Ski Resort High: Cliques 101

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When I tell people I used to work at a ski resort, the most common reaction is, “Oh! Were you a ski instructor?” As I find myself cringing and offended, I have to remind myself that people who have never worked as a lifty are unaware of the insult they have just thrown at me. As inexcusable as calling an Aussie a Kiwi, lifties are their own breed and don’t you forget it.

Living and working at a resort is a once in a life time experience, a non-stop party, and a lot of hard work, but just as in most places there is a pseudo-hierarchy of jobs, employees, and cliques. For those of you who have not lived or worked at a ski resort, I will break down the 3 major on-mountain high school cliques for you. In the Mean Girls world, who’s lunch table are you sitting at?

1.      Ski Instructors: As far as they are concerned, Gods amongst peasants. As far as the rest of resort employees are concerned, pompous babysitters who are continually jamming lift lines, taking kids on chairs they can’t get themselves on to while they don’t assist, and moving obstacles as they zigzag their customers down the narrowest of trails. They think they get the most riding time in, but it doesn’t really count when you are on bunny hills or chained to guests all day. Every now and then, one is worth befriending. We all had the hots for one when we took lessons as a kid. And don’t get them confused with coaches.

instructors.JPG

2.      Lifties and Lift Maintenance: The often overlooked heart and soul of the ski resort. You can buy your kid lessons, you can call ski patrol when you break yourself, but you wouldn’t even be in action if it weren’t for these early risers. Lift maintenance are generally year round workers who get things running in the morning and fix the chairs you find yourself stuck on as they zip around the mountain. Lifties (aka lift operators) are who set up baracades and rope lines, start and stop chairs when guests have trouble getting off or on, and pick up chubby kids to throw them on chairs (often while their instructor stands there and watches). This clique often gets the most riding time in, or at least the most good riding time in (and lots of first tracks). They get ride breaks throughout the day and many of the maintenance crew is on skis or boards instead of snowmobiles. Often included in this clique is the terrain park crew. And everyone knows lifties throw the best parties.

3.      Ski Patrol: The knights and shining armors of the resort world. Ski patrollers work hard and are the first ones in and the last ones out each day. They throw avalanche bombs, clear lifts and runs for safety, put you on a snowmobile or in one of those caskets when you get hurt, and sometimes even have the cutest and most obedient dogs with them. They are generally good people; they work hard, for some reason are good at darts, but seem to be above lifty parties, casinos and all-nighters. Probably because if they did party as hard as lifties and park crew, they wouldn’t be able to save you the next day.

Picture from SquawDogs Facebook

Picture from SquawDogs Facebook

Of course, this is all coming from a former lifty’s point of view, so if you’ve worked in one of these other positions, my observations might sound a bit bias. All in all, each position has their own purposes and responsibilities on the hill and in the social scheme of things. I hope this helps the general public understand the inner social lives of their favorite resort workers and maybe even guides some of those looking into working the ski resort life. And next time you’re getting turns in, high five some employees because some of them are probably working through a hangover.

Love, Your Favorite Lifty

Love, Your Favorite Lifty

Jobs: Nine to Five's vs Non Conventional

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When it comes to jobs, I have covered my bases over the years. Banana stand girl, hostess at Crab Cooker, receptionist for boat rentals, Squaw Valley lift operator, uniform clerk, supplement sales person, Oakley customer care whipping boy, dog portrait artist, retail, retail, retail, and now finally a receptionist at a proper online advertising agency in Irvine. Coming from snowboard land and Surfside, it has been an interesting transition in to the office world and I have been looking back on my life in action sports (and whatever the hell else I’ve been doing), reflecting on my jobs and lifestyles, and going over the pros and cons of conventional hours and jobs vs those of freelancers and non nine to fivers.

These pro's and con's are based more upon my own experiences. The reason I mention this is just because plenty of my non conventional and freelancing friends are successful and probably make the money I never did in retail or other random ventures.

What I think I look like...

 ...What I actually look like

Office Job Pros and Cons

Pros

  • Money-it’s consistent and I might actually have some after the next few paychecks
  • Hours-counting the days until Friday and hearing hump day jokes seems daunting, but when you’re off at 5:30 every day, you can still make most happy hours
  • Weekends-they actually exist!!!! Champagne brunch forever and ever and ever
  • PTO-“paid time off” whaaaaat? This is totally foreign to a lot of us, but it sounds pretty sweet
  • Health care-also foreign to plenty of us, now I can break myself snowboarding and not be in the hole $10,000
  • Work environment-at least the office I’m at now is beautiful, it’s close to my house, I don’t get written up if I’m a few minutes late, and there’s parking and amenities (oh yeah, and free food!!!!)
  • Business casual-an excuse to shop for new blouses and shoes

Cons

  • Money-finally might have some, but I won’t have a discount at Surfside or all the free time to go on trips to spend it
  • Hours-sometimes I want to go to breakfast on a weekday
  • Weekends?-some of us get so accustomed to not having them, we don’t even know what to do with them. Plus, does this make me a snowboarding weekend warrior now?
  • Lack of flexibility-my favorite bartender works Thursday nights, but I know I have to get up Friday morning…forever. It also might be a bit harder to take sporadic mid week Mammoth trips.
  • Work environment- showing up hungover/drunk is generally frowned upon in the professional world, where it is completely accepted and somewhat encouraged in snowboarding and retail
  • Business casual-I guess that means my staple jeans and stained crew neck aren’t an option (but I do intend on instating Aloha Fridays)  

Consensus: I miss the mountains and wild life of snowboarding jobs, but I am still in the honeymoon phase of this new office job, so right now I'm going to sell out and say it wins mainly due to money and my dire need for health care (and that I am currently blogging at work), but get back to me in a few months and let's see if I still agree. 

