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16 CheckINg Japan

PHOTO Ryo Hiwatashi

36 Danny Toumarkine

PHOTO Shreddy Times

70 The Gallery Kellie Talbot

PHOTO Courtesy of Kellie Talbot

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WIINTER IS FINALLY HERE BUT YOU PROBABLY WOULDN’T KNOW IT JUST BY LOOKING OUT THE WINDOW. Snowfall totals are down throughout the US, but that’s not keeping the industry from making some moves. Lucas Magoon joins the Carinthia Parks team and MFM returns to the Mountain High team. Matt Gebo joins the Mount Snow marketing team, while Bobby Foster does the same at Waterville and Stacy Lopes at Ragged. Next time you’re at the mountain, check out the SNOWCRU App for a free way to keep in touch with the homies. Granite Gorge finished a sick new lodge and Gunstock finished their zip line expansion. Even with the poor snowfall, retail sales at snow and skate stores were up throughout the holidays.

SNOW / SKATE / CULTURE VOLUME 6.2 CHIEF

Andrew Bablo andy@steezminimag.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Joe LoVasco joe@steezminimag.com PHOTO DIRECTOR

Joe LoVasco joe@steezminimag.com HEAD REP

Peter Prudhomme pete@steezminimag.com EDITOR

Taylor Kendall taylor@steezminimag.com CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Buddy Bleckley, Kyle McCoy, TJ Schneider, Karim Ghonem, Brian Nevins, Sean Michon, Terry Ratzlaff, Shreddy Times, Thomas Tikos-Kadji, Ryo Hiwatashi CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

The holiday season left us with some gnarly skate video parts wrapped up with a neat little bow. Nyjah Huston dropped his “Rise and Shine” part with enough hammers to open up a hardware store. Shake Junt’s “Chickenbone Nowison” satisfied our need for shenanigans with Neen Williams turning pro for Deathwish and Shane Heyl turning pro for Baker. Thrashers “King of the Road” is still going strong, you can find episode 6 on their homepage. The guys at 5BORO are working on tricks for their video “Join or Die” with a new teaser just released.

Sean Malto parted ways with Etnies with a new hookup on Nike SB. Mike Mo Capaldi recently left Lakai footwear for DC. 2011 Tampa Am winner Trevor Colden is getting his threads from Omit clothing. Santa Cruz picked up Josh Borden to their team. The new footwear company Praxis just added legend Karl Watson to their roster. New Jersey native Ishod Wair is now pro for REAL. RVCA Co-Owner Jimmy Arrighi announced that he is launching a new apparel brand, Eswi. Don’t forget Mountains of Steez Day is Feb. 11th this year at Granite Gorge. See ya out there!

Peter Levandowski, Pat Milbery, Andrew Fersch, Frankie Lopes, Anthony Shetler ILLUSTRATORS

Joanna Matuck, Phil Ashworth REPS

Doug Brassill, Chris Gadomski, Stefan Kunze, Doug Setzler INTERNS

Alexa Szilagyi CONTRIBUTORS

Travis Moore, Kellie Talbot THANKS

Tee Smith, Jake Sproul, Ben Werth, Alex DeGrechie, Kelly Thomson, Nick Legere, Craig Abbott , Greg Manning, Cat Reagan, Katie Davis, Ian Post, Ryan Brouder, Jame Ward, Justin Melanson, Colby DeGrechie, Katie Doner, Tom Ryan, Ben Knight CONTACT US: Steez Magazine® LLC 17 Knowlton St. #3 Beverly, MA 01915 607.329.5767 INTERESTED IN ADVERTISING OR STEEZ APPAREL? info@steezminimag.com CHECK US OUT ON THE WEB: steezmagazine.com facebook - twitter - newsletter GET UNIONIZED! steezunion.com/unionize No reproduction of any content in whole or in part is allowed without the expressed written consent of the publisher and artists. Steez is also not responsible for any injuries occurring from stunts performed in past, present or future issues. Always be safe.

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WORDS & PHOTO Ryo Hiwatashi

Japan 16

17 Ryuichi Kabeta Hip Transfer

Rider - Tomoharu Seki

apan is an awesome place for snowboarding! One of the spots I like to shoot at is called “Ginzandaira.” It still has plenty of snow in the Spring-time and offers great views of the land. There are so many new and unique spots to shoot at in Japan that many of them are just being discovered and we’re anxious to shoot at them more next year. Sometimes I have to travel far for a shot, and sometimes they’re just a few minutes from my house in an avalanche protected zone. We love to shoot at night too, and usually no one bothers us. One night we set up a spot for the entire night and just chilled under the lights, drinking beers without any problems. Some of the sickest riders in Japan belong to the “Sclover3” team and they have their own production company that puts out awesome films every year. I enjoy shooting with them as they are not only professional and focused, but very rad dudes to hang out with!

argentina / jackson hole / japan / silverton

real snow adventures // sassglobaltravel.com

P: Ben Girardi // R: Timmy Taussig

snow. We were outside for hours, despite the 10-degree bitter cold temps, and enjoyed 3 or 4 hot chocolates my Mom brought out to keep us going during the session. Come to think of it, I didn’t even strap into a snowboard that day, I was simply out there to be apart of this new exciting lifestyle. You could only guess what my wish was for Christmas that year? After my first board, snowboarding has been the best thing to happen in life since the invention of the pipe dragon.

