News
Windells Session 5 Slams
Nothing makes you feel better then seeing other people fall. At least that's how we feel after watching the slams from Session 5 at Windells.
This funny video has all the carnage from campers and pros who tried to have their cake and eat it too.
The mellow music may have you thinking these falls are all fun and games, but the booty banger that drops around the 1:16 mark may make you think otherwise.
Enjoy!
USA Today Does Story On "The Frends Crew"
Once again, snowboarding is slowly creeping its way into major world publications...
The newest tantalizing story that has captured a USA today reporter's attention was how the infamously hilarious "Frends Crew" came to be and how they divide their time between work and play. Fascinating. Okay, honestly, we love the Frends Crew, everyone does; but...USA Today? Really? Who throws a shoe?
Enjoy.
GrindTV Newswire, Via USA Today: (July 28, 2010) Keir Dillon, a member of a seven-snowboarder crew known as "Frends," summarizes the last several months of his comrades' lives in a simple, understated sentence: "It was a crazy year."
Since December, one Frends member suffered a traumatic brain injury, another was inches from being paralyzed and a third dislocated his shoulder. But when most would avoid mirrors and ladders, Frends members moved forward on their next big-risk project -- launching a product line.
Frends -- Dillon, 33; Mason Aguirre, 22; Danny Davis, 22; Scotty Lago, 22; Kevin Pearce, 22; and Mitrani brothers Jack, 21, and Luke, 20 -- unveiled a series of five headphones at Agenda, an action sports trade show last week in New York. The headphones, ranging from ear buds to larger, DJ styles, are the crew's answer to growing fan demands.
Dillon and Davis, who injured his back in an ATV accident in January, first formalized their friendship into a business in 2006. Frends -- spelled intentionally without the "I" to evoke unity -- promoted their group-over-the individual philosophy with stickers, T-shirts and videos. The group, unintentionally, conducted "several years of grass-roots marketing," according to Dennis "DJ" Jenson, a former Burton Snowboards senior vice president and current Frends chairman.
"Feeding the youth our stories and what we're about as a crew in snowboarding transcended into them wanting more from us," Aguirre says.
Recognizing their competition careers could quickly expire because of injuries or age, the members also sought security through their start-up. "It's an extreme sport," says Lago, an Olympic halfpipe bronze medalist. "That's definitely in the back of all of our minds. We're looking at our future."
Deciding on the product proved to be difficult. The snowboarders' existing endorsements restricted them from producing anything from snowboards to street wear. However, Frends CEO Eric Kotch, an action sports industry veteran, stumbled on an under-recognized product category while watching Pearce in the 2009 X Games.
After securing his boots, Pearce "made sure his ear buds were tight in his ears and that his iPod was on," Kotch says in an e-mail, adding that Frends' decision to enter the consumer electronics sector provides the company with mass-market, mainstream opportunities beyond action sports.
Pearce, who was critically injured after falling during a practice halfpipe run in Park City, Utah, in December, has been steadily recovering at his family home in Vermont. Pearce has said he plans to return to snowboarding, and Frends members say he remains in communication regarding the launch.
The group candidly acknowledges that on the topic of percentages, the discussions were weird. But Davis says, "Everyone really stood by the fact that the 'I' was taken out of Frends for a reason."
The crew also discussed whether to build a product from the ground up or add a new design to an existing product. Pearce pushed for an original product. "The Frends crew is all about being authentic on every level," Pearce says in an e-mail. "This includes the way we snowboard and what we think about designing our headphones."
This quest for authenticity also drove the crew to form their own company.
"The product is a byproduct of what we stand for," says Dillon, the president of the company. He keeps a sign in Frends' California office reminding him and Frends members: "We will never succeed doing what other people do."
"Split The Sin": One Monster Of A Trailer
Holy burliness. Jesus, SequenceFilms...you guys aren't kidding around. At all.
Based out of Montreal, these guys are basically in a loving relationship with street rails. Actually, probably a love-hate relationship considering all the nasty bails we see in this teaser. For the most part though, the riders in this flick are without a doubt killing the street scene. Kinked rails, handrails, sketchy rails, concrete, brick, rooftops, ice rinks...it's ridiculous.
