SLC Punks

Been posted up in SLC for the past week, shooting with Brisse, Stevens, Cocard, Grenier and Bode.  Its been real good times, but I'm aching to actually put a pair of snowboard boots on and maybe even strap in.  I believe my next move will be up to Jackson so I might get my wish soon.   Meanwhile here in the SLC its been a bit of a sequence fest, and I'm also starting to get the itch to just shoot a real photo.  Like one instead of a burst of 30.  I usually don't shoot that many sequences but sometimes its the only thing that works, and 99% of whats been being thrown down over the past week has required a sequence.  Now enjoy my past week, summed up in just a few photos....

From Sunrise to....

Sunset.  Shooting snowboarding requires long days.  And even longer nights....

Brisse, ready to drop in....

using his pro model winch from Ridiculous Winches

Talk about dedication to get the trick.  It took 4 days and 6 snowboards for Brisse to get this trick, and to say Brisse isn't a good snowboarder or Capita's can't hold up would be a great travesty.  The fact of the matter is that the impact was so great that in my opinion no snowboard could take what Brisse was putting them through, and most other snowboarders would have given up after the first day.  Well not Brisse, and because of his dedication he not only got the trick but made my approx. 30 hours of standing at my perch near the bottom of these stairs worth it.  Thanks dude!




Cocard.  Kid is really good...


Nice dogieeeee

Brisse.  Could you tell?

Grendy's

Stevens

Peace out....

Twin Cities, MN

Just before the New Year I made my annual pilgrimage to the cold northern land known as Minnesota or more particular the Twin Cities.  I believe this is my 8th year in row making it out here.  Wow, to think how time has flown by!  Always great to come back here but I have to say things have changed a lot over the years.  This place used to be completely bust free.  I mean back even a few years ago people didn't even understand what you were doing and you really had to be an asshole to get kicked out of spots.  Now it seems like any other city where the bust factor is pretty high.  Due to some weather issues, and travel delays I only spend three solid days here and honestly didn't shoot one "real" urban feature.  We got kicked out of everything in sight.  Thats why private property is the future of snowboarding, both with urban features as well as in the backcountry.  Thank god we had the opportunity to go back to to TKI in Cold Spring and Bjorn Leines' private Jib farm because this trip would have been all for nothing with those two spots.  Thanks to the Kraemer brothers up at TKI and Bjorn for letting us sesh your backyards.  Good times....













about to be busted again...



 

Post Dew Tour Pow

After Dew Tour I headed down to Monarch with Drago, Pashley and Pashley's better half, Erin.  Pashley popped the big question at the top of the mountain about mid day.  It was funny because he told me I could drop in, and that he needed to change is lenses, and that he would meet us at the bottom.  I was like, "this is going to be pretty sick you're probably gonna want to follow me" but he persisted that he would meet us at the bottom. Something was up for sure!  Haha, sure as shit he proposed.  Congrats to Pashley and Erin!  It was a fun day of shredding too.  No crowds, deep snow and good friends, what more could you ask for?  Not much if you ask me....










The TM Challenge

Before Dew Tour and after the Grand Prix, I headed out to Vail Pass for a little fun in the sun with Team Manager's, Alex Pashley (Dragon), Kevin Casillo (Spy) and Even LeFebvre (Monster Energy), and the 1st annual TM challenge was born.  It was great to get out of the caos of Breckenridge and the contest circuit for a day and just shred pow.  How was the overall champ?  You decide....


Casillo...




Evan...



Pashley...













Berthoud Pass, Colorado

Like I said I'm a bit behind on my blog and want to get some post up today.  So going back to December 5, Chad Otterstrom, Celia Miller, Teddy Hoffman and myself went up to Berthoud Pass to get some pow laps in on the splitboards and generally scope the scene.  Not too shabby for early December....










BLISSS December Issue

If you haven't seen or heard of BLISSS Magazine out of Southern California you gotta get with it.  I'm stoked to have been contributing photos for a solid year or two now, and am always pleased with how things turn out.  These guys do a great job at putting together a monthly magazine covering skate, snow, surf, music and Art.  I might add that its a free mag.  Stoked to see Doran get an interview too.  After almost losing his life, its so good to see him back on the shred!!



The Cover of All Covers!