Snowboarding Is Not A Sport or is it? When I was 11 years young, my Father and I would walk on over to the local park with our sticks, skates and a puck to play a little hockey together. The neighborhood park acted as our stomping grounds for any kind of outdoor fun, providing a hockey rink for all those that chose the hockey option, a sledding hill for those tubers and sledders, or an outlet to grab your board, a shovel and invite your friends to go session together. That same year, I was playing hockey on a team, stuck with a coach who wasn’t all that cool. Let’s just say hockey became a chore, a responsibility, the politics kicked in and the fun began to fade fast as a sport. What my Dad had once taught me about the lifestyle was rapidly transitioning into more of a sport based focus, and away from what I had grown to enjoy, what I had once loved so much about the lifestyle. So, that was it for my hockey days…

Luckily, that winter, snowboarding found me. I have always enjoyed the outdoors, being active, building stuff with my friends, basically the pure art of creation. One magical Minnesota Monday, a great winter day in the month of December, my neighbor brought his “Craig Kelly” snowboard over to my backyard and wanted to rip around. Together, we built a jump and he was throwing the raddest grabs. I kept re-building it, shaping the kick for him, learning how to properly provide the right pop to the transition and keeping the landing nice and soft with fresh

If you treat snowboarding as a sport, chances are you will get burned out, you may not enjoy snowboarding on a day-to-day basis, and not appreciate it for all the other great experiences associated with the everyday lifestyle of snowboarding. Like completing your first ever sticker job on a fresh board, road trips with friends, and all the great conversations while riding the chairlifts. To define snowboarding as a sport, it damages the roots, the legacy established over all these years, ranging from its counter culture roots, do-it-yourself state of mind, and all the characters responsible for growing snowboarding into revolutionary new avenues. Snowboarding taught me there were no rules, and if there were rules involved, how to break them! It will always remain open as an outlet for self-expression, the future needs to remain open that way and continue to welcome new creative freedom forever. Please think twice about referring to snowboarding as a sport the next time you embark on a conversation, it’s way too cool to slot it into another category of sports. Snowboarding is the funnest thing on earth, and just because it’s now in the Olympics and ultra popular, doesn’t mean it needs to be defined as a sport. Shred on, stay safe and have fun! -Pat Milbery

PHOTO Terry Ratzlaff

creative quest

photographer

equipment

location

Kyle McCoy

1V 35mm with 50mm lens

Gremlin Games 2011

bckgrnd

THIS LAST APRIL 20TH, THE GREMLIN GAMES turned out to be a cold stormy day (thanks La Niña, where you at now?) This didn’t stop anyone from having a great day of mini-shred, BBQ, and celebrating. I’m not sure if it was the cold or the fact I forgot to charge my camera batts the night before, but my Mark 3 died like twenty minutes into shooting. Luckily I had my 1V 35mm with a 50mm lens and a few rolls of film. Magoon wasn’t waiting till midnight to party like a true Gremlin. - Kyle McCoy

bckgrnd

ASH LIKES THE OLD BIKER MOTTO, "FREAK OUT THE SQUARES." With his good looks and rough beard, his shovel runs an original "war bird" and the holy cross... scratch that, the unholy upside-down cross. June 2011 we packed up and took a stroll down through the hills of California. -Tj Schneider

photographer

equipment

location

Tj Schneider

Canon 7D 50mm lens

Hills of California

up & coming JAMES H AF F NER HOME TOWN Bondville, VTt

SPONSORS Me Glad Apparel, SOLID Snowboards, Dragon, SGT (SASS Global Travel), Vermont Skateboards

PHOTOS Thomas Tikos-Kadji

JAMES HAFFNER

a recent graduate from Stratton Mountain School (SMS) is pushing the limits on a daily basis. When he’s not being a journalism student at CU Boulder, you may find him crushing local skate parks with friends, filming with some really good crews, or just living in the mountains riding rails, park and pow. Here is what he had to say about a few questions when we caught up with him in Colorado this year.

Where are you from on the East Coast and where are you living these days? Are you in school? I’m from Bondville man. Jerry Tucker has skated our ramp and bowl. I’m pretty honored to make that claim. I went to college in Colorado during the fall. I’m goin’ back in May. School’s kind of groovy. I’m tryin’ to get a bachelors of journalism. I really dig Hunter Thompson, gotta keep that vibe cruisin’. I live in Summit County now though. Agh, I love to snowboard brother.

What does John Cardiel mean to you? Everything brother. He invented that lust for life that all those park sharks have. ALL HAIL JOHNNY CARDS! Ian Kirk actually gave me a Johnny Cards pro-model with some super groovy grip art

on it for wall decor. It got stolen out of my truck at Boulder skatepark though, but that got handled. How has skateboarding shaped snowboarding? And what is your feeling on style? Snowboarding is pretty much mountain kids tryin’ to skate while strapped in. I mean skatin’ is way more core and all that, but seriously, everything I dig about snowboarding comes from skateboarding. Cardiel used to be a pro shred. Go cruise the world wide web, you’ll find a sequence of him at Boreal doin’ a back sevy japan off a cat track into a mogul field. The dude is RAW! And style, woah. I can’t back anyone without it, and it’s loony these days. Some people can chuck and get high scores in contests or whatever, and good for them, but that ain’t future proof. Style knows no time. What are your future plans with skating and snowboarding? I don’t really believe in makin’ plans, you just gotta cruise with it. I know I need a better method on my snowboard, and a backside crail slide on my skateboard. I don’t know man. I’ll do whatever Kirk thinks I should. I love that guy. I actually beat him in pool last night - whatsup!

