The Speedy Descend

Import Audio Sonar

2010-08-14T15:55:00.001-07:00

Midi Worls

2010-07-04T21:09:00.000-07:00

Sonar PE 7 Midi Issue

2010-07-04T15:04:00.000-07:00

StepChild Snowboards - This Video Sucks (HD) Download

2009-11-24T20:11:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone,

I got frustrated with the official Stepchild Snowboards This Video Sucks HD download process so I created a torrent. Start seeding so everyone can get it without waiting weeks. The 100 limit per day download is dumb.

http://www.mininova.org/tor/3184925

Enjoy,
The Speedy Descend

Bobby Martinez Takes Win at Teahupoo 2009

2009-05-25T05:34:00.000-07:00

TEAHUPOO, Tahiti (Tuesday, May 19, 2009) – Bobby Martinez (USA), 26, has taken out the Billabong Pro Tahiti presented by Air Tahiti Nui, defeating fellow Finalist Taj Burrow (AUS), 30, in clean three-to-five foot (1.5 metre) waves at Teahupoo.

Event No. 3 of 10 on the 2009 ASP World Tour, the Billabong Pro Tahiti survived a marathon waiting period, culminating on the second-to-last available day in improving conditions that peaked for a climactic Final.

Martinez surfed a near-flawless heat, opening up with an impressive 8.73 out of a possible 10 before putting his opponent in a combination situation with a Houdini-esque 9.73 out of a possible 10. Netting the highest heat total of the event, an 18.46 out of a possible 20, Martinez claimed his second Billabong Pro Tahiti and fourth elite tour win, establishing himself as one of the premier tube-riders in the world.

“I feel great and a bit emotional,” Martinez said. “I feel wonderful. I waited for the good ones out there and just got lucky. There weren’t too many waves and I was lucky enough to get a couple of good ones and not fall. Things just seemed to work out for me today. I really don’t know what to say. It feels really special.”

The form surfer of the event, Martinez surfed the majority of his heats on borrowed equipment, having broken most of his surfboards early in the waiting period.

“I actually borrowed a board from Alain Riou (local Tahitian surfer),” Martinez said. “He rides Darren Handley shapes and the board was the same dimensions and pretty much the same board I ride. It was great to find that as yesterday, I was a bit skeptical about today in terms of the conditions and my equipment, but everything worked out perfectly.”

Martinez, who is without a major sponsor at the moment, has rocketed himself from 19th to 7th on the ASP World Tour ratings with today’s win, putting him in excellent position for the remainder of the year.

“I’m not thinking about money right now, but rather I’m thinking about the feelings I have,” Martinez said. “I didn’t start surfing to make money. I started for me, and to win today, you cannot put a price on the feelings I have. I’m really going to let it sink it and enjoy it. It’s a great result, but it’s a long year and anything can happen. Joel (Parkinson) has a great lead, and now that this event is over, my focus goes to the next one.”

Burrow’s efforts in the Final were nothing short of spectacular, collecting an 8.17, a 7.93 and a 7.33, but they were not enough to overtake the Martinez stranglehold on the event.

“I definitely had fun but it was tricky against Bobby (Martinez),” Burrow said. “He had a dream heat. The conditions looked pretty good for your forehand because the judges like seeing you pump on your forehand in the barrel. On your backhand, you just have to park it in the pit and you can’t do much, but Bobby did everything he had to out there and deserved the win. I still had a fun Final, but hard to enjoy out there because I was in a combination situation the whole time.”

Burrow now moves into the No. 2 position on the ASP World Tour ratings, setting the Western Australian up well as he eyes up the next events.

“I’ve had two keepers in terms of results and I’m hungry,” Burrow said. “I’m still kicking and I’m looking to win. The next few events, I feel really strong at and I’m going to do whatever it takes to win. I’m stoked to get a result at Teahupoo, I haven’t done well here in a few years so it sets me up really well for the rest of the year.”

Aritz Aranburu (EUK), 23, former ASP World No. 39, was the “Cinderella Story” at the Billabong Pro Tahiti. Having failed to advance through a heat in the opening two events of the season, the Basque Country’s first ever ASP World Tour competitor stormed past Californian sensation Dane Reynolds (USA), 23, former event winner Damien Hobgood (USA), 29, Australian veteran Tom Whitaker, 29, and reigning nine-time ASP World Champion Kelly Slater (USA), 37, en route to a Semifinals berth.

"I’ve had a tough draw throughout the event, but that’s what has kept me motivated,” Aranburu said. “Coming up against the best guys out there, you need to lift your ability. Beating Kelly (Slater) for me is one of the biggest achievements I’ve ever had. I’ve been looking up to him for so long, and just being on tour with him is an honor. To beat him is a major achievement for me."

The career-best result was halted at the hands of eventual winner Martinez during one of the most exciting heats of the event. Despite coming up short to Martinez (15.23 to the Californian’s 17.17), Aranburu’s equal 3rd place finish boosts the European to 19th on the ASP World Tour ratings.

“Bobby (Martinez) is one of the best out there,” Aranburu said. “I had one good one, but he got two good ones, and that was it. It’s my best result ever and I am stoked. I have lots of confidence going into the next events. I just want to go home and train and try new boards for Brazil and J-Bay. The biggest thing for me is to know that if I can do it once, I can do it twice.”

Michael Campbell (AUS), 35, opened his final day affair with a close win over fellow ASP Dream Tour veteran Taylor Knox (USA), 38, in the Quarterfinals, but the goofy-footer’s precision forehand approach wasn’t enough to overtake a rampaging Burrow in the Semifinals.

“It felt like I was a bit out of rhythm in the Semifinal,” Campbell said. “I wasn’t able to capitalize on the waves I got and Taj (Burrow) posted a couple of really strong scores mid-heat that left me wanting.”

Although falling short of a Finals berth, the journeyman competitor’s equal 3rd place finish boosts him from 29th to 16th on the ASP World Tour ratings.

"This is going to do a lot for my cause,” Campbell said. “I’ve had average results this year and last year too, so a third is pretty special for me. All of the heats have been hard and sometimes the luck goes your way. I’ve had a bit of luck this time around, but I’ve also spent some time here and I know it pretty well. Stoked to get a result and looking forward to the next one."

Joel Parkinson (AUS), 28, suffered an unfortunate Round 3 loss at the Billabong Pro Tahiti, but after two event wins to open the season up, the Gold Coaster remains the frontrunner on this year’s ASP World Tour ratings.

The next stop on the 2009 ASP World Tour will be the Hang Loose Santa Catarina Pro in Brazil from June 27 to July 5, 2009.

BILLABONG PRO TAHITI FINAL RESULTS:
1 – Bobby Martinez (USA) 18.46
2 – Taj Burrow (AUS) 16.10

BILLABONG PRO TAHITI SEMIFINAL RESULTS:
SF 1: Taj Burrow (AUS) 14.86 def. Michael Campbell (AUS) 10.00
SF 2: Bobby Martinez (USA) 17.17 def. Aritz Aranburu (EUK) 15.23

BILLABONG PRO TAHITI QUARTERFINAL RESULTS:
QF 1: Taj Burrow (AUS) 15.33 def. C.J. Hobgood (USA) 14.06
QF 2: Mick Campbell (AUS) 12.84 def. Taylor Knox (USA) 10.17
QF 3: Bobby Martinez (USA) 15.93 def. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 12.67
QF 4: Aritz Aranburu (EUK) 11.66 def. Tom Whitaker (AUS) 10.66

REMAINING BILLABONG PRO TAHITI ROUND 3 RESULTS:
Heat 5: Bobby Martinez (USA) 13.17 def. Andy Irons (HAW) 10.16
Heat 6: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 13.57 def. Jordy Smith (ZAF) 8.67
Heat 7: Aritz Aranburu (EUK) 12.56 def. Damien Hobgood (USA) 9.16
Heat 8: Tom Whitaker (AUS) 9.43 def. Mick Fanning (AUS) 9.40

CURRENT ASP WORLD TOUR TOP 10:
1 – Joel Parkinson (AUS) 3000 points
2 – Taj Burrow (AUS) 2318 points
3 – Mick Fanning (AUS) 2208 points
4 – C.J. Hobgood (USA) 2196 points
5 – Adriano de Souza (BRA) 2174 points
6 – Jordy Smith (ZAF) 2076 points
7 – Bobby Martinez (USA) 2025 points
8 – Tom Whitaker (AUS) 1932 points
9 – Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) 1886 points
10 – Kieren Perrow (AUS) 1742 points
10 – Taylor Knox (USA) 1742 points
10 – Damien Hobgood (USA) 1742 points

This Video SUCKS!!!

2009-05-19T05:21:00.000-07:00

Stepchild & 32 just put out the new teaser for their 2009/2010 snowboarding video called, This Video SUCKS!!!. But don’t worry this video won’t suck. Featuring JP Walker, Stian Solberg, Markku Koski, Simon Chamberlain and Joe Sexton this video is bound to be action packed and showcase some of the best snowboarding….Stepchild now has the best team in the biz. Enjoy

Parkinson Wins at the 2009 Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach, While Slater is Knocked Out Again

2009-04-20T05:50:00.000-07:00

At the second stop of the ASP 2009 at Bells beach Joel Parkinson wins again after the Gold Coast win last month. For Parkinson this win was sweet, "Winning at home is probably the most special win you can have but this is the most special trophy you can have,” Parkinson said. “There is not another trophy in surfing that holds the prestige and honor list that this has. To be back on the trophy again and to hold it for a year is going to be amazing.”

Not to be out done in this competition Adam Robertson, the young local, finished second. Throughout the course of the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach, Robertson went toe-to-toe with the world’s best surfers, eliminating Kekoa Bacalso (HAW), 23, Tom Whitaker (AUS), 29, Bede Durbidge (AUS), 25, among others in the process. Despite not having a major sponsor, Robertson’s nine-heat effort proved to all that he’s capable of world-class surfing. Robertson’s effort at the 2009 Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach will go down in history, as the young natural-footer’s runner-up finish is the highest ever by a Victorian at the prestigious competition.

2009 Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Final Results:
1 – Joel Parkinson (AUS) 17.40
2 – Adam Robertson (AUS) 13.37

Also Jody Smith also had a really good run at Bells and probably the best result of his career finishing 4th. While Kelly Slater was knocked out again in round 2 for the second time this year, this time by Owen Wright.

The Making of a Snowboard

2009-04-17T05:12:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to pass you along this amazing video on the making of a snowboard from the Elan Factory in Austria. Elan is one of the best factories in the world that are producing snowboards. Many of the biggest names in the biz have their snowboards manufactured there.

The reason why this is a really good video is because they show you more of what it takes to produce a snowboard. So sit back, watch and learn how the best are making your snowboard…and they probably did because this year they manufactured 90% of the boards out there.

http://broblog.snowbroader.eu/2009/04/15/everything-you-ever-wanted-to-know-about-snowboard-manufacturing/

Working there in the engineering department would be my dream job.

Stepchild Snowboards 2009 / 2010

2009-04-15T16:45:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

I’m just getting back in the swing of things since I have been so busy with work and just snowboarding.

I happen to stumble upon the Stepchild 2009 / 2010 hardgoods and softgoods lineup and I wanted to share it will all the Stepchild lovers out there. I currently have Simon Chamberlains first pro model and it’s the best board I have owned….so much fun. Also it’s so awesome that JP Walker signed with Stepchild last year because now they have one of the best teams around, look out for their new video in the winter of 2010 because it should be a killer.

Well here it is the Stepchild 2009 / 2010 hardgoods and softgoods catalogs. I am also hoping to demo a couple of these boards at the WSSF this weekend and next in Whistler.

Stepchild 2009 / 2010 Softgoods

Stepchild 2009 / 2010 Hardgoods

Whistler Update (Feb 2009 weekends)

2009-02-27T09:49:00.000-08:00

Hello white gold surfers,

Sorry for the long long delay with regards to my Whistler updates but I’m going to give you a quick update on the Whistler conditions and what I have been up to there.

The last couple of weekend in February the conditions have been off and on. One day during the weekend you’ll get a shitty icy day of riding but sunshine which is always good, but I would take pow over sun. While on the Sunday if you are lucky, like I have been you get a pow day. For some reason the last 3 week Sunday have been power days with about 10 to 15 cms.

The weekend of February 7th has been the best of the year so far and there has not been that many good days this season so compared to other years it was as best good. During that weekend we got about 30 plus cms of snow over 3 days so we decided to hike out and build a kicker. We first tried in Bagel Bowl on the Saturday but the snow coverage wasn’t that great, to wind blow. On Sunday I suggested hiking into Flute to find a spot to build. It was the best decision because we found a hidden spot that had the best features to build an amazing kicker.

A couple of us sessioned the kicker all day on Sunday, hiking up and jumping down. We had suck an awesome session that we lost track of time that mountain patrol found us to say that the mountain was closing and we had to get the hell out…..it was 3pm and we starting sessioning at 10am. It was such a fun but exhausting day.

The last two weekends have been shit to ok. Not much snowfall so the runs where pretty icy especially for the Valentines day weekend. But don’t worry thing will get better in Whistler if history is on our side. March and April should start dumping snow and it has already started this past week. So be patience and watch the forecast closely for the next little while….winter is not over.

Winter 2008 / 2009 Prediction

Whistler Snow Forecast

Well hope you get out and enjoy some powder lines this weekend and I’ll be back up in Whistler to shed and give you an update on the Showcase Showdown competition happening on Sunday.

Showcase Showdown

Fantasy Surfer 2009

2009-02-25T04:51:00.000-08:00

Hello Fantasy Surfers,

Just wanted to reminder you that the new season has officially started and you can start your picks for the Gold Coast Quiksilver Pro. The Quiksilver Pro starts on Feb 28th so get your picks in before the actual comp date.

http://speedydescend.blogspot.com/2008/09/fantasy-surfer-leaguebe-part-of-action.html

Showcase Showdown 2009

2009-02-23T05:29:00.000-08:00

On February 28th, 2009 Showcase Snowboards is holding their annual competition called the Showcase Showdown. The Showdown is a combined pipe/park comp that features the best pro riders in Canada. This is a really good event to attend because the level of riding is so good.

Showcase Showdown website

Usually this comp is held on Blackcomb mountain at the superpipe location but this year because of the shitty snow conditions it is being held at the base of Whistler mountain, next to the GLC. This will be even better because you don’t have to take the gondola then walk up to the Blackcomb superpipe.

So if you are in Whistler during the weekend of Feb 28th stop by the base of Whistler and watch the comp. Every year the park/pipe gets better and better. Here is a detailed schedule if you are interested.

http://ww1.whistlerblackcomb.com/showdown/09_ShowcaseShowdownSchedule.pdf

Out of Bounds: Tales from the Backcountry

2009-02-02T05:25:00.000-08:00

Hello again, sorry for the long delay between posts but I have been so busy with work that my blog has been suffering.