Featured Brand: L Space!

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It might not be a snowboard brand, but spring is here and hot tub season is all year long, so this featured brand is all about my favorite swim line, L Space! Although, my main fashion passion is all about snow gear, I have worked off and on in a swim wear boutique (The Persimmon Tree) for 10 years or so and I might have just a bit of an obsession with bathing suits. (Kerry Bannon might be the only person who has a bigger addiction than I do!) Volcom, Vix, Rip Curl, Maaji, Ralph Lauren, I love them all, but L Space is the cream of the crop.

Their quality, prints, cuts, and styles are just unbeatable. L Space is as innovative in swim wear as Mervin Manufacturing is in snow. Fringe suits were brought back and done best by L Space and last year they blew up the scene with laser cut suits and flowy tops.

One of the other nicest things about L Space is that they have tops and bottoms for numerous body types. In the bottoms there is everything from the tiny Brazilian to a nice coverage full. And in the tops they make all the way up to a D cup. For my big busted friends and myself, the L Space D is the way to go. It actually fits, you still get the cute styles and prints that smaller chested girls get, and best of all, no side boob!!!

So before you head to the beach or the hot tub, hit up Persimmon Tree, Surfside Sports, or your other favorite and local shops and try on your next suit!

My Favorite Suit: 
Top-Strap Back in the Cozumel Print. This is my absolute favorite top ever! It has three fixed straps in the back, comes in awesome prints and colors, looks perfect while laying out, but is still totally functional!
Bottoms-Lacey Bottom Classic in Black: New this year, I love this bottom! I usually wear the Estrella bottom as well, but the cut outs on the side of this one are super cute and totally forgiving to my not quite toned lower half. 


Active and Adorable: This season was also the release of L Space's new active styles. I about lost it when I saw these suits. Good for swimming laps, jumping in the lake, playing volley ball, surfing, or anything else for the athletic girl. The color ways are killing it as always and now we can have high quality, cute, fun, and super functional suits!
Top- Savasana Top in grey
Bottoms-Estella Bottom in Daffodil


Honorable Mention: One of the cutest suits I have seen in a long time! New, different, classy, and fun, so L Space!
Top- Wild Child top in black
Bottoms- Boho Bottom Classic in black 


 All photos from LSpace.com

Protect Your Dome: Wear a Helmet!

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After cracking my head open 3 or 4 times and having at least a couple concussions, I should probably wear a helmet just to walk outside. Even though that idea might not be realistic, the least I could do is wear one when I’m snowboarding…and you should too! 

 
Kerry and I...all helmets all the time

The nicest thing about purchasing helmets is that the companies don’t seem to compete with each other the way they do with all other hard goods and accessories. Most brands helmets are compatible with just about any goggle. When it comes to purchasing a helmet, it’s not a bad idea to bring your goggles with you to try them on as a set. If you get up to the hill and you’re getting a wind gap, try putting the goggle strap under your helmet instead of over. From personal experience with Oakley goggles and a Smith helmet, A Frames need to be worn with the strap under the helmet, vs a larger goggle like the Airbrake or Crowbar, where the strap is fine being on the outside of the helmet.  What it really comes down to with helmets is that it’s all about just finding something that fits and feels good, so you will actually wear it.

The difference between men's and women's helmets you ask? Not much. Generally the actually sizing is the same. The biggest differences are usually just the colorways and the ear pads in women's helmets are softer. Depending on the company and the helmet, sometimes the forehead coverage on a women's helmet is a bit more shallow. I have always worn a "men's" helmet and I've got no complaints!

My Favorite Helmet: Smith Maze
It’s the lightest and most comfortable helmet I have ever worn. It’s low profile, has nice ventilation, removable ear pads, and only retails for about $80. I wore a Smith Holt for a long time(because it only costs $60) and it’s a great helmet, but it feels bulkier and heavier, which usually led to me not wearing it very often.

The Maze in matte black

Killin' it in colorways: Anon Griffon
Anon "released" helmets this past season, but they are actually just rebranded from the RED company (nothing wrong with that). Burton owns Anon and RED and converted them over for marketing and goggle purposes, which actually makes a lot of sense. I am a Smith girl for sure, but they did a very nice job this year with colors and designs. The Griffon women's specific helmet, amongst others, have been looking good. Nice feminine touches in the colors and graphics, but still using matte finishes and not making them look too girly.

 The Griffon in the Sprae Colorway


Useful thinking: Bern
Bern helmets are cool for two reasons. One-they're straight out of Compton or at least the closest where house to me is (they even have a model called the Watts). Two-they make multiple removable liners, so you can use your helmet all year round! You purchase your helmet for whatever season you're going for, then just go online and check out the rest of the liners you might want as well!

