I'm celebrating this upcoming season being my 25th year on a snowboard. I started at the age of 11 back in 1988 on a Black Snow Legend but quickly moved onto a Kemper Freestyle at Chrsitmas because I needed metal edges to go to the resort. We were only allowed to ride on the right side of the chairlift that year, and were not allowed on the t-bar. That changed the next season and they actually built a small park for us because it was growing so fast.
Now look at it!!
I'm pretty pumped for this season and I'm proud to still be riding, I always said I would snowboard for life... well I'm doin it.
I know right? When a 12 yr olds at the park asks me how long I've been riding, they can't even comprehend haha. Even when 22yr olds ask me, it's still older then them... I don't really feel old though. I'm 36, but I kinda feel 22 so it's only when I say the numbers outloud that it really registers.
Next season will be my 25th season on snow (started skiing.) Unfortunately I didn't start snowboarding until 10 years ago. I am constantly reminded by every 12 year old than can shred how much better I would be if I started riding 10 years earlier...
well, its part of it... but i'm just always amazed at how far the sport has come and how gnarly shit has got.
if i was as good at 14 as i am now i'd have probably easily been sponsored but at this point in the sport everthing is so huge - freshman on the local JV high school snowboarding team are better than me
Congrat's, next year will be 28 for me, it sure doesn't seem that long. My 19yr old has 15yrs riding that's the number that makes me feel old for some reason.
When we started, BAKER was only open on weekends (3 feet fresh every Friday) and boarders could only ride two runs, until you could prove to a ski patroller that you could turn both ways and stop, then you were given a photo I.D. card that let the lifties know you were allowed to ride the rest of the mtn.
Stevens pass on the other hand said "NO, ABSOLUTLY NO ON WEEKENDS, WEEKDAYS ONLY". I was told one day after Thanksgiving, to get off of the chair, no boarders allowed on holiday's.
Now look how all of the money hungry resorts love us
More importantly you now have the distinction of snowboarding in 4 decades. That's something people really can't wrap their head around when you point it out.
Same story as you pretty much. Black Snow Legend for x-mas of '88 then to a Kemper Freestyle that I think was a 165. Riding that thing at like 100 lbs took real work. We could go on any run but the ski patrol had to take you to the bunny hill and have you do a toe side, heel side and stop before they would certify you to use the hill.
This will be 26:eusa_clap: for me & last year was the best I've ever had:yahoo:.
This year should be even better:thumbsup:
I had a Look snowboard that fell apart. The edges after the contact point @ the nose were 1cm individual pieces.
Every single one came out on both sides.
Rode it probably 30 times after all of them were gone.
2 years later I got the black Kemper Freestyle 165, my best ridin' buddy already had the white Kemper Freestyle 155.
He's still got his, mine got chopped, along with the highbacks.
Had to drill in some T-nuts to widen the stance. Even made home made canting.
I'm pretty sure I dropped about 17lbs off the weight of it, just by cutting the nose & tail:icon_scratch:
Yeah, around here it was Kemper, Barfoot and of course Burton. I wound up going from that Kemper years later to an Original Sin which was my first "modern" board and I was shocked at the weight difference. It had to be easily 5 pounds lighter. I kind of laugh now when I hear people picking a binding because it weights a few grams less than another model.
Funny thing is I've still got a '95 Kemper FS 153 with aluminium kemper bindings. I weight it and it's only 1.5 pounds heavier than my current boards. Although the current boards are all in the 156-160 cm range...
Who remember the early 90's now? Gigantic pants, sewing in inserts to make them even bigger, jibbing everything, NOFX, Roadkill, Bryan Iguchi, Palmer lol! Halfpipes made by shovels, tabletops that nobody should be hitting, getting yelled at by skiiers nonstop. Any of this sounding familiar?
For early 90ties (I was still skiing then) I remember a nasty full ski suit in neon colours :blush:
Mid 90ties (now boarding) I remember I had a very provoking sticker on my board: one of the stop aids campaign (I've to add, that I grew up in a very conservative Catholic little mountain valley) Haha... time has changed a lot, even in that valley.
How about this. We've now lived through multiple versions of neon coming back, flannel, baggy, skinny, baggy, wide stances, narrow stances, reverse camber, regular camber, reverse camber, and all that fun stuff.
Mom got me my first snowboard back in 87. Don't think she realized that little gift caused me to quit school and just do the snowboard thing and move as far away as I could.
I'm only at 21 years now. Started "officially" snowboarding when I was 11 too (in '92). Before that was a plastic board at the cottage, doesn't really count.
I picture myself at 60 still riding, although I likely won't be in the park, and my off-piste adventures may take on a more calm nature. Maybe I'll buy an alpine setup and try one of them ski-boards?!? :icon_scratch:
I went from the 165 to a 153 and it had plastic bindings and was half as thick. It freaked me out the first few days being able to feel the snow under me and have the board flex. That Kemper didn't even bend out the camber when I stood on it. And speaking of Boozy I still have my old Whiskey 2 VHS that I throw on from time to time.
Started skateboarding in '86, learned to surf in '91, shreded Mt. High for the first time in '94.
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