Snowsports commentary with James Streater

New product highlights for 2012/2013 - Part 1

2012-02-21T16:33:00.000Z

Trade shows in the snowsports industry are great fun. You get the chance to check out all of next seasons gear months before any of the shops will stock it and even see samples of fresh products ideas that have not gone into manufacture yet.

For Maverix, we're still developing our relationships with key brands as we move into more non-seasonal product retail and build stronger more unique brand alliances that will support our growth as a premier provider of coaching products.

As I had just got back from the SCUK Winter Bash in Mayrhofen I was not able to spend too long at the UK's main trade show Slide, so Sian and I had a day at the Telford International Centre and were going to make the most.

The priority was to chat to our existing suppliers and see what they had on offer for next season, as well as see if there was anything tasty coming out next season.

686 Clothing

It was great to catch up with Rich and discuss plans for next season. The clothing we get from them is top notch and it was nice to find out more about the man behind 686, Mike West. I had recently read an article on his development of the brand in Transworld Business. The guy sounds super inspirational and definately keeps tight control on the business, as he is still the sole owner of the company and I hear designed most of the male clothing line.

The other point of note was them not releasing much in the way of marketing materials for the new lines. With the speed of counterfeiting these days, you can imagine something seen in February could be ripped off and be on sale in China within a few months.

The clothing line looks solid. There is some nice plaid mens technical dome style jackets and some solid block colours combinations similar to the Smarty Command I have worn this season. A bit of camo also made its way in and I was tempted, but was assured that I was not gangster enough to rock it.

The womens line is also looking good. The key for any decent female rider is not having a jacket too short or the cuffs gripping your wrists like a pair of handcuffs. Sian had a look at the jackets and certainly found some sweet selections for dome as well as mountain shredding. The womens plaid jacket will come in a few colour combinations and the purple colourway looked rad.

Nitro Snowboards

Rich is also part of the The Board Syndicate that distributes Nitro, Flow, L1 and Arbour as well as 686, so we picked up the Nitro brochure for a closer look. As we're always interested in finding out more on other brands and we got Rich to run us through the line. The boards that stood out for us both were the Subzero with its crazy 'Hotwing' profile. It is the "latest evolution of the Gullwing concept: The new Hotwing camber offers a loose ride combined with lots of pop. The mellower Zero Camber lines in the tip and tail area blend into a Gullwing camber in the board’s center, making the contact points more forgiving yet responsive for those controlled butter tricks." It looks like a tasty dome board.

The T1 (flat) also looked solid for some all mountain shredding. There was also a decent array of womens boards. A nice change from the usual couple of boards line up from most companies. The 'Runaway' on the womens side for easy going park riding sounded sweet with a decent base, twin shape and 'Gullwing' profile it sure to be a seller.

The one piece of standout tech for me was the 'Rail Killer Edge'. A edge which is more than 200% more impact resistant than a standard edge. A must for those UK dome riders. I'm forever getting rail breaks.

If you're keen on finding out more on the line you can download the brochure via this link.

Never Summer Snowboards

Our wax supplier Bluebird is distributed by Richie at MSD. They also ship Never Summer Snowboards. Lon Canu, one of our coaches is sponsored by Never Summer, so it was good to catch up and talk shop with him. We also picked up the Never Summer catalogue. It was interesting to note their increased focus towards split boards with smaller lengths. I feel that over the next 5-10 years we will see a big movement towards backcountry hiking as the demographic for snowboarding steadily moves northward.

New product highlights 2012/2013 Part 2

2012-02-21T16:32:00.000Z

Forcefield Protection

Forcefield were excited to show us their new developments in back protection for next season. They are moving away from the traditional diamond shaped protection pattern to a softer smoother and lighter material. As this new protection layer is so light they can combine it into a protection vest. The new Race-Lite Vest with enable riders to have a vest that incorprates all the protection of a traditional back protector without the weight or straps getting in the way. I am sure with the convenience of this new vest I will be seriously looking at picking one up for next year.

They also moving this new material into other lines including the board shorts that we stock. The full monty lower body suit is making a come back enabling you to have your impact shorts, and knee protection all in one.

It was also great to see they are carrying on with the Flyer and Kadet back protectors. These items are specfically designed for kids allowing them to get the same top level protection as adults.

SnoKart Luggage

Christian at Snokart is one of our long time supporters and it was great to catch up a talk about the new development he has planned for next season. It sounded like business is really taking off in Europe after his visit to ISPO, and we could see why with the new re-branding and the expansion of the luggage line.

Notable developments include the introduction of a Backcountry Pack and a Wheelie Luggage Bag that has a detachable rucksack.

We also have a Wheelie Board Bag with reduced length and a rebrand of the 'Mini Kart' offering. Thats a lot of development on the part of the team over the last year.

I personally think this gear is great and have used the Kart System loads over the last year. I look forward to the opportunity of testing the Backcountry Pack on one of my tours in the future and adding all their new product lines to the site this Autumn. You can see more of the new products in this extract from the brochure.

Are skiers shown in the best light in the media?

2012-02-09T20:10:00.001Z

Those £85 Nudie jeans must really
keep out the cold

On my terrible flight with Easyjet recently I was able to catch an article talking about winter skiing in Verbier. Most of the article was of interest apart from their hilarious "Where to stay" section that recommends the £49,500 per week chalet, and having to explain who a seasonnaire was.

