Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

5/16/13

Beverly, MA -- Endicott College student Justin Velasquez will officially be launching his blog, “Shredding from State to State” on Friday, May 17^th at noon. This blog will cater primarily to east coast snowboarders and skiers. It features content that applies to all age ranges; there is a “how to” for children and editorials for teenagers and adults.

The blog creator, Justin Velasquez, has been snowboarding for four years. He is a knowledgeable source for information about the sport. He lives in Maine, therefore he has the chance to ride prime winter terrain during the snow season.

You will be able to see the creator’s unique personality through his blog posts. “When I was asked to make a blog for a college course,” Justin Velasquez said, “Snowboarding was the first thought that popped into my head.”

This blog contains posts that are helpful to east coast snow lovers. Justin wrote a review of his experience riding at Sugarloaf over his winter break. This blog also contains articles such as, gear reviews, photo stories, interviews, and “how to’s.”

Justin is always looking for new mountains to ride and new gear that arrives on the market. “The most fun about making this blog, “Justin says, “was getting to talk to all of the interesting people that I interviewed.” The people that were interviewed for this blog all are skilled snowboarders and skiers and had personalities as bold as their talent.

Shredding from State to State is a blog that is dedicated to serving snow lovers in all locations. Just because the school year is coming to an end does not mean that Justin will stop updating his blog. He is constantly looking for new people to interview with stories about riding, mountain life, and fun times.

Anybody who snowboards, skis or wants to find out more information about these winter sports is invited to stop by Shredding from State to State.

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A Day of Riding with the Bros

Me with my friends Taite (left) and Brandon (right) getting stoked for our first time riding at Sugarloaf for the season!
 

We stopped for lunch in the woods, it was very quiet and peaceful.

 

 

This was one of hte steepest glades I have ever ridden through.

 

 

I honestly dont know what this glade was called, we just turned off a trail and went into the woods randomly.

 

 

Last run through the trees of the day!  

 

Nathan Dye, a True Ski Character

Nathan Dye is the definition of a character. His facial hair differs every time I see him; it goes from beard to moustache to goatee in a matter of weeks. It is pretty concerning that he can grow a beard that fast. He is known to wear a double XL green one piece suit when skiing, and his tall tees majestically flow as he rides down the mountain. I tried the one piece on and I looked like a saggy mess, I have no clue how he could rock it successfully. He has had more jobs than I can count and he calls his Jeep the White Tiger. He even taught me how to ski in one day; by the end I could do 180’s which was pretty cool. The reason I know all of these things about him is because I have been friends with Nate since the first grade, we have gone riding together countless times.

Q: When did you first start skiing?

A: I started skiing in 6th grade; it was after a big snow storm had passed. My dad had always gone skiing, and he thought it would be good to get me involved in it.

Q: What initially attracted you to it?

A: At first it was the speed, and the ability to make as many of your own decisions as you want, it’s a very freeing feeling.

Q: When did you start riding park?

A: I started riding park in 8th grade, after hitting that first jump and getting the sensation of flying, you only want to keep going bigger and bigger after that.

Q: What is your favorite trick to throw down?

A: Probably a big ol front flip, it’s really cool to be upside down flying over the snow and knowing that it will all come together.

Q: What is the hardest trick you have done?

A: That’s tricky, I don’t think there is anything individual like that which I would consider the hardest, every day is different skiing, so depending on conditions and what features are in the park, a trick that was easy one day could be really hard the next and vice versa.

Q: How was the skiing in Colorado different than skiing in Maine?

A: The mountains were a lot bigger in Colorado, and it was a much bigger part of the culture, almost everyone you got to meet was a skier, and in the community I was in, everyone there was extremely passionate about it, definitely cool surroundings to have.

Q: How does it feel that you are on Newschoolers front flipping in an edit?

A: haha that was pretty cool, I have been in a few edits skiing, and I always like to have things on the internet I can truly say I’m proud of.

Q: Give me a story from Colorado that exemplifies the lifestyle of a hood ass skier haha.

A: Probably April fool’s day, or clown day, where everyone dresses up like old school skiers wearing one pieces and leg warmers and just insane outfits, the entire day is dedicated to partying and having just as much fun as possible.

Q: Are Colorado skiers more steezy than Maine skiers?

A: Everything is different, and because of that the skiers are different, I think it’s impossible to say one is better than the other.

 

How To be an Awesome Snowboarder, and Possibly Pick up Some Girls

Having fun on the mountain can be difficult if you are not dressed properly and don’t know how to behave on the mountain. There are certain rules that employees at resorts enforce to keep riders safe, and there are unspoken rules among the snowboarders and skiers. In this how to I will show you snowboarders how to look badass and avoid conflict on the mountain. The four steps will teach you how to dress, take the lift, ride down trails and conquer the terrain park. Basically I am going to show you how to be an awesome snowboarder, just like how I envision myself on the mountain. Clearly I am not an awesome rider, but it does not hurt to know how to suit up and go with the flow of the mountain.

