Timerline passes are now currently on sale, and they are set to re-open for Fall Skiing starting Oct 1st (if conditions allow). Prices go up on 11/8/10 so don’t miss out on early bird pricing. It will cost you a case of beer!

So sit back and have a quiet look at some of the most memorable moments from the 2009/2010 season at Timberline. Then insert your face into the photo and imagine it’s you this year…
SWC / Timberline / © Drew Smalley

Adrian Blair / Timberline / © Karim Hadid

SWC / Timberline / © Drew Smalley

Corey Caswell / Timberline / © Adrian Blair

SWC / Timberline / © Drew Smalley

SWC / Timberline / © Drew Smalley

Joel Fuquay / Timberline / © Taylor Hanson

So Cory, tell us about living in Idaho.
Yeah, I’ve been living here in Ketchum for ten years now and loving it. Originally I’m from Silverton Colorado so I’ve been living in small mountain towns most my life. Actually Ketchum is a city compared to Silverton. Silverton was an amazing place to grow up though, it sits at 9,000 feet and all the peaks are just under 14k. I started snowboarding in 1987 on an old Burton Elite and had to get certified at Purgatory (local resort) before I could get on the chairlift. I moved out of there after I graduated high school but went back and filmed on Red Mountain Pass with Standard films back around 1995. I think that was one of the first snowboard companies to film there.
Snowboard magazine archives

Whats it like living in Idaho?
The lifestyle here is amazing, very cool community of smart, athletic and motivated people. Living here has definitely helped elevate my quality of life and has exposed me to life outside of the snowboard world. The year around outdoor activities are abundant. I’ve really gotten into mountain biking in the ten years I’ve been here, there’s an amazing trail system right out the front door. I live right in Ketchum in an old barn that my wife and I converted into a house. We did all the work ourselves and now live there with our three year old daughter Sophie. We’re expecting another girl in late October so the house which is only 700 square feet will be quite cozy! Lucky I have a detached garage to escape when I feel the need to tinker on something.
Mid barn conversion
Cory’s house
Hiding out in the garage

Do you do a lot of back country riding having so much open terrain at your disposal?
Ketchum is an ideal place for the backcountry enthusiast. There are so many unexplored zones and the ones that are established are relatively empty. It’s completely different than Colorado or Utah where you see so many people in the Backcountry and loose some of that BC isolation.
Cory Smith / Mt. Hood Circa 90′s

Do you have a season pass at a mountain or do you only go up into the back country?
I have a pass at Sun Valley which is three blocks from my house. It’s a big mountain with 3,000 vertical feet and a steep continuous fall-line. We haven’t had a terrain park until this last season so my jumping skills quickly deteriorated upon moving here. However I think this is what pushed me into the BC looking for the goods. When SV gets a good dump it’s hard to beat.

Suprise pow day in Sun Valley from smith optics on Vimeo.

Do you use a sled at all or mostly hiking in the BC?
I bought a sled brand new in 1999 when I was living in SLC. I quickly linked up with Mike Basich and discovered how much terrain you could access. We went up American Fork Canyon which is just South of Little Cottonwood and within 20 minutes we were standing at the top of Alta. This zone is pretty blown out now I guess, I haven’t been back up there since that winter, I see the jumps we used to hit in videos still. When I moved to Ketchum I didn’t know anyone so I would just go out on my sled by myself (sketchy, I know). I ended up discovering amazing zones and there was no one out there skiing or snowboarding. I called my buddies Chris Englesman, Travis Parker and some of the other Robot Food guys and told them about this spot, they came out and we ended up filming a ton of stuff for the RF movies here. One of the zones is a privately held mining claim so it’s gated off now. I have a working relationship with the owners and have a key to the gate, so basically we have our own private BC zone. This past winter we got two cats back there and built park style jumps with powder landings. We’re currently working on the edits to the web series that will be out in October. We’re ramping this operation up for 2011 and will be building some amazing stuff back there.

Untitled from smith optics on Vimeo.

