Review: 2011 Venture Storm

“Just point it and go! The worst thing you can do is not commit.” We were lined up, 10 deep, at the top of a cliff band in the BC backcountry as our guide shouted us this sage advice.

Spend enough time in the backcountry and sooner or later, you’re going to find yourself at the top of a big drop. There’s a good chance that “just point it and go” will be your guide’s advice. And they’ll be right: confidence is the key.

Several years ago, I took a tumble off a 25 foot cliff near Crystal Mountain and landed in the hospital with five broken bones. The fall didn’t just end my season, it also did some serious damage to my confidence in just “pointing it”. Since that fall, I’ve had a hard time overcoming my nerves and just committing. But that day was different…

Many boards are fun to ride. Only a rare few make you a better rider. That day in British Columbia, I was on my third day testing the Venture Storm, and as I charged off cliff after cliff on the Storm, I was a different rider.

The 2011 Storm is Venture’s “big lines and burly terrain” board. The directional board has a big, soft, pointed nose designed to absorb whatever comes its way and keep things floating. The board has a moderate 8mm of taper with a 30 mm setback to keep the tail settled and the nose up. Venture’s given the board a very gentle rocker with an early-rise tip and tail. To keep the board edging predictably no matter the condition, Venture uses a triaxial fiberglass patern stiffening the board along the torsional stress lines. Everything is wrapped in Venture’s bomb-proof construction, with p-tex on the sidewalls as well as the base.

Our thoughts: I spent several days riding a 168 Storm in deep Canadian powder with Monashee Powder Cats. I rode the board in everything from dense trees to open bowls to narrow shoots with conditions varying from bottomless fluff to rock-hard wind and sun crust. As the one-day test quickly turned into three, I did not want to give up this amazing board.

The Storm is like a beautifully handcrafted samurai sword: powerful, precise, graceful, and (at times) dangerous. The big, soft-ish nose easily absorbs any surprises and the stiff, powerful tail grips and cuts through the snow with amazing ease. The board has a very dominant “power center”, where energy transfer and control seem to amplify out from the bindings through the edges of the board. This results in an incredible strong and “in charge” ride. In wide open bowls, the board produces big, strong, dominating carves. In tight trees, the board was amazingly nimble. And in steep chutes, the tip and tail are rockered just enough to get them out of the way when you need to move from edge to edge quickly.

Combining moderate taper and rocker is a very effective way to give the board float without sacrificing performance elsewhere. Even with all of my weight on my front foot, the tip of this board never dove. Not having to shift weight back means not only is there no rear leg burn, you can truly carve the board the way you do on hard pack. At 8 mm of taper, the Storm doesn’t face the tracking issues that more aggressively tapered boards have. And the rocker is subtle enough to give the board the benefits of rocker without making it feel squirrelly and unstable on landings.

It’s easy to focus on rocker and taper when discussing powder boards, but I don’t think that’s where the Storm’s secret powers come from. What makes the Storm such an amazing board, I believe, is its stiff and powerful tail. Where boards like the Burton Fish chop the tail off and taper it heavily to get it out of the way, Venture has taken a different approach. The Storm’s stiff tail is responsible for the board’s powerful feel, stable landings, and nimbleness. The result is simply amazing.

No board is perfect, and there are some areas where the Storm’s strengths become its weaknesses. As with any tapered board, this is a board that does not like to be ridden fakie. Attempts at riding switch were generally rewarded with a prompt and awkward faceplant. The Storm is not a board to ridden casually – the stiff tail demands your attention. If you don’t take control, the board will start making decisions on its own. During my time on the board, I was thrown around a few times for getting lazy and letting the board take over. And while it might be obvious, this is not a board to learn on. Beginning riders should look for something much more forgiving. None of these downsides, in my opinion, is significant enough to be of concern for anyone looking for a hard-charging board to dominate the steep and deep.

A board built for burly terrain needs to be a bit burly itself. This isn’t the lightest board you’ll find. But after three days of intense riding, countless loads and unloads from the back of the cat, and a tree well “incident”,  the demo board looked brand new. Venture backs their boards with a warranty two year warranty – twice the industry norm. Clearly they’re confident in the durability of their craftsmanship.

