2011 Nitro Swindle Earlyman

The Nitro Swindle has been a staple in my board quiver for going on three years.  I've watched this model evolve over the last few seasons from a slight camber to zero camber and this year Nitro has thinned the core underfoot for even more flex and tweakability.

While the Swindle has always been advertised as an urban rail slayer, this year it fits that profile more than ever.

I got my hands on the Swindle Earlyman (A special edition collaboration with the metal band Earlyman) through High Cascade's demo center.  This was a summer demo meaning snow conditions ranging from salt-crusted to deep slush.  High Cascades expansive park layout let me test the deck on jumps, rails and in the pipe, while Mt. Hood summer conditions gave me some rocks and gullies to play around on.

First, this years Swindle is noticeably softer than previous models.  While it's fun to butter around and easy to maneuver, I found the pop to be serious lacking.  Rocks I was nollie-360ing over with ease using Nitro's Gullwing camber (a play on reverse) I could barely clear with the 2011 Swindle.

Compared to past models, the pop/snap in the 2010 was surprising given the switch to zero camber and the 2009 (traditional camber) boosted; the 2011 was for lack of a better word "dead" underfoot.

Kickers have never been the Swindle's strong point, however the deck will handle most medium sized booters (up to 35 feet).  The Swindle is too soft for anything bigger and will buckle at high speeds and larger compression.

On a plus, the softer torsional flex from thinning the core let you get insanely creative with tweaking grabs.

Cruising with the 2011 Swindle turns any groomer into a playground; The board is loose underfoot, and again pretty soft, so have fun buttering and flat-spinning your way down the hill.  For charging or eurocarving this isn't the deck to go for; it doesn't absorb chop too well and will give way with high speed carves.

On rails the Swindle is as good as ever.  The looser feel edge-to-edge was tailor made to setting up your approach for rails. The deck does phenomenal presses, and I've always loved zero camber for locking boardslides dead centered.  I've been pretty hard on the pop for the 2011 model, but I want to point out it still does it's job getting you on whatever jib might tickle your fancy.

Not much worth mentioning as far the halfpipe goes, but I will say that the Swindle is fun to play with in the minipipe.

Overall I think Nitro set out this year to fit the Swindle to the urban/rail category they've had it in for a while; while in past years it was an overall slayer all over the mountain, this year I would limit the Swindle to being a playful spring park/jib deck.

Check out the Swindle and Nitro's other decks on their website.

2011 Nitro Pro Series Gross Out Eero

The Nitro Swindle is the first snowboard I've loved enough to invest in two generations.  The construction, performance and price is unparalleled, so when I had the chance to demo some boards at Mt. Hood a few weeks ago, I went right to the Nitro rack to see if all of their boards were equally amazing.

I had heard some amazing things about the Gullwing tech, which is Nitro's take on multi-camber that lifts the contact points while employing traditional camber beneath the bindings.  Unfortunately all of the Team Gullwing models were out, but I was able to snag the Gross Out Series Eero Ettala, essentially a team Gullwing with special graphics.

This is a directional model with a slight setback.  That always plays game with my head, especially riding switch, so I set up my Flux Super Emblems to get the board as twin as possible. While I thought setting my bindings to make the deck twin might alter how the Gullwing tech rode, I was pleasantly surprised.

Mt. Hood in August has a very unique riding surface.  It can be firm in the morning, and especially firm where salted, then it softens into deep slush a little past noon.

High Cascade gave me a lot of options to try the deck out in, from rails to the halfpipe, freeriding, rocks, and a number of medium sized kickers (20 to 30 feet).  The Pro Series Gross Out Eero passed all of my tests with flying colors.

On saltier, hard-packed terrain the board gripped well through hard turns.  It cut through deep slush at high speed nicely, and never felt too hooky or squirrely.

The pop on this deck was impressive, one thing I always have reservations about when riding an alternative camber board.  I guess adding slight camber beneath the bindings does what it is supposed to do.  This was one of the really fun things about the board, popping high off rollers, ollieing and spinning over rocks.

In the lap park (where High Cascade maintained a number of medium kickers) the Gross Out Eero absolutely slayed it.  I had no problems with speed or clearing jumps, the looser feeling of raised contact points made it easier to set up spins, and one thing I noticed was where I'm usually a bit backseat with the first few hits while I get used to reverse camber, this board did exactly what I wanted it to do from the get-go.

I always kill it in the pipe with alternative camber, and the Gross Out Eero was no exception.  Whether it had to do with Nitro's custom base with this model, or simply High Cascade's stellar park construction, I had no trouble keeping speed and linking hits wall to wall.

On rails, the explosive pop and loose ride edge to edge are a great advantage.  Raised contact points make it easier and safer to really tweak out boardslides catch-free, and of course the reverse camber part of the deck means you can press and butter to your heart's content. One area I had trouble (and I always do with alternative camber decks) was locking boardslides centered over thinner features such as rails; for boxes everything was all good, but rails not so much.

Overall, the Gross Out Eero wins the award for best deck I demoed this summer, and while I would recommend to anyone more into switch riding in the park that they look for the true-twin Team Gullwing, if you are someone who likes to destroy the mountain all-around this directional take on Nitro's Gullwing tech would be the way to go.

Check out Nitro's Pro Series Gross Out Eero and their other solid products at Nitrosnbrds.com.

Video Games - Stoked Big Air Edition (Xbox 360)

Ok, it's 115ºF outside.  If you took a cold shower, completely dried off, and stepped outside you'd be drenched in sweat not thirty seconds later.  You are a snowboarder, and this whole "summer" thing just isn't for you; there's nothing wrong with cranking up the A/C and throwing on some video games...

And why not toss in a great snowboarding game to relive the winter right from your couch? I wrote a review on Stoked some time ago, and shortly after they made just about all of the changes I (and apparently everyone) had asked for.  So what's new in Stoked Big Air Edition?