I just wanted to let you know about one my favourite events in Whistler that is happening….it’s called Out of Bounds: Tales from the Backcountry photo exhibition. This is an amazing photo exhibition that feature some of the best photographers work within the BC mountains. Some of the photographers featured in this years exhibit are as follows:

Alex Wigley
Andrew Bradley
Andy Anissimoff
Blake Jorgenson
Bradley Slack
Brian Baker
Brian Hockenstein
Bruce Rowles
Cam Unger
Dagan Beach
Dave Henkel
Greg Eymundson
Jonathan Kirby
Larry Jung
Nicolas Teichrob
Pete Cussrin
Rich Glass
Todd Hellinga
Joel Sweet

Out of Bounds is being held from Feb 1st to 28th at the Millennium Place in Whistler and I’m pretty sure it’s free to drop in and view these great pieces of work. If you’re in Whistler and enjoy photography and the mountains don’t miss this feature.

Stepchild JP Walker 2010

2009-01-19T16:49:00.000-08:00

Hello all,

Sorry for the very long posting delay but I have been swapped with work after I returned from vacation.

This pasted weekend I was up in Whistler, as I usually am, and came across a Stepchild demo tent near the Roundhouse. Stepchild bought out there 2010 models for everyone to demo. Now what tipped me off that this was happening was that I saw a 2010 JP Walker 151 in the village.

So I headed up Whistler to see if I can get a closer look at the new models. Stepchild had the new Chamberlain, Power stick, Jib stick and the JP Walker. Now the shitty part of this all is that I forgot my camera that day and can’t show you any pics of the new boards.

Since I already have the first Chamberlain pro model and really wanted the Walker 151 this year I decided to demo the 2010 JP Walker board. The only size left of the demos was a 157….Yes I said 157. The sales rep told me that the JP model has a 147, 151, 154 and a new 157. The 2010 board seemed to be the same construction as the 2009 version and is also available with the RETT. The board was super poppy and about the same stiffness or just slightly softer than the Chamberlain. The 2010 JP Walker 157 also rode pretty smoothly and held its edge while ripping down the hill.

Wish I had more time on this board to give you more details but the rep said they will be back for Telus festival in early April so I really demo it properly for to post a full write up.

In the mean time here are some recent pics from the Stepchild blog…..JP’s 2010 board looks so good.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

2008-12-25T04:41:00.000-08:00

Hello Loyal readers,

I just wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas & Happy New Year. I'll be away on vacation until the second week in January so I won't be putting up many new post between now and when I return.

But when I do get back to reality, I'll be sure to get you the latest news from up in Whistler and around the snowboarding world.

Take care and all the best this holiday season,
The Speedy Descend

Whistler Blackcomb Update (Dec 20 & 21, 2008)

2008-12-23T12:26:00.000-08:00

Hello all,

Sorry for the lack of postings or updates but I have been really busy at work and have no time to posted up any new blogs.

This passed weekend I decided to get away from my busy schedule and head of to Whistler to get some snowboarding in before I go on holidays. Now in past weeks the conditional have been less than desirable but I really want to snowboard so I just went for it.

On Saturday I went up to Whistler mountain for the day because the Whistler side has better snow coverage than Blackcomb, Blackcomb was way too icy. It was still pretty cold as the temperatures were about -20 degrees Celsius but very little winds so that was good. I tried to good off and find some better terrain but the lack of snow coverage in those area made me stay close to Emerald and Red chairs. Staying within these areas sucked because there was too many people and the snow was so packed down that it was ice….I couldn’t get my edge in which started to really frustrate me. So I did a hand full or runs and decided to call it a day….that is the beauty of a seasons pass.

When I got back to the cabin I check the snow forecast because if it was going to be shit again I was going to pack my bags and head back to Vancouver. But the forecast surprised me when it said that about 15cm was going to fall in the alpine overnight. Yes, finally a somewhat powder day.

So on Sunday I woke up really early and headed to the lifts to make it there for 8:00am. When I got up on Whistler mountain there was powder to surf though…this is what I have been waiting for the last couple of weeks. Now areas close to Emerald and Red chair were good enough but I could have ventured out a bit more but was too lazy to. I surfed all the pow until it was all tracked out then headed to Blackcomb mountain via Peak 2 Peak. I was told that not that many people were on Blackcomb and there still some untracked run left. But I when on Blackcomb and the conditions were still not the best. It’s weird because Blackcomb usually gets better snow coverage in more areas than Whistler. By 2:00pm I was done and decided to call it a day since I’ve been up from about 6:30am.

Overall this weekend was saved by the Saturday night snowfall and the fact no one was up on the mountain on Sunday, so I was happy with it. But looking ahead…it’s going to start dumping in Whistler have a look…..just in time for Christmas and for me not to be there since I’m head to Toronto to visit my family.

Kelly Slater Wins the 2008 Pipeline Masters

2008-12-15T12:23:00.000-08:00

On Friday Dec 12th Kelly Slater won his 6th Pipeline Masters in Hawaii defeating follow American Chris Ward. Pipeline was the last stop on the ASP Tour and is the most prestigious event in surfing. Slater paddled out in eight to 10 foot waves at Pipeline four times today, beating Chris Ward (USA) 14.00 to 7.23 in the in the first man-on-man final* held at the venue in eight years. Slater’s heat totals in the three heats prior to the final were 19.00, 18.63 and 19.40 – all out of a possible 20 points.

This years Pipeline Masters victory was doubly sweet given Parkinson made headlines earlier in the week by earning the first-ever perfect 20 out of 20 heat total at Pipeline – only the second perfect heat total in ASP history under the two wave format. Also Parko won the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, which is the highest score for competitions at Haleiwa, Sunset Beach and the Pipeline Masters.

So now this the ASP Surfing tour all wrapped for 2008, this is how the final top ten standings look.

1) Kelly Slater (USA)
2) Bede Durbidge (AUS)
3) Taj Burrow (AUS)
4) Joel Parkinson (AUS)
5) C.J. Hobgood (USA)
6) Adrian Buchan (AUS)
7) Adriano de Souza (BRA)
8) Mick Fanning (AUS)
9) Bobby Martinez (USA)
10) Jeremy Flores (FRA)

At the age of 36, Kelly Slater’s 50-6 record is the most dominant in pro surfing history, which validates what we already knew, that he’s also surfing better than ever. But what does it all mean? Is Kelly Slater going to come back in 2009 to compete for his 10th ASP World Championship? I guess we will see on February 28 at the Quiksliver Pro, Gold Coast Australia, tour stop. I can’t wait for another year of the exciting ASP Tour.

Whistler Peak 2 Peak Opens Today

2008-12-12T04:18:00.000-08:00

Hello all,

Just wanted to remind you that Whistler's Peak 2 Peak opens today. If you don't know the Peak 2 Peak is a cable car or gondola that runs from Whistler to Blackcomb mountain. More specifically from the Roundhouse lodge on whistler to the Rendezvous lodge on Blackcomb, right over Fitzsimmons Creek.

I be riding it this weekend so I will take many pictures and videos to show you all the Peak 2 Peak experience.

Take care and look for my Peak 2 Peak post next week.

Whistler Blackcomb Update (Weekend of Dec 6, 2008)

2008-12-10T05:00:00.000-08:00

I headed up to Whistler on this weekend, as per my usual winter weekend routine. I knew going into it that it did snow much or at all the week before, so the condition where going to be less than desirable. Got up there Friday night, via the Greyhound and headed straight for the cabin, as I was really tired from working long hours all week. My plan was to wake up early and hit the mountain to ride all day, but Saturday morning came around and I needed more sleep. So I got up to the hill at 11:30am.

On Saturday I boarded on Blackcomb…still no new snow. The conditions actually were worse than the weekend before….kind of icy. Also Blackcomb only had a couple of lifts open, Jersey Cream, Solar Coaster and Catskinner, so everyone was all in a confidante area. If you know Blackcomb the run are tight even on the best of days, that what Blackcomb so good. But on Saturday with the number of people and narrow runs I basically took a hand full of runs and called it a day…good thing I have a seasons pass.

Sunday, I headed to Whistler and this time I managed to get up earlier that the day before. The extra motivation came from the 10cm of snow that fell overnight. So in the morning the condition where ok, a layer of powder over hard packed….nothing to ride home about. As the day when on the conditions got worse and the fresh powder was all packed out.

Since all the run were pack out I decided to go off and make my own line….what a mistake that was. Knowing that there were rocks, or land mines I like to call them, under the powder, I tried to get some powder riding done. After taking my so called powder line I look at the base of my board and it was full of rock shots. One word of advice just stay on the runs until it dumps unless you are will to hike the higher alpine just like some people I saw. But all in all Sunday was a better day because the Whistler they had open area more wide open therefore accommodating more riders.

It is suppose to snow a bit over the rest of this week so hopefully the weekend will be better. Also Peak 2 Peak is opening on Friday so if I can get on it this weekend I’ll show you all in my next post.

Movie Review – Ready (Absinthe Films)

2008-12-08T10:02:00.000-08:00

To follow up last years snowboarding flick Absinthe Films released the 2009 film, Ready. Ready features the usually Absinthe riders like Nico Muller, JP Solberg, Romain DeMarchi, Gigi Ruf, and Wolle Nyvelt to name a few. One rider you see that is not on the list is Travis Rice. Travis created his own film for 2009 called That’s It That’s All.

Much of the film takes place in Europe, British Columbia Canada (Whistler and BC interior mountains) and of course what made Absinthe famous, in Alaska. As you can expect from Absinthe is that most of the riding is centered around big mountain snowboarding and taking technical freestyle tricks to the backcountry.

I was really excited to see this movie because last year two of my favourite riders were not featured in last years Absinthe flick, JP Solberg and Romain DeMarchi, due to injuries.

So without further adieu here is my review on Ready.

1) Soundtrack

Well I have to start of by saying that Absinthe Film was always experimental with their soundtrack, but they always seem to put it together well. This years soundtrack, in my opinion was not very good at all. It lacked any type of energy and climatic moments. It was really mellow from start to finish, almost putting me to sleep. Even the closing scene with Nico and Gigi was so mellow…I mean come on finish strong. I thing that really pissed me off about the soundtrack was JP Solberg’s and Romain DeMarchi’s part, the music did not compliment the riding and I was so looking forward to getting amped by their parts.

Absinthe, for next please step in the soundtrack department to inject more energy….the soundtrack sucked for this years flick Ready.

2) Cinematography

The cinematography in Ready was high quality as per the usually Absinthe flicks….not most cutting edge but good. Colours came out well and camera positioning for each scene was on point. Alot of the Alaska scene I special enjoyed watching because you can see what these riders are up against up there in that unforgiving terrain.

3) Scenes / Rider Segment

Putting the shitty soundtrack aside, the riding in this flick is awesome. I mean how could it not be with heavy hitters like Nico, JP, Gigi, Romain, Wolle and Jeremy Jones. My favourite scene had to have been JP Solberg’s segment. He had been injured for awhile now and partaking in filming for a bit but this years put was off the hook….he definitely killed it….right on JP. The guy is so smooth when launching off backcountry booters…he spins are so tight. I also really like watching the closing scene, baring the music, from Nico and Gigi as they put on a good show together. It gave me the sense of riding with my buddy just having fun.

4) Extras / Bonus Scenes

The bonus scenes didn’t have must but there did put in the Flipside to Optimistic, which is the making of last years movie. The Flipside to Optimistic is pretty cool to watch because it gives us an insight to a day in the life of a professional snowboarder….it not all gilts and glam.

5) Overall

To sum it up I really didn’t enjoy the soundtrack as I thought it was lacking energy and to bland. To me a soundtrack is what makes the flick that much better, not get me wrong the riding was awesome but because of the shitty music I think this years Absinthe movie is just average.

I give it a 6.5 to 7 out of 10 and would consider it just a one time rental type of movie. Meaning if you see it once it’s good enough, as I don’t think it’s worth the buy. It’s too bad because I really love Absinthe films but this one lacks the energy they once had.

Weather Prediction for Winter 2008 / 2009

2008-12-05T05:37:00.000-08:00

Hello loyal readers, you know from previous posts that I have been really concerned about the 08-09 winter and the amount of snowfall we might and might not be getting. Well I just came across so information that doesn’t paint a very good picture for this years winter season in the coastal mountains of Canada, which includes Whistler.

I search the net franticly in find information that would give me an idea of what to expect this winter. A good reference that I have used for the last couple of years is the Farmer’s Almanac, which is pretty accurate from year to year.

Below are a couple links that predict the next couple of months:

http://www.almanac.com/weather/

http://wx-man.com/blog/?cat=200

http://www.farmersalmanac.com/weather/a/2008-09-weather-outlook-for-canada

As you can see from the information above the temperature for the pacific Canada will be seasonal but the big kicker is that there will be less precipitation….meaning possibility less snow.

Well thinking positively I hope we these predictions do not come to fruition and we here in Whistler have a season full of powder days.

Take care and happy trails on the slopes.

Opening Weekend at Whistler Blackcomb

2008-12-03T15:01:00.000-08:00

I have officially started my snowboarding season for 08/09 this past weekend, Nov 28^th and 29^th, in Whistler. Whistler mountain actually opened on Nov 26^th with Blackcomb mountain opening one day later, on Nov 27^th. Now since I’m now working full-time in Vancouver I can really only get up to Whistler on the weekends…I hate being a weekend warrior.

I was a bit worried with regards to the conditions as I have been checking the snow report for the last two months and never really saw any significant snowfall…even up to opening day. As a matter a fact the freezing level and overall air temperature was well above seasonal….now you can see why I was so concerned.

On Saturday I hit the slopes pretty late, at about 10am, to avoid the huge lineup for the Whistler gondola that was expected. Since it was the US Thanksgiving and opening Whistler mountain on Saturday was packed with people….it’s a good thing that I did wait until later in the morning. Also the snow conditions were what I thought they would be shit. The alpine temperature was about + 4 degrees celsius and there were times were it drizzled rain because the freezing level was above the peak of the mountain....I felt sorry for people who paid $83 plus to ride in those shitty conditions. Sunday we decided to hit up Blackcomb. The conditions actually got even worse over night because it didn’t snow and the alpine temperature was almost 8 degrees celsius…..spring like conditions. The good thing is that it wasn’t too busy but even with that said we only took a couple of run and packed it in for the day. Overall opening weekend was disappointing with regards to snow conditions as I was hoping for a lot better. I just hope we don’t see another 04/05 season in Whistler as I really want to do more powder riding this year and get into the backcountry.

Well all you Whistler riders prey to the snow gods for a huge dump of snow to come really soon because it is much needed for Whistler and Blackcomb mountain.

I’ll keep you post on the conditions this coming weekend.

Movie Review – Down With People (Mack Dawg Productions)

2008-12-01T11:55:00.001-08:00

The second film for 2009 from Mack Dawg Productions is Down With People. This follow-up film to With People stars Louis Fountain, Josh Mills, Pat McCarthy, Shaun McKay, Jordan Mendenhall, Stephen Duke, Jon Kooley, Austin Smith, Bryan Fox, Simon Chamberlain, Zac Marben, Filippo Fratter, Ryan Thompson and Joe Sexton. Some of the locals that the flick is shot in are Park City, Aspen, Brighton, Northstar and Crested Butte to name a few.

