Westbound Boarder

Rarely am I ever inspired by the fashion portrayed in Vogue-style magazines.  I usually find high fashion a bit too chic for my liking (I’m a laid-back girl, what can I say?) however, I was totally inspired by an advertisement in next month’s issue of Lucky.  The ad featured a Denver-based fashion blogger, Jenny Lee, wearing her choice outfit for fall.  With leggings, a plaid farmer’s T, and a faux fur jacket, her cute, edgy, yet 100% practical, outfit is the perfect combination of hip and fun, but still cozy, day-off-the-mountain type style.  Most of all, I’m in love with her Sorel boots!  And for anyone who lives in chilly climates (so, basically, anyone except those of you who live in SoCal) I think these boots will quickly emerge as the new must-have of the season.

The boots in the ad prompted me to go check out the Sorel site, and I picked out my two favorite pairs – the women’s Cate the Great ($200), and the women’s Caribou ($110).  The Glacier‘s also look great for the mountain, though I can’t decide if I’d actually wear these out or not.

Man do I love shoes and boots… perhaps a little too much for my budget   What boots are you going gaga for this season?

Fall. It’s the worst time of the year. It’s too rainy to longboard, too cold to wakeboard and too long to wait for the mountain to open. I know, I know, I’m a little late, as the anticipation of opening day is almost over for most of us, but I am going to share with you all what I have been doing during this dreadful intermittent period of Fall to make the snow at least seem like its falling faster…

For starters, a few weekends ago I attended the one and only Portland SkiFever & Snowboard Show. It all happened at the Portland Expo Center. You know, all of Portland’s premier snowboard shops in one room dumping last season’s gear at prices so low you can’t resist. The expo was crammed with techs, pros and riders like yourself who were there get you a deal so great that you could do no wrong. SkiFever is an annual event that takes place in both Portland and Seattle, so there are no excuses not to start the season with the perfect setup. Even better, you really want to be the first person on the slopes opening day? Each Mt. Hood resort attends the fair, selling season passes and taking photos so you don’t have to battle the lines when the mountain does finally open!

Despite that the fact that SkiFever has busted out of town already, it’s not too late to find solid deals on snowboard gear for the upcoming season. Fall – this worst time of year – is actually the best time to buy your new equipment. The shops are nearly giving away last year’s gear in order to make room for the new. So before the first storm rolls in, get off the couch and get the best set up at the season’s best prices. Stay tuned with Westbound Boarder for advice on where you can find the best snowboard deals in the Portland and Los Angeles areas. In the meantime, you can take part in another activity I do to make the snow come that much faster – exercise. (More exercise tips from us later). Getting in shape for the snowboard season is something I like to do before the snow falls, so I don’t waste a minute on the slopes ‘brushing up’ when that first storm finally rolls in!