First, they added park features! Big-air kickers, flat boxes, kink boxes and more are all at your disposal in this latest version.  The original Stoked was seriously lacking in variety; you had a choice of logs and...logs.  Needless to say being able to hit anything different at all is pretty exciting.

Stoked Big Air Edition also brings some new challenges with it.  From high speed races to slopestyle contests, it's nice to have a more dynamic gameplay experience.  They've also introduced marked trails aka groomers, so you can get some serious speed and with that some serious air time.

Of course, last but not least, they couldn't just release all this stuff without adding a few new mountains.  Now you have a choice of seven mountains to shred, each one rideable from top to bottom, 360º all-around.

Like I said in my review of the original, Stoked is the most accurate and immersive snowboard video game to date and Stoked Big Air Edition has taken that one step further with all of these great additions, refined physics and gameplay mechanics, and that same gracious $20 price tag.

That's right, Stoked Big Air Edition costs $20.  For many of us this might be the closest we get to snowboarding for the next four or five months, so if you are starting to fiend for the shred head out to Gamestop, Target, Walmart or what have you, pick up a copy, and see if you can ease some of the pain.

2009 Union Contact

Union has been earning a lot of brownie points in the industry these last few years.  In fact these days it's hard to go somewhere you won't see someone strapped into a pair of Union binders.

The company prides itself on minimalism.  All Union binding models stick to the bare essentials: straps, ratchets, baseplate, highback. Fewer moving parts means less things to adjust or eventually break, and this was the logic behind my purchasing their Contact bindings.

What sets the Contact apart is the baseplate design.  Bindings cause dead spots in a snowboard's natural flex; doesn't matter what binding from what company.

Union's focus with the Contact was to reduce this dead spot as much and possible by replacing the heel of the baseplate with something softer than plastic, but just as tough.

With something far over 100 days of riding on them, here is how my pair held up...

For cruising this is a soft, soft binding.  It's really playful, so for groomers up to a mild diamond they make for all kinds of buttery fun.  This is not the binding for your hard carvers for a couple of reasons; first, the highback on the Contact is shorter than most meaning less response, and second, these bindings can't go very fast in the first place.

Yes, because there is so little between the Contact and your board, nothing to dampen the ride, you will feel everything that happens beneath your feet--every bump, every rut, every rock... everything.

If you are a jib kid, that might make the Contact your kind of binding.

Having so little plastic to hinder flex gives new meaning to the phrase, "becoming one with your board".  You can get pretty technical on these bindings while staying in complete control of what's going on.

Jumps aren't the Contact's strong suit.  You can tweak the shit out of them, making for some really fun methods, mutes, Japans, shifties etc., but all of this has to happen on the smaller side of the spectrum.

I couldn't get bigger kickers to go down on this binding, most of the time due to the chatter on all but the most pristine groomed run-in.  Maybe this is a good thing, since one of the flaws commonly reported in this binding--one that I've experienced a few times myself--is the auto-release of the ratchets.

You heard right, I and several others have had the straps on these bindings release on impact.  This is scary enough on small features, and I'm really happy I didn't get the opportunity to experience it on a larger scale.

Overall the Union Contact was a decent purchase for the price.  They'll treat you right while they hold together, but these bindings aren't "built to last" by any means.  My current pair has been retired since all of the padding in the soft heel has worn down, the straps have split, and now that the ratchets are really beat I just don't trust them anymore.

The fact is, right now the faulty ratchets kill the buy-ability of these bindings.  It isn't something that happens every run, every week, or even every month, but it happened more than once, and really, once is one time too many. They need to be fixed before I use a pair of Union bindings again.

Superfeet Green Insoles

I've used my Vans Hi-Standard boots for a very long time, something far over one hundred days.  When I started noticing a change in control: snowboard not responding appropriately, an inability to support myself in a proper riding stance; and with immense pain and fatigue setting in early on every day, I had to find a way to breathe new life into them while I waited for a warranty on new boots to go through.

Pulling out my old insoles revealed a foam impacted to paper-thin thickness. Since, aftermarket insoles have quickly earned a reputation for their very positive effect on comfort and performance in boots, I decided to invest in some.

So what's all of the science backing the theory of aftermarket insoles? Superfeet claims that their insoles are specifically designed to facilitate proper alignment of the heel and ankle, as well as provide sufficient support to your arches in all of the right places.

Believe it or not, even right out of the box stock insoles don't offer much.  Poor design and weak materials leave a lot to be desired, and all to often cause your arches to collapse leaving your ankle bones and ligaments to carry that weight.  Over time you see where this would become a problem, especially if you spend more than thirty days a year on hill; nobody wants to be twenty-five and walking like they are eighty.

Superfeet Green are their all-around insole meant for most athletic footwear (I chose not to purchase the snowsports specific model as their only difference was heat retention, and my boots get toasty enough). A quick trace of the old insoles and a trim with scissors gave me a brand new insole that fit my boot perfectly.

Superfeet and the shop rep warned that there would be a few hours of mild pain/hot spots while my feet adjusted to the shape and support of the new insoles.  After two days of riding four or so hours, I made it through the break-in and was left with unparalleled comfort and performance.

I never thought my beat up old Vans would feel so good! Standing and walking didn't cause fatigue or cramping anymore, and riding felt even better! Having more support keeps my feet reactive; I'm more on my toes, adaptive and ready to react instantly.  Where I used to apply pressure with little to no result, now my movements transfer right away giving control back to me where it belongs.  My turns initiate quicker, ollies pop on demand, presses flex higher, and I'm able to approach and land bigger kickers with more stability.

The results I've had with a $34.95 pair of Superfeet Green leave me wondering why I put off the purchase for so damn long.  If the $150+ for a custom pair of insoles sits a bit far from your budget (and you are not alone), I'd highly recommend these to any rider from the weekend warrior to the seasoned pro.

To learn more about Superfeet insoles, click right-a-here.

2010 Nitro Swindle

The demise of my 2009 Swindle found me distraught to say the least.  I loved that board so much, the first thing I did was call around looking for this years' model.

