afterbang

A Couple Of Brits

2010-02-06T18:35:00.000Z

I don't like to simply pimp other people's videos, but in some cases I like to make exceptions :) First up is young Jamie Nicholls, a UK shredder who grew up riding at Halifax, now making his way around the international stage. I like to see Jamie progressing. I remember the first time I saw him snowboarding, at Castleford, before I knew who he was. I said something like "man, that kid is killing it. He's class. He's gotta be something like 12 years old?"

I nice guy too. Anyhow, I'm sure most readers from the UK are well aware of Jamie... here's a couple of runs from the recent Burton European Open.

Next up is Jenny Jones, who has recently won X-Games Gold. I think it's great that Jenny does so well with snowboarding; I also like the fact that although women's snowboarding is often viewed as being over-shadowed by mens, Britain's most successful shredder is a girl :) That's got nothing to do with a lack of respect for the male snowboarders we've got, but more that I think it provides us with a well-balanced view of professional snowboarders.

Here's her winning run from the X-Games (you can read about it here):

If you're in the video mood, check out a couple of links: Shaun White in X-Games pipe and Eero Ettala winning slopestyle.

A Collection Of Photos...

2010-02-05T20:38:00.003Z

...I've been meaning to do this for ages. Each time I go away there are normally a few photos that I really like. I just wanted to drop them into a web album that I can update as I go; a collection of my favourite snowboarding pictures.

WSG Reviews Live!

2010-02-03T18:51:00.003Z

I've gotta say I'm pretty excited :) I received an email from Steve Dowle last night, letting me know that the Portes Du Soleil reviews I wrote for the worldsnowboardguide last season are live. It took a good deal of effort, but I think the end result is pretty good. I think it was a large task for Steve to get it all sorted out online, too.

Here's a link to the Portes Du Soleil overview.

Within the Portes Du Soleil area, there are 12 individual reviews, including resorts like Avoriaz, Chatel, Les Crosets, Les Gets, Morzine and Torgon.

I'm happy with how the pictures turned out. I didn't get any great action shots or anything like that, but I tried to get images that show what things are like: towns, terrain, parks etc. And I think, perhaps, the pictures round off the words quite nicely. I haven't read too many of the individual reviews yet; probably because I've already spotted a couple of grammatical errors :)

Here's the post I wrote about the experience of writing all those reviews...

If anyone does read some of it, let me know what you think. I'd certainly take feedback, especially as it might be something I do again in the future.

Finally Got Something Sorted

2010-02-01T20:12:00.004Z

Well, we've finally booked something for this season: two weeks in Morzine, starting on Saturday 27th February. That's just under 4 weeks away, exciting!

This trip has a few 1st's:

It's the first time we've left it this late to book...
It's the first time we've opted for a catered chalet...
It's the first time we've organised something with Ciara's brother...
It's the first time we've booked something overlapping with the French school holidays (I think)...

All in all, it should be really interesting. I'm keen to find out what it's like staying in catered accommodation. I'm also keen to see if it's much busier at the end of February; we normally aim for January or March.

The last couple of weeks have been a little bit of a black hole, with much to organise, and not all of it snowboard-related. I still haven't streamed my footage from last season; I normally make it a rule to do so before any snowboarding the following season. In which case, that gives me less than 4 weeks to stream and edit. Hopefully I'll get it done...

It's Been A While

2010-01-24T17:52:00.004Z

I was just thinking about this today: it's been a good while since I was on a snowboard. In fact, it's probably the longest absence since I first strapped in. Even the first year-period between my first and second snowboarding holidays was broken by one or two trips to the snowdome, and maybe even the dry slope.

Looking back over the last 12 months, I haven't been on my snowboard since Morzine. Wow. Hopefully I won't have regressed too much :)

I did skate more over the last 12 months, which was something I set out intentionally to do, and had a lot of fun doing. I wanted to see if more than a few sessions would enable to me to learn some new tricks; and it did. Nothing major, but progression was made.

And in the past, I've seen the same small-steps with my snowboarding. Since I started keeping a record, I had 9 and 4 UK-snowboarding sessions in 2007 and 2008 respectively. Although I didn't make double figures in either of those years, a few trips to the Halifax kicker is, and has been, enough to learn a few new tricks and get more comfortable with the things you can already do.

So what does this mean for 2010? Well I'm getting married this October, which will take up a fair amount of time and resource. Plus, I've decided to try a cycling event with some friends in August: the coast-to-coast. Being competitive, I'm planning on training for this. And again, I'd like to skate more...

With those things in mind, I can't see myself traveling down to Halifax that often - but I suppose nothing is set in stone. To be honest, I prefer doing stuff when I can dedicate a decent amount of time. I'm not particularly fussed about making a solitary visit to Castleford or Halifax during the off-season; if it was a choice between one or none, I'd be happy to take none, and do more of whatever other project I was giving time to.

And that's probably the reason I didn't go at all last year. One trip might be fun, but I much prefer a series of visits where I can set some goals and get the feeling of progression.

