“The key to life is to live each day like it’s your last day. If you’re sitting on the couch, you’re obviously not riding powder, so maybe you should get off the couch…”

“The world we have created is a product of our thinking; it cannot be changed without changing our thinking.” — Albert Einstein: Was a theoretical physicist

xavier de le rue - standard film premier/http://www.standardfilms.com/homep2.html

Friday September 16, 2011

Enjoy a night of 3 Snowboard World Premiere films, 3 music acts (Michal Menert of Pretty Lights Music, Doomtree, and Rjd2) under the stars at the legendary Red Rocks Amphitheatre!! There is NO other event like this in Snowboarding. 


Snowboard Film World Premieres:
————————————— ———————
TB20 (Standard Films)
Familia 2 (Finger on da Trigger)
Shoot the Moon (Videograss)

HeadSpace: Xavier de Le Rue on Speed

By Colin Whyte timelinemissions.com / TeroRepo.com

France’s Xavier de Le Rue likes going fast — really fast. His “normal” clip would be terminal for most; when he decides to pin it, everyone’s left squinting downhill. Jeremy Jones has even called him “the fastest snowboarder in the world.” This speedy shredding is going down on some of the heaviest lines in AK or the Alps — not your 9 a.m. groomers — and, if you’ve seen the two-km avalanche he survived in ‘08, you’d probably pick up the pace, too…

For the last decade, the 31 year-old has more than made his mark competitively, winning the Boarder-X World Champs four times and, in Freeriding, another three in a row, yet his competitive strengths are nothing compared to his love for the mountains, and for speed in its purest form.

The only way you’ll ever truly catch XDLR is in Jones’s Deeper and Further; Standard; and his excellent Swatch Timeline webisodes every two weeks.

How do you know when you’re going too fast? 
To be honest, I can’t really explain what could be the alarm in my head, it’s more a feeling thing than a reflection. I guess [it’s] only a matter of terrain not giving enough space or not providing good enough snow for some speed. It’s rare that I get to the point where it’s too fast.

[+] Enlargetimelinemissions.com / TeroRepo.comXavier doesn’t zig-zag across slopes to hit a little lip or cross-court launch. He’s all fall line all the time.

When I drop into a line, I normally start more or less gently and then build up according to what I find in terms of conditions and terrain. Once I reach some really high speed, it is sometimes better to just keep on going straight instead of putting that turn that could make you explode completely.

Fastest you’ve ever gone? 
It’s hard to say, but when I straight-line stuff, I usually like after a certain speed to spread out my arms a bit and then lean on the air. It’s a really cool feeling and it definitely gives more control. Once you reach that speed, it normally doesn’t get much faster.

You told me before that going faster gives you more time to think. Do you ride in some quantum world?
Quite often, going fast makes you float on the surface of the snow and that takes away some of the impacts of the terrain. Another really good reason is that going fast gives you a clear visual on some landings and that makes the decision process way easier. Last but not least, once you reach a certain speed, avalanches become way less of an issue, and that gives some space to think of other things.

What advice would you give to a solid snowboarder wanting to work on his or her speed? 
A bigger board makes a huge difference. The terrain and snow quality reading will be really key and most of all, it’s good to choose a line [with] a clean out-run. I think, anyways, that it’s pretty easy to feel if you are under control or not.

timelinemissions.com / TeroRepo.comOne mistake at the kind of speeds de Le Rue operates at can mean a nasty explosion or worse. His Zen approach? Turn less, flow more: “Going fast gives you a clear visual on some landings and that makes the decision process easier.”

How has this season gone?
This year has actually been fairly tough. In the last three years, I’ve had quite a lot of luck with all my trips, and the conditions, but this year I’ve been facing more the other side of the coin. No big deal, it’s part of the game, but it’s just pretty draining to travel across the globe and come home with that feeling of not having done the job. I’ve had the feeling that since early January in Japan, I haven’t been riding those sessions where everything goes well with perfect conditions, where you can really push your riding to the max.

