Sequence Magazine 64 EN by The Pill

Sonnenkopf

Benny & Dominic

Every pro snowboarder knows it for being the holy grail of kicker spots and powder lines.

Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got different mindsets, different backgrounds and different styles. So, whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the deal?

Hands down Images speak louder than words, a trick of eternal beauty which looks pretty darn good in picture.

Edito°

Why can’t snowboarding be simply considered a sport? Beware we are not saying here that it is not a sport, but it is certainly much more than a sport activity made up of performances, training and tricks. Because of its important cultural component.

in fact we say that he literally gave birth to a revolution, both in terms of fashion and of riding style. Nobody - at least in Europe - before him, had come up with that kind of riding made of butters and bonks. And in this period when riders have begun to behave like athletes, he slammed his way of interpreting snowboarding in everyone’s face.

Quoting PJ Gustafsson from our interview in this issue, snowboarding is not a sport but a “way of life”. The world mecca of snowboarding, Laax never stops promoting the term lifestyle associated with snowboarding, because it is an integral and essential part of its DNA. And this photo depicting part of the Nitro team - coincidentally in Laax - dressed up as Yung Doli, perfectly represents the concept of lifestyle. The detractors of Lucas Baume will say that he is just a party boy who bonks everything in his pijiama:

And now, Lucas’ emulators all are coming out, who besides having a lot of fun, has sanctioned that it is cool to have fun instead of trying out the super intense trick you have seen in a video. As you read this issue, the trade shows at the beginning of the year will be gone and the most important brands will have revealed what awaits for you on the shelves of your favourite store for next winter. And we are already almost sure it will be just another year full of beautiful news for snowboarding and its timeless lifestyle.

TEXT

Matteo Rossato PHOTO

Markus Rohrbacher

2°

Grilo at Avoriaz 1800

Snowboarding simplified for everyone.

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Editor In Chief Denis Piccolo

Editorial Coordinator Matteo Rossato

Creative Director George Boutall

Crew Editor In Chief

Sequence-Magazine.com

Editorial Coordinator

Photographers & Filmers

Denis Piccolo denis@hand-communication.com Matteo Rossato ross@hand-communication.com Advertising Office

hello@hand-communication.com +39 333 7741508 Creative Director

George Boutall george@evergreendesignhouse.com

Federico Mura hello@hand-communication.com Matt Georges, Dominic Zimmermann, Markus Rohrbacher, Gianfranco Battaglia, Claudio Foco, Cyril, Silvano Zeiter, Kevin Kok, Achille Mauri, Migi, Roberto Bragotto, Alex Steward, Francesco Zoppei, Scotty Stephenson, Ben Gavelda, Aaron Schwartz, Andrea Schilirò, Thomas Monsorno Collaborators

Graphic Design

Francesca Pagliaro, Diego Marmi, Stefano Luongo

Lisa Filippini, Elisa Maria Ferrari, Giulia Boccola, Silvia Galliani, Marta Manzoni, Luca Albrisi, Enrico Santillo, Antonio Isaja, Sofia Parisi, Fabrizio Bertone, Simone Lovera, Tommaso Bernacchi e Natalie Mühlmann

Editing & Translation

Cover

Giacomo Margutti

Deniz Cinek by Claudio Casanova

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Company Editor

Hand Communication Corso Francia 17 - Torino hello@hand-communication.com Store Magazine Map

sequence-magazine.com/magazine-finder Online Shop & Subscriptions

sequence-magazine.com/shop Printers

L’artistica Savigliano Savilgiano - Cuneo - Italy lartsavi.it Distribution

25.000 copies distibuted in +500 European stores: Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, France, England, Spain, Belgium, Finland, Holland, Czech Republic, Slovakia & Portugal

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102° Benny & Dominic

76° Spirits of the Chedars 82° Sonnenkopf

62° On the Lookout

94° Hands Down

114° Offline in Czech

52° 2021 Product Highlights

Index 8° The daily Pill

26° Boa Fit System

42° Burton Mountain Mash

12° Fresh Made

38° PJ Gustafsson

44° Ursus Snowpark

16° Killer Collabs

32° Laax Open

48° Alpe di Siusi

20° Eco News

34° Adam Ellis

60° Yes, JP Solberg can!

22° Now A.I. Binding

36° Firetruck 2.0

72° Stale Saandbech

24° K2 clicker X HB

38° Vans Snowboarding Days

128° Word Out

6°

1 15.10.19

K2SNOW.COM

SINCE 1987

K2 proudly welcomes Kennedi Deck to the International AM Team. Snowboarding by Kennedi Deck. She is riding the Cold Shoulder board and Meridian binding. Photos by Marc Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Malley. Location: Washington, USA.

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KENNEDI DECK

The Daily Pill B Y D AV I D E F I O R A S O

Markus Keller new TSG Global Team Rider TSG is excited to announce Markus Keller as the new Global Team rider. After honing his skills at the Davos Sportgymnasium, the Swiss snowboarder has chosen the path of international circuits, representing his country for over a decade between FIS and Olympics competitions. Although the pipe remains one of his favorite playgrounds, experience leads him to move easily between park, backcountry and big mountain in equal measure. “I am excited to work with like-minded perfectionists who support and protect what we like to do the most,” underlined Markus.

The ThirtyTwo crew is happy to welcome Bode Merrill! Originally from Salt Lake City, Bode has experienced various sides of snowboarding throughout his career: from street to crazy lines in Alaska, Bode has proven he can do anything he wants on a board. His creativity and his sense of humor know no boundaries, for years he has been pushing the limits of what is possible on a snowboard, while at the same time earning the respect of all fellow snowboarders on the international scene. In 2014 he was awarded the Snowboarder Magazine Rider of the Year and won the X Snow Real Games twice in the Real Snowboarding Backcountry and Real Snow Street categories in consecutive years, the only snowboarder to do so.

The new DC snowpark in Tignes officially opens DC Shoes continues its adventure in the French Alps by inaugurating the brand new DC Park in Tignes, accessible from the Gratallu chairlift and the Col du Palet draglift. Officially opened in early January, the park features kickers and rails for all levels. It is divided into two Easy Zones, designed to discover and perfect the freestyle technique, and an Expert Zone reserved for the pros. During the season it will be maintained by Ravach’s team, a team of professional shapers led by none other than Benjamin Ravanel, the man responsible for the Superpipe of the Winter X Games 2013. DC will host athletes, customers and VIPs in the new lodge located at the bottom of the slopes.

Being Green: a tribute to Dillon Ojo and the Landline crew Guys who dedicated their lives to snowboarding, living legends who transformed it into what it is today, young talents who feed progress. Being Green is the new book curated by Tanner Pendleton that tells the behind the scenes of the epic Landline, the first snowboard movie ever made by Vans. 136 pages documenting travels, memories, memories and intimate moments that have cemented a family bond. A bond deeply marked by the premature death of the Canadian rider Dillon Ojo, honoured by this tribute. It includes, among others, words by Pat Moore, Mike Ravelson, Cole Navin and photographs by Oli Gagnon and Jake Price.

CURATOR Volume II CURATOR Volume II is all about the secretive cult of snowboarding and features exclusive imagery of Jake Burton, John Cardiel, Denis Leontyev, Fridtjof Tischendorf, Nicholas Wolken, Steve Gruber, Rene Rinnekangas, Niklas Mattsson, Lonnie Kauk, P.J. de Villiers, R.P. Roberts, Mads Jonsson, Tommen, Nicolas Müller, Marie-France Roy, Gigi Rüf, Maria Thomsen, Ethan & Annika Morgan, Hampus Mosesson, Jakob Wilhelmson, among others. The entire content of a year’s subscription to your favourite snowboard magazine packed into one elaborately designed book. But with stories, photos and illustrations that won’t be printed this way in any snowboard magazine. No ads, only content!

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C AL I R T E SYMM

R O E S V NE FELT RAL U T A N

The 3 asymmetrical functions FIT - FEEL - FLEX are combined in an asymmetric shape and closure system that delivers optimum support and flex. The result is the highest performance and most incredible feeling boot on snow.

The Daily Pill B Y D AV I D E F I O R A S O

Jones presents the 10th Anniversary Flagship in Limited Edition At its debut in 2010, the Flagship redefined the concept of a freeride board. To celebrate the tenth birthday of this legendary model, Jones Snowboard surprisingly presents a brand new special edition that amplifies its look and performance. Same shape, same directional profile and same 3D Contour Base 3.0 of the 2020 model, but new high quality materials (ash topsheet, Ultra Base, Flax / Basalt stringers). The graphics were designed by RP Roberts and represent some of Jeremy Jonesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; favorite mountains. Available only from authorized retailers.

Burtonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s winning agreement with Get My Car and ParkinGO A collaboration that sees the world of snowboarding and snow embracing the city. GetMyCar is the innovative car rental and car sharing platform that connects those who need to rent a car and those who want to share their own. Thanks to this meet-up, Burton will have the opportunity to also make peole aware of Get My Water, the first water in Treta Pak that reduces plastic waste. ParkinGo is the airport parking network with support for sustainable mobility and electric cars. Many events and initiatives to discover this partnership: from the Mountain Mash in Madonna di Campiglio to the AK Experience in Livigno.

Patagonia presents the Dirksen Derby Splitboard Race 2020 Dirksen Derby, one of the most iconic events in the world of snowboarding, will debut in Europe on 21-22 March at Axamer Lizum, in Austria. The historic banked slalom will be replaced by a new format dedicated to splitboards with two ascent and descent runs. Launched in 2007 in Mt. Bachelor, Oregon, the Dirksen Derby brings together snowboarders, artists, musicians and filmmakers every year. During several editions, it has raised over $ 250,000 in support of environmental associations and NGOs. Founded by Patagonia ambassador Josh Dirksen, today it is a super important event for the entire community. Dirksen Derby will also be a stop on the Worn Wear tour.

Method Mag book Hold Fast Tweak Hard For their 25th annyversary, the illustrious colleagues of Method released a book about the history of the iconic magazine, started in in 1994 from an apartment in the Swedish countryside, from which Anders Hagman and Calle Eriksson launched an online snowboard magazine. Method Mag, that was the name, was not just one of the very first snowboard websites, but one of the earlier websites in general, published not long after the first images appeared on the world wide web. The book is available for sale on methodmag.com and features 216 pages of snowboard history into a nice hard cover with an iconic picture on.

Rome welcomes Nate, Nial and Joey A new wave of energy hits the union! Rome Snowboards is excited to welcome Nate Haust, Nial Romanek and Joey Leon, three riders who fully represent Rome SDS All Ways Down mentality. Originally from Massachusetts, but residing in Tahoe, Nate Haust is pure style and control over any rails. Nial Romanek, @bigmountainjibber, grew up in Minnesota and earned a name for himself in the filming with the Think Thank crew. Joey Leon, a Vermont rider and filmmaker, is someone who is not afraid to take the camera, build a commercial and throw his body down the stairs.

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Fresh Made B Y D AV I D E F I O R A S O

1. Quiksilver Forever 2L Gore-Tex

2. Capita Spring Break Ultralight Powder Displacement Snowcraft

3. Demerbox DB2 Speaker

Waterproof, breathable and windproof: the perfect shell for your long days on the snow. Forever is the Gore-Tex jacket that features the best technologies available, such as the fully heat-sealed seams and the YKK Aquagard zips. It includes mesh vents under the arms, an adjustable hood in three different positions, the jacket-pants attachment system, hand-warmer pockets with key ring, elasticized snow gaiter, internal system for cleaning your goggles. A jacket that will last forever.

Conceptualized by Corey Smith and made by Capita, this board brings together the best in terms of lightness and floating in powder. A perfect marriage of style, functionality and design, like all the models of the Spring Break series. Under your feet you’ve got an ultralight heart in Surflite 2.0, the most technical core ever built so far, with Forged Carbon reinforcements and the brand new Powder Drive base.

There are robust speakers, and then there is DemerBox DB2. It features the best Bluetooth wireless technology with such crisp sound quality and such powerful bass that three-time Grammy winner Zac Brown, and die-hard DemerBox fan, bought the company. The system has an autonomy of over 40 hours and a USB port to recharge other devices; everything is presented in an ultra robust and water-resistant Pelican case, with a housing to keep objects safe.

4. Jones Talon Pro Splitboard Poles

5. Mammut Nirvana 25L Backpack

6. Msr Lightning Ascent Snowshoes

The best of the best among the touring poles, designed to offer unrivalled performance. Weighing just 466 grams per pair, the Talon Pro is made up of two carbon sections and one bomb-proof titanium, with a length ranging from 105 to 135 cm. Thanks to the EVA foam handle you can use it comfortably even during long climbs. Cherry on the cake? The Ice-flex Tungsten tip and the Dual Density Scraper Grip which can be used to remove ice from the insole.

For 2020 Mammut renews the historic Nirvana series offering capacities from 15 to 35L. Nirvana 25 is a compact, high-performance and functional freeride backpack, with shoulder straps and sides with stretch fabric lining, pocket for stowing the avalanche equipment, carrying system for ice ax and poles and a comfortable padded EVA back. Attractive design, recycled materials, and a full-length rear zip that allows easy access to the internal compartment even when the snowboard is placed in the front.

The pinnacle in terms of performance and lightness. Aggressive on all terrains, the new Lightning Ascent are equipped with the advanced Paragon system, an attachment designed to wrap the boot without pressure points, with a mesh collar that guarantees maximum foot control. The 360 Traction frame offers unrivalled grip, especially on the most difficult terrains, while the robust DTX steel crampons provide a reliable grip even in difficult conditions. The Ergo Televator heel lift engages with a simple touch.

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ONLINE:UNIONBINDINGCOMPANY.COM SOCIAL:@UNIONBINDINGCO

UNION BINDING COMPANY JESS KIMURA TRILOGY RIDER

RIDING

CONTACT

California Sports tel:00390119277943 www.californiasport.info

PHOTO Ashley Rosemeyer

YR.15

Fresh Made B Y D AV I D E F I O R A S O

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7. Horsefeathers Halen Jacket

8. Drake Podium FF Bindings

9. Anon Prime MIPS Helmet

Halen is the super technical jacket made to provide comfort at all times. UltraTech 20/20 fabric (20,000 mm waterproof and 20,000 g breathable) with DWR C6 treatment and the latest Horsefeathers insulation system: Clo Teknica Vivo, 93% recyclable. Includes fleece lined pocket, adjustable bottom hem with snow skirt, ergonomic panels to ease mobility, YKK zippers, vents with mesh support, magnetic snaps, cuffs with Velcro closure.

PThe Podium is the best that Drake can offer in terms of bindings: very precise in handling your board, reliable to nail some heavy tricks. The high back in Biomap Carbon Fiber and the Omnicrom Light base allow a complete transmission of power and a direct impulse. For the 2019/2020 season the Podium has been equipped with the new Easy-Entry system, which simplifies the entry of the boot, and combined with the new Grandmaster strap in over-injected 3D materials that increase response and lightness.

The maximum in terms of safety, lightness and performance. The Anon Prime boasts the In-Shell 360 Â° Boa Fit system for easy adjustment of the fit, even on the move. The construction of the Hybrid 50/50 body combines strength and low weight. MIPS technology offers the best protection against multidirectional impacts, while the ICEdot Emergency ID stores contacts and medical information for rescuers. Active Ventilation allows the control of 23 vents with one hand.

10. Ride A-10 Special Edition

11. Nidecker Liberty Snowboard

12. DC Travis Rice Boots

Designed, built, tested and improved year after year. The DC signature model for Travis Rice is a boot full of technology and style, focused on performance and characterised by an asymmetrical design that maximizes its lateral power. The Super Fabric technology makes it stiff and stable, Aerotech ventilation regulates humidity and temperature, the combination of memory foam and hot formed EVA material offers an absolutely personalised comfort, while the anatomical latex bars ensure that the heel remains firm at all times.

2020 marks the relaunch of Liberty, the popular Nidecker model from 1986. Smooth and easy pow surfing, spring carving and steepest rides. Liberty is 100% freeride. The directional shape increases floating and stability at high speeds, the CamRock profile releases that particular feeling that the new generation of freeriders desperately looks for. With a long rocker on the nose and the regular camber in the middle section and on the tail, he has all the necessary response to ride with a super cool setback.

14Â°

Y S A E IT ND A T I T T E E S G R O F

SPEED-ENTRY SYSTEM ”INTRODUCING THE NEW FENIX „ Set-it and forget-it means always benefiting from the perfect and consistent tightness of your straps, and no hassling with ratchets in the snow. Flow PowerStraps are 3D-shaped and cover a larger surface of your foot. This results in more control over your snowboard and better energy transfer into your turns.

Killer Collabs B Y D AV I D E F I O R A S O

1. Pow x Simon Riviere All Day Glove

2. Globe x 686 Option Evo Shoes

3. TSA x Mizu M8 Bottle

Part of Pow’s Art Series collection, All Day is the perfect glove to ride the park, the pipe or face the mountain on the warmest days. It features a corded nylon lining on the back, internal microfleece lining, water-repellent Hipora inserts and an Amara “Amphib” Grip palm customized by the illustration of the English artist Simon Riviere. A light and simple multipurpose glove with neoprene slip on cuffs.

Part of The Channel Zero collection with 686, the Option Evo in Triple Pine / Black version dusts off the chunky silhouette from Globe’s heritage archive but gets equipped with modern technologies and lighter materials. It mixes suede, mesh, leather, ripstop nylon and 3M reflective details to a Nitrolite midsole with an aggressive ultra-resistant rubberized support that protrudes from the toe and side spoilers.

The M8 is the most popular product of Mizu, the brand founded in 2008 by Jussi Oksanen, one of the best freeriders of all time. In terms of size and weight, it is the perfect bottle to fit in your backpack or during your daily commutes: 800 ml capacity, 18/8 stainless steel for food use, 100% BPA free and 100% recyclable. Now available in this new customized look for The Snowboard Asylum, the largest snowboard retailer in the United Kingdom.

4. Arva Equipment x Picture Calgary 26 Backpack

5. Nitro x Volcom Beast Snowboard

6. Dragon x Faction Skis PXV Goggle

Designed in collaboration with Picture Organic Clothing and made with ecofriendly materials, the Calgary 26 is the most technical and complete freeride backpack in the Arva range. It has been updated with new materials and a new reinforced waterproof front panel. Lumbar belt with two large pockets, carrying system for snowboarding or snowshoes and a large pocket dedicated to your safety equipment.

