Summer Snowboarding

The summer solstice in the northern hemisphere has come and gone, but if you're still jonsing to ride, there are a couple of local options available. In North America, Timberine Resort on Mt. Hood will be open until late August with summer snowboarding camps already in full swing. Mt. Hood had over 850 inches of snow this season which will ensure epic coverage all summer long. Tickets are $49 and the Magic Mile and Palmer Express lifts will be operating from 7:00am - 1:30pm daily. If you're not going to a summer camp at Timberline, plan a trip that doesn't coincide with camp sessions at Windell's or High Cascade. It will make for a much more relaxing experience. If you happen to be going to one of the camps, then you're stoked, they're worth every penny. The other summer option in North America is Camp of Champions on the Blackcomb Glacier in Canada. The Camp of Champions boasts the largest private terrain park of any summer camp on earth, but unlike Timberline, they're restricted from using salt. Timberline Resort as well as "diggers" at the camps groom and salt all of their terrain every morning, which actually slows the mashed potatoes process.

If you've never had the luxury of snowboarding in the summer, make sure to bring an abundance of the strongest sunblock you can find. Rub it in your ears, in your nose, pretty much anywhere thats exposed to sunlight. Keep in mind that the sun's rays reflect off of snow quite well. Chances are you'll be hiking a lot, even if you're somewhere with lift access. If you have 9 to 5 legs, it's best to start a daily cardio routine at least a month before your trip. You'll have much more fun and get more bang for your buck, especially if you're going to a camp. If you don't happen to participate in any other board sports during the summer, get a hold of a Indo Board, Vew Dew Board, or other type of balance board. Balance on one of these for 5 minutes a day and your legs will thank you. These boards work the muscles you usually only work when you're on a board, keeping you in shape for your next adventure. On a final note, if you're looking to sport next years gear on your summer snowboarding tour, DogFunk just received their first shipment of 2009 K2 Snowboards and 2009 Ride Snowboards.

Almost Tech

Just when everyone thought skateboarding decks, trucks and wheels had become standardized, the two most technical skaters in the game decided to add their own "tech" to the mix. Rodney Mullen and Daewon Song have been brewing up some creative and functional new technologies to stuff into their Almost skateboard decks.

The first of these innovations is Impact Support which helps prevent breakage and prolong the pop of their skateboard decks. read more

Magnetraction & Reverse Camber

Snowboard geometry was pushed through an evolutionary spurt these last couple of seasons with talk of reverse "rocker" cambers and something called "magnetraction", not that a reverse camber wouldn't be weird enough.

Magnetraction sidecut geometry acts similar to the serrated edge of a knife which makes these snowboards incredible at holding an edge in icy conditions. read more