TruSnow News » 2008

Archive for February, 2008

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Spring Riding is among us. Trusnow is celebrating the freestyle season.

Friday, February 29th, 2008

That’s right Spring Riding is here. The sun is out and the powdery snow is now becoming slush. It’s time for all those straight shots and face shots to be tucked away for next season and be over run by giant mounds of perfectly shaped U-tubes and snowboard parks. TruSnow has got you covered head to toe for all your Spring Snowboarding needs. We’ve got many brands like Burton, K2, Salomon, Rome, Ride, DC, and Forum to get your Spring Riding fine tuned in freestyle fashion. We have strategically placed the necessary riding tools in specific categories to help you find exactly what you are looking for and get your stoke on this Spring Riding season. Take a look around, we know you’ll find something you can’t live without.

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Timberline Lodge and Vitamin Water host free shred day.

Wednesday, February 27th, 2008

Timberline Lodge and Vitamin Water host a free day of fun shredding for the price of an empty water bottle? Sounds like a good time to me. The day was calm, with sunny sky’s and surprisingly a little snow dusting as well. We were fortunate enough to play hookie and enjoy some free shred action on Vitamin Water’s dime. All we had to do was turn in an empty bottle of water and magically it was transformed into a full day lift ticket of joy. The scene was packed with snowboard enthusiasts wanting a taste of the “spring like” corduroy and freshly cut park and pipe. We teamed up with K2’s most awesome rep BJ and tested out some K2 snowboards, K2 boots and K2 bindings. I jumped on the K2 Darkstar and Courtney on the K2 Duchess. We were stoked to get out on the hill.

When looking at the shape of the K2 Darkstar, I new I was in for a treat for some excellent snowboard park action. K2 snowboards had teamed up with graphic artists, “Modern Amusement” in a collaboration to create a matching colorway kit in the K2 Darkstar, K2 Darko boot and the K2 Modern Amusement Formula Binding. Seeing them all in hand looked phenomenal with the bright color pops and abstract geometric shapes. Getting down to the board; it is twin tip in shape and rides switch really well, thanks to it’s Hyper Progressive sidecut that allows the board a smooth turn initiation whichever direction you’re riding. The flex was relatively soft, but not too soft, which made for easy pressing and sliding rails all while providing a comfortable stable platform for landing the sizable tables of the park. The sintered 4000 base showed no signs of slowing up even in the after noon slush. The only downside that I can think of would be that it is a little soft (for my taste) at high speeds. I noticed it washed out on me when laying down some heavy Euro carves. In my opinion, I am very pleased with the K2 Darkstar and the way it handles freestyle terrain.

Courtney got a taste of what the K2 Duchess had to offer and left her with a large grin on her face. In her own words, “This is my board of choice!” Combining the ultimate powder riding experience with all terrain freestyle perfection. If you’re ready to rule the entire mountain, the K2 Duchess snowboard is your calling. The K2 Duchess has a slightly longer tip and tail for effortless float in the deep stuff is combined with a twin styled shape and Hyper Progressive sidecut for seamless response in all snow conditions and terrain. While up on the “Magic Mile” chair lift, I managed to lay down some Euro carves and not miss a beat. This board was stable on the groomers and handles the park and pipe in true freestyle fashion. I felt comfortable sliding the rails and stomping landings thanks to the twin tip shape and the effortless glide of the sintered 4000 base.

The free shred day was well worth the trip, we rode with the sun on our backs and smiles on our faces and not a dime out of our pockets. Another day in the life of being a snowboarder, a shop kid, a TruSnower! Life is good.

Please take a look around at TruSnow.com to find the products that will give you the stoke you are looking for.

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Women’s Only Burton Retreat :: Steven’s Pass :: March 1st and 2nd

Wednesday, February 27th, 2008

HEY LADIES!!!

Burton Snowboards and Stevens Pass are teaming up to bring you the Northwest’s first ever Women’s Only Snowboard Retreat! Don’t miss this chance to take your snowboarding to the next level and share a weekend with a great mix of women from across the Northwest (and beyond!)

Join Burton on the hill Saturday and Sunday March 1st & 2nd for 2 great days of riding & camaraderie - there will be several members of Burton’s Pro team there as well as professional instructors from Stevens Pass & Burton’s “Learn to Ride” training staff to share the fun with.

Whether you’re a “never ever been before” first timer, terrain park connoisseur or a certified powder fiend we’ll have professional instructors on hand to help progress your skills and take your snowboarding to the next level.