So basically, you have your own private back country cat tour operation with jumps, jibs and pow stachs. How sick is that… so it’s kind of a private training/filming facility for the Smith Team and all your buddies?
Yeah kind of, to be cliché it’s “our own private Idaho”. We’ve been going back there to film for years but this season we took it to the next level and leased the property and a cat. Then Prinoth donated a cat for us to use and with the help of Pete Colombo we built a real BC park. When I told the team what we were doing they didn’t really grasp it until they showed up. Needless to say everyone was blown away at the potential and the perfectly groomed jumps 10 miles back was unheard of.

That place looks amazing. So we can look forward to more edits from this place?
If things go as planned yes, there will be a lot more from this zone. We just signed a deal with SKI-DOO to get new sleds up there for everyone to use and hopefully we just scored a lodge to house everyone who comes through. It’s kind of an ideal situation because it’s a 40 minute drive from the office to the trailhead. There is a yurt out there too so if we want to spend the night out in the zone we have that option as well.
Cory Smith / Dropping Bombs / Transworld Archives

Do you do all of the filming/editing?
Not all of it, I used to do it all but one thing I’ve learned over the years is that you can’t do it all yourself. It’s crucial to have people you trust in place to do the jobs that need to get done. We had a good crew this last winter, Lane Power, Mark Oliver, Dan Moses and myself were the principal filmers. I do a lot of editing for in-house needs and building a lot of banners ads etc…also spend a lot of time working on motion graphic stuff for tradeshow reels and POP presentations.

What camera do you use to shoot all the video?
I have a Canon 5d mark2 and love it. I used to shoot an Arri S 16mm then switched to the Panasonic P2 camera and kind of lost interest in shooting for awhile. I just missed the feel of the 16mm and the depth of field and lens options. The Panasonic was convenient but the footage all looked the same and it was complicated, I missed the simplicity of film. Shooting video with an SLR brings back a lot of the same feel the 16mm had.

You have been working at Smith Optics for a long time right?
I’ve been at Smith for 10 years. I was originally hired to be the TM and to help establish Smith in the snowboard world. Smith had this reputation as being a ski company when I started, I almost passed on the job because of this. Looking back on it I find it funny, so glad I took the job because I have learned so much working there. I produced three snowboard team videos for Smith when I first started and put a lot of young guys on the team to help build the snowboard presence. I think the videos worked for us as a brand and really showcased the talent of the team I put together. Riders like Eddie Wall, Jussi Oksanen, Scotty Arnold, Hana Beaman, Louie Vito, MFM, Otterstrom, Travis Parker were all on the program at one point. We gave the DVD’s away for free with the purchase of a goggle, we did like 40k copies each year. The DVD’s were “You’re off the team”, “Smithereens” and “VHS.
Cory Smith / Swallow tail method

So what exactly do you do at Smith?
Currently my title is Senior Promotion Manager and Multi Media Manager. I basically Help oversee the snowboard team and the promotions but primarily produce all of our in-house videos as well as web banner creation and some still photography.

Sounds like a dream job to me, do you get to do much traveling with the team and/or travel for “work” to sick spots around the world?
Not as much as I used to, which is cool with me. I enjoy hanging out locally with my family and friends riding the Idaho BC. There were about five years where I wondered why I even paid rent because I was on the road all the time. It’s part of the job though, that’s how you get it done and network with the right people, it’s beneficial for the brand and for yourself. I have a lot of fond memories of the days spent in the trenches traveling to all the events, buying drinks for everyone, a lot of hung over mornings too. That’s the one thing I don’t miss, the drinking can take it’s toll. I rarely drink now, being hung over and having to manage Sophie is brutal, plus I’d rather spend my free time getting outside and playing.

