Gregory “Scott” Starr, the Santa Barbara, California based skate, surf, snow photographer and boardsports historian died October 9, 2022 one day following his 61st birthday, according to a story in the Santa Barbara Independent. Most will remember him from his years shooting for Thrasher Magazine during the 1980s and 90s.
Scott loved photography, surfing, skateboarding, frisbee, snowboarding, his beach home, researching the history of all he loved, and weaving stories of it all. He was a respected film historian and archivist of surf/skate/frisbee/snowboarding sports and cultures, but above all that, he was an extraordinary person who always made others feel at ease. His family and many friends meant the world to him. Most important was his faith in Jesus.
The community will hold a paddle out to remember Starr’s life at a “local beach” on the afternoon of Friday, October 21, 2022.
Apparently, Buried is a great documentary on what can happen when falling snow and avalanche prediction/control are at odds. It’s also a compelling reminder of something an old Mammoth Mountain ski patroller used to tell us: “This isn’t Disneyland. It’s the great out-of-doors.”
Yeah, so how does a desert nation host an “Asian Winter Games“? They do it with an overwhelming blast of design, technology, and most importantly money ($500 Billion). The games are scheduled for 2029 and the venue will reportedly be completed in 2026, according to a post on dezeen.com.
The resort, which will “offer year-round outdoor skiing” is being built around 50 kilometres from the Gulf of Aqaba coast in a mountainous area that has elevations ranging from 1,500 metres to 2,600 metres. . .It will be the first location in the country where outdoor skiing will be possible. Named Trojena, the development is being designed by a team of architects from all over the world including UK studio Zaha Hadid Architects, Dutch practice UNStudio, international studio Aedas, German practice LAVA and Australian studio Bureau Proberts.
Too many cooks in the snow kitchen? Maybe. The resort will reportedly include 3,600 hotel rooms and 2,200 homes. How many times have we heard the promise of year-a-round snowboarding? Does Xanadu ring any bells? How about the Gotcha Glacier? No? Well, maybe this time it will be different. Fingers crossed. Not holding breath. Oh, and the IOC is apparently not too happy that they weren’t consulted about any of this. But aren’t they always.
And no, we have not forgotten about Jamal Khashoggi and neither should anyone else.
Hey, with snowboarding being what it is, why not branch out into. . . well, camp trailers. That’s exactly what Never Summer Industries is doing with their line of Skyview camp trailers.
An entirely unique, innovative, and lightweight pull behind tiny home camper. Inspired by mid-century modern architecture contained in a minimal footprint. The SkyView’s design boasts a modern shape that makes the most efficient use of space. Completely different than anything else available.
Do you like a luxury home the size of a tent that you tow behind your car? Then the Skyview is just right for you. The Skyview will reportedly start delivery in “early 2023.” And they start at $24,900. Click the link for all the details.
The snowboarding community lost one of its original innovators on Wednesday, September 15, 2022. Adam Merriman died while riding an electric skateboard on the North Recreation Path and Red Sandstone Park in Vail, Colorado, according to a story in the Vail Daily. Merriman was 50 years old.
Officer Brad Porter said it was a Halo Board Beast 2 electric skateboard. “I observed one end of the board to be completely broken, with both wheels on this portion of the board to be broken and completely severed from the rest of the skateboard and skateboard’s deck,” Porter said in his report. “These wheels were still attached to the board, connected by wires that led to the battery pack. I observed these severed wheels to be the driving wheels (mechanism) that powered or moved the skateboard.”
Merriman had reportedly gotten the e-skateboard the day before his crash. He is remembered by the staff at Slush Magazine in a glowing eulogy. Here’s a piece, but you should read the entire story by clicking here.
Adam Merriman’s impact on snowboarding is immeasurable and the loss on his friends and family is inconceivable. Perhaps a sliver of solace can be found in the faith that Adam is likely laughing and conjuring new adventures on the other side alongside J2 and the rest of our snowboarding community who we have lost too soon.
We grieve with the entire snowboard community. A memorial for Adam is planned for October 1, 2022 at 4pm at the Colorado Snowsports Museum and Hall of Fame in Vail, Colorado.
Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard (and his family) have decided to do an end around on the normal life cycle of a clothing brand in the action sports space. They’re not going public, they’re not selling out to private equity, and they’re not just shutting it down ala Grubby Clark. Instead, they’re splitting up the $3 billion company into two different entities: first, the Patagonia Purpose Trust, which owns two percent of the companies shares and ALL the voting rights, and second, 98 percent of the shares (and no voting rights) is going to the Holdfast Collective. The “collective” is a non-profit organization that will distribute Patagonia’s future profits to combat climate change, according to a story in The New York Times.
“Hopefully this will influence a new form of capitalism that doesn’t end up with a few rich people and a bunch of poor people,” Mr. Chouinard, 83, said in an exclusive interview. “We are going to give away the maximum amount of money to people who are actively working on saving this planet.” . . . By giving away the bulk of their assets during their lifetime, the Chouinards — Yvon, his wife Malinda, and their two children, Fletcher and Claire, who are both in their 40s — have established themselves as among the most charitable families in the country.
They’ve also saved themselves a boat load of taxes, but who’s counting. It’s a wonderful thing to do. And they still get to run the company as controllers of the Patagonia Purpose Trust. Win win. For all the details, click the link.
It’s been a rough go for the official Olympic snowboarding body US Ski and Snowboarding since allegations of sexual assault within the organization surfaced during the Beijing Olympics in February 2022. Now, USSA Director Jeremy Forester and freeskiing and snowboard head coach Mike Jankowski are gone from the organization as well, according to a story on ESPN.com.
USSS director Jeremy Forster. . . resigned from his position on Aug. 14, and freeskiing and snowboard head coach Mike Jankowski’s position was eliminated on Aug. 15. . . “With Jeremy Forster’s resignation, we are restructuring the freeski and snowboard teams and Mike Jankowski’s position was no longer needed,” USSS said in a statement to ESPN.
Forester had been with USSA for 30 years and Jankowski 19 years.
It’s currently the warmest part of the year in Southern California and maybe that’s why Mountain High is offering their hottest deals on 2022-23 season passes. For SoCal snowboarders there are many reasons to love Mountain High. It’s real. It’s real close. And it’s not part of some super mega resort run by a massive Colorado corporation. Here’s the deal they’re serving up for Labor Day weekend.
Snowy days are on their way and this Labor Day weekend, skiers & snowboarders save up to $350 on 22/23 Season Passes to Mountain High, Southern California’s closest winter resort. Guests who purchase by 9/5 receive a FREE Buddy Ticket worth $129. It’s the best season pass deal in Southern California and pays for itself in just 4 visits. . . “For the cost of a handful of tickets, you can enjoy an entire season of skiing and snowboarding at Mountain High, Southern California’s closest winter resort,” says John McColly, Mountain High Vice President of Sales and Marketing.
Ride local and leave the super mega passes for the tourists. For the official details from Mountain High, please follow the jump.
Bloomberg, a company known for running with pretty much any business rumor they blindly stumble into, announced yesterday (August 17, 2022) that Burton Snowboards was looking for a buyer with the following: “The owners of snowboard gear manufacturer Burton are exploring a sale that could value the family-run business at as much as $800 million, people with knowledge of the matter said.”
Oddly, it appears that people with knowledge of the matter may have been a bit mistaken with their information as Burton Snowboards Donna Carpenter imediately set the record straight on IG with the following.
Since the beginning of owning this company, there’s always been rumors about us selling. So many that one year we made t-shirts that said, “Not for sale!” A recent report came out that we’re for sale. It’s 100% bullshit. It was for a nice price, but as I’ve always said, we are family-owned and will remain family-owned.
Wanting to know how much someone would pay for your company and wanting to sell it are often two different things. Not saying anyone was looking around for valuations, but Donna’s message seems pretty clear. That said, with the current state of the world (and weather), it might not be the worst time to take some money from the private equity clowns. Glad to see that isn’t happening just yet.
The snowboarding community lost one of its original innovators on Wednesday, September 15, 2022. Adam Merriman died while riding an electric skateboard on the North Recreation Path and Red Sandstone Park in Vail, Colorado, according to a story in the 
It’s been a rough go for the official Olympic snowboarding body US Ski and Snowboarding since 