Even so, I would be lying if I said I wasn't just a little reserved about going from camber to zero camber. Yes, with the advent of alternative camber and the Swindle being intended as a rail deck, it was a natural progression for Nitro. Since I needed a new board desperately and the price was right, I decided to take a chance.

This was my first opportunity to compare two generations of the same model, so I made sure to check out all of the differences between them.  Aside from their camber, Nitro thinned the 2010 Swindle just a tad for a softer flex, which worried me.  I loved the 2009 because it road way more like a park deck than a jibstick; maybe Nitro thought so as well, since most of the changes seem directed towards better performance on rails and boxes.

Cruising groomers with this deck remains just as enjoyable. Now that it is a bit softer the ride is more playful, which makes for more fun.  Nitro elongates the contact points in the Swindle so a smaller size will stay in control through turns, so as far as carving goes there isn't much difference from last year.  Thankfully, a softer deck didn't mean a change in control at speed (maybe we have zero camber to thank?); the board can point a mild diamond slope without getting too squirrely.

Nitro built the Swindle to jib, so don't expect to send anything bigger than 30 feet--and that is on a good day with no chop or slush. Zero camber seems to be a happy medium for jumping; I didn't need to adjust my pop like with full reverse, nor have I found the board booting me out of control at any time.

For ollies this board performs standard.  Zero camber means you don't have to pre-load, so you can pop on demand.  The Swindle isn't stiff enough to really boost, but I've had no trouble getting on to the features at Bear Mountain and Snow Summit; it even hopped the occasional snow gun cover.

I've ridden this board in soft boots, soft bindings, stiff boots, and stiff bindings; it slays jibs even with the worst possible combination.  This doesn't surprise me since that is what Nitro built this deck to do.  It pops nicely onto any rail, box or barrel; and if you like to butter your way from jib to jib zero camber eases right into presses.  The flex is forgiving for those sketchier slides, and a perfectly flat base makes locking on almost effortless.

The bottom line: A lot of Bear's local park stars have been spotted with the Nitro Swindle, and there is a reason.  The deck is perfect for everything Bear throws at it, from their mild jumps to their technical jibs.  The responsive pop and playful flex make even the flattest groomer fun, fun and more fun.  If you are a park kid not looking to huck double corks off 60-footers, this board would do well in your quiver.

For more information on the 2010 Nitro Swindle, head on over to Nitro's website by clicking...here.

2011 Arbor Coda

While everyone else has only recently hopped on the "eco" bandwagon, Arbor has been building snowboards of green materials like bamboo since the very beginning. After trying out the 2011 Arbor Coda, being eco-friendly isn't the only reason to consider Arbor.

I got my hands on the 157, a slightly bigger ride than I'm used to.  If you factor in that the Coda is also a stiffer deck than I normally ride and reverse camber to boot, I was expecting things to take some getting used to.

Though the Arbor Coda is officially classified as an all-mountain deck, I felt it best to mount my softer Union Contact binders considering Bear Mountain is 95% park.  Since the Coda is a directional twin with a 1" setback (nose 1" longer than tail), I also pulled the back binder up to give me a centered true twin stance.

Arbor re-designed the 2011 Coda in some pretty significant ways: First, they decided to go with true reverse camber throughout the deck, and second, they implemented their new grip-tech technology.  Grip-tech is basically an added contact point underneath each foot, which makes this reverse camber board steer like magic.

Bear Mountain held together fairly well today,  so I had a firmer snow surface to test this deck on.  The Coda gripped edge to edge remarkably well for being a full reverse camber board; possibly due to Grip-tech, the edges have just enough bite to keep you from sideslipping your way down the hill but not so much that the board controls you. Speed wasn't an issue for me on this board; even as Bear softened up into deeper slush, the Coda kept on charging regardless.

One area you won't see this board excel is on jibs, which is OK because that isn't what this deck was made for.  This doesn't mean the Coda can't do jibs at all; the core is bamboo, and pretty playful.  With reverse camber as well, it isn't hard to get a press out of it.  There were two areas I felt sketchy, and this in my opinion is all on the board being full reverse camber, 50-50s on rails and any feature thin enough you would need to lock on to boardslide.  I still threw several boardslides on it, all successfully, but don't expect a stellar performance from this deck when it comes to rails etc.

Jumping was where I expected this board to excel, and I wasn't disappointed.  I'm usually skeptical about hitting jumps on a full reverse, especially in the beginning of the day, but I really didn't notice on the Coda.  The bamboo core made this deck super light with awesome pop, and since the board handled well at speed it was game on as far as jumps were concerned.  Because of how light it is, you can really throw this deck around for some tweaked out grabs and killer spins.  I also noticed that the deck was very forgiving during sketchy landings; not a lot of reverting happening with this board.

The 2011 Arbor Coda is a solid all-mountain deck. It can go fast, rail turns, launch booters, slide the occasional jib, and thanks to its full reverse camber you can even take it into the pipe or powder.  I've ridden some really funky full reverse camber decks in my day, and I'm stoked the Coda wasn't one of them.

Click Here for More Information on Arbor Snowboards

2010 Omatic Extr-Eco Wigglestick

I've been dying to get on an Omatic for a while and today the opportunity finally presented itself in the form of this year's 154 Extr-Eco Wigglestick.  With bindings mounted and Bear conjuring up another bluebird day, it was off to the races.

This late in the season, Bear Mountain starts with crusty corduroy and becomes virtually un-rideable slush towards late afternoon, which gives me a chance to put boards through a variety of conditions.  The Extr-Eco Wigglestick was quite an experience; let's start with B.S. Technology.

Though Omatic will make a pun out of it any way possible, B.S. stands for Bowed Surface.  The Extr-Eco Wigglestick is flat between your feet with slight reverse cambering at the tips; in addition, Omatic thinned the base up near both edges, making for a playful ride not only tip to tip, but also edge to edge.