Yet, the overriding thing that caught my attention was the total off point ski outerwear recommendations. Is the likes of Chanel, Calvin Klein and Paul Smith the right kind of recommendations for people skiing in the Alps? I'm sure they would feel real cosy in the -20's we're experiencing in Austria at the moment.

I know most snow retailers sell some shocking non-technical, look at me skiwear that would most likely result in the death of some punter if they actually did any real skiing in it, but wouldn't it be great to have some proper ski brands represented in the media. It might help to bridge the fashion divide between boarders and skiers.

Skiing like a pro in her £2,425 Chanel suit

It cannot be that hard to get someone in the industry to work with journalists on appropriate recommendations. That way those companies that strive for functional as well and fashionable outerwear would get a look in, and we could be subjected to fewer 'what the hell' outfits quite often seen.

I guess they're appealing to the people that really don't do any skiing and just chill out getting a tan at mountain cafes.

Any thoughts?

How to repair a gouge on a snowboard or ski base

2012-01-23T09:00:00.000Z

I do not often carry out base repairs unless there is something substantial that has happened to my board. This could be a core shot (gouge through the base showing the wood core of the board) or I have some spare time and what to show my board some love. Most minor stratches on the board can be removed with a base grind from your local store, but if you have something worth sorting, then it can be done very quickly and easily at home or in your chalet in resort. It is said that core shots and gouges to the edge of the board will require a copolymer repair material to help the p-tex bond correctly to these surfaces. If you can get hold of it, then that would be great. I have found that most edge repairs do not last long, but I reckon it is more down to the high amount of friction in those zones.

What is P-tex?

P-tex is the abbreviated name for Polyethylene. There are 10 major classifications of Polyethylene. For snowboards and skis the form used is UHMWPE or Ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene. Its the same material used to make bullet proof jackets as well as hip and knee replacements. The main reason for its choice for skis and snowboards is it's low moisture absorbsion, very low coefficient of friction and being resistant to abrasion.

There are two different forms of bases that you may have heard about. They are extruded and sintered. You can find out more about them here. The key thing is that extruded is cheaper and slower yet easier to bond p-tex to (repair). Sintered is expensive, faster, and less easy to bond p-tex to. You often hear about grades of base (1300 extruded, 2000, 4000 sintered). This relates to the molecular weight of the Polyethylene used. The higher the number the more resistant the base is to friction heating, losing wax and becoming slow.

Prepare that hole

Once you have selected what you want to repair you need to clean the gouge out, making sure it has a little bit of depth or the p-tex will not bind to the base. I aim to have the gouge around 1-2 mm deep. I use the corner of a metal scraper to clean out any debris, wax and a little bit of p-tex to make it to the required depth. If you have some sandpaper you can roughen up the surface a little providing a better base for the p-tex to bond to, but make sure you clean it afterwards with base cleaner so there is no dirt in the scratch. I personally think this does not make much diference and invariably ends up with a dirty gouge. Allow at least 20 minutes for the base cleaner to evaporate before you proceed.

Pick your colour

Pick the p-tex colour you want to use. Generally you’ll have white that produces clear filler or black. The thinner the p-tex the easier it will be to heat up and melt. Most shops stock p-tex the thickness of cigarettes. These are a pain to burn, so speak to your friendly tech and see if you can grab some thinner p-tex that is commonly used for the p-tex guns in the workshop. You can also use p-tex powder, but I find this stuff a pain and not as easy to carry with you on your travels.

Burn that shizzle

Correct flame colour

If you have loads of money, you could buy a p-tex gun, but you really only need a lighter, your usual metal scraper and some p-tex. The guns are cool, but they can coat the ski or board in tons of p-tex that will need to scraped or ground off. This can take ages. P-tex will hold it’s own flame, once it gets up to temperature. I would place the scraper next to the area you want to repair, and then light the p-tex. Once it starts to melt you can then move the p-tex over to start filling the hole.

Too much flame

With the white ptex you can get a lot of carbon (black spots) in it if you raise it too high as it burns. Keep it low enough to maintain a nice blue flame, but not high enough to develop the typical candle flame colour (as shown left). You do not have to worry so much about this with black p-tex as you'll never see the carbon deposits.

Trace the line taking your time and try to avoid lingering in one spot as that will build up lumps of p-tex on the board. Those lumps will most likely not fully bond to the board and also require additonal tools like a flat bastard file to remove the excess. If you go too fast you will get lots of little drops on the base that may not fill in the gouge. To keep things even I place my hand on the board and slide it along rather than holding my hand above the board. That way you can maintain an even height and speed. Once you have melted it into the hole, leave it to cool for approximately 20 minutes.

Scrap away

Sharpen your scraper

Following that you can prepare your metal scraper for clearing the excess p-tex. Lay out a file and run your scraper along its length at a slight angle to clean and sharpen the edge. Once your ready run the scraper at a 35-45 degree angle following the line or very slightly off the line of the stratch with the thumbs of both hands pressing against the back of the scraper creating a slight warp in the blade. That will give you extra pressure to scrap the p-tex flush with the board or ski. If the p-tex becomes a little rough you have started scraping too early. If the p-tex lifts out of the hole you may have melted too much into it, be scraping too much at right angles to the hole, or the gouge was alittle shallow.