Do people ever ask you if you are Mr. Cory Smith, owner and founder of Smith Optics?
Sometimes but I’m quick to correct them. I’ve put in a lot of work for Smith but certainly not enough to be mistaken for Bob Smith or the legacy he helped build. I mean that guy established the goggle industry, he invented the first double lens goggle back in 1965. We stand on the shoulders of giants…

If there’s 3+ feet of powder on a Wednesday morning, do people still show up at work at the Smith Optics headquarters?
I think if there is only 6” of snow people don’t show up for work. The office is so close to the mountain that you can go up for three or four runs, get in 12,000’ of vert and be back at your desk by 11, it’s hard to not to take advantage of that situation.

Same goes for lunch rides on the mountain bike. We all try and live the lifestyle we promote, we all work hard but ultimately we’re in this industry because we like to play hard too. Smith has been nominated by Outside Magazine for three years now as being in the top 10 places to work, pretty awesome.

I have been hearing a lot of chatter of how “La Nina” is coming this year. What are your feelings/predictions on that subject?
Well I’m positive it’s going to be a deep winter here in the PNW, not because of La Nina but because I’m about to have my second child and I’ll be shackled a bit. So I’ll take one for the team and sit some of it out and change diapers while you get the goods.
Cory Smith / Cliff drop / Transworld Archives
Cory Smith / Transworld editorial shot

Do you have any riders in the Pacific Northwest?
Yeah we have quite a few but the two standouts are Josh Dirksen and Temple Cummins.

Any last words or people you want to thank?
I think if there is one person who helped me the most in this industry it would be Tim Windell. I befriended him back in 1991 in Durango when he had a shop at Purgatory. He hired me to rent snowboards to Texans all season at this little hole in the wall shop. I guess he liked me because he offered me a job at his summer camp at Hood as the head cook. I didn’t know the first thing about cooking for 100 + people but I jumped at the opportunity. I put out some pretty questionable meals. I held that job for 8 summers in a row and used it to my advantage by riding and skating every day. God we had fun in those years, if you were there, than you know, it was all-time.

So you grew up in Glacier, Washington right? What was it like growing up there?
Growing up in glacier was awesome. There were three other kids born within 6 months of me that I had to rip around town with. More than anything it was awesome to grow up in such a tight knit community like that. I really enjoy spending time there and seeing all my friends.

Where do you call home when your not traveling to film?
Right now I live in Bellingham, but I try my hardest to spend as little of time as possible at home. I enjoy traveling more than anything else.

Back country line / photo: Matt Georges

Seems like you have had a really productive last couple of years. What was it like winning the rookie of the year award for Transworld?
Yeah, the last few years have been great. I’ve put in a lot of time and energy into my snowboarding and it has been paying off for sure. Winning that award was a huge honor for me. It wasn’t until then that I realized that my snowboarding was actually being noticed by a large portion of the industry. And to top it off I received the award in Vegas, which was quite an experience.

Winning that title in Vegas must have been a blast for sure. No better place to win Rookie of the year. What were some of the crazy things that went down that night, being that it’s Vegas and all?
I would have to clear it with some homies to get into details… no it was a blast for sure. I was barely squeezing by with my terrible fake ID at the time.

I guess the saying is true. “What happen’s in Vegas, stay’s in Vegas.”

Then you went on to win the Mt. Baker Banked Slalom. That must have been great being that it’s your home town mountain?
The one banked Slalom title I have is by far the my greatest accomplishment to date. My whole family was there at the award ceremony, and the support I got from the Baker locals was phenomenal. I’ve been working my ass off to get another title, but beating Temple Cumings ain’t no joke.

Winning the Mt. Baker Banked Slalom

Temples the man to beat for sure. He’s not slowing down one bit either. What do you do to train for the Banked Slalom? Anything special?
Ya temple is the man. In my opinion the only way to train for that race is to snowboard as much as possible. I usually don’t drink much in the winters either, that seems to help out.

So you have been filming with the Absinthe crew the last couple of years. I actually filmed for a couple of Justin’s first movies back in like 97/98. That guy is so creatively gifted. What’s it like filming with Justin and that whole crew these days?
Getting the opportunity to film with Justin and the Absinthe crew was huge. I remember my first filming trip was in the Revelstoke area. I was so nervous going into it, but once again I just tried my best to make thing’s happen and I think both parties involved were stoked.

