Friday, May 4, 2012
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
DOPE 3 Teaser
These guys do it right, and I'm always stoked on the vids they put out. This one, as the trailer suggests, should be no different. The countdown is on!
DOPElll Trailer from DOPE INDUSTRIES on Vimeo.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
A Bloody Mary With a Splash of Awkwardness
Before I begin to even write anything in this post I just want to say one thing. Don't get me wrong, Peter Line is Peter Line. In my opinion he can pretty much do/say whatever he wants as far as snowboarding is concerned and it's fair game. The dude has undoubtedly paid more then his dues within the progression of snowboarding and as a staple of the culture itself and this alone gives him a green light to do whatever he wants within snowboarding. It definitely seems as though he too has recently came to that realization, which is evident in his Heated Discussion segments on the Snowboardermag site. The series has recently wrapped up and I'm still not quite sure to make of all of them, which I'm sure is the same way the guests feel about the episodes. They are weird, really weird. Not really even funny weird, just weird. I'm all for a good dose of daily weirdness in my life but these segments find themselves in some entirely different category all by themselves. Being a journalism student myself, I totally understand that the traditional model for conducting interviews; one in which the interviewer poses a pre-prepared question only to wait for an appropriate response from the guest, is stale, uninteresting unless the guest is actually interesting and for the most part been done to death. That being said however, I'm not sure what it is with the snowboardermag's affinity for strange and awkward interviewers talking to people that I'm pretty sure most snowboarders are actually interested in hearing from. The internviews were equally awkward in their own right, but I felt as though at least in those segments Jade was legitimately trying to evoke interesting answers from the guest, for the sake of the viewer. Unfortunately the same can't be said about these kooky clips. I get that Line is laced in these clips and that his laissez faire, I could give a shit about you attitude is supposed to elicit a hilarity from the viewer, but I don't think this was ever actually achieved.
Every single episode I watched, I was waiting and waiting for him to at least ask some kind of comprehendible question to the guest, but alas this never came to fruition. At first the continual references made to his clanking collection of X-Games medals was surprisingly dryly funny, but this wore off quick. After each successive mention I found myself wondering even more intently why I keep watching this shit. I'm a snowboard nerd though and much like a flame engulfed car crash, I couldn't look away.
The list of guests he had throughout this series' short existence was actually pretty bowsey and that's why it's a bummer we didn't actually get to hear from any of them. Louie Vito (he was unsurprisingly definitely not stoked lol) Pat Moore, Eddie Wall, Louif Paradis, Jamie Anderson, Elena Hight and Dan Brisse all took a spot on the couch infront of the fireplace, with not so much different results.
Vito was obviously confused as fuck, and as I could give a shit about contests and predominant contest riders, I actually thought this was pretty funny for the first episode. Then I realized that it wasn't Vito that was necessarily the kook factor in this interview, but perhaps the interviewer himself. Re-watching these I really get a Jake Phelps vibe from Line in the interviews. As much as Phelps too is a fucking whacko, at least his insanity is genuine and doesn't seem forced. Kind of lame.
Pat Moore seemed a bit more familiar with Line's personal brand of retardedness and seemed to take the whole thing a bit more lightly, but as a far as an actual interview is concerned, still super whack. At least Moore joined in on the festivities, even cheersing Line with a bloody mary. I don't blame the dude, I would have to be absolutely shitfaced too to sit there and talk to this dude, without busting his ass. It was kind of strange when Moore was trying to describe in the inclusion of Real Street only to have Line reply "Do you often speak for kids who live in cities"and kept pushing the point. I give Moore a lot of credit for not giving a shit, a true testament to how mellow this dude is. He actually tried to engage Line into speaking more coherently by asking about his own contest runs and cab 5's etc. I'm guessing these guys are homeys and shit so it makes a bit more sense to bust Moore's balls but dude still comes across as pretty lame. Sooo rad at the conclusion when Line asks Moore if he wants an autograph only to have Moore crumple it up and toss it in the fire while claiming "maybe if you gave this to me 10 years ago it would have been worth something." Killed it, best part of any of the episodes hands down.