Scrap away excess p-tex

If you have not filled in enough of the hole, re-apply more p-tex. Once you have done that the board should be ready for either a gentle sand down over the repair or just straight for a wax. I generally just go for a wax. As with anything like this if you do not really want to risk your gear, then leave it to a professional.

How to setup your stance width on a snowboard

2012-01-13T14:07:00.001Z

How to find your stance width

The first port of call to improve someones snowboard performance is to review their equipment. There is a multitude of things that can cause blocks and hinder a persons ability to perform certain movements, yet when you speak to people about their setups, invariably they have never been adjusted since they left the store they bought it from.

When I was selling hardware you were really only able to setup your customer in a basic reference stance (centre on both sets of screw threads) and you often did not have much time to tweak their setup to their specific mountain needs.

I personally feel with a few tweaks a rider could dramatically improve their board feel, control and power. I'll be bringing you a series of short videos detailing some key areas in setting up your board so you can gain the most from your riding.

Part One - Stance Width

Traditional shoulder width does not work

The general rule of thumb is the width of your stance is the width of your shoulders. The problem is I cannot really measure my shoulders easily, and placing my head down on my board trying to keep an eye on the width does not really work. When you look at some of the the standard body dimensions studies (Anthropometry), there are certain key measurements that can assist you in working out a suitable width.

As described, if I work on the basic principle that my elbow to the end of my hand is my shoulder width, then on my board I come short of the first set of binding threads on my front foot. (If I place my elbow in the centre set of threads on my back foot). So where do we go from here?

I recently heard a very good tip from Mark Bishop, a BASI trainer who carried out some extensive testing with StanceFind™. He found that the average stance width was elbow to the tips of the fingers, plus 5 fingers of the other hand, plus 1-2 inches or approx 2.5cm - 5cm beyond that point.

I found this method to work really well. I would not increase my stance much beyond 5 fingers for any free-ride of off-piste riding. I would increase it to between 2-3 inches for freestyle. Have a go yourself and see how it works. Plus, if you do need to change things, then you may find it will help with your overall posture, board control and the level of power you can transfer through the board.

Charlie's fight back to riding

2012-01-11T09:00:00.000Z

It was tough last season to see a dear friend flown away in a helicopter with a serious brain injury after catching her heel edge on the landing of a jump in Mayrhofen. We're lucky that Charlie lives so close to us in the UK, so we could regularly check up on her and were stoked to be there for her first time back on a board at Milton Keynes recently. Now after almost a year since her injury she is back on the slopes and teaching in her favourite resort, Verbier.

Just before she headed back out to Switzerland a couple of weeks ago she dropped off a copy of an article she had written with a couple of my photos of her riding in Mayrhofen. It was great to see her spreading the word about how important a helmet is and to have a photo I had taken in print. Check out her article below.

Maverix moves into the worlds largest Snow Centre

2011-12-29T12:34:00.001Z

Landgraaf - Worlds largest Snow Centre

So what makes for an ideal learning environment in relation to snowboarding?

We feel long pistes with consistent weather and a fast lift system can substantially speed up the rate of a person's progression. That is why our UK snow centre clients progress so well and have the core skills in place to perform at a high level when their winter holiday comes around.

So how can we improve on this?

Combining our proven UK package with aspects of our mountain training programme allows for a better overall progression for the client as they truly master skills. This is where Landgraaf comes in.

So why should you come to Landgraaf with Maverix?

A flavour of the park

Two main slopes that are more than double the length of anything in the UK. At 520m a piste this enables a better chance of applying and developing core performance and freestyle flatland skills. To put it in perspective each of their slopes is nearly 3.5 times the length of Hemel Snow Centre.

In house 6 man chairlift. When your riding for a few hours the traditional poma can get a little taxing on the legs. This can effect the length of time at which you can maintain a high energy level for developing new movement patterns. At Landgraaf we have the chance to relax on the chairlift whilst discussing tactics and provide you with additional feedback rather than wasting time before each run.

Permanent Freestyle Park. The key benefit of riding in a snow centre is the number of repetitions possible when trying new freestyle moves. The issue we have in the UK is that the parks are only out for one or two days. We work really hard to deliver a solid park, but there are numerous factors that can limit the amount and quality of features available. Imagine an indoor freestyle park that is permanent and shaped everyday with features for all levels, including some of the largest kickers in any snow centre.

4 star accommodation with ample food for all appetites on site. No snow centre in the UK can provide the off slope facilities of Landgraaf. Once the coaching is complete you can relax in your luxury room with a choice of 4 different sleeping options and eat as much or as little at your want from the hearty range of meals. There are also numerous bars for a quick pint to round off the day as well as having access to the spa and fitness suite for free as a guest of the Maverix. What better way after a shred than jumping in the spa and discussing the day before a decent dinner and a welcome beer.

Unlimited ski pass. Landgraaf is open 9am to 11pm. For the duration of your stay your ski pass will be valid for on slope use. That enables you to have some personal time shredding, progressing and applying the techniques the team has taught you. We'll be providing three primary coaching slots with an additional optional session for those who want that little bit more. Each session will work on different aspects of riding with special attention to proven off slope freestyle drills to aid muscle memory development and allow for more open and relaxed discussion of techniques and skills for snowboarding.