The Bern Lennox


According to Wikipedia.com, out of 188 skiing/snowboarding deaths in the last 10 years, 108 have been related to head injuries! Yikes!





Featured Brand: POLER!

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As spring approaches, the snow begins to melt and we get ready to pack up our snowboards, shed our winter clothes, bronze our pasty skin, and search for new adventures. Most of us who snowboard have an undying love for the mountains whether there is snow or not, so come spring and summer, we find ourselves drifting back into the woods for some camping. Enter in the featured brand, Poler.

Poler two man tent

You might have seen Poler before with its numerous collaborations with companies like Smith and Nike, but they have a lot to offer all on their own. They have flagship stores in Portland and New York, but can also be located at numerous outdoor clothing and accessory dealers all over the country. From tents to coffee makers to hoodies to the napsack, Poler covers all your outdoor needs, be them beach or mountains. The products are mostly unisex.

Check out: http://www.polerstuff.com/

One of the coolest products: The Napsack
Somewhat of a hipper and higher quality Snuggie, the Napsack is a sleeping bag/pancho, ideal for camping, lounging, post surf sessions, and hangovers. Or maybe you are like me and just don't feel like putting pants on.

Don't make it home? No problem!

Chillin with the Potato? No problem!


My favorite product: The Tracker Anorak Down Jacket
We all know, I am a sucker for a pull over and this thing basically just looks like a jacket version of the Napsack. It comes in black, blue, and a rust color.


Lots of guy models, but it's all unisex


Notable mention: The Poler x Granted Sweater Vest
I mean come on. 

All images from polerstuff.com


Newport to Tahoe to Mammoth to Newport

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A couple of weekends ago I got to take an awesome trip to Tahoe and Mammoth with a couple girlfriends of mine. And here's a little recap/a good guide to some of my favorite places in Tahoe and Mammoth...



We left at about 5:00am on Thursday to make sure we had enough time to hang in Tahoe City that afternoon. Along the 5, we stopped in good old Sac town to pic up some new Rome Madison's for me (thanks Paul!) and at one of my favorite fruit and pistachio stands, so we could stock up on goodies. We took a brief stop in Truckee for bloody mary's at Bar of America and finally arrived on the West Shore around 4:00pm.

Annie, me, Ola at Bar of America


There's a feeling of overwhelming love and excitement that only ex ski bums can truly understand. Some frat kids probably feel it when they go back to college, some people feel it when they go home, but as I pass Squaw on the 89 towards Tahoe City, as cheesy as it sounds, there is an undeniable magic in the air.

Fannies at Fanny Bridge

We pulled up at Kerry and Joey Dubbs' house (greeted by Bear dog) and got ready for some serious grilling. Within 5 mins of one friend showing up, almost every person I had been dying to see had showed up. And in true Tahoe style, drinks were flowing and handles were polished off in moments. After a few hours of rough housing, drinking, music, and food (always the best from Kerry), we headed to into town to continue our party at Fat Cat. It magically happened to be karaoke night!!! We partied, we belted out the usual classics, "Come to My Window" and "Love is a Battlefield," ran into some more friends and did God only knows what else.

Kerry-o-kee

New friends are made-Anni and Patty

We woke up early the next day because when you are excited enough and running solely on Kahlua and coffee and you have a day of heavy Squaw shredding ahead of you, who has time for a hangover? The Funitel, Gold Coast, hot laps on Shirley, Emigrant, and Mountain Run, intermingled with stops at the bar to see Tahoe's favorite bartender, Mona Bona (who made the best drinks we had all weekend), made for one hell of a day. We topped it off by dinner at Bridgetender and called it a night.

Anni overlooking her kingdom

Shred sticks-Ola on Bataleon, Me on GNU, Anni on Arbor, Kerry on Lib

Girls and boys-Anni, Ola, Me, JR, Joey, Kerry

Ladies on top! Anni, Ola, Me, Kerry

Big Blue is cool, but it's no High Camp

5:00am Saturday morning we began our venture to Mammoth via the 395. I could have stayed in Tahoe forever, but the sunrise over the East shore and the hills of Carson City made the drive a bit less painful. We arrived in Mammoth, changed our clothes in a bathroom and met up with the girls from Boarding for Breast Cancer for a day of awareness and fun. They held a yoga session, a lap a thon, a tribute ride, and had a band and party at Underground in the evening. We just cruised all over the mountain for most of the day and met up with B4BC periodically and had a blast.

Good Morning Ola!

B4BC!!!

We were burnt out by Sunday and decided to just cruise/eat our way around town and check out Tamarack Lodge. We had lunch at Campo, which I have heard mixed reviews of, but I absolutely loved it. Refreshing beers, nice outdoor patio, and killer food. We went back to the hotel for a bit to relax before we headed to dinner. One of my friends had a hankering for fish, so we decided to find the best place for it in town and we were not at all let down. I had been to Jimmy's Tavern, a Greek restaurant, before and enjoyed it and after meeting the wine connoisseur earlier in the day, we decided that would be our final mountain meal. Although it is probably the least "mountainy" place in Mammoth, the food and service were phenomenal!!!

Cheers from the Campo deck!


