NZ Snowboarder - Issue 52 - May 2010 by Ohana Media Limited

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INTERNATIONAL TEAM RISTO MATTILA SETH HUOT DCP MATT BEARDMORE ALEXIS WAITE PATRICK MCCARTHY ALVARO VOGEL MATIAS RADAELLI BASTI KUHN GIAN SIMMEN

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NEW ZE A L A N D SNOWBO A R D ER , ISS U E # 5 2 , m a y / j u n e 2 0 1 0

EMPIRE BOARD KING BINDING LEGEND SL BOOT

RUAPEHU

KING OF THE NORTH

STEF ZEESTRATEN THE FLYING DUTCHY

OLYMPICS

SNOWBOARDING GOES GLOBAL

DOUBLE OR NOTHING THE ULTIMATE PROGRESSION

XXL

SUPER-SIZED SPRING SESSION

BUYER’S GUIDE 2010

52 nz$9.90 AUD$9.90 incl. gst issue #52 may/june 2010 www.nzsnowboarder.co.nz

C at 201 Ge al 0 t y og B o ue UR ur BE at TO free LI EV an N E G co IN y a O p SN ut O y o O f W ho D BO r B th AR ize O e D IN d OK de G al er

Photos by Blotto Photto, Curtes, Moran, Owen, and Cyril.

Visit www.educatedidiots.co.nz to see what the team is up to!

TIME FOR SOME ACTION

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#52 14 Essence 28 Onset 30 Cliff Notes 38 Trick Tip Double backside Rodeo

with Stef Zeestraten.

40 Hynesight Forwards, backwards, regular, goofy…? Going both ways. By Nick Hyne 42 Revisited Jah Harris

New Zealand’s original grom. By DB

Outer Realm Heading out of bounds. By Shane Orchard

46 Monkey See… By Joel Westcot 48 Olympics Kiwis take on the World Stage. By Ste’en Webster

56 Double or Nothing A closer look at the double cork with Luke Mitrani. By DB

58 Ruapehu – King of the North

NZ’s biggest resort delivers the goods. By James and Rodger Baker

66 Stef Zeestraten – Interview

the kiwi dutchman knows how to fly. By DB

76 SHOT Nuff said… 94 Buyer’s Guide It’s time to pimp your ride! 122 Burton NZ Open

New Zealand’s premier event makes history. By Ste’en Webster

126 LG World Cup / Winter Games NZ

By Ste’en Webster

128 Billabong Bro Down

Big Airs, beers and bro downs. By DB

130

XXL The Remarkables crew build a monster jump. By Vaughan Brookfield

134

Jump Smarter Stay off the couch this season. COVER: Liam Ryan took a step off the beaten track to front-one this ‘Eastern Bloc’ gap in

By Karl Dunham

138 Fast Forward: Colin Bartlett

South Auckland represent!

136 Fast Forward: Liam Ryan Mo worries! 144 Haere Ra 6 NZSNOWBOARDER

the Czech Republic. “My trip to Czech was one of the most eye opening experiences of my life. I only spent one week there, but it was one of those trips that really affected my view on the world. Seeing how hard some people have it has really opened my eyes. All I can say is I’m stoked to be going home after a trip like this, thankful for the opportunities I have back in New Zealand!” – Liam Ryan PHOTO: JAN KANOPSKI CONTENTS: Kiwi ex-pat and long-time rider Chris Garside never fails to disappoint when it comes to photo submissions; every year he gets the shots and in every shot he’s usually smashing some insane Austrian powder, lucky bastard! Here he is doing it… again, Arlberg, Austria. PHOTO: MARKUS GMEINER

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14 NZSNOWBOARDER

ESSENCE

By DB

THERE ARE SO MANY DIFFERENT FACETS to snowboarding these days sometimes it seems like you need to define your role as a rider – and what exactly is the definition of ‘define’? “To mark out the boundary or limits of”… but to me that’s the exact opposite of what snowboarding is! I didn’t learn to snowboard from a rulebook and I don’t really want anybody trying to tell me how or where I should ride either. Snowboarding is whatever you want it to be. Whichever way you want to ride your board is fine by me; whatever you want to wear, I don’t care. Snowboarding is yours, mine, ours! F@#* the system, we got our own system! Mark Landvik, Gigi Ruf and Curtis Ciszek doing it however they like at Mt. Cook, New Zealand. PHOTO: SCOTT SULLIVAN

ESSENCE EVER SINCE THE OLDEN DAYS of snowboarding – before there were so many tricks you needed a dictionary to list them all – there’s been something in the way someone rides that sets them apart from the rest of the pack, and that something is called style! I’m not talking about how tight or baggy your pants are, or the way you wear your facial hair, no, I’m talking about how you kick out your method, how you don’t grab and how you ride the mountain, the park, the street, your snowboard. Everyone has their own style, some better than others… although that point can be arguable depending on the eye of the beholder. To some people style comes naturally, to others it takes a bit of practising and perfecting…. Whatever your flavour, find your style and refine it because one thing I can say is that now, more than ever, style counts! Nick Hyne, going frontside by the seaside in Hokkaido, Japan. PHOTO: CRISPIN CANNON

ESSENCE ONE OF THE THINGS I LOVE about snowboarding is the potential for exploration, and finding cool terrain and features you wouldn’t normally come across without taking a little detour from the beaten track. I remember one time in particular I found myself atop a crazy ridgeline at Stevens Pass in Washington with Roebucks. It was early in the morning, we’d hitched a ride up on sleds before the lifts opened so we could hike the ridge and catch the ‘golden hour’ of morning light. It was as if it was just the mountain and us. I remember tripping out thinking how is it that I could be here, on the other side of the globe standing on top of a mountain… ‘This is amazing!’ Anyway, the moment passed and after scoping it and a quick safety meeting we were off, looking for the next adventure. I kinda lost my drift there but I guess what I’m trying to say is make sure you look around the corner, over the ridge or behind the fence; you never know what you may find! Adam Shaw, off the beaten track at Snow Park NZ. PHOTO: VAUGHAN BROOKFIELD

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THE BACKCOUNTRY IS OUR PARK

DIRECTOR Phil Erickson hq@nzsnowboarder.nzl.com    EDITOR Ste’en Webster sw@nzsnowboarder.nzl.com  ASSOCIATE EDITOR Dylan Butt db@nzsnowboarder.nzl.com DESIGN Claire Hammon www.clairehammon.com SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHERS  Greg Roebuck Vaughan Brookfield CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Pablo Azocar Jan Kanopski Markus Gmeiner Tim Lloyd Dan Himbrechts Mike Weyerhaeuser Shane Orchard Jussi Grznar Crispin Cannon Philipp Ruggli Ryan Anderson Tiffany Morgan SENIOR WRITER  Joel Westcot

‘cause the net is

Sooooo Hot right now!

Kiaora Aotearoa, Welcome to 2010! NZsnowboard.com has come a long way in the past 4 years, so from me to every single snowboarder in NZ - THANKS for supporting us! So what’s new for this year? Well, if you like snowboard videos then check in daily as we bring you over 100 episodes of fresh video content from all over the country. That’s right - over 100! So tune into NZsnowboard.com to watch stuff and WIN stuff. It’s gonna be ‘O for awesome’! - Robett ‘Holler’ Hollis, NZsnowboard.com Founder

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ONSET By DB

IT WAS MID-WINTER LAST SEASON and things had started off pretty slowly as I remember…. I’d been punching out work all week, missing the powpow four days earlier, so I was itching to get up the hill. The morning had been overcast but the cloud layer gradually dispersed, leaving a crisp Southern bluebird day. I kept peering in the direction of TC – it was looking mint! I don’t live in Wanaka to miss out on good days up the hill, so that put an end to work; I gathered the kit, loaded the car and was outta there. In the nick of time my buddy called, and I rolled to his on the way, glad to have a partner on board! We arrived to a quiet week-day at Treble Cone, jumped straight on the lift and blasted a few down Triple Treat to warm up. Temps had been cool so the snow was perfect winter chalk and there were even some pockets to smash still… mean. ‘We’d better check the Saddle’ I thought, if there were still pockets here, there’ll for sure be some over there… job’s on. Again, we rode straight onto the lift, with only a few ants making their way down the slopes as we soared high above on the chair. I took a peek to my left and noticed Hollywood Bowl and the Chutes had remained untouched, things were looking up. I started getting that powder-day anxiety, wishing the chair would climb faster and no one would snake my line. I hit up the Patroller at the top, “Yeah mate, Hollywood just opened, first time in over a week.” Suddenly we’re turbo-boosting our bindings up and making fresh tracks towards the gate, laughing, amping…. As we stood at the top of Hollywood it seemed a little unreal. There was no mad rush of people flying in all directions – just us, the bowl, and a foot of fresh. It was like our own private stash, mmmm drop! We ended up doing four or five laps through the chutes that afternoon, fresh tracks every time and hardly feeling the hike out until the last circuit. Of course a bunch of other crew had by then discovered our luck as well, but it was all good, there was enough for everyone to get freshies, and screams of stoke rang through the valley. It had turned out to be one of those days that makes your whole season; no stress, no planning, just scoring it in the right place at the right time. I’m looking forward to that day this season… see you there!

I’m sure Quentin Robbins has found himself in the right place at the right time on many occasions, in fact this looks like one of times right here at Temple Basin last winter! PHOTO: SAM BRITTEN

28 NZSNOWBOARDER

J O H N

JACKS O N

F E E N O M

Jordan Rehrer with a 50-50 on the boundary fence at Cardies… with the addition of the new lift you’ll now be able to ride the terrain below here without having to hitch back up to the top! PHOTO: VAUGHAN BROOKFIELD

cliff notes SNOWBOARDING RULES, SHAUN WHITE IS AMERICA’S FAVOURITE NEW celebrity and the IOC is still trying to make an example of snowboarding…. Shame on Scotty Lago for having a hot young gal bite his Bronze medal and then the photo surface on the internet. Imagine that… a photo, on the internet… the whole of the Olympics has been brought into disrepute! Pffft… and in the meantime the rest of us were – snowboarding (or sitting around in summer thinking about snowboarding). Yeah, nah, congrats though to the Kiwis who repped at the big O, Ju Bray, James Hamilton, Bex Sinclair, Mitch and Kendall Brown, John Melville and I can’t forget Benny and Torah Bright, taking home the Gold, yeah! In other event news, some of our top riders have been smacking it at some major events overseas this season, Shelly Gotlieb got 5th at the Euro Open Slopestyle, invited to the X-Games and to top it off she just finished second in Slopestyle at the US Open, one of the biggest events in snowboarding, yeah grill! The NZSBU Slopestyle team of Nick Hyne, Stef Zee and Nick Brown finished 3rd, 4th, and 5th respectively at the World Cup Slopestyle in Calgary and Kendall won the Burton Canadian Open halfpipe event… sick! Also Karl ‘Dutty’ Dunham has cleaned up a 2nd and 4th at The Bud light Big Air in Aspen (it would take a while to get drunk at that after party…) and then got a US$600 tip, the milky bars are on you! 30 NZSNOWBOARDER

On the non-event front there have been plenty of crew adding their bit to the carbon emissions fund, ripping around on sleds in the North American backcountry, good on you guys, ha-ha… I’m just jealous after seeing the terrain that some of the boys have been getting to. Will J, Abby, Roebuck, Vaughan, Pablo, Koia, Browner, Hyner, the ‘MYL’ crew and Robett have all been sled-necking it. There has also been a solid crew ‘MYL’ based in Tahoe working with Bugs and Nug-man on a new Oz/NZ movie project called ‘Made You Look’, you can check out the teaser at www.reasonfilms.net. The movie is set to drop at the beginning of this winter so keep your eyes and ears peeled for premiere dates. From the looks of the teaser there’s gonna be some ‘seck footy’, featuring Nick Hyne, Nick Brown, Rob Mitchell, Ferret, RMB, Will J, Jye ‘Pie-man’ Kearney, Robbie Walker, Mikey Williams, Charles Beckinsdale and the list goes on! This is the first time there’s been a southern hemi combined effort to put a movie out, so show your support and check it out…. Dave Nurse of the Mt. Hutt park crew has spent his summer in the main island of Japan, getting the opportunity to travel around to a bunch of different spots, I’m sure he’ll come back with some fresh ideas for Hutt this season.

photo: vaughan brookfield

RIDE SNOWBOARD COMPANY QUALITY. INNOVATION. FUN. RIDER: NICK HYNE

2011 RIDE MACHETE BOARD 2010 INSANO BOA BOOT & NITRANE BINDINGS

Dave Nurse enjoying the fruits of a little exploration in the Hakuba Valley, Honshu, Japan. PHOTO: ENDO

Mark ‘Rat’ Anderson dropping one at TC… get up there for the Banked Slalom this winter and this is what you have to look forward to between runs, unless of course your coach makes you do press-ups and ‘image training’. PHOTO: VAUGHAN BROOKFIELD

cliff notes A bunch of crew made the pilgrimage to the ‘not so snowy’ land of Oz, the likes of Tim Jackways, Toby Hurren, Joe ‘deez nuts’ Winikeri, and Zinny ‘mouth of the souF’ Sinclair have all been kicking it and working in Western Oz, while Jeremy Thorns has been on the sunny East Coast. Lookout for these guys coming back with some serious twang… I can’t imagine the ammo Zinny would’ve picked up for his commentary brilliance, if he ever comes back that is…. It looks like this winter will be jam-packed with mega-events once again with the Burton Open circus coming to town (Wanakaaaaa…), the Junior World’s followed by another World Cup, the World Heli Challenge (more on that soon) and the Billabong-heads later in the season… hopefully we won’t get any ‘hardcore’ locals trying to disrupt these events for over commercialising ‘their local turf’…. Yeah right, it’s snowboarding, we love over-commercialisation! The World Heli Challenge is coming back this year bigger and badder (meaning good-er) than ever after it’s re-launch last season. They’re promising a downtown event (not a Big Air) that’s gonna keep 8000+ people entertained… sounds exciting, and at the same time stirs memories (very blurry ones) of the infamous Wanaka Big Air in the olden days. Last winter the World Heli Challenge managed to take place 32 NZSNOWBOARDER

over possibly the 3 best heliskiing days of the winter, which made for some very happy riders. Q Robbins came in a very respectable 2nd overall, and Wanaka’s Maria Kuzma took out the women’s event, fark yeaH! In other news… Snow Park have announced the purchase of John Melville’s 22ft pipe cutter, which will certainly put them back on the map for international pros and Olympic wannabe’s. That means two world-class halfpipes in the Cardrona Valley, are we getting the gold or what at the next Olympics!? Speaking of the ‘Valley’, Cardrona are expanding their terrain with another lift down to Speed Straight which is below the Captains return track, perfect for season pass holders to get up there without the hassle of parking, ticketing and punter-ing, mean! There have been some moves in the NZSBU (NZ Snowboard Union) lately with Mel Simmons being appointed as Sports Manager for snowboarding which means, um, good things for our snowboarders who are killing it in comps so they can continue to kill it in comps and of course for the up and coming shreds! Also we can’t forget the NZSBU awards held on closing day at Snow Park last year, nominees are voted for by their peers, the winners were: Rider of the year – Stef Zeestraten and Shelly Gotlieb, Rookies of the year – Jay ‘ Jagermeister’ Walsh and Stefi Luxton.

Tim Jackways has been sinking more balls than Tiger Woods this summer, spending his time in West Oz golfing, surfing, working and doing what TJ does best, cruising. Let’s hope he makes it back to Wanaka to teach some lessons in style. PHOTO: PHIL ERICKSON

cliff notes The most important event of the season also took place that day, ‘The Maori Downhill’ where riders race to the bottom, run across the bridge then have to skull a big bot of the pride of the South, first one to finish wins… and the winner was – Liam Peter Ryan, mo wucken furries mate! NZSBU members Rachel Newton and Rebecca Sinclair also just picked up awards at the recent Central Otago Sports Awards, Rebecca was awarded Junior Sportswoman of the year and Rachel, Coach of the year. Nice job ladies, love your work! On a sad note we got a letter from our friend Roy Hawthorne who works as a guide at Methven Heli, last winter he lost his friend and fellow guide Jonny Morgan in an avalanche. Jonny was no stranger to snowboarding and spent many days ripping pow with the likes of Terje Haakonsen, Nicolas Mueller and tons of other top professional riders in his time guiding. Another fellow snowboarder also lost his life at Coronet Peak last season too, so please be careful out there – if you’re venturing out of bounds, know your stuff! Another sad event that took place in the lead up to the Olympics was when US rider and Burton pro Kevin Pearce sustained a serious brain injury while training in Utah. Kev was part of the Frends crew alongside Danny Davis, Scotty Lago, Mason Aguirre and the 34 NZSNOWBOARDER

Mitrani brothers. Kev was on top of his game and a solid medal contender, he’s also spent a lot of time in New Zealand over the years so I’m sure there are a bunch of crew out there who know him and we wish him the best with his recovery! Be sure to do some turns for Jonny and Kevin this season. “Go Jonny go, don't stop mate, don’t ever stop, you’re ripping bro...!” – Roy Hawthorne

LAST BUT NOT LEAST… make sure you double check the mag for that lucky ticket that could win you this Burton CUSTOM 156 FLYING V, or one of 6 RPM vouchers worth $300 each. Close off to claim will be the 31st of June 2010…check www.nzsnowboarder.co.nz for updates.

CONFIDENCE Full trust; belief in the powers, trustworthiness, or reliability of a person or thing; THE STATE OF COMPLETE RELIANCE IN PREPARATION.

RIDER: JP SOLBERG

Stockist enquiries please call 09 / 580 1006 or visit the website.

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Maria Kuzma has been killing it in freeride and big mountain comps for the past few seasons… she was a last minute entrant in the World Heli Challenge last winter and managed to clean up overall with her solid riding. Look out for this year’s World Heli Challenge in Wanaka from 1st August. PHOTO: HARRO

Jake Koia with another winter under his belt in BC, Canada. He’s been filming with the ‘Sandbox’ crew again and Nick Brown is also gonna be featuring in their upcoming movie, ‘Now You Know’. Check out the teaser at www.sandboxland.com PHOTO: JEFF PATTERSON

2010 NZSBU EVENT CALENDAR Note: All dates subject to change…. JULY 2 10 13-14 13-14 16 17 17 17 23 24 24 24 25 29-31 32 AUG 1-14 3 6 8 8 9 10-14 16, 23,30 20 21 21

Resort Queenstown Cardrona Snow Park Whakapapa Treble Cone Remarkables Snow Park Turoa Treble Cone Remarkables Mt. Hutt Turoa Treble Cone TC/Card/SP Remarkables Resort Wanaka Mt. Hutt Queenstown Cardrona Turoa Mt. Hutt Cardrona Mt. Hutt Treble Cone Mt. Hutt Turoa

36 NZSNOWBOARDER

Event Winter Festival Rail Jam Cardrona Kids Cup Junior Slopestyle Mini Games Racer’s Edge Big Air Fridays #1 Parklife Youth Mini Shred Electric Hip Attack Candleman Retro GS NZ Snowboarder Banked Slalom Slopestyle Series #1 Parklife Youth Mini Shred Freestyle Series – Spy/Elan Jib Nats Big Mountain Motatapu Uni Games (SS/HP/GSX/SL/GS/BA) 25th Birthday Bash Event World Heli Challenge Inter-Secondary Schools Export 33 Parklife Invitational Otago Southland Sec Schools Freestyle Series – Smith/Sessions SS Snowboard PGS Race Series Burton NZ Open Snowboard PGS Race Series Racer’s Edge Big Air Fridays #2 Parklife Youth Mini Shred Freestyle Series – Nixon/VZ SBX

21 22 23-25 26-27 30-31 28 30-Sep4 SEP 3-4 3 4 7-12 10-11 11 11 12-12 15-17 18 18 19 20-21 25 25 25 27-30 OCT 2 16

Snow Park Cardrona Cardrona Treble Cone Cardrona Whakapapa Whakapapa Resort Cardrona Treble Cone Remarkables Whakapapa Snow Park Coronet Peak Treble Cone Cardrona Cardrona Remarkables Treble Cone Remarkables Turoa Cardrona Ruapehu Methven Cardrona Resort Snow Park Mt. Hutt

JUNIOR WORLD CHAMPS – SS JUNIOR WORLD CHAMPS – SBX JUNIOR WORLD CHAMPS – HP JUNIOR WORLD CHAMPS – PGS/PSL JUNIOR WORLD CHAMPS – BA Jagermeister Snowboard Masters N.I. Primary and Int. School Champs Event LG Snowboard World Cup – HP Racer’s Edge Big Air Fridays #3 Slopestyle Series #3 Export Extreme/Mother of all Challenges Billabong Bro Down Quest Banked Slalom Base Triple Comp – BSL/FR/BA South Island Sec School Champs Blue Hogs Police Champs Slopestyle Series #4 Mini Mountain Parklife Youth Mini Shred North Island Sec School Champs Snowboard Masters K2 Bikini Downhill Methven Big Air Junior Nationals Event nzsnowboard.com Maori Downhill Export 33 Pond Skim

trick tip by Stef Zeestraten

Double Backside Rodeo TEN EASY STEPS FOR THE DOUBLE BACKSIDE RODEO One. What are you doing reading a trick tip on a double backside rodeo? If you’re dumb enough to try one of these, take note….

