New Choice News
Just a quick one today to let you know that my good friend Mr. Rod Caula of Choice Apparel has some new pics of the new t-shirts on his site. They should be here in about 2 weeks, they look super sick!
On another note, Grouse Mountain Pro Team Rider Jenelle Pritchard is also now on the Choice Apparel team which is super sick as well.
Even more good news! My recovery is going very well, and I will be heading to the Okanagan next week to do some filming with Progressive Youth Productions (check out the PYP Facebook Group) and by the time I am back I should be well enough to film on Grouse Mountain on foot, my goal is to be on skis in 4-6 weeks just cruising and being super careful and filming. So fingers crossed! Also after the trip you should be very excited to see PYP’s promo/teaser, it will have a mix of everything from urban to park to pow, so keep the eyes peeled.
Keep it real,
Chuckles
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Dissection! feat. Line Afterbang
So initially I was searching around for a little more info on Line’s new Afterbang when I had trouble finding pictures explaining the basic construction of a ski. Upon failing to find anything, I took the liberty of doing the work myself, and cut up two different skis. Hurrah!
So, to be blunt (and to the best of my knowledge) there are basically two key ways a ski is manufactured:
1. Traditional wood core
2. Monocoque
In the traditional method, it all revolves around the material for the core. Usually wood or foam is used, although some manufacturers like Atomic use rails and channels and what have you, but they all follow the basic idea. The core material is wrapped in fiberglass and glued to the base, a top sheet and graphic is put on top, and polyurethane sidewalls are added to the sides.
Monocoque construction was developed in the late 80s – early 90s by Salomon and Elan. Instead of having a core surrounded by sidewalls and top sheet, Monocoque technology uses a single one-piece cap that covers both the top and sides. Monocoque by definition, is a construction technique that uses an object’s external skin to bear weight as opposed to relying entirely on the center/core. By doing so for skis, a lighter core can be used, thus making the ski weigh less.You can pretty easily point of the difference between traditional and Monocoque skis – just look at the sides. This video is great for showing how Monocoque skis are put together.
[video]
After much searching on the world wide web, I failed to get a decent cross-section shot of both Monocoque and the traditional construction. Then I remembered I had some old garbage skis just jamming in my basement, waiting to be dealt with. The first victim was from a pair of Rossignol 557 Sports; they have the traditional wood core, making them a great candidate.
My dad really wanted these when they first came out
Sidewall construction
I grabbed a jigsaw, and said goodbye to this fine piece of French crafstmanship.
Sorry France
Despite a brand new blade, the ski was rather difficult to cut, particularily on the metal edges. The blade ended up getting so hot it melted a nice trail through the base, but I tidied it up with a knife. Anyways here is what I got.
Finally a good shot
I had fun cutting up the Rossi, but it was time to hack at a Monocoque ski. I had a pair of Salomon 1080′s I was saving to someday be some sort of urban ski, despite one was broken and held together by a bolt. These skis have a core of injected foam, making them much lighter than the Rossignols.
Yes they are painted purple
Away I went again. Like last time, the edges took me forever to cut through. This time however, the foam core made the blade zip through like cake, and I was done in half the time. A neat thing newer skis have is a layer (or two) of aluminum beneath the cap. This is sometimes called a “torsion box” as it affects the flex and responsiveness of the ski, and it also aids in counteracting vibration.
Despite being very thin, the aluminum proves to be highly effective
With that said, I finally have a better understanding of what’s on the inside of those things we call skis. There are plenty of variations out there in terms of construction; my present ski has air injected into the fiberglass fibers to make it lighter. Really necessary? I think not, but some swear by such differences.
Now we know how skis work on the inside right? Wrong! Introducing the Line Afterbang!
Super neato, although the graphics are a bit much
These skis are neither traditional nor Monocoque. The idea was that, like a skateboard, your skis get banged up and thrown around quite a bit. Instead of using fragile materials to create a park ski that is set to recieve decent amounts of abuse, why not make it like a skateboard? And thus, the Afterbang was born. Instead of a vertically laid core (the pattern in which the wood runs), the Afterbang has a horizontally laid seven ply maple core like a skate deck. The construction results in an very customizable flex pattern, allowing the butter zone to be moved just in front of the binding, making it easier to push out your presses and butters. Secondly, and frankly most importantly, the ski’s durability is increased exponentially. The Afterbang was recently featured on the Yes Network.
When this ski does reach the hands of consumers, I will be super duper keen to see how it performs.
That’s all for now kids. I hope you learned something new from all this, as I sure did!
Dad I owe you a new blade...