In addition, everybody at the centre speaks English, so there are no issues with the usual language problems.

Only 3 hours from Calais. In the time it takes to go from London to Leeds you can be on the slopes shredding. There is no point providing a great snowboard package if it is miles away from the UK. With this in mind Langraaf is ideally placed for access from the UK. Our aim is to provide a transfer service from Hemel Snow Centre for a minimal cost and with our corporate passes for Euro Tunnel we can be in Europe in just over 30 minutes and then it's motorway all the way.

Why did I choose Langraaf?
During the summer I took the RAF freestyle team away to Langraaf for a weeks worth of training. The RAF team got so much out of the course, because of the longer pistes, the permanent freestyle park, and the chance to relax and recharge after each session. It was then that I decided that it would be an ideal place for our UK clients.

With you being based at Landgraaf over a number of days we can spend a considerable amount of time reviewing your video's and photos and really fine tuning your posture and skills with off slope analysis and specific static drills to ingrain the positive and beneficial riding points to help you look sick in the park and on the piste.

Key Facts
We're running our sessions over half term and bank holiday weekend. Allowing for a great opportunity to get away without having to take much time off work or anytime off school.

Our first course will be - Saturday 2nd June - Monday 4th June.

Price is per person. Prices differ on room type. The price includes:

25+ hour plus lift pass
2 night full board stay at Hotel SnowWorld
Free access to the spa and fitness centre
3 primary coaching sessions, plus additional optional session
High resolution photo's published online
Video feedback every day and an edit made of the course so you can show your mates

Coaching Sessions are:
Saturday 14.00-16.45, Sunday 10.00-12.45 and 14.30-17.15 and Monday 10.00-12.45

Venue Information
Two nights (Saturday & Sunday) 4 star accommodation - Hotel SnowWorld
Triple Room - £349
Double Room - £379
Single Room - £399
Under 17's shared 3 or 4 person room - £339
Access to sauna, spa and fitness facilities at no additional cost and free wifi in each room

Full board arrangements
À la carte restaurant. Saturday evening meal. Sunday breakfast, lunch and evening meal and Monday breakfast and lunch

Aren't all helmets the same?

2011-12-15T20:12:00.000Z

With the high profile return of Kevin Pearce to a snowboard after his serious brain injury a couple of years ago got me looking to source a new helmet. You’d think it would be easy to find a decent snowsports helmet, but there is a lot more to consider than you might think. In this article I’m just discussing construction materials, but there is a minefield of additonal safety certifications and considerations when buying a helmet that I may touch on in a future post.

When I first looked at helmets, I found out about a new technology called MIPS. MIPS (Multi-directional Impact Protection System) is new to snow sports this year, it effectively models the brains own protection system. When you hit your head from the side, your brain rotates inside of it, and between your brain and your skull there is a low-friction cushion of cerebrospinal fluid, this absorbs the energy given to the head to try and prevent it getting to the brain. The MIPS system, duplicates your heads own safety mechanism, by rotating slightly on hard impact at speed, meaning that your head does not come to an instant stop.

One surprising thing that I found, was that all helmets (aside from the MIPS one) are tested by a vertical drop. How many times (if any), do you expect to drop just vertically onto your head?

POC Receptor Backcountry MIPS

So, I had decided to get a MIPS helmet. On the MIPS website it mentioned that they worked with POC, so I found a POC helmet that had it in it, it was a mens helmet (Receptor Backcountry MIPS) but the small was my size, as I tried on another POC helmet in the same size, just without the MIPS, so I decided to get it. Here was when I found my problem, there was no store in Europe that sold this helmet in a small, and at over £200 I did not want to import it from outside the EU.

Back to the search I went, looking at a lot of other things, and one thing I noticed was that there was not much said on the fact that most helmets are not multi impact, and there was not really one place with a lot of information on the different types of liners and what is best for snowsports, so I have collated a few bits of information on the different types:

EPS liners

Expanded poly styrene. Polystyrene is a normally a hard white plastic, usually seen in disposable coffee cups and ice boxes. However, when polystyrene is heated and a blowing agent is used (used to be CFC based, but is now eco-friendly), the result is a still hard-ish plastic 'foam' called EPS. In an impact, the EPS liner works more or less on the same principle as an airbag. It absorbs the energy of the impact, using that energy to crack, break, crush, rather than pass it on to your brain. Obviously, the acceleration of the brain inside the cranium is controlled better by this, and you should, if everything goes to plan, walk away with nothing worse than a headache and destroyed EPS to show for it. With the shells becoming harder and harder, it is today hard for the naked, unpractised eye to tell if the EPS liner is destroyed or not. So, if you've had a fairly impressive knock, play it safe and retire it.

SXP from Protec

SXP (Surface Activated Expanded Polypropylene). Patented multi-impact material that is ideal for aggressive riding style. Multi-impact SXP liners have built-in rebound control. Once the liners have been compressed, multi-impact SXP memory kicks in and the liner rebounds, maintaining its impact-absorbing qualities. Multi-impact SXP are the only lightweight multi-impact helmets to be CE/CPSC certified and still deliver the style and fit that customers deserve.

