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CBC TV Interview and Story on Grassroots Powdersurfing

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CBC TV Interview with Scotty Arnold

Out of nowhere came an email from the Canadian National Television station wanting to do a story on Powsurfing.  They said they couldn’t send a cameraman down to Utah and needed someone in the Whistler area to do the interview.  As luck(?) would have it, Scotty Arnold and I just happened to be in the Whistler area at the time!  I’ve only been to Canada twice in my life and this was a pretty crazy coincidence.  I knew it had to be done so we set aside a day of our trip to do some PR work.

CBC TV with Scotty Arnold

Bob Nixon, Scotty Arnold, and Simon ready for action

Avalanche conditions were high with a fresh couple of feet on top of a deep layer of surface hoar. We weren’t about to take a TV crew deep into the backcountry and put them and ourselves at risk.  We had to settle for some very low angle slopes completely out of harms way.  All the obvious signs of fresh wind slabs breaking everywhere, cracking, collapsing, etc confirmed our decision.  On the approach to a relatively small but steep slope we remotely triggered numerous fresh slides that were a few inches deep, two steps later while crossing a creek the snow cracked loudly, breaking 4 feet deep and sending me into the creek bed below.  One knee and one arm plunged into knee deep icy water. That sealed the deal and we relocated to another zone, very low angle and out of the way of any hang-fire.

CBC TV Interview with Scotty Arnold

The TV crew interviewed myself and Scotty Arnold about the history, the how, and the why.  Really good interviews that kind of ended up butchered in the end, but so goes the mainstream tv world.  The action shots were very mellow due to the sketchy conditions that day. We hiked a couple of short low angle lines and jumped off some small drops for their cameras and called it a day.  Not the most epic day by any means but good for the PR machine. We were just stoked on the opportunity to spread the word about what we love to do and help Grassroots continue to grow.

Luckily we found a couple of little drops out of harms way for the TV crew

Watch the Interview and check the story below:

Interview with Jeremy Jensen about the freedom of powdersurfing:

http://www.cbc.ca/video/watch/News/Canada/BC/ID=2324239337

English Channel Story : “Powder-surfing pioneers seek freedom in a new sport”

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2013/01/09/bc-powder-surfing.html

 

Grassroots Powsurfing – World Wide

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9 boxes shipping out to 7 different countries.
After deciding a few years ago to test the waters for the public’s acceptance of this thing we call “powdersurfing” we couldn’t be happier with the results so far.  We made a big push this season to spread the word in whatever ways we could. Having limited time and few resources or connections, we decided the best thing to do was to let the riding and the concept speak for itself.   We did this thru the creation of a few short films (The Powsurf Chronicles) and repurposed some of our existing video content.  The power of social media was our biggest ally.  People saw something that sparked their interest and it opened their eyes to something familiar but new.  The parallels within powdersurfing and other forms of self expression such as skateboarding, snowboarding, and surfing are an obvious connecting force for like minded people.  Videos were shared and word spread rapidly all over the world.
                  Emiliano was one of the first of a number of Italians to see the light.  -Italian Alps.
                                                    Ready for action in Hokkaido Japan
There seems to be a mixed bag of reasons for the acceptance of powsurfing.  Some people seem to view powsurfing as a refreshing departure from the overly plastic and manufactured state of “snowboarding” today and a return to the essence of riding pow.  Some see the potential and freedom inherent to a sport where the rider and board are independent of each other.  Perhaps it becomes more legit in their eyes because they are actually balancing (riding) on a board rather than having it strapped on, acting as an extension of their body. Others may have noticed that the ski industry that looked down on snowboarding for decades now owns 80% of it, and they want to get away from that. Some people are just surfers and skateboarders at heart and they know a good thing when they see it. There is a clear connection to the true soul of snowboarding and of riding boards in general.  Others may be intrigued by the fact that we choose to offer limited runs of an environmentally friendly handmade product rather than mass producing huge runs of disposable boards made from toxic chemicals in sweatshops overseas. Whatever the reason, we are stoked that people are digging what we are doing here.
We think that the biggest factor in powdersurfing’s acceptance is the fact that it is pure.  Driven by a personal quest for fun and a passion for self expression.  You don’t need a ski lift or a $1,500 kit of snowboard, boots, bindings, and matching clown suit.  You just need a board, warm clothes and some inner drive. Once you have tasted the sweet nectar that is powsurfing, you will be back for more, by whatever means necessary.
Bryan Iguchi – Tasting the nectar .
WORLD WIDE
Reaction has been overwhelmingly positive and this positivity has no borders.  Our boards are now spread all over Europe.  Italy, Spain, France, Austria, Germany, Norway, Netherlands, Switzerland, Sweden, Greece, and the UK.  The Japanese embrace the concept of powsurfing and are perhaps the most enthusiastic and accepting of all.  Canadians of course are into it, some stick with a pad and a rope on a snowboard deck (noboarding) while others are taking the next step and ditching the rope and snowboard for a board that is shaped and designed for a true bindingless experience.
Big Thanks to Go Insane specialty shop in Hokkaido Japan for keeping its shelves stocked with powsurfers this winter season.
                                    Hokkaido Japan – These guys brought the whole quiver!


