Women's Snowboarding Magazine Concept

Focus on: STANCE

by Brittney Banning

The film “Stance”, will be released on Oct. 1, 2009. It is the only women’s snowboard film released in 2009. It was created by Jeremy Miller and Stan Evans, saying the idea came up when they noticed a gap in the market. Backcountry and women’s snowboarding was lacking in the snowboarding film industry. They wanted to incorporate the lifestyle element of snowboarding and deepen the perspective of the film.

The company Runway, which usually comes out with a women’s snowboard film each year didn’t make one for 2009. Miller says making a snowboard film about women, to be profitable, “requires new innovative solutions in a very fast-paces,

changing media world.” In a male-dominated sport it can be difficult to market a women’s snowboard film.

Miller and Evans did something different. They decided to distribute the film online for free, drawing profit from advertising.

Women featured were riders Gretchen Bleiler, Jenny Jones, Hana Beaman, Lisa Filzmoser, Raewyn Reid, Kimmy Fasani and Torah Bright. It was shot in Utah, Jackson Hole, Aspen and Mammoth.

The women featured and the sole making of this film are an exposition of the progression of women in the sport itself. “Stance,” which showcases backcoutnry and park riding, is definitely worth a viewing.

One word:

Progression

In 2000, Snowboarding was the fastest-growing sport in the US, with the number of enthusiasts rising to more than 7.2 million.

In 2007, Roxy produced the first all-women’s ski and snowboard film. According to a 2008-2009 report by Transworld Business, 1 in 5 adult snowboards sold were made specifically for women.

Jeremy Miller films Gretchen Bleiler, who was one of the featured riders.

The ART of Snowboarding

From film to fashion, snowboarding is making a statement

by Brittney Banning

Snowboarding is more than just a sport. It’s an expression of art. From the ever-changing trends, the multi-neon pink, purple and blue jacket paired with stark white pants down the design and make on and of the board itself, along with the double perforated brown chrome lens of a zebrastriped pair of goggles.

Aesthetically, architecturally, socially, expressionistically, snowboarding is an art. From it a new language has developed. Parks and pipes have been designed just for snowboarders. Not to mention jibs, kickers and rails, or even the performance of the sport itself. If ballet is an art, why not snowboarding?

There are few sports out there that can cite such rapid development after recent emergence into existence. The first claimed snowboard to be manufactured came out in the 1970s. Since then the sport has progressed intensely, developing into it’s own culture.

Snowboard magazines and films are among this new trend, furthering snowboarding as an art in and of itself. Even Hollywood caught on, featuring snowboarding in the James Bond flick “A View to Kill.”

Snowboarding began as a maledominated sport and has continued that way, but along with the art scene among men’s snowboard designs, fashion, magazines and films there has been a growing trend among women. The women’s scene is slowly emerging, with the likes of Roxy and Billabong brands featuring women’s-only snowboards, snowboard boots, binding and gear.

Instead of simply featuring one or two women, recent films have been highlighting all women casts. Films like “Float,” and, more recently, “Stance.”

It’s refreshing to see a sport that has been so capable of embracing women, and snowboarding as an