And that's what I'd like to do again. I'd like to set up a handful of sessions at Halifax. Work the kicker; progress. It's flexible with regards to how you spend your time on the slope, which makes it a great spot to get some photos and video, and generally a great day out. The only problem is the time and money.

So if it doesn't pan out this year, I'd like to aim for double figures in 2011...

How about you guys? What do you do when you can't snowboard in resort?

How Much Do The Design Features Of Our Snowboarding Gear Matter?

2010-01-15T20:53:00.000Z

A lot of people, and I'm definitely one of them, spend a good amount of time contemplating the different design options available when buying new snowboarding gear. It could be a new board, some boots, an avalanche beacon or maybe just some wax. There are a lot of products out there!

But how much difference do all those features really make?

Certainly, there are big differences between some designs, and these differences have a definite effect on your snowboarding. I view these as enabling designs, or prohibitive designs, depending on which way you look at it. Here are some personal examples:

My first snowboard: a 157 Burton Clash. A bit of a beginners board, after my first week I felt I'd out-grown it. Tanking it down fresh groomers the board felt unstable at speed. The season after, I traded it for the Rome Anthem. It was a world of difference for stability, base speed and edge hold.
Stiff boots: the Salomon Malamute. I used to own these Salomons, which were designed as an aggressive, freeride boot. My first few jib sessions on an indoor slope left me with sore ankles. Swapping them for the 32 Lashed boots gave me a snug, controlled fit that also allowed for freestyle-flex. Much lighter too.
A short, twin tipped snowboard in deep pow. I'm sure there are many out there who shred powder with their short, freestyle boards and have no problems. When the snow was waist deep, I struggled, whilst watching friends float on the top...

Yes, sometimes the difference between kit is as clear as night and day, and therefore it's important to choose the right stuff.

But what about the smaller differences, or the latest design ideas? These tend to be the choices that we, or myself at least, spend the most time debating. How much do these matter? Should we pay attention, or just pick the one we like the look of and get on with the snowboarding?

Again, some personal examples.

Bindings. I spent a while trying to choose between 4 bindings, arguably all pretty similar. Burton Missions, Ride Deltas, Union Contacts and Union Forces. Some would say that the Deltas and Contacts are a good deal softer; but how much? There were differences between my old Burton Missions and my Drake MLBs, but not the kind of enabling differences like those above. I could do the same stuff in both.
Reverse Camber. To be honest, I might be naive in saying that this doesn't make much of a difference, given that the banana'ness of my T.Rice is slight. That said, I didn't feel much difference riding that reverse camber board.
Weight. Some products make a big deal of how light they are. Sure, if you pick the heaviest option for every bit of kit, you're gonna feel it. But for a single set of boots or bindings? Will 100 or 200g make a difference?

It's fun and interesting checking out new equipment, new models, new ranges; but for gear that's in a similar category, like choosing between two, twin-tipped freestyle boards, maybe we shouldn't worry too much about making the wrong decision? Once you get the board, for example, you'll adapt to its design features and if something felt a little weird to begin with, you'll probably grow to like it.

Pick the one that fits well, that's comfortable, that you like the look of, or the one that comes in under budget. Get it and ride with it. Don't sweat over the minutia of the technology or the latest and greatest design features.

Is that fair, or asking for trouble? I'll still get interested by the new stuff, but once I've picked, I'm not too worried.

So what's your take? Is a board a board, or is it important to get the highest grade sintered base? Are there too many examples of yourself or friends buying gear that turned out to be bad, making you careful what you select? Or do you just get on with it until your gear's worn out?...

The Big 3 - 0

2010-01-13T20:20:00.002Z

That's right, it's my birthday today and I'm now 30 years old. It sounds weird, but doesn't feel any different.

I suppose it doesn't carry much snowboarding-relevance; I can't see my attitude, desire or approach to snowboarding change any time soon. I suppose I've had less available time/resource over the last few seasons to go snowboarding, but there's a good chance that will change in the future. I hope so anyway.

I do however recall saying something like "I'd like to land a 7 before I'm 30". I regret to inform you all, that has not happened. I won't view that as a failure though - I could just set the goal of putting down a 9 before I'm 40 :) Haha!

Snow In The North East

2010-01-13T20:06:00.002Z

Well, over the last few days the snow has started to wash away. The temperature has been up a little, so it didn't all re-freeze to create one, big ice-rink.

I did take some pictures whilst out and about. Durham, in particular, was spectacular at the weekend. We drove down there on Saturday morning to hook Ciara up with a new passport; while she was in the passport office I took a walk along the river, which looked awesome...

They say the snow may be coming back again. In fact I think there were a few airports further down the country closed today. We're not really used to these conditions here and I think the majority would be happy they didn't see any more snow this year. Whilst it can be annoying for getting around and it serves no practical purpose to me locally, I still welcome it!

One Of The Reasons The Robot Food Films Were So Good...

2010-01-10T14:30:00.002Z

...They had people like Pierre Wikberg working on them. Check out this clip showing some of the photos he shot while filming Lame:

Photos from 2003. from pierretube on Vimeo.

