Are you living in the middle of nowhere, so much so that despite all the demos and autograph postings we advertise on this site, you’ve yet to see a team in your neighborhood, or at least a few hundred miles of your neighborhood?  One prime example of a lonely skater was featured on THE BERRICS named SKATE KIM.  I bet that’s his real name too.  But that kid was so awesome and lonely at the same time, you’ve got to assume that there are thousands of kids like him all over the world.  It’s humbling. 

A new website called Mycharitablelive.com has come onto the scene with a new business model.  You can bid on autographed gear via auction and portions of that winning bid will go to your favorite charity. 

Now excuse me while I go search out a sweaty Ryan Sheckler t-shirt, or a Nyjah Huston lock. 

Alex Schlopy was the big underground buzz in freeskiing slopestyle two seasons ago. But he seemed like many of the budding phenoms that excite the sport, then disappear. Maybe they can’t stand the pressure. Maybe they never got better than their first flash of brilliance. In Schlopy’s case, it was disaster that derailed him.

First, he suffered a severe concussion in a car accident last autumn. Back on skis and training for the U. S. Open in January, he blew out his knee and got another concussion, leaving him bedridden with vertigo. At 15, Schlopy had to deal with a double lesson of his own mortality.

That was then. Now he’s back. His big sponsor, Dynastar Skis, stuck with him.

“It was kind of weird at the beginning of the season, but now feel I’m getting back to the state of mind I want to be in. I’m catching up, getting back to where I feel I’m ahead of where I was before the accident,” the now-16-year-old said.

So did he choose some small, out of the way contest to make his comeback? Nope. He started big, trying for the first Winter Dew Tour stop at Breckinridge. But open qualifying was full. Alex was put on the waiting list. The night before the contest, one of the organizers called. A last-minute slot had just opened up. Alex was in.

“It was the first contest I’d been in since two years ago. I was a little scared, but at the same time I felt like it would be good to get back in. We got two hours of training before the contest.  It felt good to be hitting big jumps on a nice course, and I was ready. They were pretty big jumps, anywhere between 60-70 feet, but well built. I’d been off jumps that high, but not that well built,” he said.

Any action athlete coming back after down time knows how hard the first contest always is. Schlopy didn’t put down the run he wanted. He came in 17th. But only the top 16 would go on. Then he got another nighttime call. One of the top 16 athletes was injured and dropping out. Again, Alex was in. But contest day was a windy blizzard snowstorm. “You couldn’t even see the jumps,” he said.

Dew Tour organizers called it a day after the first heat and rescheduled the contest for two days later. Each athlete would have only one run to qualify for the finals. It was during his run that Schlopy learned that he’d made a mistake. ” I didn’t wax my skis, which was kind of stupid. I couldn’t get speed, I was having trouble with the course, and landed five feet short off the first jump; that was sort of it for me,” he said.

But he’s ready for the rest of the season. “I feel that I’m back, so I’m not too disappointed. But watching the contest, I saw how far the sport has come in the past two years. If I want it, I’m really going to have to train and go after it. And I will. If I want to go to X Games, I’m going to have to train really hard. The next Dew is in Vermont, and hopefully I’ll be able to go to that one. We’ll see if I qualified to go,” he said.

He’s spending time practicing his favorite trick, switch sevens with different grabs. “That’s getting the roots down for bigger spins. It’s always good to have the roots,” Schlopy said.

And it’s also good, when you come back, to have already paid your dues.

Men’s Superpipe Finals

Women’s Superpipe Finals

Men’s Slopestyle Finals

Women’s Slopestyle Finals

Men’s Ski Slopestyle Finals

Men’s Ski Superpipe Finals

Danny Davis – cr. Jennifer Huskey / Lat34

The first stop of the Winter Dew Tour wrapped up Sunday in Breckinridge, Co., and six athletes are each $15,000 richer.

It’s a record setting event—the first winter tour for the huge Dew/Alli empire, the first exhibition for women freeskiers, and unlike the one-week, one-stop X Games, there are three stops in the Winter Dew, where repeat winners can total up huge prizes  to rival the heavy money X Games. In addition, women winners in snowboard pipe and slopestyle will get paid the same as the men.

Shaun White got his loot for winning Saturday’s snowboard slopestyle contest, while nearly unknown Canadian rider Spencer O’Brien had the run of her life and ruled women’s snowboard slopestyle, scoring seven points higher than her closest competition.

But gasps of awe and screams of joy went to Breck local Bobby Brown, who won freeski slopestyle with ever bigger tricks as he rode his run, most of them switch, including a switch misty 1080—upside down and twisting—to a switch double rodeo 900 from the top of one jump, and spinning like a gyroscope off the others.

The show continued Saturday night under bright lights, when freeskier Tanner Hall shook off all the rest to land the first 1080 of his career—at the bottom of the superpipe. He went on with back to back nines, and tricked all the way to the bottom.

While there are lots of women who go big on boards, there are not yet enough women freeskiers who throw down well enough to contest for the best at the Winter Dew, so while there are women freeskiing pipe and slopestyle exhibitions, they’re not yet part of the official contests.

