My latest work was doing the Ben & Jerry's Half Baked Rail Jam Event poster for Sugarbush PARKS!
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Monday, January 28, 2013
Ben & Jerry's Half Baked Rail Jam Event Poster
Friday, December 9, 2011
The iPod Interview Series
For the 2011 summer I went to High Cascade Snowboard Camp during Session 3. High Cascade is at the base of Mount Hood in Government Camp which is a great location to check out and experience camp life and the summer snowboard life. One of my goals when going out there was to get an interview with Pat Moore for the Eastern Boarder Natick Blog, which is my local skateboard/snowboard shop and the guys who were first to put my writing up. I ended up having a great time meeting and connecting with a ton people; from camps to industry people to pros. I was able to easily approaching a bunch of the Signature Sessioners to film interviews and they all were super into it. I filmed all my interviews on my trusty iPod Nano which has a decent video camera so thus the "iPod Interviews" were born. Check out these two for now and I will be updating with more of them once I can edit the longer videos into two parts.
Pat Moore Interview:
Chas Guldemond Interview:
I want to give a shout out to everyone at Session 3 who made it be the most amazing experience for me. Thank you for everything and everyone from camp for helping me out so much.
Pat Moore Interview:
Chas Guldemond Interview:
*These are both raw edits, just the interviews nothing cut out so they are long and a bunch of camp references to what was happening during Session 3 *
I want to give a shout out to everyone at Session 3 who made it be the most amazing experience for me. Thank you for everything and everyone from camp for helping me out so much.
Good vibes!
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Austin Smith Interview at High Cascade Snowboard Camp (Work in Progress)
Holden: Alright, High Cascade Session Three. Here I am with Austin Smith, check it out. So right now we are talking and you haven't been on hill with us because of a knee injury, so what happened with the knee injury?
Austin: I've been dealing with a knee injury for the past three years now. Got hurt a few years ago, at camp actually, and then just haven't been able to get it fixed basically. I'll get surgery, I'll do rehab for a year, and then it gives out again basically. And this year was no different, the first day I went snowboarding this year in November I blew out my knee. But I mentally couldn't really handle missing another season. So I just wore my brace and rode the season without an ACL. Which kinda sucked but I got to go on some super sweet trips between then. I didn't get to snowboard very much for myself; I was pretty much just only filming because snowboarding would usually kinda hurt. So I was pretty much snowboarding to film. But so I waited until the end of the season to get this last surgery. I got a new doctor and a new surgery. So this time it should all be good, third time’s a charm.
Holden: Yeah obviously that doesn't sound like a fun time. Third time hopefully is a charm, knock on wood or whatever you want to do. I gotta say you still have a lot of dedication to come chill and have a good time with the campers. How did you end up here at High Cascade as a camper?
Austin: I think I came to High Cascade as a camper when I was 14. Jesse Burtner was my coach; I was in a group with Gus Engle, Johnny Miller, Cam Egan, and there were a couple more all-stars in there as well but I forget. It was where I wanted to be, I wanted to go to summer snowboard camp. I didn't have a lot of money growing up so I had to work for a couple years to get money, my parents helped me out. I live super close [Bend, Oregon] which makes it easy because I didn't have to fly here. I came to camp, was so psyched. The following year I got to get a job here and I was 15 or 16. I was pretty lucky; a good friend of mine was the head digger. You normally have to be 18 to work here [HCSC] but he hired me when I was 15 or 16 or something crazy like that. I worked here for three years as a digger and I would say those were the best times of my life.
Holden: So that was a little memory lane; Gus Engle, Johnny Miller, all-star group of riders. Any crazy camp memory for example, like throwing toilet paper on the roof of The Lodge or something wild like that?
Austin: Nah I just skateboarded and snowboarded every day. I didn't do many of the activities just skateboarded and snowboarded every day and was super tired at night. Yeah, I guess not too many antics. I was a super nervous camper; I didn't know too many people at my session but best time of my life at the end of it. Working here was amazing though.
Holden: So yeah after you came here as a camper and then you were working here as a digger. Has that kind of influenced you to say, "Hey I wanna come back and do a Signature Session". How did you work it out with High Cascade?
Austin: Yeah, I was pretty blown away they just asked me if I wanted to do a signature session and obviously I said, "Yes that would be amazing". It was an honor. I use to be on the High Cascade team when they had one so I've always been good friends with Preston and the people that run High Cascade and so they asked to do the signature session, I was psyched. And I was even hurt at the time, so for them to ask to do one when I was hurt it kinda meant a lot because they were trying to help me stay in the game a little bit, keep me doing stuff so I don't get to depressed.
Holden: Sweet. So how do you think about these kids coming here? Or like the current trend of the average snowboard kid? Do they remind you of yourself or any people around you at the time when you were growing up and riding?
Austin: Yeah, coming back to camp and seeing the kids. All season we are traveling, snowboarding, filming, doing this and that, going to different events and mostly just hanging out with the different people within the industry, hanging out with team managers, and hanging out with other pro snowboarders. It’s just really good, this is like my favorite time of the year to come back and see the kids that are actually psyched on snowboarding. There are a lot of team managers or pro snowboarders that are a little bit burnt out and kind of have some bad attitudes. So coming back and seeing all the kids that are psyched, seeing the kids that read the magazines and watch every single video, it reminds me of what I'm doing this for.
Holden: Yeah, so speaking about magazines I got one here, it’s the Transworld Snowboarding April issue with you on the cover. For the cover shot you are in New Zealand, looking super rad.
Austin: Yeah, one of the best trips of my life.
Holden: Remember anything from that cover shot? It looks like you are doing front one nose bonk 180 out?
Austin: No I'm doing a switch backside 180 over the fence.
Holden: Sorry. Completely blew it on guessing the trick.
