ISSUE 2 SPRING 13
FEATURES 01/THE FLEEZY FEED INTERVIEW. Shea Flynn discusses urban etiquette, his influences, the best and worst places he traveled to last winter, and the story behind his manly beard.
09/QUICKFIRE QUESTIONS WITH
THE BREAD AND BUTTER 23/
SARAH BURKE.
We put the queen of freeskiing through our quick fire questions!
11/HIPPY CHICKS & CHAIR LIFTS. Butter tells you how it's done.
17/THE FACEBOOK INTERVIEWS. One of the biggest G's in our industiry takes time out to answer a few questions.
19/TAKEOFF, EH?
Frank Raymond Takes us to school on the streets.
25/ 27/
WHO CARES ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE? Ski industry associations have the power to incite change. So why don’t they? FOUR CURES FOR SHINBANG We've got four cheap cures to save youe season! THE BUTTER BLOTTER REPORT The bi-monthly musing from your not so local police station.
SHEA FLYNN DISCUSSES URBAN ETIQUETTE, HIS INFLUENCES, THE BEST AND WOR PLACES HE TRAVELED TO LA WINTER, AND THE 01
~
ORY BEHIND HIS MANLY BEARD.
BUTTER MAG: LET’S START WITH THE BASICS. WHERE ARE YOU NOW?
but I was sitting in a dark ass basement, broke as hell, going crazy. I'm still bitter about that shit to this day.
Shea Flynn: I Just got back from the Poor Boyz Triple Threat Tour stops in Missoula, Bozeman and Helena, Montana, where they were showing both WE and The Eighty Six. Chillin’ in Boulder at the moment.
WHO OR WHAT INFLUENCES YOUR SKIING THE MOST, BOTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF SKIING?
HOW WAS YOUR SUMMER? My summer was amazing. I skied for three months in Oregon and loved every minute of it. We had two houses in Government Camp courtesy of K2 and the skiing was all-time. Season 2 of K2 Summer School was a success too, so I can't complain. Big shout out to everyone who follows Summer School, and be sure to check out Extra Credit below. We mixed it up and featured a few new friends in this edit. Big thanks to Connor Scofield for gettin’ after it with the camera this summer. TELL US ABOUT THIS PAST WINTER SEASON. BEST PLACE YOU TRAVELED? WORST? The best place I traveled to was probably Duluth, Minnesota, believe it or not. I'm sure people are expecting me to say like New Zealand or Japan or some shit but let’s be real here. The States didn't get much snow this past season and we had a stout crew in Minnesota. The worst place I traveled to was during my first trip of the season to New York. To be clear, NY is sick as hell, so I'm not hating at all, as I actually enjoyed the time I had there. With that being said though, I did sprain my MCL on a stupid late-night feature and had to drive 15 hours back to Maine to get checked out. As a result of getting hurt, I had to watch all the snow come and go that month. I swear that was the best month to be healthy and filming,
Personally, music influences me the most. I'm really big on music and enjoy seeing the style that artists put into their work when trying to portray swagger and movement. When I watch skiing, whether it’s an edit or a movie segment or something, I want to be mesmerized not only by the skiing and talent, but also by the music that’s playing along with it. Inside of skiing, I would say that my biggest influence would have to be the past history of freeskiing alone. I've grown up watching this culture evolve in so many ways. We have athletes representing mass corporations like Target and Verizon and we're heading to the Olympics in 2014. All of this is well earned and I'm amped as hell on it. I think since skiing is becoming so big and commercial, I want to stay true to the idea of self-expression and continue making a name for myself just like the greats that I grew up watching. Big shout out to Liam Downey by the way. Ever since I met Liam back in the day in the dirty Lew (Lewiston, Maine), he's always told me that I was the man and encouraged me to keep going. If it weren't for Downey, I wouldn't have been motivated to do what I’m doing.
I SWEAR THAT WAS THE BE MONTH TO BE HEALTHY AND FILMING, BUT I WAS SITTING IN A DARK ASS BASEMENT, BROKE AS HELL, GOING CRAZY. I'M STILL BITTER ABOUT THAT SHIT TO THIS DAY.
SPEAKING OF MUSIC, WHAT’S IN YOUR EARBUDS RIGHT NOW? I've been getting funky recently. A little Bill Withers, a little Curtis Mayfield.
