Monday, March 31, 2008

Midwest Super Dirt


photos.peterharvieux
This weekend took me to the U.P. of Michigan- now not for the first time, more like the tenth time this year. Alas really enjoy the U.P. It's a real place with a bunch of real people. This weekend is Superpark which has been running for a number of years. This year had more Industry types than ever, as well as tons of people from all over the Midwest making the trek to Marquette Mountain. Now you have to sign a release to ride the Super portion of the park and it typically lays waste to a handful of people throughout the day. I think this is due to the "it's morning and I'm not warm yet but I'll hit it", moving on to the "it's the last big event of the year, i better lay it on the line", and then to "fuck it, I'm winning this thing" mentalities. Three times the Ambulance came to pick up someone who had been looking for tranny. Well, as I don't enjoy over sized tranny finders nor does the majority of the crew, we made our way to ride the "rest" of the resorts. Marquette MT has some great terrain to offer if you search for some you'll be riding fast lines with Super options (instead of park, get it).




We made our way to the Ice Monster, with Ryan on a filming mission. Cameron, Marie, Tommy, Brandon, Ricky, Jordan, began picking lines on this unique feature. Over the top seemed to be the route early on but Ricky started slashing-n-spinnin the nipple option. This had others looking at that line as well. It was a warm spring day and the snow was mashy p's soft but stable at this point in the day. Landing was on the mind of Jordan as he wanted to put that landing gear down a cab tail butter to dropper. Third time's a charm for many and Jordan was included in that group.











After a healthy session at the Ice Monster we returned to the Industry land that had the scent of grilling goodies and also flowing beverages. With some fuel in the belly and more homies to ride with, we set out to shred the unsuper portion of the park. I had ridden these lines earlier in the morning but it now had a sluffed out landing, though it still offered some enjoyment until i had this great idea to try to send a fs5 off a super small lip uncorking way too early and catching my tail on said lip laying myself out in a funny harsh style. A little shook, i ventured back to the tents. i found some solace in the beaming sun and a chair. Yes Superpark in the midwest in early days of Spring, good times indeed. We watched the giant tranny finder contest, grabbed a few more runs and last chair, then broke down and cut out to clean up and grab some grub. The sun had taken much of my energy and after lounging we hit the local Thai spot and broke over to Forester's for a post park party. Dancing, photo's, flip cups, porn, and homies finished up the night. I, being old and tired, broke out early and left the rest of the night to those that enjoy staying up late doing what they do.









Things have changed

This blog I'm linking has an old news stories, Craig sent this link to me (Thanks Craig). It's brief but helps explain a lot about the difference between skiers and snowboarders. For all the snowboarders who never experienced the way skiers, ski areas, and the public viewed snowboarding, this lends just a little insight. Don't be so unsure that if they could get rid of you without losing the business they'd do it in an instant. Keep snowboarding and don't let the skiers take like they have in the last decade.

http://www.areavoices.com/attic/?blog=23813

You know I think it's funny, but it seems like everyday I ride it's like a contest on the hill. You know what- that's a skier's mentality. Fuck that shit, snowboarding isn't a contest to out do someone; you want to help your peer learn new shit, hype the session, enjoy the differences in style, etc. Yeah a lot of different kids, doods, and ladies snowboard, that's great. It's an amazing lifestyle that i hope more people find or fall into. Don't let it be about sponsors, fashion, tricks, parks, pow, or whatever your many draw to it is. Expand within the culture that has no rules, never did when i was a 10 year old. I rode in a pasture on a skateboard turned snowboard(1988). Shit was real, we enjoy it for the ability to slide snow sideways and trying to do tricks we were doing on our skateboards. I'm not saying my way or the highway here what I'm typing here is enjoy your days sliding sideways and don't be a skier(jocks)!



Things will always change and it's never going to stop. That's the progression of the lifestyle. Just be aware of the things brushed under the proverbial rug in lieu of the amount of dollars to be made by these companies. The same companies that wanted nothing to do with the lifestyle in the past. "Cash rules everything around me, move"-Sound bombing 3

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Trees Pleases

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Bald E Gal's new look at a new season. Ghostland Observatory track always makes me happy. They have a new album and it's dope. Midwest Super Park this weekend, go.

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Teenage Love Graffiti


More snowboarding videos on SnowboarderMag.com

So these cats have been in the video world for a few seasons. Stoked on their take on the movie realm of snowboarding.
Peep their website as well.

isenseven.de/

Thanks Snowboarder for the link.

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Mammoth Head Hike


photo.craigwilliams
Some days you do things that change your life as whole. Today was one such day, and i was was able to share it with a group of friends that only added to the experience. We awoke to a sunny day, with a hike on our mind we opened the day with a heat up jump session. With every ones legs feeling fine we decided to set forth to the backcountry. A quick walk found a us at a nice wind lip to slash, so we slashed it. Craig whipped it first and I followed with a layback. Terry than choose a tree ollie line that had a great tranny landing.


photo.gustavohlsson
After our quick mini session and lunch for some we rode down the gully to a spot below the ridge line we wanted to start our hike up. We put the peeps on and the laced up the snowshoes. The next few hours would require a lot effort and some stamina, with a reward from Stella Artois. Oh, not to mention the view and untracked pow run before us.



photo.briankopish
The hike was long steep and tiring. The previous days snow had drop a strange layer that was slipping under our snowshoes almost every step. It was almost like a layer of hail on a spring crusted snow really strange. We took a few breaks up but between Gustav and Wolfe we had great trail breakers who set a strong pace.