Austin: This was my first time in New Zealand. Transworld called me and asked me to go on a trip. First time I ever got to go heli snowboarding. [The day of the cover shot] was the first day we actually showed up to New Zealand. I put my bindings on backwards, my left foot was in the right binding and my right foot was in the left binding and I just snowboarded like that for the day. Everyone was making fun of me because I didn't know how to put my bindings on. But it still worked out in the end, I guess. It was an amazing trip, we went heli boarding with Pat Moore [another Signature Sessioner from Session 3], Robbie Walker, and a bunch of other good people. Yeah man, heli snowboarding was awesome, New Zealand was awesome. I was super excited to go down there it was a good trip for sure.
Holden: So that cover shot relates to the main article in that Transworld issue about you and a bunch of the bros going down to New Zealand. The intent of the trip was to do the Second Annual Hemisphere challenge for Transworld but that fell through and you guys still went. You have been telling me that a big part of the trip was heli snowboarding for the first time, any other sweet memories from that trip?
Austin: Yeah it wasn't all about heli snowboarding, we went to like six different resorts and just for I think two of the days we went heli shredding and it was so much fun. We also, I think there is a photo on a few of the pages, us sinking a rental van. We were driving the van around New Zealand and there was this huge puddle, so we drove through the side of it. Then we had the photographer [Nick Hamilton] get out because we were gonna try drive through the middle of it. But when we drove through the middle of it, a wave of water came over the hood and stalled out the van and it somewhat sank into the pond/lake [notice how earlier he was calling it a puddle] and Joe Carlino, who makes Videograss movies worked for Transworld at the time, he had to take off all of his clothes get all the other camera gear out of the van. It was amazing; it was definitely a funny moment. We had to get a new rental car, that one got towed away. It added to the trip, that's for sure.
Holden: The caption for your cover shot it mentioned that you had recently won the 2007 Transworld Snowboarding Rookie of the Year. Was this shot your first cover or did you have one before this one?
Austin: This is my first cover. This is kinda like a lot of stuff. Things were going really well for me right then. Yeah, I got a cover for Transworld which is... A lot of pro snowboarders, a lot of insanely good pro snowboarders will never get a cover for Transworld. And for me to get one, I think I was 17 or 18 then, it was definitely a dream come true. A dream come true to win Rookie of the Year; A dream come true to win Video Part of the Year; Dream come true to get a cover. It was awesome...and then I got hurt.
Holden: ...And then you got hurt. So I did some math and the year that you got Rookie of the Year was the year that I started snowboarding seriously, which led me to follow the magazines and the videos which I think is pretty awesome. Did you really expect Rookie of the Year or was it "Boom, Rookie of the Year, this is happening"?
Austin: No you definitely can't expect something like that, especially because that was my first video part that I ever really filmed with a big movie production company. The year before that year that I won all that stuff I filmed with a local Oregon movie production company. I filmed a fun part, I learned how to snowmobile, learned how to do a lot of things then Bryan Fox got me in the People movie the next year. And I filmed a good video part I guess, and I won all these awards and it was like everything was happening so quickly, it was insane. I was still in high school when I filmed that video part; I was a senior in high school.
Holden: Rad. Which People movie was that? Any favorite trick? Anything that you felt like "That was a banger"?
Austin: That was "Were People Too", it was the second People movie. My backlip on that red ledge in Quebec, it’s a big concrete red ledge that goes down then kinks out at the end.
Holden: Down with a flat out
Austin: Big flat out. That trick took me probably 5 hours to land. That one for me was quite the battle and I liked getting it.
Holden: Obviously you have been doing some urban riding. Are you doing backcountry too, or are you hitting it all? Or are you strictly doing backcountry or strictly doing rails or do you just want to hit it all?
Austin: Growing up I always looked up to the dudes that had everything in their part. I always looked up to people that had a well rounded video part, so that’s what I always wanted to have. I'm still trying to do that but now it’s getting a lot more competitive, there is so many kids that are focused just on rails and the progression has shot through the roof. I'm trying to keep up with them and I would like to always have a well rounded video part. I like to get some halfpipe in next year.
Holden: So I had you sign the cover and you wrote to me, "Keep on looking at magazines" and later I told you I read all my magazines cover-to-cover. What do you think about the internet kids and the ones who are like "I need the new video now", everything is on Youtube, everything is on Vimeo, everything is coming out within minutes of landing the trick.
Austin: Instant gratification. It makes it hard for us to film a video part all year and have it wait for DVD because people just want immediate satisfaction. But for me, as long as kids are still reading magazines, even if they are just looking on the internet to get cool stuff, as long as they care enough their not just watching X Games, they’re not just watching the Olympics and they want to know what the rest of snowboarding is, what all of snowboarding is, then I’m psyched. I'm okay with the internet I like to see things quick but I also like to see a video part that you can hold on to forever. I like bonus footage [in the DVDs] that’s always my favorite part of the movies.
Holden: I would have to agree with that get and watch the final production and then in the bonus features see a random shot of one of your favorite riders do something kinda random. Something new that you have coming out is this company called Drink Water. Wanna explain what this is all about? Is it combating the Gatorade--Sorry no brand names...the...energy drink world of "competitive snowboarding"?
Austin: It’s gotten to the point where every single video, every event every contest, everything is branded [by and energy drink company]. I go to contest, not very often but when I do go to contests and now when I go they ask me, "What’s your drink sponsor?" and I was like; Man, I think all these drinks are horrible. They don't offer anything to snowboarding, they’re not contributing, their just taking our dignity from us--
Holden: Just shipping out sugar?
