sequence magazine 52 eng

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TERJE HAAKONSEN

The quiver includes Skipjack Surf, Tough Cat,

Mod Fish, High Spirits & the Day Trader.

13Things.com/FamilyTree

Photo by Adam Moran

JUSTIN FRONIUS \ HARDWAY B\S 270 LIPSLIDE \ GAGNON PHOTODCSHOES.COM

RIDEN BY: ANTO CHAMBERLAND \ MAT SCHAER \ JUSTIN FRONIUS \ DEVUN WALSH \ RYAN TIENE

THEMUTINY

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DC-15S3-TORSTEIN-380x250+5.indd 2 03/09/15 15:25

Before building up a jump, Austin always makes sure that the landing is perfect to stomp his tri-cks. But, trust me, that time he was uncertain if on that landing he should have nailed a trick or just drawn a line. How did it go? Well, you guess it... in his place would you resist the temptation?

AUSTIN SMITH BY MARKUS ROHRBACHER IN ARLBERG, AUSTRIA

I adore Gigi because every time he has to go back to the top in powder, when he is tired, he looks at me as if he was asking do I really have to walk back there?. Oh yes, Gigi, go for it, so well come up with another cover!

GIGI RUF BY CYRIL IN ARLBERG, AUSTRIA

I love this shot because it represents those moments in which you are happy with having the chance of being a photographer of snowboard. Sometimes I ask my-self how come my eyes can admire that kind of landscapes and I regret all the ti-mes that I have to shut myself inside an office to send the images to the magazines!

HERBERT THALER BY MARKUS ROHRBACHER IN ARLBERG, AUSTRIA

Snowboarding is cool because can be interpreted in several ways.

Amongst them all, mainly two: contests and movies/pictures. There

are many riders who are deeply involved into the visual and more ar-

tistic part of riding, while there are many others as well who only live

the racing part of it. Snowboarding is nowadays both a lifestyle and

a sport, in the actual modern sense of this word. Then there is someo-

ne who won the Olympics and this season he is filming with a guy like

Halldor Helgason, possibly the character in our world who is as close

to the Olympic Games like mayonnaise to the Sachertorte. His name is

Sage Kotsenburg and I interviewed him at the big air in Boston as he

told me: Well, in the end after all those comps which ended up with the

gold in Sochi 2014 I wanted to have a break from all that pressure. And so

this season I wanted to film with Halldor. Then obviously theres some

kind of pressure connected with filming , maybe even more, because

you need to get your best tricks done to come up with a good video part.

Then on the other side I like the adrenaline of the comps, so took part

to this contest but when I was up there on the ramps inrun I kinda felt

the pressure again of not letting down all the people who came here just

for me. Well, Id say that in the end I love both sides of snowboarding.

TXT: GIACOMO MARGUTTI PIC: CYRIL SPOT: GREECE

@northwavedrake#rideyourway

DRAKENORTH WAVEKOHEIKUDO

DRAKENORTH WAVEKOHEIKUDO

Drake Team 154Drake Reload Green/Black BindingNorthwave Decade green boots

Check out the new TWS ORIGINSmovie featuring the adventures of Kohei Kudo

Photo: Philipp Strauss

welcom

eto the team

www.northwavesnow.com

DIRECTORAmerico Carissimo

EDITOR IN CHIEFDenis Piccolo ([email protected])

PHOTO EDITORCristian Murio Murianni ([email protected])

ART DIRECTORGeorge Boutall ([email protected])

GRAPHIC DESIGNmatteo raeli

COPY EDITORGiacomo Margutti ([email protected])

COMMERCIAL DIRECTORPaolo Salvatore ([email protected]) +39 393 9927462

WEB LIKEMILK.COM EDITOR (SEQUENCE-MAGAZINE.COM)Matteo Rossato ([email protected])

Riccardo Miracoli ([email protected])

PHOTO SENIORSDenis Piccolo

Matt Georges

FILMER SENIORSMarco Morandi

PHOTOGRAPHERS & FILMERSMurio, Alessandro Killer Miniotti, Davide Spina, Arturo Bernardi, Ales-

sandro Belluscio, Lorenzo Belfrond, Roberto Bragotto, Lorenz Holder, An-

drea Rigano, Marco Boiler Boella, Luca Benedet, Vasco Coutinho, Cyril

SUBSCRIPTIONSMichaela Stefania

[email protected] +39 333 7741506

EDITORJpg Edizioni di Salvatore Paolo, Piccolo Denis, Murianni

Cristian. Via Colle di Andromeda 4, 65016 Montesilvano (PE)

Tel: (085) 9151471 | Fax: (085) 9151230 P.IVA: 01875110684 |

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OFFICESVia Pellegrino Rossi 81, scala C, Milano

PRINTGrafiche Ambert, Via per Chivasso 27, Verolengo (TO) 011 9149227

DISTRIBUTIONFreepress Sequence Snowboarding rivista mensile registrato

al tribunale di Pescara il 14/05/2003 al numero 173/15

COVERMarcus Keller by Matt Georges in Arlberg, Austria

INFO: [email protected]

2017 SNEAK PEAKGIAMMAS SELECTION

PRODUCT FOCUS: DC MUTINYNORTHWAVE SPIN CLOSING

BURTON 40 YEARS FORWARDRETO GURTNER

LAAX OPENBLUE MONTGOMERYPICNIC IN THE PARK

RUSTY TOOTHBRUSH IN MERIBELSUPERTRICK

MANUEL DIAZJESS KIMURALUCA FIORINI

LIVING LOFOTENMARKUS KELLER

NOW OR NEVER SARAJEVO

KALLE OHLSON BY MATT GEORGES

nitrousa.com / polerstuff.com#builtforgoodtimes

This season Bryan Fox and Austin Smith worked together with their longtime friends at Poler to create a graphic and Quiver line that represents the essence of Quiver Snowboarding Adventures. Four custom snowboards for any condition, snow depth,

and mountain range.

1617-Nitro-QUIVER-Ad.indd 1 14.12.15 18:22

B Y T H E E D I T O R I A L S TA F F

CAPITA KAZUYes, it is a real beau-ty indeed, designed and shaped and bu-ilt for the Japanese master Kazu Kukubo.

NITRO CHUCKIn this season the Chuck has made a lot of park riders talk about itself. Its a 100% park bo-ard, designed by riders who only live on fea-tures. Whiplash profile and Lowrider camber combined for just the right amount of pop.

NITRO AFTERLIFESo performing that its going to take your tricks to another level, from park to backcoun-try. With a twin tip shape and a permissive Cam-Out camber: a board with a fre-estyle soul but ready to rock on the entire mountain!

FUNKY SPRAYThe 100% jibbing freestyle board. Light, soft, playful, all terrain and more du-rable... This board is perfect for all the riders who love creative snowboarding.

LEVEL REXFORDThis glove has a seve-ral integrated circuits (Near Field Communication) which control and activate the main functions of a smar-tphone or an action cam with just one touch. Its a short-distance wireless tech which allows incredible connectivity.

ASHBURYWARLOCK JED ANDERSONSimple and streamlined desi-gn but functional, this model is in-spired by Jed Anderson the gol-den boy of jibbing, somebody whos really into style, just like his pro model.

BRUNOTTI RDPThe RDP hardware collection is de-veloped and tested in cooperation with Brunottis team riders, to crea-te perfection for winter sports. Fun-ctionality, lightweight and freedom of movement have been the focus in the design of every product.

DR ZIPE SAVAGEThis is the Savage non violence edition. The pistol was original-ly created by Swedish artist Carl Fredrik Rueterswrd as a tribute to John Lennon. The Non Vio-lence Project foundation is a non-profit organisation promo-ting peace through education.

NORTHWAVE PROPHECYConceptualised and

tested by Northwa-ves Pro Team, the Prophecy SL has a new look designed with them riders in mind.

One of the premier boots in the line,

this boot will e t e r n a l l y deliver the goods on the hill and

in the park.

DC MEDIA BLITZTorsteins board. Needless to say that... well, really, no need to say more. Go check it out and ride it!

NITRO ZERO SHAKADesigned to give the right mix of comfort, support and flex in a bin-ding with a skate feel. The Asym Zero highback is a perfect mix of free-dom of movement for your jibbing tricks and support on the landings.


SLASH SPECTRUMA board for the ri-ders who have fun and love street and park riding. The Zero Camber profile is less aggressive than the traditional one, but more stable than the rocker profiles.

SMITH I/Othe brand new model I/O gets a bro-ader field of view, an innovative fra-me with Responsive Fit design and a renewed look. All this using the same super reliable spherical lens.

DRAKEURBAN

Refined in the stre-ets of Eastern Europe, the Urban has been in Drakes collection for years as Nejc Pucko has taken it around the world and back again. For the ulti-mate jib session, this forgiving board has the pop, durabili-ty, and buttery flex.

SWITCHBACK HEIKIWith a renowned look and tech-nology (brand new Miller straps), the Switchback Eiki Helgason pro model wants to give you a legendary experience, infu-sing all the antique gift only a Viking Magician from the Nor-thern lands has.

686SMARTY WEAPON

TECHNINETMONEYTIGER CAMOA historic model amongst Techni-ne catalogue, this all-round freestyle board is perfect for any kind of use thanks to the stiff flex combined with the polyva-lent Combo9 camber.

THIRTYTWO TM-TWO XLTJEREMY JONES SIGNATURE SERIES

After launching the MTB Jeremy Jones in 2015, 32 goes on the market again with this new signature

boots from the freeride living legend himself for the all mountain and the freeride.

ROXY HATTIE STEWARTCOLLABORATION

Roxy collaborated with international-ly renowned artist Hottie Stewart, a self-professed professional doodler as her unique and playful illustration ex-tends itself through art and fashion.

