Milking it in January – Getting out of the toxic depression cloud

It hasn’t snowed for weeks- the resort here has about a 25 inch base and our backcountry zones are sitting at about 45 inches of base- pretty poor for the middle of January. I have been getting out as often as I would otherwise and milking what snow we do have. Just getting out of the giant shit cloud created by pollution and inversion is worth the trip. It has actually been really fun. The powsurfing has been epic and opens up a whole new world of possibilities.

This weekend I tested out my ptex deck. It lasted a few drops and 360 shovit attempts and finally blew up on a kickflip. The bond between the ink and the mylar failed and the whole sheet came flying off. I was bummed – but the ink tranfered itself onto the ptex and was left mostly intact. So I am putting back on the deck and it should actually work out fine in the long run. I have to figure out a different solution for the base graphics.
I tested out 4 new powdersurf boards this weekend with pretty good results. The foamy was pretty good but the snow was a little variable so it was tough to make a good judgement on performance. The “fillet” handled pretty sweet. The flex made it carve like a snowboard and the skinnier shape actually worked great in the variable snow conditions. The 4ply skate deck was bomber but a little heavier than I would prefer. I stomped a few bs180s and kickflips on it that made my day. We ran some mini-golf lines and got some goods above the campground that were fun. The next day I did a solo trip and stuck some good surf shots on jumps, drops and picnic tables.

Powdersurf Construction – Manville, Utah

WELCOME TO MANVILLE – This is where the Powdersurf Board magic happens.

Manville, Utah- This is where many good things are happening right now. Shapes are designed and created, construction methods are tested, there is blood, sweat and tears flowing here on almost a daily basis (despite sub zero temperatures).
The shark is born. November 2009 – Manville, USA
Literally hours of hand sanding…. makes for major sawdust boogers.

Craig working on some new experimental construction. Super strength and alien lightness.

 Checking the rocker on the new PowSkate Model.

There is really only enough room in here for me and a few powdersurf boards.

My fingers are bleeding by the time I get this stuff cutout. Worth it? Yes.

Grassroots Powdersurfing R&D

Its official – I am going to try to make Grassroots Powdersurfing Company a reality. Time to make the dreams happen- before some big company rips it off.

After 3 and a half years of research and development I think I am ready to do this. We have been dialing in the best shapes for a variety of different styles of riders and terrain. I think I am really close to the best construction possible (with the materials and tools that I have) but I the experimental models are not about to stop – ever. We will be forever evolving to be the best we can be. Over the past few months making powsurfs has really consumed me. I enjoy the challenge of designing, building, and painting them and I am like a little child at Disneyland when it comes to riding them.

I am going to miss “The Powslasher”. It came off the rack and broke this weekend as I was getting all redneck on my sled. RIP

Behold the “Powdershark” Directional big mountain and deep powder slayer.


 Jeremy – Wanna-be art fag.
This is the board I made for Lance Pitman. I had a hard time letting this beauty go. So sick.


Dave Smellie and I doing a little R&D in Little Cottonwood Canyon. Beautiful day – Sick pow.


Brock Bitton and the board he made this summer. Sick artwork and some good technology went into this one.

Good things are in the works here. Website is being worked on, artwork is coming together and fabrication is moving along for a few custom pieces we need to smooth out the construction process. These babies are gonna be ready for the public real soon.

Powdersurfing saved my sanity – Nov-Dec 2009

Jeremy Jensen, Dave Smellie and Mike Kerkman Powsurfing on early powsurfers.Grassroots Powdersurfing

Jeremy Jensen, Kevin Hornerbrook, and Mike “Cookie” Kerkman getting ready to slash some pow.


The winter season so far has been pretty dismal. It is January 12th and in here in northern Utah we are at about 45% of normal snowpack. This hasn’t stopped me from having a hell of a fun winter. Thanks to the powdersurf boards that I have been making in my garage, the season has been awesome. I have been snowboarding three times so far this year and it was fun- but with limited coverage, high avalanche danger and limited shreddable terrain it kind of puts a limit on the snowboarding potential. So losing the bindings was a great decision to pass the time.
Powdersurfing is so much fun and it honestly makes me feel like a 15 year old kid again. Going out every day and doing tricks that have never been done before just makes you giddy inside. Reminds me of landing my first kickflips on a skateboard 20 years ago. Just riding away with a giant grin and looking around and thinking “holy shit! I’m still on my feet!!”
Powdersurfing excites me because there is so much potential. The freestyle and skatestyle influence can truly be taken advantage of on these boards. Over the past couple of months we have been hitting jumps, dropping cliffs, slashing pow, and riding rails and logs. Pop shovits off cliffs, 360 shovits, kickflips, bigspins, log jams, 180s, cabs, etc…..
So many “first evers” have gone down in past 40 days. Super exciting.
There is so much potential with this sport that I fear it is only a matter of time before someone with money rips off our idea and leaves us in the dust. Our construction process is lengthy and expensive (for us poor folk) so it is tough to mass produce- But i am gonna give it my best shot with the resources I do have.
Being able to take advantage of terrain that would feel mediocre on a snowboard is a huge advantage. So much new terrain opens itself up and you begin to see the mountain in a whole new light.

