Three of our favorite things in the world: Portland at dusk, Guitar Hero and Gary…all found at the new and improved DDC. Yes, we’re finally back in Portland making mags once again, far away from that pressure cooker of an office in Boulder. Oh how we’ve missed what makes SNOWBOARD great. Drapin’s insulting banter, Gary the factory floor sentinel and all the little things that the Great Northwest brings. Beautiful weather, fragrant greenery and style for days. Simply put—friends, family and fun. Chris Prosser from Atmosphere stumbling around downtown afterhours, the Airblaster boys stopping to give us summer updates from Mt. Hood and longtime DDC assistant Eric Lovejoy patiently holding us down with countless clipping path hours logged at his desk. God, so much better than the frat infested, yuppie ass, trustafarian-filled Pearl St.

At the start of production season number five (hard to believe), we’re all grown up with a fully staffed editorial office in Colorado and a production house in Portland, courtesy of Draplin and his new venture Wilderness. The DDC recently teamed up with fellow designer extraordinaires Goo and Nakamoto to form a beast of a design firm and rented out an impressive loft space in the renovated industrial landmark B & O Warehouse, now the Olympic Mills Conference Center. Filled with other creative types like artists, web dudes and architects, and sportin' one helluva view, it’s the perfect place to get inspired. I can even skate down the concrete floored hall to the bathroom. Basically, it’s just fuckin’ dope. To spice things up a bit, I quickly grabbed Guitar Hero III with a couple axes off Craigslist and we cranked it up to 11, even convincing Draplin to give it a shot.

Gary’s stoked to have us all back, Draplin already can’t wait for us to leave and I’m just glad to be home. Pages are getting made and the Buyer’s Guide is going to be sick. As we kick off another season of SNOWBOARD, we all want to give a big shout out to everyone for all the love and support over the last four years…we could not have done it without you. From our loyal advertisers to our faithful subscribers; our new partners and daily web site readers; past employees and new hires; and to anyone that’s ever picked up a copy of the mag—Thank You.