11. 3
RIDER: LEN JØRGENSEN BOARD: GANG PLANK
2 NEW LIFTS 1000 NEW ACRES 7,900+ LIFT ACCESSIBLE ACRES Largest Reso in US with 8,464 Total Skiable Acres / Lowest Skier Density of Any Major Ski Area in No h America / 4 Li Accessible Side Country Areas
nitrousa.com instagram.com/nitrousa youtube.com/user/officialnitrousa twitter.com/nitrosnbrds
CON TENTS Rider: Red Gerard - Logan, Utah Photograph: Ben Girardi
10 OPENING ACT 12 CONTRIBUTORS 16 COVER STORY 18
SLUSH VS. SLASH
20
CHARACTERS: ALEX MLYNAREK
22
GRAPHIC STORY: SMOKIN SNOWBOARDS
24
FIRST 10 YEARS: ASHBURY
26
PRODUCT TOSS
28-35 SHOOTING GALLERY 38-43
TRAVEL: ICELAND
46-51
ART: MIKE MURDOCK
54-61
INTERVIEW: GRIFFIN SIEBERT
64
LIVE MUSIC: DEATH VALLEY GIRLS
66 SOUND CHECK 68 INSTAHAM 70 END CREDITS
8
ARKADEMAGAZINE.COM
VOLUME 11.3
9
OPENING ACT
Words: Jacob Malenick Sean “Dirty” Hadley - Salt Lake City, UT Photograph: Nieis Jensen
10
ARKADEMAGAZINE.COM
Warm weather has been rolling into our valley. Sunny days continue to lengthen and Arkade’s final issue of the season is in your hands. The time has come for those of us who traded our trucks for bindings throughout the frozen months to refocus our attention on four little wheels and the unforgiving pavement. As spring fills the city with a renewed spirit, we too are in a state of renewal. Not only are we at Arkade re-focusing on skateboarding as humans, but within these humble pages as well. With the cover of our third issue ever under his belt, back when we were known as 9350, it felt only natural to showcase local legend Sean “Dirty” Hadley charging in a pristine SLC pool to help announce the triumphant return to our roots and the reinstatement of skateboarding amongst our printed pages.
VOLUME 11.3
11
CONTRIB UTORS
WESTON COLTON
NIELS JENSEN
CHRIS SWAINSTON
Photographer - @westoncolton
Photographer - @nellis_j
Photographer - @swainstagram
Originally from Central Valley, Kanab area of Southern Utah, Weston Colton now lives in Provo Utah with his wife and 4 kids. He studied photography at BYU and works full time as an in-house photographer for a Utah company as well as a freelance work. He is a regular contributor to Slug Magazine and is one of the “go-to” skateboard photographers documenting the Utah skate scene.
Niels grew up splitting time between L.A and Salt Lake City, in the end choosing SLC as his home. Finding his love for photography early in High School and taking a few classes at the U, he mostly honed his skills by trial and error. He currently works a 9 to 5 as an analyst, but try’s to fit in as much photography, skating and traveling as he can. Most of his work you can find in Slug Magazine and on instagram.
Born and raised in Salt Lake City, Chris studied photography at SLCC where he learned the basics. Stating that his photography skills didn’t really take off until he immersed himself in the professional photography world. Chris now resides in the sunshine state, working in Los Angeles as a photographer, lighting director or digi tech. His photos have graced the pages of the biggest skate mags, shooting photos for Deathwish, Supra and other big name skate brands. He is currently working on updating Swainstonphoto.com, but until then you can find is work at swainston.tumblr.com
12
ARKADEMAGAZINE.COM
PHOTO: TBIRD
RIDESNOWBOARDS.COM
ROCK B OTTOM SINCE ‘92
COVER STORY
Words: Jacob Malenick Bryan Iguchi - West Fjords, Iceland Photograph: Andrew Miller
I’ve been sitting in front of my computer for quite some time now, eyes drying and reddening from the harsh blue light of the screen. I find myself stuck in a loop of reading and re-reading the e-mails I received from Bryan Iguchi and Andrew Miller regarding one of the most beautiful and epic cover shots I’ve ever witnessed in print. After multiple attempts to write words fitting enough for the kind of uncharted trip they ventured on to capture this photo, it dawned on me. No matter how hard I try to put myself in their boots, feel what they felt, and visualize the sights only few humans have ever seen, my words would never do it justice. Therefore, I officially turn this article over to these two masters of their craft so they might paint a more appropriate picture of their unforgettable journey to the North West Fjords of Iceland. Bryan Iguchi: “Forrest Shearer hit me up early last winter and told me about a project he was doing with Andrew Miller and Nick Kaliz called “Horizon Lines”. He asked me if I wanted to join him on a trip to Iceland and sail around the Fjords splitboarding. The full crew was Forrest Shearer, Jeremy Jones, Kohl Christiansen, Andrew Miller, Nick Kaliz, Jake Price, Geiri our guide, the Captain Sigi, his son “(AKA) Rad Nar” and myself. It was a good vibes the whole trip, couldn’t have been with better humans.” Andrew Miller: “The whole mood of the trip was full on vacation. After a long winter for everybody this was just good, mellow times sailing around, snowboarding and surfing areas for the first time off an amazing boat eating some epic Iceland food having the time of our lives. This wasn’t a snowboard trip, it was a life trip.” BI: “I guess if you break it down it took months to plan the trip and many long days of hiking and exploring unfamiliar mountains to get the shot.” AM: “We travelled from SLC to Iceland, drove 7 hours north to the West Fjords, set sail on a boat for a couple days, two days on snow exploring the area and after a couple hours hiking around we found this lip and this shot happened maybe on our third day shooting in this area. We looked at the general area on map with our boat captain prior to our launch. It’s in a very exposed area of the island so we could only go there if the weather was good. No one had ever snowboarded in this area before.”