If you’re not falling down, you probably aren’t learning.  These guys know the drill. –Japan 
USA
It seems that we have shipped more boards out of the US than we have shipped within the US.  Within the US, the East has come up surprisingly tough … Conneticut, Rhode Island, New York, Vermont, and North Carolina to name a few.  The wester states have been surprisingly weak considering the ample powsurfing conditions that exist.  Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, California, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Arizona, Montana… pretty much every state west of Colorado has bought at least a board or two.  We would have expected a lot more in these areas, but it has been a relatively dreary winter season across much of the US.
It could be the combination of a lot of factors.. a poor US economy, the “Americans are lazy” stereotype, the “Americans like cheap plastic crap” theory, maybe it looks to hard, or maybe people are just content without the extra challenge or unbeatable feeling that comes from powsurfing.  We think that they just need a little more exposure to powsurfing and a chance to give it a try.  Everyone that has set foot on our boards in the right conditions has been instantly sold on it.  People just need a little taste… So as we grow, we will make it a point to make sure that people get that opportunity.
Colorado shred Bob Aubrey lost his powsurf virginity on a trip to Japan.  He caught right on and he’s never been the same since.
Edred repping Colorado
It seems like people don’r realize how easy it can be to find great powsurf terrain and stashes.  It is so scalable either way, small and easily accessible terrain can be really fun and a breeding ground for creativity.  You can get more “skate-like” in the smaller stuff and take advantage of any bump or log.  Big terrain is just epic, just like with snowboarding, this is the dream terrain… high speed – high consequence big wave powsurfing.  We aim to educate and open the world’s eyes to what powdersurfing is all about.  If we get them to experience even for a few seconds the feeling we get from riding these boards then our job is done, and powdersurfing can live or die within them.
Skylar G had no trouble getting his first turns in on some slushy wet sierra spring pow
Chris G from Splitboard.com getting his feet wet for the first time in the Sierras.
It pays to have a sled to get you up to where the pow is at in the late spring. The Cheetah Factory Racing racks are rigged up here to make it work.
Grassroots Powdersurfing is stoked to be working with ex pro snowboarder Dave B at Cheetah Factory Racing this summer to create a rack designed to carry powsurfers and snowboards.
Jason H. getting in touch with his inner sledneck for the first time.
Take note of the shit eatin grin on Jason’s face….. thats what we are talking about!

SIBERIA!

As I was typing this Russia was added to the list.  Ivan is the proud owner of the first Grassroots powsurfer in Siberia.  (Thanks for your help Sergey)

Sergey and Ivan taking the dogs for a walk to some remaining patches of snow in Zheleznogorsk, Krasnoyarsk krai, Siberia
Ivan couldn’t wait for next years powder to arrive, he went right out and found something slidable.
The Guch is one of many snowboard legends that have caught the bug.
 We are stoked to get boards in the hands of snowboard, skate, and surf legends.  Their credibility is huge and this will really help people see the light. A little taste is all it takes and if people have even a fraction of the amount of fun we have riding these decks then this could really blow up.
Here’s to the future.

Follow the Snurf – Powdersurfing some serious vert at Retallack Lodge.

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Ian and Neil posted this edit the other day.  I’m always stoked on the Provo Bros edits, no matter if they are skiing, snowboarding, fishing, or powdersurfing.  Good dudes doing what they love… I’m all about it. If anyone was wondering how our Grassroots Powdersurfers handle the deep and light pow in some steep lines, look no further (or of course stay tuned for the “Big Waves” episode in The Powsurf Chronicles).

Here you go.. Ian, Neil and friends slaying the deep on their 140cm Slasher and 140cm Powder Shark.
ENJOY!

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