5:00am Monday morning, we grudgingly stumbled out of bed and hit the road. I almost passed out driving on the way to Bishop, so we stopped at Schat's Bakery and, thankfully,  Anni drove for a few hours. Once we saw that thick, black air, we knew we were home. An epic weekend to keep the three of us surviving through the daily grind had come to an end and I went straight back to work at 3:00pm. The end.

End of Season Sales and What to Wait it Out For

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If you are in California, it has been a brutal winter. Spring is always the best time to buy new gear and stores seemed to drop prices far earlier this year than usual. After viewing the products coming up for next year, I'd love to give a little insight on what sale stuff to buy now and what might actually be worth waiting until next season (or maybe next spring).

Outerwear: Buy now or wait until October. The only better time to buy "last season's gear" is when shops put it back on the floor pre-winter. The only problem with waiting it out for a better discount is that a lot of outerwear either gets sent back to the companies or the sizes get picked over. When it comes to next year's outerwear, the prints and colorways are looking pretty awesome, but tech wise, nothing has really changed, with maybe the exception of better looking Gortex and high performance gears for ladies.

Burton Aurora Jacket 2014

Boards: My take on boards is about the same as it is on outerwear right now. Not much difference in the tech aspect of things, but if you are going for graphics, there's some awesome stuff coming up. Tech wise, over the last few years it seems to be going a bit full circle back to camber, but in the ladies boards, the only camber dominant ones you will really find are the Burton Feelgood camber, the GNU B-Pro C-3, probably a few from Jones, and Bataleons are always in a league of their own. My biggest recommendation is if you see a good price on a Never Summer, just go for it. All of these women's boards are amazing and Never Summer's were one of the first companies shops were sending back to this year. (Generally sending back from shops is just based on deals with the manufacturers and because Never Summer is small and high end, they were probably able to ship them to other dealers in places like Colorado or Utah that had better seasons then California.) The only catch is as usual, Never Summer has been stepping up their game in ladies graphics and this year was solid, but next year's are looking even better.


Next year's Never Summer Womens Line Up
pic from white lines


Bindings: It's a toss up. If you're happy with what you've got then skip them, but if you are on the market for some new Burton's, you might want to wait it out. The only one changing is the Escapade and I mentioned it in my previous blog on bindings, but they changed the ankle strap to have a hinge it in that just stays open. It sounds simple, but I swear, it's one of the best ideas I have seen in bindings in ages. It is definitely one of those things you will see and just go, "How the hell has no one thought of this until now?!" In the world of wonderful Rome bindings, next year's colorways are epic and might be worth waiting for as well.

This seasons's Madison (until I upload a pic of my new ones)

Boots: Coming from a DC girl, I hate to say it, but Burton is changing the game next year. Nothing innovative or new for most, but they are finally putting Boa's on their boots. For the mainstream weekend warrior audience or actual Burton boot users, this is kind of a big deal. I still believe people who already wear Burton might stick to the speed lace system, but life just got a bit easier for the people less familiar with boots or who are fitting their kids for them. I have always been a Boa (preferably a double Boa) fan. And now with the most popular boot company utilizing them, we might see a big shift in boot sales. My recommendation- if  Burton boots are the fit for you, hold out until next year and get your hands on some double Boa's. (and for the record, I don't think anything bad of Burton boots, I just prefer DC. Everybody's feet are different.)

Burton Speedzone Lacing

DC Mora with Double Boa


Goggles Goggles Goggles

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The one thing I tell snow customers at Surfside is that if your feet hurt or you can't see, your day is over. Drop cash on boots and drop cash on goggles. But you walk into a store or look online and there are soooo many goggles. Where do you even start? Everyone's faces are different, but here is a little guide of my favorites and what I consider to be the best per company...

Smith:
Personal fave: I/O



The I/O is the original "easy change" goggle, making it quick and simple to change lenses due to varying weather conditions. Each model runs around $175, but comes with a high light and low light lens (which makes the price much more reasonable). My favorite lens is the red sensor mirror. It is dark enough for sunny days and bright enough for tree runs, clouds, or end of the day shade. The vaporator feature in the lens helps with fogging by increasing air flow. The size of the I/O is the perfect fit for my face, but they make the I/Os for smaller faces and the I/Ox for the fan of oversized goggles. Next year they are releasing the I/O7 which I was lucky enough to demo in Mammoth and I loved it as well. It seems to be somewhere between the I/O and I/Ox.


Oakley:
Personal fave: Airbrake



I got hooked up when I worked at Oakley and it is the only reason I was ever able to afford these goggles. For a whopping $220-240 price range, the Airbrake is one of the most expensive goggles on the shelf. It is their take on the easy change lens and has every bell and whistle Oakley offers. I definitely would say that their eay change tech is by far the easiest and most secure. All you do is pull a little lever on the side to unpop the lens and then snap it closed when you have the other lens in. It has the skeletal nose bridge, which I find to be the most comfortable on the market. This nose bridge works like a breath right strip where it opens up your nose to allow for easier breathing in the altitude. My favorite Oakley lens is hands down the black iridium. They also make the best storm lens, high intensity yellow.


