SNOWBOARDER Magazine VOL. 24 Issue 3

A few tear sheets from the October 2011 issue of SNOWBOARDER Magazine....

Scott Stevens is always up to something unique.  This day was no different.  Always a pleasure...


So hyped to have gotten to hang out and gotten to know Kevin Jones this past winter.  Such a legend in the sport, and all around rad dude. 


Dylan Alito is a little shit.  Snowboarding needs more little shits like him.  Its about time with this On Deck!


This was shot in Utah for a feature loosely based on Travis Rice comparing traits exhibited by 4 riders, in this case, Johnnie Paxson.


SNOWBOARDER Magazine Volume 24 Issue 1

The first Issue of SNOWBOARDER Magazine is now on sale.  Go get ya self a copy now and get hyped for the 2011-12 winter season!

Mark Landvik, shot by Doctor Zapalac in Jackson, WY during the filming of Brain Farms new release, "The Art of Flight".


The following 4 shots are from a BrainFarm shoot I was lucky enough to be involved in, last May in Aspen, CO.  Some next level riding from the Frends Crew, Rice, Seb Toots, McMorris, Willet, and Bode Merrill.  See it all in "The Art of Flight" dropping September 2011.

Lago

Lago and Jack

Lago, Willet, Bode, and Willett solo

Danny Davis and Travis in Gum Drop land.


 The next two shots were from a story about Minnesota.  A place I've been to every year for the past 9 seasons.  To the outsider, you might wonder why Minnesota but it truly has become a snowboard destination for both the urban scene but also the private "park sessions", which I've been a part of more and more in recent years.

 Bjorn at the Celtek Jib Farm

Dan Brisse at the TKI Complex


Yampa River, 2011 High Water Trip

The first week of June I boogied up to one of the best stretches of rivers in the US and one of the hardest permits to get as well.  The Yampa River through Dinosaur National Monument.  Thanks Moler for the invite!  When I ran this last year at 14K I thought it was big.  This year it was over 20K and big would be somewhat of an understatement.  At one point I wasn't sure if were were still on the Yampa or if we had somehow landed in the Bering Sea.  Everyone had clean runs through all the major rapids, everyone got at least one haircut and only one ankle sucumbed in all the chaos.  All in all, you can't start you summer any better than this.  We'll see you again next year Yampa!

Last year this was a campground.  This year a flood plain.

 The water flow while we were on the river.  We put on the 1st and took off the 5th.

Typical Yampa

Harding Hole 1 was hard to beat so we stayed for an extra day.

The disco dangler.  If it hits you or you flinch, take a drink.


Ian probably flinched

Group Shotgun

Golden walls

This is what it is all about

I count about 3 billion.  How about you?

Kissing the Tiger Wall for good luck through Warm Springs.

Scouting Warm Springs and Maytag.  Hoping to not get "Maytaged"

We watched a couple commercial boats go through unscathed.

Enjoying the fact that we were through the thick of it.

Mardi Gras night.  Dave Moler

Bug-eyed Ian

Hurricanes....

About to get the ears lowered.

Haircuts and Sluts....

Home>SLC>Jackson>Home

So its been a hot minute since I've posted here on the old bolg.  Been on the end of the season grid to get last minute shots and build my stack for the mag, potential advertisers and clients alike.  Its been an interesting winter and an even more interesting spring.  The weather has been a real issue this year.  We've had tons and tons of snow but not a lot of sun.  Sometimes as few as two days in a single month.  This makes things really tough, but all in all it has been a hell of a year, and I'm getting excited for it to start winding down. After Silverton, my last post,  I spend a few weeks at home getting caught up on some work for two seperate clients.  I then set back out on the road for a quick SLC to Jackson and then back home road trip.  The plan was to meet up with a People Crew consisting of co-founder and filmer Pierre Minhondo and riders Aaron Biittner, Lauri Heiskari and Heikki Sorsa for a quick two day mission.  I got in late due to, you guessed it, weather, and met the crew just as they were about to hit a jump.....in a blizzard. I think they had just gotten to the point that they couldn't wait any longer.  When you wait two weeks because of weather sometimes you gotta just go out an make it happen.

Biitnner, Heikki and Lauri hiking

The next day was bluebird and the crew had built the "Hip of Love" a few days back so that was our objective.  The 40" of fresh snow that fell the last few days quickly turned to mush as the day progressed and it looked like spring was here.  Well perhaps but I'm not holding my breath.

Looking down Little Cottonwood Canyon at Snowbird


The crew, hiking up to the 'Hip of Love"

After a sick session, the snow was beat and it was time to move on and try my luck in Jackson, but not before I could say hello to my good friend TJ who is a recent transplant from CO to SLC.




It was like summer in SLC, so why not shotgun some beers!

SLC Hood



The next morning it was off to Jackson.  The snow report was good and it was looking like it should be well worth the trip.  Lonnie Kauk had driven down from Whistler and Mark Carter and Kevin Jones were already in Jackson so it was going to be a sick crew.  Upon arriving I found out the snow sucked and that we needed to check another zone the next day.  Well, all in all, it ended up sucking.  The 40-50" of fresh snowthat had fallen in the previous few days had already crusted over and it was a total bust.  Driving the 9 hours back to Breck was mellow compared to Lonnie's 18 hours down from Whistler that he was going to repeat immediately in reverse flow.  Nothing worse then going home empty handed.  Well almost empty handed...


We made the best of it with some crusty pow turns

Big L contemplating his 18 drive back to Whistler....


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......

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.....


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...



 

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.



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....




Fall is in full effect

I swung through Silverton, Colorado and the Bonnie Belle Cabin last week to sip on some whiskey, chop some fire wood, stain the deck and generally clean up and prepare for winter, which is not too far away.  It actually has already snowed up there since I left.  Preparations are being made to install our new solar system which has been purchased and just needs to be installed.  Hopefully we can get it done before the snow really starts to fly.  Right now it is looking good though as we are having a great Indian summer here in Colorado with temps into the 70's during the day, and that trend looks to continue.  Book your trip today for this winter.  Spaces are filling up quickly!!





Katrina Active Wear Shoot

I got a call a few days ago from fellow Colorado/Florida Photographer Chris Garrison, and he asked if I was willing to do a shoot that he wasn't going to be able to make it back for.  I happily accepted the work, and it turned out to be a lot of fun.  So thank you Chris, as well as Tina and Jessi from Katrina Active Wear, as well as our two models, Molly and Phoenix.  Katrina active wear recently relocated from Arizona to Silverthorne, Colorado, and its always nice to get some local work here in Colorado!  Check them out here.

This is an outtake, but I really liked it.  What you are seeing is 3 of 4 flashes firing.  My main or fill flash wasn't done recycling when I fired this shot, and you are seeing my two side highlighs as well as a very subtle strobe on the backdrop.  Thanks again to everyone involved!