Deserts Don't Snow

Bear Mountain 10.30.09

2009-10-30T18:01:00.000-07:00

Recently the Santa Ana winds brought a cold front to Southern California, which for us is the equivalent of the snowstorms everybody else got. Bear started snowmaking late October 27th, and stacked a fleet of up to 70 guns to make the Central Park run off Chair 5 completely rideable.Bear seems to be playing a different strategy this year, maybe because of the December opening last season.

War of Ages - Arise and Conquer

2009-10-23T17:39:00.000-07:00

Amazon.com WidgetsToday, new genres of music pop up like new ice cream flavors. Hardcore is one example. I remember making fun of my brother when he listened to hardcore; I would laugh and ask why he was always listening to screamo... I couldn't tell the difference.There is a difference though, and my eyes were opened the day my brother put War of Ages on during a road trip.Believe it or not,

3 Tips for Renting Vs Buying Your Snowboard Equipment

2009-10-22T17:05:00.000-07:00

Smelly boots, chintzy bindings, and rock-beaten decks; this is the common snowboard rental experience. How long do you have to use this second-hand crap anyway?Plus, renting equipment is generally a hassle and can get expensive fast. Wouldn't it just be cheaper and easier to invest in your own gear and pay a one-time fee?Keep these tips in mind as you consider whether or not owning your own

Part 1 - Becoming A Certified AASI Snowboard Instructor

2009-10-20T10:11:00.000-07:00

Most of us were once-upon-a-time taught by a snowboard instructor. At the time we were struggling to grasp the fundamentals of riding, not entirely sure how much fun this sport called snowboarding really was. While the instructor glided down the hill, often with one foot unstrapped, we were slamming to the ground every five yards. Back then, I would have given anything just to be able to ride

QandA - What Beginner Riders Should Look for in Snowboard Gear

2009-10-14T23:19:00.000-07:00

Great examples of beginner equipment: the 2010 Burton Blunt and Union Cadet binding.Q: I'm a beginner and I don't know what things I should look out for when buying a board, bindings, or boots? I guess any help is appreciated!A: Of course the easiest, fastest, and best way to get your gear would be to visit your local shop where the rep will hook you up with gear that a.) fits and b.) is

Snowboarding and Twitter

2009-10-04T23:02:00.000-07:00

By now you have probably heard of Twitter, a social media application that let's you review updates from hundreds or even thousands instantly; at the other end of the wire, hundreds or even thousands can instantly view your updates as well.Those who are already on Twitter, and get caught tweeting, are met with one of two mindsets: "What is Twitter?" or "I hate Twitter". The haters have an

Managing Fear

2009-10-04T10:26:00.000-07:00

Every snowboarder has that moment where a trick or a feature pops into our mind, but we are just too gripped with fear to try it out; even the greatest pros encounter things they feel unprepared to handle, and with a career/paycheck on the line maybe doubly so.One of the most common questions you will come across in any extreme sport is "How to hit ___" or "If there are any tips for doing ____".

Snowboarders Don't Workout - The Importance of Fitness

2009-09-22T19:58:00.000-07:00

Snowsports are most commonly associated with relaxing vacations, or for the younger generations as party central. Since the ideal day of riding for most is capped with an alcoholic beverage and a few hours in a jacuzzi, it is hard to see snowboarding as a sport that you necessarily "train" for. Yet, snowboarding is an immensely physical activity--think back to your first day of riding and how

Snowboard Magazines - Print v. Digital

2009-09-20T11:13:00.000-07:00

It's clear that future of media lies in the digitalization of content. While many will claim environmental inspiration, the truth is that many snowboard magazines are adapting to declining print subscriptions by offering their content digitally on-demand, but are digital subscriptions even worth it?So what are the benefits to snowboard magazines offering their issues digitally? Put simply, the

Bear Mountain 2009 Hot Dawgz and Handrails Feature Preview

2009-09-18T13:59:00.000-07:00

For a little over half a decade Bear Mountain has hosted it's annual pre-season contest, Hot Dawgz and Handrails, to serve several purposes. First, the contest offers Southern California--often the last folks to get snow--a chance to see the white stuff before that final month-and-a-half push to the season; second, it gives everyone one last chance to buy their Bear Mountain season passes at a

When to Buy, Where to Save - Boots, Goggles and Outerwear

2009-09-03T12:06:00.000-07:00

Summer is nearing its end and now we make our transition into season-standby mode. Fall is almost like purgatory for shredders. The temperatures start dropping and each day we wake up hoping that guns are blowing. You can almost feel the season in the weather, but knowing its so close but yet so far away is pure agony. That's why, with most companies now stocking the 09/10 stuff and making

High Cascade Adult Camp - Session 6 - 2009

2009-08-31T15:47:00.000-07:00

This year was my first year participating in the adult camp offered by High Cascade. I had avoided the adult camp in the past for several reasons: I didn't see the opportunity to drink as being worth the extra $200 and I wasn't sure hanging out with a bunch of "old dudes" (everyone was around my age, officially or in spirit) was going to be a good time. I'm definitely glad I gave adult camp a

Cigarettes and Snowboarding?