The collaboration between Volcom and Nitro continues, two brands that share mutual esteem and legacy. The graphics of the Beast have been totally redesigned compared to the original version with a style connected to the iconic brand of the diamond. Thanks to the combination of Railkillers, Diamond Band and Ballistic Impact Panels it is a real park machine assembled by top riders such as Markus Kleveland and Torgeir Bergrem.

The Dragon Alliance’s PXV takes visibility to a whole new level. The exclusive Panotech curve offers exceptional peripheral vision. It combines panoramic visibility with Lumalens technology that optimizes definition in all light conditions. This coloring is the result of collaboration with Faction Skis and combines a main Red Ionized lens, suitable for bright light conditions, with a second Rose lens for cloud conditions.

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Killer Collabs B Y D AV I D E F I O R A S O

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7. The James Brand x Raen Essential Kit

8. The North Face x Brain Dead Capsule Collection

9. Stance x Sage Kotsenburg 6999 Socks

The James Brand collaborated with Raen, the Californian eyewear brand for a coordinated combo in Sierra Tortoise. Made from a single sheet of acetate, the duo translates into an extraordinarily elegant option: the Elko pocket knife remains faithful to its original construction and features a Sandvik 12C27 steel blade with multifunction key ring, while Wiley glasses are embellished with lenses Carl Zeiss CR-39 polarized.

CWith a launch at the Dover Street Market in Los Angeles, The North Face presented the capsule collection in collaboration with the collective of artists and stylists Brain Dead. Colors and patterns inspired by the history of the brand and its Californian origins. Interpreting the spirit of adventure as a true state of mind, Brain Dead has revisited some of the most representative TNF garments.

From an Olympic gold medalist like Sage Kotsenberg we expect performance to match and style with no equal. Well, his 6999 sock is no different. Strategically placed mesh panels, plantar support, reinforced toe and heel and Feel360 technology, a patented fiber treatment that adapts and reacts to the foot, giving freshness and a dry feeling. Maximized cushioning and robust impact protection.

10. Vans x Bryan Iguchi Signature Verse Snowboard Boot

11. Pomoca x K2 Splitboard Backside Skins

12. Now x Yes Bindings

Ready to celebrate 25 years in the world of snowboarding, Vans seeks inspiration from one of the most respected riders in history: Bryan Iguchi. His experience and expertise translate into the new Verse, the most responsive and cushioned all-mountain backcountry boot in the collection. Equipped with Ultracush technology, they are made of quick-drying FlashDry fabric. The BOA Custom Focus Plus system features two highly efficient wheels that control three locking areas.

PTo create its leathers, K2 has long relied on the world leader in the business, the Swiss brand Pomoca. They are equipped with the practical Z-Clip system for convenient attachment to the nose and recognizable by the classic bright green color. The iconic 100% Mohair textile fiber guarantees performance on all terrains, especially in cold and dusty conditions. Available in 4 different sizes, it is universally adapted to all K2 splitboard models, including the Split Bean.

When you wake up with the desire for a good old school riding, all you have to do is mounting the bindings of the renewed collaboration between Yes and Now Bindings. Light, flexible, powerful, they are the go-to bindings of DCP and JP Solberg. Baseplate Hanger 1.0 in nylon reinforced with 30% glass fiber, Highback 2.0 with Flex Hinge, new PA66-C ratchet levers made with the same composite mixture as the O-Drive hook. Thanks to Skate Tech technology, your style will improve at every turn.

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COMFORT, PROTECTION, FLAWLESS FIT. Ben Ferguson M4 Goggle Prime MIPS Helmet Find yours at anonoptics.com

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Eco News B Y D AV I D E F I O R A S O

Morzine leads the fight against climate change in the Alps Montagne Verte is a non-profit association that aims to reduce the environmental impact in Haute-Savoie and make Morzine the most sustainable tourist resort in the Alps. Working on three fundamental concepts (community, business and infrastructure), and collaborating closely with institutions and stakeholders, Montagne Verte provides residents, visitors and companies with the tools and advice to quickly turn ideas into actions. In less than a year, it organised a series of successful community events, launched an environmental commitment program for businesses and recruited nearly 100 donor members.

The Patagonian Worn Wear Tour returns to the European mountains Repairing your gear reduces the overall environmental impact. Conceived in 2013, Patagoniaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Worn Wear campaign aims to encourage people to take care of their clothes, adjusting them if necessary, to make them last as long as possible. Patagonia offers a free repair to anyone who wears a used (and worn) garment, of any brand it may be. Zippers, zips, buttons, pierced or torn fabrics and more; anyone can take advantage of free repairs. 15 European stages of the tour that will land in resorts such as La Clusaz, Crans Montana, Andermatt, Champoluc and will end on April 3 in La Grave.

Gogglesoc: the missing accessory from recycled plastic A practical solution to a common problem: protecting the expensive lenses of the goggles from scratches. Gogglesoc is a company founded in 2016 in Whistler BC and grown globally within a few years with distribution in 21 countries and over half a million units sold. Its products blend functionality and personality in a sustainable way. They are in fact made with rPET, a polymer obtained from the complete recycling of PET. This has made it possible to pour over 150,000 post-consumer recycled plastic bottles into their products so far. Gogglesoc has been collaborating with Protect Our Winters since 2017 and has already donated over $25,000 to the organisation.

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TRAVIS RICE BRITISH COLUMBIA

FAST. EFFORTLESS. PRECISION FIT.

#GetDialedIn

BOAFIT.COM

Now Artificial Intelligence Binding.

Team work is dream work, right? It is nothing new that a collective of creative brains achieve better results compared to any single-brain-idea. That must have also been the motivation of all the brains behind the innovative snowboard brand NOW, Nidecker Group and Addit-ion. By orchestrating their individual know-how and skills they managed to create something which is absolutely mind-boggling. We may introduce you to the first one of a new species: The perhaps smartest snowboard binding which got entirely designed by Artificial Intelligence!

TEXT

Natalie Mühlmann

To make the process of creating the world’s first A.I. Binding a full success, NOW delivered the patented Skate Tech Technology, Nidecker Group provided the crew with its pro-knowledge of binding construction, and Addit-ion added the salt with their expertise in AI design and 3D printing. The intentions behind constructing the first A.I. Binding can definitely said to be trend-setting. In this day and age, many new technologies such as 3D printing have evolved, so why not make proper use of them? By doing so, the production team has certainly paved the way for an even more innovative, more optimized and more customized product development in the snowboarding industry. It’s about time to say that it’s no longer a utopian thought to get products with a tailored and unique fit that can meet any of our demands! So, what does the A.I. Binding has to offer? First of all, it’s 25 % lighter than traditional bindings, which is incredible! A reduction in weight has a positive ef-

22°

fect on the binding’s response. This means that the A.I. Binding allows for immediate edge control and therefore super powerful turns. Furthermore, this binding is going to be S-T-A-B-L-E! After having emulated the stress that bindings must endure during aggressive turns and carves, and after having analyzed the respective bunch of data and having completed innumerable hours of simulation, the ground-breaking bindings were all set up and ready to print! Of course, the decision to 3D-print a binding wasn’t completely random, nor was it a Ghostbusters experiment. It simply turned out to be a manufacturing method that’s a real match if it comes to snowboard binding development and production. You have the possibility to print whatsoever shape that made it to the sketch, which is legit! In addition, optimization has become much easier and more fun, as experts can now re-design traditional binding parts, and with that, your next bindings might even be customized exclusively to your taste, who knows?! Finally, algorithms contribute to the perfection of bindings; however, perfection can only be reached in combination with human capital, as all of this would be worthless if the snowboarder of the future had a heart of steel! Shout out to NOW, Nidecker and Addit-ion for having dared to pull off such a courageous and truly innovative step in the binding industry, thereby improving our all-time favorite snowboarding world! We probably speak for every committed shredhead out there by saying that we cannot wait what else the future holds for us!

Alberto Maffei, Italian Snowboard Freestyle Team:

“ If I don’t reach a goal that I’ve set, I Just need to work harder and never give up! ”

campigliodolomiti.it | ursus-snowpark.com

ph. by A.Botto

One of the best freestyle area in the Alps.

Please, strap step in! K2 clicker X HB K2 has been providing the snowboarding market with innovations for over 30 years by now, and it’s gonna be no different in the upcoming winter season 2020/2021. We can all look forward to the launch of an optimized step-in binding system called K2 Clicker X HB, designed for both men and women.

TEXT

Natalie Mühlmann

On top of that, three compatible boot models are about to be introduced with the Maysis Clicker X HB and Boundary Clicker X HB for guys, and the Kinsley Clicker X HB for chicas, which all score high with the new H4 Boa dial system and Intuition Control Foam 3D Liners for excellent fit. So, what’s up with this innovative Clicker combo? Already now we can give away two secrets. Number one, the Clicker is your set to go if you are a demanding snowboarder who is looking for the best combination of comfort and support. And number two, it can be said that this match pumps up the fun level in every single one of your turns! Dedicated K2 shredders might be reminded of the already existing K2 Original Clicker system, which is of course going to stay a part of the K2 collection. However, the new Clicker X HB is the cherry on top. It’s the result of immeasurable effort in order to get the most performing and optimized technology regarding binding-to-boot compatibility.

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The name of the new product – K2 Clicker X HB – already lets the cat out of the bag! To begin with, the ‘Clicker’ is all about a super convenient stepin binding. This means that you no longer have to deal with the typical conglomeration of straps. Instead, you simply step into the binding with one of the matching K2 boots, and a metal toe and heel mount point will do the rest for you, guaranteeing for an immediate secure feel. Furthermore, the elision of the traditional straps provides for a perfectly comfortable fit since there are less pressure points compared to traditional binding systems. Let’s turn to the ‘HB’ tag of the model’s name and what this might stand for. Let’s go ladies and gents, have a good guess now! NOPE, we’re sorry to disappoint you, but it’s not a stand-in for the Bavarian brewery! That said, though, we are even more delighted to tell you that the tag refers to the return of the classic and beloved highback! Thanks to this feature, the binding will grant the familiar support of a regular snowboard binding, and with that, the crave for bombastic edge control will surely be satisfied. Insider fact: The highback is designed for gender-specific needs and therefore the only difference between the Mens and Womens Clicker X HB. Further features include the tool-less forward lean adjustment, a chassis with a 3° cant, and an overall construction that allows for natural lateral mobi-

lity. All these elements contribute to the techs of the bindings, summing up to a responsive, flexible and easily adjustable tool for your everyday snowboarding experience. Ultimately, we already had the pleasure to test the new bindings. Our conclusion: it’s comfortable, it’s flexible yet stable, and its performance is completely on point! And while you initially might feel like a daredevil when stepping in instead of strapping in, we can already assure that the binding is 100 % shred-approved! Convince yourself of yet another giant leap in the modern binding era!

Ultimately, we already had the pleasure to test the new bindings. Our conclusion: it’s comfortable, it’s flexible yet stable, and its performance is completely on point! And while you initially might feel like a daredevil when stepping in instead of strapping in, we can already assure that the binding is 100 % shred-approved! Convince yourself of yet another giant leap in the modern binding era! 25°

Burton Ion Boa

Deeluxe ID dual Boa

K2 Estate

Nitro Club Boa

Nitro Cypress Boa

Salomon Launch

Boa Fit System: H4 & Boa TX3 Boa has recently introduced two major innovations in the snowboard market. We are talking about the new H4 system, the evolution of the H-series platform, capable of guaranteeing the most demanding riders with high performance and precise fit, and of the TX3, the first fabric lace specifically designed for snowboard boots. The new Boa Fit System H4 sets a

new standard of performance and precision of the fit. The interior of the H4 wheel features a new mechanism and a bayonet, with an innovative tear-off design designed to ensure great reliability and prevent possible damage even in extreme conditions of use. The mechanism is released without any damage in the event of a strong impact and the bayonet can be inserted again with no effort. The Boa Coiler technology also increases the speed of entry and recovery of the lace. Each click of the wheel offers precise and effortless adjustment.

The TX3 lace has instead been speci-

fically designed as an alternative to the classic Boa stainless steel lace, as its soft-

ness and flexibility make it similar to a traditional lace for boots but, on the contrary of this latter, it has a much smaller diameter to function inside the Boa Fit System while meeting the strength requirements needed for snowboard boots. Boa offers different set-ups for the best fit customisation: Focus, Dual Zone, Conda, STR8JKT and the last, called Sequence which, thanks to two innovative paths of the lace, guarantees simultaneous closure and an immediate and uniform fit. The combination of the H4 wheel and the TX3 lace are the ideal configuration for Sequence, satisfying the aesthetic and design requirements. Boaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sequence Dual Zone configuration

is made up of two wheels that offer riders precise closure both in the upper and lower parts using asymmetrical laces. The closure is concentrated on the instep to reduce dynamic movement by moving the tension in the lace while the boot flexes. In this way there is no loosening but only tension redistribution to ensure a comfortable and controlled fit. Many brands have already adopted the innovations proposed by Boa. Burton, Deeluxe, Head, K2, Nitro and Salomon have presented their new models at ISPO and these will be available to the public already from the next 2020-21 winter season.

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Silvia Galliani

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PJ Gustafsson, Death Label ’til I die. So we already know each other due to some talks and a previous interview that I did with you for Sequence a while back, so I know some things about you already. Do your kids still consider you a rad dad? Haha...I hope so. I

guess they do that most of the time since I do my best to spend as much time with them as possible, show them how much I love them and do a lot of fun and interesting things with them. I don’t care if they think I’m rad actually. I only want for them to know and feel how much I love them and support them. It’s all that really matters in the long run.

How can you split your time between your many job tasks with your own skateboard company (Kaleidoscope Skateboard Co), pro snowboarding and family? Since all I do for a

PJ Gustafsson is one of the last pure punk souls in snowboarding. True to his roots, he still sees snowboarding as a way of life, and not a sport. In 2007 he left his sponsor to feel free to express himself, and he suddenly crossed path with a Japanese core company called Death Label, which more than ten years later he still calls family and helps to grow outside of the land of the Rising Sun. He’s also a designer, an entrepreneur and last but not least, a rad dad. So stop wasting time and let’s enter PJ Gustafsson world.

TEXT

Matteo Rossato PHOTOS

L.Eberhardt Yuya Take

Hi Pj, how you’re doing? How was your Christmas holiday in your cabin in Sälen? It’s

all good here. Been up here in my cabin with my fiancée and our three kids for 10 days now and it’s been really nice to just shred everyday, hangout, play games and watch cartoons with my whole family during the holidays.

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living involve snowboarding or skateboarding in one way or another, and my whole family loves snowboarding and skateboarding, I try to bring them along and involve them as much as possible. And when your work is also your passion it’s never really work in the sense it would be for someone with a regular 9 to 5 job. Family life with three young kids (3, 7 & 9) needs quite a lot of planning and structure in general but that’s something you learn I guess. I’m far from great at it but I believe I’m getting better at it. We make it work together as a family and luckily I have a wonderful woman that is always 100% by my side and helps me out with everything from small things to big things. She’s the best and I probably wouldn’t be able to live my life the way I do today if it wasn’t for her. My parents have also always been super supportive and they help us out a lot with the kids when I need to go on snowboard trips and so on. Thanks mom & dad!

Let’s talk about PJ and Death Label. How did you get in touch with a Japanese company? On late 2007 I left my longtime sponsor

DC because I wanted to just focus on snowboarding the way I wanted to, dress and ride the way I wanted without anyone telling me this and that. I really wanted to ride for a company that had an image that matched my own. In late March 2008 I found the Death Label website after hearing about the company from an old friend and Swedish Allian rider. Just the name Death Label got me really interested in the brand and when I saw the graphics on the boards and the whole image of the company I was pretty much hooked. I wrote an e-mail to Taka (Death Label boss/owner) and told him my story and that I would love to start riding for Death Label and be their first non Japanese ri-

der on the team. Two weeks after sending Taka my first e-mail I had a box with five fresh boards delivered to my door. Death Label as a brand fits me like a glove and I see Death Label as my family and friends and not just my sponsor. Now it’s just Death Label ’til I die!

we have talked about at some point, so we will see what the future brings. Maybe it will happen or maybe it won’t. Time will tell. But it would be a sick collab for sure.

You’re a man of many talents, but let’s stop on the Death Label Boneless board that you designed for the 2021 collection. How did you come up with the design? And what about the tech features of the board in general? I’ve

fuckin tight as always. To be honest I haven’t seen the whole line yet but what I have seen looks amazing! My bud Andrew Brewer’s new board graphic looks real nice and clean and there will be a secret graphic/super limited edition Boneless board as well that will only be available to a few selected shops. I made that graphic as well but I can’t tell you more about it than Fuck the police.

been riding the Boneless model for many years now and this year, just like with the three previous ones that I designed, I wanted something that felt a lot like me and Death Label graphic wise. As you know I love skateboarding, old punk rock, black metal and heavy metal and I am very influenced by this in general. Death Label has always had a very punk rock/heavy metal/skate image when it comes to the brand image and graphics, so cool shit like grim reapers, skulls, bones, skeletons, knifes etc has been a big part of the graphics since day one. I found this grim reaper from an old comic book that I really liked and worked with that. I made it look a bit more like Skeletor from He-Man that I played a lot with as a kid. I also like white boards a lot since I think they look lighter and I like to keep it pretty clean with the graphics on the top sheet so you can put stickers on the board without covering the graphics.

Could you tell us something about next winter’s product line for Death Label? Yeah, it’s

PJ and social media?I hate ‘em all! Snowboar-

ding shouldn’t be about getting likes and views on instagram. Some kids won’t even ride unless

Let’s talk some more about your design talent for a minute. You also designed the Buck Ferton from Smokin snowboards, which we know is one of the most controversial boards to date. Why the black sheep? Because

Smokin Jay is the black sheep of snowboarding haha. So here’s the deal. Me and Jay both like Minor Threat and we shared some really good times and memories listening to the Minor Threat album Out of Step in Jays van during the Holy Bowly week in Timberline. I figured that this graphic would be a great tribute to a band that we both love and share values with as well as very fitting since Jay and Smokin snowboards are the true black sheep of snowboarding and I mean that in a good way. I fuckin’ love Jay! He’s an amazing human, a great friend and one of the realest persons that I know.

