Shred White and Snowflakes: Burton, Yonder and Patrol Olympics

Burlington, Vermont (Shred White and Blue)-Wow, American snowboard superpower Burton announced in a press release that it will shift premium snowboard production from its Vermont-based Burton Manufacturing Center (BMC) to Austria.

The company says that “Product design and development will still be home-grown in Vermont, where the company will relocate its snowboard prototyping resources from BMC into a new, purely R&D-driven prototype facility at its global headquarters in Burlington. BMC, located in South Burlington, Vermont is slated to close in June of this year.”

According to the release, 43 employees will be affected by BMC’s closure.

“When I started Burton Snowboards in 1977, all we did was make snowboards in Vermont,” says Jake Burton Carpenter, Founder and Chairman, Burton Snowboards. “Thanks to the BMC staff, we’ve excelled at prototyping and developing product in Vermont, which is why all four Burton Olympic halfpipe medals were won on snowboards coming out of our local factory. But simply put, it costs us significantly more to produce a board in Vermont than we are capable of selling it for, and sadly, this is not sustainable in the current economy.”

So go ahead, Shred Patriots, and let us know how that makes you feel…

Yonder Mountain’s Ski Town Breakdown

Mt. Crested Butte, Colo (Shred White and Blue)-Shred White and Blue dude Josh Chaiken’s favored Yonder Mountain String Band will host Crested Butte Mountain Resort’s (CBMR) first annual Ski Town Breakdown.

The main event is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. on March 27th at the base of the resort and will feature opening act Pete Kilpatrick Band followed by headliner and Colorado favorite Yonder Mountain String Band.
General admission tickets are priced at $35 each and are available for purchase on the CBMR website until Wednesday, March 24th. Tickets may also be purchased in person at the Adventure Center in Mountaineer Square beginning Monday, March 22nd through show time on Saturday March 27th.

//Photo by Josh Chaiken

Squaw Valley’s Ski Patrol Olympics

Squaw Valley, Calif. (Shred White and Blue)-From March 21, 2010 – April 16 through April 18, 2010, Squaw Valley USA is hosting the first ever U.S. Professional Ski Patrol Olympics.

While several regions have hosted patrol contests in previous years, never before have ski patrollers from across the continent united for one epic competition. In honor of the 50th anniversary of the 1960 Squaw Valley Olympic Winter Games, Squaw Valley USA has invited patrollers from the East Coast, Rockies, Sierra Nevada and the Pacific Northwest to partake in this inaugural event. Several international patrol teams have also been invited to attend.

The competition will host an array of events from sled races and beacon competitions to simulated bomb throws. The weekend kicks off Friday night from 6-9pm with the Registration Party at Squaw Valley’s Cornice Cantina. Saturday morning, the competitions get going with a randonnée race followed by a beacon competition and a GS race down The Slot.

Shred White and Golden: Bode Miller’s Gold Medal Musings

by Matthew Piper/US Ski Team

By many accounts, his gold medal in the Olympic super combined was the sword in the stone for Bode Miller, a rare stratum of achievement that the most decorated alpine skier in U.S. history had never before reached. The newly crowned champion begged to differ, if only slightly.

“I had no idea that I had won, and I certainly didn’t know that it was going to be a gold or a medal at all,” Miller said, pointing to his post-finish enthusiasm. “I was super, super excited to have skied that way.

“It’s hard to really describe it in a way that makes sense, but the gold medal (itself) doesn’t mean that much. If I won it in a way that I wasn’t excited about, or wasn’t proud of today, I would have probably resented the medal in a certain way because of what it makes everyone else think.”

Miller became the fourth alpine skier to win five medals and the fourth U.S. athlete to win five or more at the Olympic Winter Games. He had already reached the sport’s pinnacle when he won four World Championships and two World Cup overall titles, but the one glaring omission from his milestone collection was an Olympic gold.

Yet Miller said what thrilled him most – more than any precious metal – was reaching deep down to find total abandon and trust in his skiing.

“My proud moment and my feeling of accomplishment doesn’t hinge on (medals), it hinges on the skiing that I put down,” Miller said. “That’s what means a lot to me right now. To do it this way, at this point in my career, in the Olympics, and in the super combined in particular, which is just an unbelievable challenge, and for me to rise to that challenge felt really cool.”

At 32, Miller said he has regained what made him special as a younger skier, before he began winning World Cups and carrying the weight of a nation’s expectations on his shoulders. And he’s had a little help from his friends.

“I feel like I have more fun than everybody else when I ski,” he said. “I think I enjoy it more. I think it’s clear here that it is that way, but I’ve seen the level of enjoyment in the skiing from other guys that I haven’t seen before also at this Olympics. The energy and the level of inspiration has been exceptionally high, and it’s helped me for sure.”

Miller made his return to the U.S. Ski Team this year after a season-long absence in which he struggled independently on the World Cup tour. He’s still not sure what he’ll do in the future, but he hasn’t ruled anything out.

“It seems like I came back for a reason,” he said. “This was why, but it doesn’t mean that I’m done. The reason was because I wanted to make sure I had the right motivation. You know, I am going to have to sit down after this season and figure out which direction to go.

“I feel good, and when I race like I have been here, it really is amazing. It’s just awesome. It’s so fun to do, and it’s so challenging at a level that you can’t find anywhere else, so I’d feel pretty stupid to give that up if I could continue.”

(editor’s note: Bode Miller withdrew from the remainder of the World Cup season due to an ankle injury. There has been no announcement if or when he will return for next season).

Aspen, Jackson and Purgatory

From Whistler

Courtesy of Graham Gephardt

From the Vancouver Olympics

Putting Stickers to Work

From the Global Trade Show Circuit

At Blackcomb

Someone Stole my SWB Tee!

Please alert the authorities!  A horrible thing has happened.  Shred, White & Blue’s popularity is growing so fast that people are resorting to thievery to get their hands on the SWB goods.

You may think I’m joking, but I’m not.  It happened to me, and it could happen to you too.  I was the proud owner of a blue SWB t-shirt.  I wore it frequently . . . maybe too frequently judging by the smell.  In some odd way I think it helped me ski better.  Then one day I opened my ski bag to find everything where it should be – except for my SWB shirt.  In its place was a note that read:

“What once was yours, is now mine
Please don’t cry, it will be fine.

I’ll take good care of your SWB tee
I’ll wear it with pride, so don’t be mad at me.”

As you can tell, this is a serious issue.  As such, I suggest that you take security precautions to ensure the safety of your SWB gear.

Am I upset?  Definitely, I loved that shirt!  Not only is my skiing suffering, but my fashion sense as well.  Do I understand why they took it?  All legal and ethical considerations aside, sure I do!  The shirt is sweet!  If given the opportunity I would gladly steal it back!

Whoever has my SWB shirt – Represent and wear it with pride!

*This story may or may not be true*

—Joe