Network A and snowboards!

Netwrok A is a YouTube channel that supplies a great number of videos about extreme sports. There is a monthly series called "Every Thing Thursday", which I really enjoy and I'd like to share it with you.

Those videos are about a small snowboard company called Signal Snowboards, who undertake a challenge in every video. The challenge is to make a theme and create a snowboard about it. I have to say that the content that they provide is really fun and innovating. Who has heard of a paintball shooting snowboard? No? How about world first 3D-printed snowboard, a recycled board, or even a dartboard themed snowboard? These guys made it all happen.

In each episode the whole thought and production process is shown. The materials used, people involved, the challenged in making of the board, and many more attractions. Not only it is entertaining but also informative. Before watching those videos I had no idea how snowboards were manufactured, so in a sense this provided me with a great insight on the world of snowboarding.

I am really grateful for what they do. Once they made a special snowboard for a paralyzed from waist down ex snowboarder, who after many years of riding in a wheelchair was able to hit the slopes once again.

If you like "how it's made Mythbusters" videos (and snowboarding obviously, I mean that's why you're reading this...) then you certainly should check it out.

Summer Snowboarding

Summer, summer, summer... everyone talks summer. This certainly is not good news for us snowboarders, because this means that the season is over and we have to wait till December to start riding again. Unless of course you're lucky enough to go to a snowboarding summer camp! That's right, you can snowboard ON REAL SNOW during summers. A place in Oregon called Timberline Lodge, at Mt. Hood is offering a summer camp program known as Windells Summer Snowboard Camp. This is slightly expensive, but truly amazing. Here, check out some highlights from 2012's summer camp.

Isn't this just great? I wish I could go there for a week some time. I can already tell you, that I am jealous of anyone who'll be there. If by any chance one of you guys will be there, make sure to share you experience! Makes us all jealous a little.

Well, as for me, I still have to work on my ankle and strengthen it, so the next season will be just as good or even better than the last.

Gear Sale

You know what's the only good thing about the end of the season? Winter gear sales. If you're looking to purchase new gear for, this is one of the better, if not the best, times to purchase the equipment. A while ago there was a big sale at MetLife Stadium Club in New Jersey, where you could see really great bundles deals, which was probably the biggest sale event of the year, however the end of season time is also a great opportunity to acquire new equipment at reduced prices.

Just look at the web stores, the-house.com - 40% off, trusnow.com - 70% off!, rei.com - 40% off. Where the discount may not apply to every accessory or item on the website, many necessary things are available for reduced price. For instance, Nitro T0 - almost 200$, that's 50% off. I actually am looking to upgrade something myself. I definitely am in need of new gloves and snow-pants  since both slightly ripped and give off heat as well as get wet faster.

I've noticed that local stores have a big sale too, especially in places where all season sporting goods are sold. Since the season is almost over, these stores make space for new, hot items for the summer, but for different genre of sports. Since they need space, the winter gear goes for big sales, and that's where we come in and get what we need/want for really low prices!

I will probably take advantage of this, and if you're looking for an upgrade and a new item, you should too visit your local store and check out snowboarding web-stores.

R.I.P Winter!

Well, it's middle of April already and it looks like days of the 2012/2013 season are numbered. All of the mountains that I have visited are now closed, except of one, Mount Show. These guys are located in Vermont, while the rest of the mountains are mostly spread out in upstate NY. Sadly, it's time to say goodbye to winter.

As for the season summary for me, I guess I could say it was successful. I went out 9 times and tried many mountains. Mostly I snowboarded in Belleayre, however Windham, Mountain Creek, Camelback and Mount Snow will see my comeback in the upcoming season. I've been boarding for 3 seasons now and I can say with confidence that this is the one that mattered the most. Previously I'd go 2 maybe 3 times per season, but now me and my friends pushed ourselves (and our wallets) and just went for it. I learned many new things, few tricks, improved my riding, bought some gear, and acquired unforgettable memories. Although I ended up in crutches by the end, I still can tell you that it was an enjoyable season.

Throughout the summer I'll do my best to recuperate from my injury and work out to be in better shape for winter 2013/2014. You see, the next winter will be epic. I gain more and more motivation each day just as my friends do, and we are planning to go big or go home for the next season. So it looks like i'll be either a great snowboarder or end up in crutches again. I'm just kidding about the crutches. It's in my best intentions to progress even more and have a blast in 2013/2014.

If you still have snow in your resorts, and you'll be riding soon,you're in lucky.

That's it for now, let's find some nice and exciting summer activities! Cheers!

Let's Talk Helmets.

Since snowboarding is considered an extreme sport, wearing a helmet seems like a wise choice. Some people like wearing them, some don't. Today, in may snowboarding communities, there is this little problem. Let's say a user posts a picture of them jumping off a 15 ft kicker without a helmet. All of a sudden you see a ton of posts and comments saying how irresponsible the rider is for not wearing one. The choice is his, period.