02
~
PEOPLE VIEW YOU AS A PREDOMINANTLY URBAN SKIER. WOULD YOU SAY THIS IS ACCURATE? HOW MANY DAYS DO YOU GET ON HILL VERSUS NIGHTS IN THE CITY? First off, I would say the term "urban skier" sounds kind of ironic. Skiers are supposed to go skiing at resorts, not urban environments right? I would prefer the term non-conventional skier. I also have a problem with the term "jib" by the way. I'm 22 years old. I sport a massive beard. I'm grown. Why would I want to be referred to as a jib skier? Grown men don't go jibbing. Regardless, I would say that I spend the majority of my time filming in urban environments as opposed to ski resorts. When I do get to hit the slopes with the crew, it's usually laid back and enjoyable. I live in Colorado where we get 300 days of sunshine. I don't feel I should be spending those days practicing comp tricks or anything like that. WHAT DRAWS YOU TO THIS LIFESTYLE OF URBAN MISSIONS AND EVADING AUTHORITY IN ORDER TO ACCOMPLISH YOUR SKI GOALS? DID YOU GET WRITTEN UP MANY TIMES LAST WINTER? ANY SERIOUS TICKETS FOR SKI-RELATED “CRIMES”? Sometimes the authorities take their jobs a little too seriously and act like they are omniscient human beings. I probably like urban missions so much because of how much I dislike police officers. It feels good to get under their skin like that. You would think we'd have a ton of tickets racked up by now but we really don't. Usually, the police just check my ID to make sure I’m not a felon and then tell me to leave. Giving us a ticket would only piss us off more, and most of the time, the police just want to get rid of us so they can move on with their regiments. Remember kids, if you don't get a ticket, you’re allowed to go back at another time to hit the spot again. It’s unwritten urban etiquette. 03
~
PEOPLE WERE JUMPING OUT OF THEIR WINDOWS AND SHIT. APPARENTLY THIS MOTEL WAS KNOWN FOR ITS PROSTITUTION AND DRUG TRAFFICKING SO IT WAS DEFINITELY A SIGHT. WE SAW SO MANY SKETCHY PEOPLE GET IN THEIR CARS AND NEVER COME BACK. A LOT OF OLDER PEOPLE HAVE THE COMPLAINT THAT YOU ARE VANDALIZING OR DISRESPECTING PROPERTY WHEN YOU SKI ON IT. OTHERS SAY YOU ARE TRESPASSING. WHAT ARE YOUR FEELINGS ON THIS MATTER? I feel it necessary to disregard whatever older people tell me when constructing negative things to say to me. Older people that try to shut us down should simply worry about their health and their own problems. Don't worry about what we're doing out here. Go grab that 2% whole milk at Whole Foods and work towards diminishing those early signs of osteoporosis. It would be a lot different if we were asked politely to stop. We're not trying to vandalize or break anything, we're trying to innovate skiing in the cities. Unfortunately, since we appear different to the common eye, (baggy clothes, cigarettes and long hair), we are often approached with hostility. Luckily, we've learned to laugh at those types of people and don't lose sleep over it. JUST BEFORE YOUR SEGMENT IN THE EIGHTY SIX, YOUR HOTEL WAS BURNING DOWN. CAN YOU TELL US WHAT HAPPENED THERE? We were staying at a shady motel in Fargo, North Dakota. One night after a long session, we came
back to the spot to dump cards and recharge batteries before going back out for a late night job. After bringing all of our gear inside, we heard the fire alarm go off. At first we thought nothing of it. After two minutes however, we opened the door to find a thick cloud of black smoke billowing toward us with people running past us screaming. We then had to grab all the gear and jet as soon as possible so that it didn't burn. It was trippy. People were jumping out of their windows and shit. Apparently this motel was known for its prostitution and drug trafficking so it was definitely a sight. We saw so many sketchy people get in their cars and never come back. Chuck (Charlie Owens) ran past this one room on his way out and saw this chick yelling to her boyfriend to "grab that shit, lets go, lets go..." while her better half packed all of his drugs up into the bed sheet before splitting. In the end, we found out that the fire was caused by an old man who was smoking a cigarette in his room. The oxygen tank that he was hooked up to caught on fire and blew up. The hotel probably cost us less than 50 bucks to stay in, so hopefully this is some insight for those who think the life of a pro skier is glamorous!