SEPP/EPP

SEPP (Super Expanded Polypropylene) / EPP (Expanded Polypropylene). The difference between the materials is that SEPP and EPP, unlike EPS do not deform permanently on impact and is therefore suitable to absorb repetitive shocks. Meaning, essentially that an EPS liner will break, distributing the force from the impact throughout the helmet. The EPP and SEPP are similar in that they will also break when the maximum force of impact occurs, but SEPP and EPP have higher stress limits when it comes to breakage and flex.

Brock Foam

Bern Hard Hat has an interior foam called Brock Foam. Brock Foam is a soft, very comfortable foam that is rated as a multiple impact foam. When an impact occurs on a Brock pad, each bead moves the adjacent two beads laterally which diffuses the impact. Friction between the beads turns much of the force into kinetic energy. Multiply this by the thousands of beads in each pad and you have the essence of why Brock absorbs impact better than standard foam pads. It is made up of a polypropylene beads that offer a firm protective layer and has excellent moisture and heat wicking properties.

In-mold Construction

In-mold construction is a manufacturing technique where the foam interior liner, generally EPS, is "blown in" while the hard exterior shell is still in the manufacturing mold. In-mold helmets tend to be lighter, stronger, and have more venting than traditional methods. Originally limited to high-end helmets, in-mold construction now appears in many mid-to-high-end helmet models. Once again this is not a multi-impact helmet.

In-mold Burton Hifi MIPS

Even with the "Multi-impact" helmets, if you take a bad hit to your head throw it in the bin, there's not point in risking it. After reviewing the construction materials it appears that if I wanted a light, small MIPS helmet I would be looking for in-mold construction, but I would end up having to compromise and be prepared for some extra expense as it would not be multi-impact. This led me to the newly released Burton Red Hifi MIPS at a hefty £129.95. The helmet arrived today and the MIPS is a thin moulded plastic liner on the inside of the helmet which moves under extreme impact. It does not look like much, but the amount of research and development that has gone into it makes me feel safe in the knowledge that it could significantly reduce the chance of brain injury.

By Sian Davies

The right kit to get the job done properly

2011-12-08T08:11:00.000Z

It's always interesting to know what people rock in the mountains. As a coach I take a little more than your average rider up the hill. Here is a heads up on what I'm into...

1 - Helmet - Smith Maze. The lightest snowsports helmet in the world. With a low profile, you don't feel like your rocking a bin lid on your head. I wear a thin beanie underneath for extra comfort. I started riding in the era of no lids, so it has been tough to get into the habit of wearing it in the mountains. Yet when I look at the slopes and the number of people who cannot really ski or snowboard properly, then I definitely want to have something sturdy on my head in case of getting taken out by some idiot.

Goggles - Smith I/O - Lens - Ignitor mirror and Sensor mirror. The Ignitor mirror is great for all clear light conditions with a 35% visible light transmission (VLT) . The sensor mirror with 70% VLT is great for flat light conditions. The goggles have a two clip system for lens replacement, so I can take up both lens and change over whenever I need.

2 - Jacket - 686 Smarty Command. A great jacket from our new clothing sponsor. I've gone for a baggy fit with a size large. This jacket has a wicked zip in thermal liner just in case it gets super cold. Generally I do not go technical under my jacket. Long sleeve top, sweatshirt with a zipped in liner for conditions 2 degrees and below. If it gets warm I'll transfer to a long sleeve, and UKTT t-shirt and sweatshirt. I only carry safety information in my jacket. The key information I have is just in case I get knocked out, so someone knows who to contact. This includes insurance details, E111, blood type, emergency contact name, number and email with coaching qualifications cards. A cut down version of this information is carried by myself for all the people I coach on the hill in case of emergencies.

3 - Board - Salomon Sanchez - 151. This is my dome board, but I manage to have some fun on it in the mountains. It's traditional camber with an extruded base. Its a fun board, but not super fast, stiff or big enough for large kickers or technical piste work. For those aspects I move to my 156. I wax regularly with Bluebird all temp wax and check edges for burs every couple of days. I do not end up doing many repairs to the base, as I find it does not make that much difference to performance. I would only seal up a core shot or delam.

4 - Bindings - Salomon Caliber - Large. Setup 59-60cm stance width depending on board, -18 +21 angles for on piste and freestyle. These are the carbon highback bindings. They have the same basic chassis as the Salomon Chiefs, with a stiffer highback that is super useful for more performance work. I set them on an easy high back angle, not in line with the heel edge. These and the Chiefs are bullet proof. I have not known a binding to hold up so well for so long and not get super tatty or the ratchets break. My last pair of Chiefs lasted all summer and winter without any issues. The only drawback was the highback softening after sometime, so I had some issues with high end technical work. That's the reason for the carbon highback.

5 - Gloves - 686 Displace - Medium. I go through a lot of gloves in a season. I have three levels of glove depending on conditions. The Displace are the ones I use for cold weather. I also have a pair of 686 Max and a pair of Grenade pipe gloves for photography. I find that leather palm gloves last the best and keep you warm, but it is tough to get hold of them at a decent price.

6 - Pants - 686 Smarty Cargo - Large. A relaxed fit pant with a lot of handy pockets as my gloves, spare food, small camera etc find their way into the side pockets. I do not like carrying stuff in the main pockets, due to it blocking movement. Underneath I wear icebreaker thermals. They are great at temperature management and an essential bit of kit. Protection is from Forcefield. I rock the board shorts and limb tubes.

