Friedberg Wins $25k In Nikon Video Contest

by The Editors on January 26, 2010

Thanks to help from friends all over the world, 411vm founder Josh Friedberg won the $25,000 Audience Award in the Nikon Festival for his video New York State Of Mind.

The Nikon Festival Audience Award winner is San Antonio resident Joshua Friedberg. He will receive $25,000 as the top fan favorite for his video “New York State of Mind.” The video captured twenty four hours in New York, featuring renowned locations. “I got into video through skateboarding and learned how to shoot by just doing it,” said Joshua Friedberg, Nikon Festival Audience Award Winner. “That’s part of why I think the Nikon Festival is such a great event, it motivated people to be creative and get out there and shoot.” . . . He credits retweets of his Festival video via Twitter by media personalities Bam Margera, Steve Berra and Tony Hawk as a key to his win. Friedberg plans to use the $25,000 to help revive 411 Video Magazine that covers the skateboarding community.

Way for the skate community to pull together. Hope 411vm can climb back on. Follow the jump for all the details.
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Rebagliati Rolls The Olympic Torch

by The Editors on January 25, 2010

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Ross Rebagliati, the first snowboarder to ever win an Olympic Gold medal (and have it taken away and given back) took to the streets yesterday on a skateboard and carried the Olympic Torch for 300 meters near Osoyoos, BC without smoking it. According to CTV it was pretty heavy.

“That was very, very exciting, emotional,” Mr. Rebagliati, 38, said after completing his torch run on wheels, as his wife, bundled-up baby and parents tried to keep up on the side of the highway.

Rebagliati took the opportunity to talk to the media about the legalization of marijuana.

“Prohibition didn’t work; this isn’t working,” he said after running with the torch, which some have even said resembles a giant joint. . . “You look at the numbers; it’s not helping by throwing people in jail. I think the thing we can focus on is helping people with addictions, taking a proactive view. . . How can we help people rather than throw them in jail?” Mr. Rebagliati was jubilant in his post-skateboard moment, and either forgot about his party’s edict that he not speak to the news media, or chose to ignore it.

Smoke two joints in the morning, smoke two joints at night. . .

[Link: CTV Olympics]

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Vancouver’s Olympic Halfpipe In Progress

by The Editors on January 25, 2010

Grading-Pipe

Arena Snowparks is making moves with the Olympic halfpipe at Cypress Mountain and it looks like they have a bit of snow to work with in spite of what we’ve been hearing lately, according to the snow park builder’s blog.

ASP crews have started construction on the halfpipe at Cypress Mountain, site of the Olympic snowboard events. Despite some challenging weather conditions in Vancouver area the pipe is starting to take shape with the right wall pushed and step out and the left wall currently being pushed. Construction on the pipe will continue throughout the next two weeks as crews ensure that every available flake of snow sees it’s way into the pipe.

We’ve also heard from reliable sources that Cypress Mountain is buying snow from Mt. Baker, trucking it over the border and using it to build the pipe. With 21 days to finish it up, it would appear that things are moving in the right direction. We’ll be checking back to see the progress.

[Link: Arena Snowparks via Push.ca]

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US Olympic Snowboard Team Named

by The Editors on January 25, 2010

Looks like Greg Bretz and Elena Hight made it in there. Too bad the US can’t take six men in Boardercross because then Shaun Palmer and Ross Powers probably would have made it.

Here’s the rest of them:

2010 U.S. OLYMPIC SNOWBOARDING TEAM
(name, hometown, age as of opening ceremonies, birthdate, (past Olympics))

Halfpipe Men
Greg Bretz, Mammoth Lakes, CA, 19, 12/19/1990
Scotty Lago, Seabrook, NH, 22, 11/12/1987
Louie Vito, Sandy, UT, 21, 3/20/1988
Shaun White, Carlsbad, CA, 23, 9/3/1986 (2006)

Halfpipe Women
Gretchen Bleiler, Aspen, CO, 28, 04/10/1981 (2006)
Kelly Clark, Mt. Snow, VT, 26, 07/26/1983 (2002, 2006)
Elena Hight, South Lake Tahoe, CA, 20, 08/17/1989 (2006)
Hannah Teter, Belmont, VT, 23, 01/27/1987 (2006)

SBX Men
Nick Baumgartner, Iron River, MI, 28, 12/17/1981
Nate Holland, Squaw Valley, CA, 31, 11/8/1978 (2006)
Graham Watanabe, Sun Valley, ID, 27, 03/19/1982 (2006)
Seth Wescott, Sugarloaf, ME, 33, 06/28/1976 (2006)

SBX Women
Callan Chythlook-Sifsof, Girdwood, AK, 24, 04/17/1985
Faye Gulini, Salt Lake City, 17, 03/24/1992
Lindsey Jacobellis, Stratton Mountain, VT, 24, 08/19/1985 (2006)

PGS Men
Tyler Jewell, Steamboat Springs, CO, 32, 02/21/1977 (2006)
Chris Klug, Aspen, CO, 37, 11/18/1972 (1998, 2002)

PGS Women
Michelle Gorgone, Boston, 26, 10/18/1983 (2006)

Follow the jump for the official USSA press release.
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Torah Bright Doubles Down?

by The Editors on January 25, 2010

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When we first met Torah Bright she was a cute 14-year-old rolling around the world with Danny Kass and the Dingo, seemingly without supervision. Obviously, her parents had a lot more trust in her than we would have. But it looks like they were right, according to a story in the New York Times.

