VANSSNOWBLOG

Windells Session 5 Recap With Eric Willett

2011-08-10T00:00:00.000-07:00

Eric Willett. Photo: Windells.

Summer’s more than halfway over and at Windells, we’re trying to figure out where the time has gone (it probably has something to do with all of the snowboarding and skating we’ve been doing the last two months). It’s sunny out, there’s tons of snow, and each week the park keeps getting better and better. Session 5 just came to a close, and if you missed it, here’s what went down.

Phil Jacques in "Defenders Of Awesome"

2011-08-08T09:54:00.000-07:00

Let's keep the Canadian theme going. Phil Jacques is back again, this time in Capita's new movie "Defenders Of Awesome". Besides having one of the best movie names of the new season, Capita's first full length team movie is stacked with young talent and it's sure to live up to the hype. Check out capitasnowboarding.com for more info.

Vans Canadian Team Rider Phil Jacques on Wallpaper Wednesday

2011-08-05T08:51:00.000-07:00

Phil Jacques. Photo: Bob Plumb.

Can't forget about the guys up North. Our Canadian Snow Team of Will Lavigne, Benji Ritchie and Phil Jacques had a great season and put in work for the Transworld Snowboarding Team Shootout. You can check out all the photos in the new issue of the mag, and the videos are posted on twsnow.com. As for this particular shot, click here to get the full size wallpaper image for your viewing pleasure.

Videograss Premiere In Portland

2011-08-03T09:06:00.000-07:00

Videograss Presents, Shoot The Moon and Retrospect
Friday August 12, 2011
Bagdad Theater and Pub, Portland, OR.
Doors open at 7:30pm
FREE
Dinner and drinks will be served
More information at VGsnow.com

Movies featuring: Chris Grenier, Darrell Mathes, Gus Engle, Jake Olson-Elm, Jed Anderson, Johnny Miller, Jon Kooley, Jonas Michilot, Jordan Mendenhall, Justin Bennee, Louif Paradis, Mikey Leblanc, Nick Dirks, Nima Jalali, Will Tuddenham, Zac Marben, Alex Andrews, Alex Cantin, Ben Bilocq, Austin Smith, Curtis Ciszek, Bryan Fox, Ethan Deiss, Jake Blauvelt, Jake Kuzyk, Harrison Gordon, Knut Eliassen and Xavier De Le Rue

"The Art Of Flight" Metal Trailer

2011-08-01T00:04:00.000-07:00

T. Rice and the Brain Farm crew dropped this new trailer for "The Art Of Flight" during the X Games Big Air on last Friday, so just in case you missed then or on every other snowboard site on the planet, here it is. The anticipation is building for the Sept. 7th World Premiere in New York City as Travis, Mark Landvik and the rest of the Brain Farm rippers are set to reinvent snowboard film making once again. Lando has got pretty some sick shots in this teaser (hint: look for the Lib Tech), I can't wait to see him throw them down. See for yourself...

Andreas Wiig in Forum's "Vacation"

2011-07-29T08:41:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again! Summer is slowly creeping into Fall, and that means snowboard season will soon be upon us. With that comes the onslaught of new movies from all the film companies, both big and small. And while "The Art Of Flight" is easily the most anticipated of the year, don't sleep on Forum's new team movie "Vacation". The Forum crew always delivers quality productions, and with the addition of Vans Team Rider Andreas Wiig, this one could be better than ever. Check out the teaser, and stay posted for news about the inevitable tour.

2011 TWS Team Shoot Out Video: YES

2011-07-27T00:08:00.000-07:00

From www.twsnow.com.

The YES crew went deep. They scouted a rare new zone in the already bombarded Whistler backcountry spending three days breaking trail just accessing it. They camped, cut trees, waited out storms, heli'd and got gnarly. The mission was an effort to catch the essence of snowboarding in a natural state and express a rider's individual bond with the mountain.

Team Riders: JP Solberg, Romain De Marchi, Benji Ritchie, Helen Schettini, and Mikee Pederson

Location: Whistler, BC, Canada

Filmmakers: Paul Watt and Brian Hockenstein

Photography: Ashley Barker

Watch The Video.

Mark Landvik On The Cover Of Snowboarder Magazine

2011-07-25T00:01:00.000-07:00

Vans Team Rider Mark Landvik landed the cover of Snowboarder Magazine's August 2011 issue with this monster air through the snow ghosts in the Jackson Hole, WY backcountry. Doc Zapalac returns to his snowboard photography glory with his latest cover shot, and the entire issue is filled with stories featuring the Vans Snow Team. They all took place during the filming of "The Art Of Flight", the new movie from Red Bull Media House and Brain Farm Digital Cinema. There is an account from Snowboarder's editor Pat Bridges about his first heli trip with Travis Rice and Iouri Podlatchikov, and a behind the scenes look at a Brain Farm shoot in Aspen with Eric Willett. It also includes a 2012 Gear Guide with photos and info about some of the new boots from Vans this season, including the Andreas Wiig pro model and the Holden X Vans collabo. Check it out on newsstands now.

Hana Beaman Signature Session at HCSC Video

2011-07-22T00:36:00.000-07:00

Check out this video with Hana Beaman from her Signature Session at High Cascade Snowboard Camp last week. The video features Hana Beaman, Colleen Quigley, Pat Moore, and Jenny Jones and recaps a couple days on hill with Hana and some of the girl campers, who rip laps with the crew and throw down some new tricks. Watch as Hana breaks down the lighter side of summer camp and even throws down a few tricks of her own.

2011 TWS Team Shoot Out Video: RIDE

2011-07-21T00:00:00.000-07:00

From www.twsnow.com.

The Ride crew hung in the mist and snow-choked trees of the Northwest. Rain or shine the mob shredded wooded jumps, jibs, lodge-sized senders, a road gap, and more. Fog, snain, rain, clouds, and sunshine swept across their camera lenses as the team seized the oscillating environment and laid-back vibe of their lush surroundings.

Teamriders: Alex Cantin, Austin Hironaka, Darrell Mathes, Sebastien Toutant

Location: Summit at Snoqualmie, Washington

Filmmakers: Gary Milton & Tommy Little

Photography: Frode Sandbech

Watch The Video.

Behind Brain Farm: Eric Willett

2011-07-20T00:01:00.000-07:00

Video and words by Liam Gallagher for ESPN.com.

Eric Willett quietly stepped into the competition scene during the 2008/2009 winter. The young buck, born and raised in Breckenridge, Colorado, quickly started showing the world what happens when you grow up riding one of the best snowboard parks in North America. First he started to podium at some lower-level pro contests: a 3Star TTR big air comp here, a 5Star slopestyle contest there. And then bam, headed out of the 09/10 season he nabbed the gold at Winter X Europe, and then came back to podium this past winter in almost every major contest he was in. (He just won the Billabong Ante Up last week, too.) All with a smile on his face.

Willett is part of the new generation of kicker kids who you will for sure see taking the 2014 Olympics by storm. He's nice, he's friendly. He's just the kind of person you want representing your country on a Wheaties box. But in the meantime, his prowess in the double cork arena got him an invite to the Brain Farm Aspen shoot. We caught up with him there to talk about his season.

The Art Of Flight Premieres This Fall

2011-07-18T03:31:00.000-07:00

"The Art of FLIGHT" Combines Cutting-Edge Filmmaking with Storytelling To Bring Viewers The Ultimate Snowboard Adventure

World Premiere September 7th at Beacon Theatre in New York City.

Brace yourself for a new breed of action sports film as Red Bull Media House, in association with Brain Farm Digital Cinema, present "The Art of FLIGHT", a Curt Morgan film. Premiering September 7, 2011 at New York City's Beacon Theatre, "The Art of FLIGHT" combines meaningful storytelling and character development with sport progressing action, all captured on state-of-the-art filmmaking equipment, much of which has been custom designed just for this project.

Read more and see the trailer on vanssnow.tumblr.com.

Darrell's Polaroid Contest

2011-07-15T19:12:00.000-07:00

Darrell's Polaroid Contest from VIDEOGRASS on Vimeo.

"I get inspired by looking at other peoples creativity, especially in their photos... Now show me what inspires you- what you can create..." -Darrell Mathes

Send Your Photo To Darrell
Submit@Videograss.com
Please write "Polaroid Contest" in the subject line
Photo Specs: 800px wide and .jpg format
WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED SEPTEMBER 1, 2011

Hana Beaman Signature Session at High Cascade Snowboard Camp

2011-07-12T01:20:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again! For most people, summer means flip flops, pool parties and BBQs... all good things of course. But July always means one thing in The Great Northwest: shred camp is in session at Timberline on Mt. Hood. It's the best month of the summer up on the glacier, as the winter-like storms that linger into June are history and there's still tons of snow left before the inevitable August melt off, especially this year. Mt. Hood didn't miss out on the record-setting snowfall season across the West Coast this winter, and as a result there is a very deep base for this time of year. Snowboarders are still enjoying full laps all the way to the bottom, and the amount of jumps, jibs and halfpipes on the mountain is bigger than ever before.

Check out Part 1 and Part 2 and a brand new "What's The Word" with tons of photos on vanssnow.tumblr.com.

Behind Brain Farm: Mark Landvik

2011-07-11T00:00:00.000-07:00

Video and words by Liam Gallagher for ESPN.com.

Mark Landvik had a rough season. While filming with the Brain Farm crew in Jackson Hole, Wyo., he blew out his knee on a backcountry kicker, effectively ending his winter and his opportunity to film for the second half of "The Art of Flight." This was the first major injury of Lando's career. We caught up with him in Aspen to talk about what happens when one of the things you love to do most in the world goes away.