Who am I to say that everyone should be wearing helmets? Many professionals do not wear one, simply because it obstructs their vision and mobility. As some people may view this as "stupid" or irresponsible, if the rider feels that he'll be in better control without helmet, then simply let it be.

I actually do wear a helmet. I'm not an expert snowboarder, so I occasionally made mistakes that make me land on my bottom, however this isn't the only reason. I think the main reason that I am wearing a helmet is the external factor, specifically other riders. It doesn't matter how good I am, how slow or fast I can ride or what jumps can I hit, because most of the time, it's other people that are the cause of accidents, hence why wearing a helmet in ski resorts is a great idea in my opinion.

On top of that, just last time when I went out, I hit my head on a bench, for making a silly mistake. If you ask me, helmet is recommended accessory when snowboarding, however I am not judging other riders for not wearing one. After all it's their choice, and if they feel same without wearing a helmet, it's perfectly fine with me.

Too bad other people do not see it this way...

Reddit Snowboarding

All right, I'm about to share with one of the best websites for snowboarding (and everything else really) ever. If you don't know it already, the website is called Reddit. There is the subreddit called snowboarding you'll find a great community of snowboarders and instructors.

People post their favorite videos, pictures, they publish their own content like shots and edits. Also you'll find many interesting articles and discussions about snowboarding related issues. Once there was a thread about helmet safety and people just kept going and going on it, some claiming that helmets are must, others saying that it's entirely up to the rider, since he/she will be responsible.

Anyways, I thought I'd give this to you, it's a very fun and resourceful forum. If you have any great website worth checking out, be sure to provide some links and share it.

Mt. Snow

On March 24th I finally went on my first mountain in Vermont, particularly Mount Snow. After major snowfall few days prior, there was so much snow! I've never experienced the slopes in this way, moguls covered entirely in snow, powder in many places, no ice at all. The mountain was fantastic. Cartinthia Parks were superb (although I wish they've had couple of smaller jumps), there are plenty of trails, and many glades.

Ah glades. Riding snowy terrain in between trees was a great experience. Surprisingly, it was extremely tiring, it's like a workout on a gym. I enjoyed this really much and rode it many times. During the last run of the day, naturally I went for the glades. I was going down making swift turns, avoiding trees. All of a sudden, very unexpectedly I fell. There was a relatively large root sticking out of the ground that was covered in light powder that was almost invisible. I accidentally shifted my entire weight on my left ankle and twisted it outwards.

At first I thought that I was okay, so I continued to ride. After 20 minutes, when the trip was over and we had to walk back to the bus, I started to feel pain in my left foot. But as anyone else would do, I sucked it up, packed my board, and sat in the bus. After 5 long hours of riding to NYC, we were finally home. I tried getting out of the bus, in extreme pain. My friend helped me get my equipment out of bus cargo and we went for the car. I couldn't walk. I was driven home, and dropped off right at my front door.

I bandaged my foot, as it started to swell up, and in pain, I went to bed. The next morning it didn't look any better and it was in severe pain, just as it was last night. So I decided to go to a doctor. The next day, at the clinic, they did couple of x-rays and checked my foot. According to them, nothing has been broken (whew, what a relief), but I was still in the pain. There was some administrative mistake I didn't see podiatric doctor at all. So this regular Joe just told me to do RICE. Rest Ice Compression and Elevation.

It's been few days now, and this is still swollen. I can hardly walk. If it wasn't for my mother's crutches, that she saved after she broke her leg, I would have been immobile. Luckily my follow up is scheduled soon and hopefully my foot will get better.

This is a bad way to end the season I guess, and a bad way to screw up my spring break. What can you do.

Stay safe, and keep shredding.    

East Coast Heaven

Well, who would have thought that winter would come back with such an impact. East coast snowboarders and skiers are having a blast on the slopes as the snow still falls and has been falling for over few days now. Catskill resorts report 10" and 12" in Belleayre and Windham respectively. Vermont resorts have even more snow! 14" and above.

This is just glorious. It looks like spring shredding won't be as disappointing as it was ought to be. Strangely enough, with the warm weather throughout winter time, this snowstorm brought the most snow this season on entire east coast!

What are we waiting for? Well, I guess we're all stuck at work and school (or whatever your occupation might be). Looks like this year's spring break will be awesome though. I cannot wait till Sunday; that's when I'm going out for some Vermont snowboarding at Mt.Snow =)

I'll see you on the slopes.

Where are we headed with snowboarding?

The longer we snowboard the better we get. That's a general rule of thumb and it is definitely true when it comes to progression in snowboarding. I know that when X-Games comes, every professional snowboarder throws insane tricks to win the competition and gain respect, and every year new, better and faster tricks come to daylight.

When I think about it, it wasn't too long ago when snowboarders were mind-blown, when someone pulled off a 1080. Progressing past that point seemed totally impossible! but as years passed better and better tricks eventually came up. Let's me present you with a short video of this Norwegian 13-year old snowboarder.