SMITH RIOTThe new cylindrical oversized goggle is specifically designed for women and optimised for

all those who love living in the nature on the

mountains.

SALOMON CRAFTComing from the futu-re, the Craft is equip-ped with a Rock Out Camber profile and an EQ Rad cut that make it perfect for all terrains, to have a good time. The medi-cine for all freestylers.

YES TADASHIThe Directional Volume Twin sha-pe works so well for those com-mitted to riding twins, but wanting better floatation in powder. With a lower volume tail shape than nose, this bo-ard planes like a directio-nal but spins like a twin.

LOBSTERHALLDORPRO-MODELPlayful, all-around and aggressive as the rider who desi-gned it and uses it in any conditions: its a true twin with a me-dium flex whose pros in park get backed by the asymmetric shape that, together with the carbon inserts under the bindings, make it aggressive and rapid on the edge-to-edge.


JONESSTORM CHASERThis is an ultra fast gliding split that packs insane float into a short but still high volume board. The ultra-wide waist width maximizes the float of the shorte-ned running length.

NEVER SUMMERWARLOCKThis true twin features a new shape, Original Rocker Camber Profile, new flex pattern, and incredible park performance, together with a playful, forgiving feel.

AMPLIFYMK II APEX

Lightweight, ventila-ted S-Cell protector with multi impact characteristics, intel-ligent and progressi-ve shock absorption system, 3D shaped back protector for adaptive shock ab-sorption management.

POC FOVEA

This goggle was created to be paired with the Auric helmet, but you can basi-cally match it with any other helmet on the market. The spheric shape increases the field of view, while the Carl Zeiss lens gives the right contrast on the snow.

ARBOR IGUCHIA mountain twin, with a slightly tapered tail and longer nose for perfor-mance in deep snow. Rocker System version for a surfy ride, with na-tural float and cleaner tracking. Camber Sy-stem version for a pop-py ride with crisp, fully engaged performance.

NIDECKERMOSQUITO

This board is built for the rider who is not afraid to ride short boards built with a lot of character. Small side cut radius and short running ed-ges result in something powerful, allowing you to ride fast and smooth.

PATAGONIA POWSLAYERUpdated with the Cohaesive stopper system built-in, this lightweight and compressible ja-cket offers you the perfect protection to face any kind of backcountry and outdoor mission.

THE NORTH FACEDESOLATION HYBRID

This is a compressible intermediate layer to pair with the Steep Series series ja-ckets, ideal for backcountrys adventures.

DC TORSTEIN HORGMOTorstein has a knack for making the impossible look effortless, he put that same skill into the creation of his signature

collection: clean, mini-malist design, top-

notch tech and un-derstated style.

BURTON GENESIS ESTBaseplate with Dual Component EST fe-aturing the Hinge with 28% Carbon Fiber/Nylon Composite Spar and 28% Carbon Fiber/Nylon Composite Lower; Hi-Back 30% Short-Glass/Nylon Composite Zero-Lean Canted.

DEELUXETHE BRISSE 5

From urban explora-tion to backcountry ki-

ckers, nothing stops The Brisse 5. Now in its fifth generation, Dan Brisses

signature boot blends C3 construction with

a new de-sign and cut. Enjoy the ride.

RIDESNOWBOARDS.COM

2016_WILD LIFEMARCO FEICHTNER

JAK

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UV

ELT

JAK

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AN

YU

KI K

AD

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RIDE_DETOUR_MARCO_single.indd 1 8/26/15 11:55 AM

B Y T H E E D I T O R I A L S TA F FJONES ULTRA MOUNTAINThis is a lean and mean directional twin freestyle bo-ard that shares the same shape as the ti-me-tested Mountain Twin only its built with speed boosting, chatter sucking pre-mium materials.

GNUCARBON CREDIT

ASYMMETRICFor the next season this board becomes asymmetric. Still with BTX, rocker in between your feet and a flat to mild camber beyond them, its a board made for jibbing, per-fect for the groomers.

VOLCOM PAT MOOREDeveloped by pro-rider Pat Moore him-self, this jacket paris leather details to Volcom logo tone on tone on the back created with overlaid fabric panels.

QUIKSILVER TRAVIS RICEThe jacket of Travis Rice himself. Period.

BATALEON GWWith the GW Bataleon managed to encapsulate, amongst the poplar and bamboo layers all mixed with carbon, all the mano-euvrability and the playfulness of a jibbing/freestyle board with the stability of an all mountain one. All backed up by a new hi-gh-density molecular base, more durable and faster than ever.

MELON PARKERLoaded with a lot of new colourways which can all be

fully customised online at www.melonoptics.com, it is the first cylindrical lensed model to be added

to Melons range and features easy change lenses and Melons signature wi-

tchfast strap system.

DRAKE RELOADWidely recognised as the top freestyle binding on the market, the Reload has streamlined every component to re-duce weight, but it is still more than ro-bust enough for the har-dest impact.

UNIONSCOTT STEVENS

The ideal binding for any park and urban set-ting. 2016/17 model features MD (minidi-sk) base and Multi Density EVA Bushing for a

more natural board flex. It is the go to bin-ding for Union pro rider Scott Stevens.

ARBOR WESTMARK CAMBER FRANK APRIL PRO EDI-TIONFor his pro model Frank April chose all the relia-bility and the versatility of the Westmark cam-ber version. With the brand new technology The Camber System, its a true twin with a me-dium flex, with a good responsiveness, always appreciated by the team for its performance.

BURTON PHOTON BOADual Zone Boa

Coiler Closure System with

L o c k d o w n Tech, Powe-red by Bur-ton Exclusive New England Ropes with a Lifetime W a r r a n t y

ELECTRIC ELECTROLITEThe lightest, most innovative and most technologically advanced goggle Electric has ever created. Its frame is 100% EVA, so very ela-stic, resistant and super light, with a broad range of cylindrical lenses.

LIBTECH TRAVIS RICEDesigned in Jackson Hole to do what no other board has ever accomplished before. The HP has travelled the who-le world together with mr. T.Rice to film his new movie.

ROXY TORAH BRIGHT XOXO

The XOXO from Torah Bright is the perfect bo-ard to progress without any problems. With its BT+ construction (cen-tral rocker and mild camber beyond the feet) is a fun board, sim-ple and trustful, with a flex which allows you to be stylish effortless.

PRO

TEST.E

U#24

sevenisnoten

ough

A4_24-7_schetsen.indd 2 04/09/15 11:05


ANON M3This amazing gog-

gle includes the MFI Facemask and the

Magna-Tech, Quick Lens Change Techno-logy MFI, Outlast Fog Management Face Fleece, No-

Slip Silicone Strap.

GOODBOARDSWOODENReal wood surface and mighty mountains are the hallmark of this succes-sful series. The stiffer flex enables high speed car-ving on the trails, ensures ideal control in the park and amazing precise lines in powder.

ANALOG SOLITARY JACKETMid fit with extra length, it features fully tapes seams and it comes in two different waterproof fabrics: 2-Layer Printed Polyester Plain Weave Fabric [10,000MM, 5,000G] and a 2-Layer Peached Moleskin Plain Weave Fabric [10,000MM, 25,000G].

FLOW NX2Precision design meets on-

hill performance. Base-plate in aluminum alloy

rockered, glass-filled nylon hiback with a

flex rating of 8/10.

FLOW RUSHRocks, pops and comes ali-ve in any situation. I-Rock profile, directional twin, re-flex core and graphite base with a flex rating of 7/10.

A-TRIP HEKLAA-Trip, the clothing brand created for Halldor Helgason by Horsefeathers, introduces the Hekla: an anorak/parka jacket 10K/10K with C6 DWR treatment, taped seams and sle-eves with ergonomic cut, for the best of performances and to improve its durability both in park and in street. Basic but with a stylish look, under the exterior as an urban jacket the Hekla hides tech features like vents zip-pers, audio pocket, lift ticket stash pocket on the sleeve and hand warmer pockets.

FLOW HYLITERedefining performance whi-

le highlighting fit and feel. With Boa Coiler and He-

el-Lock Boa, and a sup-port rating of 8/10.

NITRO VENTUREA real snowboarder needs a precise, du-rable, light and comfor-table boot. And if not that expensive it would

be even better! With TLS 5 rapid closu-

re system, Flex Link design

and Cloud 6 liner.

BURTON AK 2L BOOMGORE-TEX Printed Plain Weave / Plain Weave Fabric Blocked [2-Layer] and GO-RE-TEX Plain Weave Fabric [2-Layer]. Ful-ly Taped Seams with GORE-SEAM Tape.

HEAD PILOTThe responsive twin directional form and refined flex and power distribution of this board provides solid flow for ma-ture chargers. From carving and flat tri-cks on the groomers and side-piste up to blasting and pop-ping powder fields.

BURTONGATE KEEPER

Designed with input from some of the wor-lds best backcountryguides: a born leader with absolute speed and float. Directional Camber. ARTIST Dean Blotto Gray [www.deanblottogray.com]

NOW DRIVE JONESThe 16/17 Drive by Jeremy Jones has been fitted with Hanger 2.0 and a new carbon composite post which is light, rigid and strong.

PRO RIDERS WSSLIM FIT BUILT TO PERFORM GREAT COMFORT WATER RESISTANT

STEFANO MUNARI

Sequence3.indd 1 08/02/16 09:51

RIDER: GIANMARCO MAIOCCO PIC: MIGI / WE.MIND

BOARD:

Nitro Chuck

BINDINGS:

Nitro Team Psycho

BOOTS:

32 Session

JACKET:

L1 Flint Reversable JKT

PANTS:

L1 Skinny Twill

GOGGLES:

Anon M3

GLOVES:

Level Suburban

Say hello to the new standard for freestyle performance in a tra-

ditional lace boot. The Mutiny goes far beyond basics, offering

the proven comfort and performance of lace closure backed by

the superior board feel of DCs lightweight Contact outsole.