Two. I hope you’ve mastered the SINGLE

backside rodeo, have found yourself a helmet and have health insurance. In New Zealand ACC will do.

Three. It would be a good idea to go try a few

Sex. Now comes the fun part…. To turn this

into a double backside rodeo, you need to find a grab that’ll help you throw a backside 180 in there. Melon seems to work pretty well for most.

Seven. Make sure there’s someone to pick up

the pieces and witness it, so you have someone to back up your claims later. If possible, get it on film.

double backflips on a trampoline or off a diving board, so you can get the feeling of seeing your life flash in front of you TWICE.

Eight. Visualize the trick. Once you can see yourself doing it, and conditions feel perfect, then kiss your ass goodbye and go for it.

Four. Find yourself a super-soft but big

Nine. On your approach to the lip you want to set just like a double backflip, but pop off the heelside tail of your board and then commit to going upside down twice. Wait till you start to see the ground the second time before opening up. The body should do a backside 180 out of it if

backcountry jump, or semi-safe park jump to try this stunt on.

Five. I’d recommend doing the double backflip first, and then trying the double backside rodeo.

38 NZSNOWBOARDER

you grab melon and think ‘backside 180’ on the second time round.

Ten. At this stage you should know where

you are in the air, otherwise things might end up hurting. Pull your landing gear under your body and make the ground shake. It hurts a lot to overrotate so I’d recommend making sure you get the flips around, and don't worry too much about the 180 at first – you can shifty that if you need to.

Disclaimer: This trick should be R16 and shouldn’t be tried without holding yourself accountable for your stunts… honestly though, don’t try this trick!

Hammer time! Breckenridge, Colorado, USA. PHOTO: TIM LLOYD

Hynesight By Nick Hyne

SYAW HTOB GNIOG GOING BOTH WAYS NATURALLY, IT’S HARD TO CONVINCE YOURSELF IT’S A GOOD IDEA TO turn everything around. Riding your board the other way around is a difficult thing to commit to. Maybe like going to the bar when you already have a booty call lined up, or taking the scooter to school when your trustworthy car is waiting right next to it. The scooter however, may just deliver the adventure you’ve been looking for. Seemingly the less appealing choice but hidden is the possible benefit of change, chance, risk and a completely new FEELING that you wouldn't experience if you jumped in the Toyota as always. In Japan this year I had the pleasure of meeting a Canadian, Nash Lajeunesse. Nash decided to do this entire season riding his opposite stance. He says everything is a holograph, and if a tree falls in the woods and nobody’s around to hear it, it doesn’t make a noise. Nash also says he’s had the most fun riding his snowboard this season over any other. He got me thinking. So, I convinced myself to strap in GOOFY and hiked to the peak of Niseko Hirafu, Hokkaido. The snow was incredibly fluffy and the run was long. If I’d been strapped in regular I would’ve had a blast – it’s hard not to have fun in that kind of snow! However, I found myself goofy, setback and getting face shots on the opposite side to normal, the opposite leg getting tired and everything feeling DIFFERENT. Although it was my first time hiking the peak at Niseko, through past experience I had a good idea of how it would feel to lean back, laughing, trying to spray my friends and weave through trees. That experience however is all from riding my board setup the exact opposite of how it was this time - everything was thrown out the window. Although I’ve ridden powder goofy before, it’s always been with goofy being my switchstance. Only 12 degrees of angle and my bindings set

towards the tail/switch nose. This was different – my nose sat up through the snow and it felt more natural to ride my board goofy than regular. I had set it up to work like that, slightly set back. It felt GOOD to ride goofy and weird to ride regular. Travis Parker is someone who’s committed a season to sliding opposite-foot-forward, and was quoted on Twsnow.com saying, “It’s very humbling but I really love the challenge. Ollieing off bumps and not leaning too far forward takes a lot of practice. It’s a whole new experience.” I decided to leave my board setup goofy for a few more days, and ride different areas of the hill to get the full experience. I’ve always tried to learn tricks switch soon after learning them regular, but again, this was different. This feels like regular is switch, front 3’s feel like cab 3’s, back 1’s feel like switch back 1’s, cab 5’s like front 5’s and so on. I found myself riding pipe goofy, hitting banks goofy, rails, jumps. It didn’t feel switch anymore – just right-foot-forward. However natural it begins to feel however, I think it might be like brushing your teeth or eating cereal with your left hand. You can practice for years and get good at it, but all your previous experience is engrained – and reverting back is always going to feel natural. So where does this leave us? Loads of people skate one way and snowboard the other – Jussi Oksanen, Jed Anderson, Chris Eames. So do you think we choose our stance or do you think it’s like the tallest tree theory? Maybe you favoured going that one way a fraction more on your first day and have taken the car and left the scooter at home every day since? Whatever the case, experiments can be a good time and switching everything up could be that breath of fresh air you’ve been gasping for.

Hyner practising what he preaches with this faultless switch method. If you can even do a regular meth like this, you’re all good in our books! Baker Backcountry, Washington, USA. PHOTO: GREG ROEBUCK 40 NZSNOWBOARDER

REVISITED By DB

JAH HARRIS IS PRET TY MUCH NEW ZEAL AND SNOWBOARDIN ‘original grom’ that is! G’S OG, It was the early ninetie when I told the class we s and snowboarding taking off, hordes of sur were here to go snowb was fers and skaters were oarding, they all pointe to the monoboarder dud moving into resort tow d around New Zealand e. No one had a clue wh ns and bringing a whole at snowboarding was, exc ept for small quiet dud new culture and attitud the mountain – more e in the back of the roo e to often than not to the m, Will Jackways. We shredded TC mainly, the disgust of the establish community. And then whole snowboard sce ed ski there was Jah, barely ne was going down the We shredded as much 3 feet tall and with a re. as wide as his board foll pos sib le, having powder day smile as owing the crew around s with just a handful wherever they were rid Jah developed a riding of sno wb oar der s. Tho ing . se days seem so unreal style so smooth and My first sponsor was clean it didn’t take lon now. him to be amongst the Deb and Luca from Su g for b 20 outerwear; I couldn top riders in the countr believe anyone would y. Mid 2000’s he kind ’t dropped out of the lim wa nna give me snowboar of elight, although I don’t d gear for free! In the I had to give them me doubt for a minute tha end asu rem ent s ‘ca use they had no pants t he could step back into the time, and I got som that small at those boots again… e navy blue custom-m DB ade ones, I was frothin got me so stoked that g! It I did the Nationals tha Growing up in Whang t season in the Men’s (the only other division amata, mum and dad division was women’s). The spo were surfing as much as possible, but my firs nsor scene, I must say t love was skating. At pretty laid back then. , was the time skating was everywhere; skate day Nitro sorted my boards s at school, Radar’s min for a while until Guy and Sh am us cam e into town, and gave me i-ramp, then the bowl built. My dad was get got a sample Burton 139 ting my skate stuff off also gave me my first Twin. They Radar, and I think Radar real boots, Burton Wo bringing snowboards was rk boots, till then I wa into the country at the rocking Sorels. Then a s always tim e. He pretty much sol few snowboarding to us, so yea rs late r Qu iks d ilver came in; the deal that winter we headed outerwear, street-wear, was for down to Ohakune. Ra we gave us the number of tsu its, a trip to Lennox Head in dar a couple who had a hou camp and a bit of cas Aussie for a surf se bus they weren’t usi h to help get me travelli and if we were lucky we ng ng if I wanted to. I had drop Sub 20, one of the could stay there. The Dean’o Johnston and to owners turned out to hardest things I had to be Hayley (both with dreadl do back then – and I got much shit from the Qu ocks down to their ass so ha-ha!). ‘Cause they we een sto wn boys for doing it! Arn es, hare running the local sno the picture, helping me ette also came into wboard shop they got boards sorted, and put out with a bit of travel our me on a Nitro Fusion money too. Thinking bac on the time it was am 139 which was the sm k board available back the azi ng, wit hou t the support I had in allest n – and it was still way wouldn’t have done as the beginning I taller than me. Set in our new gear we shredded many things as I did. Be ‘round Turoa with Radar fore the age of 18 I’d to Aussie, Japan, Bali, , Dean, Hayley, Miles been France and Canada – the other Ohakune Go and all doing the things I love, ons. We were soooo sto surfing My mum saw the stoke and ked on it all! sno wb oar din g. I we got, and Whangam wa Nowadays I spend mo s a happy grommet! ata back then was dea st my time in Switzerlan over winter. She’d bee d d with my wife Rebec n down south when she years in August). I’ve ca (5 was younger but lived been working in the par in Queenstown and had k, driving cats the last seasons, but this winter only been to Wanaka two I did half the time in the once… but something was special about Wa cat naka and she knew it, and half outside raking which has been rad! The it was the right place , I remember the first tim two sea son to s I did in the cat slowe go. down hard, working shi e I went to school the d my riding re, it was my last year primary school, the tea fts 6 days a week, so at on cher pretty much said, my or day trying to link a tune on s off I was sleeping “with a name like that my guitar and not riding gonna get picked on” you’re . On the wall was a pos much at all. We’re sup happy with the way thin er ter of a monoboarder gs are goi ng here and will try get so back to New Zealand sometime soo n and see everyone aga in. 42 NZSNOWBOARDER

Jah keeping up with the new school, at home in Laax, Switzerland. PHOTO: PHILIPP RUGGLI

* Roland Morley Brown shot by Alex Roberts

huffer

treme

By Shane Orchard

NEW ZEALAND HAS SOME OF THE BEST BACKCOUNTRY OPTIONS in the world, but with it comes some heavy responsibilities for you and your crew. For every trip you need sufficient knowledge of the weather, snow conditions, what you should be packing, the plan, and whom you’re going to be doing it with! Here are a few of the main things I think about for organizing a simple hiking mission, like off the back of a ski field. The first is to assess the weather and snow conditions. I’m always looking for nature’s warning signs and deciding how they relate to me. Some prior training in the form of courses and outdoor skills helps build awareness of what to look for. On the day it’s all about digging up as much information as possible on your planned trip. Mountain Safety Council advisories, advice from ski patrol and first hand reports from other backcountry travellers can all help. However if anything has changed on the mountain, like an increase in wind or new snow, then a reassessment is necessary. I always assess the snow relative to the picture I’ve built up from my prior info, and ask myself if it all adds up, has anything changed, and is it about to change right now. If anything is uncertain, always by prepared to give it a miss or have a plan B. For these reasons, and also since bad weather can introduce other problems such as getting caught in a whiteout, it’s important to know as much as you can about the likely weather conditions. I go for several different forecasting sources and compare them. If they all agree you can be quite confident of the forecast, but if they don’t then this is a sign the forecasters themselves aren’t too sure of what’s going to happen! In particular I focus on what might be changing as this can affect the snow stability. The next major area I pay attention to is my plan. In particular I need to know how safe it is, so I have to be able to identify avalanche terrain. In other words, am I safe from an avalanche? Knowing whether your route is definitely safe or not is the key, because on every section you’re exposed to danger you need to reassess and make the right decision. If you have a safe route to get where you’re going, for example a ridge, then this lets you check out the snow as you go, and also gives you a guaranteed safe escape route if you decide to turn back for any reason. There’s a lot to know about identifying avalanche terrain, which we can’t cover here. When it comes to assessing the snow it’s even more complex, and anyone planning on being in avalanche terrain at any time needs specific training in these topics. As riders, that’s us! However, there are some things you can always do to improve the safety of your travels, and this goes for both on and off field riding. These are the ‘safe travel principles’. For example I always get a spotter when dropping into anything steep or likely to avalanche, and always have my own escape plan in mind if things start going pear-shaped. When travelling as a group, cross dangerous areas one at a time, or in a way so the whole team’s not in danger at once. In the backcountry this means knowing where the islands of safety are, ensuring your spotters are located there, and ready for a potential rescue. Thinking like this also illustrates that you need good solid teammates, especially because they’re the ones who will be rescuing you if things go wrong! Being ready for rescue is a good idea and starts with everyone knowing avalanche rescue skills and practicing these beforehand. It also means carrying the right equipment. Another aspect is getting some backup arranged, such as lodging your intentions with a reliable person, or signing out with ski patrol so someone knows where you are. The last and most difficult thing to be aware of is how good decisions can be difficult to make. I try as much as I can to get everyone on the same page, ensure awareness of what’s going on, the options, and the likely dangers. It’s especially difficult when you’re just a ‘bunch of mates’ with no clear leader. Try not to fall into traps like ‘peer pressure’ if you’re not comfortable with something, or being in a rush to get home and being tempted to take a shortcut through dangerous terrain. Preventing accidents from happening is often about controlling the human factor in decision-making. For more information before venturing into the backcountry, check out: www.avalanche.net.nz for up to date travel advisories www.mountainsafety.org.nz for Avalanche Awareness courses

Getting back to nature outside the ropes. PHOTO: SHANE ORCHARD 44 NZSNOWBOARDER

J E RE M YJ ONES

Y E K N MO SEE…

Jay Walsh lets the monkey out, bringing some new-school flavour to an old school trick. Wallride, Colorado. PHOTO: PABLO AZOCAR

were le, snowboard youth hectic training schedu a d. of hea s n ard ow s rew one the seeing tly break a bottle on ARDING zing and how to correc VE SEEN SNOWBO keep it all boo HA to tic re S hec the AR s wn YE wa sho i OF liat ing has ics did hit, Ross Rebag THE LAST COUPLE the face of freestyle rid Finally when the Olymp ding has moved far from than ever before, the bigger and is g e changed, snowboar din hav PROGRESS further oar es wb tim sno nly can’t really be e rtai eos tru Ce vid l. it’s ey , rea isk ybe Wh ma h ll oarding used to dwell. Althoug have changed forever! We n a time when snowb underground where it ch influencing factors t has there ever bee it does show how mu e thing? So ics sam ger mp the lon Oly d badder than ever, bu no sai the e ay to tod hav ed ’t compar mean grommets of ng and you couldn m slowing down? Is the years. But does this has stopped progressi r fro ? ove ne ied d chi bod nge ma em cha on ly ssi apt so ual progre tinually s vibe snowboarding what keeps this perpet is it the big guns con w Zealand the after have that rebellious 90’ t see it all going on or , I just said that) in Ne me eso (aw s ‘grown day old it the young cats tha In the riding itself, groms and The s as important as the ms, that will wa es. p gro tim d com the a pushing the limits? goo rs, of ride ty and of par ing the next generation local for the prize giv g the cin to the uen at infl d ded s hel hea tor , It’s always gonna be fac son ays the sea ups’ alw recently biggest party of the ghts in the future, and st (I’d go e giving used to be the The Olympic lea . priz the ore als bef say take things to new hei n tion to s Na see er cou nev rau e been on a level in Wanaka, and was of such occasions). ding has come and this next generation hav mighty Barrows Tavern I remember very little world how far snowboar son the rea d e we of som sho for rds le, mp but nda t as important into details pipe, for exa themselves new sta but progression was jus other generation set pipe may have been a party, g ic t a few years mp rdin jus in Oly boa ow and the Sn ld, where it’s headed. An from it as hard as they cou hed what the sport is. Far of pus t ne cep ryo in force in rds con Eve . nda ugh new sta a now thro as it is riding, and movie that set new iors back then came That's it That's All – a on in the who dominated the jun ng age ets goi is hom mm a on gro is ssi the vid gre pro The was Travis Rice’s video, of big, technical freestyle. ht now the same kind Rig and 9’s and n. k g l isio kin bac wil div ma n itch film and sw ope d of the in snowboar vis are capable n Comber working on of riding guys like Tra ision with guys like Be of y div arm ior al jun tion rna inte . to the incredible levels and the the Junior Worlds are influence on the sport holding high hopes for and training schedules that are or undoubtedly have an a couple of the things no doubt; double corks t d rit jus nge spi are cha the e se , hav The not r e. ngs fea t Thi or for worse. Bu you can’t help but groms for years to com and forever, for better grommets and its youth lately, and now g ow le din fell pab oar of sca wb to ds k ine sno han bac p ced the have influen go forward let’s ste never be lost whilst in back 1, that’s a 1 re next? But before we of snowboarding will favorite trick as a switch wonder what’s in sto second major wave of his its s of list st o wh mid u the kar in Ma s ys scrabble on riding wa like Joram n. s he drinks tea and pla the mid-nineties, when cing the groms back the nnor Harding who say Co uen infl and s , wa ten a at wh not e at k le vids and the frontsid progression, and loo hable in terms of freesty Saturday nights… Mack Dawg was untouc orld there was Blunt nsw Tra of d tea Ins k. cor ble of dou d s ay’ tea rodeo 7 was tod iskey videos, where ins mpics there were Wh and in place of the Oly By Joel Westcot

46 NZSNOWBOARDER

OlymOlympics pics By Ste’en Webster

SNOWBOARDING AT THE 2010 WINTER OLYMPICS delivered everything one might expect; drama, heartstopping performances, disappointment and true Olympic spirit. We even claimed the choreographed and explosive start to the Opening Ceremonies – a true coup, taking the limelight over all other traditional winter sports included in the Games. Cypress Mountain on the outskirts of Vancouver, the venue for all snowboarding events, became a slight point of contention – no thanks to a month of rain and warm temperatures beforehand! But Canadian pipe builder Steve Petrie and his crew, including our own John Melville of Cardrona, managed to pull a rabbit out of the hat and produce an Olympic class pipe in the nick of time. American Shaun White stole the show, on cue, to take his second Gold medal. In the women’s it was Australian Torah Bright who stepped up to the plate, leapfrogging from last to first with her final run. And every minute was broadcast live around the globe to record audiences. What about the Kiwis? Yep, we were there, in force, and in every capacity. John Melville, as mentioned, played a crucial role in ensuring there was even a pipe to ride. Yours truly had the privilege of being Assistant Head Judge, and snagging one of the best seats in the house. And a smattering of New Zealand spectators, including friends and family of NZ Team members, peppered the stands each day. Then there was the New Zealand Team itself, chaperoned by Head Coach Tom Willmott. After months of training and chasing World Cup points, they’d managed to secure 5 start positions at the Winter Olympics – going to James Hamilton, Mitch Brown, Kendall Brown, Juliane Bray, and Bex Sinclair. Team selection wasn’t finalised until just two weeks before the Olympics. The criteria required at least one top-30 result at a World Cup during the season to be individually eligible. But that’s not all; there was also a nation quota, governed by how many riders were ranked in top-40 men and top-30 women going into Olympics – with a max of four men and four women from any one nation. When it all played out, New Zealand had two men’s spots (earned by James and Ben), and three women’s spots (earned by Juliane, Kendall, and Bex). The catch was we also had Mitch, who due to injury had a slow start to the season, and didn’t lay down his top-30 result until the World Cup at Stoneham (where he got 8th) – just two days before the end of the qualifying period! With only two men’s spots secured, and three riders in contention, some decisions had to be made. James was sitting pretty with consistent results, but it was a toss-up on who’d get the remaining spot, Ben who created it, or Mitch who came through at the end. The NZSBU nomination panel passed its recommendations onto the NZ Olympic Committee who has the final say, and Mitch got the nod. This was a real disappointment for Ben, of course, but he took it in stride. “I felt pretty good leading into the Olympics, and had a few good results, but was aware there were only two spots and three of us trying to go. I was bummed to see all the hard work, travel, and comps not pay off, but it’s been fun times. I got to see a lot of cool places and meet a lot of nice people.” At just 17, Ben’s career is only beginning, and there’s little doubt he’ll be lining up in the start gate at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. The performance of our snowboarders was worthy, although the recent progression into the realm of doublecorks did limit chances of a top result for anyone without them. There were no illusions, and although making podium would’ve been fantastic, just making finals alone would’ve been an amazing achievement. We have some great talent, and improving resources and support developing in New Zealand, but not the huge population base, and nothing compared to some other nations, like powerhouse USA! Final results for the Kiwi Team stacked up like this: Mitch 33rd, James 22nd, Ju 24th, Bex 21st, and Kendall 15th. Perhaps the most stoic performance,

James Hamilton ‘givin ’er ’ay’ (that’s Canadian…) in front of 80 million world-wide viewers at Cypress Mountain, Vancouver BC, Canada. PHOTO: DAN HIMBRECHTS 48 NZSNOWBOARDER

lenses d your table n a r a a n cle its unbe to ur visio eps yo ice thanks em. e k 2 d t ID n s e a y h s g T ation om fo free fr oolâ&#x201E;˘ ventil C a m li C Stock Werni Silhouette International Schmied AG, adidas Global Licensee, adidas, the 3-Bars logo, and the 3-Stripes mark are registered trademarks of the adidas Group

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The Kiwi Team enter the Olympic arena led by Flag Bearer Ju Bray, one of New Zealand snowboarding’s strongest competitors ever. PHOTO: DAN HIMBRECHTS

as well as being the best result, was Kendall Brown – who advanced to Semis only to dislocate her shoulder during warm up… so she popped it back in herself, and went on to lay down her best run of the day! Unfortunately it wasn’t quite enough to advance to Finals, but her grin was ear-to-ear. Juliane Bray The set up at Cypress was crazy – the grandstand was huge! My family and other Kiwis sat together and created a little "blackout"…. Having the ladies on a separate day helped us stand out more. It was a great atmosphere; we deserve to have the limelight like this, and not be constantly compared to the men. I was really happy with the way I was riding, but being at the end of the start list was hard – I had to wait for an hour, and the pipe got rougher as more riders went... I ended up crashing both runs, and am totally bummed. I feel like I did the Olympics not really knowing where I could’ve come. Two days earlier I was doing a run that may’ve put me in the top 6, but I'll never know. GGRRRRR! One highlight was the cultural welcome from the Squamish First Nation People at their meetinghouse. It involved traditional ceremonies, including being wrapped in blankets, given headbands, and being chanted to by Spiritual Leaders. The Kiwis also performed a Powhiri, which was very powerful. Almost as powerful as when the entire NZ Team and supporters did a Haka for me when I was appointed Flag Bearer for the Opening Ceremony! Rebecca Sinclair I was overwhelmed at the opportunity to represent New Zealand; it was a dream come true. The Olympics are so much more than just competing individually, more than just sport in general. It’s a whole peace movement and inspirational event; it was really cool to be a part of that. The best moment, when it all became real, was walking into the Opening Ceremony. Coming round the corner and seeing the lights of the stadium, the thousands of people in the stands... it was mind-blowing! I think everyone struggled with their competition runs. Training was cut from five days to three, and only one of those was any good – it just didn’t get cold enough for the pipe to set. I crashed my first run, but had my heart set on it... so it was cool to overcome the pressure and land my second run. I hope I make it to the next Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia – since going to Vancouver I feel so inspired and motivated.