All ages & ability levels are welcome and everyone will receive instruction appropriate to their skill level. Regardless of whether this is your first day on the hill or your five-hundredth it is going to be a great time!

There will be plenty of Burton boards, boots and bindings available for you to demo (for free) & we encourage everyone to try out some new gear - especially if you are new to snowboarding. If you already have your own boots please bring them.

There are 3 different package options - see below for the details. All packages include two days of instruction, gear rentals/demo’s, lift tickets, meals and of course lot’s of great give-ways from Burton, Scion of Seattle and Stevens Pass!

Read below and then Contact marketing@stevenspass.com or go to www.ridestevenspass.com for more details - Cheers!
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DAY TRIPPER PACKAGE: Don’t want to leave the kids at home with Dad overnight? Head up to the hill each morning and join us for an on-hill breakfast, a full day of riding & instruction and lunch. This package is for those who want two solid days on the hill to hone their skills but can’t get away from home overnight.

Pricing
Non Stevens Pass Season passholder - $270
Stevens Pass Season passholder - $200
Package Includes
-Two days of instruction provided by Stevens Pass Snowboard Instructors and Burton Team riders
-Lift Tickets,
-Gear rental (boards, boots and bindings)
-Breakfast & lunch both days
-Burton goodie bag & swag

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OVERNIGHTER PACKAGE: Ready to leave domestic bliss behind for a night? This package includes Saturday night lodging in the magical Bavarian town of Leavenworth. Get away from it all for a couple days and give yourself the chance to focus on progressing your snowboarding skills as well as meet & ride with other great women! Saturday night also includes an 80’s bowling and karaoke bash that is sure to produce some great stories¦

Pricing
Non Stevens Pass Season passholder - $359
Stevens Pass Season passholder - $289
Package Includes
-Everything in the Day Tripper Package
-One night lodging at the Icicle Inn Leavenworth (Saturday)
-Transportation to/from Leavenworth and Stevens Pass
- Dinner and 80’s Bowling extravaganza Saturday night!

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WEEKEND WARRIOR: Looking to blow off the city & enjoy a full fun-filled weekend of riding and high alpine fun? Meet up with the Burton Staff and Team Riders in Leavenworth Friday evening for a roundtable dinner (and drinks) at the Dragonfly Bistro. Avoid the Saturday morning traffic and sleep in for an extra hour or so & save your energy for snowboarding!

Pricing
Non Stevens Pass Season passholder - $459
Stevens Pass Season passholder - $389
Package Includes
-Everything in the Day Tripper/Overnighter Packages
-Two nights lodging at the Icicle Inn Leavenworth (Friday & Saturday)
-Friday night roundtable with Burton Learn to Ride staff and Team Riders at the Dragonfly Bistro

*** All packages include ton’s of fun, new friends & great giveaways from Burton, Scion of Seattle and Stevens Pass!

Contact marketing@stevenspass.com or go to www.ridestevenspass.com for more details.

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This Week’s, Weekly Shredder Special is Showcasing Salomon Snowboard Products!
Monday, February 25th, 2008

Trusnow is now offering the Weekly Shredder’s Special category to get you up on the steep, for cheap!

Check back frequently as these products will soon sell out and be replaced by other unspeakable deals. Here you will always find a handful of unreasonably low priced products. You simply won’t find deals better than this.

The Salomon Special Snowboard is meant to ride it the way you want to, the Salomon Special always has you covered. The unique 3D core profiling, signature of the ERA concept, lets you be playful at lower speeds thanks to a softer torsion and the snappy flex holds it down when you open it up. The Salomon Prospect Snowboard means shred it all! Strongly influenced by Wolle’s riding, the Salomon Prospect is as comfortable in the local park as it is on an Alaska natural jump or in city landscape. The Salomon F DB Snowboard Boots by David Benedek. My new boots are definitely the nicest ones I’ve developed so far. Besides an adjusted flex we gave it a really good shell with some kick ass materials. And as always you can ride them straight out of the box. I’ve never experienced a first day of new boots feeling like I was wearing ski boots and neither should you! Talking about the Salomon SPX Pro Snowboard Binding we could tell you all about the comfort of the straps, the easy-to-use features and the multiples adjustments but the real magical aspect of the Salomon SPX PRO lies in the use of the right material in exactly the right place. That’s how you build a bombproof freestyle binding that weighs this little. Color way offered in Special LTD edition SLCT Pro in white crackle paint.

