About.com Snowboarding

Wall Street Journal Weighs in on Shaun White's New Tricks

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:47:37 +0000

Looks like the cat's outta the bag, Shaun - earlier this week, the venerable Wall Street Journal weighed in on the difficulty of judging the ever changing sport of competitive snowboarding. After Red Bull recently released footage of Shaun White training in a super-secret backcountry superpipe, the mainstream media seems to have figured out what snowboarding insiders have known for years: accurately judging never before seen tricks can be really hard.

Wednesday's Wall Street Journal article follows a pair of 2010 Olympic Snowboarding judges as they try to wrap their heads around White's new moves. As head Olympic Snowboarding judge Ola Sundequist explains, "it usually takes seeing a new trick at least three or four times to understand its mechanics and "identify all the small details." Although judges do their best to watch the riders in practice beforehand, it's not uncommon for the athletes to keep their best tricks under wraps until their competition run, denying the judges a glimpse at what's to come. Judges then have just moments to apply a score to a given rider's run, opening the door for controversy and armchair quarterbacking.

Unfortunately, there's a precedent in the snowsports world for unseen tricks being penalized. At the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, freestyle skier Jonny Moseley unveiled his "Dinner Roll" for the first time in Olympic competition. Despite the trick being more difficult and more technical than anything else that was being done at the time, Moseley failed to medal; he attributed his low score to the fact that the judges had never seen the trick before.

Shaun White and his (awesome) corporate masters at Red Bull have likely taken note of what happened to Moseley. White said he could have saved his surprise moves for Vancouver to increase the "wow" factor and prevent copycats from stealing his thunder, but he decided it was more important "to educate the judges."

One thing's for certain: The upcoming 2010 Winter Olympics are going to showcase some epic snowboarding talent.

Wall Street Journal Weighs in on Shaun White's New Tricks originally appeared on About.com Snowboarding on Friday, November 20th, 2009 at 11:47:37.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

How did you learn how to snowboard?

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:50:07 +0000

Let's not beat around the bush - learning how to snowboard is not easy. As an AASI certified snowboard instructor, I've taught hundreds of people how to snowboard, but even I'll admit it's not easy. Snowshoeing is easy. Snowboarding? Not so much. That's what makes it so much fun!

There are many different ways to learn how to snowboard - the ever popular "Follow me!" method, where a (once) trusted snowboarding friend drags his buddies to the top of the mountain and yells over his shoulder, "Follow me!"; then there's the traditional resort lesson route, be it a group lesson or a private, one-on-one lesson. Finally, there's the athletic guy full of determination who figures, "It can't be that hard, can it?" as he heads out to pound his body into a pulp in an effort to become a legit snowboarder. Each method works, albeit with different levels of success. I generally refrain from telling the story of how I learned to snowboard anymore, because no one believes me. Seriously. (If you're interested, drop me a line and I'll fill ya in!)

So how did you learn how to snowboard? Would you recommend your method to others? As a professional instructor, I have trouble seeing past what, in my opinion, is "the only way" - taking a lesson with someone like me at a resort. But I know there are other ways, and I know people have experienced success using these other ways. Don't by shy...let us know how you learned how to snowboard! You never know - someone might be influenced by your words, and end up a lifelong shredder!

Point your board here to fill everyone in on your "Learn how to snowboard experience!"

How did you learn how to snowboard? originally appeared on About.com Snowboarding on Wednesday, November 18th, 2009 at 18:50:07.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

Need new gear this season? Consider buying used!

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:33:24 +0000

Whenever I tell someone I'm a die-hard snowboarder, the comment I hear most often is, "Snowboarding - that's an expensive sport!" True, the cost of a new board, bindings, boots, and clothing can add up quickly. Throw in the cost of a daily lift ticket, lodging and other essentials like beer, and it's easy to understand why some people think participating in the sport requires a healthy line of credit with a major bank. But it doesn't have to be that way!

One of the best ways to equip yourself and your family is by buying used equipment at one of the many ski and snowboard swaps that are held at the beginning of the season. Most resorts hold some form of swap, and the equipment for sale is often in great shape - especially kids gear. When junior's growing so fast he requires new boots every season, it's silly (bordering on crazy, in fact) to spend the money for brand new equipment.

A swap I know I'll be attending (but alas, not selling anything this year...I'm a little hard on my equipment!) is being held this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at Okemo Mountain Resort in Ludlow, Vermont. The sale begins on Friday at 4 p.m. and runs through Sunday, with proceeds going to benefit the Okemo Mountain School.

To find a ski swap going on in your area, hit up my favorite information clearinghouse, Google.

For more information on this ski swap event, check out the Okemo Mountain Resort Events Calendar!

