Movie Mondays

Mondays suck! You know it, I know it. After a seemingly endless Monday in school, work or wherever the odds of you wanting to read a huge essay on snowboarding are probably as slim as my will to write one.

That's why you can sit back, relax and enjoy Movie Mondays, a collection of some of the cooler snowboard videos floating around on the Internet today.

The Bataleon crew in Europe gets down and dirty during a photo shoot in some pretty hairy conditions. The riding start about two minutes in if you get bored. This video made it to Movie Mondays pretty much for the high-five at the end... you'll see what I mean.

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Grenade Games wasn't the only celebration of snowboarding and counter-culture on 4/20. While only the "cool" people were up at Whistler for Grenade Games V, the radical people were chilling at the Kingvale Terrain Project for Kingstock. On a side note to GNU... dudes, lose the idiot blonde and put some fucking snowboarding in your Grenade Games video recaps.

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This is already posted up at AngrySnowboarder, but what can I say? I have a weak spot for technical jibbing, and the kids in this video were annihilating that corrugated tube. These kids from Rhode Island, Dylan Gamache and Brian Skorupski, should head out to Bear Mountain someday and see what's up.

My Friend Is a Pro

Kind of lazy post... but funny. The song pretty much sucks but that's why I've been listening to it on repeat for like an hour. Check out the site, MyFriendIsaPro.com. This might be the greatest viral video ever made.

TEAM USA - My Friend is a Pro (Album Version) from Mike Thomas on Vimeo.

“My Friend Is A Pro”

Chorus 1:
I just want to go ski
Get all my shit for free
(Whoa)

Have fun eternally
Or ’til I blow my knee
(Whoa)

Hitting jumps of all sizes
Competing for prizes
And contracts and hos
(Contracts and hos)

I’m a marginal rider
With papes and a lighter
And my friend’s a pro

My friend’s a pro (6x)

Verse 1 (Colby):
So you wanna go ski
And be balling like me
Never pushing the limits
Staying injury free

Fuck waxing bases
Bitch, I don’t know how
Fuck sharpening edges
I’ve got team managers now

Skiing three days a week
For just two hours a day
And the number one reason
Is so that I can get paid

Don’t you front on me
This is as hard as it get
I need my MacBook Pro
I need my Intermanet (Internet)

If you think you’re a pro
This log of snus is for you
Don’t spill a drop of that sizzurp
Or else you’ll drink from my shoe

I’m as tight as they come
Just letting everybody know
I was made for this shit
I’m as white as the snow

Fuck all you fuckers
This shit is fucking fucked
Hating shits, fuck you
You motherfucking chumps

I came out to Super Sessions
Fit to flick a bean
Uh oh, bitches, run
Here comes the Dream Team

Chorus 2:
I just want to go ski
Get all my shit for free
(Whoa)

Have fun eternally
Or ’til I blow my knee
(Whoa)

Hitting jumps of all sizes
Competing for prizes
And contracts and hos
(Contracts and hos)

I’m a marginal rider
Your shit might be tighter
But my friend’s a pro

My friend’s a pro (6x)

Verse 2 (John):
So you want to go ski
And be gnarly like me
Get shots and show up
In the DVD’s and magazines

Some fools think it’s easy
But that’s because they don’t see
It takes me 50 tries to get
A single trick that looks clean

And that’s why haters hate
But I won’t ever let it
Bother me. And if it does
I picture my newest edit.

Picture, um, syrup-sipping
Picture, um, Scotty Pippen
Picture other shit they talk about all the time in hip-hop albums?

Ayo, hold on a minute
I ain’t even finished
I got a cell phone
With all the pros’ names in it

I got a black key
I got a gold chain
If it’s on Jon tonight
I’m pouring champagne

I’m looking tight in the air
Keeping my steeze together
Something, something, something
Afterbang, or whatever
(Whatever)

Fuck flat, motherfucker
‘Cuz I’m on a slope
Not ‘cuz I’m dope
I’m friends with a pro

Bridge:
Bright colors used to be whack
But then they came right back
Pro skiers look like a bag of Skittles

When I decide to go ski
It’s all eyes on me
They saying, “Oh man, he’s the shittles!”

