still free. This time in a skate park. The Zumiez Couch Tour hits Glenhaven Skatepark and it doesn't let up until everyone has heat stroke. Actually it runs from noon 'til 6. Plenty of free junk from sponsors. The Enjoi team will be there to show you how it's done and/or write their names on things. Finally, when you're so sunburnt you can't even see past your swollen eyelids, the bands start, so you don't have to worry about it. Kandi Coded (featuring Jamie Lynn) starts things off and Emery shuts them down. Because it's a school night, the festivities will end while the sun is still high in the sky. Did I mention sunblock? We Portlanders aren't used to the cloudless skies. Exhibit A: my flaking arms from our last bout of cloudlesness. In addition to the requisite energy drink and skate sponsors, this one also has a burrito sponsor (for the last time, they're not owned by McDonalds anymore, there's nothing left to feel bad about) and a meat snack sponsor. No one goes hungry here.

Kandi Coded, in case you forgot

Bottom line: free 'action sports' (am I the only one who doesn't like that phrase?) entertainment all weekend long. Throw in a couple after-parties for the grown folk and you got yourself a reason to show up late for work on Monday. You might drink enough that you regret it, but trust me on the sunblock. You'll never regret that.