You are running Kaleidoscope skateboards for 11 years now? Never thought about a collab with Death Label, like the one you did with Horsefeathers through the Helgason brothers? Yes. I sure have thought about it and 29°

“Freestyle and jibbing will always be a big part of snowboarding but what I think has helped to make splitboarding and carving so popular is that the average snowboarder can see photos and videoclips of people doing it and relate to it.” that” or “I wanna go on a splitboard powder mission with my friends this weekend”. The average snowboarder can’t relate to someone doing a bs lipslide on a triple kinked handrail or to pretty much anything at all when it comes to riding on rails and they sure as hell can’t relate to someone doing a backside 1800 whatever on a fucking gigantic jump that they wouldn’t ever dream about even hitting in the first place. The average rider likes and wants shit that they can relate to and therefore I believe that the “freestyle/jibbing movement” needs to focus more on style and simplicity again in order to make it more interesting for the average snowboarder that actually buys their own gear.

We know you’re a Howly Bowly aficionado, plus one of the very few Euro riders who are always invited by Snowboy Productions. What do you think about this unique format & setup? Holy Bowly represents everything that’s

someone can come along and film them so they can post it on instagram. Its crazy. Also since there are so fucking much that is fake out there. People buy likes, views and followers just to look good and more popular than they are. No one hardly reads any more…There isn’t a lot of good snowboard magazines and websites around any longer and I think a lot of it has to do with people being too busy with instagram.

After several seasons where snowboarding turned its head to the older riders and split boarding and carving were “the thing”, do you see a comeback of the freestyle / jibbing movement? Freestyle and jibbing will always be a

big part of snowboarding but what I think has helped to make splitboarding and carving so popular is that the average snowboarder can see photos and videoclips of people doing it and relate to it. People see it and go, “Hey, I could probably do

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right with snowboarding, it’s not a contest. It’s as far from that as a snowboard event can be. It’s a week long dream session filled with some of the best snowboarders in the world (young guns, old timers and living legends) riding some of the most epic and creative transitional snow park features ever created by man while the world’s top snowboard media/photographers/filmers are there to cover all the rad shit that goes down each day. It’s the one snowboard event that brings all different kinds of pro snowboarders together for a week. Famous contest riders, the guys and girls from the snowboard movies, the instagram snowboard stars of today and tomorrow, the legends, the OGs, the underground heroes and so on. Basically everyone that is lucky and good enough to get thrown into the HolyBowly mix. The Holy Bowly is simply the best and fucking coolest event in snowboarding and it represents the true essence of snowboarding without all the bullshit!

Any last words? Many thanks to my good friend

and Death Label boss Taka for all your support and for always having my back. You’re the best! I love you like a brother. Thanks to Vans for all your amazing support and for making the best skateboard shoes and snowboard boots there is! Thanks to Danny and everyone else at Switchback bindings for many years of support and bindings that fuckin rule! Thanks to James at Love Inc for believing in the Dark Swede. Thanks to Ton, Tatsuya, Brewer, Tomo and everyone in the Death Label Army. Thanks to my amazing family and all my friends and sponsors for all your love and support and of course to you Matteo for making this interview. Stay wild!

Laax Open.

Wake up in the morning. Soon. But not too early for goodness sake; I’m already strapped in at the lifts base. I get out of my Rockresort cube and already feel something different in the air. Board, boots and all towards the gondola. It doesn’t take much to realise that I am in a special place: I join the queue for the turnstiles and look under the arms of those around me and I only see boards. I turn in the other direction and I already see a snowboard rug down on the ground of those who are still at breakfast. There is no doubt: Laax is a special place.

feature designed specifically to make every single pro rider happy. Very happy.

And once a year for 15 years now, the big Family has been meeting up in this place, for the most important and historical snowboarding event in Europe. Let’s talk about the Laax Open, and today is the day of the final. Friday. Precisely the slopestyle finals. The designer Lucas Kuppelwieser and his team of shapers did an impeccable job to say the least. Of course, the location certainly helps: shaping a kicker that the riders hit to launch themselves in front of the immense valley of Laax has definitely its scenographic effect. But having said that, every line is perfect. Every corner calculated to perfection and every

The approaches to the storm of emotions before the run are different. Staale is strangely calm and just watches the other riders from the big screen and comments on him with Spenny. Seb Toutant is inside his concentration bubble all focused behind his mirrored goggles, while Fridge wanders around with a serene air and greets whoever stands before him with a more than relaxed smile.

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Federico Mura

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It almost seems that the world of snowboarding that we know takes another cut. Once you enter the gates of the pre-race area you can feel a different atmosphere. Different from everything we are used to seeing on YouTube and in the feeds of our aspirational models. Here it is one of the most important competitions in the world. And that’s a cage with only one way out. And that way out has hundreds of thousands of eyes on them, without a second chance.

And you as a journalist can only observe, forgetting the hundreds of questions you would like to ask each of them.

Two heats, the best one counts. The first riders to take the field are the ladies. Anna Gasser is missing the comp this time around. The level of this year is very high though, and the girls set the features of NoName Park on fire. Two hundred meters long, when the standard is between one hundred and thirty and one hundred and fifty; 22.6 feet instead of the regular 22 for height. We are talking about the superpipe overlooking the valley right in front of Laax’s Galaaxy building. These numbers mean that it has earned the title of the largest halfpipe in the world. The two-hundred-meter long, in addition to making it incredibly immense to the eye, leave room for the riders to be progressive as much as they want (and push), putting an extra plus to the show. Show that is made even more magical by being set under the floodlights at night. The halfpipe is snowboarding most historic discipline; since its Olympics debut, it has always been the star of the sport, and anyone who has ever been lucky enough to witness one of these comps live, can easily understand why. It is the turn of the “king”, who today wears the yellow bib as he is atop the World Cup rankings. The expectations are sky high, given by that color and the highest step of the podium conquered in 2019 in front of the same audience. All eyes are turned towards the center of the

pipe waiting to see what the Aussie rider has up of his sleeve for the final. He drops in switch. Tail facing the right wall, and Scotty throws nothing less than a switch backside 1260, one of the most technical and difficult tricks in a pipe. After all, there is still some space left, and what does Scotty choose? A fantastic front double 1440: trick never landed by Scotty James in a competition. In conclusion, Sebastien Toutant and Julia Marino are crowned king and queen of slopestyle respectively, and in the halfpipe, Scotty James and the Spanish rider Queralt Castellat. What to say more about this Laax Open? Like always it has not let down anyone, living up to everyone’s expectations. Maybe the only thing more that could have been a perfect wrap-up, some fresh snow to enjoy the fantastic woods and freeriding lines of the Swiss Alps as last year.

The Laax Open can be the perfect opportunity to chill a park shaped to perfection, while the snowboarding masters ride on their way to eternal glory trying to jump on the first step of the podium. And why not, if you are lucky you may find yourself holding a mug of beer at the Riders Hotel in front of one of its most illustrious guests.

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Adam Ellis, Blue Tomato CEO.

“The first shop that Gerfried opened was in his mom’s garage and the name of the shop was Gerry’s Garage. When it was time to open a new shop and move into a location in the town center, the guys realized with about two weeks to go before the opening that they needed a new name. They went out partying and kept throwing around names as they threw back drinks. At some point, someone threw out Blue Tomato and the next morning in the haze of a night after partying, it was the one that stuck.”

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Matteo Rossato

Blue Tomato – like Zumiez – is a multichannel retailer: Why improving both brick and mortar shops while you are the strongest online retailer? We don’t really believe that we have chan-

nel customers, we just have customers. Stores are a great way to connect in communities and support the communities around our physical locations. Shops are another way of serving the customer wherever and however they want. Shops allow us to serve customers faster and more conveniently.

In the scheme above, I guess the Blue Tomato catalogs play a crucial role. Why in 2019 a paper catalog does still makes sense? Over the past few years our catalogue has undergone a pretty radical change as the needs of the custo-

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mer have changed. We think catalogues are a representation of brand that land at the customers house. They are a great way of telling stories and supporting the notion of lifestyle. In the old days catalogues were more item driven and today they serve the need to tell stories and express lifestyle. In 2019 the snowboard catalog and freeski catalog have been merged into the Winter Book 2019/20 for this season. This means a bigger selection and more stories for our customers.

Spicy question: What do you think about those retailers (see Decathlon or the late Amazon – they will not be mentioned in the interview, of course) which became suppliers pushing out the brands and becoming a brand itself? We think the role of retailers is to connect

customers and brands. We really believe in strong brand stories from our vendors and our role is to support those stories. We are the connecting point for customers and those stories. Everyone does different things well and we feel like we are best at curating the best stories from brands and bringing them to customers.

In an interview you released, you stated the secret to keep Blue Tomato successful is to understand and meet the empowered customer needs. What do you exactly mean with empowered customer? And why do you think

they play such an important role in the retail game? We believe that the customer has evolved

as a function of technology. With a phone in your pocket every customer has a powerful tool that has created access to everything including information and products. The retailer used to be the one that decided to some degree what the customer was exposed to, but at this point the customer has a greater ability to self select what they want. As a retailer you have to respect this new customer and really consider what they need from you as a retailer. We are working to improve things that appeal to the customer like speed in order to meet their needs.

Seems like your employees play an important role in the customer experience at your physical shops. How do you keep them stoked? We encourage our employees to get out an live the lifestyles. We know that our first-hand knowledge is an important part of the experience of Blue Tomato. We want our employees to really bring that first-hand knowledge to our customers. Therefore, we enable them to go riding as much as possible e.g. through flexible office hours, surfcamp partnerships and season ticket support. We offer discounts to employees to buy the products so they can do what they love. We also host an event every year called Gerry’s Garage, where we bring together our top sales people and celebrate

their work with a day of riding, prizes and a party in the garage. We also really try to take the time to say thanks and recognize our employees across the organization. When someone is doing a great job, they deserve to hear about it.

What’s the kind of experience Blue Tomato want to offer to their “empowered customer” and how do you improve their loyalty?

At every touchpoint with our customers we want them to have a consistent experience with us. We want the experiences to be authentic, on trend, experience-driven, inspiring and fun. We also think the empowered customer wants us to talk back and forth with them, not just at them. We are committed to being engaging with customers. We also want to provide value to customers even if they don’t buy something. Value might be the inspiration to get out and have an experience on a board or sharing first-hand knowledge about a product or telling a brand story. This enrichment piece of the experience is key to driving loyalty.

We are going to keep doing what we do and trying to elevate our game. We want to be the best we can be. The coolest part of our growth is creating opportunities for our customers and employees to be a part of the community and growing that opportunity globally.

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Austin Smith’s firetruck 2.0.

Ever dreamed about going on an adventurous road trip to simply chase the snow and free your mind, and all of that with a firetruck? Then make it a reality and get inspired by Austin Smith’s latest video project Firetruck 2.0.

TEXT

Natalie Mühlmann

As the perfectly chosen title already foreshadows, this is exactly what Austin was up to last season: He managed to get hold of his brother’s 1953 GMC Firetruck, remodeled the interior to something that we call an ingenious crib on wheels (!), and set out all the way from Bend, Oregon, to Alaska. Filmer and editor Jeremy Thornburg perfectly captured the ordinary moments of a somewhat unordinary trip. Life in the van was simple and for sure a reminder of what’s truly important in life. That said, the necessity of a bathroom, running water or a heater almost becomes overrated. As long as you have your loyal snowboard, nice snow, and good company (which you can definitely find as

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a resident on random parking lots), it seems as if nothing can go wrong. As Austin proved, challenges are whatever you make out of them, and – in the end – overcoming them can result in pure pleasure and one of the best times in your life! The intention behind this firetruck journey was to make it the whole way up to Alaska and go ride wherever the truck would take them along the trip. For Austin, this meant a throwback to his 15-year-old self, a time when his life pretty much only revolved around shredding. It was just about time to relive that dream of ‘snowboarding every day’ and combining that plan with a road trip turned out to be the perfect fit – cause less traveling à la road trip style means more days on sugar! We are now presented with the piece of art that evolved out of this rad trip, giving us that addictive goosebumps feeling with all those smooth powder lines, awesome pillow drops, and badass airtime

over something that looks like – spoiler alert – freaking crevasses (judge yourself at min 00:06:00)! All of this is eventually rounded off by a chilled rooftop shoveling session to keep the mobile home mobile, and maybe also to process the stoke of the day. Firetrucks are destined to save lives, and it might be valid to say that this even applied a little bit to Austin. Everyone who has been following him in recent years knows that he had several knee surgeries going on, which unfortunately didn’t have the most desirable impact on his relationship with snowboarding. Having to go through such a period in life is one hell of a ride that eventually makes you question your passion, and even a gnarly snowboarder like Austin is not spared from such a roller coaster ride. But realizing a trip as such, getting back to the roots, and starting to connect again with snowboarding in a new manner totally enabled to bring the fun factor back in Austin’s case! Chapeau, Mister Smith, for showing us how to live life and enjoy it to its fullest!

And now go and watch the video before you set out and live your own dream! And never forget: A challenge is nothing more and nothing less than YOU make out of it yourself!

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Vans Snowboarding Days. TEXT & PHOTOS

Matt Georges

a 60-strong crew of medias, shops and Vans top team riders such as Bryan Iguchi, Jake Kuzyk, Sam Taxwood, Benny Urban, Alek Oestreng, Enni Rukajarvi, Antti Jussila, Nikita Sekh, Will Smith, Sebi Springeth and Sparrow Knox set the scene for three days of snowboarding, snowmobile riding, ice diving, reindeer eating and boozing! Plenty of boozing! Things kicked off with a product run down on next seasons newness along with the brand strategy for Fall 20. With industry big wigs present such as Kevin Casillo, Matt Patti, Kyle Martin, Ben Sooprayen & Bruno Rivoire we were in good hands to get us fired up on the new lines. Vans Snowboarding Days isn’t just a brand presentation, it’s a wear test in the finest of forms.Following the welcome meeting, we tried on boots for size and put them through their paces on the hill whilst following around the likes of (or should I say, trying to keep up with) Bryan Iguchi, Jake Kuzyk, Sam Taxwood and the rest of the Euro team legends! There is no better way to truly understand the innovative technologies and product development behind each boot than to go ride them. Head of

When we checked our app that first night, we got 28% chance of seeing the Northern Lights up in Ruka, Finnish Lapland. Well it didn’t happen, the 72% chance of not seeing them were right. Anyway we all flew there (or drove – those crazy Russians) in from 13 different countries and we were not here to only look at the sky (if you know what I mean). Product for Snow, Matt Patti told us how they’re using their deep history in snowboarding to inspire what they do with product. The product development team has been making snowboard boots for 28 years. Snowboard legend Bryan Iguchi invented park snowboarding and that’s where Matt takes his inspiration from when designing a new line. This year is also the launch of their new premium ‘Hi-Country and Hell-Bound’ boot, fronted next season by pro rider Sam Taxwood, the boot has all the bells and whistles, with over 200 individual pieces and is a real feat in snowboard boot production. A real masterpiece!

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What we say about icy finish Snowpark is definitely not a legend, it is VERY VERY ICY. It’s amazing to witness local shredder Enni Rukajaervi send it on a 25m jumps like it’s nothing. Ruka park is very well shaped and designed but you really need to have that finish blood to fully enjoy this massive ice slope. Riding the rest of the resort is really an experience itsellf specially at night (well it’s only 1pm but already dark). It feels like being on the moon, it’s different than anywhere else. Yeah I know I never been on the moon but Neil Armstrong told me.

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LEFT

Benny Urban TOP

Antti Jussila ABOVE

Fridge Tischendorf

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Burton Mountain Mash 2O2O Five days in Madonna di Campiglio, from 29 January to 2 February, that simply showed how snowboarding is still an aggregating lifestyle, no one excluded: the Burton Mountain Mash is just that, a mix of a little bit of everything in which everyone is welcomed as members of the same family, united by love and passion for snowboarding. And the numbers of this edition of the Mountain Mash 2020 do not lie, telling of an ever growing snowboard scene. Forty pros competed in slopestyle and in the style contest, many kids who did their part by learning how to ride at the Riglet Park and some of them participated in the Banked Slalom together with their parents and many other simple passionate fans mixed with real pro-riders (150 - one hundred and fifty! - all those who took part in the Banked Slalom in memory of Jake Burton), 50 (fifty!) girls participated to the all female camp, a dozen journalists, media, influencers and friends of the brand have experienced first hand how much the love for this sport/lifestyle is still very high in Italy, 300 people have tested the boards and bindings of this season and the boards of next year (yes, the 2020-21 boards - we can reveal that the Deep and the Free Thinkers have a very cool graphics, as always approved by Danny Davis, and the Custom in black and white with a lightning bolt on the nose is a highlight of the collection, in addition to the Fish with its 3D tail and the Skeleton Key great for carving on groomers and... many other fresh novelties!). People could even try the famous Step-Ons that literally went sold out during the last three seasons: at the foot of the Ursus Park and in front of the Boch refuge, there were 70 pairs of the most innovative boot-bindings system of the last 20 years.

“Born from the enthusiasm and passion of those who believe in this sport at 100%, the Burton Mountain Mash is the truest expression and purer than what snowboarding actually is: a mix of a bit of everything,” commented Pietro Colturi, Country Manager Burton Italy on the extraordinary success of the 2020 edition. “Not only competitions, but also fun and participation, both from professionals and just snowboarding enthusiasts, adults and kids. Our goal is always to touch all the facets of snowboarding world.” Two athletes from the brand new Burton parasnowboarding Team Europe were also present, the Dutch rider Renske Van Beek and Italy’s Jacopo Luchini (fourth in snowboard cross at the Pyeon-

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TEXT

Giacomo Margutti PHOTOS

Roberto Bragotto LOCATION

Madonna di Campiglio RIGHT

Marco Grilc

gChang 2018 Paralympic Games). The slopestyle competition saw the participation of over 40 riders, Italian and international, divided into three categories. In the under 16, the Italian Alex Lotorto, athlete of Team Burton Italy came out on top, while in the women and men the podium was conquered by two Swiss riders of the World Cup contests, Lia Mara Boesch and Nicholas Huber (and another world-renowned Swiss pro-rider, Jonas Boesiger came in second). Italy’s very own Nicholas Bridgman won the style contest. The Anon Banked Slalom wrapped up the Burton Moutain Mash 2020 in style, the last but very significant comp dedicated to the memory of the late snowboard legend Jake Burton Carpenter. 150 participants, 30 of them under 12, the youngest rider of 6 years old (yes, born in 2013!), the oldest rider of 51. Pietro Colturi, Burton Italy Country Manager, won the comp but handed out his first prize to the second-placed rider in the overall ranking, Alessan-

dro Cloch, who will be able to participate in the legendary Mount Baker Legendary Banked Slalom in the USA, with flights, hotel and contest participation all paid by Burton. Melina Merkhoffer, the winner in the women’s Overall category, won a pass for her and one of her friends at the first European edition of the AK Freeride Experience organised by Burton in Livigno in March.

