Westbound Boarder

A local Mt. High rider recently sent me a video his friend created (featuring all local talent) and I loved it so much I thought I’d post and share with you all!  Very creative and different, and the featured talent is out of this world.  Enjoy!

ANTEBELLUM from Lennon Films on Vimeo.

Since the beginning of Snowboarding there has been groups, cliques, filming crews, etc. One of the most well known crews has been Mack Dawg Productions, aka MDP. Led by founder and originator Brad Kramer, MDP has been documenting snowboarding and skateboarding progression and it’s ambassadors for twenty years. With the pioneer likes of JP Walker, Devun Walsh, Jaime Lynn, Chris Roach, MDP has been paving the way for what many of the “young guns” are doing in webisodes today. While these legends are still killing it all over the place, things do change, evolve, and progress.

Three years ago, MDP embarked on a new endeavor by creating a subdivision of it’s style with the “PEOPLE” Crew. With the first release, “We’re people too,” the film consisted of some legends, speckled with some snowboarding new comers. A lot of the industry’s “King Pins” gave the people crew a hard time at first, for their tight clothes and so-called emo music, but at the end of the day (or season) they all ride together and share the passion that is the shred.

When MDP released it’s final flick” Double Decade”, it marked it’s 20th year dedicated to the monumental contribution of the sport. The People Crew, being established three years prior, has had several different athletes and rookies with a slight twist on the original MDP style. This, in my opinion, was all a game plan for what it has evolved into now. After “Double Decade” and “Down with People” were released for the 08/09 season, Brad Kramer hung up his MDP lens and went on to film for Burton, leaving his protege to carry on the legacy. Some might think of it as a sell out move, but I think of it as an individual furthering his accomplishments as an originator.

Now MDP showcases many Burton riders year after year. Jeremy Jones, Jussi Oksanen, Heikki Sorsa, etc. Ironically, when Kramer made his power move, Jeremy Jones was one of the last to join the official People Crew. Of course, he didn’t really need to be in both People and MDP movies when they were both putting out films each year, but now he is one of the headliners, with JP, Joe Sexton etc.

I like the People Crew because they have brought a new and an established style to the scene. Even though half of the riders that were in the first and second release are not officially members now, they made a name for themselves. And “TPC” still promises to please. 09/10’s “Nice Try” was the most anticipated movies of the year to me. Riders like Seth Huot and Jon Kooley had sick parts, and some new to the crew riders had impressive parts as well. Austrailian ripper Robbie Walker had the sickest run by a rookie I have ever seen, throwing huge 10’s and a gigantic seven while holding the camera! Its a must see.

With my love elvoling for this “Crew” I am excited to see Joe Sexton, Simon Chambelen, and Zack Marben bring it for years to come. Also excited to see the new and stylish talent, and creative I must add! I think all the best and different styles of riders will dominate in next year’s production! Between the urban rails and wall rides to the back country powder booters, there is a part for every shred head to admire with the variety of talent People harbor!

My Open Letter to Burton:

While embarking on my journey to Vail and Breckenrigde, I stopped by the local Burton store to check out the goods. I picked up a copy of the latest film, “The B“. The cover indicates that it is a movie of epic proportions, and after spending the 30 dollars on the purple retro style VHS tape box, I returned home to watch it. However, after watching it I have decided that this a movie of epic disappointments. The filming style and the footage of riders and their parts was exceptional, yes, although it was what I consider, extremely short.

The film did not come without its perks, however. Jeremy Jones laid down the best part of his Career, and the outro of the team ripping all of the Giant B that was configured into a park was impressive as well. Well filmed, with great angles and tricks, just short. Plain ol’ short.

I’m not narrow minded. I have spent my fair share of money on videos, I own most of Mack dawgs films, the people movies, Absinthe’s handy work, the list goes on. All of these films have a lower price tag and more raw footage. With all of the money and resources the Burton family harbors I expect a movie of supposedly “epic proportions” should be longer than a half hour (32 min.). Not to mention the largest team hands down, with absurd amounts of talent - Jeremy, Nico Muller, Jussi, Kevin Pearce, Tadashi Fuse, to name a few - the movie should have been 50 minutes at a minimum. They are the corporation of The Industry and the fact that the end result is the over priced, over packaged (green mtn project..Eh?) under-lengthy production is just disappointing. I still love their products, I still ride a Burton Troop with Escapde bindings, I just expected a longer more team oriented movie. Also, with all of the phenomenal female ripper talent they have, there isn’t a single part for one of their many girl riders.