I miss that incredible feeling of arriving at the bottom of my line screaming my love for snowboarding. It will come though — the season is not over.

You’ve said that riding in trees is a good way to work on your reaction times elsewhere. Can anyone keep up with you there?
I’m usually riding alone when I do these tree riding sessions, maybe because I like to stop at some point in the middle of the forest and listen and smell the woods. But it’s maybe that I like to fire up sometimes and the best way to not have to wait is to go on my own. I’m not that wild though… I love sharing snowboarding, and especially that part of it that I love: tree riding.

[+] Enlargetimelinemissions.com / TeroRepo.comCommitting to technical sections has never been a problem to Xavier. Neither has the 0-60 rush you get the second you land a drop-in like this one.

How important is your equipment, especially the stiffness of your set-up when you start hitting terminal velocity?
You will not believe me but when I ride I barely close my boots. And my board, although long when I hit big lines (167), isn’t stiff at all. It’s funny that everyone thinks that big speed and big jumps mean stiff boots and board. Whenever I ride new gear, especially the boots, it really takes me a while before I can feel comfortable. The stiffness makes me lose a lot of my feeling under the feet.

Why should every snowboarder reading this try and pick up the pace next season?
Because speed is so fun; to be safe; to reach that PlayStation state of mind where everything becomes so easy that it’s almost magical.

Maelle Ricker

Maelle Ricker’s golden moment, after receiving her Olympic gold medal in snowboard cross at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver on Feb. 17, 2010.

Photograph by: Larry Wong, Postmedia News files

VANCOUVER — Snowboarder Maelle Ricker’s inclusion in the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame’s 2011 induction class was something of a surprise to the Olympic gold medallist.

“Obviously, I’m very honoured, but my first thought was ‘I’m not done yet,’ ” the veteran snowboard cross competitor recalled with a laugh on Monday. “I’m still going. What’s this all about? Do people think I’ve stopped?”

A few months after the class was announced back in January, the hall got its own surprise when officials stumbled upon the fact that the 32-year-old from the North Shore was a 1996 recipient of the hall’s Jack Farley Youth Sports Achievement Award.

It means Ricker, whose gold medal in 2010 in what was essentially her backyard at Cypress made for one of the Games’ storybook moments, is the first recipient of one of the post-secondary education scholarships to later be inducted into the hall for his/her athletic achievements.

“To win the youth award and then to come back as one of the inductees later in life is really kind of neat to come around full circle,” said Ricker, who will be formally inducted at the hall’s gala Banquet of Champions Tuesday night at the Vancouver Convention Centre. “It just shows that sport funding really does do something.”

The now $2,000 award, first handed out in 1995, is given each year to one male and one female Grade 12 student in B.C. based on athletic ability, leadership skills and school and community involvement.

Ricker, who attended Sentinel secondary in West Vancouver, was honoured as a multi-sport athlete. Besides competing as a snowboarder, she was a star track athlete, a dominant force on her high school and community soccer team, captained her school’s basketball team and played goal for the school’s field hockey squad.

“I lived, ate and dreamed sports,” says Ricker, who received $750 for winning the Farley Award. “I was pretty serious about track for awhile. And between the ages of 10 and 14, I played Metro soccer with such a fun team, a great coach and a great bunch of girls. We won nationals when were 13. It was like life and death for us. That’s where I got my competitive side, I think, from soccer.”

Ricker was looking to run track at university, but broke her leg in the spring of her Grade 12 year and ended up moving to Whistler with her father instead of going to school.

“I was going to take a year off and go to university the following year, but I was on the Canadian snowboard team that year and fell in love with doing that.”

Allison Mailer, the hall’s director of operations, said the hall didn’t realize Ricker had once won the Farley Award until staff began scanning old banquet programs.

“What a nice link, isn’t it fantastic?” said Mailer. “And for a West Vancouver girl to win an Olympic gold here on the local mountain is such a great story.”

