20 years

So obviously it's not my photo..............

Turns out i've been snowboarding for over 20 years! Twenty Years, which is kinda scary when you think about it. It doesnt seem that long in some ways, i can still remember the nervous thrill of sideslipping down Gloucester dry ski slope in rented ski boots set at some ridiculous angle, still remember cautiously linking turns on snow for the first time in Tamworth snowdome, just after it opened, still remember spending far too long on a national express coach up to aviemore sat next to a real life Rab C Nesbitt, it seems like yesterday in some ways. Yet in others it doesnt, snowboarding has changed so much, the kit is SO advanced compared to 1993/94, it's an olympic sport with national teams and icons, not the slightly disreputable brethren of skateboarding feared by ski resorts the world over that it once was. It's gone from fringe counterculture cool to massive boom mainstream popularity, from anti establishment to accepted. The thought of beng gently ridiculed by fellow package tour skiers as a "gay on a tray" now seems ludicrous.

If this all seems a little nostalgic, it's been brought on mostly by Lib-Tech launching a little mini-site here celebrating 20 years of sponsoring Jamie Lynn. Jamie was one of the first rock stars of snowboarding and after Craig Kelly was perhaps one of the most influential. His smooth but raw skate influenced style was adored and emulated the world over. His method air (see pic above) is still held to be the definition of the perfect example. I'm not ashamed to admit, i'd still kill to be able to style one out like that. My first decent snowboard was jamies "blue man" pro model from 96 and i've always loved lib's boards since. If you've been snowboarding as long as i have, you'll be nodding your head by now and heading for google to watch some old video clips from TB2 or the garden. If you're a more recent rider, this probably wont mean much and its hard to retrospectively explain how small snowboarding was back then.

This (volcom's the garden) perhaps sums up snowboarding in 1994 and is vintage jamie.......

pov

There have been waves, HOORAY!!! It's cold although down here we have escaped the snow mostly. Hope you managed to sneak away from responsibility and snag a few!

Exmoor has some and there was a smattering up in the Quantocks where the picture was taken. This is from just before the swell came on a beautiful morning. If you ride a mountain bike and you havent been up there i can really reccomend it. Hard climbs but really sweet swooping singletrack descents that arent too technical and cope with wet weather well. Pretty much my favorite place to ride.

Obviously I'm normally not a fan of endless POV go-pro video but if it features me (in blue) then  it's ok! :-) Filmed and edited by Noel. Cheers!

in the bay

We are heading back to Norway soon, another dose of sideways sliding, cold weather and probably a few measures of cold spirits too! It's a beautiful country in summer as well as winter. Our friends Jim and Kath fell in love with it years ago and have just bought a slightly derelict old farmhouse over there. It's currently completey off the grid but the area around it is stunning. It's most definately a project but when it's done it will be stunning. If you've got five minutes to kill, check the story of their adventure so far here.. If you've got skills to barter for a chance to explore the area with them in the summer, get in touch with them.

stretch

I really should warm up more...........

So the keen amongst you might have noticed me posting a picture of Miles Hunt's new Wonder Stuff diaries book a few weeks ago. I've finally had the chance to work my way through it and it is , as i suspected it would be, ace!

Growing up near Stourbridge in the late 80's and early 90's, the Stuffies, PWEI and Neds were pretty much local bands (along with the much underated Fretblanket ) and collecting as much as possible of their vinyl output and t shirts consumed much of my teenage years. Although i'm aware of much of their story through my obsessive reading of the music press at the time, Mile's Diaries present an amazing insight into the early years of the band from the inside. It's joyous, sad, self -critical and riveting at times, told in a conversational style that makes you feel like you're listening to stories in one of Hunt's beloved shropshire real ale pubs.

If you had any interest in the stuffies prior to Size of a cow and Dizzy it's a must read! Roll on the next installment.

minus digits...........

 

#coldwatersurf

I'm not one of those people that gets excited about winter surfing. It's difficult for me to love heavy water, big swells and the cold. Give me warm sunny point waves any day. Thats not to say that i dont enjoy it, theres little nuggets of pure stoke amongst the grind of the the cold and grey. One of the best things is the light of winter sunshine and the burn of a crisp day's sunset over the western horizon.

This iphone pic was snapped in the last rays of light with barely there fingers fumbling to catch the moment before wrestling out of my suit in a dark car park reliving the stoke of fun min-simmons waves.

worth the wait..........

just six months............

 

Just six months until it's all small clean warm waves, short wetsuits and long evenings. Patience.....

Happy New Year everyone

CP by Wavedreamer, Saunton Foil by Gulfstream