Kendall Brown I didn’t focus on trying to get a specific result; I just wanted to land my run, which made it a lot easier on the mental side of things. The 50 NZSNOWBOARDER

atmosphere was incredible! You couldn't compare that crowd to any other contest. Obviously it was huge, but knowing it was airing basically all over the world added a whole other aspect. Unfortunately my shoulder popped out going into the Semis. It was horrible timing, but I’ve dealt with it before, and popped it back in. Our physio Sheryl was a huge help, icing and strapping me. It did affect my riding, of course, but everything considered – still pretty stoked with how it all went. Torah Bright has a bad shoulder too, she was right there when mine dislocated, checking I was okay and giving me some encouragement. I’m so stoked for Torah; I don't think the Gold medal could’ve gone to anyone more deserving. Mitch Brown Getting selected for the Olympics was a long shot, considering all my time off. I had to chase comps to meet the selection criteria, which meant I wasn’t able to train and learn new tricks that would’ve helped me better prepare for Vancouver. My focus was to land the best run of my life – which didn’t exactly happen. I guess I put too much pressure on myself, and my runs were terrible, so I was really disappointed. I didn’t have the best training days, and wasn’t in a good headspace. On a positive note, I landed an alley chuck mid-run, which gave me a bit of a buzz. The Opening Ceremony was a highlight – hearing the roar of the crowd as each team entered the stadium, and the energy we felt walking out was crazy; I’ve never been so pumped on walking in front of so many people! My main goal now is to get in better shape to avoid more injury. Then I can spend more time on the hill than in the gym, and hopefully ride lots of park and powder. And Sochi 2014 is on the cards, for sure. James Hamilton Any expectations and pressure was self-imposed because I wanted to do well for my country and myself; it was an honour to represent NZ. There were some powerful and moving events in Squamish by the First Nations tribe of Native American Indians; they put on a very humbling welcome, just as the Maoris would for overseas visitors. My personal goal was to make top 16, but I fell early in my first run so this didn't help with confidence. I knew I had to do a clean second run, under pressure, so I had to step it back a bit... didn't get to lay down 'the run'. And I had a bit of stage fright for sure – biggest sporting event on the planet and it’s hard to get that out of your head! The Opening and Closing Ceremonies were highlights I wont forget. I know heaps of Kiwis saw them on Sky, but being there was something else. The lighting effects and props were outstanding, and how often do you get to see Neil Young and Nickleback on the same night!

AFTER WATCHING SNOWBOARD COMPETITIONS over the last year, it’s become apparent that if you want a spot on the podium these days then you need to have a double-cork (or two) up your sleeve! Whether it’s halfpipe, big air or even slopestyle, doubles are being busted out in many different variations. Just the thought of trying a double cork / flip trick is scary enough, so I tracked down Luke Mitrani, a young Vermonter and part of the ‘Frends’ crew who was one of the riders with doubles on lock at the NZ Open last year. He was throwing huge double Michalchucks so I jumped at the opportunity to get a little inside knowledge on what it’s like to double it up…. It takes a lot of commitment to throw a trick like this... how did you go about learning it? Well I did it the same way I learned other doubles. My biggest tip is to learn singles at least 8 feet out of the pipe. And once you have them on absolute lock and you feel comfortable to try two, just go for it! I have another small tip that may sound weird, when I first learnt these doubles; I like to have the single one really, really small also (so I know I can chuck it fast). So maybe try to do a couple under the lip, just to know you have the snap. Are double corks the new standard in pipe / general freestyle riding, what are your thoughts? I wouldn't say standard, but it's definitely progressing the sport and making it a lot scarier. There are a lot of factors, mental / physical / commitment / pipe condition – does one outweigh the other? All mental! Also being somewhat in shape. Just pump some mad iron right before you go out for it! But for real, 100% it's all in the mind, so if you can see it, you can do it. If you ever get a mind block right before the trick, I suggest not trying it. I once went for a switch double Michalchuk in Mammoth and landed right on my face. Sooo mental, get it straight! Don't be a wimp; confidence is key. Try it near some honeys! You killed it at the NZ Open last year and were a strong runner for first place... are we gonna see you back this year? No doubt, it’s one of my favourite contests of all year. Any advice for young shreds wanting to step up to the doubles? When is it time to think about doing a trick like this? Just work your way up. If you have a coach and he's yelling at you to learn certain tricks, don't listen. Just do what you feel comfortable doing and the time will always come to send it! It's been an intense season for the Frends crew, how have you guys managed to keep your minds on the job? Have you? Yeah, a lot of ups and downs this season. Wins, losses, injuries, travelling etc. But for the most part we’re all snowboarding for each other, which keeps us motivated. When Kev got hurt, it was really hard to go into the second Grand Prix.... But we said, “Would Kev want us to miss this contest and just mope like babies”, or absolutely destroy it and ride for Kevin. And that’s what we did, DD (Danny Davis) SLAYED! I feel like there was so much positive energy sending out to Kevin during those rough times. – Luke. 56 NZSNOWBOARDER

Luke Mitrani ainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t afraid to gambleâ&#x20AC;Ś although the odds were definitely in his favour on this trick. Killing it at Cardrona. SEQ: PHIL ERICKSON

Intro by James Baker and Rodger Baker

AT NEARLY 3,000 METRES, RUAPEHU OFFERS AN UNRELENTING NATURAL ENVIRONMENT forged by volcanic eruptions that started at least 250,000 years ago. With nowhere to hide in its high plateau landscape, it takes all Mother Nature throws squarely on the chin. Often the elements conspire against ones ability to make the most of Ruapehu, but when the stars do align they make it the King of New Zealand ski fields figuratively and literally, because when ‘it’s on’ Ruapehu has some of the best riding found anywhere in the country. The largest of a volcanic grouping that includes Mt. Ngauruhoe and Mt. Tongariro, Ruapehu stands menacingly as King and guardian over the Tongariro National Park, acting much like the paramount chief Tukino IV Te Heu Heu did in the late 1800’s, before he gifted the sacred peaks to all people of New Zealand. Now it’s home to the Turoa, Whakapapa and Tukino ski fields. Ruapehu’s a beast, providing a varied terrain thanks to the scars carved by the earth’s fury of fire and ice. Eruptions, lava flows, lahars and tectonic movement have formed a rock fingerprint that when combined with winter storms leaving metres of snow, becomes a snowboarders paradise highlighted by unlimited cliff and rock drops, giant expansive valleys and tight steep chutes. All of which are accessible from just about anywhere over the ski areas’ 700 metre plus vertical rise that spreads over a 1,000 hectares… numbers unmatched by any other field in Australasia. The abundance of natural features and challenging conditions create an unparalleled frozen proving ground for young riders to fast track their development along with offering infinite lines for the grizzled mountain vet season after season. Ruapehu’s uniqueness has given rise to many hardened

58 NZSNOWBOARDER

and disciplined Kiwi rulers, the likes of Shelly Gotlieb, Kristian Philipp, Leroy Christenson, Dan Fountain, Matty Groube, Rhys Boberg, Darren Dempsey and hosts of others over the years. It must be said that Ruapehu’s role probably goes under the radar as being responsible for igniting the passion and no doubt increasing the pain threshold of many riders who form the core of New Zealand’s best. To understand the magnetic hold that Ruapehu maintains over its most fervent fans, one has to first understand life in the shadow of the King. The tumultuous weather pattern is a definite paradox, the dark days of June and July can cause ones sanity to fail, as snow starved North Islanders play weather roulette when they visit in their thousands each and every weekend. Come spring there’s a flip in the weather showing what a special place this behemoth rock can be when all the pieces of the puzzle fit together. None more so than after a last flick of winter’s departing tail sends a polar blast skipping over the Southern Alps and crashing into Ruapehu. On such occasions fresh snowfalls can result in over a foot of fresh, exposing the true vastness of the mountain and opening the door to a smorgasbord of unique and formidable terrain. The off-piste grandiose and glory of Turoa’s ‘Organ Pipes’ and the glacier become trackable along with Whakapapa’s matrix of cliffs and chutes by way of the ‘Pinnacles’ and ‘Black Magic’. These are the days enjoyed by riders of all abilities who travel from far and wide, many of whom will down tools mid-week, pull a sicky or – heaven forbid – wag class and travel half the length of the island all for a sweet slice of the sublime that Ruapehu can hand out… this dessert being the pay off for holding faith with this King of the central North Island volcanoes.

Aussie Alex Scott came all the way over the ditch to fastplant this Rasta barrel at Turoa. PHOTO: VAUGHAN BROOKFIELD

My first visit to Ruapehu was after a big night in Taupo, and we headed down from there. The Aussie season had been shit, I’d been limited to riding rails and patchy groomers, so it was cool to go ride a mountain again. As we got closer, Ruapehu reminded me of when I was a kid drawing volcanoes, totally mystifying! When we got up to the top of the hill and looked around it was cool to see how the mountain had been etched out by the volcanic flows creating huge gullies sick for shredding. I felt pretty exposed because of how there were no trees and expansive views, it made me feel really small. The crew was pretty big but it was cool to see the different approaches to the terrain… you could tell they were from New Zealand by the way they just attacked everything! The Powder Keg down in ‘Kune was sick; the weather wasn’t the best when we were in town so we spent a bit of time there, ha-ha. There was a big Cowboys and Indians party too, that was pretty funny. Pretty much the normal ski town vibe, heaps of dudes and not enough chicks! The skatepark was dope though, and the depth of field of the crew definitely helped with avoiding the cabin fever on the down days. - ALEX SCOTT NZSNOWBOARDER 59

National Park ex-pat Joram Makuru, sending it at Turoa. PHOTO: VAUGHAN BROOKFIELD 60 NZSNOWBOARDER

On it’s day Ruapehu is amazing. The terrain is unreal and matched with good snow and a bluebird day it’s definitely one of the best resorts I’ve been to. It’s a special place with the volcano creating some amazing natural hits, especially Whaka’s! The people too, for sure… having as many bad weather days as you do, there’s always a good crew to go eel fishing with samurai swords, drink whiskey, skate a box under the shelter of the alleyway (Kune only has one!)… everyone’s always keen to find something to do while waiting for those perfect days. There have been so many memories, from amazing powder days, spring slush, the gnarly sunburn, the hangovers, the fire trucks, the flax bush beds, the skate sessions, the road trips, the broken windows, ‘after shredding’ wedges at the Keg on the deck, the hangi pit sessions, the dress up parties, the pit bikes and the countless trips down from Auckland. Some of the best memories may have involved paintball guns, maybe? All have been priceless, and the bad ones turn into good ones when you can look back on them and laugh. Ruapehu is rad and I’ll always call it my home mountain. - COLIN BARTLETT

North Island’s own Colin Bartlett making the most of the blue skies at Turoa last winter. PHOTO: RYAN ANDERSON

Every time I make a trip back to Ruapehu everything’s the same, the people, the town, everything. It’s really cool to see all your old school mates still living there working at R.A.L. (Ruapehu Alpine Lifts). You always hear, “Ruapehu’s shit, all you do is sit in the house all day waiting”, which is kinda true but if you’re patient and wait for the good day it makes it worth it. You have to spend a season at National Park to catch it as good as the locals say it is. Once you leave Ruapehu you miss the long runs at the end of the day back to the car park, the resorts in the South Island can’t compare to how much is actually accessible at Ruapehu. It’s a few hours to the top of the mountain and then you can go anywhere. You can even drop down the other side. The best moments living and riding at Ruapehu are those mornings when you wake up and it looks terrible, no-one wants to make the effort to get out of bed, so you head up there ‘cause you’re bored. You’re driving up the Bruce Road, you break through that thick black cloud and it’s the most perfect day riding with Natty park locals and shredding the whole mountain. All the sunny days up Ruapehu are the best days because you appreciate it so much more when you can actually see more that 4 meters ahead of you! I lived there for 8 years and am so stoked I did. That mountain teaches you how to ride, not just hit a rail. If you want to know why I keep going back you really have to go spend a season there! - JORAM MAKURU

Ohakune local and FTB CEO Willie Beggs, with a mean-as shaka-bra at Turoa. The rumours are true, they do get powder days! PHOTO: TIFFANY MORGAN 62 NZSNOWBOARDER

Ruapehu is a fickle place at the best of times and you hear it so many times, the old “on its day, it’s the best ever, etc, etc”. But as cliché as it is, it’s the truth. I guess that’s what keeps me coming back. I think the fact that Mt. Ruapehu is central to all creates a home feeling. Ask any rider who started out here; upon their return, they feel somewhat at home! The level of riding may be below par in comparison to other areas, but Ruapehu demands a lot more from a rider. You learn to ride every condition, in a variety of terrain, on one run. No matter how many websites you check, no matter how many people you talk to, absolutely no one can pick the weather. The chance you might score it is all I need. After all, you have to be in to win! If it’s on, it’s on. Up early and off you go. Chances are there’s been some serious wind involved, and the direction of this will be the greatest influence to where you go! The parks are behind those of the South Island, mainly due to finances I guess. Sure it’s never going to be easy to groom in the ever-changing conditions and snow levels, but there’s no reason with a bit more money thrown in why Turoa couldn’t have a park just as good as, say, the Remarks. The park crew do a great job though, and 2009 had the best set up in years! - TOM BATTERSBY

Tom Battersby showing that even on a ‘down day’ you can still shred! PHOTO: RYAN ANDERSON

I get older, and the girls stay the same age! Na, but yeah, I guess it’s just the fact that the volcano has everything you could want as a snowboarders mountain. Crazy natural big terrain, super fun inbounds trails when conditions are hard and two fields to choose from, both featuring different terrain and massive amounts of lift-accessed backcountry when it’s soft. Spring can go on for 4-6 weeks later than any South Island field, and being able to hang with some of my best bro’s all winter long, that’s what keeps me coming back! There is a lil’ bit of science involved in making the most out of a pow day, as far as what’s on and what’s not. If it’s all-time at Turoa I’d head from the sixer into Big Bowl, lay some bro-lacious pow turns heading towards ‘Clays Leap’ which is an awesome cornice drop only 250 meters from the Giant Café, try a warty pickle air then rag-doll down it’s big run-out into the top of the ‘Why Not’s’ which I’d bypass and head to a spot called the ‘Gunbarrel’ and slash up the windlip lined gully. I can’t say just how to find it but it’s unreal, it flushes you out near the ‘Mangawhero Headwall’; another epic long cornice line that varies in size. Throw a method, hit a couply more drops like ‘Lovers Leap’ on your way though the Mangawhero gully, popping you out on Claries Track where you can give at least five Turoa showers Rhys Boberg style to skiers that have fallen over before you reach the bottom lift. - WILLIE BEGGS

Wanaka boy Will Harris grabs a little North Island tail for the first time. PHOTO: VAUGHAN BROOKFIELD 64 NZSNOWBOARDER

Ruapehu’s an active volcano which decides to blow up once in while! In my opinion it has the most gnarly, dangerous, fun terrain on offer in New Zealand, from cliffs and chutes to wind blown cornices. When it’s on, it’s on! Whether it’s spring riding at Turoa Park or hiking the summit… it’s all good. Hit the gas station for a pie and a Red Bull, head up the hill, snake a car park near the front and gear up. When it’s fresh at Whakapapa I’d be riding West T to chair laps or Knoll Ridge, while Turoa I’d get my hike on as soon as, and head up for ‘Organ Pipes’ slightly out of bounds. Tukino I’d ride next to the top tow and then every run slightly further away, scoring fresh every line! My best times were in Aorangi Lodge at Tukino, drinking mulled wine with a few of the oldies, listening to Van till early hours of the morning and passing out in front of the fire to be rudely awakened by their kids who wanted to go score the fresh that had fallen overnight. I’d have to say Willie B showed me you can work as hard as you ride. Chantelle Smith is the most dedicated ‘weekend warrior’ ever, she not only has a job in Aucks but puts so much effort into coming up the hill just for the love of snowboarding. Leroy Christenson for killing it. Jody Blatchley was a massive influence, he’d come over to Tukino with his squad, build a booter and slay it – such a huge learning experience to ride with someone of such a high level. Shelly Gotlieb, first and foremost she’s super nice, rad to see a chick riding as hard, if not harder then the boys and now she’s representing New Zealand across the board. Last but not least… Dodge! He’s so amped all the time, which rubs off, over the years he’s created so much hype for the northern scene and does it only for the love! Rodger is so local that he even has his own radio station 94.2 Zero FM, che! - JORDAN DECKER

Local rider Jordan Decker knows just where to go when the conditions are ‘on’ at Turoa. PHOTO: RODGER ‘DODGER’ BAKER

A typical down day at Ruapehu usually consists of hanging out in Kune or Natty Park, playing Texas Hold’em, board games and talking heaps of crap. Maybe a little drive up to the Grand Chateau to play a game of snooker or two, and a whiskey on the rocks. The down days are the only thing that lets Ruapehu down. After a couple of days, cabin fever well and truly sets in. Things usually turn to excessive amounts of alcohol consumption and then more games of Hold’em. Ruapehu is so different from every other resort in New Zealand. It’s by far the biggest, has the most terrain variety, the most snow and on a good day with a good crew is one of the most fun places I’ve ever had the pleasure to ride. - WILL HARRIS

Frontside invert, Alpental, Washington USA. PHOTO: GREG ROEBUCK 66 NZSNOWBOARDER

Interview By DB

PHOTO: VAUGHAN BROOKFIELD

“Stef is one of those riders that plays to the beat of his own drum but always seems to keep the big picture in mind. He’s also a rad travel companion… organised, straight up and FUN. Whether it’s getting ridiculous on the trampoline, snapping photos with his SLR, laughing, snowboarding or eating Dutch licorice – Stef has his own style. Never the predictable one, it’s SO much fun to watch him ride his snowboard; he could be going 100 miles an hour off the knuckle of a jump, doing an impeccable front 3, or a switch back 12 – you have no idea what you’re going to see. The only thing you can be sure of is that you’ll be impressed and he’ll land on his feet… he always does. Never one to shy away from the gnarly side of snowboarding, this past season Stef has embraced the big line of jumps at Breckenridge, Colorado whole-heartedly, and been checking loads of tricks off all season long without losing his husky eyes or that constant smile he’s known for. Form a line ladies because I think this Dutch import is single and he has a plethora of tricks up his sleeve.” – Nick Hyne

“it’s not the ‘making a living’ that I really care about, instead ‘enjoying life’ is way more important to me.”