The Down With People crew is a bit younger than the Double Decade crew, so it’s kind of like Down With People is the minor league version of Double Decade. But don’t get twisted the riders in Down With People are some of the best in the world at rail and park riding in particular. The film shows the riders strengths off well because it’s pretty rail and park heavy with little snippets from the backcountry.

1) Soundtrack

I really enjoyed the soundtrack to Down With People because it complimented the rider’s scene well and provide some variety from segment to segment. Some of the artists that were featured in the film where Judas Priest, Boy Dylan, Run DMC and Jimi Hendrix to name a few. The music kept my attention throughout the film and added to the enjoyment of watching Down With People. My Favourite segment with respect to music had to have been Zac Marben’s with Jimi Hendrix’s Crosstown Traffic, the beginning to that scene was awesome and it just flowed right.

2) Cinematography

Cinematography in Down with People is similar to other Mack Dawg films as in it is pretty high quality. I mean nothing like the gold standard, which is now That’s It That’s All, but well done. There are some unique camera angles during the street riding segments and the editing is done really well as Mack Dawg does. For some reason the way Down With People was filmed reminded me of Mack Dawg’s film from a couple of year ago called Shakedown….not really sure why?

3) Rider Segment / Scene

As I mention I really enjoyed watching this film as all the riders parts were solid. I was hard to choose a rider that really out did the other but guys like Bryan Fox, Jon Kooley, Joe Sexon and Simon Chamberlain had amazing parts. But if I had to choose I would say the intro from Austin Smith and last scene from Zac Marben were the best. I really liked Zac’s intro to the scene with that cool segment of him riding through a residential neighborhood with Hendrix pumping in the background.

Since the film is rail and street heavy each rider is really pushing to put out the most tech jib tricks and that is so evident in riders like Marben, Kooley, Sexon and Chamberlain’s part. If you’re a park / street rider, watch those guys because their riding and tricks are off the hook.

Also another really cool and funny part is the end of the film just before the credits were guys like JP Walker, Jeremy Jones and Todd Richards are dissing the crew from Down People. I guess Mack Dawg just wanted to create a little rivalry because the two Mack Dawg crew. Check it out because their disses are pretty funny.

4) Extras / Bonus

The Bonus scenes in this film are so amazing. It’s like having two movies in one because the bonus is each riders extra scenes that didn’t make final cut put together….that makes it like a second movie. If you’re thinking that the scenes in the bonus section won’t be that good because it’s the out takes from the main film, you’re wrong because the bonus material is just as good as the movie itself. Actually I enjoyed some of the bonus segments more than the final movies ones. Riders like Austin Smith, Jon Kooley, Zac Marben and Simon Chamberlain’s had awesome bonus features.

5) Overall

Overall I really enjoyed Down With People as the film had a ton of bangers, amazing riders and good music, all the right elements that make a good snowboarding flick. If you’re into park and street riding I would suggest picking this one up because of the high level of riding and with the added scenes in the bonus scene it makes $35 seem well spent….a cool, fun flick with some of my favourite riders.

Movie Review – That’s It That’s All

2008-11-26T08:00:00.000-08:00

The wait is over for the much anticipated follow up to Travis Rice’s Community Project and the 2009 film is called That’s It That’s All (TITA). TITA was a two year project by snowboarder Travis Rice and film maker Curt Morgan that features a sleuth of amazing riders like Mark Landvik, Nicolas Muller, Terje Haakonsen, Jeremy Jones (big mountain rider), Scotty Lago, John Jackson and of course the creator Travis Rice.

The film is all about exploration, big mountain riding and snowboarding progression. This flick features scenes from New Zealand, Whistler, the BC interior, Part City, and Jackson Hole to name a few.

So cutting to the chase, here is my review of That’s It That’s All. And trust me this is going be a good one!!!

1) Soundtrack

The soundtrack for That’s It That’s All is fitting to the riding style of Travis Rice, hard hitting and powerful. Most of the tracks in each scene are straight up alternative and heavy rock/metal. This snowboarding movie shies away from the normal by packing a powerful dramatic punch to each scene. Snowboarding movies in the last couple of years have got the mellow route in my opinion, which is cool too. From the opening scene the music sets the tone of the whole film, there is no dull moment music wise. It’s just high energy and intensity all the way through. Even if you don’t like hard rock this soundtrack will amp you up to go out to your local mountain and ride as hard as Travis Rice does.

2) Cinematography

Oh my God, the cinematography in That’s It That’s All was out of this world. The director Curt Morgan used a film technology call cineplex filming that made so high high quality. Morgan mentions in one of the scenes that the cineplex technology really puts the audience in the moment of what the riders are experiencing. I also have to mention that the colours in the flick just popped. I have never seen a snowboarding movie that was filled with so much colour from the scenery…it was just visually vivid. TITA is now the new standard in snowboarding filming production, if not the standard for all action sports. Filmmakers take note because this is the best flick visually I have ever seen. I just wish I had a HDTV to see this movie the way it was intended.

Best looking snowboarding movie ever produced, it was worth the wait.

3) Rider Segments / Scenes

This movie is so so fucken good that it’s hard to pick the best scene but I really like the opener because it sets the tone for the whole flick and it display the cinematography really well. All through the movie Travis Rice is banging out trick after trick. T.Rice is killing it in order to make the best movie possible and progress snowboarding to the next level. I mean there were so many tricks that Travis did that I’ve never seen before, this guy is what snowboarding is about. Also another rider who kill it was Jeremy Jones with his big mountain lines in Alaska. I really enjoyed watching Jones helmet cam ride because you really go the sense of what it’s like to snowboard in the Alaskan backcountry.

You really have to give it up for the riders in this film because they displayed to the world what the new standard is for riding in a snowboarding film.

4) Extras / Bonus Features

Unlike other movies for this year That’s It That’s All packs a lot of bonus clips from the making of TITA to a photography slideshow to all the teasers. Also included is an intro to the snowboarding competition, Natural Selection, which was invented by Travis Rice. But my favourite bonus feature was called “Travis Does Tahiti”. It was Travis Rice and Quiksilver snowboarding team mate Todd Richards going to Tahiti on a surf trip with the amazing surf and also Quiksilver sponsor surfer, Dane Reynolds. I almost jumped out of my chair when I saw this because the filming was so good and getting to Dane surf he is definitely one of my favorite surfers. Rice and Richards are pretty good surfers too, it was really cool to see one of the most famous waves in the world be shredded by snowboarders.

5) Overall

As you can already guess, That’s It That’s All is definitely my favourite snowboarding movies of 2009 and maybe of all time. It just on another level compared to everything else out there these days. From the riding to the quality of film this has to be movie of the year and is really worth the money. Even if this movies was $100 I would still buy it, it was that good.

Overall I give this movie a 10 out of 10. But really it should be more like a 100 out of 10. Awesome movie Travis and after watching That’s It That’s All I’m so amped to hit the mountains.

Movie Review – Double Decade

2008-11-24T09:06:00.000-08:00

For 2009 Mack Dawg Productions is celebrating their 20th year in the business with the release of Double Decade. The title is fitting because back in 1999 they released Decade. Double Decade features your favorite riders that MDP has been filming for the last couple of years like Jeremy Jones, Andreas Wiig, Seth Huot, DCP, Eero Ettala, Jussi Oksanen and more. Also riding are returning stars that use to film with MDP like my favouite rider JP “The Don” Walker and Devun “Whistler backcountry master” Walsh. Double Decade was film in places like Whistler, Mt. Baker, the Tahoe area, Finland and I think I even saw a couple scenes within Montreal hitting up handrails/jibs.

The concept of the flick is to give the audience a history lesson on the progression of snowboarding and filmmaking, along with a great movie that MDP is know for. You will also notice a lot of homage to past flicks by the places that were filmed in this movie, especially the jibbing scenes.

So without further adieu here is my review on Double Decade.

1) Soundtrack

One major thing you will thing you will notice when you watch Double Decade is that there is only one hip-hop track, weird…and it’s not even in JP’s part. Regardless of the lack hip-hop that music throughout the film works with music from the Doobie Brothers, Pet Shop Boys, NOFX, The Cardigans and the Ramoans. The soundtrack kind of gels together in a more laid back way rather that hard hitting like in past movies. I don’t mind this collection of music for the film but I don’t think it’s MDP best. I think they could have put in a bit more climatic hard hitting tracks to give the movie more pop…come on MDP this is your 20th year anniversary.

2) Cinematography

Cinematography in this film was good…very much the same as Picture This. Shots were clean, crisp and the colours came through well…high quality filming techniques. Also editing was done well as no scenes were cut off at the beginning or end…they showed all riders tricks from start to finish including a good amount of run out. The tricks within each scene were seamlessly put together and flowed really well.

3) Rider Segment / Scene

Each rider in the movie did a good job so it’s hard to choose to a scene that stands out….one doesn’t standout more than the other. But if I had to pick I would say the history lesson 201 and JP Walker’s part…these two scenes are well placed and fit together back to back. It’s great to see JP back filming and his final scene jump was off the hook. I still can’t believe JP’s song is not a hip-hop one, but the Pet Shop Boys song does fit to my surprise. Devun’s part was really good too...it flowed amazingly.

As I said all the riders were awesome and the level of snowboarding high with tech tricks accompanied by amazing locations and conditions.

4) Extras / Bonus Features

There are not a lot of true bonus scenes in Double Decade. But the one they have are pretty cool it keep inline with the concept of the film by ask riders of the past and present who is the best Jumper, Jibber, Pipe Rider and what is the MDP film of the last 20 years. At first I thought, oh man what a waste, but as I watched them I really enjoyed hearing who the riders of the past picked for the best of.

5) Overall

Overall I enjoyed watch Double Decade, I think it was a well made film with solid riding from a star studded cast. I really liked the JP Walker was back filming and it was good to see him reunite with Jermey Jones and Devun Walsh. A couple of amazing riders from the old Forum team…brought back memories of my favorite MDP movie, True Life. Also the flick did get me amped to go out ride and it does that then it’s a pretty good movie. The only downside to Double Decade was the soundtrack. As mentioned before it should have been a bit more climatic for their anniversary movie. So sum this review I up I give Double Decade an 8 to 8.5 out of 10 and think it’s money well spent.

Surf Movie Review – Dude Cruise

2008-11-21T17:37:00.000-08:00

Since I have been recently getting more and more into surfing I when to my local board shop and pick up the new DC surf video called Dude Cruise.

Dude Cruise is the first movie from Irons Bros. Productions, the new film company formed by Bruce and Andy Irons, and the first-ever movie featuring the DC surf team and just the DC surf team.

The concept of the film is a DC team trip, with Bruce Irons, Dane Reynolds, Ry Craike, and amateur Garret Parks, through Australia for a two-week road trip complete with world class surfing, and a view into the boy's personalities. Have you every wondered what it is like to experience a surf trip through Bruce Irons' or Dane Reynolds' eyes? With this movie you get an inside view of what a two week surf trip with the world's top surfers is really like. Dude Cruise shows sessions start to finish--not just the banger clips--to offer a more realistic look at what happens when you're just out with your friends having a good time.

Now for the review

1) Soundtrack

The soundtrack to Dude Cruise is amazing with many big name artists on the bill. Some of the names dropping songs in this flick are the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Beck and NIN. The soundtrack is also properly placed with the flow of the scene. My favourite soundtrack scene is Bruce Irons’ outro with Lost Valentinos “17 Deaths” and Dane Reynolds intro with NIN.

I have to say that I really only seen a few surf videos but this soundtrack is the best I have seen even considering all the snowboarding videos I’ve watched.

2) Cinematography

Cinematography within the movie was well done, it wasn’t ground breaking just good. I have to say that I really appreciated seeing a full session of riding rather than just the highlights from a session. It gave me more of a realistic sense of surfing rather that just seeing all the bangers. It kind of reminded me of watch Robot Foods Lame, a snowboard video along the same concept as Dude Cruise. It was just fun to watch.

3) Segments / Riders

Since the flick was filmed all Australia the scenes blending in a bit too much but the segment that got me amp was Bruce Irons’ outro scene. With the combination of Bruce’s powerful surfing and the kick ass song it was an awesome scene. Over I think Dane Reynolds was amazing…man that guy have a lot of style when surfing and the tricks and airs where off the charts.

4) Extras

The extras segment in Dude Cruise consists of all the trailers, photos from the trip and the car crash scene. They also offer director commentary throughout the movie if you turn that option on in the extras segment…it pretty cool.

5) Overall

Overall Dude Cruise was an amazing surf video with world class surfer. The only downside is that the flick seemed short, even though it was about 40mins and I was hoping for a bit more variety in locations. But still if you want to see cutting edge surfing at it’s best get Dude Cruise…it will amp you up to hit the waves.

Opening Day in Whistler is Coming…Where is the Snow?

2008-11-20T16:37:00.000-08:00

Hello all, you may have noticed via the Whistler snow forecast and website that the conditions are not good at all. It’s very similar to the shitty snow year back in 2004 / 2005 where Whistler only saw about 80cm of total snowfall for November. So far this November, as of 20th, the total snowfall is only a dismal 70cm. Considering opening day is only a week away, November 27th, this is not good.

I guess this can be looked as a good thing because if the snow is not falling in November there should be a huge dump of snow for December. But by looking that the weather trends in the last couple of weeks that temperatures have been about 5 degrees above seasonal and the very little precipitation.

So lets all prey to the snow gods that it starts to snow heavy in the Whistler for the next week and beyond. Or else we can possibility see another season like 04 / 05….that would suck.

Shop Review – Showcase Snowboards (Whistler)

2008-11-17T09:22:00.000-08:00

Showcase Snowboards is a board shop located in Whistler in the Sundial Hotel complex that is owned by Intrawest. It’s one of Whistler most busiest and infamous snowboard shops and the reason for that is obvious….because it’s located right near the main gondolas for Whistler and Blackcomb mountain. Showcase has a couple of other locations within other Intrawest resorts like Colorado's Copper Mountain. Also you can go online to their site, Showcase Snowboards, to get all your snowboard needs.

Showcase even put on a yearly competition on in Whistler called “The Showcase Showdown”, which feature some of Canada’s best riders. This competition is usually nest the end of February and is really good because is kinda like a pipe and park comp mix into one. If you are in Whistler during definitely check it out but go early to get a spot to watch.

I usually stroll into Showcase Whistler once in awhile to check out what’s new and just browse around. I have purchase a couple of items from them and thought it would be good to post a review about the shop to let other know what they can expect.

1) Shop setup / Visual Merch

Showcase Snowboards Whistler is a pretty big shop for Whistler, actually the biggest, with a pretty clean modern setup to it. The shop is well organized with a section for soft goods, gear and even a separate shop for women stuff that right next door. The shop that’s just for woman’s stuff it the Burton woman’s store and I think that it looks better than the main shop does….pretty well designed.

Showcase also features a live DJ Fridays thru Sunday during the evening to give the shop a nightclub type of feel. This is a unique touch. So go get your dance and shop on!!!