Payyyyce
-Cam
Choice Apparel Interview
So I have decided to start a series of interviews with up and coming local companies. First up, I sit down with the man behind Choice Apparel, Mr. Rodrigo Caula. Enjoy!
[video]
It’s your Choice,
Chuckles
Random Rambles I
I met mini shred Nick last night while doing a few laps with Dan Jonas and crew. This kid is sick. Keep your eyes out for him in the Quiksilver park. He’s easy to spot. The smallest dude hitting the biggest stuff is a good sign that it’s him.
The term “Blogger” now identifies me, apparently. The following exchange from last night pretty much solidifies that assumption.
Sam: Hi Alice.
Alice: …Hi?
Sam: It’s Sam!
Alice: Hi Sam.
(Pause)
Alice: Sam who!?
Sam: The blogger.
Alice: OH! Hi Sam!
The Rookie park is amazingly fun right now. Everything is ride on. Even my girlfriend can hit features. Yay for progressive parks!
Nathan Jonas hurt his knee trying a ridiculous corked 7 off a tiny hit by the snowblowers. Bail or not, I was pretty impressed.
Formerly local shred Wes is back on the scene, working on restoring his local status. I ran into him lapping the park Sunday afternoon and got a few laps in with him. He’s super fun to ride with, but long hours at work keep him off the hill.
The BC Snowboard Association is holding a slopestyle competition at Grouse Mountain on February 7th, hosted by Showcase Snowboards. You need to be a BCSA member to register, check out the Facebook page or their site for details.
Fellow blogger Charlie Grinnell will be filming local boy wonder Liam Casey on Thursday with yours truly behind an old school 35mm SLR. If you’re in the park, feel free to stop by and say hi. If you’ve never seen Liam ski before, you’re in for a treat.
You may wonder why my blogs lack the visual stimulation some of the other blogs have. To be completely honest, I have so much fun riding, that I forget to pull the camera out. That and the fact that I don’t want cold hands.
SIA is over and done with and the new gear for 2010 is looking sooooo sick. Here’s a quick rundown of what I find sick…so mostly the reverse camber boards.Capita has introduced Flat Kick Technology to two more models. DC has a camberless model out. Rome is back with 1985s on more models. As for boards with camber, the choices are endless. All reverse camber boards have a sister board with camber. Now, some pictures!
Nitro Sub Pop Series for 2010 ft. RC
Signal 2010 Park Rocker with RIDICULOUS amounts of rocking
Some of DC's 2010 line.
Capita Stairmaster Extreme
Technine keeps it's street roots for 2010
The new Ride Slackcountry for all your powder riding needs
Local boys Endeavour have 4 RC models for this season. The Colour series for 2010, white with rocker and orange without.
Stepchild's 2010 line up
32 is in the outerwear business for 2010
Sessions has you covered if you forgot the gloves at home. Just pull out them mitts!
A sampling of the Rome boards. The Design, Graft and Slash from left to right.
Speaking of Rome, I’ve managed to get my hands on a 2010 Artifact 1985 courtesy of the good folks over at the SDS. Dan and I will be reviewing it in the next couple weeks. Be sure to check back to get the low down on some of next season’s gear.
2010 Rome Artifact 1985
See you on the hill,
Sam
This is Our LifeSTYLE.
When I started snowboarding, my first kit was a Nitro snowboard from the early 90′s that weighed double what I did, matching bindings, a terrible pair of Killer Loop boots, snow pants that were too short and a bright orange Florida Panthers jacket. Things have changed since that first season, but the progression was slow, largely because snowboarding is such an expensive sport to get into.
My luck, and coincidentally, my style, changed when I managed to get hooked up with Special Blend, Forum and Circa. Bam! I could actually keep up with the trends. All that seems way in the distant past now and looking at me riding today, you could never tell that I was THAT kid in the ridiculously mismatched gear.
It’s easy to keep up with what’s good and what’s not when you have the connects. I get stoked on new gear. Saggy pants? I got ‘em. Tight pants? I got ‘em. Tall tees and jackets? I got those too. Then came cap straps and I jumped on board. Boa lacing systems, I was all over that. Reverse camber on snowboards? Well…I’m still working on that one, but as the following conversation shows, the new tech got me stoked.
Sam: Last season was just one of those seasons where I wasn’t progressing and wasn’t really motivated to ride.
Dan: Then reverse camber showed up…
Sam: (laughter) Yea man! That was totally it!
That’s a little over exaggerated, it was more about finding new people to ride with that push you to ride better and have a good time doing it, but you get the idea.