LET’S START AT THE BEGINNING, WHERE’D YOU GROW UP AND WHAT LED YOU TO SNOWBOARDING? Here’s the short version... I was born a Dutchman, hence the nickname “Dutchy”, which doesn’t really work in Holland. I grew up on a tomato farm and for some sort of miracle my family migrated to New Zealand when I was 8. What a candy store is to most kids, New Zealand was to me. Climbing what I thought at the time was a mountain, scuba diving in the Pacific Ocean, and all the good things the New Zealand outdoors had to offer. After a never-ending childhood of sports and adventure, I hit High School and worked out pretty fast that the last thing I wanted was to end up like what society and school was trying to mold me into. All I saw was people being predictable, going to University with no clue what they wanted to become and kids with twenty-thousand dollar cars that the bank owned and they were likely to crash before paying off ten years down the line. All I wanted to do was to get away from rules and what seamed to be “normal”. I discovered snowboarding when I was 15 after a few weekends with the family skiing, I soon worked out it was, like, way too much fun! You’ve been quietly killing it in competitions for years now, what’s your approach to competing? I’ve been riding for a decade and I started off at one of those little Cheapskates halfpipe comps at Mt. Hutt almost 9 years ago, just to see if I could have fun at one of these events. I figured it was a great way to ride with other riders I looked up to, and that sort of snowballed into what I do now. I travel to some of the biggest

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comps snowboarding has to offer and still enjoy it just as much. I only have two goals at every comp: First - I want to have a good time, secondly - I want to see how far I can push what I love to do. I don’t care too much if I get first or last, but I like to see if I can physically do what I think in my head I can achieve. You manage to get lots of photos published in the backcountry too... how is it different from competing? Shredding in the backcountry is a whole different game of good times. It’s hard to explain how hard it is to go into the backcountry and get a shot. But it’s so much fun to be out in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by the beauty of a place you didn’t know existed until you hiked over that next never-ending ridge. The work you put in building a jump or hiking a line is well worth it, spending time with your friends, and the reward when you shred that untouched line is a feeling that I can't begin to explain – but I would highly recommend! Would you rather pursue one aspect of snowboarding more, e.g. comps, backcountry... or are you happy to ride it all? I enjoy the whole experience of being a snowboarder, and for me, to focus on one part of snowboarding would be way too predictable and boring. I like how one given day I can be shredding the Cardrona park with my friends and the next I’m cat-boarding in another part of the country. If I knew what tomorrow was going to bring, I’d feel like I already knew the end of the story and there’d be no need to write my own.

Frontside 3 tail, Red Lake, California USA. PHOTO: VAUGHAN BROOKFIELD

On top of the world at Stevens Pass, Washington USA. PHOTO: GREG ROEBUCK 70 NZSNOWBOARDER

What’s your process of learning tricks, nailing backcountry lines... I'm sure this would be different for everyone, but personally I think it comes from having a creative and open mind. If I see or think of a trick or line I want to do, there are usually a few processes I go through; first of all, will I have a good time if I do this? If the answer is no, then go find something else because we’re here for a good time not a long time. Then after working out if I’ve done the obvious progression (no double backflips before a single), I like to recreate the feeling and see myself doing the trick in my head from a personal and third person perspective. If I can do that, I can have the confidence I need to enter uncharted waters. Give us a run-down of your travel schedule so far this past winter... Ha! This year has been hectic. The NZSBU and Snowsports NZ have put together a NZ Slopestyle team that I’ve been fortunate enough to be a part of, travelling to a bunch of comps around the world. I finished riding on first of November in New Zealand and three weeks surfing later I was on a plane to Colorado, USA. Then Austria, Switzerland, Germany, back to Colorado, Canada and back again. I was ready for a “working” holiday so I took three weeks off the tour and training to go to Tahoe and Washington, to shoot some photos with Vaughan Brookfield, Greg Roebuck and friends. At the moment I’m back in Colorado again, with another month or so of shredding before I make my way back to New Zealand for another winter. With all that travelling you must have a funny story from this winter... give us the dirt! Dirt? Not really, I like to think I don’t get in trouble. Hmmm, well, it’s always good to party abroad with the Kiwi boys; they never seem to disappoint. Last time Nick Hyne and Brown, Jake Koia and I were having a not so quiet dinner, the rather large bill consisted

mainly of Super Sonics (gin and tonic slushy). Next thing, we found ourselves in a hard rock/metal nightclub with a thousand people we didn’t know, somewhere outside of Calgary, Canada feeling surprisingly not that out of place… I think the alcohol had something to do with that? We representing New Zealand very well at the bar, the rest of the story I don’t remember all that well. Random fact – did you know Nick Brown snowboards even better when he’s hung over? Did you ever imagine you’d be doing this... travelling, snowboarding, competing and making a living from it? The fact is, it’s not the ‘making a living’ that I really care about, instead ‘enjoying life’ is way more important to me. I think that’s how I’ve been able to experience life this way – but I didn’t see it coming! Do you think it’s more difficult for Kiwi riders to ‘crack it’? No, I think it’s just as hard for everyone that wants to be the best. We’re lucky enough to have some of the best mountains in the world right in our back yard, with world class parks and freeriding, which pros from all over the world come to take advantage of. We should stop bitching about who gets what and spend that time on snow shredding with friends. If you love what you’re doing and work hard enough for what you want, one day you might be lucky enough to be part of a small fraction of the 6 billion people on earth that love what they’re doing, and money becomes oblivious. What do you love about the New Zealand winter? After a decade of snowboarding and travelling I’ve worked out New Zealand is my home. I miss it constantly when I’m away and when the New Zealand winter is cranking I get to shred with friends everyday. I usually can’t think of any place I’d rather be.

What are your thoughts on ‘rocker’ vs ‘camber’, what do you ride? Camber can make a big difference to your riding and everyone has their personal preference. But the new rocker technology has made a massive difference to my freeriding and backcountry shredding. Rocker has let me centre my stance in the powder so I can ride switch down a line and enjoy the deep pow without having to lean back and have sore feet at the end of the day. As far as the park and everyday shredding goes, K2’s Flatline (no camber) works best for me, it gives me an all-round board I can ride anywhere with quick response without too much catch, while still having lots of pop and being able do a good old Euro-carve. How about the current progression of freestyle, e.g. double corks, super spins, gnarly street stuff? Right now snowboarding is going crazy. The sport has got so popular that there’s a big drive to be the best, just like anything else. I’ve got no problem with the speed

Switch 5-0 logger, Lake Donner, Nevada County, California USA. PHOTO: VAUGHAN BROOKFIELD 72 NZSNOWBOARDER

of progression, I think it’s good for the sport. But I do think it’s important that whether you’re trying your first 360 or doing double corks, it should be because you want to do them and you’re out there to enjoy yourself. Not because mom, dad, or the coach told you one day you could be as rich and famous as Shaun White. Remember why you started snowboarding! You’re into photography... how did that come about, and what in your eyes makes a great photo? Yeah, I love it. I guess I was always into arts, and I suck at painting so when I got into photography in High School I found something good about capturing a moment in time. I try and stay away from snowboard photos as I’m still on the other side of the lens, but I’ve learnt a lot from some of the photographers I shoot with. I enjoy photos that capture emotion and the beauty of a moment, sometimes that can be something professionally done, and other times it’s the funny photo someone took at the party last night.

“We’re lucky enough to have some of the best mountains in the world right in our back yard, with world class parks and freeriding, which pros from all over the world come to take advantage of.”

Half cab off the ledge, Donner Pass, Nevada County, California USA. PHOTO: VAUGHAN BROOKFIELD 74 NZSNOWBOARDER

“it’s so much fun to be out in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by the beauty of a place you didn’t know existed until you hiked over that next never-ending ridge.”

There’s no place like home! Ohau, New Zealand. PHOTO: PABLO AZOCAR

Do you ever get sick of snowboarding? What do you do to chill, have some time out? I still like snowboarding as much as I did the day I started, although, I do like taking a break from the snow to surf. I’ve been getting really into surfing as of late, living in Kaikoura between winters to get my fix, and I got some wicked waves in Indonesia last summer… It’s too much fun with a similar lifestyle to snowboarding, but with a chance to enjoy some summer. What does the future hold? Probably more powder turns, first descents, parties, travel, comps, friends, barrels, photos, air time and some good times on the rocking chair. Let the good times roll! Shout-outs... There’s so much to be thankful for I feel like I’m doing

a speech for the Oscars. My mum, dad, brother and sister for being an awesome family to grow up in and for believing in what I want to do. All my friends that I’ve had the privilege to shred with in Wanaka, Qtown, the Club fields, Euro, OZ, USA and everywhere else (way too many good friends to name.) All the photographers and filmers that spend hours a day watching me hike and roll in the snow. Rich, Brad, Emily and crew at Oakley. Mark, Bill and everyone at Cheapskates. Robett Hollis at Nzsnowboard.com, Hamish at Mons Royale, Simon, Bex, Ivan and Martin at K2 and Sportive. The park crew, John Melville, Nadia and the coffee girls at Cardrona. Snowsports NZ and the NZSBU for supporting New Zealand snowboarding. And everyone else that’s influenced or helped me out. Cheers.

Keiji Okamoto Sam Britten | Temple Basin, New Zealand Shutter: 1/1000th F.Stop:5.6 Focal Length:15 mm Fisheye ISO: 100

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shot

Nick Brown Greg Roebuck | Mt. Baker, Washington, USA Shutter: 1/1000th F.Stop:7.1 Focal Length:98 mm ISO: 160

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Will Jackways Greg Roebuck | Leavenworth, Washington, USA Shutter: 1/250th F.Stop: 5.6 Focal Length:75 mm ISO: 250

Abby Lockhart Greg Roebuck | Stevens Pass, Washington, USA Shutter: 1/1000th F.Stop: 3.5 Focal Length :108 mm ISO: 100

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Ferret Vaughan Brookfield | Tahoe, USA Shutter: 1/50th F.Stop: 4.5 Focal Length: 82mm ISO: 400

Roland Morley-Brown Greg Roebuck | Mt. Baker Wilderness, Washington, USA Shutter: 1/1000th F.Stop:5.6 Focal Range:135 mm ISO: 100

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Joram Makuru Greg Roebuck | Stevens Pass, Washington, USA Shutter: 1/1000th F.Stop: 5.6 Focal Length:15 mm ISO: 100

Nick Hyne Crispin Cannon | Hokkaido, Japan Shutter: 1/1250th F.Stop: 5.6 Focal Length:135mm ISO: 1000

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Jeremy Thorns Vaughan Brookfield | Remarkables, New Zealand Shutter: 1/1000th F.Stop:5.0 Focal Length:200mm ISO: 100

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Jake Koia Jussi Grznar | BC Backcountry, CANADA Shutter: 1/2000th F.Stop: 5.6 Focal Length: 140mm ISO: 50

Torstein Horgmo Vaughan Brookfield | Tahoe, USA Shutter: 1/1250 th F.Stop:6.3 Focal Length:75 mm ISO: 200

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2010 BUYER’S GUIDE WITH WINTER FAST APPROACHING AND THE FIRST snow starting to settle in the hills you start pulling out your gears and getting amped on shredding again… then you suddenly realise your binding is cracked or remember how your board or boots turned to mush last spring… it’s time to pimp your ride! Dropping cash on new snowboard equipment is a big spend, so it’s definitely worth doing some research to make sure you get bang for your bucks! Hardware is obviously the most important part of your kit so you want to make the right choices when it comes to buying your new board, boots or bindings. Then there’s outerwear, gloves, goggles, helmets, all of which add to making your days long, warm, dry and most importantly FUN! There are so many choices out there these days it can be a daunting task making a decision and getting the perfect set-up, so we asked long-time Queenstown snowboarders Jamie Bassett and Amy Ballagh to drop some science on how to choose your shred kit. Jamie has been holding it down on the shop floor at Alta in Queenstown for over 10 years, and Amy is the manager at Quest QT, so they know a thing or two about getting people on snow in the right gear. Shop staff are your number one resource when it comes to knowledge about the many products available, so when you’re in the market go check out your local retailer and start talking business. Looking good is one thing but feeling great will make your days on the mountain so much better. Enjoy!

Snowboards By Jamie basset

WHEN CHOOSING A BOARD THERE ARE SOME THINGS TO ASK yourself: How much riding have you done? And how much will you do? What kind of riding do you prefer; park, freeriding, or a bit of everything? What do you like/dislike about the board you have now? BOARD FLEX: Generally stiffer flex from nose to tail is found in high performance freeride and pipe boards, these perform really well at high speeds and turn quickly, will be more aggressive and want to be on edge more. Softer flex is found more in park, rail and beginner boards, making the board a lot more predictable because you can throw it around easier. Obviously a mid flex board is a mix of both and will handle all conditions well. Stiffness is relative to board size (length and width) it also changes with different weights, most boards have a recommended minimum to max weight range. If you’re lower in the weight range the board will be a bit stiffer and aggressive, and if you’re higher in the weight range the board will be softer and easier to control than what the description on the cheat sheet says. There’s also torsional flex, how much you can twist a board from edge to edge. A board with a stiff torsional flex will bite into a carve more than a softer one, but will take more effort to initiate a turn. SHAPE – DIRECTIONAL VS TWIN: Directional boards normally have a slightly longer nose, and the binding inserts are slightly set back. They’re more often found in freeride, beginner and powder boards. Setting back your stance allows your nose to float a bit more in deep snow, it’s also better suited to a rider that rides mostly in one direction (not much switch). A twin-tip has a symmetrical nose and tail shape and the stance will be centred, more suited to park and freestyle riding. However, you can change your stance with any board and a twin will generally perform well in all conditions. ROCKER VS CAMBER: There are a number of terms for “rocker” and quite a few different ways of using it in snowboards. Put very simply, rocker lifts the nose and tail of your snowboard (widest parts of board) up out of the snow. This frees up the feel of your board, generally making it easier to turn and more forgiving. Camber is when lying flat the tip and tail will be on the ground but

the middle of the board will be slightly raised. Camber works by pushing or pressuring the contact points into the snow, for example, if you’re riding along flat base on a groomed run you can feel the contact points trying to grab the snow and get your board onto its edge. On a rocker board your contact points have been lifted and your board won’t want to turn so much until you get it on edge. Rocker boards are amazing in powder because the shape allows the board to sit lower in the snow and the nose to lift, so there’s not so much ‘going over the handle bars’ and ‘sore back leg’ syndrome after a long run in the pow! Rocker is often used in beginner boards to stop the edges catching, allowing the rider to decide when to turn instead of being bucked unexpectedly into a turn. Rocker is really changing how snowboards feel and how you ride them. Camber is still good and some people, usually more advanced riders, still prefer the solid-ness of it. But rocker is shaking things up and getting companies to try new things, which means there are a lot of options out there. It’s definitely worth trying as ‘rocker’ makes for a fun and easy ride! HOW TO PICK BOARD SIZE: It’s important to find out what a board does so you can get the appropriate length. Boards have weight ranges and this is probably the best way to get the right length board, check the spec sheet and it should tell you the range for that board. Foot size is also very important, if your feet hang over the edge of your board, every time you turn your toe (or heel) will drag in the snow – at the least it will slow you down, at worst it will lift your board edge out of the snow and slam you down! If you end up in a men’s size 11 or bigger it’s a good idea to get a wider board to avoid drag. TUNING AND WAXING: It’s important to keep your board in good shape. Keep an eye on the base near the edges, and when it starts to look a bit white and fluffy it’s due for a fresh wax. The base near your edges wears first because it’s in the snow more than the centre area, and with more pressure. If you’re keen on rails it’s a good idea to visit your local workshop and have the techs give you a base edge bevel, 3-5 degrees is sweet; this will allow you still to hold an edge but not catch it on rails. Chris Garside surfaces for air after diving deep in the Arlberg PHOTO: MARCUS GMEINER NZSNOWBOARDER 95

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Freeride ROCKER 154, 159, 163, 166 $399.99

Freeride/Park CAMBER 155, 159 $1499

Freeride CAMBER 158, 162 $1299

Freestyle/Park CAMBER 155, 158 $1199

Jib/Rail ROCKER 153, 155, 159 $899

Wmns Freeride/Park CAMBER 146, 149, 152 $1099

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Freestyle/Park Flying V Rocker 148, 151, 154, 156, 158, 160, 163, 155W, 158W, 162W $1049.99

Freestyle/ParK V-Rocker 137, 141, 145, 148, 151, 154 $799.99

Freestyle/Park V-Rocker 150, 153, 155, 157 $749.99

Freestyle/Park V-Rocker 142, 147, 151, 155, 158, 153W, 156W, 159W, 162W $699.99

Freestyle/Park V-Rocker 149, 152, 155, 158, 162, 152W, 155W, 158W $849.99

Freestyle/Park V-Rocker 145, 149, 152, 154 $849.99

Freeride Camber 148, 153, 155, 157, 159 $820

Freestyle/Park Rocker 151, 151W, 153, 155, 157 $785

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Freeride Camber 149, 152, 155, 158, 161 $499

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Freestyle Rocker 152, 154, 156, 158 $799

Freeride Camber 143, 147, 152, 155 $499

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Freeride Rocker 152, 154, 156, 158, 160 $1050

Powder Rocker 156, 159, 162, 165 $1060

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Flow 2011 infinite

Flow 2011 Era

Flow 2011 Verve

Flow 2011 Myriad

Flow 2011 Jewel

Forum 2011 Destroyer

Forum 2011 Young Blood

Freestyle/Park Camber 155, 158 $849

Freestyle/Park Rocker 149, 152, 155, 158 $729

Freeride Rocker 152, 155, 158 $669

Freestyle/Park Camber 148, 152 $849

Freestyle/Park Rocker 143, 146 $729

Freestyle/Park Rocker or Camber 148, 152, 154, 156, 158, 154W, 156W, 158W $899.99

Freestyle/Park Rocker or Camber 148, 152, 154, 156, 155W, 157W, 159W $799.99

Forum 2011 Holymoly

Forum 2011 Recon

Forum 2011 Spinster

Forum 2011 Scallywag

Freestyle Regular

Freestyle Ghetto

K2 2011 WWW

K2 2011 Parkstar

Freestyle/Park Combo Platter (new tech) 152, 155, 158 $999.99

Freestyle/Park Camber 146, 149, 153, 156, 158, 156W, 158W, 161W $599.99

Freestyle/Park Chillydog Rocker 144, 146, 148, 150 $799.99

Freestyle/Park Chillydog Rocker 151, 155, 158 $749.99

Freeride Rocker 120 to 163 159 $349

Freeride Camber 140,145, 150, 155W, 159. $355

Jib/Rail Jib Rocker 145, 148, 152, 155, 153W, 156W, 159W $799

Freestyle/Park Jib Rocker 149, 152, 155, 157, 159, 154W, 157W, 160W, 163W $959

K2 2011 Anagram

K2 2011 Turbo Dream

K2 2011 Raygun

K2 2011 Va Va Voom

Morrow 2011 RV

Morrow 2011 Kava

Morrow 2011 Clutch

Nitro 2011 Team Gullwing

Freestyle/Park Catch Free Rocker 147, 152, 155, 158, 161, 155W, 159W, 163W $599

Freeride All Terrain Rocker 153, 156, 159, 161, 157W, 160W, 164W $999

Freeride All Terrain Rocker 150, 153, 156, 159, 161, 157W, 160W, 164W $699

Jib/Rail Jib Rocker 135, 139, 143, 148, 152 $799

Freeride Rocker 150, 161 $449

Freeride Rocker 145, 149, 154 $449

Freeride Rocker 152, 155, 158 $449

Freeride Gullwing 152, 155, 157, 157W, 159, 159W $949

Nitro 2011 Sub Zero

Nitro 2011 Swindle

Nitro 2011 Magnum

Nitro 2011 Runaway

Nitro 2011 Mystique

Ride 2011 DH

Ride 2011 Machete

Ride 2011 DH2

Freestyle/Park Gullwing 148, 152, 155, 158 $699

Jib/Rail Zero 145, 148, 152, 155 $699

Freeride Camber 157, 159, 161, 165 $899

Freestyle/Park Gullwing 142, 146, 149, 153 $699

Freeride Gullwing 142, 146, 149, 152 $699

Freestyle/Park Camber 151, 153, 153,155, 156W, 157, 159W, 162W $949.99

Freeride LowRise Rocker 152, 155W, 157W, 158, 160, 161W, 162, 164W $999.99

Freestyle/Park LowRise Rocker 151, 153, 155, 156W, 157, 159W, 161, 162W $999.99

Ride 2011 Kink

Ride 2011 Antic

Ride 2011 Compact

Rome 2011 Agent Rocker

Rome 2011 Lo-Fi Rocker

Freeride Directional Rocker 151, 154, 157, 158W, 160, 162W, 163, 165W, 168W $899.99

Women’s Freeride LowRise Rocker 139, 143, 147, 150, 153 $749.99

Freeride Reverse Mtn. Pop Rocker 151, 153, 155, 157, 159 $1099

Rome 2011 Artifact Rocker

Rome 2011 Garage Rocker

Jib/Rail ProRise Rocker 147, 152, 153W, 155, 156W, 158, 159W $749.99

Rome 2011 Postermania Rocker Freestyle/Park Reverse Free Camber 144, 147, 150, 153, 156, 155W, 158W $929

Jib/Rail Reverse Jib Camber 147, 150, 153, 156 $879

Freestyle/Park Reverse Free Camber 148, 152, 154, 156, 159 $659

Women’s Freestyle/Park Reverse Free Camber 143, 146, 149 $979

Rome 2011 Detail Rocker

Roxy Ally BTX

Salomon Ace

Salomon Scout

Salomon Salvatore Sanchez

Salomon Lily

Salomon Lark

Salomon Drift

Women’s Jib/Rail Reverse Jib Camber 140, 143, 146, 149 $689

Freeride Banana Magnatraction 143, 147 $999.00

Freeride Camber 146, 150, 153, 156 160 $799

Jib/Rail Camber 151, 154, 157,159 $999

Jib/Rail Rocker 148, 151, 153, 154 156 $799

Freestyle/Park Flat Camber 139, 144, 148, 152 $899

Freeride Camber 144,148, 152, 156 $799

Freestyle/Park Camber 148, 152, 154, 156, 159 $849

Boots and Bindings By Jamie Basset

SNOWBOARD BOOTS SHOULD FIT SNUG; WHEN YOU TRY ON A boot your toe should gently touch the end. This will mean your heel is securely in the back of the boot and will help prevent heel-lift. Boots will pack out and get bigger, so try to get ‘em ‘tightish’. The key to getting the right boot is to find the brand best suited to your foot shape – try on as many different boots as possible, the more you try the more you know. Put simply, stiffer boots are better for freeriding and advanced riders and softer boots for park and beginners. A softer boot allows you to shift your weight without affecting your board too much so they’re more forgiving, whereas with a stiffer boot you can quickly apply pressure to your edges. When it comes to lacing there are a lot of options. Traditional laces have been around for years and there’s nothing wrong with them. There’s BOA; a woven stainless steel cable that’s super easy to do up and holds tight as, you just turn a dial to tighten your boots – great for cold fingers in the morning! ‘Quick lace’ or ‘speed lacing’ is known by many names depending on the company making them. Normally, there are two ‘pull-cords’ that tighten the upper and lower boot separately. These, like BOA, do give the boot a slightly stiffer flex, also there are less moving parts, so it’s nice and simple. Lace-able inner boot liners are pretty standard in lower to mid-range boots. Another option is the ‘internal lace harness’ – these are awesome! Because the ‘internal lace harness’ is attached when you do it up, it fixes the inner-boot and your foot to the outer-shell so there is less heel lift. Boots are the most important part of your setup; spend more time and money

on them. They need to be easy to use, and you need to be comfy in your boots because you’re gonna to be in them all day! When it comes to bindings, you need to check how your boot fits into them. If you stick with the same brand then you’re going to get a great fit, otherwise it’s worth checking. Bindings come in small, medium and large, a medium binding is usually good for up to a men’s size 10 depending on your boot. Check for overhang, width and strap size. Make sure your boot goes in easily and isn’t too tight or loose. The heel should be in contact with the heel-cup with no big gaps around it, and it should be snug across the foot at the widest point with no big gaps between the boot and the side. Find out how to adjust your bindings, it’s usually pretty straightforward and it’s good to know how to customize them. Keep an eye on screws that may loosen or re-adjust if you get new boots. Stiffness in bindings is similar to boots; they’re generally stiffer for freeride and softer for park, freestyle or beginner riders. Once you’ve done some shredding you’ll figure out what works best for you. You can normally compare the flex of bindings by giving the highback a tweak when it’s sitting in the heel-cup as it would when your boot is in it. The baseplate will also flex but this is a little harder to test unless you’re strapped into a board. Depending on what you like the shop staff should be able to show you what to look for. Make sure you adjust the straps to your boot size too, so you don’t chew up the ladders by over-tightening. Straps tend to stretch a little as well, so you may have to adjust them after a bit of time on snow.

