Athlete: Lindsey Dyer Location: North Cascades Heli, WA Photo: Grant Gunderson
Rider: Brendon Drury Location: Lake Tahoe, CA Photo: Aaron Blatt
Athlete: Unknown Location: Hookipa, North Shore, Maui, HI Photo: Jason Kelley
Rider: Galin Foley Location: Pico Backcountry, VT Photo: Justin Cash
Rider: James Binkley Location: Glacier Bay National Park, AK Photo: Ryan Krueger
Kayaker: Unknown Location: Falls Creek Section, Farmington River, MA Photo: Justin Cash
StokeVision 1.01
Eye-Popping Images
1.02
The Ingredients
1.03
Contributors
Features 2.01
Jamie Lynn, A to Z
2.02
Urban Playground
2.03
Red Bull Rampage
2.04
72 Hours of Stoke: Crested Butte, Colorado
2.05
Stoked.org, turning things around
2.06
Diving for the Soul
Gear Scope 3.01
All the things you wish you got for Christmas
the ingredients Foreigner’s “Feels Like the First Time” was released in 1977, the year I was born. It’s one of those tracks that lingers in your head, even when you don’t want it to. Especially the chorus, “It feels like the first time… feels like the very first time!” What were they singing about? Sex, drugs, rock ‘n roll? That might have been the background noise, but it turns out this song is the first track on the band’s first album, and their first single.
My first swing sent shards of ice tumbling and sunk about a half-inch deep. The ice was soft and malleable; the hold felt secure. So I sunk the other axe pick with a heavy swing— solid. Wow. Mechanical limbs make me feel like “Iron Man”. Step up and kick in, repeat. Don’t look back and don’t look down. Several laborious minutes later I reached the top of the pitch, and was totally worked, forearms numb and quivering. In that moment, this small triumph felt Everest-like. In reality, it was more Speaking of “firsts”, on April Fools’ Day, 2010, like conquering a Green run at the ski area. I had my first ice climbing experience. No, that is not a joke. I was on a press junket with The Anker belayed me down, and offered some North Face in Telluride, Colo. with a bunch of encouraging words. It’s a wall he could climb fellow desk jockeys and a handful of world- barefoot and blindfolded. He’s been part class climbers and athletes, including Conrad of alpine expeditions to remote mountains Anker, Peter Athans and Hilaree O’Neill. We from the Himalaya to Antarctica. I can see were supposed to be heli-skiing, but a storm why he does it—it will be tough to match the had us pinned down, so they decided to take boiling endorphin rush I got from topping the group ice climbing. I was hesitant at first. out the first time. Though I guess that’s why Ice climbing on a powder day? That’s against climbers like Anker continually pursue new, my religion. more challenging objectives—then the triumph always feels like the first time. That same We hiked to a small canyon on the outskirts pursuit of stoke drives us all to new places of town, postholing waist-deep in places, as and heights. When you get there, clutching at Anker stomped forward and led us through the edge of your abilities, keep these words the woods to the bottom of a frozen gray-blue from Anker in mind. “Hang on, don’t let go.” wall. He free-climbed it first, set top ropes and spooled back down. Most of the group - Mike Horn had never climbed ice, myself included. Yet strapping into crampons and hoisting ice axes in order to climb a vertical wall felt strangely natural, intuitive. Until I took a few sloppy steps toward the wall and sliced the inside of each pant leg to ribbons. Note to self: walk with a wide stance. Face to face with the wall, I turned around, and Anker had me on belay. I’m not a huge fan of heights. I thought to myself, “Well, can’t wuss out with that guy holding the rope.”
