Snowboarding

Salomon Launches New 4-Piece Split Board

by The Editors on January 23, 2014

As if split boards weren’t in enough pieces already, Salomon Snowboards announced today (January 23, 2014) the newest addition to their split board offerings–the 4-piece The Premiere.

Designed with Josh Dirksen, The Premiere’s revolutionary technology achieves close to ski touring efficiency while maintaining torsional stiffness and reducing the vertical movement experienced with a two-part split. An internal straight edge, external edge under foot, and a shorter and wider shape allow for stiffer skis, easier kick-turns, and more control while maneuvering steep terrain. . . “Salomon came up with the idea to do something different, and that has always been the Salomon mentality- to challenge the status quo with new technology that makes snowboarding easier and more fun,” Dirksen says. “The Premiere does that with its lightweight and unique design, it’s very exciting!”

With lift prices the way they’re headed the “backcountry” is looking more and more inviting every day. . . especially if it ever snows on the West Coast. The Premiere comes with “custom pucks, the Voilé universal kit (hooks, clips, touring bracket, heel risers and sliders), custom fit skins and crampons” all for $1,299.00. For the official word from Salomon and more photos of The Premiere and accessories, follow the jump. [click to continue…]

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Louie Vito Mics Up For The X Games

by The Editors on January 23, 2014

Louie Vito may not have made the 2013 US Olympic halfpipe team, but you think he’s going to crawl into his cave and cry about it? Not for a minute. Mr. Vito is out there making things happen with a freshly inked three-year co-hosting deal with both the summer and winter X Games.

“I have always been a huge supporter of X Games since I was a kid, so I was stoked at the opportunity to join the ESPN/X Games family,” said Louie Vito. “Being a competitor in the event, I look forward to bringing insight to the fans watching worldwide.” . . Performing in-air and on-air for the duration of X Games 18, Vito will commentate on multiple disciplines in addition to competing in Men’s Superpipe today (Thursday, January 23, 2014). A must-have during competition, Louie Vito will don his signature SPY Marshall snow goggles during the Men’s Superpipe event.

Not sure this is going to make us actually watch the X Games this time around, but at least there will be someone solid on the mic when we do. For the official word on Mr. Vito and to check out his Spy signature goggles, follow the jumpus, rumpus. [click to continue…]

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How’s It Going In Sochi? Here’s Johnnie!

by The Editors on January 22, 2014

Johnnie Balfour (right) is a snowboard cross course builder from Australia by way of Canada. He helps build FIS World Cup snowboard cross courses and is now in Sochi, Russia to help build the courses for the 2014 Winter Olympics (which begin in two weeks).

In all the discussions regarding how ready Russia is for the Winter Games all we seem to hear about is terrorists and suicide bombing “Chechen widows” and how the Russian military has everything under control. What we haven’t read is much on the ground reporting from the snowboard venues. Luckily, for us Johnnie Balfour has a tumblr. And on it he is kicking down the straight scoop from Sochi. According to Balfour, things aren’t going so well.

Here’s a slice:

Nothing is finished here and there is piles of garbage everywhere. Muddy water is pouring off the mountain and flowing through the streets and the cobblestone pavers are all lifting up or disappearing into sink holes. This entire place was built in the last few years, it looks nice at first glance but look a little closer and you can see that it was just thrown together. Most of the buildings are not finished and with only two weeks to go before the games start, they never will be finished. It is pouring rain and close to 10 degrees above zero [50 Fahrenheit]. The little snow they have is rapidly disappearing.

Click the link for the rest of his first, and hopefully not last report from Sochi. We’re pretty certain it’s going to get either more entertaining or banned completely from the Internet.

[Link: Johnnie Balfour]

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Scotty Lago’s Girlfriend Is A Winner

by The Editors on January 21, 2014

While Scotty Lago was battling away in the Mammoth Mountain superpipe for a spot on the 2014 US Olympic snowboard team, his “long-time girlfriend” Bridget Brunet (real name, apparently) was busy participating in the Miss New Hampshire USA pageant in Manchester, New Hampshire.