Did you shoot with them for the latest film NOW/HERE?
Yeah we just wrapped up the filming this may. I went on my first Heli trip to Alaska. That changed my whole perspective on snowboarding. I got to ride with people like Jeremy Jones, Wolle Nyvelt, and DCP. I think when that movie drops this fall it will be the best video part I have ever had.

NowHere trailer by Absinthe Films from Absinthe Films on Vimeo.

Is there any footage from the North West in it?
Not as much as I would have liked. Last winter wasn’t exactly epic in the NW. I did manage a few days filming at Stevens Pass, and a couple in the Baker back country. Most of my footage though will be from the interior BC, and AK.

What else do you have going on this summer? Are you still living down in Cardiff in the summers and surfing?
This summer I have been doing a lot of rock climbing. Ive been spending as much of my time as possible bagging peaks in the North Cascades. This will be the first year I won’t make a surf trip to SoCal. That place is fun, but all the people drive me insane.

Do you surf at all up here in the Pacific Northwest?
Not nearly as much as I would like. I usually make one trip a year out to my buddy’s place in La Push. I see surfing as something I will get into more as I grow older and my knees get weaker. In the meantime Snowboarding and climbing are my mane addictions.

You recently started riding for The North Face right?
Yeah its been almost a year now and I couldn’t be more stoked to be working with that company.

Back country line / photo: Matt Georges

I’ve heard it’s some of the most technically advanced waterproof gear in the industry. Perfect for the winter we had last year here in the Northwest. It was pretty damn wet.Yeah, the Goretex Jacket was a must have for last winter. The gear that The North Face puts out is by far the best I have ever used, and the people within the company are great to work with.

What other sponsors are you working with this year? I recently started riding for Rome Snowboards, which is a great rider owned company out of vermont. They are dedicated to representing the core snowboards who love to shred. Also I’ve been riding for Dragon optical for a couple years now.

What are your plans for 10/11 season?
My only real plans are to be home riding baker until Christmas time. After that it is on the road following the snow until April when I go back to Alaska for a month or so.

Sounds like a great plan. Anyone you would like to thank?
Mom and Dad of course. They made it all happen for me. Also Nate Lind was a huge part in getting me on track, and helping me realize what I was capable of.

Location:
Livingroom Theaters
341 SW Tenth Avenue
Portland OR 97205

August 2nd:
Under 21 show at 6:00pm
21 and over show at 7:00
(Get there early and enjoy stiff drinks in the lounge)
$5 entry Fee, tons of prizes and plenty of pros to mingle with.

Wow, this is my 15th summer up on Hood if you can believe that… holly crap! 6 years straight at Windells, 3 summer’s at MHSSC, and a few years as a digger before all that. That makes over 300 summer sessions!

SWC / photo: Taylor Hanson

What exactly is a session considered for those who don’t know?
Typically it’s an 8-10 day period where a group of campers come to snowboard, get coaching from the pros and learn tricks, film video’s of themselves, and really just have fun. Kids freaking love it up here! We all have the time of our lives up on Mt. Hood in the summers.

The transition from winter to summer happened in like one day this year. How bizarre was that?
East Wind turned on (50 plus) and the snow, as well as the park, was gone… or in shamble’s after 3 days of that fricken wind. It went from a “EPIC” PUBLIC PARK, to crap over night with sand paper landings. The heat was on that week too, from riding the entire hill, to riding the vain’s of snow, as of July 16th there no more laps all the way to the chair.

SWC / photo: Taylor Hanson

Shawn and friends at MHSSC

Give me a run through on a typical day-in-the-life for you in the summer up on Hood
First off you have to get up early, because it get’s so hot out and the snow get’s super slushy by like noon. So I’m on the hill first thing. I usually start by shooting photo’s for 1 hour in the public park. I’ll take a look at who’s ripping and who the stand out kids are, because I like to hand pick the up and comers and get them headed in the right direction if I can help them. Then I go to MHSSC for some more shots. They are without a doubt my favorite camp on the hill. Rick and Mark are the coaches there, they are the coolest guys and they rip so hard it’s amazing.