Eric Willett Takes 5Star TTR Big Air Title at Billabong Ante Up

2011-07-08T14:18:00.000-07:00

Eric Willett. Photo: Matt Forsythe

By: TTR Press Office

American rider, Eric Willett, took the first 5Star Big Air title of the 2011/12 TTR World Tour season at the second annual Billabong Ante Up competition held atop Whistler Mountain in Canada. The sun was hidden behind the clouds for most of the day, but riders put on a great performance for the crowd of spectators at the top of the mountain where Sebastien Toutant (CAN) came in a close second behind Willett and Dash Kamp (USA) took home third place.

The Ante Up started out with a qualifying round of 30 snowboarders in the early afternoon that was whittled down to 10 men for the finals. The start list was packed full of riders who are usually super consistent on big air kickers like Seppe Smits (BEL), Chas Guldemond (USA), Gjermund Braaten (NOR) and Roope Tonteri (FIN) but they just couldn't seem to put their landing gear down on the 90-foot gap jump. This opened the door for Eric Willett who took numerous podium spots at Big Air and Slopestyle competitions last season and for Sebastien Toutant who won the Ante Up last year. Eric Willett landed a smooth switch backside double cork 1260 to take $20,000 USD for his win today. Sebastien Toutant was awarded $12,500 USD for landing a Cab double cork 1260 and Dash Kamp walked away with a cool $8,000 for his backside double cork 1080.

Willett is already looking forward to the Southern Hemisphere leg of the tour and had this to say about his win: "I'm stoked. It's always weird to come out here in July and do a competition in the middle of summer, but it's really fun and crucial to come out for the start of the season and get those points especially with the new ranking system to get the big air points. I'm pumped to head down to New Zealand with this confidence booster."

Read More and keep up-to-date on all TTR World Snowboard Tour happenings at www.ttrworldtour.com.

Watch videos from the event at www.vanssnow.tumblr.com

Gear: Andreas Wiig Pro-Tec Riot ($110)

2011-07-07T14:39:00.000-07:00

From: ESPN.com

It only takes one scorpion from a caught edge to bounce your head so hard you hear bells instead of your friends laughing at you and decide you never want to feel that kind of pain again. A helmet will soften the blow, and Andreas Wiig's low profile Pro-Tec Riot pro model helmet is both stylish and lightweight, with just enough visor to shade your eyes and prevent the dreaded "gaper gap."

WHAT IT IS:
The Riot is the newest addition to Pro-Tec's line and is built around the Classic shape with visor styling. Pro-Tec Category Manager Brian Genuser says, "The Riot [has a] lightweight, low-profile fit and feel, and was designed to meeting the high demands of Norweigan slopestyle destroyer Andreas Wiig."

WCI - Jamie Lynn Time Lapse

2011-07-02T14:48:00.000-07:00

WCI - Jamie Lynn Time Lapse from Peter Stow on Vimeo.

Darrell Mathes Interview on WeSC.com

2011-06-24T14:52:00.000-07:00

From: WeSC.com:

Darrell Mathes is a busy man. Between snowboarding, a new line of gloves, Howl, and his production company, Videograss, he somehow found a way to stop by the WeSC Soho headquarters to hangout and show us pictures of some of his NYC adventures.

How'd you get started in snowboarding?

I started snowboarding when I was 11 years old. My cousin was actually the one who influenced me--he had an old Burton air snowboard and wore neon outfits, and I thought it was pretty cool.

Tell us a bit about Videograss and Howl. How's life in the production and fashion fields?

I started Videograss with a few friends. We knew that snowboarding needed a new outlook and we wanted to start something new and fresh. Being behind the lens is actually a lot more stressful than being in front of it, probably because of the whole business aspect. Howl is a glove company I started with three friends (all guys behind Ashbury), and we do the more normal, standard looking glove but with a fashion forward vibe.

SASS Global Travel "Why I Love My Mountain" Contest

2011-06-23T13:10:00.000-07:00

Andreas Wiig. Photo: Tim Peare.

SASS Global Travel is running a contest on their facebook page right now called "Why I Love My Mountain". If you sign up and write a short essay about why you love your mountain, you could win free gear like Contour HD cameras, Dakine backpacks, RED/Anon helmet/goggle set ups and more! The SASS Snowboard Camp, now called SASS Global Travel, operates in San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina and offers snowboarders the chance to ride real backcountry terrain with some of the most knowledgeable guides in the industry. At the same time, you'll have the chance to explore Argentina's, "culture, language, food, and nightlife, and share the experience with an incredible crew of fellow pow-seekers that will likely become a part of your extended family once you leave."

A couple of summers (or winters) ago, we took a trip down to SASS with photographer Tim Peare to do a story for Snowboard Magazine. Tim shot a ton of great photos, many of which were never used in the story and are seen here for the first time. See all the photos at vanssnow.tumblr.com.

Darrell Mathes On "Wallpaper Wednesday"

2011-06-22T13:17:00.000-07:00

Darrell Mathes. Photo: Andy Wright.

Vans Team Rider and Northwest heartthrob Darrell Mathes is back on Transworld's "Wallpaper Wednesday" with another banger shot for your computer, iPhone or what have you. Darrell and his Videograss crew take urban shredding to the next level, and this monster gap over a concrete crevasse in Ogden, Utah proves it. You can't front on that. Nice job once again my friend!

Go to twsnow.com to get the full size wallpaper image for your desktop!

Vans Team Signature Sessions At HCSC

2011-06-17T08:12:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again! High Cascade Snowboard Camp kicked off this week on Mt. Hood, which is the official start of the summer shred season. The snow is deep, the Superpipe is hitting and the jumps are built... say hello to soggy boots and sunburns! And once again, HCSC is doing it right with their signature sessions. First off is Hana Beaman's from July 6th-13th. That one's sold out already, and Vans Snow will be there this year to cover all the action.

After that, it's Videograss time. According to HCSC, "The Videograss Session kills it. Now in it's second year, this hefty dude-crew boasts an impressive 1-to-1 Signature Sessioner™-to-Camper Ratio.

OK, so maybe there's not really 200 of them, but there will be about 20! Leading the way is Mikey LeBlanc and Darrell Mathes who are bringing their cast of riders who film for the Videograss movies. You will be the first person to see their newest film on the big screen during the HCSC World Premier, learn more, do more and win more stuff than you could possibly imagine. In fact, the VG session is so sick, Keegan Valaika asked if he could come to it, and he's not even filming with those guys..."

There are a few spots still open, so go SIGN UP NOW!!!.

Go to vanssnow.tumblr.com to watch VIDEO Recap from last year.

Nick Pooch In New Zealand

2011-06-15T08:03:00.000-07:00

Wanaka, New Zealand. Photo: Nick Pooch.

Vans Am extraordinaire Nick "Pooch" Poohachoff is spending the summer in the Land Of Frodo once again, and threw up some sick photos on the ol' tumblr blog. Nick will undoubtedly be ripping Snowpark NZ on the daily and breaking us off with fresh videos throughout the summer... or winter, depending on which way you look at it. Big ups to Nick for steady puttin' in work. Check out more shots of this picturesque landscape over on vanssnow.tumblr.com.

Markus Keller Photo in Red Bull Illume

2011-06-13T00:33:00.000-07:00

Markus Keller. Photo: Thomas Stockli.

Red Bull Illume is the world's premier action and adventure sports photography competition. The 2010 Image Quest uncovered a new, stunning collection of images.

The 50 finalists were unveiled last year at a spectacular ceremony in Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. Chris Burkard (USA) received the honor of being voted the Overall Winner. His image of surfer Peter Mendria riding the waves in golden sunlight on Chile's West Coast was selected by a international Jury of 53 photo experts, winning him a Leica S2 camera worth €30.000, prizes from SanDisk and a ProRunner x450 AW camera bag from Lowepro.

The category winners and finalists in the top 50 images were selected from the 22,764 images submitted to the 2010 Image Quest by thousands of photographers worldwide after an extensive search for the world's best photographs in BMX, surfing, skateboarding, B.A.S.E jumping, climbing, motor and winter sports.

The Red Bull Illume Photobook 2010 is a record of this quest. The top 250 images have been published in high-quality hardback and is available for purchase for fans of these stunning, breathtaking images. The worldwide exhibition of these images recently wrapped up in Denver, CO, but you can now check out the website redbullillume.com to see the online gallery of all the images, including this timeless shot of Vans Team Rider Markus Keller, which was also the cover of Snowboard Magazine in 2009.

Alek Oestrang and Andreas Wiig In Norway

2011-06-12T14:29:00.000-07:00

Andreas Wiig. Photo: Thomas Harstad.

Winter's not over for everyone! Andreas Wiig is still shredding the gnar up in Norway. Want proof...? Check out foursqaureouterwear.com for more photos of what looks like a sunny and sick parks sesh.

2011 Frendly Gathering West Coast Recap

2011-06-08T11:05:00.000-07:00

Hana Beaman. Photo: Laura Austin.

Snowboarder Magazine's Laura Austin headed up to the 2011 West Coast Frendly Gathering in Mammoth last weekend, and has posted a story with lots of cool shots from the event. While winter still has its grip in California (the mountain still has a 9-17 foot base), tons of party people showed up to hang out with the Frends crew. Jack and Luke Mitrani, Danny Davis, Kevin Pearce, Mason Aguirre, Scotty Lago, Mikkel Bang, and Keir Dillon all showed up for two days of old-school style shredding on the hill and camping out in nearby Crowley at night, where the party raged until the sun came up. Check out LAustin's recap of the wild weekend on SnowboarderMag.com.