Look through the Omatic tech page, and you'll find the word "stable" several times.  For cruising groomers ranging from crusty to fairly slushy the Extr-Eco was just that.  Reverse camber is already famous for increased control, but combined with that thinning of the base the response from this board is astounding:

In the morning crust the Extr-Eco grabs on tight edge to edge and as things soften up the board remains playful and easy to maneuver; slush didn't slow it down.

As far as speed is concerned, I broke my personal record for distance down a hip on a board slightly shorter than I'm used to within an hour of riding it;  That says it all for stability in my book.

I slacked on hitting bigger kickers today so I can't give you the full low-down on the Extr-Eco jump wise.  I didn't go too much bigger than 10 feet, but I could see this 154 (with me being 175 lbs) stepping up to 20 or 30 feet.

What I will tell you is this stick pops; no load necessary.

Jibbing comprised most of the day, and the Extr-Eco annihilated in that department.  Keeping the deck flat between feet lets it lock on to boardslides, and of course the reverse camber initiates presses painlessly.  What really stood out again stems from thinning the base near the edges, which lifts the edges free and clear of dreaded hang-ups.  I even managed to make it out of a frontside board on a corrugated tube.

Overall I really enjoyed riding the Extr-Eco Wigglestick. I admit there are boards that have taken getting used to, but this was not one.  I took to it quickly and it performed in every way I wanted.  I could see using this deck as my overall park board (cruising, jibs, mild jumps), and I'd probably end up bringing it everywhere else (trees, powder) as well.


Click here for more information on the 2010 Omatic Extr-Eco Wigglestick.

2010 Skullcandy Smokin' Buds

When Apple's iPod headphones just can't cut it, the first company snowboarders (and lately the whole world, it seems) turn to is Skullcandy.  With sleek styles and loud colorways, Skullcandy offers the perfect audio accessory for complementing your own steez.

So it's clear that Skullcandy makes pretty stuff, but how does it hold up?

The biggest problem for most riders when it comes to headphones is they just don't stay in/on.  If you wear a helmet like I do, that eliminates everything in the over-ear category, so you are left with two options: integrated audio for your helmet (integrated audio packages for most helmet models can prove costly--$50 or more, if available) or in-ear buds.

Skullcandy Smokin' Buds are made to stay low profile, though as mentioned there is no lack of themed colorways available to add your own possibly glowing personal touch.

All of Skullcandy's in-ear buds come with three sizes of ear buds to customize your fit, but what sets the Smokin' Buds in a slightly higher price range than others are an in-line volume control and special thread coated wires for added shielding and durability.

Having used other models in the line, I can say that the Smokin' Buds have much more solid connections from the wire to the phones and input jack; it doesn't feel you might accidentally snap the wires if the phones get jerked a little--I've given my pair some pretty hard yanks with no sound loss. 

Audio quality is another area where the Smokin' Buds earn their higher price tag.  Now, I don't profess to be an audiophile and I'm sure Skullcandy makes some junkies' heads want to explode, but I really enjoy the deep hits these tiny speakers produce.  These phones get a much broader range of highs and lows, and an all around more immersive sound than lower-end models in the Skullcandy line.

And if I'm making these phones sound expensive, they retail for only $30!

I have to admit, even though these are in-ear headphones, they won't stay in much better the Apple iPod phones when you're riding unless you wear a balaclava to hold them in place...  I've come to the conclusion that falling off is simply the nature of headphones and motion-based activities.

Kombi Olsson Glove

When Kombi asked me what product I wanted to test first, I told them to send me any glove from their line suited to the sunny spring conditions Bear experiences 95% of the season.  The Olsson gloves are exactly what I've come to expect from a spring glove, plus a little extra.

Kombi designed these under-the-cuff fingered gloves with the freestyle rider in mind.  Subtle use of color (the glove is available in Blue, Green or Black) and embossing make the Olsson perfect for those who want a stylish glove without all of the neon flash. Rock this glove if you don't need to glow like a beacon through the park because your riding does all the talking.

As far as warmth and waterproofing, the Olsson is stuffed with 100g Thinsulate insulation in addition to Kombi's in-house technology, Waterguard, a polyurethane insert that lets moisture from sweat escape while keeping snow, rain and wind outside where it belongs.  I've been putting these gloves through the ringer for a week and they are still sealed shut; in fact, they have been so warm they tend to get soaked in sweat by the end of the day.

A goatskin leather palm reinforces the waterproofing of the glove while adding a degree of durability you won't fine in a lot of competing models.  One week of fidgeting with straps, grabbing, and occasionally falling have beaten the glossy newness from them, but otherwise as stated before the glove has held up its dryness throughout.

The gloves' integrated liners--coated with Microban--stay put when it's time to take them off, and after a week of sweat and abuse they remain soft, comfortable, easy to put on and perhaps most important do not smell like week old baby diapers.

Overall, the Olsson glove from Kombi is a formidable opponent in the world of springs gloves; its warmer and tougher than other spring models I've used, and at US$60 they are definitely worth considering if you are in the market for a new pair.

Head over to http://www.kombisports.com to find a dealer near you or to check out more of their gloves.  If you see anything you like, please do drop me a line (DesertsDontSnow@gmail.com) and I'll see if I can test it out for you.

DryGuy Thermanator Boot and Shoe Dryer

Being that I never stop snowboarding and especially being that my last days on hill each season are often in the middle of the summer; stinky, sopping wet boots can be a real problem for me.

This season I wasn't up for wearing damp boots on cold mornings, so when I found the DryGuy Thermanator on Amazon I decided to give home boot dryers a shot.

The Thermanator had a few features particularly interesting to me: First it was the cheapest boot dryer that held up to four boots and second it used a whopping 30W of power, which meant it wouldn't burn my boots or my electric bill.

When the package arrived there was a short put-together that consisted of two screws and things were cooking. You have the option to either attach floor stands as I did, or you can mount the Thermanator on any wall using the included brackets.