A boot offering freestyle performance with the versatility to go

around the entire mountain, the DC Mutiny Snowboard Boots

will have you stomping tricks and slashing lines. Crafted with

the lightweight White Liner which places shock-absorbent EVA

underfoot with J-Bars to combat fatigue. Performance is key, and

the traditional lacing system reigns supreme due to its micro-a-

djustability and guaranteed heel hold. Experience the response

and heightened board control of riding in the lightweight DC

Mutiny Snowboard Boots.

Flex Rating: 6 These boots offer a firm flex which will support

fast riding and hard turns in all-terrain.

TXT: EDITORIAL STAFF PICS: RICCARDO MIRACOLI

THE NEW STANDARDFOR FREESTYLEPERFORMANCE

IN A TRADITIONALLACE BOOT.

Lacing System: Traditional Lacing Strategically designed

overlays in the boots upper provide more power and leverage

for optimal shell closure and custom fit. This system prevents

lace slippage by simply wrapping around the locking lace hook

hardware. This design turns traditional lacing into a zonal closu-

re system that is micro-adjustable.

Footbed: Impact S Insole Utilizing a proprietary, single-den-

sity polyurethane developed for comfort, durability, and energy

distribution. The footbed supports and cradles the foot to reduce

fatigue and improve balance. A moisture-wicking fabric offers

long-lasting warmth and dryness.

Sole: UniLite Contact Outsole Inspired by the comfort and

support of skateboarding shoes, the Contact outsole offer a surfy

and playful board feel. The tractioned sole is made of weight-re-

ducing UniLite with extra rubber for durability.

Liner: The White Liner A multi-layered construction com-

bining EVA memory foam and high rebound heat-moldable

EVA with thermal regulating fleece resulting in out-of-the-box

comfort and a truly customizable fit. Anatomical J-Bars and a

180-degree Power Strap deliver support and response.

Traditional Lacing

Contact UniLite & rubber outsole

White Liner

Impact S Insole

Internal ankle harness

Direct Power Lacing

Wrap Lock Hardware

Lacing Leverage

Northwave presents its new Spin Closure System with a Dyne-

ema lace, which is stronger and more flexible than any metal

cable. It is also faster, 25% faster than any Boa Coiler II, and it is

user friendly you just need to turn to close and pull forward to

open, thats it!

The Spin Closure System comes in three different styles: the

mens Hover Spin (in black and in grey colourways), the womens

Helix Spin (in black and in white colorways), as well as the Hover

Spin for rentals (just in black).

The ultra high molecular Polyethylene (used on kites, parachutes

and bullet-proof jackets) gives faster response to torsional for-

ce. It provides a durable performance at lighter weight, avoiding

pressure points.

It is 25% faster than the Boa Coiler II. To tight the boot only 15

turns are necessary rather than 20 turns required by Boa. The

special eyelets design is developed to tight both the lower and

the upper part of the boots. The 540 system on the calf zone pro-

vides an incredible foot retention.

Easy to use and replace. Turn the knob to tight and pull the han-

dle to completely open the boot. The system can be completely

serviced: cable only or full device can be changed just acting on

the central screw.

TXT: EDITORIAL STAFF PICS: DENIS PICCOLO

And so 40 years have already gone since Jake Burton Car-

penter chose to call his new creature Burton Snowboards.

Next season in fact one of the most important snowboard

company in the world will celebrate its 40th anniversary,

one of the first to believe strongly in our sport since the

very beginning. Burton or Sims,

it doesnt count now who in-

vented it first, it just doesnt

matter. What really counts now

is to celebrate Burtons 40 ye-

ars of history. And Burton Eu-

rope did it really well, inviting

a hundred of persons to their

HQ in Innsbruck, Austria: main-

stream and snowboarding jour-

nalists, media, photographers,

videomakers, bloggers, fa-

shion bloggers, you name it.

Three days to party and to

have a look at the next season

2016/2017 Burton collection,

with three workshops on har-

dgoods, softgoods and eco-sustainability, something that

at Burton are deeply connected to. Moreover, a dinner

in a typical and awesome Tyrolean restaurant, with two

musicians dressed up the right way (a special night du-

ring which us Italians... well, we played our role), and last

day of testing the brand new goods for the 16/17 season.

Burtons European HQ in IBK is probably the place where

every snowboard lover would like to work at: theres a big

flagship store at the ground floor, with toys and games for

the kids of the employees and a

table football for the grown-ups

on their break, while on the up-

per floor there are not only the

offices but also a huge showroom

where to host dealers, resellers,

clients, riders with also a tiny

but handy bar. Plus: employees

can take their dogs to their offi-

ce, and let them free. Too good.

Speaking of next seasons col-

lection, we cant obviously talk

about everything here but we

were particularly struck by the

collabs. At Burton are very proud

of their collabs heterogeneity,

since they go from Disney Fro-

zen for the smaller kids up to Playboy for the bigger ones,

passing through Snoopy and Charlie Brown of Peanuts,

L.A.M.B. of Gwen Stefani, until the brand new collab with

Led Zeppelin (after Burton had already worked together with

BY DENIS PICCOLO & GIACOMO MARGUTTI

Pink Floyd, Martin Guitars, Jimi Hendrix and Andy Wahrol).

We also spotted not only the Red Wings collab boots, but

also the brand new and coolest Danner collab. About the

boards, I tested out the Fish, with double swallow tail and

a super long tip for carving out loud: if you havent no-

ticed yet, well , carving is the new jibbing. Take note. I

also personally tried the AMB boots out, which I had never

used before and I found them very lightweight and stiff

enough to be in the right control of your board. Probably

what I loved the most were the Genesis bindings, surely

amongst one of the best bindings I have ever strapped in:

super technical and ultra comfortable, their straps have

basically no points of pressure at all , still they can tran-

smit every single impulse you want to give to your board.

I would have liked to try the new Nug CK out (with Craig

Kellys old graphics board) but there was no time left, al-

though many told me good stuff about this short board of

150 or 154.

Anyways, it s been an amazing three-day experience,

thanks to a company which chose not to participate at

ISPO in Munich this year, to focus just on the direct invol-

vement of snowboarding and mainstream journalists. The

first 40 years of Burton are now forward, looking ahe-

ad to continue the progression, but also keeping in mind

Jake Burton Carpenters legacy and history since 1977.

THREE DAYS TO PARTYAND TO HAVE A LOOKAT THE NEXT SEASONSCOLLECTION

Talk once to Reto and you immediately understand why Laax is

the resort of our modern times. He is somebody that never stops

innovating, and as it looks like hes never happy with what he

achieves, although he and Laax really are thousand years ahe-

ad of everyone else. It looks like something bigger and better is

always around the corner. Only if you really want to take the risk

of the challenge, something better might come. And Reto does

want it. Plus: he loves what hes doing and he just does what he

loves. This is not just an interview, its a lesson of marketing, or

lifestyle, of life. Reto is the man.

YOURE THE VISIONARY AND THE REAL ARCHITECT OF LAAX AS IT IS NOW. DID YOU WAKE UP ONE MORNING, AN APPLE FELL ON YOUR HEAD AND FROM THEN ON YOU THOUGHT IM GONNA BUILD UP THE HEAVEN FOR FREESTYLERS? No, it was kind of simple actually. It was just a matter of being at the right time,

at the right place. I did some of my studies in California in the

end of 70s, so it was very liberal, all the skateboarding, beach and

surfing atmosphere. I had the chance to be there at the univer-

sity and coming from the mountains for me it was all oh wow.

That culture was not aggressive, it was cool, peaceful and mellow.

They were coming from the 68, there still were hippies. To cut a

long story short: California was the place to be. I was totally fasci-

nated by that, I liked the people who were behind that. It was not

all about aggression, they were all friendly. At that time mountain

people had a culture of alcohol and tended to be aggressive when

partying. It was very primitive, very aggressive. Having the chan-

ce of studying in America, coming from that mountains culture,

I was impressed by that substantial difference. And that impres-

sed my whole life after that. I came back and I wanted to live like

that, but in the mountains. I brought back that idea and my skate

with me, I rode on the streets in Flims and everybody looked at

me like a weirdo. I had my meat company back then, but I wanted

to create something similar to what was going on in California.

It was more a matter of lifestyle, rather than just a sport. It was a

matter of roots: a culture that had no aggression, no fight. You

need to go back to the roots to understand where the power co-

mes from. A tree can grow and blossom only if it has good roots.

If it has no good roots, no chance.

Since then I studied how to get that in my own environment, and

I started like that 30 years ago. We had our first pipe dragon ma-

chine, in 1985. Back then all the Swiss resorts didnt want to have

snowboarders because they said that we destroyed the slopes. But

skiing was getting boring, there was no innovation and we at-

tracted the kids of the skiers. Why at the Olympics in Sochi 2014

35% of the viewers were attracted by freestyle? Only 27% watched

alpine skiing. Its logical: if you take a ski race and chop off the

commentary and the graphics you dont have a clue of whats

happening. Everything looks very boring and all the same. You

need the passion. Freestyle is the vision, not alpine skiing. Its like

in Formula 1: back in the good old days it was cool, now its arti-

ficial, it has nothing to do with passion anymore. Its like snow-

boarding: its not just a show, its a lifestyle. You dont see people

skiing with those suites on like ski racers, in snowboarding you

PORTRAIT: GIACOMO MARGUTTI PICS: PHILIPP RUGGLI ITW: GIACOMO MARGUTTI

can dress up with the same clothes as you see pros during events.