Rick Millett / photo:Taylor Hanson Summer 2010 MHSSC

Mark S. Head Coach at MHSSC / photo: Taylor Hanson

So you have helped a bunch of kids get sponsors over the years right?
Oh man… so many I can’t even count. The one that I am most proud of is probably Megan Ginter. That girl rips so hard… and she’s pro for Ride, and a bunch of other companies. She’s all set up now, and totally deserves it.

SWC / SkiBowl

How do you keep your face from burning off with all that sun?
Snowboarding is my fountain of youth. I’m like a plant, I get happy from the sun (YEAH LIKE A HERB PLANT). Ever since I was a little grom, sunscreen or facemask’s were the rule. It would burn my eye’s when I sweat. I love sunblock & facemask, who needs to breath, it’s a full on effort to dodge that thing.

What boards have you been riding this summer?
Amplid Snowboards…… Branden P. (head of the US force) hooked me up. I’ve been helping them with R & D, riding their version of the VAPOR. This board stomps everything, it’s so responsive, you think & the board performs.

SWC / photo: Taylor Hanson

SWC / photo: Taylor Hanson

After 12 years with Sessions you just started riding/working with Volcom. Tell me more about that relationship.
Tim Snails is a true OG. He has done so much for the Northwest, from the snow scene, to skateboarding, to finding some of the true talent up here. Tim is good friends w/everyone… Jamie Lynn & Tim are tight… I just respect that dude so much… I’m going to help w/all of his events and get him a few upcoming groms, for the snow program… about Sessions, Joel rulz, he’s such a awesome guy.

SWC / photo: Taylor Hanson

Are you helping with the Volcom Skate tour this summer?
Yep, Volcom ARMY for Craddick from here on out – Tim from Volcom is the coolest guy. I’m going to be working on all the NW events with him from now on. The new Gigi movie premiers, a couple skateboard events, and all the snow events… we will keep you entertained forever.

Tell me about this show that your going to be staring in.
SSSSSSSHHHHHHHH!!! I can’t talk about that! Um let’s call it second chance’s, I will tell you only this, all new teeth (I CAN’T WAIT) and a total make-over for Craddick. hahaha!!!

SWC / photo: Taylor Hanson

OK, so now it’s time to put you in the hot seat. A few years back… you got got banned for life from Timberline right?
Ohhhhh man. YES!

Tell me what happened!
hahahahah!!! So the story goes, it was from an illegal photo shoot… (yes I did), pouched the jump around 4:30 (sunset), when they had a private jump just built ($10,000 of cat time). I went & shot photo’s with a photographer, the funny shit is that I had 2 things published in the mag’s within a week or two “the jump was that magic” and so was the sunset and well… people got fricken pist. OOOPPPSSS! I crossed that line though, and I know it. I had so many times in the past and nothing happened, but this time there were repercussions.

SWC / photo: Taylor Hanson

SWC / photo: Taylor Hanson

But they let you back on the mountain just recently. That’s really cool of them. Anything you want to say to Timberline regarding that incident?
I will never f*%# up again… & I always walk the straightest line now. I am so thankful for Steve Cruz & Logan for letting me shred Hood… I have had over a hundred ads, throughout the past 20 years, & 80% of them are all from Hood. I was kicked out for LIFE, but they changed it to 2 years & that was good enough for me.

SWC / Bluebird powder slash

So what are you currently spending your time on right now when your not riding?
I’m coaching 3 of Oregon’s best up & coming groms (time to help create more little champs) these are kids I really believe in. I’m also working for Volcom, CTi KNEEBRACE’S, & being the OG BUM, which I am fully. And hanging w/my chicky and just loving life.