Jamie Lynn Cameo in Absinthe's "12"

2011-06-06T06:23:00.000-07:00

Jamie Lynn showed up in Alaska to film with the Absinthe crew for their latest project "12". Big mountain rippers like Gigi Ruf, Nicolas Muller, Lucas Debari, Bode Merrill, and Blair Habenicht are featured in the film, and the whole crew descended upon Haines, AK for some late-season shredding and ended up nailing it. Gotta admit we're a little jealous. Check out the teaser at vanssnow.tumblr.com.

What's The Word With Darrell Mathes

2011-06-03T00:12:00.000-07:00

Darrell Mathes is one cool dude. He shreds what he wants, he still calls the Northwest home and he is down with some of the most innovative and trendsetting companies in the world. Proudly repping brands like Vans, Holden and WESC, Darrell has carefully carved out his own place in the snowboard scene by simply doing what he loves best: riding hard with style. Darrell's not concerned with contest winnings or video game characters. Instead, he's helping to develop quality products with his supportive sponsors and focusing his creative energy on his Videograss production company, producing fan favorite films year after year.

More photos, videos and a full interview at vanssnow.tumblr.com.

Brain Farm: Behind the Scenes

2011-06-01T00:01:00.000-07:00

Eric Willett. Photo: Tim Zimmerman.

ESPN has a photo gallery and video with a behind the scenes look at the Aspen shoot of Brain Farm Cinema's upcoming film "The Art Of Flight". Vans Team riders Mark Landvik and Eric Willett showed up to join in the festivities, with Mark playing team mascot after his knee injury earlier this winter, and Eric sending double cork variations over a giant booter until a triple cork attempt resulted in a slight concussion. Guess you gotta send it when you're rolling with Travis Rice! Check out the photos and video over at espn.com.

More Foursquare Shoot Photos

2011-05-31T11:43:00.000-07:00

Andreas Wiig. Photo: Peter Morning.

Yobeat posted even more photos from the 2012 Foursquare Team Photo shoot going down at Mammoth Mountain, California. There is a lot of buzz about the Wet Plate photography method being used to shoot the ads. This process takes 20-30 minutes for a single photo to be shot and developed, and Ian Ruhter used this old school method for the first time ever in action photography some years ago. Anyway, check out some more shots from the weekend on yobeat.com.

Foursquare Team Shoot Photos

2011-05-28T12:49:00.000-07:00

Foursquare posted some photos from Day 1 of shooting for the 2012 Foursquare ads and website on their blog. They are shooting using an old technique called Wet Plate, pretty serious stuff. Check 'em out on foursquareouterwear.com.

Vans Syndicate X Shut Skateboards

2011-05-26T09:42:00.000-07:00

Since it's almost summer skate season, we'd thought we'd give you a look at the Vans Syndicate X SHUT Skateboards Rodney Smith cruiser deck and shoe to be released on June 3rd, 2011. The pack is the result of SHUT Skates founder Rodney Smith's lifelong dedication to New York City skateboarding.

Read more about SHUT and see the full set of photos on vanssnow.tumblr.com.

Aimee Fuller - A Day in the Life

2011-05-23T00:01:00.000-07:00

We follow British shred starlet Aimee Fuller on a typical day in her extraordinary life as a snowboarder. Aimee is in Kaunertal, Austria for the British Snowboard Test along with Czech rider Sarka Pancochova and Roxy super grom Katie Ormerod. The girls get their shred on before hijacking somebody's back garden for an apres trampoline session.

Watch the video on vanssnow.tumblr.com.

Nick Pooch In Tahoe With FODT

2011-05-20T00:01:00.000-07:00

Words & Photos: E-Stone

With record-breaking snowfall in Utah and California it seems like this season might never end. Two weeks ago the FODT crew decided to get out of all the stormy weather of Salt Lake and get some California sunshine. When we arrived to Reno it was super warm and dry. I started to get nervous as we approached the Truckee area and it was still pretty dry with no snow. It was starting to feel like we wouldn't have enough of the white stuff to get some work done but the second we got to higher elevation it was out of control. Snow banks as high as houses open up a lot of options.

Cole Taylor and myself met up with Nick Poohachoff, Andrew Brewer, Austin Hironaka and the prospect Zander Blackmon. All photos shot with my I phone.

To read the full story, go to snowboardermag.com.

P.S... See You Next Season

2011-05-18T00:01:00.000-07:00

Snowboarder Magazine has posted the final installment of Hana Beaman's webisodes, "P.S...". It's a recap of all the adventures Hana experienced this season: Hana goes from pow to park after filming at Red Mountain, Colorado to compete in the Winter X Games 15 in Aspen. Then it's down to SoCal for a Von Zipper photo shoot before heading up to Jackson to get some backcountry action with legendary female snowboarder Tara Dakides, and session the new Stash Park with Natasza Zurek and Snowboarder's Pat Bridges. Finally Hana ventures up the left coast to play with some Army tanks and hits Snoqualimie, Washington for the Ride Shakedown before driving to Thompson Pass, Alaska, where she sets up shop, waits out the weather, hits the King Of The Hill contest and finally gets the goods. Check out vanssnow.tumblr.com to watch the video.

JLA Art Park Video Contest

2011-05-17T16:53:00.000-07:00

JLA ART PARK VIDEOS ARE IN!! Time to Vote.

Over the past month submissions have been coming in for the JLA ART PARK video contest. Now it's time to VOTE. Two winners... one picked by an esteemed panel of judges. The other is a FAN FAVORITE picked by you.

Go to http://www.facebook.com/IAMsnowboarding.news and vote for your favorite now. Winners will be announced June 1st.

What's The Word With Andreas Wiig

2011-05-15T22:35:00.000-07:00

Andreas Wiig. Photo: Tim Peare.

Just a few years ago, Andreas Wiig was known for stomping gold medal runs at the X Games and coming up on some serious contest loot at top events around the world. But times have changed for the Norwegian champion. With a new sponsor, a new focus and a new film coming out this fall, Andreas has gone from a freeriding film star to a podium regular and back to a backcountry booter assassin once again. Check out what our favorite Forum rider worked on this winter and what he has planned for the off season...

To read the interview go to vanssnow.tumblr.com.

Orange Ride Session Arthur Longo

2011-05-13T10:25:00.000-07:00

Our favorite Frenchie Arthur Longo has a new video out recapping his outstanding season ripping parks and powder in Europe. He speaks French in it too, and it has something to do with Oranges, so you know it's legit. I know that makes no sense... just go watch the video on vanssnow.tumblr.com.

WCI: Jamie Lynn Art Park

2011-05-11T00:01:00.000-07:00

I drove down to Mammoth from Tahoe for the West Coast Invitational. Well, not actually for the WCI, but rather to shoot lifestyle photos of Niko Cioffi and Cameron Pierce to wrap things up for the season. I had the pleasure, during a dinner, to be introduced to Jamie Lynn, a personal hero of mine. On the night of the WCI rail Jam, Jamie Lynn painted a mural live in the center of the rail jam while the riders shredded. It was awesome. The mural is to be part of an art park in Mammoth off the Forest trail that will be filled with park features and art. Jeff Anderson has one now and soon Jamie will too. It's an awesome idea. Here's a photo I took of Jamie painting the mural, an unexpected gem.

Signed, grateful snowboarder...

From: Life Of Bot.

Neff Northstar Park Edit With Poohachoff, Thorley, Reis, And Weiss

2011-05-08T21:59:00.000-07:00

Our favorite Vans Am Nick "Pooch" Poohachoff is back again with another video on twsnow.com. Nick is always puttin' in work, and this time he pops up with fellow Neff riders Ian Thorley, Brandon Reis and Nicki Weiss running laps at Northstar in Tahoe. Ride, film, eat, sleep, repeat - man, these kids got it made. Go to twsnow.com to watch the video.

What's The Word With Mark Landvik

2011-05-06T00:01:00.000-07:00

Mark Landvik. Photo: Scott Serfas

Mark Landvik is a beast. Not a Viking beast that rapes and pillages unconquered lands, but a snowboarding beast that rides and pillows untapped terrain. Both have a penchant for exploration and conquest, but in Lando's case, the only virgins involved are remote, snow-covered peaks. He has spent the last two years traveling the world with Travis Rice and the Brainfarm crew, and with their latest movie The Art Of Flight set to release this fall, we caught up with Lando to recount the spoils of victory and the agony of defeat...

To read the interview, go to vanssnow.tumblr.com.

Sun Valley Park Session With Aguirre, Brothers Kotsenburg, Hironaka, and Willett

2011-05-04T01:15:00.000-07:00

Eric Willett. Photo: Frode Sandbech

From twsnow.com:

TransWorld's Park Sessions are smashing along until spring is gone. Our third stop in Sun Valley, Idaho with Austin Hironaka, Blaze and Sage Kotsenburg, Eric Willet and Mason Aguirre was a trip. We'd all seen the Sun Valley bangers in Forum's F'it video, but no one from the crew had been here. No one knew what to expect. And the weather we experienced was like none other.

To read more, see more photos and watch the video, go to twsnow.com.