Still grinding
Still hustling
Afterbanging
And trick busting

To my ladies, and my shorties, and my hos
Get to dancing and grind on them pros

Gear Graveyard -- 08/09 Vans Hi-Standard Rasta Boots

Welcome to the Gear Graveyard. One of the biggest questions that pops up on forums is "how long will it last?" Hopefully this section will shed some light on the lifespan of your common snowboarding commodities and prepare you all for an inevitable truth... gear dies.

One piece of equipment I end up buying every year is the boots. After closing day at Snow Summit I've decided it's time to call it on my 08/09 Vans Hi-Standard Rasta snowboard boots.

Vans Hi-Standard Rasta Boot

Lifespan ≈ 80 Days

These boots saw their first day on hill on December 7th, 2008. I bought the boots to last me through my season in Colorado where I would say I saw about 20 days of riding a month until March where I got maybe 10. That works out to roughly 70 days plus another 10 or 12 from closing the season in Southern California. This makes a total of around 80 days... which is pretty much exactly the average lifespan of your common snowboard boot.

The Breakdown


The Vans Hi-Standard is what I would call a pricepoint boot; it's very basic, very affordable and very flexible. The flex became too much early on in the life of these boots, at least for me. The first thing to go on these boots was the liners. I would say I started to notice a lack of response right around mid-February or the beginning of March, so just around 60 days into the lifespan of the boots. As of closing day at Snow Summit the liners had pretty much no support left.

A lot of folks don't realize that boot liners are the silent killers. I wanted to draw attention to the fact that boot liners can die weeks before any physical wear and tear becomes visible.

The laces both popped (on two different trips) and added $5 for laces to the cost of my day. I'm not complaining, this shit happens, but this raised a conundrum of sorts for me: I was initially frustrated and ready to swear off laces altogether, then I realized how convenient is was for me to be able to just walk into the store and buy new laces. If I had boa or speed-zone lacing those days would have been very different stories... and yes boa and speed zone laces can break.

I've never had a quick-lace system before, and now I wonder; would it be worth it to move to Boa or other quick-lace system if it meant running the risk of blowing your entire day? Then again if you read on it looks like you run that risk either way... I guess it boils down to "shit breaks".


So broken laces don't justify retiring these boots, but while replacing the laces I noticed that the lace loops were just about snapped. Having a loop break on me midday riding isn't my idea of a good time, laces don't hold too well without lace loops.


There are a few scuffs and other physical signs of wear but the real killer for these boots, like most of my boots before it, is the liners. Maybe I'm spoiled, but I can't stand a boot with beat-ass liners... so this is the end of the line for my 08/09 Vans Hi-Standard Rasta Snowboard Boots.

R.I.P.
12/7/08 - 4/18/09

Snowboarders Don't Workout - Philosophy

Photoshopped?

How much is too much? Where do you draw the line between workouts that will benefit you come snowboarding season and those that further hinder performance? The Snowboarders Don't Workout is designed around an important philosophy: the best way to train for snowboarding in the off-season is to emulate it.

All of the exercises to be presented in the Snowboarders Don't Workout are broken down into specific muscles used when riding, all of the conditioning exercises (burpees, squat jumps, etc.) are meant to promote speed and agility in those muscles, and all of the activities (skateboarding, swimming) are targeted towards working out those specific muscles as a whole. Each individual exercise will go into more detail about what its designed to strengthen and how that will improve your riding, but the most important thing is to realize what snowboarding is as a whole...

Whether you are into powder runs and you use your whole body to whip turns and control speed; whether you are a euro-carver that makes quick, precise movements to negotiate terrain; whether you are a rail kid able to quickly distribute bodyweight and hold your balance; whether you are a pipe jock hucking spin after spin after flip after spin with textbook execution...

Success in all of these aspects of snowboarding centers on your ability to maneuver your bodyweight quickly, powerfully and repeatedly (literally hundreds of times a day). This concept is especially important with weightlifting exercises; you should be able to do sets of 12-15 reps with the weight you choose to lift. Snowboarding fitness is not a matter of how much you can lift one time, but how much you can lift many times.

Another part of the Snowboarders Don't Workout philosophy, and perhaps the motivating factor in posting this information is to keep muscles loose, limber and injury free into the season. The number one reason most professional snowboarders have routines is to avoid serious injuries and long rehabilitation times.

