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THE BLOCK Gets Wild on G4 Tonight!

Vivid Video Girls Check-In...You Need to Check it Out!

January 29, South Lake Tahoe, CA- THE BLOCK reality show on the G4 Network is pushing the envelope with tonight's "Vivid Girls" episode. If you have not started watching this snowboarder documentary-style reality show, now's the time.

The Vivid Video room at THE BLOCK Hotel has long been the hotel's most requested signature room. "The Vivid room is popular, no doubt, really popular...but with padded walls, a stripper pole, and enough Vivid videos to feed a small country, it makes sense to me," says Liko Smith, Managing Owner of THE BLOCK Hotels. "Naked Vivid girls, grown men and women getting paddled, just another day at THE BLOCK...you don't want to miss this episode," he finishes.

QUICK FACTS:
When: TONIGHT
Where: Use this link to find your exact station and time slot based on zip code: http://www.g4tv.com/channel.aspx
Time: 10pm (EST) / 9pm (CST) / 8pm (MST) / 7pm (PST)

Visit http://www.g4tv.com/theblock/index.html to learn more about tonight's episode, as well as see some exclusive scenes.

THE BLOCK Hotels are "The World's First Snowboarder Hotels," created by Professional Snowboarder Marc Frank Montoya and Las Vegas Hotelier Liko S. Smith. The Group owns THE BLOCK at Tahoe in South Lake Tahoe, CA and THE BLOCK at Big Bear in Big Bear Lake, CA. The hotels have been featured on MTV, Fuel, The Learning Channel, CNN, and countless magazines including articles in Penthouse (November 2005 Issue), YRB Magazine (November 2005), and VIBE (December 2005 Issue), as well as being featured in Inc. Magazine as one of the trends to watch for 2005. Smith and Montoya plan to open 20 locations within the next 5 to 7 years.

The hotels feature the most inventive rooms in the hotel industry, "Signature Suites" by companies such as DVS Shoe Co, Transworld Snowboarding Magazine, Jones Soda Co, Zoo York, SPY Optic, Napster, Nikita clothing, Bear Mountain Resort, Boost Mobile, Vestal Watches and others. There is also a "Liberty Lounge" by Liberty Board Shop of Southern California in Big Bear and the NJB Lounge in Lake Tahoe by NJB Clothing. Poker rooms exist at both hotels created by Delta 9 and Season Five clothing companies respectively.

All guests receive free energy drinks, energy bars, Pabst Blue Ribbon (21+), popcorn, DVD movies, and PS2 games, as well as free wi-fi access and board waxing in a personal waxing room created by BLUEBIRD Wax. All rooms come equipped with Gravity Suspension Racks, PS2 game consoles, boot/glove dryers, cordless phones and ipod compatible mini boom boxes and 56" Widescreen HD Televisions (Big Bear), as well as original wall art photography by Burton Principal Photographer Dean "Blotto" Gray, Technine Photographer Ethan Fortier, and Snowboard Industry Photographer Andy Wright.

More information can be obtained at www.theblockhotels.com.

Investors include Professional Snowboarders Travis Parker, Mikey LeBlanc, Joni Malmi, Jussi Oksanen, JJ Thomas, Kurt Wastell, Chris Coulter, and Devun Walsh and professional skateboarder Rob Dyrdek, as well as other industry veterans such as Dean "Blotto' Gray, Ethan Fortier, Travis Wood, Stan Yu, Carter Katz, Brock Heckman, Scott Heckman, Doug Harley and Andy Wright.

THE BLOCK: a Snowboard Hotel chain created, "For Snowboarders, By Snowboarders."

G4 Respect!

I hoped that G4 would be able to find some good content instead of misconstruing stories like all of the mainstream reality shows do. I just saw the Block Party 2006 content and they made the HEART of that event look really bad by making it seem like he blew it. The reality of the situation was that someones ego got in the way of a perfectly set up event that would have gone fine without that someone showing up. G.H. did something that will never be able to be replicated in a snowboard event, that is a fact!

