The newly patented system, which looks similar to the Burton SI bindings of yesteryear with the addition of an elaborate heel latching mechanism, was apparently “invented” by Raymond Robert Kavarsky, Jr., Christopher M. Doyle, and Scott T. Keller.
Click the image to look at it more closely or to check out the pages and pages of official references, schematics, descriptions, click this link.
We especially enjoyed the references list which includes patents held by a host of familiar names including: Fournier, Karol, Morrow, Sanders, Raines, Meiselman, Alden, Warburton, Pelchat, and even Spademan.
For the past 30 years LibTech founders Mike Olsen and Pete Saari have been making summertime treks from their factory in Washington to test out new technology on snow at Mt. Hood. This summer was a little different. You’ll know just how different after watching this.
The SnowSports Industries of America has created a video series to help communicate what they feel is the current “State of The Industry.” The above edit is the snowboard version. Here’s their pitch:
“We understand people are short on time and the State of the Industry Video Series provides a quick snapshot of last season. We focus on the stats that mean the most to all snow sports professionals – be it retail sales, marketing or manufacturing — to help everyone make sound business decisions in the year ahead,” commented Kelly Davis, director of research for SIA.
What do you think? Are they on target? We’d tell you what we thought, but that would means watching the video and really, who has time for that?
Pretty Great, the Portland, Oregon based parent company of Bonfire, Nikita, Sessions, and SLVDR has hired former Quiksilver sales worker David Kozak as global sales director.
Dave brings with him 15 years of sales experience in the action sports industry, working first with Volcom before a tenure at Quiksilver, Roxy and DC, where he most recently served as the Director of Sales for Snow for all three brands in the Americas region. . . “Based on Dave’s multi-brand sales experience, ease to work with, creative sales perspective and work ethic, I could not think of a better person to lead sales for Pretty Great,” said Pretty Great President Rob Myers.
For the official word from Pretty Great, please follow the jump.
Shaun White just upped his LA real estate game with brand new $6.4 million home in “Los Angeles’s heavily celebrified Outpost Estates,” according to a story in Variety.
The approximately 4,500-square-foot house, a boxy but still sleek and architecturally masculine interplay of poured concrete, horizontally applied wood siding, and dramatic expanses of glass, features five bedrooms, 5.5 bathrooms, and a glass-doored side-facing two-car garage.
Oh, those Hollywood nights, in those Hollywood Hills. . . above all the lights. . . (how’s that for an ancient reference?) Have to say, we totally approve of Señor Blanco’s real estate choices. For interior photos and a look at the view, click the link.
Rip Curl snow turns the girls (Marion Haerty, Olya Smeshlivaya and Kristiina Nyman) loose in a motorhome tour of California last winter. Yep, California’s pretty rad. So are Marion, Olya, and Kristiina.
The new Mashman Helmet and shield from Electric may be our favorite snowboarding helmet concept for 2016.
Inspired by the counterculture period of the 1960’s, where motorcycle culture embodied a rebellious spirit of a new generation looking for freedom. That same freedom can be found on the hill today; riding as fast as you can with the wind in your face.
Not only will it allow us to zone out like Daft Punk while on the lift, the Mashman also offers total protection from those pesky drones (see below).
As if the drunk neighbor who flew his blinky-lighted drone over our backyard every Saturday night ALL SUMMER LONG wasn’t annoying enough, we now have something more dreadful to look forward to this winter. Redwood City, California based Cape Productions is launching a new “drone filming service” that will allow winter resort tourists to get a bird’s eye video view of themselves fumbling down their favorite mountains, stopping on jump landings, and falling off rails and boxes.
Here’s the pitch:
Cape’s drones automatically fly with you to record your favorite moments on snow. Customers sign up, meet Cape on the mountain, and get filmed by the drones while riding, then receive a professionally edited and published video online to share with friends and family. Cape’s proprietary drone technology can fly up to 40 mph, staying ahead of even the most hardcore athletes. The drones automatically maintain safe distance from the ground and all major obstacles like trees, chairlifts and crowded areas while withstanding the treacherous weather conditions and high altitudes found at mountain resorts.
Apparently, vaping on the chairlift just wasn’t annoying enough, now we have to be buzzed by a whining swarm of drones every time we want to get a couple runs in. We have three words: drone net guns.
To escape the coming drone apocalypse be sure to avoid the following resorts: Winter Park Resort, Copper Mountain, Timberline Lodge, Mount Hood Meadows, Powder Mountain, Homewood Mountain, Mountain Creek, Fernie Alpine Resort, and Schweitzer Mountain.
For the official word from Cape Productions, please follow the jump.
Shaun White has launched a couple new flavors for the half popped popcorn brand Halfpop (corn nuts). Kind of makes us hungry, but not for Brooklyn Dill Pickle, if you know what we mean. No offense, Shaun.
. . . and if you’d like to listen, then please click on the video. Here’s the verbage:
Peetu Piiroinen is a man of few words. Over the years he has made a name for himself through various podiums across the planet, but on rare occasions has he opened up his thoughts about snowboarding. The following action packed video trails Peetu around Europe after the busy contest season has ended and shows another side of his riding. Peetu reveals his point of view on progression of snowboarding and what keeps him motivated after a decade of traveling the world with his snowboard.
On October 6, 2015 The Burton Corporation was awarded a patent (# US 9,147,711 B1) for a “snowboard binding and boot,” according to the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The patent was filed on November 14, 2014.
