The Aerwulf

Raptor Ridge Trail Build Day

2011-05-16T10:08:00.000-07:00

Despite the inclement weather, a crew of close to 30 people gathered at the North Chuckanut trail head on May 15th to put forth an effort to continue the Raptor Ridge trail connector work on Chuckanut Mountain.

It had been about 12 years since I had personally last did the climb up the lost lake trail from the Arroyo trailhead, and let me say this, being my 4th day out on my MTB, I had totally forgotten what a brutally consistent 3 mile climb this was. I can say that even though all the climb was on a dirt road, the rains and build up of mud made it no easier. After 1 hour of straight climb I made it to the Raptor ridge trailhead, I rode up solo due to being fashionably late with morning time family obligations. Upon arrival the entry into the trail head was littered with bikes, packs and helmets, signs of what was a solid clue. In my climb up to the trailhead I also noticed fresh footprints, signs that some people decided to forego the climb on two wheels through miles of mud, which after the fact was probably a wise choice.

I met up with two other late arriving volunteers, which made me feel better. We hiked up the trail, and about a 1/4 mile into the hike we came to the area where the sandstone rock cutting work was going one, there we ran into Kevin Menard from Transition Bikes, whom was the sponsor of the trail build day. He and I retreated back down to to the trailhead to fetch the food for the crew.

On our way back we talked bikes and trails, during this walk I was mentally taking in the newly developed terrain that was unfolding before my eyes, and what I realized is this new XC trail was no trail for the faint at heart. This was going to be a world class, challenging XC trail. First off to access the trail, you will have access from the North Chuckanut trailhead (where I accessed the trail) or the Pine Lakes access off of Old Samish Highway. Either way the climb alone is a virtuous 1300 foot climb to the trail connector.

Once you are at the entrance (from the N Chuckanut side) the trail turns into a mix of climbing in flowing descents mixed with the finest PACNW obstacles of roots, berms, rocks, logs, trees, chicanes, stumps, steep slopes - all in a misty backdrop of lush PACNW rainforest. Also this ride will boast one of the best views in the county or country for that matter, with a picturesque view of the back and Chuckanut Mountains. All the while this trail will be a solid challenge for the XC rider at heart, yet give you the satisfaction of feeling like you are in a freeride environment with solid flow.

Big thanks needs to be shout out to WHIMPS for managing this project in coordination with Whatcom County Parks, then the assistance of the many sponsors, Fanatic, Transition Bikes, but what really has the most impact is the volunteers who show up and make it happen and put in a tough days work to ensure that the masses get the buffed out trail systems we have at our disposal, much respect and much thanks to all of them for all the help.

Next build day and final push on Raptor Ridge is June 4th, which is National Trail Day, so hopefully see you there. www.WHIMPS.org for more info.

The YES crew - Dirty Whistler part 2

2011-05-13T11:06:00.000-07:00

Check the boys getting it done for the upcoming movie "YES. Its a movie"

Quick and Dirty Whistler 2 from YES. Snowboard TV on Vimeo.

Jones Rider Mitch Tolderer surf Madagascar

2011-05-12T09:11:00.000-07:00

Mitch switches boards and travels to Madagascar to surf some very remote spots.

Mt Baker Splitfest, March 25th - 27th - good shred and good times to be had.

2011-02-22T08:39:00.000-08:00

Last year this was held at the Mountaineers lodge in Heather Meadows. We for some reason got ourselves banned as someone must have a drank a beer as they have a no alcohol policy, so to set things right, and to accept that most splitters like beer, the organizers decided to hold the operations at Chair9 in Glacier - they allow you to drink there, as well as eat pizza and other fine edibles. So if you want to ride some killer gear and you want to drink some beers as well as get out on some awesome tours, them come on out. See you there

Scotty Goodale, the man

2011-02-21T15:56:00.001-08:00

All my memories of Scotty Goodale had a lot of laughs involved. Scotty truly lived life, and for the better things in life. He was really good at being a great human being. I always admired his outlook and approach in life to always look at the positive and have a smile on his face. He was a true inspiration to all that he came in contact with, he had no problem connecting with people, Scotty was one of those people you always wanted to be around. He had an amazing ability to make you smile no matter what. I had the pleasure of spending a lot of time with Scotty when he was one of my team riders then became team manager for Option. He got me back on my skate every day when he and his wife Jen moved to Bellingham, every day at lunch we would head to the Triad mini ramp that our friend Nick Cihlar built inside an old Church he owned. For me those were some of the most precious moments that I spent with Scotty because we would just laugh and skate and talk life in general. He would always push me on doing new tricks, it was that little push that made me better not only in skating but in life, to practice, not be afraid to take a little risk and reap a small reward. Scotty also was a hard worker, that guy would hike forever to find and build jumps and he would not give up until he stuck his tricks. When it came time for him to be the TM, he worked so hard to help the lives out of our team riders, he went above and beyond the call of duty to help anyone and everyone out. Scotty was a genuine human, he would give up his seat to help anyone - I find traits like this rare in people today. Scotty believed in being real, that in turn he was so real to us. You will truly be missed old friend