2) Product Variety

The shop carries many of the big name snowboarding brands such as Burton, Option and also locally produced Prior snowboards. They also have a large inventory of clothing from Volcom, Burton and Bonfire. But aside from snowboarding related gear Showcase doesn’t have much more. Their main focus is snowboarding. In the summer the shop does sell surfboards but only a handful. But if you’re looking for Burton gear this shop is the one in Whistler.

3) Pricing

As you would expect, the pricing is not much different from other board shops in Whistler. Sales rarely are put up by Showcase even in the summer. The big sales occur at Thanksgiving and in the summer but the price drop are not that significant. Also I find it’s hard to haggle a deal because it’s really a large corporately owned shop and they probably have strict rules about product pricing.

4) Customer Service

Customer service at Showcase is hit and miss. Sometimes you get really good service and other times the shop employees are too cool to help you out.

A couple times I have been in the store wondering around and never was approached by an employee asking if they can help me out. I think that a shop in a tourist local like Whistler should always approach the customer asking if they need help but I guess sometimes they don’t really care but ton of people go in that shop daily. Other times I got really good service and which led me in the right direction as to what to purchase.

I think if Showcase stepped it up on the customer service side and not just on the Turkey Sale weekend, the shop would be the best in Whistler.

5) Overall

Overall Showcase is a good shop with some unique flare, like the DJ thing on the weekends and organization of the yearly competition. But they could improve on their product variety abit, customer service and the shop should be a Burton Collation shop….I can’t believe it’s not.

Whistler Daily Snow Report

2008-11-10T09:42:00.000-08:00

I know we all have been patiently waiting for the beginning of the snowboarding session up in Whistler and have been wondering about the conditions up there. Is the season going to start early? Is there going to be enough snow for opening day, Nov 27?

Well you can stop wondering now and start checking up on it daily because Whistler Blackcomb is starting up its daily snow report. Each and everyday at about 6:00am you can read what the conditions are for that morning and the forecast for the next couple of days. The Whistler Blackcomb daily snow report is taken on Whistler from just above mid-station at about 1400 meters and the weather forecast is from Environment Canada.

Whistler Blackcomb Snow Report site

The Whistler Blackcomb snow report is good but I have found a better report that I have been using for the past 4 years in Whistler. It’s called the Snow-Forecast website. This site gives you the opportunity to see conditions and forecasts at various elevations (village, 675m, mid 1400m and peak 2284m). The Snow-Forecast site is pretty accurate too because we I compare their forecast to Environment Canada’s it bang on. But the add bonus it know what the forecast is going to be at the peak for the next 6 days.

Whistler Snow Forecast site

So go and check it out….it’s just another tool for you to chase the elusive powder experience.

Shop Review – Pacific Boarder (Vancouver)

2008-11-07T15:53:00.000-08:00

Most recently I have been shopping alot at Pacific Boarder in Vancouver. Pacific Boarder is a complete board shop that is located on West 4th close to Burrard Street, actually right across the street from Westbeach, with products from snowboarding, skateboarding and surfing.

Pacific Boarder website

1) Shop setup / Visual merch

The Pacific Boarder shop is really big, definitely one of the biggest in the lower mainland. Once you walk into the store you’ll see straight ahead the men’s clothing / outerwear area and to the left, in the next room is all the woman’s accessories. This is really good because they have a store size area just dedicated for women’s wear. Along the back wall is all the hardgear from skateboarding to snowboarding to surfing.

Pacific always has some type of display in their large street front windows, from what you can see in the picture above. The store front displays are pretty artistic and they always grab my attention everytime I walk by there…I really liked the new Rome Artifact display done about a month ago.

2) Variety

In terms of variety Pacific Boarder has it all, carrying the big name brands in snowboarding, skateboarding and surfing. Some of the brands that they carry from a snowboarding perspective are Burton, Rome, Ride, Capita and Salomon. Pacific Boarder is also a Burton Coalition shop, so you can get all the Burton limited edition products.

In the summer Pacific Boarder’s inventory is mostly surfboards, wetsuits and skateboarding products. They also keep their snowboard equipment out in case you want gear for the summer snowboarding sessions on the Blackcomb glacier in Whistler.

3) Product Pricing

The price of the merch in the shop is relatively the same as any other shop you might find and Pacific Boarder rarely has sales and their sales only occur during the thanksgiving weekend (less than 10% off) and at season end (20% to 25% off). But Pacific Boarder employees are cool and you might be able to get a deal from them if you chat them up a bit. I got a deal on my new Burton Un..Inc, $60 off, just by talking to the guys helping me out.

4) Customer Service

When it comes to customer service Pacific Boarder is really good. The staff there is always will to help out and are really friendly. One of the good things about this shop is that most of the staff actually ride the boards they are selling, so you are getting an expert opinion on how well the gear you think of buying is.

When I bought my board I was help out alot by the staff letting me know how the board rides, durability, etc. They really made my decision process easy because of their first hand knowledge of riding some of the boards they sell.

5) Overall

Overall Pacific Boarder is a really cool shop with a good variety of gear, excellent customer service and really knowledgeable staff. If you are in the area and looking to buy gear definitely check out Pacific Boarder because you will get honest opinion without the sales pitch forcing you to buy.

Bede Durbidge Wins 2008 Hang Loose Santa Catarina Pro in Brazil

2008-11-05T12:36:00.000-08:00

Bede Durbidge claimed his third ASP World Tour career win with a victory at the Hang Loose Santa Catarina Pro in Imbituba, Brazil, today. Durbidge beat France’s Jeremy Flores 17.76 to 9.86. This win bumped Bede from 4th in the overall ASP standings to 2nd behind the world champ Kelly Slater.

Here is the current ASP top 10 standings after the Hang Loose Santa Catarina Pro

1. Kelly Slater (USA) 8042
2. Bede Durbidge (AUS) 6780
3. Taj Burrow (AUS) 6324
4. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 6180
5. C.J. Hobgood (USA) 5860
6. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 5748
7. Adrian Buchan (AUS) 5370
8. Mick Fanning (AUS) 5310
9. Bobby Martinez (USA) 5282
10. Jeremy Flores (FRA) 5214

You might be wondering why you don’t see any of the other big names in the finals. The reason is because surfers like Slater, Fanning, Irons, Martinez and Parko decided to skip the Brazil comp and heal up for Pipeline in Hawaii as many of these guys are bang up abit. So the Pipeline competition starting on Dec 8th should be a really good one because everyone wants to win Pipeline.

Shop Review – The Circle (Whistler)

2008-11-03T15:49:00.000-08:00

The first board shop that I visited when I first came to live in Whistler was The Circle because it was right across the street from where I was living. The Circle in Whistler is located on Main Street in the Village North, Marketplace area. It’s pretty much in the plaza right across from the 7-11 and beside the Alpenglow condo entrance. The Circle is a locate shop that has its roots in Whistler and now also have a shop in downtown Vancouver, Gastown more specifically.

The Circle website

1) Shop setup / Visual merch

The Circle is a cool setup just from the outside because the physical building is actually shaped in a circle. Once inside you’ll see that the shop has a cool flow to it because of its design. The shop is mostly dominated by clothing and outerwear these days, with more of the street clothing the right and the snowboard gear (outerwear and hard good) to the left. It’s a clean modern look to its layout that’s simple yet effective for savvy shopper.

Most often the have some cool new snowboarding or skateboarding videos playing on their flat screen TV and also awesome tunes pumping from their sound system.

2) Variety

In terms of variety The Circle carries clothing brands like Nomis, DC, Matrix, WESC with snowboarding gear from Stepchild, Forum, DC, Union, Endeavor and more. In the summer this shop caters to the skateboards with brands like DVS, Emerica, C1RCA, Lakai and Chocolate.

If you are looking for brands off the beaten path and not your big name brands go by The Circle because here is where you will find them.

3) Product Pricing

The price of the merch in the shop is relatively the same as any other shop you might find and The Circle rarely has sales. Their sales only occur during the thanksgiving weekend (10% off) and at season end (20% to 25% off). But The Circle employees are cool and you might be able to get a deal from them if you chat them up a bit.

4) Customer Service

The Circle customer service is pretty good and as I mentioned above everyone who works there is cool and knowledgeable. As soon as you walk in the shop you are greeted with a hello or what’s up and the employees are always willing to help you out. But since there is usually one person working the shop, if the shop is busy you might not get the full Circle customer experience.

5) Overall

Overall I really like The Circle because it’s quite different from other shops in Whistler and Vancouver, much like Evolution. They have unique products that you might not find elsewhere and their employees are always willing to help. I usually head into The Circle once a week just to see if there is any new gear especially from Nomis.

Snow Forecast for Whistler

2008-10-31T05:16:00.000-07:00

Hello fellow snowboarders,

It finally looks like we are getting snow in Whistler over the next couple of days. I have been checking the forecasts for weeks now and wasn't too optimistic that there would be enough snow for opening day like in the past year. I was worried, even though it's early, that it would be a repeat of 2003/2004. But it does look like the snow is on it's way due to the freezing level dropping.

Detailed Whistler Snow Forecast website

Shop Review - Westbeach (Vancouver / Whistler)

2008-10-29T05:36:00.000-07:00

Westbeach is a Canadian board shop that started up in 1979 in Calgary and now has two main shops in Vancouver (West 4th & Burrard and in Gastown) and Whistler (Market Place, Village North).

http://www.westbeachtheshop.com/

I usually stroll in to Westbeach on a consistent basis to see what’s new and for their Volcom clothes section…I love Volcom jeans. Recently I purchased new snowboard boots, bindings and a board (that I returned due to cosmetic reasons). So without further adieu here is my detailed review of the Westbeach shops.

1) Shop setup / Visual Merch

All Westbeach stores are setup in the same fashion, clothing / shoes up front and gear in the back. The Whistler store has a more artistic flare because in their front windows they have some cool displays that are well thought out. As for the Vancouver store they only have two front windows and now displays. Both stores are descent sizes with the Vancouver one the bigger of the two making able to carry a lot of gear for the particular season.

Also both shops always have a couple of TVs in them playing the latest snowboarding, surfing or skateboarding movies which is always cool to have, it keeps me in the store that much longer.

2) Variety

Westbeach carries a large variety of gear, clothing and accessories, my favourite being the Volcom section. From a snowboarding perspective they stock Burton, Stepchild, Lib Tech, GNU and 32 boots. They also stock the lasted videos, but this year did seem to have all of them like they did in the past.

In the summer months Westbeach transforms they inventory into skateboarding and surfing gear but still keep the snowboarding products out as well.

3) Product Pricing

The price of the merch in the shop is relatively the same as any other shop you might find and Westbeach rarely has sales. Their sales only occur during the thanksgiving weekend (10% off) and at season end (20% to 25% off)

4) Customer Service

I find Westbeach’s customer service hit and miss. Sometimes you get good service when you are browing in their stores but most of the time you are just ignored. This is very evident in the Whistler store, they’re to cool to help you out!

When I was buying all my gear for this season the guy helping me just did want to be there and it was evident in his attitude. Also they work on commission, so I would think that they would get more effort to help you make the right choice.

With respect to product knowledge I think the Westbeach staff does a good job, as most of their employees ride the gear they are sell. But since they do work on commission do your homework before hand because there is always the risk that they will try to push some product on you that you might not want.

One guy at the Vancouver shop, I think his name was Eric, is extremely helpful and doesn’t care about commission so I would suggest asking around to see if he’s there to help out.

5) Overall

Westbeach is descent board shop that can become a really good board shop if they customer service improves in both stores. Really they only reason I shop there is because of their large selection of Volcom clothes, other wise I think you can get better service else where when purchasing gear.

Surfing 2008 Best Trick

2008-10-27T02:00:00.000-07:00

Ok, I know this is not the movie review you were looking for but I have yet to receive my new snowboarding videos from action sports videos. But fear not I will have a review guaranteed for next Monday. Just to let you know I did dispute the charges through my mastercard and got my money back for the videos that were never sent to me, so I'm just going to go to my local shop and pick them up this week. Check out my experience with ASV here: ActionSportsVideo Review

Now I know this is quite old, as the 2008 Surfer Awards were already handed out but I really think some of these tricks are amazing. So I just wanted to share them with you. The nominees were:

- Dane Reynolds / Dude Cruise (WINNER)
- Dion Agius / Behind The Black Curtain
- Dane Reynolds / Dude Cruise
- Pat Gudauskas / The Pursuit
- Clay Marzo / Just Add Water

More surfing videos on SurferMag.com

Dane Reynolds with his trick in Dude Cruise took took home the award for best trick of 2008....that was suck a sich trick!!!

Also the big winner of the night was no surprise, Kelly Slater for number 1 male surfer. Well deserved since he won his 9th world title this year.

More surfing videos on SurferMag.com

Un..Inc Reunion

2008-10-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

There is something going on in the snowboarding world that is very exciting for me.....a possible Un..Inc reunion.

Recently I read that Gigi left Burton to join Volcom in the quest to conquer the snowboarding world with their introduction to snowboard hardware manufacturing due out in 2009/2010. Also in the past of couple months Burton has let go of JP Solberg, DCP and Romain De Marchi, leaving the door wide open for an Un..Inc reunion on Volcom.

I also noticed on the net this website called, We Are Un..Inc , so something interesting is about to occur in the next couple of months.

Check out a couple of these articles and posts on other blogs to see how things are shaping up for the former Burton Un..Inc'ers

Gigi says Screw off Burton

Gigi Sign with Volcom

So fingers crossed that these guys can reunite on a team that would be amazing because together they bang out awesome video parts. I guess we can look forward to another Volcom snowboarding movie in 09/10 if this reunion occurs.

Shop Review – Evolution (Whistler)

2008-10-22T06:15:00.000-07:00

For my first shop review I wanted to write about one of my favourite shops that I frequent in Whistler, Evolution (http://www.evolutionwhistler.com).

Evolution is a locally owned shop that is located in the Whistler Village between the Village Square (Citta’s, Liquor Store/Grocery Store) and the Conference Center (Buffalo Bill’s Tapley’s). It’s quite a unique store in Whistler because it really fuses snowboard and mountain biking with fashion. The reason I say its quite unique is because most board shops, especially in Whistler, just sell gear with very little consideration on the fashion side of things. If I’m not describing it well here is the “about us” from the Evolution website. I guess you can say it’s like their mission statement:

The Evolution Story

Evolution established in 1995, is located in the heart of the Whistler Village in BC, Canada.

Evolution represents Whistler’s culture of Biking, Snow riding, Skateboarding, and Fashion.

In the winter we sell Snowboards and NarrowAssSnowboards (sold in pairs…) and stylin' related outerwear and accessories.

In the summer we rent and sell select quality bikes, parts and accessories and our excellent tech's service all types of bikes. Year round we stock a boutique selection of fashion from brands that often request to be in our store.

We offer opportunity to find clothes that are unique because we do not stock two of the same item

Evolution supports local artists, photographers, videographers and musicians with sales, and use of art, photos, DVD’s and CD’s.

Evolution is committed to quality service, products and style.

If you love bikes, snowboards, fashion or art: a visit to Evolution is a must when you are in Whistler.

So as you can see Evolution truly represents snowboarding culture and that why I really like this shop. So without further adieu here is my detailed review.