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LEFT 1.Ipath Reed Mid Shearling Shoe - $80 2.Supra Skytop III Shoe - $130 3.Burton Freestyle Binding - $120 4.Never Summer Revolt Complete Longboard - $260 5.Drake Radar Binding - $260 6.Northwave Double Decade SL Boot - $239 7.Stance Portland Sock - $16 8.Stance LeBlanc Sock - $20 9.Stance Boa Sock - $25 10.Drop 1080p Rock On Gloves - $40 11.CandyGrind 365 Backpack - $130 12.Bern Macon TJ Schneider EPS Helmet - $125 13.Smith Holt Park Helmet - $60 14.Smith I/O Spherical Goggle - $165 15.Drop TJ1 Rocker Goggle - $75 16.Drop TJ2 Rocker Goggle - $75 17.S4 Transfer Goggle - $90 18.S4 Alert Goggle - $95 19.Sabre Easy Rider Goggle - $90 RIGHT 20.Sabre Krypt Goggle - $115 21.Sabre Free Rider Goggle - $85 22.Arnette Series 3 Goggle - $65 and up 23.Arnette Mercenary Goggle - $90 LEFT

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Proto CT/ Proto CTX

BEN MILLSAPS BEN GETTIN’ BUCK ON THE ALL NEW PROTO CT ROSS DOWNARD PHOTO / NS Factory Built, Denver CO.

INTERVIEWED BY Chris Gadomski PHOTOS COURTESY OF Shreddy Times

DANNY TOUMARKINE INTERVIEW A PRODUCT OF NEW HAMPSHIRE’S WHITE MOUNTAINS, North Conway local, Danny Toumarkine, was on the fasttrack to industry success. Raised riding Cranmore’s Darkside Park, Danny quickly gained notoriety with coast to coast podium finishes. Acquiring Burton as a sponsor at the age of twenty in 2006, Danny would later receive access to prestigious events such as the U.S. Open and Dew Tour. A seemingly fairytale story, with a combination of hard work and natural ability, Danny began filming with Shreddy Times, a video production company he co-founded with his brother, Conor. While on a film trip to Montana in early January 2011, Danny’s snowboarding career, as well as his life would be compromised by a traumatic brain injury, sustained while attempting a routine jump.

ow ya feeling Danny? Really good thank you, how you feelin’? Always good, where you at these days? I just got back to California a week ago, gonna chill out here for another ten days, head back East for Christmas and then back out here on New Years. Then I’m gonna start shredding on the third. Usually this time there’s so much snow here, last year there was over a hundred inches, and there’s really not much going on here right now. You’ve powered through this injury with such perseverance. What struggles are you still dealing with? A lack of understanding from other people. It’s not a common injury, I mean it’s not a broken leg or something where you’re walking around on crutches. Ya know? I look the same, talk the same, and act the same. A lot of people think that there has to be something different about me, but there’s not. The trailer for “Moving Forward”, a feature video documenting your injury and recovery experience dropped in mid November, tell me about how well that was received? Really good! It’s been received really well, and so many people have seen it. It’s up to 50,000 hits I think, everyone was super psyched on it. They said it was very inspirational, I haven’t really gotten any negative feedback from it, other than it was hard for some people to watch, they got emotional. Hopefully it’s starting to change the industry, wearing helmets more ya know?

Danny, it seems your injury was so extensively documented; can you elaborate on your relationship with Shreddy Times? Well I’m the co-owner of Shreddy Times, my brother and I started it probably 3 years ago. This injury kinda was a huge speed bump, with everything that’s been going on. As of now we’re really working hard on the video that’s going to be coming out January 10th, and then we’re still going to

continue on with our friends, making edits and whatnot. But it’s... I mean, I almost died (laughs) so it kinda held things up for a bit.

ake me back to January 3rd of last year. You’re in Montana filming with friends, what happened? It was a pretty productive day, got a bunch of shots in the morning. It was a pretty typical resort, and it was just a trail-to-trail transfer. I had hit it, probably five times that day already. I was just doing a backside 180, I remember half of my airtime. No one really saw me fall, but from what I’ve gathered, I basically caught my heel edge, smashed my head on the hard snow, and then went off the trail, because the trail wasn’t very

wide. And that’s pretty much all I remember of January (laughs). Were you coherent following the initial impact? What are your earliest memories post injury? No, the initial impact caused a skull fracture, kinda like a mega-concussion, I don’t remember any of that. I was airlifted to the hospital, I really don’t remember anything for 3 and a half weeks. What resort were you at? Teton Pass. That was our first time going there, and we were all stoked because the guy set us up with free lodging and tickets and ya know, we were allowed to do whatever we wanted at the resort.

Have fun. I’m just excited I can get on “a board this soon after the accident. I don’t have any goals of doing tricks or anything specific like that.