16
ARKADEMAGAZINE.COM
BI: “None of us had been to Iceland before so it was all new to us. On my first run of the trip after hiking for several hours, I dropped my binding on the summit and it rolled off backside of the mountain we planned to ride. It was the most surreal heart wrenching moment I’ve had in the mountains. I was in shock as I watched it tumble into the abyss, I felt like such a dumbass. I deciding to down climb the long steep couloir. I didn’t know how if it would go but I figured if it got too sketchy I could always hike back up and out. It was a long slow decent working my way to the bottom navigating several cliff bands and steep slopes. It must have taken me a couple hours of effort and a lot of mental and physical suffering to find my binding in a scree field near the bottom of the mountain. It was a hard one to shake but I felt blessed that I had made it down safe and found my binding intact after such a long fall. Shit happens and I didn’t let it mess up the good vibes.” AM: “Over all we got super lucky with weather and being able to sail into new zones with our captain. The West Fjords are super exposed to the Arctic seas. Greenland being 300 miles to our west and the Arctic circle just a few nautical miles to our north makes for some crazy storms in this bay.” BI: “The photo itself wasn’t really planned, it just came together at about 1:00am at the end of a long day, and we were all pretty tired at that point. It was a going to be a long skin/hike to get to it and I wasn’t totally sure if it would work out but it looked like a really fun hit. The the light was amazing and it seemed like it had a great angle from the top so we went back up and got it just in time for ‘sunset’.” AM: “The sun never really sets that time of the year in Iceland so we would usually start our day surfing in the morning and would change back on the boat, then go shred from around 2pm to midnight or one in the morning. The light stays golden for a couple hours around that time making for some amazing shots. This is a timeless photo for me and probably one of my all time favorites, super happy to see it get used on a cover!
“I guess if you break it down it took months to plan the trip and many long days of hiking and exploring unfamiliar mountains to get the shot.�
VOLUME 11.3
17
SPRING BREAK
Words: Dennis Nazari Photograph courtesy of Salty Peaks
Slush Slashing vs. Slash Surf ing Most snowboarders know and love slushy corn snow but there is a big difference in that experience depending on where those conditions are found, if you have the right board, the tools, and the right mindset. In either case, you need warm air temperatures and a strong sun to soften the snow pack beyond the first layer, and be properly equipped to deal with the changing conditions” Slush Slashing: Done on groomers and sideline slush, you can ride most boards and have fun; lines typically follow the groomers and never really get “bottomless”. Slush Surfing: Done on the off trail steeps, chutes, and bowls with a rockered slush surfer with a long nose and a tail with a smaller surface area that will improve the ride in foot plus deep or “bottomless” slushy corn snow. Lines are offset to the left, right, or angled fall line depending on terrain. Ideal conditions are created in the late spring and summer when there is no overnight freeze and daytime temps are above 45 degrees with strong sun to warm the snow pack multiple layers deep to provide foot plus slushy corn snow that has a velvety smooth and pliable feel.
Timing is crucial to find the best conditions, no need to rush to the hill at 9am unless there was no overnight freeze, but even then the snow pack will be firmer than at noon. Conditions don’t deepen and break through the lower layers of frozen snow until mid-afternoon, with the golden hour being the hour before an area gets shaded and starts to set up, or the hour before the lifts close. The lift accessed season is short and conditions are temperature dependent. The tools: outside of the right board, speed is a key factor in having fun in the slush. Nobody likes sticky snow, so a good warm weather slush wax with some pure flouro powder corked into the wax is a fail proof way to have the speed you need, whether it’s to power through a turn, making it out of the bowl, or getting across the flats. It’s always a good idea to have some rub on slush wax with you in case the sticky factor shows up. Safety: A good understanding of avalanche and wet slide risks is important as epic slush surfing conditions are also red flags for dangerous snow conditions or terrain traps, so it’s better if you stick to in-bound open resort areas that the mountain patrol deems safe. The mindset: Snowboarders learned from skiers that the mountain is ridden fall line with tight turns, but if the mountain is viewed through skateboard or surf eyes, the line becomes much different.
(In the right conditions, it will rival your best powder day, but you’re wearing a tee shirt and there are no crowds.)
Break free of the ski mindset and explore the mountain and get it while you can!
Terrain: East facing sun baked slopes thaw out first, quite often late in the afternoon between 1pm and 4pm. Depending on the mountain, there may be west facing slopes that are also good late in the day. Brighton and Snowbird have some of the best terrain for slush surfing.
For more detailed info and regular condition updates, follow the slush surf report at SaltyPeaks.com or at bit.ly/slushsurfreport
The right board: A board inspired by deep powder or surf design is best with a long nose and a small surface area in the tail, and rocker geometry works better than cambered geometry for carrying speed and floating over deep, off trail slush conditions.
18
ARKADEMAGAZINE.COM
Ideal conditions are created in the late spring and summer when there is no overnight freeze and daytime temps are above 45 degrees
VOLUME 11.3
19
CHAR ACTERS
Words: Daniel Cochrane Photograph: Steven Stone
Alex Mlynarek It is safe to say that in his third year at Brighton Resort Alex “Al Pal” Mlynarek has found his groove. As the Brighton Resort marketing assistant he has played a huge role in bringing all graphic design in house, he has achieved internet fame via his assault on famous Brighton lines (more on that later), and has even managed to get his girlfriend, Katie, to accept a marriage proposal. Pretty good for the 26-year-old, Michigan native who described his industry career to date as being “fueled with a lot of hard work and even more dumb luck.” Like many snowboarders Al grew up in a skiing family, meaning of course that his introduction to snow came on two planks instead of one. The lure of snowboarding quickly caught Al’s attention, but unfortunately his parents were firmly entrenched in the anti-snowboarding camp. For that reason Al’s first board, a used World Industries Flame Boy deck with generic bindings was purchased at a local shop swap with funds pooled from the bounty of various birthday cards. That DIY spirit would prove a valuable asset for Al as his love of snowboarding grew, and he gradually found himself pulled into industry jobs. The first stroke of “dumb luck” came while he was attending school at Michigan State during the period of time in which the Hawk Island public park was being proposed and debated. Al had a huge interest in helping make Hawk Island a reality, but constant battles with various local government agencies put the project in a constant state of limbo. In the interim Al left Lansing and spent a winter in Montana, and it was during that time Hawk Island became a reality. After returning to school and graduating in 2012 Al stayed in Lansing to help with Hawk Island’s second (and ultimately final) season. This ended up being Al’s break into the industry facilitated by the attention garnered from Hawk Island edits made by Spencer Whiteman. “Dumb Luck” doesn’t amount to opportunities if one isn’t