Ricker, who just returned to her Squamish home on the weekend from a two-week training camp on the glacier at Mt. Hood, Ore., is one of five 2011 athlete inductees. She’s going into the hall alongside former Vancouver Canucks captain Trevor Linden, multi 2010 Paralympic gold medallist Lauren Woolstencroft and lacrosse superstars Gary and Paul Gait.

Ricker finished fifth in halfpipe when snowboarding made its Olympic debut in Nagano in 1998, then concentrated mostly on snowboard cross.

She missed the 2002 Olympics after one of the eight knee surgeries in her career and, heartbreakingly, finished fourth in SBX at the 2006 Games after crashing early in the four-boarder final.

Ricker finished in the top three in the World Cup SBX standings each year from 2006 to 2010, winning the Crystal Globe in 2008 and 2010 when she also won the overall snowboard World Cup. Last season, Ricker was sixth after being forced to miss the final four World Cups after breaking her hand and injuring her shoulder in a crash at world championships.

The hand has fully healed, but nerve damage in her shoulder has been slower to come around.

“It’s one of those things where I just have to be very patient,” says Ricker. “But our first World Cup isn’t until Dec. 17 this year in Telluride [Colo.].”

Despite the fact she has been on the World Cup circuit for 15 years and will turn 33 in December, Ricker says she has no intention of quitting anytime soon.

“The whole lifestyle around the sport is why I still do it. I love it. And every year there is something new to try and develop. They’re getting quite progressive with boards and the style of the course. It’s hard to stop when you feel you’re still not at your best and there’s stuff to learn.”

gkingston@vancouversun.com

NZ World Heli Challenge

Callan Chythlook-Sifsof/dob 14.02.1989/alaska anchorage/www.callanchythlook.com

SBX World Cup rider competing at the NZ World Heli Challenge

http://worldhelichallenge.com/

Tell us about your experience during the NZ World Heli Challenge?

This event encompasses the heart of snowboarding for me. Its not just a competition but a venue highlighting different expressions of riding. At the end of the day, you can see the stoke on every persons face. It brings out something very special over the course of the 2 weeks and leaves you with an incredible nostalgia. I’m now at the end of the trip and its really hard to leave a place where you’ve experienced some of the best moments in life. From start to finish, every day gives you butterflies. Luckily the snow was so good the first two days of the competition and we were able to fly back to back days in the heli almost as soon as we all arrived. This event incorporates photography and cinematography throughout the 2 weeks, which kind of solidifies the experience to something you can look at. Everyone feels the excitement of being here and to see it highlighted on film is very rad. This is the second year that I’ve been a part of it and I hope to be here for many more. 

At which moment did u feel most challenged and how did u cop with the situation?

At the top of my second run on the extreme day I was considering where to drop from and had a place in mind where I would need to ollie over a rock before clearing the cliff. Standing there judging the distance and my capability was quite nerve racking. In the end I went for it and its always the best feeling when it works out. That process I guess is why we continue doing these things, the feeling of progression and being challenged are thrilling.

From a mental perspective, how does SBX competition compare to a Freeride Event?

SBX is more hectic mentally for me. There is a lot going on around you both in the course and out, which adds to the excitement of doing it. Freeriding takes consideration and mindfulness that is not so rushed or immediate. Your runs down a freeride venue are all yours to do with what you want. Other people have no baring on the outcome which makes for a clear plan before you even step out of the helicopter. Theres not always a clear plan with boardercross. They are both exciting but in different ways.

What is your take on Womans Snowboarding in such extreme enviroments, and how do you see the development of the sport in both, SBX and Freeride?

 The past year has seen huge progression in women’s extreme riding. The North Face Masters events in the U.S. garnered a huge women’s field this year. The girls fed off of eachothers runs and it pushed everyone to step it up. I think every event gets more radical and women are really charging. In some cases the women take more extreme lines and cliffs than some of the mens field. People like Anne Flore-Marxer are very inspiring to me and push me to challenge myself more. In SBX, you can see the same things with progression. The top riders seem to feed off of eachother, pushing everyone to step it up.