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Ursus Snowpark is our place.

If you ride in Madonna di Campiglio for one reason or another, you will pass by the Ursus Snowpark: it is very easy to meet one of the strongest Italian riders and the youngest and most talented Italian rider ever. I’m talking about Alberto Maffei and Nico Bondi, who are used to spending more time in Campiglio’s Ursus Snowpark than at home. In a break between tricks and trips I managed to ask them some questions. Describe yourself:

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Denis Piccolo PHOTO

Roby Bragotto LOCATION

Madonna di Campiglio

Alby - I am a 24-year-old boy who has managed to turn his passion into his job. I am extremely stubborn and determined, I always try to give my 100% and I am proud to say that so far I have no regrets. Ah, and in addition to this I also occasionally go snowboarding. Nico - A 9-year-old Italian grom.

Tell me about each other:

A - Nico is a 9-year-old kid who has a strange and

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fantastic peculiarity: his favorite game is snowboarding, skating or surfing. One might think that his parents overwhelmingly push him and force him to train, but the great thing about Nico is that it is the exact opposite. He wakes up every morning before everyone else and jumping on the bed the only thing he asks is to go snowboarding. I love riding with Nico mainly because he is a true lover of this sport, as he constantly pushes himself to do more - because he wants more. He is extremely intelligent and listens to every advice, thinks and does it, and above all he has so much fun while doing it. Keep on, nano. N - The pro rider whom I have ridden the most since I was a child. Strong and humble.

Which trick would you like to nail this season?

A - Too many tricks and too many ideas. In general we will see what the season will make me do. I’ve been working on the frontside triple for a while now, but my knee injury has slowed my progression a bit. Another idea that I have been thinking

of for a while is the Cab 1620... but we’ll see, it’s always difficult to say. N - Fs 1080.

A Trick you wish Alby / Nico would land?

A - I would not want particular tricks for Nico, I would simply wish him to remain who he is now: a kid having fun. N – Fs triple.

Powder or park?

A - Powder for life. As I always say, you can almost always find a nice park, while the right condition for having fun in the fresh snow is becoming more and more rare. N - Both.

The Ursus Snowpark is your home snowpark. What is its main characteristic?

A - I am proud to call home the Ursus Snowpark and I must say that the progression it has had in recent years is staggering. I am very happy to see

how the shaper crew and Madonna di Campiglio lift company are pushing 100% on this project and have made it one of the most beautiful parks in Europe. Its strength is being extremely versatile, in fact it is the perfect park from beginners up to “Pro” level, a thing that seems obvious but instead it is extremely difficult to find. Come and visit us and you will see how many snowboarders and skiers ride our park and have fun. N - The jumps are really perfect and fun and there are lines for all levels. At Ursus I can ride with my little sister and we can both hit the feature that we want depending on our level.

A feature you would like to have at the Ursus Park?

A - I would love a pipe (but maybe it is too much to ask). N - A mini pipe or a spine.

In one word, how would you define the Ursus Snowpark?

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LEFT

Alberto Maffei BELOW

Nico Bondi by Armando Boatto

ABOVE & RIGHT

Alberto Maffei LEFT

Nico Bondi

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A - Exceptional. N - Fantastic.

Your future?

A – That’s a million dollar question. Right now my mind has many goals and a couple of dreams... but for now I prefer to keep them for myself. N - A pro snowboarder.

How do you see Alby / Nico’s future?

A - I don’t know what Nico will become, also because he is so young that it is impossible to say. The only thing I am sure of is that whatever he decides to do, either in sports, in school or in life in general, he will do it to the maximum and it will

be difficult for everyone to follow him. N – Once he will be done with his professional career I hope, why not, to have him by my side as a coach.

Beyond snowboarding?

A - Here the difference between me and Nico is abysmal. Nico never stands still: skate, surf, gym, play, jump etc. Being a bit older than him now, I am a little more specialised and I use almost all my energy to progress in my sport, which takes a lot of effort, a lot of training and a gym. But when I can, I also try to skate and surf a bit (but not so much with Nico, he’s too strong for me). N - Every day skate & surf.

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Alpe di Siusi, home of the Italian national team. I was born and raised as a snowboard photographer together with the Kratter brothers, with them I shared trips, emotions and professional satisfaction. Today Giacomo is the coach of the Swiss Snowboard national team, Filippo instead is the coach of the Italian one. I went to visit Fil in their winter home, on the Alpe di Siusi and we talked about a lot of stuff. Here we go. Hi Filippo, tell me about the Italian national team. Who is in and what are your future plans? The Italian National Team is mainly com-

ITW

Denis Piccolo LOCATION

Alpe di Siusi

posed of two groups. In the first group there is Aie Benussi and me as coaches, while the athletes are Nicola Liviero, Alberto Maffei, Emil Zulian, Emiliano Lauzi and Loris Framarin. The second group is coached by Davide Ciccioni and Jacopo Thomain, and it is formed by younger boys and girls: Emma Gen-

48Â°

nero, MarilĂš Poluzzi, Matilde Pizzuto, Elia Fuser, Leo Framarin, Milco DeFeo, Ian Matteoli, Edo Giovannini. The A Team competes in the World Cups and possibly in the Olympics, while the B Team tries to create talents who will then join the A Team.

How has the Italian national snowboarding team changed compared to 10 years ago? I

have been following the national team for about five years, since after the Sochi Olympics in 2014. During these years it has changed a lot. Before it was composed of good riders from the snowboard world who did other things among which there was also being athletes of the National Team. Now, however, those on the team dedicate themselves body and soul to this project. If you want to keep up with the other teams, there is very little time left to do anything else.

Tell me about the international level compa-

red to ours. The international level has always

been very high. Ours, compared to the top nations, is good and continues to improve. The solidity that strong riders have had for many years and a more widespread culture of how snowboarding is done is a bit lacking. Self-taught boys or those who are followed to the fullest of their potential often join the National Team, but they are not at the levels of other nations. We are no longer as far behind as we once were, we are respected by everyone, but there is still a lot of work to be done.

Who are the best national teams and riders?

United States, Japan, Norway and Canada. They are all nations who have an important history in snowboarding and the riders who are part of it are well coached from the very first years of activity up to the World Cup teams. At European level, not to mention Scandinavia, Italy and Switzerland are the strongest. The leading riders of the moment are

all big names: Sven Thorgren, Red Gerard, Mark McMorris, Stale Sandbech, Yuki Kadono.

Your home is Alpe di Siusi, how come? How did this collaboration start? It all started in the

days of my predecessor Marco Mazzonelli. Alpe di Siusi offered us accommodation and ski passes and we train on their slopes, in their park. I think it is a winning relationship for both of us, because it is very convenient for us to have a place to stay during the season without any of our riders having to go back to their home in the various parts of Italy all the time. Siusi have always treated us very well, we feel at home and we train in a fantastic park, which other national teams envy us.

F-tech is always very obsessive in the preparation of the jumps, what kind of features do you prefer to hit to train? In F-tech they are

all very good and available, always very attentive

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TOP LEFT

Italian national Team by Roberto Bragotto ABOVE

Emil Zulian by Alex Berger LEFT

Davide Boggio

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to the feedback of the athletes. To train the boys it is important to always have something new. Training too long always on the same structures leads to losing a little creativity and adaptability that are needed by a rider at the highest levels. I prefer new features and luckily we travel a lot, so this is easy for us. My favourite training however, given my background, remains a nice big kicker to do a thousand different tricks on, possibly in fresh powder.

What will the snowparks of the future look like? Judging by how the situation is evolving, the snowparks of the future will continue to have features increasingly accessible to everyone because they are not intended entirely for professional athletes. There is always an outline of simpler and more creative structures, people need new features to express themselves on different things. So I think they will be more human-sized, more creative and with more transitions and combos of structures.

What will snowboarding look like in the future? It is really difficult to say. Often the older

riders look to current snowboarding claiming that it is no longer the sport that was in their golden age. But I see the same passion in the eyes of the boys. It will probably change because it is a sport that is constantly evolving, it will continue to be different in many different ways. To date it is a super creative sport and, even at an athletic level, there is a tendency not to constrain it. It is an art, a way of expressing oneself and interpreting the mountain with creativity.

Give us some names for some young promise of Italian snowboarding? Italian snowbo-

arding is moving in the right direction. There are many good kids who have great style and passion. Nico Bondi is 10 years old, but already famous internationally. Or Tommy De Martin, Marcello Grassi, Ian Matteoli, Federico Giovannini, Andrea Benvenuti.

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TEXT

Natalie Millman

2021 Product Highlights You want a sneak peek of what the snowboarding world has to offer in 2021? Then you’re just about right on the following pages! Once again, we had the honor to get a little foretaste of the best product highlights and one thing is for sure already: we definitely can’t wait to get our hands on that stuff. So let’s get cracking!

686

Arbor

Bataleon

Gore Tex Smarty 3-1 Weapon Jacket

Draft 2020

Push Up

686 is more than stoked to announce that living legend Gigi Ruf will join the Global Glove team. This has to be celebrated – so better catch a bit of ‘Gigi-flavor’ with his pro-model mitt AND his signature GLCR SMARTY 3-in-1 Gore Tex Weapon Jacket. Another thing to celebrate is the increase in sustainability of the GLCR collection. Its new insulation massively saves up on energy and water use, plus it consists of 70 % recycled insulation.

The Draft is the ultimate weapon for a delicate park ride. The board’s soft flex with its true twin and updated nose and tail shape enables it all – no matter whether you’re into the butter game, the jib-to-bonk stuff or a stylish smooth glide through the air. And if you think it can’t get any better… your edge control will still be on point during all those maneuvers thanks to the System Camber profile.

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Shoutout to all the ladies out there! Grab your new Bataleon Push Up board and push your riding to the next level with it! It’s your perfect plank for an all-mountain freestyle experience, and its quality – being located on the high-end spectrum – is certainly not going to disappoint you. The medium camber and flex additionally make for a controlled yet playful ride.

Black Diamond

Canary cartel

Trasform

1. Recon Access Mitts Black

Dogo

Heritage

These mitts are your go-to essential if you’re the cameraman of your crew, or if you belong to the group of people who put their gloves on and off every other second. As the name already foreshadows, that glove grants you the quickest access to your hands by means of a waterproof side zip. Other bonuses: wrist leash, cuff pocket and inner glove with touchscreen fingers!

Canary Cartel is a brand new snowboard company out of Innsbruck. The Dogo is made to step up your riding game, featuring a mid-wide shape that makes this board stable and buoyant, while the exclusive Clutch bend ensures an extremely precise ride. Last but not least, the BPBA Bamboo powered core keeps the Dogo reactive and poppy through the whole lenght.

The Heritage mitt is almost a crime for being so stylish with its 10k corduroy surface and faux fur liner. But those handwarmers don’t only look good, they also perform so. They combine a Primaloft Gold Insulation with Hipora Waterproof Inserts, plus full leather palms for extra grip. Ultimately, those mitts are touchscreen compatible, so your Insta game won’t come too short up on the top.

Death Label

Dragon

Boneless

PXV2 Split Purple Ion

Still looking for the ultimate jib board to hit gnarly rails and road signs? Then the Boneless is your choice – you gonna feel that in your bones, too! An enclosing camber paired with a centered rocker will guarantee for the playful ride you were seeking, amazing you with an extra portion of pop. The beveled freestyle edge will further avoid any hard hang ups. SO Let’s Hit Them Streets!

This frameless goggle clears your vision, defying any weather forecast! With its Swiftlock technology, consisting of small integrated levers, lenses can be changed in a second. The lenses feature anti-fog coating and are resistant against water, dirt, oil and scratches. Ultimately, the armored venting with its improved attachment points further allows for the perfect fit.

Drake

1. Battle X Rusty Toothbrush

Directional shape, slightly wider nose than tail, a medium/hard flex and centred Smooth Camber are the perfect combo to keep it floaty for pow while poppy and pressy for street. The slightly raised contact points make riding onto rails catch free. A board ready to bridge the gap between Backcountry and Street snowboarding.

2. Supersport X Rusty Toothbrush

The Rusty Toothbrush boys like it “al denté” in both the Backcountry and the Streets so the Supersport was the obvious choice to base this crew’s pro model on. “In over 10 years of snowboarding these are the best damn bindings I’ve ever had locked around my ankles.” - Alex Stewart

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Giro 1. Axis Vivid

The Axis is one of the most representative goggles of the Giro line: unique, bold and clean design, ideal for those who want a wide field of vision and do not want to give up on style.

2. Grid MIPS SP

With its 400 grams the new GRID Mips has been designed to be one of the lightest helmets on the market but able to always guarantee safety and impact resistance in any situation: whether you go up Mont Blanc with your splitboard in a backcountry mission, whether you enjoy some descent on the track or in the park with friends on a sunny Sunday.

Northwave

Deeluxe

Domain

TEAM-ID Blood Line

the new Super Lace Single has revolutionised overall fit along with ease of entry and exit, the new Power Strap along the top of the boot guarantees you’ll be locked in and tight ‘till your very last lap. The brand new heel retention system pulls the outer tongue of your boot in hard around your ankle for more safety. Brand-new Fidlock Magnets to keep the laces nice and tidy.

The shiny TeamID Bloodline pays homage to Deluxe team and all those who share their passion. This limited edition colorway features a double Power Strap and gives a nod to the blood, sweat, and tears that riders put into pursuing their dreams each and every season. Especially versatile, this freestyle boot offers enhanced heel hold to maximize board control.

Flux

Gara

Jones

OM-Boa

TEAM-ID bloodline

Stratos

OM-BOA is a product made by dedicated snowboarders for all of you shredders out there. As such, this middle-flex boot portrays tradition that shines with the perfect mix of response and performance. Equipped with a new cuffcut, aluminum insulation mesh, a FYT Sole and the Sequence Dual Zone system with its new H4 dial-platform, you’re ready for your ride.

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This board combines it all: freeride, freestyle, carving. So everybody looking for a glorious all-rounder should opt for that model. The board comes with a directional rocker profile and Traction Tech 3.0, enabling massive edge control and with that the sickest carves. Additionally, board chattering is limited, and the Float Pack inserts allow for a setback in case pow-pow days are around the corner.

Howl + Airblaster

1. Sexton Mitt

Howl returns in all its glory with the stylish Joe Sexton Mitt pro model. The soft goatskin with suede inserts on the palms will keep your hands warm and dry on a daily basis, while its breathable structure will maintain the initial daisy-like smell.

2. Airblaster trenchover Jacket & Elastic Boss pant

Trenchover is an anorak-style jacket with a regular fit and slightly longer in the back. The side zips make it extremely comfortable and practical to wear. 15K columns of waterproofing and 10K g / m2 of breathability for maximum performance in all conditions. Back in 2004, they were the first to introduce the Elastic Boss pant, a jogger-style snow pant for everyone’s disbelief and criticism. To date, it is still a best seller among all the park addicted in the world. Simple, comfortable and above all technical thanks to the Stretch Canvas fabric with 15K waterproof columns 10K g / m2 of breathability.

1. Alchemist

2. Mens Clicker

The all-new medium-flexed Mens Clicker step-in bindings are especially made for the demanding snowboarder that needs to rely on comfort and performance. The secure toe as well as heel metal mount points notably enhance your edge-response, while the chassis with its 3° cant forces you to automatically adopt a natural riding position. Bonus point: the tool-less forward lean adjustment – get your stance right just in a jiffy.

3. Maysis Clicker

The compatible step-in boot for the Mens Clicker bindings is definitely worth labelling a master in its own sphere. That rather stiff high-end boot model is equipped with the Boa® Conda™ heel retention, a heat-moldable and thus perfectly fitting Intuition® Control Foam 3D liner, and a 3D Formed EVA Footbed. Finally, the Realtree colorway adds another special flavor to the boot of your dreams!

Korua

Level

Otto plus

Easy Rider

Watch out if Otto Plus is around the corner because he is a real ripper! Made of the most premium materials, Korua managed to create a board that’s lighter, faster, and more responsive than ever. Otto is your model-to-go if you are looking for their most freestyle-oriented shape that will provide you with countless hours of fun.

Show your love for snowboarding with the new Easy Rider glove. It’s super comfortable to wear thanks to the relaxed fit and short cuffs. Furthermore, the gloves feature Griptex palms, hook&loop closure and a Membra-Therm Plus dry technology.

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Mervin 1. Gnu Gremlin

Handbuilt in Mervin’s environmentally friendly board factory, the Gremlin shows off with a combination of high-quality woods. The sintered base helps you speeding up and moreover saves up on one or another service. The directional shape in combo with a camber hooks you up with a reliable board control.

2. Lib Tech Sk8 Banana Sweetin

This board is all about being jibby and feeling floaty. It’s comes with a camber and a yet more developed rocker. With that, your spins are stepped up, but you still got the performance of the classic camber edge that will take care of a mellow stomp.

Nidecker + Flow

3. Bent Metal Nicolas Müllair Pro Model

Anybody knowing Nicolas Müllair’s riding style knows that he is the role model for powerful yet playfully elegant moves. In order to excel in maneuvers as such, a high-quality binding is indispensable. Crazy board feel and expressive reaction without fail!

Classic Air Pipe

HOORAY, a legend made it back! Old-school shredders surley recognize that board from back in the days. It’s been a whole 30 years that Nidecker first brought Air Pipe on the market in 1990 with a similar design, kicking off a new wave of freestyle riding. This board is a bomb that pushes your progression. A slight directional shape gives the board extra drive whereas the rockered nose and tail, a camber beneath your feet and a flat part between them deliver the desired pop and control.

Kaon-X

Three keywords will do to describe these bindings: smooth, tough and efficient. Anybody looking for a reliable binding model is absolutely right here. All parts are made of top-quality materials, so one almost can’t wait to strap into that binding with its ExoFrame ankle-strap, Hexo Toecap and Aluminum Axion-ratchets.

Flow Omni

The Flow Omni binding is the perfect model for women who are looking for an extra load of support and flexibility. The asymmetrical highback with its low and wide cut as well as the all-revised EVA ExoKush PowerStrap and the ActiveStrap Technology will certainly satisfy your needs!