I'm very pleased to announce my latest cover, SNOWBOARDER Magazine's 2011 Photo Annual.  In the photo world this is kind of the cover of all covers.  I couldn't be happier right now.  This shot was taken in March 2010 at my cabin in Silverton, the Bonnie Belle.  Such a stress free, fun trip!  We had easily one of the (at least for me) best days of the year shredding, the shooting was epic, and we even got a few noboard laps in on the side.  Easily one of the best trips of last season.  Thanks to Scotty for hitting this rock that he actually didn't want to hit (Could have been his boot), and thanks to Huggy for finding a nice spot for it in Volume 23!

So a little back story that goes along with this.  If you've ever hung out with Scotty Arnold you know its usually filled with non stop laughter, whether its the things spewing out of his mouth or something that he does or maybe even doesn't do.  Well on the last night of the trip, he failed to keep an eye on his boots the night before while drying near the wood stove. The room starting getting super smokey...in a bad way, like I had never seen before.  Something was up.  By the time we found the problem Scotty's boot was toast, literally.  The next day he wasn't even sure if he was going to be able to ride.  We convinced him a little duct tape should do the trick.  So Scotty bagged his foot in a grocery bag, and then pried the deformed boot onto his foot.  Fully taped up, he was locked in and ready for the last day of our trip.  So glad in the end it all worked out.  Would have been such a bummer to have not gotten this shot.  I think Scotty will agree.



Splitboarder.com

About eight or nine months ago my friend Teddy Hoffman approached me with an idea of starting a splitboarding website.  Well eight or nine months later we are getting really close to launching the site, splitboarder.com.  We hope to have it up and running by January 1, 2011.  Regardless of that, we have been getting pounded with snow the last two weeks here in Breckenridge.  Over 50" in the last week alone.  It is shaping up to be a great winter and I have been getting out on the splitboard as much as possible seeking out some early season pow turns.  I made two trips out on the Breckenridge Ski Area, one time going to peak 9 and one to peak 10.  It was almost too deep both days and it is really helping me get the stoke up for the season.  I gotta get my days in early because I'm usually too busy in the winter to actually ride.  Well I can't say I don't get some good days or at least runs in, but sometimes my snowboard is mearly transportation to and from a said spot.  That is why I love a good early season like the one we are having now.  Bring on the snow!
















Winter Day 1

Winter came in with vengence this year.  I've been hearing the reports from Cali to Washington to Utah and so on over the past few days of some serious snowfall.  Yesterday I headed up to Loveland Basin with Nic Drago, Madison Ellsworth and Mike Casanova to see if the reports were true here in Colorado.  About half way up to the Eisenhower Tunnel the snow became nuclear.  Its was straight up pounding and it didn't stop all day.  It was hard riding the chair at Loveland looking down at all the pristine snow covered slopes that appeared more like February than October.  For the limited terrain that was open we found pow slashes, trees to bash, mini airs, and even a few rail features in the early-season park.  After double digit laps at Loveland we railed back to Breck because our homie Austin Julik-Heine had alerted us that we was in the process of setting up a jib over a river, and we should come shred and shoot it.  It turned out to be a really cool feature and we all ended up walking away with bangers.  Sometimes I have a hard time coming around to Winter.  It usually hits so early up here in Summit County and I'm always wanting a little bit more summer, or even fall for that matter.  After yesterday, I'm 100% stoked and Ready!  Bring it on....

A huge thanks goes out to John Sellers and Dustin Schaefer at Loveland for taking care of us!

















SRT ACA Level 4

A week or so ago I went through a three day Swiftwater Rescue course through Colorado Mountain College and the American Canoe Association.  For all the time I've been spending on the river lately its pretty cool to have this knowledge.  However its like avalanche rescue skills, you hope you never have to use them....

Photos by our exceptional instructors, Roger and Billy.  Thanks guys!

The Dragon's Lair

It was early March and Alex Pashley from Dragon Optics pitched me an idea to do a trip to my cabin in Silverton, The Bonnie Belle Cabin.  He said that he was bringing one of his athletes from Australia, Tom Pelly and already had a story lined up for Australian & NZ Snowboarding Magazine.  All I had to do was come and shoot it and then write it.  Well it seemed like a no brainer to me, and I was there.  Along for the ride was of course Pashley, and Scotty Arnold, Zach Siebert, myself and fellow business partner and guide Skylar Holgate.  This was by and far one of my best trips of the year.  Epic shooting conditions, an unbelievable pow day of soul shredding, and some sick noboarding laps all in the comfort of my own zone and cabin.  And did I mention good friends?  Not sure how many hours I spent laughing on this trip, mostly at Scotty expense, but it had to be a lot.  Anyways peep the article below.  Enjoy....