Union Contact Bindings: Preview

2010-01-08T21:42:00.003Z

So I've bought some new bindings. After considering the Burton Mission, the Ride Delta, the Union Contact and the Union Force - I opted for the Union Contact.

I first narrowed it down to one of the offerings from Union. They caught my eye, I liked what I saw, I liked the fact that Gigi operates with their bindings and I wanted to try something new.

My first thoughts were to get a freestyle oriented binding. Yeah I ride all over the mountain, but I jib around quite a bit, I've got a short board, fairly soft boots, so I wanted something freestyle-esque from my bindings.

But they were out of stock. Given my initial criteria, I was a little worried that the Force bindings might be a little too stiff for what I was after. Queue a healthy dose of procrastination, and I came to the conclusion that I would buy the Force bindings. If they were a little stiff, that's no big problem. I'd soon get used to them, and if/when I get around to buying a powder stick, I could set them up on that and get some softer bindings too...

And then... the Contact bindings were available again. So I was back to making a decision. I spoke to a guy in some shop and he was thinking the Contact bindings might be too soft, not responsive enough. Maybe they are too soft? I thought. Blah blah, I'm sure this part of the story is getting a little tired.

Conclusion: I bought the Union Contact bindings. I'll find out soon enough what they're like to ride.

So why did I call this a preview? Well, apart from some pics of the new bindings, which you can see on the Internet anyway, I wanted to mention something about the weight.

The Contact binding is supposed to be a "little brother" to one of their higher end bindings: the Force MC, which is dubbed as the lightest weight binding on the planet. Being considerably cheaper than the Force MC, the Contacts aren't quite as light weight, but light non the less...

How light?

Well, I put a small sample of bindings to the test: the new Union Contact, my old Drake MLBs and Ciara's current bindings, the Burton Lexa. All three bindings are Medium in size, although the Lexas are of course, a female specific binding.

Here are the results:

Union Contact: 800g
Burton Lexa: 860g
Drake MLB: 920g

So they're lighter than my old bindings, and lighter than the smaller, female bindings :) Nice. Will I notice much of a difference? Maybe. They do feel a little lighter in the hand, but not by much.

As for the reverse-camber-specific design of the Contacts, it's hard to tell just by looking at them. I haven't strapped them onto my board yet. Also, there's the toe strap that can be worn either as a conventional strap or a cap-strap. I'll comment on these things later...

Here's the proof :)

Looking At: The Dakine Overhead

2010-01-07T20:33:00.003Z

I've mentioned before that I'm quite interested in upgrading my "carry on luggage". The reason being that when I get on a plane for a snowboarding trip, my hand luggage includes a laptop, a camera and a video camera. Getting all of that into a regular backpack, along with a magazine, mp3 player, perhaps a book, and then my travel documents etc, is pretty tight.

If it does fit, you can bet that getting anything out that isn't right at the top, is gonna be a chore.

Something like the Dakine Overhead, which has a split design and a fairly large capacity would sort me right out. The specs say that it's 21 x 13 x 8.5 " [ 53 x 33 x 22cm ], and that puts it nicely inside the regulations for EasyJet.

Previously, I wasn't sure that airlines would always accept this size of hand luggage. I'm not worried about that now. And if EasyJet will take it, I can't see it being a problem elsewhere.

The only thing I'm not so sure about is pushing around two wheeled cases: this one and the larger Split Roller. Added to my current luggage setup, I'd be carrying a boardbag over the shoulder as well as pushing two cases, albeit one of them is pretty small.

Is that gonna be tricky? Do I need all that capacity? What luggage do you take?

It Just Keeps Snowing

2010-01-06T17:08:00.003Z

Normally around this time of year I'm watching the snow reports for whatever resort I'm planning on visiting. Right now, I'm watching the snow locally - it doesn't seem to want to stop.

I think I mentioned it back on the 20th December, last year. Since then, there's continually been snow on the ground. This rarely happens in the UK. I can't remember the last time there's been snow like this, ever.

It hasn't been piling up mind. Probably not more than 3" - 4" at anyone time. But the difference has been the temperature. It's been cold enough to keep the snow and ice hanging around. This morning I'm sure there was a good 4" of fresh snow.

Over Christmas and New Year we had quite a bit going on - not much spare time. But I'm starting to think now that I owe it to myself to get on my snowboard somewhere on UK soil.

I have shredded in Scotland once before. That's not really an option at the moment due to time and cash, and I'm still not certain I really want to go to one of their resorts again. That said, inspired by an article in Whitelines, I would like to try getting a guide and heading in to the backcountry, but that will be a future adventure I think.

There are some fairly local options. Hills that have rope lifts. Never been to one of those, but I'm sure they're fun, to a point. And fresh snow is almost always good :)

Just this evening, Mike sent me this link to Allenheads. They're reporting 60-70cm of new snow, and advising visitors to bring their own shovels to dig out a parking space! If I get a few things sorted, I'd like to try something this weekend, providing the weather's still good enough for snow, but not so good that we couldn't get there.