Need new gear this season? Consider buying used! originally appeared on About.com Snowboarding on Monday, November 16th, 2009 at 17:33:24.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

Killington Opens for the 2009-2010 Season

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 11:38:15 +0000

Killington, otherwise known as "The Beast of the East," is now open for the 2009-2010 ski and snowboard season! The resort fired up the chairlifts this morning at 10 a.m., and plans to be open today and tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with terrain available for intermediates and above. No beginner terrain will be open. According to today's snow report, access to the K-1 Gondola base is possible, but will require some walking (or some serious speed...sorry...I did not just suggest you blast across non-snow covered surfaces at high speeds in order to impress the ladies...seriously...don't do it).

This weekend, adult lift tickets are priced at $49 per day, with Express Card holders paying just $39.

For more information, visit www.killington.com

Killington Opens for the 2009-2010 Season originally appeared on About.com Snowboarding on Saturday, November 7th, 2009 at 11:38:15.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

Red Bull's Project X & Shaun White Are Reinventing Snowboarding

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:07:11 +0000

I'll admit it, I thought Shaun White's time had passed. The kid was far and away the best competition snowboarder on the planet for a time, but I thought he was beginning to be surpassed by up and coming riders like Louie Vito and some of the Europeans on tour. I was wrong. Really wrong.

Enter the geniuses at Redbull. This is how I envision things went down in the corporate conference room:

Rad Guy 1: "Should we build a superpipe in the Colorado backcountry for Shaun White, complete with foam-pit?"

Rad Guy 2: "It's never been done before, and I'd imagine it would be fantastically expensive."

Accounting Geek: "Fantastically expensive doesn't begin to describe how much this could cost! Given the current state of the U.S. economy, I have to recommend against this idea."

Rad Guy 1: "Dude, let's do it. We can apply for bail-out money later on if necessary."

Rad Guy 2: "Good call. I'll get Shaun. See you there?"

Rad Guy 1: "Word. We should probably keep this a secret. Let's call it Project X."

Rad Guy 2: "I like it. Let's go reinvent snowboarding."

Accounting Geek: "Can I come?"

Rad Guys: "No."

Still with me here? Good. So Red Bull goes out into the backcountry and, with the assistance of explosives, builds a perfect superpipe complete with foam-pit for learning new and ever more difficult tricks. The footage that came out of those sessions is, to put it lightly, mind-blowing. Front Double Cork 10. Switch Back 900. Rodeo Double Back. Cab Double Cork 10. I could burn an entire page just trying to explain those tricks, but you'll be better off watching for yourselves. While you're at it (it's Friday, people - you and I both know you're not working), watch the videos of the halfpipe and foam pit being constructed. It's wild stuff!

So what does this mean for the upcoming season? One thing - Shaun White is going to be a force that I'm not sure the rest of the riders on tour will be able to deal with. If he's able to put the tricks he recently learned down on snow, he may be unstoppable this season. Olympic gold, X-Games gold, Grand Prix titles...you name it, he'll be laying claim to them. Just remember, you heard it here first!

Click here to watch all the footage from Red Bull's Project X.

Red Bull's Project X & Shaun White Are Reinventing Snowboarding originally appeared on About.com Snowboarding on Friday, November 6th, 2009 at 11:07:11.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

Okemo Fires Up the Snowmaking System!

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:19:59 +0000

News from the east - Okemo has fired up their snowmaking system! The resort, which routinely ranks near the top for snow quality in the east (according to reader polls from magazines like SKI and Skiing), has gone so far as to bring in extra air compressors to assist in the onslaught of creating snow in anticipation of opening day.

The resort plans on kicking off the season on November 21.

Okemo Fires Up the Snowmaking System! originally appeared on About.com Snowboarding on Wednesday, November 4th, 2009 at 17:19:59.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

Louie Vito Voted Off ABC's Dancing With The Stars

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 09:29:45 +0000

It was a good run, but alas, professional snowboarder and 2010 Winter Olympic hopeful Louie Vito has been voted off ABC's Dancing With The Stars. After Melissa Joan Hart was eliminated last evening, the judges put Vito and partner Chelsie Hightower to a dance-off (similar to the "walk-off" between Derek Zoolander and Hansel in the 2001 movie "Zoolander") against NFL Hall of Fame wide receiver Michael Irvin and his partner Anna Demidova. Although one of the judges - Bruno - voted to save Louie and Chelsie, Len� and Carrie Ann Inaba (who, as an aside, is apparently one of Howard Stern's least favorite people on the planet) weren't in their corner, which meant they were going home.

Although I can't say I'm heartbroken to see Louie go (I can finally watch Monday Night Football in peace!), it would have been a feather in the cap of the snowboarding world to say we had a Dancing With The Stars champion in our midst. So what's next for Louie? The Olympic trials, of course, which begin December 11 at Copper Mountain in Colorado.

One final note - my fianc�e swears that Louie and Chelsie either are or will be dating shortly. I have no idea whether or not this is true, but I generally trust her judgement in these matters. I guess only time will tell!