Oakley Fall Line XL

The Fall Line XL goggle is the bigger brother of sis Fall Line XM and a true hero if it comes to questions of vision. As the lens includes the Prizm technology, the granted visual range leaves nothing to be desired. Contours appear even clearer and colors even brighter, and all of this regardless of the weather conditions. Go get your uber-stylish frameless Fall Line XL, compatible with any helmet, btw!

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Nitro 1.

1. Banker

If you like riding fast, the Banker has been designed to bring home some banked slalom races’ trophies. Fast, precise, fun: the Nitro Quiver Banker with its fast sintered insole, its light and reactive soul will help you fly through the groomers, woods and on any type of terrain with ease and power.

2. Ventura

L1 Premium Goods still amazes with this clearly sporty item. Following a very strong trend among some riders, this one is really stylish, where the 90s sports suits meet up with modern snowboard technical clothing: with 20k / 20K of waterproofness and breathability, it is available in three colour variants.

3. Nitro X Spark Vertical binding

Designed together with Spark it combines the simplicity and durability of the Sparks Tesla T1 base plate design with Nitro quality, comfort and reliability. The Vertical is a safe, light, comfortable and simple to use binding - the hook and release operations are agile and precise in any condition.

4. Incline

Another great Nitro novelty dedicated to the world of splitboarding. This boot is versatile and highly functional: a real mountain machine, equipped with the new Vibram Backcountry sole made of Icetrek and Arctic Grip Vibram. A snowboard boot that is also a technical mountain boot.

Now

Mons Royale

B Line

Yotei powder hood

The brand-new B-Line bindings resemble the cheeky kid on the block. That all-mountain bindings makes you the all-star of your home resort with its number four flex, its comfortable and durable ankle straps plus its 3-D minimalist toe straps – all adjustable without ANY tool. Last but not least, the bindings’ looks are real balm for the soul!

The ideal for the best days in fresh powder and perfect for every day in the mountains, a 100% merino wool garment designed for those who love to experience the mountain 360 degrees. All the reliability of merino wool in a garment with biodegradable fabric, try it under your favorite jacket!

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O’neill

Pow + Rojo

B Line

1. Rojo Aiden Jacket Houndstooth Plaid

That O’Riginal Anorak is a unique piece of outwear regarding silhouette and functionality. The 10k / 10k waterproof level linked with the O’Neill Hyper Dry nano-technology both keep you from getting wet while having fun, topping it off with a highly breathable texture. Another striking factor is the fabric in use, consisting of 100 % recycled and regenerated PFC-free material. That’s how we like it!

Ride

ROJO dedicates all its passion to design outwear for the ladies, by the ladies! This sick jacket is yet another piece of true fashion that unifies tons and tons of girl power. What really attracts a great deal of attention is the jacket’s interesting recycled material mix. Last but not least, this jacket will be your best friend out in the cold – a 20k/15k rating will keep you warm and cozy.

POW gloves are constantly to be found among the highest performing handwear. It’s no different with the snazzy Kevin Backstrom Pro Mitt model which features a Recycled Poly W/DWR Shell and a HIPORA® Waterproof insert, only to name a few elements. The artwork has been done by KB himself, and he didn’t forget about the wrist cinch that makes for an excellent fit.

The tapered directional rocker board is built for all intermediate to advanced riders out there! That’s definitely the right weapon for all-mountain riding that boosts your grip and balance. Yet again, the combination of several high-quality woods such as Aspen, Bamboo and Paulownia allow the Warpig to be light as a feather.

Yes

1. Pro20

2. A-Series Binding

The Pro20 is for those who appreciate versatility and will use it for more than just epic powder days. More aggressive flex pattern and snap via the Poplar + Paulownia core and carbon stringers, coupled with a high-speed Sintered True base and 4mm of camber underfoot, means you can push it hard, in all conditions.

2. Now X Yes binding

If you’re looking for the disruptive and minimalistic design that made Yes. the household name it is this is the Binding you’re after. This binding has all the essentials and more. the Kingpin toolless will allow you to flip from your PYL to the 420 in no time and the Flex hinge 2.0 highback is the perfect combination of support and freedom the YES. team need when riding.

3. Lasso Pro Boot

The stiffer flexing Lasso Pro boot can score with a responsiveness that’s quick as a flash and is individually adaptive. Both the H4 BOA® coiler and the BOA® Tongue Tied™ allow for a secure micro-adjustable fit that even eliminates the use of a traditional harness. Plus: The boot consists of a super light Michelin® Summit Sole and is available in wide version, too!

2. KB Pro Mitt

1. Warpig

This gorgeous Ride A-Series binding comes with an all new construction to improve your overall shred adventure. The binding makes use of a forged aluminum heel-cup in connection with a new stamped aluminum tray. As you can see, you’ll get an optimized aluminum binding that is light, durable, reactive and – above all - creating a safe feeling.

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Rome

1. Stale Crewzer

As the board’s name already reveals, Stale Sandbech’s pro model guarantees for a solid cruise on slopes and in the park with that certain kind of hand-loose attitude. Its directional twin design on top of the funky retro-inspired shape brings on an easy ride, every day. Go get your all-new Norwegian party wagon!

2. 390 Boss

You’re desperately looking for the ultimate freestyle binding that boosts your skills towards unimaginable dimensions? Then the 390 Boss is the binding you’ve long been dreaming about. The Pure Flex Ankle straps are the perfect compromise for appropriate flex and hold, whilst the redesigned Full Wrap platform and new highback deliver more stability and improved responsiveness.

3. Bodega BOA

Rome has been diligent and overhauled their boot line for 2021. There will be four different models and – pay attention now – all of them are going to be available with traditional laces, hybrid BOA and BOA lacing options. That said, the Bodega boot will - for the first time - be in stores with a double BOA lacing system. With this news out, getting the right boot will become a no-brainer in 2021.

Slash

West

1. ATV

Core

Salaz

The ATV is Slash’s grandpa in the all-mountain range. The lightweight wood core – made possible by a mix of premium woods – and the progressive sidecut next to an ultimate traction push reaction and response up a high scale! It’s about time to boast high ollies and powerful carves with that middle-flexed directional twin board.

The Core binding isn’t called an all-rounder in vain. With the Core model, every terrain can be handled with ease, simultaneously granting a super comfy and mellow feeling. What sticks out is the new highback which provides for a much more chilled rear entry as well as optimized flex and control.

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The family behind West Snowboarding from Switzerland stayed true to their vision of inspiring designs. They definitely did an awesome job on the Salaz board, making us wallow in childhood memories. But the board is not only nice to look at, it’s also a blast to shred! It provides you with the required snappiness, lightness and consistency that steps up your wildest freestyle dreams.

Ten years strong: JP Solberg & Yes Yes snowboards turned ten in 2019. Ten years of progressive snowboarding and exclusive technologies quietly developed by the all star team. Yes was founded in 2009 by DCP, Romain de Marchi and JP Solberg: three top class rippers, true friends and snowboard lovers with the common goal to make snowboarding a better place. During the trade shows parade, we had had a nice talk with JP, who is celebrating - along with its creature a decade with Yes and ten further Years of snowboard pro career. Hey JP, what are you doing right now? And where you at? What’s up! Right now back home INTERVIEW

Matteo Rossato

in Bergen (Norway) where I live and tying up all loose ends before heading to SIA and onwards to Japan for some snow before Interstyle. Gonna be a long trip!

Ten years of Yes is quite a big goal, but there are almost 10 more since the release of your iconic Trascendence part in the bunny suit. Any thoughs? Time definitely flies especially

when you’re a snowboarder chasing pow, food and waves!

You come from that magic wave of Scanners who were able to ride everything from icy slopesto rails, and even pow jumps. What do you think about the latest generations of shredders? I mean this wave of riders we are se-

eing right now are doing things we never could have dreamed of, it’s a different time and place. It’s fun to watch the progression and level of boarding, it’s fun to see what lead up to it but I’m a little sad to see it’s not always on «snowboardings» terms and therefore I’m worried we had more fun haha.

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You started Yes along with Romain and DCP long time ago. What’s your deepest memory about that time? When I think back on those

days I think it felt like a crossroads feeling. To me it was like ok what do we do here, do we quit snowboarding because we’re not on a head to toe salary and go back to school and redefine who we are or do we still want to be snowboarders and contribute to thing that gave us so much. We still saw so much potential in not only the sport but also the business. Burton was such a big company and there were things we wanted to do to influence the game that we simply couldn’t do because of the legal aspect or because it didn’t make sense financially I guess. When we started YES. we had nothing to lose so that ultimately means freedom in a way and we just kept pushing on with new shapes and graphics snowboarding hadn’t seen yet.

Couple quick words on your two partners in crime Romain and DCP? I feel like I live 2 lives

(snowboarding/ private) and they are part my closest family in both of them. We switch roles on who is sensible, bold, crazy, funny and grounded

so the dynamic is special to say the least. I look up to both of them like big brothers and I really admire what great fathers they are considering we are all kids haha.

Which was the hidden message behind the name Yes? I still remember the first “prototypes” with Yes We Can on the base.. Be-

fore started YES. there was so much no on this and that, what horrible idea starting a snowboard brand was and don’t do it you know. We got to a point where we were like fuck that let’s just do it and roll with what people were saying when Obama was elected, I’m not gonna get political with it but in my opinion the world needs more of a yes. attitude and positivity needs to be united.

And which was the ultimate Goal you had when starting Yes? We set out on this venture

because we wanted to give back to snowboarding. Snowboarding needs more rider driven companies in order to do it on our own terms, that way we can limit some the useless things that get promoted in this industry and also remember some of the history that is so interesting and important.

Yes Technologies are quite interesting: can you tell us a bit more about the Underbite?

Well when I was born my lower jaw was more extended than my upper jaw and that’s when I thought….kidding! The idea behind Underbite and all bite technology in our range is to disrupt the edge giving the sides of your board contact points that enhance your turn more effectively and more efficiently. With underbite we’ve pulled it in where you place your bindings (contact points) basically where you initiate your turn so that you can spend that energy elsewhere when riding. I also call it bread knife technology lol.

Which is the ultimate highlight in the Yes lineup for the incoming 2021 collection? Our

powder hull technology takes a quantum leap this year and I urge you to check it out!

Where do you see yourself in 10 years? In

10 years we will have this discussion again and hopefully snowboarding will be what saves the world, it saved all of ours anyway. Thank you snowboarding!

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On the Lookout. ITW Denis Piccolo

62Â°

HERE

Rene Rinnekangas

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PHOTOS

Gianandrea “Pit” Piras

Elio Fumagalli In the future I think I will ride less and less in the park. Snowboarding has so much to offer.

Introduce yourself. My name is Elio Fumagalli, I’m 23 years old. I grew up in Ticino, the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland, where at the age of 12 I tried to put a snowboard on my feet. For several years I have spent the winter seasons in Laax, where I work part time and where snowboarding is experienced in its best possible form (pure lifestyle).

Best park. Laax first! A spot you would never go back to.

I think there isn’t a park that I wouldn’t want to go back to. It is certain, however, that the indoor parks bore me quickly.

Favorite trick. Every trick I land clean. I can’t name a favourite trick.

Most underrated rider. The most un-

Next trick on your to do list. Backside

Park rider that inspired your riding.

What will the future of park riding be like. In the future I think I will ride less and

derrated park rider is Kevin Trammer!

One of my biggest inspirations is James Niederberger. He is a very stylish rider who pushed the snowboard scene a lot in Laax. He is a person who manages to convey his passion for snowboarding. Today he no longer rides the park, but when you catch him on the P60 he always catches the eye.

switch 50-50 cab 360 out

less in the park. Snowboarding has so much to offer. From the slopes to the sidehits, from the park to the powder. If it’s hot and it becomes slushy - I’d say park! If it snows 50 cm - only fresh powder! When you don’t ride the park for a week or two, when you go back there you are more excited than usual.

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One meter of fresh pow VS perfectly groomed park. 1 meter of fresh powder every day.

Coming up next. In the future I want

to try to make my own project with the support of my sponsors. I want to try to convey my vision of snowboarding, fun and good times with friends through photos and videos. I am not in a hurry for my project. I’ll join the project of the Escape Video friends who are filming their third movie. In addition to snowboarding, I started making more music again. I have a great passion for music and have always wanted to start mixing. Finally, being surrounded by friends who are DJs, I had the opportunity to start last summer. Who knows, maybe sooner or later you will find me mixing some funky tracks on the slopes, eheh.

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PHOTOS

Roberto Bragotto

Nicola Livero I see many perfect parks very well shaped, and this is always super cool, but 1 meter of fresh snow is certainly something rarer and more desired.

Introduce yourself: I’m Nicola Liviero,

Coolest park where you filmed. Mam-

Most underrated rider. Niklas Mattson.

A spot you would never go back to.

I’m 20 years old and I’m from Verona.

Few people in the world ride in switch like him, he’s very strong on both jumps and rails and above all he is very innovative.

Park rider that inspired your riding. I

really struggle to choose one of these: Marcus Kleveland, Mark McMorris, Seb Toots, Sven Thorgren. All very powerful but with very different characteristics. I take inspiration from riders like Markus Olimstad, Seb Toots or Brage Richenberg, I admire their consistency in riding and their style.

Best park. SnowPark Seiseralm.

moth Mountain (Unbound)

Jasna, Slovakia.

Favorite trick. Switch Bs 5 japan. Next trick on your to do list. Lots! But in particular fs triple cork 1440.

What will the future of park riding be like. Ever better and more innovative

features, the level will certainly rise a lot and bag jump will be increasingly needed to learn the tricks necessary to compete in the various world-class competitions. I don’t necessarily consider it a negative thing, but at the same time I am of the opi-

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nion that the bag jump is a tool to be used only when you already have a good basics and you have a clear idea of the tricks to try.

One meter of fresh pow VS perfectly groomed park. Being a park rider that

travels a lot, I see many perfect parks very well shaped, and this is always super cool, but 1 meter of fresh snow is certainly something rarer and more desired. This year I happened to have days where I managed to have both and I must say that, well, yes... those are the perfect days for me!

Coming up next. I will be very busy with the national team for the last World Cup and European Cup comps of the season, including training between the various stops.

PHOTOS

Miriam Lottes

Ylfa Runarsdottir There is no such thing as “women’s snowboarding”, its all just snowboarding and there are both man and women iin the scene hopefully the future holds more equal opportunites.

Introduce yourself: I’m Ylfa Rúnarsdóttir snowboard lover from Iceland.

Most underrated female rider. Paula Benito and Sara Säkkinen.

Strongest female rider who inspired you the most. Jess Kimura is a boss. She

rides so sick and also she has opened a path for other girls to film street with her project The Uninvited

ne in Europe. It’s quite spread out and

not alot of opportunitys for those who don’t do competition. There are so many sick girl riders in Europe that I probably havent even heard of!

Is snowboarding a men’s sport? No How do you picture the future of female boarding, There is no such thing

Northen Sweden

as “women’s snowboarding”, its all just snowboarding and there are both man and women iin the scene hopefully the future holds more equal opportunites.

Favorite trick. Bs 180s on jumps

Coming up next. More snowboarding

Your favorite terrain. Riksgränsen in

Next trick on your to do list. Bs rodeo 7

and meet more good people to share those good times with.

Thoughts on female snowboard sce-

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PHOTOS

Roberto Bragotto

Emil Zulian The future in snowparks will be increasingly innovative and stimulating, different and new features where the most creative riders will be rewarded.

Introduce yourself. I’m Emil Zulian,

Next trick on your to do list. I would

Most underrated rider. Jonas Boesiger,

What will the future of park riding be like. The future in snowparks will be

straight outta Val di Fassa.

very strong but nobody cares of him the way he deserves.

Park rider that inspired your riding.

Strongest rider Markus Kleveland, but I am very inspired by Yuri Okubo and the Japanese style.

Best park. I love the kickers in Seiseralm Park a lot.

A spot you would never go back to.

A shitty park in Sarajevo when I went there for my first Europe Cup.

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absolutely like to learn Cab 16.

increasingly innovative and stimulating, different and new features where the most creative riders will be rewarded.

One meter of fresh pow VS perfectly groomed park. 1 meter of fresh powder beats any park (since it’s so rare).

Coming up next. I will soon focus on Slopestyle competitions!

PHOTOS

Miriam Lottes

Introduce yourself. Hello! I’m Elena

Graglia, I’m Italian and I’m a professional snowboarder always around the world!

Most underrated female rider. Ylfa Runarsdottir, Icelandic snowboarder and great friend of mine, with whom I had the pleasure of sharing some wonderful moments in our trip to Finland last year.

Strongest female rider who inspired you the most. I don’t know if I think Jess

Kimura is necessarily the strongest girl out there but it is certainly a source of inspiration for having raised the level of female street snowboarding and for creating a platform for the new generations.

Your favorite terrain? I started with the

backcountry in the mountains near home. Then moving on to the snowpark, especially the rails. This led me to explore street snowboarding on which, to date, I am focusing my attention.

Favorite trick. Sw bs blunt 270. Next trick on your to do list. Bs 3 in 5050 fs 1 out.

ne is very active and also present on the international front thanks to our biggest stars Anna Gasser and Klaudia Medlova for the most important competitions. Furthermore, more and more European women are engaged in filming street videoparts.

Is snowboarding a men’s sport? Only a few men think so haha.

How do you picture the future of female boarding, In the future I hope that

every event and competition will have the same prize money equally divided between the categories. I also hope to see more crews of women who come together to make their dreams come true, be it to film videoparts, train for an important event or even just meet in the mountains and push each other and overcome their limits and fears. This sounds good!

Coming up next. I put all my efforts

every day to create my reality and my future will simply be in line with what I am sowing today. There will always be snowboarding, yoga, and a great desire to share my passion with lovely people.

Thoughts on female snowboard scene in Europe. The European female sce69°

Elena Graglia I believe there has been a great comeback of the women’s movement in the market. There are many brands that invest and focus entirely on women these days.

PHOTOS

Miriam Lottes

Alieje Everts There is an increasing amount of people pushing for women in Europe with like girls sessions etc. The scene is definitely growing!

Introduce yourself. Hey what’s up, I am

Alieke, twentysomething years old and rooting from the dutch indoor slopes.

be the female snowboarder I would call inspiring because she has a good style and vibe to her video parts.