Austin: Shipping out sugar. All these snowboarders are buying into it. But what Drink Water is, to not be so negative, is Bryan Fox and I were kinda both hating on energy drinks. That wasn't gonna take us anywhere being negative so Drink Water is us trying to be positive and let kids know you don't have to drink energy drinks to be a pro snowboarder--any type of snowboarder. To have fun you don't have to drink that poison. So we are just trying to let kids know drink water. Most of the pro snowboarders don't actually drink that crap they just lie about it, take the money and run.
Holden: So the next time if you do a contest and they ask what your drink sponsor is, are you gonna say something like: "Mother Nature" or "H2O"?
Austin: I'll just say, "I'm drinking water and keeping my dignity". You can have your Monster dollars and lose your dignity if you want.
Holden: So the idea of all these corporate mega sponsors kind of do you think is the kids selling themselves out?
Austin: I mean no. I have super corporate sponsors, I ride for Nike, and I mean you can't get much more corporate than that.
Holden: Big Swoosh.
Austin: Yeah, but their awesome. They're a little more involved and at the end of the day their selling snowboard boots when Monster is selling poison to kids so I don't feel bad about riding for a cooperation sponsor. I just don't want to sell something I don't believe in. Todd Richards told me this once, because it was after the cover you have, Redbull really wanted me to snowboard for them. I was talking to Todd Richards about it because I didn't know what to do, I didn't really want to do it but it was a lot of money, all you have to do is put a little sticker on your snowboard and it seems pretty easy but it was hard for me to justify [riding for Redbull]. Todd Richards said, "If you aren't going to use it, don't endorse it" so i was like alright that’s pretty easy thing to live my life by; If I don't agree with it don't endorse it because that’s what your telling kids. By endorsing it you back this stuff. But shortly after that he started riding for Rockstar so he kind of lied to me about that one but I'm still doing it.
Holden: So who are you actually endorsing and you’re like "oh I’m down for these kinds of companies, want to run through the sponsor list?
Austin: Nitro is my snowboard sponsor and their one of the few snowboard only companies, they still do camber, and mostly it’s just good people that work there as well as Nike. Everyone thinks Nike is some huge mega corporation but there’s only like three people that work there within Nike Snowboarding. Smith Goggles they are in Idaho which is awesome.
15:00
Austin: I've been dealing with a knee injury for the past three years now. Got hurt a few years ago, at camp actually, and then just haven't been able to get it fixed basically. I'll get surgery, I'll do rehab for a year, and then it gives out again basically. And this year was no different, the first day I went snowboarding this year in November I blew out my knee. But I mentally couldn't really handle missing another season. So I just wore my brace and rode the season without an ACL. Which kinda sucked but I got to go on some super sweet trips between then. I didn't get to snowboard very much for myself; I was pretty much just only filming because snowboarding would usually kinda hurt. So I was pretty much snowboarding to film. But so I waited until the end of the season to get this last surgery. I got a new doctor and a new surgery. So this time it should all be good, third time’s a charm.
Holden: Yeah obviously that doesn't sound like a fun time. Third time hopefully is a charm, knock on wood or whatever you want to do. I gotta say you still have a lot of dedication to come chill and have a good time with the campers. How did you end up here at High Cascade as a camper?
Austin: I think I came to High Cascade as a camper when I was 14. Jesse Burtner was my coach; I was in a group with Gus Engle, Johnny Miller, Cam Egan, and there were a couple more all-stars in there as well but I forget. It was where I wanted to be, I wanted to go to summer snowboard camp. I didn't have a lot of money growing up so I had to work for a couple years to get money, my parents helped me out. I live super close [Bend, Oregon] which makes it easy because I didn't have to fly here. I came to camp, was so psyched. The following year I got to get a job here and I was 15 or 16. I was pretty lucky; a good friend of mine was the head digger. You normally have to be 18 to work here [HCSC] but he hired me when I was 15 or 16 or something crazy like that. I worked here for three years as a digger and I would say those were the best times of my life.
Holden: So that was a little memory lane; Gus Engle, Johnny Miller, all-star group of riders. Any crazy camp memory for example, like throwing toilet paper on the roof of The Lodge or something wild like that?
Austin: Nah I just skateboarded and snowboarded every day. I didn't do many of the activities just skateboarded and snowboarded every day and was super tired at night. Yeah, I guess not too many antics. I was a super nervous camper; I didn't know too many people at my session but best time of my life at the end of it. Working here was amazing though.
Holden: So yeah after you came here as a camper and then you were working here as a digger. Has that kind of influenced you to say, "Hey I wanna come back and do a Signature Session". How did you work it out with High Cascade?
Austin: Yeah, I was pretty blown away they just asked me if I wanted to do a signature session and obviously I said, "Yes that would be amazing". It was an honor. I use to be on the High Cascade team when they had one so I've always been good friends with Preston and the people that run High Cascade and so they asked to do the signature session, I was psyched. And I was even hurt at the time, so for them to ask to do one when I was hurt it kinda meant a lot because they were trying to help me stay in the game a little bit, keep me doing stuff so I don't get to depressed.
Holden: Sweet. So how do you think about these kids coming here? Or like the current trend of the average snowboard kid? Do they remind you of yourself or any people around you at the time when you were growing up and riding?
Austin: Yeah, coming back to camp and seeing the kids. All season we are traveling, snowboarding, filming, doing this and that, going to different events and mostly just hanging out with the different people within the industry, hanging out with team managers, and hanging out with other pro snowboarders. It’s just really good, this is like my favorite time of the year to come back and see the kids that are actually psyched on snowboarding. There are a lot of team managers or pro snowboarders that are a little bit burnt out and kind of have some bad attitudes. So coming back and seeing all the kids that are psyched, seeing the kids that read the magazines and watch every single video, it reminds me of what I'm doing this for.
Holden: Yeah, so speaking about magazines I got one here, it’s the Transworld Snowboarding April issue with you on the cover. For the cover shot you are in New Zealand, looking super rad.
