Bomb snow issue 19 2014

Jeff Hawe Ralph Backstrom gets horizontal.

109 East Main St. Suite #2 Bozeman, MT 59715

Chief Motivator /Designer Todd Heath Cont.Designers DOUG ZWANG SHAY LEE Marketing and PR Amy Balbier MARGUERITE keating Editor Alex Buecking Bomb Snow TV Axel Peterson KYLE TAYLOR randy evans rob raymond henry worobec Digital Director Gavin gibson Senior Photographers Travis Andersen Reid Morth Cont. Photographers Gary collins Liam Gallagher GAVIN GIBSON Jeff Hawe Dave Heath Bruno long chris miller big sky pioneers ian provo tal roberts brett seng ryan turner caroline van’thoff colin wiseman Writers WILL EGINTON erme catino mark davidson liam gallagher J.C. knaub MAX MOGREN julie nieuwenhuys griffin post mike rogge COREY SEEMANN brad vanwert Henry Worobec Cover Artist RAFA alvarez Illustrators august cary Special Thanks BRIDGER BRIGADE RADBOTS World Wide Web bombsnow.com

Jeff Hawe Ralph Backstrom gets vertical.

A LETTER TO MONTANA 17

Jørn Nyseth and Inge Wegge Artic island off the coast of Northern-Norway.

THE GOOD ‘OL DAYS 20

ARTISTS PROFILE 28

CONTENTS

BOMB SNOW ISSUE #19 / WINTER 2014

WASABI POWDER 44

ULLR MEETS URKEL 66

TAL ROBERTS 69

REVIEWS 84

#bombsnow

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Kyle Taylor finds a new line across Laguna Del Inca in Portillo, Chile.

Discover more about Kyle’s adventures at

tecnicablizzardexperience.com

Tecnica and Blizzard are proud partners of Bomb Snow.

If you want to know where your heart lies, look where your mind wanders. If that doesn’t help, try moving somewhere far away from home.

For me, it took relocating to a large beach metropolis for a while (seven days) to truly understand what I had left back home in the mountains.

Taking the initial step forward made me quickly realize that a step backward was a much wiser idea; a so-called progression in regression.

I owe my gut instinct a big highfive for terminating my hiatus in only a week’s time. I can also thank my mind for wandering back to all

the simple things I missed while being away from home.

Minimal traffic, even at five.

Available parking...most of the time.

Here’s a short list of stuff I will never take for granted, or at least when I do, I’ll know it’s time to leave again: Parks with vegetation.

Free camping in parks with vegetation. Un-locked doors. Walks downtown to work and home within minutes. Random hellos on Main street. Spotting familiar faces. Experiencing sunsets much later than 8pm, and stars after dark. Fresh water from the tap.

Bug-less nights. The smell of pine trees. Backyards and empty campsites. Cheap fuel. Open roads.

No rules. Cold air and cold snow.

Rivers fast and wide with free-flow.

All the things I was yearning for were right in front of me. My soul was telling me to stay while my head turned and looked away. Don’t look away. Trust your gut and happiness will most likely follow.

What’s important to you? I realized quickly that there’s no point to living in the most affluent nation in the world if I’m feeling stressed out and anxious all of the time.

The mountain towns, communities, and the people enriched by them are what brought me back home. I moved to a big city searching for success, only to discover my new job only paid half of the rent.

I hope that America is awakening to the fact that bigger is not always Bomb Snow Magazine is all about living out dreams better. Aquiring dollars never equals in a place that keeps them alive rather than happiness, and friendships are much contained. I am asking you, our readers, to stay more important than paychecks. satisfied by living in a place that inspires you. Ask Short shorts are in, baggy pants are your heart these same questions, and hopefully, way out. Long surfboards are still you’ll remind yourselves what truly matters. rad, and depending on your whereabouts, a handshake still means a We asked our readers to submit stories about what home means to deal. One must regress to progress. them. For everyone wanting to leave a mountain town for the big city life, please reconsider, by reading the next four essays about home.

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Reid Morth

Rocky Mountain High, MT

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Gavin Gibson

David Steele

Glacier National Park, MT

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Bruno Long (above, middle and upper left.)

Jeff Hawe

T

he beam from David Steele’s headlamp vanishes, triggering my seventy-third toe-to-rock impact of the evening.

Our current party is a quiet departure from the first. I turned 26 somewhere in the last mile, and I should be apologizing to some glossy-eyed co-ed for looking at, well, every other girl in the “A toad!” Exclaims Steele. bar. We don’t cheer for celebration, we shout for bears. To my salvation, My stubbed toe rejects his enthusiasm. there’s an element of joy mixed in “I don’t care about toads.” with the snowballing effect of minor injuries. The leftover warmth of It’s amazing what blunt-force trauma August’s fiery sun makes the skis we can do to morale. I regain composure carry on our backs feel delightfully and pray silently that my bad attitude silly. Only a few hours ago we skied doesn’t spawn Egypt’s Second Plague through a blood orange-soaked alpine here in Glacier National Park. My toes sunset. The residuals of a 1,000 vertisimply can’t handle Steele’s love for cal feet of freedom come in bursts amphibians. for as little reason as we went to get them.

Earlier in the day, motivation radiated from David Steele’s melon-sized calves The combination of toe-hating rocks as he tore through the timbers like a and summer snow almost has me real-life “fitspiration” poster. I used at a perfect equilibrium. Almost, their steady rhythm to stave off typical except that while smearing hummus hiking trials like fatigue, hunger, and over tortillas in the day’s dying light, chance encounters with God. But here, Steele told me that there--in Glacier’s 12 hours into a nine-hour hike, short alpine zones--he truly felt at home. It one headlamp between two people, rattled me. I just quit a dead end job Steele’s calves offer no guiding light. a few days before this, moving back I curse the beard-brandishing timber to Montana with no plan but to make gypsy under my breath. We’d become it “home.” Now, instead of paying friends a little over a year ago when he attention to the rocks I can’t see, I recovered my Bowie knife after a night ponder just what the hell “home” is. of hops-fueled foolishness lead it astray. It’s a bond that can’t be traded. At the moment, I’m contemplating This hike? His idea. moving into a vehicle for the third

time in my life. In the last five years, Home is an experience, I’ve moved nine different times and not a place. That’s why lived in six different states. That’s not so many people aren’t counting the six-month stint when collapsed next to me I lived out of a ski company’s demo in this parking lot at van. I’m not sure if it’s the effects of 2:30 am.

Steele’s hummus-based meal plan, or a late-hike moral dilemma, but the to his life as a painter. He’ll get as concept of “home” has me in dismay. excited about tape application techniques as he does about We march downhill for hours, intercrampons. I will hit less rocks rupted only by water breaks, shouts if I just pick my feet up higher. for bears, and me bitching about toads. I can’t see Steele’s face or I limp into the parking lot at the calves, but I’m sure they look mildly exact same pace as bear bait. disappointed with my performance.

I collapse next to the car and Steele shouts anytime I come close snuggle up to the asphalt. Steele to stepping off into a shadowy abyss. says he’s headed to the latrine, He’s a gent, really. I try not to feel as but he’s probably just off doing miserable as the next two-page skisquat jumps somewhere that he mountaineering ad is going to tell me won’t deal my ego a killing blow. It I should be, but no one that makes doesn’t really matter. I know now those ads actually knows misery, that I’m just as home here on the besides rush-hour traffic. asphalt as I was in the alpine.

Rocks on the trail start to resemble immobile cars clogging I-70. But these rocks come with less wampwamping noises and weed smoke. I realize today’s few turns would have been almost meaningless without these step-stopping rocks. I want rocks. I want the equilibrium they bring. Steele knows this. When we get off this trail, Steele will return

Home is an experience, not a place.

That’s why so many people aren’t collapsed next to me in this parking lot at 2:30 am. I can choose to replace light bulbs, or bring a headlamp next time. Either way, I’ll be in the home I’ve chosen.

Thanks for the birthday present, Dave.

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W

e’re having the most fun. We, as in us skiers, snowboarders, mountain bikers and kayakers.

We are the ones out in the mountains, sans crowd and audience, save for our friends and perhaps a chance passerby. When we’re at home, there are no grandstands, no announcers nor beer…well, sometimes there’s beer.

For the most part, however, our houses of worship–our Fenways, Lambeaus, and Coliseums–fly under the radar.

They are there one minute and gone the next, with strangers innocuously passing by none-the-wiser.

Within the ubiquity of our stomping grounds lies the magic of our chosen sports. Like a pop-up storefront, these micro-stadiums only exist for fleeting moments, and are only truly enjoyed by those that are present in the moment.

Whether it’s a new urban feature, a backcountry line with perfect light and snow, or a standing wave at just the right flow–the synergy of people and conditions provide an experience that the majority of people will never know. No matter how descriptive the words, how perfectly exposed the shot or how well produced the film, no

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form of media can replicate actually being there, with your friends, in that moment.

Unlike most mainstream sports, our spectators are consistent, virtually across the board, from the lowliest amateur to the coverboy: we perform for our friends and ourselves. From the harriest spine walls in Alaska to a sketchy town-hill park jump; our spots feel at capacity with a half-dozen people. What’s more, is that this creates an emotional consistency across the proficiency spectrum unparalleled in most other sports.

On Sunday afternoon, is Peyton Manning having more fun throwing a touchdown than someone playing a pickup game in the park? Probably. Us though? That professional rider shred-

ding a 3,000’ Alaska ramp is experiencing the same emotion and thrill as a grom landing his or her first three in the park.

That hoot, holler and high five given at the bottom of an Alaskan face is the same, remarkable expression repeated all season, everywhere people slide on snow.

We grow as skiers, we go to new places and revisit old ones, but no matter who or where we are, our homes never really change. We’re all with our self-selected group of friends, unified by common passion, in search of that high five that means the same thing to everyone. We need no further reassurance, other than that symbolic gesture. Wherever we’re calling home that day, we’re having the most fun. -Griffin Post

Reid Morth

Todd Kirby

Somewhere in Wyoming

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Ian Provo

“We’re downsizing our possessions to upscale our experiences.”

- Molly Baker and Zack Giffin

The traveling Home Skiers are nomads. Traveling to find

snow and unexplored mountain ranges, to escape the restrictions of a traditional lifestyle, they seek and live the carefree life. Since the ski bum’s inception, during post WWII when 10th mountain division ex-pats infiltrated ski towns, skiers have sought homes within the hills. Few skiers exhibit this notion as well as Molly Baker and Zack Giffin, who are going into their third year of chasing powder in the Tiny House.

As Molly explains, “This is longer than we expected to be in this situation, not having a home other than the Tiny House… Most of our stuff is in Zack’s old van, but neither of us had many possessions, we were pretty minimalist to begin with.” Giffin, who built the Tiny House, and Baker have brought their lives and homes with them.

They aren’t chasing winter, they’re just living. “Zack and I no longer have a place, this experience opened up our eyes to what is possible. I have a saying, ‘You can take a girl out of the Tiny House, but you can’t take the Tiny House out of the girl.’ The living is pretty easy,”says Baker.

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Today, it’s fairly common to see photo, film, and marketing projects that portray the mobile life. It’s a consistent theme in

By Erme Catino

surfing and skiing, and as Baker explains, “There’s a [collective] consciousness and a bit of marketing that shows how people want to be living outside.” In an almost renaissance of VW Vans, only with better automobiles, it seems like more skiers are bringing their home with them in the pursuit of winter. And why not? Often times mountain towns are sleepy during the summer months, with many of their inhabitants parting with the seasons. Rather than moving like the tide, wouldn’t it be easier to bring your home with you? Baker and Giffin have a saying, “We’re downsizing our possessions to upscale our experiences.”

The Tiny House has given Zack and Molly a higher purpose, an important ingredient for happiness. “When you’re mobile, you’re saving money on everyday costs. You’re biking to places, and you become a healthier person,” says Baker, “You find a higher level of being, becoming more autonomous and freeing up time for a mastery, be it skiing, writing, etcetera.”