Respect!

Television Has Too Much Drama

To set the record straight, I had a long conversation with Kevin Kearns from The Block tonight regarding "The Block Party" episode. It's true that there was some controversial behavior by all parties involved with the event, and all in all, it did not go quite as planned. Whether it was Gary's fault or not is something only he can truly answer. As we strive to maintain objectivity and journalistic integrity at SNOWBOARD, I am keeping my personal love for Gary and for The Block out of it. At this point, the only thing I’d like to add is a few quotes from Marc Frank Montoya himself, acquired the day after the event:

“I got good friends, they make shit happen for me. I trip out everyday on how shit works out. The Visionaries came thru, MYG my old school homie coming down all the way from Oregon. It’s really all thanks to Gary for doing such a good job with the whole event. We just hired the right dude. I don’t know what happened between him and my partner…but I think he did a good job. I just have all the right friends to support me and make shit happen.”

“With me and Liko, it’s the perfect combination. I’m the snowboarder guy and have all the ideas, but I don’t know how to run a hotel. He’s the hotel guy that doesn’t know shit about snowboarding. It’s good because he’s not trying to snowboard and be down with the whole scene.”

“I wanna thank all my friends for coming out; Gary and Janae and all the sponsors for making my life wonderful. I got your back.”

—MFM

Fight for the little guy - Read SNOWBOARD Magazine!

It's all good.

I just wanted to make sure that despite G4 making it look as if Gary was the one to blame there were many other factors coming into play.
He is the man and is one of the best even coordinators that I have ever seen work because of his professionalism, charisma and strong connections. I hope he takes this tallent and continues to do events.

Thanks for the positive vibes Pancho and all the people involved did a great job. Big ups to Janae, who always pulls through and is such a large asset in the industry.

As was trying to say before, The Block PArty will go down in history as one of the best snowboard events ever!

No Doubt

Thanks for speaking out.

Fight for the little guy - Read SNOWBOARD Magazine!

g4

first off.g4 is gay its quite possibly the gayest station on tv besides the actual gay channel.2nd the block hotel is ummm allright,i didnt see the episode with gary.but i know that liko is basically selling out snowboarding(not that it hasnt already)but he is doing a damn good job at taking it further. G4 doesnt know shit about true snowboarding neither does liko,they dont know what its like to ride deep powder or drop cliffs or non of that shit.They are just trying to make scrilla off of us and exploit us. anyways it all comes down to money. g4 is gay. and well the block is leaning that way too.

www.estatefitteds.blogspot.com

Get that dirt off your shoulder...Real heads unite!

Yo everyone, I just wanted to say thanks for all the love and kind words.

THE BLOCK blew the contest portion of the party, I set up the contest/party.

The Block had a truely perfect opportunity to shine and show up strong for snowboarders and there people that -they chose to do the work that they could not do.

It is a pity that the game gets twisted like that!
I put on the best party in snowboarding period!
All involved know that i stopped at nothing to try to place all the peices together perfectly..Such a shame that THE BLOCK was not able to execute the contest due to Liko personally making a incredible scene the night before the contest and not showing up with any BLOCK staff to execute their party!
I was there AT 545 AM . NO ONE ELSE WAS.
I am a contractor paid to coordinate the BLOCK PARTY.

It is not my hotel OR SHOULD I to have to carry the weight of the event being a flop or a great time.
After all is said and done- I am proud of my work and will not particpite in the negative drama that G4, The Block owners or any other critic may direct towards me.

I am way to highly evolved to let this twisted projection or interpretation affect me, or my professional life.
ALL YOU muffuckas know How I roll, and thats deep!

Its too bad that after all these strides that snowboarding has made in the last years, it takes a couple gay skier TV fags to really try to spin it for drama and their benefit. G4 is gay!

And to end this rant.... If you owned the Hotel wouldnt you want to portray all things that you do in a positive light and show appreciation and gratitude for the work that was done? and also take care of your sponsors and partners?? i ask them this!

Not how I would show my brand in a broad audience arena....

