Two-time World Boardercross champion Alex Pullin has died while spearfishing on the Gold Coast of Australia, according to a story on the BBC. He was 32.
Pullin, 32, was found unresponsive off a beach on Queensland’s Gold Coast on Wednesday. . . He was treated by paramedics at the scene but could not be revived, authorities said. . . Nicknamed “Chumpy”, Pullin was Australia’s flagbearer at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.
Pullin competed for Australia in three Winter Olympic Games and had recently decided to retire from snowboarding, but not yet announced it. Our thoughts are with Pullin’s family and friends.
Beginning July 14, 2020 the Snowsports Industries of America will host a series of conversations to help the winter outdoor industry better understand diversity, equity and inclusion issues and the role and responsibility our industry plays in creating positive change. The conversations will be hosted by Selema Masekela.
Selema’s upbringing is very textured; it is one which led him to often being in places where he was ‘The Only,’ whether that was as an 8 year-old sitting in on late night jazz sessions with Miles Davis, becoming the face of ESPN’s X Games and bringing action sports to pop culture, or creating films and television that strike a chord with our human dilemma; who are we, what drives us and gives us joy. It is this mission that has Selema telling stories of others like him – highlighting people and places through lenses that break molds and redefine culture. He is the co-founder of Stoked Mentoring, an organization dedicated to mentoring at risk youth through action sports.
The first Town Hall session is up on Tuesday, July 14, 2020 at 1 PM MDT. For all the details click here or follow the jump.
Jeremy Jones talks with Jones Snowboards ambassador Ryan Hudson in a Breaking Trail episode about growing up homeless, finding his way in life, and ultimately finding snowboarding. Listen. Learn.
We surfed all winter with an Apple Watch safely tucked beneath the cuff of our wetsuit. Several times the wetsuit got blasted up our arm, leaving the watch exposed, but still attached. . . luckily.
Now that summer has arrived and we’re more likely to be surfing without a wetsuit, the Apple Watch’s post and hole band closure isn’t looking as solid as it has in the past. Though we’ve never had one fall open, it doesn’t seem like a good idea to hang it out there as a test. That’s why we were stoked to see that Urban Armor Gear has added a Tang buckle to a silicone band that keeps the clean lines of Apples silicone band while adding the safety of a Tang buckle. And though the bands have a buckle, they still keep the strap clean by feeding the loose end back under the band just like the Apple band.
The UAG bands come in two styles the Scout and Civilian. The Scout is a single color band that comes in three colors (black, olive, and orange) and retails for $29.95. The Civilian features two layers of silicone, a “branded stainless steel buckle” and comes in two colors (black/orange and slate/orange). It retails for $39.95.
We haven’t tested them yet, but we can say for sure that the buckle makes us feel better about taking our Apple Watch into the surf. We’ll let you know how it goes. For more info, please click the link.
It’s not Monday, because that was a holiday. And Tuesday’s grey and Wednesday, too. Thursday appears to be the day for you and all the news we’ve logged in the last bit of quarantine. Hope you’re safe, well, and in need of some links because here they are.
We’re pretty much to the point where we’d like all our footwear to feature BOA closures. They are quick to lock down, easy to adjust on the fly, and simple to replace when they wear out. So, we were glad to see that we are not alone in our love for the twisties and Sage Kotsenburg has joined Travis Rice and Mark Sollors on the BOA snow team.
“During a time when much of what these dedicated athletes do for a living is on hold in the usual sense, be it on the mountain, trails, or in competition, it is important for us to support this community and continue to build meaningful, long-term partnerships,” says Shawn Neville, CEO at BOA Technology. “Our product innovation efforts haven’t slowed during these uncertain and unprecedented times, and neither will our commitment to our Pioneers whose dedication to their sport is invaluable to our business.”
For more of the official word from BOA, please follow the jump.
Thanks to the old COVID-19 Burton is out of their US Open Snowboarding Championships contract with Vail Resorts after cancelling the 2021 event. Not a big surprise seeing as the event was dragged through the press as being one of the alleged hotspots responsible for spreading the virus to Mexico City. Sadly, it brings to a close the longest running snowboarding event in history. It’s been held every year since 1983.
“This was a difficult call to make since we’re so many months away from the next Burton U.S. Open, and we’re not sure what will be happening with the pandemic nine months from now,” said Burton CEO John Lacy. “After playing out multiple options for the 2021 event, we realized there is too much at stake due to the potential public health risk and the financial risk for Burton to invest millions in an event that could end up being cancelled.”
With so many events being cancelled we’re almost getting immune to the pain, but this is definitely one of the saddest. For the official word from Burton, please follow the jump.
This little Board Hoarders video is great for a couple reasons. 1. When it comes to getting advice re: powder riding, there’s really no one better to listen to than Jeremy Jones. 2. Having missed out on all that spring powder that came floating down in mid-to-late March we all could use a couple vicarious blasts of the good stuff. Those are the reasons, now just watch it. . . and remember to always keep an open mind!
A long list of stories for our time this week. Some don’t even mention COVID-19. We can say that when everyone is locked up in their own homes they just don’t generate as much news. Duh! So here you go.
Several skiers who bought super-mega passes from North America’s two major ski resort operators (without apparently reading the fine print which we warned our readers about last spring) are now suing these same companies for not offering refunds when the resorts closed early due to COVID-19, according to a story in the Summit Daily.
A class-action lawsuit was filed against Vail Resorts on April 10 claiming false advertising, fraud and negligent misrepresentation, among other counts, due to lost mountain resort access without pass refunds. Four days later on April 14, a similar lawsuit was filed against Alterra Mountain Co., citing that by retaining revenue generated from Ikon Pass sales, the company holds tens of millions in unjust profits as the ski areas and resorts were closed prematurely.
Obviously, ski resorts are not the only businesses currently facing lawsuits over COVID-19 shutdowns. Nearly every business that sells passes, like theme parks, gyms, and sports courts, are feeling similar pressure.
Seeing as we are not fans of the super-mega passes in the first place (unless you’re riding over 20 days a year at the same resorts) part of us feels the pass buyers got exactly what they had coming by agreeing to assume all risk for the upcoming season. Then again, the way resorts sell these passes is a classic example of corporations taking advantage of their customers by offering something for sale that the buyers obviously don’t understand. Guess we’ll have to see whose lawyers are better. We’re betting on the resorts’.
Several skiers who bought super-mega passes from North America’s two major ski resort operators (without apparently reading the fine print 