While living on Rogers Pass for several weeks last winter, the Tiny House crew was approached by several groups, all intrigued by their traveling home.“Scandinavians were knocking on the door and coming to check it out…they were really impressed.

It’s hut living, just bring your own backcountry hut.”

Within three years, Baker says they’ve met five people who have built their own Tiny Houses as a result of experiencing theirs, with Giffin providing preliminary guidance and advice.

For Giffin and Baker, the Tiny House offers an opportunity to chase their dreams while waking up each morning to the surroundings of nature. This season, they’re placing solar panels on the house, potentially installing a compostable toilet, traveling with hunted meat, and picked 40 pounds of blueberries during the summer—all in an effort to become more self sustainable. Giffin, who spent years living in a van with a wood stove prior to building the Tiny House, says the lifestyle’s number one benefit is the ability to make friends quickly. Through their travels, Baker explains, “People come to the Tiny House with enthusiasm not normal in everyday life, and that enthusiasm provides the strength of years of mountain town friendships.”

The Tiny House allows them to spend more time with the locals and share stories. By having a mobile home with a warm stove, visitors automatically become part of the experience, all while Baker and Giffin are consuming less and traveling lightly.

As Baker explains, living in a traveling home isn’t always a fairy tale life. “Every life needs a touch of madness in order to jump into living in a van or a Tiny House. You need an appeal to push your mental comfort, or as we say, a hastened path to enlightenment. However, if you can figure out an avenue in which you’re comfortable living a mobile life, the living is pretty easy.”

Dear Montana,

To Montana

I hope this letter finds you well; I know it will, because you always are. Your beautiful golden fields, your deep blue rivers...sorry, I’m getting ahead of myself. It’s been a while, huh? Well, I miss you. A lot.

I’m sorry I left so suddenly. Springtime came so soon, and the snow melted so fast. It was all I needed for my own meltdown. Everything was so real with you; that’s why I fell in love with you in the first place. I guess, in the end, it scared me away. But despite that, I never stopped thinking of you. I’ve realized now that I’m nothing without you. Nothing I do down here matters. At best, it means less, because it’s not with you. I thought I was set forever after leaving the Midwest and finding you, but I guess there was that creeping doubt one gets when things are good, of the grass maybe being greener on the other side. I thought I came down here chasing something, but I was really just running. And you know how I hate running.

I can’t lie: Colorado has been fun, but it’s just not the same. I was just chasing looks; she couldn’t give me that feeling of pure soul that is just a part of you. It’s not just being outside I like, it’s being in your woods, feeling your wind on my neck, gazing at the beauty of your magnificent peaks. Oh, your peaks...and your valleys…

I’ll be coming back around your way when the summer ends and, well, I sure hope you’d like to see me, too. I know I’ve made some claims in the past, and I’m not even sure what I deserve anymore, but this time I mean it: I want to be with you. I aim to stay, and will do whatever it takes to make it work. Give me one more chance, and I’ll gladly spend the rest of my life making up for this mistake. Please, let me come home.

XOXO,

Mark

Mark Davidson is a peak-bagging, pow-shralping, mullet farmer that moonlights as a ski instructor at Big Sky Resort. It’s great to have you back, Mark.

Bruno Long

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THE GOOD OL’ DAYS

Lone Peak Pre-Tram days.

Words by JC Knaub* Photos by Gary “Chicken Fry” Collins and the Big Sky Pioneers**

During the early years of Big Sky Resort, the route to the

ski area was no more than a logging road that turned into a muddy mess every spring. Tourists were scarce, the war in Vietnam was winding down, and at times, the hardy folks that adopted the fledgling resort as their new home felt like the whole place was all their own.

It was a mild spring day in March of 1975 when I first saw the ten-foot-tall replica of an Olympia beer can hanging from the gondola cable, silently making its way uphill. It was a beacon of hope, and a sure sign that the season was waning. The wonderful prop

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meant the biggest ski party of the season was officially underway – it was Oly Days!

lent when that giant Olympia beer can whisked overhead, making laps on the gondola towers.

The event started in 1974, and ran aground in 1984 when members of Montana State’s football team got a little too rowdy over the long weekend. But for that decade, Oly Days would measure up as the premier end-of-season bash where beer flowed like glacier melt from the south face of Lone Mountain.

My participation in the first couple of years eventually led to directing the event from then on. In those days, nostalgia and tradition were the rage, so we handed out beer can trophies to the winners of the various events. The Oly Cup, a giant megatron award, was bequeathed to the best town-league team.

There was something for everyone during the three day extravaganza: There was live music, the dual GS town league championship, a triple slalom, kids races, snow sculpting, snow golf, single and three-man team inner tube races, all preceded by a Calcutta auction where lucky bidders won hefty cash payouts if their team placed in the top ten. A red hot air balloon with “Ski the Sky” emblazoned on the side made a few passes, but the sense of community was most preva-

Before ski area liability was a major concern, the three-man inner tube event was a huge crowd favorite. In the late ‘70s, it even made it into a Warren Miller movie. It was amazing to see how serious athletes were about this competition; some even waxed their tubes! Carnage ruled over the pro bump that was built for the giant slalom race, but also served as a launch zone for tubes. Helmets weren’t re-

quired for the first couple of years, but that quickly changed due to the fact that many tubers wore ski boots, and after vaulting over the bump, would inadvertently knock each other unconscious with them.

In one instance, an inebriated tuber went off course, flew over a cat track backwards, and narrowly missed a slash pile with the back of his neck by inches.

We had a flimsy cheese grater safety net with bamboo poles that lasted one heat. Spectators were leveled in the finish area by the thundering horde of inflated truck tire riding troublemakers. It was great action, but as Gary “Chicken Fry” Collins** recalls, Team Ore House owned the event for years: “In the top seed was the Ore House team who rode the “Tube Steak” to

The crew atop Lone Peak, 1974.

“Breo” Leo

Oly Days wasn’t just about drinking beer in the sun, it was about the great people that shared that space in time.

The first Big Sky trail map, early 70’s.

victory. Team members Kevin Kelleher, Kevin Breen and Rob Griffin were tubing “Gods”, and were treated like rock stars. They wore black wet suits, in part to help adhere [themselves] to the tube. They trained hard for days, developing their start strategy. The race seemed to be won at the start. A good start with a good grip and a proper stack increased your odds of surviving the jump.”

Lone Peak: Pre-artificial sun.

As fun and action-packed as tubing was, the triple slalom was the real feature event.

I’m told it was invented in Aspen, and brought to Big Sky by the first ski instructors. In all of my forty years as a racer, coach, and technical delegate, I have never seen an alpine race like it. We started at the top of the Tippy’s headwall with three start wands. The single-pole bamboo gates were equally spaced, measured with patrol rope, for a twenty-two gate, 20 second run.

The cast of characters was mind boggling: Vuarnet powder junkies, bearded three-

...continued on next three pages 21

Mike “Dobe” Donovan

Tube Carnage before the days of Lawsuits

Filming the Pro-Am

Ore House crew

** Gary “Chicken Fry” Collins (pictured below) filmed almost all the events on a super 8 movie camera.

When they invented video in 1979, he shot the event on his new RCA. His passion in those days was to powder ski, bump ski the lines on Ambush, hike the couloir in the summer, and shoot ski movies of his friends and small bands of renegade locals. His work survives to this day and can be viewed on YouTube.

Lighting-Up “Chicken-Fry”

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75mm Takin’ care of Business

The Infamous Oly-Can

Swampbox and Fry

J.C. Knaub

*J.C. Knaub (pictured above) is a forty year Big Sky local, and a card-carrying member of the original Big Sky Resort pioneers. A native of Laurel, MT, he started skiing at age five on barrel slats in a coulee near the Yellowstone River. Always a thrill seeker, he fell in love with Lone Peak and the Gallatin Canyon just out of high school and never left. A graduate of Montana State, he was an award winning columnist for the Lone Peak Lookout; explorer, outdoor adventurist, world traveler, and blue collar sympathizer. He is the owner of Andesite Construction, a popular excavating company, with his son Jeffrey, a bad ass big mountain sick gnar homey.

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pin hippies, bartenders, cat drivers, lift operators, goggle-tanned shred betties in white turtle necks and push-up Roffe stretch pants, resort management, a bevy of green card Austrians, ex pro racers, and anybody who could stand the pressure of hundreds of spectators hooting and hollering as three evenly-matched gate crashers came down at the same time.

Oly Days wasn’t just about drinking beer in the sun, it was about the great people that shared that space in time: The waiter, the ticket girl, the patroller, the dirt bag living in his van in the parking lot. The deck surfing in front of the mall, the “As the Bull Wheel Turns...” drama, the course reports of who got hurt, who got run off, who got married, and who split. It was about the town, the blower pow, the lifestyle, and the dudes or dudettes you hung out with. It’s still pretty much the same, but there are way more people soaking it up. The image of that giant beer can gliding on that steel gondola cable will always be with me. It brings me back to a time when my life was as simple as an innertube race, a lap in the Couloir, and a hug from a pretty girl with a killer goggle tan in Roffe stretch pants.

Massive Slide on BRT North, circa ‘78- Big Sky Montana

It was about the town, the blower pow, the lifestyle, and the dudes or dudettes you hung out with. It’s still pretty much the same, but there are way more people soaking it up.

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Travis Andersen

“You guys are idiots. There’s no base up there.” replied our notoriously cynical friend. We had

just invited him to come on a ski tour with us. It was last November, and less than two weeks earlier, three skiers had been buried in an avalanche just north of where we intended to ski. Nobody died, but they got beaten down pretty badly. We understood our friend’s concern, but we had powder fever.

We parked the truck when the snow drifts became too deep to drive through.

It wasn’t fully realized it yet, but the wind was absolutely nuking. I was putting my ski boots on when I heard a loud “bang”. I looked up and received my first face shot of the year.

Unfortunately, it was of broken glass, not the cold smoke that I craved. The wind had kicked a tiny pebble into the driver’s side window with enough force to shatter it. We salvaged a few grody towels from the back of the truck, covered the empty space that used to be a window, and went skiing.

We put our heads down and skinned fast, eager to find protection from the nuking wind. When we got to the trees, we discussed the likelihood of excessive wind loading in the chute that we set out to ski, and reassured each other that we would call it off if it seemed unsafe. At the top of the ridge, we

looked down the chute-- it was the first time I had seen something creamy since April. My partner made a quick cut across the top of the chute. It didn’t slide, but we found a thick wind crust on top of a little bit of unconsolidated snow, on top of sharp rocks. It didn’t seem safe to ski, so we called it off. Instead, we thought, we’d just ski some protected old growth down to the windowless truck.

As we skied toward the trees, small fractures propagated between some saplings that lined the chute. We were happy to play it safe. In addition to ruining our ski plans, the 50 MPH winds had also filled in the trees with copious amounts of fresh snow. My partner farmed the first small, deep, seemingly safe pitch that we came to. It looked good, so I followed him. I made several seeminglybottomless powder turns, but on the last one, I found the bottom. “I’m OK!”, I yelled. But that was before I tried to move.

I was stuck on a log, meaning, part of a log was stuck into my leg, Mortal Kombat style.

My partner kicked off his skis and scrambled uphill. It’s usually best to leave an object in place when you get impaled, but like I said, I was stuck on the log. There wasn’t any way around it, so he rolled me off, and blood squirted out of the hole in my ski pants, also Mortal Kombat style.

“Dude! That was in your fucking leg!” exclaimed my partner. He couldn’t help it. Without skipping a beat, he followed up with some reassurance: “Don’t worry, man.

I’ve got this!” He quickly pulled some gauze and a NRS strap out of his fully stocked first aid kit. He plugged the hole in my thigh, wrapped it up tightly, and switched his attention to finding the fastest way out. I took a pain killer* that he had in his kit, and we started making our way back to the truck. Once we made it to the parking lot, my partner flagged down a passing snowmobiler, who brought me the rest of the way out. It took us close to three hours to cover the mile and a half that should have taken us 20 minutes.

Good thing it happened early in the day. Good thing my partner was trained and prepared.

Good thing that stick only went into my leg.

