Snowboarding Blog

If you've ever struggled to put together a string of creative tricks in the park, Snow Dice for iPhone and Android mobile devices is for you! Developed by Ted Bendixon of Send It! Apps, the app randomly selects from a variety of tricks to dictate a three-jump sequence. Why three tricks? Because Ted doesn't mess around. "I've built it for hitting the top three jumps in Park Lane in Breckenridge, so it links three jump tricks together."

The app possesses some intelligence - it knows you have to go switch into the next jump if you landed the previous jump switch - and users can tweak the settings to have certain types of tricks come up more often (i.e., Rodeos, Misties, Corks, or minimum and maximum spins). For only 99 cents, you and your friends can now spend less time bickering over what tricks would look dope on film, and spend more time actually perfecting that Beef Curtain grab you always forget exists. The app also works for rail tricks, meaning it's not just for those that prefer to spend their time in the air.

To download the app, hit up either the iTunes store or the Android App store, or visit the Snow Dice blog.

With spring doing all it can to make its presence known (I even played golf this week), the question on many snowboarder's minds, at least in the Northeast, is this: "Which resorts are still open?" Fortunately, there are a handful of mountains still open for lift-served snowboarding!

In Vermont, some of the resorts in the northern part of the state are still open - namely Jay Peak and Sugarbush. Killington is also open, with plans to offer skiing and snowboarding into early May. Elsewhere in the region, Sunday River and Sugarloaf are also open, with plans to continue offering skiing and snowboarding for another week or two.

Spring snowboarding is the reward for persevering through a long, cold, often harsh winter season. The snow is plentiful, the air is warm, and the sunshine is stronger than it has been in months. Get out and make some turns while the opportunity presents itself!

Spring snow is great - soft and forgiving - but it can also be slow and sticky, which is where high quality spring wax comes into play. Spring waxes are hydrophobic, meaning they repel water, allowing the base of your snowboard to glide freely regardless of the water content of the late season snow. Due to their unique properties, spring waxes tend to wear off faster than mid-winter waxes, requiring frequent "touch-ups" and reapplication throughout the day. If you find your snowboard sticking to the snow, odds are it's time to reapply the wax!

I was going to blog today about the various types of spring snowboard wax, all of which are designed to help your snowboard glide better over soft, wet, mushy spring snow...but then I thought back to the runs I took this weekend in Vermont, and realized that while it's here on the calendar, in reality, spring has yet to arrive in the mountains!

My home mountain, Okemo Mountain Resort in Vermont, was still 100% open on Sunday, April 3^rd! Think about that...it's time for April showers to bring May flowers, yet we're still snowboarding ALL over the mountain. We're in the bumps. We're in the halfpipe. We're in the trees. Suffice to say, it's been a great season!

Most of the major resorts in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine are planning on staying open through April 17^th, with Sunday River in Maine spinning the lifts through April 24^th. The season's not over just yet!

It's that time of year again, folks! Okemo Mountain Resort in Ludlow, Vermont is hosting their 3rd Annual Joey Jam (disclosure: I may have had a hand in creating this event), a springtime celebration of all things Joey. The event goes off on Saturday, March 26^th at 11 a.m.

What's a Joey, you ask? A Joey is one of those more conspicuous participants in skiing and snowboarding. A Joey is someone who, through no fault of their own, acts as entertainment for the more seasoned veterans of our respective sports. Basically, a Joey is a clueless, sometimes dangerous but always well-intentioned skier or snowboarder who has yet to learn the finer points of mountain etiquette. There...that wasn't too offensive, was it?

Okemo's Joey Jam finds youth and adult participants being judged on their outfit, persona, and ability (or lack thereof) on the Joey course - a series of small, easy terrain features. An all star cast of local judges will decide who takes home the adult crown, with first prize this year being a 1987 Kawasaki JS550 stand-up jet ski. What a jet ski has to do with being a Joey, I don't even want to speculate upon!