Von Zipper:
Personal fave: Feenom



Although each company has an easy change goggle options, the El Kabong from Von Zipper seems to be the least easy. I prefer the Feenom and just sticking to one lens from these guys. The Feenom offers an array of lenses and colors and has a good overall fit for most people. Von Zipper offers great goggles for a pretty good price compared to a lot of other companies. I have been a life long fan of their sunglasses and I have worn a few of their goggles as well. All of their lenses and tech features are high quality, but I think if you are going for a pair of Von Zippers you should be going for the flair factor. They definitely have the most fun color ways and prints. They even have a colab with Stance socks!


Electric:
Personal fave: EG2.5



Oversized goggles were and are quite a popular trend, but there is good reason behind it; comfort, protection, and ultimate peripheral vision. The EG2's are for sure the most popular of all oversized goggles, but I lean a bit towards the EG2.5's these days. They are still big, but a bit more practical and fit most girls' faces better then the EG2's. This past season Electric massively stepped up their game in the color ways department with all sorts of toned down colors and matte finishes. And even though they look and feel large, the EG2's and EG2.5's are compatible with almost all helmets.



Zeal:
Personal fave: The Level



Zeal is a smaller company based in Boulder, definitely starting to gain some momentum over the last few years. They are known more for their technical goggles that feature cameras and GPS, but after getting to demo the Level model in Mammoth, I realized what nice quality they have in their more basic models as well. The lens quality was great and the prints for next year are awesome! And they are based in Boulder, so how can you not love them?


I know I have left out some of the other goggles companies. Anon, Spy, Sabre, and all the others are great as well, these are just the best of the best in my eyes and I hope you get to try some of them out!

Lesser Known Board Technologies

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In a world of a million camber profiles, what else has been happening in the last few years to set certain boards apart from the norm? Here are some interesting technologies in boards that you might not have heard of or maybe just haven't had a chance to try yet.

Asymmetric: Known as "Asymm" by GNU or "Off Axis" by Burton, the idea behind asymmetric boards is that while you are standing with you toes angled out on your board, your feet and body are not symmetric, so why should your edges be? In GNU boards, there is a visual difference in the side cut with an elongated toe side edge. They are true twins, but there is a notation on the board of what side your heels and toes should be on. When Burton does off axis, it is not quite as noticeable to the eye, but they lay the wood to a different angle in the core of the board. The cut or wood lay in these boards should allow for easier turning and transitions. Asymmetric boards are best for people who stand pretty duck footed (like myself) and have equal or close to equal angles on each foot. If your front foot drastically angles out further than your back, you should probably avoid these boards.

Girls Asymm Boards:
GNU Ladies Choice (my personal fave and you saw Jamie Anderson killing it on this in the Olympics)
GNU Pickle
GNU Smart Pickle
GNU Pickle Stallion
(Burton only puts it in a couple guys boards, but who knows, maybe one day in the girls stuff)


GNU Ladies Choice

Nug Reduction: Burton released Nug Reduction tech a season or two ago. The idea behind it is elongating your effective edges and shortening the actual board. Your effective edges are from about where your boots are to the end of the sidewalls, before they angle to the tip and tail. Real Nug Reduction allows you to down size your board 8-10cm. There are also some boards with nug reduction where you would only downsize around 4-6cm. Although, I find these boards a little more beneficial for big guys, they still allow for some aggressive and playfulness in the ladies boards as well. You will see a lot of these in the park and they ride like big boards, but I see the biggest advantage for most people riding them in trees or tight terrain.

Full Nug Reduction: Burton Nugget
Semi Reduction: Burton Sweet Tooth

Magne-traction: Most of us know what this is already, but I am surprised how many people come into the shop I work at and are not familiar with it. To make a long story short, if you look at the edges of Mervin boards (Lib Tech, Roxy, Gnu), the edges look wavy. What this is is extra contact points (7 extra on most boards) to add extra grip in crappy conditions like ice. It sounds like a bit of a gimmick to some, and doesn't look extremely crazy, but I swear by it. You can find magnetraction on all GNU boards and every Roxy board except the Sugar.

Kerry Banana!

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Filthy Animals first. And rounding out the four of us is Kerry Bannon! Kerry moved up to Tahoe with me my second season and hasn't looked back. She's got a man with a good mustache, one of the most epic dogs in history, and a sweet pad on the West Shore. Why leave? Kerry works for Squaw in the winter and life guards at the lake in the summer. Truly living the dream!

Ps. Kerry is also an excellent cook! Check out her recipe blog! http://inthepinescrafts.blogspot.com/

Board: Nitro Fate
Bindings: Union Flite
Boots: 32
Jacket: Oakley
Pants: Burton Shawn White Collection (good for you tall ladies!)
Goggles: Oakley Splice
Gloves: Celtek Neptune
Beanie: Analog
Signature Scarf: Zumiez

Home Mountain: Squaw/Alpine
Years Riding: 5
Favorite Girl Rider: Jenna Dramise
Hottest Dude Rider: Joey Dubbs!
Current Jams: Working on it
Off Season Activities: Life guarding, floating the river with Bear Dog

A little taste of what's happening in Tahoe

Home made hoodies

Summer lovin' with Joey Dubbs and the most famous dog on the Truckee River

Featured Brand: NIKITA!