If the board itself isn’t enough, consider the company that makes it. Venture is a small company based in Silverton, Colorado. At the heart of the company are a husband and wife team – Klemens and Lisa Branner. Send Venture an email and there’s a very good chance that one of them will respond. Where many companies are scaling production up by taking manufacturing overseas, Venture continues to handcraft their boards in Silverton by people who love snowboarding just as much as you do. The company’s focused on renewable and green production, constantly experimenting with materials that reduce their environmental impact without decreasing performance.

Summary: In case you haven’t figured it out, I loved my time on this board. I can’t imagine you can find a better board for tackling big mountain terrain.

Sizes and options: Venture offers the Storm in four widths – 24, 25, 26, and 27 cm, each with 3 to 4 lengths, ranging from 152 to 180 cm. And if that isn’t enough, Venture offers the Storm in both a solid and split version. 

Check out all of your options at Venture’s Website.

Review by Powder Snowboards Reviews

Nike 6.0 Outerwear 2010-2011

For Nike 6.0’s inaugural release, the design began with the athletes needs and opinions for making their voice heard through the product they ride in. Nike 6.0 is different from Nike Snowboarding in it’s designs, functionality and focus on the Nike Heritage.  They take influence from classic Nike silhouettes and continues with the spirit of the 6.0 brand.

The first offering of 6.0 outerwear is focused on functional performance with an emphasis on eco-friendly materials. All the pieces (men’s and women’s) in the line utilize Nike Grind trims, which are made from recycled shoe materials. They are also applying recycled shell fabrics and recycled liner fabrics. The entire 6.0 outerwear line has been designed and developed to meet the requirements of Nikes Considered Design.

Check out the full review at shayboarder.com.

Volcom 2010/11 V.Co-Logical Jackets

Organic garments from the Volcom V.Co-Logical Series represent Volcom’s socially responsible attempt to sustain and protect our planet’s rapidly shrinking natural resources. By utilizing sustainable alternatives like 100% certified organic cotton, hemp, vegetable dyes, organic stains and other low impact production methods, the Volcom V.Co-Logical series incorporates progressive Volcom styling with an environmentally clear conscience. In addition, the Volcom V.Co-Logical series has teamed up with 1% For The Planet to set up a program where 1% of sales of the series will be donated to environmental causes through their organization.

Check out the V.Co-Logical branded Dazed Jacket and Soap Stone Jacket set to hit the shelves this Fall.

http://www.volcom.com/snow/

http://www.onepercentfortheplanet.org/en/

Building a Better Helmet

Unrelated to sustainability but very promising developments in snowboard safety are happening at Northeastern University.  A group of student researchers designed a prototype of a helmet and are calling it the Head Impact Detection and Alert System as part of their cornerstone course. The devices comes complete with sensors lining the helmet that measure acceleration and an LCD screen to display colors, representing the severity, whenever the helmet experienced an impact.

This development will prove its worth for not only those who get concussions or even knocked-out, but for those with minor head injuries as well. The Northeastern team’s research showed that if seemingly mild head injuries are left untreated, they can actually become more serious than a concussion.

This is a sure glimpse of what to expect from helmets in the near future.

For full details on the helmet, visit physorg.com.

Art for POW Launches This Week Through 7/31

In the market for some amazing new art for your house?  Or just feel like supporting a good cause?  “Art for POW” launched this week through July 31 - please bid on some art by some amazing artists to raise money for our friends at Protect Our Winters!

http://benefitevents.com/auctions/artforpow/

Crested Butte Mountain Resort Expansion Efforts Rejected

There have been two attempts now for Crested Butte Mountain Resort (CBMR) to expand its current terrain by 276 acres with the addition of three lifts and a gondola onto the neighboring Snodgrass Mountain. In November of last year, the first official expansion proposal onto Snodgrass was rejected by the U.S. Forest Service. Then in December, CBMR filed an appeal for the decision and yesterday the U.S. Forest Chief, Tome Tidwell, affirmed the decision, supporting the denial with a formal review.