Austin: Yeah, one of the best trips of my life.
Holden: Remember anything from that cover shot? It looks like you are doing front one nose bonk 180 out?
Austin: No I'm doing a switch backside 180 over the fence.
Holden: Sorry. Completely blew it on guessing the trick.
Austin: This was my first time in New Zealand. Transworld called me and asked me to go on a trip. First time I ever got to go heli snowboarding. [The day of the cover shot] was the first day we actually showed up to New Zealand. I put my bindings on backwards, my left foot was in the right binding and my right foot was in the left binding and I just snowboarded like that for the day. Everyone was making fun of me because I didn't know how to put my bindings on. But it still worked out in the end, I guess. It was an amazing trip, we went heli boarding with Pat Moore [another Signature Sessioner from Session 3], Robbie Walker, and a bunch of other good people. Yeah man, heli snowboarding was awesome, New Zealand was awesome. I was super excited to go down there it was a good trip for sure.
Holden: So that cover shot relates to the main article in that Transworld issue about you and a bunch of the bros going down to New Zealand. The intent of the trip was to do the Second Annual Hemisphere challenge for Transworld but that fell through and you guys still went. You have been telling me that a big part of the trip was heli snowboarding for the first time, any other sweet memories from that trip?
Austin: Yeah it wasn't all about heli snowboarding, we went to like six different resorts and just for I think two of the days we went heli shredding and it was so much fun. We also, I think there is a photo on a few of the pages, us sinking a rental van. We were driving the van around New Zealand and there was this huge puddle, so we drove through the side of it. Then we had the photographer [Nick Hamilton] get out because we were gonna try drive through the middle of it. But when we drove through the middle of it, a wave of water came over the hood and stalled out the van and it somewhat sank into the pond/lake [notice how earlier he was calling it a puddle] and Joe Carlino, who makes Videograss movies worked for Transworld at the time, he had to take off all of his clothes get all the other camera gear out of the van. It was amazing; it was definitely a funny moment. We had to get a new rental car, that one got towed away. It added to the trip, that's for sure.
Holden: The caption for your cover shot it mentioned that you had recently won the 2007 Transworld Snowboarding Rookie of the Year. Was this shot your first cover or did you have one before this one?
Austin: This is my first cover. This is kinda like a lot of stuff. Things were going really well for me right then. Yeah, I got a cover for Transworld which is... A lot of pro snowboarders, a lot of insanely good pro snowboarders will never get a cover for Transworld. And for me to get one, I think I was 17 or 18 then, it was definitely a dream come true. A dream come true to win Rookie of the Year; A dream come true to win Video Part of the Year; Dream come true to get a cover. It was awesome...and then I got hurt.
Holden: ...And then you got hurt. So I did some math and the year that you got Rookie of the Year was the year that I started snowboarding seriously, which led me to follow the magazines and the videos which I think is pretty awesome. Did you really expect Rookie of the Year or was it "Boom, Rookie of the Year, this is happening"?
Austin: No you definitely can't expect something like that, especially because that was my first video part that I ever really filmed with a big movie production company. The year before that year that I won all that stuff I filmed with a local Oregon movie production company. I filmed a fun part, I learned how to snowmobile, learned how to do a lot of things then Bryan Fox got me in the People movie the next year. And I filmed a good video part I guess, and I won all these awards and it was like everything was happening so quickly, it was insane. I was still in high school when I filmed that video part; I was a senior in high school.
Holden: Rad. Which People movie was that? Any favorite trick? Anything that you felt like "That was a banger"?
Austin: That was "Were People Too", it was the second People movie. My backlip on that red ledge in Quebec, it’s a big concrete red ledge that goes down then kinks out at the end.
Holden: Down with a flat out
Austin: Big flat out. That trick took me probably 5 hours to land. That one for me was quite the battle and I liked getting it.
Holden: Obviously you have been doing some urban riding. Are you doing backcountry too, or are you hitting it all? Or are you strictly doing backcountry or strictly doing rails or do you just want to hit it all?
Austin: Growing up I always looked up to the dudes that had everything in their part. I always looked up to people that had a well rounded video part, so that’s what I always wanted to have. I'm still trying to do that but now it’s getting a lot more competitive, there is so many kids that are focused just on rails and the progression has shot through the roof. I'm trying to keep up with them and I would like to always have a well rounded video part. I like to get some halfpipe in next year.
Holden: So I had you sign the cover and you wrote to me, "Keep on looking at magazines" and later I told you I read all my magazines cover-to-cover. What do you think about the internet kids and the ones who are like "I need the new video now", everything is on Youtube, everything is on Vimeo, everything is coming out within minutes of landing the trick.
Austin: Instant gratification. It makes it hard for us to film a video part all year and have it wait for DVD because people just want immediate satisfaction. But for me, as long as kids are still reading magazines, even if they are just looking on the internet to get cool stuff, as long as they care enough their not just watching X Games, they’re not just watching the Olympics and they want to know what the rest of snowboarding is, what all of snowboarding is, then I’m psyched. I'm okay with the internet I like to see things quick but I also like to see a video part that you can hold on to forever. I like bonus footage [in the DVDs] that’s always my favorite part of the movies.
Holden: I would have to agree with that get and watch the final production and then in the bonus features see a random shot of one of your favorite riders do something kinda random. Something new that you have coming out is this company called Drink Water. Wanna explain what this is all about? Is it combating the Gatorade--Sorry no brand names...the...energy drink world of "competitive snowboarding"?
Austin: It’s gotten to the point where every single video, every event every contest, everything is branded [by and energy drink company]. I go to contest, not very often but when I do go to contests and now when I go they ask me, "What’s your drink sponsor?" and I was like; Man, I think all these drinks are horrible. They don't offer anything to snowboarding, they’re not contributing, their just taking our dignity from us--
Holden: Just shipping out sugar?