7 - Bag - Burton Zoom Pack - With coaching I always take a pack on the hill. This contains a raft of equipment. The beauty with this pack is if opens from the rear and has numerous compartments as it is built for camera enquipment. That way everything is tidy and protected. The main items in the pack include:

Dakine board lock - Never leave your bag unlocked. Kit always goes missing on the hill.

First aid pack - A small pack that can also be used as a warm up rugby ball. It contains basic items, including cleansing wipes, triangular bandage, plasters, pain killers, inhaler, cable ties etc.

Suncream - I put some on a few times and day. Generally factor 50. You cannot be too careful in the mountains. I see some harsh sunburn on clients.

Extra layer - If I think the weather may deteriorate I carry and spare long sleeve top.

Sony A700 DSLR with Sony 18-70 and 70-300 Sigma - The 18-70 is used for close up work, especially in the dome. The 70-300 is great for distance shots and some nice portraits without getting in peoples faces. The A700 is a great DSLR. It is 12.2 mega pixels, and has various options settings for getting top notch shots. I also love the fact that it key components are sealed from moisture and I get 5 frames per seconds for high speed shots.

Sony HDR-CX6 - This is one of the oldest bits of kit I have. A HD video camera with super slow mo feature. I carry an additional Opteka 0.43x super fisheye lens and a Sony VCL-E07A wide angle lens. This records onto solid state memory stick so is better for filming in cold conditions or on the move.

Manfrotto 785B Tripod - Manfrotto make some great kit. This tripod is small enough to fit on the side of a rucksack at only 43.5cm high when compact. This is useful as I can setup the camera for filming and take some still shots at the same time.

Go Pro HD Hero - The must have accessory for the slopes. I created a handle for it from an old golf club. This is great for lightweight riding runs, without having to carry the pack all the time.

Motorola TLKR-T5 - When there are a couple of us coaching I use walkies to keep in touch. These are compact and easy to use and super useful on the hill. In addition other coaches can use one of the Sony DCR-SX30E cameras that we have for more portable video feedback.

I will also carry drink, fruit bars, money for lunch, mobile phone programmed with local emergency numbers and the emergency contact and insurance details for all clients.

8 - Boots - Burton Rampant - Size 9. These are the lightest boots Burton have ever produced. A great straight in and comfortable freestyle boot. I use Superfeet in every boot to improve the fit. I also use a combination of dryzone and 12v heated inserts for drying the boots whilst travelling. The best socks I use are from 32. Really comfortable and last a lot better than the smartwool.

How to build kickers for urban/dome/garden rails?

2011-11-24T08:05:00.000Z

Right from the start of Maverix I wanted to take an active role in the shaping and development of the features for each course. I feel that if you want riders to have the best opportunity to progress and be safe then getting your hands cold and wet is a small price to pay. Sadly over the years our ability to get involved in the shaping has become more and more limited, as the slopes feel having external companies on site after hours is a health and safety hazard.

The team now works closely with each slope management team to deliver a foundation park and we move in 1-2 hours before each course to shape and ice the features.

As people see us out on the slope shaping, we often get asked for hints and tips from staff and clients on how to shape, just in case they want to have a go themselves in resort or their back garden when the snow finally arrives.

Maverix Kicker at Hemel Snow Centre

Just as with coaching, not all shaping is the same. Just because you see someone with a park rake and a watering can does not mean their going to build something decent and safe. To help illustrate more of our skills outside of coaching, I've put together a short movie giving you some tips so you can create your very own kicker.

This video focuses on kickers for rails, but the principle is the same for ever larger features. Our last creation was the kicker for the Maverix and SCUK Happy Slamming session. It was large, smooth and progressive, allowing people to work on bigger tricks without having to go super fast.

Waxing lyrical about dome snow

2011-11-17T10:48:00.000Z

The UK snow scene is a rather strange one. Apart from Tamworth all the other snow centres manufacture their snow through a system created by Acer Snowmec. Acer began developing their snow making technology in the late 80's with the opening of a test centre in Telford in 1989. It took another 6 years before the first public facility would arrive and another 11 before the UK would see it's technology applied to a snow centre. That centre was SNO!zone Milton Keynes, which opened its doors in 2000. This was followed by SNO!zone Castleford in 2003, SNO!zone Braehead in 2005, Chill Factore in 2008 and finally Hemel Snow Centre in 2009.

The basic formula for making snow is a pump system linked to a series of fine jet sprayers and fans in the rafters of each centre. For snow to form freezing water needs something to bind to in the air. That is called a freezing nuclei. This can be dust, dirt, clay etc. In a dome there may be some binding agents in the air, but most likely not enough to guarantee effective snow making. It is believed that a nucleating agent like a bacteria called Pseudomonas syringae is used to boost the effectiveness of the guns and provide a base on which the snow crystal can form. To aid the retention of the snow on the surface of the slope a series of glycol (anti-freeze) pipes run under each slope.

As the years have gone by numerous issues have arisen within each snow centre.

Glycol Leaks

Milton Keynes, Braehead and Castleford have their glycol plastic pipes running under the slope with no protection. Quite often during a groom the pipes can be split and the glycol leaks onto the slope. As you can imagine, this then makes the snow very difficult to bond creates very slow snow, plus costing the slope a fortune in lost glycol. At more modern facilities like Hemel Snow Centre and Chill Factore the pipes are protected by a simple form of guttering.