STOKOLOGISTS Justin Cash + Mike Horn ART DIRECTION + DESIGN
Randy Elles 4 Jeff Wainer 4 COPY EDITOR
Seth Mensing 4 WEB NINJA
Lavada Bramlitt 4 STOKE CONTRIBUTORS
Aaron Blatt 4 Chris Brunkhart 4 Grant Gunderson 4 Jason Kelley 4 Luke Mehall 4 Seth Mensing 4 Garren Poirier 4 Christine Rasmussen 4 Chad Spector 4 Tim Zimmerman 4 CONTRIBUTE TO STOKELAB
If you are a photographer, film maker, writer, artist or Stoke enthusiast and you are interested in contributing to STOKELAB please email us at info@stokelab.com. ADVERTISING WITH STOKELAB
For rates, advertising dimensions, and more information about advertising with STOKELAB please contact our advertising department at info@stokelab.com. www.STOKELAB.com
JamieLynn from A to Z
By Christine Rasmussen
Photo: Tim Zimmerman
In the mid 90s as I was learning about snowboarding and its notable characters, Jamie Lynn was one who always stood out to me. I associated Jamie with big, style-y air…as someone who could jib as efficiently and smoothly as the rest, but still stomp huge road gaps, like the one on the November 1994 cover of Transworld Snowboarding, a black and white image I still remember 16 years later. Fast-forward to 2011: Jamie can still be associated with big, style-y air, and, after many years of doing commercial artwork for Lib Tech and Volcom, his name has become synonymous with his art as much as his method air. His most recent show titled “ABCs and 123s” sold out in Laguna Beach, California. Jamie painted 26 canvases, each with a letter of the alphabet and a short stanza that could help kids remember the letters as they viewed the colorful pieces. At 37, Jamie has been inspiring creativity for nearly two decades now, through his riding (snow, skate, and surf), music and art. Now he wants to see the lil’ ones get stoked on art, too. Behold a somewhat alphabetical peek inside the mind and heart of a snowboarding icon.
SL: Can you share a little background about the commercial artwork you do for Lib Tech and Volcom? JL: I grew up skateboarding [in Auburn, Washington, a suburb of where Jamie lives now, Seattle], and the skateboards I was drawn to were the pro models by Mark Gonzales, Neil Blender, Chris Miller. Each one of those guys kind of used their pro models not only as a vehicle for self expression when they rode it, but also with the artwork they put on it. So when I had the opportunity in 1994 to have my first pro model, I thought there was no better way to carry on that same kind of tradition in snowboarding than to do my own graphics. When Volcom started the Volcom arts series for their clothing line they picked one of my paintings as one of the first, and throughout the years I’ve spent a lot of time down there in Costa Mesa [Volcom HQ in So Cal] where I’d spend a lot of time either in the art department or sales and marketing.
They’ve allowed me a lot of different opportunities to be artistically involved in their company, which has been an awesome experience for which I’m very grateful. SL: Is it true a book may happen with the ABC pieces? JL: I wanted the collection to read as if you were reading a book, so with each canvas I did the letter, an image and I tagged on a little one- or two-line stanza of rhymes, like “A is for aeroplane, way up in the sky; B is for big bright balloons, hold onto them tight; C is for crispy cat, mine is colored blue; D is for that darn dog, best friend to me and you.” If anything more can come out of it – to open up kids’ eyes to artwork, colors, imagery, or inspire questions or learning – what an opportunity.
Photo: Tim Zimmerman
SL: Where did the idea for the rhymes come from? JL: I don’t have any kids myself but I am a kick-ass uncle. When I read to my nieces and nephews, I always turn the books into singsong stories. So that’s the way I approached this: walking through it with a kid, or if a parent is reading it to them, I wanted it to be interactive and fun for both. SL: The art community in skateboarding has always seemed more prevalent to me compared to snowboarding; why do you think that is? JL: I see certain individuals like Zak Marben who’s an incredible artistic individual, and that kind of person in the younger generation gives me hope that it’s still part of snowboarding. Ryno, Nick Russian, and Mike Parillo – those are three who stick out as people who get really involved in the art process. I believe there are others who will continue that legacy in snowboarding. I’d like to see it. SL: How often do you play with Kandi Coded? [Jamie has been vocalist/guitarist for the Seattle-roots-influenced, grungy punk band since 2004.] JL: We’ve set it up to where it’s flexible enough for our schedules, so that the time we have together we make the most of, writing, practicing or playing live. SL: What bands do you enjoy listening to? JL: It goes back to old favorites I grew up listening to: Screaming Trees, or Melvins. Valient Thorr has been a huge inspiration. ASG is another Volcom Entertainment band that we’ve had a chance to tour with; they’re incredible musicians, the kind I like
to listen to as I’m going up the hill to ride. I still listen to a lot of early 80s punk rock stuff: Circle Jerks, Verbal Abuse. The guys who taught me how to skate ramps when I was a kid were turning me on to that kind of music, and it just stuck in my head as influential music. SL: You live in one of the best cities in the world for live music… JL: I think back now at the shows I’ve seen that have become legendary shows, but at the time it was just what was happening in our backyard. In hindsight, I can see how fortunate we were to have been part of that period, listening to that music. It was a small window and like anything when it burns bright, it’s destined to burn itself out. SL: I like watching stylish and more expressive tricks; to me snowboarding has evolved to where hucking is the only mission. Is there any truth to that? JL: I think it’s taken on more of a gymnastics feel, where it’s about how many times you can flip and twist. There is a place for that, but I also like to see something slowed-down, controlled and styled-out. I put more weight on a less-is-more philosophy when it comes to that. But then there are people like Travis Rice or Mark Landvik who are capable of doing both.