WHAT GOES THROUGH YOUR HEAD PRIOR TO DROPPING IN ON SOME OF THE MORE HIGHCONSEQUENCE FEATURES THAT YOU HIT? IS HITTING FEATURES WITH A CREW KIND OF LIKE HAVING A SUPPORT TEAM THERE FOR YOU? When I set a feature up, I visualize the whole time. When I’m shoveling snow, I’m thinking about speed and picturing myself dropping in. Most importantly, I visualize all the wrong ways to hit the feature that will lead me to a horrible crash. I know it sounds weird, but for me, thinking about eating shit and getting broken off helps me develop the best mindset. If I’m setting a feature up, I'm going to hit it. If I’m going to hit it, I'm going to get a shot. If I’m going to get a shot, I need to go 100%. By knowing how easily it could go wrong, I'm forced to stay on my toes. This is why having the crew there helps. When there's a group of my homies at a feature, I can worry less about my environment and more on what I need to do at that time; mainly, logging a banger. The same goes for the crew. If it's my turn to pull bungie and shape the in run, I'm trying my best to make my homie feel comfortable so that he too can get his shit done. It's a cycle that we've figured out to the T.
YOU’RE VERY PICKY ABOUT YOUR VIDEO AND PHOTO CONTENT THAT MAKES IT TO THE PUBLIC. TELL US ABOUT YOUR PHILOSOPHY BEHIND YOUR IMAGE AND QUALITY OF SKIING.
I've had footage released of me in the past that I look back on now and disapprove of. Whether it be dialogue or action shots, I feel I would prefer to keep most stuff from the public. Most of the time, I'm doing stuff that professional skiers aren't supposed to be
WHEN THERE'S A GROUP OF MY HOMIES AT A FEATURE, I CAN WORRY LESS ABOUT MY ENVIRONMENT AND MORE ON WHAT I NEED TO DO AT THAT TIME; MAINLY, LOGGING A BANGER. advertising. Other times I dislike how I look on camera and realize it wasn't exactly what I was going for. I have to be picky. If you’re not picky, you become careless. WHAT LIES AHEAD FOR THE FUTURE OF URBAN SKIING? I'm honestly not sure what the future holds for urban skiing. If enough kids get bored of conventional skiing, just like a lot of freestyle kids at one point got bored of racing, I feel like urban skiing would be a good way to continue thinking outside the box. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT BEING BUMPED TO THE FACTORY TEAM PROPER OF K2 SKIS? HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE IN THE RANKS OF GUYS LIKE PEP FUJAS, ANDY MAHRE, SETH MORRISON AND SEAN PETTIT? When I was younger, the first pair of twin tips that I begged my parents to buy me for Christmas were the original Public Enemies. I didn't have cable TV at the time but had a friend record Pep's X Games run 04
~
on VHS for me that year, which was in 2003. Pep got the silver. I didn't care what place he got though, his shit was fuego. Left spins, right spins, that grey puffy. After a few seasons on the Public's, I saved up enough money and bought the original Fujatives. Needless to say, I have had my eye on K2 for a long time. I feel incredibly honored that I am considered a teammate when referring to such legends as Pep, Andy, Seth and Sean. I've watched each and every one of those dudes since I got into skiing. They have all influenced me incredibly and for that, I thank them.
YOU’VE BEEN TOUTED AS HAVING ONE OF THE BEST BEARDS IN SKIING. HOW LONG DID IT TAKE TO GET IT TO WHERE IT IS, AND HOW MUCH LONGER DO YOU PLAN ON HAVING IT? I don't know how long it takes to reach a proper length but I change it up here and there. Sometimes I'll let it go for a few months before trimming it down. When I can't eat cereal without the milk going directly onto my face, it’s usually time to get the scissors. At this point, I'm not putting a time limit on it. I originally grew it because people told me that I needed to shave. Nowadays, people tell me that I shouldn't get rid of it. So I'm just gonna keep doing what I want to do and right now sporting a beard is what I want to do.
SPEAKING OF CEREAL, YOU COULD BATTLE JERRY SEINFELD FOR THE NATION’S BIGGEST APPRECIATOR OF CEREAL. WHAT’S IN YOUR BOWL THESE DAYS? I don't currently have any groceries, but if I did, I would probably be rocking some Blueberry Shredded Wheat, some Raisin Brain Crunch or some Peanut Butter Crunch. 05
~
FAVORITE PERSON TO SKI WITH? Brian Rory and Devin Ross. TELL US ABOUT YOUR PLANS FOR THE UPCOMING WINTER SEASON. I'm currently enrolled in two online classes. Once I finish those, I'll be getting my film plans lined up for the season. I don't have any specific locations yet. I've been dying to get some East Coast storms so I can go back and get some shit done. I'll keep my fingers crossed. Other than school and getting in shape for the season, I'll be working with K2 on a couple new projects that I'm not yet at liberty to discuss. There should be more news explaining everything shortly, so stay tuned with what we're doing!