Back in the blog chair

2011-02-21T15:49:00.000-08:00

It has been a while, way too long. I guess I just got pulled into Facebook too much over the last year, then realized I have a lot to write about, not just give a status update, pretty much other than keeping in touch with friends and family, i came to the realization that Facebook as a means to update in detail is pretty much lame. So I am back, going to use this as my primary means of updating. Want to know what I am up to, check here. Keep coming back, I will be updating. What have I been up to? Well I have been playing music in my mind and running these little brands, YES, Jones and Nidecker. Things have been sorta busy, been jet setting around the globe - from El Salvador to Munich. The past year has been a blast, it's had its ups and downs, but I am still here - ready to keep doin what I do.

Viva El Salvador

2010-06-15T15:31:00.001-07:00

Well we just returned home from El Salvador for the first Annual YES Meeting of the Minds. It was a rad trip to say the least. It was 50% surf, 25% meetings, 25% drinking. Our meeting took place at El Dorado Surf Resort, which is located right at Playa El Zonte in La Libertad. The resort is owned by a group of French Canadians, and if you know any French Canadians, you have come to know them for amazing hospitality, good personalities, and their penchant for knowing how to have a good time.

Our trip started in Seattle on June 6th, our originating flight was supposed to leave at 6pm, well it ended up delayed for 4 hours, so we decided to hang out at Anthony's and get some drinks, easy. We arrived in Houston for our connector and had Josh's mom come pick us up, so we could get an hour of sleep. Josh, classicly, left a gift for his mom on the plane.....classic. We arrived at Josh's mom's, I laid down for 45 minutes. We then went to Ihop in Humble, TX and met my younger brother there for breakfast prior to our departure. So we got to see our fams for like 2 seconds, but we had a mission - surf.....let's get to the plane

We met up with our mid atlantic rep, Chris Cooper, who is one of the funniest people you could possibly meet, he is a force and has a penchant for being able to say his mind and hold his ground, all the while being funny. We verified our passports, boarded flight CO 826 en route to San Salvador.

We arrived on time, no hiccups, straight through customs where we met our driver, Walter, a "No Hable Ingles" local, but he had a collection of some incredible techno dance tunes, at that point we knew it was on!

I was hot as a mother, a humidity that permeates right through you, sometimes just stifling in the sun. El Salvador is a country where the division between the poor and rich are clearly drawn lines etched on the sides of the roads all the way up the hills. The backdrop is a mixed bag of shanty homes, traditional adobe/terra cotta homes and new rich gated communities.

One thing I can say is that the Salvadorians are a proud people, everyone supports one another, and work together to build a better future for the country's future. Even with the poverty, all the natives are very happy and approachable. Sure the country has it's share of problems and it is pretty cowboy, but that was the allure of being there.

We arrive at El Dorado, and we meet up with JP, DCP, Romain, Tadashi, and Socal rep Andrew Walford. The surf was huge, which meant, I was not paddling out into double head high crushers. Thankfully the resort has a poured mini overlooking the surf. Immediately we dropped our gear, hit the bar and got our skate and surf on.

Pretty much each day was typical, wake up, have breakfast, skate, swim, surf, have meetings, eat lunch, drink, eat dinner, drink, dodge the night time rain storms, drink, then sleep.

It was a classic trip, we had a ton of fun and managed to get a lot done. Be on the look out for a lot of "YES" happenings through out the world this season and next.

WWW.JONESSNOWBOARDS.COM is live - get there!

2010-02-11T16:33:00.000-08:00

Site is sick, informative, full of snow porn, full of tech info, full of pow! Get there, get edu-mah-cated, pick your stick and see you on the boot pack, actually I will be passing your ass on my Solution.

SOMEONE STOLE MY JONES SPLITBOARD! REWARD!