Living in my little bubble of awesome style and gear, or so I like to think, I used to find myself judging others on how they look. I totally feel like a jerk. The unfortunate thing is, this is the attitude that scares people from riding the park or progressing, since they’re embarrassed to go into the park and try something new because of their style and lack of trick list. It’s even worse because ALL of us were once at that stage, but we seem to have forgotten that. I remind myself of my ridiculous getup and all the times I felt that way when I was starting out. Hence, this post.
It’s like my friend and fellow blogger Charlie put it, “That’s (fashion) all skiing and snowboarding is. If you have the tricks and the style, you’re set.” Definitely, you can have your style. You can have your tricks. You can progress, you can get hyped, you can ride with your buddies, be loud, exchange high fives, but don’t be obnoxious or a straight up dink. That kid with no toque, sunglasses for goggles, jacket tied around his waist and a second hand board or pair of skis is going to be the same kid in fresh new digs and a skill set to back up his style in a couple years.
Basically, my point is stay stoked on your style and gear. I’m sure the pros get antsy when they get their new gear too. But! There’s always a but. Instead of being a jerk, hype other kids. You see someone trying and bailing only to get up and hike the feature, give them a high five or a cheer. Spread the hype. That’s how we spread our lifesytle.
‘Nuff said, let’s shred.
Sam
SIA!
I would like to take this opportunity to say that Line skis has officially upped the ante when it comes to ski graphics and design. Weather you like em or hate em, you have to admit Line has gone above and beyond on all their 2010 models. I’m going to go ahead and claim sickest graphics in the industry.
I’m particularly partial to the Anthem…
Line Anthem
…and the Prophet 100.
Line Prophet 100
You can check out Line, and all the other new 2010 gear for yourself courtesy of the boys over at newschoolers.com.
2010 Preview!
Its 2009, but already, previews of next year’s line ups are already popping up on tons of forums, blogs and websites.
Here is a preview of:
Thanks to the guys at Snowbroader.eu!!
-Dan
Late Release Capita HORRORSCOPE Flat Kick
The Horrorscope is Capita’s reverse camber/rocker board for this year. It was a mid season release so these boards were shipped even later than the already late Capita line to stores. These were a very limited run as only 500 were made. I managed to snag one of the first ones without having to pay! Props to Capita for their handling the warrantee on last years Capita Stairmaster, which some of you may or may not know that they had problems with using the wrong epoxy and delaminating topsheets were used as ice breakers around the world.
Now, to get started, I would classify myself as an above average(not professional by any means) rider. I have ridden all sorts of terrain including groomers, park, deep pow, choppy crud, slush, rocks and hit runs at both Grouse Mountain and Whistler Blackcomb. I have taken it off 20+ foot cliffs and a couple park jumps, but that is because of the lack of tables in the early season, but with the coming jump lines being finalized the horrorscope will soon see its fair share of jumps.
I am riding Union Forces and Vans dk5 boots with this board.
The first thing I would like to say is that Capita’s rocker/reverse camber technology is called FLAT KICK technology where there is zero camber (flat) between the inserts, and then kicks up, much like a skateboard.
I found the Horrorscope to ride true to its size or even a little smaller. One issue that has risen with all reverse camber boards, is its ability to hold an edge.
What camber does is it allows you to ‘pop’ out of your carves, and it applies pressure to hold an edge. with reverse camber there is no pressure on the edge, becuase when you stand on a regular camber board, it pushes flat and when you step off, it returns to its original position. This is what gives you ‘pop’ out of your carve. Libtech’s solution to this was magnatraction which give the edge seven edges instead of one.
I found the horrorscope to hold an edge quite well, but definately noticed that it was not as good as regular camber boards. I find myself washing out but not enough to deter me from wanting to ride the board. It is something you get used to over time.
Regular camber also gives a board its pop, using the same principle when you apply pressure to the board, when you let go it will want to return to its original position, the faster/more powerful it does this, the more pop it has. Now, this board has ALOT of pop, I find it very very fun, and can load the tail or nose and (n)ollie to the moon. Love this board.
grab TINDY!
The flex of this board is very similar to that of a stairmaster. The reason it rides like a really soft board is because of the flat kick. The flat kick turns the board in a very soft board, pressing it is like cheating.
Took it into the pow a whole bunch when it was dumping that week before Christmas. The board is soft, but it handles the pow all right. The flat kick lets the board float with ease, but felt really squirrely goin fast in choppy conditions. I would not want this for a pow specific board at all, it can ride pow for sure, but is a tad soft. It is fine if you want to ride some pow on the side if you are not way past the weight range. I’m 13olbs and on a 148, so for me, it rides like a regular sized snowboard, not a jib board.