I DIDN'T HAVE CABLE TV AT THE TIME BUT HAD A FRIEND RECORD PEP'S X GAMES RUN ON VHS FOR ME THAT YEAR, WHICH WAS IN 2003. PEP GOT THE SILVER. I DIDN'T CARE WHAT PLACE HE GOT THOUGH, HIS SHIT WAS FUEGO.
CHECK OUT SHEAS NEW RANGE, CA$H & COOKIES, NOW! 06
~
07
~
08
~
THE QUEEN OF FREEYLE SKIING SPARES A FEW MINUTES TO SIT DOWN WITH BUTTER Canada's goddess mother of freekiing, Sarah Burke, holds forth on sex, marriage, gold bikinis, cheese and maybe even some skiing. I first met her in 1999 when she was still a cute 17-year-old working on her spins on Blackcomb’s Horstman Glacier. We’d downloaded together once and talked about hibernation patterns in the Whistling Marmot, but that didn’t really count as a date. That summer (or the next—it gets hazy 10 years out) Sarah landed her first 1080, and word spread through the glacier camps like smallpox. From 12-year-old groms to wiry diggers to big-name coaches, everyone agreed history was being made and it couldn’t have happened to a nicer girl. That nice girl ended up changing the face of 09
~
skiing. She worked hard on her tricks, learned how to appease sponsors, and shot to both superstardom and sex-symbol status. Which made it even more diffi cult to arrange a date (famous chicks are never in one place for long and every cheese-dick with a goggle sponsor also wants a piece). Then skiing’s golden girl moved to the States and won a bunch of X Games, perhaps not in that order (again, hazeee…). Through contests, fi lm segments, and overall awesomeness, Burke continued to push the limits of what was possible on skis and inspire both boys and girls to get out on the slopes. And then, this past autumn, over a decade after that fateful summer on the Horstman, my chance came. SBC SKIER assigned me to take Sarah out for
food, drinks and a chat. That seemed like a date to me—and a paid one at that! The kicker was that in two days she was marrying a mad skier/pilot named Rory Bushfi eld. It could have been awkward, but when we got to the food joint we ordered drinks to cover up the weirdness. Sarah likes vodka on the rocks. She’s hotter in real life, too—curvy but strong, with eyes and a smile that work together in any light. A playful face, but with secrets. Despite my banter—which was laced with sexual innuendo—Sarah remained light and genuine. Still the nice girl, despite fame, fortune and all the idiotic questions.
OKAY, WOULD YOU RATHER EAT YELLOW SNOW OR SKI PEAK-TO- CREEK NAKED IN A -20 BLIZZARD? Yellow snow. It’s just pineapple juice right? SURF OR SNOWMOBILE? Aaahhh… gonna say surf. RATHER HAVE ONE 12-POUND BABY OR TWO 6-POUNDERS? Two, hands down. WHAT’S THE CRAZIEST THING YOU’VE EVER DONE IN A GONDOLA. SCARIEST MOMENT OF YOUR LIFE? A lady never tells. I don’t think I’ve had it yet. HAVE YOU EVER MADE OUT WITH A CHICK? Who hasn’t? WHAT ARE SOME OF THE STANDOUT MOMENTS OF YOUR CAREER? Winning X Games for the first and third time. Winning an ESPY. Getting sponsored. LOOKING BACK, IS THERE ANYTHING YOU REGRET OR WISH YOU DID DIFFERENTLY? I try not to live with regrets.
IT’S IMPORTANT FOR EVERYONE TO GIVE BACK IN SOME WAY. WHAT CHARITIES DO YOU SUPPORT? I’ve been working with the Women’s Sport Foundation for many years and really enjoy doing anything I can for Saint Jude Children’s Hospital. ANY ADVICE FOR THE MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WHO LOOK UP TO YOU? Always go out there to have fun. It’s not about how famous you could be or how much money you might make... you have to be happy first! 10
~
HIPPIE C AND CHA CH 11
~
CHICKS AIRLIFTS HAIRLIFTS WE'LL SHOW YOU HOW TO DO IT THE BUTTER WAY!