photo.craigwilliams
Once we reached the top of the first ridge line it flattened out some and we took a rest. Now the peak was in what seemed to be our reach. We all hit the water, laughed and snacked. We estimated another 30 or so mins up, but with the end in sight and a mellower pitch to hike we flew up that ridge to the top.


photo.gustavohlsson


photo.gustavohlsson

Stella meets us up there and it was great to hang. Snowshoes off, bags off, boards off our backs, crazy mountains surrounding us, snow ghost in our proximity. We were pumped to have hiked this beast, and now we were thinking about all that amazing untracked snow we were about to rip. After relaxing some, shooting photo's, and drinking a Stella we started to pack our snowshoes up. We all got our packs strapped down to the smallest volume possible, turn strapped in, and dropped into this.


photo.gustavohlsson


photo.gustavohlsson


photo.gustavohlsson


photo.gustavohlsson

After a ride down that had Craig follow caming into a tree (he was ok), voices scattered threw the trees, boyish yelps, and fast powder trees in the steeps. We popped out at our initial hike spot and with the snow sun baked on our earlier tracks down we knew we could boot pack it out. I was beat at this point but me at Kop hiked a short distance to pop a ollie to try a photo with Gustav. The rest of the crew hiked up some to try to get a line or two to shoot. After Terry, Wolfe, Craig, and Gustav took some photos we pointed it out of the gully. We want to be back at the van bad at this point and we weren't sure of the best traverse out. We all strapped in and drop into trees above a zone we thought would put us on a cat track back to the Falling Star run, but that didn't quit go down as we had thought. So Kopish pointed it through another gully trying to reach the top of the other ridge. He almost did, Wolfe followed, than Craig, Terry, Me, and Gustav. A quick hoop up that had me swearing and we were riding down to track that had us back on Falling Star.

Now back at the Sweet Pickle we loaded in, beat from a long day ripping with some great friends all pushing with out pushing each other. The kind of moment that radiates in your soul. It was the kind of day that makes us feel free, real, open to challenge, strong, small, humble, and true. I was glad to share this day with new and old friends alike. It was a moment that in real time may have been hours, but in my heart will last forever. It was a pure experience that brought much joy to a group of that was in search nothing but a walk in the woods up a mountain to ride down. I urge you to talk a walk with your friends and see what you can find.


video.craigwilliams

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

30 Second Hike Glory Hole and Currie Bowl


Photo's.CraigWilliams

Today was the first snow day, solid blow in and snow over night left us with our first taste of powder on this trip. Custy lines turned into fast tree runs, cliff pops, and fun slashes. Started the morning on timber lift with a pack of riders, meet up with local rippers and our extended house crew. Shredded this zone called 30 Second hike, great early snow, we moved around the mountain and found great riding all day. End the day with some midwest style runs with ollies and butter abound. Tomorrow souinds like booter session and some hikes to great lines. We shall see.



30 second hike.



Kop about to drop.

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Trees Tires and Tricks


Photo's.CraigWilliams

Today we awake post pub night with a few hangovers and it's rainingish out. So with a slow start and some lagging crew we decide to niks the mountain to save on ticket cost. Shits mad spendie not worth a half day of riding in the present conditions. Though we would allow these minor issues to derail our shred. With mini shred on the collective mind we took to the van and random roads of Fernie to seek and destroy anything shredable. First victim was a off the windy road to island lake lodge with a mini log session. Short hike to the top and it was on, after we kill the hot pow, gaps, and logs we bailed to see where the session would take us.



Driving around to some spot we stumbled on a sweetass city park with many a mini shred option. Tires of the large kind lead to stales, picks, rides, and swingsets? Sure. Craig, Terry, Kop, and Wolfe all ripped and enjoy the hail style snow. We rode like it was a pow day and loved every second.









Rip it and swing it.

Fernie Fun and Freinds


Photo.PeterHarvieux

Fernie been real. 3 days in Wolfe and the Family at the house have been kind to us. Day one we ripped line around the mountain with mid-30 temps. After a long first day Wolfe had hidden a stash under a tree on the ride out. What was it we thought, turned out to be a bottle of jag. We polished it off in minutes and rode out. That evening Craig arrived from Calgary hot off the Airplane. Wasn't quite our (Terry, Kop, and I) 20 hour over night drive from Minneapolis. Day 2 had us show Craig the Resort runs, while Ron, Wolfe and Goodstuf when to start booter build seesion. Local ripper Ian showed up too and had the boys building a monster in the rock garden. After being radioed for booter help we broke from the trails to go help out. We arrived to the majority of work finish, but helped put the finishing touch to the big guy. At the same time Terry and Goodstuf built a mini version for the less scary run in. Later in the session Craig add a lip to a huge rock below our session and dropped some serious knowledge on it! All while some random skiers mashed ribs on a stupid large gap they really should not have been trying to deal with. That added much humor to our already epic day.


Photo.CraigWilliams


Photo.BrianKopish

Day 3 found us on the old side hiking upper ceder bowl to get some hot pow. It's been warm out here so not alot of fresh snow, but with crew like this we're setting this place a blase with stoke and energy. Some hiking and effort put us on top some solid turns.


Photo.BrianKopish

What a view, it's been a great time and fun is the theme.


Photo.CraigWilliams