2010-02-11T16:30:00.001-08:00

This is what I look like - if you see this board please note it is one of a kind and had Sparks one of a kind bindings on them. There is a reward for the recovery of this deck as we just want to know who it is that came to SIA and stole it right from our booth.

The memories of SIA

2010-02-11T16:15:00.000-08:00

This years SIA was grand, great, awesome, bueno. All of our brands saw great visibility. The YES boys delivered a frat house type of part atmosphere, while Jeremy Jones delivered the tech of the new Jones Snowboards line. Of course we had Pam Anderson drop by too and that caused a bit of a malay of sorts, in fact it was during this malay our Jones Solution Splitboard got jacked. Whatever, it is not rideable anyway, if you see it out there, just take a picture of the person and laugh at them and post it all over the web. It was great having Sansalone there helping show the line with a broken collar bone and ribs, Kev was a trooper. Our booth was a rocking during the entire show.

All in all, Denver was a great venue, I was happy with the turn out and anything beat Vegas. the good part about it was most people showed up on time to their appointments becasue they weren't coming out of the hard rock when the sun was rising.

NDK/PAMELA Collab

2010-01-25T17:01:00.000-08:00

Do I need to put this into words? It's a collab, we will have her at our booth at SIA on Friday - come by for a peep: booth 1414

Clast Rider Cover

2010-01-25T16:50:00.000-08:00

Markus Keller, member of the Clastzoo lands the latest cover of Snowboard mag - STOKED!

The cautions of Stoke

2010-01-25T16:48:00.001-08:00

Shit is has been a minute or two

2009-12-29T19:10:00.000-08:00

Sorry, we have been hella buys planning a showing the new lineup for YES, Jones, Sandbox Brain Bucket and Clast - so busy we forgot to post all the tidbits of info on our blog, so we will be updating this shit soon, so don't worry, we will be you "a breast" of the latest. Aerwulf

YES They Did

2009-10-20T18:19:00.001-07:00

and they did it well. Just rec'd the newest issue of Snowboard magazine, 11 page interview with JP, DCP, and Romain by Nate Deschenes. The crew at Snowboard has given us some love, so high fives for that crew! Here is a snippet of the interview, very well stated and amazing photography

Tomorrow night, be there

2009-10-07T16:53:00.000-07:00

Wild Card's premier of "How The Northwest Was One" tomorrow night at the Wild Buffalo in Bellingham WA, October 8th at 9PM

It's Clinic Time

2009-10-07T09:32:00.000-07:00

Fall is upon us, the latest shred flicks are out and getting premiered and getting us pumped. During all of this malay is the time for companies to get the shops pumped and try to outdo the competition with swag for the shop guys. Over the years I have seen some great swag and some swag that is pretty ungreat, from the priceless t's and stickers to autographed posters of riders I never heard of or ever seen, but it is the thought that matters, and for the shop guys that are 21 and over it is the livers that matter. Then it comes down to catchy marketing terms from the names of your cores to the name of the 50 versions of reverse camber that you have that will change the world and revolutionize snowboarding, the best part is every person that sells will remember every term you throw them, albeit you are creative enough, ooh the shit we come up with, yet it is so much fun. To say the least, I love this time of year...see you on the road

DCP talking shred on Vail TV

2009-10-05T10:07:00.000-07:00

Coverage from the Whistler premier of Neverland

2009-10-04T17:20:00.000-07:00

A Pre-YES moment with JP Solberg and Romain Di Marchi

2009-10-04T17:16:00.001-07:00

BrOADER TV ep.68 with Romain and JP! from snowbroader.eu on Vimeo.

Romain "Neverland" Absinthe Films

2009-10-04T17:07:00.000-07:00

Romain de Marchi - Neverland from Absinthe Films on Vimeo.

The Union Binding foot porn site is live!

2009-10-01T14:48:00.000-07:00

The team at Union (C3) has done it again. Did what you ask? They created yet another line up of bindings that look so good they could be considered porn. Every year from features to aesthetics they just up their game. I have been riding the same pair of Union Custom House bindings for 3 seasons now, and like wine they get better with age. From the Cadets to the Force MC's the line makes all other bindings on the wall envious. My personal fav, again are the Force SL's - an eye for great design, paired with useful feature sans any marketing gimmicks (and this is consistent through the entire line) are my reasons for loving the bindings. You will use every feature they offer on these babies. There is literally something for everyone, so why do you even look at other binding brands - cough up the coin for Union son!

