It's been almost 60 years since Snow Summit paved it first trails. In that time the resort has seen its share of difficulties; from an endless struggle against sparse precipitation to holding onto and building on an already small customer base as resorts like Mountain High entered the competitive ring, Snow Summit and Big Bear Mountain Resorts have always managed to serve Southern California the best riding conditions the area has to offer.
In the 1990s, Snow Summit recognized snowboarding as their most promising investment and the company began putting in hours to innovate and pave the way for terrain parks as we know them today.
It worked!
Bear Mountain has built its reputation on its parks, enticing riders from some of the snowiest areas in the world to come to sunny, dry Southern California. They are the only all-mountain terrain park, meaning from the tippie top to the very bottom you can shred everything from jumps, to rails, to pipes in one smooth run.
And the park sure has gotten busy! Everyone wants to get out there and start doing those sick tricks they see in movies and magazines, and Bear has always prided itself on having something in the park for everyone. So now there is a new problem:
If you've ever had the opportunity, you know how fun it can be to flow through Bear's park--and also how dangerous. Not dangerous as in, "snowboarding is inherently dangerous", though.
As more and more unskilled--or at least uneducated--riders make their way into the park the dangers of snowboarding at Bear Mountain have escalated to new heights
It definitely isn't a bad thing to encourage progression, but nowadays a lap at Bear or Snow Summit is almost guaranteed to include riders climbing all over jumps, weaving in and out of rails like it was a slalom course, or sneaking up to rest on landings (perhaps the most dangerous thing you can do in a park).
The other day I was forced to pull out of a kicker line when a skier and his son parked themselves right behind the lip. Where they were, the ramp hid them almost completely. I knew there were riders lined up behind me and the situation was set up to turn fatal, so I approached the dad to get him off the lip.
"Hey man, what are you doing? People come flying off these things, you can't just stop on the landing like that." I explained.
"Fuck you! I can stop wherever the fuck I want!" was his reply.
I absolutely love Bear Mountain and Snow Summit. Nothing beats the feeling of a clean lap through their parks, hitting feature, after feature, after feature, after feature. That's why I hate having to say this, but things are simply getting too dangerous, and I think it might be time for a change.
Whether that change comes in a more structured park layout or a serious campaign to enlighten their customers about park safety and etiquette, right now we have a company with an all-mountain terrain park telling everyone to come ride it but not how to do so safely.
Bear Mountain, I sincerely hope you will make park safety your biggest focus going into 2010/2011.
Kombi - Gloves for Everything
I've heard of Kombi gloves simply from being around over the years. They've been making gloves since 1961, so it's likely that at some shop somewhere you've seen them too... It's also likely that thanks to a barrage of snowboard magazine advertisements, and possibly because Kombi has traditionally held to ski clientele, you ignored them.
Cold weather is the hardest part of snowboarding, and when it comes to glove companies I always keep an open mind; if it keeps my hands warm and dry then I'm down with it. An e-mail from one of Kombi's reps prompted me to take a look at their 2010 line, and I was pleasantly surprised at what I found.
Yes, Kombi has your steezy pipe/spring gloves, toasty winter gloves, fingered gloves, and mitts for men, women and children... but what's really got me interested are the variety of field focused products. From work-influenced lifty gloves to flip mitts for the guys and gals working the lenses, Kombi seems to have a little something for everyone (including a selection of baselayers and headwear).
With a product line that covers every condition--even glove protectors for those of us who use rope tows more often than not--it seems that Kombi is listening to what the industry needs. Especially when further research shows Kombi products priced to a snowboard bum's lifestyle. Most all of their gloves are priced under $100, including Gore-tex models, with the only exception being their iRip glove that features an integrated wireless control for your iPod.
I'll be testing out some products from Kombi in the near future to let you know what's up, and don't think I've forgotten about you readers; it's rad to have your support, so I'm stoked that they are also hooking me up with a few goodies to give out to you guys.
Stay sharp for upcoming giveaways (hint: your best bet would be to follow me on Twitter)...Also check out Kombi's product line at http://www.kombisports.com/kombi_us/products.php and please shoot me an e-mail (DesertsDontSnow@gmail.com) if there are any products you would like me to test out.
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