Being a huge Eddie Wall fan since I was a little kid, I'm always stoked to see any coverage of the dude, whether it be web content or not. So when I logged onto Snowboarder and saw that he was one of the guests, I couldn't help but hope that this episode utilized a slightly different narrative strategy. Once again I was completely wrong and Peter Line was no more interesting or engaging then he had been in any of the previous eps, maybe even more so. As whack as Line once again is here, I'm glad to see Eddie Wall not take part in the stupidness and actually talk like a normal person, kind of rad. Eddie Wall, unlike Peter Line is actually funny, I'm always psyched to hear him talk and the shit he talks about preparing for judging the X-Games was legit hilarious.
The climax of this sentiment that Peter Line, when not on his snowboard, is fucking annoying as shit, is best displayed through the interview he conducted with Jamie Anderson. This chick was so over it, she didn't even try to hide how lame she thought the whole thing was, which I can definitely respect. She straight up told him he was whack then peaced out. Best reaction I saw the whole time.
The only dude who actually seemed to relatively enjoy, or not even enjoy, but not end up being completely annoyed was Dan Brisse. I don't actually think that he enjoyed the experience or that he was indifferent in some way, I just think Brisse is actually just way to nice to do anything but laugh and smile. I like it that he can't really get a negative reaction, makes me like Brisse even more.
This website is not here as an outlet for talking shit. I don't even like talking shit at all. I think there are a lot of positives in snowboarding these days and that's the stuff I want to talk and write about. I think all the snowboarders that sat down for these fireside chats are relevant, respectable and legit snowboarders (perhaps with the exception of one who will remain nameless) and I truly would have enjoyed hearing about their seasons and about their lives in general. So I'm not necessarily talking shit about Peter Line, more so just saying that I think the show had the potential to be something rad but somehow it turned out being super lame. But I suppose this is often the case. Jamie Anderson said it best "This is, come on, retarded." Truer words have never been spoken.
But oh yea, Dude did rip!!
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Real Talk Son!
I saw a cool clip on SBC today. It's definitely worth a watch. A snowboarding legend saying some real shit without being an asshole. I agree with a lot of things Scotty says here, but I'm sure there are plenty of you out there who think he's full of shit. Whatever the case maybe, if you give a shit about snowboarding, it's important to listen to other people's opinions about it. Especially people who have played such an impactful role in the culture as a whole.
Scotty Wittlake talks about energy drinks from BuoLoco on Vimeo.
I think much of what is said in this clip is pretty poignant and on point. I know in the grand scheme of things it's only snowboarding and whatever but I think as responsible human beings, we really need to step back and look at these kinds of things objectively. The prominence of energy drink logos and the overabundant availability of these beverages to children who should have nothing to do with them is worrying to say the least, straight up crazy to be honest. When I was a young skater, I use to emulate my idols equally as passionately as today's youth, walking down the street with the tongues hanging out of my shoes like Stevie Williams or a backwards Braves hat trying to look like the Boss. The difference was that these fashion choices I pursued, which were directly influenced by the skaters and snowboarders I looked up to so fervently never for a moment's time threatened my health. That's gone completely out of the window as of late however and kids idolizing the Coles or Shecklers and the Rencz or Cravens feel as though the most effective way to follow in their footsteps is to drink the very poisonous beverages that these dudes are sponsored by. My local hill banned energy drink sales from the cafeteria last season due to the amount of kids who were going bonkers, spending all their money on Monsters and getting picked up at the end of the night by their parents completely wired. What else does this sound like? Kids are without a doubt the most susceptible target audience out there for marketing strategies and by setting a precedent at an early age for a culture dependent on stimulating and addictive substances can honestly go nowhere from here but down hill. That's why it's tight that Wittlake took the time to speak his mind about this whole issue, someone has to. The young people most responsible for supporting the livelihood of these energy drink corporations are unfortunately not yet able to recognize the vicious cycle of which they have become a part of. However there are enough of us out there, with solid heads on our shoulders, riding with the Monster or Redbull snapback hat kids on a regular basis who should take it upon themselves to clue the little shredders in. I'm definitely not being preachy or advocate being preachy, I'm down for everyone to make their own decisions in life. I think it's important though, to come to the best decision, information is paramount. So let the kids know what is really going on with these drink companies; they're are targeting young kids with an insanely aggressive marketing campaign, to sell them a product that is insanely unhealthy and at the end of the day the people who motivate these kids to throw their money away on these drinks, probably don't even drink them themselves.