03/04
04/05
‘One of these days I am going to
be able to do a method like that.’
Location: Bear Mountain, CA Photo: Chris Brunkhart
08/09
10/11
SL: Do you still have the best method in the world?
SL: How do you stay so centered in such a changing industry?
JL: You know, it’s one of the easiest to do but it’s one of the hardest tricks to do right. I grew up watching guys like Steve Caballero, Shaun Palmer and Terry Kidwell. I remember a specific poster I had on my wall of Shaun Palmer doing a method at Mt. Rose, and I looked at that every day and said, ‘One of these days I am going to be able to do a method like that. What came out of that – of course when it’s digested and then regurgitated as your own individual style – is how it’s seen. If I could still do that and a nice frontside 360, boned-out, I’d be a happy man for the rest of my life.
JL: I think it just comes from where I come from, how I grew up [a cat meows in the background], and where I keep coming back to. I have some acreage in Auburn where I grew up, and I still get together with a lot of my friends I’ve had for the last 20 years.
SL: Do you still travel a lot for snowboarding? JL: Not as much as I used to, but I do get a couple of opportunities throughout the season to do some select trips, like to Europe, New Zealand, or even up to Canada. We did a trip up to Baldface Lodge [in Nelson, B.C.] at the end of last season, and that was a stoker. It left that good taste in your mouth to get you ready for the next season, with good friends, good powder, cat-boarding, and wonderful accommodations. But it doesn’t always take a helicopter or a cat to make a good trip. Growing up in Washington and having Crystal Mountain, Snoqualime, Stevens and Baker in our backyard, and with a ton of really good riders up here, we get to share some good mountains and inspire each other to ride as much as possible.
SL: What inspires you the most – music, art or snowboarding? JL: That’s a tough question, because each one holds such a different form of creative expression. Snowboarding to me is the one thing that allows me to get up into the mountains and enjoy peace, quiet, tranquility. And on a good powder day, there is nothing better.
In 1995 Christine Rasmussen became an angry intern for TransWorld Snowboarding; two years later she moved to the mountains to mimic her TWS editors and permanently morphed into a powderhound/mountain mama. She now lives in Southwest Colorado and can be found riding Silverton Mountain during unguided season and using her splitboard in between. See more of Christine Rasmussen’s work at www.writer-rasmussen.tumblr.com
Though originally hailing from the foothills of Pennsylvania, Tim moved to Killington, VT in 1997 and subsidized his passions for shooting and shredding by snapping photos of tourists as they got off the chairlifts. Three years later Tim joined the migration of East Coast riders to Mammoth and his talents, as well as those of his sideways standing subjects, grew at a rapid pace. In turn, when the world came looking for images of Danny Kass and Travis Rice, Zimmerman’s portfolio satisfied every request. Tim now calls the alpine world his office and when he is punched in and shooting on-slope, few can match the images he creates. See more of Tim Zimmerman’s work at www.timzimmerman.com
Over his storied career, photographer Chris Brunkhart has captured some of the most iconic images in snowboarding. He just compiled a collection of those images into a new book titled, “How Many Dreams in the Dark?” View photos from Chris Brunkhart’s latest book at www.gamafunction.com/dreams/
“Pick up Chris Brunkhart’s limited edition book, ‘How Many Dreams in the Dark?’ before it’s gone”
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Early Winter Urban Assault WORDS AND PHOTOS BY JUSTIN CASH
When early winter gives you lemons, you make lemonade. The Northeast was pretty lean on snow in early December, and I got a call from filmer Galin Foley and The Main Idea film crew, which includes skier Andrew Holson. They were heading to Syracuse, New York to shoot. Syracuse? Apparently the city got slammed with lake-effect snow and was ripe for an urban mission.
You be the judge. After a taste of New York, we circled back to White River Junction, Vermont to play in traffic. There we shed some light on an unlikely feature that Holson in particular straight dominated. All in all, these early-season sessions kept the stoke level high even when the snow levels were not.