Sometimes things can go horribly wrong, even when you think you’re playing it safe. Early season skiing can be very dangerous, but this story isn’t intended to scare you away.

It’s to make you aware of some of the hazards that can lurk in a shallow snowpack, and how important it is to be prepared when things go wrong. Go to bombsnow.com to read an interview with Mark Staples from the Gallatin National Forest Avalance Center about being safe.

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Tal Roberts

Parker White

Sun Valley, Idaho

Rafael Alvarez

is an illustrator, animator, and creative director from Madrid Spain. He was raised by an economist and painter, neither of which were very excited about the idea of him pursuing a career in art. Alvarez studied economics and spent a number of years working for an American multinational corporation, while keeping a passion fueled night job as a comic artist.

One day, he started feeling detached from his successful business life, and more excited about his artwork than ever. So, he quit his job and moved to the only place where people wouldn’t think he’d lost his mind: New York.

Alvarez spent some years in Brooklyn and just recently moved to Berlin. We caught up with him there:

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ARTIST PROFILE

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Are you just making art now, or does a second job help pay the bills?

I made a radical career change so in a way I have to honor that decision and be fully devoted to illustration. The life of an illustrator has a lot of variety, though. On top of editorial and commercial illustrations, I make animations, performlectures and teach a class at University [Berlin Technische Kunsthoch-schule-BTK].

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HAVE YOU READ any inspiring books lately?

Do you SUBSCRIBE to ANY MAGAZINES?

I really enjoyed Economix, a smart and critical story of Economy in graphic novel format by Michael Goodwin and Dan.E. Burr.

Only online. I love paper, but I change locations often so it´s more practical for me to read online.

Now that I’m teaching a course in Berlin, so for better or worse, all of my recent readings are Art related classics: Burne Hogarth´s books on dynamic anatomy, essays on composition by the Famous Artists School (Norman Rockwell, Albert Dorne, etc.)

I am extremely happy with my personal and professional life now but there are always new things to discover.I’d like to find new clients, explore Berlin´s street art scene, maybe settle down. I may someday return to Brooklyn, but for now, I am content in Berlin.

Where do you see yourself five years from now?

“ Our span of attention gets smaller every day & our brains are bombed with carefully manipulated content.”

I’d also like to study new ways of interactive storytelling in tablet format, which I hope will work well in the near future and become more of a predominant part of my work.

What projects are you working on right now?

I am going to give a lecture on interactive illustration at Apple´s flagship store in Berlin, so I am sketching and preparing a new “app” portfolio with interactive work.

Describe a typical Day: Wake up at 9. Coffee. Hit the studio at 11. Coffee. Do some emailing, creative procrastination and paperwork to warm up.

Coffee. Draw until 7pm. Coffee. Teach a Digital Illustration Class until 10pm. Beer. Go home, watch some good TV, pass out. Repeat.

What’s your favorite medium? Can you explain your illustration process to our readers?

I love pure, old-school black ink on paper.

First I sketch the idea roughly for composition purposes, not larger than a thumbnail in my sketchbook. When I am clear about the composition, I scan it, look for useful photo references and make some more refined sketches digitally. When I am happy with the sketch I print it and make the final linework using a lightbox, a brush and India Ink. I scan the final again, add color digitally...and the illustration is ready!

Do you feel media is censored more in the US or in Europe?

Mass media in the US and Europe is pretty similar and censorship is not always that obvious because we live under a theoretical umbrella of freedom.

Although there are flagrant cases of

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censorship and reprisals, like Pussy Riot in Russia, most European countries and the US fancy themselves as examples of freedom of speech, and that is only true on a superficial level.

Truth is, a government cannot censor content without shutting down entire websites and servers, like in China or North Korea, which is completely unthinkable for Western standards. However, a more subtle way of censorship comes from

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biased sources of information: Information is power, but in a world where politics are completely sold to economic interests, information is money.

The media system itself is aggressively driven by short-term profits, which dramatically affect the ability of content providers to stay true to their values, integrity and critical thinking: Bloggers need to drive traffic to their posts, Newspapers need bigger exclusives and TV channels need to in-

crease their audience at any cost since their survival in this short-term profit-driven world is at stake.

Our span of attention gets smaller every day and our brains are bombed with carefully manipulated content. It´s difficult to separate sensationalism from truth and therefore we are on the verge of not caring anymore about anything. Truth is often said to be written by the winners, but should never become a business by definition.

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ze路nith / noun the highest point reached by a celestial or other object.

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Bruno Long

In the fall of 2006, freeskiing was exploding.

New faces emerged in films at a fervent pace, and “progression” was the driving mindset of an elite class of skiers.

It was during this defining time that Eric Pollard decided to take a step back. Gathering some of the most creative and like-minded skiers – Pep Fujas, Andy Mahre, and later Chris Benchetler – Eric and his crew embarked on a sojourn of stylized skiing realism.

Casting aside six-figure budgets, heli-trips to remote destinations, and franken-featured park shoots, Nimbus Independent was born. Through Idea, the film that birthed Nimbus Independent’s identity, Pollard and crew opted for a subtle tone that was reminiscent of a surf film more than anything else. It didn’t seem too radical at the time, but what it bred, fostered, and celebrated has become all but revolutionary in hindsight.

At the time of Idea’s release, skiing had lost a bit of its soul.

Glitchy techno beats dominated soundtracks throughout the film industry, and the overly saturated, slow-motion guy-in-the-sky tracked shots were cut furiously into a dirty amalgamation of bright colors and basketball jerseys. Idea was the exact opposite; set to a smooth original score and shot by a couple friends on outdated equipment, the film became a manifesto of things to come – a mission statement of sorts. No longer did the mainstream ski media have focus on the next, the biggest, the fastest, the most exposed; rather, it could focus on the different, the stylized,

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We aren’t exactly sure what’s next for the now-storied production crew over the coming year, but it’s safe to assume that buried amongst the downtempoed, borderline dreamlike sequences will be one over-arching impulse: skiing exists beyond the realm of triple corks and death-defying lines, and

creativity trumps all.

the personality. Seven years after its release, these tropes are finally emerging in the work of larger production companies.

Perhaps it was the drive to highlight the personality of skiing against the fray that led to Nimbus’s establishment. Or maybe it was the lack of diversity in media distribution. Regardless, Pollard and company looked to snowboarding, surfing, and other veins of the action sports world for inspiration. Through their mixed media exploration, they came up with the notion of creating a webisode series. “We were really interested in ‘Drive Thru,’ that surfing series on Fuel TV,” explains Chris Benchetler. “It highlighted the journey, and stayed current. We really liked that idea and just ran with it.”

Over the following seasons, Nimbus Independent embarked on what might be the largest media shakeup of modern freeskiing. They stuck to a formula similar to the one that brought Idea to fruition: travel-based, aesthetically driven feel-good skiing. With K2 backing the project, Nimbus flourished. Soon, they were traveling around the world, imparting their all-too-recognizable stamp on skiing, from Japan to Eastern Europe, and everywhere in between. Two films and countless webisodes later, Nimbus had cemented itself as a creative alternative to corporate media heavies from which it stemmed.

To truly appreciate the impact of Nimbus, one merely has to look at the current state of ski media. Many companies exist on the tried and true single film platform – Sweetgrass and Sherpas have even expanded to the two year schedule – but in the space between, the webisode has become a viable medium from which many ski careers have taken shape or been prolonged. Line’s Traveling Circus is now in its sixth year of production, Salomon Freeski TV – under the reigns of Mike Douglas – has firmly planted itself as a fixture of quality content, TGR has added a web-based series to its yearly outpouring of content, and countless other up-and-coming skiers and producers have shifted their focus to free, web-based cinematic releases.

All of these web-based ski series, whether consciously or not, have been influenced in one way or another by Nimbus Independent; Nimbus’s “Hunting Yeti” was, after all, the first skiing-based webisode. In the world of social media proselytization and instantaneous consumption of all things ski-related, it’s borderline comical that the pioneers behind such a movement were merely looking for an outlet to explore skiing differently. “We’ve all grown up riding with snowboarders,” notes Benchetler. “That aesthetic has always appealed to me: slashes, butters, uncrossed grabs – it all stems

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Reid Morth

To truly appreciate the impact of Nimbus, one merely has to look at the current state of ski media.

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from growing up around the Jacksons [Eric and John], Matt Hammer, Jake Blauvelt, and and watching them develop as snowboarders.” In a sense, Nimbus had never been an attempt to stay relevant in the world of rapid evolution. Rather, it was and is an attempt at skiing a different way: to showcase the beauty of a turn, the playful relationship a skier can have with the terrain, and the merits of individuality in a world of hyperdeveloped park rats and big mountain domineers.

Today, Nimbus finds themselves at a crossroads. Pollard is recovering from a harrowing injury that nearly cost him his leg, Pep and Andy have shifted their focus elsewhere, and K2 decided to stop funding the prescient film group. No longer will the foursome congregate in their pseudo-collective that produced such memorable segments. No longer will we see those epic montages of Pep’s sheer prowess and Andy’s relaxed, loose style. But Nimbus is far from fading. In true-to-form Nimbus inventiveness, Pollard and Benchetler have set their sights on using their unique approach to cultivate a tighter collaboration as they move forward.

Undoubtedly, Nimbus will never be what it once was. At the time of their rise to prominence over the larger, more stubborn entities of film production, Nimbus Independent has represented a tasteful, rearranged approach to modern-day

ski media production on a scale that was unmatched. It’s a notion that struggles to carry weight in a world where DSLRs have turned every skier into a documentarian, a purveyor of their own image. But, in this instance, Nimbus will continue to exist on their own plane – divergent yet somehow all too relevant – producing that which cannot be described or replicated.

We’re far from done,” asserts Benchetler. “I’m focused fully on Nimbus, and I expect big things.”

The subject remains the same, only now the focus is more fine-tuned.

At Benchetler’s behest, Atomic has made moves to fill the void that K2 left, and the only skiers that remain under the Nimbus Independent moniker are Pollard and Benchetler. They are now at that penumbral moment of a product realized; they’ve reached the zenith of Nimbus’s imprint. Now, they grasp in their own hands the scope of a project come full circle.

Whatever the future may hold, the lasting impulse of Nimbus Independent weighs heavy on skiing in more ways than one. As an audience, we’ve come to expect a certain vision from the iconic film group. It the most basic form, Nimbus represents the purist approach to skiing. No matter the driving impulse one might hold within the vast boundaries of our sport, there is something simultaneously relatable, idealistic, and

downright soothing at the core of all that is Nimbus. They have established something relatable and attainable in a realm that provides a considerate alternative to the freakish one-upmanship perpetuating ski culture today.

The creative impulse instituted by Idea and, subsequently, Nimbus, will certainly cement a legacy far greater than Pollard, Benchetler, and anyone else associated with the infamous group of skiers featured in each webisode could have expected. The lasting, dreamlike sequences have and will continue to infiltrate skiing as we know it for years to come. These brief moments of harmonized imperfection have created a continual impulse from which ski production has attempted to embody over the last seven years. We aren’t exactly sure what’s next for the now-storied production crew over the coming year, but it’s safe to assume that buried amongst the downtempoed, borderline dreamlike sequences will be one over-arching impulse: skiing exists beyond the realm of triple corks and death-defying lines, and creativity trumps all. Nimbus Independent will firmly stand one switch five, nose butter, or surf-like slash closer to that indescribable driving force that will keep skiing sacred for years to come.

We’re far from done,” asserts Benchetler. “I’m focused fully on Nimbus, and I expect big things.”

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No matter the driving impulse one might hold within the vast boundaries of our sport, there is something simultaneously relatable, idealistic, and downright soothing at the core of all that is Nimbus.

Travis Andersen

Pete Lazar

Big Sky Sidecountry, Montana

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kis get thrashed in the Northern Rockies, and consumers are holding their equipment to a higher standard of quality than ever. Conscious skiers are starting to look more closely at where their skis are made, what they’re made of, and who their hardearned dollars are going to. What many small ski companies lack in team budgets and flashy marketing campaigns, they make up for in topnotch craftsmanship, innovation, and service. It’s companies that pride themselves on these merits, like Bozeman’s Caravan Skis, that are driving the boutique ski industry.