Subsidence

The well documented weight restrictions at Chill Factore have had a dramatic effect on the freestyle scene over the last 2 years.

I guess it was obvious that the original developers did not factor in the concentrated snow building that happens with freestyle features.

It could have been a catastrophic incident if anybody was injured by the subsidence of the slope. As all the SNO!zones as well at Chill Factore are insured by the same company then an enforced restriction on building features for sometime was imposed until full structural surveys were carried out. It is only recently that we have seen the building of kickers back in each of the centres, which is great news, as the development of solid UK freestyle riders requires kickers. To safeguard the slopes from future issues there are restrictions on feature locations and height of kickers in each centre.

Budgetary Issues

Another issue that effects slope conditions is budget constraints that often results in the chillers being turned off to save money. With these slopes being giant fridges with constantly opening doors, worn or damaged insulation and snow cats moving in and out of the facility the cost of keeping each centre cool must be astronomical.

Technical Obsolescence

With the technology in each of these facilities aging and budgets being squeezed, quite often the snow guns do not work and are not replaced so reducing the amount of available snow. This means the snow in place gets over worked becoming sugary.

Types of Snow in the Domes

Fresh Cfe Snow

The type of snow formed depends on the temperature and the atmospheric conditions at which is forms. In most domes the ambient temperature for snow making is between -3 and -8. In the outside world this would create a combination of needles, hollow prismatic columns or hexagonal plates. With the high moisture content, use of jets and fans these snow crystals go through a phase of breakdown (riming), where the crystals form by collision and lose their original shape.

This fresh snow does create some interesting effects. The most noticeable being very grippy when fresh through a form of water adhesion and a vacuum created between the board and the snow.

Ice Grains at Hemel Snow Centre

As the snow settles and gets worked by recreational users, snow cats and impurities from glycol, diesel etc it goes through a phase of metamorphism. This is where it bonds together in a process called sintering. Because the snow centres have no wind of extremes of temperature the snow once settled creates a strong base layer. However the sintering effect does create large ice grains.

How to get best performance from your equipment
The easiest way to improve the performance of your equipment for domes is to wax it. From experience I have found that a soft all-temp wax absorbs impurities in the snow and the base becomes dirty and sticky, having a counter effect in the board performance.

After looking at the snow in some detail it's structure is more in line with glacier, summer snow. High moisture content when produced, large grains and a high base temperature. With this in mind Sian and I tested the Bluebird graphite wax during some coaching sessions.

We found that the wax did not retain any impurities from the snow, gave the board great zip and lasted for approx 12 hours riding time. It was hot waxed to extruded bases, so the wax retention would be lower than for sintered bases. However due to its performance qualities it did last longer than expected.

Downsides were, not smelling great and due to being a graphite based product it did discolour Sians white base whilst it was still on the board.

I have often been of the proponent that wax does nothing for your board in a dome. But with issues like fresh snow, glycol leaks, limited grooming or excessive grooming of the slopes, you really need to consider how to up your performance especially in relation to kickers. Having some extra speed in the bank can be a confidence booster as well as an injury preventor.

The rest of the Maverix team tested the other Bluebird waxes on a freestyle night at Hemel Snow Centre. Overall they thought the all temp smelt great and was easy to wax and scrape but did not last too long in this type of snow. The graphite was fast but tough to wax and scrape. The warm and cold waxes were similar with the cold being slightly easier to wax and scrape and the warm smelling a little sweeter.

In conclusion I'll be preparing my equipment with all temp for the mountain and the graphite for the dome.

Going off-piste at Hemel Snow Centre

2011-11-10T06:04:00.001Z

Keith & I re-create our Diamond of the Alps

The fresh challenge for this year is working towards the European Mountain Security (EMS) qualification. This will allow me to lead a group off piste, beyond the confines of the ski area. The current qualification within the ISIA allows an instructor to lead a group off-piste, but they cannot hike or plan the use of crazy stuff like ice axes, or crampons.

This qualification is also a prerequisite if I plan to teach in France. I certainly do not intend to be teaching beginners on a nursery hill in France, but it could be great to take clients away to accessible resorts like Avoriaz. The EMS combined with an ISIA stamp, and some boardercross FIS points should be enough to get a Carte Pro.

Sian getting X-treme

The level 4 EMS is an intense pathway, with two off-piste examinations and 6 logged tours of your own. These logged tours should consist of 1000m of ascent with 1000m of decent, with a diary to show your use of key mountaineering skills.

I'm not going to lie the last mountain safety course nearly killed me. My fitness was poor and I totally underestimated how tough hiking all day would be. I chose to snowshoe last time and the general guideline is that you'll need to be 25% fitter than those using skins to get up the hill. So being less fit that everyone and using snow shoes was not the best. Thankfully I had one other snowboarder, Jay Ford to get me through the course. I left the exam feeling downbeat on hiking and nursing a dislocated shoulder, so its been a while for me to contemplate getting back into off-piste.