“

Tell me about the hospital stay; where were you at and for how long? Benefis Hospital, in Great Falls, Montana. I was brought in on January 3rd, and was there for 33 days. 3 is my lucky number. How’d you maintain the strength and motivation to soldier on? Not that I remember the first month really, but when I started to come around I realized all my best friends were at the hospital, my whole family was there. And then the website that my brother started, dannyisthebomb.com, all the support from all my friends, and from people that I don’t even know that wrote in. That was crazy to me, and that helped out a lot for sure. As serious as traumatic brain injuries are, you’re extremely lucky to have recovered to the extent you have, in what little time you have; what’s been the most difficult part of the recovery process? I think I’d have to say like I said before, people not understanding the injury. That was super frustrating to deal with, ‘cause ya know some people support you and are by your side the whole time, and others just totally write you off and think you’re a different person because of what you’ve been through. Gaining weight was kinda tough too, because I lost so much when I was in the hospital. Aside from physical therapy, what activities have helped you rehabilitate? Hiking, I kinda set new goals for myself and got

into sports that I don’t usually do. I’ve hiked 400 miles since my accident. Golfing… I just kinda had to get excited about new things, it wasn’t a typical summer for me. I know you’re super stoked to get back on your board, and everyone’s curious, what are your plans/goals/ aspirations for this winter season? Have fun. I’m just excited I can get on a board this soon after the accident. I don’t have any goals of doing tricks or anything specific like that. Just have fun with the people that have been there for me through this accident like all my good friends. How about a helmet sponsor? Sandbox Helmets. What’s your sponsor list looking like for this season? How’s their support been throughout this ordeal? They’ve been great, Burton, Analog, Northstar, and Electric. Tubular Neckwear and Shreddy Times. They’ve been super good, they cut my jacket off me when I got hurt, and by the time I woke up, Analog had already sent me another jacket of that exact one. Burton sent a couple

boxes out not even for me; it was for my family and friends that were there. So it was pretty cool that they were able to do that. Getting away from the accident a little bit, Danny, you’re a well traveled guy it seems. Where are you trying to go in the near future? Or are you just holding it down in New England? I’ll be based in Tahoe City, California for the whole winter, and then probably do a trip or two to Colorado and maybe the East Coast. As far as summer goes I might go back up to Mt. Hood, and down to South America (Argentina). After missing this year I wanna be riding as much as I can be. I heard you were on the hunt for some new wheels, you find anything? I had a car on the East Coast, I just didn’t feel like driving one back out here but I ended up doing that, just driving my car from the East. How was the road trip? Long... Yea long and fun, I did it with one of my best friends from the East Coast, he’s moving out here. And then we met my brother and my girlfriend in Colorado and continued on from there. 42

It seems Tahoe is almost like a New England transplant right now. Yeah it is. It’s an easy switch, better weather and

a lot more snow. How is it having the hometown crew out there? Yea I love it. It’s all the right people from the East Coast that are trying to have a bit of a change, and a better environment to do what they love to do. Well Danny, thanks so much and most of all, congratulations! Any shout-outs? Thank you to everyone who has supported me throughout this tragic accident. Your support has been nothing short of amazing! Everyone who donated money, followed me for all 33 days on dannyisthebomb.com, my family/friends, all the doctors and nurses... EVERYONE! Also, the sponsors that we have gotten on board for our video project have been so supportive. Special thanks to all of you below-

Vitamin Water High Fives Foundation Burton Snowboards Sandbox Helmets Clif Bar Sticker Pack Kicker

DANNY TOUMARKINE INTERVIEW

photo

Parker Duke Big ollie to boardslide, 180 wall drop PHOTO Kyle McCoy

photo

Birds Japan PHOTO Tj Schneider

photo

Jarrod Pimental Making double sets look easy. 48

PHOTO Karim Ghonem

photo

Rob Hallowell Throwing down by the seaside. PHOTO Brian Nevins

photo

Pat Farrell Wallie. Blunt. Fakie. PHOTO Buddy Bleckley

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WRITE-UP

PHOTO Sean Michon WORDS Anthony Shetler

marco mahony

Top 360 Flip / LEFT Front Board

hen Marco isn’t working his full-time job, buying scratch tickets, or out having a few, he will most likely be out on a killing spree with his skateboard. Since he was a young lad he always has had an incredible talent with skateboarding, and all of the locals immediately took notice. For years he’s been out filming for this or that, non-stop. Only recently have things been taking a great turn for him in the skateboarding world. It’s got to be his persistence. If he really wants something bad enough, he just won‘t stop ‘til he‘s got it. Here’s a perfect example, one of many. He decided to try and boardslide this double kinked, wooden rail with two harsh turns in it, in town, which had close to zero run-up. First day there, he had tried it for about an hour before

taking off to work with no success. Day two, he had still been giving this thing a try for around an hour and a half until he sacked on it and broke one section of the rail in half. We thought it was over right there. Nope, we took the two halves to the hardware store, bought some new wood, cut it to the right length, angles, and boom, we were back in business. We nailed on the new rail, and he got it the third day back, twice in a row for the sake of landing it nice and clean for the camera. This is the persistence we’re talking about here. Marco’s been trying harder than most anyone I know to get things going for the better part of his life. The dude most certainly has, and deserves a bright future. Just know, this is far from the last you’ll see of him, keep your eyes and ears in working order!

