Westbound Boarder

After a somewhat extended winter season, with many mountains out west receiving several feet of fresh pow in the middle of April, spring riding conditions have finally snuck up on us.  Personally, spring is my favorite time to ride.  As people begin to trade their boots for booties, the resorts are much less crowded, the vibe is super fun and chill, and the weather is great!  But there is one thing to always remember while shedding your outer layers and heading up to the slopes on a 60 degree SoCal day - sunblock.

Now, I always like to add a personal touch to my stories here on Westbound Boarder, so in an attempt to pepper some personal experience into this post I decided to embark on a mission of great detail - to head to Mammoth Mountain on a sunny, 60-degree spring day… sans sunscreen.  It was purely research! (Ok, so I simply forgot… so what?)  Hence… the photo to your right.  That’s right, I got goggle burn.

Yes, I’m sure you have read it many times in magazines, books and blogs; while sun is great and goggle burn is sorta cool, it does, in fact, cause damage to your skin, and the rays dispersed on the slopes can be much worse because they are reflected off the snow, actually magnifying the damaging effect.  This is why it is vital to always wear sunblock when you ride, especially on sunny spring days.

Despite my advice above and thousands of reports proving that the sun’s effect on skin is, in fact, damaging, many of you will probably ignore my advice and attempt to attain the infamous goggle tan anyway.  After all, we all know only legit riders rock the goggle tan, right?  So if you really feel like you must sport the goggle tan, below are some do’s and don’ts for achieving the perfect goggle tan:

DO

• Wear at least some form of sun protection to protect from UV rays and skin damage. SPF 15 will do just fine. Even better if sunscreen is already infused in your daily moisturizer. I really like Aveno Positively Radiant daily moisturizer (but beware, it’s SPF 30 - aka, not great if you’re going for the dark, defined goggle tan, as this will slightly lengthen the time it takes to achieve goggle tan perfection).
• Sport your goggles while eating lunch, without your hat and helmet on. This will prevent strange shapes and strap lines from appearing on funky places on your face, ultimately creating a nice, clean, and smooth goggle tan.
• Wear goggles, not sungasses.  Goggle tan = cool; 80’s Sunglasses tan = WTHWYT (What the heck were you thinking?!)

DON’T

• Wear your goggles in a tanning bed. That’s pretty lame. Okay, no, it’s really lame. Tanning bed goggle tan = way not hardcore.
• Use sunless tanner to half-ass your goggle tan.  Not only is it not hardcore, its also kind of weird.  Fake face tan = NOT a real goggle tan!
• Take a photo and photoshop in a goggle tan.  If you’re going to go that route, you may as well photoshop in Shaun White, while you’re at it.  If people don’t believe you and Shaun are shred friends, they probably won’t believe your photoshopped goggle tan either.
• Use a magic marker to draw on a goggle tan.  Hate to break it to ya, but I think people will notice.  And stare.  And possibly laugh.  Hey, if you pass out and wake up the next morning with a magic marker goggle tan (can we call it a mmgt?) that’s a different story.  But a mmgt on purpose?  Leave it to the 3-year-olds.
• Take goggles from kids. That’s just wrong; bring your own damn goggles.

I like to think I am pretty tough. I also like to think that I am a pretty good snowboarder. With years of experience behind me not only shredding the gnar, but competing too, I have always thought of myself as one who could at least handle (even conquer) any snowboarding experience put in my way. Well Saturday March 27th (also my 25th b-day), was a humbling and also a near death experience.

Okay, okay, so near death, may be a bit dramatic, however I had an on hill experience that could have easily turned into something one would see on the 6 o’clock news (and those stories aint pretty…). We all know they generally turn into home viewers mocking the stupidity of the hiker or skier who was not wearing a helmet or carrying a communication device. You immediately judge them and think, “freakin’ idiot!!!” So here it goes, my story of idiocy and what in the hell I have learned (and intend to teach you) from it…

It all started with the nice pair of skiers my husband and I met on the chair lift. With a great sense of humor and a helmet cam to boot, these guys were a lot of fun. So accepting their invitation to cruise out of bounds to their secret heaven was an easy decision to make. They warned us snowboarders that the run requires a gnarly traverse out of a very steep canyon, even for skiers. Confident in my ability this warning didn’t even phase me. We cruised down to to what was the most glorious, unscathed, gigantic canyon I have ever seen. I was over taken with excitement as the snow conditions were magnificent and I was going to experience the run of my life, and on my birthday too…

We stopped to take in the view one last time before dropping into the canyon and stared in awe at Mt. Hoods Mississippi head behind us and the sun shining down in front of us - It was a text book perfect day (fresh pow + Mr. Sun). Anyways, the attitude and intensity of our new skier buddies changed almost instantly as they warned us we needed lots and lots of speed and had to stay high in the canyon in order to get out of it and avoid, ‘the point of no return.’ This is where I got a little bit nervous. I didn’t really let it get to me, as after all, I had no choice at this point, there was only one way out.