Scotty Wittlake talks about energy drinks from BuoLoco on Vimeo.
I think much of what is said in this clip is pretty poignant and on point. I know in the grand scheme of things it's only snowboarding and whatever but I think as responsible human beings, we really need to step back and look at these kinds of things objectively. The prominence of energy drink logos and the overabundant availability of these beverages to children who should have nothing to do with them is worrying to say the least, straight up crazy to be honest. When I was a young skater, I use to emulate my idols equally as passionately as today's youth, walking down the street with the tongues hanging out of my shoes like Stevie Williams or a backwards Braves hat trying to look like the Boss. The difference was that these fashion choices I pursued, which were directly influenced by the skaters and snowboarders I looked up to so fervently never for a moment's time threatened my health. That's gone completely out of the window as of late however and kids idolizing the Coles or Shecklers and the Rencz or Cravens feel as though the most effective way to follow in their footsteps is to drink the very poisonous beverages that these dudes are sponsored by. My local hill banned energy drink sales from the cafeteria last season due to the amount of kids who were going bonkers, spending all their money on Monsters and getting picked up at the end of the night by their parents completely wired. What else does this sound like? Kids are without a doubt the most susceptible target audience out there for marketing strategies and by setting a precedent at an early age for a culture dependent on stimulating and addictive substances can honestly go nowhere from here but down hill. That's why it's tight that Wittlake took the time to speak his mind about this whole issue, someone has to. The young people most responsible for supporting the livelihood of these energy drink corporations are unfortunately not yet able to recognize the vicious cycle of which they have become a part of. However there are enough of us out there, with solid heads on our shoulders, riding with the Monster or Redbull snapback hat kids on a regular basis who should take it upon themselves to clue the little shredders in. I'm definitely not being preachy or advocate being preachy, I'm down for everyone to make their own decisions in life. I think it's important though, to come to the best decision, information is paramount. So let the kids know what is really going on with these drink companies; they're are targeting young kids with an insanely aggressive marketing campaign, to sell them a product that is insanely unhealthy and at the end of the day the people who motivate these kids to throw their money away on these drinks, probably don't even drink them themselves.
Monday, March 12, 2012
You Don't Know What You Got Till It's Gone
The season is unfortunately beginning to wind down here in Toronto and all the hills in the area are closing up shop in the next couple of weeks. It seems like only days ago I was getting the pre season itches, counting down the days until I could strap in and spend another winter making memories. Unfortunately that dream winter never quite materialized and at this point I have resigned myself to the fact that it's never gonna happen, the season is almost all said and done. In retrospect however, although due to weather the frequency of my snowboarding this winter hasn't been what I had hoped for or what it's been in the past, this has been one of the most fun seasons I can remember.
In the past I've spent countless consecutive days on the hill snowboarding, never giving a passing thought as to whether the weather would permit me to head out again the next day. With that mindset, I took advantage of the long, snow filled days with the homeys, knowing there would be more to come tomorrow. That definitely wasn't the case this winter however, and every moment spent snowboarding was legitimately appreciated and stored away in the mental memory bank for future review. The snow was never ideal this season, but every day out was amazing and fun and probably more progressive as far as my riding is concerned then most previous year's day packed into one. I think this was because I didn't know when the next time I'd ride would be. I didn't know if I'd wake up to temperature's in the upper teens and resorts not even able to make snow and open there doors.
This year we took a different approach. Not sitting in the chalet, taking extended breaks and indulging in all the over priced delicacies the cafeteria has to offer. In seasons past, the beers and other words beginning with B often took precedence over the actual snowboarding, which is normally pretty fun in it's own skeezy and counterproductive way, but before you know it any chances of doing any actual snowboarding have all gone cattywompus. But this year we rode for hours and hours on end, stopping only for the occasional smoke or to slam down a piece of pizza or can of coke only to strap right back in and make our way back to the lift line.