Zepher Hallowell started Caravan almost three years ago, and operates the company on the idea of making top-quality skis with a minimal impact on the environment, your bank account, and consequently, your soul. The handsome young entreprenuer talks about his skis like a skier, rather than a salesman, “I don’t think we’re doing anything drastically different from other companies, we just have a really nice spread of skis that everybody can enjoy. We use bamboo, which is really poppy, but we also use basalt fiber. [Basalt] is a volcanic rock that’s got a stronger tensile strength than fiberglass, and also provides a lot of dampening.

Volcanic rock is super readily available, so it’s pretty sustainable. We use as many sustainable materials as possible, because ski making can be a pretty toxic process. Besides basalt, we use non-toxic epoxy from California called Snappy Sap. Bamboo is sustainable too, but you have to ship it from halfway across the world, so, ya know, not so much.”

The word “caravan” is a homonym. In one sense, according to Zeph, the word describes the company’s philosophy on making skis: “Caravan is a community based movement that draws influences from a bunch of different people”. In addition to relying on Bridger Bowl skiers to test, pummel, and provide feedback about ski shapes, Zeph hired a local artist to design the top sheets of Caravan’s ‘13-’14 line: “This local guy, Casey Lutz is doing the graphics. I approached him this summer, and within a month of talking to him, he came up with five sick new designs. I love his style. It’s really consistent, you don’t even need to see the name on the ski to know it’s a Caravan ski.”

“It’s Duncan’s, who works with us. He built a full-on house within the back of an ‘83 F-350.

The idea is to drive around with snowmobiles and stuff in the back. We’re going to go wherever it’s snowing and ski, do demos, take video... just kind of be out there. We want to put a face to the brand and be more personable about everything we do.”

A lot of ski bums dream about having their own ski company, but actually creating one is entirely different. As Zeph explains, there’s a lot of creative work that goes into the preliminary stages of making skis, let alone actually producing and selling them: “It took me about a year to do research and gather materials to make a press. From there, it was a lot of trial and error and coming up with different designs and trying different materials. That’s where my buddies Walters and Duncan came in. They helped out with a bunch of design work and we made as many skis as possible.”

In another sense, a caravan is a vehicle that’s suitable for both driving and living in. Coincidentally, this is what the company uses as a demo vehicle,

“What many small ski companies lack in team budgets and flashy marketing campaigns,

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Caravan is quickly gaining momentum with rippers in the area, but Zeph is hesitant to totally abandon his passion for serving fine Asian cuisine at an affordable price to his fellow Bozemanites just yet: “I work at Dave’s Sushi. [Caravan] isn’t self-sustaining yet. I’m really busy right now, like in the fall and in the winter, but in the summertime it really slows down.

I’m always trying to move toward the year round thing, though. I picture eventually creating an actual ski factory in Bozeman that could possibly take on other companies’ work.”.

Local businesses like Caravan are what keep great ski towns like Bozeman unique. With support from the ski community, entrepreneurs like Zeph have the potential to set new environmental and quality standards for ski production, create dream jobs for local ski bums, and make buying ski equipment fun again. If you see the Caravan house truck in a parking lot near you, stop in and say “hey” to Zeph, Walters, and Duncan.

Caravan skis are primarily being sold online at caravanskis.com, but you’ll also be able fondle, demo, and buy them at the Round House and Chalet Sports in Bozeman, MT and at The Ski Rack in Burlington, VT this season. -Alex Buecking Christian Schumacher

Zepher in his element.

Todd Heath

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T

here I was, living my life to the fullest. I was young, dumb, and full of ambition. Growing up in Vail, I had ski boots on my feet before I began to walk. Skiing was my life, and I shared my soul with the mountains. I had always felt a strong connection with the freshly powdered peaks, and knew that I belonged among them.

In pursuit of my lifelong dream of becoming a professional backcountry skier, I stood on top of the East Vail Chutes and looked down. The Chutes, as a persona, are a devious temptress, notorious for taking the lives of those who try to conquer her. She cannot be conquered nor slain. She is always awake, hunting for the next victim to bury deep within, the next soul to absorb into the mountain.

This particular morning was filled with the brisk cold air from the clear wintery night before. I sat with my two friends, letting the morning sun fill our eyes, legs still burning from the long hike. The pure white powder had laid silent for weeks, waiting for us to pounce. I could feel my breath and mind rejoin with my strength and knew I was ready for another chance to claim the Chutes.

As the sun bloomed over the peaks across the valley, I skied down her backside with childlike giggles. I came to my first cliff and lunged off her with no hesitation.

I flew through the air, the feeling of weightlessness came about and time slowed down. Spotting my landing before me, I prepared for touchdown into the fluffily white abyss.

As soon as I landed, I felt my bindings release my now weighted body, throwing me over my heels, snowballing to a halt. This was a normal occurrence, and I composed myself to retrieve my skis tucked beneath her white blanket. As I struggled upward in her bottomless snowy layers, I felt myself sink along with her. I was helpless. She was now in control, speeding down toward the trees.

This was it, I quickly came to the conclusion she was going to bury me. I was going to die like the others; one more soul to be added to her mantle. Rapidly picking up momentum, I started to tomahawk uncontrollably, beating into stumps and trees like a pinball.

She then flipped my battered body onto my back, head first, and

navigated me toward a colossal tree. uncontrollably. There was no dignity At that moment, time seemed to in how I was facing death. Every freeze. second counting down from 15 minutes seemed to be dragged-out and I was about to see my death, frame beaten to death. Once I came to the by frame. I pondered my last terms of my death, I began to see my thoughts as I was about to break life before my eyes. my neck and become one with the mountain. At least it would be Only then, did I begin to see the quick. Suddenly, as I approached truth of my life and the legacy I my fate, she changed course, would leave behind. It wasn’t my squeezing me through the crack greatest achievements. It wasn’t my between the tree and his neighbor. family, the greatest a boy could ever I was alive, still tumbling violently, ask for. Not the many happy days but alive. and neat places I had experienced all over the world. In fact, not one I was another cocky young happy memory surfaced into my punk who was going to die at pondering, dying soul.

18, pursuing himself. These bad deeds would be brought to the table when I met death himself, and I would not smile back but rather cower in pity.

As I reached the foot of her figure, the massive avalanche was losing momentum. I fought with every last hope to stay above her undertow that insisted on pulling me deep within. Finally coming to a halt, I was fully buried and powerless. The once-friendly powder had now created my coffin, cementing me, motionless. Still coherent, I realized my doom.

My circumstance soon became clear: I was going to die alone of suffocation within the next 15 minutes. Knowing this, I began to cry

To Smile Back

By Corey Seemann

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Travis Andersen

Slowly suffocating, I saw my own shameful and negative behavior flash forward. I remembered making fun of the fat kid in PE class and how I used to steal from everyone, including my family, and much more.

I was a dishonest, drugged-up human being in this world without an ounce of truth or dignity in my bones. I was another cocky young punk who was going to die at 18, pursuing himself.

These bad deeds would be brought to the table when I met Death himself, and I would not smile back, but rather cower in pity.

Knowing this, I began to sink deeper and deeper in my shame and dishonor for the life I’d lived. Rapidly losing the hope of being saved, I understood the inevitable. As I waited for the last few moments of life, I thought of how I was going to die alone into the cold dark abyss. I would not bury my parents, they

would bury me, something no parent should experience. My term was over, my time was up.

Only after I had lost all hope, I heard something through my dark coffin.

My two friends had now trickled down the mountain and through the rubbish to make contact.

With three feet of frozen snow between us, they began to dig.

After what seemed like eternity, I was released from her vice of death. I sat embarrassed, crying in front of my friends. I kept my thoughts to myself and prepared to make the hour-long trek to the trailhead with my beaten body.

My gear had been lost beneath the colossal pile of snow never to be found again, just as I could have been.

On the hike out, I realized my second chance at life. Many thoughts crossed my mind. I knew that my second chance was illdeserved. I remembered greeting Death, and came to the conclusion that I never wanted to feel that shame again. I had to be proud of myself and strive to be the greatest person I could be by inspiring everyone I came across. I had truly learned what a chance at life really meant and would not waste it again.

You will inevitably greet death with the soul you carried through life. At that time, you will already know where your soul lies and negotiate your terms with death.

They say that when you die, your life will flash before your eyes.

Make it worth watching and smile back.

Grant Gunderson

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Writings: Julie Nieuwenhuys

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Photography: Caroline van ‘t Hoff

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With 12-hour ski days, an average of 6 days of snowfall a week, and 15 metres of accumulation in a season, which lasts only three and a half months, the chances of powder in Japan are by far the largest of any ski destination. Caroline and I, two Dutch powder junkies, could not resist these numbers and travelled there to cure our Vitamin P deficiency.

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For Westerners, Japan is a country of idiosyncrasies such as heated toilet seats, adults with ‘Hello Kitty’ clothing, and vending machines stocked with beer. 99% of the nation’s 127 million inhabitants are native Japanese, and preservation of traditional culture continues to play a major role today. A spectacular festival, the Dosojin Matsuri, is held in the village of Nozawa Onsen on January 15th, starring the village’s 25 and 42 year-old men. The Japanese Shinto religion regards these ages as “yakudoshi,” meaning unlucky. During this festival, the men display their courage by defending a gigantic wooden shrine from the other villagers who try to set it on fire. By doing this, they hope to be able to avoid a year of misfortune.

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In Hakuba, clouds cover a valley with ten different ski areas, like a woolly blanket pierced by steep mountains. The high mountains of Hakuba look like a scene from Alaska. Dave, the lead guide and owner of the Evergreen Outdoor Center, introduces Hakuba to us as, “lift-accessed heli-skiing.” We ski tour the mighty mountains of Happo-One, huge peaks and steep couloirs surrounding us. The powder was so dry that our spray floats in the air like a cloud of smoke as we glide down 1,000 vertical metres. In the afternoon, we head into the famous Japanese birch forests, which looked like a wintery jungle with twisting branches covered in snow. Whooping, we arrive at a road, where wild monkeys dangle from the trees.

The Land of the Rising Sun has been plagued by disaster on numerous occasions: a catastrophic tsunami, earthquakes, floods, volcanic eruptions and two atomic bombs.

The typical Japanese saying “Nana korobi yaoki" (literally: fall down seven times, get up eight) expresses the great resilience of the Japanese people. This ability to bounce back is related to a culture that values personal responsibility and hard work, as well as modesty and a sense of solidarity with a community. Japan is a fascinating country with a rich ski history. The Austrians introduced skiing in Japan some 100 years ago. Building on the successful 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo, the popularity of the sport peaked in the mid-1980s, when there were as many as 700 ski areas in Japan. An economic recession in the early 1990s forced many ski areas to close, and led to a decrease in the number of skiers. With their strong dollar, the Australians pushed these numbers up again when they discovered the Japanese powder.

Tom, a boarder from Hakuba, who we met in the lift, moved to Japan to work as an English teacher and was amazed that nobody skied off-piste yet at the time: “Before 1998 there were no foreigners in Japan, and when I first came to Hakuba ten years ago, it was just me and six other snowboarders riding powder.”

The Asahidake gondola, which was built to bring hikers to the active volcano in the summer, and does not serve any official ski area, runs every twenty minutes in wintertime.

Asahidake is situated in the heart of the North Island in the Hokkaido Powder Belt. This region is home to the driest powder in Japan. Chuck, the owner of Hokkaido Powder Guides, directs us on a tour through a 700-year-old spruce forest in Daisetsuzan, Japan’s biggest national park. We immediately understand why Daisetsuzan is known as “the

playground of

the gods.” The snow here is divine.

Although it’s -20˚C, I shed my ski clothes quickly, the snow stinging my bare feet before stepping into a scorching onsen. Chuck tells us, “The Japanese believe onsens to have healing powers in the minerals they contain -- making it physically and mentally cleansing and relaxing.” We soak in the hot water, enjoy cold beer, and conclude, we’ve been spoiled for life, by a taste of fresh Wasabi Powder.