Known for two of the most anticipated productions coming out of the East Coast of Canada. "Cool It" and "Dirty Peace", SequenceFilms make it a point to do things their own way. They aren't claiming to be gentlemen but rather..."demons of powder". Fair enough. Burly riding, gnarly falls, ballsy maneuvering, and massive partying.
To put it lightly, these guys give each other tattoos in their living rooms. Straight up monsters. In a good way.
SequenceFilms words:
"It ain't about the money, it's about intertwining lifestyles, road trips, parties, love, good people, injuries, bangers, bitches, beer, and blunts."
Dakine/Gortex SuperGrab Contest At Windells
Grab your board. Touch the sky.
Super grabs, double grabs, tweaked grabs, nose grabs....it gets a little nuts.
On Point With Knife Show
Recently, Knife Show Inc dropped their latest creation, "Gnarcade" on to the world wide web; simultaneously driving all snowboarders alike a little bit loco. The video blew minds, dropped jaws, opened eyes, and probably made someone cry tears of joy. With the creative approach of video game antics and characters alongside their consistent high level of shredding, Knife Show f-in' delivered...again.
Splitting the majority of their time between the Los Angeles area and Bear Mountain, Mike Benson and Casey Wrightsman have seriously made a name for themselves with their editing, special effects, riding, and entertaining cameos of dinosaurs and dogs. This two guys took some time to talk with GrindTV about their new vid, summer shredding, and what they hope to get into next season. 
Mike Benson
GTV: What's up guys! So, your newest video, "Gnarcade" just dropped on the interwebs, what kind of response is it getting, other than the fact that it's epic...?
Mike: It's already up to 700,000 views which is really cool. We were lucky enough to premiere it at High Cascade, which is the snowboard camp where we filmed it. The kids there seemed to love it, and people were asking for Casey's autograph, which is always fun. He signed the back of someone's iPhone!
Casey: It's really awesome to think about how many people saw our video in just one week. I would never think in a million years we could get that many views on one of our videos. When we were up in Mt Hood it seemed like everyone up there saw it and loved it.
GTV: On your site, you mentioned that it's been a full year since you shot this. What went into producing this video, editing the special effects along with the riding, and what sparked the genius video game theme?
Mike: Well, I had wanted to do something videogame-themed for a long time. But the scary thing was, I didn't know how to do effects this complicated before I started editing. So as we were filming it, I had no idea how that stuff was going to come together in post.
GTV: Mike, have you always been ridiculous with special effects? How did you get so legit at things like magic flashlights, Nintendo graphics, and cloning Casey Wrightsman? Are there more people involved in that editing area?
Mike: Prior to this video, it was 90 percent me doing the special effects. But this was such a big project we had to find people to help out with more complicated 3D elements. For example, the ghosts in Pac-Man and the jumping frog in the Frogger section are WAY beyond my abilities. I have to give props to Chris Cordingley, Jordan Shipman, Kyle Brown, Brian Babbitt, and Skyler Riley. Those guys fired up their computers and made this video possible.
GTV: I know you guys have been up at Mt. Hood this summer, is that your plan until winter rolls around? Stay up there and film or do you guys miss the babes in So Cal too much...?
Casey: I wish we could stay up there all summer but I don't think I would be able to do it. I would miss my family and girlfriend too much and I don't think Mike would ever be able to miss that much work without getting fired, haha.
Casey Wrightsman and their latest pup addition, Fuzzy
GTV: Is it fair to say you guys have an obsession with your dogs? How big of a role will they start playing in your future videos?
Casey: Well, the first time we put my dog (Scruffy) in Knife Show Volume 2 I thought it was a little weird and thought maybe people would think we were weird, but then everyone seemed to like her and it was everyone's favorite part. When we were up in Mt Hood everyone was asking "Where is Scruffy?" I think she has more fans then Mike and I put together, haha.
GTV: Along with your pups adding to the Knife Show crew, how many consistent riders do you have filming with you guys? Or does it differ depending on the project?
Mike: It's always a bit different. It's whoever's riding we are excited about, plus they obviously have to be nice folks.
Casey: Ya pretty much what Mike said.