There were the finals of a contest series at my local hill on Saturday and the park was closed to the everyone but the competitors for the day. Naturally I was bummed at first as Chicopee doesn't have a whole lot else to offer, but I ended up meeting up with my young nephew whose still not confident to gets lap in at the park. We spent the day just cruising around, being dumb asses and enjoying being out on the snow. I can honestly say it was one of the best days I had this season. So maybe this global warming tainted season has been a blessing in disguise. I mean it definitely sucked it in it's own right, but in an attempt to keep up the glass half full mindset , it's been a positive eye opener. It's really made me realize how pretty much everything else to do in the winter is boring as shit and that I'm super fortunate to be a snowboarder and have that aspect of my life to retreat to.Thank Fuck for that!
I feel as though it is often the case, and I am among the biggest offenders for this, that we as a culture abuse snowboarding as a commodity, failing to recognize that all that really matters at the end of the day is what happens on the board, and that everything else we talk about and consume on a daily base as far as snowboarding is concerned, can actually be left to the wayside. Don't get me wrong, I write about snowboarding because I love it so much and it's something that consistently frequents my thoughts. The beauty of this shit winter has been though, that it's reminded me that all these videos I watch, magazines I read, time spent buying gear, laughs had in the chalet bar; are all irrelevant. All that is important is me and my snowboard.
In the past I've spent countless consecutive days on the hill snowboarding, never giving a passing thought as to whether the weather would permit me to head out again the next day. With that mindset, I took advantage of the long, snow filled days with the homeys, knowing there would be more to come tomorrow. That definitely wasn't the case this winter however, and every moment spent snowboarding was legitimately appreciated and stored away in the mental memory bank for future review. The snow was never ideal this season, but every day out was amazing and fun and probably more progressive as far as my riding is concerned then most previous year's day packed into one. I think this was because I didn't know when the next time I'd ride would be. I didn't know if I'd wake up to temperature's in the upper teens and resorts not even able to make snow and open there doors.
This year we took a different approach. Not sitting in the chalet, taking extended breaks and indulging in all the over priced delicacies the cafeteria has to offer. In seasons past, the beers and other words beginning with B often took precedence over the actual snowboarding, which is normally pretty fun in it's own skeezy and counterproductive way, but before you know it any chances of doing any actual snowboarding have all gone cattywompus. But this year we rode for hours and hours on end, stopping only for the occasional smoke or to slam down a piece of pizza or can of coke only to strap right back in and make our way back to the lift line.
There were the finals of a contest series at my local hill on Saturday and the park was closed to the everyone but the competitors for the day. Naturally I was bummed at first as Chicopee doesn't have a whole lot else to offer, but I ended up meeting up with my young nephew whose still not confident to gets lap in at the park. We spent the day just cruising around, being dumb asses and enjoying being out on the snow. I can honestly say it was one of the best days I had this season. So maybe this global warming tainted season has been a blessing in disguise. I mean it definitely sucked it in it's own right, but in an attempt to keep up the glass half full mindset , it's been a positive eye opener. It's really made me realize how pretty much everything else to do in the winter is boring as shit and that I'm super fortunate to be a snowboarder and have that aspect of my life to retreat to.Thank Fuck for that!
I feel as though it is often the case, and I am among the biggest offenders for this, that we as a culture abuse snowboarding as a commodity, failing to recognize that all that really matters at the end of the day is what happens on the board, and that everything else we talk about and consume on a daily base as far as snowboarding is concerned, can actually be left to the wayside. Don't get me wrong, I write about snowboarding because I love it so much and it's something that consistently frequents my thoughts. The beauty of this shit winter has been though, that it's reminded me that all these videos I watch, magazines I read, time spent buying gear, laughs had in the chalet bar; are all irrelevant. All that is important is me and my snowboard.
That Was Wicked! Says a Native Lady to a Camera
Nick Visconti was slated to have his own web series on TWS Snow next after the season's conclusion entitled ReCreation. However, as he was quoted as saying on the TWS site " This season I have been working on an exclusive TransWorld SNOWboarding web-series
and video project with intent to fuse web, video and print media.