More from the girls behind the Wasabi Powder taste test: Juulski & Carolinevanthoffphotography

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“Fall down seven times, stand up eight.�

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Grant Gunderson

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Any man who thinks he can be happy and prosperous by letting the government take care of him better take a closer look at the American Indian.

rates. 5.) Reward those who invest in their enslaving and unsustainable system. 6.) Enjoy immense power and guaranteed profits.

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he federal government has been “shut down” for a week, but the police state is still spying on all of us and the war machine remains stuck in high gear. Tomorrow marks 12 years of US occupation in Afghanistan.

Yesterday I was deep in the forest mutilating its carcasses with a chainsaw. I stack the severed limbs in my ‘88 Comanche, until “overloaded” inadequately describes it. This wood is headed home to warm my family over the long, cold Jackson Hole winter. Taking a breather on an old growth stump with my dogs, my coffee, and my AR-15 defense rifle, my mind starts wandering.

Firewood gathering is rushed this fall due to the DC bureaucrats’ bullshit. Our Forests, Parks, and Lands are “closed”, and a new gate threatens access to my favorite forest. Anger and apprehension builds in my gut every time I rattle along the unmaintained road towards the shiny new gate. It’s open... for now.

A week ago, the newspaper quoted someone from government saying that Forest access won’t be restricted, but today they say that logging is suspended nationwide. Does this include firewood gathering? Do I really care? Who believes the corporate media or the federal government anyway?

Not me, and I’m in the majority. According to a 2012 Gallup Poll, 61% of Americans do not trust the mainstream media, and a 2013 poll says 87% of Americans disapprove of DC politics. Most people realize that partisan politics is divisive theater. Old money interests actually call the shots in this country.

People are becoming aware that the National Debt is just paper “owed” to a private banking cartel. What’s the banksters’ business model?

It’s quite simple, really: 1.) Create money out of nothing. 2.) Loan it into existence. 3.) Collect interest. 4.) Decide who gets loans at what

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The 0.001% profit obscenely by pissing on 97% of Americans, and their media tells us it’s raining. Most politicians are professional liars more concerned with wealth, re-election, and power than addressing actual issues. Banks got bailed out, we got sold out. In 2011, when Occupy Wall Street pointed out the preexisting stink, the crackdown on dissent was swift, brutal, and unconstitutional.

Given the sorry state of affairs, it’s no surprise that the feds do the exact opposite of what they claim to do.

Examples abound: *The War on Drugs arrests an American for marijuana every 42 seconds. USA, Inc. cracks down on a cancer-curing, mindopening plant as it monopolizes the global Opium trade in Afghanistan. Prescription drugs kill more Americans than all illegal drugs combined, so what does DC do?

Ban deadly drugs? No. Rein in pharmaceutical companies? No. Demand stricter FDA standards? No. Make pharmies more accessible and “affordable” by mandating that all Americans buy into the profit-driven medical system? Yep. The “War on Drugs” is really a war on competition in the absurdly lucrative legal - and illegal drug trade. The hypocrisy: it burns. *The War on Terror involves terrorizing people all over the world with military force, threats of force, financial warfare, media fearmongering, and surveillance.

The US wages covert war in more than a dozen countries and maintains 900+ military bases encircling the globe. This diverts wealth away from constructive programs that actually benefit average Americans. There are few things more terrifying than being spied on by drones carrying computer guided missiles operated covertly by a shameless, profit-driven global empire. Americans on American soil are not exempt from these state-sponsored terrors.

This prompts the obvious question: who are the real terrorists? *In 1996 DC declared victory in the War on Poverty, despite no shortage of impoverished Americans.

Now we have a “War on Inequality” as both inequality and poverty reach record levels. Currently 76% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, 7.5% are “officially” unemployed, 15-20% are actually unemployed, and less than 8% can afford to improve their lifestyles, further their educations, get sick, or invest any savings.

Researchers at UC Berkeley recently found that 95% of income gains from 2009 to 2012 went to the top 1% of Americans. Government action could theoretically change this situation, but as it stands now, the War on Inequality creates inequality, the War on Terror is terrorism, and the War on Drugs promotes bad drugs while criminalizing good ones.

And what about the War on Climate Change? On one side are the “bad guys”: anthropogenic climate change deniers supported by the fossil fuel industry. On the other side are the “good guys”: government supported climate “scientists” claiming that CO2 emissions are going to kill us all. Their debate does nothing but divide the populace because neither side is right. Neither side is telling the whole truth.

Despite the corruptions and failures of political “science”, medical “science”, financial “science”, and energy “science”, most people accept climate “science” at face value.

Given the blatant lies and omissions offered by the mainstream on most issues, why do so many smart people buy into their BS on climate change?

Yes, the climate is changing. Yes, humans contribute to the changing climate. Yes, CO2 is a factor, but many

other factors are equally or more important, but rarely, if ever mentioned. Some important factors are atmospheric particulates, atmospheric water, Earth’s magnetic field, and the Sun. Why doesn’t the mainstream debate address the complexity of the actual issue?

Those waging the War on Climate Change have no time for additional inconvenient truths that complicate the situation. Uncertainty stands in the way of plans to implement global carbon taxes, new laws, and restrictions on human activity. Carbon taxes won’t solve climate change because the climate has always been changing, and many other factors are at play. Carbon taxes would only enrich and empower the same kooks that currently call the shots.

Perhaps the people waging wars are the problem instead of the supposed evils the endless wars are waged against.

The War on Climate Change also neglects to mention that humans have experiment-

ed with weather modification for 130+ years.

Weather modification has advanced rapidly alongside computers, weapons, and other technologies. Modern weather modification centers around manipulating water’s behavior in the atmosphere. We all know that cloudseeding can change water’s behavior in the atmosphere, but more advanced technologies involving directed wireless energy also exist.

The capability to cloud seed and “microwave” the atmosphere on a massive scale exists.

Weather has been used as a weapon in the past, most infamously for eight years during the Vietnam War where the US Military used cloud seeding to flood out the enemy and muddy his supply lines. Operation Popeye: Google it.

Weather weaponry had become such a threat that it was banned by the UN in 1977. It is naive to assume this ban is honored when our own government ignores other UN treaties: White phosphorus and depleted uranium use against Iraq violated UN chemical weapons

treaties. “Enhanced interrogation” and “indefinite detention” violate UN anti-torture treaties. As such, it is naive to assume that weather warfare is not engaged in just because some treaty forbids it.

Anyone who has studied the fascinating history of weather modification cannot rule out the possibility that black budget programs could manipulate the weather on such a grand scale that it is in fact climate modification. Anyone who studies the sky with a critical eye can see that something strange is going on. Anyone who connects with the millions of activists around the globe can no longer deny that climate modification programs are already taking place.

I pity anyone who believes the “official” story more than their own eyes. I pity environmentalists who never look at the sky, embrace the inaccurate CO2 narrative on climate change, and fail to consider the possibility that they’ve been lied to about climate change like they’ve been lied to about everything else.

Whether or not you know it, we live in the belly of the Beast.

You can wake up or get digested. The choice is yours. The future is ours.

For anyone who’d care to learn more on this topic, check out Mr. Mogren’s blog: Oil Free Fun. Or Google: Weather War 101.

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Colin Wiseman Are those chem-trails above? Temple Cummins leaves his own tracer somewhere near Canada.

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Moonlight Resort to be Fixed:

World’s Biggest Lamp will Brighten LONE Peak’S FORMER “Dark Side.”

Since its inception in 2003, Moonlight Basin has struggled to keep its lifts running. The little resort, which occupies the northern faces of Montana's Lone Peak, has built a name amongst the local population for having steep terrain, minimal lift lines, and perhaps a dose of lawlessness. It also doesn't see direct sunlight.

All that is about to change. Thanks to a recent acquisition by Cross Harbor Capitol and Boyne Resorts--owners of the Yellowstone Club and Big Sky Resort respectively--Moonlight Basin will now be absorbed into Big Sky Resort.

A change in ownership means a change in business.

"The biggest problem with Moonlight Resort has always been its limited access to sun," says Yellowstone Club Terrain Park Manager Greg Custer. "We're fixing that. Moonlight will now be lit by the world's largest artificial sun."

That's right, the world's largest artificial sun. Over the next three years, construction to create an enormous, constantly burning ball of crude oil perched on top of a 3,000 foot oil tower just outside of the resort's boundaries will take place.

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"We know that this 'second sun' will dramatically increase the quality of skiing at Moonlight Basin," declares Boyne Resorts PR Manager David Dunkworth. "We at Boyne have perfected the Midwest ski experience, and we know that by adding a constant heating element to troublesome areas, such as the Headwaters, we can make skiing accessible to everybody."

Initial studies have shown that the second sun is 'likely" to cause a second hole in the ozone layer, but Dunkworth is quick to point out the benefits. "The Australians have a hole in the ozone layer, and look how much surfing they do. Imagine the industry of surfing coming to Montana. The possibilities are endless!"

"It's not just about the skiing," adds Cross Harbor Capitol Operations Manager, Bart Reynolds. "We're creating financial stability. We've replaced all of the seasonal jobs with inflated wages here to a more manageable, migrant worker force.

Migrant workers have learned to budget their money and can fit three to five times as many people in the same living space. As for everyone that worked here before? There is plenty of work on building the oil pipeline for our new sun in North Dakota."

"Based on the long-standing record of financial success at the Yellowstone Club, we're confident in our partner's new plan," states Dunkworth. "We've seen how well real-estate driven super resorts work in places like Steamboat, Colorado and Mammoth Springs, California. This is Montana's time."

Moonlight locals have responded with equal enthusiasm.

"Of course we're excited to have our livelihoods taken away and our skiing to be more regulated," exclaims former Moonlight Skier Steven Jobless. "I hear about all these opportunities in North Dakota's beautiful oil country on Fox News, and I just can't wait to uproot myself and settle into that methaddled paradise."

"I'm just so excited that Moonlight will be as warm as Sochi, Russia soon," admits Moonlight enthusiast Jenna Terns. "I started skiing here with the hopes that global warming might improve the climate, but I'm excited to see that industry is making up for nature's gaps. Plus, this is the closest I'll get to the 'Olympic Experience,' and I can't wait to share that with the tourists that Big Sky works so hard to import."

In the end, the purchase of Moonlight Basin appears to be a win. Hundreds of acres of primitive land will soon be tamed and improved thanks to central planning. Year-round residents will soon learn traditional migrational patterns like normal ski area employees across the country, and one giant second sun will soon bronze the skin of the ultra-wealthy who will finally be able to enjoy Moonlight's newly sun-drenched splendor in peace.

Ryan Turner Just outside of Moonlight’s old boundary line, Found Lake is sure to see some residual sunlight.

*Names and happenings used in Bomb Snow’s Piste-Off column are fictional, and any resemblance to actual persons or entities is coincidental, unintentional, and accidental. Remember, you don’t need to be funny to have a sense of humor.

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Mark Landvik, Baker

Liam Gallagher is a well-rounded badass from the Pacific Northwest. His battle chest of elite skills includes story-telling, snowboarding, photography, cinematography and hydration theory innovation.

what got you where you are now?

Brendan Keenan, Glacier, WA

When I was 19, I moved to Missoula to study journalism at the University of Montana. After college, I spent about four years doing the seasonal gypo thing, working at Big Mountain and Big Sky in the winters, and on the rivers outside West Glacier MT in the summers. I was freelancing some then, and around 2007, I moved down to California to work as Associate Editor at TransWorld Snowboarding Magazine. Cali was rad, but the office life wasn’t. After three years, I made moves back to the Pacific Northwest. I found a spot in Bellingham and have been a proud season pass holder at Baker since. I think that’s where I’ll stay. It’s the coolest place I’ve ever been.

How long have you been addicted to snowboarding?

Was there an “a-ha” moment for you?