Who do you want to thank for everything over the years?
BRETT G. at CTi, Tim SNAILS @ Volcom, Blotto, Logan Fuquay (Candy Grind), Jon & SCOTT (Auviq), Charlie (DANKsquad), Brian Reed (Timberline), Pat Allen, Kele Rosecrans, Omar Hasan, MLG, MOM, Imagart @ Volcom, John G. @ Burton, Jeff Anderson (RiP), Steve Grahm (OG LEGEND), Daimen Sanders (OG), Bryan Iguchi, Jeff Brushie, Kevin Jones, Jim Rippey, Jesse Marley, Chris Bradshaw….. Utaka Hara (Marvel Comics & Hubs SNOWboards), Joel Gomez, Pat Bridges, Pat A… the list goes on forever, but that will do for now….

SWC / Late season powder slash @ Timberline / photo: Karim Hadid

NOTE: I wanna thank my chic CN. She fricken rulz and her entire family has taken me in and has helped me in so many ways… so THANKFUL! Check her son Juvaun out. He’s killing in on the skateboard!

First Place: Outerwear Jacket and Pants from Sessions
Photographer: Jordan Ingmire / Rider: Ari Strickland / Location: Steven’s Pass, WA.

Second Place: Clothing package from Auviq Clothing and sunnies from Black Flys
Photographer: Karim Hadid / Rider: Adrian Blair / Timberline Pipe, Mt. Hood

Third Place: Clothing package from Northwest Apparel and sunnies from Black Flys
Photographer: Sawyer Purman / Rider: Jay Hergert

Fourth Place: Beanie and gloves from Candy Grind
Photographer: Adrian Blair / Location: Timberline, Mt. Hood

Honorable Mention: NWB sticker pack
Photographer: Helen Salley / Rider: James Salley / Location: Mt. Baker

First off, where do you live and ride mostly?
Been riding Jackson Hole for over 20 years.

How long have you been filming and making movies?
I think when Lance and I made our first movie “Foreshadow” back in 1997 was when I realized I wanted to make movies for the rest of my life. Just like the first time I went snowboarding and broke my collar bone… I knew from that moment that snowboarding was going to be in my life forever.
Filming on location in Wyoming with Mark Carter

You broke your collar bone snowboarding for the first time? How long till you were snowboarding again?
6 weeks I think. My mom wasn’t too stoked on snowboarding that day.

Guess you had to get back on the horse right.
Yep.

So tell me about Bluebird Wax. How did you get into the wax business?
We started off with stickers and didn’t really have a product. Then my buddy gave me a wax formula and it was on.
Willie McMillon

I love the skate wheel wax concept. How did you come up with that idea?
I think Todd Richards and I came up with it.
Bluebird Wax comes in the shape of skateboard wheels

You have a super sick team who ride for Bluebird.
Yea, It’s just all my friends who live in Wyoming, and some other great friends I have made along the way.

*Willie didn’t mention any names, but his team of riders is one of the best in the industry. His team is made up of:
Travis Rice, Mark Carter, John Jackson, Scotty Lago, Marc Frank Montoya, Kurt Wastell, Bryan Iguchi, Kevin Jones, J.J. Thomas, Jamie Lynn, Chad Otterstrom, Jeremy Jones, Mark Landvik, Kale Stephens, Johan Oloffson, Kyle Clancy, Kinger, Anne-Flore.M, Forrest Shearer, Mike Parillo, John Makens, Adam Dowell and Chuck T.

Did you do any filming here in the Pacific Northwest?
No, but I wish we had. I’ve got nothing but respect for you fools.

You gotta come out and film on Mt. Hood next year.
For sure! I’d love too.
Willie McMillon at the Bluebird headquarters in Wyoming

So tell me about your latest film, Dobre Hombres.
It’s Czexican. It means “Good Dudes”. Dobre is “good” in Czech.

What is the main concept behind the film?
To highlight some good dudes in snowboarding.

It’s super cool to see guys like Iguchi, Kevin Jones, and Mark Carter again out shooting for a movie. What’s it like shooting with all these guys?
We highlighted 5 dudes and have cameos from the rest of the Bluebird crew. I fucking love all these guys. I looked up to them my whole life and still look up to them. Without them this company wouldn’t be worth a shit.

