SnowboardSecrets.com: Burton Movie Tour - Burton Party

Burton Movie Tour - Burton Party - Boston October 2008

by Lauren Traub Teton

It's Always Snowing Somewhere

Boston - Saturday night October 18, 2008 saw the kick-off of Burton's new snowboard movie "It's Always Snowing Somewhere” in Boston, at uber entertainment club Jillian's near Fenway Park. The third floor was commandeered to hold hundreds of guests for the party and the space had plenty of room for bowling, couch-sitting and mingling in the front. Pool shooting and dancing went down in the back room under the steady party vibes of renowned Vermont DJ Russell from Lotus Entertainment in Burlington.

The underage part of the crowd was welcomed for an early autograph signing session with Burton Global Team riders including the Swiss crew of Nicolas Mueller and Fredi Kalbermatten. Other Global riders in attendance who are rarely seen on the East were Heikki Sorsa of Finland, and Natasza Zurek, and Mikey Rencz, both of British Columbia.

Holding it down with his usual East Coast stee-ehz was suave rail rider Yale Cousino. We hear Yale's doing some modeling and it's all in the family as his gorgeous sister Amber Rood is also breaking into the biz in LV, AND Yale's girlfriend Brooke Werner is appearing in a 2 page Burton ad featuring Nico M. inside the cover of the new December TWS. We wish a healthy and successful season to all these riders and models.

People actually did get to bowl with the snowboard stars, like in some new wacky but cool television reality series. Nicolas Muller is a pretty serious bowler it turns out, having grown up in Zurich. When I said "hey, you were snowboarder of the year" to him, he pointed out that he garnered that title TWICE, in 2006 and 2008! I really have to catch up on reading my snowboard mags. I guess I thought both those issues were from the same year. Btw, you pronounce his first name the French way, with no "s" on the end - Nicola. And his last name has an umlaut (2 dots) over the “u” but when the software doesn’t have an umlaut sometimes you’ll see his name spelled “Mueller.”

Fredi Kalbermatten hails from Saas Fee where I was privileged to see him ride way back in Sumer 2003 when someone pointed him out to me with local pride as I attended Nitro Snowboard Camp in the Pearl of the Alps. This tour was his FIRST time bowling and he was a game sport about it. Jillian's Lucky Lanes have auto scoring so that part's a snap. They'll even serve you food and drink right at the lanes. Hey wipe those greasy chicken nugget and french fry fingers next time before you pick up the red bowling ball, huh?

Liam Griffin who runs the events for Burton is a mad bowler, very serious about it. Yale Cousino has bowled a lot in the past and once he found out that the scoreboard posts radar bowling ball speed, he was intent on setting the lane speed record for a bowling ball. He’s so competitive. Check out his 29.25 mph speed

in the photo! And notice the pink bowling ball with the crack in it that resulted. It's actually a malted milkball inside there, just as you always suspected. And notice who won the game! Tom Vayianos of Huckfest Productions and director of last year’s “Blurred” bowled with us. He’s doing great at Emerson College. Josh Hudson and Erin, the Eco Architect rounded out our team.

Swag and raffle prizes were flying heavy and often under the capable bestowment of MC and Burton rep sans egal Brandon Halberstadt. Don't let that NH address fool you, he's from Massachusetts, like this reporter. In fact he spent early years living in the town that hosts one of the funnest little snowboard and ski hills outside of Boston, Nashoba Valley. I spent many sunny weekday afternoons learning to snowboard here, just a short ride from my ancestral home of Framingham. Brandon's bio bro/brah Billy Halberstadt was in attendance. He's a ski racer and was hanging with the crew from East Coast Alpine who were a very fun bunch to hang and dance with by the pool tables. Shoutout to Matt Beck, also on the Burton rep team – we missed you.

Behind all those that are behind this bash are the brains behind it all - Chris Copley. Known to every snowboard shop and shop kid in New England past and present, Chris is the guy that makes it all happen for Burton in the Northeast. Thanks Chris and all for a great party!

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