Working on kick turns

This time I am looking to be more prepared. I have gone the route of skinning with a split board. This should hopefully allow me to keep up with the skiers. I managed to pick up a split board and skins off ebay for £190. I completed the first test last night at Hemel Snow Centre. It is definitely going to take me a little while to figure them out. Luckily I had Keith, Sian and Dave to help lighten the mood. Plus Keith had completed a few tours last year and brought his kit along so we could both explore the heights of mount Hemel.

Dave testing his skills

It was rather amusing skinning up the nursery hill. It did however, provide a good opportunity to discuss the setup and various techniques that will come in useful on the courses. Also rather amusing watching Sian and Dave try and ski.

Theres certainly some things I am going to have to work on, chiefly being my fitness if I'm going to pass the first course in January, but hopefully I can do it. Examination one will be in Chamonix. I haven't been back there since completing a couple of winter seasons years ago, so its going to be super weird. The one bonus will be New Years in a ski resort. Its always an awesome time.

Dramatic changes ahead for UK dryslopes

2011-10-31T19:00:00.000Z

Sian and myself paid a visit to Snowtrax alpine activity centre in Christchurch today to check out the brand new matting that is being placed over their main slope. This new surface combines the best elements of snowflex and dendix in one. Produced by Proslope, it creates a filament based surface with high water retention properties and a soft under base to absorb impacts. The most surprising thing I noticed was the filament strength. I was expecting it to be as ridged as dendix, which is rough and abrasive when you fall, but instead it was considerably softer, meaning less damage to equipment, clothing as well as your body!

New hip and bowl

Main slope almost complete

The great news is the slope has plans to develop a solid freestyle scene there. Pat Sharples has been offering some thoughts on their freestyle development and features so thus far their ideas look to be taking shape nicely. There has been extensive landscaping at the base of the slope to create a hip and bowl that will enable a lot of freestyle opportunities. Plus they are looking to have a permanent kicker and a few rails with additional under slope absorption zones making it even safer for riders.

So why is this surface so good?

The key with this is consistency. How much progression do you think is possible if the kicker you ride does not change for 3 hours in an evening? You can build your confidence and skill level without having to make adjustments for the degradation of the kicker or landings, that you have to do within the snow centres. And you do not have to take snow conditions into account like you do on a mountain.

Jamie Nicholls @ Halifax

Halifax and Bearsden are great examples of what can be achieved. Jamie Nicholls is the highest profile alumni from Halifax. After perfecting his technique at that slope for a numbers of years his transfer to real snow was effortless and produced amazing results.

With reasonable slope fees and less crowded slopes this facility should be on local riders lists. Looks like the next generation of dryslope is here.

Ethan Smith lets us know what he's about

2011-10-26T15:20:00.002+01:00

Ethan at Castleford

Ethan is a fresh grom who's working more closely with the Maverix team. At only 7 he is full of enthusiasm for snowboarding. We're looking forward to seeing how he develops over the coming years. Find out a little bit more about him below...

"What i like to do is practice snowboarding and watch a little bit of telly. My favourite programs are Battle Force 5, Phineas and Pherb and Pink panther and Palls.

I also like playing on the computer, my favourite games are Sumdog and Club Penguin. My Favourite subject at school is Maths. I like skateboarding, Swimming and I go to Cubs on a Wednesday night.

I go snowboarding about four times a week, two times on dry slope and two times to a dome. Snowboarding is my favourite sport I also like playing rugby. My favorite rugby team is Wales."

Front flips with Maverix coach Lon

2011-10-20T11:42:00.001+01:00

Plans for the Happy Slamming Session

2011-09-03T18:49:00.000+01:00

We're stoked to get the go ahead for another jam session in partnership with SCUK. Due to issues with some date clashes earlier this year, we could not get anything sorted out for our planned end of season jam in May. This season things are a lot different, and we have Hemel on board 100%. My aim as always with these sessions, is to provide something different. Under the watchful eye of Thom Boddington I learnt how to shape park features from the very start of Maverix and I like to think outside of the box when it comes these special events. I have been lucky to have worked with a solid team who have helped create some cool features in the past. The suspended gas pipe with the added swing at Milton Keynes last year was wicked fun, and super challenging to setup. We've also tested the cube effect and built a really nice gapped box feature at Hemel last October for our team photo shoot.

This year we will be back at Hemel Snow Centre and aim to create some brand new rail features for the slope, as well as create another unique feature. We have sourced some 15m of pipe, so we have two plans for new features. Z bar Taking inspiration from Les Deux Alpes this summer and a gentle reminder from Sian, we’re going to create a real simple and low z bar. With a Z bar you can get super tech or just be stoked to get through it 50/50. It is something that appeals to all levels of rider and provides endless amounts of entertainment. In addition it will be the first in the UK. Donkey Kink Always a popular feature.

I personally find them rather intimidating, but with the copious amounts of standard down bars around, then this is certainly something worth having, and I aim to make it progressive rather than too knarly allowing riders to get ready for kink rails and provide that extra kick for spins off the feature.

Curved Wall Ride

We’ll also look to create a curved wall ride pushing the limits of progression and making for some great potential photos. Using the two dc boxes and some added snow we hope to create something similiar to the picture left. We plan to split the park into three main sections allowing for a spread of ability level over the slope. I am also looking to chat to our sponsors to raise extra funds for some on spot prizes and giveaways. I’m super excited for the 18th November. Hope to see you there.