Austin: Shipping out sugar. All these snowboarders are buying into it. But what Drink Water is, to not be so negative, is Bryan Fox and I were kinda both hating on energy drinks. That wasn't gonna take us anywhere being negative so Drink Water is us trying to be positive and let kids know you don't have to drink energy drinks to be a pro snowboarder--any type of snowboarder. To have fun you don't have to drink that poison. So we are just trying to let kids know drink water. Most of the pro snowboarders don't actually drink that crap they just lie about it, take the money and run.
Holden: So the next time if you do a contest and they ask what your drink sponsor is, are you gonna say something like: "Mother Nature" or "H2O"?
Austin: I'll just say, "I'm drinking water and keeping my dignity". You can have your Monster dollars and lose your dignity if you want.
Holden: So the idea of all these corporate mega sponsors kind of do you think is the kids selling themselves out?
Austin: I mean no. I have super corporate sponsors, I ride for Nike, and I mean you can't get much more corporate than that.
Holden: Big Swoosh.
Austin: Yeah, but their awesome. They're a little more involved and at the end of the day their selling snowboard boots when Monster is selling poison to kids so I don't feel bad about riding for a cooperation sponsor. I just don't want to sell something I don't believe in. Todd Richards told me this once, because it was after the cover you have, Redbull really wanted me to snowboard for them. I was talking to Todd Richards about it because I didn't know what to do, I didn't really want to do it but it was a lot of money, all you have to do is put a little sticker on your snowboard and it seems pretty easy but it was hard for me to justify [riding for Redbull]. Todd Richards said, "If you aren't going to use it, don't endorse it" so i was like alright that’s pretty easy thing to live my life by; If I don't agree with it don't endorse it because that’s what your telling kids. By endorsing it you back this stuff. But shortly after that he started riding for Rockstar so he kind of lied to me about that one but I'm still doing it.
Holden: So who are you actually endorsing and you’re like "oh I’m down for these kinds of companies, want to run through the sponsor list?
Austin: Nitro is my snowboard sponsor and their one of the few snowboard only companies, they still do camber, and mostly it’s just good people that work there as well as Nike. Everyone thinks Nike is some huge mega corporation but there’s only like three people that work there within Nike Snowboarding. Smith Goggles they are in Idaho which is awesome.
15:00
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Rome Libertine PureFlex Boot Review
So in early January of this snowboard season I had the opportunity to demo the new lacing system from Rome SDS and this is my review of the Libertine PureFlex:
Recently I got to demo a prototype model of the Libertine boot with the PureFlex lacing system. I had ridden a traditional lace Libertine boot before and used my liners when demoing the prototype. My first impressions of the boot were that they had a clean basic look, because the Libertines I owned has a pointless leather tab for style that my binding straps would get caught under, which really bugged me when trying to be the first one strapped in. There isn't any plastic on the tongue of the boot to hook the laces on with that would inter fear with flex or your binding straps which seems to be one of the key points of the lacing system. Its an all in one system so you can lace up your liner and shell at the same time, another key point to the system. So design-wise this boot has great concept. I went riding at my home mountain Sugarbush for the day with the boots hitting all terrain to get a feel of the boot's flex, feel, and response on different conditions. Walking around I felt the sole of the boots to be very stiff and gives no flex which I didn't like for walking, hiking or riding. I like being able to lace my liner and shell separate because I lace my liner tight to my foot and my shell looser around the liner. The Libertine PureFlex didn't really do that for me and when I tried to lace my liner tight I would get a pressure point where the liner laces would come together. I'm a guy who likes to lace his boots once in the morning and don't mess around with them until I take them off at the end of the day. Probably using the system for longer I would be able to dial in the flex and feel of the lacing if I would have rode it for longer than one day but first day it didn't seem to easily dial in when first putting on the boot, lot of trial and error for figuring out the lacing. Also at the end of the day getting the laces off the top hook was a struggle but Rome had redone those hooks for forthcoming boots with the system. Overall the faster lacing concept was there but personally for me the boots didn't do it for me. They had a good foot hold but were to sloppy above the ankle and put a pressure point on the top of my feet. I personal prefer lacing my liner and shell separate and using standard lacing to dial in a solid flex that last all day. I prefer a supportive but still flexy boot versus an overall loose feeling boot that is minimal on support.
Here is Doctor Ian Fung explaining how the PureFlex lacing system works:
Recently I got to demo a prototype model of the Libertine boot with the PureFlex lacing system. I had ridden a traditional lace Libertine boot before and used my liners when demoing the prototype. My first impressions of the boot were that they had a clean basic look, because the Libertines I owned has a pointless leather tab for style that my binding straps would get caught under, which really bugged me when trying to be the first one strapped in. There isn't any plastic on the tongue of the boot to hook the laces on with that would inter fear with flex or your binding straps which seems to be one of the key points of the lacing system. Its an all in one system so you can lace up your liner and shell at the same time, another key point to the system. So design-wise this boot has great concept. I went riding at my home mountain Sugarbush for the day with the boots hitting all terrain to get a feel of the boot's flex, feel, and response on different conditions. Walking around I felt the sole of the boots to be very stiff and gives no flex which I didn't like for walking, hiking or riding. I like being able to lace my liner and shell separate because I lace my liner tight to my foot and my shell looser around the liner. The Libertine PureFlex didn't really do that for me and when I tried to lace my liner tight I would get a pressure point where the liner laces would come together. I'm a guy who likes to lace his boots once in the morning and don't mess around with them until I take them off at the end of the day. Probably using the system for longer I would be able to dial in the flex and feel of the lacing if I would have rode it for longer than one day but first day it didn't seem to easily dial in when first putting on the boot, lot of trial and error for figuring out the lacing. Also at the end of the day getting the laces off the top hook was a struggle but Rome had redone those hooks for forthcoming boots with the system. Overall the faster lacing concept was there but personally for me the boots didn't do it for me. They had a good foot hold but were to sloppy above the ankle and put a pressure point on the top of my feet. I personal prefer lacing my liner and shell separate and using standard lacing to dial in a solid flex that last all day. I prefer a supportive but still flexy boot versus an overall loose feeling boot that is minimal on support.