1.       Suit up: step into your fresh snow gear and make sure to layer up if it is going to be cold. If you are new to snowboarding and don’t know what brands/styles are cool no worries. As a snowboarder you can literally wear whatever you want on the mountain. Some popular snowboard brands are Special Blend, Sessions, Burton, 686, and Foursquare. The style that is sweeping the snowboard nation right now is slimmed down snow pants. My outfit consists of slim fitting Holden pants, a Holden jacket, and a Rasta colored shoelace belt, for that little extra flare. It is also very important to always wear a helmet.

2.       Taking the chairlift: odds are, if you are riding by yourself, you are going to take the lift with a few random people. I have met some pretty entertaining people on chairlift rides. You don’t always have to talk to people on the lifts; you can just listen to music and get ready for your next run. I always enjoy when I take the lift with a group of girls that are on vacation in Maine. If this ever happens to you it is time to make yourself look way cooler than you actually are. You can pretend to get a call from your friend and talk about all the awesome tricks you are going to throw down at the terrain park, tell them about all the competitions you placed first in, or offer to be their mountain guide for the day. These strategies are guaranteed to get you girls, 60% of the time, they work every time. *Disclaimer: I take no responsibility for rejection if you decide to use my somewhat questionable strategies.

3.       Riding down the mountain: when you are riding down the mountain make sure that you are aware of your surroundings. You don’t want to be “that guy” who stops in the middle of a busy trail and causes a massive pile up. Also don’t ride like a reckless asshole on green circles, these areas were made for beginners to get their bearings. There are also lots of children on green circles; you don’t want to run into a kid because you were trying to go way too fast on the trail. Black diamonds and blue squares are places where you can ride as fast as you want and not have to worry about beginner riders.

4.       The terrain park: the park can be a dangerous place. Usually at the top there is a group of people waiting to start hitting features. You should never ride into the park and act like you are the best rider there cutting people off or being rude; there is generally always someone better than you at the park. Also, don’t be afraid to ask someone better than you how to do a trick. If the person is not a total ass they will be stoked that you want to progress your riding and they will gladly give you some tips. If you are chill people will not have a problem with you in the park. Especially if you give people props on the difficult tricks that they land. Make sure that everybody knows that you are going to hit a feature before you start riding because you might end up cutting someone off or vice versa. If you notice somebody fall off a jump and they are in the landing area you need to walk to the top of the jump and signal that somebody is down. This is done by either waving your arms or crossing 2 ski poles in the air. Safety is the number one priority in the park; you don’t want to see somebody on the ground get hit by a person taking the same jump. 

Dubstep: Snowboarders Like it

Snowboarding and music go hand in hand, most riders listen to music when they are on the mountain. Some people like it and some people don’t. Personally I listen to music occasionally when I am riding. My biggest issue with it would be the fact that you can’t really hear what your friends are saying on the chairlift if you are bumping music. However, when I ride off the lift and start going down a trail the music enhances everything. When I ride and listen to music it feels like the music playing is what song I will have in my debut pro riding part (which will obviously never happen). Nonetheless it is still really fun to ride down a trail while listening to your favorite beats.

My snowboarding playlist consists of dubstep, rap and screamo music. The first time I heard of dubstep was when my skier friend introduced it to me. For those of you who don’t know what dubstep is it is, according to about.com, “The best way to recognize a dubstep track or mix is by the reverberating sub-bass that is present in most productions. The sub-bass is reverberated at different speeds to give a sense of movement and insistence. The tracks are typically higher in BPM, ranging between 138 and 142 typically. The style does not favor four-to-the-floor beats, instead relying on spaced, syncopated percussion that the listener typically adds their own mental metronome to.” So my snowboarder kid definition of dubstep is, basically electronic music that incorporates “drops” in the tracks. The electronic music, usually drum and bass beats, build up until the drop happens. When the song drops, then all hell breaks loose. Dubstep fans live for the awesome change of tempo that the drop provides. These drops are all unique in their own way and they are all dope. Some awesome dubstep artists are Bassnectar, Zeds Dead, and Excision.

At first when I heard this new type of music and thought to myself, “it sounds like two metal trash cans grinding together over a dial up connection.” It took a few more times listening to dubstep for me to get into it. The song that made me think that dubstep was not just random computer noises was Wake Up Call (Datsik Remix) by Steve Aoki and Sidney Samson. I can literally remember everything that happened when I listened to the song. I downloaded it off of dirtymexicanlemonade.com (it used to be a dope site for good music, I don’t know if it’s still running or not) and when I heard it my world was changed. The beginning of the song is so happy and then it suddenly drops and blows your mind. It’s a great song and I will always like it.

