This clip from the 1992 King of the Hill in FLF’s Riders on the Storm features a pantheon of early-AK gods: Salasnek, Klassen, Tex, Burt, Graham and Farmer. Salasnek and Graham laying the foundation of the backcountry bs180, Klassen (who also owns Wave Rave shop in Mammoth) hucking double backflips on an alpine board, Burt looking as smooth as ever, and Farmer and Tex just going big.
Of all the film crews, Standard ruled Alaska during the early days at the Tsaina and through the 90s. Some super classic shots in this clip from Goodwill, Salasnek, Rippey and Terje.
Sully’s excitement when I told him that I was going to the Tumbridge World’s Fair this weekend should have prepared me for the awesomeness I had in store. The drive down on 110 is first rate Vermont farm country and the town of Tunbridge is about as picture perfect as you can imagine.
Check out the woodchuck in the bottom left corner givin me the stink eye.
Antique hill was definitely my favorite part of the fair, all kinds of cool old timey shit.
I loved this guy playing the hand saw.
See the kid on the far right with the energy drink hat picking his nose?
I feel like when your young, the fair is all about the crazy rides and gnarley food which usually ends up making you feel like shit. So this year I didnt even entertain the rides and just went to gorge myself, which made me feel like shit.
Look at the kid at the bottom of the frame, eating his arm!
These kids are trying to figure out the the logistics of smashing a pumpkin that size.
No joke, hands down the best fair I have ever been too. Thanks Tunbridge
See you next year!
One of the many nice perks I get out of my job here is the chance to travel to far off lands to approve product graphics. Recently, I found myself in Taiwan, where some of our boards are produced. It was my second time there, and I took some time one night to wander one of the main night markets to soak up some of the local color. Below is a collection of images from that adventure.
You can find just about everything you can think of in the night markets throughout Asia. They typically get rolling around 8:00pm, and go all night, shutting down past midnight. Locals, students and tourists alike flock to them to get a bite to eat, pick up some new clothes, see a doctor, get their hair done up all nice, or even get a shoe shine on the corner. The night i went, it was lightly raining on and off, so the crown was a bit thinner than usual I was told, but it was still pretty packed. I can imagine it being total chaos on a nice evening.
Some local fashions available:
Most Of The Time....what?
Yeah, you tell her, Taiwan!
Their fashion industry could benefit from a good English proof reader I think
That’s just a small sampling of t-shirt art, but i was really there to eat some weird food.
Spicy Squid Balls. Real good
Shrimp on a stick. Notice the heads still on - that's where all the flavor is. Americans are blowing it
After you order that duck breast at dinner, the rest of the parts make their way to this food cart.
Not to be outshined by the various food available, their signage and logos were pretty all time as well.
I stayed away from this one, only because i was afraid they mis-translated it, and 'cheese' actually meant 'horse' like in the logo.
The punk rock chicken industry is alive and well in Taiwan
Pork. In a box? Sign me up!
There you have it. Now it’s your turn – get that passport oiled up and get on the adventure circuit. Good livin’ kids.
Whitey’s 1994 classic film that documented the glam-free, raw, non-contest side of mid-90s snowboarding. All those young progressive riders who said, “who gives a shit about halfpipes?” Stevie Alters, Gabe Crane, Kevin Young and Jay Isaacs.
I’ve been traveling quite a bit lately, checking into the factories and making sure the 2012 collection is on it’s way, and that all the boards will be looking super sharp this time next year. Before that, I was in a cave getting all the art created – hence the almost total lack of posting over the summer. Here’s some bits and pieces of what I’ve been seeing lately to keep you guessing.
board art or venetian blinds?
I’m heading to the night markets tonight – expect a full visual report soon(ish)
I think I’m coming down with a cold. My nose has been running like a faucet, and I’m filling trash cans with tissues at home. Anyways, this led me to think about a great way to help reduce waste, that’s also an important part of snowboarding. The “snot rocket”.
Also known as the “farmer blow”, “power snot”, and I’m sure many other awesome names I’m not aware of. For those of you who don’t know, or pretend not to know acting as if you’re too fancy, or too civilized for such a maneuver… (douche bag), the snot rocket is when you either A) plug up one nostril and blow so the snot flies freely from the opposite nostril, or B) close a nostril by pushing a thumb against it, and blow. Personally, I’m a plugger… but as far as I know, there’s no specific benefit with this technique.
There’s also a legend of the “Look-Ma blow”. Dubbed the Look-Ma because it requires no hands. Just tilt your head back, close your mouth, and blow out of both nostrils. The only times I can see this being appropriate, is if you have no hands, or have pretty much given up all self respect, but to each his own. I’ve also included with this post a chart, or outline where it is and is not appropriate to power snot.
