What’s cooking for 2010
June 13, 2009
Filed under Extreme Sports, How to snowboard, Instruction, Snowboarding
Tags: how to snowboard, snowboard instruction, snowboard lesson, Snowboard video, Snowboarding
Rick and I have been writing and filming like crazy to create episodes for next season. We captured most of the snowboard footage in Breckenridge, Colorado during our annual trip in April and will film all intros, voice-over and real-world examples over the summer.
My favorite episode for 2010: “Get in Shape for Snowboarding” because it’s got effective exercises I do everyday and is filled with ideas to incorporate them into your daily routine. We got a lot of requests for a video with tips to get in shape, so I hope people like it.
Episode I’m most excited to see: “Documentary series on today’s snowboarders” because it will be cool to see the thoughts, ideas and perspective of a variety of snowboarders; all talking about what snowboarding means to them.
Least favorite episode: “Front-side Boardslide” because I wasn’t riding well and never actually landed the trick. Aside from the script, my only contribution to this video was a crash where I slammed my crotch onto the funbox. Not cool.
Be sure to check out our blooper reel on SnowProfessor.com (including my crotch incident). Until then, here’s a list of videos we plan to release this winter:
Intermediate lessons
* How to be Dynamic
* Top 4 Intermediate Mistakes & Fixes
* One-footed snowboarding
* Surface 360s
* Tips for Traversing
All Mountain
* Steeps
* Moguls
* Trees
* Slush
Snowboard Tricks:
* Basic Jump
* Intro to Grabs: Indy
* Front-side 180s
* Back-side 180s
* Back-side 360s
* Hitting Bigger Jumps
* Intro to Half-pipe
* Front-side Boardslides (Funbox)
Snowboard equipment
* How to Tune a Snowboard (Basic tune)
* How to Store Your Snowboard for the Summer
General
* Get in Shape for Snowboarding
* Documentary series on today’s snowboarders
– Experiences learning to snowboard
– Perceptions of media and marketing
– Buying snowboard gear
– Resorts and vacations
– Snowboard bloggers (featuring video interviews with Shayboarder, AngrySnowboarder, Hoon, SouthofTheNorth, ShredUnion and GraysonTrays)
2010 Snowboard Reviews
March 11, 2009
Filed under Extreme Sports, Freestyle, How to snowboard, Instruction, Snowboard Reviews, Snowboarding
Tags: Snowboarding, how to snowboard, Burton snowboards, K2 Luna, Rome Vinyl, Snowboard review, Cheap snowboards, K2 Snowboards, Rome Snowboards, Snowboard demo
I went to a snowboard demo at Welch Village, MN in February. I rode 7 different snowboards from 4 companies and, despite my initial biases, I was pleasantly surprised. There really aren’t any bad snowboards out there. These days, manufacturers are all making quality equipment. The question is less about which snowboards are good or bad, but what’s the right snowboard for specific riders.
Here are my initial impressions on a few of the boards I tested. We will be creating more detailed video reviews for each board in the near future on SnowProfessor.com.
My biases: Having been a sponsored Burton rider, I have only ridden Burton snowboards…and only ONE type of snowboard at that: directional all-mountain. I am very boring. I rode the FeelGood for a few years, upgraded to the FeelGood ES a couple seasons ago and recently got a Malolo. I’ve never tried a twin or park board.
Demo methodology: To keep things consistent, I used my boots, bindings and stance for each new board. I rode each one as a beginner, intermediate and advanced rider would to understand how the snowboard performed for different ability levels–not just for me. I threw in switch riding, butters and 180s to gauge its park potential and dinking-aroundness.
My stats:
- 5′ 3″, 110 pounds, size 6.5 boot
- Ability level: Expert
- Natural riding style: Aggressive carving
- Stance: 20″ wide, +21/-18
- Bindings: Burton Escapade
- Boot: Burton Supreme
Snow conditions: Groomed snow. 32 degrees in the morning, warmed up to 41 and sunny. Snow stayed relatively firm.
K2 Luna (143)
Pros: The twin shape made riding switch easy. It has a bit more flexibility to make landings more forgiving. Butters were fun, but not quite as easy as a more flexy jib board. The board was soft enough for beginners to learn on but held up to high speed carving surprisingly well with a smooth turn shape. I really really like this snowboard and am considering adding the Luna to my quiver as my dink-around-Minnesota park board.
Cons: Buttering wasn’t as easy, so hard-core jibbers may want a softer set-up. It didn’t go between regular and switch as easily and I had a harder time with surface 360s. It was a touch slower edge-to-edge than my stiff all-mountain directional board.
Who should buy this board: Beginners though expert female riders looking for an all-mountain twin. Riders who know they will divide their time between the park and groomers will have a great time. If riding powder or layed-out agressive carving is your thing…keep looking.