The adult event is open to the first 50 participants to register. Registration runs from 8-10 a.m. in the Clock Tower Base Lodge. For more information, visit www.okemo.com.

As the snow begins to melt in some areas of the country, many snowboarders attention begins to turn to warm weather activities like hiking, biking, golf, or the long-dreaded yard work. I'm here, however, to tell you that these things can wait! As winter officially winds down, now is the time to enjoy warmer days, less crowded slopes, cheaper lift tickets and accommodations, and the always entertaining slate of spring activities at your local resort!

Spring snow, softened by the sun and warmer air, is often referred to as "hero snow," because it makes everyone ride like an expert. Resorts in the Rockies and New England will likely stay open through mid-April, giving us another solid month of riding! And, of course, there are the previously mentioned spring activities - wacky events like pond skimming, cardboard box races, costume contests - the list is practically endless. And don't forget the joys of a freshly grilled hamburger on a sun-splashed deck, either. Spring is the time for long, leisurely lunches on the slopes!

So avert your gaze from your golfclubs, throw a nice coat of spring wax on your snowboard and get out on the slopes for the next few weekends!

The vaunted U.S. Open, arguably the most prestigious event on the competitive snowboarding circuit, returns to Stratton this week for the 29th year in a row. Held from March 7^th through the 12^th, the Open is the pinnacle of the snowboarding season, as well as the penultimate event in the Burton Global Open Series. The top female and male riders in the Global Open Series will each be awarded $100,000 this weekend.

The events schedule is jam packed, and sets up like this:

- Wednesday, March 9: Men's and Women's Slopestyle Semifinals.

- Thursday, March 10:  Men's and Women's Halfpipe Semifinals.

- Friday, March 11: Men's and Women's Slopestyle Finals, and Men's and Women's Rail Jam.

- Saturday, March 12: Men's and Women's Halfpipe Finals.

In addition, music concerts and a sponsor village will be setup throughout the week, offering prizes and other giveaways. For more information, visit the U.S. Open website.

Another holiday period is upon U.S. snowboard resorts, as the President's Week holiday has arrived. Conditions across the country are fantastic, with deep powder available out west and excellent packed powder surfaces reigning at eastern resorts. With many schools having vacation this week, it's a great time to get out as a family and  make some turns!

Many resorts are ramping up their events schedule this week -  in Vermont, Okemo Mountain Resort is holding its annual Torchlight parade this evening, while Killington and Mt. Snow will be putting on similar displays, along with fireworks, later in the week. The weather forecast looks favorable, with light snow interspersed with days of sunshine and moderate temperatures!

I've taken the About.com Snowboarding show on the road this week to snowy Steamboat Springs, Colorado, home of Steamboat ski area. I'd like to think I picked the right week - we've received over THIRTY inches of snow since we arrived on Saturday! The snowboarding has been out of this world fantastic, some of the best riding I've ever experienced.

Thanks to a connection through my local ski club, my friends and I have been able to enjoy guided mountain tours with Steamboat's Over the Hill Gang, which offers guided ambassador services for skiers and riders over the age of 50. This service has proved invaluable, as it's taken the guesswork out of navigating our way around the mountain and given us access to the true locals stashes of powder! Look for full reviews of Steamboat and the Over the Hill Gang upon my return later in the week!

Although we've been enjoying our fair share of snow on the East Coast, I'm excited to say I'll be heading west tomorrow morning! That's right folks, I'm taking the About.com Snowboarding tour on the road to Steamboat for the next seven days. Steamboat, located in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, has already picked up over 260" of snow this season, with more forecasted to fall throughout the next seven to ten days!

Home to legendary U.S. Olypmian Billy Kidd, along with a top notch training program for the Olympians of tomorrow, Steamboat is world renowned for deep, light powder and fantastic tree skiing and riding. Be sure to check back throughout the week for daily reports as I explore the mountain!