Burton Ion

Burton Ruler

Burton Sapphire

Burton Mint

Flow 2011 Rift Quick Fit

Flow 2011 Rival Quick Fit

Pro $699.99

Freestyle $449.99

Women’s Freestyle $449.99

Women’s Freestyle $349.99

Freestyle $479

Freeride $379

Flow 2011 Rival Quick Fit

Flow 2011 The Ansr BOA

Forum Antenna

Forum Kicker

Forum Stunner

Forum Mist

Freeride $379

Freeride $349

Freestyle $249.99

Freestyle $499.99

Pro $599.99

Women’s Freestyle $249.99

K2 Maysis BOA

K2 Raider BOA

K2 Domain

K2 Mink

Nitro Anthem TLS

Nitro Reverb TLS

Freeride $649

Freeride $449

Freestyle $359

Freeride $525

Freestyle $449

100 NZSNOWBOARDER

Nitro Grifter

Nitro Fader TLS

Northwave Reign

Northwave Revolution

Northwave Freedom SL

Pricepoint $349

Freestyle $449

Pricepoint $269

Freestyle $299

Freeride $329

WMNS Freride $329

Ride Strapper Keeper

Ride Anthem BOA

Ride Orion

Ride Sage BOA

Salomon Malamute

Salomon Dialogue

Freestyle $479.99

Freeride $399.99

Women’s Freestyle $299.99

Women’s Freeride $349.99

Freeride $649

Pro $499

Salomon Savage

Salomon Ivy

Thirtytwo Prion

Thirtytwo Exus

Women’s Freestyle $449

Thirtytwo Lashed Fast Track Freestyle $459

Thirtytwo Lashed

Freestyle $449

Freestyle $439

Pricepoint $329

Women’s Pricepoint $289

Vans Encore

Vans Encore Women’s

Vans Hi Standard

Vans Hi Standard Beaman

5150 FF2000

5150 FF1500

Freeride $499.90

Women’s Freeride $499.90

Freestyle $439.90

Women’s Freestyle $439.90

Freeride $219.99

Pricepoint $179.99

5150 Dynasty

Burton Infidel – One Love

Burton Mission EST

Burton Lexa

Burton Stiletto

Drake Fifty

Freeride $219.99

Freestyle $549.99

Freestyle $399.99

Women’s Freestyle $399.99

Women’s Freestyle $329.99

Freestyle $299

Drake Czar

Drake Supersport

Drake Women’s Jade

Flow 2011 The Five

Flow 2011 Quattro-SE

Freeride $399

Pro $449

Freeride $299

Freeride $399

Freestyle $389

Flow 2011 Trilogy Freestyle $339

NZSNOWBOARDER 101

Flow 2011 Minx-SE

Flux Titan RK

Flux Super Titan

Flux Feedback

Flux Women’s Gem

Freestyle $389

Freestyle $449

Freeride $499

Freeride $549

Freeride $399

Forum Faction

Forum Recon

Forum Keepers

K2 Auto Uprise

k2 Formula

Freestyle $349.99

Freestyle $249.99

Freestyle $349.99

Freeride $559

Freestyle $439

Freestyle $389

k2 Bliss

Nitro 2011 Zero

Nitro 2011 Pusher

Nitro 2011 Strike

Nitro 2011 Deco

Freestyle $389

Freestyle $439

Freestyle $375

Freestyle $299

Women’s Freestyle $299

Ride Nitrane

Forum Republic Freestyle $399.99

k2 Indy

Pro $559.99

Rome Targa

Rome 390

Rome Arsenal

Freestyle $489.99

Freestyle $369.99

Women’s Freestyle $329.99

Freeride $549

Freestyle $449

Freeride $399

SP United Fastec Private

Ride Contraband

Ride 2011 EX

Ride 2011 LXH

Rome Madison

Salomon Patriot Dark

Salomon Arcade Select

Salomon Stella Light

Salomon Code

Women’s Freestyle $449

Freeride $399

Freeride $449

Freestyle$399

Pricepoint $259

SP United sLAB

SP United Fastec Kiddo

Union Re-Union

Union Danny Kass Turbo

Union Force

Union Force SL

Pro $559

Freeride $169

Pricepoint $249

Freestyle $450

Freeride $425

Pro $570

102 NZSNOWBOARDER

51 Nuffield St. Newmarket

Lake Alta chutes, The Remarkables â&#x20AC;&#x201C; photo by Miles Holden

P +64 9 529 5500

+ Many Many More instore

Goggles IF YOU NEED NEW GOGGLES THERE ARE SOME IMPORTANT THINGS TO CHECK OUT, firstly the fit; different brands and models will fit differently depending on your face shape. Lens colour is also something to look for, mirrored lenses are usually darker and better for fine day shredding whereas an orange, rose or yellow lens will be better in low light. You can usually get a mix of both in one lens, which will be sweet in most conditions. If you’re rocking a helmet make sure they fit well together, check the helmet doesn’t push your goggles down, no geek gap, and it doesn’t lift the goggles off your face. Lastly, here’s a tip to help make your days clear – dry your goggles out at night. If they’re left in the car, your bag or the pocket of your jacket chances are all you’ll be seeing is fog, and once that happens it can be a mission to keep them clear! Oh yeah, and never use a paper napkin from the café to wipe ‘em down, this will scratch up the lenses real good – just give ‘em a good shake and try to let goggles clear on their own, or if you must, wipe with the supplied soft cotton cloth.

Adidas ID2 $249 Distortion free, unrestricted peripheral and lateral vision, antifog polycarb lenses, vent system, clip strap, helmet compatible. www.adidas.com/eyewear

Adidas ID2 Style Your Own $325

ANON Hawkeye $189.99

Design your own goggle with the enclosed markers and stickers. All same features as ID2. www.adidas.com/eyewear

Spherical lens, interchangeable strap, auto adjust strap hinge, channelled air mesh ventilation, plush fit foam. www.anonoptics.com

Dragon Rogue Dreamcatcher $229.95 Exclusive NASA technology prevents fogging up to twice as long as other goggles. Optically correct, helmet compatible. www.dragonalliance.com

Dragon Rogue Co-Op Skullcandy $269.95 Exclusive NASA technology prevents fogging up to twice as long as other goggles. Includes Skullcandy headset. www.dragonalliance.com

Electric EG2 Neff $254.95 Electric has teamed up with Neff for this ultra limited release. Get in quick. www.electricvisual.com

Electric EG2.5 Cheryl $244.95 Electric is proud to introduce the rider inspired design series and the EG2.5 for 2010/11season. www.electricvisual.com

Oakley Splice $319.95 Internal skeletal support (reduced nasal pressure, max airflow), F3 anti-fog, triple-layer polar fleece foam, Plutonite® lens. www.Oakley.com.au

Oakley Gretchen Bleiler A Frame $279.95

Rip Curl Vaddo Master $189 Increased peripheral, vented antifog dual lens, free low-light lens, helmet compatible, fit M-L face size. www.ripcurl.co.nz

Rip Curl Vaddo Pro $219

SABRE Acid Rider $245

SABRE Easy Rider $279 Polarised, smoke base lens, includes 3 studs you can pin anywhere, and a kick-ass Sabre ring! www.sabre.fm

Scott Fix $N/A 100% UVA/B/C protection, ACS and RAM venting. For more info check www.scott-sports.com

Smith Optics IO $299.99

VON ZIPPER Feenom 20-20 $249.99

VON ZIPPER Chakra Sirens Song $199.99

Sleek spherical goggle packaged with spare mirrored lens. Fast and easy lens changing system. www.smithoptics.co.nz

Dual layer, anti-fog spherical lens, wide peripheral, helmet compatible, M-L face size, includes bonus lens. www.vonzipper.com

Dual layer, anti-fog spherical lens, wide peripheral, helmet compatible, medium face size, includes bonus lens. www.vonzipper.com

Silver reflective, smoke base lens, w/spare yellow lens, colours Matt White/black, Tie Dye print. www.sabre.fm

Smith Optics Stance $159.99/$189.99 mirror lens Fuse has had a face-lift, but kept the regulator ventilation and free spare lens. www.smithoptics.co.nz

Anti-fog treated ballistic, Plutonite® lens, triple polar-tech fleece foam, optically corrected dual lens. www.Oakley.com.au

ANON Majestic $199.99 Panoramic lens, interchangeable strap, auto adjust strap hinge, channelled air mesh ventilation, plush fit foam. www.anonoptics.com

Increased optical clarity, vented antifog dual lens, free low-light lens, helmet compatible, fit M-L face size. www.ripcurl.co.nz

Scott Jewel $N/A 100% UVA/B/C protection, multi layer face foam for the ideal fit. For more info check www.scott-sports.com

7 day forecast Snow forecast m ap Webcams Independent sn ow reports

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Outerwear By Amy Ballagh

THE FIRST THING TO CONSIDER WHEN LOOKING AT OUTERWEAR should be insulated vs. shell. If you tend to freeze all season long, down jackets and heavier insulation will keep you nice and toasty. If you find yourself cooking when temps warm up, opt for a shell jacket – you can layer underneath in the colder months (mmm... merino) and you’ll still be sweet when spring hits. Pay attention to the shape and cut of the gear, does it allow for full range of movement? Try the ‘binding test’ – bend down and touch your toes. Look for features that will make your time on the hill more comfy: vents, powder skirts, jacket/pant interface and good cinching. Check out the waterproofing and breathable ratings, which should be clearly marked on the clothing tags, most will start at 5,000mm, and go up to around 25,000mm. Higher waterproof ratings = higher prices so think carefully about the conditions you’ll be using your gear in. If you're starting out, or spend a lot of time sitting down, consider a pant with a slightly higher waterproof rating for maximum comfort factor! Consider fabric feel and weight – heavier duty fabrics tend to wear better and offer more wind resistance. 3CS www.3CSouterwear.com Apex JACKET $569

Analog www.analogclothing.com Altar JACKET $599.99

FEATURES: 10,000mm / 5,000G coated, 100% poly twill, 60G polyfill insulated, engineered sublimation art, removable sleeves, team fit. Gauge PANT $449.99 FEATURES: 5,000mm / 5,000g hydrophylic, 100% poly twill, custom fit, military trooper tapered leg style.

686 Enterprises www.686.com Mannual Reaper JACKET $399

FEATURES: A new angle of style. These are fully seam sealed with waterproof zippers and full armpit zips. Bring it on. Offset PANT $345 FEATURES: Any tougher and these would rust. Two front, two back pockets, articulated knees with ghetto slits, built to ride hard.

FEATURES:8K/5K waterproofing/breathability, 80/40gm insulation, custom print, critically taped, iPod pocket, underarm vents, adjustable powder skirt, hand warmer pockets, 2way front zipper, hidden card/stash pocket. Mannual Motion PANT $289 FEATURES: 8K/5K waterproofing/breathability, critically taped, cargo pocket, front and rear pockets, internal leg vents, snow gaitors, hand warmer pockets.

Billabong billabong.com.au Transmit jacket $399.99 FEATURES: 15k waterproofing,15k breathability, fully taped seams, internal and external full length placket construction, taffeta and poly mesh arm linings for ease of entry and ventilation, adjustable cuffs, detachable powder gaiter. RJW PANT $299.99 FEATURES: 15k waterproofing, 15k breathability, nylon ripstop material, new hem cinch system, fully taped seams, taffeta lower leg linings, poly mesh crutch panel for ventilation, elasticated waist adjusters with flex gusset.

Bonfire www.bonfiresnowboarding.com 2011 Radiant JACKET $499 FEATURES: DRY: Random Herringbone weave, 15K waterproof / 10K breathable, fully taped seams. WARM: brushed tricot lining. EASY: storm access goggle pocket, Bonfire hood rail, detachable hood, sleeve articulation. 2011 Radiant PANt $399 FEATURES: DRY: Random Herringbone weave, 15K waterproof / 15K breathable, fully taped seams. WARM: slick mesh lining. EASY: Stretch gaiters, fine tune waist adjustments, inseam venting.

Burton www.burton.com Booth jacket $449.99

Four Square www.foursquareouterwear.com PJ jacket $459.99

Grenade www.grenadegloves.com Army Corps jacket $399

FEATURES: Dryride durashell™ 2-layer coated tech, pinstriped fabric (10,000MM, 5,000G), team relaxed fit, 40G thermacore™ insulation, taffeta lining, fulltime hood, fully taped seams, includes Burton restricted jacket features package. Cargo pant $339.99 FEATURES: Dryride durashell™ 2-layer coated fabric (10,000MM, 5,000G), Burton sig fit, mesh lining, fully taped seams, bellowed cargo pockets, includes Burton pant features package.

FEATURES: Waterproof / breathable 10,000K / 10,000g, ghost gaiter, pit zips, ticket window, stowable clava, classic insulation for all time warmth, fixed hood, double barrel chest pockets. Yeung pant $379.99 FEATURES: Waterproof / breathable 10,000K / 10,000g, ticket window, hidden glove holder, inseam vents, lower leg vents, knee and seat insulation, snap tight hem adjustment.

FEATURES: This jacket doesn’t have as many bells and whistles as some, but it’ll damn sure handle anything your candy ass can throw at it. Be all you can be with 5K waterproof fabric, taffeta lining and, of course, camo print. Army Corps pant $320 FEATURES: This pant isn’t a fan of excess. Get the job done without looking like a human Swiss Army Knife, in 5K waterproof/breathable fabric and zippered pockets. Excess is for idiots.

Groovstar www.groovstar.co.nz Karu jacket $339 FEATURES: Jorams’ Pro Model, 10,000mm waterproofing / 10,000gm breathability, seam sealed, longer body length, narrower body width and longer sleeve, magnetic storm flap with vislon zip, attached grown on hood. Maine pant $265 FEATURES:10,000mm waterproofing / 10,000gm breathability, fully seam sealed, subtle bootleg shape, covered inleg zip vents with mesh liner, jacket connector system.

Helly Hansen www.hellyhansen.com.au Precon jacket $499 FEATURES: Constructed of HellyTech® waterproof breathable fabrics, pit zip mechanical venting, removable jacket, snap-away powder skirt, multiple pockets, adjustable cuffs, removable hood. Stoneham pant $449 FEATURES: HellyTech® XP – Helly Hansen’s proven, waterproof breathable membrane technology ensures you stay dry and fresh, thinsulate™ insulation, critical point stretch panels, leg vents, water resistant zips, stretch boot gaiters.

Holden Outerwear www.holdenouterwear.com Cedar jacket $595

FEATURES: Hemp fabrication, 10,000/10,000 rating, solvent-free, earth sustainable zips, 80/20 DWR, fully taped seams, eco-friendly lining material, colours Black, Charcoal, Indigo. Boxwood Chino $349.90 FEATURES: 10,000/10,000 g/m2, 80/20 DWR, fully taped seams, colours Black, Twill, Cinder, Cardinal Red. NZSNOWBOARDER 107

HUFFER FUNCTION www.huffer.co.nz RMB Shell jacket $349

Neff www.neffheadwear.com Sarge Softshell jacket $349

Oakley www.oakley.com.au Battalion Jacket $660

FEATURES: 10k waterproof / 8k breathable shell, magnetic closures, wrist gaitors, removable pow skirt w/pant interface, heaps of pockets, hidden cinching, longer length, micro-fleecy lining panels, suede and O-tang art detailing! Team pant $289 FEATURES: 10k waterproof / 8k breathable shell pant w/fleecy seat lining, reinforced heel panel, easy access cargo pockets, inner leg vents, cuff zips, adjustable waist and super dopey baggy fit!

FEATURES: If you command the mountain this is what headquarters sent to the front lines. Waterproof breathable fabric keeps you dry and looking sharp when you’re showing the grunts how it’s done.

FEATURES: 100% polyester, 15K mm waterproofing,15K g/m2/24h breathability, fully tape-welded seams, 3-in-1 compatible design, loose fit, front vents, fixed hood, traditional hood pull and magnet system. Battalion Pant $490 FEATURES: 100% polyester, 15K mm waterproofing,15K g/m2/24h breathability, fully tape-welded seams, critically placed fleece, backed with 3M® thinsulate® , loose fit, two way crotch vent, exposed metal zips.

O’Neill www.oneill.com Seb Touts Sign. Edition jacket $299

PLANET EARTH www.planet-earth-clothing.com Branch jacket $449.99

Quiksilver quiksilver.com Sled Dog jacket $399.99

FEATURES: Critically taped seams, 5.000mm/8.000 grs rating, armpit vents, belt connector system, articulation, adjustable cuff, goggle whipper, detach hood, chin guard, single storm placket, velcro audio pocket and functional lining. Hammered pant $189 FEATURES: 5.000mm/8.000 grs rating, leg snow gaiter, outside leg vent, articulation, snow skirt connector system, bottom reinforcement, waistband adjuster, critically taped seams and functional lining.

FEATURES: Simple shell jacket, 100% recycled nylon, hand silk screen printed, 10k waterproof, 5 k breathability - clothing with a conscience. Sequal 3 pant $299.99 FEATURES: Jean styling, mobility fit, engineered for all weather. 100% recycled nylon, regular fit 5k/5k, be at one with nature!

FEATURES: 240gm insulation duck down and feathers, regular fit, brushed tricot pockets, exterior access media pockets, 5k/5k. Pizza pant $239.99 FEATURES: Mesh lined shell, Chino inspired styling, slim fit, 100% polyester melange herringbone, 5K/5K.

Ride Outerwear www.ridesnowboards.co.nz Wedgewood jacket $469.99

Rip Curl www.ripcurl.co.nz Clash jacket $299.99

RPM www.rpm.co.nz Redline jacket $299.90

FEATURES: 10K/5K waterproof breathable fabric, 60g insulated body with shell sleeve, attached powder skirt, pit zips, removable swivel hood, inner media pocket, chest pocket and front toaster pockets, adjustable cuffs. Phinney Cargo pant $329.99 FEATURES: 10K/5K waterproof breathable fabric, critically taped seems, standard fit, side vents, adjustable waist, double snap closure, tricot lining in the waist, butt and fly, boot gaiter with bootlace hooks.