“MARCO’S BEEN

TRYING HARDER THAN MOST ANYONE I KNOW TO GET THINGS GOING FOR THE BETTER PART OF HIS LIFE -A. SHETLER

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DYK?

Life Rep As A

ILLUSTRATION Phil Ashworth

WORDS Peter Levandowski

L E A D I N G

A GLITZY AND GLAMOROUS LIFE, SALES REPS MAKE EVERYONE JEALOUS OF WHAT THEY DO. FROM ALL THE GIRLS AND FREE PRODUCT, TO THE GREAT HOURS AND FREE LIFT TICKETS, EVERYONE WANTS TO BE A REP. Most of this is a lie, except for the fact that everyone wants to become a sales rep for a great company, hoping the other facets come true. No one knows the days of travel, the time away from home, the years spent working toward becoming a rep, or the expenses that need to be paid up front (hotels, gas, vehicle payments, samples, and so on). The responsibilities are endless, having to deal with the shops and the vendors at the same time. What carries most of these guys through every season is their passion for their company, and love for the sport. Becoming a sales rep is a long and tedious road. Most guys started working for other reps to get hook-ups like free gear and contest fees. Many reps were once at the top of their game in their respective sport as a competitor. This leads to many connections, networks, and an understanding of what it takes to be a successful rep. Matt Beck (Colorado and New Mexico Account Manager for Burton, RED, Anon, and Frends) says “I was a regional team rider for Burton in Vermont way back when. At this time Chris Copley was the New England Burton Rep. Cope was the sh*t. Smart, super fun, and clearly a successful dude. He showed me the way to do this thing right.” Every rep starts somewhere, many taking the same paths through the lower ranks and moving upward as they find their own style of selling. Most reps were on am-teams that gave them their first shot at repping. “I was a rep rider for Oakley as a kid, and Mark Wakeling who was the Oakley rep gave me a shot at sub-repping” says Nelson Wormstead (Oakley Principle Rep in New England handling Oakley, Rayban, Revo, and Arnette). It’s not as easy as it may seem, so any twenty something year old who’s looking for a job, cross snowboard rep off the list because you would have been chosen already. Unfortunately, we can’t all become reps. There are a lot of good things that are associated with being a rep. Selling a brand they love and working for a company they love makes it easy for most of them because they are pas-

sionate about it. We all know that a heartless job doesn’t feel like it has much meaning, but doing a job that’s not considered a “job”, is priceless. Brandon Halberstadt (Sales Rep for Arbor and Nixon New England/Main Event Director) states “It’s not a job as much as a lifestyle. Making your own schedule, being driven to make money, and seeing your friends while traveling as much as we do everywhere is the best.” He then begins to talk about the negatives, “Expenses, sample bills, late nights, little sleep, partying harder than anyone, forgetting to eat, relationships, f**k this job is the worst... AND the best.” For every pro there is a con. Most of the negatives are hidden from the public eye, which is why repping looks so awesome. “For me, it’s the connections and friendships you make along the way. I’ve repped the East Coast and West Coast, and the common theme amongst most retailers is they love what they are selling. When at the end of a meeting you can go ride, surf, or skate with an account, you know you are doing something right,” comments Jeff Brusven (North Face Specialty Sales Manager). But for every time they get to go skate, surf, or ride, there are days when the cell phone doesn’t leave their ear, they try to help everyone at once. “Oh yeah speeding tickets, car accidents (and occasionally cops) all f***ing suck,” remarks Matt Beck. Fortunately for them, they deal with like-minded people in the shops. Most people involved within the industry do it for the love of the sport, but unfortunately it is a business.

B E I N G

a rep can definitely be challenging at times. Being able to multi-task is a must. It seems everything happens at once, orders coming in, driving, changes in product manufacturing, driving, and customer service. Was driving mentioned? “Making sure the brands I represent are successful in my territory. A big part of this is sales obviously, but marketing is a huge part of the process as well,” said Nelson Wormstead. Many reps have their own teams, which is where marketing comes in. The good shredders end up on regional teams, helping promote the companies they ride for, creating another responsibility for the rep. Reps must make sure their brands are successful simply because at the end of the day, if goals aren’t met, something would have to change, possibly

PEOPLE THAT ARE SUCCESSFUL WITH IT, UNDERSTAND THE GRIND AND THE HARD WORK THAT GOES INTO MAKING A BRAND SUCCESSFUL” -Nelson Wormstead, Oakley Principle Rep New England

the rep. Matt Beck says “It’s constantly managing the retailer's business with the brands I rep; Helping them be successful is #1.” Responsibility number one is, help everyone make money. Reps will run contests, switch inventory, make constant trips to stores, and report back to the companies of the changing environment within their industry.