Most underrated female rider. I think

Your favorite terrain. I am definitely a

there are a lot of girls out there who are killing it that we haven’t heard of, I don’t remember any of their names but I see them out there or on instagram and I would love to see more of them for sure.

rail person, but don’t mind getting out of my comfort zone every now and then.

Strongest female rider who inspired you the most. I get inspired by snow-

to be able to do every regular trick switch as well. Usually when I learn something new I’m like, ok now I got to do it switch!

boarders in general, which happen to be guys mainly to be honest. Though, Kennedy Deck, Jill Perkins and Ivika Jürgenson have put out some really cool stuff the past seasons! In my early years of snowboarding I used to watch Desiree Melancons parts on a daily, I think that would

Favorite trick. Most definitely ollies! Next trick on your to do list. I would like

How do you picture the future of female boarding. Sometimes I feel like it is really small. I remember multiple days in NewZealand when there were more girls in the park than guys, which is pret-

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ty sick! There is an increasing amount of people pushing for women in Europe with like girls sessions etc. The scene is definitely growing!

Do you think that brands believe less in the women’s movement. Some do

probably. Some brands just care about the looks and not the skill which is not going to motivate any girl to actually go ride.. But I see a lot of brands caring more and more by giving them colorways and other kinds of support which I think is cool and important for the image of women’s snowboarding.

Coming up next. For my own future, I

just hope to continue traveling, filming but mostly just to enjoy everything about snowboarding for the rest of my life.

PHOTOS

Gianandrea “Pit” Piras

David Djtè Laax is probably the sickest snowboard place in the world. The parks are always in prime conditions. Laax has it all. On and off hill.

Introduce yourself: My name is Babacar

David Djité, I‘m 27 years old, I‘m born and raised in Zürich, Switzerland and spend my summers there and my winters in Laax, Switzerland. I study psychology cause i think the human mind is one of the most complex and interesting subjects there is. I love music, a good laugh over some beers and of course snowboarding.

Most underrated rider. Oh, hard one.

There is a bunch of riders I could think of. For sure Florian Fischer, Dario Bruch, Gian Sutter, Elio Fumagalli, Maca Valle and Hannah Hrundur from Laax or Roope Rautiainen from Finland.

Park rider that inspired your riding.

Hmm, to be honest, i don‘t think there is one particular rider i could think of. There is so many inspiring riders out there, that it is probably impossible to just point out one. Severin Van Der Meer, Max Buri,

Tor Lundström, Kevin Bäckström, Sebbe de Buck, Christian Haller, James Niederberger, Nicolas Müller, Chris Grenier, Sam Taxwood, Dillion Ojo, Benny Urban, Kas Lemmens, Alek Østreng, Len Jørgensen and so on. There’s an endless amount of steezy snowboarders out there. But almost all of them spend most of their times on the streets or in the pow but are also incredible park riders. So yeah if they all have one thing in common than it’s for sure their personal style and flare they bring to snowboarding. And thats what it’s all about i think. Doesn‘t matter if you spin a quaddrouple cork or just poke out a smooth method, as long as you are having fun and show your personal interpretation of it, you are a steezy snowboarder.

Thats what makes this place so unique a special.

Best park. Definitely Laax. Laax is pro-

mentary with Laax this year and try to film a new movie with the beyond medals boys. But most of all I just enjoy being snowboarding everyday and all the fun times that come with it.

bably the sickest snowboard place in the world. The parks are always in prime conditions. Laax has it all. On and off hill. Plus we are like one big family up here.

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Coolest park where you filmed. Probably the Holly Bowly in Mammoth.

Favorite trick. A carve. Next trick on your to do list. Fs Invert. What will the future of park riding be like. There is no limit to our creativity. One meter of fresh pow VS perfectly groomed park. Definitely the 1 meter of powder! There is nothing like the feeling of fresh pow under your feet.

Coming up next. I‘m doing a little docu-

Stale Sandbech. Who has never heard about Ståle Sandbech? Born in 1993, this Norwegian guy has several medals in his palmares, including five podiums at the X Games and an Olympic silver medal at Sochi 2014 in the Slopestyle category. When he’s not travelling the world to compete, he can always be found behind the screen. He has several video parts in a bunch of snowboard movies, he’s a commentator of the Norwegian TV 2 and he’s always active on social media and on the youtube channel that bears his name and in which he shows aspects of his life as a pro rider but also as a simple mountain enthusiast. We reached him out on a hot summer day in Milan to find out more about him. Hey Stale, what are you doing in Milan in the middle of the summer? I’m enjoying some warm

weather! I also came to visit Oakley offices to work on some projects we have going on for the future, so I basically had 2 days of meetings and then an additional free day to relax and see Milan!

You’re one of the most hardworking snowboarder in the pro league right now. You compete, you film and you work on multiple projects really close to sponsors. How can you do that? I think it’s just my passion, what

I love to do. It’s just a natural thing to want to do more, create more, do better in contests and I think that the mix of everything is what makes the most fun.

What’s the plan for the next season? Keep going on with competitions or focusing on movie projects? The season is not fully planned

yet. The thing I know for sure is that I’m going on with competitions, especially the ones I like the most like X Games, Laax Open, US Open. Then of course I’m keeping the youtube thing going on but I also would like to realize a second version of Lines as well. Eventually I will probably sit down and plan something because if you’re going to make a full movie it requires some budget and if you don’t plan that ahead it’s all on you.

Let’s go back to contest: we met you at Laax Open last January and it seemed like you can handle pressure very well. As well as keeping it chill at the end when the results come out. Is it true or you’re only real good at hiding your nerves? I think competitions have

always been so natural to me, it’s my mindset: I don’t stress, I don’t necessarily think too much about it, I just go with the flow. Of course I have to prepare myself, get enough sleep, practice the course and so on but when the contest starts something inside of me just takes over. I’ve noticed that I’m becoming a little more nervous year after year, maybe just because I’m putting more pressure on myself. On qualification days I’m actually pretty nervous compared to finals.

You seem to be really up to date with the industry - and more generally the world trends. So where is snowboarding going in your opinion? That’s difficult to say and I think it is the exciting thing about snowboarding. We all have no idea where the limit is. On the contest scene we are constantly pushing the level a bit more but I think we could also find ways of getting more creative, even more when creating courses.

Concerning contests I have lots of thoughts about it, I know for fact that the daily snowboarding is still going to stay fun. People will always go to the mountains for snowboarding, to snowboard parks, doing backflips even if they care about the contests or not because it’s fun being outdoor in the mountains. The movie side is what has probably changed the most in the last few years because of social media and youtube, internet in general. And also because making films has become easier thanks to your phone or go pro, it is now just a constant flow of clips online all the time, which is a good thing but it is also a bad because it is overloading the internet, so when somebody actually put real time into making something very unique it may be overlooked because people are used to watch one thing onto the next one.

Talking about that. Your social media activity is impressive: why you put so many efforts in producing the edits for your youtube channel, as well as keeping your instagram on fire? It is how it has become, you just have to work super hard but I also think I could maybe produce a little less instead of doing the daily life kind of things, I mean, I hope some people can get inspired by some of my life hacks, tricks and tips and

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ITW

Silvia Galliani

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Basically you just try to make products as good as possible. Oakley goggles, for example, are just perfect so I don’t have to say anything about that, maybe just about the colors and stuff. For jackets and pants you may have some comments about how you would like pockets, shapes, designs. They appreciate your help and comments, it’s a team work. insides about how it is to be a professional snowboarder but I also would like to spend more time creating unique cinematic things. Youtube and instagram usually go hand in hand, because you produce things for youtube and then put them on instagram as well, they’re both important. I think that instagram is more about people scrolling and forgetting right away what they saw, while youtube is more like a thing you put some time into it and watch it. It is something that people watch and think about, a more powerful type of content. Instagram is where you have the biggest masses while youtube, even if you have less views, could be more powerful.

but I didn’t really know who he was. One day we both were at the Oakley week where he had been hired to film. He was filming what we call synchronized snowboarding and I was looking for someone for the follow cams for my projects Lines. So I just asked him if he would come to Europe in two weeks, I told him about my idea and he said yes. And two weeks later we were in Laax filming and testing out Lines stuff. He just killed it. We’ve been working together for over two years. And he became a really good friend too because I don’t think I could travel two years with a person I don’t like.

What do you think in general of the communication of snowboarding? I mean classic media VS social networks, big budget movies vs self-made edits etc, do you think they can co-exist or the total extinction of the old networks is nearby? I know it’s a dangerous question to answer (mainly because we are a kind of classic media) but we would love your sincere answer. I really hope they will survive,

snowboarder and he was the one who gave me my first snowboard and took me out riding the very first day. He was doing snowboard photography at that time and I used to go with him sometimes. I had the chance to meet lot of pros, join some movie projects and since then he’s been my agent, my manager, the one helping me out with business because he knows that through photography. He has always been my hero, I would never argue with him, I would just listen to him. He taught me what was cool and what was not in snowboarding. I know I can trust him.

I really like the old school media like magazines, websites, movie companies because there are people working there to push out what’s legit in snowboarding. Magazines could be full of what’s actually cool in this industry. Instead social media is like everyone’s game, which is also positive because everyone has a chance and it is people choosing what they want to watch but maybe the mainstream could be misguiding a little bit on what’s actually cool. It’s a good mix but a think it’s healthy for people to actually sit down and look at a magazine instead of a screen all the time. Ten years ago, when I was younger, I used to do interviews with magazines every week and now it rarely happens because there are not so many magazines left. The are so many new things coming out every seconds that make you forget what you’ve just watched. What I really love in magazines was when, back in the days, you had the whole cover and you were like the biggest boss in the industry. I think we are undervaluing contents now compared to when there were less contents. Friendships: how did you meet Spenny? I had seen him filming some of the other snowboard kids

Tell us a bit about your brother Frode and his role in your career. My brother used to be a

You work really closely with your sponsors: how do you get through their development with the R&D and marketing team? Basically you just try to make products as good as possible. Oakley goggles, for example, are just perfect so I don’t have to say anything about that, maybe just about the colors and stuff. For jackets and pants you may have some comments about how you would like pockets, shapes, designs. They appreciate your help and comments, it’s a team work. They have knowledge of fabrics, cuts, design, how to put a piece together and we just come up with comments on how to make it a little better. With boards and bindings you test new samples and let them know if there’s something wrong so they can change or fix it. Sometimes when they change shapes and stuff we help out and tell them how much stiff has to be, how much sidecuts, shapes etc. It’s cool to help out and see the behind the scenes.

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PHOTO

Roberto Bragotto

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Spirits of the Cedars. TEXT & PHOTOS

Mirte van Dijk

RIDERS

Valerie Schlieper Elena Koenz Mirte van Dijk

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LOCATION

Lebanon

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Being one of the oldest countries in the world, Lebanon is despite her small-scaled dimensions a remarkable intriguing country that needs to be visited more than once. Without prejudice and recognition alone. Why? You don’t know, until you go.

ith my snowboard in my left hand, I can touch the deep lines of a bark that has endured close to three thousand years of adventure with my right. We are standing in front of the oldest trees in the world, the Cedrus Libani. Wind whirls the beaches up and down as if the soft noises are words only spoken to us. This is the Cedars of God, one of the last remaining places where the ancient cedars of Lebanon are still growing. Etymology explains that ‘Lebanon’ comes from the word laban meaning ‘Place of Whiteness’ because of her snowcapped peaks. A welcome confirmation that we, heavily packed with board bags, are not so much out of place as we first thought. With the most versatile history and culture possible on ten thousand square meters land, endless stories unravel and countless adventures lie ahead. You can start your day in the Cedars ski resort, cruise down through the Kadisha valley by bike and end up at the Mediterranean Sea for a late afternoon surf session. Each and one of these elements accompanied by beautiful landscapes and historical refinement from nature to culture. The countries highest mountains are located here in the North Governate, with The Cedars mountain - or ski - resort right in the middle of the notorious mountain village Bcharre, Lebanons hugest peak Qurnat as Sawda’ (3088m) and the ‘Cedars of God’ UNESCO world heritage site. Our breaths are leaving traces in the thin air of the Mount Lebanon range. This range, mentioned several times in the Old Testament and therefore carrying a great memoir, covers around 170 kilometer of cultural

heritage. The ski resort lies between 2095 and 2850 meters high and even with only nine kilometer of slopes plus a handful of chairlifts, the runs back to Bcharre are uncounted for. In contrast to the snow on the mountain, where frosted tracks are ironed flat by the ice cold wind, the white in between the Cedar trees is fluffy. Attractive as this fresh snow might be for us as freeriders, every turn feels like we are disrespecting the forest. It’s unreal and controversial. Thousands of years ago the whole country was covered with Cedars, from mountain top to sea side. It’s the most valued symbol of Lebanon and therefore recognised as the national emblem. The tree symbolises strength and eternity, something that is confirmed by its endurance during the tumultuous periods of history. It makes us wondering: Is this still the ultimate feeling of freedom that freeriding establishes? Do we have the right to cross the line? There is a story that once upon a time the guardians of the forest, the demigods, fought against the humans over this divine forest. They lost, the humans won. With as a result that the indigenous people started exporting the wood. Now, over five thousand years later, humans are still in charge over nature which led to an interesting confrontation with the spirits of the Cedars during our stay. This forest is protected, it is obviously of extreme great value for the Lebanese culture and therefore strictly forbidden to enter without permission. Let alone use it for a fun day of riding. I can not escape the thought that our local friends, founders of Lebanese Wanderers,

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We are being told that the army uses this for training purposes or as check point in case somebody of importance visits the ski resort. But while looking at the view, we can also see churches, mosques and monasteries. Because over here all religions can still exist together. In this country they think in possibilities and nobody can undermine that. did everything in their power to get all the permits necessary in order for us to be here. They want us to spread the word about the beauty of Lebanons culture and nature, pushing dark political issues to the background. Over here skiing and snowboarding seems not much different from European resorts: rich people show off their shiny jackets, loud music at the bottom of the slopes and kids trying to follow their teacher by skiing down in one line. Add a few culture specific elements, such as shisha’s (water pipe) on the terrace, eating hummus during aprèsski and the ability of women to stay incredibly beautiful during sports activities and you already feel that you are a bit further away from home. But there are a few things over here that stand out way more than just a few cultural differences and beautiful landscapes. Like the undeniable fact that Lebanon still endures several political difficulties. Multiple conflicts arise every day, but these opinions stay close to the people who defend their beliefs. Lebanon is yet again fighting for its heritage and culture, but influences from outside their borders are putting pressure on the people who once lived in peace. It triggers curiosity. The input we get as visitors balances between standard touristic information and picking up a glimpse of the inside thanks to our local friends, founders of Lebanese Wanderers. With supervision from the police and approval of the Lebanese Army, we were able to take pictures freely and access places that would otherwise stay undiscovered. It’s four o’clock in the morning. The night still over-

ruling the light. On our left the dark squares of future windows are visible in the concrete unfinished hotel. On the right nothing. It’s only us and the mountains that lie at the top of the Kadisha valley. They form a border between leisure on one side and survival on the other. Close to hundred kilometers behind the backdrop, which is soon tainted sunrise pink, you will find Syrian refugee camps overcrowded with people who lost their homes. It is hard to calculate the distance, steepness and height and we’re not sure how far we can get before the warm morning light will glow over the valley beneath us. There is no map, no time schedule and no reliable weather forecast. All we can do is examine the snow, focus on our footsteps and try to find the way with the least resistance in this huge bowl filled with white crusty flakes. The only additional information we got from the local community is about the land mine section on our far left. Happy we got that sorted. Tired from our wake up call at four o’clock this morning, we feel no need to push our limits today. We can’t wait sliding down facing this beautiful view. While staring in the distance, we see the big grey building of the Army Skiing and Mountain Fighting School standing out. On these mountains the army is trained for combat, which also explains the little refuge on the top of the mountain. We are being told that the army uses this for training purposes or as check point in case somebody of importance visits the ski resort. But while looking at the view, we can also see churches, mosques and monasteries. Because over here all religions can still exist together. In this country they think in possibilities and nobody can undermine that.

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Sonnenkopf. TEXT & PHOTOS

Markus Rohrbacher

hen the snow starts to fall, the riders flock to this unknown resort for their video parts and pictures. Yet an unwritten rule in the snowboard community dictates that this little gem should stay unknown and its name should be kept secret. Anyone mentioning it out loud risks a shitstorm.

was critical, roads were being closed, power cut off and towns unreachable. Karsten, our filmer, already tried to film some backcountry in the beginning of the year, but since it was just too dangerous to get too far away from ski bounderies and he gave up pretty soon.

We chose this magical place to shoot the pow section of the Nitro Offline movie. We just came back from an urban trip to Eastern Europe as we got a snow alert for the Arlberg region. Jared Elston had almost booked a flight back home to the US, but as the conditions looked really promising he spontaneously extended his Eurotrip. Markus Keller already filmed quite a lot in this area for his movie project few years back, which meant that he could guide us and we wouldn´t risk getting lost in the woods. Our third rider that joined us was Tom Tramnitz from Zillertal. As most of you know, last January was pretty insane in the northern alps and snow kept dumping for weeks on end. In some parts of the alps the avalanche situation

A month later, the snow settled and the conditions were a lot more stable. after a whole January of tree runs, avoiding anything steep and zero-visibility. it felt good to get some more powder under our boards and decided to give it a try. In February the sun is still pretty low, meaning that the north facing parts where you find most of the spots, are still in the shade and barely gets hit by sun. That’s good for the snow, we were assured to have great snow conditions for the whole week but also meant, that we were going to freeze our butts off while watching the others on the opposite side of the mountain shredding in the sun. The most difficult part was almost finding an affordable accommodation around Arlberg. It seemed as the whole

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LEFT

Tom Tramnitz RIGHT

Markus Keller

There is a place in the centre of the alps, a small family resort without even a single snow canon, a perfect place for a holiday with your kids. Yet every pro snowboarder knows it for being the holy grail of kicker spots and powder lines.

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Tom and Markus still wanted to set up their dream gap kicker. Both of them had a big respect for the spot, as there wasn’t a lot of room for errors. world takes skiing trips in the Arlberg region and they can get away with charging 4-star hotel prizes for pretty shitty apartments Luckily Markus Keller had some good connections and we could spend a few nights in the Volcom house until we could get our hands on an affordable apartment.