For the rest of the details, here’s the Release:

U.S. FOREST CHIEF AFFIRMS DECISION FOR CRESTED BUTTE’S SNODGRASS MOUNTAIN EXPANSION PROPOSAL

“MT. CRESTED BUTTE, Colo. - July 14, 2010 - Today U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell released a decision on his formal review of the recent appeal decision concerning Crested Butte Mountain Resort’s (CBMR) Snodgrass Mountain Expansion Proposal. The review was conducted by Associate Deputy Chief Gloria Manning on behalf of Chief Tidwell. Manning affirmed the decision by Deputy Regional Forester James Peña and Forest Supervisor Charlie Richmond.

“Of course we’re incredibly disappointed with this decision,” said Tim Mueller, president of CBMR. “The Forest Service has decided it is appropriate for one Forest Service employee to decide the future of an entire community with no public process whatsoever. Colorado Governor Bill Ritter, U.S. Senator Mark Udall, other elected officials and thousands of citizens have asked the Forest Service to allow public review through a NEPA process,” added Mueller. “The Forest Service has refused.”

Chief Tidwell’s decision directs Forest Supervisor Richmond to discuss with CBMR whether or not there is a proposal for skiing on Snodgrass Mountain that can and will be considered by the Forest Service. CBMR looks forward to those discussions.

“As far as next steps we’ve just received the decision and have not yet received the attachment,” added Mueller. “We are considering all of our options.”

Background:
On December 18, 2009, Crested Butte Mountain Resort (CBMR) filed an appeal with the U.S. Forest Service disputing the agency’s November 2009 decision to reject the resort’s proposed expansion onto Snodgrass Mountain without conducting a public review under NEPA. In its appeal CBMR asked the Forest Service to initiate a public and objective NEPA process for Snodgrass.

About Snodgrass Mountain
The proposed Snodgrass Mountain expansion would increase the amount of intermediate and advanced terrain at CBMR with 276 acres of skiing served by three lifts, a beginner carpet, and a connector Gondola from Crested Butte Mountain. Snodgrass Mountain is located adjacent to Crested Butte Mountain.

For more information about the proposed Snodgrass Mountain expansion visit http://www.snodgrassfacts.com

The Best Snowboard Technology of 2011 by Snowboard-Review.com

Every year tons of new technology hits the board racks; some of it is good, and to be frank, some of it isn’t. After a week of heavy testing, the Snowboard-Review test team have compiled a short list of technology which is head and shoulders above the rest, the goods you should be investing your hard earned cash in this coming season.   

Bamboo Cores

There’s no denying that standard rockered snowboards have a place in snowboarding, forgiving landings, buttery smooth takeoffs, catch free run-ins, extra float in powder and lightening quick turn initiation. The problem is, there’s just something missing from rockered boards, namely that juicy pop you get from camber… well that was until some clever fellow decided to trade the standard Poplar / Aspen wood core for Bamboo. Bamboo livens up the ride a treat, ollie pop is increased significantly and you even get tons of feedback and recoil from snappy short radius carves. Not only is Bamboo killer for the ride characteristics of snowboards it’s also incredibly sustainable, a member of the grass family of plants, some varieties can grow by up to 60cm in a day and harvesting does not kill the plant!

We rated the K2 Fastplant, featuring k2’s Bambooyah core. Unlike traditional laminated cores, the Fastplant uses bamboo laminates layered one on top of each other much like a skate deck with a fibreglass torsion box wrap. Even with K2’s jib rocker, tail heavy wash-outs are a thing of the past; the Fastplant has unbelievable pop and flexibility. K2 was so blown-away by the durability of their Bambooyah core, that they’ve slapped a 5 year warranty on it. We’re also digging the Stepchild Headless Horseman, with a board graphic that doesn’t half resemble the storyboard from Tim Burton’s Sleepy Hollow this board doesn’t just look cool it dominates the park. Our head of testing liked it so much, he was on the phone to the distributor pre-ordering his Headless Horseman for next season as soon as we stepped off the plane, back in Blighty.

