rollcall...snowboarding...you know who you are.
10-09-2008, 12:03 PM
#1861
http://www.theblockhotels.com/tahoe/
Seems pretty sick....and all rooms come standard with the following:
Seems pretty sick....and all rooms come standard with the following:
that place is owned by marc frank montoya (MFM) who is super steezy but you def wont get any sleep there!
anybody riding a Nitro deck? i rock the 06-07 Nitro Team MFM...good wood winner 06-07
so whens the first snow gonna be? we should start a bet poll...im sayin we dont have good snow til Jan1. lucky for me im going to Mt Hood last week of Nov for my first ride of the season
i cant freakin wait!
10-09-2008, 12:11 PM
#1862
Yeah its so damn weak that they did that. I can understand doing that with rider signature boards and what not but the duo is a staple line and should be available in sizes that pertain the riding the board is ment to do. The 159 is really limiting.
I have a 163 Duo Venom from a few years back that I LOVE but wanted to replace with this years platinum. And I have a 166 GLX limited from year before last that only sees use on big powder days.
I wanted another 163 so bad.
I have a 163 Duo Venom from a few years back that I LOVE but wanted to replace with this years platinum. And I have a 166 GLX limited from year before last that only sees use on big powder days.
I wanted another 163 so bad.
10-09-2008, 03:43 PM
#1864
10-09-2008, 03:48 PM
#1865
If the size was an error I'll be hitting you up for a 163 but only if. I sent them an email saying... WTF? please tell me this is an error but no on got back to me. I was tempted to go down to NHS myself and say... WTF is this a mistake? haaaa.
10-09-2008, 03:49 PM
#1866
Tom Burt: Interview from SnowboarderMag.com
Snowboard legend Tom Burt kept himself busy this past winter judging Travis Rice and Quiksilver's latest endeavor the Natural Selection, stepping up as part owner of Winterstick, as well as guiding the top snowboarders in the game for Alaska Heliskiing. We caught up with him recently, now you get to reap the benefits of that sit down. Read on.
What did you do this past winter?
Well mostly, you know…snowboarded, for the winter. As far as trips and stuff, Baker, and then I did a couple trips to Alaska this year, guiding up there.
Do you guide for Travis [Rice] and Nicolas [Müller] up there?
Well, I guide for Alaska Heliskiiing, which is out of Haines. Usually Travis comes up with Absinthe and films up there, this year he was doing his own project and he ended up in Valdez. They asked to me guide for them, but I just couldn’t pull it off because I had prior commitments in Haines, but that’s the way that goes. Then I also went out to Jackson and was head judge for Travis’ contest, Natural Selection. That was fun, had a great time there, Jackson’s always fun but we had incredible snow the whole time, so that was insane. Aside from that I’ve been teaching my daughters to ski. My oldest daughter went snowboarding for her first day, I told her she had to wait until she was 6, she turned six in May so after I got back from Alaska we went out snowboarding for her first day and she was ripping! I can send you a video.
How many days would you say you got on hill this winter?
Oh I don’t know, I don’t keep track. Probably more than 100 and less than 200. It just depends, every year is different; a lot of days I'll just go out for a run in the morning, a backcountry run or something, not going to the resort. And then other days I’m out with the kids skiing, some days on skis some days on my snowboard, just depends. My youngest one now, she can ski on her own, I snowboard with her a lot just because its easier for me to talk to her when she’s going down the hill because I can just cruise along. She’s four and she’s skiing basically anything intermediate, advanced groomed.
Tell us about Alaska, what’s it like guiding up there?
I’ve been doing it for so long because when we first went up there, there were no guides in the early 90s. I basically was guiding our groups, telling people what to do and what not to do and had the most experience with snow conditions so it’s kind of ingrained in my brain. Depends on the group you’re with and things like that, but making decisions for others is always tough, I’m not necessarily making a lot of decisions because I work with a lot of film crews and I have a lot of experience with that. I’m just evaluating the snow conditions and telling people what the hazards are and trying to keep people in relatively safe areas. With film crews, all of a sudden it’s a different game because the athletes are choosing things that might not be that safe, because there’s more consequences. My job molds and changes, when I have the general public it’s a lot of fun for me because most people know who I am and it’s an enjoyable time. It’s always interesting for me to see what goes on, it’s a tough call. When you’re guiding you’re basically responsible for whoever is out there so there’s a lot of weight on your shoulders.