Here is Doctor Ian Fung explaining how the PureFlex lacing system works:
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Danny Kass Vertigouhl Art Contest- Runner Up
This is kinda old but I have a big passion for art and drawing and I have been meaning to show you some art. Last year Gnu Snowboards held a contest challenging people to draw their best gouhl, vampire or whatever and the winner would get a free snowboard. So I decided to enter the contest for fun and I ended up getting runner-up which made me really excited. Hopefully I can use this blog to get my writing and art out to you readers so more to come of everything. For now, here is the link to the page and below is the picture:
-Holden
Caption:
"New Gnu product tester getting crazy on the new, un-released Casket snowboard, by bonking the stake"
-Holden
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Mikey Leblanc Interview
I was on facebook one night and started talking to the Holden Outerwear person on chat not knowing it was Mikey Leblanc. It was so cool and I got a rad interview from him. Click on the title to go to the Eastern Boarder Natick blog post.
-Holden
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
"Hey Steve,
Havent sent an article in lately so here is a convo between me and Mikey Leblanc. Add any links that you want and edit out any parts you want. Thanks and all the new gear i picked up today is really nice."
Holden
Here is that conversation between Mikey and Holden. Coincidence upon the name Holden and brand Holden, so the first few lines are pretty funny.
"This is from a chat between me and Mikey Leblanc who I talked to on Facebook through the Holden Outerwear facebook account not knowing it was him until he explained who he was. Me is me Holden Barth and Holden is Holden Outerwear which is Mikey Leblanc."
Me: sick name
Holden: haha thanks!
haha
Me: yea
Holden: Not so bad yourself
Where’d your parents get the name?
Me: The book, Catcher in the Rye
Holden: Us too
Best book
Your parents are genius just so you know
Me: mmk
Leblanc is the genius
Holden: This is HE. And I am he, and thank ye for the props YEEEE
Me: HAHA soooooooo sick
Holden: Word man
Hows your MONDAY?
Me: So rad right now cuz im talking to Leblanc!
You just made my day
Holden: Hah! Hell yea man, im on facebook sometimes… you at school?
Me: nah got out earlier today
Holden: Hows the east? You see the latest Videograss yet?
Me: Ive been trying to get it. I was watching Burning Bridges earlier this week tho
Holden: Sick man. Videograss is good, Burning Bridges is better HAH
Me: Alright
Holden: The tricks are newer in the VG obvs. The kids are sick… Jed Anderson
Me: He kills it. The soundtrack to Burning Bridges is so rad
Holden: That music was fun to pick
Me: Yea it was so random there’s punk, rock, alternative, rap and your part had regee
Holden: Hah the gamut. Sometimes you gotta just love it al
Me: yea I thought it was really cool
Holden: Glad you liked it, after you edit a part for 40 hours and you still like a song, you know it’s a good
one.
Me: Sounds about right
Holden: Man, I’ve see some RAD video parts RUINED by bad music
Jeremey Jones (jib) for example, had some BAD BAD BAD songs
Me: Yea I see, a lot of the music I like and listen to come from skateboard and snowboard videos
Holden: Yep me too. He also had a couple good ones too: that year he used Agent Orange’s “Everything Turns Grey”
Me: Yea that was the song to his part in True Life by Mack Dawg. I liked that song and that video
Holden: Yepp that’s the point as a good video editor to curate unused great new and old music its such a
bummer when people waste that opportunity
Me: So sophisticated
Holden: Haha you got me going here…
Me: Yea it’s pretty cool. D you know about Eastern Boarder?
Holden: Yea man, wish they carried more Holden tho
Me: Yea I sometimes write blog articles for the Natick shops website
Holden: Sick gig, one of the only legit shops still left back there on the east coast
Me: Yea so would it be cool if I use this chat as a blog article?
Holden: Sure dude
Me: Sick thanks
Holden: Word man. Just don’t blow me up
Me: Haha ok. Hows Holden Outerwear doing? This season’s line of clothes came out and it looks sick,
any favorites?
Holden: Yea man, I LOVE the puffy down jacket, cuz im lazy and just want to wear a t-shirt under my
jacket
Me: Same here I hate putting effort in to layering up
Holden: And I like the Lemmy Denim pants, I don’t run Skinny style so they are a good fit for me… and
they just look like regular jeans
Me: Yea im rocking straight leg pants this year
Holden: What else? I like the Steadman jacket; it’s a longer fit which is good for shredding pow
What do you like?
Me: Insulation, dryness, and durability are key for me
Holden: Yepp I hear that a lot back east. I came outta Maine so I know the cold out there is BRUTAL
Me: Sorry to be lame but mom is calling for dinner. Final questions” Plans for the riding season, new
ideas going on at Holden, any filming going on this year? Thanks for doing this and it was an
honor to talk to you
Holden: Plans: VG #3, Holden team video/zine by me and Shelby Menzel who made Burning Bridges and
Lovehate with me, plus friends. Riding and traveling, have a nice dinner man. THANK YOU
HOMIE!
Good shit right there. Thanks Holden (both Barth and the outerwear brand)!
-Holden
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Mikey Leblanc interview by Holden Barth
Got this in my email today..."Hey Steve,
Havent sent an article in lately so here is a convo between me and Mikey Leblanc. Add any links that you want and edit out any parts you want. Thanks and all the new gear i picked up today is really nice."