R.P.M. - Powder and Rails: Season 3

2011-05-02T00:04:00.000-07:00

This mid-season 94' release from Fall Line Films; "R.P.M." showcases the new school scene of flannel, big pants and plenty of "butters". Utilizing a roadtrip format and featuring snow/skate legends Salasnek, Roach and Cardiel; "R.P.M." takes the viewer deep into technical progression circa 1993.

The emerging California snowboard park scene has a big presence in this video. SoCal guys like Bryan Iguchi and Dave Downing handle business at Bear Mountain’s “Outlaw Park”. In Iguchi’s part, we’re pretty sure he does the first ever-filmed backside 1080. Meanwhile, Grass Valley locals like Chris Roach, Aaron Vincent, and Noah Salasnek get “Jibassic” at NorCal’s Boreal. Then Jamie Lynn joins them and The Boreal segment becomes one of the coolest things ever documented in a snowboard video.

The Northwest legends Mike Ranquet and Jamie Lynn shred powder lines at Mt. Baker. Ranquet does a solo helicopter guided backcountry segment.

To top it all of there’s a lot of awesome tunes provided by bands like Dead Kennedys, Melvins, Monster Magnet, and Supersuckers.

See the rest at VBS.TV: R.P.M. - Powder and Rails: Season 3 | VBS.TV

Eric Willett Interview on YoBeat.com

2011-04-26T00:04:00.000-07:00

YoBeat.com posted up an interview with the contest kid himself, Eric Willett. After ruling the podium at events throughout the season, yobeat sat down with the young champion to discuss triple corks, Texans and vikings. Find the link to the full interview over on our new tumblr blog.

Forum Park Shoot in Sierra-at-Tahoe

2011-04-25T00:01:00.000-07:00

Andreas Wiig and the rest of the Forum team just completed a photo shoot at Sierra-at-Tahoe. Check out some behind the scenes photos from team photographer Tim Peare over on our new tumblr blog.

JLA Art Park Video Contest

2011-04-21T12:57:00.000-07:00

IAMSnowboarding is having a video contest to celebrate the JLA Art Park at Mammoth Mountain, California. The idea is to encourage as many people as possible to film in there before it's gone, so that everyone can work as a group to document it. The rules are simple: Ride the JLA Art Park, make a video, and email to jlaartpark@yahoo.com. Then the video will get posted it on the facebook fan page, where viewers can vote on their favorite. There are 2 Grand prizes - one for Fan Favorite and one that the esteemed panel of judges will select as the winner. And the best part is that anyone that submits a video will receive a gift package! The JLA Art Park as it stands will be open through the upcoming WCI Festival (next year's park is Jamie Lynn art), and then some of the features in the park will be relocated to another spot on the mountain through the end of May, so you still have plenty of time to get something done. Go out there with your camera and get busy!

For more info, rules and regulations go to facebook.com/IAMsnowboarding.

Wolle Nyvelt On Wallpaper Wednesday

2011-04-20T00:01:00.001-07:00

Wolle Nyvelt. PHOTO: Andy Wright.

TWSnow.com has another photo of a Vans Team Rider in their popular "Wallpaper Wednesday" column that features downloadable full-size, hi-res photos. Once again photographer Andy Wright came through with a powder perfect shot of Wolle Nyvelt getting some serious face shots in Alaska. Wolle is no stranger to deep turns in AK pow, and when a shot like this captures the moment, it makes all the hard work pay off. What..? Riding pow can be hard work! Well, at least if you take the kind of lines Wolle takes. Anyway, head over to TWSnow.com to download the photo and find many more.

Looking Sideways Project A Huge Success

2011-04-18T00:01:00.000-07:00

Looking Sideways, presented by Vans and Burn, premiered in Tignes from 14-18th March during the week of the 2nd European X Games and was a great success with public and media alike.

Reporting on the X Games, Transworld Snowboarding's European correspondent Matt Barr wrote "...the most interesting thing so far about this event, other than the predictably mind-blowing riding, has been a little fringe event called Looking Sideways."

An ongoing project celebrating the creativity that surrounds and defines boardsport culture, L.S. aims to explore the fringes of the snow, surf and skate scenes - the art, music and diverse creative culture which elevate our sports into lifestyles.

To read more and see tons of photos from the event, check out vanssnow.tumblr.com.

P.S. Thompson Pass Kicks Ass... And Is Cloudy

2011-04-15T00:01:00.000-07:00

Hana Beaman is back with another webisode on snowboardermag.com. After the last "P.S. All Roads Leads To Alaska", which followed her drive up the West Coast and Canada, Hana and company finally arrive to Thompson Pass, Alaska. Considered the mecca of big mountain terrain, Alaska in April is home to every snowboarder wanting to push their limits and experience the greatest freeriding in the world. Hana sets up shop, waits out the weather, hits the King Of The Hill contest and finally gets the goods. Check out snowboardermag.com to watch the video.

Darrell Mathes On Wallpaper Wednesday

2011-04-13T12:39:00.000-07:00

Darrell Mathes. PHOTO: Andy Wright

TWSnow.com featured Vans Team Rider Darrell Mathes in their popular “Wallpaper Wednesday” column that lets you download full-size, hi-res photos to your desktop to use at your leisure. Make it a Wallpaper, put it on your iPhone, or go old school, print the damn thing and hang it on your wall! This time Darrell gets tricky with a handrail that leaves little room for error.... either stick it, or wind up face first into a chain link fence. Of course Darrell did, and photographer Andy Wright's creative lighting made it look even better. Nice work fellas. Head over to TWSnow.com to download the shot.

Wolle Nyvelt Dakine Team Edit

2011-04-11T00:01:00.000-07:00

These are popping up everywhere, but OnBoard Global Snowboarding has posted them all in one place! We're referring to three Dakine team edits released featuring Vans Team Rider Wolle Nyvelt, Eric Jackson and Curtis Ciszek. The footage is taken from their movie parts in Standard Films' The Storming, Abinsthe's NowHere and People Crew's Cheers. Wolle takes it to the big mountains for some hairy lines and picture perfect pow turns. If you missed his part in the full Absinthe movie, here's your chance to recap. WARNING: viewing this video will make you want to pack your bags and head to Tailgate Alaska immediately.

Malay Day 2011

2011-04-08T08:58:00.000-07:00

Malay Day 2011 is coming next Thursday, April 14th to Beaver Creek, CO. Come celebrate the life of fallen soldier and local hero Josh Malay, who passed away in 2004 from complications related to a head injury suffered while snowboarding in Spain. The day will consist of a friendly contest with a rail jam and big air, and an awards party with DJ Opie Won. There will also be a silent auction for Josh Malay artwork at Finnegans with proceeds being donated to the Josh Malay Memorial Fund. And best of all, PBR is supplying the refreshments! If you're in Colorado, don't miss this event.

Silence Photo Show At AR4T

2011-04-06T00:01:00.000-07:00

Cheyenne Ellis: "Silence is something I miss. The clear quiet moments you get when things are at peace. I see this show as a breath of fresh air. A visual perspective from some great minds on what they interpret as quiet. Stepping into moments that make you stop, smile, and relax for just a moment."

Curated by Cheyenne, SILENCE is a power house of new images from some of the best young image makers today: Award winning photographer Kevin Zacher; U.S. Athlete Ambassador and humanitarian Lauren Ross; the brilliant and spirited Stepanka Peterka; One of most influential and beloved photographers in snowboarding today, Cole Barash; and California native Cheyenne Ellis - daughter of a photographer and a film director who honed her craft at Brooks Institute in Santa Barbara before moving to New York to assist legendary photographer Irving Penn. Cheyenne now travels from her home base of Topanga Canyon, CA, her work highly esteemed and demanded.

Artists Reception, free and open to the public, is Thursday, April 7th from 6-9pm (Laguna Beach First Thursday Art Walk). Refreshments from O'Shea Brewery and more.

For more info, go to ar4t.com.

SBC April Rider Of The Month

2011-04-05T07:21:00.000-07:00

Cheryl Maas. Photo: Vernon Deck.

From sbcwomen.com:

Dutch rider Cheryl Maas' part in Dropstitch, a 2004 all-girl snowboard film, blew my mind. The rails she hit were bigger and more technical than anything girls were attempting at the time, and she was even out-sliding some of the guys. Her natural talent was apparent and extra impressive given that she had grown up riding artificial slopes in the Netherlands. Despite dealing with multiple blown shoulders over the last two seasons, Cheryl is back and pushing the limits of women's snowboarding. Last month at the European X Games Cheryl landed the first ever 900 in women's slope competition, and she just released the teaser for her own web series called "Open Air." Prepare to have your mind blown, or blown again as the case may be.

To read the full inteview, go to www.sbcwomen.com.

P.S. All Roads Lead To Alaska

2011-04-04T00:01:00.000-07:00

Hana Beaman is back with another webisode on snowboardermag.com. This time it's "P.S. All Roads Leads To Alaska", as Hana ventures up the left coast to play with some Army tanks and shoot some big guns with Alexis Waite. After that, Hana hits Snoqualimie, WA for the Ride Shakedown before continuing her drive to Alaska. Yes, that's right... the drive to Alaska. It's no quick trip, so Hana is sure to have some stories to tell along the way. Check out the video at snowboardermag.com to keep up to date with her journey.

Vans Hi-Standard Double Big Air

2011-04-01T12:45:00.000-07:00

The Vans Hi-Standard Contest is an expression of style. Much like the Air n Style contest’s of the early 2000’s. The Hi-Standard contest is a double big air jump contest where the rider cannot spin over a 720. Anything over a 720 and your run is disqualified.

