New Threads For Fernie

Well it looks like the snow is starting to fall in Fernie, which is awesome. I know you're never guaranteed good snow anywhere in the world, but that's not stopping me from hoping for one or two epic powder days.

Anyhow, I mentioned a while back that I'd hooked up some new pants for next year, so here's a pic. These suckers are pretty baggy. In fact, it's the first time I almost didn't buy the XL's :)

That's the first item I can tick off the shopping list:

• Pants
• Backpack
• Transceiver (& probe)
• Helmet cam

Behind The Scenes Of "In Short"

A while ago I mentioned that there were three films I was looking forward to seeing this season. It soon became four films when I read about In Short in WhiteLines (a couple of issues ago?).

In Short is a film by Blank Paper Studio/David Benedek. The previous productions, 91 Words For Snow and The Gap Session, have both been really good, so naturally I'm looking forward to seeing In Short. But the thing that makes it really interesting is that part of the film was shot in Halifax, on the dryslope. Awesome!

I haven't seen the film yet, but I have heard one or two things about the Halifax section. To be honest, I'd like to keep it a surprise until I get hold of the DVD, so I haven't bothered checking on YouTube for any clips. For that reason I won't mention anything here... all I'll say is that I heard it was done really well.

There is however a pretty sweet behind-the-scenes look at the film on the WhiteLines site. I don't think it gives anything away about the final product, so I've embedded it here:

Actually, there are quite a few nice videos there. If you haven't read it in the magazine already, the interview with David Benedek is cool. It's probably interesting even if you have read the interview...

In an effort to avoid a new tie or some socks (actually I do need new socks) I've let family members know about my hunger for this DVD. Maybe that was stupid because now I'm waiting for Christmas? I'm not complaining though, just waiting patiently... :)

Transceiver & Probe

A transceiver is one of the items on my shopping list for this season. Based on the riding that we did last season and the riding I hope we'll be doing in Fernie, and the future for that matter, I'm gonna need one.

The question is should I buy one now or just rent one as and when I need to?

Renting is the cheaper option, for the short term at least, but there are clear advantages to owning your own. First, you're in control, so you know things like whether or not the batteries are charged and what condition it's in. Naturally you'd expect this if you hire a transceiver, but it's a bonus non the less.

Secondly, you don't need to go to a shop on the morning you decide to head off-piste. If it's just dumped 40cm the last thing you want to be doing is adding time to your arrival at the top of the hill!

But perhaps most importantly is the fact that you'll be using the same transceiver each time you go out. This means that you can get familiar with how it works so that in the unfortunate event of needing to use it for real, you won't be fumbling with how to control it.

So despite the cost I am leaning towards getting one for myself...

• Which brands should I look at?
• Should I go for a pure analogue transceiver or a digital model?
• Is it worth looking on eBay?
• Should I get a probe too?

Simon passed me a link, which is a transceiver test that Facewest.co.uk did early this year. It's a perfect review for someone like me who doesn't really know much about what's on offer. They sell avalanche safety gear on their site too.

About a probe... if I'm going to get a transceiver I may aswell get a probe too. From what I've seen, read and heard, they make finding a burried person much easier and quicker. You can use them for testing snow depth and stuff like that also.

Upside Down

Here's a shot Martin got of a mini barrel roll at Halifax, recently. I kinda want to try doing them off the proper kicker, but I'm worried that I'll get the speed of the roll all wrong and go too far. Maybe I should wait for some fluffy Fernie pow? :)

RCR Closing Park Jumps?

Simon emailed this link to me today:

http://www.skircr.com/mediaCentre/pr_detail.asp?id=479

It seems that Resorts Of The Canadian Rockies (RCR) are planning to remove park jumps from some of their resorts, with Fernie being one such resort.

It isn't totally clear from the press release which kickers will be removed. The huge jumps only? All jumps? Who knows? I suppose it did say all man-made snow jumps. Either way it's a serious blow. So many snowboarders enjoy riding the kickers that parks provide. It just seems unfair to take that away.

