Mt. Hutt Skifield was the first resort in New Zealand to open this weekend (June 26, 2011) with what is their latest opening in “at least a decade” according to a story in the Ashbutron Gardian.
It is only a partial opening with only the Magic Carpet and the Quad chair, accessing half of the main Broadway trail to open, meaning plenty of skiing or snowboarding for beginners and intermediate riders. . . “There isn’t any off-trail snow yet but we have to play with what we’ve got.
“Having the mountain open has a huge flow-on effect for this area and people around here need something to perk them up.
Resorts in North America are still open and New Zealand doesn’t have any snow. Weird weather cycles, indeed.
It’s summer, so this must be Windells. Check out what the skate kids are up to in Windells Concrete Jungle (and other Oregon spots). Kind of makes us want to visit when the kids are somewhere else.
It appears that Capita will finally release a promotional video this fall; something they’ve been too busy to get done for the last four years. Not surprisingly, they believe Capita Defenders of Awesome is going to be a pretty big deal.
. . . the anticipation for the film has been compounded by recent team rider success such as Jess Kimura’s four Transworld Snowboarding Rider’s Poll nominations including two wins, Phil Jacques‘ breakout part and Rookie of the Year nomination, and Dan Brisse’s Rider of the Year nomination, X-Games Real Snow gold medal, and a nod of serious respect as #3 in Snowboarder Magazine’s “Best Riders on Earth” issue.
Follow the jump for all the totally awesome details from thes unmasked superheros. . . [click to continue…]
686 parent company Westlife Distribution is loading up their team for the new fall season. They’ve hired a new Controller (Kimmy Duong), a new Senior Graphic Designer (George Cavalla), promoted an intern to Online Marketing Coordinator (Marc Vasquez) and bumped a pro rider up to Team Manager (Patrick McCarthy).
“I am beyond thrilled at the addition of Marc, George and Patrick to the marketing team,” says Kristin Cusic, VP of the department, “Each one of them brings something unique to the table through photography, video editing, communication or design skills, but as a group, we really fire on all cylinders. I’m looking forward to making vast steps forward over the next year or two.”
If Burton Snowboards only made travel bags (and dropped the whole snowboard hard and softgoods thing), they would still be one of the best brands in the world for one reason: their bags are bulletproof. For people who travel all the time in all different modes, Burton has some of the most intelligently designed bags, backpacks, and camera bags in the world. If that wasn’t enough, Burton has just released 90 new bag and luggage styles into the mix.
Burton’s new bags are designed to carry everything from laptops and skateboards to snowboards and a month’s worth of clothes. Road tested by Burton’s team of pro riders who travel year-round, every new travel bag, snow pack, photo pack, transit bag or ‘BYO’ bag can weather months of planes, trains and on-the-move adventures.
And while we’re not sure anyone needs all that much help deciding which bag to buy, Burton has been nice enough to create a website to help everyone pick the right bag. It’s called Bag Check. Check it out if you’re looking for new bags. Follow the jump for the official word. [click to continue…]
The crew at Videograss has created a “Open Shutter” video profile of snow photographer Andy Wright. In part one, Andy takes us into his basement to flip through old slides and prints from snowboarding’s analog era. And what a journey it is.
As a photographer Andy has always had an artist’s eye and a workman’s ethic. This seemingly rare combination has made him one of the most successful photographers working in snowboarding today. We’re not sure how Andy keeps himself entertained, but every time we see one of his photos we’re glad he’s figured out a way to keep it going.
After six years at the Jarden Corp. (aka K2) it appears that former shred pro and “award winning snowboard product designer” Sean Tedore has made the move to Capita Super Corporation. And we couldn’t be happier for everyone involved.
At CAPiTA, Tedore takes on a multifaceted role of Product Development and US Marketing Manager. He will employ his design knowledge and engineering background on the snowboard development process and also utilize his network of marketing contacts, media and rider relationships, and strategize new ventures for CAPiTA marketing. . . Tedore had this to say about the change, “Blue and I have known each other a long time. We’re from the same area. I’ve always liked CAPiTA’s approach, and it just seemed like a natural progression to come here and work together.”
It’s good to see a talented, educated, snowboarder with deep roots make the move to a more independent snowboard-only brand. Follow the jump for the official details. [click to continue…]
Strangely, the New York Times headlined a story today Nike Tries to Enter the Niche Sports It Has Missed Missed? Seems, no one has mentioned to the old gray lady that Nike SB already owns the core skate market (and that’s not even counting Converse). Aside from a few people who still rock Vans most skaters don’t want to wear anything else. This hasn’t, however, stopped the Portland footwear giant from pushing on with a new, huge, advertising campaign that launches today called The Chosen. It’s reportedly the first time Nike has used action sports athletes in a major Just Do It, campaign.
The new campaign, called “The Chosen,” is Nike’s largest effort at moving into action sports, and will feature athletes like the skateboarder Paul Rodriguez (or P-Rod), the surfer Laura Enever and the snowboarder Danny Kass. . . “When we looked at action sports, we saw a unique consumer segment that was underserved in terms of product innovation,” Mark G. Parker, Nike’s chief executive and president, said at a shareholder meeting in May.
Nike’s The Chosen commercials premiere today on facebook at 4 PM PDT/ 7 PM PDT. Click here for skateboarding, here for surf, and here for snowboarding. The truth is, Nike really isn’t “trying” anymore in action sports. They’re just doing it. And yes, it took them a long, long time to figure it out, but now that they have . . . well, we all know the rest of that story.
This Red Fang video for their song Wires goes a little way toward answering the question: wonder what Whitey McConnaughy and Chris Coyle have been up to lately. Plus, it kicks some GM ass.
Mt. Hutt Skifield was the first resort in New Zealand to open this weekend (June 26, 2011) with what is their latest opening in “at least a decade” according to a story in the Ashbutron Gardian.
