go back to Szine Newsletter IndexThe Snowboard Szine
Vol. 1, Issue 11
8/10/04
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In This Issue
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1. Wakeboarding Diary - My First Time
2. Snowboarder Mag. Aug. Issue Highlights
3.
Riding Giants - Movie Review. Also 2 other great Board Flicks
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What Snowboarders Do in Summer
1. Wakeboarding Diary - My First Time
"This sport is adrenaline city!"
Read the full article at
http://www.snowboardsecrets.com/wakebord.htm
I had been hearing how much fun wakeboarding is from a friend, for a
couple of years. So last week I decided to take a lesson, on a small lake in
north central Massachusetts. Chad Dooley is an expert wakeboarder, certified
instructor, and college student who teaches wakeboarding there.
Wakeboarding is to water-skiing what snowboarding is to snow skiing. Same
idea, but you face sideways on one board and carve back and forth over the
wake while holding onto the tow rope. As in snowboarding it is possible to
jump the wake and get enough air to do the same kind of aerial tricks that
can be done in the halfpipe or off a kicker.
I gave the signal and I waited for the boat to pull me up into a standing
position. SPLASH! At least water is the softest of the surfaces I've fallen
on in my boarding career. (Read about my beginner efforts on the skateboard,
T-Board, and Vew-Do Board in future Szines. My friends think I'm losing my
mind!)
Embarrassment, defeat, and wet demon thoughts of *why am I doing this? *
I'll never get up * maybe my arms aren't strong enough * remember the time I
tried water-skiing as a teen and couldn't get up * and * I thought this was
supposed to be fun * started to gather around the edge of my brain to
ridicule and haunt me.
Just then Chad gave me some reminders of what I should do, and miracle of
miracles, the next thing I knew I was standing on the surface of the water
and skimming along at 19 miles an hour across the lake! WOOHOO! I couldn't
believe it! What a great feeling! (Read
the full article)
Chad's buddies joined us and I got to see Chad do some stunning tricks
like jumps, grabs, and tootsie rolls. Eric demonstrated "wake surfing" where
he rode a surf wakeboard - no bindings, behind the boat holding a short tow
rope. After the boat's wake reached the right shape, he let go and just was
carried along on the wake -no hands!- for a minute or two.
I learned to carve up on my heel edge. Chad had me practice making
S-turns, just like you do in your first snowboard lessons. The toe side is
more of a challenge, as it is for many snowboarders on snow. Crossing over
the wake scared me at first, but if it wasn't white water, it was amazingly
smooth, gentle and effortless. Crossing multiple wakes was a different
story.
This sport is adrenaline city. I can't think of too many other sports
where you go this fast your first time, except maybe skydiving. I was also
amazed at my early success. After my session and the next day I was plenty
sore from using muscles not normally called into action. Aspirin, arnica,
bromelain and hot baths helped. But wakeboarding gave me my best day of this
summer, so far. Chad asked me if I'll be back this season. I have a feeling
the answer is YES!
Contact me at Lauren@SnowboardSecrets.com if you'd like to get in touch
with Chad Dooley about lessons.
Chad will be competing at the INT League competition in Sturbridge, MA,
on
Aug. 21-22, in the Outlaws Class.
http://www.intleague.com/
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2. Snowboarder Mag, Aug. Issue Highlights
Just got my new issue of Snowboarder Magazine (Aug. issue) in the mail.
They haven't published for a few month. What a great idea - sending the 'zine
in the summer when we actually have time to read it, and we're pining to get
on the snow again. It includes the '05 Buyer's Guide.
The August issue of Snowboarder has a totally cool interview with MFM;
Marc Frank Montoya. He is very straightforward and certainly doesn't pull
any punches in the interview. He trashes Mack Dawg Films for totally cutting
out his part after filming, and Abe Teter for trashing rooms at his
snowboarders hotel, the Block
http://www.snowboardsecrets.com/Articles/theblock.htm in Lake
Tahoe. He gives props to his sponsors. Very frank, Marc Frank. A good read.
I also read there that Tara Dakides will be hosting a new primetime TV
show on Fox. And that pro-boarder Josh Malay will be remembered. This 23
year old was tragically killed last winter in Spain after landing a jump on
snow, then hitting his head on rocks. I can't help wondering if he was
wearing a helmet.
I've been catching up on all those other old snowboard mags that piled up
this winter when I was too busy riding and writing to be inside reading.
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3. Riding Giants - Movie Review. Also 2 other great Board Flicks
Riding Giants (in theatres now)
Dogtown and Z-Boys (see it at home)
Step into Liquid (see it at home)
A Movie Triple Feature for Summer
Read the full review at
http://www.snowboardsecrets.com/Videos/triple.htm
FS - Family Safe
(with no embarrassing sex scenes that will make you squirm if you watch
this with your parents or kids.)
If you surf, you know that it is one of the gnarliest sports out there.
Not too many other sports carry the constant threat of dying by drowning or
being crushed, and are played on a moving battlefield. Surfing makes
snowboarding seem easy.
There's a fab new BIG surf movie out. Riding Giants was released in
theaters in late July in the US. Directed and co-written by acclaimed
surfer, skater and now director Stacy Peralta, (who also made "Dogtown and Z
-Boys") this movie has that same "Stacy" touch showing the history and
progression of surfing in the US since it's inception.
There are lots of incredible film clips from the 50's on up, showing
surfing, and surf antics. The newer sport of big wave riding, of waves 30 to
60 feet dominates the second part of the movie. If you have tried surfing,
involuntary sounds will issue forth from your mouth when you see riders
diving over huge cliffs of water and being chased by fast moving curl.
Since this is a snowboard site, you may wonder, what do skating and
surfing have to do with snowboarding? Plenty! First of all, these three
board sports are some of the fastest evolving sports in existence.
Read the full review at
http://www.snowboardsecrets.com/Videos/triple.htm
This movie was awe-inspiring and exciting. Go out and see it on the big
screen while you can, although it's only playing in 56 theatres nationwide
this week, up from 44 last week.
Meanwhile if you're looking for a board sport couch potato evening, rent
"Dogtown and Z-Boys" also by Stacy Peralta, which traces the history of
skateboarding since it first evolved as a pastime for surfers and groms in
the afternoon when the surf was flat. You can make it a double feature with
"Step into Liquid," another incredible surfing movie that just came out.
They're both so riveting that I watched them twice in a week!
You can rent "Dogtown and Z-Boys" and "Step into Liquid" at Netflix and
have them sent right to your home.
To try Netflix Free, go to
http://www.snowboardsecrets.com/Videos/triple.htm
and scroll to the bottom and click on the RED Netflix box. Thanks!
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HELP WANTED - MOVIE REVIEWERS for SnowboardSecrets.com
ANY AGE!
Got extra time this summer or fall?
There are so many great snowboard-related videos and movies out there.
Way too many for us to review them all ourselves. If you have seen a
movie that readers of SnowboardSecrets.com would like to watch, why not
write a short review, and we can put it up on our site?
It's cool to see your name online as a writer when you "Google search"
yourself! Just drop me a line -
Lauren@SnowboardSecrets.com
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Thanks for reading The Snowboard Szine!
Lauren
Editor -
www.SnowBoardSecrets.com
Westchester County, NY