Which 5 guys are highlighted in the movie?
Mark Carter, Kevin Jones, Bryan Iguchi, Adam Dowell and John Makens

When does the full movie come out?
It’s done already. But we can’t release it for a while do to some politics. Our first premiere is in San Diego next month in August. The download will be available on itunes around Oct/Nov. But there will be some copies floating around. You kind of gotta find it.

Where will we be able to get the movie?
www.bluebirdsales.com, itunes, www.bluebirdwax.com. And some pirates.

Pirates? So you don’t care if your movie is pirated?
I do care! I spent every penny I had on this thing. Literally.

I’m sure you did… all the equipment, time, etc. It’s ultra expensive these days just getting from spot to spot and surviving along the way.
These pirates have no idea how their actions are effecting people’s livelihoods.

Anything else you want to say?
Yeah thanks for the interview and thanks for supporting some good dudes.

TTR Billabong Ante Up – 2010/11 Season Opener from ttrworldtour on Vimeo.

Big names on the rider list, large tricks on tap. 
Although the event is only one day of competition, the organizers have built in a five-day holding period to ensure the riders have optimal weather conditions. The Ante Up will feature an international field of 40 invited riders including heavy hitters such as Seb Toutant (CAN), Marko Grilc (SLO), Torstein Horgmo (NOR), Scotty Lago (USA), Chas Guldemond (USA), and Charles Reid (CAN) making for some solid competition. And, with Horgmo’s recent success in landing a triple-cork in Norway this spring, the Ante Up could see some next-level trick attempts on the massive 85-foot step-over jump. All the action from the Blackcomb glacier can be viewed live via webcast at www.billabongpro.com beginning at 11 pm CET on June 26, 2010 (depending on weather).

Getting a head-start in the 2010/11 Swatch TTR points race
The Billabong Ante Up is the first major event for the 2010/11 TTR World Tour season which will give riders, especially North Americans, an opportunity to rack up some valuable 5Star Swatch TTR points before the tour heads down to the Southern Hemisphere. Many riders attending the Ante Up, especially those like Chas Guldemond, Mark McMorris, Marko Grilc, Gjermund Braaten and others, who finished in the 09/10 TTR Top 25 will have the opportunity to set themselves up nicely in the 10/11 points race. A good result at the Ante Up combined with their 09/10 season-end bonus points will result in a healthy padding leading into the big picture of the 2010/11 season.

Southern Hemisphere on the horizon
After the Ante Up, the Swatch TTR Tour will take a break until the next big event on the calendar in August, the 5Star Burton New Zealand Open, and then things will shift to Australia for the 4Star Stylewars and a handful of 2Star and 3Star events. Check out ttrworldtour.com for the complete Southern Hemisphere calendar of events.

Dirty Not Dry from Jake Southard on Vimeo.

What is your full name?
Sarah Mae Gall

Age?
16

Where do you ride for Parks/Pow?
I like to ride timberline for park. Meadows for pipe and pow. and Skibowl at night for rails.

Your in high school still right?
yessir, I am going into my junior year next year.

Sarah Gall

I heard you killed it this year competitively. Tell us about your 09/10 season?
Well I started riding park my freshmen year when I joined the snowboard team, I rode with a lot of people that were better than me, like Kelly Underwood, who won first in every state event that year. It pushed me a lot to get better and I also put alot of time in, riding all spring and summer. By the time this year rolled around I felt like I had progressed a lot. I feel like everything paid off for me this year and I ended up very pleased with my contest results. It’s not really about winning for me though, I just like to improve my riding while having a great time with a bunch of girls that are all progressing women’s snowboarding.
Sarah and friends after a win

You won every contest you entered right?
Not every contest… but almost. I got 1st in state for halfpipe and slopestyle for high school. For USASA Hood series I got 1st in two halfpipe competitions and I got 1st in one of the slopestyles and 2nd in the other. At nationals I got 5th in slopestyle and 6th in halfpipe. that is pretty much all, besides little contest and rail jams here and there that I did alright in.