Currently there has been a new electronic music phenomenon sweeping across the nation. This new genre of music, trap, takes after rap that comes primarily from the south. It uses 808 bass beats to make songs that I honestly can’t describe. A good trap song just makes you want to move. They have a buildup similar to dubstep songs, when the trap beat drops it causes chaos in your ears because it is unexpected, but great. Ever since this movement started I have put several trap songs on my snowboarding playlist.

Like I was saying earlier, my skier friend introduced me to dubstep. Every person that I heard talk about dubtep a few years ago was either a skier or snowboarder. I honestly don’t know why snow enthusiasts started to like this music, but I have to thank them for spreading it around because dubstep is awesome.

Meet Kevin, He Can do a Backflip

 

“My favorite trick to do is probably backflips. Really easy, but really fun.” Hmmm...I totally wish I was good enough to say that. These words were said by no other than Kevin Costello, one of the best skiers I know. I mean he must be really good if he thinks backflips are a laid back trick. Kevin and I went to high school together and he was one of the chilliest kids there. He had no problems with anyone and had no enemies. He fits the stereotype of super relaxed and modest people that turn out to be dope skiers. He has been skiing since the age of three and started competing at 12; if that tells you anything about how much this experience this kid has under his belt. Let’s just say that the best trick he can do involves so many spins that it would make a normal person nauseous.

Q: When did you first start to ski?

A: I first started skiing at the age of 3. My parents have skied for a long time and wanted to get me into it at a young age.

Q: What attracted you to skiing?

A: What attracted me to skiing was how different it is from other sports. There isn't anything else quite like it.

Q: How many competitions have you been in, and have you gotten on the podium in most of them?

A: I have been in a lot of competitions in the past, starting when I was about 8. I started out racing at Lost Valley, and then started skiing park competitively when I was about 12. I still try to do competitions occasionally. I have placed first in some comps and always try to at least get on the podium if possible.

Q: What is your favorite trick to do?

A: My favorite trick to do is probably backflips. Really easy, but really fun.

Q: Do you see yourself making a name for yourself in the skiing world soon?

A: I don't think I will make a name for myself in skiing at this point. It has become increasingly competitive over the years, and I am finding it hard to keep up. But I am content with where it has brought me. I am currently a sophomore in college in Vermont and I get to ski four days a week during the winter. I have also coached park skiing at Sunday River, so skiing has brought me job opportunities as well. I hope that someday I might be able to get a job in the ski industry.

Q: Where have you been skiing before?

A: I have skied at mostly mountains on the east coast. Sunday River, Loon, Stowe, Sugarbush, Sugarloaf, Killington, Lost Valley, and Mt. Snow are some of the mountains that I have skied on the east coast over the years. I have also been to Mt. Hood in Oregon twice during the summer.

Q: What is your favorite mountain?

A: My favorite mountain that I have been to is Mt. Hood. It is massive in comparison to any mountains on the east coast. I hope to ski somewhere out west again in the near future.

Q: Have you met any pros before?

A: I have met a lot of professional skiers before, most of which I met when I went to Mt. Hood. I have also met some of them at mountains on the east coast. Most of them were nice, down to earth guys.

Q: Have you seriously hurt yourself before?

A: I have seriously hurt myself skiing a few times. I've had a few concussions, cut my knee open through my snow pants once, broken both thumbs a lot, and have had more bruises than I can count. But luckily, I have not sustained any injuries that have put me out of commission for more than a few days.

Q: What is the dopest trick you have ever done?

A: I guess that I would say the best trick that I can do is a corked 1080 (3 full spins inverted). I hope to have double flips down by next season.

Burton Primo and Love Get a Bad Rap

As I am sure all of you guys know I currently ride a BurtonPrimo snowboard. This snowboard depicts a person mutilating their own hand to make the word “OK”. Personally I have no problem with this and think that it is kind of funny, and mostly everybody I know agrees. People either think it is hilarious or repulsive.

It turns out that when these boards were first produced they were, and still are, banned for employee use at certain mountains. Along with banning the Primo they also banned Burton’s Love board. The Love board has pictures of former Playboy models on it. Technically, some of the girls are fully naked, but their behinds are the only things that can be seen. Everything else provocative is covered or did not fit on the snowboard. Personally, being a guy and all, I have absolutely no problem with the Love board at all. In fact I searched the web for one because it would be a great addition to my dorm/future man cave. Sadly I did not find any boards that were as steeply discounted as my Primo was. These two snowboards were released as limited edition boards; only one thousand of each board was produced. This means that I only have the same snowboard as 999 people, versus the millions of mass produced snowboards out there. This board will most likely become a collector’s item, which is also unique.