Its a complete different set of mind.

Snowboarding is a lifestyle: its a style of life. It has nothing to do

with fight. The old traditional events are competitions: snowbo-

ard events are not competitions. Snowboarding is also a matter

of style, not only whos the fastest and the strongest and wha-

tever. Its more into fashion and environment. I tried to create

a real value in Laax: it has something in connection with Laax

roots and lifestyle. Which company in the world has 30 shapers

and three machines to prepare our freestyle features? I have my

own shapers taken from the United States or somewhere else, the

best I could find to make the best events. To have the best riders.

To give the best value to this place and offering it to the people:

theres more than a prize money of a few hundred thousands. Its

the show theyre doing these kids. Were the number 1, the best

in Europe and one of the best in the whole world. Because its not

about racing, its not just competing, its the whole environment.

Its the show. I want the event and the riders, but I want more

lifestyle: I want the people that are coming up here to feel like

being at a multi-genre festival. We need to make something very

unique. That nobody can copy this, the way were doing it. We

made a lot of mistakes, but we learnt through those and now...

well, there we go with our own Laax Open.

IVE COME HERE FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS NOW. AND EVER SINGLE TIME I CAME HERE I FOUND SOMETHING DIFFERENT. SOMETHING CHANGED IN A BETTER WAY THAN THE PREVIOUS TIME. THE VERY

FIRST TIME I CAME HERE I THOUGHT WOW, THIS IS A FUCKING COOL PLACE. THERES NOTHING COMPARED TO THIS ANYWHE-RE ELSE. HERE EVERYTHING LOOKS MODERN AND NICER. AND THEN THE FOLLOWING YEAR IT WAS EVEN BETTER. AND AGAIN AND AGAIN. WHAT DRIVES YOU? We need to move on and get better, all the time. Because otherwise youre dead. Its simple: if

you wanna create something good, you need the right team. With

our passion, with going back to the roots, we can do better. If I

hadnt been in California back then, now Laax would probably be

just an average resort of the old times, and Id run my meat com-

pany with my brother. For me it was a real challenge. You need to

compete with somebody to be different, not better. Different. In

my life, Ive visited all the ski resort in the world: from Turkey to

China, from USA to Japan. I love the Dolomites, the Marmolada.

But the resorts up there, they are old fashioned. Its a business

that doesnt survive these hard times. They have to focus, espe-

cially those tiny little resorts: they need to understand what they

want, their goal, if they do want to survive. Focussing on freestyle,

for example. Attract a little niche and working on that to make it

grow more and more throughout the years. Or do something else,

something different. Thats their call. Laax is just a dream come

true for any kind of freestyler. Why are there so many resorts still

anchored and stuck with that old vision of tourism? I dont know,

they seem they dont understand where this new internet world

is going towards. Ive never seen anyone having success from

just being talented. All those rock bands or best riders, its not just

pure talent: they work 10 times harder than everybody else. This

I TRIED TO CREATEA REAL VALUE IN LAAX:IT HAS SOMETHINGIN CONNECTION WITHLAAX ROOTS AND LIFESTYLE

business is like that. We are mountain people. Ive seen whats

going on in the world, but if I want to know whats happening

in the world I dont go to mountain resorts. I already know what

those old places offer. I have to go to London, Los Angeles, Miami,

South America, Milano or Paris: to see where new things and new

lifestyles are created. Then the right people will follow, the ones

with education and the ability to live in the digital world, theyre

gonna find it out themselves where the best product is. I have to

research where our clients are coming from. What they need. I

need a product that suits urban people. Not mountain people. I

need to understand their needs. What they like. But thats in every

business. Its the same. You need to understand who your clients

are, whom you want to speak to. You cant speak to everybody.

Its impossible. Because then youre not focussed. You need to be

focussed. Because there are 4500 ski resorts in the world. Maybe

most of the people know 10 of them. But they havent been in so

many: most of them they have been in just three or four. The-

res an old way of communication, but now were facing a new

generation who is exploring the world. Faster. If I wanna have

a chance, I have to be better than the others in the best service.

IT LOOKS LIKE EVERYTHING HERE HAS JUST BEEN DONE FOR THE SAKE OF FUN. HOW TO BE SURE THAT SOMETHING YOU DO IS GOING TO BE WORTH THE STRUGGLE OR IT IS GOING TO PAY OFF IN THE END? Life is too short to fuck around. Why should I spend a lot of time on something thats not working? I was lucky

to be born in a cultural environment so rich. When you travel

around the world in poor countries, then you go back home and

you have to thank God, because we live in paradise. You realise

this and you see life is beautiful. And I cant change life, but I

can change attitude to the environment I live in. If I dont adapt

to that environment, Im dead. If Im going to the desert, I cant

fuck around - I have to adapt to the desert. If I dont understand

this and I dont love the mountains, if I dont have the support

of my community, of the aborigines, I cant survive up here. It

doesnt always go up. Its a circle. You have ups and downs, when

you fall you need to stand up and think: what was the reason

of my failure?. And then you make a change as fast as possi-

ble. Mistake solution. Dont look back. When you drive fast, you

have no chance of looking into the rear mirrors. Youd better wa-

tch out what comes towards you. Very simple. Then you have to

take risks: risks always take you to new fronteers. You cannot just

copy&paste: every copy has less value than the original. A replica

has no value. This is Las Vegas. We wanna make it Laax Vegas.

DO YOU HAVE ANY REGRETS? (Deep breath) I love fast cars, I love speed, I love technology. When I ride a snowboard and I crash I

dont think if I do regret what I did. I dont have the time. I just

have to take it and learn. If I regret, then my life would be diffe-

rent. I cant change, every human being leaves a trace behind and

I cant erase that. This is a question that is just nonsense to me.

THANKS. I ALREADY KNEW YOUR ANSWER. I JUST WANTED TO HEAR IT.

YOU HAVE TO TAKE RISKS:RISKS ALWAYS TAKE YOU TO NEW FRONTEERS.

SKI & SKI-ALP

Levento trade dedicato a negozianti ed operatori del mercato snowboard e sci

BARDONECCHIA

www.snowshoptest.com

www.snowshoptest.com

31 gen. - 2 feb. 201

6

BARDONECCHIA31 gen. - 2

feb. 2016

- PARTNER BRANDS PRO SHOP TEST 2015 -

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ADV 190x250 Sequence.pdf 1 22/01/2016 14:31:30

Ive been to Laax, Switzerland. If you do not know or you

have never been there, Im talking about one of those usual

tourist mountain villages: traditional houses, old lifts, and

that sharp smell of dust

mixed with fir of the most

common family-run hotels.

Oh, come on. Thats not true.

Laax is far from being dusty

and stagnant; Laax is young

and fast, original and extra-

ordinarily stylish. Walking

through the Rocks Resort

hallway makes me feel un-

comfortable not wearing a spacesuit. The entire place is

characterized by a refined design where anything collides

with its pleasant shapes. The quality of the staying is posi-

tively related to the average price of a room. It is worth sle-

eping in the visionary The Rocks apartments: a spectacu-

lar bright living room facing the main square of Laax (the

Top). Not to mention the

numerous SPA, with gyms

and pools sprinkled throu-

ghout the town, super cool.

I went to Laax for its re-

nowned Open. Even thou-

gh this year Burton, whi-

ch used to organise the

Event, did not sponsor

it, Laax passionately or-

ganised it itself. From January 18th to 24th, the best

riders of the world came to compete in both halfpi-

pe and slopestyle disciplines. The result of those high

BY SARAH SHUBERT

AYMURU HIRANO

level snowboarding performances is breathtaking.

But, it is really all about competition? Not at all. Compe-

tition is just a crumb of the pie. #Laaxopen is a freesty-

le affair that encapsulates

also scenic performances,

acrobatic shows, and live

concerts. In between the

tricks, many internatio-

nal Djs kick-in to crea-

te the perfect atmosphere

(e.g. John Doe, FJ Igore,

A. Skillz). What is more,

Burton still participates

with a tiny cute Riglet Park at the resort base, offering

a fun taste of snowboarding to the younger kids. Besi-

des all those beautiful activities, one may find also some

time to enjoy the pure nature that surrounds the Open

(firs forest and an extraordinary sunset recommended).

As a snowboarder I found it flawless the meticulous care

in shaping the slopes fa-

cilities both concerning

the halfpipe and slopesty-

le courses. Despite the bad

weather of the first few

days, great efficiency and

promptness were guaran-

teed. A deep sense of crew

together with cheerful sere-

nity characterises those full

days; and, once off the bindings, its time for a happy hour.

Concerning the food court: really high level here. A va-

riety of menu gives lot of choice to visitors: it looks like

LAAX IS YOUNG AND FAST,ORIGINAL ANDEXTRAORDINARILY STYLISH

CHRISTY PRIOR

CHRISTIAN HALLER

being in any capital city where you can have Thai food

at lunch and a delicious Neapolitan pizza for dinner.

Once sated, its time for the Indy Bar, riders favouri-

te hangout. Here there is always something going on, a

live concert to see or a beer to drink. This place is the re-

cap of the busy days on the slopes: riders, music and a

lot of joy. Then, around midnight, with a moderate blo-

od-alcohol level, the more tough ones move to the Ri-

ders Palace, a real club. Unfortunately, from there I have

just some dimmed memories so, to see before believing.

However, what really struck me the most about the Open, is

the friendly atmosphere between common riders (yes, like

me) and the top in the field. Sharing the day with Olym-

pic monsters like Mark McMorris or Torah Bright is just

unbelievable. As soon as we have such a thirst of snow-

board, Laax will keep intensifying it longer and longer.