Next to come in the Snowboarders Don't Workout: How To Utilize the Exercises

Movie Mondays

Mondays suck! You know it, I know it. After a seemingly endless Monday in school, work or wherever the odds of you wanting to read a huge essay on snowboarding are probably as slim as my will to write one.

That's why you can sit back, relax and enjoy Movie Mondays, a collection of some of the cooler snowboard videos floating around on the Internet today.

First up is Scott Stevens part in Stack Footy. Scott has been labeled "twinkle toes" by his peers due his ability to lightly jump from rail to rail, snowboard to snowboard, skateboards, etc. The best I can describe it is like that part in Star Wars where Yoda was backflipping off of walls and shit except with a snowboard or skateboard.

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Absolut Spring Battle 2009 from snowbroader.eu on Vimeo.

Snowbroader attended the Absolut Spring Battle for some pretty killer footage. That park looks awesome, contests with crazy setups like that always make for some cool tricks. Just watch, you'll see.

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Last up we have Max Warbington snowboarding out in Colorado. Max is holding down for GNU in the Volcom PBRJ finals in Mammoth. Those of you looking for sponsors take note, this is not even a sponsor me tape but it's an awesome demonstration of Max's all-around riding on rails, pipe and jumps. Pretty legit.

Snow Summit 4.18.2009 -- Closing Day

Resorts in Colorado are slowly shutting down so it's about time that Southern California called it quits. I managed to get up to Bear for the last day of their season. Bear Mountain closed last Sunday and after a really great week, Snow Summit followed suit today.

I couldn't get any friends to come up with me; either for work shit or because they didn't want to "sully their snowboarding abilities with the crappy leftover snow of a resort's last day". Since I was alone it was a reasonably mellow day... not mellow to where I didn't test some limits and learn some new tricks.


What can I say about the conditions? The picture says it all. The runs were literally just lanes of snow. This is my favorite part of late season shred. Late season goes through phases where it stays icy in the morning and softens later in the day, then it transitions to being soft and nice in the morning and turns to slush water by the end of the day. Today was a slush water kind of day...

Top of one of Summit's Late Season Jib Parks


2 Boarders, 1 Rail

Late season shredding pretty much becomes a jibfest. Summit had two park runs open with a few fun features. They had the big kicker up still and that always hits nice since it's always salted and rarely ridden. Otherwise they had some trademark Bear features: a few rails, a lift tower, a down corrugated tube, etc. HUGE PROPS TO THE PARK STAFF AND LIFTIES FOR KEEPING UP THE FEATURES AND RAMPS ALL DAY! It's awesome that they were still busting ass, even with only a few hours left until closing.

This was my first "closing day". It's cool to have absolutely no regrets. Everything I wanted to try I tried, and occassionally landed. I have to give closing day at Snow Summit two thumbs and two big toes up; today was a perfect day.

Mt. High is open tomorrow and then Southern California's resorts officially close the 2008.2009 season.

Signs I'm an Angry Snowboarder

Now the goal is to shred Mammoth in two weeks... I'm not anywhere near calling my season; there's still snow to shred and I'm on a mission to get to it! I just hope my Swindle can make it through the rock jibbing to come...

Stay tuned.

Snowboarders Don't Workout - Introduction

With the snow melting, resorts closing and temperatures rising the focus now shifts from snowboarding to ways to keep our minds off snowboarding. We surf, skate, wakeboard or weightlift to stay in shape in anticipation of the next season.

The big project for the summer here at Deserts Don't Snow is going to be a comprehensive series of posts outlining ways to stay fit and ready for the coming season without succumbing to the label of "gym jockey".

Let's face it, we are snowboarders. We don't spend three to four hours in the gym every day downing protein smoothies and Human Growth Hormone. We are more likely to be found eating $1 cheesburgers from McDonald's while skating the local mini ramp.

The goal of Snowboarders Don't Workout is to isolate the most important and influential parts of the body we use in snowboarding and present several effective exercises to develop and maintain them. These "exercises" will range from minor weightlifting (dumbbells, sandbags), body weight exercises (Push-ups, pull-ups), cardio routines (burpees, squat jumps) and awesome activities (skating, basketball, swimming).