12
~
Roaming Newschoolers lately has shown me that many of you seniors in high school are looking forward to moving out west and becoming ski bums. The realization that I had is that 90% of you are from a city east of the Mississippi and need to learn a thing or two about picking up the hippy broads that reside in these towns. Yes, dirtball hippies make up the majority of these towns’ female population, so they are your target demographic. And if you are said target and find yourself offended by this: A) Get over yourself, and B) Go take a shower. 13
~
Eat hummus: Something, also wired into the hippy female DNA, gives them an undying need for hummus. It is their lifeblood, and they cannot survive without it. So eating it constantly, in combination with no teeth brushing, will leave a constant lingering of the stench of hummus on your breath. This smell is live love potion number 9 to your smelly counterparts, all you should have to do is blow in their face a little bit and they’ll know you’re there for business.
Live in a tent: Nothing is more appealing to a female dirtball than the appearance of little to no money. The lower your amount of overhead costs, the better. So toughen up, get out and buy a sub-zero tent and sleeping bag, and find a tent town. Then as your leading the hippy back to your den, she’s sure to go just nuts when she sees that you don’t even have a house. And the best part is, most sub-zero sleeping bags are made for one person, so after everything is said and done, she can either freeze her ass off, or enjoy her nature walk home. Hope for the latter, because hippy morning breath is enough to knock a man out. The only thing even attracting: a snow cave.
(Backup) Live in your car: So if you aren’t man enough to handle the winter in a tent, the only way to continue to bring them in like Kareem AbdulJabbar is to live in your car. Following the principle that the poorer you look the better, the older the car the better. Can’t come rolling in from Vermont in your brand new Subaru from mom and dad, stop in Illinois and get yourself a van (extra points if it’s a Volkswagen). The van is really your best option because of the excess storage, and room to actually move around. The only downside: you better believe she’s staying the night.
Relinquish all Hygiene: Nothing gets these girls going like a worthy dirtball adversary. So you need to rise to the challenge and immediately cease any hygienic activity. This includes cutting any hair from your body, brushing your teeth, and bathing of any sort. Something in their DNA is greatly attracted to the pheromones in your stinky ass B.O., so don’t use deodorant, and let the sweat flow. I’ve got a secret hypothesis that its hippy body odor that is the real green house gas, but they always like to point the finger at my full size truck. Hypocrites.
Don’t be afraid of hair: Don’t think that just because they’re girls, they will automatically take care of the hygiene that is generally associated with females. They are going to be just as, if not more, grungy than you. So get your stomach strong, because you should be sure to expect mass quantities of armpit hair, leg hair, and uhh, other types of hair.
Learn how to hula hoop: One thing that you definitely don’t know about hippy chicks is that they love to hula hoop. That’s right, this ancient art didn’t just up and die at Woodstock. To them, hula hooping is a sexy and dangerous art. So steal you six year old little sister’s pink hula hoop and start practicing your hip thrust. Nothing shows them your intentions like gyrating your hips to some serious banjo beats. 14
~
There’s always two main goals you should have anytime you get on the chairlift with a person/people you don’t know: A) Make them feel incredibly awkward, or B) Make yourself seem like something (hopefully cooler) that you’re not. This is merely a list of options, feel free to stick to the basics, or make mindbottling hybrids of your own. 15
~
Repeatedly move the safety bar: This is sure to annoy anyone who has a pulse. Put the bar down to rest your feet, act like you get a leg cramp so you have to put it up to stretch your leg, then lower it again to rest your feet. Repeat. Another clutch move is to reach for your boot buckles, and claim you can’t reach them with the bar down, thus your need to lift it, unbuckle, and replace it. The good thing about the boot move is that you can do it twice a trip, for unbuckling then rebuckling. But be sure to space out your movements a good 30-45 seconds, just to make sure that the people on the lift are just getting comfortable.
Lie: This is the go to move whenever you get on the chairlift with someone who looks like they know less about skiing than you. Lie about anything, lie about everything. Tell them that you’re the heir to the outright ownership of Salomon Skis, tell them that you ski professionally, tell them that you hold the world record for longest distance skied backwards, it doesn’t really matter. As long you act confident in what you’re saying, there’s a 95% chance that they’ll believe you. Note: if they look like they actually know something about skiing, you need to craft your lie so that it is at least a shred believable.
Talk on your phone: Whenever someone is on their phone, you eavesdrop, it’s human nature. So take advantage of this and have an extremely awkward conversation. Some of my favorite lines include (but are not limited to): “Wait so it itches? I think that you should get tested and get some cream for that.” “Yeah dude, she was so down. I have all the photos on my phone. I got some video too, I’ll show you later.” Or, “Man I can’t believe that fool. I’ve done time for less, he better watch his back.”
