by The Editors on October 20, 2009
Ross Rebagliati won snowboarding’s first gold medal in Nagano ’98. Though the IOC tried and failed, no one can take that away from him. Sadly, it was a medal in giant slalom and not in the crazy, off the hook halfpipe. This hasn’t stopped Ross from telling the story of snowboarding history himself in the book Off The Chain.
Off the Chain takes readers on a wild ride through the rise of snowboarding, from its hippie origins in the backwoods of Vermont and California to its present incarnation as a $150 billion global industry. Illustrated with 100 color photographs, Off the Chain begins with the sport’s early days, when the pioneers built their own boards and snuck onto the slopes. Author Rebagliati profiles snowboarding’s most notorious figures, explores the nature of snowboarding culture, and tells what touring as a young World Cup snowboarder is like. . . . He’s unsparing in revealing the sport’s more controversial aspects, from groupies to drugs, including his own experience having his gold medal revoked — and then restored — after failing a drug test. Rebagliati pulls no punches in this lively mix of personal memoir and sports history.
Seems like a bit of a strange title coming from Ross, but regardless, we’re looking forward to checking it out. Click here to pre-order the book.
[Link: Amazon]
by The Editors on October 20, 2009
While we’ve never, ever heard anyone say, “Portland could use a few more good coffee roasters” we’re still hyped for Wille Yli Luoma on today’s official grand opening of Heart Roasters on 2211 E. Burnside St, in Portland, Oregon.
All the hipsters were out for the opening party on Saturday, October 17, 2009, but today, at 6 AM the doors opened for the rest of us.
Check it out next you’re in the City of Roses Roasters.
[Link: Heart Roasters via Yobeat]
by The Editors on October 17, 2009
Let’s just put it this way: this is the second and last time we’re missing opening day at Mammoth. Thankfully, Ashbury’s Lance Michael Hakker got it all down on the web.
Big Mountain Mike and I roll up around 9:30am and the parking was the craziest I’ve ever seen it on opening day. And we’ve been going to Mammoth’s opener for 10 years or more.
How’s that for a crowd? Just think what free tickets do for on-hill food sales and Mammoth lodging? We think the kids should ride free all the time. Don’t you?
For the rest of the photos click the link. . . or for his real work check Lance’s story on SnowboarderMag.com.
[Link: Ashbury Eyewear and SnowboarderMag.com]
by The Editors on October 17, 2009
While the talent pool of riders who compete on the US Grand Prix Tour in Olympic off years may not be a deep as many would expect, it is nice to see that there is a tour for those who don’t feel ready for the Grand Prix just yet. It’s called the Revolution Tour and it is in it’s sixth year.
“The Revolution Tour is entering its sixth year and we are absolutely stoked for another great season,” U.S. Snowboarding Program Manager Abbi Nyberg said. “The Tour has grown so much over the past few years it has been great to see athletes progress from the Revolution Tour and have success at the Grand Prix, US Open, other major events.”
The tour begins January 14, 2009 at Mount Snow, Vermont. Follow the jump for all the details.
[click to continue…]
by The Editors on October 14, 2009
Opening day for the new shred season doesn’t get any better than this. With 20-30 inches of new snow in the past 24 hours Mammoth Mountain is ready to blow the doors off on the 2009-2010 season with free lift tickets on Friday October 16, 2009 (according to @mammothmountain).
As if we needed any more excuses to charge the 395. Looks like it’s time to call in sick.
[Link: Mammoth Mountain]
by The Editors on October 9, 2009
Yobeat.com one of our favorite independent voices in snowboard media got into a little scuffle with some people at Burton Snowboards recently (read all about it right here).
The upshot is that Yobeat.com got a bunch of traffic and now they’re going to hand out some stickers, according to a post on jaredsouney.com:
So, the deal is, buy a snowboard from now through the end of November, and send us a copy of your receipt and we’ll send you free YoBeat stickers. They might be die-cuts, they might be screen prints, they might be an assortment of both. What’s the catch? It can’t be a Burton Snowboard. Anything else will fly, even their subsidiaries like Forum who we quite enjoy. Just no Burtons.
But that’s not all people who write in for free stickers also get entered in a drawing for free gear from the Yobeat.com product reviews.
It’s nice to see the new independent media up on their feet rather than groveling down on their knees, isn’t it?
[Link: JaredSouney.com]
by The Editors on October 9, 2009
The Skeleton Crew is riding in to Portland with “more riders than any other video ever” for the premiere of Group Effect at the Hollywood Theater on October 16, 2009 at 8 PM. The new film includes (but not limited to) the following:
jarad hadi, tyler verigin, nick dirks, chris grenier, jed anderson, cody rosenthal, ricky tucker, knut eliassen, harrison gordon, jared johnson, bryan fox, austin smith … nick russell, eero ettala, bode merrill, laurent nicolas paquin, louif paradis, max baillargeon, will lavigne, jonas michelot and joe carlino plus probably 100 more.
All homeys, no nerds. Follow the jump for the teaser.
Hollywood Theater, 4122 NE Sandy Blvd. Portland, OR 97217
[click to continue…]
by The Editors on October 9, 2009
A 64-year-old man working on the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic snowboard venue at Cypress Mountain reportedly fell from a 50-foot-high scaffolding on Tuesday, October 6, 2009, according to a story in the BClocalnews.
On Tuesday the 64-year-old, who came to work on venue the from overseas, fell off scaffolding approximately 50 feet high, said fire chief Martin Ernst. . . Ernst believes the individual is still in serious condition.
Ouch. Please remind us not to be running around at work on scaffolding when we’re 64.
[Link: BClocalnews]
by The Editors on October 9, 2009
by The Editors on October 7, 2009
Olympic gold medalist Seth Wescott lost a bunch of videos when his house was broken into sometime in September 2009, according to a story on WBZtv.com.
Chief Scott Nichols of the Carrabassett Valley police tells the Portland Press Herald it’s believed the burglary occurred sometime in September while Wescott was out of the country.
According to police, the videos have no monetary value, but “are of “extreme importance to Mr. Wescott.” Wonder what else was on those videos?
[Link: WBZTV.com]
Ross Rebagliati won snowboarding’s first gold medal in Nagano ’98. Though the IOC tried and failed, no one can take that away from him. Sadly, it was a medal in giant slalom and not in the crazy, off the hook halfpipe. This hasn’t stopped Ross from telling the story of snowboarding history himself in the book Off The Chain.