“Torah has the athleticism and the technical ability to win; she clearly knows she is the favorite going into all of this,” said Bright’s agent, Circe Wallace. “I’m never worried about her being grounded. She’s focused in a positive way you don’t see from many in snowboarding, much less other sports. It’s refreshing for sure. . . “What’s coming up could be the perfect storm for making Torah a star beyond snowboarding. She has the talent, the personality, and the visibility is now coming. She’s poised to take off.”

And brother/coach Ben Bright says she’s got a double cork down. And as we all know, that’s gold medal talk.

[Link: New York Times]

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Kevin Pearce Moves Units

by The Editors on January 25, 2010

Kevin Pearce is moving units at a Salt Lake City, Utah hospital and that’s good news according to doctors.

Elaine Skalabrin, MD, Medical Director of Neuro Critical Care who has been one of Kevin’s doctors, states “Kevin is making excellent progress and will move from the Critical Care to Neuro Acute Care unit at the University of Utah Hospital today. He is working very hard to make daily progress in therapy, and his sense of humor and optimism are apparent as he begins his rehabilitation.”

Gotta take the good news as it comes.

[Link: Kevin’s Facebook Page]

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Ken Block Drives A Ford Festiva

by The Editors on January 25, 2010

We always thought Subaru’s were kind of cool, but apparently Ford stepped up and offered DC Shoes co-founder Ken Block a better ride in a Festiva. We’re guessing this Festiva is like no Festiva we’ll ever drive. Ken will be driving it in the Sno-Drift rally this weekend in Atlanta, Michigan.

The upcoming rally, Sno-Drift, has not been Block’s best race over the years and therefore the expectations isn’t that high. The main thing is that Block reach the finish line which isn’t an easy task with the aggressive driving style Block has. The goal throughout the season is a completely different thing. . . “The goal is off course that Ken Block wins Rally America but for us it’s also a good opportunity to show the world what Swedish engineering stands for,” added Eriksson.

We wish Ken the best. We’ll see what happens. More images of the Sno Drift 43 after the jump.

[Link: Rally Buzz]
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Canadian Olympic Team Announced

by The Editors on January 25, 2010

Olympic TeamThe Canadian Olympic Snowboard team has been announced and is posted on Push.ca. Here are the halfpipe players:

Men
Jeff Batchelor
Justin Lamoureux
Brad Martin

Women
Sarah Conrad
Mercedes Nicoll
Palmer Taylor

For the complete list including the Boardercross and Alpine racers (Jasey-Jay Anderson is on it) follow the link.

[Link: Push.ca]

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Are Frends Electric? They Are Now

by The Editors on January 25, 2010

Frends-Lifestyle

Seems like the Frends logo has been everywhere lately. On the snowboards of Mason Aguirre, Luke Mitrani, Danny Davis, Kevin Pearce and on some get well signs we’ve seen at the bottom of the pipe lately. Now, the whole Frends crew is beginning to make sense. Frends today announced the roll out of a line of six styles of electronic accessories that look amazing.

Our products are inspired, designed, engineered, field-tested and built to meet the same parameters we have for each other. Just like our friends, we want our gear to be strong, reliable, original, fun, dependable, and interesting. Frends has taken the time to build our gear from the ground up using our crew as the inspiration. For us attention to detail isn’t just a slogan we saw on one of those inspiration posters with a bald eagle carrying a baby goat in its talons into the sunset—we actually mean it.

The music listening devices will be available this spring and will retail from $33 to $88. Knowing the people behind the business end of Frends we’re guessing this could be pretty huge. Follow the jump for photos of the first three products off the line.
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The Otsego Club: Halfpipe’s Secret Weapon

by The Editors on January 25, 2010

Oswego PipeNot sure if this just shows how out of the loop we are or if it’s been a big secret, but last week Yobeat.com uncovered a strange news item in which Australian snowboarder Torah Bright was awarded the “keys to the City of Gaylord, Michigan“. Huh? Then it was discovered that oddly enough Gaylord, Michigan is the world epicenter of snowboard halfpipe training.

Enter the Otsego Club in Gaylord, MI and Planet Snow (who built the massive pipes at resorts such as Park City and Winter Park) to build a 22′ halfpipe at the private club. To date Canada, France, Poland, South Korea, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Germany, Italy and Switzerland have arrived in the small town to train, and as of Friday the 22nd, and team Finland was en route to the Alpine Village. Not only is there a world class halfpipe, but Marc Andrew Tart brought his own personal mega bag “for people to learn doubles or break fibulas in,” Corey said. Team USA plans to visit the private facilities after the Games are over.

If someone beats Shaun White, Louie Vito, or Scotty Lago we guess we’ll know who to blame.

[Link: Yobeat.com]

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