See more of Justin Cash’s photography at www.justincash.com
Rampage Returns WORDS AND PHOTOS BY CHAD SPECTOR
Athlete: Yannick Granieri
At first glance, the corner of Highway 9 and Camino Del Rio in Virgin, Utah looks like little more than a dirt lot leading to yet another unrealized subdivision in the post-bubble real estate apocalypse. Over the decades, millions of people have zipped past this seemingly innocuous crossroads on their way to and from Zion National Park. But just over the bridge spanning the Virgin River is a left turn that takes you five miles up a rutted-out Jeep road to the hallowed grounds of Red Bull Rampage. Freeride mountain biking’s definitive event, the Rampage returned to Virgin this October for the first time in two years. Here, riders redefine what’s possible on a mountain bike, using natural terrain features, monster man-made jumps, and 60-foot canyon gaps. Witness the evolution of freeriding—.
WilThibaud White Athlete:Athlete: Matthieu
Athlete: Kyle Strait
Athlete: Yannick Granieri
Athlete: Alex Pro
When the dust settled a new champion was crowned—Cameron Zink—who threw a game-changing 360 to win the event and pocket the Best Trick Award. To top it off, he rode away with the 2010 Freeride Mountain Bike overall title. Click here to watch a clip of the finals Chad Spector enjoys long walks on short piers and all sorts of shiny things. He hopes to one day grow a sweet moustache and own an ice cream truck. In the meantime he continues to work as a professional photographer based in Utah. See more of his work at www.chadspector.com
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72 Hours Of Stoke
Words & Phots By Mike Horn & Justin Cash
It’s Crested Butte Mountain Resort’s 50th anniversary, there’s a new snowcat operation in town, and the backcountry calls to you from all directions. That’s a tough trifecta to beat. You’ve got three full winter days in Crested Butte, Colo. to fill up the stoke tank. Here’s how the guys in the Lab would tear it up if they had 72 Hours to burn in the ‘Butte this winter.
Photo: Justin Cash
The Mountain Manual Bell-to-bell riding at Crested Butte Mountain Resort
Wake up! Twelve inches of new overnight and the ski area is open wall-to-wall. Step out of bed right into baselayers and knee-high socks, scarf down breakfast fuel while suiting up, and race to catch the free bus to the mountain. Pull half-eaten breakfast from coat pocket and finish, surrounded by stoked riders throwing out high-fives and buzzing with anticipation. Exit bus at base area and race to the Silver Queen lift line. Wait, stretch, soak in the lift-line banter, and cheer as the pulleys are freed and chairs start spinning. Inch up to the ticket checker, pass Go and take a seat on the frosted chair as explosives rock the still morning air. The steeps will be open soon. Skate off the chair to the patrol board to see what’s open; pick your line and charge. Chase terrain openings all day. Hit après at the Avalanche Bar and Grill or hang on the decks at the Butte 66 and Brown Labrador Pub. Hit it hard, hydrate and shut it down early. Set the coffee maker on Auto for 6 a.m., you’ve got another big day ahead. www.skicb.com
“AS I TOOK OFF INTO THE PERFECTLY-UNTRACKED, WAIST-DEEP BOTTOMLESS AND BOUNCY SNOW, I COULDN’T HELP BUT IMMEDIATELY PART MY LIPS TO LET OUT A WHOOP OF ECSTASY.” —LOCAL LAUREN ALKIRE Photo: Justin Cash
AS OF FEBRUARY 18, CS IRWIN REPORTED 435 INCHES OF SNOWFALL YEAR TO DATE.
Photo: Mike Horn
Pow A La Carte Cat skiing with CS Irwin
You’re stiff and a little groggy, but the smell of fresh coffee and 20 total inches of accumulated fresh draw you up. Back into baselayers and breakfast, fill a To-Go cup with coffee and suit up. Meet the Irwin guides in town around 7, get sized up for skis or a snowboard, and climb aboard the Tucker Snowcat. The 11-mile ride takes just long enough to watch a ski movie on the flatscreen, polish goggle lenses, and finish your second cup of coffee. Step out of the Tucker and into winter wonderland, where 600 inches of snow fall on average, blanketing Irwin’s 1,000-plus acre tenure in seemingly bottomless pow. Step into the Movie Cabin for a safety briefing, then pile into the Prinoth cat and climb. Reach the ridgetop, there’s not a track to be seen. Drop in, score top-to-bottom face shots. Repeat for another 8-10 laps, with the exception of a gourmet lunch break. Tell tales of glory. Take the Tucker back to town, shower up and hit the town for dinner. Head home early, and get your backcountry kit ready for the morning. Pack plenty of water and snacks. www.csirwin.com
Cat Scratch Fever – John Bickford Boosts One Photo: Mike Horn
Travis White and Mike Horn skin into the storm
Photo: Justin Cash
Go Deeper Backcountry with Crested Butte Mountain Guides
This is remote country and it doesn’t take long to get away from it all. With all the fresh snow—it’s still snowing—you won’t be hitting the steeps but the turns will be deep regardless. Put your skins on before leaving the house, and drive to either the Crested Butte Mountain Guides’ office or the trailhead. Perform a beacon check, adjust pole lengths, and glide. Climb up through aspen and then evergreens, sweat a little, and stop above an arrow-straight untracked hallway. Then strip off skins, switch to downhill mode, swap out gloves, put on your helmet and goggles, and eye up a choice line. Listen to the guides’ direction and snowpack assessment. Let gravity take you away. Finish the tour back at the trailhead, where you happened to stash a few celebratory beers. Celebrate. Freshen up. It’s your last night so whoop it up. Eat pizza at the Secret Stash or Brick Oven, hit the Eldo, then the Talk of the Town. Remember—stoke never sleeps. www.crestedbutteguides.com
ZACH MARQUIS RISES FROM THE DEEP IN THE CBBC
Photo: Justin Cash
Photo: Dusty Demerson
No I-70 traffic, no crowds, just great skiing and riding on the best snow conditions in Colorado!