Since this dryer works on the concept of heat conduction, everything on the unit is metal. The heating element is incredibly gentle; you can leave your boots on the thing for days (probably weeks, months, years?) and no harm will come to them.

Because the Thermanator doesn't use a fan it doesn't waft horrific boot odors and turn my small house into a locker room. There are no moving parts to break, and as long as you give it enough time your boots will always be dry in the morning. I have even put a few soaked (washed) liners on it to dry overnight.

The biggest problem is this is not a boot dryer for impatient or forgetful people; if you don't get your boots on the dryer and give them a full night, they won't dry completely. Also, soaked boots--like the liners I washed--take even longer than that.

For your 9am to 4pm full day on the hill, the DryGuy Thermanator Boot and Shoe Dryer does exactly what it was made to do...Since I bought it, I've had yet to go a day without toasty, dry boots on my feet.

DryGuy Thermanator Boot and Shoe Dryer

4/5 Cacti

Get on Shred Union!

December is here already!

From coast to coast, most of the United States is tasting finally the fresh stuff. Gear is being taken out of storage and dusted off; calendars are examined as folks begin checking off the days they will snowboard this winter.

In preparation for getting turns this season some of us struggle with finding equipment, some of us struggle to find enough heads to make accommodations affordable and some of us struggle with just finding a ride to our local mountain.

You aren't trying to start trivial arguments with teenie-boppers or hitch a ride with unlicensed 13 year old kids, so the snowboarding forums aren't going to help you. Where can you go to meet some like-minded shredders?

Why not create a profile on ShredUnion.com?

Shred Union is a growing social media network for snowboarders. Think about Facebook or MySpace if you deleted everything and everyone except for snowboarders and things snowboard related...that's Shred Union.

Creating a profile gives you a snowboarding space all your own. Post pictures of your exploits and keep a journal of where you've ridden and when. Let users know what setup you are rocking this winter; meet up with riders by adding your local resort hangout. Gain access to countless user-submitted reviews on anything from the best terrain parks, to the friendliest snowboard shops, to the warmest first layers.

The crew over at Shred Union is top-notch. They are working with a ton of user-input to constantly improve the site. New and current members have a lot of new features to look forward to, like the ability to upload and rate your snowboard videos.

This site also has an entertaining forum to chat with other riders. The majority of posts are engaging and at least somewhat relevant to what's happening in snowboarding today. If you like to talk snowboarding a little deeper than who was "first" to comment on a post, there are definitely more stimulating conversations going on at Shred Union.

Starting a profile doesn't cost a dime and right now they are giving away weekly prize packs, so this is your chance to get even more out of signing up. If you've got a couple seconds to spare head over to http://www.shredunion.com and create your account; "In Riders We Trust"!

War of Ages - Arise and Conquer

Today, new genres of music pop up like new ice cream flavors. Hardcore is one example. I remember making fun of my brother when he listened to hardcore; I would laugh and ask why he was always listening to screamo... I couldn't tell the difference.

There is a difference though, and my eyes were opened the day my brother put War of Ages on during a road trip.

Believe it or not, War of Ages is officially classified as a Christian Meltacore band (You see what I mean about genres? Ridiculous.) but even though there's a religion thrown into the mix, you won't notice anything preachy about War of Ages.

Arise and Conquer is the band's newest full length album, and one of its heaviest to date. War of Ages shreds hard right from the opener, "All Consuming Fire", demonstrating their ability to melt your face off with crisp, melodic guitar riffs and deafening screams, backed by some tight percussion tracks.

The lyrics relay a steady message throughout: to stand strong and stay up; a message all snowboarders can relate to. Most of this message is delivered in garbled screams, so if positivity doesn't sit well with you, feel free to pretend the lyrics are about satan if you want.

Other songs that find me day-dreaming of hitting the biggest cliffs, kickers and rails on the mountain exclusively include "Salvation", "Sleep of the Prisoners", and "Generational Curse" just to name a few. Really, don't expect to find any softies on this albums; it starts off intense, stays intense and finishes intense.

Not really feeling snowboarding that day? Put on Arise and Conquer and feel inspired to slay the sh*t out of the hill. Watch out, you'll get so pumped you might forget that you're a mortal.

War of Ages - Arise and Conquer

High Cascade Adult Camp - Session 6 - 2009

This year was my first year participating in the adult camp offered by High Cascade. I had avoided the adult camp in the past for several reasons: I didn't see the opportunity to drink as being worth the extra $200 and I wasn't sure hanging out with a bunch of "old dudes" (everyone was around my age, officially or in spirit) was going to be a good time. I'm definitely glad I gave adult camp a shot this time around since I had the most fun of any session I've done at High Cascade so far.

Session 6 recap 2009 from High Cascade Snowboard Camp on Vimeo.

There are some major differences between youth to adult camp, and plenty of worthwhile reasons why it costs a bit of extra money for a spot, but first a breakdown of your options... Adult camp offers a few different experiences; you can rent your own lodging or stay in High Cascade's adult lodging and opt for coaching or just cruise the camps private park on your own. Your choices will effect your cost, but for the purpose of this review I opted for High Cascade lodging with coaching.



As mentioned earlier, it costs just about $200 more for the adult coaching and lodging than the same amenities in youth camp, but the extra money goes right to your stomach; instead of the routine camp food (which is actually pretty good) you eat a fancy meal every night... we visited some seriously legit eateries. Eating wasn't the only thing that went down though, High Cascade set up activities galore to keep us insanely busy on and off the slope. From kickball to yoga to bowling there was never nothing to do. For transportation, High Cascade donated their sickest bus, the Boom Bus (lined with Kicker speakers and topped with Kicker subs), to the adult camp cause. Camp even closed off some of their real popular areas for various "adult only" activities. Private bowl session, anyone?