Snowboarding has progressed so fast in the last 5 years, from riders doing Switch Backside 1260's to the Triple cork. The level of riding is through the roof and it is amazing to see. With all
that being said, let's take a step back and get back to the basics STYLE. Style is everything in snowboarding. It's how you tell one double chucker apart from the next. This is not your text book Big Air event, where the kid who spins the most wins. This is a Big Air done the VANS way, where style and creativity will get you the win.

Please join us in Winter Park, CO on April 16th for the Hi-Standard Double Big Air Style Contest. For more info, check out our facebook event page.

Eric Willett Wins Showdown Over The City

2011-03-30T10:59:00.000-07:00

From Quiksilver.com:

Quiksilver Showdown over the city is one of the top snowboarding events in Canada. Located at Grouse mountain in Vancouver BC, competitors compete in this 4Star TTR event for $20,000 in cash.

Eric Willett that took the win with DC’s Jeremy Cloutier in 2nd and Robby Ballharry taking 3rd.

Quiksilver pro Eric Willett came to town and like many other contests this season he ended up on the podium. His winning run was FB 270 out on the down bar into boardslide 270 on the pipe followed by 50-50 BS 1 out on the up rail and then Switch BS 9 and FS 1080 on the jumps.

Click here for a complete wrap-up and more photos on www.snowboardcanada.com.

Flipside 10: Alaska With Wolle Nyvelt

2011-03-29T12:37:00.000-07:00

Check out twsnow.com for the latest episode of "Flipside", the behind the scenes look at Absinthe's last film, "Now Here". This episode takes you to Alaska with Vans Team Rider Wolle Nyvelt, along with other Absinthe rippers like Nicolas Muller, Jake Blauvelt, Lucas Debari and Bode Merril. These guys don't mess around, terrorizing some of the biggest mountains in the world with their spectacular shred skills. This is some serious stick-it-or-die type shiz - no handrails in the parking lot for this crew. Take a look to see what snowboarding on the professional level is really all about.

Absinthe Films Launches YouTube Channel

2011-03-28T00:01:00.000-07:00

From MethodMag.com

Get up-close and behind-the-scenes with snowboarding's best riders on Absinthe Films’ new YouTube channel. They're loading this online archive with exclusive, rare, and random video - a place for fans to get more Absinthe. Content for youtube.com/absinthefilms is compiled from over a decade of their nonstop documentation of snowboarding's evolution. This new channel will serve as a hub, hosting all the movie trailers, teasers, Flipside shows, outtakes, Websinthes, tour shows, and more. Look for special features, interactive links to bonus content and ongoing updates. The Absinthe archives go deep, and producer Patrick Armbruster says they're "dusting off some classic stuff from the basement - lots of footage that's never been seen."

You might want to check this out: www.youtube.com/absinthefilms.

Cheryl Maas At Winter X Europe

2011-03-25T10:26:00.000-07:00

Vans Team Rider Cheryl Maas posted up some photos and a story from her trip to Winter X Games Europe on her tumblr blog. After spending some time in Jackson Hole, WY racking up some shots with Sarka Panchochova, Cheryl heads to Europe to compete in the Women's slopestyle event. Unfortunately, Cheryl had a nasty run-in with a jump landing. Head over to cherylmaas.tumblr.com to see how it all turned out...

TTR Tricks - Eric Willett at Burton US Open

2011-03-24T00:01:00.000-07:00

New video of Eric Willett with his winning run in Slopestyle at the 2011 Burton US Open from ttrworldtour.com. Watch how Eric destroyed the fog-filled course which included a Double Underflip, a Double Cork 10, and a backside 10. This run earned him a score of 90.4 which was a full three points higher than second place finisher, Mark McMorris. Eric followed this win with a third place finish at the second Winter X Games Europe less than a week later. This man is unstoppable! Check the video to see how it's done.

Cheryl Maas "Open Air" Teaser

2011-03-23T10:24:00.000-07:00

Vans Team Rider Cheryl Maas has just released a teaser for her upcoming film project "Open Air". Cheryl was followed for six months doing what makes her feel the most driven, motivated, rewarded - filming. Most of the winter was spent traveling around Europe and the US in their two person crew, Cheryl and her filmer John Roderick, allowing Cheryl the freedom to push herself in whatever way she wanted. The results will unfold over five short films, released monthly from September 1st, 2011. In the meantime, enjoy a taste of what is to come. To watch the teaser, check out vanssnow.tumblr.com.

Sunday In The Park 2011: Episode 15

2011-03-22T00:01:00.000-07:00

From twsnow.com.

In this weekly video From Bear Mountain, we have Darrel Mathes lapping the park with cameos from the homies Lance Hakker, Nick Dirks, Justin Keniston, Justin Bennee, Deadlung, Chris Bradshaw, Harrison Gordon, and Dave Doomey. Ryan Paul finishes this episode off with his free spirited take on the park and every log that crosses his path.

P.S. Who Brought The Tea And Crumpets

2011-03-21T00:01:00.000-07:00

It's time for another webisode of Hana Beaman's "P.S..." on snowboardermag.com. This time Hana heads down to Southern Colorado to ride some deep powder at Telluride and Silverton with guide Skylar Holgate. Hana and her English friends navigate the treacherous Red Mountain Pass to get to Silverton and along the way build a backcountry booter and find all kinds of cool stuff to jib on: old mining ruins, an A-Frame building and a couple tree stumps! All in a days work for Ms. Beaman.

To watch the video, go to snowboardermag.com.

Win A Custom Matt Costa Snowboard and Vans Boots

2011-03-20T13:43:00.000-07:00

Vans and Signal Snowboards have teamed up with signer-songwriter Matt Costa to give away a custom Matt Costa "Drive" Signal Snowboard and a pair of Vans snowboard boots.

All you have to do to enter to win is sign up for the Matt Costa Mailing List here to be eligble.

"Drive" is the new single from Matt's latest album.

Matt Costa is from Huntington Beach, California. He has four independent releases: a self-titled five-song EP in 2003, a six song EP titled The Elasmosaurus EP in 2005 , a full-length CD/LP entitled Songs We Sing in 2005, and a second full-length CD/LP entitled Unfamiliar Faces in 2008. Both full-lengths were released via Brushfire Records.

For more info, check out mattcosta.com.

Podium Spots At Winter X Games Europe For I-Pod and Willett

2011-03-19T03:17:00.000-07:00

From ESPN.com

If you ever want to hear an expressive crowd of SuperPipe fans, watch an event at Tignes, France. With every hit of Friday night's final event of the Winter X Games Europe, something between a roar and a sigh went up from the crowd of more than 22,000 people. Even during the first of the rider's three runs, which was effectively nullified by that weird twilight hour that renders the pipe walls invisible, the crowd would not be subdued.

Defending Winter X Europe gold medalist Iouri Podladtchikov was one of the few riders able to hold down a solid first run, throwing down a textbook cab doublecork 1080 to frontside inverted 540 to backside double McTwist 1260 to frontside double cork 1080, finishing up with a switch air to regular.

Podladtchikov declared that he wanted to throw the same run, but do it bigger. And that's what he did for his second run, executing his tricks to near perfection and moving into first place with a score of 90.33.

Asthetiker Win Wangl Tangl 2011

2011-03-18T00:01:00.000-07:00

The trophy is back in the valley!

The event designed by snowboarders for snowboarders was abruptly bought forward this week. True to the moto - It's on when it's on! A decision was made to bring the main event forward to the only sunny day forecast. And what a day it was! It was a cracking turnout from both riders and spectators alike. Everyone was there to witness the battle of who was going to claim the Wangl Tangl Trophy for 2011.

Defending champions "Team Absolut" took the trophy back to their home town in Styria last year, but this year they were challenged by 2 homegrown Aesthetiker teams - local names like Steve Gruber and Chris Kroell. During training, "Absolut" team captain Herby Thaler took a stack and injured his shoulder forcing him to pull out of the event. This weakened the defending champion, clearing way for a new podium.

For more info and photos, go to vanssnow.tumblr.com.

offthewall.tv Series Premiere: Pass the Bucket

2011-03-17T00:01:00.000-07:00

In church, a passed basket collects money to keep the building lights on. In alcoholics anonymous, a can is passed collecting money to keep the coffee fresh. A musician passes a hat keeping his passion alive. A homeless man holds a cup hoping for handouts to survive.

Each container is filled due to the compassion and generosity of others.

Today, more than ever there is a need for people to become aware of the issues at hand and pro-actively fight for change. The opportunities to be selfless and contribute are endless and the large bucket is passed to you.

Vans is very proud to introduce our new series premiering this week on offthewall.tv, Pass the Bucket, a look into the humanitarian side of today's most celebrated action sport athletes, musicians, artists and foundations. Pass the Bucket presents a raw and transparent conversation of today's shocking realities and potential solutions.

Pass the Bucket, Episode 1: Amy Purdy

Amy Purdy is a snowboarder, skateboarder, makeup artist, actress, model and also a double leg amputee. At 19, she contracted Neisseria Meningitis, a form of bacterial meningitis. The disease affected her circulatory system resulting in the need to amputate both of her legs below the knee. Her spleen and a kidney had to be removed as well. Two years later, she received a kidney transplant from her father. Her friends now refer to her as "Lucky."