Using any combination of these exercises will have you strengthening everything you use when you ride while at the same time hopefully keep your mind off of the fact that you can't go snowboarding for months... on top of that, you will be able to do them without spending hundreds of dollars at some fancy gym:

Watch Rocko's Modern Life - No Pain, No Gain in Animation | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

Look out for upcoming posts with the title "Snowboarders Don't Workout"!

Snow Summit 4.14.2009

I went up to Snow Summit with my bro today. Bear Mountain closed last Sunday and BBMR (Big Bear Mountain Resorts) is busting ass to keep the two runs at Summit open until April 18th. This is the last week of local shred so I'm trying to get three or four days out of it.

One thing I have started to understand about snowboarding... some aspect of trying to ride is going to go wrong. Sometimes it's equipment, sometimes it's idiocy, today it was both.

I got up early and had to literally drag my brother out of bed. We were fine with time and looking at a nice long day on hill. Just as we were about to get on the freeway he realized he had forgotten his goggles at the house. It didn't set us back much but it did set us back; so we embarked for round 2 of trying to make it up to Bear.

When we pulled in to the parking lot I realized my season pass was still two hours back the way we came, in my house in Palm Springs. Talk about your all-time boneheaded screw-ups. Lucky for me Snow Summit has a policy that gives you one chance to be that stupid... so they gave me a sympathy ticket and things were on track again. Round 3.

View from the parking lot.

This was my brothers first day on a board since he tore his ACL a few years back (ironically, he tore it wrestling a few months before he was set up to go with me to High Cascade). After begging him consistently for a year he felt like his knee was finally stable enough to take a few runs.

Brother G... stoked maybe?

Conditions are pretty dismal at this point. This is where people start to bitch and moan about how there isn't any powder at the end of April in Southern California... but all you really need is a layer of slush just to get that fix, yaddadamean?

Wait... I thought it was called "snow"boarding?

It was pretty funny; when I was getting my sympathy ticket this guy came into the Guest Services office and just started going off. "There is only one high-speed lift," "There are only two runs open," "There are patches of dirt everywhere," "Everything was gated off, and I got stuck at this slow two person chair." This is what trail reports, lift reports and live cams are for... no surprises; in fact these things were probably created so resorts wouldn't have to deal with bullshit like this. It's like the guy wore a blindfold until after he got off the chairlift because he wanted to be surprised!

Complaining about anything at a resort when they are 5 days from closing is like asking Jed Anderson to stop hitting rails. It was pretty obvious the lovely ladies behind the counter weren't empathizing with the douscher so I started making whining baby noises while the guy was mid-complaint to get some smiles; I couldn't just sit there and let them try to be serious when listening to this guy. I'm sure he wanted a ticket a refund, I'm sure he made a big a scene and I'm sure mountain security had to tell him to fuck right off.

So we finally got on the hill and got shred. The bro was doing pretty damn good considering he had ACL injury that he "re-habbed wrong." We took a couple of laps through Upper Westridge to hit the park but G wasn't about re-injuring his knee first day out so we just had some fun running laps, doing butters and spins in the flats; basically we just enjoyed the fact there was snow.

Remember how I said something always goes wrong? G managed to drop his goggles going from the car to the bathroom and I'm thinking the second they hit the ground they got swooped up (aka stolen). This pretty much ended the day, so we headed to this collection of giant snow boulders I had seen. One was shaped like a tank and looked pretty fun, so I threw some snow for a "ramp" and got to work.


After a few tries an instructor came and told me that she tried to play in the snow boulders earlier and the lifties called her in to Ski Patrol. I just bought my pass for 09.10 so I'm not looking for trouble before then; I took a few shots and headed home. Honestly though, what liftie is that serious about his job this close to end-of-season? This dude's not even going to have a job in 5 days, might as well loosen up a little... god forbid I use my SNOWboard to jib SNOW.

While we were getting our gear off some nasty weather started setting in. It really won't matter if it snowed or not but the idea of things getting refreshed as Summit finishes out the last week sounds nice. We managed to get this bitching picture of the storm on the way back... maybe this should be the logo image:

Snow in Southern California

I managed to get out to Snow Summit yesterday and what a treat/surprise when it started to snow around midday.