For housing, the camp set aside the entirety of one its lodges, Park Place; it is a four story lodge with an identical floor setup on each floor save the first, which was set aside for the ladies. Rooms are mainly single beds or bunk status with about four to each room. I've stayed in Park Place before and between the HDTV on every floor, the satellite cable and occasional access to one of the only working wireless networks, I like staying there just fine. I will say that last years adult camp were given private cabins much further from the youth campers, which I have also stayed in; the returning adult campers agreed that those were much nicer and better suited to the goings on of adult camp.



Adult camp coaches were hand selected and some of the best coaches that High Cascade has on their roster, and having attended the camp for a few years and getting to know many of the coaches I really do mean that. Our coaches were not only phenomenal riders and instructors but genuinely exceptional human beings; it's true that a day of snowboarding can only be as good as the company you ride with and I know my group was vibing every single day, breaking barriers and pushing limits... both on snow and at the pub.



Last but not least, the park. A quick backstory, Session 6 began after an intense heat wave that had Timberline losing around two feet of snow per day! Coming up on my first glimpse of the mountain I wasn't expecting much, and in true High Cascade fashion I was pleasantly surprised. Everything was still very much shredable, from the main park to the lap park there was still an abundance of kickers, jibs and pipes to get gnarly with. The big-toe (the camps private tow rope) was still up and running for quick laps through the main park, but equally awesome was still being able to lap both parks using the Palmer lift.



Unfortunately Mother Nature had a change of heart, and where it was 9o°F each day the week before, Session 6 found itself smack in the middle of a week of foul weather and two riding days were lost to visibility and miserable conditions (with temperatures as low as 37°F). Especially when so much money is involved, it is easy to get incredibly disappointed about losing any riding time to weather. This is part of our sport and completely out of anyone's control, but this particular occasion in late August is an excellent example of the unpredictability of mountain weather and why you should always prepare for anything. High Cascade was generous enough to refund photo and video session charges due to the poor conditions, and equally generous in finding and funding alternate activities throughout Oregon.

All in all, like I said, this was my best camp experience at High Cascade to date. In fact, I've already started saving for next year.

3OH!3 - Want

At a bar in Frisco, Colorado a drunk once asked me, "Have you heard of the band 3OH!3?" I replied, "I have; they are OK." I was being pretty liberal, seeing as the dude was obviously stoked on them. He replied, "Me and my homies will fight for them." I had nothing to say at that point, but I did think to myself how sad that seemed. 3OH!3 from a musical standpoint, and especially a shreddable musical standpoint, are pretty fuckin' awful. Believe it or not, that doesn't mean I hate Boulder and everyone who lives there, so please no crazy 303 locals and hyper-aggressive comments.

Basically, 3OH!3 is nothing but a bunch of noise: Beeps, toots, electronic noises and ridiculous lyrics. To me at least, it's the kind of shit that begs to be turned down if not completely off. Sure, there are a few songs that show a hint of talent, but when it boils down to it I'd say the bands fame is purely the result of local loyalty and some weird phenomenon that ties 30H!3 to snowboarding?

Their newest CD, WANT, seemed pretty much the same. At first I found maybe 3 songs that were worthy of a second play and the rest were the obnoxious sounds mentioned above. Now, I'm really open-minded when it comes to music so I forced myself to listen through the CD a few more times. My final decision is that 3OH!3 is definitely an acquired taste. The music is there but some may appreciate it sooner than others. If you aren't that into electronic, or are someone who can't bring themselves to give a seemingly bad album a second chance, I wouldn't recommend blindly purchasing WANT... Thankfully, the internet gives us the option to preview songs before we buy:

3OH!3 - WANT

3/5 Cacti

iTrailMap - Going Green for Free

Once the snow has melted, resorts face a much bigger problem than simply maintaining lifts and trimming growing foliage: Trash! Remember that phone you had or that Gatorade bottle you accidentally dropped off the lift? You might not have been able to retrieve it, but a big part of a resort's summer operations is collecting the garbage that has accumulated under the snow throughout the season.

From cell phones to water bottles to gloves, our mountains can hide literally a ton of trash under the fun stuff; yet none of these is a bigger waste of resources than trail maps. If you think about it, resorts can print millions of trail maps over the course of a few seasons. As a lifty, I refilled map dispensers several times a week--the equivalent of hundreds of trail maps. Sadly, chances are that the majority of those maps didn't make it half of the day (shoot, many were probably lost on that lift ride).

Going "green" is one of the big things being tossed around in the snowboard industry right now; in fact, if you haven't heard of the green movement by now, you might be Amish (and probably not one of the world's major waste contributors). I'm not a hippy, and I don't make it my mission to buy only environmentally friendly products, but I have always lived by using as little of anything as necessary. Trail maps are necessary. Resorts can be BIG, and even with posted signs and markers without a trail map you will get lost... but are printed trail maps really that necessary? Technology has slowly eliminated the need for unnecessary print, and recently paper trail maps have become a thing of the past.

iTrailMap is an application for iPod Touch and iPhones that downloads up-to-date trail maps for over 700 resorts worldwide. Note, these are *downloads*, meaning you grab the map from local wi-fi access or where you know you have reception and access it anytime while you are on the hill...the only two ways to screw things up are to not charge your device or lose it (if you are one of those people who takes your things out on the lift, you are asking for bad things to happen eventually).

The application is available in the iTunes store as two versions: a free download which includes the 2D maps resorts print on their paper versions and a $4.99 version which creates 3D replicas of the mountains and labeled trails (see photos above and below). As a bonus feature for paid users, iPhone owners with GPS enabled can track their position real-time as they descend and upload their tracks online to Google Earth. The 3D version will also display real-time lift queues as long as your device has a connection.

Download and store as many maps as your device can hold... Zoom in, zoom out, trace your way down your chosen trail. With the iTrailMap application, you are good to go regardless of where you choose to make your turns.

iTrailMap

5/5 Cacti

I like having the paper maps; in fact, I'm sort of a collector. I love going to new mountains, snagging a map and tacking that sucker up on my wall as a reminder of great times. In terms of using maps to get around, I'll trade a soggy paper map for a digital version any day... and let's face it, you are going to bring your iPod or iPhone on-hill with you anyway so why not have it multitask for you?