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We all know about Burton, Volcom, and Roxy (not that they don't totally rule and can't be considered for "Featured Brand" as well), but what about some of the smaller guys? Depending on where you are regionally located, you may or may not be exposed to certain smaller brands. Hopefully, the "Featured Brands" will expose girls to small, new, or upcoming companies that you won't find in every Sports Chalet across the country. So here it goes...obviously Nikita starting it off.

Nikita "for girls who ride" is an all girls snowboard company under the ownership of Amer Sports (along with Salomon, Bonfire, Atomic). They are based out of Iceland and offer something fun and different then a lot of the run of the mill outerwear.



Anyone who knows me from Tahoe has probably seen me rocking my favorite pink Nikita hoodie. It's old, stained, and beat to death, but it is quite possibly one of my favorite articles of clothing of all time. I ordered it from Dogfunk.com in 2009 and it is still a staple in my winter (and year round) wardrobe. Although, I am not a pink person, I love this thing. The fabric is top notch and my favorite thing about all Nikita products is the neckline.

I might wear that pink hoodie the most, but I am also lucky enough to have an array of jackets from them as well.

The classic color blocked puffy has been another staple in my coat collection. I believe it is now called the Meron jacket and has a waterproofing breathability rating of 10k/8k. The light layer of Thinsulate keeps me warm when I need to be warm, but doesn't drench me in sweat when it heats up. With tech pocket, goggle pocket, arm sleeve pass pocket, regular pockets, removable powder skirt, pit zips, micro fleece lined collar, and a super soft inner liner, this jacket has about all the bells and whistles you could ask for! And now that Nikita is owned by Amer Sports, it is a bit more affordable then it used to be!
Ricole and I on one of the coldest days I've ever experienced in Mammoth

One of my other Nikita faves is the shell I have. I scored this at the Porter's outlet for a good price many years ago and it kills it in the spring and pretty much any time at Big Bear. It's got all the sweet pockets and features of the Meron jacket, but no insulation. A lot of light weight shells have a tendency to lose some of the tech features for cost, but I've still got the bases covered every time I wear this and I love it!
Nikita shell on the left at the B4BC lap a thon with Team Squaw

And luckily for me, I've known the Nikita rep since my old school days at the bathing suit store when she used to work for Volcom. This season she hooked me up with the top of the line jacket! Due to this warm season, I haven't gotten to wear it quite yet, but I guess that's just more incentive to hit a storm in Mammoth or Tahoe. With all the bells and whistles of my other Nikita jackets, the Katla jacket has a 20k/15k rating (hot damn!). It also looks like denim, has fake leather hits on it, studs on the pocket, and a funky graphic on the back just calling my name!! 
Pic from nikitaclothing.com

Moral of the story, if you see Nikita in your local shop or online, give it a try!!! Style and quality for days!! They also make awesome street wear, and boards, boots and bindings!! 

Ps. As we inch our way towards spring, now is the time to shop! Check your local stores or online for some sweet discounts!

Karen!!!!

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Karen Derman. My soul mate, my same guy, roller derby queen, Phillie native, Queen of Squaw Valley Uniforms Department, lover of the Potato. One of the most bad ass chicks you will ever have the pleasure to meet on the hill. She can beat any dude in a race, drink them under the table after, karaoke their faces off, wake up, and do it all again!

Goggles: Electric EG2
Jacket: Airblaster
Board: Flow Jewel (also rides a GNU B Nice)
Bindings: Flow
Gloves: Burton Women's Pipe Glove

Home Mountain: Squaw, Stowe, or Blue Mountain. I can have more than one right? They were all my homes at different points of my life.
Years Riding: 15 years
Favorite Girl Rider: Jamie Anderson. Girl can tear it up on the hill and at the bar. Kind of like the Ke$ha of snowboarding.
Hottest Dude Rider: This is hard. I've gotta go with my old staple of Aaron Bittner as a classic.
Current Jams: Ke$ha. Did you need to ask? Always Ke$ha.
Off Season Activities: Roller derby, running, drinking ("hydrating")

Bear suit by Carhartt

When there used to be snow

Rain bibs by Helly Hansen. 
Oh the Potato Man.





McFly

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The woman, the myth, the legend...McFly.  She showed up to Squaw Lift Ops in Airwalk boots like a true OG... we met on the Funitel... I told her I would ruin her life... I never let her down... and she never let me down. Here she is on her journey from Colorado to Mountain View via Jackson Hole!


Board: Burton Lipstick
Bindings: Burton Stiletto
Boots: Burton
Vest: North Face
Companion: Dog


Party on McFly







Bindings Bindings Bindings

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Bindings are somehow the most important and least important part of my set up. My take on purchasing them is usually to invest extra money to get the nicest ones, so I don't have to buy new ones for as long as possible. As long as they hold my feet to my board, I feel they are doing their job, but after demoing a few at Mammoth last week, I realize how important it is to invest in the right ones and not just what costs most or looks coolest.

The first pair of bindings I ever had were Ride Vixens. They lasted a really long time, but that was about 10 years ago, so they're probably a bit irrelevant.

From there I moved on to Rome Madison's. These were my favorite bindings of all time. The toe caps blew my mind and the straps were super comfortable. The only issue I ever had with them was that they had metal ratchets and when it was extremely cold, they had a tendency to lock up. Luckily, Rome has toolless micro adjusting and I could easily get myself out from the other side if need be.