It makes me upset that employees of Vail, Beaver Creek Resort, Breckenridge Ski Resort and Keystone Ski Resort in Colorado, California’s Heavenly Mountain Resort and Vermont’s Smugglers Notch, Killington Resort, Pico Mountain and Stowe Mountain Resort can’t ride these boards while they are working. For crying out loud, this is AMERICA and we have the right to express ourselves how we want! Over 100 people were crazy enough to go out and protest in front of Burton’s Burlington Vermont headquarters. Do these people have nothing better to do with their lives than trying to convince consumers to stop buying Burton products? Really guys? Do you think that shitty quality picket signs that say “Shame on Burton!” will tear down one of the biggest snowboard companies around the world? Burton’s co-owner Donna Carpenter said in a news release “These are not X-rated images…these are vintage Playboy images from as far back as the 1970s. They are beautiful, kitschy, well-fed models; nothing obscene is revealed. These board graphics are retro, tongue-in-cheek and, in my opinion, harmless.”

I couldn’t have said it better myself, this lady is a total bro. She understands that snowboarding is a sport that is as much about self-expression as it is about skill and precision. When you are on the mountain, you can dress however you want and express yourself through your riding. It should not matter what you are riding as long as everybody is having fun. Also, Burton Snowboards CEO Laurent Potdevin said, "Burton supports freedom of artistic expression. Board graphics are artwork, and art can be offensive to some and inspiring to others. ... We will keep these boards in the market and have no intention of recalling them" This statement goes along with what I just said about snowboarding. Why would the CEO of a snowboard company want to recall a product that echoes the self-expression of snowboarding? Also I would like to point out that the two people who advocated for these boards are women; clearly having naked models on boards is not an issue to them. If these boards do not mortify professional female company heads, they should not disturb anyone.

When this board was for sale the product description was, “Hi. My name is Love™ and I’m on the market for someone who’s looking to score serious action, no matter where they like to stick it. I enjoy laps through the park; long, hard grinds on my meaty Park Edges followed by a good, hot waxing. Whether you’re hitting it from the front or the back, my mid wide shape, supple flex, and twin tips like it kinky. Keegan and Mikkel love riding me, I hope you will too.” Honestly that is the raunchiest description of a snowboard I have ever seen; I love it and think it’s hilarious. Keegan and Mikkel are the pro riders who helped design the Love boards. I also find this product description to be very clever, whoever made this up must have had a field day relating snowboard terms and the board’s tech specs to sexual innuendos.

The description of the Primo is not sexual at all, but it is just as funny and makes the board sound pretty badass. “Like the father who gives his son a carton of smokes for Christmas, the Burton Primo Snowboard doesn’t care if you get straight A’s or help old ladies across the street. That stuff is for sissies, which is one thing this twin-tip park slayer certainly isn’t. From executing street rails to burying park features, this Burton Coalition snowboard isn’t trying to make friends—in fact, it’s not really down with people at all.” It makes it seem like this board is its own entity and it is ready to get out on the mountain and shred.

According to Boston.com’s article Edgy snowboard graphics test liberal Vermont, Mark Redmond de-affiliated his nonprofit, Spectrum Youth & Family Services, from a Burton charity that donates snowboards to needy children after “learning about the Playboy line and Primo, which depicts fingers mutilated by razors, a dog's teeth, and scissors. Because objectification of women increases the chance men will become abusive, he said, the boards are an important issue for both sexes.” What kind of person would take his nonprofit organization away from Burton because some of their graphics are suggestive? And I am 100% positive that if I strapped into a Love board I will not have the sudden urge to beat women. If you know of anybody who started to abuse women because of this board tell me, because I will be very concerned.  It is absolutely absurd that Redmond says that this board can possibly increase the chance for men to become abusive. If anything, you should respect the models that were willing to let their images be displayed on this board for the enjoyment of others.

The sanest and most practical viewpoint about this graphic comes from the article Scandalous Snowboards, “As an adult, I don’t necessarily care,” said Bend’s Joy Wilson, a 37-year-old mother of two who has written a letter to Burton. “If somebody was standing in front me on the slopes, it wouldn’t matter. But I have two young ones (a son and daughter) who snowboard, 11 and 8, and that’s the difference for me. As a mother tiger, you don’t really want to expose your kids to stuff before it is necessary. In a sense, it is just as important as someone else’s freedom of speech or expression.” Since I am your typical snowboarder punk that is all about free expression I still don’t agree with Wilson’s viewpoint. But I will acknowledge that it is a parent’s duty to protect their children from raunchy material. But in all reality how badly would seeing a Playboy model’s ass affect a little kid? I am sure that it would make young boys giggle instead of become instantly corrupt, like some people would think. If you want to ride a snowboard with a naked woman on the bottom or a cartoon of a person cutting their fingers off, more power to you. Ride that board and rock it; don’t let anybody try and stop you!