NewHampshire.com couldn’t have been much blunter with their coverage:

While Brunet was winning the Miss New Hampshire USA crown, her longtime boyfriend, snowboarder Scotty Lago, fell short of the scores needed to put him on the four-man halfpipe Olympic Snowboarding Team nominated by the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association Sunday afternoon at the conclusion of the Sprint U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix in Mammoth Falls, Calif.

Well, at least they have something to celebrate!

[Link: NewHampshire.com]

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Justin Bieber Escapes On Snow

by The Editors on January 21, 2014

We’re no fans of Justin Bieber, however, when the kid had his house searched and violated by nearly a dozen LA County Sheriff’s officers last week simply because the Biebs was accused of “throwing eggs at a neighbor’s house,” we’re glad he’s left SoCal and getting in some quality shred time at Aspen. Seriously. We’re living in a total police state these days. It’s crazy!

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Ken Block’s New Ford Raptor Sled

by The Editors on January 21, 2014

Ken Block has Hoonagan’d out a new Ford F-150 Raptor for winter driving. We’re not too into those big green letters on the sides, but if someone could cover those up, we’d be down to take a test drive. . . sure we would.

[Link: Snowboard Mag]

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Salomon Snowboards Sliding Saas-Fee

by The Editors on January 21, 2014

This Salomon Snowboards edit from Saas-Fee has skateboarding, snowboarding and features Jed Anderson, Josh Dirksen, Wolle Nyvelt, Bode Merrill, Chris Grenier, Louif Paradis, Annie Boulanger, Victor Daviet, Sylvain Bourbousson, and Jamie Nicholls, but we’re going to watch it one more time just for the music.

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686 Brings The Fight To Denver Again

by The Editors on January 21, 2014

686 is bringing the blood, sweat, and beers to the 2014 SIA Show with another savage round of industry showdowns with 686 Lights Out amateur boxing charity event benefitting S.O.S. Outreach on January 30, 2014.

Come watch professional snowboarders and industry insiders step up for three rounds of hard hitting action to separate the men (or women) from the boys, all in the name of charity. . . Guest hosts Danny Kass and Dingo, will be on hand making sure things stay on the border of under control and insanely fun, while a panel of pro shreds will sit as guest judges throughout the night. “I’m excited to see all of our industry coming back together like this,” said Dingo. “Last year rocked and everyone is looking forward to what this year has in store!”

For the official word from 686 follow the jump.

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The Officially Official US Olympic Team

by The Editors on January 21, 2014

We realize this news is already two days old, but for the sake of history we’re going to list it out here again for those who haven’t been paying attention. This is the official USA Olympic Team for Halfpipe and Slopestyle:

Halfpipe Men
Greg Bretz (Mammoth Lakes, CA),
Danny Davis (Truckee, CA),
Taylor Gold (Steamboat Springs, CO)
Shaun White (Carlsbad, CA).

Halfpipe Women:
Kelly Clark (W. Dover, VT),
Kaitlyn Farrington (Sun Valley, ID)
Arielle Gold (Steamboat Springs, CO)
Hannah Teter (Belmont, VT).

Slopestyle Men
Shaun White,
Sage Kotsenburg (Park City, UT)
Chas Guldemond (Reno, NV).
Ryan Stassel, (Anchorage, AK)

Slopestyle Women:
Jamie Anderson (S. Lake Tahoe, CA)
Ty Walker (Stowe, VT).
Jessika Jensen, (Rigby, ID)
Karly Shorr, (Truckee, CA)

You’ll note that Louie Vito, Gretchen Bleiler, and Scotty Lago are not on the list. Here’s what the USSA coach has to say about those who made the team:

“We saw some amazing performances by these riders with a blend of veterans and newcomers landing next-level runs,” said USSA Head Slope and Halfpipe Coach Mike Jankowski. “To have nine of 11 spots come down to the final weekend of qualifying shows the true depth of U.S. Snowboarding.

Yeah, either that or the fact that 60 percent of the qualifying events were held on the “final weekend.” For the official word from the USSA follow the jump.

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