However, due to some unexpected events and the limited snow season, this
project has been reinvented and we decided to release now in season."
I caught a lot of heat at the beginning on the season when I put Nick's Think Thanks parts as one of the parts that gets my stoked for an oncoming season. I'm into the dude though, I won't deny it. I know there are tons of people out there who would love to disagree and revel in their hatred for this guy. I think he's a rad snowboarder. In a culture where "what is cool" is held at such high regard, I'm backing anyone who is out there doing their own thing, differently, originally and with a creative and stylish approach. I'd say Nick Visconti is just that and I was super hyped to see he had released a new 4 minute video part.
This part has seriously heavy rail destruction in it, Visconti undeniably has skills on the board. I kind of think of his trick and spot selection in the same vein as someone like Scotty Stevens, and I enjoy that kind of weird, strap in strap out riding (shuv its included....to a certain point) approach. I'm not gonna name off every tight trick he did in the part, they're all pretty craze. There is some super weird shit and some straight up tricks done on some sketchy rails, a pretty nice variety. Watch the part, then re watch it. Then probably watch it again.
Part of the reason I began skateboarding and subsequently snowboarding was that everyone who I met who skated seemed like they were a bit more in tune with the world then everyone else, like they knew something that people who didn't skate didn't know. I see snowboarding populated with less like this more and more as the years go on, but Nick still reminds me of my older sisters punk friends who would come over with their skateboards and talk about all this cool musical, philosophical and political stuff and the intro to this part on helps to strengthen that perception I have of him. In the fast paced, highly competitive society we currently find ourselves living in, it's always refreshing to see someone whose able to make fun of themselves, take things lightly and still get ahead in the world.
I think maybe sometimes the importance of creativity, which is paramount to keeping the vitality of this culture alive and preventing it from becoming another run of the mill, fandom filled, competitive sport, is lost in the mix these days. Whether the tricks he's doing and the gear he's repping is something you like or not, I still think it's important to recognize people like Nick (among numerous others) who are constantly out there, pushing the boundaries of the creative mind and keeping snowboarding fresh in the wake of what seems to be pinnacle in snowboarding' mainstream popularity.
I caught a lot of heat at the beginning on the season when I put Nick's Think Thanks parts as one of the parts that gets my stoked for an oncoming season. I'm into the dude though, I won't deny it. I know there are tons of people out there who would love to disagree and revel in their hatred for this guy. I think he's a rad snowboarder. In a culture where "what is cool" is held at such high regard, I'm backing anyone who is out there doing their own thing, differently, originally and with a creative and stylish approach. I'd say Nick Visconti is just that and I was super hyped to see he had released a new 4 minute video part.
This part has seriously heavy rail destruction in it, Visconti undeniably has skills on the board. I kind of think of his trick and spot selection in the same vein as someone like Scotty Stevens, and I enjoy that kind of weird, strap in strap out riding (shuv its included....to a certain point) approach. I'm not gonna name off every tight trick he did in the part, they're all pretty craze. There is some super weird shit and some straight up tricks done on some sketchy rails, a pretty nice variety. Watch the part, then re watch it. Then probably watch it again.
Part of the reason I began skateboarding and subsequently snowboarding was that everyone who I met who skated seemed like they were a bit more in tune with the world then everyone else, like they knew something that people who didn't skate didn't know. I see snowboarding populated with less like this more and more as the years go on, but Nick still reminds me of my older sisters punk friends who would come over with their skateboards and talk about all this cool musical, philosophical and political stuff and the intro to this part on helps to strengthen that perception I have of him. In the fast paced, highly competitive society we currently find ourselves living in, it's always refreshing to see someone whose able to make fun of themselves, take things lightly and still get ahead in the world.
I think maybe sometimes the importance of creativity, which is paramount to keeping the vitality of this culture alive and preventing it from becoming another run of the mill, fandom filled, competitive sport, is lost in the mix these days. Whether the tricks he's doing and the gear he's repping is something you like or not, I still think it's important to recognize people like Nick (among numerous others) who are constantly out there, pushing the boundaries of the creative mind and keeping snowboarding fresh in the wake of what seems to be pinnacle in snowboarding' mainstream popularity.
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