How big is the Fear Factor for yourself? You pretty much have to manage to ride the same terrain as the mens field. How do you deal with fear, and is it actually something that u enjoy to overcome?

You always feel some fear in unknown and extreme terrain, which is definitely part of why we do this. Dealing with those pangs of anxiety make executing what your doing that much more incredible. 

How did growing up in alaska influence u as a person?

Growing up in a place with such a smaller population and accessibility that the rest of the world definitely shaped who I am. I remember the first time I traveled with the US Team really having it hit home that my life and where I come from is quite different from most people.

When did u get involved in SBX competition and since when are u a member of the US Team? 

 My mom and I moved to a ski resort just outside of Anchorage when I was 13 and some friends competed in the local weekend races there. I got into it and qualified to go to a bigger comp, one thing kept leading to the other.

Where do you c yourself in the World of Snowobarding in years to come and what are your other ambtiions in life?

I hope to be in the next few Olympics and continue progression in boardercross. Freeriding is a huge part of my life and the heart of what snowboarding is for me and I’ll continue that for the rest of my life. I’d like to work with improving opportunities for indigenous people in Alaska.

by Rene Brunner for the Rebel Edition

World Heli Challenge Wanaka 11

Athletes stage from the Minaret Station barge on Lake Wanaka for the Extreme Day of the 2011 World Heli Challenge held on Mt Albert Tony Harrington. All right sw reserved

NZ WINTER GAMES

It was Australia’s day today at the 100% Pure New Zealand Winter Games Jucy Snowboard Cross with reigning snowboard cross world champion and X Games competitor, Alex Pullin taking out the men’s competition and Belle Brockhof taking gold in the women’s competition.

Mother nature cooperated providing blue skies and light winds; the athletes provided the entertainment in this fast paced competition that, for spectators, is similar to watching a motocross event.

“It was great to be out here today competing against some of the world’s best,” said Pullin. “The Winter Games is fantastic in that it provides another major competition during the Southern Hemisphere season. It’s critical to our training and to being in top form for the Northern Hemisphere season. I’ll definitely be back.”

Pullin went on to comment on his teammates Cameron Bolton and Andy Fischer who placed second and fourth respectively. “We’ve been working hard to bring these two developing athletes up and it was fantastic to see them step it up for this competition. All around it was an amazing day, the weather was great, the course was great and we’re all happy to be here.”

In third was America’s Chris Mahaney the second highest ranked competitor in today’s field.

Six nations were represented in the men’s field with 31 riders competing. New Zealand’s top ranked snowboard cross rider Philip Dominick was the top placing kiwi today finishing in sixth place with Cody Logan coming in just behind him in eighth.

The women’s results today proved that in snowboard cross being at the top doesn’t guarantee the win; one small mistake can see a title slipping away. In the semifinals, top ranked rider, 2010 Olympian and X Games silver medalist Callan Chythlook-Sifsof (USA) slid out while overtaking Amanda Taylor (AUS) who launched over Chythlook. This small error cost Cythlook her shot in the finals and in the end the win went to Brockhof with teammate Alexandra Lockie taking second and Japan’s Karen Iwadare rounding out the podium.

image by ross hindmann

Backstage during Bolle Photo Shoot capturing SBX Athletes

Pierre Vaultier/Seth Wescott and Alex Chumpy Pullin at a Bolle Photo Shoot in Colorado/Images taken by Kari Rowe

http://karirowephoto.com/

THE REPUBLIC OF ALEX CHUMPY PULLIN

born: 20 of September 1987 lives: out of a bag height: 186 cm weight: 85 kg stance: Natural sponsors: Suzuki, Bolle, 2XU, Apex Snowboards, Globe, North Face