Hybrid Rocker Profiles

Last season there were a few manufacturers experimenting with camber and rocker hybrids. Never Summer and Mervin chose rocker between the bindings and camber at the tip and tail, whilst the Nidecker and Rossignol factories went for camber between the feet and rocker at the tip and tail. The most obvious differences between the two schools of thought are that when rocker is used between the feet the majority of the flex comes from between the bindings, meaning that carves can really be worked through the flex of the board and the tail pops you out of carves; where as the Nidecker / Rossi version flexes more at the nose and tail and is more rigid between the feet, meaning that carves feel more like railing turns on a cambered board.

Other brands are now choosing their side. Burton has chosen to follow Never Summer and Mervin and has created the Flying V profile. Jones, Capita, APO and Salomon are backing Rossignol’s and Nidecker’s technology. We were really impressed with the Rossignol One which now combines Amptek with Magne-traction, and APO’s BC Powder Rocker, which held a perfect edge on the morning ice. One thing is for sure, if you want rocker but you don’t want to constrict yourself to the park, you should be looking at a hybrid. All you have to work out now is which side of the fence you’re going to sit on.

Bataleon Triple Base Technology

Bataleon’s Triple Base Technology is a freestyle phenomenon, but have you tried TBT on a stiff freeride gun? I thought not. With stiff boards initiating carves can sometimes be a bit of a chore and working the board into anything other than huge radius carves is impossible. Freeride specific TBT has a narrower flat section under the broadest part of the nose and the tail. The Bataleon Undisputed is as stable as an oil tanker, and almost entirely catch-free. A board that puts you at ease at radical speed, but that also rolls effortlessly into turns, darts between edges in the blink of an eye and works in tighter turns than you’d expect from a board which plainly put is stiff. I’d go as far as to say that Triple Base Technology is even better for freeride boards than it is for park rides. Now put that in your pipe and smoke it.

Atomic’s Pop Rocker Profile

Pop Rocker isn’t confined to Atomic snowboards, but Atomic are certainly pioneering this technology. This year Atomic are expanding their Pop Rocker technology from the Axum into pretty much the remainder of their range. The idea behind Pop Rocker is; when loaded, the point at which the nose and tail start kicking up, moves towards the bindings. This moves steering towards the feet, increases the ease at which turns can be initiated and improves float in un-pisted snow, whilst retaining the majority of pop associated with camber.

One board that certainly benefits from Pop Rocker is the Banger. The Banger literally dives into turns, the nose rides up in anything that resembles deep snow and I was riding a 158 my normal all mountain board size. Because the nose is naturally softer because of the pop rocker profile, heavier glass laminate can be used through the rest of the boards. By using Quadraxial glass, a thin core profile and retaining standard camber in the tail, the Banger works in tight turns but stomps tail skipping pillow lines and slashes powder laden burms with the best of them.

Story by Snowboard-Review.com

Venture Launches 2010/2011 Website and Webstore

Though summer is in full swing, here at Venture we haven't stopped thinking snow for a second.  We are busy building boards and gearing up for winter.

We've just completed the annual revamp of our website for the 10.11 season.  Give it a gander and get all the beta on our latest and greatest board lineup!

Since we only build limited quantities of boards each year, it can sometimes be a challenge to find the Venture board of your dreams.  New this season, we are offering a pre-order system through the Venture Webstore.  Reserve your deck today before they sell out! 

Snowboard Pioneer John Hunt Passes

Snowboarding pioneer, John Hunt, of Durango, Colorado, has passed away, at age 57. He was a founder, and driving force behind the early “SSSA” (Southwest Snowsurfing Assc” – 1980-1986).

John was responsible for introducing hundreds of snowboarders to the sport, at the SSSA’s free snowboard clinics in the early 80’s, at Wolf Creek, Purgatory, and Hesperus Ski Areas, in Southern Colorado, in addition to hundreds of additional new riders, in the later 80’s, when he became an accredited ski instructor, at Purgatory’s Ski School. He was also instrumental in helping organize and coordinate the five annual, and infamous “SSSA Wolf Creek Snowboarding contests” during the mid 80’s, which later turned into the “Rocky Mountain Snowboard Series”. John was also the co-owner of one of Colorado’s first snowboard/skateboard shops, “New Waves”. He was an enthusiastic, and fierce shredder, who will be greatly missed by those he touched.