So practice makes perfect… well, almost.
Almost.

What kind of tricks are you doing that are working for you in contests?
For slopestyle usually front 3 tail and spinning on and off of boxes. For pipe its front 3 to cab 3 and airing out of the pipe with grabs.
Sarah Gall @ Meadows Pipe

What are you working on for next year trick wise?
I want to get my 5′s down over jumps this summer, I have landed a couple good ones but it’s not consistent. And the same thing for pipe, I’m just gonna try to get 5′s and try to air out bigger.

Are you partaking in any of the summer camps or just riding on your own schedule?
I can not afford summer camp unfortunately so I will probably just be stayin in the public park on the mile this summer.

You have a summer pass at T-Line right?
YES, I worked at timberline in the wintertime so I earned my summer pass for only 25 dollars! I feel very lucky to live so close to the mountain and be able to ride in the summer, I wouldn’t trade it for anything! Also summertime is the best time to ride and learn because the snow is soft and slushy so it doesn’t hurt as bad when you fall, haha.

Have you ever got caught cutting school and riding?
haha… unfortunately yes, I was grounded for a week, and suspended for a day. But I don’t regret it because it was one of the best bluebird days all year. Me and a couple friends, Mike Janes and Justine Robinson went to timberline and filmed, and I landed my first 5 that day.

When your done with High School, do you plan on staying local to Mt. Hood?
I plan to maybe do my first year at Mt. Hood Community College and take my main required courses, then I would like to transfer to a different college somewhere like Colorado, Utah, Montana, or California. Hopefully I can try to get some scholarships to help out because out of state is more expensive. But when I am out of school for the summer hopefully I can still be able to come back to Mt. Hood and ride a little.

What traveling have you done for snowboarding?
The only traveling I have done is when I went to nationals to compete in Colorado this year for USASA. That was one of the most fun times I have ever had. I got to ride Breckenridge and Copper. Breck was my favorite, I loved their park sooo much, I wish I could ride it everyday! Besides that I have been to bachelor and whistler a couple times but that’s about it. Mostly I ride at hood.

What sponsors do you have?
I am sponsored by ilusive snow wear. They are a small local company. They make face mask’s, beanies, hat’s, sunglasses, t-shirts and sweatshirts. They are a pretty sweet company. I totally support them.

I know Grant from illusive. He’s a great kid. Small world.
Nice!

What other girls have you been riding with that are ripping?
I met a couple girls at nationals this year, Devyn Shnake and Nicole McNulty. they are killing it pretty hard! Also my friends Emily Smith, Gaby Maldonado, and Aspen Inouye are killing it as well, they came to nationals this year too.

What about the guys? Who impressed you this year?
My friend Taylor Rydmen has been doing super good this year also! It seems like he never rides, but every time i see him he is like 100 times better than before! I don’t understand how he gets so good! He was put on the Northern Alliance team this year. He is the same age as me so he will be a junior next year also. I expect to see him killing it on the SHS team again next year!

Anything else you want to say or shout outs?
I wanna give a shout out to my coach Connie for being not only a coach to me but like a best friend also! She is always pumping me up before competitions and she helped me control my nerves at nationals right before my drop. I think it is awesome that she does so much for all the girls on the SHS team even though we have a hard time paying her. She was offered $3,000 to coach another team, but she stayed with us

Instead of dishing out the usual dose of marketing bullshit about how great the movie is and what to expect, here are some quotes on the film straight from the riders’ mouths:

“With Pat out of the picture, I might actually have a shot at getting the opener!”
“Nic has such nice hair, I wonder if he is sponsored by Suave?”
“Peter’s so legendary, he doesn’t even need a part.”
“How did John manage to have a better season than last year?!?”
“You think Andreas looks good when he’s filming? You should see how good he looks when he isn’t.”
“Who the F is Austen Sweetin?”

Coming Fall 2010 to a snowboard shop near you, along with iTunes digital download, stay tuned for more information on F’ It at special-blend.com, forumsnowboards.com and foursquareouterwear.com.