willing to capitalize, and that is exactly what Al did. Leveraging the exposure of Hawk Island he landed a desk job at Windell’s. While admittedly less than glamorous it did enable him to make even more industry contacts. After summer at Hood Al headed back to Michigan with a gig as park manager at Cannonsburg, however a casual scroll through Instagram revealed that Brighton Resort was looking for a “marketing assistant” and Al was immediately on the case. “I don’t think he (Jared Winkler) knows this, but I actually found Jared’s Facebook profile and went through his friends list to find any mutual connections we had, and then started blowing them up to put in a good word for me. Jared called me the next day and said “Yeah if you don’t have dreadlocks or any visible neck tattoos the job is yours” (which is the most Winkler quote ever). I packed up my van and sent it to Utah the next day.” Working at Brighton was a dream come true for Al. He had been to the Promised Land many times over the years on family trips and already knew Brighton was a special place. Salt Lake on the other hand with its odd mixture of conservative roots, and disconnect from the snow and snow culture was, initially, a bit of a puzzle. “I actually became a big fan of the liquor laws because they made it so inconvenient/expensive to buy booze that I basically stopped drinking. Not that it was a problem in my life but it is kind of nice not being hung-over every Sunday morning. Another thing I love about Salt Lake is the disconnect between the
20
ARKADEMAGAZINE.COM
mountains and the city. It’s kind of crazy to think that people who grew up here have never been into the mountains and don’t realize that there is snow up here from October to June every year. Living in a ski town is exhausting because you can’t escape the lifestyle. Out here as soon as you hit Wasatch Blvd. coming out of the canyon snowboarding ceases to exist. That is the only reason I can come up here seven days a week without going insane.” Despite all of its quirks Al has adapted to both SLC and Brighton. Al dove into his new duties head first focusing and taking his design skills from mediocre at best to a much higher level of proficiency. He also tag teams all the social media work with Brighton legend turned mentor Jared Winkler. “Since the first week I started I have never looked to Winkler as a boss. He’s always been a friend that I’ve looked up to and wanted to learn from. He’s a wealth of information and luckily he’s allowed me tap into that. He’ll never give me the “I’m your boss you need to pull your shit together” spiel, it’s more of like when your parents tell you “I’m not mad, I’m just disappointed” when you screw up.” Perhaps Al’s greatest pride in working with Brighton lies in the fact that user based content, the new holy grail of marketing, is more organic and authentic than the large amount of product pushed out by big dollar, media heavy resorts. Citing it as a product of Winkler’s long standing efforts to maintain contacts with everyone in the industry from filmers and professional riders to team mangers and shop kids, Al knows the content that Brighton gets from it’s patrons is instrumental in the mountains success. “The content that comes out of this place is all organic and you can always tell that it was for the love of snowboarding, not a paycheck. Other resorts couldn’t pay for the stuff we get on a daily basis. Kids come here to ride because it’s their home mountain and they film and take photos for fun. To me, seeing Scott Stevens’ iPhone edits gets me way more hyped to ride than some over-produced video shoot. We’re just lucky that everyone has an iPhone and can produce quality content and wants to share it with us!” In an interesting twist of fate Al has ironically found himself a participant in the realm of organic content. He has created a mental list of iconic Brighton spots to conquer, and knew that this seasons insane snow totals presented the perfect opportunity to start checking items off the list. Strapping on the GoPro Al has been documenting his efforts and sharing them on his social media, but the hype quickly spread through the industry via other accounts ranging from the Brighton official page to Snowboarder, Ski Utah, and Alex Andrew’s Forth Worldwide Instagram.Al scoffs at the notion of his job as a constant fun filled, pow day extravaganza spent with local pros and idols. He is quick to point out that he is part of the other side of the snowboarding world rarely seen or acknowledged. This is the less glamorous side of the hard working industry insider that spends countless summer and fall hours lining up content, contacts, and events to promote the professional riders who are the public face of the sport. Still Al wouldn’t have it any other way, “I hate the saying “when you do what you love, you never work a day in your life” but in my situation it couldn’t be any more true. Not bad for a hard working Michigander with dumb luck on his side.
“Yeah if you don’t have dreadlocks or any visible neck tattoos the job is yours” (which is the most Winkler quote ever)
VOLUME 11.3
21
A GRAPHIC STORY
Words: Jacob Malenick Image provided by Smokin’ Snowboards
Smokin’ Snowboards Hooligan
“Surfing’s not a sport, it’s a way of life, it’s no hobby. It’s a way of looking at that wave and saying, “Hey bud, let’s party!” -Jeff Spicolli While the infamous Spicolli is nothing if not a diehard surfer, I think we can all agree that his sentiment fits pretty perfectly into the world of snowboarding. With a personal connection to Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Smokin’s choice of legendary skate designer Winston Tseng of Enjoi fame was the perfect fit for making next year’s Hooligan graphic a reality. “Besides being a fan of the movie like a lot of people, I’ve always had a sort of pride and attachment to it,” says Winston. “There are rumors that Cameron Crowe wrote it based in on my high school in Redondo Beach, CA.” Each season, Smokin’s Hooligan graphic reflects an epic and iconic movie that evokes a sense of nostalgia, and the 2017/18 board not only delivers but exceeds its predecessors thanks to everyone involved. “This was a much more collaborative process than I usually go through with companies, which was awesome,” Winston comments on working with Smokin and former Creative Director Paul Bundy. “Most of the time I’m expected to just come up with finished graphics on my own, but in this case Paul and Smokin deserve a lot of the credit. I had the idea to draw a bunch of things floating in pool water because I thought it could look interesting and be a little weird for a snowboard. But it was only a half-idea because it didn’t really have a good concept to tie it together. I sent a mockup over and they came up with the idea to make it a tribute to Fast Times, which I thought was perfect.” When asked more about his graphic routine, Winston describes his concept of “half-ideas” and how they tie into his life and creative process; “I don’t have a specific routine that I can tap into at any moment for an idea, I never know where one will come from. That said, I can say that my ideas consist of 2 parts: the concept/message and the visual way it’s conveyed. I get inspired for “half ideas” all the time, whether it’s a color combination I’d like to use or an object I want to draw, but I won’t have a concept to pair it with. Or I might have a message to convey, but not know how to represent it visually. So I usually have all these half-ideas floating around and once I can figure out both sides of it, that’s when a graphic comes to life.” Be sure to catch Winston’s work on this award winning park board this coming fall. In the meantime, get yourself a Netflix account and brush up on your Spicolli quotes as we enter that wonderful time of year in Utah full of slushy spring surfing, for all any of us really need “are some tasty waves, a cool buzz, and I’m fine.”