And that aside, I'm sure there are plenty of UK jibbbers looking for urban sessions. It's never been something I've really tried before, but I reckon I'd still have loads of fun finding a rail to slide...

I should have had my camera with me today; if the weather continues like this I'll take it with me and post some pictures. Driving to work this morning was like driving in a french resort. If only there'd been somewhere to stop for a decent pastry and a hot chocolate; Greggs just didn't seem like the real thing :)

Absinthe's Neverland: DVD Review

2010-01-03T21:14:00.004Z

Absinthe's Neverland is the first snowboard movie that I've bought this season. I'm definitely an Absinthe fan, so each year, if I'm looking for something to buy, I'll normally start with their current production. Here's the review.

The Introduction, leading into the first sequence is excellent, as is often the case with Absinthe movies. I think they get this right every time; an emotive build-up running into some first class shredding. In this case, it's Japan, and the opening section has Nico Muller, Kevin Pearce and a little bit of Eero Ettala.

Powder by the bucket load, trees, drops, everything is natural. Super smooth style; they ride it like the trees aren't there. For me, this concoction of filming style, terrain and riding will always make we want to go snowboard, no matter how many times I watch it. I'd say this is the best section of the film.

Romain follows with some nice, high tempo back country shredding. But the next thing that really grabbed my attention was Annie Boulanger. It seems she is becoming a regular with the Absinthe crew, which I think is an excellent move. It's not a particularly long section, but her riding gets better in leaps each season, the progression and attitude is inspiring to watch. Some of her hits and lines are really impressive. Women's snowboarding is pretty huge now, but I believe Annie B is one of the first to regularly film backcountry parts; that's got to be good for others who would like to do the same.

Marie-France Roy follows Annie, again with backcountry shots. I remember reading some competition or poll results a while ago and if my memory is correct, she cleaned up. It shows here. She's definitely got ability.

From this point onwards I was less impressed. Just another snowboard movie. Actually, I did enjoy Dan Brisse's riding. A good mix of shots, with some huge jumps and nice heli shots. I'd like to see some of those heli follow-cams in full speed.

And not to mention Wolfgang's no-boarding. Ultra-impressive one-footed cliff drops, powder riding with such freedom that looks like surfing. But I wanted to see more.

Urban stuff. The Absinthe crew continues to bring out fresh stuff each year in this area, and yes, some of it is mega impressive, and always ballsy. I still love to see someone stomp an ultra smooth front board down a long rail, but the rest of this stuff isn't doing it for me. If I had to take it or leave it, I'd rather leave it.

Travis Rice. Excellent shredding. As usual, he goes big with technical moves. But what's the deal with the horse? At first I thought it was a response to Leanna Pelosi's intro in the all girls film "As If". Then I decided that probably wasn't the case, so maybe it's just his ego? If that is the case then the song is fitting: "Head Honcho". Whatever, I didn't think it was funny; just kinda stupid. Oops.

The intro to Gigi's section is fun, but for his main part, I don't think it's a patch on his riding in something like More. Don't get me wrong, I can only imagine how hard it must be, given schedules, travel, conditions, filming etc. to continually come up with belter video-parts; but when you've become accustomed to someone producing awesome material, unfortunately you start to expect it. I didn't get that this time.

The soundtrack. I think that Absinthe music scores tend to be quite varied and for me, that's the case with Neverland. As such, there are some little gems in there, but also some beats I care little for. I still think Futureproof is my favourite soundtrack of theirs.

Absinthe have again, included Flip Side in the extras. It's a documentary showing the making of their movie from the previous season, in this case, Ready. I love this stuff. I'd pay for it by itself. You get to see more of the riders, who they are, what their schedule is like. There's this amazing clip of a few of them just shredding in a resort before they start filming. MFM hits a natural feature, the type that you or I would, only they go ten times bigger. I love that. I really wanted to see the whole thing :)

Overall, it's an OK movie. I thought the opening sequence was top class, but after that, with a few exceptions, nothing else lived up to the beginning, which leaves a feeling of disappointment. I think previous Absinthe films have been better, and would recommend those instead. I haven't seen any other movies this year, so I don't know how it stacks up in the fresh bunch... A few little gems in the sound track.

Absinthe's Neverland Soundtrack

Here's a link to the Neverland Soundtrack.

Are You Wearing Protection?

2010-01-02T12:01:00.001Z

I was looking through the stuff that they pack inside the Neverland DVD case, and a Slytech brochure caught by eye: both Romain and Wolfgang ride with the Slytech back-protectors. Slytech are one of the sponsors of Absinthe's Neverland; I guess their advertising has kinda worked in this situation :)

That doesn't mean that I'm gonna rush out an buy some snowboarding protection - I'm not. But it did get me thinking about it.

The very first week I spent snowboarding, I went and bought some wrist guards in resort, after the second day or so. As a beginner, I fell a lot, often putting my hands out and hurting my wrists. The wrist guards seemed like a good idea.