He is survived by his son Jonathan, his daughters Mariah & Sadie, and his grandson Devin, all snowboarders.

John passed due to “organ failure”. Donate your organs!

Story by Transworld Business

Shift Into Neutral Sunglasses from VonZipper

The Fulton Shift Into Neutral Sunglasses from VonZipper. The Shift Into Neutral Collection of sunglasses are made from environmentally friendly and sustainable oil derived from the castor bean. It's VonZipper's way of leaving the campsite better than they found it. This magical oil is a non-toxic, renewable resource that can be used to create frames with the same strength and flexibility as their traditional sunglasses. These sunglasses also come with a cotton sunglass bag and are minimally packaged for her pleasure.

Specs:

100% UV Protection

Base 6 Spherical Lens

Handtooled Acetate Frame

Impact Resistant CR.39 Lens

Stainless Steel Optical Hinges

Wire Injected Temple Core

vonzipper.com

New Website and Survey Look Behind-the-Scenes at Ecolabels’ Environmental Claims

Ecolabelindex.com allows consumers and companies to compare green certifications side-by-side.

As consumers and companies become increasingly aware of their environmental impact, a surge of ecolabels have flooded the marketplace. Today, hundreds of ecolabels worldwide compete to tell us which products are best for the planet. These colorful stamps on labels declare products to be “carbon neutral”, “forest safe”, “fairly traded”, or any number of standards of sustainability. But in the self-regulated ecocertification industry, how can consumers and institutional buyers really know what these stamps of approval mean?

The 2010 Global Ecolabel Monitor

Enter the 2010 Global Ecolabel Monitor – a collaboration between the World Resources Institute andecolabelling.org founders Big Room Inc. that gives a behind-the-scenes look at how different ecolabels certify their products. We invited 340 ecolabels in 42 countries to participate in a survey of their performance, organizational structure, and verification systems. The results are housed atecolabelindex.com, a web resource that gathers ecolabels onto a common platform to make it easier for consumers and institutional buyers alike to interpret and compare them.

The survey covers questions such as how the ecolabels’ rules were created and how they are funded. It also asks how the ecolabel is enforced, for example via site visits, audits, and/or third party verification.

Increasing Transparency and Accountability in Green Certification

The Global Ecolabel Monitor illustrates that there is clearly scope for improvement in ecolabel transparency and accountability. Over half of the ecolabels we invited to participate were unreachable or unwilling to share information about the metrics underlying their certification. Additionally, less than 30% of the ecolabels surveyed recognized, or were recognized by, any of their fellow labeling organizations, making it impossible to know for certain if one ecolabel’s interpretation of “green” would pass muster with their peers.

More than a third of US consumers say they are willing to pay a premium for eco-friendly products. But ecolabels, like nutritional labels on food, are only helpful when they are clear, transparent, and consistent from product to product. Imagine if one cereal box only had calories listed and another had only protein content; and both measured their nutritional content in different ways. How would you make an informed decision about which box was healthier?

From environmentally-conscious individuals shopping for themselves and their families, to institutional buyers stocking the shelves of multi-billion dollar retailers, purchasers of all sizes need transparent, concise comparisons to decode the ecolabels on the products they are choosing between. Improving transparency in the ecolabel marketplace is an important first step to reduce consumer confusion and increase credibility. Ecolabelindex.com will continue updating and tracking the developments of ecolabels, making it easier for consumers and companies to identify and select the ecolabels that are credibly, transparent and effective.

Story by Jeff Rodgers - World Resources Institue

2010/2011 Rome Headline Snowboard

The Headline is Rome’s most eco-friendly board in their new 2010/2011 collection. To up the edge-to-edge power, they use basalt fibers that are not only lighter, stronger and snappier than glass, but they’re also more environmentally friendly. 100% recycled sidewall material seal off the sides of the Pop.2 Core Matrix. It also come equipped with straight triax 45 laminate, sintertrue base, BST Torque stringer technology, quickgrip sidecut, glass impact plates, mountain edge bevel, and positive camber.

Sizes:  154, 156, 158, 160, 163

www.romesnowboards.com