Sunday’s finals were bluebird all the way, after a week of qualifying and contests where the snow never stopped. “Today was the first day it didn’t snow, but we still had great competitions the whole time. In the open qualifiers, there were close to 250 athletes,” said Chris Prybylo, the Dew’s Vice President of Events.

The wrap up was total pipe, and Gretchen Bleiler continued her domination, with halfpipe amplitude rarely seen in women riders. Danny Davis won superpipe.

Prybylo said, “We didn’t have any double winners; nobody won more than one event. Shaun White won slopestyle and finished second in superpipe. I think everyone competed really well every day.”

He went on to rave about newcomer Bobby Brown. “He’s only 17, and I think he’s going to be a great athlete. He had an incredible run Saturday. All of these guys are competing for the Dew Cup. No one has the most points yet because it’s the first event. They are also competing for an overall bonus purse that will be awarded at the finals.”

When Prybylo was asked if hearty partying was underway, he hedged a bit, then diplomatically said, “they were in a contest, they wrapped it up. I think everyone’s going to enjoy themselves tonight.”

The Winter Dew Tour stops next at Mt. Snow Resort in Dover, Vt. on Jan. 8-11, then to the season finals at Northstar-at-Tahoe in Lake Tahoe, Ca., on Feb. 19-22. Each stop will have the Dew’s signature “Village,” concerts, bands and dancing in the streets.

For more about the contest, check out the Winter Dew Tour website.

Here are the podium results of all the events:

Men’s Snowboard Slopestyle Finals
1. Shaun White, Carlsbad, Calif. 95.17.
2. Mikkel Bang, Norway, 92.33.
3. Janne Korpi, Finland, 86.17.

Women’s Snowboard Slopestyle Finals
1. Spencer O’Brien, Canada, 85.00.
2. Jenny Jones, Great Britain, 77.33.
3. Bev Vuilleumier, South Lake Tahoe, Calif., 74.17.

Men’s Freeski Slopestyle Finals
1. Bobby Brown, Breckenridge, Colo., 90.50.
2. Josiah Wells, New Zealand, 89.50.
3. Henrik Harlaut, Sweden, 85.67.

Men’s Freeski Superpipe Finals
1. Tanner Hall, Kalispell, Mont., 90.75.
2. Justin Dorey, Canada, 85.50.
3. Duncan Adams, Breckenridge, Colo., 81.00.

Men’s Snowboard Superpipe Finals
1. Danny Davis – 94.75
2. Shaun White – 93.50
3. Scotty Lago – 90.00

Women’s Snowboard Superpipe Finals
1. Gretchen Bleiler – 90.25
2. Kelly Clark – 86.75
3. Elena Hight – 82.00

You’ve been through that predicament.  You’re watching a sick ROLLERBLADING video with all your closest homies at your mom’s house munching on some Rice Crispy treats and Bobby all of a sudden screams in his girliest voice, “Damn dawg!  Did you see that spot ARLO EISENBERG was totally shredding?  We gots ta hit dat spot up dawgs!  Who’s wit me!??” 

Unfortunately for you, Arlo, and your dawgs, you had no clue where that spot was.  Why?  One reason is because Rollerbladers probably get beaten up at that spot by wandering jocks in lowered S-10 pickups or simply because you and your friends just don’t know.  All of us have experienced this hype from watching skateboard, snowboard, surf, and HEELY vids, just to later be let down due to little or no info on these certain spots. 

Well we now live in 2008, close to 2009 and long are the days when we don’t know squat.  We can literally pull the encyclopedia out of our ass pockets and look up anything in the entire universe, 24/7.  Well ad NEW BREEDERS to your favorites list  (next to HOTORNOT.COM) because now, you can look up any spot in the entire world, any time.  Ever wonder where and how you can get to that spot Arlo was tearing things up?  Look it up on New Breeders.  Ever been on a road trip and you find some obscure city and wondered where to go?  New Breeders will lead you there. 

Check it! 

No I didn’t say Winchell’s so leave the donuts at home.  Unless you want to bring some to camp and share with your new camp buddies.   Haven’t heard of Windell’s?  Well if you’re out of high school, you might want to sit this one out until you have kids of your own because this one is for youngins.  If you have never been able to feel the camp experience, I suggest you do so before it’s too late.  In my day, I went up to Camp Arrowhead where I saw bears, wild plants, and had my underwear frozen in the snow.  It was a blast! 

It’s a place to make friends, a place to ride with the pros, a place with the friendliest staff, and a place with the best superpipes, kickers and rails. It’s a place where beginners to experts can fine-tune their skills. By complimenting our incredible on-hill program with an abundance of off-hill activities, they’ve formulated the perfect solution to all your camp needs.

