TGR's New York City Film Premiere 2008

TGR's New York City Film Premiere 2008, and other Snowboard News

by Lauren Traub Teton

Teton Gravity Research's latest snow film “Under the Influence” premiered in NYC on Saturday, November 15 at Club Prime to a packed house of hundreds: mostly skiers and some snowboarders. The raffle stoked the crowd and the movie hushed them with awe. Big mountain riding is the order with TGR movies and the first scene is absolutely sick, with athletes being dropped by heli onto a wedge of mountain top that looks like the little sharp pointy curl at the top of your soft ice cream cone, then riding down.

We waited patiently and finally half way through we saw our first snowboarder part with Gigi Ruf. Victoria Jealouse rode like the star she is and looked lovely to boot. Why such a teensy part for the only fem rep in this film? Jeremy Jones, Big Mountain Rider is inspiring as one of the fathers of this genre and says in the film that the first time he rode Alaska he KNEW he had to make it part of his life. Not to be confused with the rail rider of the same name, this JJ rides for Rossignol and is brother of TGR founders Todd and Steve Jones. Jeremy has changed his color scheme this time around from his classic red jacket to yellow green. We like the red, so we can always spot him.

Kudos to Jeremy as founder of POW – Protect Our Winters, a united front for winter sports enthusiasts to raise awareness and funds to protect the environment from warming To see his million dollar smile, which you don't see in the movie, click here.

Back to the film, 18 year old skier Sammy Carlson amused us with his twin tip antics as much as any snowboarding rail rider. We love when he rode UP the stair rail and roof instead of cooperating with gravity the usual way.

After the flick, non-dancers filtered out and the late night crowd filtered in for dancing with smoke and lights. The TGR road crew under fearless leader (and former East Coaster) Dave Hudackso packed up the movie screens and gear in 5 minutes flat.

Models Made

Shout out to our pals at Emilio's Ski and Snowboard Shop in Queens, the oldest (and hippest) snow shop in the Boroughs for their work on this party. We worked with them last year for the successful Blur Tour Snowboard Film Premiere Party we threw down…town. Emilio's put on a rocking snowboard fashion show for us with special guest models Yale Cousino and his sister Amber Rood who have both since started successful modeling careers after that auspicious start!

New East Coast Film in the Works from Never Enough Entertainment

The East Coast film we showed last year at the party: ' Blur", by young Maestro Tom Vayianos will be followed by a new offering next season, tentatively titled "Breathe.” Tom's Huckfest Productions has a fresh new name too: Never Enough Entertainment. Watch for big things from them.

Kevin Corcoran now at Rossignol Snowboards

In other related news, our good bud Kevin Corcoran has landed a great gig for all concerned, working with Rossignol Snowboards and is excited to bring them together with activities and promotions he is currently working on. Such as his TV segments for the Weekly Events Report on The Mountain Report which is seen nationwide on Fox Sports, NY and NESN. Kevin will be creating a new grassroots campaign in New England to support and promote the retail sales of Rossignol Snowboards in shops.

Video Parks, Crotched Mountain and Mount Snow

Rossi will be a sponsor for Kevin’s brainchild – the Video Parks at Crotched Mountain, NH and new this year, one at Mount Snow, VT. Both Peak Resorts who are mad for making snow! If you don’t know about Video Park, you should because it’s been one of the coolest (in EVERY way!) under-the-radar local pro events for the last 2 winters. The mountains make a park with wild features including oil tanks and fire, and invite riders and their film crews to film the craziness under the lights. Crotched will be open to the public ‘til 3am that night as part of their seasonal Midnight Madness. Though I can tell you that if you’re out riding past 2am like I was, you can have the hill to yourself.

Video Park dates will be posted on www.SnowboardEventsCalendar.com and www.crotchedmountain.com/ and www.mountsnow.com/calendar.html.

Crotched Mountain’s site says Crotched Mountain is operated with love by Peak Resorts and if you know the crew there like we do, you know it’s true! Hey Chris and Craig. With a name like “Crotched” you gotta love it!

Winter Dew Tour

We’re all excited about the brand new Winter Dew Tour which will be the biggest East Coast Event this season with a total purse of $1.5 over three events. Jan 8-11 at Mount Snow. More to come on that…

Learn to Carve This Winter!
New organization formed to teach carving to snowboarders and skiers.

Snowboarders can wear soft boots or hard. Learn the East Coast Carve. with elbow on the snow, as performed by Ron "the Carvefather" Maita.

American Carving Association weekend events are scheduled so far for

Jan 23 - 25 at Killington Resort, VT
March 6 - 9 Sugarbush Ski Resort, VT
March 27- 29 Stratton Mountain Ski Resort, VT

We expect to have day clinics at Belleayre Mountain, NY.
Discounts on workshops if you sign up before Dec. 1 at http://radxsports.com/ACA.htm

Props to Reliable Racing of Queensbury, NY for donating the Carving Arena slalom set-up, and to the other sponsors: RadxSports, SnowboardEventsCalendar.com, EvilSports.com, Xocai Chocolates, and Flexmeters.com Snowboard & Sport Wrist Guards,

For More Info Contact:

Lauren Traub Teton, Director of Public Relations
American Carving Association
Lauren@SnowboardSecrets.com

Burton Movie Tour - Burton Party - Boston

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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Lauren at the Burton Party -------------------------------------Danny Kass wears Flexmeters!