Do you breathe a sigh of relief when everyone gets down?
Yeah, depends on the conditions and what you’re doing because a lot of people aren’t up there stepping it up, they’re just up there to ride and have fun so they’re not necessarily doing anything outrageous. If you have a film crew then you have people who are doing some things outrageous, but a lot of times they don’t have to worry about the snow conditions as much, generally, because they’re doing something steeper, so the snow conditions take care of themselves. You still have to worry because they come down off the bottom and there are lots of different things going on, it definitely puts a certain amount of responsibility in your lap.
What’s it like to be one of the original Alaskan pioneers and to see how far big mountain riding has come?
It’s been fun to watch and to be a part of. Most things that most people are doing, I can still ride, or I end up having to ride, except now I have a guide pack on. I might not do the airs, I usually go around those with my pack because its too much weight and the landings just beat you up.
Who are some of the guys you are looking towards who you think are going to take it to the next level?
Well that depends what level, the thing about snow is that it only sticks to so steep and we’re pretty much there. The general trend right now is more of creativity, riding lines and putting more creative freestyle moves in. You definitely have guys like Travis who are stepping up and running more in that world. Then there’s guys who don’t come to Alaska necessarily, who have a lot of those skills, whether they get there or not is hard to say. There’s so much talent out there it's crazy. It's always fun to ride with Jeremy Jones, he’s pushing it on those levels. It’s always good fun and very interesting. I end up guiding skiers also, last year I got Tanner Hall for his movie. That got a part in his flick. For me it doesn’t matter if people are skiing or snowboarding, it’s all making turns on the mountain and that’s what I like to do.
Tell us a little about Winterstick.
I’ve been riding for them for quite a few years but the company kind of got swallowed by bad manufacturing. So it kind of fell apart there, but Chris Lorenz and Tom Fremont-Smith didn’t want to just let it go away. So they kept a lot of the debt, got rid of it all and tried to make the company viable. Then, they basically swung a deal with Pete Wagner at Wagner Customs, and that basically spawned me into saying OK well, they didn’t have anything to offer me, as a rider. What we have is the company, and I have a lot of assets to bring to the company with all my years of experience and I’m stoked with Wagner Custom basically being a major player now in Winterstick. So I was like, this seems like a good fit. I proposed that I would like to be involved on an ownership level but still be a rider because it’s very important for me to still be a snowboarder. I feel that still being a snowboarder brings a lot more to the company instead of having someone in charge who’s not out there on the snow.
If you feel yourself slacking a little bit do you have to cut yourself from the team?
Yeah, I still hold my own, I’m just an old man for the sport [laughs]. I’ve been a professional for longer than most of today’s professionals being filmed have been alive. So it’s kind of a funny thing for me.
How is it changing your outlook, going from a rider to a rider/owner?
I never really have to be concerned with numbers, sales, things like that. Its added some workload that I have to do, but a lot of the things I already did, like on the marketing and promotion side, I just have to follow through on those a little deeper. That’s not that much different, its like doing interviews like this type of thing, I’m well versed because of doing them for years for riding. My responsibilities all make sense to me, but it does create quite a bit of extra time that I’ll have to spend within the company and working with Pete Wagner on different aspects. Its fun and interesting to learn more about the other side of the business, but now there’s a lot more responsibility on my shoulders, which isn’t good nor bad, its just what it is.
What are your plans for next winter?
Snowboarding! Hopefully if things move along, we’ll be doing some more design projects, which is fun for me. Working on boards, making them better. Its nice working with Wagner Custom because everything is handmade and I can change things in a board and they’ll do it for me. It’s a very open and free system between us in R & D so it’s cool.
Has Travis asked you back to the Natural Selection to judge again?
I don’t know, I haven’t talked to him recently. I’m guessing that its going on again, but I’m not sure. I just helped with a little article that Dustin Vargo, another one of the judges, was doing about it. I’m guessing they’re going to do it again because the mountain put so much effort into it, and it was such a very fun contest. I’ll probably be there, the only conflict will be if its on SIA weekend again. But again, I still find that being a rider first and an owner second is a better priority, and I think that people will respect that.
Do you think you’ll go back to the Baker Banked Slalom again next year?