Very little snow this season has forced us to shred the lower angle grassy fields for the first couple of months of the season. Brandon, Dave, and RC hiking up in the cold smoke.



Did I mention these things slash the pow REALLY well?

Jeremy catching a pop- shovit off a kicker that some skiers had built for us.

Text Color Dave getting some tail.
Jeremy Jensen – 360 shovit



Jeremy Jensen – Testing a couple of new boards.

Storm is always stoked to get out and shred.

October 4th Surf Session

FIRST POW DAY OF THE SEASON OCTOBER 4th – TONY GROVE!!!

There was just barely enough snow on the ground to make it surfable. Not quite ready for the snowboard in my opinion. I figure if youre gonna be riding mellow slopes with no drops or kickers to chuck off of then you might as well be riding bindingless.
CHECK THE VIDEO BELOW FOR A RECAP OF THE GOODS. Not bad for October!

Getting ready to get some near the “G-spot”

Pow surfing with Storm Dog @ St’Bump

With High avalanche danger and numerous fatalities over the past week in Utah the Storm Dog and I kept it safe over at Stump Hollow. The pow was deep and light- perfect for the pow-surf. Luckily Youngblood had blazed a trail for us to walk up or it would have been hell hiking to the top. Youngblood, Hornerbrook and Bill were most likely riding their bindingless decks here as well. They love this zone. It was pretty fun and there were pillows and tight trees to keep it interesting.

Storm – Enjoying the deep pow.

Pow surfing with Storm Dog @ St’Bump

With High avalanche danger and numerous fatalities over the past week in Utah the Storm Dog and I kept it safe over at Stump Hollow. The pow was deep and light- perfect for the pow-surf. Luckily Youngblood had blazed a trail for us to walk up or it would have been hell hiking to the top. Youngblood, Hornerbrook and Bill were most likely riding their bindingless decks here as well. They love this zone. It was pretty fun and there were pillows and tight trees to keep it interesting.

Storm – Enjoying the deep pow.

2008-2009 First PowSurf session of the season.

The Storm Dog and myself made it out for a few runs in our favorite early season spot. This marks the 18th straight year that I have been coming to this spot for early season powdies. It just doesn’t ever seem to get old. Especially when you ride without bindings.


Storm and PowSurf.
Brock getting his surf on.


Still a few weeds poking up.

2008-2009 First PowSurf session of the season.

The Storm Dog and myself made it out for a few runs in our favorite early season spot. This marks the 18th straight year that I have been coming to this spot for early season powdies. It just doesn’t ever seem to get old. Especially when you ride without bindings.


Storm and PowSurf.
Brock getting his surf on.


Still a few weeds poking up.

May Surf Session





So it dumped a foot and a half of pow-pow- and I had nobody to go tow laps with. I wasn’t gonna let fresh pow in May go to waste so I saddled up solo with my snowboard, surfboard, and camera and headed west (of the parking lot). I arrived to light dry pow that was dificult to snowmobile in and not super stable sitting on a solid melt/freeze crust. So i decided not to try hiking up anything or snowboarding any of the usual stuff since I was by myself and didn’t feel like dying in an avalanche. Instead I would ghost ride my sled to get up to the tops and surf my way down. I found a bunch of pretty cool features- a baby step-up, some windlip slashers, a hip style booter, and a cornice to drop.


Test droppin the cornice.
My landing kept avalanching away- after each drop I had to go bigger to make it to the pow.

Pop-shovit.

By the time I got to this slasher the sun had taken the “lightNdry” out of the pow-pow.


After slamming like 6 times trying to kickflip this step up I finally settled for the fs air.

1st Kickflip on surfboard.

I almost knocked my teeth out trying to get this 360 shovit.


So it turned out to be a pretty fun day for riding by myself. I managed to take some really hard slams but that is the nature of our new little sport. It ain’t stuck to your feet! I vowed to return and pull a 360 shovit before the season is up. Hopefully we get another powder day before its all done this year. Pray for Snow!