Rome Vinyl (149)
Pros: Great directional all-mountain snowboard. It rides very similar to the Burton FeelGood (but it’s cheaper!!!). The Vinyl is a great beginner snowboard because it’s forgiving enough to learn on, but has the versatility to last as your riding improves. It held and edge well going pretty fast and would be good on a variety of terrain. Since it’s a softer all-mountain snowboard, it was forgiving when landing jumps and spins but still made solid turns.
Cons: It is a bit too soft for serious high-speed carves and didn’t feel as stable when I got ripping. Riding switch was smooth, but not quite as fluid as a twin shaped board–still very solid and easy.
Who should buy this board: A beginner through advanced intermediate rider looking for one snowboard to tackle the mountain. Really agressive carvers may prefer a stiffer all-mountain board and devoted park riders should find a twin. Since it’s good all over the hill, this is a great board if you are unsure of what terrain you want to ride most. If you are watching your budget but want the Burton FeelGood, Rome’s Vinyl is a very very good alternative.
Some good ol’ fashioned self-promotion.
March 7, 2009
Filed under Extreme Sports, Freestyle, How to snowboard, Instruction, Snowboarding
Tags: how to snowboard, snowboard, Snowboard instructor, snowboard lessons, Snowboard video, Snowboarding
Behold…our press release. Fingers crossed it get’s picked up by reporters.
SnowProfessor.com teaches snowboarding with free videos
3/7/2009, Minneapolis, MN. A new website offers free how-to-snowboard videos that draw inspiration from familiar everyday examples. Founded by a Minnesota brother and sister, the website’s clean-cut, unpretentious methodology covers step-by-step beginner lessons, intermediate tips, snowboard tricks and equipment advice.
The siblings started the website after they couldn’t find accurate snowboard information online. “Most how-to internet videos are home-movies of someone doing a face-plant or professional clips of pros spinning 720s to guitar music. Few actually teach anything,” said Rick. The duo is keeping their videos free to help fellow riders progress and share a sport they love. “We have a lot of fun making the videos and it’s a needed creative outlet from our full-time corporate jobs,” says Jill, a former professional snowboarder.
The lessons come from their 15 years of combined teaching experience and feature tips and drills you won’t find anywhere else. The two stress that snowboard movements come from everyday activities and work these familiar examples into each lesson. According to the Snow Professors, the motion of boardsliding a funbox is the same as riding on a shopping cart and toe-turns use foot movements similar to driving a car.
Each episode begins in real-life before jumping into the on-snow lesson, which is surprisingly different from most snowboard content. They teach with a nerdy, approachable tone that’s unlike typical snowboard stereotypes. The Snow Professors represent a growing population in the sport: kid-friendly, professional adults. The Gen-Xers who popularized snowboarding have grown up and want to share it with their families. “We’ve never really been cool,” said Rick who has a degree in engineering, “so it wouldn’t be believable if we tried for our videos.”
SnowProfessor.com launched in January 2009 and has money-saving coupons to online snowboard shops and over 20 video lessons and product reviews that can be watched on computer or iPhone.
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SnowProfessors use familiar movements to teach snowboard skills.
Twitter:
http://twitter.com/SnowProfessor
http://twitter.com/SnowProRick
SnowProfessors teach how to boardslide a funbox.
Mount snowboard bindings.
The latest video from SnowProfessor.com examines snowboard stance and gives tips to mount snowboard bindings. We give step-by-step instructions and real life examples to determine stance and mount bindings, very helpful for first timers. We also offer unique tips that even experienced riders can use to optimize their set-up. It’s definitely worth watching if you’ve ever thought about changing stance or upgrading your set-up.
Get your snowboard ready for the season.
Since the snowboard season is upon us, here’s the latest helpful video from SnowProfessor.com that demonstrates the proper technique for de-tuning your snowboard. If you just got a new snowboard, you’ll want to catch this episode.
First snowboard lesson
November 3, 2008
Filed under Extreme Sports, How to snowboard, Instruction, Snowboarding
Tags: beginner snowboard lesson, female snowboarder, how to snowboard, snowboard, snowboard coach, Snowboard instructor, snowboard lesson, Snowboard video
Learning to snowboard is a big accomplishment. My first time, I wore padded hockey shorts over my ski pants. I fell on my butt so hard that my hat popped off. Check out our intro to snowboard video for your first snowboard lesson and check SnowProfessor.com for more videos about learning to snowboard.
What’s wrong with nudity?
November 1, 2008
Filed under Freestyle, Snowboarding
Tags: Burton Love, Burton snowboards, Freestyle Snowboard, how to snowboard, Naked Women, Playboy, Porn, Snowboard instructor, Snowboarding, snowboards
In a previous post I wrote about Burton Snowboards using Playmates on the Love graphics. I thought I wrote a moderate post that looked at the graphics from a different angle. According to the comments, readers were offended that I wasn’t offended about naked women.
Why are naked people offensive? Why can’t a woman be alright with another woman’s choice to pose nude? And I’m not alone on this one–more than 36% of visitors to Playboy.com are women. Women celebrate the Playboy brand by purchasing millions of bunny necklaces, Pjs, embroidered leather jackets and the like. Mind you, I’m not talking about human-trafficking or porn that’s coerced with violence and abuse.