Funny thing about resorts in Southern California is they are so quick to post "New Snow: Yes, a sprinkling." I wonder if this marketing strategy works and if some people in LA shit their pants, quit their job, pack their gear and head up when they read it? Probably...

The result wasn't spectacular... an inch or two at most. I would say this is the SoCal equivalent to Colorado's recent late season dump (pretty sad right?). It was still refreshing to be in the mix while the fresh stuff fell and now at least I am guaranteed one more week of local shred.

Lately I've been spending all of my free cash on gas up to the mountain. When it gets to this point in the season a lot of people find themselves falling off:

"It's too slushy," "I kept getting stuck," "The snow is too slow," "It's all dirt."

I've been there. I've made the decision to call the season prematurely due to resort conditions. Then I realized that only one condition really mattered: Snow!

As the season draws to a close, now is the most important time to get in as much snowboarding as you can because we have a long wait coming up. While it is possible to snowboard year round if you have the means; most of us get until April and then that's it until December. That's almost eight months, more than half a year!

The end of the season is a great time to brush up on your jibbing and enjoy an activity generally associated with freezing cold in your T shirt. Take advantage, make the best of the situation!

I'm sorry to report that tomorrow is the last day of operation for Bear Mountain and The Park but Snow Summit is promising until the 18th... then it's off to Mammoth... then it's off to Hood.

DesertsDontSnow. 2.0 and Google Blogger

So welcome to the new host for DesertsDontSnow. This is the new DDS2.0!

What this means for any returning readers is that my rss feed has changed and you should update your RSS readers (by either clicking here or under the Subscribe sidebar).

Version 2.0 is brand new in all regards. Everything I wrote in the last year is gone. Things got really jumbled and hard to manage so it has all been deleted. I'm trying to take blogging back to its roots; It's a regular website Renaissance!

One year ago when I conceived the idea for this site I decided I did NOT want ANYTHING to do with Google Blogger. My experiences with Blogger led me to believe this interface was for someone who wanted to regurgitate Internet Business articles filled with advertisements to make a quick buck and then disappear. Over $100 and one year later I have now come to find out that Blogger is very customizable. Everything I ever wanted and had been paying money to get is being offered for FREE with Google Blogger. Chalk it up to experience...

I'm still tweaking the layout and getting settled so stay tuned!

Snowboard Addiction - Online Snowboard Lessoms

The Internet is an amazingly versatile learning tool; you can find out how to do anything from build a house to play a guitar. So it comes as no surprise that we look to the internet hoping to find tips and information on how to improve our riding.

We've all looked to the Internet for trick tips or lessons at some point... so now you've seen all of the things in TWSnow's trick-tip section, you've checked out all of the you-tube videos on "snowboard tips" and you've been taken to sites that blatantly demonstrate they probably don't know what they are talking about.

Some of these may have proved helpful but probably not as much as you had hoped; snowboarding isn't something just anybody can explain.

How do you know you are getting the right instruction from a truly qualified professional?

I'm going to spare you that headache. Stop your search now and just click to SnowboardAddiction.com.

Professional snowboarder and snowboard coach Nev Lapwood has the only truly legitimate online product that will properly illustrate the techniques and lessons to step up your riding.

Nev is a fully qualified snowboard coach having achieved certifications as a CASI level 1, 2, 3 and Course Evaluator in addition to being certified as a CSF Freestyle Coach. He coaches for several big name camps and instructor schools including the famous Camp of Champions summer snowboard camp.

I have been in touch with Nev and SnowboardAddiction since I started this website and I have watched his program evolve and grow. It was awesome one year ago when SnowboardAddiction offered complete and comprehensive instructional packages for both new riders looking to begin the sport and freestyle riders aiming to improve their game.

Now SnowboardAddiction offers the same packages in a variety of formats (DVD, iPod ready video, audio, and written manuals) with tons of bonuses including tuning tips and way to prep mentally and physically before attempting a progressive trick. Some packages now also include phone and webcam sessions with Nev, where you can show him your videos and photos for custom tips on improving your style and fine tuning your technique.

On top of all of that SnowboardAddiction has also launched a winter camp up in Whistler B.C., Canada for people who want to get the same stellar training hands on.

Did I mention lessons are now available in both regular and goofy? You won't have to spend your time trying to mirror someone who's natural stance is opposite yours. Here is the video above shot goofy:

My experience with this program got me to view my approach for progression in snowboarding in a whole new light.

