For 2013 Never Summer Industries has selected an elite design group from outside our organization. The mission of the team is to provide honest, detailed and comprehensive reviews on our 2013/14 snowboard models. To answer questions in a tactful and respectful way about the how the tech/design influence the boards performance, compare and contrast models to help people determine which board is right for them when they're considering our brand. An emphasis of the group is to help us with the design and development of new product, improve existing models and determine what riders are looking for from us.
Team Roster/Bio:
Scott a.k.a Snowolf: Pack Leader, Vancouver, WA
Scott has helped countless people further their snowboarding experience with his incredible passion and knowledge. From years as an AASI certified snowboard instructor at Mt. Hood Meadows, administrator of snowboardingforum.com, to forming his own backcountry guide service, backcountry splitboarding in Alaska or guiding groups to the summit Mt. Hood, Mt. Adams and Mt. St. Helens for classic descents. With a focus on big mountain and freeride snowboarding, Snowolf was instrumental on development of the Cobra with us and is a natural choice for the Prospector Split.
Leo a.k.a Leo: Team Captain, Sterling Heights, MI.
You all know him and love him it’s Leo! With over 5,000 posts Leo is a fixture of snowboardforum.com and mid-west snowboarding. Personally selected as one of Never Summer’s original on-line design team members by owner Tracey Canaday, Leo has been a part of the progression and development of our Park Series boards and the all mountain Proto. You’ll find Leo ripping everything, everywhere on our boards (in addition to a plethora of other brands), jibbing and bonkin, stylie methods to mobbing groomers and slashin around the woods. Whether it’s waist deep pow or bullet proof hardpack. Leo just rides.
Kelly a.k.a. Shredler: Whitefish, MT
Born and raised in the shadow of Mt. Hood it was easy for Kelly to gravitate toward snowsports. An AASI level 3 certified instructor she spent years teaching on her home mountain, a stint in Steamboat, before recently relocating in Whitefish, MT. She is currently the training director for the NW division, focusing on youth freestyle and women's clinics. Shredler’s riding style can be described as true all mountain, shredding steep and deep trees or hiking a feature in the park with a big smile on her face. With a playful element to it constantly zig zagging around the hill looking for something to jib or pop off of. Kelly is also an experienced backcountry ripper and is the logical choice to have on our women`s specific Raven split.
Wil a.k.a. Bear5001: Hood River, OR
Wil’s roots lie in Snoqualmie Pass where he started snowboarding at an early age. It was his families move to Big Sky, Montana where he developed a love for Big Mountain lines. Steeper the better! Bear5001 loves narrow chutes and tight trees are also right up there. However riding almost every day has made him appreciate every type of snowboarding and rides whatever is best that day. If you’re up in the PNW look for Wil on EDZ's and the arm at Baker or the King/Queen/Throne at Crystal. A current Level 3 instructor and training director for AASI-NW at Mt. Hood Meadows, Wil consistently rides over 100 days a year. Wil is the definition of all mountain rider; whether it`s a backside 7 in the park or charging a 50 degree chute on Mt. Baker, Wil not only rides it all, but expertly teaches others to do it as well.
Jason a.k.a. NWBoarder: Port Orchard, WA
Jason’s riding experience began in 1997, going through many different brands and models in the process. Last season was his first as an instructor for a private snowboard school. He did 4 on snow clinics and then taught a 6 week course and LOVED it! He’ll be teaching the course again this season. NWBoarder loves steep technical riding, but can blast a groomer with the best of them when necessary. Not a big time park guy, preferring to freestyle on natural terrain. Jason is also venturing into splitboarding the Washington Cascades. Jason, being fun, friendly and outgoing, epitomizes the essence of snowboarding.
Rob a.k.a. Mysticfalcon: Newport, VT
Mysticfalcon has ridden all over the Northeast but most of his time is spent in the trees at Jay Peak, Vt., looking for small cliffs to drop or logs to jib. Rob knows the area so well that he is the guide for the snowboardingforum.com east coast meet and Lyndon State College Ski & Ride Club. Where he is going to school to become a teacher so he can mold minds on more than just shredding.