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SPREADING THE STOKE Stoked.org offers at-risk youth a fresh look, one turn at a time by Seth Mensing
Stoked.org co-founders Sal Masekela and Steve Larosiliere
ON THE LAST RUN OF A PERFECT DAY RIDING AT WHISTLER IN 2004, STEVE LAROSILIERE, AGE 35, HAD A VISION FOR THE FUTURE. HE SAW URBAN KIDS IN DANGER OF PICKING THE WRONG LIFE PATH EXPOSED TO THE POWER OF GRAVITY. THE TOOL: A SNOWBOARD. BUT MORE THAN JUST GRAVITY’S POWER OVER THE BODY, HE WANTED TO SHOW THEM THE POWER GRAVITY HAS TO PULL ON THE SOUL AND CHANGE THE COURSE OF LIFE. What started as a dream that day to take just one kid on a lift to the top of a mountain, who might never have had the chance otherwise – then watch him change with every turn on the way down – has turned into a lot more. Since starting the non-profit Stoked Mentoring more than six years ago, Larosiliere has expanded the mentorship program from his native New York City to Los Angeles and exposed more than a thousand kids to snowboarding, skating and surfing. This winter alone, Larosiliere hopes to take 500-plus “mentees” to the mountains on more than a dozen different trips.
“To take it from an idea to where it is now, it really was a labor of love,” he says. “There was sacrifice, joy, love, and it was fueled by determination.” It’s an opportunity to give some at-risk youth who lack solid role models a change of scene, a boost in confidence and a chance to get stoked about things ahead. Stokelab catches up with Larosiliere as he primes stoked.org for 2011.
SL: How long have you been involved in board/action sports? What was your first exposure like? Stoked: “I’ve skateboarded since I was a 10 year old. I was one of the few kids in my neighborhood to do so. I didn’t surf until 6 years ago and didn’t snowboard until 11 years ago. Growing up in Queens Village, NY surfing or snowboarding wasn’t part of my everyday life as it was a mainly Caribbean community. I, like the kids we serve, had limited exposure to new experiences and opportunities. It took for me to leave my immediate surroundings for me be introduced to the bigger world.” SL: Did you have a strong mentor in your life growing up? How were you first drawn to mentoring? Stoked: “I had a community of people. Not just one mentor. My family and community set really high expectations for me at a young age. I think that made a big difference for me. I was first drawn to mentoring by reading a book called “No More Prison” by Billy Wimsatt. I read it in 2003 and it changed my view on what a mentor is and what it could do not just for me, but for others. After reading the book, I called the most successful person I knew at the time and asked him to be my mentor. I then started mentoring foster kids. I eventually closed down my business to start working at the organization that I was volunteering for. I became an advocate for at-risk youth then, and still am.” SL: What has been your most gratifying mentoring experience to date? What does the model mentoring experience look like? Stoked: “One of the most gratifying mentoring experiences has to be that of a mentee named Erick. He was headed down
a path that could’ve involved, drugs, gangs, jail, or death. Sounds cliché, but a mentor named Jonathan, helped save his life. Through surfing, snowboarding, and skateboarding, he started to see that there was a world bigger than his and that in order to be happy and successful he has to make smarter choices for himself and his life. And many of them [the mentees] want to become mentors when they grow up.” SL: Talk about your collaboration with the Snow Film Festival NYC. How many kids are you going to be able to take riding at Belleayre this year? When is the trip? Stoked: “We’re aiming to take 250+ kids snowboarding at Belleayre this year. We will take slightly less that that at Snow Summit at Big Bear this year as well.” SL: When you take that trip, will it be with first time riders or kids who have been out before? Stoked: “It will be many first time riders. A lot of our kids have graduated so we’re starting with a fresh batch of mentees.” SL: What kinds of reactions do you see when kids of under-served communities get on a board for the first time? Stoked: “Many of them cannot believe that they are actually doing it. In L.A., many kids have never seen or touched snow. Imagine, never touching snow?” SL: How many Snow Mentor trips are you planning this winter? Stoked: We’ll take anywhere between 1315 trips this winter.