I think I saw a couple of the ladies do a trick a piece in the outro. Just that alone could have added more bang for my buck. I just think that the biggest and richest company could provide me with more than a dollar a minute for their 30 dollar commercial, I mean film. Maybe next year Brad Cramer will school the production and make a worthy flick. Or they B family should just spend less dough on catalogs and more on their should be, could be Banger.

Sincerely,
Disappointed Burton Consumer, Supporter & Indulger

Well, Shaun White and Kelly Clark stuck it again in today’s US Snowboarding Grand Prix in Park City.  Shaun saw a near perfect score of 49.5 (out of 50), with Scotty Lago trailing just behind with a 48, and Luke Mitrini coming in third.  Today marks Shaun’s fourth first place finish (out of 5) in all Grand Prix Olympic qualifying events.  But then again, Park City was just practice for Shaun, as he was already confirmed as an Olympic team member after last round.  Scotty has now had two second place finishes and one third, so he will likely be invited to join the US Olympic team a well, alongside Shaun.  Danny Davis, the one competitor to beat out Shaun (in Mammoth), and formerly a likely Olympic teammate as well, unfortunately broke his back during an ATV accident last Sunday.  He underwent surgery Monday and is now being cared for in a local hospital, alongside Kevin Pearce.  Danny is an awesome rider - one of my personal faves - so it is unfortunate to hear he won’t be joining the team in Vancouver this year.

On the women’s side, Kelly came in first (again), followed by Hannah Teter and Kaitlyn Farrington.  Kelly, in comparison to the other riders, is absolutely going bigger, which is putting her in prime position to land some of the tougher spins and tricks that you need more time in the air to solidify.  She has been doing awesome through the thick of it all, so I’m excited to see what she’ll pull in Vancouver next month.  I also really like Hannah’s riding because she always throws down a smooth, solid run that’s fun to watch, and, minus a few small flubs, I think she really stuck it in Park City.

For the women, it is pretty obvious who will be going to Vancouver, and who will be watching from the sidelines.  For the men, however, there is some stiff competition, so it will be interesting to see how the last two spots play out.

Results, Day 1 (Friday)

Men
1. Shaun White, Carlsbad, CA, 49.00
2. Scotty Lago, Seabrook, NH, 47.70
3. Greg Bretz, Mammoth Lakes, CA, 46.70
4. Elijah Teter, South Lake Tahoe, CA, 44.00
5. Luke Mitrani, Mammoth Lakes, CA, 44.00
6. Louie Vito, Sandy, UT, 43.30
7. JJ Thomas, Golden, CO, 43.00
8. Danny Kass, Portand, OR, 42.70
9. Steve Fisher, Breckenridge, CO, 42.00
10. Dylan Bidez, Minturn, CO, 41.30

Women
1. Kelly Clark, Mt. Snow, VT, 45.20
2. Hannah Teter, Belmont, VT, 44.80
3. Ellery Hollingsworth, Stratton, VT, 43.60
4. Gretchen Bleiler, Aspen, CO, 42.50
5. Elena Hight, South Lake Tahoe, CA, 40.00
6. Kaitlyn Farrington, Sun Valley, ID, 39.20
7. Maddy Schaffrick, Steamboat Springs, CO, 31.40
8. Kelly Marren, Hillsborough, CA, 29.40
9. Clair Bidez, Minturn, CO, 19.30

Results, Day 2 (Saturday)

Men
1. Shaun White 49.5
2. Scotty Lago 48
3. Luke Mitrani 45.3
4. Gregory Bretz 44.8
5. JJ Thomas 44.2
6. Jack Mitrani 42.3
7. Dylan Bidez 42.1
8. Steve Fisher 40.6
9. Zach Black 38.5
10. Broc Waring 38.2
11. Danny Kass 37.5
12. Andy Finch 36.7

Women
1. Kelly Clark 47.40
2. Hannah Teter 43.90
3. Kaitlyn Farrington 41.00
4. Madeline Schaffrick 36.50
5. Elena Hight 36.20

If you look back through snowboard history, females have come a long way from where they were even ten years ago to where they are today, constantly pushing the envelope and upping the caliber of competition.  Recently, Stan Evans (Producer) and Jeremy Miller (Director/Editor) released a snowboard film featuring an all girl cast.  The film highlights the progression of female riding, taking the talents of several different women and combining them into a series of segments to create a powerful story; a story they call “Stance.”

Though I downloaded and wrote about the film a few weeks ago, I finally got around to watching Stance in it’s entirety this past weekend.  With an all-star cast that includes the likes of Gretchen Bleiler, Jamie Anderson and Torah Bright, I knew the film would be good, but I was even surprised at how good some of the riding was.

