The cat’s out of the bag: Salomon is working on a two-year project. If you caught the Half Tank feature in Issue EIGHT, you’ll know they wrapped last season with a meltdown mission to Kazakhstan.
After mid-winter stops in Japan, Quebec City, and the Rust Belt, the crew landed in Oskemen in search of the last north-facing pockets of snow in the city, eventually uncovering an apartment complex laced with green steel. And what started as a lucky find quickly turned into the crew’s main zone for the trip. Dubbed the “Salomon Daycare,” Finn Westbury breaks down how it came to life:
When we first scoped out this apartment complex in Kazakhstan, it was a collective oh my god moment. The apartments stood on a gradual hill, with a slew of proper green steel rails cascading down between the buildings; spots galore. This zone kinda saved the trip, as it was north-facing, so it held the last remaining pockets of snow. We affectionately started calling this zone Salomon Daycare because of the 20+ kids who’d end up at each session. By the end of the trip, we’d won over the hearts of the community and were granted a key to snowboard on seemingly whatever we wanted. We had nicknames with some of the local kids, and parents would bring traditional snacks, soups, and drinks for us. One family insisted on taking us out for dinner, which turned out to be one of the most extravagant meals of my life. Anyway, this spot was central in the complex and had a couple options. Emma had already gotten down on the double downrail line. Light was fleeting, so I thought I’d give the 5050 transfer a go. The flat is long and bends inward to the transfer, so it was freaky committing to the inside. With a quick pep talk from Lou, it all worked out, and we said goodbye to our local friends for the night.
Follow Emma, Louif, Finn, and Gian for a session at “Salomon Daycare” in the latest Day In, Day Out.
Featuring: Louif Paradis, Emma Crosby, GIan Sutter, and Finn Westbury
Filmed and Edited by: Bryden Bowley
Photography by: Joseph Roby