I feel bad for Marco that he has to deal with that type of steamroller behavior that does not take the best interest of THE BLOCK investors, let alone snowboarding as a sport to heart before the final edits are done!

mY TRUE HOMIES---
Hit me up.... You cant keep an OG down- try as they may..

I am so far better than those who cannot even armchair quarterback a simple sponsorship opportunity and follow thru with like passion!
Respect to the real snowbaorders out there that show love and karma will abash the leeches and haters and ball latchers out there, God knows there are many as you can already see!

G H

Whatever Gary

I'm one of the producers of "The Block" on G4. In his rant, Gary eloquently describes me as a "gay skier TV fag." I’m writing to set the record straight. The truth of the matter is I don’t ski. And as Gary’s mom can attest, I’m no fag either. (Sorry son – you asked for it).

As a reality producer, I expect a certain amount of blowback from subjects who feel they’ve been unfairly portrayed. I actually go to great lengths to portray people and events honestly and fairly. But you can’t please everyone. Especially when they make an ass of themselves on national television and blame you for not “fixing it in post.”

If you didn’t insult me and my work, Gary, I would have left you to spin the story however you like. The truth of the matter is I like you personally and I’m sure, under different circumstance, you’re pretty good at your job. But you did insult me. So I have no choice but to retort. The fact of the matter is: you didn’t show up to your own event. Our cameras were rolling. Your freaked-out coworkers who had to clean up your mess weren't coached or scripted. That was all real. Sorry pal. Deal with it. I don’t care to speculate as to the reason(s) for your unfortunate absence. But that absence is a matter of record. Period. So spin it however you like. But the fact remains.

And, in the future, I’ll thank you to leave aside my sexual proclivities and my co-producer’s misguided preference in wintertime leisure activity. Thanks.

✠™

Living in the UK i dont have the pleasure or misfortune to have G4TV, but thanks to the power of the interweb i was able to watch it on you tube.

All i can say is this - what place has this shit is snow shredding ? Look at the hate peeps is spitting at each other over this crap,this is what happens when we invite f++knutz TV companies and Sposors looking to whore us out to promote their shitty energy drink, reality tv show or UV Stomp pad into our sport.

I aint never been to the block,and aint likely too unless they open one over in eurodisney, but the concept is a good one and its good to see a major player like MFM putting some love back into a sport that has given him so much. I doubt whether he would have agreed to this program if he new it was going to turn out like an episode of Laguna Beach.

Likewise Likko or whatever your name is you may be a fly mother but that shit was editited up to make you look like the kind of chap i would rather see running sunset strip clubs rather than meddling with our shit - or maybee thats just how you are, but thats how it came across.I mean Vivid girls - what the f++k have a bunch of dirty ass hoe's from LA got to do with snowboarding, i dont know maybee one of them got balls deep with Sanders or the Palm back in the day but apart from that i see no connection

I felt sorry for Gary, it was clear that the groundwork had not been done by others before h rocked up, and i wouldnt be suprised if Likko had ome say\approval over the editing - i can tell from the pics of you rolling heavy scooter style at SIA that you aint one to drop the ball.

Having just watched the promo for the Craig Kelly documentary it makes me sad to look at this shit - anyway since when in shredding has sh!t ever gone to plan, you stick a bunch of young high rollers in that enviroment and shit is going to kick off !!

We are what we are because those who went before us like Kidwell,Sanders, The Farm and of course Mr Palmer and many others (solid mfg) stuck their middle fingers up at those who looked down on us and if those who once spurned us want to dance with the sport they once saw as the devil they deserve to get burnt.

Go watch the Let it Ride teaser and listen to Craig Kelly;s answser when he is asked if he thinks snowboarding is an escape from reality.

Burn that answer into you heart, mind and soul, and get up early at the weekend and find the nearest bit of snow and lay down a big ol turn in his memory and realise that this TV program is bullshit and anything that causes the good citizens of SB-M.com feel like this aint worthy of our time money or attention

Eski-fukin-Mofo out