BOTH

Markus Keller NEXT PAGE

Markus Keller

The first day on the mountain was still cloudy, and we used it to scope around, checking out some zones further away from the resort and also having a look how the snow pack settled after this crazy amount of snowfalls. The snow profiles we dug seemed pretty solid and the base was more than big enough. We had some fun tree runs, got some nice shots and made a plan for the next few days. At some point we where so far away from the resort that we just decided to take our chances and rode down to the neighbouring village. It was almost dark when we got there but luckily a bus could take us back to our car in the resort. In the end it was a really long day but it always pays off to invest some time into scouting to get an overall impression what is possible and lay down a solid plan for the next few days.

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Keller and Tom pretty much fell in love with this step-down gap kicker spot. We checked this spot couple of times as it seemed pretty gnarly and we also tried to find a timeframe where at least a little bit of sun hits the spot. But in the meantime, we still wanted to take advantage of the untracked terrain, before too many tourists would follow our tracks and spoil our little paradise. We had minus 10 degrees on the mountain and the pow was extremely light. Just perfect to get some sick pow sprays! At the end of the day Markus saw a nice spine. It looked a bit sketchy, with some cliffs in between but somehow doable. Our biggest concern was that there would be too much snow blown in, which might not be connected properly with the older layers. After a longer discussion, Markus decided that he wanted to give it a try and started hiking up. We got our cameras ready, had a last radio call and then he dropped in. While looking through the camera, the absolute “NOGO” happened. With the first turn he triggered an avalanche, got sluffed through a couloir and fell over a 30-meter cliff. We lost sight of him and it felt like forever until he got back onto the surface. We were all sure that he must have been seriously injured and broken at least a couple of bones. But lucky as he was, he came away with only a few bruises. After this accident I just wanted to quit the trip, drive home and take it easy for the next few days.

With the first turn Markus triggered an avalanche, got sluffed through a couloir and fell over a 30-meter cliff. We lost sight of him and it felt like forever until he got back onto the surface.

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ABOVE

Markus Keller NEXT PAGE

Tom Tramnitz

Keller went home for a day and half of the crew scoped around with the car to find some spot beside the roads. There is so much potential everywhere and lucky as we were, we found some nice pillow lines just beside the road. We could have shot the pictures right out of the car! Of course, Markus’ incident was still a big topic and we definitely didn’t want to push it again, but Tom and Markus still wanted to set up their dream gap kicker. Both of them had a big respect for the spot, as there wasn’t a lot of room for errors. You didn’t need a lot of speed for it, and therefore everything was prepared pretty fast. The filmer and me checked every possible angle since we really had to be on point. As the sun lightened up the kicker, we gave it a try. Everything worked out pretty good and everyone got his shot. All of us where super stoked and also relieved that all went well. All in all we were pretty satisfied with the footage we got so far. In the forecast we saw new snowfall arriving, but also that it might get warmer. For the

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last two sunny days we already had some ideas in mind. We splitted up into two crews and started building. We planned to get everything ready till midday and shoot it in the afternoon. While shovelling you could really feel the temperature shifting and it got constantly warmer. It felt pretty strange how fast conditions changed from freezing our butts of the one day, to snow melting away around us the next. At some point we had to give up building and we had to skip our spots. Within two hours the snow got completely baken, even in the shadow. Riding down was a real mission as the snow got so heavy and slow that we got stuck couple times. Back at the parking lot we all agreed that this trip was over and that we had to wait for the next snowfall. Happy with the output, but also relieved that nothing seriously has happened went we took our own separate ways home, knowing that wasn’t the last time at this little secret slice of heaven.

Hands down.

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et enough speed to pop your board out of the transition. On your edge until the nose is out of the lip. Get a reference point in the corner in front of you and as soon as your board is out of the lip, thrown your head down and grab the coping with your hand. Together with the method, this is one of the most iconic tricks throughout the freestyle world. This because it’s stylish and underline skateboarding’s fundamental influence, as the trick was born right there. On the pipe’s lip, on a rock, on your friend’s head or on the knuckle, this is a trick of eternal beauty which looks pretty darn good on a picture. You stall on your single arm, together with your body bent while grabbing your board’s edge - it’s truly poetical. The first rider to stomp a frontside in-

vert was a legendary skater called Dave Andrecht, who had this idea of transforming a break dance move into a trick. This invention made him really famous, so much that this trick is called Andrecht by many, and opened up the door to an infinite series of combinations and many different interpretations. In the years to come a whole series of variations were invented and called different ways: Sad Plant, Eggplant, Miller Flip, HoHo, Killer Stand and many more. To cut it short the Handplant truly represents creativity. And about photographers, there’s one who didn’t miss out on the opportunity. Daniel Bernstaal for instance has got some experience in clicking the shutter at the right time. Many riders have been portrayed this way: Sven Thorgren, Ludvig Billtoft,

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Benny urban by Matt Georges LEFT

Knut Eliassen by Markus Rohrbacher ABOVE

Enni Rukajarvi by Evgeny Pavlov

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ABOVE & RIGHT

by Markus Rohrbacher

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Niklas Mattsson or Måns Hedberg. His pictures speak for themselves, and they seem to be born just to get printed in the biggest size of a gigantic poster. Once realised the handplant’s potential, athletes of all the other freestyle disciplines made it theirs, adapting it to the context and their gear. Snowboarding is one of them, but you can add freestyle skiing, inline skating, wakeboarding and even bmx. In snowboarding, where there’s no problem in having your board stuck to your feet, many pro riders have transformed it into a dynamic trick. Take Marcus Kleveland or Fridtjof “Fridge” Tischendorf, who substituted the lip with the kickers’ knuckle, and instead of stalling, they fly just over the ground at full speed. While Kleveland has mixed

it with crazy cork stunts, Fridge goes all out with a perfect execution and position, stomping what can be maybe called knuckle-sliding-handplant. Other like Nicolas Mueller has taken it to the powder, where the handplant becomes a sort of complex hand bonk while doing transfers after dropping or on pillow lines. As it happens most of the times, images speak louder than words, so we’ll let you enjoy the handplant’s inner beauty in our photographs selection. Just take a look at them: try to find an imperfection. Trust me: it’ll be hard to find any. Take them as an inspiration, as a new trick to learn this season or simply admire them - you’ll enjoy the silhouette’s elegance, snowboarding’s immortal manifesto.

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Nicholas Bridgman by Gianandrea “Pit” Piras ABOVE

Dominik Wagner by luca Crivelli

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Benny Urban & Dominic Wagner ITW Denis Piccolo

PHOTOS Matt Georges

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Dominik Wagner and Benny Urban, teammates and both very creative when it comes to talk about riding. Still, they’ve got different mindsets, different backgrounds and different styles. So, what’s the deal? Well, they’re just another proof that snowboarding can unite different souls under one flag. They recently had the chance to spend some time together during the filming for Vans Triple series, so here’s their double Q&A. Hi guys, can you introduce yourself? D: Hi, my

name is Dominik Wagner and I am a snowboarder from Austria. B: My name is Benny Urban. I’m 28 years old, from Germany and currently living in Innsbruck.

Similarities and differences between Dom and Benny? D: We both work hard and don’t mind

spending that extra hour to make things happen. Snowboardingwise we both like creative snowboarding and try to do things a little bit out of the norm. The good thing is Benny rides goofy while I’m regular, so we don’t have too much trouble sharing spots and filming together. I think the biggest difference is where we come from. Benny grew up in Hamburg riding indoor and travelling a lot already as a kid, while I grew up in a city close to Vienna with a nearby resort and a little snowpark too. B: I share a lot of similar interests with most of my friends. But I also have friends that are into completely different things than I am. I think it’s really important to have different hobbies or friends with different passions and hobbies.

Do you think snowboard is taking the right path lately? D: I think snowboarding is in a great

place right now, you can pretty much do whatever and however you want. People are more open minded and you can definitely see that in the progression of creative riding. I hope it will go ahead like this, and people realise snowboarding more as an art form than a sport led by contests. B: I think there is no right or wrong in snowboarding. And that’s the beauty of it. People should do what they like and think is cool. People should also tolerate each others styles. That doesn’t mean that you personally have to love everyone’s type of snowboarding - but I think it’s cool that are so many different ways to do that.

Would you ever miss a powder day when you’re on a street mission? D: It always depends

what I have been riding lately but honestly I have to say it’s really hard to not go for a good powder day. B: At the moment I’m back home. Waiting for a few cities to get snow so we can continue filming street for a Vans project that we’ve already been working on last winter.

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“There are a few projects I really enjoyed working on. All the Vans and Nitro Videos have been super fun to film for. Videograss was a sick experience and also the X-Games Real Snow thing was an interesting one. - Benny Which is your best video part so far? D: I am

very critical on my own snowboarding, so it’s hard for me to pick something I’m stoked on, but I really enjoyed filming two seasons ago when I had many projects going on, including the method mag video 3, L1 video, Atagge and Toni Kerkelä’s project Focus. I felt really good that year and had been able to get a lot of good footage. B: There are a few projects I really enjoyed working on. All the Vans and Nitro Videos have been super fun to film for. Videograss was a sick experience and also the X-Games Real Snow thing was an interesting one.

Spend few words on.. The loss of Jake Burton Carpenter D: I just

want to say, thanks Jake for all what you did. He was and still is one of the most influential people in snowboarding and it’s really sad he passed away. B: We all have to pay our respect to Jake for what he invented. He is the O.G but Burton has left their roots a bit I think to be a part of a lot of other things than snowboarding.

Still the brand has done a lot for snowboarding! R.I.P.

Transworld Snowboarding going out of business D: It’s so bad to see big media struggling and

going upside down. On the other hand, it’s also cool to see new small and independent media like Torment magazine and other small zines growing. TWS was a huge deal, especially for all the movies they produced through the years. B: Yeah that’s a shame but I think the whole format and concept of magazines and media is just changing. There is a lot of mags that go with the flow on creating more and more online features and content which is simply the future. Just look at Thrasher. They are killing it. Probably doing better than ever.

Did skateboarding influenced somehow your riding? D: Skateboarding was definitely a huge inspi-

ration for me. I started skating first and because of the rough winters in Austria I tried snowboarding and fell in love with it. B: A lot. Haha.

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“I think snowboarding is in a great place right now, you can pretty much do whatever and however you want. People are more open minded and you can definitely see that in the progression of creative riding.” - Dominic Global warming is a fact. How do you imagine a world without snow? D: I think we should

just all do all the best that we can to keep our planet healthy. It’s the little things that each person does that can make a change. We have to appreciate what we have and not take it for granted. B: Well, I hope not. But it’s definitely a fact that it’s getting warmer and warmer and we have to go up north more and more. We can only do our own individual part for this planet to become a better place. Be aware of things. Read books, watch the news. Consumption, health, food, everyone’s foot print on this planet.…

What do you think of the recent comeback of team movies such as Vans Triple and Nitro Offline? And do you think socials are good or bad for snowboarding? D: It’s cool to see

that brands are doing their own projects again and tell their stories by making movies and whatsoever. It gives snowboarding a more personal touch in general and makes it more appealing to people outside the snowboarding world. Snowboarding isn’t just about tricks and people start realising that more and more.

I don’t go too crazy on social media to be honest, I don’t really care a lot about them either. It’s a good platform to promote yourself, but I think it’s more important to make quality content and not something you swipe over once and forget about. B: I think the problem is that projects that take a lot of work, time and energy - projects that have a higher expectation on quality sometimes get lost in between things that have a lot lower quality. So it’s kind of a big mess where everything is getting mixed together and you sometimes even miss the „good stuff“. You know what I mean? I try to use Social Media not so much. At least try to not spend every minute where you’re bored on it.

Plans for the season? D: I think we are going to

do some L1 trips and i will join the Pirates for their upcoming 2-year project which I am really excited about. I hope we will also do a Nitro trip, but other than that I guess I will snowboard as much as I can and have as much fun as possible. B: Working on a project together with Vans :)

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Offline in Czech TEXT

PHOTOS

Knut Eliassen

Markus Rohrbacher

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Swipe, swipe, double-tap. Swipe, swipe double-tap. This is a routine for all of us these days and we love/hate it. We all know it. We all participate in this digital world, but we also know how much more fun it is to be doing these things you are double-tapping (Liking) in real life.

The crew escaping their daily lives into this amazing dream world was Eero Ettala, Simon Gschaider, Marc Swoboda, Benny Urban, Dominik Wagner, Markus Rohrbacher (photographer), and filmers Karsten Boysen and Alex Pfeffer. Dominik Wagner was the mastermind behind the trip since he has spent plenty of time over the years filming in and around the Czech city streets. Like all street trips, it is all about timing and not planning. Once you see snow in the forecast you just have to go… which is exactly what happened here. One Sunday morning I (Knut - Nitro TM) woke up from a text from Dominik saying - “Czech is getting snow we should get a crew out there tomorrow”…

Nitro set out to create a movie and movement called, OFFLINE, to hopefully motivate people to think about escaping from their everyday stress and phones for a little while and go snowboarding. During the process of filming for OFFLINE, the Nitro team traveled around the world near and far to just escape the daily grind and go snowboarding.

Hahaha! This is a classic day in the life of a TM. Riders are motivated and the snow is always falling somewhere. So, I had to start calling around and organizing the crew and travel… which is easy with a crew that is as experienced as these guys.

The street crew decided to escape to their favorite Offline destination, Czech Republic. A country covered with amazing historical buildings, landscape, and most importantly thousands of street snowboard spots. The people are humble, nice, and excited to see kids outside snowboarding. This is the perfect storm for anyone who is into street snowboarding… no hassle, endless opportunity, and a beautiful location.

So the trip started with Jared flying into Zurich on SWISS airlines, taking the train to Salzburg. There he met up with Dominik, Simon, Markus and they drove up to Munich in their Audi´s and picked up Alex and Benny along the way… The trip was officially un-

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Jared Elston

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derway. Two days after it started to snow in the Czech Republic. If you ever want to get offline quick all you have to do is go on an urban snowboard trip. After the crew arrived in Prague they stopped by the airport to pick up Eero. “During the trip, the young guns, Jared Elston and Simon Gschaider, basically became doppelgangers and best friends… they are the same version of each other, just one is American and the other is Austrian. Watching them push each other on and off their snowboards was the best part of the trip to Czech, plus the spots are endless!” - Dominik Wagner The first few days consisted of just exploring the historic cities of Czech and hitting spots that appeared in front of them. Normally you search for spots online before going, but since this movie was all about being OFFLINE the crew just did it old school - they got in the car drove around until they saw a rail, curb, sculpture, river, gap, or whatever feature looked fun to ride. To be able to just immerse yourself in your surroundings is something that we are all missing out

on these days. Getting a crew together to go to a new destination is the best way to do this. The crew fully immersed themselves through exploring their surroundings on their snowboard. “I hardly ever travel outside of Finland for street riding, so I was extremely hyped to get on a trip with the Nitro crew to Czech to hit that eastern European metal! Going on a trip like this allows me to disconnect and be completely offline and live in the moment. During rail trips, you are just thinking about what is in front of you and not what you are missing out on. You are living in the moment and doing something with friends outside in a real-life situation.After a few days in Liberec, the snow had melted so we ended up driving from Liberec to Jablonec every day to search and hit spots. The overall trip was effective - everyone was able to hit multiple spots a day because the people are so friendly and never really kick you out. I love being together with Benny, Dom, Marc, Simon, and now Jared - they are the best dudes always doing pranks and laughing… The chemistry between us worked out real good and we ended up dividing the days, so everyone would have a chance to hit the spots they wanted to and the others were always there to

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Benny Urban

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RIGHT

Eero Ettala

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help out to make the spot work. Once the rider landed their trick, we already had a solid plan for the next spot. This is how we were able to be so effective and create two full sections in the new Nitro Movie OFFLINE from this trip!” - Eero Ettala As you would expect the crew continued to just film and uncover new street spots day after day for the remainder of the trip… Highlights were the crazy gapped kink rail, cheap beer, river gap flipping by Eero, Marc Swoboda´s style, Jared Elston´s boardslide, snow, some rain, nice people, Markus Rohrbacher (photographer - slipping on ice), and the rest you can see in the photos. “The Czech trip was insane. So many spots. Everywhere you look. All the infrastructure has so much history which was cool to see, especially coming from Oregon, USA. Simon was on the beers, keeping everyone smiling all the time.” - Jared Elston

After days of non-stop snowboarding and exploration, the trip slowly came to an end, the snow started to melt. The crew knew it was time to start to pack up and move on to the next filming location. Czech had been the perfect escape the crew had been looking for and you can see the results of the trip in OFFLINE. They snowboarded so much they ended up creating 2 parts in the movie. It goes to show if you just disconnect and focus on what is in front of you, you can get a lot more done.

If you are ever looking for your next affordable adventure than we would highly recommend taking your snowboard to get into the streets and just see what you can have fun on. It does not matter if it is in Czech or your hometown - just go snowboarding!

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Marc Swoboda

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ABOVE & RIGHT

Benny Urban

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446 SNOWBOARD EUROPEAN SHOPS • BUY YOUR COPY ON SEQUENCE-MAGAZINE.COM/SHOP ITALY 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 63. 64. 65. 66. 67. 68. 69. 70. 71. 72. 73. 74. 75. 76. 77. 78. 79. 80. 81. 82. 83. 84. 85. 86. 87. 88. 89. 90.