Writer Seth Mensing burns it at both ends in Crested Butte, Colorado, producing stories of news, outdoor adventure and all things in between. To learn more about how you can get involved with Stoked visit www.stoked.org
A Beautiful Struggle LUKE MEHALL DISHES ON THE CLIMBING LIFE
Photo: Garren Poirier
THERE I WAS BACK IN THE DISH PIT, AND 15 YEARS OF MEMORIES CAME FLOODING BACK LIKE A GOOD DISH MACHINE IN MID-CYCLE. RELUCTANTLY, THIS PAST SUMMER, I RETURNED BACK INTO THE WORLD OF WASHING DISHES AFTER MY JOB IN HIGHER EDUCATION WAS CUT DUE
TO BUDGETARY STRUGGLES. I THOUGHT I’D RETIRED AFTER A SOLID 15 YEARS IN THE PROFESSION, ONE THAT WAS MY FIRST JOB, CARRIED ME THROUGH COLLEGE AND SOME EXPERIMENTAL YEARS AFTER COLLEGE, WHEN ALL I WANTED TO DO WAS ROCK CLIMB AND LIVE IN A TENT.
THE FIRST THINGS I RECALLED WERE THE WORST; THE REALITY OF CLEANING UP PEOPLE’S LEFTOVERS; THE MEAGER PAY WITH NO BENEFITS; AND COMING TO THE REALIZATION THAT THIS WAS THE VERY SAME POSITION I HAD WHEN I WAS 16. BUT, THERE ARE SOME POSITIVES TO BEING A “DISH-DIVER”. WHILE THE WORK DOESN’T DEMAND MUCH COGNITIVE THOUGHT, THE MIND IS FREE TO FLOAT AND CONTEMPLATE LIFE. NO ONE REALLY MESSES WITH THE DISHWASHER, (AT LEAST THEY SHOULDN’T) SO YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES ARE LIMITED TO MAKING SURE THE DISHES ARE CLEAN. THE GREATEST THING ABOUT BEING A DIVER THOUGH, AT LEAST IN A MOUNTAIN TOWN, IS THE OFF-SEASON, WHEN TOURISTS ARE AWAY, THE WHOLE ECONOMY OF THE TOWN COMES TO A SCREECHING HALT, AND IF YOU’VE SAVED YOUR PENNIES YOU CAN TRAVEL AROUND. WHILE MANY OF MY FRIENDS WERE SEEKING OPPORTUNITIES IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA WITH THE NEW GREEN RUSH OF MARIJUANA HARVESTING, I OPTED FOR A MONTH-LONG TRIP AROUND THE WEST, CLIMBING AT THE PLACES THAT TEND TO BE WARM IN THE LATE FALL. ONE OF THE AREAS I ENDED UP AT WAS JOSHUA TREE, CALIFORNIA, WHERE I ONCE HAD A 100-DAY RUN OF CLIMBING AND WASHING DISHES. IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL STRUGGLE. FRESH OUT OF COLLEGE, I WAS HUNGRY FOR EXPERIENCE, AND I WAS HUNGRY. I’D PACKED EVERYTHING I OWNED INTO MY 1988 MAZDA AND HIT THE ROAD. THE TOWN OF JOSHUA TREE IS JUST OUTSIDE OF THE NATIONAL PARK; IT’S A PLACE THAT DEFINES SMALL-TOWN AMERICA, AND MY EMPLOYMENT OPTIONS FOR WASHING DISHES WERE LIMITED TO A JOINT CALLED CROSSROADS CAFÉ AND TAVERN, A PLACE POPULAR WITH CLIMBERS THAT SERVES THE BEST FOOD, THE BEST COFFEE AND THE BEST BEER IN TOWN. I WALKED IN, MET THE OWNER, AND TOLD HER I WAS THE BEST DISHWASHER