GTV: What's your favorite mountain and/or spot to film?
Casey: Bear Mountain! But I would like to travel more and see new mountains and parks and start doing more street rails.
GTV: I pretty much see you guys every day I ride up at Big Bear, will you guys continue to film and ride there this upcoming season like you have in the past?
Mike: I worked for them last season, but this year I would like to concentrate solely on stuff for Knife Show. It's kind of more gratifying to do your own thing. (But I love the people there, obviously).
GTV: Do you have a new project in the works or did Gnarcade take all your editing energy out of you for a while?
Mike: I have to admit, I don't want to jump into a big project like that again. But we did film some tests for a new video and we are going to have a meeting with a pretty huge company about turning that into a fully-sponsored web edit.
GTV: Well shit guys, I think it's safe to say that Gnarcade blew the minds of many and set the bar high. Way to go and can't wait to see what Knife Show puts out next.
Mike: Thanks for spreading the word! Keep it up!
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YES-isode #4: A Day At Camp Of Champs
YES. Camp of Champions. from YES. Snowboard TV on Vimeo.
Some of the YES crew cruises to Whistler to take sunny park laps at Camp of Champs and show off what they got. Romain De Marchi, Mikey Pederson, and YES newbie, Helen Schettini get a little graphic on the chairlift about Pederson's love life....if you aren't kosher with that kind of talk....skip to 2:40 for some snowboarding, otherwise....embrace it and keep your judging eyes to yourself.
Volcom Avalanche Contest Invades Chile
There's simply no doubt about it, the Southern Hemisphere is the place to be right now. From Argentina and Chile, to New Zealand and Australia, our neighbors to the south are ripping it up this winter. Record snow fall has already created conditions that are even better then the past three seasons combined.
If the daily deep and steep aren't enough to pull you south, then experiencing a new culture and a new way of shredding should be.
In South America, the skiing and snowboarding is raw and radical. Shredders from all over the world gather to rip it up and ride together. Anything goes when shredding these areas, which made it the perfect location for the Volcom Avalanche contest.
The Volcom Avalanche event debuted in El Colorado, Chile and created a rambunctious representation of shredding in the South. Over 120 riders geared up to rally down 2,800 meters of powder, fluff, and dust on crust in a contest that tested speed, agility and overall radicalness.
Imagine the most extreme boardercross contest ever with over 120 dudes all vying for a prize purse of $200,000 Chilean Pesos and you get the Volcom Avalanche event. This type of contest would never fly in that states- its too raw. This made it even more amazing and adds fuel to our fire to be down south this summer.
Peep the video with all the winning wipeouts and and super satisfying South American shredding.
Volcom Avalanche El Colorado 2010 from El Colorado TV on Vimeo.
Words: El Colorado
The Volcom Avalanche took place on July 18th at El Colorado in Chile. Over 120 snowboarders began at the top of La Cornisa lift and made their way down about 2,800 meters to Los Zorros, Farellones.
During the race some of the riders were left behind because of the conditions but that didn't let the adrenaline rush fill them up with joy.
Men's first place went to Eduardo Arriarn. Eduardo won a surf board, Volcom and Red Bull prizes, and $100,000 Chilean pesos. Coming in second place was Rodrigo Daz. Rodrigo won a Volcom BMX bike, $50,000 Chilean pesos and Volcom products and a four pack of Red Bull.
In the female category, the winner was Sabrina Burnham, who won $100.00 Chilean pesos, Volcom and Red Bull products. Second place was to Otton Irarrzabal, who won $50,000 plus Volcom products and a Red Bull four pack.
The afterparty took place at El Montas Restaurant, where there were appetizers and cocktails for the riders.
Right Brain Left Brain: Jesse Burtner And Tim Eddy Clip
Think Thank has continued to release short clips leading up to the release of their new flick, "Right Brain Left Brain" (or as everyone affectionately refers to it...RBLB....which is probably directly related to pure laziness in the typing department.) Well, let's hop on that train.
RBLB will be released in its full form in three weeks - until then here is the latest "RBLB in the making" edit featuring Jesse Burtner and Tim Eddy.