They guys dropped in and I followed in their track behind them.  I quickly realized that I had no where near the speed they did and I was loosing elevation quickly. The west wall of the canyon was steep and icy that afternoon and my edged failed to hold as I began slipping further and further down into the canyon, towards the bottom. At this point I could barely see the guys towards the top of the canyon and I was stuck and slipping further and further down the hill.

Out of bounds at the bottom of a 95% some oddish grade mountain was not a good situation to be in, and I knew it. I looked up to realize that there was only one way out. I had to climb this wall in my snowboard boots and with my snowboard in my hand. This was not a hill and there was no walking up it. If I wanted to make it to my birthday that evening (which was really the least of my worries at that point), I was going to be forced to climb this mountain.

So it began. The mountain was steep and I was forced to slam the nose of my snowboard into the ice to the side of myself for leverage and proceed to kick my toe into the wall in an effort to create a step to boost myself up, and one single kick was not enough. I had to repeatedly kick my toe into the snow to create a single step at a time (as hard as I could considering I was grasping the wall of the canyon using the dull nose of my snowboard to avoid falling backwards off of it or slide down it). I also knew that if I lost my footing that would be it - I would loose the ground I had covered and due to the steepness of the canyon, there would by no stopping myself if I were to slip off. I was to say the least terrified! I could not shake the thought of slipping down the hill, because I knew there would be no climbing back up the canyon at that point.

However through my husbands cheering, coaching and encouragement from the top, nearly an hour and a half later, I was near the top. Suffering from the greatest physical exhaustion I have ever experienced coupled with the beaming sun on my face, I was sweating bullets and my nerves were building even more as the steepness of the canyon was increasing towards the top.

Eventually (as one would guess as I am here to relay the message), I made it out of the canyon in one piece. One sunburned, exhausted, hysterical girl, but I made it. What did I learn from all of this??? A very important lesson and that is, don’t mess with mother nature. One wrong move while climbing up that mountain, and this could have turned into a dangerous and potentially life threatening event. Being in the wilderness and unprepared is an situation that is easier to end up in than I have ever anticipated and protecting yourself may be easier than you think. A few tips I have and suggestions that I am going to forever live buy are quite simple: (1) Always ride with a buddy (2) Have a means of communicating with the outside world. A cell phone, walkie talkie, GPS device etc, will save your life (3) Carry instant energy on you, a cliff bar, shot blocks, etc… (4) Planning on hiking or heading towards the back-country? Carry a camel back and compass. I had one out of the four of these items…a buddy, oh and apparently some luck, which if I were you, I would never count on when you are relying on mother nature to take care of you, she is a tough biatch. So if you are ever faced with the opportunity to ride the back-country or cruise out of bounds, really think about where you are going, and if you are truly prepared for what may be in store, no matter how solid of a rider you are…remember you are only human.

So you wondering where the skier guys disappeared to? Well, the moment I made it out of the canyon, there they were at the top, greeting me with chocolate covered peanuts, high fives and laughter. As distraught as I was, their smiles (and my husband’s too of course) were exactly what I needed.

Want to see the canyon I hiked out of? Check out the video below. The canyon in the backgroud at about 3:15 is my hike. Oh yeah, and the para skiers are pretty cool too

Now that October has past and November is finally here, winter is just around the corner.  But that doesn’t mean you have to trade in the sand for a pile of snow; winter can be one of the best seasons to surf!  But only if you prepare.  Preparing for the cooler temperatures starts with your wax, and ends with your attire:

Winterizing Your Board

Typically if you surf in the summer in warmer climates (no, no, this does not pertain to Oregon ) you will use a warmer wax.  However, if you use the same wax you use in the winter as you do in the summer, your wax will become slippery, causing you to loose your footing while standing up.  So when prepping your board for cooler water temperatures, choose a cooler (or winter) wax.  One good way to pick a wax is to find out the temperature of the water you’ll be surfing in ahead of time (try Surfline) and find a wax that is suitable for that particular temperature.

Winterizing Your Bod

OK, so, we all know winter is, well, cold, so the best trick to winterizing your bod is buying a nice winter wet suit.  Try to stick with something at a level 3 or above, and if you get really cold I’d highly recommend booties and a hoodie.

So now that your board and bod are officially winterized, you’re set!  Now get out there and start (or continue) surfing!

For those of you reading from the land way down under, ahem, I mean Los Angeles, you and your eternal sunshine can ignore my wisdom from today (however, I would wager there are some sweet indoor skate parks in Southern California). Anyways, in the Pacific NW and most other areas in the West for that matter, fall is in full force and winter is right around the corner, which means no more street skating.