Holden
Here is that conversation between Mikey and Holden. Coincidence upon the name Holden and brand Holden, so the first few lines are pretty funny.
"This is from a chat between me and Mikey Leblanc who I talked to on Facebook through the Holden Outerwear facebook account not knowing it was him until he explained who he was. Me is me Holden Barth and Holden is Holden Outerwear which is Mikey Leblanc."
Me: sick name
Holden: haha thanks!
haha
Me: yea
Holden: Not so bad yourself
Where’d your parents get the name?
Me: The book, Catcher in the Rye
Holden: Us too
Best book
Your parents are genius just so you know
Me: mmk
Leblanc is the genius
Holden: This is HE. And I am he, and thank ye for the props YEEEE
Me: HAHA soooooooo sick
Holden: Word man
Hows your MONDAY?
Me: So rad right now cuz im talking to Leblanc!
You just made my day
Holden: Hah! Hell yea man, im on facebook sometimes… you at school?
Me: nah got out earlier today
Holden: Hows the east? You see the latest Videograss yet?
Me: Ive been trying to get it. I was watching Burning Bridges earlier this week tho
Holden: Sick man. Videograss is good, Burning Bridges is better HAH
Me: Alright
Holden: The tricks are newer in the VG obvs. The kids are sick… Jed Anderson
Me: He kills it. The soundtrack to Burning Bridges is so rad
Holden: That music was fun to pick
Me: Yea it was so random there’s punk, rock, alternative, rap and your part had regee
Holden: Hah the gamut. Sometimes you gotta just love it al
Me: yea I thought it was really cool
Holden: Glad you liked it, after you edit a part for 40 hours and you still like a song, you know it’s a good
one.
Me: Sounds about right
Holden: Man, I’ve see some RAD video parts RUINED by bad music
Jeremey Jones (jib) for example, had some BAD BAD BAD songs
Me: Yea I see, a lot of the music I like and listen to come from skateboard and snowboard videos
Holden: Yep me too. He also had a couple good ones too: that year he used Agent Orange’s “Everything Turns Grey”
Me: Yea that was the song to his part in True Life by Mack Dawg. I liked that song and that video
Holden: Yepp that’s the point as a good video editor to curate unused great new and old music its such a
bummer when people waste that opportunity
Me: So sophisticated
Holden: Haha you got me going here…
Me: Yea it’s pretty cool. D you know about Eastern Boarder?
Holden: Yea man, wish they carried more Holden tho
Me: Yea I sometimes write blog articles for the Natick shops website
Holden: Sick gig, one of the only legit shops still left back there on the east coast
Me: Yea so would it be cool if I use this chat as a blog article?
Holden: Sure dude
Me: Sick thanks
Holden: Word man. Just don’t blow me up
Me: Haha ok. Hows Holden Outerwear doing? This season’s line of clothes came out and it looks sick,
any favorites?
Holden: Yea man, I LOVE the puffy down jacket, cuz im lazy and just want to wear a t-shirt under my
jacket
Me: Same here I hate putting effort in to layering up
Holden: And I like the Lemmy Denim pants, I don’t run Skinny style so they are a good fit for me… and
they just look like regular jeans
Me: Yea im rocking straight leg pants this year
Holden: What else? I like the Steadman jacket; it’s a longer fit which is good for shredding pow
What do you like?
Me: Insulation, dryness, and durability are key for me
Holden: Yepp I hear that a lot back east. I came outta Maine so I know the cold out there is BRUTAL
Me: Sorry to be lame but mom is calling for dinner. Final questions” Plans for the riding season, new
ideas going on at Holden, any filming going on this year? Thanks for doing this and it was an
honor to talk to you
Holden: Plans: VG #3, Holden team video/zine by me and Shelby Menzel who made Burning Bridges and
Lovehate with me, plus friends. Riding and traveling, have a nice dinner man. THANK YOU
HOMIE!
Good shit right there. Thanks Holden (both Barth and the outerwear brand)!
Game of S.K.A.T.E. Recap and Review
This is my review of the 2010 Game of S.K.A.T.E. at Eastern Boarder Natick
-Holden
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Steve was holding down the shop with Josh as kids flowed back and forth from the game to the shop, and he must have swapped at least 20 pairs of trucks onto new boards that day. Mac was working the grill grilling up burgers and dogs for the skater’s consumption. I saw a few cameras out getting documentation of the whole event, you probably already saw Josh Zucker’s mini edit from the day here on the blog. Tim “Clayface” was right in the middle of things competing in the event all while repping Clayface and EB Natick. Mike MC'ed and played referee for the event, giving a solid play-by-play of the games, keeping track of the game brackets, and was keeping tricks in check calling redo’s when things looked sketchy.
Games went like this: One-on-one match-ups that dwindled down to a final 3 skaters battling it out for top spot. Games were played with the Berrics rules.
Final results:
1. Matt Jay
2. Pat Hickey
3. Matt Schnorr
Overall the Game of S.K.A.T.E. on May 1st was a sick event with some great skating and some great times. Definitely looking forward to do more of these fun, laidback events. Next time you’re in the shop say thanks to all of the hard working guys at EB Natick.