M O S T

importantly, most reps truly believe in what they do. Otherwise they wouldn’t be on the mountains or in their cars. Most reps travel a majority of the time, hitting every shop along a designated route. It's their opportunity to create a buzz in the stores about their products, hopefully leading to sales. The territories covered are huge and it can take days to cover every account. This is where their connections and friends come in handy, especially if there is an empty couch. “When I was a rep, I traveled 60% of the time. Now that I’m in sales management, I travel 59% of the time,” said Jeff Brusven. It’s all about the time they put into it. Believe it or not, this is the life many of them have chosen. Matt Beck says, “I can be on the road 7 days a week no sweat. I love traveling on my own as well. There is nothing better than experiencing a new and different place.” Reps are of a different breed, having so much put on their shoulders, and smiling the whole time. It’s also important that they have a presence at some mountains, repping their product. They all try to get out and ride, after all, they rep because they love the sport. Jeff Brusven remarks, “One thing about growing up on the East Coast is that you sometimes have to make the best out of harsh conditions. I feel this breeds creativity and the ability to adapt. East

Coasters can make the best of any type of condition.” Brandon Halberstadt concurs about days on snow, “At least as many years you have been alive is my rule. You have to, it is your job!” Some reps go harder than others, making the most out of the sales season and riding season. Many of them are immersed in the culture and lifestyle they have selected. Many of the reps are happy with what they do and have the capability of adapting to a quickly changing environment. None of them seem disappointed in what they do. In fact, most of them wouldn’t even change the negatives of the job, it comes with the career. Nelson Wormstead states “I wouldn’t change a thing about the rep game. People that are successful with it, understand the grind and the hard work that goes into making a brand successful.” These guys love the challenges put in front of them and put the pedal to the metal to conquer the obstacles. It is not a simple task, being in ten places at once. The days are grueling. “I would give every rep a helicopter. You could get to your accounts so much easier with a helicopter,” jokes Jeff Brusven. It takes a certain type of self-starting, intrinsically motivated person to do what these guys do. No rep would change what they are doing. They meet new people every day, travel the world, and sell what they love the most. They are surrounded by other people who share the same passions and goals. Reps are the key players in the industry, connecting the companies with the retailers. Reps pump up shop employees to sell more, and run contests for a greater rate of sales within the stores. If it weren’t for some of these guys, certain sports wouldn’t be where they are today. Certain contests would never exist. Some rider’s would have never “made” it. Life as a rep continues far into the night, traveling, emailing, phone calls, unbeknownst to the average onlooker. The time and effort of a rep is unmatched by almost any career, and it’s all for the love of the sport.

S4 TEA

M RID ER PAT M ILBER Y

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Pat Milbery rocks the S4 TRANSFER goggle & NICKEL SLOTS sunglasses

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Kellie Kellie Talbot

INTERVIEWED BY Joe LoVasco - PHOTOS Courtesy of Kellie Talbot

Kellie Talbot has worked in the snowboard industry since the mid 90’s as an illustrator and designer. Talbot’s work can be spotted at any mountain or fine retail shop. She has been the creative force behind Signal Snowboards since its inception in 2003. From clean, crisp designs, to hand-painted one off decks, Talbot and Signal Snowboards are carving their own creative direction in the snowboard industry. Aside from Talbot’s work in the snowboard industry, she is a very talented oil painter. The subject matter portrayed in her painterly work often revolves around past and present life of the American manufacturing industry and the decay of craftsmanship displayed in hand-painted and neon signage. The level of realistic detail captured in her work evokes a sense of nostalgia towards industry. The rust stains and broken bulbs represent more than a state of disrepair; they show presence and an appreciation for hand-crafted work. On top of the interview, Talbot has hooked us up with a sneak peak of some new Signal board designs. Enjoy. - Joe LoVasco

Talbo

GO - 2011 48" x 48", oil paint

Signal - OG 2010-2011

Signal - Jake Park 2010-2011

Your painterly work often references the manufacturing industry. Why is it important to you to depict an industry of the past in its present condition? Manufacturing isn’t an industry of the past. Just look at Signal for proof of that. I don’t really understand why other companies outsource their production. Essentially they become marketing companies. If you’re only in the industry to maximize profit then I’d say you fail at basic business because easier money is elsewhere. Signal controls the whole process, from an idea to the finished board. We love making real things. It’s where we started and it nurtures our soul. When I paint heavy industry it’s both an elegy and a hope. The rust and decay in my work aren’t negatives. It’s like lines on a face. They are marks earned with time and hopefully commitment. And

Signal - Omni 2012-2013

Signal - Rocker 2012-2013

even though I don’t often portray people in my work, I think that they are always implied. There is always a worker who has done the work. I like that. The typography of old signage, especially old neon signs, is a recurring subject that appears throughout your paintings. Does the typography of old signage influence your type (fonts, weights, etc.) choices in your commercial graphic design work? I am sure that one side influences the other, but I think it’s more that I just love typography. Our lives are surrounded by it. My first real job was as a sign painter. I fell in love with the craftsmanship. And type is like people — they all have a personality, but you like to spend more time with some rather than others.

Kellie Talbot

La Hacienda - 2010 48" x 60", oil paint 73

Kellie Talbot

Granary in July XII - 2006 48" x 36", oil paint

Can you take us through the steps of designing and laying out a snowboard series? Do you have a favorite part in the process? At Signal, we always start out with a conversation about what we want for the series. The board’s technology and manufacturing process is definitely taken into consideration for the graphic as well. The whole thing has to mesh together as one unit. From that point I usually clock a lot of hours between my sketchbook and computer, working through comps. Then there is that one moment when you just know that it’s finished. That moment is really great, but even better is when I get to see that first sample come out of the press. 74