Yes, I always try to. Since I started re-doing it, because I did it in 1987 and I didn’t go back for something like 15 years or maybe more. Since then I’ve been going every year. But it’s on my schedule to go. Its been so much fun for me, I still compete in the “washed up pro category” as I call it. They don’t have a category for me, like 40 and older pro, but I’m still really competitive with it, I won it and placed a couple times. It’s such a fun course and such a fun time its hard to miss so I’m always stoked to get my invite in the mail.
What did you do this past winter?
Well mostly, you know…snowboarded, for the winter. As far as trips and stuff, Baker, and then I did a couple trips to Alaska this year, guiding up there.
Do you guide for Travis [Rice] and Nicolas [Müller] up there?
Well, I guide for Alaska Heliskiiing, which is out of Haines. Usually Travis comes up with Absinthe and films up there, this year he was doing his own project and he ended up in Valdez. They asked to me guide for them, but I just couldn’t pull it off because I had prior commitments in Haines, but that’s the way that goes. Then I also went out to Jackson and was head judge for Travis’ contest, Natural Selection. That was fun, had a great time there, Jackson’s always fun but we had incredible snow the whole time, so that was insane. Aside from that I’ve been teaching my daughters to ski. My oldest daughter went snowboarding for her first day, I told her she had to wait until she was 6, she turned six in May so after I got back from Alaska we went out snowboarding for her first day and she was ripping! I can send you a video.
How many days would you say you got on hill this winter?
Oh I don’t know, I don’t keep track. Probably more than 100 and less than 200. It just depends, every year is different; a lot of days I'll just go out for a run in the morning, a backcountry run or something, not going to the resort. And then other days I’m out with the kids skiing, some days on skis some days on my snowboard, just depends. My youngest one now, she can ski on her own, I snowboard with her a lot just because its easier for me to talk to her when she’s going down the hill because I can just cruise along. She’s four and she’s skiing basically anything intermediate, advanced groomed.
Tell us about Alaska, what’s it like guiding up there?
I’ve been doing it for so long because when we first went up there, there were no guides in the early 90s. I basically was guiding our groups, telling people what to do and what not to do and had the most experience with snow conditions so it’s kind of ingrained in my brain. Depends on the group you’re with and things like that, but making decisions for others is always tough, I’m not necessarily making a lot of decisions because I work with a lot of film crews and I have a lot of experience with that. I’m just evaluating the snow conditions and telling people what the hazards are and trying to keep people in relatively safe areas. With film crews, all of a sudden it’s a different game because the athletes are choosing things that might not be that safe, because there’s more consequences. My job molds and changes, when I have the general public it’s a lot of fun for me because most people know who I am and it’s an enjoyable time. It’s always interesting for me to see what goes on, it’s a tough call. When you’re guiding you’re basically responsible for whoever is out there so there’s a lot of weight on your shoulders.
Do you breathe a sigh of relief when everyone gets down?
Yeah, depends on the conditions and what you’re doing because a lot of people aren’t up there stepping it up, they’re just up there to ride and have fun so they’re not necessarily doing anything outrageous. If you have a film crew then you have people who are doing some things outrageous, but a lot of times they don’t have to worry about the snow conditions as much, generally, because they’re doing something steeper, so the snow conditions take care of themselves. You still have to worry because they come down off the bottom and there are lots of different things going on, it definitely puts a certain amount of responsibility in your lap.
What’s it like to be one of the original Alaskan pioneers and to see how far big mountain riding has come?
It’s been fun to watch and to be a part of. Most things that most people are doing, I can still ride, or I end up having to ride, except now I have a guide pack on. I might not do the airs, I usually go around those with my pack because its too much weight and the landings just beat you up.
Who are some of the guys you are looking towards who you think are going to take it to the next level?
Well that depends what level, the thing about snow is that it only sticks to so steep and we’re pretty much there. The general trend right now is more of creativity, riding lines and putting more creative freestyle moves in. You definitely have guys like Travis who are stepping up and running more in that world. Then there’s guys who don’t come to Alaska necessarily, who have a lot of those skills, whether they get there or not is hard to say. There’s so much talent out there it's crazy. It's always fun to ride with Jeremy Jones, he’s pushing it on those levels. It’s always good fun and very interesting. I end up guiding skiers also, last year I got Tanner Hall for his movie. That got a part in his flick. For me it doesn’t matter if people are skiing or snowboarding, it’s all making turns on the mountain and that’s what I like to do.