However, it wasn't long before I stopped wearing them. First off, I stopped falling in the way that beginners fall, so I didn't feel that I needed them. Second, there was the risk that a nasty slam would just shift the damage from the wrist/hand to further up the arm. And finally, they were a pain to wear under my gloves...

Fairly early on, I also started wearing impact shorts. Trying out new freestyle moves, even really small ones, often ended with my landing on my ass. I found that once I've had a hard slam on my behind, the next time I fall, even lightly, it really hurts. You can still ride, but the thought of falling isn't good!

But I've stopped wearing them also. I decided their benefit no longer paid for the feeling of wearing them: restrictive, encumbered. And they never look good. I do pack my impact shorts in my bag, just in case I need them, but I can't remember the last time I wore them.

The only protection I do wear is a helmet. I don't rock it all of time, but I'll often put it on if I'm going to be riding park or off-piste. Park for the increased slams and off-piste for the potential rocks. If I've cruising around I probably won't wear it.

That said, I do find that a helmet offers some goggle advantages in addition to head-protection. If you slam, your goggles probably won't come off if you're wearing a lid. That greatly reduces the chances of your goggles getting filled with snow; and there's nothing worse than un-clear goggles! I also think the goggle vents are more likely to remain un-covered/un-blocked if you're wearing a helmet, which keeps the ventilation working and therefore reduces the dreaded steaming up.

So what about you? Do you wear any protection? Or is the discomfort not worth it? Is it a style-decision? Yet more expensive kit to buy? Perhaps you feel you just don't need it...

Is It Worth Making Your Own Snowboard Clips?

2009-12-23T19:59:00.000Z

Why do the likes of you and I take a video camera with us when we go snowboarding?

The obvious answer, I suppose, is that we want to record ourselves and our friends/family, snowboarding, so that we can watch it back later. There's nothing wrong with that; nothing at all. But do I sometimes spend too much time on it? Do you?

A couple of things have prompted this post. First, I was sorting through a bunch of camcorder tapes, working out which ones were from last year. In doing so I watched quite a bit of the video we took. It was fun, but I didn't see a lot of good stuff, and I say that in relation to how many times we took a camera up with us. In the two seasons prior to last season, I ended up with some footage that I thought was a step forward. Some off-piste stuff, some nice natural hits, the type of stuff I'd like to get more of. But I didn't see much of that this time around.

And the second thing was an article I read in a magazine asking "Do good photos matter?" The article was asking if the average reader of a snowboard magazine is really bothered about good quality photos; would they rather see photos of their mates?

Incidentally I think the answer is "yes". When I read a snowboard magazine and look at the pictures, some of them make me stop and think how the hell do they do that? or that looks so awesome I want to be there. The relavent point here is that it reminded me that for photogaphers and video makers, it's their job. Making a video part can take a whole season. I know there are stories of riders who put things together in a really short period of time, but on the whole, it's a big job that takes a lot of effort.

If I'm shredding for two weeks of the winter and I score a couple of good powder days, do I want to be worrying about getting some footage? Or should I just be enjoying the moment?

I do think that making a video of your snowboarding matters. At least, it does to me. I love watching over my snowboarding experiences. It's good for remembering the times. It's good for analysis and similarly it's good for progression. It gets me excited about going snowboarding. And most importantly it's fun. I like making the video clip.

But I do worry that my goals are perhaps unrealistic. Unjustified. To get better footage than what I've been getting it's more compramise on the actual riding. How about just leaving the camera at home?

Who knows? What are your thoughts?

There's An Inch Of Fresh Outside...

2009-12-20T18:10:00.002Z

It snowed here yesterday, and a little the day before. There's like an inch of fresh! But the base is a little on the thin side, with a depth of zero :)

Seriously though, we don't often have snow where I live, so when we do it's pretty cool, even if the next day it's either melted away or frozen on our pavements.

Looking out of the window definitely gave me that excited feeling of wanting to be in the mountains. To finish things off, Ciara picked up some continental cheese and meats, plus a few baguettes. Add some mayo, some token French lager, and it was just like being in the Alps ;)

I want to go snowboarding. Soon.

New Goggles: Dragon DXS

2009-12-15T18:47:00.003Z

So I've got some new goggles, and, contrary to comments in a previous post, I've gone for some Dragons, the DXS...

But here's the thing, when I looked at them I thought they don't look pointy at all. And they're not; they're just the shape that I like. And they're small too.

In fact, the "S" in "DXS" is for small (I think). Although I like smaller goggles, this nearly put me off getting them because everywhere online was making it explicitly clear that they are small. I don't want kids goggles or anything like that! As it happens, the Dragon packaging labels them as "medium/small."

In reality they're fine, a good size in fact, and they fit well with my lid too. They're not quite as comfortable as the Oakley Crowbars, but nothing to complain about. In the end, apart from a sale price, the thing that swung it was the free, low-light lens; something I've wanted in the past.