FEATURES: 5,000 waterproof, 5,000 breathable, DWR coated, taffeta lining, double barricade storm flap, rollaway hood, fully taped seams, lycra snow cuffs, key hook, ergo correct design, mesh backed ventilation, goggle pocket. Team 2 pant $289.99 FEATURES: 5,000 waterproof, 5,000 breathable, DWR coated, taffeta lining, fully taped seams, alcatraz closure system, boot hooks, mesh backed ventilation, key hook, ergo correct design, enforced stealth kick patch, baggy fit.

FEATURES: 10,000 waterproof 5,000 breathable seam sealed, detachable powder skirt, spandex hand sock, iPod pocket, mid weight polyfill insulation, pit zips. Redline pant $199.90 FEATURES: 10,000 waterproof 5,000 breathable seam sealed, cargo pockets, inner thigh vents.

Scott www.scott-sports.com Rikers jacket $N/A

Sessions www.sportive.co.nz Revolution jacket $349.99

Special Blend www.special-blend.com Circa jacket $459.99

FEATURES: Critical taped seams, detachable hood, armpit venting, powder skirt, interior security pocket, handwarmer pockets, one-hand draw cord adjustable hem, adjustable cuffs. For more info go to www. scott-sports.com Unltd pant $N/A FEATURES: Fully taped seams, knee articulation, lift ticket holder, detachable suspenders, interior thigh venting, adjustable waist and gaiters, cargo pocket, welded abrasion-resistant scuff panels. For more info go to www.scott-sports.com

FEATURES: Sitting between the shell jacket and fully insulated jacket, this clean-cut design, with 80g of polyfil insulation will maximise warmth and keep you riding longer. Gridlock pant $349.99 FEATURES: Loose fit pant with thermagrid fleece zonal lining for added warmth against cold chair lift rides, handy cuff elevator to keep the cuff of your pants out of the mud.

FEATURES: 10,000mm / 10,000g, shed hood, pit zips, utility pockets, fresh snap kit which keeps you looking like a clone army. Strike pant $299.99 FEATURES: 10,000mm / 10,000g, icon die cut, cargo pockets, glove holder, fabric is a coated mini twill, for the season-long shredder or holiday hero.

NZSNOWBOARDER 109

Thirtytwo www.thirtytwo.com Shiloh JP Walker jacket $399 FEATURES: STI system EP8K waterproofing, STI system EP5K breathability, relaxed fit, front waterproof zip, wrist gaiters, interior waist gaiter with link system, pass pocket, JP Walker signature colour way. Cappa pant $319 FEATURES: STI system EP20K waterproofing, STI system EP10K breathability, recycled PET micro rip stop, waterproof leg vent zips.

3CS www.3CSouterwear.com Stella jacket $439

FEATURES:Stella look. Stella fit. Packed with hand warmer pockets, magnetic closures, tech audio pocket and is fully taped on the seams to keep you dry. Seattle pant $345 FEATURES:Tailored especially for the rocker fit. Loaded with magnetic closures, leg vents, and is fully seam sealed for those wet days.

Volcom www.volcom.com Ventricle jacket $460

FEATURES: V-Science 2 layer shell (10,000mm/10,000gm), V-Science breathable lining system, zip tech pant to jacket interface. Tone pant $374.90 FEATURES: V-Science 2 layer shell (10,000mm/10,000gm), V-Science breathable lining system, zip tech pant to jacket interface â&#x20AC;&#x201C; ergo fit.

686 Enterprises www.686.com Mannual Lunar Denim jacket $399 FEATURES:10K/8K waterproofing/breathability, fully taped, insulated 120gm polyfill, detachable fur hood, iPod pocket, underarm vents, adjustable powder skirt, hand warmer pockets, 2way front zipper, hidden card/stash pocket. Mannual Bliss Denim pant $329 FEATURES:10K/8K waterproofing/breathability, fully taped and insulated, cargo pocket, front and rear pockets, internal leg vents, snow gaitors, hand warmer pockets, denim fabric, hidden card/stash pocket.

Billabong billabong.com.au Anne Flore jacket $399.99

FEATURES:10k waterproofing, 10k moisture permeability, fully taped seams, zip off hood, taffeta and poly mesh arm linings, mesh lined vents, powder gaiter with pant snap system, elasticated waist adjusters. Lush pant $249.99 FEATURES:15k waterproofing,15k moisture permeability, poly herringbone twill, critically taped seams, taffeta lower leg linings, mesh lined vents, powder gaiter with pant snap system, elasticated waist adjusters with flex gusset.

Bonfire Snowboarding www.bonfiresnowboarding.com 2011 Ashland jacket $399

Burton www.burton.com Document jacket $399.99

Four Square www.foursquareouterwear.com Angela jacket $449.99

Groovstar www.groovstar.co.nz Cato jacket $339

Helly Hansen www.hellyhansen.com.au Sunflake $459

Holden Outerwear www.holdenouterwear.com Patch jacket $299

FEATURES: DRY: Heavy Oxford and Buffalo plaid weave, 10K waterproof / 5K breathable, critically taped seams. WARM: waffle fleece lining, 150G body and sleeve insulation. EASY: goggle pocket, mesh pit vents, ninja cuffs. 2011 Echo pant $349 FEATURES: DRY: Oxford weave, 10K waterproof / 8K breathable, fully taped seams. WARM: brushed tricot. EASY: Fine tune waist adjust, snap-tite system, mesh backed vents.

FEATURES:10,000mm waterproofing / 10,000gm breathability, seam sealed, longer body length, attached grown on hood with internal knit collar, magnetic asymmetric front storm flap with fabric self covered buttons. Jax pant $265 FEATURES:10,000mm waterproofing / 10,000gm breathability, fully seam sealed, bootleg shape, covered zipped inleg vents with mesh liner, jacket connector system.

FEATURES:Dryride durashell™ 2-layer coated matte herringbone fabric (5,000MM, 5,000G), team fit, 40G thermacore™ insulation, taffeta wrapture lining, mesh-lined pit zips™, fulltime contour™ hood, critically taped seams. Lucky pant $299.99 FEATURES:Dryride durashell™ 2-layer coated woven twill fabric (10,000MM, 5,000G), sig fit, taffeta wrapture lining, mesh-lined inner thigh vents, fully taped seams, includes women’s Burton pant features package.

FEATURES:The Sunflake is at home riding and relaxing. HellyTech® insulated for warmth on winter days. Snap away stretch powder skirt, full stretch side panels, pit -zip venting, removable hood. Vega pant $299 FEATURES:HellyTech® construction and extra insulation keep the legs warm and dry. Fully insulated, stretch boot gaiters, reinforced hem.

FEATURES: Waterproof / breathable 10,000K / 10,000g, ghost gaiter, pit zips, ticket window with check yourself mirror, back-up bandana, asymmetrical closure for off-centre style, fixed hood. Sammoff pant $329.99 FEATURES:Waterproof / breathable 10,000K / 10,000g, hidden glove holder, inseam vents, snap tight hem adjustment, dual cargo’s for daily capacity.

FEATURES: 10,000/5,000 g/m2, 80/20 DWR, critically taped seams, colours Black, Canvas, Mineral Green, Tomato Orange. Standard pant $249 FEATURES:10,000/5,000 g/m2, 80/20 DWR, critically taped seams, colours, Canvas, Black, Twill, Cinder, Ocean.

HUFFER FUNCTION www.huffer.co.nz Ride Down jacket $419

Oakley www.oakley.com.au Mane jacket $720

FEATURES: 100% polyester, loose fit, 10K mm waterproofing, 5K g/m2/24h breathability, fully tape-welded seams, mechanical stretch for greater mobility, 3M® thinsulate®, 100-gram body / 80-gram sleeves. Trina pant $540 FEATURES: 100% polyester pro rider series, loose fit, 20K mm waterproofing and 20K g/m2/24h breathability, fully tape-welded seams, critically placed fleece backed with 3M® thinsulate® insulation.

FEATURES:10.000mm/10.000grs rating, detach hood, articulation, adjustable cuff, wrist gaiter, chin guard, waterproof zippers, critically taped seams, armpit vents, goggle pocket, audio pocket and functional lining. Feldspare pant $209 FEATURES: 5.000mm/8.000grs rating, critically taped seams, articulation, leg snow gaiter, adjustable waist band, bottom reinforcement, inside leg vent and curved back waist band.

PLANET EARTH www.planet-earth-clothing.com Vantage jacket $529.99

Ride Outerwear www.ridesnowboards.co.nz Broadview jacket $369.99 FEATURES: 10K/5K waterproof breathable fabric, 60g insulated body with 40g insulated sleeve, attached powder skirt, pit zips, attached swivel hood, inner media pocket, front toaster pockets, adjustable cuffs. Highland Cargo pant $329.99 FEATURES:10K/5K waterproof breathable fabric, critically taped seems, standard fit, inner leg vents, adjustable waist, double snap closure, 40g insulated with Tricot lining, boot gaiter with bootlace hooks.

Rip Curl www.ripcurl.co.nz Ride jacket $249.99

FEATURES: 10k waterproof / 10k breathable brushed herringbone fabric, goose down-fill, removable pow skirt, mesh-lined vents, magnetic closure, extra long body, hidden cinching, wrist gaitors, suede and O-tang art detailing! Ride Jean $279 FEATURES: Unisex, 10k waterproof / 10k breathable brushed herringbone fabric, slimmer cut with oversized patch pocket on back, inner leg vents, cuff zips, adjustable waist and super toasty fleecy lining!

FEATURES: Cute jean style shell jacket in a robust, warm tweedy twill. 10k/5k microporous coating. Jersey Hatch pant $389.99 FEATURES:Appealing jean style pant, boot cut fit in tough warm crosshatch twill weave.10k/5k microporous coating.

O’Neill www.oneill.com Freedom Asbestos jacket $369

FEATURES:5,000 waterproof, 5,000 breathable, DWR coated, taffeta lining, rollaway hood, critically taped seams, lycra snow cuffs, key hook, ergo correct design, mesh backed ventilation, goggle pocket, regular fit. Lior pant $349.99 FEATURES:10,000 waterproof, 10,000 breathable, DWR coated, taffeta lining, fully taped seams, alcatraz closure system, mesh backed ventilation, key hook, boot split hem, ergo correct design, re-enforced kick patch, regular fit.

Roxy roxy.com Runway jacket $439.99

RPM www.rpm.co.nz Melody jacket $299.90

Scott www.scott-sports.com Trifecta jacket $N/A

FEATURES: Lurex stretch plaid, long slim fit, stretch micro ball fleece lining, removable hood, powder skirt, 10k/10k. Sled pant $239.99 FEATURES: 100% nylon dobby, 80gm insulation, classic styling, outside waist adjusters, 5k/5k.

FEATURES:10,000 waterproof 5,000 breathable seam sealed, detachable powder skirt, spandex hand sock, iPod pocket, mid weight polyfill insulation, pit zips. Lux pant $219.90 FEATURES:10,000 waterproof 5,000 breathable seam sealed, inner thigh vents, tapered through the knee for slimmer fit.

FEATURES:Critical taped seams, detachable hood, powder skirt, armpit venting, interior security pocket, one-hand draw cord adjustable hem, adjustable velcro cuffs, vintage details, night washed. For more info go to www.scott-sports.com Unltd pant $N/A FEATURES:Fully taped seams, knee articulation, lift ticket holder, detachable suspenders, adjustable waist and gaiters, cargo pocket. For more info go to www.scott-sports.com

Sessions www.sportive.co.nz Muse jacket $399.99

Special Blend www.special-blend.com Siryn jacket $369.99

Volcom www.volcom.com Albedo jacket $450

FEATURES: Having an extra 2 inches in length, this loose fit jacket with Sherpa fleece lining will give you maximum heat retention and the freedom to move while riding. Division pant $349.99 FEATURES:Baggy fit pant, mesh and taffeta lined with cargo pockets and removable suspenders. Designed with a womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shape in mind, not only will you look awesome youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be comfortable too.

FEATURES:Coated mini twill 10,000mm / 10,000g, colour blocked panels, fixed hood, pit zips, vintage stripes in a class of their own. Demi pant $279.99 FEATURES:Coated mini twill 10,000mm / 10,000g, zip hand pockets, inseam vents, large snap details, great female fit.

FEATURES: V-Science 2 layer shell (10,000mm/10,000gm), 80gram ppolyfill insulation, zip tech pant to jacket interface. Watt pant $349.90 FEATURES:V-Science 2 layer shell (5,000mm/5,000gm), 60gram polyfill insulation, zip tech pant to jacket interface.

summit rocks

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686 ENTERPRISES www.686.com Pyramid Distribution P.O. Box 4490, Mt. Maunganui Ph: (07) 572-0375 Fax: (07) 572-0333 email: info@pyramid.net.nz Stockists: Call (07) 572-0375

5150 SNOWBOARDS www.sportive.co.nz P.O. Box 8659, Christchurch Ph: (03) 348-9725 Fax: (03) 348-9719 email: ride@sportive.co.nz Stockists: AK – Hyper Ride, Snowcentre. MMN – Mount Surf Shop/Museum. CH – Victoria Ski Sport. QST – Small Planet. DN - Sun & Snow. ONLINE - Torpedo7.

ANALOG www.analogclothing.com Higher Ground, Box 2759, CHCH Ph: (03) 384-4262 Fax: 0800 444 437 email: info@higherground.co.nz Stockists: AK – Chpskts, Boardertown, Snow Centre, Alta, Underground. OKN – Snow Centre/ Powderhorn. NP – Chpskts WN – Surf’n’Snow. CHCH – Quest, Chpskts. DN – Quest, Boardbase. QST – Alta, Quest, WNK – Chpskts, Base, Quest.

ANON OPTICS

SPECIAL SUBSCRIPTION OFFER 4 issues for only $34 (sent within NZ) SAVE $$$ AND GET THE MAG DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR..

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(tick appropriate boxes) SUBSCRIPTION 4 issues of NZ Snowboarder ($34) 4 issues sent to Australia ($60) Published in May, July and September

BILLABONG

STICKERS Send me a sticker ($2) T-SHIRTS Subscribers $30 + $4.50 postage Non-subscribers $35 + $4.50 postage Size: circle one S M L XL Colour: neutral with grey logo print DETAILS Name: Age:

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ARBOR www.arborsports.com Synergy Brand Division P.O. Box 43, Darfield 7510 Phone: (03) 317-9096 Fax: (03) 317-9095 Email: sales@sbrands.co.nz Stockists: AK – Ski Trading Post. CH – High Country. QST – Outside Sports. www.billabong.com Stockists: Nationwide

BONFIRE www.bonfiresnow.com Snoworld Sports P.O. Box 19633, Christchurch 8241 Ph: (03) 366-1122 Fax: (03) 379-5099 Email: salomon@snoworld.co.nz Stockists: AK – R&R, Ballistics. HN – R&R. TPO – Gordons. CN – Vertical Whakapapa. WN – Gordons. CH – Gnomes, R&R, Snowride. ASBTN – Outdoor Adventure. MVN – Big Als. DN – R&R. WNK – Base, Outside Sports. QST – Outside Sports, R&R.

BURTON www.burton.com Higher Ground, Box 2759, CHCH Ph: (03) 384-4262 Fax: 0800 444-437 email: info@higherground.co.nz Stockists: AK – R&R, Backdoor, Chpskts, Boardertown, Snow Centre, Ballistics, Alta, Underground. HN – R&R, Backdoor. MMN – Backdoor. OKN – Snow Centre/ Powderhorn. TPO – Gordons, Pointons, Urban Edge. GS – Sequence. PM – Ocean & Ice. WN – R&R, Surf’n’Snow, Gordons. NP – Surf Skate Co, Vertigo, Chpskts. NN – R&R, Chpskts. BHM Chpskts. CH – R&R, Quest, Chpskts. MVN – Big Als. Mid Canty – Soul Surf & Skate, Gnomes. DN – R&R, Quest, Chpskts, Boardbase. QST – R&R, NZ Shred, Alta, Quest. WNK – Chpskts, Base, Quest. ONLINE – Torpedo7.

CAPITA SNOWBOARDS / UNION BINDINGS www.capitasnowboarding.com www.unionbindingcompany.com Stem Distribution Ltd. Private Bag MBE P263, Auckland Ph: (09) 360-1877 Fax: (09) 360-1879 email: scott@stem.net.nz Stockists: NORTH ISLAND – Backdoor, R&R Sports, Boardertown, Ocean & Ice, Powder Horn, Snowcentre, Snow Planet, Roy Tuners, Surf N Snow, Underground, Vertigo, Season Cheapskates. SOUTH ISLAND – R&R Sports, Base, Quest, Cheapskates, Soul Surf, Undercurrents.

DRAGON www.dragonalliance.com Ph: (0800) 316-728 email: sales@dragonalliance.com.au Stockists: Cheapskates and Quest nationwide. AK – Ballistics. HN – Backdoor. PM - Ocean & Ice. NU – Vertigo. MVN – Jaces Ski Hut. QST – Alta, Small Planet, Outside Sports. WNK – Outside Sports, Base. Mt. Ruapehu, Cardrona, Addiction, Riders HQ, Adventure HQ.

ELECTRIC www.electricvisual.com PO Box 302-878, North Harbour, Auckland. Ph: (09) 415-5441 Stockists: Phone for dealer near you.

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FLOW SNOWBOARDS www.flow.com Adventure Sports South Pacific,

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P.O. Box 1620, WN. Ph: (04) 384-1010 Fax: (04) 384-4308 email: assp@paradise.net.nz Stockists: AK – Ballistics, NZ Board Store, Ski Trading Post, Backdoor Taka & Sylvia Park, Underground. MTM – Mount Surf Shop. HN – Backdoor. WHK – Salt Air. TPO – Pointons, Tokaanu Ski Shop. NU – Seasons/Chpskts. Nat Park – Roy Turners. OKN – Board Shed, Snowcentre. PMN – Ocean & Ice. WN – Wild Winds. CH – Groundswell, Snowmania, BWM Snow. MVN – Big Al’s. WNK – Base, Outside Sports. QST – Outside Sports, R&R Sports. DN – Watercooled.

FLUX www.flux-bindings.com Pyramid Distribution P.O. Box 4490, Mt Maunganui. Ph: (07) 572-0375 Fax: (07) 572-0333 email: info@pyramid.net.nz Stockists: Call (07) 572-0375

FORUM www.forumsnowboards.com Higher Ground, Box 2759, CHCH Ph: (03) 384-4262 Fax: 0800 444 437 email: info@higherground.co.nz Stockists: AK – R&R, Boardertown, Snow Centre. HN – R&R. OKN – Snow Centre/ Powderhorn. TPO – Urban Edge. WN – R&R, Surf’n’Snow. NP – Chpskts. NN – Chpskts. CH – R&R, Quest. DN/QST – R&R, Quest. WNK – Quest. ONLINE – Torpedo7.

FOUR SQUARE www.foursquareouterwear.com Higher Ground, Box 2759, CHCH Ph: (03) 384-4262 Fax: 0800 444 437 email: info@higherground.co.nz Stockists: AK – R&R, Boardertown, Snow Centre. HN – R&R. OKN – Snow Centre/ Powderhorn. TPO – Urban Edge. WN – R&R, Surf’n’Snow. NP – Chpskts. NN – Chpskts. CH/DN/QST – R&R, Quest. WNK – Quest. ONLINE – Torpedo7.

GRENADE OUTERWEAR www.grenadegloves.com Pyramid Distribution P.O. Box 4490, Mt. Maunganui. Ph: (07) 572-0375 Fax: (07) 572-0333 email: info@pyramid.net.nz Stockists: Call (07) 572-0375

GROOVSTAR BOARDWEAR www.groovstar.co.nz P.O. Box 268, Whangamata email: sales@groovstar.co.nz Stockists: AK – R&R, BoarderTown, Underground. HN – R&R. NATP – Roy Turners. RAL – Vertical, One Stop. OHK – TCB. TPO – Urban Edge. WN – R&R, Surf n Snow. CH – Snow & Surf. Fairlie – Ski Shack. Methven – Jaces. DN – R&R, Hydro Surf. WNK – Base, Racers Edge. QST – R&R.

HELLY HANSEN CLOTHING www.hellyhansen.com.au P.O. Box 12440, Penrose, AK NZ stockists Ph: (09) 580-1006 Australian stockists ph: (03) 9338-5009 Stockists: AK – Snowcentre, Ski Trading Post, Global Outdoors. OHK – Snowcentre Powderhorn. TPO – Gordons. WN – Gordons. WNK – Racers Edge, Outside Sports. QST – Outside Sports.

HOLDEN OUTERWEAR

Turners. NN – Cheapskates.

MONS ROYALE www.monsroyale.com Mons Royale, P.O. Box 462, Wanaka. email: theteam@mosnroyale.com Stockists: Now in Australia, Switzerland, Austria Germany, France, Spain and New Zealand. Find your closest retailer at www. monsroyale.com

NEFF www.neffheadwear.com Box 19-026, Christchurch. Ph: (03) 961-2880 Fax: (03) 961-2882 email: info@skullcandy.co.nz Stockists: AK – Snow Centre, Snow Planet, Hyper, Alta. OHK – Snow Centre. WGTN – Surf n Snow. CH – Chpskts Palms & High S, Quest. DN – Chpskts, Boardbase. WNK – Base, Chpskts. QST – Quest, Alta.