WHAT REALLY STRUCK METHE MOST IS THE FRIENDLYATMOSPHERE BETWEEN COMMON PEOPLEAND THE TOP RIDERS

DANNY DAVIS

www.gnarcolate.com

I came across Blue Montgomery last November at the Capita

factorys opening in Feistritz, Austria. This is the inventor

and president of Capita Snowboarding. Awesome guy.

I GUESS YOURE PRETT Y MUCH EXCITED FOR THE MOTHER-SHIP OPENING, ARENT YOU? I am indeed. The idea came around 2011 and with shareholders we felt very lucky to be

in a point where after 11 years we were still growing as a

successful brand. If you check some snowboard brands co-

olness and success, usually they grow in the first five ye-

ars and then they plateau to go down afterwards and fade.

With Capita we never experienced that process of exploding

growth, from year one

on it was just like step by

step, growing steadily. It

took us double the time, 11

years, to get where some

brands got before. 11 years

after we felt good about

the foundations that we

built but then we looked

into how we should take it

to another level. And the

answer we came up with

was the one of control-

ling our own production.

If you can control your

own production then you

can really control your

destiny. The pricing, the

timing, the customer ser-

vice and so on. Really the

idea is that if you have

a great marketing thats

cool, but if you truly have

a great product, if you

actually have the greatest

product in the world then

it would market itself. So

the moment we identified

we had a certain goal was

in 2011, and a future pro-

duction, then we asked

ourselves OK, how?. And

we put together a plan,

and financing, and the

people, and the network,

and we started to work towards the goal to have the Mother-

ship. We actually purchased the land four years ago and in

the meantime in 2012 the Elan company went bankrupt.

And so it was an opportunity for us to acquire some pro-

duction assets and also have a little more flexibility in our

timeline. Because in a seasonal business like this, you cant

skip and miss years. And when you move your production

in a new facility you need to be very sensitive, and so pur-

chasing the assets of Elan allowed us to take more time in a

pressured situation with the new facility. So we had Capi-

ta manufacturing in Austria in 2012-2015 and that was the

biggest snowboard factory in the world but our goal as sha-

reholders of a company wasnt to have just the biggest, we

wanted to have high quality and be the best that we can be

and with this vision of the new factory for the future it is a

vision of energy efficiency, of responsible manufacturing,

sustainable initiatives and right sizing for us and for the

industry.

WHAT ARE YOU MOST STOKED ON ABOUT THIS PROJECT? The evolution of the brand Capita, Id say. Capita has been

my baby since 2000, as I founded it in my house and to

see it now the way we are at... well, its just incredible. The

Mothership is just a huge step in the history of the company

Im very very proud of,

when Im looking at the

building.

FROM NOW ON, WHAT WILL BE YOUR MOTIVA-TIONS? IS IT ALREADY A MISSION-ACCOMPLISHED THING SO YOU CAN SIT BACK AND REL AX? Oh no, no. Not at all. We are real-

ly passionate people, and

now that its here, its just

a beginning of the next

era of the company. We

really believe everything

is possible for us, our em-

ployees and partners, for

the products that we can

make. Im excited about

the prospect.

TALK ME THROUGH THE PRODUCTS AND THE BO-ARDS OF 2016/17 SEASON. I SPOTTED MANY REFE-RENCES TO JAPANESE CULTURE, ISNT IT? No, actually its less about a

Japanese reference and

its more about science fi-

ction reference. With the

Mothership, theres the

aesthetic of the 70s sci-fi characters and stuff. Thats the

artistic vision were trying to communicate.

CAPITA AS A BRAND AND CAPITA RIDERS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN SO MUCH CONNECTED WITH ARTISTIC PROJECTS AND ARTSY VISIONS. HOW IS YOUR TEAM CHARACTERISED BY? I think our team has always been characterised by one ele-

ment: diversity. Before us, it was a marketing strategy or

teams bonded by the same stories or same culture. Like

having five guys on the team with the same fashion, the

same interests or the same music, or the same snowboard

PICS: DENIS PICCOLO TXT: GIACOMO MARGUTTI

tastes. And its never been like this on Capita. I always wan-

ted people from different places, different mentalities and

different snowboarding styles, my goal was to have always

good riders but special in their own thing. Like Phil Jacques

from Quebec, or Kazu Kokubo from Japan. These people

they come from different places, but they share the same

progression and passion for snowboarding. When they look

at the other guys on their same team theyre proud. Thats

the goal.

I READ SOMEWHERE ABOUT A TRIP TO JAPAN MADE BY SCOTT STEVENS WHERE ALL THE KIDS WENT JUST CRAZY FOR HIM. HOW MUCH BIG IS SNOWBOARDING OR CAPITA IN JAPAN? It has changed over the years. In

the 90s there was this fa-

natical subcultural trend,

it was a fashion trend, and

now its no longer like

that. Now the people who

like snowboarding they

actually are in and con-

sume snowboarding. It is

very passionate consumer

based. But with Scott, he

is an unbelievable ce-

lebrity there. And thats

not only because hes ta-

lented, but also it reflects

who he is as a person,

how approachable he is,

his positive attitude, how

he brings his creativity

and he doesnt think hes

better than anybody, he

encourages everybody,

hes just an incredible

person. And thats why he

is so relatable and so po-

pular in the global scale.

BACK TO BUSINESS MAT-TERS. HOW TO SURVIVE THESE TOUGH MOMENTS FOR THE GLOBAL ECO-NOMY OF THE SNOWBOARD INDUSTRY? WHAT KEEPS YOU MOTIVATED AND KEEPS YOU GOING? Well, thats two que-stions. What keeps me motivated is my passion and love for

snowboarding and a lifetime dedication. How do we keep

going through difficult times, is being positive, finding ways

to contribute instead of standing on your own and com-

plain. I find at trade shows theres a lot to complain about.

Thats fair complaining about real problems: like weather,

inconsistent snowfalls, no snowfalls at all, economic issues,

currency issues... these are all real things. But what I know

is that with negativity you dont go anywhere. If youre part

of this industry and you stand around and complain all the

day long is where were gonna dig ourselves in a deeper and

deeper hole. So personally I acknowledge, I know, I realise

the challenge, but I also chose positivity, chose to find the

exciting and positive parts of it, how can I be a contributor,

how can I create something great, how can we collectively

and as a company make snowboarding better or more exci-

ting. And thats the only answer. And if we all come to the

table, every company comes to the table, every retailer and

distributor comes to the trade show with that positive atti-

tude that would be the first step in a rebound.

YOU HAVE YOUR OWN PERSONAL SLOPE RIGHT ON THE MOUNTAIN IN FRONT OF THE MOTHERSHIP. IS IT FOR TESTING NEW BO-ARDS? I just think its great for the spirit of the

company. Were in Au-

stria so obviously there

are tons of amazing pla-

ces to go snowboarding

but theres the idea that

you can go to work and

build boards and then

after work have some be-

ers and go snowboarding

just walking away. And

thats good for the spi-

rit of our employees of

the company, and I think

its great for our retailers

too, our distributors. They

can get here and try the

boards while go snowbo-

arding on the slope and

then get back here into

the showroom, look at the

boards, enjoy the Austrian

hospitality and the cultu-

re, theyre really getting

infused snowboard ma-

nufacturing, snowboard

designs, snowboard sales,

and get knowing snow-

boarding. I mean, whats

the one thing about trade

shows? You stand right

there for days, talking about snowboarding and not snow-

boarding. And so when you come to Capita manufacturing,

we get to go snowboarding and talk about it, its just cool.

WHAT IS THIS ALL ABOUT FOR YOU? I just feel extremely for-tunate and blessed to be surrounded by great people. Few

people had the opportunities that I had with Capita. Capita

was against all odds from the beginning. Everybody contri-

buted to the growth of Capita to arrive at this point. At this

moment I just most appreciate everybody that helped us to

get here and I just feel super lucky as a fan of snowboarding.

HI ALEX, TALK ME THROUGH THE ALPE DI SIUSI (AKA SEISERALM) RE-SORT. The Alpe di Siusi-Seiseram in German is one of the most be-autiful places I know. Its the highest plateau in Europe with a lot of nice slopes, not so steep, with lodges here and there, and very close to the pistes there are many sweet and little woods where to have fun in powder. Then theres the Laurin Lift, serving the Seiseralm Snowpark of about 1500m: everyone can have fun in our park, theres everything you need for it. This place is really super nice, Im in love with the Alpe, with its Snowpark, with the view from over there and the parties going on in the lodges. Its perfect for fun weekends or entire weeks with your friends or girlfriend. Food is awesome and racing down the slopes with sledges in the night after a nice dinner is compulsory!

WHEN DID YOU START YOUR PARK PROJECT? A day around the year 2000 the Panettone Bros rang me up. They are an old crazy team of cool and motivated people. They wanted to build up a set-up for an event, and since then weve built up the park together. Then in the fol-lowing seasons we made the park with F-Tech and we organised all the events and all the rest. I believe that together we put up many good and special things, events, contests and parties too. Now the old crew is at home with their kids and families, so the youngsters took their place, but me and my guys were still there to give the best!

SOME INFO? Snowpark seiseralm: 1500m length. 4-seat chairflit.Snowmaking system: of course, without it you cant have a good

snowpark. Maintenance and shaping: daily. The shaper chief of the park is Johannes Goegele, one of our F-Tech squad. Shaper Crew: Ma-nuel, Wolle, Max and Moris. Design: F-Tech, Johannes Goegele.

YOUR RESORT IS VERY WELL-KNOWN AND FAMOUS, WHERE DO THE RIDERS MOSTLY COME FROM? From all over Italy, basically. Then there are a lot of Austrians, Germans, Swiss, Slovaks, Polish and from all Europe.