Here's another link, this one to a discussion on the issue:

RCR Focuses on Terrain Park Safety by Removing Jumps

Is it right to announce this decision given that lots of people have already committed to these resorts? Some guys have set themselves up for a whole season only to find out in November that all the park jumps are being removed! Had we known this before there's a good chance it we would have ended up elsewhere...

I don't know enough about the statistics of injuries on the hill, but the issue of safety doesn't feel as black-and-white as this; it's grey.

I guess it's a case of wait and see how the change pans out. An industry leading initiative? Somehow I can't imagine a resort like Whistler scrapping all of its kickers. But then again I would have said the same about Lake Louise... or any resort for that matter.

Luckily I've got a couple of shovels :)

Photos From 'Cas - 9th November

Here are some of the shots we (Martin Cornally) took of the local riders at 'Cas last Friday.

The Forum Studio on iTunes

This sounds pretty cool and $1.99 is a good price; it will be even better when they take it beyond the US store. Check out the press release...

FORUM SNOWBOARDS RELEASES FORUM STUDIO ON THE iTUNES STORE

Forum Snowboards is pleased to announce the creation of the Forum Studio within the iTunes store.

Located within the TV Show section of the store, The Forum Studio represents the snowboarding video projects of the Forum team, in conjunction with members of Special Blend Outerwear and Foursquare Outerwear. This influential grouping produces a collection of acknowledged snowboarding films, featuring progressive action, impressive editing, and memorable soundtracks.

Currently, three titles are available for a download price of $1.99 each: That, NORTH SOUTH EAST WEST, and FYI.

"The Forum Studio is the first of its kind for a snowboard brand and this type of distribution capability and exposure is a gigantic move for us. We feel it is the perfect representation for the quality and dedication we put into our video projects," states Evan Rose, Forum Snowboards Marketing Director.

The Forum Studio is available in the United States iTunes store, with plans to expand to other regions in the near future.

http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewRoom?fcId=267997847&id=37

About That:
That is the Forum team video release that originally appeared within the iTunes store in 2006, making Forum Snowboards the first independent content provider to have a project approved for purchase in the store. In an era marketed by an oversaturated video market, That video challenged the boundaries of what was considered normal, to show the way for generations to come.

About NORTH SOUTH EAST WEST:
Follow along as Forum and Foursquare riders explore snowboarding in four geographically distinct locations. Set to an exclusive soundtrack by Dim Mak records this is NORTH SOUTH EAST WEST, not a storm of hype, just the straightforward enjoyment of riding with your friends. It's the purity of travel, exploration, and doing the things you love.

About FYI:
FYI is a snowboarding mash-up of sorts, featuring the riding of the Forum team as seen in Special Blend's First Chair Last Call and Foursquare's NORTH SOUTH EAST WEST. Featuring Eddie Wall, Joni Malmi, Jake Blauvelt, Stevie Bell, Travis Kennedy, Pat Moore, Nic Sauve, and Jake Welch, FYI is sure to set the stoke for the snowboarding season.

WSG Weekend Roadtrip

This weekend I set out on a mission to take photos and gather information to write a couple of reviews for the wsg's online UK-slope section. Actually, there were three of us: myself, Martin, who was performing the role of photographer and Ciara, who was there to help out, hang out and ride.

If you don't know what the wsg is you can check out their website or read the review. Recent events have landed me with the opportunity to write some reviews of UK slopes for their online guide - starting with Castleford and Halifax. Sweet! I was set to visit Cas' on Friday night and then Halifax on Saturday morning...

But the weekend's story kinda started on Thursday night/Friday morning. Copious amounts of alcohol and a 3am finish led to the development of a ugly hangover. Getting into work on Friday morning for 9am was difficult to say the least. I was feeling really bad, which was not a good sign for finising work, getting everything packed and getting to 'cas that evening.

I booked an impromptu half-day at work so that I could come home and sleep it off. Ciara was in the same boat. The plan seemed to work well as we both got everything sorted and in the car in time to arrive at 'cas for 7:30, which is when we met Martin. To support the depth of the hangover - I went through 3 fast-food meals on Friday, two from McDonald's and one KFC. Urgh!

That was the first leg of the roadtrip: Gateshead to Castleford. With not much time we just grabbed loads of stuff and packed it in... The car was pretty rammed; or at least messy!