SPORTLER AFFI RIDERS ACTION RAINBOW SWIT SHOP ZEROQUATTRO IMPACT SHOP ALE’S SURF SHOP DF BELLINZAGO LANDI SPORTS DF SIRTORI SUB FLOWER MINOIA STORE FRISCO SHOP SHAPE STORE EMMECI NENCINI SPORT BIG AIR DETOMAS SHOP MANCINI STORE MAXI MERATE WIPE OUT UAINOT CERVINIA 2001 AREA 41 WHITE REEF OLLIE RADICAL SPOT BURNING BOARDS LOVE BOARD SPORTMARKET CRAZY BOARD SNOWYSUMMIT BOARDERLINE 360 SLIDE SHOP POINT DU SPORT DF CREMONA SNOWTIME DF DESENZANO GVM SHOP MORGAN AIR TWENTY FIVE MOUNTAIN LAB GIANNI SPORT DREAMSTORE ON SIDE SNOWGANG SPINNAKER CENTRO SURF SHOP BOARD CORNER A&F COMPANY BIG STONE SPORTWAY PLANET RIDER NAUTICA URBAN QUIKSILVER IMPERIA PLANET SPORT LELE SNOW SHOP SHAPE STORE BRUMA ON THE BEACH EAST WIND BOTTERO SKI ZONE DF LISSONE MAXI LISSONE MOUNTAIN RIDERS SPORT ADVENTURE NENCINI SPORT GRINGO LM STORE SPORT 3TRE THE GARDEN SCHOOL DODI’S ON SIDE SPORTIME MUD & SNOW DALL’ORSO BOARDRIDER SUPERSKI DANDO PIPE PRO SHOP HARLEM MELEGNANO FAKIE TECH SHOP SNOWBOARDMANIA BURTON STORE MILAN DF MILANO PLEASURES RADICAL BASTARD STORE MARGOT FACTORY STORE

AFFI AFFI ALBA AOSTA BARDONECCHIA BARI BASSANO BELLINZAGO BERGAMO BEVERADISIRTORI BOLZANO BORGOSESIA BRESCIA BRESCIA BUSNAGO CADREZZATE CALENZANO CAMERANO CANAZEI CASTEL DI SANGRO CERNUSCO CERVIGNANO CERVINIA CERVINIA CESENA CESENA CHIETI CHIOGGIA CLES CODROIPO CORNUDA CORRIDONIA CORRIDONIA CORTINA COTRONEI COURMAYEUR CREMONA CUNEO DESENZANO DOMODOSSOLA EUPILIO FALZES FIDENZA FIORANO FIRENZE FOLGARIDA FORNO DI ZOLDO GENOVA GENOVA GENOVA GIANICO GIULIANOVA GRAVELLONA GROSSETO IGEA MARINA IMPERIA ISEO L’AQUILA LECCO LIDODITARQUINIA LIGNANO PINETA LIMONE PIEMONTE LIMONE PIEMONTE LISSONE LISSONE LIVIGNO LIVIGNO LIVORNO LODI LONATO DEL GARDA CAMPIGLIO CAMPIGLIO MAGIONE MALÈ MANTOVA MARANO SUL PANARO MARGHERA MARIA PIETRASANTA MARINA DI MASSA MARINA DI RAVENNA MELEGNANO MERANO MEZZOLOMBARDO MILANO MILANO MILANO MILANO MILANO MILANO MILANO

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NEURO SHOCK EXTREME THIRD GENERATION OBEREGGEN DF OLGIATE DF ORIO HOBBIT SHOP CREMA SPORT ALTERNATIVE SHOP PARMA SPORT THE BOFF PAPER SURF MAKAI SURFSHOP EIGHT SIX DF PIACENZA TOMMY SPORT ONBOARD BLACKOUT FINDY DREAMSTORE BOARD ROOM BUGS SHOPS DEKA UPPER TREE60 HOSTILE SHOP SURF SHOP SURF PARADISE KAHUNA QUIKSILVER ROMA CITY BEACH REKORD FRONTSIDE 100 - ONE BANZAI SURF SHOP SNOWLIMITS NEW WHITE SHARK DF SAN GIULIANO FRESH FARM SPORT TENNE UNICO SPORT GIUGLAR PUNTO SPORT KAU KAU MAT SHOP 3SIXTY SWITCH SHOP LORI SPORT RED CAB DOLOMITI ADVENTURE BOARD STYLE HOT ICE MAXI SESTO SURF SHOPPE LIL FAKIE MAZZUCCHI MAKE MERRY BLU SURFER PROMOSPORT STRIKE JOLLY SPORT GRASSI SPORT JIMMY SURF SHOP TEDDY PALOMINO CATTI SPORT PURA VIDA ZOO PARK SPORTANGEL RIDER SHOP DETOUR SLIDE BY DETOUR PROSPORT BRUMA STREET STYLE LIQUIDO

MODENA MODENA MONDOVÌ OBEREGGEN OLGIATE OLONA ORIO AL SERIO OVINDOLI PADOVA PARMA PARMA PASSO DEL TONALE PESARO PESCARA PIACENZA PIACENZA PIASCO PINEROLO PINEROLO PINZOLO PISTOIA PORTO SAN GIORGIO POZZA DI FASSA PRATO PRATO PRATO NEVOSO PRATO NEVOSO RICCIONE ROMA ROMA ROMA RONCHI DEI LEGIONARI ROSETO DEGLI ABRUZZI ROVERETO S. MARINELLA SALUZZO SB DEL TRONTO SG MILANESE SM DEI MUCCHIETTI SAN VALENTINO SAN VENDEMIANO SANT’AMBROGIO SAPPADA SARZANA SARZANA SAUZE D’OULX SCANDICCI SCHIAVON SCOPELLO SELVA DI VAL GARDENA SENAGO SERRA SAN QUIRICO SESTO SAN GIOVANNI SESTRIERE SILANDRO SONDRIO SPOLETO TERAMO TORINO TORINO TORINO TORINO TORINO TORRE DEL LAGO TRAVERSETOLO TURANO VARESE VELLETRI VERANO BRIANZA VERONA VERONA VICENZA VITERBO VITERBO

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PULSSCHLAG SURF&SNOW CENTER HILIGHT BLUE TOMATO BLUE TOMATO PLANET SPORTS BERLIN DER BERG RUFT BOARD MONKEYS NO LIMIT PLAN-B FUNSPORT FREERIDE BOARDSHOP BLUE TOMATO SKI-ARENA BLUE TOMATO

AACHEN AUGSBURG BALINGEN BERLIN BERLIN BERLIN BERLIN BIELEFELD BIELEFELD BOCHUM BOLSTERLANG BONN BRANDENBURG BREMEN

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SURFSHOP CHAR. BIKER BOARDER EASTSIDE RAILSLIDE PLANET SPORTS BRETTLLADEN WILD EAST THE BOARDER SHOP WAREHOUSE ONE BLUE TOMATO PLANET SPORTS RAILSLIDE BLUE TOMATO EDGE 2 EDGE SPIN LOOP DAILY MILK! BLUE TOMATO FREERIDER SHOP PLANET SPORTS BRETTWERK BLUE TOMATO SPORT KAUFMANN POWSTORE PLANET SPORTS NUBUK SPORTS BLUE TOMATO PLANET SPORTS SURFLINE KIEL BLUE TOMATO PLANET SPORTS SPORT GRUNER PLANET SPORTS FOLLOW ME STORE PLANET SPORTS S’BRETT BLUE TOMATO PLANET SPORTS PLANET SPORTS QUIKSILVER SANTO LOCO BURTON STORE BLUE TOMATO WESTSIDE WESTSIDE SURFING PANORMA BOARDS PLANET SPORTS BLUE TOMATO BOARDBANDITS WSM FUNSPORT MISTERSKI BLUE TOMATO POWDER FORCE ADRENALIN BLUE TOMATO BLUE TOMATO WIND BALANCE RIDERS HEAVEN BLUE TOMATO BLUE TOMATO FIFTY-EIGHT BLOWOUT ENDLESS WINTER

BREMEN CHEMNITZ CHEMNITZ DARMSTADT DRESDEN DRESDEN DRESDEN DÜSSELDORF DÜSSELDORF ESSEN FRANKFURT FRANKFURT FREIBURG GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN GÖTTINGEN GÖRLITZ HAMBURG HAMBURG HAMBURG HANAU HANNOVER HANNOVER HASLACH IM KINZIGTAL HEIDELBERG HEIDENHEIM KARLSRUHE KARLSRUHE KIEL KÖLN KÖLN KONSTANZ KREFELD LÖRRACH MANNHEIM MANNHEIM MÜNCHEN MÜNCHEN MÜNCHEN MÜNCHEN MÜNCHEN MÜNCHEN MÜNSTER MÜNSTER MÜNSTER NEU-ISENBURG NÜRNBERG OBERHAUSEN OBERWIESENTHAL OLDENBURG PADERBORN PASSAU PFORZHEIM REGENSBURG REGENSBURG ROSENHEIM SAARBRÜCKEN SAARLOUIS SONTHOFEN STUTTGART TRIER ULM WÜRZBURG ZWICKAU

AUSTRIA 241. 242. 243. 244. 245. 246. 247. 248. 249. 250. 251. 252. 253. 254. 255. 256. 257. 258. 259. 260. 261. 262. 263. 264. 265.

UNDERGROUND MOREBOARDS BLUE TOMATO ALTON STORE HOTZONE.TV HAMMERSCHMID BLUE TOMATO BLUE TOMATO MOREBOARDS BLUE TOMATO BURTON STORE BURTON STORE DIE BOERSE MOREBOARDS MOREBOARDS XDOUBLE MOREBOARDS MOREBOARDS MOREBOARDS BLUE TOMATO BETABOARDS MOREBOARDS LIVID SPORTS GREEN ROOM MOREBOARDS

ALTENMARKT AMSTETTEN BREGENZ FELDKIRCH GERLOS GMUNDEN GRAZ GRAZ GRAZ INNSBRUCK INNSBRUCK INNSBRUCK INNSBRUCK INNSBRUCK INNSBRUCK INNSBRUCK KIRCHBERG KLAGENFURT KUFSTEIN LIENZ LINZ LINZ LOFER MAYRHOFEN MAYRHOFEN

266. 267. 268. 269. 270. 271. 272. 273. 274. 275. 276. 277. 278. 279. 280. 281. 282. 283. 284. 285. 286. 287. 288. 289. 290. 291. 292. 293. 294.

MOREBOARDS MOREBOARDS BURTON STORE BLUE TOMATO MOREBOARDS BOARD.AT BLUE TOMATO BLUE TOMATO BLUE TOMATO BLUE TOMATO BLUE TOMATO MOREBOARDS SUPA SURFER MOREBOARDS MOREBOARDS MOREBOARDS BLUE TOMATO MOREBOARDS BLUE TOMATO BLUE TOMATO DIE SURFINSEL FAME BOARDSHOP MOREBOARDS MOREBOARDS MOREBOARDS HANG LOOSE MOREBOARDS BLUE TOMATO LA RESISTANCE

MAYRHOFEN NEUSTIFT PARNDORF PASCHING PASCHING SAALBACH SALZBURG SCHLADMING SCHLADMING SCS VÖSENDORF SEIERSBERG SÖLDEN ST. ANTON ST. PÖLTEN STEYR TELFS VILLACH WELS WIEN WIEN WIEN WIEN WIEN WIEN WIEN WIEN WIENER WÖRGL ZELL AM SEE

SNOWLIMIT AGANÉ DOODAH DOODAH BLUE TOMATO DOODAH LONGBOARDER SURF MACHINE RADIX ETTINGER BURTON STORE DOODAH TRANZPORT BACKDOOR TREELEE BURTON STORE BURTON DOODAH RADIX LIESTAL BLUE TOMATO DOODAH LEVITATION MANLY PURE WILD ONE ELEMENT PLAYGROUND ONE 80 VICTIM CIRCLE CLOUD 9 BLUE TOMATO JULEN SPORT DOODAH ZUG BURTON STORE BLUE TOMATO DOODAH RADIX

QUIKSILVER L’IMPREVU SNOW HAWAII SURF MONTAZ GRAND CENTRAL ESPACE GLISSE BOARDRIDERS ATELIERDUSNOW SUPER WHITE LESPIEDSDANSL’EAU ADDICTED AINAY BOARD MASSILIA PICTURE PRO AVALON RIDER GLISSE PASSION SLOPE STYLE THE WOODS QUAI 34 URBANSURFERPARIS BOUTIK ZAO BOARDRIDERS LA LUGE SLIDE BOX TURBULENCES BLACK CATS RIP CURL

HOSSEGOR ISOLA 2000 IVRY SUR SEINE LA RAVOIRE LAVALETTEDUVARS LABENNE LAPORTE ANGLET LES 2 ALPES LES 2 ALPES LONS LYON LYON MARSEILLE MEGÈVE MERIBEL MONTPELLIER MORIÈRES MORZINE MORZINE NICE PARIS HOSSEGOR ST. JEAN DE LUZ SAINT-BON-TARENTAISE STRASBOURG TARBES TIGNES TOULOUSE

ANDERMATT ARBEDO-CASTIONE BAAR BASEL BERN BERN BIEL/BIENNE BULLE BURGDORF DAVOS DORF FLIMS GENÈVE GENÈVE GRINDELWALD HOCHDORF LAAX LAUSANNE LAUSANNE LIESTAL LUZERN LUZERN MARTIGNY MORGES SAANEN SAAS-FEE SCUOL ST. MORITZ STUDEN WERDENBERG WINTERTHUR WINTERTHUR ZERMATT ZUG ZURICH ZÜRICH ZÜRICH ZÜRICH

FRANCE

377. 378. 379. 380. 381. 382. 383. 384. 385. 386. 387. 388. 389. 390.

BACKINBLACK BURTON STORE DAKTAK LA GENERAL TACTIC SURF BOARDRIDERS SURF 3 FREEBOARD HALF PIPE STYLING WHITE DAYS GREEN COW MOMBI SURF DIAMOND SNOW

424. 425. 426. 427. 428. 429. 430. 431. 432. 433.

THE SNOW ASYLUM FINCHES EMP SUBVERT THE SNOW ASYLUM THE SNOW ASYLUM THE SNOW ASYLUM SNOWFIT ODYSSEY THE SNOW ASYLUM ABSOLUTE SNOW

MADRID ESCALDES MADRID BARCELLONA BARCELLONA BARCELLONA LAS ROSAS S’AGARÓ PUEBLA LEÓN BILBAO MADRID MURCIA SALARDÚ EZCARAYLARIOJA

THE NETHERLANDS

BELGIUM 434. 435. 436. 437. 438. 439. 440. 441. 442. 443.

ONE LOVE LA GLISSE YETI BOARDS WEST-SITE STOKED SZONE SURF’IN PACIFIC STAES SPORT THE BOARDSHOP

444. BURTON STORE 445. HELSINKI SURF SHOP

DOWN TOWN EUROFUN BEHIND THE PINES MK SKI SERVICE BURNSIDE CAER REVERT 95 BAUM SPORT THE TUBE FREESTYLE EUROFUN MOUNT RUCPHEN MOUNT TERNEUZEN SNOWCOUNTRY CELLBLOCK VAN BELLEN EUROFUN UNCLE’S DUIJVESTEIN

ANTWERPEN BARCHON GENK GENT HALLE LOKEREN LUXEMBOURG MECHELEN MOL WATERLOO

HELSINKI HELSINKI

CZECH REP. 447. 448. 449. 450.

RIP CURL ZLIČÍN RIP CURL PORÍČÍ RIP CURL CHODOV RIP CURL STORE

PRAHA PRAHA PRAHA PRAHA

PORTUGAL 446. BOARDRIDERS

391. 392. 393. 394. 395. 396. 397. 398. 399. 400. 401. 402. 403. 404. 405. 406. 407. 408. 409.

LONDON LONDON MANCHESTER MANCHESTER MANCHESTER MILTON KEYNES NORWICH SUFFOLK TAMWORTH WALFORD

FINLAND

SPAIN

SWITZERLAND

295. 296. 297. 298. 299. 300. 301. 302. 303. 304. 305. 306. 307. 308. 309. 310. 311. 312. 313. 314. 315. 316. 317. 318. 319. 320. 321. 322. 323. 324. 325. 326. 327. 328. 329. 330. 331.

349. 350. 351. 352. 353. 354. 355. 356. 357. 358. 359. 360. 361. 362. 363. 364. 365. 366. 367. 368. 369. 370. 371. 372. 373. 374. 375. 376.

ERICEIRA

’S-HERTOGENBOSH ALBLASSERDAM AMSTERDAM BILTHOVEN DEVENTER GRONINGEN HARLEM HENGELO MIDDELBURG ROOSENDAAL ROTTERDAM RUCPHEN TERNEUZEN TERSCHUUR UTRECHT WILLEMSTAD ZEVENHUIZEN ZIERIKZEE ZOETERMEER

ENGLAND 332. 333. 334. 335. 336. 337. 338. 339. 340. 341. 342. 343. 344. 345. 346. 347. 348.

RIP CURL TECNIC ESPORT QUIKSILVER BURTON RIP CURL GLISSE BURTON QUIKSILVER AVENTURE SPORT ADVENTURE WOOD BOARD BOARDRIDERS ZERO G BOARDRIDERS SWITCH 5 BOARDRIDERS MERCYDISTILLERY

ALPE D’HUEZ ANDRORRA ANNECY ANNECY ANNECY AUBIERE AVORIAZ BIARRITZ BORDEAUX BORDEAUX BOURGLESVALENCE CAPBRETON CHAMONIX CHAMONIX CHATEL CORDOVILLA GRENOBLE

410. 411. 412. 413. 414. 415. 416. 417. 418. 419. 420. 421. 422. 423.

THE SNOW ASYLUM THE SNOW ASYLUM THE SNOW ASYLUM BOARDWISE THE SNOW ASYLUM THE SNOW ASYLUM THE SNOW ASYLUM FREEZE PRO SHOP THE BOARD BASE THE SNOW ASYLUM DEVINE RIDE SICK AND WRONG THE SNOW ASYLUM SURFDOME

AVIEMORE BRAEHEAD BRISTOL CANNOCK CASTLEFORD CHELMSFORD CHESTER EDINBURGH EXETER FORT WILLIAM HALESOWEN KESWICK, CUMBRIA LIVERPOOL LONDON

IF YOU WANT TO HAVE SEQUENCE IN YOUR STORE WRITE TO US: hello@hand-communication.com

TEXT

Matteo Rossato PHOTO

Fabio Wimmer by Kevin Cathers

What do you see in this photo of Fabio Wimmer that makes a slash naked on a powdersurf? Well, first of all I would say a lot of courage and confidence in his technique. It doesn’t have to be so pleasant to slide face down (and not only) in a meter of powder dressed up like that like on the day he was born. But in my opinion there is much more: I see the perfect synthesis of modern snowboarding. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mean that next year we will all go around naked and without bindings. Snowboarding, after years of stagnation and bewilderment, started off in search of itself through extreme evolutions and then it came back to its roots, stripping itself of the heavy burden of disregarded sales projections, of the spasmodic se-

128°

arch for a way to return to the crest of the wave, going back to being simply snowboarding. The cessation of that distressing performance anxiety, has brought out all the beauty of us all standing sideways, which transcends X Games’ huge tricks and vertical walls’ extreme descents, finding its dimension with a slope side hits, on PVC tube in your backyard or on your local park’s small line. That beauty that made us fall in love and that made snowboarding - whatever they might say - finally immortal.

Word out.

N R E L H SC GAMES 2020

e prizM ONEY

1500

Euro