1) Shop setup / Visual Merch

Since Evolution is more a stylish shop the visual merch and shop setup are awesome. From outside to inside of the shop it feels lively due to all the art work colours that are displayed. Since the shop is pretty small it’s very easy to get around. Clothes and other accessories are at the front or entrance of the shop, while the snowboard and mountain biking gear is located in the back. Also Evolution carries a ton of videos and local music that are located just behind the counter.

Don’t be fooled about the size of the shop…it definitely packs a punch because it combines both substance and style. Evolution is one of the most visually pleasing shops in Whistler among all the large corporate stores….it’s really refreshing and inspiring to see an awesome locally run shop in Whistler.

2) Variety

Evolution sells a large selection of clothes and gear from many of the top brands. From a snowboarding perspective they stock Rome, Ride, Lib Tech, Rossi and 32 plus a ton out outerwear from Plant Earth, DC, Airblaster and more. Evo also stocks the lasted videos.

In the summer months this shop transforms into the best mountain bike shop in Whistler, carrying bikes from Specialized, Cove and Santa Cruz. If your ride needs some lovin’ bring into Evolution because they always have the best techs there to give your bike the treatment it deserves.

3) Product Pricing

The price of the merch in the shop is relatively the same as any other shop you might find. But the good thing about Evolution is that they seem to have more sales than any shop in Whistler. So if you catch it at the right time you can pick up some gear for a good price. I have usually seen about 10% to 15% off at times, so always check back into the store just to make sure you’re not missing a good deal.

4) Customer Service

Ok this is where Evolution set itself apart from other board shops in Whistler and even in Vancouver for that matter, their customer service. From the moment you walk into the shop you are greeted with a friendly hello, usually from the shop owner Jenine. Once in the shop you are never really ignored or feel out of place because the staff is so friendly and always willing to help you out. The staff takes the time to chat with you even if you’re not buying anything which is cool to see.

The Evolution staff really makes all its customers feel at home in their shop and I think that stems from it being locally owned and operated. That’s why I really enjoy going into their shop, even if I’m not buying anything….their customer service is the best out of all the board shops in Whistler and Vancouver.

5) Overall

As you can tell Evolution is my favourite shop and I really urge anyone visiting Whistler looking to purchase some gear to head over to this shop and check it out. You won’t be disappointed.

On Hold for this week……Movie Review Monday

2008-10-20T05:40:00.000-07:00

Well I had to put off Movie Review Monday for this week because I have yet to receive my order from ActionSportsVideos.com (ASV). So I have decided to review ActionSportsVideo.com. I’m pretty steamed with regards to not receiving my ordered 2009 snowboard movies on time, so this review won’t be pretty.

1) Navigation / User Friendly Site

ASV is a pretty easy site to navigate through. All their videos are categorized by sport such as Surfing, Snowboarding, Skiing, etc. Once in the category of your choice the movies are generally sorted by release year so the newest videos are on the first page. They also offer a short synopsis of the movies, to let you know who’s in it and any other notable information. If you find the movies you want to buy it’s pretty easy to add them to your check out cart and complete the transaction.

So for user friendliness of their site I think it’s pretty simple and basic, which is want a buyer wants.

2) Pricing

ASV pricing of all their videos is decent. On a lot of the bigger flicks they offer a couple of bucks off but it's not that much different than their competitors. Also the shipping costs, unless you live in the US, are average. It works out to about $4 US per purchased video for Canadians, unless you buy over $250 worth of movies then it’s free.

3) Variety

The variety of videos is good at ASV. They carry all major titles from a broad spectrum of action sports from Snowboarding, Surfing and Skiing to Mountain Biking and Wakeboarding.

4) Customer Service

Ok now it seem like ASV is a good place to order movies from….well this is where it get bad because to me customer service is crucial.

I placed my order online with Action Sports Videos on Sept 5th and purchased 5 snowboard videos (Double Decade, Ready, Down with People, No Correct Way and That’s It That’s All). As to this day I have yet to receive them. Now I have e-mailed ASV over 10 times requesting they give me information as to when my order will be arriving but I have only gotten one response saying that there was a delay in distribution of the video to there warehouse. Also you are told on the website not to call their customer service phone numbers with questions about order status because they say to e-mail them in. So I did that and really got no solid answer from them that way. So I called their phone number to ask about my order status and I got attitude from the customer service rep saying that I should not be calling in to ask about order status….what bull shit.

So it’s been over a month from the date I ordered the videos and I haven’t received them yet, when there site clearly states that shipping to Canada takes 3 to 10 business days…..well it’s been 20+ days. Where are my videos??? Wait, contact customer service by e-mail so that they can ignore you….nice.

So since customer service is highly important to me when I’m purchasing a product I give ASV a failing grade. I would never purchase any thing from them again due to this lack of communication with their customers….nice way to run a business, fuck ups!!!

YOU FAIL....ACTION SPORTS VIDEOS

Snowboard Shop Reviews

2008-10-17T02:13:00.000-07:00

Over the next couple of posts I'll be reviewing some of the local board shops that I usually frequent in both Whistler and Vancouver in order to gear you up for the up coming winter season. I will be critiquing the shops based mainly on customer service, product selection / variety and price.

The following is a list of stores which I will be reviewing over the next couple of weeks:

- Westbeach Vancouver
- Westbeach Whistler
- Showcase Snowboards Whistler
- Evolution Whistler
- Comor Whistler
- Pacific Boarder Vancouver
- The Boardroom Vancouver
- The Circle Whistler
- Mountain Riders Whistler

Hopefully these reviews will help you make an informed decision on where you should make your next purchase for your snowboarding needs. So check back over the next 2 weeks for these reviews.....don't miss it.

Also don't forget about Movie Review Mondays where I review the 2009 snowboarding videos.

My New Gear for the 2009 Snowboard Season

2008-10-16T01:51:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

I just want to share with you my newly acquired gear for this upcoming snowboard season. This year I ended up getting a whole new setup to replace my old all mountain board that I purchased back in 2004.

I got a Burton UnInc 157, Burton Cartel bindings and Burton Ion boots, as the pictures below show.

I'm really excited to test out my new gear in Whistler this year to see how good it performs. Also as the snowboard season goes on I will be bring you reviews of my gear, along with other snowboard equipment I can demo.

Here is my setup for this year so far:

All Mountain
- Burton UnInc 157 (2009)
- Burton Cartels (2009)
- Burton Ion (2009)

Park
- Stepchild Simon Chamberlain 153 (2005)
- Burton P1 (2005)
- Burton Ion (2009)

As I said I hope to bring you reviews of all my gear once the season gets underway. Hope all of you have a great early season and see you on the slopes.

Monday Movie Review - Downloaded Stepchild Snowboards

2008-10-13T10:48:00.000-07:00

Here is the first out of many reviews I'll be posting on this years snowboarding video releases...enjoy.

For this year Stepchild release a free downloadable team video, Downloaded, with the likes of JP Walker, Simon Chamberlain, Joe Sexon, Satian Solberg, Fredu Sirvio, Markku Koski, Scotty Vine, Chris Wimbles, Shin Campos and their AM’s (E-man and Risto).

The films concept is based on how the team fills in their snowboard travel year when they are not filming with the big film production companies. Some of the places that this film is shoot in are Japan, Whistler at COC, Big Bear, Mammoth Mtn and a couple locations in northern Europe.

Now for the review

1) Soundtrack

Overall the soundtrack to Downloaded was really well put together and had a couple of recognizable/mainstream songs. It consisted of a true mix of all types of music hip hop, rock, house/dance and mellow chill. Also Stepchild had the placement of the music bang on, hip hop with park/rail sessions, more up tempo beats with jump sessions and mellow music with flowing powder riding. One of my favourite parts musically was when they introduced JP to the team…they played MOP’s Ante Up from his video part back in True Life. Oh that brings back memories.

2) Cinematography

With regards to the cinematography of the film there wasn’t any thing that was ground breaking. I would say that it was standard. Not like MDP’s Picture This, that set the bar with regards to snowboard cinematography in my opinion. But I have to say that I really enjoyed watching the first scene with Chamberlain and Sexon at the rail in Japan…I thought the angle of the shot was cool because you could see almost all of the details of the tricks they were pulling off.

3) Segments / Riders

Since the film is so rail and park heavy the segments are pretty repetitive, just rail/park shots from a different local. But you should already know this since the team is more street rail oriented. You’re not going to see much big mountain riding from this team. The segments that stood out for me was the first scene with Chamberlain and Sexon, they were killing it with so many technical tricks that rail in Japan. Also I liked watching Fredu Sirvio's part, it was pretty smooth riding.

4) Extras

There are no extra or bonus segments in this video.

5) Overall

The Stepchild Downloaded video wasn’t bad for a free download. I was hope they would have a bit more shots with JP Walker, but I guess his year is filled with working with MDP. On the downside there wasn’t a lot of variety in the riding, about 90% rail park sessions. So overall I think it was a funny video to watch and it did get my amp up to hit the park this coming season, so I give this film a 7 / 10.

CJ Hobgood Wins Billabong Pro Mundaka

2008-10-09T07:18:00.000-07:00

It’s been a hell of a few days for Florida. Yesterday the newswire was abuzz with Kelly Slater’s ninth title, today it’s CJ Hobgood’s name who’s all over the headlines. With time ticking off the clock, and needing a solid score, a two-wave set rolled into the lineup. CJ paddled for the first, but with Parko holding down priority, the Australian was able to keep him off the wave by taking it for himself. Bad move. CJ got an absolute drainer with no time left on the clock, came flying out into the channel, broke Parko’s heart, and won the Billabong Pro Mundaka in the process. Parko may be a bit broken hearted, but it was a hell of a final, and after a few beers and some time there’s no doubt he’ll rebound. But for now, a huge congratulations goes out to CJ on a job well done.

But the big story of the Billabong Pro Mundaka was Kelly Slater winning his 9th world title.

Kelly Slater's 9TH ASP World Title

Transportation to Whistler

2008-10-08T06:52:00.000-07:00

There are not many options when it comes to modes of transportation from Vancouver to Whistler. Really there is only one way which proves that the BC government is shortsighted in planning for the 2010 Olympics because it is by automobile, bus or car. That is another topic I can go on about but this is about how to get to Whistler in the most cost effective way.

You could rent a car but with the cost of fuel and fact that once in Whistler you will not need your car because almost everything is accessible by foot. Whistler is a pedestrian friendly town since the main village is pedestrian only traffic.

The second way to get to Whistler from Vancouver is by bus. There are a couple buses companies that pick up passengers at various locations. So depending on where your origin in Vancouver is the following is a breakdown of what bus to take based on the lowest cost round trip for one adult. Note that prices are subject so please refer to the company’s website for more details and schedules.

From Vancouver Airport

Greyhound - $85.60 plus taxi to downtown bus station and back to airport $100 (8 departures daily to Whistler)

Perimeter - $126 (has a pick location at Vancouver Airport with 11 daily departures to Whistler)

Pacific Coach Lines – $102.90 (has a pick location at Vancouver Airport with 12 daily departures to Whistler)

SnowBus - $74.95 (has a pick location at Vancouver Airport but only 2 to 3 daily departures)

From Downtown Vancouver

Greyhound - $85.60 (8 departures daily to Whistler)

Perimeter - $126 (has several hotel pick up locations with 11 departures daily to Whistler)

Pacific Coach Lines – $102.90 (has several hotel pick up locations with 12 departures daily to Whistler)

SnowBus – $42.92 (has a couple downtown pick up locations but 2 to 3 daily departures)

Alot of information, I know, but here is a summary.

If you are coming from Vancouver Airport with 4 to 5 friends then taxi it to the downtown bus terminal and take the Greyhound. Else if you are alone just take the Pacific Coach Lines bus. Just to note that the Pacific Coach Lines and Perimeter bus are more luxurious, so if you want to ride in comfort either of those will do.

If you are already downtown Vancouver just take the Greyhound. I can see that SnowBus is cheaper but they only run a couple of runs up to Whistler, the Greyhound has a better schedule with more choices even when coming back to the city. Also when taking the greyhound make sure that you are at the terminal at least 45 mins to 1 hour before the scheduled departure time because these bus get packed in the winter.

Hope this helps.

Movie Review Mondays

2008-10-06T00:06:00.000-07:00

It’s that time of year again to see what our favourite pro riders and film makers where up to last winter season. This comes at a good time because all us snowboarders are going stir crazy waiting for the snow to fall and our local mountains to open. So these new 2009 videos should keep us sane until winter.

For the next 6 Mondays I’m going to be posting reviews on some newly released snowboard videos. Here is the 2009 snowboards video I’m going to be reviewing not in any particular order.

Downloaded – Stepchild Snowboards
Double Decade – Mack Dawg Productions
Down with People - Mack Dawg Productions
Ready – Absinthe Films
No Correct Way – Rome Snowboards
That’s It That’s All – Brain Farm Films

So check back every Monday to read my take on these hot new releases for the 2009 snowboard season.

Kelly Slater Wins 9th World Title at the Mundaka Pro in Spain

2008-10-03T10:10:00.000-07:00

K9, Nine lives, Revolution #9, call it what you want, Kelly Slater is a 9-time ASP world champion. Slater clinched the world title at the 9th ASP tour stop in Spain today by making it to round 4 where he was up against Tom Whitaker but lost. Whitaker has a perfect 10 ride and backed it up with an 8.00 for a total of 18.00. While Slater started out early with 9.33 but couldn't bust one out again finishing with a final score of 12.43.

But this is not about Slater winning this tour stop. It's about the world title and all he had to do was past round 3, which he did.

Also I just wanted to add this quote from the CEO of Quiksilver, which sums up the ability of Slater. "Kelly Slater is an extraordinary human being, physically and mentally. His talent and accomplishments are unmatched in surfing and perhaps in the history of sports," says Bob McKnight, Quiksilver President, Chairman and CEO.

Congrats Slater, hopefully he comes back to contend for a 10th world title.

Surfing in Tofino at Cox Bay

2008-10-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I went surfing on Vancouver Island, Tofino to be exact. For those of you who don’t know Tofino is Canada’s best and really only surf spot. Since there was a fall special at a very nice resort I stayed in the Cox Bay area of Tofino.

If you have the chance and don’t mind spending the cash for accommodations I would really suggest staying at 1431 Cox Bay resort. This resort is right on the beach and is virtually brand new as it was built only about 3 months before and still establishing is full resort amenities like hot tub, gym and sauna. At 1431 they have one and two bedroom condos that you can rent. Now in peak summer time the cost per night is about 300 for a one bedroom but we saw this fall deal online for 125 per night. Each condo has a full kitchen so you can save some cash by cooking your own meals, an LCD TV and wireless internet so you can check up on the daily surf report. But still regardless of the price I still recommend this place if you are going surfing in Tofino.

The weather couldn’t be better for the end of September on Vancouver Island. It was pure sunshine and about 20 degrees celsius both days, which is really unusual for this time of year because it is usually overcast and rainy. The swell at peak times were anywhere from 6 to 8 ft and the water temperature about 12 degrees celsius, so wetsuits are necessary. Cox Bay is one of the best surf spots in Tofino as it gets some of the best waves out of all the beaches in the area.

