Jesse Huffman writes up another great snowboarding story for The New York Times. This one, on who snowboard companies are jumping on the “green manufacturing” movement.
More snowboard makers than ever, from grass-roots innovators like Mervin in Sequim, Wash., to multinational companies like Burton, are offering green or eco-friendly boards this ski season. And the trend is just beginning. Boards made with sustainable materials account for just 2 percent of the $140 million board market, according to Snowsports Industries America, a trade group.
Those quoted include: Burton’s Todd King, Salomon’s Alex Warburton, Arbor’s Bob Carlson, K2’s Doug Sanders, Mike Basich and Mervin’s Pete Saari (pictured right). Cleaner is better and if it help sells, great.
This new non-Shaun snowboard game for the Wii looks a lot like an old snowmobile game we used to play called Sled Storm, but that was 10 years ago. . . now it’s an Oakley-sponsored snowboardcross racing game called Snowboard Riot. Wait, was that Gretchen Bleiler who just rode by.
The new year got off to a deadly start at Whistler Mountain as 26-year-old snowboarder Aaron Fauchon died in an avalanche today at about 3 PM while reportedly riding in the Secret Chutes, near the Symphony Bowl, according to a stories in the Vancouver Sun and The Province.
The man, 26, who was not a resident of B.C., had been boarding by himself out of bounds when he was buried in an avalanche. . . The victims’ names haven’t been released pending notification of next of kin. . . . The victims are the third and fourth skiers or snowboarders to perish at the resort in ten days, and the ninth person this week to die in an avalanche in the province.
This is turning into a pretty bad season and we’re only three weeks in.
Snowboarder James William Martin, 21, spent three nights out in the snow near British Columbia’s Mount Seymour before finally being rescued by helicopter at 2:30 PM on December 31, 2008, according to a story from UPI.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said searchers discovered James William Martin about 2:30 p.m. in an area of Mount Seymour known as Suicide Creek and used a basket dropped from a helicopter to airlift him out, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported. . . Martin only slept for two hours during his three-day ordeal, said his cousin, Mitchell Powell, in an email to the Vancouver Sun. . . When two searchers approached him, he was coherent and managed to say: “I’m cold,” according to Powell. . . . He’s going to VGH because it looks like he’s got some pretty serious frostbite on his hands,” said search manager George Zilahi in an interview with the Vancouver Sun.
Martin has the rescue crew to thank for his survival. Crews reported that his tracks were leading all over the place. One more reason not to ride alone in an unfamiliar area.
It is time to take a look back at the most viewed stories of the last half of 2008 (we went online July 1, 200). The posts listed below are ranked by the number of pageviews each received. Follow the jump for the complete rundown: [click to continue…]
Foursquare Outerwear has voluntarily recalled 1,300 hooded jackets after it was discovered that they could be dangerous to kids.
The jackets have a drawstring through hood which poses a strangulation hazard to children. In February 1996, CPSC issued guidelines (pdf) to help prevent children from strangling or getting entangled on the neck and waist by drawstrings in upper garments, such as jackets and sweatshirts.
When 21-year-old snowboarder James William Martin’s abandoned Ford Explorer was found in the Mount Seymour parking lot on Tuesday officials believe he had already been missing on the mountain for four days, according to a story in the Vancouver Sun.
Search efforts were hampered Tuesday by hazardous weather and snow conditions. North Shore Search and Rescue did a sweep of the area from helicopter, but didn’t spot Martin. A foot search was too dangerous Tuesday because of avalanche risks, police say. . . .Police were calling Martin’s friends, family and employers Tuesday to see if he may have made it off the mountain without his vehicle. . . .“There’s a slim chance that he came down the mountain with a friend and left his car there, but we’re getting a dead end everywhere we look,” Rozon said.
Seven snowmobilers are now confirmed dead and one other man is still missing after two avalanches buried them near the town of Fernie, British Columbia.
The bodies were found late Monday afternoon as searchers plowed through avalanche debris near Fernie in British Columbia’s Elk Valley, about 550 miles east of Vancouver, said Royal Canadian Mounted Police Cpl. Chris Faulkner. . . . Eleven snowmobilers were hit by back-to-back avalanches on Sunday. Eight were buried but three from the group clawed through the snow and reached safety. . . . The snowmobilers were well-outfitted, dressed warmly and many had the proper safety equipment,” said Faulkner.
The names of the deceased have not yet been released by the RCMP.
He’s been seen sporting 1.20.09 stickers for awhile now so it should be no surprise that Jake Burton Carpenter has anted up a $50,000 donation (the maximum allowable) to help Barack Obama kick off his presidency in style, according to a story in the Times Argus.
Five residents have given more than $150,000 in recent weeks to the Democrat’s Presidential Inauguration Committee, the body that oversees the ceremonies and celebrations surrounding the Jan. 20, swearing-in process. . . . Jake Carpenter of Stowe, the owner of Burton Snowboards, gave $50,000 to support the inauguration as did Bill Stetson of Norwich, a prominent Democratic fundraiser.
Talk about giving back. . . Google CEO Eric Schmidt and cofounder Larry Pageonly donated $25,000 a piece.
Don’t mess with Seany McDonald’s dad. When someone stole the 21-year-old University of Colorado student’s snowboard from the front porch (where he’d left it out over night) Dad called up The Aspen Times and offered a $1,000 bounty on whomever stole the board.
“I don’t want the snowboard back, necessarily,” said Bob McDonald, who is moving here from Newport Beach, Calif. “I just want the name and photograph of the Grinch who stole our son’s Christmas. … I want to challenge his community, his cronies, to say, hey, that was wrong. I’m hoping someone will turn him in.”
We hate crime and all but maybe Bob should just buy his son another board and remind him that it’s not a good idea to leave $900 laying around out in the front yard. . . even in Aspen, Colorado.
Jesse Huffman writes up another great snowboarding story for The New York Times. This one, on who snowboard companies are jumping on the “green manufacturing” movement.