A Triple Cork done by a 13-year old. WHAT?!?!? How is this even possible. In 2008 Travis Rice was the first man on earth to perform a double cork, and that seemed like the peak of progression. Then in 2011 Torstein Horgmo did a Triple Cork. It spins so many times so fast, that my I get dizzy just from watching it. Now in 2013 this 13-year old fellow does the same trick as Torstein, who was in his mid 20s when performed the trick (as well as Travis) . Keep in mind that this isn't a small jump, but a massive 75 foot kicker that sends you flying into heavens.

Since now we have youngsters doing tricks like that, who can predict what will come next and how far will the progression go? Imagine this man in 6 years and the things he'll be doing then. I guess we'll have to wait to find out.

Anyways, keep it safe, keep progressing and keep on shredding.

Windham Mountain trip!

Guess what? We made it to Windham last weekend and it was ... well, read to find out.

I'll have to say, at first I was a little skeptical about this trip. On Feb. 12th (Lincoln's Birthday) we went to Windham and the conditions were absolutely horrid. There wasn't enough snow, you could see grass on the trails and the rest was covered in ice. I guess that the rest of the Catskill mountains weren't in their best shape either since it was getting warmer and warmer, which was eating into the base of the trails. Back then, I wasn't too satisfied with our trip.

On Sunday, March 3rd however, much has changed. Late season started. I expected the conditions to be somewhat like last time. I thought I'd give Windham another shot, seeing as my friends wanted to ride Windham before season ends. And I have to say, I'M GLAD I WENT! The conditions were absolutely amazing! So much snow and powder! Many trails have been groomed and many had a natural snow. The terrain parks were well maintained and there was no ice at all! It was snowing for most of the day, and it was a little cloudy, but later the sun came up and it was wonderful. For March weather, it was amazing.

This was also the first time I've gotten mode hang time in air, on jumps. The day was great and I was excited to hit a medium size jump for the very first time. It was a little frightening at first, especially the part when I was approaching the kicker and I couldn't see the landing. Even though I crashed many times I think I learnt a thing or two about jumping and landing. Actually, here's a video of my fall:

I didn't have enough speed, so I partially landed on the knuckle (even though it was pretty flat) which threw me off balance. I hurt my bottom throughout the day, but it was worth it. After all, if you won't fall, you'll never learn.

In the end, I had a great time. I found courage to hit a medium size jump and had great time with my friends. All of this combined with great weather conditions, made me change my mind about Windham! I'd be glad to go there again.

This Sunday maybe I'll visit Mt. Snow in Vermont, let's hope that everything goes as planned.

Also I'd like to thank my friend Jarek for shooting some videos from our trip.

Keep on shredding.

Maintenance time

It's been 3 years since I started snowboarding. Some seasons I'd go five times on the slopes, some two, but this year it's been quite a run. After eighth trip this season I decided to finally work a little on the edges of my board. After all, my 158 Ride Machete hadn't been tuned/detuned yet.

After me and my friend waxed our gear last night (to get ready for our weekend trip to Windham!), I've noticed some burrs on the edges of my board. So today, in the early morning, I grabbed a file and a sharpening stone, and finally took care of this imperfection. While at it, I also detuned contact points of the board, so I can finally try doing some "butters" without easily catching an edge! Since I live on east coast, which is known to have icy conditions on trails, I sharpened the sides just a little bit. Hopefully that'll keep me in control over icy patches on the slopes.

I also took care of the chipped top coating. I didn't have an epoxy, so instead I used p-tex  (maybe it'll do the trick). I think I messed up a little bit. The p-tex burned a little and instead of becoming clear on the surface, it turned slightly dark, a brownish burned color if you will. That shouldn't be any problem however, since it's only top coating, and as long as the board handles well, aesthetics don't matter as much. I guess it was all a rookie mistake, besides, it was my first time using that thing.

Anyways, after some maintenance my board is finally ready to do some major shredding! All we need now is great weather for the weekend and we're set. Sunday, here we come!

And as always, keep on shredding.

    

What is snowboarding to me?

I believe that snowboarding is not only a sport, but it is also a lifestyle.  Every time I get into a car with my equipment, get couple of friends to go with, and finally leave for the mountains, it is a new adventure. Each trip is very unique, there is always something amazing going on.

It'd be a lie if I said that I like snowboarding simply for the joy of riding. There is much more to it. It's about the moments. Throwing snowballs with my friends while strapping on to a snowboard, helping out each other and little mischievous acts make snowboarding a great experience. 

What I love the most about this activity is progression. In order to get better I need to push my limits and discover a new ways to approach certain features on the mountain. Progressing along with my friends strengthens our bond and encourages us to ride more. After all, the better we get, the more we enjoy it.

At last, snowboarding isn't only about riding, it's about experiencing the unique journey, each time we get to the mountains.

Keep on shredding.