Here's a question: do any of you guys regularly switch lenses for different light conditions? I've only tried it once in the past, and it was a doomed effort as I had the wrong replacement lens which simply didn't fit! Scissors didn't help. Do lens swaps end up damaging the lens-goggle fit, or the lens themselves?...

Black Winter Out-Takes - Check It Out

2009-12-11T19:09:00.002Z

Was just reading through the Friday Fix and watched some out-takes from the Black Winter movie. There are some nice backcountry lines in the clip, and the tail grab at 2:00 is the type of style I really like. Definitely worth posting here, so check it out...

Maybe I should buy this movie?

Snowboards For The Pow

2009-12-07T19:40:00.001Z

OK, I don't think I'll be buying a powder board for this season, but it is something that I think about often. In the past, I've owned a 158cm Rome Anthem, a freeride machine. But unfortunately, I replaced it before ever really experiencing a good powder day. How I regret that eBay sale. Since that time, subsequent fresh has been enjoyed on a range of different freestyle boards, with varying results...

So what would I buy if I took the plunge, and returned to carrying two boards with me?

I've looked on with envy at a friend's Fish - as it surfed its way through the deep, Fernie powder, entirely at home. For a while, I decided that as this second board would be for powder days only, that's what I was going to buy, a Burton Fish. But I can't get past what they've done with the binding inserts on their boards. Why?

A swallow tail? No thanks. I have zero authority on this matter, but I reckon I can shred the powder on a slightly more regular board, just fine. I'm not saying that a swallow tail isn't great in the fresh, but I'll still, most likely, be making my way through resort trails and runs on powder days and the swallow seems like too much of a restriction...

So it's a freeride board, or, big mountain as some people like to classify them. These are the characteristics I'd be looking for:

Length. Somewhere in the range 158 - 160cm.
Directional shape. As much as I aspire to being able to land tricks switch in powder and ride on, the truth is that 99% of the time I'll be riding forwards. So I want a board that's geared up for directional, powder use.
Setback stance. Similar to the above point, I want the default stance to be at least 1" setback. I want it designed for powder.
Nose and tail specifics: a 'scoopy' nose for sure and perhaps a tapered tail - but I'm not on firm ground with this second point.

What about the rocker design? Well, it's true that a lot of the freeride/powder boards seem to be coming out with rocker shapes, and this should help to keep the board floating... It's not that I disagree with this, or that I don't welcome it, it's just not a key design point for me. Yet.

Whitelines produced a decent summary of freeride/big mountain boards in their Buyer's Guide. I won't say review as quite frankly, I don't think the info given on individual products lives up to that. It's more like a catalogue.

Here are some of the bunch that caught my eye - all boards that I'd relish the opportunity to try on a powder day:

Atomic Banger
Capita Charlie Slasher Pow
K2 Gyrator
Option North Shore

Binding Update: Union

2009-12-06T10:04:00.005Z

I was taking another look at bindings and came across two models from Union: the Force and the Contact. Union isn't a company that I know much about, I'm not familiar with any of their bindings and I have never considered them, until now.

So, I did a quick search for some reviews and found a couple of videos from the guys at Union. I was pretty impressed, so I'm posting them here. I kinda like the look of the Contact bindings - nice and freestyle - but the website I want to buy from doesn't have my size in stock at the moment. I think the Force still offers what I'm looking for in a binding, so I might get them instead.

I should add that Gigi rocks the Union Contact, and if it's good enough for him...

The Union Contact:

The Union Force:

A Turn-Up For The Books

2009-12-03T21:02:00.003Z

Leading up to the last couple of seasons, around about this time, I've reported that I really need to get fit ready for snowboarding... I even remember saying something like a trend is developing. Well, I'm pleased to say that I won't be repeating that this time around.

Ciara and I have done a decent amount of running over the summer, and for the last couple of months, we've been hitting the gym, 3 times a week. I'm not gonna say that I'm in the best shape ever, I'm not even close. To be honest, the running and gym sessions have been aimed at getting back in shape.

But at least this time around it's not reactionary to the approaching season. It's been a more consistent effort.

Apart from not wanting to miss out on any potential time on the hill, someone recently made a good point that fatigue is a big factor in trick failure. So whilst I'm not in great shape, yet, I'm also not worried about leaving it too late. I'm already on the right track and going strong.

How about you? Anyone afraid that they're gonna have aching legs? Or are you confident that you'll be shredding from first lift to last and still have the energy for a few pints?

Bindings And Goggles

2009-11-30T23:09:00.003Z

New goggles, fall into the category of must-have. I smashed mine last season, so they need replacing. New bindings on the other hand, come under nice to have. My MLBs are great bindings, it's just the buckles play up on them now that they're old. I'll get by with them for another couple of weeks - worst case scenario I need to buy some new buckles in resort, or a new strap or something. But it would be nice to get some new ones...

I tried on some Oakley Crowbars at the weekend. I was surprised at how comfortable they were - although I haven't tried them with a lid yet, which I wear around half of the time. Can't say I've ever been a huge fan of the Crowbar styling, but they are designed to work well with helmets... They're an option.