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

2011 World Champion, La Molina SPA

2011 Overall World Cup Champion

2011 SSA Suzuki Athlete of the Year

2010 rank #2 Overall World Cup

2010 Qualified 1st for Olympic Finals

FIS WORLD CUP TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

2011 World Cup Arosa – 1st

2010 World Cup Telluride – 3rd

2010 World Cup Lech – 2nd

2010 World Cup La Molina – 2nd

2010 World Cup Valmelenco – 1st

2008 World Cup – Giju Gifu – 3rd

Chumpy grew up in Mansfield, starting to ski with his family when he 3 years old. At age 8, his parents who own and run a family ski/snowboard shop in Mansfield, gave him his first chance to step onto a snowboard. From there, he quickly feel in love with it and put as much time as he could into being out riding around his local mountain.

At age 15, Chumpy was at the FIS Snowboard Australian National Championships with his Dad Chris. Chumpy had his eye on winning the open men’s in Boardercross, which when he crossed the line in first place, he and his Dad were able to celebrate and focus on his next goals.

He started to travel internationally from 14 onwards. Chasing the competition tour in the northern hemisphere had its challenges, but Chumpy’s passion for snowboarding as well as his hunger to be the best, found him ways around all of them.

By age 18 he had spent a solid 3 months on the road in North America and after winning the competitions he’d needed to qualify for the following seasons World Cup tour, he returned home for the Australian Winter.

In Chumpys first World Cup Boardercross in 2007, he qualified 5th for the finals, a huge result for him to launch into the top level of Boardercross. By 2010, Chumpy had become a strong racer, putting down consistent top 5 results on the World Cup tour.

The 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver was where Chumpy really made himself a house hold name. Qualifying fastest in both runs, in front of his family and the whole world who were watching. The finals however, did not play out so well. Chumpy crashed out in the quaterfinals while leading the heat in front of Olympic Gold medalist Seth Wescott. That competition may have not gone his way, but it sure lit a fire deep inside as well as opened Chumpy’s eyes to how fast he was.

With 2 more World Cup competitions left in the season after the Olympics, Chumpy flew on to Italy. It was here at the very next event, with all the same top competitors in the sport where Chumpy won his first World Cup title. A great defeat and comeback after his devastation at the Olympics. The 22 year old didnt stop there, winning 2nd place at the final World Cup of the season, pushing him up to World Rank #2.

The 2010/11 season brought about Chumpys most successful season thus far. He started the tour strong, placing 2nd in Lech, Austria, then battled through the next event at Telluride USA with food poisoning, still scoring a 3rd place. With some time off over Christmas to go back home to Australia and spend a few days with family, Chumpy came back to the tour on fire, knowing the win he really wanted was at the next competition, World Champs.

Chumpy raced well and had the same scenario of facing dual Olympic medalist Seth Wescott in the 2nd round. He saw plenty of action through his heats to the final, but with his hunger to win along with 4 years of World Cup tour experience, he made it his day. Chumpy crossed the line in La Molina SPA as the first ever Australian to win a Snowboard World Championship gold.

The focus was then set on taking out the World Cup Overall title. Chumpy raced well in all the events right through until Italy, where he aimed to defend his title from the previous season. But it went badly for Chumpy in Valmelenco and he slipped from 1st back to 6th in the World Ranks.

The last two events in Arosa SUI were set up as 6 man heats. It was a double event and Chumpy brought his best racing to the table. He raced to 4th on the first day, pushing him back to 2nd place. On the following and final day of World Cup for the 2010/11 tour, Chumpy won both runs of qualifying, every heat to the final and then secured his Overall World Cup title win when he cross the line 1st in the final. It was a massive result, given that Chumpy had only won the title by 60 points over fellow competitor and previous World #1 Pierre Vaultier.

To date, Chumpy is working hard with his coach Ben Wordswoth on his preparation for the up and coming World Cup Season. Its bound to be an exciting one, so stay tuned and follow along on Chumpys journey.