By:
Holden Barth
PR
-Holden
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Game of S.K.A.T.E. recap and review
This past Saturday, May 1st, the Natick Eastern Boarder put on a Game of S.K.A.T.E. Like the fliers said registration started at 12 and the games got under way at 1. Entry and food was free. A small section of the parking lot was blocked off for the event and it had everything a chill, laidback skateboarding event needed—tons of skaters, music, a grill for burgers and dogs, a few boxes and some spectators/gapers.Steve was holding down the shop with Josh as kids flowed back and forth from the game to the shop, and he must have swapped at least 20 pairs of trucks onto new boards that day. Mac was working the grill grilling up burgers and dogs for the skater’s consumption. I saw a few cameras out getting documentation of the whole event, you probably already saw Josh Zucker’s mini edit from the day here on the blog. Tim “Clayface” was right in the middle of things competing in the event all while repping Clayface and EB Natick. Mike MC'ed and played referee for the event, giving a solid play-by-play of the games, keeping track of the game brackets, and was keeping tricks in check calling redo’s when things looked sketchy.
Games went like this: One-on-one match-ups that dwindled down to a final 3 skaters battling it out for top spot. Games were played with the Berrics rules.
Final results:
1. Matt Jay
2. Pat Hickey
3. Matt Schnorr
Overall the Game of S.K.A.T.E. on May 1st was a sick event with some great skating and some great times. Definitely looking forward to do more of these fun, laidback events. Next time you’re in the shop say thanks to all of the hard working guys at EB Natick.
By:
Holden Barth
PR
Friday, October 22, 2010
Rhythm Snowboards Article
Here is my blog on a local start up snowboard company
-Holden
-Holden
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Rhythm Snowboards
Here is an article about a cool local start up snowboard company.
Rhythm Snowboards
"I am on the Sugarbush Freestyle Team at Sugarbush Mt. Vermont. Last year was my first year and I had these two great coaches. Their names were Matt Griffin and Andrew Saunders. Matt told me he owned a snowboard company with his brother Pat called Rhythm Snowboards. Rhythm Snowboards is a great East Coast company owned by some really cool dudes. Rhythm is a start up company, but they are really great because they are handmade in America, they’re eco-friendly, and they are keeping it modern. A new board for the 2010 line called the Innovation has reverse camber and a spoon nose and tail shape. My personal favorite is the Supertwin because each graphic shows a place that the Rhythm Team travels to: 152 represents Argentina with a check point cop, 155 represents Vermont with the two whales tail sculpture, and the 158 represents New Zealand with a fruit sculpture that is in Cromwell. The customer service they have is great, if something goes wrong with the board you can call them up and easily get it repaired or replaced. I know for a fact that his mom knows how to epoxy a beat up board, and she makes really comfy bandanas, thanks Mrs. Griffin! As you can tell this is a great family owned and operated company. And when I say this i’m also talking about their good friends who seem like family and made team riding last year really fun. This is a thank you to Rhythm Snowboards and the Rhythm Snowboards family who make some awesome snowboards too."
Want to read the Rhythm Snowboard story from their side or check out the boards? Check it out here: http://www.rhythmsnowboards.com/ (under construction)
Like Rhythm Snowboards? Then become a fan of them here.
By:
Holden Barth
PR
Here is an article about a cool local start up snowboard company.
Rhythm Snowboards
"I am on the Sugarbush Freestyle Team at Sugarbush Mt. Vermont. Last year was my first year and I had these two great coaches. Their names were Matt Griffin and Andrew Saunders. Matt told me he owned a snowboard company with his brother Pat called Rhythm Snowboards. Rhythm Snowboards is a great East Coast company owned by some really cool dudes. Rhythm is a start up company, but they are really great because they are handmade in America, they’re eco-friendly, and they are keeping it modern. A new board for the 2010 line called the Innovation has reverse camber and a spoon nose and tail shape. My personal favorite is the Supertwin because each graphic shows a place that the Rhythm Team travels to: 152 represents Argentina with a check point cop, 155 represents Vermont with the two whales tail sculpture, and the 158 represents New Zealand with a fruit sculpture that is in Cromwell. The customer service they have is great, if something goes wrong with the board you can call them up and easily get it repaired or replaced. I know for a fact that his mom knows how to epoxy a beat up board, and she makes really comfy bandanas, thanks Mrs. Griffin! As you can tell this is a great family owned and operated company. And when I say this i’m also talking about their good friends who seem like family and made team riding last year really fun. This is a thank you to Rhythm Snowboards and the Rhythm Snowboards family who make some awesome snowboards too."
Want to read the Rhythm Snowboard story from their side or check out the boards? Check it out here: http://www.rhythmsnowboards.com/ (under construction)
Like Rhythm Snowboards? Then become a fan of them here.
By:
Holden Barth
PR
Rhythm Snowboards
"I am on the Sugarbush Freestyle Team at Sugarbush Mt. Vermont. Last year was my first year and I had these two great coaches. Their names were Matt Griffin and Andrew Saunders. Matt told me he owned a snowboard company with his brother Pat called Rhythm Snowboards. Rhythm Snowboards is a great East Coast company owned by some really cool dudes. Rhythm is a start up company, but they are really great because they are handmade in America, they’re eco-friendly, and they are keeping it modern. A new board for the 2010 line called the Innovation has reverse camber and a spoon nose and tail shape. My personal favorite is the Supertwin because each graphic shows a place that the Rhythm Team travels to: 152 represents Argentina with a check point cop, 155 represents Vermont with the two whales tail sculpture, and the 158 represents New Zealand with a fruit sculpture that is in Cromwell. The customer service they have is great, if something goes wrong with the board you can call them up and easily get it repaired or replaced. I know for a fact that his mom knows how to epoxy a beat up board, and she makes really comfy bandanas, thanks Mrs. Griffin! As you can tell this is a great family owned and operated company. And when I say this i’m also talking about their good friends who seem like family and made team riding last year really fun. This is a thank you to Rhythm Snowboards and the Rhythm Snowboards family who make some awesome snowboards too."
Want to read the Rhythm Snowboard story from their side or check out the boards? Check it out here: http://www.rhythmsnowboards.com/ (under construction)
Like Rhythm Snowboards? Then become a fan of them here.
By:
Holden Barth
PR
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