Breath really loud: This move isn’t quite as popular, but is sure to produce some sort of reaction. From the second you take your seat to the instant you’re freed from the confines of the lift, breathe really, really loud. If you’re feeling extra crazy, give your breathing patterns a sexual connotation, for added discomfort. This move is especially fun whilst sitting uncomfortably close to your new lift buddy.
Sit right next to them: This is especially entertaining when there is only two of you on a four (or more) seat lift. Sit uncomfortably close to them and don’t say a word. Possibly even let your hands fall to the side and touch their leg. The key to this is to have headphones in that are playing ridiculously loud music, so that when they plea for you to scoot over, unfortunately you can’t hear a word that they’re saying.
Check their season pass: If you manage to sneak a peak at their season pass and get their name, do your best to pretend you recognize the name and you are actually somehow related. Bonus points if you can find a mutual acquaintance.
Scratch your inner thigh: You heard me, get your glove off, reach inside your snowpants, and vigorously scratch your inner thigh. Who cares if it looks like something it’s not, you just have an itch, right? 16
~
The Facebook Interviews: Jason Stadler
Jason Stadler Edit Profile
ONE OF THE BIGGEST G’S IN OUR INDURY TAKES TIME TO ANSWER A FEW QUEIONS IN THE THIRD INSTALLMENT OF THE FACEBOOK INTERVIEWS. 17
~
Jason Stadler
Home
THERE'S WAY TOO MANY PEOPLE GETTIN' DUMB CHARGES FOR WEED WHEN THERE'S CRACKHEADS OUT THERE GETTIN' AWAY WIT IT! LET THE PEOPLE SMOKE THEIR DAMN WEED! BUTTER MAG: GUCCI MANE OR YOUNG JEEZY?
FAVORITE CAT(S) TO RIDE WITH?
Jaron Stadler: Young Jeezy for sure! Back in the day dude was makin' good music with Akon 'n shit. Gucci has no flow or anything goin' for him. I'm more of a Tupac guy anyway.
The whole LaFa crew (Hornbeck, Ahmet, K-Day, Milbocker) and lil' Will Berman, Downey, A.D. All those dudes are so damn good at what they do. It's hard not to have a good time with them! Also the "Hot Possie", my girl, and my lil' brother are all good people to have around!
DESCRIBE A TYPICAL DAY WITH THE LA FAMILIA CREW.
FAVORITE AERIAL TRICK AND FAVORITE RAIL TRICK? La Familia! We do a lot of skiing, skateboarding, and having fun! Check out the site to see what we got goin' on: www.lafamiliachannel.com. OPINION ON PROP. 64? (laughs) I think it's pretty awesome. We now live in a state where you can "smoke the pot", but really it's not a bad thing they did this. There's way too many people gettin' dumb charges for weed when there's crackheads out there gettin' away wit it! Let the people smoke their damn weed!
I guess just a clean blunted cork 7. You can't go wrong there! Anything with some style on a rail gets me! I'd rather see a clean tail-press over a crazy "630 on" or whatever you kids call it these days (laughs). CRAZIEST PARTY STORY? (laughs) Tough one here. There's a lot of stories to tell. Let's just say they're all crazy and if you're ever around, more then likely you will find out the hard way or hear it from one of your friends! (laughs) 18
~
FRANK RAYMOND TAKES US TO SCHOOL ON THE REETS. In a world as heavily entrenched in aesthetics as skiing is, people are always finding something new and superficial to complain about. Here’s one more: FIS mogul course sized booters masquerading as urban rail takeoffs. Sure, there was a time— say back in the early days of this soon-to-be-finished decade when parks were either non-existent or skiers were pummeled with snowballs for entering the then snowboard only domain—when urban rails and backyard jibs may have been the only place for aspiring skiers to get a taste for steel under their boots. Not so anymore with 19
~
the proliferation of the terrain park, and twin-tips now the rule as opposed to the exception. So why are we still seeing these huge lips, un-shoveled stairs and generally sketchy setups from A- and B-level skiers in web edits and even movie segments? We tracked down urban slayer Frank Raymond to shed some light on the “proper” technique for an urban session, and maybe knock some sense into those still doing it the old-fashioned way. Unless we missed something and Twister-Twister-Spreads are the new hot shit in the streets…
WHY THE BIG JUMPS? I think people are building big jumps onto rails for two reasons: the first one is ‘cause it’s scary. You’ve got a high rail, stairs, concrete and all sorts of stuff in the way that can hurt you, so people build jumps to bring down the gnar factor that you are supposed to be looking for in street stuff . Second, is because it’s way easier to do tricks when you only have to ollie a few inches to hop on the rail—which I can understand, but I call it cheating. It’s like using the elastic band with chopsticks at a sushi joint, it works but it’s gay. WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO BE SUCH AN ADVOCATE FOR THE LOW TAKEOFFS? I used to skateboard a lot in the streets of Montreal when I was a kid, and I never built jumps to hit a rail, why should I do it as a skier? For sure it’s a litt le harder when it comes to 270-ing on and stuff , but I’ve seen skateboarders do Switch Kickfl ip to Front Board on a 20 stair… even back in the day with them fish boards… feel me?