I do however like the style that most Von Zippers have. My previous goggles (von zipps) were a good fit and had a good lens. I could get something like this...

Anon goggles also have a small, squarish style, similar to the Von Zippers. For example, I prefer this over the pointy shape of most Dragon goggles, or the over-roundedness of say, Smith goggles. Quiksilver goggles also have a nice shape, in my opinion - but they're harder to get a hold of.

So although I've never tried any Anon goggles, I would consider a set - especially as they seem to be fairly cheap...

Of course, I'm thinking mainly about the look here. A bit lame really when the comfort and visibility (lens) are more important factors. But if you order on-line, it's hard to judge the comfort, and goggle lenses can sometimes be a bit hit and miss. Anyone got a favourite brand, or know of some that they hear perform consistently well? Anyone always take a spare lens with them?

Bindings. Hmm. My approach to bindings always seems a little boring. With boards, I'm quite particular about a whole range of design features. I always want to try new boards - wondering how they ride. Maybe I'm naive when it comes to bindings, or perhaps I haven't tried as many different models as I have boards...

I'd always settle for some Burton Missions. They've never let me down and they're comfortable. The only problem with them is that Burton have hiked the price up. Lame.

The Drake MLBs have been exactly what I want from a binding. No nonsense, basic adjustments, not too stiff, average sized high-back and decent buckles! Unfortunately it's the last point that continues to be a problem now. The buckles get stuck. But to be fair, the straps in general are tired.

So, continuing on this theme, I might look to get some Burton Missions, or, I've been checking out the middle of the road, slightly freestyle oriented, Ride Delta bindings...

What Was It Like Writing A Review For The WSG?

2009-11-29T10:09:00.004Z

Last season, January 2009, I was commisioned to write a review for the WorldSnowboardGuide. But this wasn't an ordinary review; the task was to cover the entire Portes Du Soleil - that's 12 individual resorts! Given the scale of the undertaking, I took a while to think about it before accepting. In the end, now that it's finished, I'd say it was a mixed blessing. Here's why...

The good stuff.

I like writing about snowboarding and I like reviewing stuff. That's what this blog is all about. So, writing for the WSG is a good match. And writing for someone else kinda ups the anti a little. It's important to get it right. An attractive part of writing resort reviews is that (you hope) people can really benefit from them; picking a resort can be a big decision, so choosing one that's right for an individual or group is key. So writing for the wsg is both fun and rewarding.

And writing for the wsg feels good! I'm not sure if that's vain? Actually, it probably is. It's not a huge publication for sure, but it's a book, something tangible that you can carry around. People buy it. Ever since snowboarding I've had a couple of copies that I regularly consult for resort information. Contributing to it feels good.

And other people can relate to it. For example, I got to meet the head of the park team at Avoriaz. He took us for a couple of runs through the Stash, explaining all kinds of things as we went. Avoriaz is a resort that I have a lot of respect for; meeting Jean was definitely a bonus. When I left a copy of the book in the Avoriaz office he seemed really pleased. So yeah, being associated with something like the wsg in this way, provides opportunities and generally feels good.

The mixed blessing part.

It was a lot to do. I only had two weeks to cover stuff, but the crucial point here is that it was my only snowboardng trip of last season. I prepared - doing a bunch of work before I went, and a large portion of the work was done when I got home - a fairly sizable write-up. But there was still a lot to do while I was there.

And it was this compromise that was the biggest hit. It was all snowboarding, and that's fun for sure. But a lot of what I did was planned out. I didn't have enough time to naturally explore all the areas and just "get a feel" for them. Instead, I went in search of specific ideas and facts. It was like visiting, rather than just snowboarding.

A bit like a job.

I'd be quite happy, more than happy, if something like this was my job. But in this case, it wasn't my job. It was a holiday from my real job. It was just a little too much.

Would I do it again?

I think yes, but under different circumstances. If it's a short trip, one resort, not twelve, would be a better for me. That would help with the balance between work and play. I'd feel more comfortable with my ability to do a review justice without compromising my own snowboarding.

At the end of the day, this isn't my job. I don't really get paid for it. There are some perks, but not enough to swap a snowboarding holiday for a holiday plus work. I don't get enough time in the mountains to make that trade. I need time to just snowboard; no reviews.

So there it is. I certainly don't regret doing it. There were a lot of great things about this challenge, and this type of review was/is definitely something I want to dip my toes into. I've enjoyed it and learned from it - with one of the lessons being that these circumstances weren't ideal.

Decision Made

2009-11-26T19:18:00.002Z

This week, for the first time since last winter, I went to my collection of snowboard jackets and selected one before going out. It's getting cold.

This jacket-wearing coincided nicely with the gifts that Whitelines magazine give out each year to it's subscribers, among which is always a beanie. This year in particular, they've offered a pretty sick design.

It was around the time that I was leaving the house, accompanied with the above snowboarding jacket and beanie that I decided "I'm gonna plan a two week trip for this season." I've been procrastinating over this point - putting off thinking about the financials because we're saving for something bigger next year...