This is a pure park/jib board but is still tons of fun when you take it out. It destroys rails, jibs, bonks, ledges, walls, and bamboo poles.
Another thing I would like to add is the skate style influence this board has on the rider. With the flat kicks, it is very easy to loop out and landing on the “trucks”/inserts is a must or you will be on your ass alot.
This is a very fun board and will be a jib board for many people because of its soft flex similar to that of a k2 www, rome artifact or ride kink. Good luck finding some, refer to Sam’s Boards, Boards, Boards! post if you are still looking for one. From what I have heard, the 48 and 56′s sold out in a heartbeat.
I love this board, its a great fit for me because I am a small guy, and this board I can take anywhere. For others, pure jib/park specific. This is a very fun, playful and forgiving board. Great for playing around on, not so great for pow or bumps.
Next review will be for the Bataleon Airobic and TRIPLE BASE TECHNOLOGY! YEAH FOR IT!
Shout out to grouse local Rodrigo Caula and his fast expanding company: Choice Clothing; get them quick! they are selling out fast!
Another note to add is a friend of mine, Matt Munn from Alberta is putting out webisodes of his snowboarding antics where ever he goes. Check it out, MEAT MAGIC!! check it out!! lots of sick sick riding.
-Dan Jonas
Infinite Solutions with Mark Erickson
Hiking the park got your goggles fogged? No problem!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeDIYaVW8Og&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1]
Thanks Mark!
-cj
Boards, Boards, Boards.
I’ve been told to stay off the hill just a couple more days, so today I figured I’d go look at getting a new board. I’ve been thinking about this for a while now and had settled on getting something with Banana or Rocker Tech. Due to the mad Christmas rush, EVERYTHING is gone. I had a list in prioritized order. Here’s what’s going on on the local scene. I called reps, distributors, company headquarters, stores, everything. Here’s some info you, if you looking into any of these boards.
Capita Horrorscope FK
Good luck finding this one. Your best bet is going online and even those are selling out fast. I found the 148 at The Source. Only 5% tax, on sale and free shipping. Win win! There are a few other online stores with the 152′s and 156′s. Take a look. Your best bet would be to find a friend who lives in Washington, get the free shipping and then drive down to pick it up. So go ride Baker and get a few numbers! If you can wait, Pacific Boarder will have some more coming in January, at the earliest. You can go in and see if they can hold one for you, or call and ask to speak to one of the managers.
Rome Artifact 1985
I shouldn’t be sharing these secrets with you because this is the board I want, but I’m a nice guy. Pacific Boarder has this one in a 153 and a 156. The price has been knocked down to $459.99+tax for Boxing Week. Go out and have a look. If you’re looking for the smaller 147′s and 150′s, once again, check The Source, they’ve got them for $450.
Lib Tech Skate Banana or Box Scratcher
The Skate Banana is nowhere to be found, but after some phone calls, I found out that the Boardroom in North Vancouver has a 152 sitting around. They pulled it out of the back when I called. It’s gonna go fast, so if this is the one you’re looking form hurry over, or call dibs over the phone.
The Box Scratcher was MIA at all the places I called and went to, but staff at the Boardroom assured me they’d be getting more in soon. If you’re willing to buy this deck used, there’s a guy selling it on craigslist for $400. He’s never used it, so it might be worth checking out.
Also, none of the Lib Tech stock is on sale. They’re the money makers this year!
Nitro Sub Pop
Comor has a few of these at various locations around Vancouver. The one on West 4th had one left in a 154. They’ve got it marked down to $399.99, making it one of the cheaper Rocker boards out there.
K2 World Wide Weapon Rocker
If you can stand the glaringly bright top sheet, then Comor also has this baby stocked. Like the Sup Pop, there’s only one left at the West 4th location in a 154. I’d assume the other locations are left with slim pickins too. The tag on this one reads the same as the Sub Pop.
Stepchild Jib
One word. Coastal Riders. Okay, so two words. This is the only rocker Coastal has left. They’re gonna go pretty quick, so I’d pay a quick visit to their shop or warehouse to check them out.
If you’re wondering what I picked up, my answer is nothing. As marked down as these boards are, it’s still too much for a poor student like me to afford. However, I am accepting donations in the form of monetary value or information on where I can get the Artifact 1985 for cheaper!
On a happier note, I’m heading off to Whistler for a few days, so be sure to check back over the next couple days for some fantastic pictures and words about how tricks are up there.
Also, for all you girls out there, don’t forget about the MGT Snowboards camps running on Grouse Mountain on January 3rd and 4th. There’s still spots left and it’s going to be good times. It’s even in the name! (More Good Times, if you were wondering.)
Keep it real,
Sam