Since I have only gone surfing a couple of times I had to rent my gear from Long Beach Surf Shop for $95 for 2 days. The rental included wetsuit, board, gloves, booty’s and gear insurance. Surfing at Cox Bay was awesome as the sets came in so often with quality waves, so no long waits between sets. The only down side to surfing at Cox Bay is the under tow, which is really strong compared to surfing in SoCal. In my opinion, is if you are a true beginner and can’t swim to well go to Long Beach as it is a bit easier from what I was told. All in all I had a really good surf session over the 2 days and got many good quality rides in, even craved in the wave a bit on my best one.

Fantasy Surfer League...Be Part of the Action

2008-09-29T06:00:00.000-07:00

Last year sometime I was reading SurferMag and came across an ad for an online fantasy surfing league. When I got home that night I checked it out online and created an account, which is free by the way. Now since I was traveling so much for work, last year, I really had no time to dedicate to it.

At the beginning of Jan 2008 I got an e-mail from SurferMag, who runs the fantasy surfing site, about the upcoming season......oh ya I forgot I hand an account. So I logged in and started to become acquainted with the site, the ASP tour and it's surfers. Now at this point I really did not know much about surfing and it athletes but now after 9 months of being a part of the fantasy surf site and playing I'm much more knowledgeable.

So I just wanted to introduce this site and league to you because it makes you be part of the action....ok maybe not physically but it's just as fun to strategize and pick your team.

As I had mentioned before to create an account is free at http://www.fantasysurfer.com/ and the rest is a piece of cake. The overall concept of the league is to pick as many surfers as possible with your $50,000,000 salary cap limit will allow for each ASP tour stop. Simple right.....it's similar to many other fantasy leagues out there on the net.

The reason I really like this fantasy league is because it is really based upon the surfer on how well they do and not tied to a team results. Not to mention the fact that surfing is not your tyical main stream sport....it's much better. When picking your team you really have to do your homework for each event because each ASP tour stop is different from each other, bringing out some surfers strengths and other surfers weaknesses.

The grand prize for the top point getter at that end of the season wins an awesome surf vacation for two in an exotic location......live the surf life for a bit. Also if you join varies clubhouses you are also eligble to win prizes each tour stop basis on your standing, such as signed surf board by your favourite pros and other gear.

Also you can watch every ASP surf even live via webcast, which is streamed with pretty good quality, to cheer on the team you built for that event. Just google the event name to find the site, found on the ASP tour site.

It's never to late to join the league and take part in the last couple of events and if you enjoy the fun of fantasy sports leagues and surfing this is dream.

Have fun and surfs up...Dudes....LOL.

Quiksilver Pro France 2008 - Ace's Wild over Slater

2008-09-26T08:49:00.000-07:00

Kelly Slater was not able to wrap up his 9th ASP World Title in France this week as Adrian "Ace" Buchan edged him out in the finals, 15.74 to 15.16. It was close to the previous tour stop final with the exception that Slater could finish strong in the end. Buchan had two relatively high wave scores in the first 15 min of the finals at 8.17 and 7.57, which proved to be the only two waves he need to beat Slater. Kelly Slater did score an 8.43 with 13 mins left but couldn't come up with enough to beat Ace.

Quiksilver Pro France 2008 Finals Video Highlights - Ace vs. Slater

Also interesting that heavy hitters like Mick Fanning, 2007 Pro France winner, was knocked out of the compettion in the round 2 by Gabe Kling and Joel Parkinson beat by the wild card Michel Bourez. Actually Michel Bourez ended up finishing 6th, which is really amazing for a wild card but he did beat Kelly Slater last year so he has skills.

All in all it was another great ASP tour stop in France and all eyes will be on Kelly Slater in his quest for world title # 9 in Mundaka, Spain.

Whistler Restaurant Listing

2008-09-24T09:05:00.000-07:00

Here's a quick listing of most of the restaurants in Whistler. I will be posting reviews of my favourite restaurants in Whistler in the near future so check back to see what I have to say.

Asian

Amami
4274 Mountain Square 604-932-6431

Chinese

Joey Chan's
2059 Lake Placid Road 604-966-0966

European

Après Restaurant
4338 Main Street 604-935-0200

Bavaria Restaurant
4369 Main Street 604-932-7518

French

Bear Foot Bistro
4121 Whistler Way 604-932-3433

Greek

Zeuski's Taverna
4314 Main Street 604-932-6009

Indian

Tandoori Grill
4368 Main Street 604-905-4900

Italian

Il Caminetto di Umberto
4242 Village Stroll 604-932-4442

Trattoria di Umberto
4417 Sundial Place 604-932-5858

Old Spaghetti Factory
4154 Village Green 604-938-1081

Quattro 4319
Main Street 604-905-4844

Japanese

Sushi Village
4272 Mountain Square 604-932-3330

Teppan Village
4293 Mountain Square 604-932-2223

Sachi Sushi
4359 Main Street 604-935-5649

Sushi Ya
4370 Lorimer Road 604-905-0155

Zen's Sushi
2202 Gondola Way 604-932-3667

Mediterranean

Caramba
4312 Main Street 604-938-1879

Mexican

Tex Corleone's
4005 Whistler Way 604-905-0839

Il Tipo's Mexican Grill
Creekside 604-932-4424

Steak & SeafoodKeg Steakhouse
4429 Sundial Place 604-932-5151

Monk's Grill Steak House
4555 Blackcomb Way 604-932-9677

Hy's Steakhouse
4308 Main Street 604-905-5555

Rim Rock
2117 Whistler Road 604-932-5565

Morgan's
Creekside 604-932-3010

Pub/Bistro/Grill

Cinnamon Bear
4050 Whistler Way 604-932-1982

Citta's Bistro
4271 Village Stroll 604-932-4177

Earl's Bistro
4295 Blackcomb Way 604-935-3222

Fifty Two
80 Bistro Inside the Four Seasons 604-966-5280

Garibaldi Lift Co.
2320 London Lane 604-905-2220

The Brewhouse
4355 Blackcomb Way 604-905-2739

Palmer's Gallery & Grill
4010 Whistler Way 604-932-3282

Mongolie Grill
4295 Blackcomb Way 604-938-9416

Ric's Grill
4154 Village Green 604-932-7427

Dusty's Bar & Grill
2320 London Lane 604-905-2171

Dubh Linn Gate Irish Pub
Inside the Pan Pacific 604-905-4047

Lakeside Lounge
2131 Lake Placid Road 605-966-5705

West Coast

Araxi Restaurant & Bar
4222 Village Square 604-932-4540

Aubergine Grille
4090 Whistler Way 604-935-4338

Crab Shack
Beside the Coast Hotel 604-932-4451

Evergreens Restaurant
4050 Whsitler Way 604-932-7346

La Bocca
4232 Village Stroll 604-932-2112

Milestones
4308 Main Street 604-938-4648

La Rua
4557 Whistler Way 604-932-5011

Wildflower Restaurant
4599 Chateau Blvd 604-938-2033

Christine's
4545 Blackcomb Way 604-938-7473

Earl's Restaurant
605-935-3222

Jordan's Crossing
2131 Lake Placid Road 605-966-5705

JC's Cafe & Deli
2131 Lake Placid Road 605-966-5705

Transworld Snowboarding Interview - Caught Up with JP Solberg

2008-09-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

How's it going all just wanted to share an interview conducted by Transworld Snowboarding Magazine on JP Solberg, one of my favouite riders. Since JP Solberg has been let go by Burton, big mistake, along with Romain De Marchi and DCP he is now sounding off in the interview. I can't believe they dismantlement and discontinued the UnInc product line and team. Any how here is the interview....enjoy.

Caught Up with JP Solberg

The Solberg duo of brothers Stian and JP rolled through the offices the other day to catch a little Cali sun before heading back to Norway for some downtime. JP just got back from a surf trip in Indonesia carrying home an extra friend—a little stomach-wrenching parasite. One thing he didn’t come home with though, is a board sponsor. This kid’s off Burton and just reppin’ Nixon and Active now and he’s hungry for some support. With a stack of banger video parts and some of the smoothest backcountry blasting, he won’t be rollin’ sans sponsor for long…

So you’re no longer on Burton. Did the departure come as a shock or did you see it coming?

The thing about those people is that you don’t really know what they want to do. There are so many people pulling strings in different directions and that was one of the more frustrating things about being with such a big company. You never really know where you’re going, or what direction. But you know I’ve had the best years of my life riding for that company so I’m not going to be bitter about anything. And you know it’s not my company and I don’t make the decisions there. And in this case change is good and I’m really looking forward to new challenges and working with new people. You live in a bubble when you work for Burton you know, but I want to be proof that there is actually life after Burton. I felt that over the years a lot of riders are scared when they’re with Burton because what do you do after? But there is life after and I want to be the epitome of that.

How has this affected your take on snowboarding?

I’m the most stoked on snowboarding that I’ve ever been. Part of growing up is realizing how grateful you have to be for the opportunity to travel around and enjoy what you’re doing. I think when you’re a kid and everything is going so fast you don’t really get to stop and think about what is actually going on. Looking back it’s been so rad. I don’t want to stop doing this. So hopefully I can move forward as fast as possible and get back on snow. I can’t wait to go snowboarding with my friends. With Burton they kept me so busy, and I look at all my friends who ride for other companies and they’re just chillin’ you know. I’ve always seen myself on their note, but with Burton they just run you hard. It gives you a little bit of work ethic, but I don’t see anything being harder than riding for Burton. I mean fuck it, I’m not in the machine anymore, I’m not locked down in the matrix, I’m breakin’ free!

Do you have any film projects lined up for next winter?

Next winter I really want to stick with Justin [Hostynek] and Absinthe. I really found my way back to that crew and they put me on in the beginning and gave me a chance and it just worked out really good with Transcendence. This year I had a really good year and got to be injury–free. People thought that I was taking a break from snowboarding, but it was just because my body wouldn’t allow me to ride. If you look at other sports, there’s like this whole system of people that want to help you get better and get you back into what ever you’re doing. Whether it’s football, soccer or any kind of sport if you get hurt, then these people come in and tell you what to do so you can continue down that path you’re already on. But with snowboarding, I’ve found that when you get hurt, a lot of people are like “alright, next” ‘cause there’s always someone next in line ready to come up.

Snowboard Video Games

2008-09-19T06:04:00.000-07:00

What's going on fellow riders! Over the last two months I have seen two new video games come up regarding snowboarding. Now I know what your thinking, not another Cool Boarders game. No these two games actually look really good. These games somewhat capture real life snowboarding from just cruising to hitting up the backcountry. I guess they would be similar to the Tony Hawk series, which have amazing game play.

The first is Shawn White's snowboarding game by Ubisoft for PS3, Wii and PC. Here are some key Features of Shaun White Snowboarding for Xbox 360, the PLAYSTATION 3 system, and PC:

- Open World Mountains Choose how you ride in open-world mountains across the world. Conquer extreme peak conditions, create your own paths in the back country, or compete with fellow riders in the terrain parks.

- Your Friends Are Always Around Play in a world where your friends are always around. Do your own runs on mountains populated by real gamers, or join your friends for a quick session from any mountain.

- More than Just Snowboarding Have fun with your friends on and off the board! Throw snowballs, hike to access secret spots, film your friends doing ripping tricks. You can also upload your videos online to share with the world.

- Ride Your Way Express yourself through tricks, riding styles, and highly customizable avatars – both in single-player and in the online world. Use the intuitive dual analog control to pull off a huge variety of tricks that express your style.

- Next-Gen Technology Built on the Assassin's Creed engine, this game creates a massive world with gorgeous visuals and realistic NPC interactions. This is also the first time a snowboarding game is completely driven by physics instead of animation.

The second snowboarding video destine to hit stores for the holidays is Stoked for the Xbox 360 by Destineer. I'm really exsited about this game because Destineer was working together with Absinthe Films. In Stoked, craft a snowboarding career with your own customizable style and ride five famous mountains featuring over 45 square miles of open terrain in each location. Discover new drop points by helicopter. Dynamic and ever-evolving weather conditions await riders as they choose where they ride and what they ride in by tracking conditions that suit their tastes.

Riders get instant drop in access to multiplayer action where they team up with friends to create a wide variety of riding experiences, both cooperative and competitive. Players can also go up against other riders on Xbox LIVE in a series of sponsored events to boost their fame!

Stoked features some of the most influential professional riders in the world: Travis Rice, Nicolas Mueller, Wolle Nyvelt, Annie Boulanger, Romain de Marchi, Tadashi Fuse, Gigi Ruef, and Bjorn Leines. An impressive line up of 30 authentic sponsors also appear in Stoked including but not limited to: Burton, Dragon, Arcus, Von Zipper, Eleven, 686, Billabong, DaKine, Electric, LibTech, Nitro, Northwave, Oakley, Quiksilver, Ride, Hart, Rome, Salomon, TechNine, Vans, Volcom, and more!

You can also Own trick spots, show up rivals, and build your reputation. Take pictures of friends and capture video of your best moves to win the kind of attention that lands you on the cover of a snowboarding magazine. Conquer massive mountains and carve your path as a snowboarding phenomenon in the deepest, truest backcountry snowboarding video game

Whistler Night Clubs and Pubs

2008-09-17T06:29:00.000-07:00

Below is a listing of all the Clubs and Pubs in Whistler for your partying needs after a day on the slopes.

Maxx Fish

Maxx Fish draws a hipster crowd of visitors and locals with its mix of house, R&B, funk and hip hop music. In addition to the DJs spinning for the crowd there are air hockey and foosball tables to keep patrons busy. Wednesday's get packed as it is local’s night so it's a good idea to get there early.

Address: Whistler Village Square Whistler BC Canada V0N 1B0
Telephone 1 604 932-1904
http://www.maxxfish.moonfruit.com/

Cinnamon Bear Bar

The Cinnamon Bear Bar is an upscale bar conveniently located in Whistler Village. Patrons can enjoy a drink, some tasty food and a game of pool in a sophisticated environment.

Address: 4050 Whistler Way Whistler BC V0N 1B4
Telephone 1 604 932-1982

Garibaldi Lift Co. (GLC)

Located at the base of the Whistler Village Gondola, the Garibaldi Lift Co. (or GLC) brings in Whistler's hippest visitors for apres-ski. A unique tapas menu is available and specialty martinis are served alongside imported beers. Later in the evening, reggae and ambient house music acts as the soundtrack to the snowboard and ski videos playing in the background.

Address: Box 67, 2320 London Lane Whistler BC Canada V0N 1B0
Telephone 1 604 905-2220

Tommy Africa's

Tommy Africa's features a wide array of music, with hip hop, r & b, top 40, house and more getting the dance floor jumping. Tommy Africa's often brings in DJ's from around the world.

Address: #101 - 4216 Gateway Drive Whistler BC V0N 1B4
Telephone 1 604 932-6090
http://www.tommyafricas.com/

Garfinkel’s Night Club

Garfinkel’s Night Club is one of the premeire nightclubs in Whistler. Open seven days a week, Garfinkel's offers different theme nights, live concerts and more.