get on top of it. For a flatter rail, you might want to put a litt le bit of Wu-Tang [kick] on it so it puts your nose in an upward position, ready to go over the rail. You just want to get on as smooth as possible so you land on the rail in control and are ready for what’s coming up. I never go over the height of a stair for a jump, so it looks like an extra stair, and the shot still looks good. WHAT ABOUT CLEANING STAIRS? If you don’t, it’s like hitting a park rail. Once again, you’re doing street stuff for the gnar factor. If you’re scared, grab your helmet and lap the park, you’re just not ready for street. And it also makes the shot 100 times better, especially the picture. WHAT COMMON MISTAKES CAN LEAD TO BIG JUMPS? You would think that if you don’t have enough speed, building a bigger jump would help. Well no, it’s worse. You’re actually losing more speed by building a big jump, because you’re traveling up and losing that litt le bit of momentum.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR PREFERRED URBAN SETUP. ARE THERE ANY DOWNSIDES TO LOW TAKEOFFS? You want a perfect setup, no matt er how much time it takes. I’d rather spend two hours building a setup than spend two hours sessioning a sketchy setup. Take your time, make everything perfect: perfect in-run with plenty of speed, perfect landing with no bumps. For the jump, it’s prett y easy. If it’s a steep rail, you need a flat takeoff . You don’t want to air onto the rail but just
There is only one downside to small takeoffs: friends won’t hit rails with you because they’re gonna look bad ’cos they can’t do shit without a jump. No, for real, there’s no downside to small jumps other than you can’t go back to big jumps.
YOU’VE GOT A HIGH RAIL, AIRS, CONCRETE AND ALL SORTS OF STUFF IN THE WAY THAT CAN HURT YOU, SO PEOPLE BUILD JUMPS TO BRING DOWN THE GNAR FACTOR THAT YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE LOOKING FOR IN STREET STUFF. 20
~
21
~
22
~
23
~
SKI INDURY ASSOCIATIONS HAVE THE POWER TO INCITE CHANGE. SO WHY DON’T THEY? As it stands, the peer-reviewed science says we’re skiing on borrowed time. With greenhouse gas emissions continuing to rise, causing global temperatures to rise with them, the future of skiing in North America in the face of climate change looks strikingly similar to last season. And if you don’t remember, last season sucked for almost everyone reading this. This is what the science is telling us: By 2039, the East Coast ski season will be a full two weeks shorter; the chance of resorts being open for Christmas will be below 75 percent; and mountains will be increasingly dependent on snowmaking to get the season up and running, meaning less skiing in the trees, steepening ticket prices as snowmaking costs increase, and more hills going out of business. Out West, high-altitude snowpacks have been in a steady decline, and, like this past season, seasons will shorten, more precipitation will fall as rain, and spring melt-off will come earlier. Lower-elevation resorts in the Alps, where temperatures are rising at three times the global average, are already downsizing in anticipation of a warmer, low-snow future.
To date, the ski industry and its associated trade groups, such as the National Ski Areas Association, Snowsports Industry Association, Colorado Ski Country, and Ski Utah, have focused their response to climate change mostly on internal sustainability efforts. They’ve focused on making buildings, snowmaking systems, supply chains, and factories more energy efficient while installing smallscale renewable energy. Unfortunately, this strategy is nowhere near approaching the scale of global climate change. Regardless of those efforts, people will still be getting to resorts in a car or plane spewing CO2, coal will still power around 40 percent of our energy in the U.S., and emissions will continue to rise and likely accelerate. It’s time to scale the response to the size of the actual problem. Fortunately, the ski industry has huge potential to create change where it does make a difference: the national legislature. The ski industry is cool and far more interesting to pay attention to than, say, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (sorry guys), and the image of ski slopes no longer covered in pristine white has a sort of iconic staying power. It’s a dead-obvious indicator of a lifestyle, and
jobs, in jeopardy. Western states, where much of the ski industry is based, have outsize power in Congress relative to their populations, which gives Western senators an advantage in moving national politics.