I studied art history in college and looked at naked women in every class through every time period. There is an entire wing of the National Archeological Museum in Naples dedicated to ancient porn! Mosaics, fresco and sculpture all about nudity and sex. Sexual curiosity isn’t demeaning, it’s human nature! Which is why the term “Naked women” is searched 33,989 times each day. And “Sex” is searched over 340,000 times per day. And “Porn” is searched over 340,000 each day. To put that in perspective, “Barack Obama” is searched 17,000 times, “John McCain” is searched 16,285 times each day and “snowboards” is searched just 638 times.
I’m not saying naked ladies should be everywhere, but I’m against resistance to them. Countries that restrict a woman’s body are also societies that forbid women from driving cars and stone them for showing their elbows. Free speech allows women to pose nude, and snowboarders to write blogs, and people to comment on them.
My complaint isn’t with nudity, it’s with Burton contributing to a boy’s club atmosphere that excludes women on the slopes. Outside of snowboard graphics, naked ladies are okay by me (and the vast majority of internet users, according to available search data).
How to buy a snowboard.
October 23, 2008
Filed under How to snowboard, Instruction, Snowboarding
Tags: Burton snowboards, buy a snowboard, how to buy a snowboard, how to snowboard, snowboard, snowboarder, Snowboarding
The latest video from SnowProfessor.com examines the process for buying a snowboard. The right snowboard equipment can maximize your on-hill experience and help you improve your skills. Instead of just picking your snowboard based on what graphics you like best, use the following guidelines to help buy a snowboard that’s right for you:
1. Terrain: consider the terrain you want to ride—powder, park or all-mountain.
2. Snowboard size and flex: consider your weight, ability level and boot size when selecting a snowboard model, stiffness and length.
Where’s the Love Burton?
October 17, 2008
Filed under Extreme Sports, How to snowboard, Instruction, Snowboarding
Tags: Burton Love, Burton snowboards, controversy, female snowboarders, how to buy a snowboard, how to snowboard, Love snowboard, Playboy, Playmate, professional snowboarder, Ride snowboards, snowboard, snowboard bindings, snowboard instruction, Snowboarding
Burton Snowboards is no stranger to mainstream media criticism over its new Love snowboard line. It’s no surprise that the nude Playmate graphics are offending parents, churches and other groups who are usually insulted by most things. I have to admit, I sort of don’t disagree with the critics in this case, but not for the same reasons.
I don’t have a problem with Playboy or Playmates or naked women or anything like that. I don’t even believe that these images are demeaning. But the second these nudes made their way from the bathroom magazine rack onto a Burton snowboard, I began feeling slighted.
I agree the images are tasteful, but as snowboard graphics they appeal to a sophomoric, boys-only audience which sends an unintended message that female snowboarders aren’t welcome. Now, I realize most men who read this are puzzled at the very least by my seemingly unfounded objection, so allow me to explain.
At uber-crowded Minnesota terrain parks, the frenetic commotion of teen boy aggression makes the park feel unwelcoming and intimidating to most beginners and women. As a female snowboard coach, I see resistance from students (particularly girls) who feel self-conscious and out of place in the terrain park. Burton’s Love graphics contribute to this hostile environment by facilitating a “ha ha, boobies are sweet” attitude that perpetuates the notion that women are better being ridden than riding. Lets face it, there’s no way even the coolest girl can ever truly be part of that boys’ club.
Of course Burton’s support of womens’ snowboarding over the years can’t be unraveled by boobie graphics. They helped pioneer progression by sponsoring top female riders, creating equipment specific for ladies, cultivating new talent through women’s-specific snowboard programs and encourage park courtesy with Smart Style.
Burton’s popularity with women snowboarders makes it a particularly unusual message. According to Quantcast, 53% of Burton.com’s 100,000 monthly visitors are female and 55% have children at home–compared to RideSnowboards.com with just 42% women and RomeSnowboards.com with 46% female.
If boys want to see more boobies, they should encourage their female friends to take a snowboard lesson and be supportive of women venturing into the terrain park. Perhaps one day, women will comprise 53% of the mountain (not just the web stats) and ride on snowboards with graphics of fantasy men who are pictured with a tool-belt, a pan of homemade lasagna and a back-rub-ready bottle of massage oil. Ha ha.
No worries Burton. I don’t really care all that much. Just let me know when the FeelGood ES comes out with the graphics mentioned above.
See complaints on CNN here: Love
Burton brings back funny.
September 3, 2008
Filed under Extreme Sports, Snowboarding
Tags: Burton bindings, Burton snowboards, funny videos, how to snowboard, Nicholas Muller, snowboard, Snowboard video
In March 2008 Burton Snowboards released a video dramatizing the next innovation to its bindings. The 8 minute commercial has just the right amount of self-deprecating humor and reminds me why I really like Nicholas Muller.
