Photos: Colin Maycher

This past weekend Snowbird played host to the inaugural North Face Masters big mountain snowboarding contest. You may have read the press release posted here yesterday but just in case here’s what really went down.

Things were supposed to get started on Saturday, however, due to low to no visibility the comp was pushed to Sunday… a good call to say the least. Can you say “bluebird”? As the clouds broke over night we were graced with a cloudless mid-winter day with temp’s uncharacteristically warm for the Wasatch. One thing though–all the fresh snow that fell the past few days was ripped into oblivion courtesy of the gale force winds that came through over night. This meant the riders had to step it up. Ripping this kind of terrain in Utah pow is one thing; dealing with a wind-scoured moonscape is another. Some were able to adjust; some got adjusted them damn selves.

PHOTOS: JEFF CURLEY

Maybe you have, maybe you haven’t... been paying attention that is. Hopefully you’ve been too busy GETTING IT to care, yet it is my job to post these little nuggets from time to time and show the powers that be that I have been working... if I dare to call it that. Anyways, as the cold rush of winter came about a month ago I made with tradition and “got the f out of Dodge.” The truth is, sometimes I can’t cope with all the shenanigans that go on in snowboarding; at the resorts, within the industry, the parties... everywhere! Easy there, it's not that serious duder! I know what snowboarding IS, at least for myself, and I’ve put enough time in that I can't go on letting some punter tell me what’s cool, name drop, or just pose so damn hard as to tear-gas me with laughter. In a way it’s easy to ignore but at the same time it's almost impossible to avoid, so with the fortunate position that I’m in I’d rather not deal with any of it, run to the hills and pursue what I believe to be the purest form of this whole business–shredding with my best friends, exploring new areas and living out all of my winter days to the fullest, with little thought of any scene or what anyone thinks for that matter.

Photos: Jeff Curley

After months of work, often frustrating emails and a whole lot of patience it’s pretty surreal to think that we are finally here at Chatter Creek. Going into this with little idea of what was really in store, coupled with the fact that we were meeting up with someone that in my opinion represents a side of snowboarding that very few can actually understand (myself included), my nerves were beginning to burn down to their very endings. I tell you what though, all of that went out the window a couple of days ago when the fantasy of visiting a place that is by definition “Heaven on Earth” became a reality–that, and the bonus that Johan O is more that just a f*cking ripper, he’s one of the nicest and funniest dudes you are ever to come across.

As if these pictures don’t speak for themselves, I should warn you that it is DEEEEEP out here. Deeper in fact than any of us have dealt with in a long time. If I ever had to DEAL with something though, this would be it!

PHOTOGRAPHER: JEFF CURLEY!!!!

Snipers! Johan O and Nate D

I really don’t know where to begin with this one. I am basically on the verge of ripping all of my hair out–screaming wild stoked!

We are up here at Chatter Creek Lodge, deep in the bush of BC putting together something special for ya... and Holly Hanna is it deep! The Arctic Weasel, Golden Boy Justin Baun, Aaron Hanlon (huffs paint), point and clicker Jeff Curley, along with this OTHER dude showed up yesterday with an uncertain certainty that this was going to be one of those trips that will probably ruin the rest of your life because you will end up living the rest of it trying to top it. By the looks of it we were right. My friends, I'm not afraid to tell it's hot and heavy; what is happening, as we speak, is one of the best things to happen to snowboarding in a very, very long time. This OTHER guy I speak of is none other than

So last weekend Kicking Horse opened for the season, then they closed for the rest of the week...only because they opened a week earlier than their proposed opening date. How could they, they just let everyone look at the heaps of snow and not give them at least a tease? So they cranked the gondy for a couple days. Now they are ready to fire it off officially with the resort in full operation from here on out starting Friday–needless to say I’m there. Actually I AM here, have been for a week now, bidding these last few days until I can pony up and ride the Horse like a stallion. In the meantime, here's what we've been up to...