Louie Vito Voted Off ABC's Dancing With The Stars originally appeared on About.com Snowboarding on Wednesday, October 28th, 2009 at 09:29:45.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

Monster Energy Backs Off Rock Art Brewery!

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 10:39:57 +0000

Hey, whadaya know...a win for the little guy! According to the Rock Art Brewery website as well as articles from the Burlington Free Press and local CBS affiliate WCAX, the Hansen Beverage Company (which produces Monster Energy) bowed to pressure from the Internet late last night. Detailed terms of the agreement have not been released, but Rock Art has agreed to stay out of the energy drink business.

In addition to ordinary citizens voicing their displeasure and calling for boycotts of Monster Energy and other Hansen products, U.S. Senator and all-around rabble rouser Bernie Sanders (I-VT) also got involved in the dispute, urging Hansen to leave his constituent's small brewery alone. As Sanders comically put it, "An energy drink is not a beer, and the word "monster" is not "Vermonster." Any person who would get confused by these two different products and names should probably slow down a bit, and lay off energy drinks." Sanders continued his scolding, saying, "Further, as you may know, Vermont is a small state in New England which is the home of the Rock Art Brewery. Not surprisingly, that is why this Vermont company uses the name 'Vermonster.' While the Rock Art Brewery is a small business in a small state, my understanding is that the Hansen Beverage Company is a major multinational corporation based in California. While Rock Art Brewery has seven employees, your company earns more than $1 billion a year off the 'Monster Energy Drink' product alone."

In this day and age of corporations run amok, it's nice to see that an amicable settlement was reached in this case!

Monster Energy Backs Off Rock Art Brewery! originally appeared on About.com Snowboarding on Thursday, October 22nd, 2009 at 10:39:57.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

Louie Vito Will Keep On Dancing on ABC's Dancing With The Stars!

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 09:23:18 +0000

Louie Vito made the cut again last night on ABC's Dancing With The Stars! The professional snowboarder and 2010 Olympic Snowboarding hopeful was rumored to be one of the competitors on the chopping block, but both the judges and his fans at home agreed Vito and partner Chelsie Hightower had performed well enough to merit another week on the show.

Olympic swimmer Natalie Coughlin was not as lucky last night. To the dismay of the judges (who appeared to disagree with the voters at home), Coughlin was sent on her way over pop star Aaron Carter.

In one of the more comical portions of the show the other night, the entire group was practicing for their first group dance, which was the Hustle. Louie couldn't understand why most of them already knew the steps - having been born in 1988, he had no idea what the dance involved!

Tune in next week to catch more of Louie's moves on Dancing With The Stars!

Louie Vito Will Keep On Dancing on ABC's Dancing With The Stars! originally appeared on About.com Snowboarding on Wednesday, October 21st, 2009 at 09:23:18.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

Monster Energy Is Messing With The Little Guy

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:44:41 +0000

Monster Energy, an energy drink manufacturer owned by the publicly traded Hansen Natural Corporation, has stepped on the toes of beer lovers nationwide by sending a Cease-and-Desist letter to Vermont Microbrewery Rock Art. The product in question is the brewery's 10th anniversary "Vermonster," a delightful 10% 100 IBU meal of a beer. According to the legal geniuses at Monster Energy, the name Vermonster constitutes a trademark violation and will, in the eyes of the company, "undoubtedly create a likelihood of confusion." Right. Because I confuse giant, overpriced cans of chemically-infused sugar water with craft-brewed beer all the time.

So what's this have to do with snowboarding, you ask? A few things - first and foremost, my theory that snowboarders are in fact beer snobs has been well documented on this site. Any beer snob worth his or her chops should give the Vermonster a try - you won't be disappointed! Second, Rock Art rocks out in Morrisville, Vermont, a mere stones throw from the iconic slopes of Stowe and Sugarbush. Moving right along, Monster slaps its logo (which was obviously designed during the days when "extreme" was still cool) all over the action sports world, which is easy to do when your parent company is worth a billion dollars. Finally, it's my belief that the snowboard industry has always been for the little guy, even today when the sport is decidedly not little anymore. Someone get Jake Burton on the phone - Odds are he's on the side of Rock Art (although this is merely conjecture, as well as a deep seated belief in the man Jake Burton).

A boycott of Monster Energy and Hansen Natural products has already begun, and the issue has taken off in the blogosphere, on Twitter, and across Al Gore's Internet. A petition supporting Rock Art can be signed by clicking HERE.

For more information on the David vs. Goliath fight going on here, check out PJ's blog Starting a Brewery, Katie Pizzuto's writeup from Gonzo Gastronomy, and the Rock Art website itself. While you're at it, why not write Hansen Natural and voice your displeasure?

Monster Energy Is Messing With The Little Guy originally appeared on About.com Snowboarding on Friday, October 16th, 2009 at 13:44:41.

Permalink | Comment | Email this