22
ARKADEMAGAZINE.COM
FIRST 10 YEARS
Words: Lance Hakker Images from the Ashbury Blog
Ashbury I’m willing to bet all of you reading this right now have day-dreamed of starting your own brand, talked about it with friends, or even simply doodled imaginary logos on notepads. We’ve all done it. As skateboarders and snowboarders we’re independent minded, and when we’re young we think we know everything. It’s the perfect storm. Like most teenagers, Nima Jalali, my twin brother Mike, and myself had been talking about starting our own brand for years. At 26, I thought I knew everything. I was a team manager for exactly one year at K2 Snowboards. Lived in Seattle for that job from June 19th, 2005 to June 19th, 2006. That’s when Mike and I left our jobs and moved back with our parents for 3 years to get Ashbury off the ground. When we first started Ashbury, we were bringing together a lot of like-minded people. A lot of friendships were being built and everyone, including ourselves, were really excited by the energy we all were creating which motivated us to all get together constantly. I was with our team weekly and blasted it on our blog so it was a widely known thing that we were always in the mix. We were really early on the blog scene and it was the first time anyone had a day to day look into the lives of these snowboarders. Not only was I posting daily, but our team was sending us photos from their travels too. Our first season, we had everything made in Italy, just outside Venice. Nima, Mike, and I took a trip out there to visit the factories and turned it into a vacation. Laurent-Nicolas Paquin had just purchased a new camera, he was on a local trip near his hometown and instead of updating the blog with his trip, we were posting some of the photos he sent us as if he was in Italy with us. We even went as far as photoshopping him his a photo I took of Mike and Nima dancing in Venice. I’ve only told this to a hand full of people, but people’s reactions were funny. He was filming for one of the Rome videos at the time and rumor got to us that one of the reps was bummed that he was running around Italy with us instead of working on his video part. I’m sure no one reading this even remembers those Italy posts, but they were the most memorable to me. Perhaps the scariest moment from the past 10 years was before our first order of goggles even shipped. Nima had texted us a photo of the shipment ready to go in Italy. We had asked for a photo of the packaging and they send a photo of a bunch of boxes on pallets. Then later in the day, I get a call from Nima. “Dude, the goggles blew up!” He sounded unlike himself and distressed. The mental image of the boxes from the earlier photo went instantly up in flames. Nearly dumbfounded, I asked, “What do you mean?” I kept asking what does that mean. Then he asked if I was on my cell and to call him from the land line. I hung up and called back. When he picked up, I was in a full panic, I asked, “What does that mean?” Nima was totally
24
ARKADEMAGAZINE.COM
confused, he had no idea what I was talking about and I in turn was starting to think he went crazy. He was on some raw food diet at the time and I thought, “This is it. Nima has lost his mind.” What really happened? Two friends downloaded an app that can call anyone from any number. This app has since been taken out of the app store. That was the last time I fell for a joke like that. Nima was fine, the goggles arrived, and we were officially in business. Although hectic, the demo times were the when all of us would be together in one place. In hindsight, these demos are what brought us all together, so I’ll close with one of the most memorable experiences from both my Ashbury and Videograss times as an example. Everyone talks about hitting the Big Bear Middle School rail, and this particular year there was enough snow during the demo to do so. After the last day, Mikey Leblanc decided he was gonna scope it out. He went with a small group, just the essential players. The rest of us stood by so we could come join the party when they were ready. We had a small caravan and when we were parking, Mikey had already jumped down as we were getting out. In a frenzy, we were crashing over ourselves to get out of the cars and into the school yard. In my eyes, this is one of the most legendary clips of all time. Not only because of Mikey’s importance as a snowboarder and where he was in his career as well as the spot being an iconic one, but the crew we had that day was unimaginable: Mikey Leblanc with Justin Meyer, Joe Carlino, and Jeff Heit filming. Kevin Zacher and Darrell Mathes shooting photos. Louif Paradis, Johnny Miller, and our crazy intern Jon Stark pulling the bungee. My brother Mike and Nick Dirks reluctantly had to drive down the hill so Nick could make his flight. Mike was actually considering talking Mikey out of trying the ollie. Watching the session was myself, Will Tuddenham, Jake Kuzyk, Keegan Vailaka, Laurent-Nicolas Paquin, Jed Anderson, Justin Bennee, Cale Zima, Ben Bilocq, Jake Olson-Elm, and Mark Edlund. We all thought Mikey had three tries tops to get it. Otherwise his body won’t be able to take the impact any longer. Eight tries later, he landed to a Super Bowl-esque explosion of cheers from snowboarding’s best young talent. If you go back and watch the clip, you can see a teenage Jed tucked way up on the hill so he can watch from the side and then sprint down like a mountain goat. From that moment on we spent the rest of the night celebrating in Big Bear. Starting Ashbury and Videograss is something I’m proud of, but more than anything it’s brought together so many good people and I’ve made so many friends and have amazing memories like these to look back on. That’s what being an entrepreneur in our industry is about. The fact that it’s been 10 years and we’re still kicking is just icing on the cake.
VOLUME 11.3
25
PRODUCT TOSS
Vans Crockett Pro 2 ($70) vans.com Cinema Devil Made Me Do It Series ($49) cinemaskateboards.com Rome ‘18 National ($560) romesnowboards.com Union ‘18 Expedition Splitboard Binding (N/A) unionbindingcompany.com Ashbury Stockton ($90) ashburyeyewear.com
26
ARKADEMAGAZINE.COM
introducing
\
the terrapin
iguchi
—
b r ya n
f e at u r i n g a r t w o r k by C.R. Stecyk III
\
P :
s e a n
b l a c k
SHOOTING GALLERY
Sam Hubble July 2016 - Salt Lake City, UT Photo: Weston Colton
28
ARKADEMAGAZINE.COM
VOLUME 11.3
29
SHOOTING GALLERY
30
ARKADEMAGAZINE.COM
JAMES FLEEGE
ALEX YODER
February 2017 - Niseko Hirafu, Japan Photo: Chase Burch
March 2016 - Utah Backcountry Photo: Andrew Miller
VOLUME 11.3
31
SHOOTING GALLERY
Erik Ellington July 2015 - London, England Photo: Chris Swainston
32
ARKADEMAGAZINE.COM
VOLUME 11.3
33
SHOOTING GALLERY
34
ARKADEMAGAZINE.COM
Alex Sherman April 2016 - Boreal, CA Photo: Andy Wright
VOLUME 11.3
35
Michael Aasheim Bjorn Leines
Plenty of things have changed over the past 80 years but the lines in Wolvy Cirque will always be gnarly. Thanks for making us Utah's favorite place to ride.