Click here to view the iTrailMap website, or head to the iTunes store and grab your copy.

Grip Grand - Brokelore

From a strictly musical standpoint, the majority of hip-hop and rap tracks available simply don't vibe well with snowboarding. Most are too aggressive, too obnoxious, and to...tally don't synch up to footage very well at all. Even if you do find a diamond in the rough, that's usually all that can be squeezed from a CD of more than ten tracks. This CD, Brokelore by Grip Grand, might be the first hip-hop album I've heard where every track is built to shred.

Right from the get go with "Showtime", Grip Grand takes you back to the glory days of hip-hop with a hooked up beat and intelligent rhymes that will have you bobbin' your head before you know it. Further listening provides more of the same; I was surprised when I had gotten to the 5th song without having to skip a single one, and even more so when silence ensued and I realized the CD was over already. Brokelore is a classy hip-hop album through and through.

Mellow beats and tasteful instrumental accompaniment also make this album powder approved... yes, hip-hop and powder! There are several songs that beg you to cut some freshies and let Grip Grand help set the mood. To round things off, there are a couple of jib anthems on the CD including the track "Handle That", which would fit great in any FODT movie. That makes Grip Grand's Brokelore the ultimate all-around snowboard hip-hop soundtrack in my book. You could literally make an entire snowboard movie--powder, parks, pipes and rails--using just this one CD.

Did I mention there's a sweet sample from House of Pain's "Jump Around" ("But Anyway")?

Grip Grand - Brokelore
5/5 Cacti

Stoked - Snowboard Game for Xbox 360

Not many know that there were two snowboarding games scheduled for release this year; the Tony Hawk inspired, pseudo-realistic "snowboard superpower" based Shaun White Snowboarding and another called Stoked. The brainchild of Destineer games and Absinthe Films, Stoked is the first snowboarding game of its class.

Stoked mixes EA Skate inspired controls with a specialized in-game weather system to shatter what we've been bred to believe a snowboard game should be. Far from the kiddie style of its predecessors (Amped, Shaun White, SSX), Stoked is all about real-time style and a true-to-life snowboarding experience.

Real-Time Weather

The key selling point for Stoked would have to be its dynamic weather system. It pretty much demands that you mix it up as you either chase the sun to exotic destinations or chase the storms to where the real powder lies.

Real-time Weather Explained...

The storms are epic; whiteout days with wind howling through the trees--you can actually see the trees move from the force of the gusts. It feels like you really are one of the crazy idiots that goes out riding when the Mother Nature clearly says, "Don't go riding or I will kill you."

Even more amazing is that if it snows in Stoked it really snows. You can keep track of which mountains have the best snow conditions by checking your in-game cell phone. As I understand it, you can cause avalanches on some of the stormier more snow-packed mountains... but I haven't quite gotten there yet, and you'll find out why later on.

360º Mountains

Oh, so you think there should more to a mountain than just one face? Well Stoked is a snowboarding game that answered a long awaited call. No more being restricted to a single face of the mountain, each level in Stoked features a fully rideable, 360º mountain! You can cut across, cut across and cut across without ever running into loading screens or invisible barriers... as long as you have speed, you are riding.

Graphics

The graphics for Stoked are pretty stunning considering the games retail price of $29.99. Only a few places were noticeably lacking, but there is a little bit more involved in running this game since the detail is in the environment; meaning the 360º mountains, remembering all of your tracks (and effectively "tracking out" your features, forcing you to move on) and of course the real-time weather system.

Gameplay

The controls for Stoked are very similar to the controls for EA Skate but lacking a few key ingredients. The stick is not pressure sensitive, one flick does all; its how you time your jump that affects your height. This isn't a fatal flaw, and its a vast improvement to the ridiculous control scheme of Shaun White Snowboarding--I only have so many fingers for so many buttons!

You can't nollie or any variation and the tail-press is your only butter move. I'm not sure if they decided not to incorporate these features because they couldn't, or because since the game takes place in deep backcountry powder settings you really wouldn't be able to pressure towards the front of your board. If due to the latter, I'd say it's an understandable flaw.

The game is very realistic in that in order to get the most huck out of your hit, you need to prewind. Prewinding is always the opposite the direction you want to spin, this is true in both the game and real life. The game keeps you on your feet, constantly on top of which way to prewind depending on riding normal or switch. This having any effect on your riding is debatable, but hey, here is a game that isn't as mindless as "hit button to jump".

In terms of missions and the like, if I had to say anything about this game I'd say it's educational... Basically, the missions and things to are a variety of pop quizzes to test your snowboard know-how. It's not as simple as scoring x-amount of points in x-amount of time; if you are told to do a shifty to backside 360 mute, that's what needs to be thrown in order to move on--you can't even overspin and have it count, in other words any spin except a backside 360 fails. There is a handy grab bible to let you in on the grabs you can't remember. All in all if you were someone who has trouble naming grabs and spins this would be like your "Hooked on Phonics".

The only flaws in gameplay are that it gets a bid tedious and this in part due to a huge lack of variety with obstacles (mostly straight logs, rocks and a few ledges--all just the same obstacles copied and pasted); I think they could get more creative with a backcountry game like this, nature makes some pretty crazy things.

Customizable Features

In terms of features in the game such as boards, gear and settings I'm not exactly impressed...yet. The game starts out with only one board that is OK looking, and looks seem to be all that matters as there are no board specs or anything like that. There are plenty of hats, hairstyles and facial features to play around with though, and maybe that's all that really counts?

Basically in the beginning of Stoked there is a tremendously limited choice in snowboards, bindings and outerwear to customize your character with; I expect I will unlock more as I progress through the came since I see names like Burton, Rome and Lib Tech plastered all over the game interfaces.