I think the first addiction was to the mountains. I started skiing when I was about nine. I got to take the ski bus up to Timberline on Hood. That’s when I fell in love with the snow and being out in the mountains. Since then, it’s been all I’ve wanted to do. It’s definitely an addiction, but, I think it’s a pretty healthy one. Sometimes...

I only skied for a few years, and eventually started riding over at Mount Hood Meadows. That’s where I really learned to snowboard. I’ve got some really good memories from that place. Love those volcanoes!

You’re a filmer, a photographer, and a writer, correct?

Did all of these mesh together FOR YOU? Forrest Burki

I’ve always liked documenting things-telling stories- And in different ways, each is a tool. Sometimes words work best.

Sometimes stills or a video are better. Plus, I’m just trying to keep this dream gig going, basically doing whatever I can to stay snowboarding a bunch. Diversifying my portfolio...

And I enjoy working with the different mediums. Each requires its own skills, so it’s a way for me to work in different forms, keep it fresh, for me and hopefully for my audience.

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Jason Robinson, Lost Trail MT

I really enjoy shooting film because it really puts you in the present.

You see something, frame it up, shoot it, and move on. I like that practice. I think it makes me a better photographer.

What do you enjoy more; filming, taking stills or creative writing?

I don’t know if I have a good answer for that question. Each has their place. Each can be easy and inspiring or brutal and exhausting. I enjoy each in their own way, I like beer sometimes, coffee sometimes, water sometimes. I like different drinks for different occasions.

You use all sorts of cameras when filming. Is it Nostalgia? What have you been shooting with?

It might be nostalgia, I have to think about that while I’m shooting.

I enjoy shooting film because it really puts you in the present. You see something, frame it up, shoot it, and move on. I like that practice.

I think it makes me a better photographer.

I’m working on approaching my digital photography the same way, but it’s tough not to look, review, try one more shot. I was thinking about putting some duct tape over the LCD on my digital camera.

I shoot with a Canon 5d Mark 2. I also have a Canon EOS 1N. I shoot Super 8 with a Canon 814, and I have a bunch of random film photo cameras. My favorites are old Polaroids. I love shooting Polaroid. Instant photography is the coolest!

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Lucas Debari / Step-up.

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Dan Brisse, Glacier WA

You ARE working as a freelancer for ESPN, correct? You also spent time as the associate editor of Transworld. Anyone else you’ve worked with in the past or continue to work with?

Yep. I’m working at ESPN.com now, basically doing video and some photo work for them. I’m doing a lot of freelance for Frequency, The Snowboarders Journal, and Snowboarder Magazine. Both mags have been really great to work with over the years. I’ve been able to go on some incredible trips for the mags and I’m so lucky to get to work with such inspiring and dedicated crews.

Thanks for the work guys!

flew in the face of authority, shook up the social fabric of America and inspired a lot of others to do the same. I think snowboarders have a lot in common with the Pranksters.

The snowboard is our vehicle, our way to expand our consciousness, and to keep exploring further.

As for this season...I’m going to be working on a snowboard movie with Bryan Fox and Austin Smith.

They started this brand called Drink Water. (see next page ) It’s a really

cool deal, basically it’s their way of subverting the dominant sugar water paradigm in snowboarding. I really respect what they’re doing and what they want to do, which is basically encourage everyone to drink water. It’s so simple and rad!

What are your goals for the 2014 season?

Get some good pow days.

Not tweak my back.

Enjoy my time with friends and family.

Take cool pictures.

Make a good movie.

Sleep well.

For this this winter we’re going to go out and film with a bunch of inspirational snowboarders, tell their stories in a few web edits and a final full-length snowboard movie. Keep an eye out.

Are you just doing solo projects, getting paid to be on the road?

I just released my new snowboard flick Search for a Cool Place. It’s loosely inspired by the antics of Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters. They were these crazy hippies who more or less turned the world on to LSD. Their whole deal was consciousness-expansion through drugs, namely LSD. They ran wild,

I think snowboarders have a lot in common with the Pranksters.

The snowboard is our vehicle, our way to expand our consciousness, and to keep exploring further.

Nice sweater! Forrest Burki and his pup.

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Duh! Bryan Fox and Austin Smith talk about Drink Water Photos and words by Liam Gallagher Full disclosure: I’m a true believer. I wear the gear. And happily engage with anyone who strikes up a conversation about the brand. I’m down for life. I drank the kool-aid. Or, in this case, the water.

So, this is no fair-and-balanced piece of journalism.

I will not be looking for counterpoints from energy drink representatives. I will let you know what’s up with Drink Water though.

Here it goes: It’s a brand created by pro snowboarders Bryan Fox and Austin Smith. Basically these guys grew tired of the influence of energy drinks in action sports, so, they decided to start promoting water- the original energy drink.

The message caught on, and now, a couple years into their public-service campaign of sorts, the duo continues to grow the brand. They don’t sell water, just hats, tees, jackets, patches and stickers. 10 percent of their sales are donated to water.org for drinking water projects around the world.

What’s more, Bryan and Austin also created their own summertime snowboard event called The Rat Race. Last year was the second annual race and Terje took it. Yep, Haakon was there. This race is already that big of a deal, only two years in. But, most important, is the fact that the event raised more than $10,000, all of which was donated to build a well for a village in Haiti.

Pretty cool, huh?

So, now that you know a little about what Drink Water is all about, I’d like introduce you to the dudes who started it.

First, meet Bryan Fox: He’s a ripping snowboarder and overall radical human being. His actions say more about him than I ever could.

So, I ask him, why bother? Why dedicate so much time and energy to Drink Water.

“Shit I don’t know, because I’m stubborn I guess. No, it’s just that it’s worth it, you know? You can tell when the juice is worth the squeeze.”

Bryan will be the first to admit that he’s always been logoaverse. So, he’ll also be the first to admit it’s pretty ironic that he’s now making products with oversized logos.

“I’ve totally been the dude who has fought every sponsor I’ve had about not wearing some crazy loud outfit, and now I’m making the most obnoxious ones out there. But, it’s different. It’s not a logo like a Volcom stone, because you’re not branding yourself as a snowboarder or skateboarder or into motorcycles or whatever. It’s more like you’re just putting a conversation starter on your chest.”

It is. Wear the gear for a day and you’ll understand. You’ll get stares. People will ask you about it, and that’s the point.

“Yeah, it makes people talk…talk about weird shit and think about weird shit, it’s cool,” says Bryan.

And here’s Austin Smith. An equally ripping and radical human snowboarder. He’s a little younger, but wiser than he looks. He says Drink Water is easily the most rewarding thing he’s done with his snowboard career: “Getting emails from kids saying, ‘Hey, I quit drinking energy drinks, or I quit drinking sodas because of what you guys are doing. That’s more than I ever hoped for.

To see that this little thing that we started scribbling on our snowboards is now affecting kids in their day-to-day lives, in a way that I think is positive, it’s awesome.”

“Getting emails from kids saying, ‘Hey, I quit drinking energy drinks, or I quit drinking sodas because of what you guys are doing.’ That’s more than I ever hoped for.” Austin Smith

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Austin’s encouraged by the kids. He knows they are the future of the snowboard community, and this community means everything to him. That’s why he started this brandhe’s looking out for the best interests of the tribe. He’s a lifer too. He feels responsible for snowboarding, and urges others to take some responsibility, too: “I think everyone that’s involved in snowboarding should try to do something positive. Whether you own a shop and you’re creating an awesome culture for snowboarders, or you make awesome edits and people get psyched when they watch them, everyone should just do their part to grow snowboarding.”

It’s a simpe truth: Snowboarding is ours to shape.

We just have to take control. Austin agrees: “We’re all in this together. If there’s no checks and balances, nobody creating cool things, just energy drink companies sponsoring all the big contests and riders, then it’s just gonna turn into this gross Evel Kneivel sporting event. And snowboarding is a lot more than those events. It’s all the awesome culture and history behind it.”

There’s no arguing that. Both of these dudes have a real reverence for snowboarding’s history.

Sure, they might be critical of certain aspects of the current state of the pursuit, but that’s only because they care so deeply about the future of it: “Snowboarding has given me everything I have, from the friends that I have, to the places I’ve been able to see; it all stems from snowboarding. I’m super grateful for that, super appreciative. So with that, I try to make a conscious effort to help leave snowboarding as good of a place as when I got here. I don’t want to make it dirtier, so I guess that’s why I’m doing this.”

Check out wedrinkwater.com for the full-story and links to get the gear.

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We drink water guys??

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When Urkel Met Ullr

s a child of the ‘90s and target of an annual bronchial infection, I spent a number of sick days coughing on the couch in the company of the Winslow family. Eddie, Laura, Carl, Waldo, Myra, and the rest of the Family Matters characters hung out with me, along with the pop culture phenomenon known as Steve Urkel. His nasally voice, glasses, and high suspenders became the archetype for every nerd in every American school. I saw him in my classmates, and in myself. My teammates would imitate his voice as a way to make fun of one another on the baseball field. Cousins would pull their pants high and do “The Urkel Dance” at family parties. He was a subliminally big part of America’s childhoods.

So one can imagine how fucking strange it is to see him swaying at a VIP table, bottle of

vodka in hand, at a Los Angeles Lindsey Vonn and Red Bull event to celebrate the ski racer’s 2012 ESPY nomination. Dressed more like Stephan than Steve Urkel, he bounces his hand to the beat, nods to Vonn and her friends, and seems at ease with the world. Of course, this isn’t Steve Urkel.

This is Jaleel White.

“Holy shit,” a co-worker says. “I think that’s Steve Urkel.” I watch, like a person born far-removed from Hollywood. Curiosity infected my brain as a child but, unlike my bronchitis, it was never cured. So I walk over to his table. He sees me coming: “Hi, I’m Mike.”

“What’s up, dude?”

“Um, just chilling… what are you doing here?”

“You want some vodka?”he asks before

Mike: When did you start skiing?

Jaleel: I started skiing at 10 years old, the first time I went was at Mammoth. My parents took me on a trip and I loved it immediately. Some years went by, and I didn’t get back to it again until I was about 14.

We met another family [that skied] in Philadelphia, and it became a family tradition: rent a house someplace for Christmas. It started with Deer Valley. I was like the only 15-year old kid who regretted not buying property in Deer Valley. My mom at the time was like, “[A house at] 1.1 million!? That’s kind of crazy!” This was before the Olympics, before Sundance, before any

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pouring the liquor straight into my cup.

Just like that, I’m having a cocktail with Steve Urkel. Or, um, Jaleel White.

“I’m friends with Lindsey,” he says.

“And I love skiing.”

My curiosity exploded: Steve Urkel is a skier?

“I’m Jaleel,” he says and extends his hand. We talk about Whistler, Utah, and the feeling of going fast on snow. He tells me that he’s been skiing since he was a kid. The strangeness fades and I get vodka faded. We are two skiers, out of place on a LA rooftop, talking about mountains.

We exchange emails and Jaleel agrees to sit down in a few weeks to talk more about skiing. I walk out of the party, stumbling to my ride home and think, “Did I do that?”

of that. I’m talking like 1994. Sundance was nothing, the Olympics hadn’t arrived. That property would be worth so much now, it’s ridiculous. But anyway, I’d go to Steamboat and did that a lot when I was 16 and 17.

Then Whistler, I discovered in my early 20s. I really love Whistler, I’ve had some great trips to Whistler.

I actually skied with Seal randomly at Whistler. This is pre-Heidi Klum. I ran into the guy, he was with a buddy of his and we were trekking all over the mountain together. That was kind of cool. I’ve met cool people skiing.

M: Do you find it hard to balance sports with an acting career?

J: It was always really tough. But I love sports, I love athletics. It’s a spiritual outlet for me. Whether it’s skiing, whether it’s tennis, whether it’s basketball, even running- I do it all.

M: Do you get recognized on the ski hill?

J: Oh yeah, oh yeah, I generally try to keep my face covered up. I’m cold natured anyway, but I definitely try and stick to certain places just because of that, to be quite honest. It’s not that I don’t want to be bothered, I actually like interacting with people. That’s how you and I started talking, but I like interacting with people when there’s a culture and they understand it. Like: “Hey it’s Aspen and everybody’s here, we’re at the Highlands’ last day, we’re having beers!” and people don’t make you out to be a character at Disneyland to take pictures with everyday.

