That’s why Transworld Snowboarding interviewed Jeremy Jones for some tips on snow camping.  The interview itself lacks any any substance or good information toward weather survival. So it’s a good thing they offer links at the bottom to backpacking.net mountainsurvival.com and rei.com.

Not something I have been able to try yet. And probably not until I can secure enough funds to begin such adventures. With that in mind, I imagine the only thing more fun then going to some of these places, would be going there and snowboarding.

The stories are funny, and familiar. One reader posts “At age 55 I took a beginner snowboard lesson, 15 minutes later if my skis had been in my truck I would have quit.” I was about 12 rather then 55 the first time I tried to board, so my compliments to the poster. However if I had skis in my truck at the time I also would have quit.

My ability to go down the hill more then a few feet without falling was non-existent. After a short day (falling just started to hurt too much) I decided to try my luck with a lesson. It only took one, and later that day I was riding down the hill on not only my heel edge but my toe edge.

I guess the moral of the story is you’re never too old, or too young to take a lesson. The poster who took a lesson at 55 still rides almost four years later, hopefully I can go even longer then that.

White decide to show some judges his new moves rather then to unveil at the games, in part to help prevent what happened to Skier Johny Moseley in the 2002 Salt Lake Winter Games. Moseley performed a brand new trick he coined the term “dinner roll” for. While the trick is now considered one of the most difficult to perform, and Moseley did so perfectly, he still didn’t manage to medal.

White’s reason to show the tricks, despite the possibility of other riders imitating his them, is so he could “educate the judges.” There are other factors that may play in to a judge not scoring well for tricks technically harder, snowboarders are not required to give a list of the tricks they will do like some other sports, so there is more of a surprise factor. There’s also a good chance none of the judges can do anything even close to what the rides are doing.

Since Jeremy Jones hasn’t had the opportunity to ride enough cool stuff, he now gets to snowboard in Antarctica. Here are two pictures he took of his recent travels. The opportunity to shoot pictures in Antarctica alone must be amazing.

When he’s not worried about the boat getting trapped in ice and actually snowboarding, he has to worry about lines that are anything but mellow, and have abrupt drop-offs into the water.

One look at the pictures and I know exactly what Jones must have been thinking upon arrival, “where to start?” Now that Jeremy Jones is probably the first person to ever shred Antarctica, it makes me wonder what could be next? One thing is for sure, his movie “Deeper” should hit harder then an iceberg.

Most would say, with accurate feelings, that without snow these sports we love so much would cease to exist. While for the most part probably true, companies have been working on artificial hills for the last decade. They include completely indoor snow parks, the back-yard solution of astro-turf and soapy water, or a product like Snowflex, which has been used in the first artificial snow slope in America.

I haven’t had the pleasure of riding any completely artificial conditions, but every summer my buddy Cal Whitehill sets up an astro-turf and soapy water drop-in to hit rails. He says it works great, but you can’t turn on it so make sure your pointed in the right direction.

Here’s his summer edit. Snow-free.

Calb3rt%27s+Stereo+Edit+-+Ski+Videos+-+Skiing%27s+Online+Community+-+Newschoolers.com.

When Shaun White isn’t busy building secret halfpipes (see previous post) he’s busy selling his body. Only kidding. Sort of. You can now bid on Ebay for a chance to ride with Shaun for a day. All the proceeds going to Right To Play, a multinational humanitarian organization.   Don’t feel bad, I wasn’t reaching for my wallet to buy a day with Shaun, especially once I saw the bidding was at $4,550. I think it would go against my morals to pay, even a charity, to snowboard with anyone, not just Shaun.

Maybe Shaun should offer one of these underprivileged kids the day to snowboard with him, that would be nice. Remember, keep the halfpipe hush hush.

Shaun White is doing all sorts of projects, not only is he building a secret halfpipe (see previous post) he is auctioning off a chance to snowboard with him for a day. Right now all you have to outbid is $4,550. Don’t worry, paying to ride with him didn’t have me reaching for my wallet either. Not to say it isn’t for a good cause. All proceeds go to a Right To Play, an international humanitarian organization. I do think Shaun should take an underprivileged kid snowboarding some day, that might mean a lot more to them. Remember. Hush hush about the halfpipe.

At least with the auction you won’t have to worry about shipping charges, except yourself down to Stratton Mountain, Vermont.

I give Shaun White credit for being one of the most progressive snowboarders of all time, but I haven’t always been a big fan of him, and I’m not sure if I’m a fan of this project.

At the Silverton resort in Colorado, 30 man made avalanches, pipe dragons and foam pit made with 8000 pounds of steel, is what could be the best half-pipe with the fewest riders ever.

There are two reasons I don’t like it. The first is how much raw material went into this. Sure Red Bull is rich, but 8000 pounds of steel just for a few people to have a foam pit? The second: snowboarding to me is almost the opposite of being having a secret training facility. it’s about involving others as much as possible, because it makes it more fun.

I found out about it while reading skier Cody Townsend’s blog, he wrote a very interesting post about social media and companies trying to get him to promote them for free on his blog. Worth a read.

There is no doubt in my mind that this must have helped White immensely, and maybe some of these new tricks will be showing up in the Olympics next Feburary, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.

Not only is he an amazing snowboarder, he rallies a stripped to the bone Harley Sportster. This man does everything, and does it all at a level far too extreme for any normal person to handle.

I then found a link to another website he has. It’s a pretty neat layout and very easy to navigate. has a some more pictures of the awesome bike, which he has named the Jack Hammer. There’s a video section and a few blurbs from his wife and some famous pros.

I can only imagine the creative energy and the physical drive that Jones has. His pictures and videos make me want to snowboard, or play baseball, or go for a motorcycle ride. That’s all very impossible right now in the transition from fall to winter, good thing Birch Hill is planning on opening next weekend!