The film opens with Gretchen recanting her tragic experience at the X-games a few years ago, where one minor fall cost her the title but how she learned that snowboarding is more about “being in the moment” than about winning.  Throughout the rest of Stance, the film makers portray just that - a group of pro riders “being in the moment” and living their dreams.

The film is a really nice mix of backcountry riding and jumps and pipe.  Obviously I was impressed by the usual pros who continue to claim title after title, but my favorite sequence was the second with Kimmy Fasani - her smooth style riding really stood out and she did a phenomenal job filming the part.

Aside from the riding presented in the film, I also really enjoyed the cinematography and editing of the film.  The makers did a really nice job keeping the film fun but also serious and motivational.  The music was great, and the technique was truly amazing.

The film’s full cast included Gretchen Bleiler, Hana Beaman, Jamie Anderson, Kimmy Fasani, Lisa Filzmoser, Jenny Jones, Torah Bright, Raewyn Reid, Molly Aguirre, Gabi Viteri and other riders, and more info. can be found at Stance’s Web site.  Props to all involved, and I hope there are more all female films to come!

On September 30, a new snowboard film “Stance,” produced by Mills Entertainment, will be offering free downloads; one day only (tip from HUCK Magazine).  Stance features an all-female cast of pro riders, including Gretchen Bleiler, Haha Beaman, Kimmy Fasani, Lisa Filzmoser, Jenny Jones, Torah Bright, Raewy Nreid, Gabi Viteri, Jamie Anderson and Molly Aguirre.  Judging by the cast alone, the film is sure to be awesome, but more importantly it portrays the progression of female riding and shows how far women have come in the sport.  Check out the trailer below, but if you want to see the full thing make sure you download on September 30.

It’s 2009, and if you head to a locals beach where the surf has hit it’s prime, you can look around and see quite the mix of people - young, old, men, and also women.  But it wasn’t always that way.  Women have come a long way since surfing first became widespread.  Women have always been in the picture, but only recently have they transformed their image from the “bikini babes” in the background to true, featured “surfer chicks.”

This summer, Villa Villa Cola Productions and Roxy debuted Dear and Yonder, which hit a selection of art houses nationwide during its launch tour.  Created by Tiffany Campbell and Andria Lessler, Dear and Yonder features some of the most progressive riding to date.  Dear and Yonder follows top professionals including Roxy team riders Sally Fitzgibbons, Sofia Mulanovich and Kassia Meador, as they surf their home breaks (Dear) and travel the world (Yonder).  In addition to chronicling today’s surfers, Dear and Yonder spreads its roots deeper and cultivates a sense of place and knowledge of history, reaching back in time to unearth footage of iconic surfers such as Linda Benson, Rell Sunn and Lisa Andersen.

I got a chance to preview the film this past week, and it was so cool and inspiring to watch a hyped film featuring primarily all female surfers.  The film takes viewers through how surfing got started, featuring top female progressives in the sport and also their struggle to take it to the next level. It opens with a history lesson on how surfing got started and how women first got involved.  It also portrays some of the hardships women had to endure to get to where they are today.  While men were fending off masses of eager sponsors, women struggled to find sponsors to help cover entry fees for an increasing number of competitions, and most only offered little more than men’s cloths and wetsuits.

Fast forward to the present day, where seeing a group of female surfers in the water is ordinary as can be.  I liked Dear and Yonder because it featured present day females, not only surfing as a sport, but surfing as an entire lifestyle, incorporating their own, unique attitude into the sport.  For example, one scene in the film features “Captain Liz Clark,” a surfer who has been sailing around the world for the past three years, living off the earth’s natural resources and experimenting new and interesting cultures along the way.  Another scene features Ashley Lloyd, a women who spends her days shaping surf boards made from sustainable materials.  Another scene features Judith Sheridan, an awesome body surfer (seriously, pro surfers move out of the way for this woman) who recently was diagnosed with MS.  Her disease didn’t stop her though; in fact, it only gave her more of a reason to embrace her life and talent that she was handed.

Aside from surfing, a secondary underlying theme throughout the film was sustainability.  Alongside surfing also comes the importance of being one with the earth and living off its natural resources.  The women featured in Dear and Yonder do their part in giving back, from Amy Clark who uses solar energy and wind power to propel her throughout her worldwide exploration, to Belinda Baggs who sews her own board shorts on her off days from the waves.

All in all, great movie; two thumbs up from us!  It comes out on DVD next month, so if you get a chance the laid-back tracks combined with the strong message, beautiful scenery, and of course, awesome surfing makes for a nice change from the typical surfing film.