What advice would you give to an aspiring artist/graphic designer who wants to break into the snowboard industry? I’ve been doing this since the mid 90’s and I am

always amazed by what some companies put on their boards. So, I would say to be as original as you can be, build a strong portfolio and never let someone use your art for free. I understand you have a duck for a pet. Are you afraid he/she will fly away? Gus is a Pekin, which is a farm duck not a migrating duck. He can fly for about ten feet but it’s more like a controlled crash. Most importantly he is a happy duck. He runs toward me not away. What is the best way to stay up-to-date with your work and gallery showings? I post all upcoming shows on my site at www.kellietalbot.com. And you can always find out what’s new at www.signalsnowboards.com.

nowplaying EVIDENCE ofDilated Peoples

WELCOME TO THE UNDERGROUND WORLD OF HIP-HOP. LET ME INTRODUCE TO YOU A LEGEND, based out of the West Coast, and one of LA’s finest. He, along with Rakaa and DJ Babu, make up the group, Dilated Peoples. You ever heard of them? If not, I would highly suggest you check out the legacy of hip-hop classics they have built up over the past decade. Evidence is always on the grind, mixing his efforts between being a full-time emcee as well as a producer. He has helped co-produce tracks for some of hip-hop’s best like Defari, Atmosphere, Swollen Members, Beatnuts, Brother Ali, Beastie Boys, and Kanye West, just to name a few. Evidence recently signed with Rhymesayers Entertainment to release his new solo record titled, “Cats and Dogs”. Evidence has been focusing the majority of his time on his solo projects for 2011 into 2012. One thing is for certain, Evidence will never fall short of providing lyrical wizardry mixed with fresh beats!

Where are you currently living? Venice, California. Do you make a lot of your own beats? I can’t use every beat I make, ‘cause I have access to a lot of great people who produce, like The Alchemist, and DJ Babu. Using my own beats for all my work would be a disservice to them and their talents. 76

How’s the road life, you getting tired from being on the road? I’ve been on the road since August. I’m so on

it, I’m on my 40 th day straight, and I’m in that mind state of the daily travels. I was on the “Family Vacation Tour” with the Rhymesayers, then I had one week off and performed at “Rock The Bells” in New York, then I did the second leg of the “Family Vacation Tour,” which was in Europe with the Rhymesayers, and included Atmosphere, Brother Ali, Grieves & Budo, and Blueprint. Then I jumped straight to this tour, “The Grouch Stole Christmas” Tour. How long have you been touring? I have been touring since 2000.

INTERVIEW & PHOTO BY Pat Milbery

one take part in it but, like the fourth show in, a Gatorade cooler spilled all over it, the ice melted and it f**ked it all up. I had packed like spray adhesive, exacto knives, and all kinds of other sh*t, I was so excited to create with the rest of the crew and the plan backfired. But, Alchemist has a top-secret sketchbook filled with collage art, it’s been a project he has been working on for awhile now. It’s not finished, but it’s a pretty incredible creation. Are you inspired by East Coast hip-hop? Dilated Peoples is a West Coast group influenced by East Coast sound, whether that was our intention or not, that’s how it came out. We, as Dilated Peoples have had a lot of great opportunities to work on projects and with producers/groups like DJ Premier, The Beatnuts, Beatminerz, Gangstarr and Erick Sermon from the East Coast. I have a lot of respect for people and the projects that are produced from the East Coast.

How has touring affected your life? “To travel is to live,” my passport is highly decorated. I can find my way around towns pretty easily. You don’t really realize how accustomed to other places you are until you bring somebody with you, and you’re able to realize that their perspective is quite a bit different than yours. How they adjust, how the little challenges may affect them, it allows you to be thankful for your experiences. Do you still continue making art through the graff medium anymore? I haven’t been doing graffiti for a while. Getting arrested in your thirties is not the sh*t I wanna deal with, I would rather be making money doing shows. This is still art, I enjoy taking pictures with my camera and uploading them to Instagram. I still do create sh*t, but I just can’t be out there getting caught doing it. Do you enjoy making collage art? Do you bring sketchbooks on the road with you? I sample music, haaa. The beats are my tapestry in that sense. I did bring a sketchbook on the Rhymesayers tour. My plan was to have every-

Have you spent much time on the East Coast? My family is from Coney Island, so I spent my summers growing up on Coney Island. I never went to Manhattan ‘til I got older, all I knew was Coney Island. I love Boston. I enjoy the honesty and the aura of Boston. It’s better than than that fake sh*t you often experience in Los Angeles. What’s it been like to work with Swollen Members? What is one of your favorite tracks you have ever produced? I produced the majority of tracks on their Black Magic album, between 4 & 5 total, and actually, Mad Child is the first person to bring Dilated Peoples to Canada. He showed Dilated mad love, and hooked us up with anything we needed while we were in Vancouver. I would say “Dark Clouds” is one of my all time favorites. Can you provide any advice to other artists, rappers, or anyone on the grind? Don’t be embarrassed to have a job! A lot of rappers have a job. Until your career pulls you away from that job. More of Evidence can be found at: instagram@mrevidence rhymesayers.com/evidence

nowplaying INTERVIEW BY Andrew Fersch

DAVID MAYFIELD PARADE PHOTOS Courtesy of David Mayfield

nowplaying DAVID MAYFIELD PARADE

So, is it even possible to describe the experience of the David Mayfield Parade live? Well, the concept for our live show is to really break down the imaginary wall between the performers and the folks watching. To become an event, with no pretensions. Something more than just playing a group of songs. Including humor, storytelling, visual moments as well as sincere moments.