TRAVEL
Iceland Intro by Daniel Cochrane Photographs by Paul Bundy
There is a certain tranquility in Iceland that permeates every aspect of life. A sense of calm that filters through everything, even when standing in the middle of Reykjavik traffic or on the edge of the numerous roaring waterfalls around the island. The quiet pater of rain on the windows of a coffee shop during breakfast hours bolstered by the undercurrent of murmuring conversations from the patrons. The sense of ease you feel in your soul when stepping onto the ice filled, volcanic beaches of Jokusarlon. The tranquility was omnipresent, and never ending. From the moment we left Keflavik International and journeyed towards Reykjavik we could feel the difference. There is a subtle lack of hurry in Iceland. Sure people queue up for coffee in the mornings, but no one seems to be in a hurry about it. Indeed no one seems to be in a hurry at all, and for deadline focused, multi tasking, Americans it was a welcome change of pace. No matter where we were or what we were doing we were on our own pace, and Iceland seemed to embrace and cultivate that mentality. We spent days walking the streets of Reykjavik admiring the simplicity of design that so naturally complimented the sedate lifestyle. We also spent hours on the winding island roads visiting all manner of natural wonder, from cascading falls and geysers to tectonic plates and volcanic flood plains. For a group of people who live in one of the most striking and beautiful states in the country the vistas were still breath taking and awe inspiring. Tiny towns like Vik and Akranes seemed as if they were created for movie sets and not part of real life. Geological wonders seemed otherworldly and straight off the screen on a science fiction film. Iceland is a country that thrives off of tourism and it is so very easy to see why. It is without hyperbole to say that we each returned from this tiny Atlantic Island different people. Traveling abroad always leaves a special notch in your soul. It’s good to be away from ones comfort zone, and to broaden your view of the world with its amazing myriad cultures. But Iceland felt different, and we will never shake that.
38
ARKADEMAGAZINE.COM
Jรถkulsรกrlรณn
VOLUME 11.3
39
Vík
Reykjavík
40
ARKADEMAGAZINE.COM
Gullfoss
Reykjavík
VOLUME 11.3
41
Reykjavík
42
ARKADEMAGAZINE.COM
Reykjavík
VOLUME 11.3
43
P: TIM ZIMMERMAN
44
ARKADEMAGAZINE.COM
NICOLAS MÜLLER
VOLUME 11.3
45
AR T
Mike Murdock Written by Daniel Cochrane Images of artwork provided by Mike Murdock
Anyone that has been on a skateboard long enough for it to really leave a mark on their soul has learned some pretty interesting life lessons from that silly slab of wood, and Salt Lake based, self described, “artist, illustrator, doodler, mess maker, father, husband and cube gleamer” Mike Murdock is no exception.
or altered because of the pressure money tends to add. I think people who are lumped into that loose category of street art tend to parallel with skateboarding because they both tend to look at something neglected or boring to the rest of the world and truly make it their own by utilizing it in their own special way.”
As with most kids growing up in SLC Mike dabbled in snowboarding as well as skating, but, while loving the connection to nature that snowboarding brought him, the cost both in money and time wasn’t as appealing as skateboarding’s lure of instant gratification. “Snowboarding was always such a commitment. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy it; the spontaneity of skating was just more appealing to me. The time I spent trying to figure out transportation, layering up, coordinating and trying to find a stupid lost glove somewhere started to seem like more of a chore than fun. I was more inclined to go skating because it was an easy escape from any bullshit I didn’t want to deal with as a kid. I would just grab my board and go spend hours exploring the city alone or with friends.” It’s these hours exploring the streets on his skateboard that would have a definitive influence on his career as an artist.
Mikes signature style, or more specifically his outlook on “style” in general very much mirrors the thought process of his finished products. It’s more of a free from process that doesn’t place a lot of pressure on the end product, but is more focused on letting nature take its course and trusting that instinct. “When you force these things something tends to get lost in translation. I try to let whatever needs to come out do so without thinking about if someone else will like it or not. If I worked like that I don’t think I’d ever make a single thing. I’m usually more drawn to loose, weird vibes. I’ve always been a big fan of Barry McGee, Ed Templeton, Jay Howell, and Michael Sieben. It’s important to have influences without comparing yourself to them. We’re all different and it’s good to embrace that. Even when someone has a signature style, I think it’s important to try to keep letting it evolve. Personally I’d rather have the capability of letting my work change into whatever it wants to be instead of having something so trademark that it actually becomes a hindrance.”
The skateboarding eye, the way skaters view the world around them, is an oft-mentioned attribute of countless hours of exploration in search of spots to skate. The eye is what takes you behind closed shopping centers, abandoned buildings, or down narrow alleyways and for Mike, as he began to move from notebook drawings to street art, it became indispensible. His works can be found (some requiring a little more sleuthing than others) around downtown SLC adorning buildings and any other structure that inspires him. (Pro tip: a quick trip around The Granary District can provide frequent rewards for those seeking some of his pieces) In art, as in skating, there are various ways to define success. Both have aspects that can financially reward ones efforts, and both have routes where style and expression are the primary focus with monetary gain coming as an added bonus. Mike Murdock, and his art, fully resides in the latter category. “I think the most innovative stuff comes out of people when there is no money involved. I understand we all need to pay rent or whatever, but whenever money is a factor in what you are doing there is some added pressure to perform. When you make something simply because you want to make something, and you make that something however the fuck you’d like to make it - even if it sucks or is weird, it still lets you use those creative juices that might be hindered
46
ARKADEMAGAZINE.COM
I guess for lack of a better term Mike is that “core” aspect of skating/ artistry. He’s going to do it regardless of the amount of financial gain that comes from it. Luckily for Mike however, the notoriety and compensation has come. Locally Squatter’s Brewery, Even Stevens Sandwiches, and others have commissioned his work. He has also been recognized and included in Lucas Beaufort’s “The LB Project” highlighting skateboarding media and artists. Recently Mike has added an extra touch to his pieces “I’ve been making a lot of frames lately for my drawings and paintings. It’s really satisfying to feel like something is complete by having it ready to hang.” Although dedicated to art regardless of the level of success Mike obviously feels a sense or pride when a piece finds a new home. “It’s even more gratifying to have that painting find its way into a loving home. It gives me the warm fuzzies and some bizarre validation when someone wants to buy something I’ve made. It’s that little extra nudge from the universe when it gives you a thumbs up and a wink.” When downtown on foot, bike, car, or skateboard keep an eye out for Mike’s works lurking in alleyways and other random spots.