PERCENTAGE OF SKIERS AND SNOWBOARDERS? Id say 60%-40%.

WHAT ARE THE PARKS FEATURES FOR THIS SEASON? We have a very wide upper park with features of any dimensions for any kind of le-vel, some nice and tiny hips for example; then three extra structures, with Fakieshop and the Wall of Fame. All in all there are more than 20 features, amongst boxes and rails. Then theres the lower park with the pro-line of five consecutive tables, a polejam pipe down rail and this year theres also the GoPro pyramid. Then there are three tables with jumps. Table 1: 11m & 8m. Table 2: 19m & 13m. Table 3: 17m (rou-ler). Eventually, we also have the final structure: a GoPro stairset with downrail, down stepbox and down straight down tube. Theres the park lodge and a sweet chill area. And last but not least, since years there is a woodline and a secret stairset in the woods.

ARE THERE ANY GOOD FREERIDE SPOTS? Yes, there are a few but good and only for the ones who know the place well.

BY DENIS PICCOLO ITW TO ALEX BERGER

HOW MUCH IS IMPORTANT TO HAVE A WELL-DONE PARK FOR A RE-SORT? To Siusi having a good park means a lot. The resort supports us and pushes our scene and really believes a lot in it. The number of tourists and riders and skiers is steadily increasing season after season, and so the park does because the resort recognises all this good job of ours and the peoples satisfaction. Theres a daily care and maintenance of all the parks structures, plus brand new and creative features we constantly include in our projects.

WHICH ARE THE TOP PARKS IN ITALY AND IN EUROPE? I might sound arrogant but Id reckon four of them are ours: Seiseralm, Obereggen, Klausberg, Kronplatz and Livigno Mottolino. In Europe, Id say - considering the creativity, the caring, the dimensions and the love for our sport: Laax, Seiseralm, Flachauwinkel and Livigno.

THE GREATEST SATISFACTION YOU ACHIEVED WITH THE ALPE DI SIUSI? People appreciate our striving, while more and more pro-riders come here to train and to have fun. Many snowboard companies also come here to test and do their shootings, while our events are getting bigger. We also won for the second time in a row the award for the best Italian park (Best Park, Best Proline, Best Jibbline).

THE ITALIAN INTERNATIONAL TEAM IS OFTEN THERE TO TRAIN, WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THEIR TEAM AND THEIR JOB? Yes, they

stay in Siusi in the #casaseiseralm where they have all they need to prepare and train for their international competitions. The lodging is offered by the resort and Siusis Tourism Board. I think we have a good international team and I like the way they work hard; I hope there will be more and more up-and-coming youngsters and that they can surprise us all with their talent and their tricks in the future, so to represent Italy in the freestyle world.

WHAT WOULD YOU SUGGEST ITALIAN PARKS? My advice is to work hard like they are doing right now, and to build a park if only everyo-ne believes in it, if they are all involved into the project and if they take a good care of it. Let the freestyle lovers do this job and leave the rest. Build features for kids and beginners too, because only through this freestyle scene can grow and get bigger.

WHAT ARE THE EVENTS ON SCHEDULE FOR THIS SEASON? Two Eu-ropa Cup stops, of freestyle ski and snowboarding. Then well host the Schlern Games, an alternative and fun snowboard event where you can ride without any pressure, a real sample of how to spend a day and have fun with friends in the park.

FUTURE PROJECTS? We have some surprises about set-ups con-struction and events preparation. We cant say much about it, but we already have one thing planned for this season... follow us on Facebook to know more!

Given one week, a chalet full of your closest friends and the freedom to bring your wildest snowboard fantasies to life, what would you do? What would your shredtopia look like? The Rusty Toothbrush base camp for the past two seasons has been the DC Shoes chalet in Mribel France. Last year this is where we discovered our shre-dtopia by literally digging it out of the ground. Shovel for shovel we chipped away at the ice and snow to build the craziest line we could think of. It was actually our filmer Francesco Zoppeis idea to try get all the way around the chalet in one fell swoop and from that crazy idea the infamous infinite chalet lap was born. Coming back this year we already knew our shredtopia was hiding somewhere in the snowpack. it was just a matter of finding it. We also knew the infinite chalet lap was possible but this year we wanted to go bigger, better and nastier. We wanted to jump of the balconies, slide the fen-ces, our mission was to jib everything, our mission was to destroy everything.... OUR MISSION WAS TO MESS UP MERIBEL! Discove-

ring shredtopia is a stressful process, its not quite like excavating fossils, you need to be a little more aggressive and a lot more artistic, its for these reasons occasionally we found ourselves all huddled around the same feature arguing about how steep it should be or how much more snow it would need. Ill admit those first few build days were tough, the blood was boiling and the blisters were forming, so much so that unfortunately on the last build day one of the super shapers threw in the towel. This shocked me at first, I kept thinking to myself why bust your ass for 3 days to then throw it all in the trash at the last moment? So this guy left, it sucked, I imagine those of us that remained all felt a strange tinge of negativity, a sense of turbu-lence inside. but whatever, we werent going to give up our hunt just for this one guy. It was hard for me to feel motivated while we were putting the finishing touches on the line. The same thoughts kept circling through my mind how could this guy just ditch us on the home stretch? I just couldnt get my head around it. The line was

PICS: DAVID ANDRE TXT: ALEX STEWART

OUR MISSION WAS TO MESS UP MERIBEL!

JACK ERICHIELLO: STALEFISH VICTOR LORON: HANDPLANT

ALEX & JACK: FS 360ALEX STEWART:SHIFTY

WHAT WOULD YOUR

SHREDTOPIA LOOK LIKE?

ready, we were ready, 3 days of preparation, building, planning has come down to that one shot. The crew that remained was still feeling a little perplexed from what had just happened. Although It didnt take much for that mood to pass. All it took was solid face plant from Brad (RTB Filmer) halfway through the very frst attempt to have us in complete hysterics and forget completely about it. We all knew that the line was possible, we just had no idea how long it would take, it didnt really matter anyway that wasnt the reason we were doing all this. Sure we wanted to get that one shot that would go viral but re-ally we were all there just to enjoy, shred and to make new memories. Each of us all messed up at least once in each of the attempts, but no one was pissed of, we knew if we were going to do it everyone had to play their part. With a shot like this the more complex you make it the lower the probability of stomping it gets. It took about 6 hilarious attempts in total to get the final banger. That feeling when the came-ra stopped rolling and we knew we had done it was incredible, it was as if all the stress that we had experienced over the past 3 days had transformed itself instantly into one big euphoric hit of happiness. The whole crew was experiencing a full froth out, there was an on-slaught of hugs, laughter and high-fves for a solid 45minutes. When it all cooled down and we were lounging in the sun sipping some Carlsbergs I had time to refect on what had happened, time to settle myself with the idea of the guy leaving. I came to the conclusion that

it was for the best that he left. I understood that if you dont have the dedication to discover your shredtopia perhaps you dont deserve to find it. Long before I could consider myself a professional snow-boarder I would watch the old DC Mountain Lab videos in my VCR machine. That had to have been when the seed of desire to become Pro was planted. Im sure because from that moment onward I have been subconsciously chasing down a little boys fantasy of one day waking up at the DC Shoes chalet with the snowpark of my dreams right outside my bedroom window. Safe to say that day came and I got to fulfll that little boy dream of mine but the thing that makes it so rewarding is the people I got to share it with. My homies Giaco-mo Errichiello, Victor Loron, Brad Smith, Francesco Zoppei, Federico Grego and Thomas Chassagne for feeling the ups and downs with me and making this project unforgettable. A thanks to the amazing Julien Jesus Vaury our sexy, hilarious chalet boss and King of the Mribel for making us always laugh and feel at home. To the best damn Manager in the world Jon Demortier for always having our back and perhaps the man solely responsible for Rusty Toothbrushes current success. The never ending support from DC Shoes, Emma-nuel Labadie and all the rad people behind the brand. And finally to Carlsberg for keeping our bellies full of the good brew! To my rea-ders I leave you with the challenge to go find your own shredtopia, I can guarantee you its out there, just dont give up until you find it.

PREPARATION: This is a fun trick, which with a little training and work and moti-vation you will be able to land quite ea-sily. Sure enough though, before trying go double Id suggest youd better con-centrate on the single frontflip which you can try in powder or in park pop-ping off the knuckle of some big kicker. In both cases you are going to work a lot on the take-off and so to learn take ad-vantage of the noses pop of your board. Once you are OK with the frontflip itself, look for the right spot, better if it is like a step down and prepare the take-off. Be-fore dropping in, youd better check that the take-off is really solid, otherwise you will risk to smash it with the pressure of the nose, mess up the trick and ruin the landing.

EXECUTION: Now that everything is set you only have to drop in with much motivation and with your board flat on the snow. Before the take off straighten your legs and put all your weight with your torso and arms towards the boards nose. All the pressure is on the nose and so your boards response will make you pop off. At this point gather your legs together, bring your hands under your knees to be as much compact as possible and keep that position. When you find yourself upside down for the second time, leave your hands and finish the rotation getting ready with your legs for the landing. In powder you got to land with your weight on the tail, to avoid getting stuck with your nose. If you followed these instructions all you have to do now is to control your board putting some pressure on your rear leg, so your nose stays out off the snow.

BOARD:BURTONFAMILY TREEBINDINGS: BURTON MALAVITABOOTS: BURTON ION

BY CYRIL IN ARLBERG, AUSTRIA

NITRO PHANTOM NITRO MARKUS KLEVELAND NITRO TEAM TLS

PREPARATION: To prepare this trick it is surely necessary to having these two tricks separately unlocked. So I would suggest youd better try to stick a backside 720 no grab in park on a small jump. Dont lose much time on your style, the most im-portant thing is the execution speed and a precise landing so to get enough control to perform the following frontflip off the knuckle. Once you get that 720 unlocked, its time to go for the frontflip off the knu-cle, a strange trick to learn but once you got it you wont make any mistake.