Amy's most significant accomplishment to date is in the creation and development of the action sport athletic organization Adaptive Action Sports. In 2005, Amy and her partner Daniel Gale founded the non-profit organization to help adaptive athletes get involved with action sports, art and music. As of 2011, Amy is currently ranked #1 in the world for Adaptive Snowboarding and recently got adaptive sports into 2011 Winter X Games. Amy's goal is 2014 Olympic inclusion of Adaptive Snowboarding.

For more information on how you can support Adaptive Action Sports go to www.ADACS.org.

About offthewall.tv

offthewall.tv is Vans' digital on-line network featuring original entertainment from the worlds of action sports, music, art and street culture. Original series include Adventures with Chris, Jeff Grosso's Loveletters to Skateboarding, Collaboratory, Time & Space, Pass the Bucket and the Vans Comedy Show. Separate channels explore skate, surf, bmx, moto, art and music.

New Photos From The 2011 Wangl Tangl

2011-03-16T00:01:00.000-07:00

Matthias Vogt. Photo: Alex Papis.

Welcome to the week of the Wangl Tangl 2011. The World of Skate, Snowboard, Music and Art and probably powder descends on Mayrhofen in Tirol!

The Vans Penken Park is ready and open. The IOU Mega-Miniramp is in Mayrhofen and ready to for skating. Stages and sound systems, musicians and artists, riders and enthusiasts have already started arriving in town. Preparations for the upcoming event week are all but complete. destination - Mayrhofen in Tirol. Once again, the week of the Wängl is on!

An unexpected visitor is also turning up. The long awaited dump in the Alps looks set to arrive on Wednesday and set to stay through to the weekend. While this is great news for all the powder hungry shredders around Europe, it obviously creates some technical difficulties for the planed Wangl Tangl snowboard contest window scheduled from Wednesday 16th to Friday 18th of March.

For more info and lots of photos from the first day, go to vanssnow.tumblr.com.

Vans Riders Win Big At US Open

2011-03-15T00:01:00.000-07:00

Eric Willett 1st place. Photo: Shem Roose.

Vans Team Riders Iouri "iPod" Podladtchikov and Eric Willett wrapped up the TTR World Tour contest series right over the weekend, with iPod grabbing a second place finish in the Men's Superpipe and Eric taking the win in Slopestyle.

Despite battling nasty weather conditions all weekend, both riders put down solid runs to earn their spots on the podium. With his second place in Superpipe, iPod also scored his second consecutive 2nd place in the TTR World Standings for the season, while Eric moved up to #7.

For more photos and video from the event, check out opensnowboarding.com and www.ttrworldtour.com.

Wangl Tangl At Vans Penken Park In Austria

2011-03-14T10:00:00.000-07:00

Thomas "beckna" Eberharter hit us up from Europe with some shots from the set up at the 2011 Wangl Tangl in Mayrhofen, Tirol.

"Been up at the hill this afternoon to check the developement of the park and things are looking pretty good," he said. "It's crazy warm here these days: like 17 degrees (Celsius) down the valley and 14 up the hill in the afternoon but the crew is doing an awesome job."

The www.aesthetiker.com crew also has updates throughout the week leading up to the main event.

To see more photos from the Vans Penken Park, check out our new tumblr blog vanssnow.tumblr.com.

Look Who's Calling Hana Beaman

2011-03-11T00:01:00.000-08:00

Hana Beaman. Photo: Stan Evans

From ESPN.com:

In today's society, it's hard to imagine calling a female a beast without getting a nice slap to the face. Hana Beaman's a beast, though -- a beautiful, graceful beast, but she'll shut down a male ego in no time flat when she steps on her snowboard. And she has been known to head butt people from time to time. If Tara Dakides was the first female to hit the same jumps and rails as the boys, Hana was the one that picked up the reigns where she left off. We caught up with Hana to talk about dating rock stars, her new web series, and shredding in Alaska. - By Matt Vanatta

To read the full interview, go to: espn.go.com.

The Looking Sideways Project

2011-03-10T00:01:00.000-08:00

Launching in Tignes during the Winter X Games week, looking sideways is a new project which aims to bring art, photography, music, film making and riding together in an ongoing series of events, exhibitions and, of course,
rocking parties.

Snowboarding's (boardsports) relationship with film, music and art is undeniable - from the classic video parts that inspired us all and introduced the soundtracks of our roadtrips, to the art and graphics which adorn boards, tshirts
and the stickers that we leave in hard to reach places everywhere we go. The surf, skate and snow industry is built on a culture of rampant creativity. About time then, for a project which celebrates this... and gives a little back.

P.S. For A Good Time Head To The J-Hole

2011-03-09T00:01:00.000-08:00

Snowboarder Magazine posted the fourth installment of Hana Beaman's webisodes, "P.S...". Like last time, Hana is still posted up in Jackson Hole, WY to session the new Stash Park with Natasza Zurek and Snowboarder's Pat Bridges, and she gets into some more sweet backcountry action with legendary female snowboarder Tara Dakides. Freshies galore up there in Wyoming I tell ya. Head over to www.snowboardermag.com to check it out.

Blog Update From Cheryl Maas

2011-03-08T00:01:00.000-08:00

From Cheryl Maas' tumblr blog:

Never been to Jackson Hole before. I just got out here a couple of days ago to do a shoot with the volcom girls team for Snowboarder Mag. And this place is sick!!! So much cool terrain to ride. We went hiking with Guch (the legend) and he showed us some sick terrain!

Today I rented my sled for the week! So stoked. I can't wait to do some sledding around to find jumps. Sarka is flying in and then we will be a sick little crew of four: (Vernon (Photographer) Pat (Filmer) Sarka and me. We are going to try to get some good powder jump shots and get creative out there!

For more photos and other blog entries from Cheryl, check out cherylmaas.tumblr.com.

Resort Report With DJ Z-Trip

2011-03-07T00:01:00.000-08:00

There are not many resorts in North America that can offer a lift-accessed backcountry experience. These are places where you can find bottomless, untracked powder turns all day long with very few, if any other people around. Mountains that feel like your own private playground. Silverton, Colorado, Mt. Baker, Washington and several in Canada would probably make that list. But among the hidden gems is a special place called Grand Targhee. Grand Targhee could very well be the best-kept secret in snowboarding.

Although technically Grand Targhee Resort lies in Alta, Wyoming, it can only be accessed from Idaho, or what locals have appropriately dubbed, "Wydaho". Bordering Idaho on the western slope of the Teton Mountains, Grand Targhee is the oft-overlooked cousin of neighboring Jackson Hole. Despite lacking the vertical rise and massive size as Jackson, Grand Targhee boasts over 500 inches a year of incredibly light, cold Wyoming snow. And the best thing is, there's hardly anybody around to ride it!

Just four lifts access the entire mountain, which is filled with large gullies, gladed tree runs and secluded fields of untouched powder. Minimal grooming leaves plenty of natural terrain to be explored, and a couple of backcountry gates access some steeper lines with rock exposure, challenging chutes and various cliff drops. There is even a guided snowcat tour limited to 12 people per day that operates in a 600-acre powder reserve if you really want to get away from it all.

The base area features only the essentials you need and nothing you don't: Fred's Board Shop (a Vans retailer), The Trap Bar ($2 PBRs, of course), The Branding Iron (great burger and salad bar lunch special) and three separate lodging options mere feet from the lifts. It's the perfect place to escape the crowds and bares no resemblance to the typical condo plagued resorts of the Rockies. Check out the video below and see for yourself...

Red Bull Jibmunks

2011-03-04T00:01:00.000-08:00

Iouri Podlatchikov. Photo: Lorenz Richard.

This report in from our hard working Europe TM Thomas "beckna" Eberharter:

"Just got back from the first edition of the Red Bull Jibmunks 2011 in Grindelwald/Switzerland. Coming from the idea of Markus Keller, this event had a unique format which is simply to jib/ride down a part of a piste/slope and make the most out of the natural terrain that the slope offers. It's a good change to the other events these days where you barely get to see a stylish BS air or some creativity as the format does not allow anything like that normally. Simply taking it back to the spirit of snowboarding.

The event had a legend class where people like Peter Strom, Tonton Holland, Christoph Weber, myself and none other than Mr. Jamie Lynn got invited to have some fun and show the kids that the old cats still have some skills and can throw down. The main event though was open to everybody and around 90 people entered the event to conquer the 16 invited pros. In the end, Vans rider Iouri "Ipod" Podladtchikov took the victory and host Markus Keller came in third place. All in all the event was a big success and everybody who was participating had a good time and shared lots of smiles. I'm sure there will be a second edition of the Red Bull Jibmunks in the incredible scenery of Grindelwald next year and I will make sure to be back - hopefully Jamie and his amazing BS airs and Cab 5s from the toes will be too!"

Big ups to Markus Keller, Red Bull, Volcom and everybody else who made the event possible. For more info, check out www.redbull.ch.

Empire Backyard Party Snow 2011

2011-03-03T00:01:00.000-08:00

If you're anywhere in the Northeast this month, don't miss the Empire Backyard Party presented by Vans. It's all going down in Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville, Canada on March 19th. The jam format street rail contest goes from 2-9pm, with an after party from 10pm - 3am. And if you know anything about French Canadians, it's worth going up there just for the party. BBQ and beverages available during the contest, which has a total cash purse of $20,000! Now that's a whole lotta looines. Vans Canadian Team Riders Will Lavigne, Benji Ritchie and Phil Jacques will be there, along with every other East Coast jibber extraordinaire. Don't miss your chance to go head-to-head with the best and win some chedda. For more info, check out www.thinkempire.com.