Patrick a.k.a. Triple8sol: Sammamish, WA
Riding a wide array of Never Summer boards past and present, Patrick is the perfect person to give recommendations and comparisons on our models. He prefers steep, technical lines in the sidecountry but does a lap in the park here and there. Patrick is a well rounded rider who can ride anything in any condition with ease. He is very familiar with the pacific northwest from Mt. Bachelor to Mt. Baker.
Elias a.k.a. wassupeli: Anchorage, AK
A Yupik Eskimo Elias is at home in his native Alaska, especially on Alyeska Resort, where he’s an AASI Level 3 and the snowboard supervisor/lead trainer. Wassupeli rides everything…… Steep and deep AK blower to pipe/park and even races in the town league series. Elias is also an experienced Alaska backcountry rider with many descents in the Turnagain Pass area of the Chugach Range as well as Hatcher Pass in the Talkeetna Range. Elias came highly recommended by the director of Alyeska`s Mountain Leraning Center.
Max a.k.a. Dreampow: Kyoto, Japan
Living in Japan for the last 11 years, Max is a freelance translator and interpreter. This season he’ll be professionally guiding groups in the Nozawa onsen backcountry with an ex Japanese pro and a current coach. Max rides pow and lots of it! He does mix it up with some groomed runs and a few passes though the park, hitting mostly boxes and a very occasional rail with some board slides. Look for his photos, videos and reviews in places and pow most of us can only dream of.
Chris a.k.a. Extremo: Franklin, NH
Snowboarding it’s Extreme-o is an expert park rider on the east coast. A freestyle machine killin the parks at his home mountains of Gunstock and Waterville, NH. Chris also has some rails and boxes set up at home, so his time off the mountain is spent jibbing with friends. He’ll be testing and giving us feedback non-stop to constantly improve and progress our Park Series. Chris (Extremo) has been a icon member of Snowboardingforum.com and has been a source of great advice and encouragement in the coaching section when it comes to park riding. Chris` extensive experience with various brands of boards and bindings makes him a great choice to review and compare product.
Gary a.k.a. Killclimbz: Aurora, CO
Gary is a fixture in Colorado backcountry snowboarding, from his commitment and work with Friends of Berthoud Pass (FOBP) a grassroots collective of backcountry enthusiasts committed to preserving the legacy of public recreation at Berthoud Pass through safety, access and education. 90 % of Gary’s snowboarding is logged in the backcountry and he has been a mentor to many riders. Killclimbz has ridden our boards for years and is a driving force in the direction of our production splitboards. With our high peaks and long season Killclimbz is going to get plenty of time on our new Prospector Split.
Mark a.k.a. Marxkarkis: Revelstoke, British Columbia
Marxkarkis’s playground lies just off the famed powder highway and Rogers Pass. You’ll find Mark in this promised land giving Hi 5’s all around on those numerous powderiffic days. Having access to some of the most incredible terrain in the world allow Mark to really put a splitboard to the test on both ascent and descent. Mark tested the first prototype SL Split and you’ll find many of the tech features in our Prospector Split the direct result from his input. A powerful freerider he also loves shredding his Raptor in some of the most gnarly sidecountry at Kicking Horse. Heavily involved in the Canuck Splitboard Festival, Mark has helped raise thousands of dollars for the Canadian Avalanche Foundation and the Craig Kelly Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Peter a.k.a. fatbob: Nottingham, United Kingdom
Through his work as a moderator and reviewer on the UK snowboard forum goneboarding
Never Summer 2013 Board Review | GONEboarding , producing videos on his fatbobfilms
FATBOBfilms, and has had articles published on the online snowboard journal Snowpshere and a ‘Last Lift’ article published in December 2007’s issue of Whitelines. Peter continually shows his dedication to snowboarding. Not just confined to video producing, he is a qualified Level 2 Instructor with the British Association of Snowboard Instructors. He also teaches part time at the Snowdome . With a quick trip across the channel he is epic Alps local’s like Champéry, Switzerland, testing and analyzing snowboard equipment. Outside of snowboarding Peter is recently retired semi pro footballer took up the challenge of cycling a London to Paris ride in July 2012 on behalf of Christian Aid. The urge to give back to less fortunate apparently runs deep in Nottingham.
Vince Sanders-Product Development
Never Summer Industries