10 Things to know about Windells Camp
1. Windells is the only snowboard/ski camp with its own private campus
2. For 21 years Windells has been the leader in snowboarding camps
3. Park and pipe maintained daily
4. Skateboard campers at Windells take day trips to visit Oregon’s legendary skate parks
5. Every US Olympic medal-winning snowboarder has attended Windells
6. Windells has camp sessions in the summer, winter and spring to help you progress year round
7. Windells features poured concrete obstacles throughout the campus
8. A majority of campers come back year after year
9. Everyday campers enjoy the best coaching on the hill and a variety of activities in the afternoon and evening
10. Windells is called the “funnest place on earth” for a reason

The ESPN empire has announced the first in the ever-expanding lists of athletes who will compete in the 13th Winter X Games at Snowmass, in Aspen, Co. Of course, the leader of the list is Shaun White, the one name that probably won’t change. White is the star of the X Games (both summer and winter).

The lineup is as stellar as usual; meaning every top skier and snowboarder will be there. In fact, 160 athletes have already been invited to show their skills in skiing, snowboarding and snowmobiling.

All the comps, which take place January 22-25, 2009, will be shown live; not only on ESPN cable, but on major network ABC.

ESPN announced that among those throwing down will be:

- Shaun White: Seven-time Snowboard Winter X Games gold medalist and 2006 Winter Olympic gold medalist
- Gretchen Bleiler: Three-time Winter X Games Snowboard SuperPipe gold medalist and 2006 Winter Olympic silver medalist
- Tanner Hall:  Defending Skiing SuperPipe champion and seven-time Winter X Games gold medalist
- Tucker Hibbert: Three-time Winter X Games Snowmobile SnoCross gold medalist
- Kees-Jan van de Klooster:  Winter X Games 12 Mono Skier X gold medalist
- Lindsey Jacobellis: Four-time Winter X Games Snowboarder X gold medalist and 2006 Winter Olympic silver medalist
- Travis Rice: Three-time Winter X Games snowboard medalist
- Sarah Burke: Two-time Winter X Games and defending Skiing SuperPipe gold medalist
- Daron Rahlves: Winter X Games 12 Skier X gold medalist and widely considered as the most accomplished speed skier in American history with 28 World Cup podiums and three World Championship podiums over the course of the last decade.

There will be more names added to the list; to keep updated, go to  www.expn.com.

Though X Games gold medalists get an automatic invitation to compete, other athletes are chosen by a selection committee which is made up of those who have experience with, and are totally familiar with, the sport.

And if you wonder about the description of ESPN as an empire, consider this: ESPN will be showing these X Games to 122 countries, from Africa to New Zealand. X Games competitions are global, and are held in Middle Eastern countries like Dubai, as well as Brasil, Malaysia, Mexico, China, Spain and many more. There are now X Games bikes and skateboards for sale. The network is a Mecca for action sports, and because mainstream media doesn’t realize how lucrative the action sports world really is, ESPN pretty much has the field all to itself.

That’s how empires are made.

How often do you explore the backcountry of any mountain range only to find yourself lost?  All you wanted to do is Ski-Blade some gnarly, untouched, virgin snow right?  Well I’m with you brother.  Once too often have I veered off puny Double Black Diamond slopes to take on whatever Mother Nature presents to me.  But once too often have I found myself stuck in a hole or lost in a ditch somewhere, just lying lifelessly as bears or wolves drool at my succulent meaty exterior.  What can I say?  I’m just so EXTREME!

Well those days are over my friend.  Two of my favorite companies, Apple and The North Face have teamed up to create a new and very useful application for your I-Phone.  Sorry Razor users.  This new app will allow skiers, boarders and ski-bladers (such as myself) to navigate through the rough terrain of some of the biggest and baddest resorts around the globe.  And with the help of GOOGLE Maps, you will be able to see a high resolution map of your surroundings.  So no more getting lost for me suckers!  Read the press release below.

SAN LEANDRO, CA, December 9, 2008 – The North Face, the world’s premier supplier of authentic, innovative and technically advanced outdoor apparel, equipment and footwear, and Apple have launched a new free iPhone application that will prepare skiers and snowboarders with up-to-date weather and map information about winter resorts across the globe.  The North Face Snow Report will prepare consumers with resort-based snow conditions with current and expected snowfall, detailed daily forecasts and wind direction and speed information.

The North Face Snow Report will not only feature hourly weather updates for North America’s most popular resorts such as Killington, Snowbird and Whistler, but it will also offer detailed conditions for many international resorts.

The free application will also help consumers get to their favorite resorts and find their way around them once they arrive.  The Locate function will allow users to easily access driving directions through Google Maps, while the Trail Maps function will provide a detailed lay of the land through high-resolution images.

“The North Face has a proud tradition of leading the outdoor industry in innovation and that is especially true within snowsports,” said Aaron Carpenter, vice president of marketing for The North Face.  “We are excited to introduce this first-of-its kind no-cost offering to give skiers and snowboarders everything they will need when hitting the mountains this winter.”
Consumers will be able to select, save and arrange their favorite winter resorts for easy and quick access to the latest weather information.  U.S. consumers will also be able to access additional information through links to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Climate Prediction Center, as well as resort specific Web sites.
“It makes it easy to find out where the powder is on the fly, and tells me everything I need to know before I get there,” said world-renown freeskier Ingrid Backstrom of The North Face Athlete Team.

Skiers and snowboarders alike will be able to experience the convenience of The Snow Report for delivering mobile updates wherever their expeditions may take them.