Absinthe Films "Neveland" Premier, Bellingham

2009-10-01T11:01:00.001-07:00

Are you in or near the 'Ham? If so get yourself to WWU for the premier of "Neverland"

Bode and Brisse will be there, you should too!

Maxx POW!

2009-10-01T10:22:00.001-07:00

Maxx is the new sales guy for POW gloves. Pretty rad that we are sharing some news space in the interweb together. How random is that that two friends that worked together for a long time end up getting jobs the same week. Maxx and I both sat on the sidelines for a while looking for the right opportunities to present themselves - I am stoked for Maxx. At the same time I am jealous as POW gets to work with Maxx and I just get to bug him......someday......

top photo: compliments of Johan

bottom photo: Patrick Lennox Wright

YES. I AM

2009-09-30T13:55:00.000-07:00

Sorry that it has been awhile since I have added any tasty morsels of updates but I have been busy so I will be updating the Aerwulf site more often.

Well after many days of talking, strategizing, traveling, talking to retailers - it is now official, I am with YES Snowboards. I will be helping them out in developing their sales in the US. I am stoked ot be working alongside with DCP, Romain De Marchi, JP Solberg, Tadashi Fuse, and Vincent Pages. If you have not seen the guys and boards, just open any mag or go buy a copy of Absinthe's "Neverland", amazing flick.

So expect a lot of YES news here........

Example of what a good company does for it's reps

2009-09-03T13:40:00.001-07:00

I was on Johan's blog today, and he posted a little diddy about custom Charlie Slashers that they had made for their reps and staff, check out the photo. Pretty much, every rep got their own pro model, which is F'ing rad! IF I were one of their reps and I rec'd one of these, I would shed a tear of joy. This is why I think C3 is one of the best companies(if not the best) in the snow biz. Those guys know how to treat their peeps, and treat them well. Same goes for their retailers, they truly speak shred and these guys have the formula, the formula of perpetual bro-stoke.

If all companies did shit like this for their reps and their dealers then I just imagine what the world would be like..........

Local Pride, Transition Bikes

2009-08-24T16:11:00.000-07:00

I appreciate local start ups, and even more I appreciate a good ride. I unexpectedly became friends with Kyle, one of the owners, while on a gingerly walk with my wife in downtown Fairhaven. I noticed a little kid riding a customized Transition push bike and I had to inquire, next thing I know I was striking up a convo with Kyle. A year or two later and I ham having beers with Kyle and Kevin at Transition HQ in Ferndale, discussing the idea of a rider inspired and driven clothing line. These guys have made it happen without the traditional bike industry model and have built a great reputation on product knowledge, dealer relationships and intimately knowing what they and their customers want. The tagline "Rider Owned for Life" is no joke, both Kyle and Kevin slay, and slay hard - just check out their profiles on the site. Transition Bikes is a real as it gets, if you are riding some big brand bike, make no mistake you aren't riding dick all until you have ridden a Transition, these bikes are made for people with balls

Want Balls or Need Balls, then go to: www.transitionbikes.com and get yourself or grow a pair

The Bond Outerwear Site is live!

2009-08-24T15:27:00.000-07:00

The Bond Crew not only put together a great collection of clothing they created a user friendly and engaging website. Logon now and check out what this new company has going on: www.bondsnowboarding.com

Great interview with Kevin Sansalone on Push.ca

2009-08-17T14:33:00.000-07:00

Kevin Sansalone, time management expert, pro shred, producer, stuntman, helmet company owner, snowboard company owner, and Canadian Ambassador to snowboarding has a great interview on the new website, www.push.ca. He is interview by former Snowboard Canada Editor, Matt Houghton, who is one of my favorite people in this industry

Here is the link - enjoy!

http://push.ca/blogs/matthsn/archive/2009/03/11/sansalone-s-white-gold.aspx

Sandbox Brain Buckets - going green!

2009-08-17T12:01:00.000-07:00

We are jumping on the "green" bandwagon and are offering a ltd edition Green color way in the Class Low profile in S/M, L/XL. Same prices, same delivery schedule. You know your shop needs them, so order now!

Sandbox Brain Buckets will be shipping soon!

2009-08-15T11:18:00.000-07:00

Sandbox Brain Bucket helmets are the brain child of Canadian pro snowboarder-turned producer, Kevin Sansalone. Seeing a void in stylistic, yet affordable helmets with simple features, Kevin set out to create a simple helmet line. In the process he started this little helmet brand, the main difference is that Sandbox Brain Buckets feature a certified EPS liner model, which many companies have bypassed offering any certified helmets, best part is the certified costs the same as the regular EVA models. Stylish, functional, affordable, with extras - that is the philosophy behind the line.