VOLUME 11.3
47
48
ARKADEMAGAZINE.COM
VOLUME 11.3
49
50
ARKADEMAGAZINE.COM
VOLUME 11.3
51
DOA DEFENDERS OF AWESOME
HAND BUILT AT THE WORLD’S ONLY 100% HYDRO POWERED SNOWBOARD MANUFACTURING FACILITY.
52
ARKADEMAGAZINE.COM
THE MOTHERSHIP CONNECTION
CAPiTASNOWBOARDING.COM
54
ARKADEMAGAZINE.COM
INTERVIEW
Griffin Siebert Interview by Daniel Cochrane Action photographs by Bob Plumb Portrait by Andrew Miller
When you hear people use the admittedly cringe worthy term “lifestyle sport” in reference to snowboarding Griffin Siebert is the type of rider that should pop into your mind. It’s not that everything he does revolves around snowboarding, it is more about snowboarding being an integral part of his love for the outdoors, as seen through his art, education, and all around, as the saying goes, lifestyle. Griff, and riders like him, are the inevitable result of snowboarding climbing out of, and pushing away from, an era of commercialization and specialization. Whether he’s lapping Milly, getting clips at the rail gardens, or on a pre-dawn split mission with the homies Griff is a snowboarder’s snowboarder, and a throw back, or reconnection to, a purer era in snowboarding. We sat down with Griff to discuss a little of everything, including life, politics, snowboarding, and a certain sticker and accompanying phrase that he could do with never seeing again.
Arkade: Griff, I’m so stoked we could finally get you to sit down with us, and as requested ON our end you have brought your associate the one and only Trev Brady with you today. Trev: I am the liaison of the interview. I’m here in Griff”s best interests. If you guys come up with some potentially damaging questions I can be like “Yo Griff you don’t have to answer that question” Arkade: I would imagine you have the dirt and Griff and probably vice versa as well. Trev: Oh yeah I mean you have to remember my bedroom was right under Griff’s for three years. We got secrets, and I’m here to make sure they stay secrets. Arkade: So the first thing I want to bring up is more of an observation than a question. Griff, and don’t take this the wrong way, but you have a kind of Spicoli vibe you know. (Trev is already laughing and Griff seems a mix of confused and indignant). You’re just kind of “duuude” but peo-
VOLUME 11.3
55
ple probably don’t know you are a really multifaceted guy. You’re an artist, a climber, a yogi, and on top of that you have some pretty intense education stuff going on. Griff: I love dirt, I’m going to school for Geology. Arkade: Not too many snowboard industry jobs in Geology. Trev: Pfft What you know about hydrology player … Griff: Yeah, I’ve been really focusing on hydrology. I got to help protect The Wasatch you know. Science is good. Arkade: Yes Science is good, even though we are entering an anti-science phase right now. Griff: It’s depressing, you know. What is frustrating about the anti-science thing is that there’s thought and evidence and data for all of it, but people refuse to even acknowledge or consider it because they make it political. It’s all about raising awareness and trying change the misconceptions that people have. If the world would just do yoga it’d be a better place. Arkade: See, there you go. There’s mindful Griff. Griff: Momma taught me right, hippy parents, but those under cover Utah style hippies. (Note) At this point Griff’s phone rings and he steps away to answer. He returns with a smile on his face, “I have a hot climbing date later” he explains. Phone interruption #1 Arkade: So did your snowboarding pull you into the environmental stuff as far as school goes? Griff: I’ve just always loved collecting rocks. When I was growing up though I always wanted to do graphic arts, but I took a geology course in high school and my teacher just got me so stoked on it. So I went in that direction, and I’ve really enjoyed it. Arkade: Now you’re about to finish up? Griff: Yeah just this semester and spring semester. I‘ve never gone in the spring but I have a few classes left that are only offered in spring, so that is when I will finish up. Arkade: Tell me about “No One Does It Like Griff” Trev: It’s a movement dog… Griff moans his displeasure as Trev erupts in laughter. Griff: Everyone thinks I made those stickers, and I never want to see one again. Trev (still laughing): That’s what is so great about it! Griff: So just as background I know I can be pretty opinionated at times. One night we were just sitting around talking about whatever and I must have said something pretty strong willed or whatever and Jeff or Trevor one of them says “Well no one does it like you Griff” and then next thing I know Trev has gone on the internet and made it into bumper stickers and ordered 100 of them. So every one thinks I made them and it is so embarrassing. Trev (laughing): But see THAT’S the beauty of it. Everyone is running them on their cars and stuff. Griff: Ugh, people would come into Milo when I was working and ask me for them. THE. WORST. Like people I’ve never met before will ask me about them. I’ll be at like random banked slaloms and dudes will be like “Yo, let me get one of those stickers’” Trev: We did another run too, but they never really popped off. When he was rocking the all red kit we made a big red one. It didn’t really catch on BUT anyone out there wants to hook it up www.noonedoesitlikegriff.bigcartel.com …. You know Griff must eat somehow now that he isn’t working at the shop. You got to just embrace it and turn it into your brand. No one does it like Griff Gear … boom. Griff (embarrassed moans)
56
ARKADEMAGAZINE.COM
VOLUME 11.3
57
“...there is definitely something different about the split experience...”