In fact, the best thing I got out of it was not the new tricks but a new mindset. Anything in snowboarding is possible now because thanks to Nev's insights I understand more about how to break down tricks, analyzing movements and using visualization to get over anxieties and produce results.

Check out SnowboardAddiction.com for more free lessons and information on their online coaching programs.

Swany X-Change II Glove

A representitive over at Swany America offered me the opportunity to review a pair of their gloves. The gloves they sent out were the X-Change II model, and they came just in time for some of the coldest days of riding in my life in January-February in Colorado.

Warmth

These are the kind of glove you don't really need to wear liners with. The first time I put my hand in them I was surprised at how cushy and soft they were. I'm not very used to a glove that has actual insulation in it, and the Swany X-Change II is stocked with a patent Tri-plex insulation system.

One key day I remember these guys really shining through was during my level 2 pre-course clinic in February. Those three days were definitely the coldest of the season in my book, and while my friends were freezing their fingers off even with glove liners I was just barely noticing the bitter cold through my nice Swany gloves.

Waterproofing

These aren't no Grenade gloves. Granted that Grenade gloves aren't usually meant for the type of winter riding I experienced in CO.

I'd have to say that every other pair of gloves I have ever owned has either frozen on me or gotten soaked to the bone by the end of the day... this isn't the case with the Swany X-Change II, though you may want to beware of hand-sweat since these guys are just that toasty.

A tasteful combination of leather and rubber seals these gloves up tight against snow and water.

Durability

One of the biggest problems I have with most gloves out there is they are clearly made to last maybe one season and no longer. I've had countless pairs of gloves rip, tear and wear away right on my fingers. Whether it's simply due to shoddy workmanship or a clever business tactic to keep people buying I'm just not into it.

My first glance at the Swany X-Change II and I knew they were different. The index fingers are abrasion resistant leather since you'll be using them most, and that same leather is placed strategically throughout the glove.

The palm has an extra layer of rubber material double stitched on top so no more rips from grabbing the board.

Features

The X-Change II features a cushy, comfy Dyna-therm liner. Like I said before the first time I put my hand in the glove I was very surprised to find that instead of the usual awkward abrasiveness found in many of my previous gloves these guys were very soft and inviting.

They offer several ways to cinch the glove and keep fresh powder from coming in, though admittedly it was difficult at times to get the glove cuffs and my jacket to agree together.

Both the right and left glove have a stash pocket on the top of the glove which is terrific for adding a heat packet on those ultra-frigid days (and even hide certain substance paraphenelia). The pocket is sealed with a tight, seemless waterproof zipper.

Overall Impressions

If I didn't have these gloves going into January up in Colorado I would have been a much less than happy camper. These gloves pulled me through all of the coldest days I experienced while I was up there and may be the reason I made it through my level 2 pre-course up at Keystone in February.

I can't say that the gloves are necessarily the most stylish gloves in existence, but they aren't your grandfather's gaper gloves either. They have decent aesthetic to them, nothing to flashy, but it really doesn't matter since they keep you WARM and DRY.

I would be lying if I told you that the rep had asked me to postpone this review until the end of March. I admittedly got tied up in training and other problems, originally intending to review the gloves after a week of use.

The mistake has given me a chance to really test the lifespan of these gloves, and they have held up to some beatings over the last few months with not much sign of wear beyond stinkiness (Sadly, I also procrasinate on washing things).

Swany has the X-Change II retailing at $80.00 which is right around the cost of most Grenade, Dakine, Burton and other snowboarding gloves promising similar performance... except the X-Change II might actually do its job for you.

Where to Buy

Head over to Swany and check out the X-Change II and other gloves in their collection.

About Me

Lou G is an enigma; A mystery wrapped in a riddle.

He hails from a desert, though of his early years not much else is known.

Documents have been found indicating that he acquired a copy of an old snowboarding classic, Robot Food's Afterbang, at some point during adolescence.

The movie fueled an intense desire to experience snowboarding first hand, but it wasn't until 2005 Lou G became fully consumed by it.

Today, Lou lives to snowboard and write about it.  Welcome to DesertsDontSnow.com, a place for snowboarders to share and learn from their collected experience.