Our production order of Sandbox Brain Bucket helmets will be arriving this month. We will be shipping orders once they arrive. If your shop does not have them you need them. We offer 3 2 different styles. Low Profile version comes in with EVA liner and we offer a certified model in the low profile with an EPS liner. We also offer a skate version, that can be used on snow, at the skate park and at the bike park. All models come with removable goggle clip, removable ear covers and three sets of fit pads. All models have a MSRP of $89.95 and come in Black, White, Blue, Purple and the classic comes in a limited edition Lime green color.

Coming Soon from Sandox - "SHINE ON"

2009-08-14T21:15:00.000-07:00

Well it is coming! As the shred season approaches, the shelves start filling up with the new videos and the local retailers start throwing premiers and gathering the masses to kick the season off and get all of us fired up on the snow to come. "Shine On" is going to be yet another break out film from Kevin Sansalone, Clayton Larsen and the entire Sandbox crew of riders. The teaser has been up on almost every media website around the world gaining global praise and support. If you are interested in selling the vid please contact Ohpen distribution at (360) 483 8887. "Shine On" will retail for $19.99 US and should be available on iTunes in the fall.

It's About Time - 2010 Capita Charlie Slasher

2009-08-14T20:52:00.000-07:00

Finally, a company that got a powder board right. Check out Capita's Charlie Slasher. This hard driving, wallet friendly, quiver stick is going to change what the large brands failed to do - make a board that utilizes logical design to make your pow turns more fun, predictable, and your ollies and cabs more effortless - with out losing power and or burying yourself. You see their team was thinking why the hell would you have a rocker both tip and tail? Sure you need more rocker in the nose ahead of the bindings then no camber from the rear inserts to the tail. Why? Because contrary to what the competition has said, a lot of us like coming out of our turns with energy as well as having some tail loads to pop ollies over stumps.....well I am sold, enough babble, check out the video created by Porter's in Tahoe with Johan's (Capita Sales Manager) narration

No more Loonies......

2009-08-14T19:12:00.000-07:00

After 14 long years, Option Snowboards has closed its doors. I had a blast working with all the great people there. I think at the time when I was there we had the best crew possible. SO with that I thank the following people for their commitment and hard work to making Option-NFA one of the best companies to work for (sorry if I forgot anyone):

Byron Seegers

Grant Wellington

Geoff Power

Maxx vonMarbod

Aaron MacDonald

Scotty Goodale

Stephen Jay

Michel Turcot

Andy Fife

James Thompson

Stacy Fruend

Cory Childers

Jeff grimshire

Johnny Q

Tim Daigle

Kemp Edwards

Beth Spooner

Renee Lefebvre

Michelle Astephen

Clay Tomenek

Chris Lynn

Walter Froese

George Cant

Matthew Cadieux

Luke Elburn

Mark Steacy

Galen Armstrong

Marion Counsell

Ming Kao

Francoise Chabot

Dennis Regan

Kavan Cronin

Justin McMullen

Greg McMillan

John Colvin

Jamie Collins

Brandon Thomas

Jason Kennett

Eli Castson

Ray Lang - RIP

Louie Lamoureux

Richard Lapierre

Mark Strang

Tony Lefroy

Peter Lefroy

Teta Lefroy

Dave Randall

Mike Bishop

Derek Appleton

Tim Direau

Erick Schade

Steve Ogden

Zach Bingham

Ralphie Palladino

Steve Scherck

Romo

Jay Nelson

Scott Newsome

Rob Dow

Jenke

Devun Walsh

Paul Nelson

Natazsa Zurek

Yuho Sekihara

Andrew Hardingham

Jason Chatfield

Luke Wynen

Joe Rosell

Scott Hooey

Jordan Mendenhall

Kevin Sansalone

Patrick McCarthy

Ben Bogart

Ezra Jacobson

Frank Maheux

Jeff Keenan

Joni Makinen

Carsten Bahnsen

Steven Brown

Travis Williams

Kendra Starr

Martin Rasinger

Baptiste Prost

David Lambert

Danu Kaufman

Ryan Davis

Jules Reymond

Sung Bae Kim

Leanne Pelosi

Paul Gonzalez

Mike Suderman

PLG

Chioke Stuckey

Mike and Nick Ennen

Olley Atkey