58
ARKADESNOWBOARDING.COM
(Note) Griff’s phone rings again, and he walks away to take the call. Phone interruption #2 Trev: I’m pulling for Griff on this one. Griff: Sorry … Arkade: So what’s up with Japan? Griff: Yeah man about to head to Japan with Bob Plumb, Bryan Fox, I think Joe Carlino is going too, but I’m not sure. Arkade: Is this a Drink Water trip? Griff: Yeah for sure, but Quiksilver is paying for my flight. We are going to Hokkaido and hook up with Sharkboy and get a van and roll around. I’m honestly just going to let Bryan figure it out. Trev: You’re not going to just roll in the RV like last time? Did you see that RV from their last trip? It was insane like 6 guys in 30 square feet. Arkade: That’s brutal. So you are really into the backcountry, split board scene. How did a Japan traveling, split boarder end up hooking up with Lick The Cat and making edits for them? Griff: I just like riding everything you know, every part of snowboarding is fun to me. That’s what it comes down to. I’ll never stop loving rails and park laps but I’ve recently really gotten into the whole split thing, especially the hiking and being out in the true mountains you know. Like away from most people. Luckily I got into it with Trev and Randy Vannurden, and I think last year I rode more out of bounds than I did at resorts. There’s definitely something “pure” about it. I mean don’t get me wrong I still lap lifts but there is definitely something different about the split experience. When you go out with your friends it is super peaceful and there’s no rush or stress. It’s all about getting that one run and the feeling of achievement you have when you get back to the car with the boys. Split boarding is the truth. Trev: What’s your go to zone for splitting? Griff: You know Little Cottonwood is like the classic answer to that, but I really like Big Cottonwood a lot. It has a special place in my heart because it’s a fairly mellow vibe, and there are some real hidden gems up there. The road never closes either so that’s a plus. Millcreek is great too in the early season, and then you can’t forget about down south like Timpanogos, Mt Nebo and all of that area.
VOLUME 11.3
59
Trev: What’s one of your most memorable outings? Griff: Me, Seth, and Randy hit Apollo Couloir a year or so ago off of Mt Olympus and that was pretty nuts to hit that thing and look at the city while riding down. Easily one of the coolest runs of all time. Another memorable one, but for all the wrong reasons, was when Randy and I went out to the Stansbury’s range during a bad snow year...
“...We had laid a little trail of beer cans kind of like breadcrumbs along the approach path so we just wouldn’t
(Note) Phone rings again Griff picks up at the table (obviously a business call vs. a special lady friend). Phone interruption #3 Griff: Sorry, So anyway we wanted to go out to these twin couloirs right but they are way out there in the middle of nowhere, like no road access. So you have to either hike or bike in whatever you know. So I get my 8th grade bike… Trev: The Zed? Griff: Well, this was Zed 2.0, but anyways I get that and Randy has a bike too. So we start in the dark and it is just his gnarly, rugged, ice trail that we have to take for miles. Eventually we get to where we have to ditch the bikes and hike in hiking boots to get to the snow, ditch those boots, and then get into split gear and make our approach. We get to the couloirs and they were totally iced out and just a complete bust. We had laid a little trail of beer cans kind of like breadcrumbs along the approach path so we just wouldn’t lose our minds on the way back you know. So we get those, then eventually get to the hiking boots, and then get to the bikes and that’s when like a kind of bad trip went to full bad. Were just riding down this nightmare trail and my hands are hitting the handle bars so hard that I’m starting to bleed, its freezing, and we are losing the light too. It was just a total worst-case scenario short of a severe injury. We made it to the car and in one motion I tossed my bike and got in the car and was just like “never again.” Of course that was a few years ago and now I kind of want to go back up there and try for good turns. Arkade: So finishing up let’s talk about your brief appearance in Aurora Boardealis this year. Griff: Yeah that was great. I only got to go out with them for a couple 60
ARKADESNOWBOARDING.COM
lose our minds on the way” of days but I got some shots in the film. Gray is really an amazing guy, and he kind of does everything and does it at such a high level. Like filming, editing, art, riding, managing companies and countless other projects. It’s insane his level of productivity. They have a great gig going in Tahoe, but I hit them up before we had a big system come through here, and they came out and we were able to get some clips. Trev: What up with the BCB’s? Griff: Back Country Babes? Man, they exist, but they are so elusive. I might have found one I’m not sure I guess we will see on that. Seriously though it’s awesome to see the increase in female participation along the Wasatch as far as backcountry snowboarding goes. The all women split and avy classes are really helping that situation. Arkade: Are you volunteering to teach one? Griff: I would LOVE to teach … in fact anyone out there reading this organizing a BCB class I’d love to guest teach. Arkade: That’s because, no one does it… Trev: like Griff! Griff: Ugh Phone Rings (#4) interview ends
VOLUME 11.3
61
PURCHASE YOUR COPY OF RIDE LOCAL FIRST AT CROSSROADS SKATESHOP FEATURING: CODY LEE, BRYDEN BOWLEY, TRISTAN SADLER, CHASE BURCH, ZEKE GREER, TRISTIN HEINER, KC RUSSELL, JAKE FERRELL & SKIER JERRY ST OGDEN, UTAH 84404 ARKADEMAGAZINE.COM 62251 W 12TH
63
LIVE MUSIC
Words: Jacob Malenick Photograph: Paul Bundy
Death Valley Girls
I perused the records, aimlessly, with a slight hope in the back of my mind of finding an album that would spark nostalgia or excite my love of cover art. Paul’s camera was in hand, capturing the band in raw form while the light was still good. We had just gotten back to Diabolical Records after a stint at Beer Bar. Our glasses had been emptied and refilled and emptied and refilled again, priming us for a night in close quarters with a thundering band. I looked up from the “B” section to see Death Valley Girls finishing set-up. We moved in closer as the lights went red and the feedback escalated. While Salt Lake is incredibly lucky to have venues like Urban Lounge and Kilby Court for some of the best touring acts, it’s hard to top Diabolical’s support of the local scene. While they do get some amazing out-of-towners coming through the shop, such as Death Valley Girls or the equally incredible Coathangers show, every gig features at least one local bands sprinkled into the line-up, often times three of four. On the night in question we were turned on to Los Yayaz’s surf punk and the lo-fi psych sounds of Brain Bagz, both of which I would highly recommend.
64
ARKADEMAGAZINE.COM
Death Valley Girls are self-proclaimed dystopian punk, doom boogie, occult glam rockers. As hectic as that sounds, after steadily listening to their album Glow in the Dark and finally witnessing the madness live, I can say with full confidence that that is a perfect description of their style and sound. Singer and co-mastermind Bonnie Bloomgarden screeched out her haunting vocals into the small store, spilling sound far out through the surrounding streets, all on top of fellow founder Larry Schemel’s powerful guitar work. As the night wrapped up, with the merch purchased and the band’s egos stroked, Paul and I ventured back out into the cool Salt Lake air, ready and eager to see them live all over again. Our excitement echoed off the walls of Edison St. as the beer buzz began to wear off while the ear buzz rang steady. Live shows always possess a certain amount of infectious energy, but a Death Valley Girls show borders on a religious cult experience, complete with sonic kool-aid and glowing visions of a dry, desolate future, led ferociously by the likes of this dystopian chain-gang.