Photos: Jeff Curley

I have only been here a few days and I have to tell you, it just feels right. Yeah, the snow is deep and the terrain is... well, I like it... but there’s something else up here. If you have done any kind of traveling you know that each different city, town or region you visit has its own vibe. Some give you that dismal ‘WTF feeling’ that make you wonder what in the hell really happens out there. Others make you feel kind of weird and excited to explore and see what the place has to offer, while some places, as soon as you set foot on that local snow immediately tell you, “Yep, this is the spot.”

Well my friends, this is the spot–for me at least. The interior of British Colombia is so isolated, with so many mountain ranges that you could spend a lifetime riding a different line and not even scratch the surface. So that’s our mission; start scratching. Over the next few weeks I hope that you enjoy Curley’s photos and my words documenting this whole experience.

This week local Justin Baun has been taking us around Kicking Horse country hunting down and riding such places. The thing is you don’t have to go far.... all these photos were shot about a five minute hike from the top of the ski hill.

It was enchanting to say the least.

Our hike up to the zone was good and sketchy with an even mixture of hidden holes and razor ice.

"Was it worth it?"–BAUN

"It always is."–N8

Preparing for the shot you won't see... on the web.

Baun showing the power of the Skate Banana.

So this was good. I mean it was real good, but like I said we're just scratching the surface. You are going to want and stay tuned here because there are some big things looming on the immediate horizon.... real big.

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So I packed up Beatown on Friday evening.... a cool 21 hours later I was there–Golden, BC for the opener at Kicking Horse and the sweet, sweet snow of the interior. Quite a drive just to hit opening day but here's the thing–I'm stoked that the rest of the country finally is starting to get snow and beleive me, I was very temped to bounce on over to So Co (not to be confused with the far less epic So Cal) but this zone had already received two meters over the past 3 weeks and I just couldn't deny that. With all that snow pilling up over the last few weeks, I guess you could say the resort was looking "minty".

Photographer and good friend Jeff Curley met me up in homegrown hero Justin Baun's garage late friday evening for some early season business–Canadian style. Curley agreed with me that we weren't about to be bothered with something as time oriented as taking photos, so my friends, this here is no Superpost... it is but a prelude. Today was all about getting right after it, early season, game face, full winter attack mode style. Tomorrow we are going to get into some backcounty hikes off the ridges there on the mountain and try to, forgive me for using the lamest phrase in all of snowboarding, "Get shit done." Here's what it looked like today though...

"Go back to Alberta," Justin says.

So baked.

The ride up

Still, so baked...dude I just drove one day of my life away. More like burnt. Wait, cashed. No, cooked. Whatever... I was baked.

From the top of CPR ridge.

Ave Perry strait-lining some of the more mellow (seriously) in bounds terrain

Ave looking on....

Looking out on the valley towards the end of the day.

Conquestatory brews.

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“It was dangerous lunacy, but it was also the kind that a real connoissuer of edge work could make and argument for.”–Excerpt from Fear and Loathing…

The assignment: Go to Las Vegas and see the Deadly Seven.

The real assignment: Don’t die.

The reason: Preparation for the SIA trade show.

The real reason: It's Vegas, you don't need a reason.

As of yesterday the ridiculous announcement came that the Vegas trade show, sometimes called the SIA trade show will be held in Denver starting in 2 years. WTF? How can you have the Vegas trade show in Denver? That’s like a vegetarian that only eats meat! That’s like a snowboarder who skis! Unfortunately people, there is nothing we can do about it, so we need to make these next two years count. As one who sees the value in bringing the pain to a new level we here at SNOWBOARD are going to guide you through the end of an era.

This is what happens when you are conceived in a van down by the river.

If you don't know about Pollstar you should check them out. Enter a band, they'll tell you where they're playing, enter a city they'll tell you who's playing there.Plan out your summer concert series, spend all your money, go into winter flat broke....

For more info, click www.pollstar.com.