NITRO / 3CS www.nitrousa.com www.3CSouterwear.com Kaimai Sports Ltd. 263A Ruahihi Rd, RD 1, Tauranga. Ph: (021) 464-876 email: paul@kaimaisports.co.nz Stockists: AK – Snow Centre, Snowplanet, Ski Trading Post. TPO – Pointons. MMN – Mt Surf. OWH – One Stop. OHK – Snow Centre, Powderhorn. HST- Spex. PM – Ocean & Ice. WN – Surf & Snow. CH – Snow and Surf. FR – Ski Shack. QST- Element.

NORTHWAVE / DRAKE www.northwave.com Pyramid Distribution P.O. Box 4490, Mt. Maunganui. Ph: (07) 572-0375 Fax: (07) 572-0333 email: info@pyramid.net.nz Stockists: Call (07) 572-0375

O’NEILL www.oneill.com

OAKLEY www.oakley.com.au P.O. Box 137-121, Parnell, Auckland Ph: 0800-696-255 email: nzsales@oakley.com.au Stockists: Phone for stockists, Nationwide.

PLANET EARTH www.planet-earth.com P.O. Box 8659, Christchurch Ph: (03) 348-9725 Stockists: WN – Board Factory. TPO – Gordon’s.

QUIKSILVER www.quiksilver.com Stockists: 0800-442-752

RIDE SNOWBOARDS www.ridesnowboards.co.nz Facebook fan page - Ride NZ P.O. Box 8659, Christchurch Ph: (03) 348-9725 Fax: (03) 348-9719 email: ride@sportive.co.nz Stockists: AK – Brown’s Alta, Ballistics, R&R, Underground Skate, Boardertown, Hyper Ride. HN - R&R. MMN - Mount Surf Shop. Owhanga – One Stop. TPO - Gordons. OKN – TCB. TR – Vertigo. WN – Board Factory, R&R. NN – R&R. CH, R&R, Snow & Surf. WNK – Base, Quest, Base2. QST – Alta, R&R. DN – R&R. ONLINE – Torpedo 7.

www.holdenouterwear.com Stem Distribution Ltd. Private Bag MBE P263, Auckland Ph: (09) 360-1877 Fax: (09) 360-1879 email: scott@stem.net.nz Stockists: Cheapskates CH, Surf & Snow, Underground, Quest, Boardbase.

RIPCURL

HUFFER

ROME SNOWBOARDS

www.huffer.co.nz 42 Greys Ave. Auckland. Ph: (09) 379-9259 Fax: (09) 379-9256

K2 SNOWBOARDS www.k2snowboards.co.nz Facebook fan page – K2 Snowboards NZ P.O. Box 8659, Christchurch Ph: (03) 348-9725 Fax: (03) 348-9719 email: k2@sportive.co.nz Stockists: AK – Brown’s Alta, Boardertown, R&R, Snow and Waterski, Snow Centre, Snowplanet, Underground Skate. HN – R&R. TPO – Gordon’s. OKN – Snow Centre, TCB. NATP – Roy Turners. WN – Board Factory, R&R. NN – R&R. DRF – Gnomes. CH – Snow & Surf, R&R. FR – Ski Shack. DN – R&R. QST – Alta, Element, Outside Sports, R&R. WNK – Base 2. ONLINE - Torpedo 7.

MORROW SNOWBOARDS www.morrowsnowboards.com P.O. Box 8659, Christchurch Ph: (03) 348-9725 Fax: (03) 348-9719 Email: k2@sportive.co.nz Stockists: MM – Mount Surf Shop. NATP – Roy

www.ripcurl.com Ph: (09) 477-0373 Fax: (09) 475-9751 Stockists: Rip Curl Stores - Auckland Int. Airport and Queen St, AK; Willis St, WGN; Maunganui Rd, MMN; High St, CH; and all good stores Nationwide. www.romesnowboards.com Synergy Brand Division, P.O. Box 43, Darfield. Ph: (03) 317-9096 Fax: (03) 317-9095 email: sales@sbrands.co.nz Stockists: AK – Boardertown, Ski Trading Post. TPO – Pointons. OWH – One Stop. WN – Gordons. CH – High Country. FR – Ski Shack. DN – Sun & Snow. WNK/QST – Outside Sports.

rxXY www.roxy.com Stockists: Ph: 0800-442-752

ROXY SNOWBOARDS www.roxy.com Bobo Products Ltd. P.O. Box 43, Darfield 7541 Phone: (03) 317-9096 Fax: (03) 317-9095 Email: sales@bobo.co.nz Stockists: AK – Snowcentre, Ski Trading Post, Ballistics. WN – Gordon’s. CH – High Country. QST/WNK – Outside Sports.

SABRE www.sabre.fm Stem Distribution Ltd. Private Bag MBE P263, Auckland Ph: (09) 360-1877 Fax: (09) 360-1879 email: scott@stem.net.nz Stockists: NORTH ISLAND – Backdoor, R&R Sports, Boardertown, Ocean & Ice, Powder Horn, Snowcentre, Snow Planet, Roy Tuners, Surf N Snow, Underground, Vertigo, Season Cheapskates. SOUTH ISLAND – R&R Sports, Base, Quest, Cheapskates, Soul Surf, Undercurrents.

SALOMON SNOWBOARDS www.salomon.co.nz Snoworld Sports P.O. Box 19633, Christchurch 8241 Ph: (03) 366-1122 Fax: (03) 379-5099 Email: salomon@snoworld.co.nz Stockists: AK –Snowcentre (Nwmkt/Slvdl), Ballistics. OKN – Snowcentre. TPO – Gordons. WN – Gordons. CHCH – Snowride, Quest. MVN – Big Als. WNK – Outside Sports, Base, Quest. QST – Outside Sports, Element, Quest.

SCOTT www.scott-sports.com Colorado Traders Ltd., PO Box 90, WGTN Ph: (04) 473-6459 Fax: (04) 471-2272 Email: sales@colorado-traders.co.nz

SESSIONS www.sessions.co.nz P.O. Box 8659, Christchurch Ph: (03) 348-9725 email: sessions@sportive.co.nz Stockists: AK – Ballistics, Boardertown, Brown’s Alta, R&R, Snowcentre, Snowplanet, Underground. HN – R&R. TPO – Pointons, Gordon’s. OKN – Snowcentre, RAL, TCB. NATP – Roy Turners. WN – Board factory, R&R. CH – Cheapskates, R&R, Snow and Surf. ASH – Outdoor Adventures. WNK – Base, Cheapskates, Outside Sports, Racers Edge. QST –Alta, Element, Outside Sports, R&R. DN – R&R.

SMITH OPTICS www.smithoptics.co.nz Facebook fan page – Smith Optics NZ P.O. Box 8659, Christchurch Ph: (03) 348-9725 email: smith@sportive.co.nz Stockists: Phone, email, or check web.

SPECIAL BLEND www.special-blend.com Higher Ground, Box 2759, CHCH Ph: (03) 384-4262 Fax: 0800 444 437 email: info@higherground.co.nz Stockists: AK – Boardertown, Snow Centre. OKN – Snow Centre/ Powderhorn. TPO – Urban Edge. WN – Surf’n’Snow. NP – Chpskts. NN – Chpskts. CH/DN/QST/WNK – Quest. ONLINE – Torpedo7

THIRTYTWO www.thirtytwo.com ASM, P.O. Box 10144, Dominion Rd, Auckland. Ph: (09) 359-9021 Fax: (09) 359-9022 email: sales@fad.co.nz Stockists: Please contact ASM for list of stockists.

VANS www.vans.com P.O. Box 91460, Auckland Mail Centre 1142 Ph: (09) 373-1460 Fax: (09) 373-1461 Email : admin@accentgr.co.nz email: admin@accentgr.co.nz Stockists: AK – Ski Trading Post, Snow Centre, Alta, Boardertown. HN – Assault. MMN – Mt Surf. TPO – Pointons. WN – Gordons. CH – Chpskts, Base Holdings, Outside Sports. WNK – Chpskts.

VOLCOM www.volcom.com P.O. Box 182, Raglan Ph: 0800-VOLCOM Stockists: Quest, Boardbase, Cheapskates, Underground Skate, Nevada, Boardertown, B-Jammin, Soul Surf, Ocean & Ice, Vertigo, Sequence, Salt air Backdoor, Snow Centre.

VON ZIPPER www.vonzipper.com Stockists: Nationwide

YES SNOWBOARDS / SP BINDINGS www.yesnowboard.com www.sp-united.com Pyramid Distribution P.O. Box 4490, Mt. Maunganui. Ph: (07) 572-0375 Fax: (07) 572-0333 email: info@pyramid.net.nz Stockists: Call 07-572-0375

RPM www.rpm.co.nz Stockists: check out website.

TEAMRIDERS ANALOG Connor Harding. ANON Shelly G, Nick Brown, Connor Harding, Dave Nurse, Liam Ryan, Bevan Hall, Ben Comber, Jamin Beatie, Jess Comber. BURTON Robett Hollis, Nick Brown, Shelly G, Connor Harding, Dave Nurse, Ben Comber, Jamin Beatie, Possum Torr, Jess Comber. DRAGON Ben “Ferret” Vercauteren, Charlotte Trundle, Jay Walsh. ELECTRIC Will Jackways, RMB, Abby Lockheart, Jethro Mains, Kristian Phillip. FLOW James Hamilton and Mark Anderson. FORUM RMB, Liam Ryan. GROOVSTAR Joram Makuru, Andy Clark, Will Harris, Rhys Boberg, Josh Clark, Tracey Barclay, Ryan Grice, Matt Taylor, Tim Herbert. HUFFER Roland Morely-Brown ‘RMB’, Ben ‘Ferret’ Vercauteren, Kristian ‘Moose’ Philipp, Rob ‘The’ Mitchell, Dylan Butt, Stefi Luxton. MONS ROYALE Shelly Gotlieb, Jake Koia, Abby Lockhart, Will Jackways, Nick Hyne, Nick Brown, Stef Zeestraten. NITRO Ben Stewart, Paula Mitchell, Willie Beggs, Colin Bartlet.

OAKLEY Jake Koia, Stef Zeestraten. O’NEILL Ben Stewart, Andy Kennerley and Paula Mitchell. QUIKSILVER Bevan Hall. RIDE Nick Hyne, Abby Lockhart, Joram Makuru, Joseph MacKenzie, Karl Dunham, and Tim Herbert. ROXY OUTERWEAR Kendall Brown, Maria Kuzma, RPM Nick Brown, Adam Shaw. SALOMON/BONFIRE Milu Multhaup-Appleton, Jordan Decker. SESSIONS Heath Patterson, James Hamilton, Mac James, Hamish Bagley. SMITH Heath Patterson, Nick Hyne, Maria Kuzma, Stefi Luxton, Tim Herbert, Mac James, Joram Makuru, James Hamilton, Hamish Bagley, Joe MacKenzie, Karl Dunham. SPECIAL BLEND Liam Ryan. THIRTYTWO Leon McKay, Ashton Sims, Adam Strawbridge. VANS Mitch Brown, Olympian!

FIRST ON LAST OFF

TEAM RIDERS / ABBY LOCKHART, JAKE KOIA, NICK BROWN, NICK HYNE, SHELLY GOTLIEB, STEF ZEESTRATEN, WILL JACKWAYS Go to www.monsroyale.com for NZ stockists. Now available in Austria, Germany, France, Spain, Switzerland and across the ditch. Spread the word.

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CONTRA IT’S TIME TO TAKE IT BACK TO THE OLD SCHOOL… remember the days when people used to actually talk to each other in person, and checking the letterbox always held an air of anticipation…? Cheque’s in the mail, yeah, right! Seriously though, get ya’ pen out and send us an envelope with your name and address to go in the draw for some of this booty. If you have actually moved with the times, then go check our website – www.nzsnowboarder.co.nz – and hit the ‘giveaway tab to get yourself in the draw.

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Luke Mitrani was putting it all on the line with these massive frontside 9â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and double chucks, for which he walked away with best trick and 2nd in halfpipe. PHOTO: PHIL ERICKSON

Norway’s Torstein Horgmo nailed back-to-back 1080’s to finish 2nd in the Slopestyle... heavy! PHOTO: PHIL ERICKSON

COMPS

Burton NZ Open Cardrona, Aug 11-15 By Ste’en Webster

“IS SHAUN WHITE GONNA BE HERE?” THE QUESTION POPS UP EVERY year at the Burton NZ Open, and every year the answer is the same, “We don’t know”. Even top dogs Liam and Mia who come down from Burton USA to oversee the seventh annual NZO couldn’t say one way or the other. In any case, it wasn’t going to matter, because with most of the world’s top riders already in town, the event was sure to fire on all cylinders anyway. Cardrona was also in good form, John Melville and his crew had put together a great Slopestyle course, and an insane 22’ halfpipe. Some big calls were being made about the pipe, along the lines of “best ever”, and “perfect”. The massive 50’ third jump on the Slopestyle course got a more mixed review, but at the end of the day saw the most intense action and a general stamp of approval. Besides the 3 kickers, the 800m-long course featured up and downrails, boxes and a unique upstair feature to quarterpipe. Day One, the Slopestyle pre-quals and qualifiers, faced challenging conditions, with thick fog rolling in, and women’s division only able to complete one of their two runs. Second runs would have to wait a couple days, to be slotted in at the beginning of Semis and Finals day. Meanwhile, across the hill, the first official halfpipe training session had taken place – and who had quietly rolled up but Shaun White himself. He’d already nailed a couple runs before anybody even had any idea… very stealth. By that night, his presence was being heralded on the TV News, and the whole event seemed to reach a new level of hype. Day Two, the Halfpipe pre-quals and qualifiers, enjoyed bluebird weather as over 100 riders battled to secure a golden ticket to the semis – only the

top 10 men and 5 women would make the cut. Ben Stewart was the sole Kiwi rider to pull it off, placing 6th to join our only invited rider James Hamilton in semis. With all the pre-quals and qualifiers done and dusted, the remaining two days would host semis and finals – Friday for Slopestyle, and Saturday for Halfpipe. Day Three, Slopestyle: The whittled field of 42 men and 16 women vied for a slice of the $24,000 prize purse, with top spots worth a hefty $6,000 each. The women were first to drop and competition was stiff through semis, with Ohakune’s Shelly Gotlieb coming out on top to do us all proud! Unfortunately she wasn’t able to put together a faultless run in finals, leaving the door open for last year’s winner Jamie Anderson of USA to stomp her way to first place. Janna Weatherby, also from the States, came second, and Shelly ended up with a very respectable third. Meanwhile, in the men, we had very solid representation with the likes of Jake Koia (40th), James Hamilton (30th), Mitch Brown (25th), Nick Hyne (21st), and Stef Zeestraten (6th). Stef pretty much killed his switch back 9 to frontside 10 combos, but it was Canadian Sebastien Toutant who cleaned the field with his cab 9 into backside 1080 double cork melon, and flawlessly fast rail performance. Torstein Horgmo (NOR) threw down in his third and final run with back-toback 1080’s for second, and Eric Willet (USA) stuck back-to-back 900’s for third. Deserving special mention was Danny Kass in 9th for being the most entertaining, as his personal stereo caddy Scotty Lago carried a massive ghetto blaster alongside for each entire run! NZSNOWBOARDER 123

Snowboarding’s biggest superstar, Shaun White making history at last year’s NZ Open, doubling up the doublecorks in one run. PHOTO: PHIL ERICKSON

Day Four, the final Halfpipe day, was always going to be the big one. Especially with Shaun White in the house. The good weather was holding, and just like slopey, $6,000 was on the line for both men and women’s winners. In the women’s semis the Chinese team made their presence felt, along with Kelly Clark of USA. Kiwis Juliane Bray and Kendall Brown missed out on the 8 women final, placing 15th and 9th respectively. In the men’s semis it was the US crew in full force, with Louie Vito and Luke Mitrani doing the 1-2 combo on team mate Shaun White in 3rd. They were all boosting, but you could tell some juice was being saved for the final. The training sessions leading into today’s event had already witnessed some of the heaviest progression in halfpipe snowboard riding in years, with the riders pushing each other and their limits. And now with the finals about to begin, the volume was getting turned up another couple of notches…. Kelly Clark was able to hold off all-comers to win the women’s final, but hot on her heels was Jiayu Liu of China. Both riders had back-to-back 7’s and 540’s, but Kelly edged ahead with her amplitude and solid grabs. Zhifeng Sun, also of China, ended up in third. Meanwhile, the men were blazing their way into the history books, with a level of riding and progression never before seen in competition. Luke Mitrani threw down the gauntlet with his first run, stomping a HUGE 4-hit run that consisted of a backside double rodeo 900, front 7 indy, cab 7 mute, and front 9 tail. Pure sickness, that earned him a solid 94.33. In fact it held off all comers for first run, including Shaun White who’s run consisted of a massive Lien air, back 9 melon, front 10 stale, cab 10, and his frontside double cork. Impressive for sure, but everyone knew he had to step it up in his second run… and he did, going higher and bigger, and replacing that cab 10 with his cab double cork 10. Yes, back-to-back double 124 NZSNOWBOARDER

corks, and new leader with 97.00 points! Luke fought back valiantly with his final run, throwing a cab double cork as well – oh so nearly lipping it, and then reverting as if he meant to. What a cat! But not enough to reclaim the lead. In third was Japanese shredder Kazuhiro Kokubo, with a monty McTwist, front 9 tail, alley oop McChuck nose, and front 10 indy. At any other event this run would’ve swept the floor, but not today… the bar had been raised! That finals day in the pipe will go down in the history books of snowboarding, as anyone present will attest to. The double cork had been introduced to competition and there would be no turning back. A day for all to remember, and it all happened at Cardrona, thanks to the NZ Burton Open.

NZO Results 2009 Slopestyle Women 1 Jamie Anderson 2 Janna Weatherby 3 Shelly Gotlieb 4 Joanna Dzierzawski 5 Silvia Mittermueller 6 Hana Beaman

USA USA NZL USA GER USA

74.00 73.00 68.67 53.33 52.33 39.17

Halfpipe Women 1 Kelly Clark 2 Jiayu Liu 3 Zhifeng Sun 4 Linn Haug 5 Soko Yamaoka 6 Elizabeth Beerman

USA CHN CHN NOR JPN USA

83.67 78.50 71.83 71.50 66.83 55.67

Slopestyle Men 1 Sebastien Toutant 2 Torstein Horgmo 3 Eric Willett 4 Tore Holvik 5 Seppe Smits 6 Stef Zeestraten

CAN NOR USA NOR BEL NZL

83.00 81.67 78.00 72.00 71.67 71.33

Halfpipe Men 1 Shaun White 2 Luke Mitrani 3 Kazuhiro Kokubo 4 Mason Aguirre 5 Ryo Aono 6 Antti Autti

USA USA JPN USA JPN FIN

97.00 94.33 88.17 78.33 76.17 72.33

Delivering a menacing storm of thunDer at the speeD of sounD. the trooper.

nixonnow.com/trooper

Swiss rider Iouri Podladtchikov, Cardrona. PHOTO: MIKE WEYERHAEUSER

COMPS

LG WORLD CUP / WINTER GAMES NZ CARDRONA, Aug 25-26 By Ste’en Webster

LAST AUGUST THE SOUTHERN LAKES AREA WAS PEPPERED WITH world-class snowboarding events, and it didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure the best plan was to hang around and hit them all. Especially with the countdown to Winter Olympics already started, many National teams were already logging in the hours. This first LG World Cup of the season was also slated as part of the inaugural Winter Games NZ, allowing organisers to combine resources and really lay it on. The word was out – Cardrona was the place to be. The training days saw some of the most intense riding in many years, with all the elements coming together; sick pipe, great weather, and a multitude of top riders all pushing each other. The new double corks were the focus, with a handful of crew giving it a go since Shaun White had introduced them just a week earlier at the NZO. But the perfect weather didn’t hold out, making things a bit tricky once the comp got under way. Qualifications day was blasted with a combination of rain and snow, at least initially. Women were up first, and it wasn’t an enjoyable experience for anyone. Then halfway through the men, as can happen at any time in New Zealand, it cleared up like magic! Leading the pack was, no surprise, Shaun – even though he missed his second run while sheltering in the café! The following morning found high winds, and a mountain on hold. Riders sat it out in the café, with hourly updates, and eventually a format change was announced to allow a shortened day; the semis were cancelled, and those who advanced yesterday all went directly to finals. The wind backed off just enough to get under way, and what transpired was an amazing final. The wind continued to be an issue for some, but the top riders seemed to simply out-muscle it! In the women Liu Jiayu of China turned the tables on 126 NZSNOWBOARDER

USA’s Kelly Clark who’d just won the Burton NZ Open. This time it was Liu on top with her solid back-to-back 7’s, Kelly in second, and Gretchen Bleiler (USA) in third. Juliane Bray was the highest placed local rider in 9th, followed by Kendall Brown in 17th. Shaun, fresh off his win at the NZO and riding in a self-created bubble of calmness, killed it for another victory in the men’s. Behind him was the impressive Swiss rider Iouri Podladtchikov, followed by Japan’s Kazuhiro Kokubo. Shaun, who utilised his double-corks to stay ahead of the pack, was ecstatic about his win, “What a wild event! I didn’t think we were going to ride today – the wind was unreal. But I felt great, I honestly think I rode better today than I did in the Burton NZ Open.” This event capped off the most intense period of halfpipe riding the world has seen in many years, and as the celebrations in Wanaka that night led from bar to bar, everyone could only speculate on the coming months and where it might go from here!