Address: #1 - 4308 Main Street Whistler BC V0N 1B4
Telephone 1 604 932-2323
http://www.garfswhistler.com/

Savage Beagle Bar

The Savage Beagle Bar is one of Whistler's hottest nightspots, located in the heart of Whistler Village. Popular with tourists and locals, the Savage Beagle is known for their fresh-squeezed juice martinis.

Address: 4222 Village Square Whistler BC V0N 1B4
Telephone 1 604 938-3337

Moe Joe’s

This locally-owned nightclub features a mix of live music and DJ's. The casual atmosphere makes it a popular place for parties and stags.

Address: 4115 Golfers Approach Whistler BC V0N 1B4
Telephone 1 604 935-1152
http://www.moejoes.com/

Crystal Lounge

More of a laid-back pub than a lounge, this bar offers specials most nights of the week along with a regular menu of traditional pub snacks and reasonably priced drinks. Crystal Lounge is one of a number of establishments in Whistler to watch sports on big screen TVs.

Address: 4154 Village Green Whistler BC Canada V0N 1B4
Telephone 1 604 938-1081

Longhorn Saloon & Grill

The Longhorn Saloon & Grill is located in between the Blackcomb and Whistler gondolas, making it a great place for people watching. They serve standard pub fare and often have live DJ's spinning the latest party music.

Address: 4280 Mountain Square Whistler BC V0N 1B4
Telephone 1 604 932-5999
http://www.longhornsaloon.ca/

Buffalo Bills

Mainstream music gelled perfectly with the classics, a huge dance floor that begs you to let your hair down, and an energy that hits you the second you walk in the door!

Telephone: 1 604 932-6613
http://www.buffalobills.ca/

Merlin's

Boasting that it has the most famous patio in Whistler, Merlin's is busy throughout the day as it is family-friendly until 7pm and offers a number of apres-ski food and drink specials. Things get wild after dark with a range of fun activities such as karaoke, big-screen sports, theme parties and table-top dancing.

Address: Blackcomb Daylodge at the Base of the Wizard Chairlift on Blackcomb Mountain
Telephone: 1 604 938-7700

Black's Pub

Black's Pub is located in Whistler Village, within the Sundial Boutique Hotel. The pub is a popular spot for apres-ski drinkers and after a day of adventure the large outdoor patio is a great place to enjoy one of the 90 different beers available.

Address: 4270 Mountain Square Whistler BC V0N 1B4
Telephone 1 604 932-6945
http://www.whistlerpubrestaurant.com/

Tapley’s Neighbourhood Pub

Tapley’s Neighbourhood Pub was founded in 1981 and is one of Whistler's original watering holes. Tapley's hosts a variety of sports nights, showcasing North American and international sports.

Address: 4119 Golfers Approach Whistler BC V0N 1B4
Telephone 1 604 932-4011

Amsterdam Cafe Pub

Amsterdam Cafe Pub is one of Whistler's top spots to see and be seen. The bar's interior is decorated in a Euro-pop style, music is always pumping from the sound system and the there is an often-busy patio overlooking the Village Square. This pub is a great place to check out with friends after a day on the hill.

Address: 4232 Village Stroll Whistler BC V0N 1B4
Telephone 1 604 932-8334
http://www.amsterdampub.moonfruit.com/

Whistler Brewhouse

The High Mountain BrewHouse serves food with a northwestern flavour. All lagers and ales are brewed on the premises, with tours being offered Wednesdays and Saturdays at 3pm. The pub boasts two pool tables, 14 TVs, a big screen, two fireplaces and a sunny patio.

Address: 4355 Blackcomb Way (beside Municipal Hall) Whistler BC V0N 1B4
Telephone 1 604 905-2739
http://www.drinkfreshbeer.com/whistler.html

Brandy's at the Keg

Feel like a serious meal? Try Brandy's for a hearty meal of steak and potatoes. With space for 160 people, HDTVs and a long list of cocktails, Brandy's is a great place to relax after hitting the slopes.

Address: 4429 Sundial Place Whistler BC CAN V0N 1B0
Telephone 1 604 932-5151

Dubh Linn Gate Irish Pub

An Authentic Irish-style pub, the Dubh Linn Gate Irish Pub features nightly Celtic music, 30 draft beers and over 20 single malt scotches. Located in the Pan Pacific Whistler Mountainside Hotel, the pub is popular with an apres-ski crowd looking for good beer, good food and good craic.

Address: #170 - 4320 Sundial Cresent Whistler BC V0N 1B4
Telephone 1 604 905-4047
http://www.dubhlinngate.com/

Dusty's Bar and BBQ

Popular among locals, skiers and snowboarders alike, Dusty's Bar and BBQ has both meaty and vegetarian options on the menu. The folks at the pub travelled the southern US finding tips and recipes on how to create the perfect BBQ, and a range of drinks are available to compliment each meal. Visitors can enjoy watching hockey on the big screen, listening to classic rock tunes and playing interactive trivia. The bar also features a large, sunny patio.

Address: 2320 London Lane Whistler BC Canada V0N 1B4
Telephone 1 604 905-2146

Citta's Bistro

Citta's (pronounced Cheetah's) Bistro is one of the original establishments within Whitsler Village. It has evolved into a popular spot for locals and tourists alike, attracting them with good food and a large outdoor patio.

Address: 4271 Village Stroll Whistler BC V0N 1B4
Telephone 1 604 932-4177

Save Trestles

2008-09-15T07:01:00.000-07:00

Attention...Attention...Urgent Message.

Cool, now that I have you attention I want to share some information on an issue that I recently became aware of from my trip to San Clemente, California which is "SAVE TRESTLES". For my readers who are not surfers, Trestles is a famous and historical surf spot just south of San Clemente in the San Onofre State Beach.

What is occuring in this area is that the Transportation Corridor Agency is seeking to build an extension to an existing toll highway that will pass right through the coast line in the San Onofre State Beach, including Trestles Beach. If constructed this project would directly threaten the world class surf break at and around Trestles (including Uppers, Lowers, Middles, Church and Cottons), the project would also result in the destruction of Southern California’s last remaining pristine coastal watershed and substantially degrade habitat that is critical for the survival of at least seven endangered species, including the Southern Steelhead trout.

From this project of destruction came about a movement so that voices can be heard to protect this area from development called "SAVE TRESTLES".

Save Trestles website

Save Trestles....At Issue

On September 22, 2008 10:30am to 8:30pm, in O’Brien Hall at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, the SAVE TRESTLES movement will be attending a hearing to show their strong support for San Onofre State Beach. So if you are passionate about surfing show your support for this beautiful area so that generations to come can enjoy what Trestles has to offer.

Boost Mobile Pro 2008 Final - Kelly Slater vs. Taj Burrow

2008-09-12T08:42:00.000-07:00

Hello fellow boardsport enthusiasts just wanted to share with you some of the best competition surfing ever that when down in San Clemente, Lower Trestles, yesterday. It was 8 time ASP champ, Kelly Slater, against Taj Burrow.

The finals competition heat was 40 mins long and in the first 10 mins Taj Burrow busted out two amazing waves, 9.00 and a 9.63 out of 10 to put the pressure on Slater early. But that only seemed to fire up Slater because in the last 2 mins of the heat Kelly Slater ripped through the waves and scored a 9.27 to beat Taj by a total of 18.97 vs. 18.63...Slater had a 9.70 after Taj scored his high waves. It was definitely an amazing sight to see Slater work his magic in the dying mins of the competition and you can see it too in the link below.

Boost Mobile Pro 2008 Final - Kelly Slater vs. Taj Burrow

Kelly Slater is going for his unprecedented 9th ASP championship this year and it looks like he just might get....this is history in the making.

Transworld Snowboarding Good Wood 2009

2008-09-11T07:30:00.000-07:00

The 2009 version of the Transworld Snowboarding Good Wood awards have been finalized, so with no delay here they are:

Good Wood boards > $400
1- K2 Believer
2- Nitro Wiig
3- Burton Uninc
4- Nitro Team
5- Ride DH
6- Lib Tech Skate Banana Series
7- Salomon Official
8- DC MLF
9- Gnu Riders Choice BTX
10- Rome Mod

Good Wood boards < $400
1- Burton Hero
2- Gnu Carbon Beam MTX
3- K2 Darkstar
4- Capita Stairmaster
5- Nitro T1
6- Stepchild Powder Sucks
7- Forum Substance
8- Salomon Drift
9- Technine Team Gooner
10- Rossignol Retox

Good Wood boards Woman > $400
1- Gnu B-Pro BTX
2- Rossignol Diva Mag
3- Rome Lo-Fi
4- Roxy Eminence BTX
5- K2 Fling
6- Forum Craft
7- Lib Tech TRS BTX
8- Burton Stria
9- Ride Canvas
10- Flow Myriad

Good Wood boards Woman < $400
1- Technine Womens Jib
2- Forum Spinster
3- Capita Saturnia
4- Roxy Ollie Pop
5- Gnu B-Nice MTX
6- K2 VaVaVoom Rocker
7- Atomic Fallen Angel
8- Burton Blender
9- Salomon Lily
10- Rome Detail

Good Wood boards Pipe
1- Burton Vapor
2- Gnu Danny Kass BTX
3- Capita FCG
4- Forum Seeker
5- Flow WX

Whistler 2008 / 2009 Seasons Pass Math

2008-09-08T07:22:00.000-07:00

Now that the 2008 / 2009 Whistler season passes on up for sale and the early bird special price is valid until October 13, 2008, I just wanted to share some insight on which pass to buy. I know this is a bit much but it might help in trying to decide which pass to get for the season.

Whistler Seasons Pass Link

This year seasons pass at Whistler has gone up again by about $100 or so. Also with the addition of the Peak to Peak there are two type of passes and tickets, with Peak to Peak include and without, so here goes. Below is a matrix of the the different types of pass available and the number days you will need to pay off your pass. Note all costs are based on the early bird pass pricing and is compared to the Edge Card daily rate for calculation purposes.

So all in all if you are going to ski or snowboard at Whistler / Blackcomb over 26 times it is worth it to get seasons pass. I usually ride about 40 to 55 days a season at Whistler so my seasons pass is well worth the money. If you don't planning on riding more than 26 days here are some options:

- More than 20 days but less than 26 = Get two 10 day Edge Cards and pay for single day riding with the card discount

- 20 days = Get two 10 Edge Card or one 10 day and ay for single day riding with the card discount

- 15 days = Get one 10 Edge Card and one 5 Edge Card. The 15 day pass doesn't seem to be worth the price.

- Less than 15 days = Get one 10 Edge Card and pay for single day riding with the card discount

Remember all these calculations are based on the early bird pricing and is dependent on the Whistler / Blackcomb Edge Card discount schedule. So remember visit the Whistler site or contact their customer service for more information or guidance. Please note the suggestions above or just that, so I am not liable for any loss of money if you purchase any of the passes mentioned above or changes to the pricing.

Hope you all have a great season and see you in Whistler.

2009 ThirtyTwo (32) Website Up

2008-09-07T11:56:00.000-07:00

Hello, just wanted to let you know that the 2009 ThirtyTwo, 32, snowboard boots website is up. Check it out.

Rome Snowboards - No Correct Way Premiere Live Online

2008-09-04T11:48:00.000-07:00

I know it's last minute but I just wanted to pass on a great chance to check out Rome's new 2009 snowboarding flick, No Correct Way, live premiere online tonight. The Live webcast of the premiere starts at 9:30pm PST so go to the following link and check it out....it should be a good one.

No Correct Way Live Online

Southern California Experience

2008-09-03T19:09:00.000-07:00

I have to say I extremely impressed with my travels in Southern California, which included San Clemente, Newport, Dan Point, San Diego, Laguna, Huntington Beach and LA. Every city was clean and the locals where really nice even in LA, which was surprising for me. One thing that stood out to me and was consistent from city to city was the service that you get in restaurants and shops. It was the best service I have ever experienced and I have traveled many places throughout the world.

Thanks Cali...I'll be back!!!

Surfing in San Clemente

2008-09-01T19:05:00.000-07:00

While in vacationing in San Clemente I had chance to give surfing a shot. I have always loved the sport of surfing since I was a young kid. What attracted me to surfing was the aspect of connecting with your environment, traveling to exotic locations and the smooth flow of the surfing style. Now what kept me from pursuing surfing was first the obvious, I didn't live near the ocean growing up in Toronto, second I really sucked at swimming. Two main ingredients to be a good surfer. For me the closest thing to surfing was snowboarding, but in the back of my mind I always want to surf in the ocean. Don't get me wrong I love snowboarding and the mountains and that won't change....it's so much a part of who I am now.

Back to my surfing experience in San Clemente. The first day on the board I was just getting a feel for padding and trying to catch the waves. It wasn't too bad because San Clemente is one of the best places for beginner surfers and the water level where I was was not deep, about waist to should height. Also I read on the net that beginners should start learning to surf in the white waters of the waves, which is basicly the tail end of the wave cycle. I did pretty good for my first day, almost fully stood up and rode away. The next couple of days I did much better, started to get use to popping and standing on the board with a little more confidence in the white waters. One my last day I wanted to try to get more in the wave rather than the tail end white waters...boy was that a mistake. Each time I tried to catch the wave like a more seasoned rider I got slammed by the wave, and let me tell you it was the hardest falls I have ever experienced. The waves energy is really powerfull even if they are not that large. Boy was I hurting the day after.

Overall I was proud of myself for trying surfing even though I'm not the best swimmer and it looks like I will be doing alot more surfing in the future here in BC, Tofino, and in SoCal in San Clemente...my new favourite place. Also I going to take some surf lessons, most likely in Torfino, so I can really learn the fundaments to be a better surfer. If you have the chance give surfing a shot, it's a really unquie experience and it's not as scary as I thought is was going to be.

San Clemente, California

2008-08-27T19:06:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

Just writing a short note from here in sunny California. I have been here in San Clemente, California for a couple of days now and loving it. San Clemente is a somewhat small city, a population of about, 65,000 in between LA and San Diego. It's a beach town right on the pacific ocean that get amazing waves.

Actually San Clemente area is one of the best spots to surf in North America. It has an area that beginners can start surfing, all the way up to more advanced surf spots. Also this area, more specifically Trestles beach, will be hosting the upcoming 2008 Boost Mobile Pro surf competition from Sept 7th to 13th. I wish I could stay longer to watch the comps, it should be a really good one.

2008 Boost Mobile Pro in San Clemente

I am staying at a condo that is pretty much right on the beach, with a view of the pacific ocean. It's pretty awesome, check out the pic below. It's really amazing to wake up everyday and have the ocean right there for a quick swim or surf in the morning before you start your day.

San Clemente Vacation Condo

Today I went bodyboarding, since I never surfed before, and it was so much fun. The waves where pretty gentle to my surprise and a good size for someone, like me who is not the best swimmer. Tomorrow I'm going to give surfing a shot, want to see how close or not it is to snowboarding. I already know it's going to be hard because I was trying to stand on my bodyboard and it's not easy.

Well I just want to say that San Clemente is a beautiful city with sand, sun, surf & really nice people. I think this could be my new favorite place....we'll find out. Definitely a city to check out if you have the chance.