The time at 'cas unfolded nicely. We rode some, took some photos of the slope and facilities, took some photos of the riders and I talked to some of the people who worked there. Then we rode some more. I was feeling fine by that time, in fact the only bad thing was that I was sucking on the slope. Not to worry though, it was still good, and I was surprised at how much we enjoyed shooting some of the local riders.

Ciara was still too ill to ride - probably because she didn't hit the fast food thrice!

I'll be posting some shots of the riders soon...

Martin lives in Huddersfield so we stopped there on Friday night. Second leg, Castleford to Huddersfield. A couple of beers, an inspection of the new shred stick he picked up for Fernie and a showing of Absinthe's Optimistic and I was looking at another 3am finish.

Let's just revisit that new board for a second though. Mart found what's got to be one of the best steals on eBay: a brand new Burton Fish for £80! Insane. I want one.

Saturday morning was rainy, which was good as everytime I've been to Halifax this year it's been bone dry, hot and therefore slow. However, it was also windy up at the top which kinda sucked as it slowed things down and blew you around loads. The third leg: Huddersfield to Halifax.

The Halifax visit panned out nicely too. Got a chance to talk to the guys that worked there, and local rider/shop owner Wayne Taylor was there too (A.K.A. Snowskate).

The combination of high wind and a large ski-lesson meant I didn't use the main kicker, but I did have some fun playing on the smaller jump to the side. The highlight was stomping a clean barrel-roll. Nothing big, not too stylish, but clean, I rode it straight out. Really pleased. I also worked on some backside 3s because I can't really do them.

Photos, talking to the Halifax crew, it was fun. It was also dirty, and my pants are taking a beating too!

Due to the late finish the night before, Saturday morning was pretty rushed too. No time to sort out the mess in the car and no time for a full shower. Getting changed in the rainy, cold carpark after riding the wet mossy snowflex - I was starting to feel somewhat urgh.

We stayed around for a pint and something to eat at the pub. That's pretty much where the snowboarding side of things stops, but the driving didn't. I'll keep the rest brief.

After saying bye to Mart we were off to Newark to visit some of Ciara's Family. A tired and dirty fourth leg: Halifax to Newark. We were running late and a mistake with an uncharged mobile phone meant we arrived in the middle of things, so no time to wash up. A few drinks that evening sent me straight to sleep...

Sunday morning was an opportunity to freshen up. After leaving the family we were then on leg five, Newark to Liverpool. Ciara needed to be there for a work thing. We saw this on the way over, much cooler than my ride.

We checked Ciara in and we had enough time for quick look around Liverpool center. Starbucks was well received. The hotel was pretty sweet, but I wasn't staying there.

Before long I was back in the car for the final leg: Liverpool to Gateshead. A bunch of CDs and more fast food to keep me going. The car was still a mess; wet snowboarding gear, some of it dirty. But it didn't matter anymore. When I can do it all again?

Just short of 10 hours driving...

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Hungerpain's Otium: DVD Review

I bagged a free copy of Hungerpain's Otium with the November issue of WhiteLines and this sucker won't be featuring on eBay! It's sitting nicely in my collection.

Bottom line: I really enjoyed watching it. There are some nice effects in there with the editting and the production of the DVD, and some good riding too.

In fact, it's the riding level that's most interesting to me when it comes to watching British snowboard films. For sure some of the tricks stand out as being below the level that's seen consistently in the International films. But likewise, some of the tricks stand out as being worthy of an International snowboard film. More than once I was like: "that was massive" or "his style's really sick". It's this range that makes our films seem feel current, fresh.

To me, the British riders have much more scope for progression, and that's not meant as a criticism. Each year the riding gets better, and seeing people develop is great. Some of the moves that Chris Chatt is putting down on rails are excellent. James Thorne has some sick riding (again); effortless-style. I thought Nelson Pratt was going really big off the kickers with nice, compact style to boot; tight airs.

My favourite section was from Roland Morley-Brown. I was impressed by his smooth operation, but more than that - the variety of his shots. Park hits, some back country hits, urban ledges, rails, deep powder landings. Good stuff.