BY 2039, THE EA COA SKI SEASON WILL BE A FULL TWO WEEKS SHORTER; THE CHANCE OF RESORTS BEING OPEN FOR CHRIMAS WILL BE BELOW 75 PERCENT.
24
~
25
~
I WAS SURE THAT SOMEONE WALKED INTO MY ROOM WHILE I WAS SLEEPING, DRUGGED ME INTO UNCONSCIOUSNESS, AND SPLIT MY SHINS WITH A HATCHET!
SHIN BANG WRECKES SEASONS. HERE’S HOW TO SOLVE IT! I was sure that someone walked into my room while I was sleeping, drugged me into unconsciousness, and split my shins with a hatchet. The pain was sharp and focused on a small part of each leg—an area about the size of fingernail. I’d spent two days of skiing the hard, frozen crud that amassed at Snowbird not because I wanted to but because I had to. It was the middle of our ski test and it’s not like you can say, “Sorry guys, even though it’s a hideously expensive thing to do and you came from far and wide, I gotta call it. I’m sore.” No. You power through it, gripping and grinning and skiing like you mean it, even though each flex forward is more Tabasco in the gash. Each turn made it worse. When the damn ski test was over, I had a couple of days to rest before I was set to fly to Switzerland for what was billed as a trip through the deepest winter since the nations of the Alps have kept score. But after one day there, my shins were screaming. This trip was ruined before it even began. So I marched down to a ski shop and, in the shittiest German you’ve ever heard, asked for some help. The guy shot me a quizzical look, as though I’d asked him to fondle me. But he was surprised that I didn’t just ask him the king’s English. No matter. Uli, my new friend, studied my shin, and went to town on it. Twenty minutes and 35 euro later, I had some kind of maxi-pad on my shin. I doubted. He grunted and gave me an enthusiastic thumbs up. And he was right. I skied hard the next day, through a deep dump at Vals, and I was cured. Let’s assume that you’ve bought your boots from a good shop and that they fit, like mine do. But you can still get shin bang. The idea is to minimize both impact and friction against your shins.
THE FOUR FIXES 1. The Quick Fix: Shove a beer coozie down the front of your boot. Make sure it’s not too thick and surrounds the affected area with a moat of softness. If it’s too small it’ll only intensify and focus the pain. Cut it to fit if you have to. The sponginess will reduce impact, but the friction could still remain. Apply one layer of duct tape to the inside of the coozie to make it slippery against your ski sock. 2. Shave your Shins: Girls, you’re fine. For men and girls from the Kootenays, shave the lower leg to reduce abrasion within the sock. 3. Buy a Pad: Uli the shop guy stuck on a quarter-inch-thick silicone pad. It didn’t have a name so let’s just call it Paddy. I’ve never seen it in North America, though a thin, silicone insert will work. You know that aisle in the drug store with the Dr. Scholl’s stuff for your shoes? By something that’s spongy, sticky on one side (for your shin) but not too thick. Apply directly to your bare shin, carefully put the sock over top, then gingerly slip it into your boot. Ahhh. 4. Booster Strap: Buy one. This won’t cure your shin bang—it’s more of a preventative. The elastic, stretchy strap replaces your power strap and allows you to move with your boot rather than smash into it the front of it with every turn. 26
~
27
~
" 10:05 P.M.
POLICE RECIVED A CALL FROM A WOMAN WHO SAID HER JUVENILE GRANDDAUGHTER WAS AT THE SKI AREA LAST WEEK AND RAN INTO A PERSON WHO WAS SELLING BAGS OF WHAT SHE THAUGHT WERE PORTOBELLO MUSHROOMS DRIPPED IN CHOCOLATE FOR $30. POLICE SAID THE GRANDDAUGHTER FURTHER INFORMED HER GRANDMOTHER THAT GIRAFFES WERE CHASING HER DOWN THE HILL AFTER SHE ATE THE MUSHROOMS." OH WORD?
28
~
www.buttermag.com £6.50 GBP
IN THIS ISSUE WE:
50004362
GET THE 411 ON SHEA FLEEZY, DISCUSS CLIMATE CHANGE, SHOW YOU THE BST WAYS TO PICK UP HIPPY
95761866
CHICKS AND RIDE CHAIR LIFTS, PUT THE QUEEN OF FREESKIING THROUGH SOME QUICK FIRE QUESTIONS AND MUCH, MUCH MORE!