THIS SIDE OF THE MISSISSIPPI. THEY NEEDED A DISHWASHER, AND SOON, SO THEY GAVE ME A JOB RIGHT ON THE SPOT. I COULD CAMP OUT ALL WINTER AND CLIMB. I ONLY NEEDED TO WORK THREE DAYS A WEEK TO SUSTAIN MY MEAGER WANTS AND NEEDS. PLUS, THE COOKS WERE SUPPORTIVE OF MY MISSION TO BE A CLIMBING BUM, AND WOULD GIVE ME ABUNDANT LEFTOVERS. EARNING THE RESPECT OF COOKS, AS A NEWBIE DISHWASHER, IS SOMETHING THAT DOES NOT COME EASILY. THE DISH PIT ITSELF WAS A CHALLENGE THOUGH; THERE WAS NO DISHWASHING MACHINE, SO ALL THE DISHES HAD TO BE HAND-WASHED. EVERY SHIFT STARTED WITH 15–30 SLIMY, MESSY BACON TRAYS. THE DISHWASHING BECAME MORE AND MORE GRUELING AS THE NIGHT WENT ON; WASHING DISHES BY HAND IS HUMBLE WORK. BUT, AS SOON AS I’D REACH THE END OF MY PATIENCE, IT WOULD BE TIME FOR BEER AND THE SHIFT WAS ALMOST OVER, AND I’D HAVE A COUPLE DAYS OFF TO CLIMB. I THOUGHT I WAS ONTO SOMETHING THERE—THE 20-HOUR WORK WEEK—AND I PROBABLY WAS. CAMP WAS A MIXTURE OF CLIMBING BUMS AND WEEKEND WARRIORS. THE HARD CORES WORKED EVEN LESS THAN I DID, AND HAD PROBABLY ALREADY SAVED THEIR PENNIES IN THE PREVIOUS SEASON WORKING IN RESTAURANTS, CONSTRUCTION, OR MARIJUANA FARMS. THE HARD CORES WOULD THROW DANCE PARTIES ATOP 150-FOOT ROCK FORMATIONS, RUN AROUND THE DESERT NAKED, AND GENERALLY KEPT THEMSELVES ENTERTAINED. WE WOULD ALL HAVE PHILOSOPHICAL CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW TO LIVE MORE PEACEFULLY WITH NATURE, AND HOW TO CONSUME LESS.
WHEN THE WINTER WAS OVER, I WAS BURNED OUT ON THE WIND AND LIVING OUTDOORS IN THE DESERT, AND IT CAME TIME TO LEAVE JOSHUA TREE, SO I HEADED BACK TO COLORADO. MOST CLIMBERS DO THIS; JOSHUA TREE HAS ONLY A HANDFUL OF LOCALS THAT LIVE THERE YEAR-ROUND. THIS YEAR WHEN I RETURNED TO JOSHUA TREE, I STOPPED BACK INTO CROSSROADS AND SAW A COUPLE FAMILIAR FACES. IT HAD ONLY BEEN THREE YEARS, BUT NO ONE REMEMBERED MY NAME. THEY DID REMEMBER THAT I WAS, “THE DISHWASHER/WRITER GUY” THOUGH, SO THERE’S SOME CONSOLATION IN THAT. NOW, I’VE MOVED TO DURANGO TO SEE IF I CAN GET MYSELF OUT OF THE CYCLE OF WASHING DISHES TO STAY AFLOAT. HOWEVER, SOME OF MY EMPLOYMENT CONTACTS THUS FAR HAVE BEEN IN RESTAURANTS, SO WE’LL SEE IF I CAN AVOID THE PIT. ONE OF THESE EMPLOYERS EVEN ASKED FOR A RÉSUMÉ, THE FIRST TIME I’VE HAD THAT REQUEST IN 16 YEARS OF DIVING. SO I PROBABLY HAVEN’T SEEN THE LAST OF MY DAYS AS A DISH DOG. TO ALL YOU OTHER DIVERS OUT THERE, KEEP UP WITH THE SAFETY MEETINGS, AND DON’T LET THE DISHES BE ON TOP OF YOU… BE ON TOP OF YOUR DISHES. TO READ MORE OF MEHALL’S WRITING (INCLUDING THE CLIMBING ZINE) VISIT: WWW.LUKEMEHALL.BLOGSPOT.COM
VENTURE SNOWBOARDS ZEPHYR-R SPLITBOARD $895 I like a snowboard that drives turns and holds fast through thick and thin. Especially riding in the backcountry, where most turns are mandatory. Venture’s all-mountain Zephyr-R is rockered at the tip and tail and has flat camber between the bindings. Unlike some rockered boards, the Zephyr-R doesn’t drift loosely around corners—Venture’s formula provides edging power AND powerful float. This board is available in splitboard and solid board versions so you can be on the same stick inbounds and out.