But Tom West closes it out with maybe the best move in the film: a sick frontside 10 melon... huge, smooth, tight grab and stomped. Two angles on it and the sound is great. He's killing it in the park. Awesome finish to the DVD.

A lot of effort went into the production side of things and it shows. According the interview in WhiteLines, Pete Ellis spent two months working on the invisible boards part. Dedication. The soundtrack is pretty cool too with some original remixing and creative use of sound. I didn't love every song, but hey...

When you consider that the Hungerpain crew probably has nothing close to the budget of international film crews; and given that the season produced pretty poor snow conditions, I think they've created a really good film.

Here's the soundtrack for Otium:

• Introduction: The Roots - Don't Say Nuthin' (Instrumental)
• Opening Montage: Directed, Edited and Composed by Phil Barber and Pete Ellis
• Plumley: Ratatat - Seventeen Years (Remixed by Pete Ellis)
• Wear and Evans: DJ Yoda - Playin' Around (feat. Jungle Brothers)
• Thorne, Purucker and Van Gassal: Contains samples of Incubus - Hidden Track after Calgone; Aphex Twin - Windowlicker (Remixed by Pete Ellis)
• Jackson and Newton: Ellen Allien and Apparat - Do Not Break (Remixed by Pete Ellis)
• Pratt: Skibadee - Tika Toc
• Friends Montage: Ed Enayat and Rich Simpson - Back in Black Remix
• Harington: Reachout - Stimulation of Chaos (Instrumental)
• Campbell and Revill: Akala - Stand Up
• Invisible Boards: Coldcut - More Beats and Pieces (Remixed by Pete Ellis)
• Chatt and Morley-Brown: Aphex Twin - Actium (Remixed by Pete Ellis); Motley Crue - Kickstart My Heart
• West: Nikkfurie De La Caution - The a la menthe
• Credits: MCD; The Deckwrecka - Priceless

International Snowboarder Magazine

International Snowboarder Magazine (ISM) is a new online, free snowboard magazine. I've experienced one or two online flash style pages before and I didn't think the interaction was that good. They felt a little clumsy and loading pages was sometimes slow.

But ISM seem to have it dialed. The navigation is good, no problems waiting for stuff to load and the full screen view really sets it off. The first issue, covering October and November, is pretty sweet.

Of course an online magazine has the advantage of being able to provide different media formats, namely audio and video. There's a piece in there about The Stash at Northstar; the video that comes with it is excellent!

I was sent a press release from ISM around two weeks ago. I wanted to have a quick read of the magazine before I posted about it, but then I didn't get around to it and it slipped further down my inbox...

It's definitely worth checking out. Great articles, pictures and video, and it's free! Here's the late-on-my-behalf press release:

The Worlds first online flash snowboarding magazine was launched yesterday. International Snowboard Magazine or ISM for short uses technologies that allow a full page flipping magazine experience on the web.

The magazine is totally free to read and has all the qualities of a normal magazine but with the added bonus of embedded audio and video. The video is embedded right onto the page and streams whilst you read the magazine, so there is no waiting around for it to download!

The magazine also features a full screen option (located in the top left navigation bar) this allows readers on smaller screens to enjoy all the benefits that the magazine offers. You can zoom, print pages off and jump backwards and forwards as much as you like.

This first issue features some amazing photography from Cole Barash, an interview with Nicholas Muller, a product heavy bindings review, backside handplant technique and literally loads more!

To read the magazine just visit the website and click on the link, it is as simple as that, no software to download, forms to fill in or expensive subscription. Just click the link and you're in!

www.isboardmag.com

ISM will be published bi monthly throughout the year taking a global look at the sport. It is published by Next Element Publishing Ltd.

Missing Sno!Storm Again

There's a Sno!Storm freestyle session on at Cas' this Friday and I'm going to miss it. I missed the last one too. Gutted.

The parks are so good on these freestyle nights it's a shame to miss one, especially when they don't come around that often. I think it's been something like one every two/three months. I just don't think I can make it this Friday.

Hopefully I'll be riding the weekend after though, which softens the blow a little. That, and the new issue of WhiteLines with a fresh DVD to watch. Bonus.