...So it wasn't flicking through a snowboard magazine, it wasn't watching a snowboard movie (although I haven't seen any good ones yet this year) and it wasn't updating this blog... No, it was wearing my trusty, old Quiksilver jacket and a new Whitelines beanie that made the decision for me. I'm going shredding...

So the obvious question is where to? And that's a good question. Some family and friends are hitting up Whistler in January. Alas that's a little beyond my vapour-budget. I should add that I'm not looking forward to the period during January when they're all playing in the Canadian snow!

Europe. France.

The current thinking is Morzine. Again. Here are the reasons:

It's close, easy to get to and has a wide range of accommodations. All in all, it's handy.
Morzine town is pretty good...
The Portes Du Soleil has a good selection of snowboard parks. I should know - I visited all of them last season. Parks are always a good backup for poor conditions, and by European standards, this area scores highly. Plus I love the Stash.
I know some decent places to go if there's a dump.

The last point in particular is important to me. When we went to Fernie a couple of seasons ago, we had amazing snow. Luckily for us, we also had a pretty amazing guide in the form of our friend, Simon. Sure we would have found plenty of good, fresh lines. But Si took us to good spots, quickly, because he knew where to go.

It's so important. A good powder day can be wasted if you're floundering around trying to find the fresh. In this regard, I feel fairly confident heading back to the Portes Do Soleil. It doesn't mean I consider myself familiar with all the hidden spots (if anyone who is reading this does fall into that category, email me :) - I'm just confident I can find some half decent lines...

And I guess that's the trade off. Going back to the same place may seem like you're missing the opportunity to try something new, and of course, you kinda are. But the more I snowboard, the more I appreciate the necessity to know where's good. And in absence of a group that knows a certain area really well, or a big budget to have a bunch of guided days, I'm opting for expanding my knowledge of somewhere I've been before.

It's getting a little late in the day for choosing things, but at least there's less time to wait now :)

Having "The Fear"

2009-11-25T22:04:00.002Z

So have any of you ever had "the fear"? You know, when you want to try something but the fear of failure sets in and you bottle it? I'm assuming some of you have, so maybe you can relate to this... I should also mention that I've been meaning to post this since last January, but haven't really gotten around to it.

Last season when we were in Morzine/Avoriaz, I was quite looking forward to hitting the kickers in Avoriaz's Chapelle Park. In my opinion, the kicker line there isn't big, not at all, but to me the kickers represent a useful size. For example, you will see decent riders spinning smooth 5s of them. If you can spin a smooth 5 that looks good, the kicker is useful. It's the type of size that I'd like to be able to nail 1s and 3s (and maybe 5s) on - and I'd be happy if I didn't/couldn't hit anything bigger.

So, the first day we went to the park, I decided I'd try what I considered to be a safety trick, a backside 180. In my head the kicker looked a little whippy, so I thought a smooth, back 1 would keep me on my toes and stop me getting caught out by any whippy'ness. Make sense?

I put in an extra speed check, hit the knuckle and slammed. Not a disaster, but I hurt my knee a little and smashed my goggles. One of those bails where you hit the knuckle and bounce half of the way down the landing. I decided I needed to put one down before leaving, so borrowed a mate's goggles, went back to the top and decided a straight air would suffice...

This time I had a little too much speed, or at least it felt that way as I was getting to the kicker. Unfortunately, this caused me to lean back (classic mistake), the weight went onto my back heel, and yes, combined with a little bit of whippy'ness, that sent me un-intentionally upside-down.

I won't say it didn't hurt, but to be fair, it wasn't that bad. The biggest damage was to my confidence. I've hit kickers bigger than this in the past, with relative ease. I've sessioned similar or slightly smaller kickers, and been comfortable enough to progress to trying different tricks, variations on tricks. I came away from the second attempt thinking I sucked at snowboarding...

Everyone asked me: "why'd you try a barrel roll, what's wrong with a straight air?" To which I replied, "that was supposed to be a straight air!" Not good. How did I mess it up so badly?

Before I go any further, I'll show you what happened :) Yes, lucky for those reading this, a friend video'd the attempt. It's pretty funny, but, by adding some visuals to the words above, you can see how basic the mistake was, how dramatic the effect was, and hopefully why it knocked my confidence so much:

And so the fear set in. I really wanted to work with this kicker line. It's totally within my capability, but I bottled it. I didn't hit it again.

There were a few things that got in the way: we had some powder days (not complaining), I was enjoying riding in the Stash (not complaining) and I had the wsg review to deal with, which meant I needed to go to all the areas of the Portes Du Soleil (not complaining, but I'll write about that soon). But the truth is, I bottled it, and made excuses to myself to not go back and try again.

I've had a couple of episodes in the past that have made me think "ooh, I messed that up and it hurt", or, "that was kinda scary". But nothing has stopped me in my tracks like this. Interesting. Normally when I come back from a snowboarding trip I'm thinking "gotta go bigger next time". Now I'm thinking "can I manage to maintain where I was at before?"

Any of you ever had the fear?