The Salomon Ivy Snowboard is ready for anything. The Salomon Ivy is developed to take you as far as you are prepared to go. With our women specific lightweight ERA construction and 3D profiled Select wood core, it is agile at lower speeds for morning cruisers and offers you ideal support once you start charging. The Salomon Lark Snowboard is extreme level snowboarding on a budget. The Salomon Lark will be the smoothest and sweetest ride you could imagine. This super lightweight balanced and easy to maneuver board will have you confident as ever, even in the trickiest snow conditions, all thanks to our new Equalizer sidecut combined with our Royal Rubber construction. The Salomon Women’s F20 Snowboard Boot is packaged comfort with a smooth freestyle flex and incredible feel, the Salomon F20 will deliver. The sweet design and Low Center of Gravity construction provide the right balance between good looks and adequate support for you to take your riding and style to the next level. The Salomon Women’s Antidote Snowboard Binding Year after year we improve on the Salomon Antidote, and after 6 years we’re still ahead of the game. This latest release is the living proof that a lightweight and comfortable binding can be achieved without compromising durability.

Check out the rest of Trusnow for more info or give us a call at 1.866.986.SNOW with any questions.

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Mission Ridge Demo :: 2009 Snowboard Gear Testing
Wednesday, February 20th, 2008

Sometimes it can be rough working at a snowboard shop. Every day you hang out and get people all geared up to go out and shred, while you get left behind re-stocking mittens and cleaning off smudgy display goggles. However, there are times when you wouldn’t ever wish to have a different job; getting someone set up on their first snowboard, listening to shred stories that inspire you and get you all stoked to ride tomorrow, and all the perks that come with working in the industry. One of these perks is the having the opportunity to check out and ride all the new gear before our customers ever see it.

Every year WWSRA hosts a regional demo at Mission Ridge in Central Washington. Retailers throughout the Northwest get the chance to test out all of next year’s gear before the buying and selling season. It’s a two day, on hill demo featuring just about every legit snowboard brand in existence. Since all our guys at Trusnow were stuck in the office writing orders for the ‘09 season, they sent the shop girl out to play.

The trip started out with a 6 hour drive from Portland to Wenatchee in a Volkwagen Golf with no stereo. There were a couple set backs, including a bonus hour detour to try and cross the Columbia River along with a flat tire scare somewhere outside of Yakima. But the stunning murals of Toppenish (city of murals) gave us the boost in morale needed to complete the journey to Wenatchee.

Tuesday morning started out early, as I was there helping out our K2 reps in exchange for free lodging and a lift ticket. We made it up to the mountain at 7:30 to begin the process of setting up the demo tent. For all of you who have aspirations of becoming a snowboard rep, it’s best to start practicing EZ-up tent mechanics now. Within a couple of hours, the Mission Ridge parking lot was transformed into a marketplace of ski and snowboard gear.

A day of gear demo-ing usually consists of getting a set-up from one company, taking a few runs, and then bringing it back in to swap it out for something else. I tested out gear from Burton, Salomon, Forum, DC, K2, Ride, LibTech and Smith. I’m not going to bore you with with my turn by turn analysis on each set-up but for the full run-down on my product reviews, check out my 2009 gear blog.

Mission Ridge is a fun little mountain (slightly reminiscent of Bridger Bowl in Montana) with a few 2-man chairs and one high speed quad. There’s a good assortment of groomers, park, little chutes, and bowls and with the few fresh inches we received on Wednesday, conditions were ideal for all sorts of product testing. Highlights were sunshine and powder, my new Smith Holt helmet (Thanks Jason!), BJ’s debut of the beard-cap, and a frosty keg of Pyramid Hefeweizen at the end of a good day.

(behold the beautiful beard cap)

(rep rule # 321 always weight down your demo tent. bummer Forum.)

Wednesday began early again, but with free danishes and coffee. More product testing from all your favorites brands and an impromptu competition that afternoon. The guys at Salomon organized a Chinese downhill race (think King of the Mountain race from the movie Out Cold- so rad) with a $5 entry fee and a winning pot of $160. Congrats to the winner, some guy in an orange Ronin one-piece. He was the first to make it from the tippy top of Mission ridge to the base, but Matt Baker thinks he cheated…something about an unclear start. Race tensions aside, it was a good day; sunny and warm and lots of “woo! powder!” yelps.

That afternoon, we reluctantly packed up the Golf and started on our music-less journey southward. It was dark when we passed through the city of murals on the way home, which was a pretty big disappointment; but I made things interesting with a Hills Have Eyes detour. We made it back to the shop alive and tired, yet satisfied with the conclusion of a job well done. We journeyed, we demoed, we bro’ed down. It was a good trip and right now I’m pretty darn stoked to be working for Trusnow.

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