My original Madison's in the gold/brown color way.


This year, going with my non Burton route, I purchased some Union Legacy's. They are the highest end in the women's line and the prettiest ones. I was pretty hyped on these before I used them a lot of times. In all fairness, they are light and durable and look sweet, but the ratchets on the toe caps lock like crazy! And unlike Rome, they have a screw in them, so I find myself standing in front of the deck at Bear looking like an idiot far too often. Once these bad boys lock up, there's not too much one can do to get them undone.

This year's Legacy's. They certainly are pretty.


When I got to Demo Days, I decided I was going to try the new Rome Madison's. Mine are about 6 years old now, so I was excited to see the upgrades. I would say I was pleasantly surprised, except for that I wasn't surprised at all. I figured these bindings would deliver and they definitely did. They somehow even managed to make the best toe caps ever even better! The ankle straps are squishy and comfortable and they added canted footbeds. Canted beds add a bit of an angle under the foot to help align your knees and legs properly. Although, I have talked to people who prefer a traditional footbed, I'm all about the cant! They come with traditional beds as well, if you want them. The two color ways are awesome! One is black with some iridescent highlights and the other is Marie France Roy's pro model with brown leather. Thank you Rome for making the best bindings ever.

This is the 2014 MFR color way. Still cool, but nowhere near next season's.


When I purchased my Unions, I almost got Burton Escapade's instead. I had a chance to try these with the Burton boards I tried and although I didn't like them quite as much as the Rome's, I still enjoyed them! The heel hammock feature helps for extra grip and dampening (shock absorbance), the colors look good and the ankle strap is as good as they come. My favorite feature is how the ankle strap has a flex in the side of it so it just flaps open when you're strapping in to avoid stepping on it.

This year's Escapade. Next year's black color way is quite similar.

All in all, I feel like I got a well rounded experience with a few of the biggest binding companies on the market. Personally, I would stick with the Rome Madison's, but for those of you going EST, the Burton Escapade's are killer as well. I still have faith in Union, but I think it might take them a couple more seasons of upgrades to really tweak them to perfection.

Get free shipping from The House on new bindings!

Demo Dayzzz!

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This past week I was lucky enough to be invited to Mammoth Mountain to check out the newest gear for the 2015 season. Smith Optics and Surfside took up about six guys and me from Tuesday to Friday for four days of shredding, food, and partying. With the ratio of dudes to chicks being about 10 to 1, I was able to get to try all kinds of good stuff (not to mention, scope some serious studs). Here's a recap and my reviews of the gear I got to try!

Boards:
Roxy T-Bird
GNU B-Pro
Capita Birds of a Feather
Burton Deja Vu
Burton Lipstick
Never Summer Onyx
Never Summer Infinity
Jones Twin Sister

Since I started riding Mervin boards last year, it has taken a lot for me to get on anything else. I am a die hard magnetraction fan and with this season's conditions being icy, crusty, and dry, I've never loved magnetraction more. I was surprised that I was able to really enjoy the other boards as well. Here is some feed back I have on the boards listed above...

Roxy T-Bird: My favorite board I demoed. C2 BTX (rocker camber with magnetraction) absolutely slayed the hard packed groomers and although camber boards are traditionally the fastest, I felt so comfortable, I was flying on this thing. The flex of it helped me launch through moguls, bumps, flawed grooming streaks, and gapers. Award: Favotire Board of Demo Days


GNU B-Pro: A lot of us were raised on camber boards and this C3 with magnetraction is the most camber dominant boards of the ladies Mervin choices. Comparable to the Jamie Lynn from Lib Tech, it's stiff, fast, and a little bit heavy, but is built for girls with a need for speed. With a trippy outerspace graphic for 2015, it was asthetically one of my favorites. I enjoyed hauling on this board, but the only size available was a bit big for me and the conditions weren't quite what were meant for it. Award: Best Graphics


Capita Birds of a Feather: An extruded base flat top cambered board coming in hot in 2014, the Birds of a Feather won a vast majority of Good Wood awards for women. I was excited to try it and it didn't fail to impress me. The only board I rode this week with an extruded base (and priced at less than $400), it could hang with the big boys for sure. Having an extruded base makes most board a bit flexier and I did prefer the 2014 graphic a bit more then what's to come, but I could definitely see myself having this in my quiver for springy park days. Award: Best Big Bear Board

Burton Deja Vu: Although I generally stray away from Burton boards, I did ride a Feelgood for about 7 years and they will always have a special little place in my heart. I was most interested in the Deja Vu because it flew off the shelves at Surfside and I am a fan of its Flying V (rocker camber) shape. Graphically, I have preferred the last 2 years a bit more, but it's still pretty. The softer flex, Flying V camber, and true twin shape could win over anyone who's too cool for Burton. It was also the first time I have tried the channel/EST system and although it wasn't leaps and bounds different from a traditional set up, I definitely enjoyed the easiness of setting it up. Award: Best Burton Board