EXECUTION: Pick a fun box or a small step up, max 5/8m and stomp some straight airs just to understand your speed, trying to land it at the end of the flat. At this point get stoked and drop with bended knees getting

on the kicker with your weight on your toes and with your right shoulder open, ready to get the right rotating impulse. You get an ollie on the take-off, rotate your shoulders in backside and keep your head towards the rotations direction. Control the spinning with your arms and once you reach the 720 block your head and your shoulders rota-tion while letting your legs follow. As soon as your board lands on the knuckle, put all your weight on the nose and get a nice pop taking advantage of your boards response. Get your legs together as much as possible while maintaining this position until you complete the frontflip. At this point put down your boards base on the landing as you manage the balance with your arms. If youre still on your feet, get stoked on it and run to your filmer to take a look at the shot!

BOARD:NITROMARKUS KLEVELANDBINDINGS: NITRO PHANTOMBOOTS: NITRO TEAM TLS

BY MARKUS ROHRBACHER

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN SNOWBOARDING NOW? 15 years.

HOWS BEEN DIFFICULT FROM CHILE TO GET PEOPLE AND SPONSORS KNOW ABOUT YOURSELF AS AN INTERNATIONAL RIDER? It is almost impossible to explain people or brands down in Chile about what Im doing out of the country. Be-

cause they ask me well, you are a snowboarder, so when are

you going to the Olimpics, XGames and so on. So Ive been

trying little by little to introduce the international audiovisual

concept into the snowboard scene.

HOWS THIS SNOWBOARDING SCENE IN CHILE NOWADAYS? It is very small, it used to be very strong with crews building

jumps all over the place, making local movies and stuff... so it

needs more influence, more and better contests, more movies

getting people motivated, and overall more big mountains

knowledge.

WHEN YOU STARTED, WHO WAS YOUR SNOWBOARDING LEGEND? By that time, my only influences were the local snowboard magazines like La Tabla and their local movies

like Pasa Volando. I got to meet all of them and eventual-

PICS: MATT GEORGES ITW: GIACOMO MARGUTTI

IN HAINES, ALSKA

ly ended up riding and filming. It wasnt easy because they

were 10 years older than me, but they showed me interna-

tional snowboard movies and helped me out getting my first

local sponsors. Nowadays

there still are a bunch of

them, not filming as much

though, still just enjoying.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BEST ACCOMPLISHMENT IN YOUR RIDING CAREER SO FAR? For me being on the cover of two

Absinthe Films movies in a

row has been my bigger goal

so far. It was also a big honor

having the opener part for

the Nike Never Not movie

and the ender on the Pirates

movie Distorted Reality. Im

not such a contest-man, but

it was also very nice to win

the Holy Oly quarterpipe in

2011 I think it was.

ABOUT YOUR SET UP: YOU RIDE NOW BINDINGS, CAN YOU TALK A BIT ABOUT THE MODEL YOU USE, WHY YOU CHOSE IT,

HOW MUCH YOU LIKE IT, WHAT THE BEST THING IS OF IT AND WHY YOU WOULD RECOMMEND IT TO OUR READERS? I ride the carbon fiber Driver, because I like how light and strong

they are, and how smooth their response is.

I would recommend it because of the per-

formance that a good binding can influence

your riding.

AND ABOUT YOUR SLASH BOARD? I like to have two types of Slash boards always with

me: the Nahual is the board you wanna have

on a good powder day at your home resort,

with flat camber and lifted nose, a bit wider

at the front so you get a nice floating plus a

quick response, playful on those deep days

either steep or not, this board will make it

out.

The other one is the Brainstorm, twin shape

for even fast turns at the alpine, flat camber

for all type of terrains and medium stiffness

for a comfortable ride.

It depends a lot on what you like to ride but,

if you choose the Brainstorm to ride big

mountains, maybe go 158 if you are thinking on a 156, that

would make a difference.

STALEFISH IN CERVINIA, ITALY

BACKFLIP IN CERVINIA, ITALY

Jess Kimura is simply one of the best shredders in the world.

Just because she has been keeping on scoring amazing vi-

deo parts throughout all these seasons. And she has been and

still is part of that awesome squad of Capita crazy stunts not

because it is politically correct to have a girl on the team but

because she is totally rad. I had the chance of getting an inter-

view with her when Capitas The Mothership landed in Austria

back in November and so there you go with it.

JESS, THE MOTHERSHIP OFFICIALLY LANDED JUST NOW AND ITS BEEN A TOUCHING MOMENT FOR EVERYONE OF THE CA-PITA FAMILY. WHATS YOUR PART IN IT? Yes, I was definitely tearing up, its pretty epic just to be here and to be part of all

this.

YOUVE BEEN ON THE TEAM FOR SEVEN, EIGHT YEARS NOW. WHATS THE THING THAT PARTICULARLY STRUCK YOU MOST THROUGHOUT ALL THESE YEARS? For sure the thing when Blue took me on when I was about to quit, because I didnt

think that anyone... like I was just cut from the team that I

was riding for and I just thought that I was probably about

to ride for some other less known company and just kinda

fade out and he picked me up when I was just at my lowest

point and gave me the opportunity of a lifetime to film a first

video part and I definitely didnt want to let him down. So I

put everything I had into that, and its crazy how its progress

to this. That we are at a giant brand new factory in Austria

and people singing, partying and the whole town is here...

everything is just crazy right now. But again just the fact that

Blue took the chance on me, Ill never forget that.

HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE PART OF SUCH A TEAM, AND TO BE PART OF THE WHOLE HISTORY OF CAPITA? Honestly it feels like... sometimes I am worried that I dont deserve it. Because

there are so many other people that are good at snowboarding

and can bring so much to the table and I just wanna make sure

that Im doing a good job always of anything that is asked to

me, or the obligations that I think that I have in this sport.

HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE ONE OF THE MOST RECOGNISED GIRLS OUT THERE? It depends on who you ask to... I dont know if everywhere I am really the most recognised one. But

PICS: ERIN HOGUE ITW: GIACOMO MARGUTTI

HANDPLANT IN VERNON BC

its pretty crazy anyway, Im really blown away at every time...

when I meet people I just want them to see me as a real person

just like them. I was the underdog, there was a time when no-

body believed in me except

for Blue. So it feels really

amazing.

WHATS THE PROCESS OF WORKING ON YOUR PRO-MODEL BOARD. DO YOU COME UP WITH YOUR OWN IDEAS OR THEY COME UP WITH THEIR OWN IDEAS AND THEN THROUGH YOUR FEEDBACK EVERY THING DEVELOPS FROM THEN ON? Basically I come up with a

couple of ideas that I have

and then I talk to them. In

the past years it was Peter

Line, so thats cool. And

then they kinda say what

they think of it and I say

what I think of and we just

go back and forth with the

designs and stuff. Im really happy with my next season bo-

ard, I find it hilarious and thats the thing that I wanted [its

a cat riding a horse with lightnings all over the place, with

neon pink and flashy colours]. I just wanted to be funny

because I hate girly graphics but everything I come up with

usually gets shut down because they think that the girls

wont like it, so I just decided to be fun-

ny with it. Like with the cat board which is

coming out this year. And this time around

I was just like OK, guys so you want a gir-

ly thing? Lets do cats! Lets do pink! And

people freaked out all over it, but thats the

funniest part!

WHAT IS YOUR GOAL FOR THIS SEASON? Fil-ming for the Union movie. Its the biggest best

thing ever, and Im putting everything I have

into it. This is like the peak of my snowboard

career, Im so excited for it and I cant wait to

get started and Im just gonna work my ass

off this year. And try to do things that I have

never done before, that girls have never done

before, that guys have never seen before.

DO YOU HAVE ANY REGRETS? I used to have regrets like I wish it didnt happen this way

or I wish I didnt have to fight so hard to get

here, but then I realised that that made me

who I am and that made my riding look like the way it does

now. So eventually it definitely paid off. So at this point... hell

no, I dont have any regrets.

50/50 IN VERNON BC

BS WALLRIDE IN VERNON BC

WHEN DID YOU START SNOWBOARDING AND WHY? Since when I was a child Ive always been attracted to board sports, like snowboar-

ding and skating. I still remember my first day of riding like if it were

yesterday, I was 11, such an unforgettable feeling! When I was 15 I de-

cided to move from my city, Turin, up to the mountains to follow my

passion and train every day. I still want to thank my parents to give

me this opportunity. At that time I was part of the Snowboard Club 04,

and I was followed by a coach, Gigi Lozzi, who gave me the best indi-

cations on which I worked on the following years until I reached this

level. Those first years were for sure the most difficult ones, in terms of

sacrifices, away from my friends and from my family, but on the other

hand I could ride every day. Now that Ive found my real dimension, I

really believe it has been my best investment ever!

WHY ARE YOU STILL SNOWBOARDING, DESPITE ALL THE HARD TI-MES? Well, yeah, its not really the best period ever for snowboarding, but honestly I am pretty fed up with what I read in the magazines

about all the problems connected to it. It would be better to say that

despite all this we are all still so connected to each other by the deepest

passion for our board! Keeping on telling youngsters that snowboar-

ding is not like in the year 2000 surely doesnt improve our situation.

When the game gets harder the toughest get into play, am I wrong?

PICS: MIGI / WE.WIND ITW: GIACOMO MARGUTTI

BS BOARDSLIDE IN SETRIERE, ITALY

I snowboard just for myself, I am in a constant competition with my

own self, I try get the best from this sport, any kind of angles, good or

bad, knowing that one day I will not dedicate so much time to it like

now, this is my motivation!