Results Women 1 Liu Jiayu 2 Kelly Clark 3 Gretchen Bleiler 4 Queralt Castellet 5 Ellery Hollingsworth 6 Rana Okada 7 Shiho Nakashima 8 Mercedes Nicoll 9 Juliane Bray 10 Soko Yamaoka

CHN USA USA SPA USA JPN JPN CAN NZE JPN

44.1 40.5 37.1 35.3 34.2 32.9 32.1 30.7 30.1 25.9

Men 1 Shaun White 2 Iouri Podladtchikov 3 Kazuhiro Kokubo 4 Markus Malin 5 Kohhei Kudoh 6 Brad Martin 7 Ryoh Aono 8 Peetu Piiroinen 9 Tore-V Holvik 10 Antti Autti

USA SUI JPN FIN JPN CAN JPN FIN NOR FIN

47.1 44.4 43.2 42.1 40.7 38.4 37.5 36.8 35.9 35.5

NZ Distributor: Synergy Brand Division - sales@sbrands.co.nz

Canadian Zak Stone mid-flight on his way to victory at the Bro Down… yeah Bro! PHOTO: PHIL ERICKSON

COMPS

BILLABONG BRO DOWN SNOW PARK NZ, Aug 28-29 By DB

IN A SEASON PACKED FULL OF ‘MAJOR’ EVENTS, IT’S ALWAYS A breath of fresh air when the Billabong crew rolls into town. Not to discount the level of the event in any way, after all it’s the only TTR Big Air event of the season. But the difference with the Billabong event is emphasis is placed on the riders, and creating an environment where they’re comfortable to throw down and then kick it and chill after hours with the crew at Snow Park. Dubbed the Bro Down, it turned out to be just that. With Big Air practice and the Nixon Quarterpipe Throwdown scheduled for Day One, as can often happen, the weather was not co-operating. So literally the morning was spent bro-ing down hard in the café at the Woolshed, smashing flat whites and waiting on a clear window – which did eventually arrive in the afternoon calm! Due to the fresh snow, low light and windy conditions it was a bit of a battle, but snowboarding reigned supreme and the riders were just happy to get amongst it. Highlights were Abby Lockhart and OG Canadian rider Dennis Bannock (who donated his $500 prize to the Wanaka Skatepark fund). Unfortunately for me, contracting a 24hr spew bug put a damper on things as I was running for the bucket every 30 minutes for most of the day – it turned out to be a blessing in disguise though, saving me from one of the many severe hangovers that surfaced the following morning. As the saying goes everyone 128 NZSNOWBOARDER

did their best to ‘drink it blue’, and sure enough we awoke to clear skies. The 70-strong field got under way with practice jumps and from the very start it looked like the judges were in for a tough day. The jump was a 60-foot table at the bottom of Snow Park’s triple line so a lot of the crew were familiar with it already, allowing for some tech stuff to be thrown down straight off the bat. It soon became apparent that 9’s were the standard if you wanted to make Finals in the men’s, and the ladies were throwing 7’s and 5’s. The wind was intent on making its presence felt as the day went on, but we came to shred and that we did! Young Canadian rider Zak Stone clinched the win in the men’s with a faultless double-corked backside 1080 (apparently his first one!) followed by Japanese ripper Takaharu Nakai and Kiwi Mark Anderson in 3rd. In the ladies it was Jamie Anderson who took her third consecutive win in this event, Czech rider Sarka Pancochova came in 2nd and NZ’s Shelly Gotlieb rounded out 3rd place. Once again the Billabong crew did not disappoint with an after-party of epic proportions that included P-Money on the wheels of steel, about 100 bottles of Bacardi, cocktail waitresses and even the Bacardi ‘booze’ bus where instead of getting in trouble for drinking you are encouraged to! Good on you Billabong… see you next time!

XXL

WORDS AND PHOTOS By Vaughan Brookfield

and I had talked about building a big jump up at The Remarkables for some time, and considering the jump Red Bull had built the previous season, we realized it was going to take a lot of thought and planning to get it right. The bigger a jump gets the more critical the dimensions and angles become. So we looked at about three different locations around Remarks, searching for the right spot where the groomer would have good access, and plenty of snow to build it properly. We decided on the exact location after some debate, and after getting the go ahead from marketing, it was on. It took about a week to build the main form, but it still needed lots of touch ups, so after getting some riders to check it out, the park crew got to work again to make a few modifications. After the mountain closed to the public, my good friend and roommate Heath Paterson and I headed up to the spot to get prepped. Heath took on the task of taking first hit over this monster. He's one committed rider and I was rapt he was stepping up. He did a few test run-ins and was confident it was going to work. Fantastic, as other riders weren’t super keen on giving it a go. First hit, bang, back 5 and he landed well past the knuckle. “Well that went fine”. I was pumping. He went straight into a back 7 after that and everything seemed to be going fine. He took a little break and we waited for the light to get better. That’s when everything went wrong. The snow had changed and he didn’t get a good pull off the rope. You’re really flying into a jump this size, and if you leave it too late there’s no pulling out. Heath had to commit, and landed way short in one of the biggest slams my innocent eyes have ever seen – on a 100ft jump I’d helped to build! He flopped unconscious down the 300ft landing, and I’d never felt so sick in the stomach. We raced down to make sure he was okay, and the medicos decided to send him to the hospital to get checked out, which luckily he was. 130 NZSNOWBOARDER

Stef Z with a super-sized frontside, on sunset, at The Remarks. NZSNOWBOARDER 131

Heath stepped up to the task of first hits, very ballsy on a jump this size!

Moments after impact... scary stuff!

You can get an idea of the size here... now turn back to the first page!

XXL

“This isn’t good - we need to make some major changes”, I said to JP. The conditions are so critical when hitting a jump this size, and in a break of just ten minutes the snow had changed. That week JP and the crew pushed the landing back 10ft and made it a lot mellower in the knuckle. It was a bit tamer now and I was feeling a lot more comfortable about some of the riders hitting it. Stef Z gave me a call and before we knew it he’d made it to Queenstown and was ready to roll. He was pumped on it and we were ready to get it done – front three, front seven, back seven, switch back nine, front side ten, pretty much one after another. He was killing it, and it was obvious the jump was working a lot better. The whole team was stoked... the groomers who’d worked hard to get it right, the park crew with all the crucial final touch ups and the nzski.com management who were willing to put some serious money towards building something you don’t see in New Zealand very often. Now that the bar has been set, with luck we’ll see more jumps like this springing up for our top riders to test themselves on this coming winter.

132 NZSNOWBOARDER

BUILD SOMETHING BIG, ATTEMPT THE UNATTEMPTED. SHATTER REALITY — THEN HAVE LUNCH. salomonsnowboard.com Ride for real

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Illustration by Jason Kyle

Jump Smarter By Karl Dunham

YOU WAKE UP AT 10 A.M. AGAIN, BRENDAN HAS ANOTHER GAY SHIRT ON and Steven is doing jazzercise with Jules. You have to sit through the Maori Language bit, ‘The Ladder Guy’ and ‘Woolrest Biomag’ before Bob Jones’s bit at 10:45. After Peter Williams does the News, you’re faced with a living hell until Simpsons at 5 p.m. By far the highlight of your day will be the latest on Charlie’s (a girl) emerging bi-sexuality on Home and Away. You don’t even need the TV guide anymore – after gettin’ broken off, this new routine has become your life. Getting hurt obviously sucks, and it’s normally from slamming on a jump, and usually from landing in the wrong place. So here are a couple pointers to help keep you off the couch this winter. DON’T HIT BIG JUMPS STRAIGHT AWAY Air awareness and being centered over your board in the air is a skill you develop after a lot of riding. So you need to progressively increase the size of your jumps, and when it all goes horribly wrong, learn to twist like a cat to get the board underneath and downhill of you. CHECK OUT THE LANDING And do this before you jump. Is it flawless soft groomers, or steep and deep Hokkaido powder? Or is it Turoa ice-cookies of death? Are Mum, Dad and the kids taking a family photo there? PLAN WHERE TO LAND If the landing is rutted out like Snow Planet or Cardies can get, take a different line and land where it looks the best. If it’s a natural hit, avoid the main cut out takeoff if possible, and take a line to land in the smoothest, steepest place. ACTUALLY CLEAR THE JUMP Watch as many people as possible hit the jump and work out how straight you need to go. Then only try new tricks when you know you can land in steepest part of the landing, not the knuckle. Some jumps you’re better off landing on your back in the sweet spot than on your feet, short of the knuckle. Never hit a jump if you’re not confident of clearing it, and always take off straight. WARM INTO STUFF EACH DAY Straight airs first, because speed changes every day and you’ll be better off if you get it wrong. Then do your safe tricks. Then get amongst it. VISUALISE THE TRICK Have a trick totally planned and visualised before attempting it. It can’t be a stab in the dark. Only try something when you’re confident of landing it, or at least landing feet first on the uphill edge. 134 NZSNOWBOARDER

TIME THE CONDITIONS Often parks are best early in the day. In spring it’s best after things soften, but before take-offs get too slushy or rutted out. Or if it’s a cliff on a powder day, go nuts when it’s fresh, and then give it a miss when it’s bombed out. TRY NEW STUFF ON THE SMALLEST JUMPS IN THE PARK Big jumps are over rated; little jumps can be fine for learning bigger spins and getting the feeling of new tricks. Natural bank hips are the best for learning spins. TAKE IT BACK TO BASICS Get the basics sorted, like your front 1’s, before you try front 3’s and so on. Think of all four 180’s as the building blocks of other tricks. Front 5’s will come easier if you can already switchback 3, and that’s a cooler trick anyway. BE AWARE OF YOUR ENERGY LEVELS Are you feeling warm, strong, and ‘on fire’ today? Or did you only just finish ‘necking’ Lindauer Brut 5 hours ago? And there’s a reason for the ‘last run’ superstition, so mellow out when you get tired. CONSIDER THE WEATHER About one day a season in New Zealand, even in the North Island, the weather may not be perfect. Wind can make getting the required speed into Russian roulette. Jumping in flat light is scary and dangerous, because judging distance is so difficult. If it’s whiteout, go hike a rail. BE CALCULATED Don’t try your first backflip because you said you would after a bottle of ‘Special Reserve’ the night before. Making the call to hit that bigger kicker should be based on how sussed you have the smaller one, not ‘cause dad’s got the camera out. Pros will cruise most of the time, then ride like you see in the vids when the big cameras are out and they’re hitting something they feel 100% about; it doesn’t make sense for them to risk getting broken off on something stupid. It’s about calculating risk vs. reward. GET A LESSON There are very good coaches and instructors these days; most mountains have freestyle products that will totally change the way you ride. Highlevel lesson groups are usually small, which gives a more personal experience catered directly to you. Whether we’re riding, driving, or in a Christchurch Motel with the Cronulla Sharks, we’re constantly making decisions that determine our safety. Most slams are the result of silly decisions. So next time you’re going to jump, think a bit more, and avoid the living hell of the couch.

FAST FORWARD

Colin Bartlett powers through a front-board at Snow Park, night riding rulz! PHOTO: RYAN ANDERSON

COLIN BARTLETT Age: 25. /// Born where: Auckland. /// First time shredding: Whakapapa, in Form 2, I think? /// Live in: Saudi Arabia while I write this ha-haha, but we’ve got a house for the year in Wanaka, so setting up there when I get back. /// Local hill: Ruapehu is definitely home, but Southern Lakes for the last two seasons and the next. /// Favourite spot to ride NZ and overseas: NZ would be Whaka’s for sure, Japan is unreal had so much fun there. Granite Chief Squaw Valley too, real fun. /// Mode of transport: A Libero GT. Looking back on it now I wouldn’t have done it (wasted travelling money) but I stripped it back to bare metal inside and out, in the garage at home, swapped the roof, shaved the handles, dynamat, made a body kit and did a bunch of stuff to it then painted it black/silver. It’s real fun to drive to the mountain, but snowboarding is always more fun than cars so it’s going on Trademe.... /// Best travelling item: iPhone/pod, laptop and skateboard. /// Future plans: Things seem to be moving real fast at the mo. Went over to Tahoe this season, then was home for a few days, then back on a plane to Saudi Arabia of all places to help set up a Burger Fuel. I’m heading down to have the dream season in Wanaka, got a dope house right in 136 NZSNOWBOARDER

town with my amazing girlfriend and Ben Stewart is going to be staying with us. I’ve left coaching for FTB to free myself up to just ride, so I’m really excited about this season. /// Best city: I don’t like cities much, Wanaka is pretty ideal for me. I’m keen to have a best city but I just haven’t seen it yet. /// Best beach: Snells Beach where the family batch is, not the best beach but have heaps of good memories up there. /// Tastiest beverage: L&P, don’t know why but I like it, always have. Smoothies are always dope too. Doctor Pepper when in the States for sure! /// Last trick you nailed: Back 7 while in Japan. That was a favourite, good way to end the trip. /// Last trick that nailed you: Most of them... ha-ha! Na, I was pretty bummed about finding a lump in the landing of a hip and tearing my ACL last year. /// Sooo hot right now: Saudi Arabia, ha-ha, it’s 32 and at the end of winter. I’m glad I’m only here for four weeks ‘cause it gets around the 50’s – not good for someone who loves the cold! /// The future of snowboarding is: With all this double cork craziness going on who knows, it’s been mental the last couple of years. Can’t wait to see how far people will push it, but to be honest I’ll always love a real styley back one or a slow well-

grabbed, tweaked 5. No matter what trick you’re doing, if you can make it look good, then that’s cool. /// Crew: Tom Hull and Edan Worsfold, Russell (my bro) who’ll be back riding again this year! The crew at Ruapehu, Cooper, Leroy, Rob, Shelly, Maia, Myza, Do-rag!, Dan and Harry, Ryan Anderson and anyone I missed. Down south, Jonny Young, Bjorn, Logan and Roland, and others. /// Say no to: Drugs... they’re wack, they’ll stop you from snowboarding if you’re not careful. /// Inspiration: Good weather and snow is always inspiring. Torstien Horgmo and Andreas Wigg’s video parts in Black Winter and Derelictica are inspiring me at the moment. /// On the stereo: All sorts, from Tom Petty to Wu-Tang with some Pennywise, Iron Maiden and GNR thrown in there too. /// Pipe, parks, powder and/or pool parties: Powder for sure, it’s the best. Park is fun as, and pipe is always a laugh. Pool parties, went to a few rad ones at high school. /// Sponsors: 3CS Outerwear, Nitro, Spy, Grenade, Raiden, Airhole, Powel and Bones. /// Thanks: Big thanks to my parents, to Holly, Willie Beggs, Paul at Kaimai, Adam and Brett at Meier Sports, Lee and Hayden, as well as Stu from Hectic. /// Last words: Last words, is this like calling last run?

F i r s t ch a i r. L a s t c a l l .

STEVIE BELL

Circa Ja c ke t i n P r i m e t i m e S t r i p e s

Speci a l -Bl end. co m

FAST FORWARD

LIAM PETER RYAN Age: 23. /// Born where: Auckland. /// First time shredding: Polywogs 2005, Cardrona. /// Live in: Wanaka. /// Local hill: Snow Park NZ. /// Favourite spot to ride nz and overseas: Snow Park NZ and Mayrhofen, Austria. /// Mode of transport: 1988 diesel Toyota Corona. /// Best travelling item: Eye mask, so you can sleep anywhere. /// Future plans: Keep snowboarding, travelling and having fun! /// Best city: Melbourne. /// Best beach: Omanu beach, Mt. Maunganui. /// Tastiest beverage: Just juice, tropical, 1 litre box! /// Last trick you nailed: Front 3 /// last trick that nailed you: Switch back 5. /// Sooo hot right now: Remi Gaillard snail, you tube it. /// The future of snowboarding is: Gondolas in Cardrona Valley. /// Crew: Anyone who is keen aka. /// Say no to: Working a 9 to 5 job. /// Inspiration: Michael Jordan. /// On the stereo: Led Zeppelin. /// Pipe, parks, powder and/or pool parties: Powder and girls in bikinis, what more could you want! /// Sponsors: Forum, Special Blend, Anon, Skullcandy and Neff. /// Thanks: Mum and Dad for always having my back! All the people that have helped me out along the way! There have been so many Bevan hall, Robett Hollis, Lewis Harvey, Tim Pierce, Greg Steel and anyone who’s hooked it up small or large. Chur! /// Last words: I’m working on a video blog as i travel the world snowboarding, it documents the cool places i get to go and the awesome people i get to meet along the way! It’s called 'lpr diarys' search it on facebook and become a fan!

Liam Ryan, getting mo’ shots than ever! On the fence 5-0 at Cardrona. PHOTO: PABLO AZOCAR 138 NZSNOWBOARDER

Rider Inspired Design Series Though snowboarding isn’t a team sport, does it mean a group of riders sharing a common thread should not unite? History has shown that all the great teams have come together and overcome the odds through each player’s specific contribution to the cause. However, remove those quirks and individualities and watch the lineup crumble before your very eyes. Take The A Team for instance: Strip B.A. Baracus of his gold chains and he’s an incoherent homeless man; deny Hannibal his cigars and his Alzheimer’s becomes strikingly obvious. Realizing the sensitivity of such a dynamic, Electric is proud to introduce the Rider Inspired Design Series; patterns, embellishments and colorways that are unique to our team of professionals. From Pat Moore’s locally inspired “Live Free or Die” motto, to Andreas’ imagery of Viking mercilessness, the overtones of manhood are unmistakable. Meanwhile, as Iikka Backstrom was busy tracking some hunter camo, Tanner Rainville went for mellow trip to Zion and came back with a Rasta vibe. The girls opted for more of a candyland look in whimsical colors and paisley amoebas as seen in Cheryl Maas’ and Jamie Anderson’s models respectively. Bringing the team together to design goggles so strikingly different may seem a dichotomy of sorts, but in a sense it is a unifying compliment to these riders who have done so much together. If you know Electric, you shall rejoice in victory with the release of this collection of uniquely personal goggles. Long is the history of a teams quest for glory, but a true winner is marked by their own personal triumphs...just look at Randy the Macho Man Savage. See the world through the eyes of a champion in Electric’s Rider Inspired Design Series. E L E C T R I C V I S U A L . C O M

09 415 5441

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Iikka Backstrom

Tanner Rainville

Pat Moore

Jamie Anderson

Andreas Wiig

Cheryl Maas

The award-winning ChillyDog Continuous Rocker returns with its stable constant arc underfoot. The Destroyer also now comes with Pop for extra ollie power in the specialized zones.

F ORUMS NOWBOA RDS .COM

haere ra The Kiwi girls are making their presence felt on the international snowboard scene more than ever this year. While the likes of Shelly, Kendall, Ju and Rebecca have been gaining consistent results in major competitions and events, Abby Lockhart has been holding it down in the backcountry and coming through with loads of amazing photos of burly riding, like this that a lot of us would think twice about even attempting. It seems these days there are so many young gunesses out there riding that we’re gonna see more and more photos and results coming through. Take note boys, these girls are at the top the game and there’s plenty more where they came from! Make sure you keep up or you’ll be eating their dust… or tuning their boards for them, ha-ha. Smithbrook, WA. PHOTO: GREG ROEBUCK

NEXT ISSUE… Sledsville: Captain Roebucks pilots our crew into the Nor-West backcountry. Alaska: Shane Orchard, Ruari McFarland and crew head to the ultimate proving grounds. Home Turf: RMB, TJ, Blinky and Will J get some skate, golf and gambling action in between shredding some of Canterbury’s finest. Plus: Travel logs from the northern hemi!

On Sale 6th July

anonoptics.com

danny toumarkine hawkeye

silver serino realm

DCP

INTERNATIONAL TEAM RISTO MATTILA SETH HUOT DCP MATT BEARDMORE ALEXIS WAITE PATRICK MCCARTHY ALVARO VOGEL MATIAS RADAELLI BASTI KUHN GIAN SIMMEN

www.northwave.com - Pyramid Distribution 07-5720375

NEW ZE A L A N D SNOWBO A R D ER , ISS U E # 5 2 , m a y / j u n e 2 0 1 0

EMPIRE BOARD KING BINDING LEGEND SL BOOT

RUAPEHU

KING OF THE NORTH

STEF ZEESTRATEN THE FLYING DUTCHY

OLYMPICS

SNOWBOARDING GOES GLOBAL

DOUBLE OR NOTHING THE ULTIMATE PROGRESSION

XXL

SUPER-SIZED SPRING SESSION

BUYER’S GUIDE 2010

52 nz$9.90 AUD$9.90 incl. gst issue #52 may/june 2010 www.nzsnowboarder.co.nz