Burton Lipstick: The Lipstick is one notch below the Feelgood in stiffness and has flat top camber. Sadly this was my least favorite of the boards I tried. Feel free to take into account that not everything at demos is brand new or perfect and I feel like part of my distaste for this board might have had to do with a lack of wax, but something just did not feel right. I like the flat top in Capita and a lot of girls I know have really enjoyed the Lipstick, but it was not for me. The graphics for next year are pretty and maybe I will have to give it another go. Award: Least Fave

Never Summer Onyx/Infinity: I have had a lot of respect for this company for a long time, but this happened to be the first time I have ridden one. All Never Summer's are made in Denver, have a rocker camber flex and a 3 year warranty (not that anyone has ever had to use it). These boards are absolute beasts. I loved the Onyx and feel like I have been missing out not riding these. The only boards that I felt just as badass on as Mervin's, I loved both of these. The boards are very similar, but the Onyx is a bit more stiff and aggressive. For being the softest board in the line, the Infinity was user friendly, but still felt very responsive and aggressive. Even without magnetraction on the hardpacked snow, I felt secure and was hauling ass. The graphics used to be hit or miss with me, but each year they seem to get progressively better. I didn't get a chance to ride the Raven, but it is the stiffest of the line and the only female board with the carbonium top sheet. Award: Favorite Non Mervin. Can Hang With Any Dudes

Jones Twin Sister: Surfside doesn't carry Jones yet, but I wasn't sure when the next chance I would to have to get on this board would be, so I had to go for it. Jones has had a killer reputation since day one and are known for their big mountain boards. I am a die hard true twin rider, but I was pleasantly surprised with this directional twin. As agressive as a B Pro, with a bit more camber in it and some sweet graphics to boot, the Twin Sister would be epic on a powder day! Award: Favorite Big Mountain Board

B4BC

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About 5 years ago my doctor found a lump in my boob. It sucked and was scary, but I got it biopsied and it was ok. Now there's another and it's ok as well, but it definitely sucks. I know I am fortunate that the lumps in my chest were cancer free, but a lot of people's aren't. Looking back, I realize I wouldn't even have found it if I hadn't gone to the doctor. Many people put off doctor's visits and don't have health insurance. I've been familiar with Boarding for Breast Cancer for a while, but it never really hit home with me until I had my health scare. They are a fantastic organization and do a lot to raise awareness and help survivors, so please donate if you can!!!

Here's the link to my donation page!!

 http://www.stayclassy.org/fundraise?fcid=298123


Squaw Dogs...OMG

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Alright, who doesn't love a life saving dog? After Kerry Bannon sent me a pic of Squaw Valley's newest member to the Squaw Dogs team, I just couldn't resist a post on these magnificent animals!

The Squaw Rescue dog program began all the way back in the 1980's and still continues at Squaw today. The dogs and their patrollers go through rigorous training to become certified by the Canadian Avalanche Rescue Dog Association. I have personally watched these dogs go through training and find what they can do absolutely amazing. When Karen and I worked in the uniforms department at Squaw, I was lucky enough to wash the sweaters that the patrollers would rub their scent on and bury in the snow for the dogs to dig up. We also got to fix the dogs uniforms when puppies in training would chew through them. If you were lucky enough as a guest or employee at Squaw, you would get to see the dogs load onto chair lifts or the Funitel. Often times Karen and I were graced by Murphy's presence in uniforms on his way back to the patrol locker room because he knew we had treats waiting for him.

Despite their undeniable cuteness, the Squaw Dogs are not only an asset to the resort, but to all of Placer County where they assist as search and rescue dogs. They are also transported to other resorts in the Tahoe area when avalanches occur there and were even welcomed to the Vancouver Olympics!

Meet the Squaw Dogs here! http://www.squawdogs.com/About_The_Dogs.html

Like them on Facebook here! https://www.facebook.com/pages/SquawDogs/181583001454

And donate to the Squaw Dogs here! http://www.squawdogs.com/Donate.html

Welcome Shaka to the Squaw Dogs team!





Sochi 2014

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We probably all know the gossip and scandals surrounding the 2014 Sochi Olympics. They are over budget, run by crooks, lack safety for athletes and guests, and even have a pillow shortage (seriously?!?!), but they start tonight on NBC and I'm sure they will still be totally entertaining!

This is the first year they are incorporating the slope style event and there have already been plenty of ups and downs surrounding it. Torstein broke his collar bone, Shawn White bowed out to focus on pipe (and got some abuse from the Canadians), and there have already been various changes to the course. The U.S. girls facing this beast of a course are: Jamie Anderson (go Tahoe!), Jessika Jensen, Karly Shore, and Ty Walker.

The pipe is generally my favorite event to watch and every day the girls (and boys) are pushing limits and astounding viewers and athletes. Although Elena Hight is not competing at the Olympics, she set a serious standard at the X Games last year killing it with the first ever double backside ally oop rodeo. I'm a huge Kelly Clark fan myself, but it will be interesting to see Hannah Teter and all the other ladies giving her a run for her money. The U.S. girls launching in the pipe this year are: Kelly Clark, Hannah Teter, Kaitlyn Farrington, and Arielle Gold.

Good luck to all the teams and riders and go USA!























The US Olympic Snowboard Team


Ps. Can we casually just give a shout out to the Norwegian curling team for their epic uniforms? Looking good boys!!!