Snowboardcross @ Arosa 2011 FIS WORLD CUP FINALS

In Arosa Switzerland, Snowboard Cross returned to its origianl 6 men/woman format, and brought back some of the excitment that it was originally known for. 

Thanks to Harald Benselin, Swiss Snowboard Cross Coach, for taking the lead and making it happen for the first time at a FIS Snowboard Cross World Cup.

In the 2011/2012 World Cup season there will be an increased number of events hold in this format, with the aim of having it showcased during the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi.

Snowboard cross (also Snowboarder X, SBX, Boardercross, Boarder-X or BX) is a snowboard competition in which a group of snowboarders (usually four) start simultaneously atop an inclined course, then race to reach the finish line first. Snowboard cross became an Olympic sport in 2006, and has been part of the Winter X Games since the annual event began in 1997. At the X Games the sport is called Snowboarder X.

TANIA NYBERG @ La Molina during the FIS SNOWBOARD WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS shooting for THE REBEL January 2011

Tania Nyberg is a strong conceptualist in the world of photography and design she has gained admiration for her work by combining art and the art of science studing human behaviour.

A camera became her best friend in her early years of high school. In 1998 she completed a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Anthropology at Richmond, The AI University in London with a complementary degree in Photography and Design at Royal College Of Art. While working in the advertising industry Nyberg simutaneously completed a Master of Fine Arts in photography at Academy of Art University in San Francisco,California.

Nyberg’s work is known to emphasize a humanely fresh quirky and playful humor, sometimes with a witty flirtatious innocence. With her editorial framing and fresh energetic colours, she covers assignements in extreme sports, music, fashion/lifestyle portraiture, travel and advertising. Her work that has been featured in advertising campaigns from the likes of major international companies such as Rembrandt, Axe and Sony along with agency and production firms as TBWA, BBH, BBDO, Mother, Partizan and Traktor.

In 2005 she was advertised internationally by NIKON for her editorial and exhibited work. As well has had public exhibitions on conceptual series mamma’s boy, which has been shown in Asia, USA and Europe. This prosperous duality is also present in Nyberg’s publication exposure, which includes professional journals such as Cosmopolitan, Harpers Bazaar (Taiwan), Mamma, and Bang (Taiwan), as well as broad based and specialized public journals and editorial entertainment assignments from Verdens Gang (Norway’s largest daily newspaper), photographed Elton John, Eva Longoria, Meatloaf, and Flaming Lips, Izabella Scorupco, Sondre Lerche, Kate Havnevik, Metric, Feist, Big Bang amongst many numerous well known talents and artists.

In 2010 her recent series “YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT,” was exhibited at Stavanger Kunstforening and has sold impeccably in Norway. Also did advertising forTRIBECA AWARDED movie FÅ MEG PÅ, FOR FAEN coming out in August.

Currently, in addition to making ends meat from film, fashion and advertising campaigns, and holding photography workshops. Nyberg is starting a collaborative, annual art, extreme sport and lifestyle magazinecalled THE REBEL EDITION which will be out for sale and distributed internationally in October 2011.

the rebel edition

The Rebel edition is an annual, extreme sport, lifestyle art magazine. 
We adventure deeper into the individual ‘rebellious’ sport and outdoor life exploring their mind and intellect to sticking to the goal. While ultimately unselfishly destined to educate, motivate and open the mind of the reader, to create their own individual challenges and ambitions.

The strategy is to learn the individuals mind and strategy, intellect, risk and mental challenge of the sport or activity. While documenting journeys on how individuals are testing themselves beyond human beings normal ability, as they explore their limits and the destinations they reach. Learning personal philosophies and psychology is the key to their drive.
The Rebel edition covers anything from snowboard cross, rock climbing, sky diving, deep sea diving, shark expeditions to professional bull riding.
Its ultimate essence is memorable visual stories, with tasteful fine art, fashion, portraiture, landscape and life style images we all want to keep in our library. 

“EXPLORE YOUR OWN HUMANITY TO THE FULLEST PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY. ”