How do you manage to play with such energy all the time? Lots of coffee. When you sit in a tour van for 6 to 12 hours at a time and drink three Americanos a day, you’re bound to be a little jumpy!

What makes for great live music? I just like something engaging, something that is sincere, and I like to see performers who are aware of the fact that they are there to entertain and not to feed some rock star fantasy. What music have you been working on lately? I just produced an album for a fantastic singer songwriter named Rebekah Jean that is set to come out in January. I’m also working on a new album for myself that we will record in Nashville at the famous Quansut Hut studio where Patsy Cline recorded “Crazy” among tons of other classic hit songs. That room has so much history it’s gonna make for a very inspirational environment!

junkfood

EVER WONDERED WHERE YOUR TOLL MONEY WENT TO, OR WHY THERE’S EVEN TOLLS IN THE FIRST PLACE? Allegedly the money goes toward general maintenance and upkeep of the tolled highways and it’s “all for the drivers’ well being.” Seems to me that a good portion of that money goes straight to the toll booths, widened lanes, electronics, signage etc. Of course, most of these things are one time costs, but how about the recurring costs like the prestamped toll cards and the massive payroll for operators? The median wage for a toll operator is $33K a year. Not bad for sitting in a booth taking some occasional sh*t from a passing motorist. Sure, EZ-Pass has their stuff going on and it seems to make sense, but it’s still not hassle free. I can tell you from experience, don’t think you’re going to get away with speeding through EZ-Pass either. Not only will you get a hefty fine in due time, you’ll also be booted from the service indefinitely. I’m not a huge fan of paying for something that continually threatens to discipline me. I’m not totally opposed to the toll system. Those perfectly mowed medians and heavily salted roadways can be a welcome sight

to a busy traveler. I’m just not sure I’m getting the biggest bang for my buck. Aesthetics are good, but forget asking an operator for directions. They’re either too busy or don’t know how to get there, ever. Asides from being a major inconvenience for drivers (sometimes the EZ-Pass lane is more backed up than the paying lane) and soaking our wallets, there seems to be very few advantages of a toll road. I don’t mind paying a fee here and there, but how about some free satellite radio on my way and a food discount at the next rest stop? You can get the free napkins, condiments and utensils at the rest area, but be ready for the dollar menu to look more like a three-dollar menu. How about some free coffee and a steamed towel? Where’s my VIP lounge area and how come most of the rest stops don’t even sell beer? Better yet, if we’re paying a toll, why not make it a speed-trap free road and look at the tolls as a pre-payment for speeding tickets? That way we can get to-andfrom at lightning speeds, worry free. Comcast charges more for faster Internet, why not do the same for faster highways? I’d trade that freshly mowed median for a free cheeseburger any day.

nut and bolt

COST It costs more to buy a new car today in the United States than it cost Christopher Columbus to equip a)

and undertake three roundtrip voyages to the New World. The average lead pencil will draw a line 35 miles long or write

THE HOUSE FLY HUMS IN THE MIDDLE OCTAVE KEY OF F.

approximately 50,000 english words.

Earth is the only planet not named after a God. On average,

100 PEOPLE choke to death on ball point pens every year.

The original game of Monopoly was circular. The original name of the butterfly was “flutterby.” Charlie Chaplin won 3rd place in a Charlie Chaplin look-a-like contest. Pearls melt in vinegar.

THE KING OF HEARTS IS THE ONLY KING CARD WITHOUT A MUSTACHE.

“Elementary, my dear Watson” was never spoken by Sherlock Holmes. Non-Dairy creamer is

FLAMMABLE. On average 12 newborns will be given to the wrong parents daily.

c) The majority of suicides occur

ALMONDS ARE A MEMBER OF THE PEACH FAMILY. c)

on a Monday. The name “Wendy” was first used in “Peter Pan.” No recorded woman was named Wendy prior. The can opener was invented 48 years after the can. The opposite sides of a dice cube always add up to 7.

WORDS Frankie Lopes ILLUSTRATIONS Joanna Matuck

CGaccessories.com

shopspołłing

LOCATION

The BLVD Shop CLOSEST RESORT Blue Hills, Bradford PHONE (617) 391 - 0233 WEBSITE theblvdshop.com BRANDS ANTI HERO, BRIXTON, WESC, LEVI’S, VANS, INSIGHT, AND MORE! HOURS OF OPERATION 11-8 Sun-Thurs 11-9 Fri & Sat 86

ADDRESS 251 Newbury St. Boston, MA 02116

The Blvd Shop was originally inspired by skateboarding, music, art and the culture that surrounds it. It became Justin and Chris Villano’s goal in 2007 to showcase this lifestyle. They began by having a particular selection of clothing, footwear and skate goods such as Anti Hero, Brixton, WESC, Levi’s, Vans, and Insight. It seemed to stray from what the standard skateshop formula was at the time,

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS YEARS IN BUSINESS

finding themselves at the intersection of a core skateshop and quality fashion. This is not your average Newbury Street storefront as they also host a variety of art shows from month-to-month with names like Bigfoot, FOS and Mikey Welsh. If you are ever in Boston, The Blvd Shop has become a staple in the skateboard community and is a must stop when shopping for those hard to find brands.