Tell us a little about Winterstick.
I’ve been riding for them for quite a few years but the company kind of got swallowed by bad manufacturing. So it kind of fell apart there, but Chris Lorenz and Tom Fremont-Smith didn’t want to just let it go away. So they kept a lot of the debt, got rid of it all and tried to make the company viable. Then, they basically swung a deal with Pete Wagner at Wagner Customs, and that basically spawned me into saying OK well, they didn’t have anything to offer me, as a rider. What we have is the company, and I have a lot of assets to bring to the company with all my years of experience and I’m stoked with Wagner Custom basically being a major player now in Winterstick. So I was like, this seems like a good fit. I proposed that I would like to be involved on an ownership level but still be a rider because it’s very important for me to still be a snowboarder. I feel that still being a snowboarder brings a lot more to the company instead of having someone in charge who’s not out there on the snow.
If you feel yourself slacking a little bit do you have to cut yourself from the team?
Yeah, I still hold my own, I’m just an old man for the sport [laughs]. I’ve been a professional for longer than most of today’s professionals being filmed have been alive. So it’s kind of a funny thing for me.
How is it changing your outlook, going from a rider to a rider/owner?
I never really have to be concerned with numbers, sales, things like that. Its added some workload that I have to do, but a lot of the things I already did, like on the marketing and promotion side, I just have to follow through on those a little deeper. That’s not that much different, its like doing interviews like this type of thing, I’m well versed because of doing them for years for riding. My responsibilities all make sense to me, but it does create quite a bit of extra time that I’ll have to spend within the company and working with Pete Wagner on different aspects. Its fun and interesting to learn more about the other side of the business, but now there’s a lot more responsibility on my shoulders, which isn’t good nor bad, its just what it is.
What are your plans for next winter?
Snowboarding! Hopefully if things move along, we’ll be doing some more design projects, which is fun for me. Working on boards, making them better. Its nice working with Wagner Custom because everything is handmade and I can change things in a board and they’ll do it for me. It’s a very open and free system between us in R & D so it’s cool.
Has Travis asked you back to the Natural Selection to judge again?
I don’t know, I haven’t talked to him recently. I’m guessing that its going on again, but I’m not sure. I just helped with a little article that Dustin Vargo, another one of the judges, was doing about it. I’m guessing they’re going to do it again because the mountain put so much effort into it, and it was such a very fun contest. I’ll probably be there, the only conflict will be if its on SIA weekend again. But again, I still find that being a rider first and an owner second is a better priority, and I think that people will respect that.
Do you think you’ll go back to the Baker Banked Slalom again next year?
Yes, I always try to. Since I started re-doing it, because I did it in 1987 and I didn’t go back for something like 15 years or maybe more. Since then I’ve been going every year. But it’s on my schedule to go. Its been so much fun for me, I still compete in the “washed up pro category” as I call it. They don’t have a category for me, like 40 and older pro, but I’m still really competitive with it, I won it and placed a couple times. It’s such a fun course and such a fun time its hard to miss so I’m always stoked to get my invite in the mail.
Last edited by Lowball; 10-09-2008 at 03:53 PM.
10-10-2008, 12:59 PM
#1868
VIP Member
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: N38.6775* W120.0805*
Posts: 3,548
Car Info: psm.03.wrx.wgn
"Boring Hill" makes snow!!!
Just checked my email & found out that Boreal (aka Boring Hill) fired up the snow-makers overnite then continued til sometime after sun-up. They've got a jib contest they're prepping for in a couple wknd's. Good for them... looks like they'll be claiming, "First!" yet another season. 
Plus, the low pressure system dropping into the Great Basin is predicted to produce some "lake effect" snow. I've heard maybe 6 inches are possible. Wowzers!
That's loco, mang!
Plus, the low pressure system dropping into the Great Basin is predicted to produce some "lake effect" snow. I've heard maybe 6 inches are possible. Wowzers!
That's loco, mang!
Originally Posted by Nat'l Weather Svc: Snow Advisory
A LAKE EFFECT SNOW ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM PDT
THIS EVENING.