Holden X Vans Photos on RadCollector.com

2011-03-02T00:01:00.000-08:00

Action sports lifestyle and product blog www.radcollector.com posted some nice photos of the new Holden X Vans collabo snowboard boot that we twitpic'd from the SIA Tradeshow in Denver, CO last month. Check out the exclusive images by Peter Williams for Radcollector, highlighting the subtle details of next season's beautiful collaboration between the most stylish outerwear company in snowboarding and the timeless quality of Vans. Look for more info about the pack, which also features a Holden X Vans sneaker, right here on the Vans Snow blog soon.

4th Jib City Nights At Mountain High

2011-03-01T00:01:00.001-08:00

Vans and Pro Tec held our 4th Jib City Nights Rail Jam at Mt High on February 23rd, 2011. It was a 2-hour session on 3 different obstacles in the Mt High Playground. Top 3 riders on each obstacle got a free pair of Vans shoes, and the rider with the best trick on each obstacle walked away with a Pro Tec helmet. Competitors were able to have 20 to 30 minutes on each obstacle to show off their snowboarding talent. Remember, this is a free event for all ages. All of the riders that compete get a free Vans Jib City Night T-shirt and everyone that shows up will walk away with a hand full of Vans product. At the 5th Jib City Night Rail Jam, Vans will be giving away a GoPro Camera for the top all around rider! As always Vans will have the grill going during the event for anyone that wants a free hotdog. Please join us on March 9th at Mt. High for this season's 5th Jib City Night Rail Jam. - Words and Photo by Dave Doomey.

Eric Willett Takes 2nd At The TTR 5Star Burn River Jump

2011-02-28T00:01:00.000-08:00

Living up to its reputation, the 5Star Burn River Jump gathered a crowd of 2000 screaming fans to support the international line up of riders jumping over the Spoel river at the night time "Grand Finale" of the event in Livigno, Italy. Over a few days, during February 22nd - 25th, 2011 this elite Italian snowboard competition ran two formats; slopestyle and big air. Kicking off with the Burn slopestyle contest in the Swatch Mottolino Snowpark, the spectators saw Norwegian Ulrik Badertscher take top honours. Ten of the best scoring riders from the slopestyle, received invites to compete in the night-time big air competition along with the invited riders and wildcards.

Due to high winds that came in during the first qualification round the organizers made the decision to close the big air, and re-run the qualifications using only the "burn river jump" and the end jib section. As the course changed significantly the new format saw a 4Star TTR status. 16 riders battled it out for a place in the four man super final. The nail biting two-run knock out super final saw Norwegian duo Alexander Ostreng and Ulrik Badertscher, who both had made their way all the way from the qualifying rounds, go head to head, while Jamie Nicholls and Eric Willet battled each other. In the end it was Alexander and Eric who made it through to the final round. Aleksander nailed his first run that included a huge backside 900 over the river and a switch front lipslide 270 out in the jib section, knocking out Eric's top run consisting of a switch backside 900 and stylish boardslide. Ulrik took third place leaving rail extraordinaire Jamie in fourth. Jamie bagged the additional "Burn Jib Master" award for his rail trickery. With the two podium placements Ulrik Badertscher leaped up in the Swatch TTR ranking and now sits in World No. 14, while Jamie Nicholls jumped into World No. 28.

Visit ttrworldtour.com for details on TTR events and to stay up to date with news, photos and the latest videos.

Videograss Sundays: Trollhaugen Wisconsin

2011-02-27T00:01:00.000-08:00

Our friends over at Videograss are working hard to keep everyone in the loop on their latest project, Shoot The Moon. With an "early teaser" that debuted at the SIA Snow Show last month and a Daily Blog featuring Vans Team Riders Darrell Mathes and Zac Marben, the Videograss crew is goin' hard. Now they have Videograss Sundays on snowboardermag.com, this one featuring Zac Marben, Jeffy Gabrick, Jonas Michilot, and Ethan Deiss at Trollhaugen Resort in Wisconsin. Check it out, and add the boys to your blogroll to stay posted on the latest from VideoGrassLand. Good job dudes, keep up the good work.

This year the video will include parts from Chris Grenier, Darrell Mathes, Gus Engle, Jed Anderson, Johnny Miller, Jon Kooley, Jonas Michilot, Jordan Mendenhall, Justin Bennee, Louif Paradis, Mikey Leblanc, Nick Dirks, Nima Jalali, Will Tuddenham, and Zac Marben.

Presented by Monster and sponsored by Academy, Airblaster, Ashbury, Bonfire, Elm, Holden, Howl, K2, L1, Nike, Ride, Salomon, Snowboarder Magazine, Vans, and Volcom.

Winter Dew Tour Snowbasin: Slopestyle Finals Video & Interviews

2011-02-25T00:01:00.000-08:00

In case you missed it on TV, here is video that Transworld Snowboarding posted of Eric Willett's historic victory at the final stop of the Winter Dew Tour in Snowbasin, UT. Eric threw down an unprecedented combo on the final two jumps to seal the deal and take his first Winter Dew Tour win of the season. As Transworld said, "Willett kept it clean on the rail section, and then god damn, boy -opened 'er up on the jump line. Switch double back 12 (think about that for a minute...), to front double 10, and stomped - more than enough to earn the 97.25 top score. As Eric would say later, 'It's a bit bittersweet, watching your friends stick their runs so well! [Laughs] You're so stoked for them, but then you gotta go up there and do even better.'" Big ups to Eric once again for killing it in contests so far this winter and making us proud!

Check out www.twsnow.com to watch the video.

Eric Willett. Photo Aaron Blatt.

Powder And Rails Season 3: Jamie Lynn Parts 2 and 3

2011-02-23T00:01:00.000-08:00

From VBS.TV:

Part 2: A smorgasbord of snowboarding's movers-and-shakers explain how Jamie was the first of his kind - apparently, it's all in the cowboy stance. Jamie recalls a story of how Mike Ranquet and co. influenced him to savvy up to cab tricks and how, a few years later while riding with Terje Haaksonen in Norway, Jamie would put down the biggest cab-5 anyone had seen yet. In short, the style continues.

See the rest at VBS.TV: Jamie Lynn -- Part 2 of 4 - Powder and Rails: Season 3

Part 3: We have the first ever Powder & Rails love story with a true Mount Hood Timberline romance. We also talk about maintaining integrity through 20 years of snowboarding and get a chance to check out Jamie's signature snowboards that show up in the mail. Jamie explains that being able to design all the artwork on his pro model equipment is just part of the reason he's stayed loyal to the same companies for over 15 years.

See the rest at VBS.TV: Jamie Lynn -- Part 3 of 4 - Powder and Rails: Season 3

P.S. I Don't Think We're In Utah Anymore

2011-02-21T00:01:00.000-08:00

Snowboarder Magazine posted the third installment of Hana Beaman's webisodes, "P.S...". This time, Hana heads down to SoCal for a Von Zipper photo shoot before heading up to Jackson to get some backcountry action with legendary female snowboarder Tara Dakides. The two get together and make some real fireworks in the backcountry... literally. Head over to www.snowboardermag.com to check it out.

Bloggers Love Their Vans

2011-02-19T00:01:00.000-08:00

We love to see when riders get their blog on about their Vans boots. Notorious blogger Shayboarder tests just about every product out there with her Vans Veil boots. Social Media and Public Relations expert Amber Turnau also documented her experience with her Protect Our Winters Edition Vans Veil boot and the movement behind POW. CO McLovin shared his "Thoughts: VANS Cirro Boots" on his blog, offering the perspective of a bigger rider. Both reviews provide some positive info on Vans' commitment to performance and good causes. Click the links above to read the blogs, and if you have something to share with us, give us a shout on twitter @vanssnow.

Mayrhofen Prepares for the Wangl Tangl!

2011-02-18T00:01:00.000-08:00

As the Asthetikers say themselves, "Style is Averything!" so watch the teaser and make sure you check this bad boy rider driven contest in Mayrhofen, Austria on March 12th-19th, 2011.

There's always a bunch of awesome stuff going on at the Wangl Tangl: from killer skateboarding on the incredible mini ramp, to bands and DJs that'll rock your socks off, to art shows and poetry that'll tickle your creative place. But first and foremost is snowboarding, and these boys sure know how to put together an innovative contest.

By snowboarders, for snowboarders is a cliche but it rings true for this event. It's all about putting down the most creative, progressive snowboarding down in the most creative, progressive park setups the crew can dream up. Hell, the event format and schedule is pretty much determined by the riders themselves.

Once again the contest will be a Team Challenge 'Gang Jam'. Several teams have already signed up, amongst them last years winning team 'Absolut' with Herby Thaler, Michi Stanschitz and Fips Gruber, team 'UK' with Nelson Pratt, Billy Morgan and Andy Nudds, team 'Zillertal' with Werni Stock, Peter Koenig and Georg Huber, team 'Italy' with Marco Grigis and Stefano Munari, the team around Jamie Nicholls and Tylor Chorlton as well as the Ä-teams with Steve Gruber, Wolle Nyvelt, Friedl Kolar, Chris and Rudi Kroell.

The 'Shred Down Austrian Masters' held in Innsbruck and Westendorf will be the last chance to qualify for the Wangl Tangl 2011. By reviewing the riding at both the Halfpipe and Slopestyle events, an A jury will define the last direct qualifiers to be part of the 'Wangl Tangl Gang Jam'.