M: Do you ever get tired being recognized only as Urkel?

J: Well, it depends. I actually get recognized plenty as Jaleel now, just with a lot of things I’ve been doing. Total Blackout, Dancing With The Stars, constant guest appearances on other shows.

I try to tell people all the time that it’s really generational, so I get people coming up to me for every reason. I’ll get some guy that comes up to me saying, “You’re the voice of Sonic the Hedgehog!” and nobody knows that, and I know that, and he’s psyched about that. Ultimately, the biggest thing that you’ve ever done is always going to be the thing people speak about most. If you’re Michael Richards, you’re still Kramer. You’ve got to bust your butt like Julia Louis-Dreyfus and get some more projects under your belt. I definitely have time for that.

M: Do you still have a passion for acting?

J: Oh, I actually do, but I don’t feel like I’ve been challenged as an actor for a while. I was actually challenged playing that character when I was younger. It was a challenge because Urkel was nothing like me. I felt like a paid schizophrenic to be honest. I would relish another true challenge in acting, as opposed to things that are more imageoriented on a celebrity level.

M: Suppose we should talk a little more about skiing. Are you more into racing or more freestyle or powder?

J: I love going fast, fast in powder. Getting off the trail, dipping into the trees with good powder, hopping back on the trail. That was really why I left snowboarding, because I just feel like I have way more control [on skis] at speed . When I hit those speeds on a snowboard, I’m just an edge away from reconstructive surgery.

“ For me, it’s all about the ski scene, not just the skiing. ” -Jaleel White M: Who do you ski with most of the time?

J: I have certain friends. For me, it’s all about the ski scene, not just the skiing. Some people like to go up to Big Bear for the day, I would never do that. There’s too much baggage for that. I like going up minimum Friday through Tuesday, five days, really get it in, really soak up the culture.

For me, I told you, it’s actually some spiritual shit. When I was younger, I used to take one of those obnoxious backpacks that played music and stuff. I’d get in lift lines playing Snoop or Cypress Hill, and realize that it wasn’t really appropriate for children, so by the end of the day, I’d be playing Michael Jackson and Britney Spears. Now, I have the helmet with the speakers, and I like to rock out to myself. If its an empty day, I just want to hear nature’s sounds.

M: You don’t see a lot of African-Americans skiing.

Why do you think that is?

J: Come on man, that’s easy. It’s an equipment sport.

Equipment sports always reduce minorities. It’s that simple. You go to the Dominican Republic, stickball: old gloves handed down, open field, sandlot, let’s get it.

Basketball: a ball and a hoop. Parks provide the hoops.

Football: even less, pigskin and an open field. Anytime you get into equipment sports or sports that require training, you’re going to exclude a lot of minorities in general. It’s not even just blacks, just a lot of minorities in general. I don’t see too many Mexicans when I’m out there.

M: What’s your relationship with Lindsey Vonn? Did you guys meet on dancing with the stars?

J: We were introduced because some cats thought we would get along. I could tell from the moment I shook her hand that she was legit.

That’s it. I’m always down to make a friend that understands me.

M: Do you follow skiing? Do you look at slopestyle or halfpipe?

J: Other than knowing the big names like Alberto Tomba and Lindsey, I don’t really know a lot of specifics. I had a funny-ass night with Bode Miller, randomly, at a Hollywood party.

He was impressed that I knew who he was.

I was like, “Yeah, I know who you are dog.

You’re that wild dude.” But what’s funny, is that he wasn’t that wild at the party. He was really humble. I love meeting people that completely shatter their image. I was expecting him to take the room by storm with his image, but nobody really knew who he was, and he certainly wasn’t trying to let everybody know. He was a really cool cat.

M: What do you want?

J: I’d like to work in comedy a lot more. I did a web series called “Fake it ‘Til You Make it” on Hulu, and that’s my comic sensibility. I wrote it, I produced it, and I hired the director. I was really proud of myself because I was able to get a higher platform than just YouTube. That, creatively, was the most gratifying thing I’ve ever done. But I’m also a dad, and I have to work. People don’t understand that being an actor is a job.

MR: I read somewhere that the character of Steve Urkel was just supposed to be a guest appearance.

J: It was supposed to be a guest appearance. I came in and accidentally overachieved, and started realizing how I was overachieving, and kept it going. I’m a very competitive guy. I have a career now. I didn’t have a career then, I had a job. It’s taken me some time to get a career.

M: And now you’re expanding out. You mentioned that you want to go into comedy, is there anyone in particular you want to work with?

J: Nope. I’ve learned not to do that. You never know who’s a fan. People say “What kind of girls you like, man?” I like girls who like me. We spend so much of our lives chasing things that are not for us, or are maybe not even good for us. Stop and think: What would your life be like if you got everything you wanted, the way you wanted it? You might have fucked up your life in a major way. You have to be open to happenstance, and open to people revealing themselves to being fans of yours.

M: You seem really comfortable with where you are.

J: Yeah, I’m doing OK.

M: What would draw your parents to getting you into skiing? You’re from down here.

J: I’m a man of the world; I want to see it all. My parents kind of had the same attitude. They just wanted to expose me to as much stuff as they could. And I’m probably obsessive compulsive about that stuff with my daughter; I want her to see everything. You know, she got on her first helicopter ride this weekend, at two years old. That’s just who we are as people. I don’t think in terms of stereotypes as far as lifestyle is concerned.

M: How old are you? You said you were from LA ?

J: I’m 35. Yeah, born and raised.

M: Growing up before you got that role, did you already feel like you were part of that industry?

J: No, as a matter of fact, I was only in the industry to make some money and go to college. Back in the ‘80s, you had two black kids who were famous, and that was Emmanuel Lewis and Gary Coleman. We didn’t think you could be one of them. Everything about my life, fame side, is accidental. I’ve never contrived it; I’ve never sought out to hook up with somebody to be famous or anything like that. That’s not my style.

M: Were you always that way?

J: No, my 20s were tough. I had cash, but I had no mojo, and I don’t have a problem saying that. Who is happy in their 20s professionally? Somehow, because I had success early, I got nitpicked openly.

The exceptions are athletes, obviously, but in a normal workplace environment, men don’t hit their strides until their early 30s. George Clooney is technically a lot sexier now than he was on Facts of Life, but I’m sure he’d argue differently. He gets it. I had lessons to learn, so I was just going with the flow.

I know I don’t have much to complain about, I have issues like everybody else. But in the grand scheme of life, the possibilities are endless, and I have a lot left to do and a lot left to see on this planet.

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ertsRoberts

AGE: 32 YEARS YOUNG hometown: Gig Harbor Washington / Ketchum Idaho camera body: Nikon d3 LENS: Nikon 24-70 2.8, Nikon 80-200 2.8, Nikon 16mm 2.8, Nikon 50mm 1.8, Nikon 85mm 1.8 TRIPOD: MANFRONTO 290 FILTERS:A couple uv and polarizers Camera bag: Dakine Sequence, A Burton, and a small Lowepro Flash: Elinchrom Ranger, Ranger Quadra, Nikon sb80, sunpak 555 56

Profile Do you have a second job, or is photography paying the bills now?

Nope. I have all my eggs in one basket and no backup plan.

Which is your favorite lens? Why? I tend to like longer lenses best because the way they compress the background, but shooting the stuff I do the fisheye gets a lot of use too.

Among the gadgets that you own, is there something that you wish you hadn’t bought?

Before I moved to Ketchum I bought a complete darkroom and at the time I thought I was moving there for one winter. It has been sitting in my parent’s basement in Washington for 8 years now. I don’t really regret buying it, but I wish I was using it.

What kind of tools do you use for post processing?

I do pretty much all my post work in Lightroom 5. I try to keep the post processing pretty simple I try to have an idea while shooting of how the final image will look. This helps keep the processing time down, but there is never any one click and you’re done with any image. My work flow could probably be a little more dialed, my organization could be better.

Plans for the season?

How do you educate yourself to take better pictures?

By taking pictures and studying the results. I had a friend who I skated with when I was getting into photography, he worked at a camera shop in the mall and he would flow me film and process rolls for free. He would tell me what was working and what wasn’t so, I was really lucky to be able to learn inexpensively in the beginning. I really owe a lot to him, but I’m bummed because we lost contact years ago when he moved and can’t get in touch. I also read a lot about photography and force myself to try new ideas.

What type of reading do you do on a daily basis?

I like to read a lot of photography books. Right now I’m reading through Gregory Heisler’s “50 Portraits”, there is a lot of good info in there. I also try to read a lot of fiction, Kurt Vonnegut’s books seem to find their way off the shelf regularly. Lots of magazines, too.

Probably spend a lot of time in the Idaho backcountry with the Smith Optics crew, and I plan on putting in a lot of days on resort at Sun Valley. That’s the standard season, but I have no idea until it happens.

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Colter Brehmer / Sun Valley ID

Among your works, which one is your favorite? Why? It’s tough to single out one, as it changes as my work improves. I tend to like the more artsy stuff, when it’s action, it’s usually the really simple tricks I like to shoot because I feel like I can put more thought into making those shots unique.

Whose work has influenced you most?

I started out shooting skateboarding so I looked up to skate photographers a lot. I still do, Brian Gaberman is one of my favorite photographers in any genre. I’m also inspired by a lot of people who aren’t photographers; people who are doing things that they are passionate about whether it’s making art or skateboarding or music or whatever.

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What is the one thing you wish you knew when you started taking photos?

That hindsight’s 20-20.

Can you explain your double exposure shots?

They are actually single exposures. It didn’t snow a ton last year, so I ended up shooting a lot of pipe and park, which got repetitive and inspired me to look for ways to make those shots feel different. So I went down to the glass shop and got some pieces of glass to experiment with. I am holding either a mirror or a prism in front of the lens to get that effect. It works best with a tripod and a real steady hand with the glass. They are shot digital but done all in-camera, in one frame.

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Tim McChesney / Sun Valley ID

Pat Lee / Sun Valley ID

Aaron Reid / Marginal Way Skatepark

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Tal Roberts

Chris Logan / Sun Valley ID

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There is an ability in people to affect change; in our environment, in ourselves, and in the way we collectively view this world. North of the Sun is a film that shows how two men pursued a dream and affected change.

North of the Sun N

orwegian Filmmakers Jørn Nyseth Ranum and Inge Wegge had the desire to pursue a dream. The two wanted to live a simpler life; to break away from the endless electronic banter of email and social media.

They also wanted to surf. The duo opted to buy only food that had passed its expiration date, and take nothing else on their journey but sleeping pads, sleeping bags and surf boards. As the old saying goes: “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” But for these two, trash was more than treasure, it was also their shelter.

Ranum and Wegge spent nine months of the cold, Norwegian winter in an uninhabited bay on a remote, arctic island off the coast of Northern-Norway. When they arrived, they scoured the beach for anything they could use to build a shelter. What they found were washed up pallets, drift wood, oil barrels, and trash--tons of trash. Soon, plastic bottles became insulation and old buoys became

By Brad VanWert

the wheels of the cart that they crafted to gather their needs. As they worked to build their shelter, they vowed to also clean up all of the other useless garbage that had washed on shore.

During their time, the team managed to collect about three tons of trash-- a surprisingly large amount of garbage for an uninhabited bay, which had washed up from other spots and accumulated on an otherwise pristine beach.

According to Wegge: “We wanted to do the project, living out there, and feeling how it is to live a simpler life. As we both went to film school and work in the television industry, it was natural to make a film out of the experience.”

Collecting trash and drawing attention to waste and over-consumption wasn’t the only motivation for their adventure. This remote bay holds a well-kept secret; some of the world’s finest surfing waves. Braving the frigid water and facing months of sunless days,

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these intrepid surfers donned their dry suits and paddled out into some of the coldest, yet kindest, breaks a surfer could ever hope to enjoy. In the heart of winter, they surfed in the dark beneath the majestic Northern Lights.

