The kind of art that gets buffed before breakfast. Sticker stays though.
Torment Weather Report: A Bolivian city was “buried in hail” after a severe thunderstorm last week. Can you pack a lip with hail you think? Snow has started to fall in parts of the US and Canada, and some people are already taking advantage. La Niña conditions officially emerged in September so maybe all this early activity is related. Hopefully ICE doesn’t mistake “La Niña” for an illegal and try to deport it, supposed to be good for snow totals.
Covers are starting to drop for most of the major mags, and theres been a weeeee bit of controversy in that realm. We aren’t going to wade into this one beyond saying making things is hard work and we support people making them. But also, critique is a sign people care and are paying attention, so maybe we got some healthy discussions on this one? Anyway, tiptoeing on…
Vintage inspiration is peaking? Maybe? K2 came out with a “capsule” of products surrounding their dual ski/snowboard athlete Sean Petit. The product and visuals look very cool, though a bit confusing. The graphics are straight mid to late 90s throw-backs, but the video is like, from the future? They also say that “K2000 is not a collection”, but then go on to say “Across the K2000 collection, there’s a clarity and purpose…” We dunno, the board and boots look dope though.
Keeping on the nostalgia-maxxing theme here for a minute, SHORTY’S IS BACK! And Devun Walsh is at the helm. We reached out for some details and got a few. This will be a limited release/“soft-launch.” The boards are based on vintage Shorty’s board designs, but with updated technology and specs, so this isn’t just a rebranded blank from somewhere. Devun will be working with Rob Dow at Wired Snowboards, who have the ability produce boards in Asia and Canada. Also, they will be in a very select few shops, so keep your peepers peeled.
Jake Kuzyk and Mountain Hardwear had a little gathering at “Seattle’s Only Outdoor Store,” Windthrow last week. Jake talked about his career, officially coming out on Torment in 2020, working with the Mountain Hardwear team, and going on a 22 mile hike, which is like 20 miles longer than any hike he’d ever been on. It was a nice, intimate little event, and felt right in line with Jake’s maturing outlook and career. Mountain Hardwear is making moves in the board world. Capitalizing on their vintage and tech bonafides, they’ve picked up Emma Crosby, Hunter Knoll, and the aforementioned Sean Petit. Their Mythogen line looks wild, but it’ll set you back $1500 before tax for bibs and a jacket, so maybe sell some old boards or something?
Buncha vids and teasers continue to drop. We’re particularly excited for BLUEROOM, which looks to be a Vermont Powder film, starring, among others, Lukas and Jesse Huffman (the throwbacks continue). The Meliora crew came out with the pleasant NOWTHEN featuring riding out of the midwest, and a surprising and diverse soundtrack.
It’s always interesting when boardsports make it out into non-endemic media, and this New York Times Magazine article about the city of Malmo re-creating parts of the famous Love Park skate spot is a bright spot in that realm. It’s a true journey through nostalgia, bureaucracy, and determination. Until next week, may the wind be forever at your backs.
Instagram Clip of the Week: Indoor flow with Kaito Ichinose.