WHICH ARE THE DIFFICULTIES AN ITALIAN RIDER HAS TO FACE NOWADAYS? The biggest issue for now is the lack of snow, and so of professional features to progress. If you dont progress, you cant

compete at certain levels! There are few Italian resorts which can pro-

vide those snowparks, you need to go abroad, even in USA. And there

is another problem: if you manage to get on a certain professional

level, distributions are not motivated anymore to push you as an ath-

lete out to the European scene, and so they stop your progression: for

them its more interesting to keep their riders to push their communi-

cation on their territory!

HOW TO GET THROUGH ALL THIS? Haha, this is a long and winding road that I dont want to go down. Its a very long and difficult topic,

I dont want to offend anybody and so I cant really say what I am

actually thinking! All I can say is that we are not all going towards the

same direction. Our sport is a niche and so we should all fight for the

same goal, but unfortunately theres only individualism. I cant say

much!

LAST SUMMER IN LES 2 ALPES YOU LOOKED LIKE THE MOST MO-TIVATED ONE TO FILM AND DO SOME STUFF: HOWS BEEN GOING FOR YOU LATELY AND WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR THIS SEASON? Haha, was I the most motivated one for real? During summertime Im

always motivated to film a lot, so to come up with a videopart before

the winter season begins. This wintertime, despite the terrible condi-

tions, Ive been filming in street for my upcoming videopart, I want

to get a complete videopart in street and powder, so I will spend a lot

of time in Sestriere backcountry, where there are lots of nice spots to

film! We are just waiting for the snow! And then obviously we will see

again in L2A!

YOUR THREE FAVOURITE SNOWBOARD MOVIES? All the Isenseven ones, although they dont exist anymore!

THREE FAVOURITE RIDERS YOU ALWAYS ADMIRED AND STILL INSPI-RE YOU? Keegan Valaika, Ethan Morgan, Nic Sauve.

YOUR SET UP? I use the Slash Spectrum 157 for most part of the sea-son, with a Camber Flat and a medium flex, which reflects my riding

style. In the summer I use the Slash Happy Place 156 Cam Rock, with

a soft flex for the summer snow. As for the bindings, I use the Flux

Team: they are super lightweight, with an incredible response as Ive

never tried better bindings! For the boots, in winter I use the Thirtytwo

Tm-Two because they hold my foot and ankle very strong on any ter-

rains, while in summer I go for the Ultra Light 2, a super lightweight

boot for the summer snow!

YOUR FAVOURITE SNOWBOARDING TRIP? Last February I went to Colorado to train up there, in the most beautiful parks in the world,

like Breckenridge, Keystone, Copper Mountain, and I strongly

believe that these are the only places where you can progress and

BS BOARDSLIDE IN SETRIERE, ITALY

learn in shortest time. Down there I improved a lot, as I learnt

new tricks like the double cork and I got to know people from the

international scene. This year I wont

go back there, but the next season Ill

do it for other three months. Before

that time Im going to stay in Italy and

in Europe, trying to progress the best

I can with what Europe can offer me.

PIPE, KICKERS, POWDER, JIBBING, CAR-VING, STREET RAILS: WHAT DO YOU LIKE THE MOST? I love all the expressions of snowboarding on several different ter-

rains! I consider myself a park rider,

and obviously I spend most of my time

there both in winter and in summer in

different resorts. I plan my riding days

in those resorts that offer the best parks.

I adore street riding, Im always stoked

on it, thats where you can get the best

shots you have to move your park tri-

cks into a much variable and dangerous

zon situations! Then of course I love

backcountry! Every time that I have the

chance of riding in powder, I give it all:

thats the best training you can get, and its the one where you can

have the best satisfaction. Although finding the perfect conditions

is never that easy.

WHERE AND WHOM YOU USUALLY RIDE WITH? Well in Bardo-necchia Park I feel like home and its always a pleasure to ride the-

re with my friends like Gian Marco,

Bibi, Alberto Planchon, Luca Sacco, but

now I have friends in any resorts: the

best thing is we all know each other!

YOU RIDE FOR SLASH, WHICH ON AN INTERNATIONAL LEVEL ITS TEAM IS SE-RIOUSLY IMPORTANT, WITH RIDERS LIKE GIGI RUF, MANUEL DIAZ OR GREG BRETZ: HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE PART OF IT?Its already three years Ive been part of the

International Slash Team, its one of my

greatest satisfactions Ive ever accompli-

shed, also thanks to the help from Luca An-

gelucci. I also got to say that Gigi e Ivan, my

team manager, have done an incredible job

with this brand, pushing it at highest levels.

I had the chance of get to know Gigi Ruf

during a shooting in Val Senales for us of

the Global Team. Surely I wont easily for-

get those carving turns with such a rider!

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE BE WHEN YOU GET OLDER? In my next future Ill try to find my place in a working environment as much close as possible to snowboar-

ding! Id like to go back to my studies and maybe attend university.

FS BLUNTSLIDE IN SETRIERE, ITALY

PICS & TXT: MARKUS ROHRBACHERSPOT: LOFOTEN ISLANDS

PICS & TXT: MATT GEORGES SPOT: CERVINIA, ITALY

Who would not like to go on an arctic adventure with their buddies? Well, probably a lot of people would pre-fer to go to the beach or some other warmer location, but that is the difference between snowboarders and the rest of the world. We are always looking for new moun-tains to ride, and the further away it is from our normal everyday mountain... the better! The more remote and spectacular the surroundings the better, because that is the definition of a turn adventure that is worth it. Right?

Elias Elhardt, Nils Arvidsson, Knut Eliassen, and Markus Keller decided to take an Arctic adventure of their own last spring. They decided to go to what some call the most beautiful mountains above the Arctic Circle, the Lofoten, Norway. Lofoten is a group of islands in the northern part of Norway. With its postcard-looking small fishing villages nestled in the fjords, dotting a very rugged coast with dra-matic peaks rising directly from the ocean, this archipelago (an extensive group of island) is often described as the de-finition of arctic beauty. They decided to make the 20-hour drive from Oslo, Norway, up to Lofoten to submerge them-selves in the beauty and adventure that Norway has to offer.

KNUT ELIASSEN

WITH ITS POSTCARD-LOOKING SMALL FISHING VILLAGESNESTLED IN THE FJORDS

NILS ARVIDSSON: HANDPLANT MARKUS KELLER

ELIAS ELHARDT: BS AIR

KNUT ELIASSEN

When you are as far north as Lofoten during the spring and summer the days never end because the sun never sets. This allows for all day snowboarding, and the worlds lon-gest sunsets. There are not many places on earth where you can enjoy multiple runs down a mountain into the sunset. The crew stayed right on the water in an old fishing house, that had been turned into a snowboarder and surfers para-dise by pro snowboarders Erik Botner and Fredrik Evensen. Everyday was a new adventure acceding new peaks and riding new lines into the sunset. After ten days of explo-ring the wonders of the arctic strapped into split boards the crew return back to civilization, Oslo, by taking a ferry cal-led the Hurtigruten down the magnificent coast of Norway.

THIS ALLOWS FOR ALL DAY SNOWBOARDING,AND THE WORLDS LONGEST SUNSETS

ERIK BOTNER: SLASH

BOARD:NITRO DOPPLEGANGERNITRO NOMAD

BINDINGS: VOLL LIGHT RAILNITRO MACHINE

BOOTS: NITRO SELECTVANS IMPLANT

PICS: MATT GEORGES ITW: GIACOMO MARGUTTI SPOT: ARLBERG, AUSTRIA

HEY MARKUS! HOW ARE YOU DOING AND WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN UP TO LATELY? Im doing good thanks and my season just started. I had a bit a late start cause of an old

injury from last season I had to cure, but Im now even

more pumped to get out again and shred again. So I had

enough time to plan this seasons projects and trips and

take care of some other things aside snowboarding.

THIS SEASON I DIDNT SEE YOU AT THE LAAX OPEN WHILE YOUR RUN FROM THE LAST EDITION WILL ALWAYS BE RE-MEMBERED AS ONE OF THE MOST TECH AND MOST SPECTA-CULAR EVER, WITH YOU RIDING DOWN THE PIPE WITH A 183 BOARD FOR POWDER WHO CAME UP WITH THAT IDEA? Thank you, I will sure not forget that experience either,

especially after its clip got so viral later. I did my first turns

on that Nitro Quiver Cannon 183 a few weeks before the

BEO and also soon after tested it in the halfpipe for some

runs. So when I got my invitation to the event the week be-

fore it, I had this idea to just do it with that board, as I havent

really ridden any halfpipes or practiced in a long time.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF MODERN CONTESTS? BY THE TIME IM WRITING, MAX PARROT (WHOS 21 AND DOES NOT HAVE A SPONSOR FOR BOARDS OR WHATEVER, JUST SAYING) WON THE XGAMES WITH THE FIRST CAB 1800 TRIPLE LAN-DED IN COMP. HES THE SAME GUY WHO STOMPED THAT MUCH DEBATED QUAD CORK... WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THIS WHOLE THING - TRIPLES, QUADS, CONTESTS

AND STUFF? To be honest, Im already surprisingly distan-ced to the whole contest circus. Even though its not that

long time ago I was still competing with them. I was far

out at the remotest kind of place in China the last days, but

later I heard about some XGames news and tricks. But is

it a 16, 18 or soon the millennium spin, it all looks kind of

the same to me. Dont get me wrong, I got big respect for

this young generation of riders and how they deliver in an

amazing consistency. And its sad to see and hear about

all these really talented sponsorless riders. At the same

time, its not easy to promote and sell

sequence magazine 52 eng

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