“The cameras took a few beatings. Stormy weather and sand is terrible for the equipment. Filming in the water was cold, really cold. We really felt it on the toes and fingers when we did those shots,” said Wegge.

When asked about the true meaning of the film, Wegge had only one thing to say: “Hopefully people go out and follow their own dreams and projects, even if they sound a little crazy.”

Ranum and Wegge have created a sublime film that blends humor with humanity, touches the heart, and speaks to the soul. The pursuit of a dream is the pursuit of passion, strength and understanding.

There is an ability in people to affect change; in our environment, in ourselves, and in the way we collectively view this world. North of the Sun is a film that shows how two men pursued a dream and affected change.

North of the Sun was submitted to The Coldsmoke Awards this year. Go to www.coldsmokeawards.com to find out more about this film and many others.

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“Hopefully people go out and follow their own dreams and projects, even if they sound a little crazy.�

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REVIEWS

Gear that kicks ass.

Look for more detailed reviews of everything on the wish list at: BombSnow.com

The Genie, by Syrp A motion control time lapse device for your DSLR. syrp.co.nz

Outdoor Tech Bluetooth headphones for your ski-helmet and portable wireless speaker. outdoortechnology.com

The Lite Pro Gear Feather Camera Crane.

10’ ultralight Jib Only 3.8 pounds. liteprogear.com The War of Art. Best book I’ve read in a while.

If you want to stop procrastinating, this is a swift kick in the ass for sure.

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Reid Morth

When I first entered the market for an AT setup in 2009, I thought that Dynafit bindings weren’t made for ripping. The only people I had seen using them were guys that dressed like crosscountry skiers. You know, the yellow lensed sunglasses-wearing type you see lapping the line of boot packers at Bridger Bowl every November.

I spent the next three years wallowing around Montana’s backcountry on every frame-style AT binding in existence. The resulting slow, uphill slogs provided me with plenty of time to wonder where those skinny-pants wearing guys found the energy to be that smug on a skin track.

I’ve become lazier since 2009, but I like to think that I’ve also become a little more open minded. So, last winter, I made the switch. I mounted a set of Dynafit Radical FT 12s to my well-worn every day skis. It wasn’t the lightest ski, but I already knew how they handled every condition, which is where I wanted to test the limits of the binding. The first place I took the alarmingly lightweight setup was on a familiar tour across the street from my house.

It usually took me about 45 minutes with one good water/wheezing break. Going uphill on this new setup was faster, easier, and even fun at times. Less than a half hour later, I was at the bottom of the run getting ready for another lap. I looked at my powdery tracks, and then at my panting Golden Retriever. I finally understood that those goggle-less middle-aged men weren’t just being smug, they were also having more fun than I was.

The next day, I took them to the part of Lone Mountain formerly known as Moonlight Basin. I skied hard on every kind of terrain I could find that day, from scree-ridden wind-scoured steeps, to icy groomers, to the park. They didn’t prerelease once, nor have they ever during the 50 + days I’ve ridden, aired, and been towed on them since.

The Down and Dirty: For me, the Dynafit Radical FT 12 performed better than any frame-style AT binding ever has, in any condition, uphill or down.

Unless you’re really heavy and like to jump off really high stuff, you probably aren’t too badass to ride Dynafits. In fact, you’re doing yourself a disservice if you’re not already.

1 2 10 3

MONTEGO BAY

44 5

GOLDEN CAGE

66 7

BANG BANG

The Rudies / Freddie Notes

RUN THE NIGHT The Shrine

WELCOME TO JAPAN The Strokes

The Whitest Boy Alive

I’LL CUT YOU DOWN

Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats

Monophonics

TRUE LOVES

Hooray for Earth

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RIDE AWAY

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THIS IS DEDICATED TO

Two Gallants

MF Doom / Wale Oyejide

10 P.Y.T. 11 SPIRIT OF LIFE

Michael Jackson

Blackmill

12 JAM ON IT Newcleus

13 I WANNA DO SOMETHING FREAKY TO YOU 14 THAT’S HOW STRONG MY LOVE IS 15 WESTFALL 16 OOH LA LA Leon Haywood

By: Alex Buecking

Percy Sledge

The Billy Goat Tour delivers the durability, rigidity, and now light weight that I’ve come to love about ON3P’s skis. Instead of their traditional bamboo core, ON3P uses a thinner core with additional layers of fullwidth carbon fiber to drastically reduce weight in their new Tour layup.

The end result is a slightly softer flexing ski, but when paired with a lighter, stiffer, even sicker-looking veneer top sheet*, I can hardly tell the difference between my Billy Goat Tours and the stock model on the way down. Being the case, they’ll be defiled with inserts for alpine bindings as soon as lifts start turning in Southwest Montana.

The Down and Dirty: If you’re looking for an incredibly durable touring ski that’s burly enough for the resort, find an ON3P dealer near you and get yourself some Billy Goats, Vicicks, or Wrenegades in the new Tour layup. Also note ON3P’s new awesome orange anti-vertigo base technology--they glow, seriously. *For the veneer option, order early and ask nicely, they only do a limited run of these.

Okkervil River

Goldfrapp

17 THE FIRST CUT IS THE DEEPEST P.P. Arnold

18 ZIPPER PROBLEMS 19 TURN IT ON 20 BLACK DRESSES Copy

Flaming Lips

The Builders and the Butchers

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From: Katie To:<todd@bombsnow.com> Subject: I Care About What I Read, That Is Why I Picked Up Bomb Snow (and have written this) I came to your magazine expecting an authentic, fresh and unique representation of the winter world through local features. Although this magazine is great in many ways, I often wrestle with some of your representations. More than just men lay hands on your magazine, but if you continue to publish articles referring to local and general women collectively as ‘bitches’ or sexual images, then men will be the only ones touching your magazine besides themselves. If that’s the niche you want then fine. Sure women are beautiful, sure women can be desirable but tell me how your publications involving women have been anything but a teenage boy’s fantasy? I’ve been expecting to see an alternative to mass media in which according to your Mission statement: “Bomb Snow is dedicated to providing readers with legitimate content through crafty design, quality photography & progressive ideas.” If I wanted to see fallacious lesbian women prancing around in advertised underwear I would have picked up any magazine on the mass market. So far I have not seen how Bomb Snow has been “imagery far from traditional” in this aspect.

If sex is that important to you (and your magazine) then perhaps you should be advertising on a trashy porn site rather than KGLT as providing “legitimate content’ and ‘progressive ideas’’ because there has been nothing ‘progressive’ or ‘radical’ in your representation of women in either text or photography.

Grow up boys, “Un-Plug Corporate Media Malarkey” and “Promote Positive Propaganda.” - Katie

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Brett Seng / Model: Lee Arnold. This photo also showed up in my Inbox, given to me by Lee’s brother Cal. Surprise!

Thank you for your response. We love hearing from our readers, and we especially love hate mail. Just to be clear: We have never referred to women as “bitches” in any of our magazines. The term you may be confusing this with is Betty*.

The women posing in the particular ad you are referring to (pictured above) had an fun time at that photoshoot and would happily do it again.

Bomb Snow Magazine respects women, and always will. There are plenty of ladies who enjoy reading our publication regardless of a small ad in the back of the magazine with girls wearing undies. I assume you enjoyed the remaining 109 pages full of progressive and original content. As for your advertising concerns, Bomb Snow will continue to support KGLT because it’s our favorite radio station, and we believe in helping out local non-profits. However, if you’d like to recommend a trashy porn site for us to advertise in, we are open to suggestions- although, that’s not really our style.

Respectfully-

Todd Heath -Chief Motivator, Bomb Snow P.S.- I hope the Bomb Snow “Bobby” (pictured left) is the “imagery far from traditional” you were looking for.

*Betty: A young, good-looking woman made popular by the skate and surf crowd. One that is attractive, stylish and self confident. A Betty is typically a looker. *Bobby: Same as above, different plumbing.

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Dakine Clutch Jacket 20K In Dakine’s rookie year of outerwear production, they are throwing down in a big way.

Amongst a wide range of garments, we have taken extra interest in their 3-layer 20K waterproof gear. With a freeride cut, sturdy construction, and a ensemble of clever features, the Clutch Jacket stands out as their premier alpine shell. Their “Contour Fit” looks cool and does an excellent job of covering your ass, literally. The engineering experience from over three decades of designing multi sport soft goods and apparel has produced an impressive outerwear line with welded seams, water resistent zippers, + stiff cuffs.

The Down and Dirty: Some of the more fetching features include textured shoulder grips for backpacks, a snap back powder skirt, and a phone tether (which doesn’t fit my flip phone but whatever. I’ll get a smart phone when they create an app for opening beer bottles). - Henry Worobec

Grassroots Powder Surfer Lately, I’ve become tired of snowboarding, especially in-bounds. Maybe I’ve been spoiled, or maybe I’ve just come to the understanding with myself that there’s more to life than snow and boards. Either way, I’ve realized two things about my powder chasing habit: 1.) Progressing any further than I already have will not only be tough, but also highly unlikely.

2.) To me, a beer:30 beverage usually sounds better than a four o’clock bull wheel does these days.

When I stepped onto a Grassroots Powder Surfer, I experienced that all but lost feeling of pure excitement and wonder after linking my first few turns in powder. If you’ve ever tried riding a plastic sled while standing, and made it all the way down hill without eating-shit, you might know what I’m talking about. Powder surfing is like that, but way better, because you can turn.

The Down and Dirty: The Grassroots board made snowboarding fun again. Do yourself, and your body a favor: buy a Grassroots Powder surfer and stay away from the resort for a while. -Todd Heath

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Find them on the web: www.powsurf.com

Reid Morth / StrobotStudios.com / Model: Jessica 85 85

Forsake Shoe Co: The Pilot / A skate, work, and hiking boot-shoe.

It’s hard to categorize the Forsake Pilot, mainly because I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s like a skate shoe that’s waterproof, a hiking boot that’s comfortable, and a work shoe that’s versatile all rolled into one stylish piece of footwear.

Forsake Shoe Co. was started in part by a well-educated ski bum that was sick of having to change his shoes every

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time he traversed Big Sky’s treacherous trail, which connects the Hill Condos with one of the resort’s parking lots. The trail is notorious for being poorly lit, slippery, and often times becomes riddled with stray bodily fluids.

Local nostalgia aside, these guys nailed it.

You can think of Forsakes as the doublekneed Carhartts of footwear. Since donning them, I’ve accomplished everything from

loading up a snowmobile in late-day slush, to working in a ski shop all day, to spilling cheap beer on myself without worrying about what’s on my feet.

The Down and Dirty: If they made a DIN compatible model with tech fittings, I’d ski in them too. - Alex Buecking Find them on the web: www.forsake.co

Dakine- The Shifter Bib The perfect counterpart to the Clutch Jacket, Dakine’s sleek, 3-layer 20k Shifter Bib carries all the bells and whistles you want in ski pants without weighing you down. Despite the minimalist look and lightweight feel, the Dakine design ninjas snuck seven pockets and four vents onto these here trousers. These pants are great; however, we have to warn you against any flatulent behavior while wearing the Shifter Bib. The solid waterproof shell will contain any gas station burrito aftermath with such adamancy as to brew a stench capable of inducing self-asphyxiation.

Down and Dirty: Yeah, they’ll keep you dry, but more importantly, they’ll make you hot. Like Bomb Snow Betty hot. - Henry Worobec

Reid Morth 87

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Photos: Reid Morth. Hair and Makeup: Katie Minalga. Moral support by Ember and Kenzie.

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a simple rememberance

Tal Roberts

Chris Miller / Donovan Ball and Mark Rainery take in the sunrise over the Glass Peninsula, in Juneau, Alaska.

Photo: Justin Kious Rider: Frankie Devlin

TEsLA sYsTEM Introducing the Tesla System: The next generation in splitboard binding anatomy by Spark R&D.

INTRODUCING

THE ZEPPELIN 23 L 19 L W/ AiR Bag 6.8 lbs

Photo: Tim Gates Skier: Carston Oliver

www.mysteryranch.com

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