For more info check out www.aesthetiker.com

Signal Snowboards' Every Third Thursday "Vans Off The Wall" Edition

2011-02-17T09:37:00.000-08:00

From www.signalsnowboards.com

Happy Third Thursday! Time to kick back, put your feet up and try this new episode of ETT on for size! It's the right... and left way brighten up your week! Check it out as we pull inspiration from our feet and a brand that lives and breathes skate, surf and snow. Watch now and get - OFF THE WALL!

For more Every Third Thursday Videos, check out the Signal Snowboards' You Tube Channel.

Jib City Nights Rescheduled to 23rd

2011-02-16T13:49:00.000-08:00

Because Mt. High will most likely be getting snow tonight and high winds, we've rescheduled Jib City Nights from tonight to next Wednesday the 23rd. Join us then for a good time on the mountain.

Will Lavigne, Benji Ritchie and Phil Jacques New Canadian Team Riders

2011-02-15T00:04:00.000-08:00

Will Lavigne

As you know by now, the Vans Snow posse runs deep. We got all kinds of rippers around the world rocking Vans boots, and now three of those riders have been added to the Canadian Snow Team: Will Lavigne, Benji Ritchie and Phil Jacques. These guys handle business North of the border and have put together a short edit to celebrate the announcement. Check out the video posted on www.snowboardcanada.com and send out congrats to our Canadian brethren.

The Art Of FLIGHT Teaser

2011-02-14T22:23:00.000-08:00

Mark Landvik

From the producers of That's It, That's All comes a new breed of snowboarding entertainment exceeding all expectations: The Art of FLIGHT follows Travis Rice, John Jackson, Mark Landvik, Scotty Lago, Jake Blauvelt, Nicolas Muller, Gigi Ruf, DCP and Pat Moore as they dream up new global adventures and progress the sport to unimaginable levels. Brain Farm has gathered an arsenal of the most advanced and progressive filmmaking technology to bring the masses a snowboarding adventure of epic proportions. Filmed on location in Jackson Hole, Alaska, Chile, Aspen, Patagonia, British Columbia and more, FLIGHT brings the viewer along for the perfect blend of adventure/travel drama and high-energy snowboarding action.

Watch The Art Of FLIGHT teaser here.

Mark Landvik. Photo Scott Serfas.

Eric Willett Wins Gold At Final Winter Dew Tour Stop

2011-02-13T11:08:00.000-08:00

Eric Willett made history yesterday with his first win at the final stop of the Winter Dew Tour in Snowbasin, UT. After coming in second at the last stop in Vermont, Eric went head to head with Torstein Horgmo, Chas Guldemond and Mark McMorris for the last shot at a first place win and ended up with a 97.25, the highest score ever in a Winter Dew Tour Slopestyle competition. After calmly handling the three rail section at the top of the course, Eric put down a Switch Double Cork Back 1260 to a Front Double Cork 1080 on the bottom jumps, sealing the victory. Eric has been on a tear again this season, with several podium spots already, and has established himself as one of the most lethal competitive snowboarders in the business. You can watch a replay of the event on MTV2 this Saturday 2/19 at 1:00pm EST, or check out www.allisports.com for more info. Big ups to Eric for his successful season so far! Photos by Dave Doomey.

3rd Jib City Nights At Mountain High

2011-02-08T00:01:00.000-08:00

Vans Team and Pro Tec held our 3rd Jib City Nights Rail Jam at Mt High last Wednesday, February 2nd. It was a 2-hour session on 3 different obstacles in the Mt High Playground. Riders were able to have 20 to 30 minutes on each obstacle to show off their snowboarding talent, and the top 3 riders on each obstacle got a free pair of Vans shoes. This is a free event for all ages. All of the riders that compete get a free Vans Jib City Night T-shirt and everyone that shows up will walk away with a hand full of Vans product. As always, Vans will have the grill going during the event for anyone that wants a free hotdog. On February 26th come up to Mt High and join the Vans and Pro Tec Teams while we host our 4th Jib City Night Rail Jam. - Words and Photos by Dave Doomey.

Hana Beaman's Snowboarder Magazine Webisodes

2011-02-07T00:01:00.000-08:00

From Snowboarder Magazine:

Hana Beaman is no stranger to the pixels of this website, so why not give her her own webisode series? Throughout the season Hana will have a new webisode every other Wednesday under the name "P.S."... You know, like P.S. I love you, but in Hana's case it would be more like P.S... well we won't go there in fear of getting our asses kicked. In the debut episode Hana gets caught up in some less than perfect snow conditions in the backcountry as well as a little on hill action with Erin Comstock. In the second episode Hana goes from pow to park. After filming at Red Mountain, Colorado she heads to Aspen to compete in the Winter X Games 15.

Powder And Rails Season 3: Jamie Lynn

2011-02-05T00:01:00.000-08:00

From VBS.TV:

Jamie Lynn arguably has the greatest style in the history of snowboarding. We catch up with him at his Seattle home that he currently shares with his overweight cat. Also, Chris Roach and the usual suspects explain why Jamie Lynn is a far cooler specimen than Britney Spears' sister, the other Jamie Lynn. We even sneak in a little action montage edited to a song by Jamie's band, Kandi Coded.

Watch Powder And Rails Season 3: Jamie Lynn Part 1 of 4.

New Videograss Early Teaser

2011-02-04T00:01:00.001-08:00

Our friends over at Videograss are working hard to keep everyone in the loop on their latest project, Shoot The Moon. With an "early teaser" at the SIA Snow Show last week and a Daily Blog featuring Vans Team Riders Darrell Mathes and Zac Marben, the Videograss crew is goin' hard. Now they have posted the new teaser online for everyone to enjoy. Check it out, and add the boys to your blogroll to stay posted on their shredding exploits from around the world. Nice job fellas, keep up the good work.

Presented by Monster and sponsored by Academy, Airblaster, Ashbury, Bonfire, Elm, Holden, Howl, K2, L1, Nike, Ride, Salomon, Snowboarder Magazine, Vans, and Volcom.

Shoot The Moon Early Teaser from VIDEOGRASS on Vimeo.

Vans At SIA Snow Show

2011-02-03T18:09:00.000-08:00

Bjorn Leines from Celtek Bluebirded Out.

Last weekend the SIA Snow Show rolled through Denver, CO to give everyone a look at the new product coming out in 2012. Buyers and brand owners got together to discuss everyone's favorite topic: snowboarding. As always, Vans had a killer crew in town to make sure everyone had a good time and show off the sick stuff for next season. Every morning we kicked things off at the booth with fresh made waffles, snacks and coffee for all. On the first night, we hosted a welcome dinner with guests from Satellite/Installation, radcollector.com and Frank151. At the show, it was all about the new Vans collabos with Holden and Celtek, which we'll feature in an upcoming interview with Holden's Mikey Leblanc. In the meantime, check out this in-depth look into the new line from Transworld Business with Vans' Director of Action Sports Footwear & Equipment Jared Bevens, if you wanna get serious about it.

Classic Waffle Grip Since '66.

Vans Jib City Nights At Mountain High

2011-01-29T20:09:00.000-08:00

Vans Team and Pro Tec were back up at Mt High last night. We held our 2nd Jib City Night Rail Jam on January 26th. There was a special appearance founder Steve Van Doren working the grill. It was a 2-hour session on 3 different obstacles in the Mt High Playground. Top 3 riders on each obstacle got a free pair of Vans shoes. Riders were able to have 20 to 30 minutes on each obstacle to show off their snowboarding talent. Last but not least Vans gave away a pair of boots for best trick on the wall ride. This is a free event for all ages, and all of the riders that compete get a free Vans Jib City Night T-shirt. In fact, everyone that shows up will walk away with a hand full of Vans product. Next Wednesday, February 2nd come up to Mt High and join the Vans and Pro Tec Teams while we host our 3rd Jib City Night Rail Jam.

Andreas Wiig And Torstein At Keystone

2011-01-26T00:01:00.000-08:00

Torstein Horgmo has been spending a lot of time with Andreas Wiig this season (apparently Norwegian vikings roll in packs), and much of that has been spent in Colorado. As the early season park riding center of the snowboard world, Colorado has hosted Torstein and Andreas and their filming adventures. After last week's game of "In Your Face" with Andreas vs. Aaron Biittner, this week www.torstein.net has released Andreas Wiig And Torstein At Keystone. Also posted for your convenience on www.twsnow.com, the video shows the two friends (but mostly Andreas) lapping Keystone's feature-filled A51 park and displaying magical amounts of trick wizardry. Check it out and remind yourself how good these guys really are...

Eric Willett Takes Second At Winter Dew Tour

2011-01-22T12:17:00.000-08:00

Eric Willett. Photos: David Doomey

Eric Willett grabbed yet another contest podium over the weekend at the second stop of the Winter Dew Tour in Killington, VT. After putting down a perfect run of a Switch Frontside Boardslide 270 out to Half Cab Frontside Boardslide 270 out on the rails, he threw a huge Frontside 10 Double Cork, Double Cork Backside Rodeo to Switch Backside 10 Double Cork, all executed to perfection.

"That was the first time I'd put that run down in practice or competition, so I was just stoked to put it down," Willett said.

However, the score was not enough to beat out Torstein Horgmo, who dragged both hands on one of his Double Backside Rodeo landings. Veteran pro snowboarder announcer Todd Richards was as baffled as the rest of us with Willett's score, but nevertheless Eric had to settle for second place. You can check out a replay of the event on MTV2 later this month and see for yourself. Congrats to Eric for stomping the sh!t out of that run and good luck in the next one buddy!

Eric Willett 1080 in the finals.