Westbound Boarder

Tim Windell, Creator of Windells Camp

I’m a huge fan of Tim Windell and recently had the rare opportunity to catch up with him. I say rare as the dude is constantly on the move especially with the Winter Olympics coming up and the wrap up of the Winter X-Games. Tim is the proud owner/operator of Windells Camp - The Funnest Place on Earth.

Windell’s operation is located on the western slopes of Mt. Hood Oregon. Ideally located between Sandy and Welches, Windells Camp occupies a former motel complex, and sits on 53 acres which include Oregon’s largest indoor skate park, a sick assortment of concrete skate features, a foam pit, an Olympic-size trampoline, an outdoor BMX/Freeride dirt circuit complete with the largest assortment of ramps, jumps, rails you name it! The place is constantly evolving and while I was there, the crew had a cement mixer on site and was busy building new features that will undoubtedly prove to be nothing short of incredible.

Tim began skiing at the ripe old age of 3 back in Colorado. As a boy, he enjoyed such places such as Breckinridge, Vail, Steamboat and Winter Park. During Tim’s teenage years, his skiing improved so much that he literally hit a plateau. He felt as though he wasn’t getting much better at it and he began to look for other snow sport opportunities. This is when snowboarding first emerged on the scene. Tim found this new sport to be both challenging and exhilarating. Needless to say, Tim rocked the snowboard world and took countless titles.

However, as Tim explained to me, he began to notice that the younger guys were catching up and he found it difficult to both compete and train at the same time. So, with this in mind, Tim opened up his first training camp in Whistler BC and then finally in Oregon around 1987.

Foam Practice Pit

One of the key ingredients to Tim’s success is the location. One of the greatest things Wendells has to offer is Mt. Hood’s year round snow. There are several companies that offer similar type programs but Windells is unique as it is sequestered away by itself and really is sort of an island unto itself. Yeah, an island of fun! Tim has taken great strides in keeping his campers safe and secure. His is a multidimensional approach that takes into account the physical, mental maybe even spiritual well being of each and every camper. I guess when you churn out as many world champions as Tim Windell has over the years, (16 USA Olympic Medalists, 137 X Games Medalists, top 10 men & 8 of the top 10 women on the Dew Tour) you see this method as the only one in which to employ.

One of the most fascinating things to me was the school that is located on the campus. I think a common misconception is that Windell’s is all fun and games. It is the Funnest Place on Earth to be sure but it also has a serious side as well. Many of the young folks that come to Windell’s come with the need for an alternative education program. The academy students are enrolled in a fully accredited program that will allow the student-athletes to go to college and pursue professional careers. They work at their own pace in a very low key, comfortable environment… I’m a fan.

Snowboards, anyone?

When asked how women have progressed in the snow sports, Tim responded with an enthusiastic, “exponentially”! Women he said “have really stepped up their games. Gold medalist Kelly Clark for example is now un-reachable.” He went on to say the women have much more accessibility then they once had, they’re legit and getting better all the time.” Recently during a Holiday training camp, most if not all were women! He went on to say that there is more camaraderie with women; they’re great ambassadors of the sport and very supportive to one another.

So, in summation, what a great privilege it was to spend a little time with Tim Windell. Truly a visionary and all around great guy. If you ever get the opportunity to enroll in one of his amazing camp sessions, do it! Because, in the words of Warren Miller, “If you don’t do it this year, you’ll only be one year older when you do.”

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

It’s my birthday today, and I’m in DC (for work), and of course Mrs. Accountant (aka, Dani) is, well, doing super fun, accountant-like Tax Day things, so I’m going to make this post short and sweet today.  In our quest to uncover new great boardsports camps for y’all, Danielle came across this great resource.  Called ‘Girlie Camps’ (approriate title for our cause, yeah?) this site features several camps across the board (no pun intended).  From snow to skate to surf, Girlie Camps hosts several awesome camps all throughout Europe (they have camps in all different countries - London, Berlin, France are only a few), so if you want to test your boundaries and head East (far, far, East) check out Girlie Camps.

Just when I thought that we have told you about each and every board camp possible, I searched the web just to be sure. Boy was I wrong! I found a plethora of camps for wake, snow, skate, skim etc. that all sound equally incredible! I narrowed it down to the camp that had it all, and as summer is rapidly approaching, that was a camp that offered water sports instruction.

EOS Board Camps is the topic of conversation this evening as EOS offers skim, surf, wake and even skate instruction. On top of the variety of board sport camp options, EOS also offers a variety of camp locations including Hawaii, Washington, Nor Cal, So Cal, Utah, Florida, New York, New Jersey and Minnesota! Now that right there are EIGHT states where you can improve your summer board skills through EOS camps!

On top of the board and location variety, EOS offers a variety of camp package’s - one of which is bound to fit your pocket book. Most camps are day camps that run for various lengths of time, so check out the site as dates and prices vary depending on what it is that you want.

EOS takes pride in their professional coaches who are the best available people to teach you all the board essentials. EOS classifies them as a place, “where a rider can easily find help to excel in the board sport of their choice.”

As we at Westbound Boarder emphasize group instruction as a great means to improving your board skills, EOS is yet another great opportunity to get out there and push you and your board to the next level. From the mouth of EOS CEO himself, “grab your board and let’s ride!”

As the European Girlie’s put it themselves, ‘do you have a passion for action sports, adventure, meeting new friends or improving your language skills? Then welcome to Girlie Camps 2009!’ Girlie Camps features Ski, Snow, Skate, Surf and even Kite Surf Camps; which range from Surf camps in the South of France, and Spain, Snow Camps in Les Duex Alps and Skate Camps in the UK, Germany and Spain.

Girlie camps bring you everything you need to partake in the joy of snowboarding, surfing, skateboarding and skiing. With camps available for all levels and all ages, each girlie has her own opportunity to attend one of the many Girlie Camps. The cost of your camp includes everything you need from lodging, lift tickets, gear and even meals. The exact items included do vary slightly depending on which camp you select, although one thing is for sure; world class instruction is included!

The Girlie Camps were born when creator, Marika, decided to create an outlet for all women who share a passion for board sports. As you have already heard Andrea and I discuss in our Wicked Wednesday Camp Posts, the key to improving your board skills lies in learning with the girls. Riding with other ladies who are there to encourage you, challenge you and cheer you on is the best way to improve your skills, hands down.

Whether your skills are non existent or you want to take your spin to the next degree, there is room for improvement. Just listen to Girlie Camp enthusiast Cathrine Stiller, “This [camp] has been the most developing snowboard riding ever! Just chilling with girls and learning form each other has done so much for my confidence as a rider and as an individual person.” Ms. Stiller could not be more right! Just attend a snowboard camp and spend a week with the girlie’s to see for yourself!

So if you are up for a real camp adventure and one that is halfway across the world, Girlie Camps are where it’s at Summer 2009. Check out the web site for exact dates, pricing and details. Girlie Camps spells it all out for you, from the airport, to transportation - so if you start saving now, there really are no excuses not to attend.