On other insteresting customizable on this game is that you can set up your binding angles and stance width. I haven't played with these to see if they change how your spin/jump etc. but I doubt they do, and if they did it doesn't seem like something altogether necessary.

Audio

Well the Shaun White Snowboarding soundtrack earned the mute button not long after it was played. Teenie-boppers I'm sure loved it, but I was ready to shred my hand up in a blender after hearing the same songs loop through after playing only half an hour.

Stoked features a pleasant--or not so pleasant, depending on your tastes--variety of ambient beats, european club tracks and other such soothing melodies associated with Absinthe and the European big mountain riders featured in the game, plus a few popular favorites just to even things out. The soundtrack seems long as I have not felt like I have heard the same song twice yet, even with quite a few hours of playing time logged.

Stoked Video Game
4/5 Cacti

Stoked is a snowboarding game I can get behind. First of all it's only $29.99, which compared to other Xb0x 360 games at double the price is in itself a deal-maker. On top of that, Stoked emphasizes a very different aspect of the snowboarding world and does one hell of job doing so. The mountains are surreal, the environments astounding, the control schem is highly user-friendly and the overall experience thrilling. This game is perfect to feed the need during the long summer stretch, cold winter white-out days or anything in-between.

I hope they continue the series, though Shaun White Snowboarding virtually silenced the existence of Stoked altogether...lame. If they do decide to make a sequel though, I would like to see the addition of pressure sensitive flick controls and incorporation of nollies, as well as a greater variety of missions and features. Those are the only areas where the game lags, and not having them really doesn't take away from the experience.

If a big part of your summer plans involves quality time with your Xbox 360, why not have the best of both gaming and snowboarding with Destineer Game's Stoked?

Capix Skatecap

The Capix Skatecap and I have a history. It all started a few years ago... I was getting into some new tricks and decided I wanted a helmet, and being that I have a propensity towards wearing hats, I decided that this helmet was the right way for me. Well, I didn't get to enjoy it very long before the helmet, along with my brothers car, was stolen from outside of my house (they recovered the car, no helmet).


So when I headed out to Colorado last season it was time for round two, and I purchased yet another Capix Skatecap. I've got to be honest, I think maybe the car thieves were doing me a favor when they did whatever they did with my first one.

Protection

A lot of people are into helmets for style and how low-profile they are, but very rarely is the issue of a helmets protection brought into question. After buying a Bern helmet, later to find out the "hard hat" style material was only suitable for one impact, I became much more aware of this fact.

The first question I had about the Capix Skatecap was its protection rating. **This is a certified helmet built for multiple impacts; not unlike the classic Pro-Tec skate helmets.** => I doubled back and checked this out: the Capix Skatecap only meets CPSC Standards for a bicycle helmet, which merely "ensures that bike helmets adequately protect the head and that chin straps will be strong enough to prevent the helmet from coming off in a crash, collision or fall." This helmet is NOT certified for multiple impacts. Thanks to Angry Snowboarder for pointing this out.

I did take a few to the dome wearing the helmet, and thankfully it was on right at the time and saved the day with only a mild jolt on impact: No headaches, no bumps, no split skulls, and after taking a moment to regroup I was back on my way.

Breathability

This is not really an issue with the Capix Skatecap since it isn't one of those bulky snow-specific helmets with toasty liners and all of that crap. This helmet is just the bare bones of helmets: some plastic, some padded, some straps and voila!

In fact, on a really cold day you might try to wear a beanie under this bad boy or you are going to freeze.

Goggle Compatability

Non-existent. The Capix Skatecap hated every single one of my goggles (Oakley, Electric, and Von Zipper). Every fucking trick I tried, every little ollie or slight movement, and I was back adjusting my damn helmet and goggles again.

It recently dawned on me that I have NEVER seen Pat Milbery wear goggles with his Capix Skatecap... and now I know why.

Capix Skatecap
2/5 Cacti

I have to give the Capix Skatecap a pretty low score since it is almost completely non-compatible with snowboarding *and not built to sustain multiple impacts*. The helmet is great during those summer skate sessions where a hat-helmet proves incredibly useful. It has got an awesome aesthetic if you like wearing hats, and you can even go all out and custom paint it like your favorite baseball team cap.

I feel like Capix has only recently embraced snowboarding in its line with their recent addition of Pat Milbery to their team. Maybe with Pat there we can start to see some helmets made specifically for the snow, until then I'd stay take a look at Sandbox's Brainbucket. Same stylin' with snow-friendly features... plus it supports a down film crew!

Dangshades

Summer is here... did you bring your sunglasses? I forgot mine when I packed for High Cascade last year, but it's a good thing I did or I never would have gotten my Dangshades. What is Dangshades? Why, Dangshades is just a sick new sunglasses company run by snowboarding's own Chris Beresford.

Those days at High Cascade were the grass roots of this budding company, selling Oakley Frogskin style shades for less than half the price. There was a lot of folks were in need of a good pair of shades those sunny days in August, and Dangshades were just the ticket... All of that steezy snowboard stylin' in a pair of sunglasses dark enough to keep the luminous rays of intense sunlight from frying your eyeballs.

Of course, it wasn't long before everyone brought back pairs of Dangshades and became the center of attention amongst their circle of friends. Soon friends and friends' friends and friends' friends' friends were aching to snatch up a pair of Dangshades. In response, Chris threw up a website so everybody can order their own sweet pair of Dangshades.

Now available in several styles, far too many colors and the same great price, each pair of Dangshades is a whopping $19.99. "If you're wondering how to get more DANG for you're buck... order 2 pair for $34.99. DANG!"

I still have my original pair of Dangshades that I bought one year ago at camp. They have held up really nice and I wear them almost every day... when I don't they are getting smashed by my friends feet in the floor of my car; pretty impressive for a $20 pair of sunglasses I'd say. The best part is that for the price these are sunglasses you can afford to drop off a lift, snap apart when you fall, etc.

Head over to Dangshades.com and pick up your pair before the summer sun gets strong enough to melt eyeballs.