Bindings And Goggles

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?

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

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"

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?

The Snow Centre - Hemel Hempstead

I've been checking out the new Snow Centre in Hemel Hempstead - online only unfortunately. I wanted to write a little bit about it; especially so as I'm impressed by the freestyle setup, from what I've seen via the website. Some of the park designs look good, by indoor standards, and I like how the sessions run from Wednesday to Friday, each week (see below). Great if you're a local!

However, I won't get a chance any time soon to go there in person as it's a good deal to travel. So, in the meantime, I've hooked up with some people from the Snow Centre to get an overview of what's going on. I'm hoping also to get some photos of one of the freestyle nights...

The Snow Centre - Hemel Hempstead

The number of indoor snow slopes in the UK is increasing and bringing the benefits of year-round sport for both skiers and snowboarders. Until recently the south of the country was the only area not to have such a facility, but that all changed this year when The Snow Centre opened in Hemel Hempstead at the beginning of summer.

The Snow Centre, is situated close to London and is newest of the 6 real snow centres now in operation. Hemel Hempstead is easily reached by car or train and provides opportunities for millions of people based in the south and south-east to get on the snow and enjoy their sport. The Snow Centre offers membership options which reduces charges, but anyone can just pay for sessions on an individual basis.

The latest snow generation technology was used during construction of the centre and a bank of snow cannons ensure the two slopes, a 100m long training area and a 160m main ski slope, are fully covered with perfect snow. Overnight the air temperature of the snow hall is reduced and the cannons turned on to top up the covering. During the sessions the temperature is maintained at a reasonable minus one or two, which feels quite comfortable. In addition to the modern snow cannons, the latest POMA button lifts are used to keep things moving. For those not quite ready for a fast POMA there are also some slower rope lifts too.

The Snow Centre also has a full teaching programme and runs its own ski school using qualified BASI instructors. Individual sessions or blocks of lessons are available, as are some intensive fast-track courses for those eager to improve quickly.

Hire equipment is also top notch with the centre partnering with Head to make sure visitors have a choice of comfortable and suitable gear to use. For most sessions you'll need to wear a helmet, which is also included as part of the session fee. They have to be worn by children and are necessary for everyone for things like freestyle snowboarding.

The slopes provide good conditions for both skiers and snowboarders. Even cross-country skiers have their own sessions for technique training, and improving climbing and descending skills. The centre puts on a number of snowboard freestyle sessions where the staff put together combinations of kickers, rails, tubes and boxes in a park layout. These run each week from Wednesday, with additions made throughout the week building up to Friday night's four-hour Park and Ride freestyle event. This is now a very popular session, the place where experienced snowboarders show off their skills. About once per month the centre brings out a large Airbag for softer landings. The exact times of those sessions can be found on the centre's website.

Most sessions are open to everyone but some such as the snowboard freestyle slots require a certain level of competence - mainly for safety reasons. It's probably best to check with the centre staff before booking on to make sure you'll be OK. Advance booking is also recommended as most sessions have a limit on numbers.

A visit to The Snow Centre can be enhanced with a trip to its cafe and bar area, which also has a balcony area overlooking the slopes. Not quite the same as being outside a mountain cafe in Val D'Isere but quite nice all the same. The balcony also overlooks the fenced-off children's play area, if you have any youngsters who are too young for skiing and just want to mess about in some snow!

For a bit of retail therapy there's also on-site branch of Snow+Rock, fully stocked with the latest winter fashions and equipment choices.

The centre is already preparing for its busiest time of the year, the run up to the new ski season. The advantages of a few sessions on a real snow before you head off for your next ski holiday are obvious in terms of refreshing technique and getting your body used to the movements involved. For families a few sessions may help you decide if the children are ready for a winter snow holiday. In most cases the answer is a resounding "yes".

Website:
http://www.thesnowcentre.com/

What's Your Take On Urban Snowboarding?

About a week ago, I went Redcar to skate. It was a good session; I haven't been in ages, so I needed it, and there were quite a few good skaters there, which was fun to watch.

The next day I watched this snowboarding DVD, Homies Episode 2.0, or something, it came free with Whitelines magazine. It had a lot of urban snowboarding in it, which to me, just didn't seem any good.

I've never been a big fan of the urban scene, but there have been some video parts from time to time that I've enjoyed, a couple of Absinthe sections spring to mind. It's normally stuff with a good tune, good riding style that's been well shot.

But more and more I'm seeing urban tricks that I think are pretty lame. Ledges and drops where the rider doesn't even "ride out" - they kinda just stop. And there are loads of 270s and 3s coming off rails, when the rail isn't really big enough for it to look good. A lot of these tricks don't seem to have much style.

Don't get me wrong, there are some urban tricks/sections in films that look great, obviously take a lot of skill and almost always, a lot of balls. And when done well, they can add a different, pleasing dimension to a film.

But a lot of it has been done before, seen before, and now, it's clearly a discipline in it's own right. To me, it seems like there's too much of it.

So I was just thinking, "I'd rather ride a skateboard than do that". After all, that's what a skateboard was designed for. And the crazy thing is, all the riders in this film were excellent skaters. There was even a load of good footage of them on skateboards, which to me, was more enjoyable to watch than the urban snowboard sections...

I like to watch riders going through the park, hitting rails and boxes with effortless style. Frontside boards, smooth presses, and it all flows. When it comes to rails, that's what I like. And in an urban environment, there are some killer rails that work for me. It's gnarly, but they stomp it. The scene looks good. The photo looks good. Nice. But don't overdo it. I'm not interested in dropping off a garage just because it can be done.

What's your take?