A STEADY BAND OF SNOW WILL PERSIST OVER AREAS NEAR THE SOUTH AND
SOUTHWEST SHORES OF LAKE TAHOE THROUGH THIS EVENING. THIS BAND OF
LAKE EFFECT SNOW WILL BRING 2 TO 6 INCHES OF ACCUMULATION IN SOME
AREAS WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS. ACROSS THE
REMAINDER OF THE LAKE TAHOE BASIN...SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SNOW
SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE OVER THE LAKE TAHOE REGION THROUGH THIS
AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THESE SHOWERS COULD PRODUCE UP TO TWO
INCHES OF SNOW.
THIS EVENING.
A STEADY BAND OF SNOW WILL PERSIST OVER AREAS NEAR THE SOUTH AND
SOUTHWEST SHORES OF LAKE TAHOE THROUGH THIS EVENING. THIS BAND OF
LAKE EFFECT SNOW WILL BRING 2 TO 6 INCHES OF ACCUMULATION IN SOME
AREAS WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS. ACROSS THE
REMAINDER OF THE LAKE TAHOE BASIN...SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SNOW
SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE OVER THE LAKE TAHOE REGION THROUGH THIS
AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THESE SHOWERS COULD PRODUCE UP TO TWO
INCHES OF SNOW.
10-17-2008, 04:30 PM
#1870
VIP Member
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: N38.6775* W120.0805*
Posts: 3,548
Car Info: psm.03.wrx.wgn
Icer Air 2008
I'm not going, but I know a few heads on here are. www.icerair.com
Looks like they've got some funky tow-in system for the jump this year. Check out the vid here from events they've used it before... http://www.soulproductions.fi/video/107. That thing reminds me of an aircraft carrier catapult. The "corner" set-up, as they're calling it, is supposed to be lined up like hitting a hip. Funny how Icer Air's site still has a pic of the massive scaffolding drop-in, jump & landing, like they've done for the past years.
Looks like they've got some funky tow-in system for the jump this year. Check out the vid here from events they've used it before... http://www.soulproductions.fi/video/107. That thing reminds me of an aircraft carrier catapult. The "corner" set-up, as they're calling it, is supposed to be lined up like hitting a hip. Funny how Icer Air's site still has a pic of the massive scaffolding drop-in, jump & landing, like they've done for the past years.
10-19-2008, 06:08 PM
#1873
banned
iTrader: (5)
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: NorCal, SF East Bay
Posts: 1,456
Car Info: 2007 WRX Limited | vf43'D
Yeah, IceRair was sooo weak. If it was the first year, I'd understand but I went last year and that was a blast. Only saving grace is I got my free lift ticket for Heavenly & so did my gf.
10-19-2008, 06:41 PM
#1874
VIP Member
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: N38.6775* W120.0805*
Posts: 3,548
Car Info: psm.03.wrx.wgn
Although I had the feeling it was gonna be a letdown, I was hoping those who went would still find something entertaining or worthwhile.
Kinda curious though... what are the restrictions on these Heavenly tix?
I'm planning to get a limited ticket voucher to Heavenly by watching the new Warren Miller flick next month.
Kinda curious though... what are the restrictions on these Heavenly tix?
I'm planning to get a limited ticket voucher to Heavenly by watching the new Warren Miller flick next month.
10-28-2008, 03:18 PM
#1875
VIP Member
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: N38.6775* W120.0805*
Posts: 3,548
Car Info: psm.03.wrx.wgn
Snow Inbound!!!
F' Yeah, yo!
Woohoo! Rain in da Bay means Snow in our Mtn Playgrounds, foo's!!!
This cool & wet system is bringing in two back-to-back fronts. First one hits us Thurs nite bringing lite precip til Fri evening, while the second, which is supposed to have a bit more oomph, moves in early Sat and clears out by Sun evening. Then, we're slated to get more showers into next week, too!
Giggity giggity goo!!!!
P.S. Ray, how close will we get to hitting the nail on the head on this one? Let's play Lotto if this one pans out, eh?
Woohoo! Rain in da Bay means Snow in our Mtn Playgrounds, foo's!!!
This cool & wet system is bringing in two back-to-back fronts. First one hits us Thurs nite bringing lite precip til Fri evening, while the second, which is supposed to have a bit more oomph, moves in early Sat and clears out by Sun evening. Then, we're slated to get more showers into next week, too!
Giggity giggity goo!!!!
P.S. Ray, how close will we get to hitting the nail on the head on this one? Let's play Lotto if this one pans out, eh?