I'm on Alltop.com

2008-08-25T12:01:00.000-07:00

Hey all, just wanted to let you know that you can now find my blog on Alltop.com in the Extreme Sports category, http://extreme.alltop.com/. It's awesome to be added to Alltop.com because only the best of the best blogs are there.....oh ya and me too.

Talk to you later and happy blogging.
Mike

California Dreaming....Wait it's Really Happening

2008-08-23T04:33:00.000-07:00

Hello all, I'm off to California today, more specifically San Clemente for a week long vacation. Hopefully will get some surfing done and just chill on the beach. I'll keep you, my loyal followers, of my travels in sunny California.

Until next time....see ya.
Mike

Whistler Peak Hiking

2008-08-22T08:23:00.000-07:00

Many people flock to Whistler, BC in the summer for a getaway. Mostly for mountain biking, summer glacier riding, general site seeing and parting it up. But alot travelers to the area don't really know the amazing hiking trails that are at the top of Whistler. Ya, sure they are aware of the Peak Adventure once they reach the top they just stay in that one area for the patented photo opt.

There are 14 trails of varies levels difficulty that all lead by to the the top of the Whistler gondola. The easy trails can be done by someone who really never hikes, while the moderate and most difficult are more reserved for the experienced hiker.

Whistler Hiking Trail Map

A couple of my favorite trails are the High Note, Harmony Lake, and Harmony Ridge trail. They all ofter some really good views of Garibaldi Park and a good physical challenge. If you want to really see all of Whistler hiking has to offer head out for the High Note via Musical Bumps & Singing Pass trail. This 6 plus hour hike showcases the best views of the park, but make sure your prepared and never go alone.

Hiking on the peaks trails is one of my favorite things in the summer to do while in Whistler. So next time your up in the area take a stroll through some of Whistler peaks' hiking trails.

Enjoy.

Whistler Bed and Breakfast - B&Bs

2008-08-21T08:35:00.000-07:00

Below is a comprehensive list of Whistler Bed & Breakfast Accommodations

Rainbow Creek B&B (Whistler)
8243 Alpine Way, Whistler, BC
Phone: (604)932-7001

Alpenhaus B&B Whistler (Whistler)
Located just a few minutes North of Whistler Village, which is at the base of Whistler and Blackcomb Ski Resorts, we are ideally suited to offer the finest in holiday accommodation for both Winter and Summer activities. European hospitality. German, Japanese and English spoken.
8084 Parkwood Drive, Whistler, BC
Phone: (604)932-3631 Toll-Free: (888)611-4037 Fax: (604)932-3681
Email: b&b@alpenhauswhistler.bc.ca

Lorimer Ridge Pension (Whistler)
Mountain views, twin & queen beds, duvets, private baths, fireplaces, balconies, guest lounge, large deck, billiards room, whirlpool & sauna. Complimentary breakfast included.
6231 Piccolo Dr., Whistler, BC
Phone: (604)290-5833 Toll-Free: (888)988-9002 Fax: (604)938-9155
Email: lorimerridge@telus.net

Chalet Bambi (Whistler)
Chalet Bambi is a Swiss Chalet nestled in the beautiful Whistler Valley, offering spectacular views of Whistler and Blackcomb mountains, where you are only a short walk to Whistler Village and Ski lifts.
6182 Eagle Dr, Whistler, BC
Phone: (604)938-3292 Fax: (604)932-4493
Email: bambi@whooshnet.com

Snow Country Cottage B&B (Whistler)
Cottage-style antique furnishings, fireplace, hot tub, guest kitchen & lounge. Complimentary pick up and hearty breakfast.
2114 Castle Dr, Whistler, BC
Phone: (604)938-1178
Email: snowcc@direct.ca

Idylwood Inn (Whistler)
The Idylwood Inn is a spacious (3,500 sq. ft.) chalet. Guests have option of booking our 2 bedroom, 3 bedroom or 5 bedroom chalets. With an open & spacious layout there is plenty of room for small groups & families wanting to spread out. The Inn is tastefully decorated with the best in comfort & quality. Ideal for family reunions & corporate retreats.
8725 Idylwood Pl, c/o Box 797, Whistler, BC
Phone: (604)932-4582 Fax: (604)932-4556
Email: info@whistlerhome.com

Durlacher Hof Alpine Country Inn (Whistler)
1 km north of Whistler Village, traditional Austrian hospitality, european inn, private baths, jetted tubs, down duvets, balconies, spectacular mountain views, lounge, garden terrace, sauna, jacuzzi. Complimentary breakfast.
7055 Nesters Rd, c/o Box 1125, Whistler, BC
Phone: (604)932-1924 Toll-Free: (877)932-1924 Fax: (604)938-1980
Email: info@durlacherhof.com

Renoir's Winter Garden B&B (Whistler)
Modern West Coast home with views of Whistler Mountain, queen/king beds, 3-4 piece baths, private entance, free guest internet access, hot tub. Gourmet breakfast included.
3137 Tyrol Cres., Whistler, BC
Phone: (604)938-0546 Fax: (604)938-0547
Email: renoir@dualmountain.com

Inn At Cliff Top Lane (Whistler)
1 km from Creekside gondola. West Coast style home in quiet area, antique furnishings, queen beds, duvets, homemade quilts, ensuites, jacuzzis, guest dining/living room with fireplace, hot tub. Complimentary full breakfast.
2828 Clifftop lane, Whistler, BC
Phone: (604)938-1229 Toll-Free: (888)281-2929 Fax: (604)938-9880
Email: info@innatclifftop.com

Belle Neige B&B (Whistler)
Tranquil Mountain Setting - Magificent Mountain View, private self-contained suite, rooms, outdoor hot tub, delicious breakfasts, duvets, bathrobes, mulilingual hosts. Discounted ski passes.
8597 Drifter Way, Whistler, BC
Phone: (604)938-9225 Toll-Free: (800)611-4869 Fax: (604)938-9762
Email: webmaster@triple1.com

Alpine Lodge Pension (Whistler)
Modern ski lodge, just 3km north of Whistler Village, single-queen beds, private & shared baths, complimentary breakfast, dining room, guest lounge, fire place, sauna, jacuzzis, guest kitchen, complimentary transportation to the village & lifts. Pet policy.
8135 Alpine Way, Whistler, BC
Phone: (604)932-5966 Fax: (604)932-1104
Email: reservations@alpinelodge.com

Limoges Inn at Whistler (Whistler)
Enjoy warm Canadian hospitality with a "Touch of Provence" at Limoges Inn, one of Whistler's premiere bed and breakfasts. Centrally located just minutes from Whistler Village, the gondolas, the Valley Trail, Whistler Golf Course and Alta Lake.
3016 St. Anton Way, Whistler, BC
Phone: (604)905-6777 Fax: (604)905-6788
Email: innkeeper@limogesinn.com

Haus Heidi Pension B&B Inn (Whistler)
European hospitality awaits you with balconied rooms, private baths, gourmet breakfast, sauna, whirlpool, guest lounge with fireplace. German speaking hosts.
7115 Nesters Rd.c/o Box 354, Whistler, BC
Phone: (604)932-3113 Toll-Free: (800)909-7115 Fax: (604)932-4116
Email: frontdesk@hausheidi.com

Swiss Cottage (Whistler)
Swiss hospitality, traditional alpine B&B, quite, river setting, duvets, ensuites, whirlpool. Complimentary full breakfast included, homemade bread made on the premises. German & French speaking hosts.
7321 Fitzsimmons Dr. c/o Box 1209, Whistler, BC
Phone: (604)932-4187 Toll-Free: (800)665-1998 Fax: (604)938-1531
Email: info@chaletluise.com

Chalet Beau Sejour (Whistler)
Modern alpine-style home, down duvets, ensuites, guest lounge, fireplace, hot tub, spectacular views from the deck. Complimentary hearty breakfast. Spanish, French & German speaking hosts. Adult oriented B&B
7414 Ambassador Cres., Whistler, BC
Phone: (604)938-4966 Fax: (604)938-6296
Email: sejour@direct.ca

Alpine B&B (Whistler)
8179 Alpine Way, Whistler, BC
Phone: (604)932-6889 Fax: (604)932-4331

Brio Haus (Whistler)
Bavarian-style home, down duvets, ensuite & private bath, guest kitchen, tv lounge, fire place, family room, coin-laundry, complimentary full breakfast, sauna, jacuzzi, on bus route.
3005 Brio Entrance, Whistler, BC
Phone: (604)932-3313 Toll-Free: (800)331-2746 Fax: (604)932-4945
Email: info@briohauswhistler.com

The Meadows Inn B&B (Whistler)
PO Box 806, 1334 Collins Rd, Whistler, BC
Phone: (604)894-6009 Fax: (604)894-6786Haus Stephanie B&B (Whistler)
Alpine chalet in quite location, private entrance, kitchen facilities, private bath, balcony, whirlpool. Complimentary bus/train pick up & hearty breakfast
7473 Ambassador Cres.c/o Box 1460, Whistler, BC
Phone: (604)932-5547 Toll-Free: (877)932-5547 Fax: (604)932-5547
Email: dorisvw@telus.net

The AnneRose Inn (Whistler)
Japanese themed B&B within walking distance to village. Evening wine & cheese, gourmet breakfasts, and romantically lit garden hot tub await you!
3016 St. Anton Way, Whistler, BC
Phone: (604)938-9868 Fax: (604)938-9897

Stancliff House (Whistler)
3333 Panorama Ridge c/o Box 995, Whistler, BC
Phone: (604)932-2393 Fax: (604)932-7577

Cedar Springs B&B Lodge (Whistler)
Quiet Canadian lodge, gardens, beside park/valley trail, duvets, views, fireplace, balconies, 3 course gourmet breakfasts, afternoon teas, home baking, hot tub, sauna, bike rentals, vieos, free parking, shuttle
8106 Cedar Springs Rd., Whistler, BC
Phone: (604)938-8007 Toll-Free: (800)727-7547 Fax: (604)938-8023
Email: cedarsprings@whistlerinns.com

Golden Dreams B&B (Whistler)
Unique theme rooms, duvets, robes, private/shared baths, fireside lounge, kitchen, mountain views from outdoor hot tub, quaint garden, trailside. Legendary vegetarian breakfast. Discount ski packages. Children welcome.
6412 Easy St, Whistler, BC
Phone: (604)932-2667 Toll-Free: (800)668-7055 Fax: (604)932-7055
Email: Ann@goldendreamswhistler.com

Haus Landsberg B&B (Whistler)
Quiet house with views, private baths with jacuzzi tubs. Complimentary bus/train pick up & breakfast. German speaking hosts.
3413 Panorama Ridge, Whistler, BC
Phone: (604)932-5233 Fax: (604)932-5233
Email: haus@uniserve.com

Rome Snowboards 2009 Site is Live

2008-08-20T08:25:00.000-07:00

Hey all, the new Rome snowboards 2009 site is Live...check it out.

http://www.romesnowboards.com/

"Ready" Absinthe Films Movie Premiere in Vancouver

2008-08-19T08:39:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to pass along some exciting news about an upcoming snowboarding movie premiere. Absinthe Films is premiering their new film, "Ready" in Vancouver on Wednesday Sept 3, 2008 at 8pm. Not only are they premiering the film by there will be an autograph session with Matt Beardmore, Romain De Marchi and Wolle Nyvelt. Here are the details:

Ready?

Wednesday, September 3rd, 2008

THE RIDGE THEATRE
3131 Arbutus Street, Vancouver, BC
Doors @ 7:30, Movie Starts @ 8:00

PRIZES+VIDEOGAMES+AUTOGRAPHS

RIDER APPEARANCES BY
Matt Beardmore, Romain De Marchi, Wolle Nyvelt

http://www.sphereofinfluencetour.com/

http://www.absinthe-films.com/

TICKETS AVAILABLE AT ($7.00):
WESTBEACH THE SHOP http://www.westbeachtheshop.com
THE BOARDROOM http://www.theboardroom.com
PACIFIC BOARDER http://www.pacificboarder.com/
COASTAL RIDERS http://www.coastalriders.com/
FLUID http://www.fluidsports.com/

$2 from each ticket sale goes towards Protect Our Winters and Zero Ceiling!
http://www.protectourwinters.org/

http://www.zeroceiling.org/

Afterparty to be Announced!!

Crankworx Slopestyle 2008 Whistler

2008-08-16T23:14:00.000-07:00

What do you get when you mix the worlds best two wheeled warriors, a massive mountain playground on Whistler mountain and 10,000 passionate spectators….2008 Whistler Crankworx Slopestyle.

For those who are not familiar with the Crankworx festival, it’s a week long gathering of the worlds best mountain bike athletes competing is varies competitions for big prize money. And it so happens that the Slopestyple competition is the main attraction of the festival.

The competition was fierce and in the end Spains Andreu Lacondeguy took home top prize of $15,000. Andreu’s winning run consisted of a long list of impressive tricks, starting with a Double Back Flip of the first table (never seen in competition before), a Foot Plant off the Monster Snake, a Back Flip X-Up, Flat Spin 360, Topside Nac-Nac, Can-Can Step-Down, Superman, and finished off with a Back Flip onto the final Kokanee feature and Superman off into the village.

Second place went to Lance Mcdermott of the UK with a score of 91.5 and third place went to Whistler’s own Brendan Semenuk, with a score of 89.8.

Overall it was an amazing competition and I’ll mark my calendar for Crankworx 2009….you should too!!!

Here I am

2008-08-15T19:00:00.000-07:00

How’s it going? I’m Mike and I started this blog to share my passion for snowboard and mountain culture along with my love for travel.

I’m originally from Southern Ontario were I was raised by two amazing parents who supported me no matter what I was into. My parents bought a condo at a ski resort in Blue Mountain, which is 1 ½ hours north of Toronto, and with that they got me into skiing at about age 11. My aunt bought my first ski setup as a gift when I was 13 years old and I kept up with the two planker descent for about 4 years. While skiing at Blue Mtn one weekend I was introduced to a snowboard and since then never strapped on a pair skis again.

Years past and I was content with snowboarding on the “IceCoast” at my home resort in Ontario, but one trip to Whistler, BC changed all that. I was sent out on a business trip to Vancouver and decided to go early and spend the weekend in Whistler since I have read so many good stories about the riding there. Those two days of riding in Whistler would prove to be a driving force that changed in my life. Almost exactly a year after that first trip to Whistler I quit my corporate job and packed my bags for a season in the BC coastal mountain town…..Whistler here I come.

That winter season living in Whistler I did nothing but snowboard and I know what your thinking, where did you work? Well I didn’t work….thanks stolen car insurance money. I funded my snowboard lifestyle with some savings and a lot from the insurance money I got from my stolen Honda Civic. This was the best thing I’ve done to date and it has only fueled my passion and respect for the mountains and the culture even more.

Now I live in Vancouver, back to a corporate job, and commute to Whistler quite often, especially in the winter. People always ask me don’t you get bored snowboarding, mountain biking and hiking all the time. My answer to them is “NO”! Snowboarding and the mountains are my ZEN.

Until next time, see ya.
Mike