2009-08-29T11:56:00.000-07:00

One of the topics in snowboarding that remains relatively quiet is smoking cigarettes. Even though it doesn't seem to capture the big media's attention, I know it is a subject that many have pondered at some point when riding. Curious, I asked readers their opinion of the habit and its effect on their resort experience.Now, the process of slowly destroying your lungs and throat is blatantly out

High Cascade 2009 - Session 6

2009-08-08T12:19:00.000-07:00

You know that saying, "more fun than Disneyland"? Well, High Cascade Snowboard Camp up in Mt. Hood, Oregon really is more fun than Disneyland; that's why I'm going up there for my 4th summer. In fact, as you are reading this I'm probably en route to Oregon for Session 6.What is High Cascade Snowboard Camp, or rather, what isn't it?A High Cascade vacation includes lodging, food, transportation,

Getting the Most From Snowboard Trick Tips

2009-07-28T09:00:00.000-07:00

When a new trick has gone awry, many riders and especially newer riders look to trick tips to solve their problems. Believe it or not there is a methodology to getting the most out of a trick tip, and it is never going to be as simple as watching the trick and listening to the demonstrator's instructions. With the addition of the trick tips section here on DesertsDontSnow, I thought it

3OH!3 - Want

2009-07-22T07:18:00.000-07:00

At a bar in Frisco, Colorado a drunk once asked me, "Have you heard of the band 3OH!3?" I replied, "I have; they are OK." I was being pretty liberal, seeing as the dude was obviously stoked on them. He replied, "Me and my homies will fight for them." I had nothing to say at that point, but I did think to myself how sad that seemed. 3OH!3 from a musical standpoint, and especially a shreddable

Online Snowboard Logs - Track Your Days On-hill Quickly and Easily

2009-07-21T13:00:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been asked the question, "how many days a year do you ride?" and found yourself doing some hardcore finger counting with some steady guess-timation to come your final answer? From social networking websites such as Facebook to snowboarding communities like Shred Union, once again technology has made it possible for us snowboarders to keep track of not only our days riding but also

iTrailMap - Going Green for Free

2009-07-20T18:08:00.000-07:00

Once the snow has melted, resorts face a much bigger problem than simply maintaining lifts and trimming growing foliage: Trash! Remember that phone you had or that Gatorade bottle you accidentally dropped off the lift? You might not have been able to retrieve it, but a big part of a resort's summer operations is collecting the garbage that has accumulated under the snow throughout the season.

Windells Academy - A Boarding School Graduate's Dream

2009-07-14T04:10:00.000-07:00

I'm what the snowboard world calls a "late starter". While most kids catch the addiction sometime during high school, I wasn't able to pursue snowboarding at all until I graduated and it wasn't for lack of trying. See, I went to a boarding school. For me high school meant being locked down every hour of hour day, being forced to play interscholastic sports like football and basketball (

Aloha!

2009-07-12T12:00:00.000-07:00

Well, it is July 12th and I am on my way to LAX to board a plane destination: Hawaii. Unless you are a diehard surfer, Hawaii is summer vacation central especially for desert folk like myself. Forget temperatures that can get to over 120°F, I'm heading somewhere that stays consistently at a pleasant 80°F year round. I'm sure not all of you will be as fortunate to escape the flesh-melting

Music While Snowboarding?

2009-07-06T00:00:00.000-07:00

In the latest poll readers were asked if they listen to music when they are out on the slopes. The question was inspired by the fact that I had one iPod stolen a year ago and then this season lost its replacement, and have since not brought myself to purchase yet another; so I spent the end of this season riding without a personal soundtrack for the first time since I first started riding I'd

Snowboard Injuries You Wouldn't Know Happened

2009-07-01T02:53:00.000-07:00

I've been experiencing a bit of pain around my right knee since I miscalculated the speed off of a feature at Copper and landed F-L-A-T as fuck... PLOP! The only reason I haven't been to a doctor yet is I have had such a hard time identifying and describing the problem, until a couple of nights ago. I finally found a website which attributed my legs feeling of instability to an ACL tear, a

Grip Grand - Brokelore

2009-06-28T23:10:00.000-07:00

From a strictly musical standpoint, the majority of hip-hop and rap tracks available simply don't vibe well with snowboarding. Most are too aggressive, too obnoxious, and to...tally don't synch up to footage very well at all. Even if you do find a diamond in the rough, that's usually all that can be squeezed from a CD of more than ten tracks. This CD, Brokelore by Grip Grand, might be the

Mammoth Memories

2009-06-26T00:16:00.000-07:00

Most of you know about my days as a liftie up in Mammoth. I can best sum up my experiences at Mammoth with the story of my first day working back when I was 18 years old: It was late in the season and my very first day was also the end of season party for one of the lodges. I almost didn't go seeing as I hadn't actually worked a day of the season yet, but the homies wouldn't have it and I got

Make a Trampoline Snowboard

2009-06-24T01:20:00.000-07:00

Summertime is when I start preaching trampolines as a means to keep physically fit and use visualization to "practice" some of the more daunting jumps and spins in snowboarding. Most of the time simply emulating riding by maintaining your stance on the trampoline works pretty well, but often times this makes harder tricks seem much easier since you are able to widen or narrow how far apart your