“Venture’s formula provides edging power AND powerful float.”
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JONES SNOWBOARDS SOLUTION SPLITBOARD $799 If you haven’t seen Teton Gravity Research’s snowboard film, “Deeper”, than you are missing out. Seriously. It shows you where freerider Jeremy Jones’ head is these days— deep in the backcountry. Jones launched his own board company this year, and the Solution splitboard is his answer for backcountry riding. The Solution is essentially a split version of Jones’ Flagship snowboard. It features directional rocker with camber underfoot, and has Magne-Traction sidecut on all four edges. That combo equals killer float in pow and beastly edgehold on hard snow. Problem solved.
“Magne-Traction sidecut on all four edges.”
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BURTON IMPERIAL $279.95 Burton’s R&D team continues to make game-changing improvements in snowboard technology. With some voodoo magic and innovation, they’ve been shrinking down the boot collections’ overall footprint, which reduces each boot’s profile by a whole size. For example, a size 10 still fits like a 10, but its footprint is a 9. That reduction allows riders with bigger feet to ride narrower boards and eliminate toe drag, and even drop down a whole binding size in some cases. I have a US10.5, and was able to drop from a large to medium binding in these boots. The Imperial is equipped with a grippy Vibram sole, and at 7 out of 10 on the support scale, it’s got a versatile flex for tackling all-mountain everything.
“Versatile flex for tackling all-mountain everything.”
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ROSSIGNOL S7 FREERIDE $799.95 I don’t know if I’ve ever heard more buzz surrounding a ski. All winter, from lift rides to après, people can’t stop talking about the S7 and how it’s “changed their skiing” and flat out “just makes skiing easier and more fun.” A true game-changer in every sense of the word, the S7 utilizes Rossi’s AmpTek technology to get the most out of rocker at the tip and tail and camber underfoot. The S7 also features reverse sidecut technology—a spatula tip and pin tail, and regular sidecut directly under the foot. These skis do it all, and do it better. Sizes(CM): 168/178/188/195
“Just makes skiing easier and more fun.”
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SALOMON QUEST 12 $549.95 You are the type of skier that seeks out soft snow any chance you get but 80% of the time you spend in-bounds skiing the sides of the trail and glades. When the fresh fluff is all skied off you like to rip top-to-bottom runs from first chair to last call. With the new Salomon Quest 12 Alpine Touring Ski Boots, you can access the entire mountain while still maintaining an incredible boot for downhill skiing. Built with the ability to change on the fly from a stiff downhill boot to a walk/hiking boot, these are your ticket into the backcountry. Flex and Fit: The flex rating is 120, so when they are not in walk-mode the Quest boots are stiff and responsive. The 101mm forefoot width provides lots of room in the toe box. Liner: Salomon pro model CustomFit boot liners mold to your feet and feature Biovent technology to keep your feet warm and dry all day long. Extras: The Quest Touring Pads also are compatible with safety touring bindings from: Fritschi, Marker, and Rossignol.
“An alpine touring boot that works equally well going uphill as it does skiing downhill.”
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FRENDS HEADPHONES CLASSIC $60 The finer things in life are better when shared with friends, and music is no exception. Thus the Frends Crew—made up of riders Mason Aguirre, Jack Mitrani, Danny Davis, Scotty Lago, Luke Mitrani, Kevin Pearce, Mikkel Bang and Keir Dillon; surfers Conner Coffin, Mitch Coleborn, Warren Smith, and Benji Weatherly; and a bunch of DJ’s—bring us an inspired line of headphones and earbuds. The 2010-11 line includes the Classic and Alli ‘phones, and The Coupe and The Clip ‘buds. Stay tuned for the shred-friendly Classic Lite for 2011-12, as well as a collab with Dragon eyewear.
“The finer things in life are better when shared with friends.”
The Classic
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SOG PARATOOL $93.25 I’ve fixed busted ski poles and carved up backcountry snacks in the same day with my trusty old multitool, when nothing else would have gotten the job done. It’s true, multi-tools are a dime-a-dozen these days, and most have the same features built in—blades, pliers, screwdriver bits, a file, can/bottle opener and so on. SOG’s Paratool packs all those features into a polished steel package, but adds one unique feature, the ability to angle the pliers from 140º to 180º for hard to reach spaces. At 6.2 oz. it’s an afterthought in your pack or pocket, until you need it.
“It’s an afterthought in your pack or pocket, until you need it”
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RESTOCKING THE STOKE FOR
ISSUE NO4, COMING SPRING 2011
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