VOLUME 11.3
65
SOUND CHECK
Cherry Glazerr
Estatic Vision
The Orwells
Hooray for the Riff Raff
(Secretly Canadian)
(Relapse Records)
(Alantic)
(ATO Records)
Those who had the privilege of catching Cherry Glazerr live at Kilby Court following the release of their sophomore album “Apocalipstick” can attest not only to their enthralling, energetic stage presence but to the fiery passion our recent political turmoil has ignited in them. Led by the 19-year-old powerhouse Clementine Creevy and backed with force by Sasami Ashworth (keys/guitar) and Tabor Allen (drums), Cherry Glazerr are leading the charge to bring down the patriarchy with each deliberate riff and topical commentary they deliver.
Philly based Ecstatic Vision have toured as support for Earthless, Uncle Acid, Enslaved and Red Fang many times stealing the show from the headliners. Playing straight forward, face melting, heavily layered Psyche rock the band is a force to be reckoned with. “You Got It Or You Don’t” is the first single off the band’s upcoming second album appropriately titled “Raw Rock Fury”. Featuring the band’s signature heavy bass grooves, layered guitars, intermittent reverbed vocals separated by long bouts of screaming guitars and foreboding sound bites of space and other trippy shit “You Got it or You Don’t” is the real deal and picks up right where 2015’s “Sonic Praise” left off. The single comes in at about seven and a half minutes, normal when you consider songs on both their first and upcoming album generally run in the 15-20 minute range, but are broken down into parts (think Pink Floyd’s Animals track list). Oh did I mention they have a full time saxophone/flute player? Yeah, they are THAT rad. Ecstatic Vision has drawn comparisons to Hawkwind, MC5’s early glory days, and even Captain Beefheart’s heavier stuff. This is high energy, heavy rock in its purist form and definitely deserves your attention..
I love The Orwells. There I said it. Ever since these young bucks dropped “Disgraceland” before they could legally drink, I’ve been poorly singing along to their infectious garage rock while alone in my car all over our fair state. Whenever a band I love releases a new album, I always seem to get a slight sense of anxious hesitation to listen to it with the ultimate question looming overhead; “What if it sucks?” Thankfully I am here to tell you that The Orwells’ latest collection of songs entitled “Terrible Human Beings” is anything but terrible. The album starts out strong with “They Put a Body In The Bayou” and never loses steam throughout, ending with an uncharacteristically long 7-minute track appropriately titled “Double Feature”.
HFTRR are a New Orleans based indie folk outfit headed by Bronx born Alynda Lee. The Navigator is the bands fourth album since 2012, but their first in three years. It is good, and as always, Lee’s strong vocals are a highlight, but the album definitely marks a turn towards a wider audience. Songs such as “Blue Ridge Mountain” by far their most popular song from 2012’s Small Town Heroes are harder to find, but their signature mish mash of influences and instrumentation still abound. If The Navigator is your first foray into their stripped down multicultural form of Americana music you will definitely be into the album, but original fans may find it a tad harder to adapt. Like R.E.M.’s “Out of Time” or even U2’s “Achtung Baby” if HFTRR continue to release music this album will mark a definitive change in their career direction and sound. Older fans should look to the ironically titled “Nothing’s Gonna Change That Girl” as well as “Life to Save” and “Fourteen Floors” for some familiarity while newer fans will probably gravitate to “Hungry Ghost” and “Livingin The City.” Either way check them out at their upcoming Urban Lounge show before wider audiences earn them larger venues. - Daniel Cochrane
Apocalipstick
While their live show was incredibly upbeat, fast-paced, and politically charged, “Apocalipstick” is an excellent mix of everything that makes Cherry Glazerr who they are as humans. The first words on the whole album, in the song “Told You I’d Be with the Guys”, are “I was a lone wolf, I thought I lost my pack”. Such a poignant line perfectly kicks off a record that is filled with relatable self-reflection and awareness on songs like “Trash People” and “Nuclear Bomb” while being expertly combined with short, cutting tracks like “Sip O’ Poison” that are reminiscent of The Sounds if they dabbled in grunge. While this is certainly their best album to date, at such a young age, Creevy and crew are just getting started with their brand of empowering rock & roll. - Jacob Malenick
66
ARKADEMAGAZINE.COM
Raw Rock Fury
- Daniel Cochrane
Terrible Human Beings
Maybe part of it is that I’m just a sucker for the classic miniature punk songs like “Buddy” and “Body Reprise” that both clock in under a minute thirty, but the overall appeal of “Terrible Human Beings” and The Orwells in general can be found throughout the album and the personalities that show through with each succeeding track. While their Kilby Court show on March 23rd was unfortunately cancelled, you can be sure that their loud and rowdy live show will return soon, and you won’t want to miss it. - Jacob Malenick
The Navigator
INSTA HAM
Row 1. Chris Swainston @swainstagram 2. Weston Colton @westoncolton 3. Niels Jensen @nellis_j
68
ARKADEMAGAZINE.COM
p: Tim Zimmerman
TED BORLAND
THE ROAD TO HOLY BOWLY
END CREDITS
Skater: Lizard King - Santa Monica, CA Photograph: Chris Swainston
EDITOR & ADVERTISING Cory LLewelyn cory@arkadesnowboarding.com
EDITOR & DESIGN Paul Bundy paul@arkadesnowboarding.com
EDITOR & ONLINE EDITOR Daniel Cochrane daniel@arkadesnowboarding.com
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Andy Wright, Bob Plumb, Andrew Miller, Weston Colton, Niels Jensen, Ben Girardi Chris Swainston, Steven Stone, Paul Bundy, Chase Burch, Mike Murdock
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Jacob Malenick, Dennis Nazari, Lance Hakker
DISTRIBUTION Cooper Llewelyn, The Norm, Laramie Patrick Proudly Printed in Salt Lake City, UT ARKADE MAGAZINE 127 South 800 East STE #37 SLC, UT 84102
www.arkadesnowboarding.com info@arkadesnowboarding.com Facebook.com/arkadesnowboarding Twitter.com/arkadesnow Instagram @arkadesnowboarding
70
ARKADEMAGAZINE.COM
VOLUME 11.3
71