Mammoth Mountain Adds Katal Landing Pad
GrindTV Newswire, Via Mammoth Mountain: (May 18, 2010) Mammoth Mountain and Katal Innovations have teamed up to bring a Katal Landing Pad to Mammoth from May 22-31, 2010. The Katal Landing Pad will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily and will cost $40 per day for unlimited use. Purchase tickets at the Main Lodge ticket window.
Measuring at 50 feet wide by 90 feet long and 5 feet thick, the Katal Landing Pad covers the entire surface area of a jump after the takeoff allowing users to attempt new tricks without the consequences of crashing on an icy landing. Unlike traditional foam pits used for jumping, the Katal Landing Pad allows users to "ride-out" their landings to more closely simulate an actual jump landing.
The Katal Landing Pad will be installed on a custom jump featuring three takeoffs ranging from 10-60 feet. The setup will be accessible from Face Lift Express. Passes for use of the Katal Landing Pad are available at Main Lodge Ticket Windows.
Mammoth's Snowboard and Freeride Ski Teams will be offering training camps that are open to the public. Enrollment includes individualized instruction, daily video review and unlimited use of the Katal Landing Pad.
Training Camp Dates:
May 22-23, 2010 - Weekend Session - $250
May 24-28, 2010 - Weekday Session - $625
May 29-31, 2010 - Holiday Weekend Session - $375
Daily Camp Schedule:
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. air bag session
2 p.m. to 3 p.m. on snow training
3 p.m. to 4 p.m. video review session
5 Late Season Shred Spots
5 places to shred now!
We know it's almost Memorial Day, but there are still places to get your shred on in North America. Check out the top five places that are still running their lifts.
A-Basin, Colorado: Open through July 4th.
Photo: A.Basin.
A-Basin might be in a landlocked state, but it still has a kick-ass beach. The lower parking lot is home to a stretch of prime real estate known as the "Beach." This area backs up to the three lower chairlifts, making it easy to access tons of skiable terrain. Even though it's late in the season, over three-quarters of the mountain is still open. Check out the Web Cams before heading up because in Colorado you never know if it's going to be blue bird and sunny, no vis and dumping, or raining with a mixture of it all. Get ready to get your shred on until Independence Day. Daily lift tickets run $54 for adults.
Mammoth Mountain, California: Open through July 4th.
Everyone knows that spring riding in Mammoth is where it's at. Snow is still falling on this Cali shred spot and the conditions are simply out of hand. The resort has parks, pipes, and powder, and plans to be open through July 4th. Tickets are $69 for adults. For conditions and events peep Mammoth Mountain.
If you're looking to get a little shredding, camping, and "festivaling" all in one, head to Mammoth from June 4th- 6th for the first ever Frendly Gathering. Jack Mitrani and the rest of the FRENDS crew are planning a get together to start "summer off on a bang."Spring shredding and camping together?! What could be better?
Blackcomb, B.C., Canada: Open through May 24
Photo: Whistler/Blackcomb
If you are looking for a late season shred adventure, head on up to Whistler, Blackcomb, before this Olympic resort shuts down for the season. From now until May 24, 2010, you can access Blackcomb Mountain from the Excalibur Gondola from 10:00 a.m.-4 p.m. They have a few features open including a halfpipe and mini pipe. Get your summer riding on for $55 (CAN).
For more info and check out:
www.whistlerblackcomb.com
Snowbird, Utah: Open through June 19th
Photo: Snowbird, UT
Snowbird, Utah is still open and ready for all you spring and summer rippers. Lifts will be turning on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays until June 19th. Head on over to the this big mountain mecca to get your fill of slush turns for $62 bucks a day. Peep the conditions page for the all the latest: SnowBird Conditions
Timberline, Oregon: Open all summer!!
Timberline Parks (Paintbrush Edit) from www.timberlineparks.com on Vimeo.
Who says you have to go to summer camp to shred Mt. Hood? Thanks to Timberline in Oregon, you can get your summer riding on at the popular Palmer Snowfield without paying pricey camp costs. For a mere $42 bucks you can rip around the abundant terrain at Timberline all summer. Lifts run from 8:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and the park is always fun and changing. Keep tabs on the park status by checking out the daily blog, and conditions page.
