Shred NW Magazine, Issue #2

Nice little piece on Smiley Creek in the new issue of Shred NW Magazine.  This was from a trip I did last year with Smith Optics for a feature in Snowboarder Magazine.  Such a fun trip, and I'm bummed I didn't make it back up this year.  It has been a annual thing the last few years, so I hate to break a good streak like that.  Oh well, there's always next year......

Silverton

Been posted up in Silverton with Dragon for the past week.  Pashley, Drago and myself along with Scotty Vagarnold, Zach Siebert and young buck Blake Paul have made up the first crew.  The week started off by dumping a nice 24" reset, but now it has gotten very warm.  Up high the snow has still been really good though.  Its been a really fun and motivated crew, and between cheese wedges, road gaps, Scotty's freestyle folk songs and my cabin zone we have been loggin' some hamms.  Pashley panicked back to Encintas for a few days and Scotty and Seibs headed back to Utah yesterday and now it looks like some weather is moving in so the rest of us might head to Breck for a night or two and then its right back for another week of shooting starting Friday.  On another note, I bought a tilt shift lens a week or two ago (you may have noticed in recent post) and have really been enjoying it.  The problem is trying to not over use it.  Right now its all I want to use, but I have been able to show some restraint.  I decided to get the 45mm which I really like because its essentially a normal or true lens as far as distortion/perspective.  A great lens to throw on the camera and walk around with just that, because if you don't want to use the tilt shift, you pretty much have a 50mm, but have the option to tilt and shift which adds a very cool effect to a somewhat ordinary perspective or scene.  Anyways, this is my Silverton basecamp.  Not too shabby....

Jackson

Another mission in the bag.  Jackson was a blast as always, shredding The Village, the pass and getting into the backcountry too.  Watching T-Bird try to sled was priceless.  To his credit, he got it pretty dialed by the end of the week.  A quick stop home in Breck to shoot some park stuff and then its off to Silverton with Dragon.  Couldn't be happier.  T-Bird seen here, calling it a wrap.....

Snapshot from the road....

Cooke City is a wrap.  After no sun for over a week and only two real shooting days in a twelve day span it all worked out.  The whole crew was a bit stressed out and losing motivation quickly as the forecast everyday for the last week was sun, however it was not even close to what could be considered a sunny day.  I think it actually snowed over a foot one night and the forecast was calling for clear skies.  Stoked though on how everything worked out!  I made the fifteen hour drive back to Breck yesterday in one shot and will enjoy the comforts of home for a week before I head out on the next mission.  Until then enjoy a snapshot from the road.....


SNOWBOARDER Magazine, Volume 23, Issue 7

A few tear sheets from the February issue of SNOWBOARDER Magazine.  This is the Rider of the Year Issue.  Stoked to have a good display.  Check it out...

Jeremy Jones.  The real one that is.  Top middle


Madison Ellsworth.  Dew Tour, Breckenridge, CO


Ryan Paul, On Deck


Scotty Lago (Portrait).  Action by Tim Zimmerman

Jeremy Jones (Portrait).  Action by Tero Repo

Dan Brisse (Portrait).  Action by E-Stone

Sims Ad.  Crested Butte, CO


Cale Zima.  Elements

Bjorn Leines.  Elements


Dan Brisse

The Village

I've been posted up in Jackson for the past week or so.  The weather has limited shooting days, but I've gotten a day or two in at The Village with just my G10.  Its mind blowing how good that mountain is, not even including all the out of bounds options.  Today was damn near as good as it gets, and I might of even heard best run ever from a certain Jackson local.  Enjoy  a few picks from the Village....










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.