For our skateboard enthusiasts out there, and those looking to cross train for the upcoming snowboard season, you may be surprised to learn that there are a large number of indoor skate parks throughout Portland and Seattle. Here are a few worth mentioning, let us know if we are forgetting any!

• Epic Snow: Now located in NW Portland, it was formerly Grenade’s indoor skate park, but was donated to Epic by Danny Kass and Grenade this year. Now open and ready for your shredding pleasure.
• Department of Skateboarding: In NE Portland, this place rocks. With specials just for the ladies and flippin’ Friday night specials, what have you got to loose?
• Inner Space: This is a Seattle park. Parties, camps, lessons or free skate sessions, Inner Space has it all.
• Skate Barn West: The largest indoor skate park in the NW is located in Renton, WA. It looks pretty siiick.

The ski/snowboard season is right around the corner, and with numerous resorts across the nation seeing their first signs of snow this past weekend, opening day is already in sight.  Which means… time to get your bootie in shape, so you can enjoy a full, tire-free day on the slopes (and not still feel it your next weekend up).

In case you missed our series on getting in shape for the upcoming snowboard season, definitely check it out:

• Establishing a Routine
  
• Beginner’s Workout
• Advanced Workout
• And a fun new toy to try… The Balance Board!

Enjoy!

As you may already know, we have dedicated this week to getting in shape for the upcoming winter season. So why stop with traditional workouts? Andrea informed you all on the work out basics, now it is time to learn about the not so common method of getting in shape before and during the off season - commonly known as the Indo Board (a.k.a - balance board).

• The Balance Board, originally used for surfers, is now a device that all kinds of board sports enthusiasts and athletes alike, use to practice their skills in the off season. Used for both fun and serious workouts, the Balance Board helps riders to develop greater balance, coordination, and increased strength. On top of the perfect cross training tool, the Balance Board is even used for physical therapy, rehabilitation and for preventative injury purposes.

• Can’t wait to get one? Then don’t. Follow these easy steps and make your very own Balance Board, for a fraction of the cost. Here are a few sites to choose from:
  • XShelton.com
    
  • WikiHow.com
  • Instructables.com
    

• Don’t want to bother making one? Buy one from the innovators and the best in the Balance Board Industry - Indo Board.

Go on - try it. What have you got to loose?

Throughout the span of my (Internet) life, I’ve grown to detest e-mail newsletters.  E-mail newsletter, to me = JUNK.  Delete.

However, over the past couple of months I’ve come across a couple e-mail newsletters that sounded somewhat interesting, so I subscribed, and I’ve actually learned to enjoy - even look forward to - my daily/weekly e-mail newsletters.  Prior to my new found love of e-mail newsletters, I subscribed to blogs, etc. in RSS.  However, over the course of a few years, adding one blog here, another blog there, my RSS has become completely overloaded!  I now subscribe to more than 250 blogs, news sites, etc. (several which post multiple times a day) so looking at my RSS can be a bit overwhelming, despite the fact that everything is nicely organized into neat, subject-related folders.

This is the reason I am starting to love e-mail newsletters.  They typically come daily or weekly, depending on what you are subscribing to, and are a great way to get your week’s dose of news from your favorite publications without having to sort through the mess of your RSS.

Here are a couple of my personal favorite e-mail newsletters:

• Transworld Business: Of course, Transworld is most known for its consumer-facing publications (Transworld Snow, Transworld Skate, etc.) but it actually has an awesome industry pub targeted toward people interested in the business side of the board sports industry.  This newsletter is delivered about once per week and brings your dose of board sports interviews with industry experts, shop reviews, etc. straight to your inbox.
• HUCK Magazine: I love HUCK magazine (snowboard, arts, culture and travel glossy for women published in the UK) and after I invested ten bucks into a couple of their paper mags, I stumbled upon their awesome digital site.  This e-mail newsletter is a great way to get your weekly dose of HUCK without having to visit and surf through their Web site each and every day.
• Fitness Magazine: Though its not board sports-related, I still think Fitness magazine has an awesome e-mail newsletter.  Delivered once per day, this newsletter offers fitness and eating tips, plus highlights recent content on the site… and we all know being physically fit is a key component to being a hardcore shred.
• Self Magazine: This one’s pretty similar to the Fitness e-newsletter, but if you want extra variety in your workouts and eating plan, subscribe to both!

As I mentioned above, I’m really just beginning to recognize the awesomeness of e-mail newsletters, so these are just a couple to get you started if you, too, would like to join the fun.  I’ll be sure to keep you posted on any other great newsletters I come across.  Also, stay tuned because Westbound Boarder has an e-mail newsletter of its own coming your way soon!  One for sure to top anyone’s list, in fact.

Do you have any other favorite e-mail newsletters?  If so, what?  Leave a shout out in the comments!