I had the extreme pleasure to work with Giacomo Angeli of Cannondale Factory Racing. A true professional. As Manuel Fumic says: “Mister 110%.” Very pleased to see him get some love and a little bit of the spotlight.

If you didn’t hear the news (or didn’t retweet or share my plight), my surfboard was stolen right under my nose in the middle of the night from my wife’s car in our driveway. That’s right, my Lost Black Sheep was swiped. 6 feet x 20 inches x 2.5 inches with a black tail pad and a yellow Dakine leash. Before you ask, yes the car was unlocked. But before you judge me, no one around here locks their cars. Call it part of the benefits of living in coastal New Hampshire.

Others of you know and feel my pain, intimately. You’ve had a bike, surfboard, snowboard, skis, laptop or anything else of value stolen, you know how I feel. It’s one part anger, one part pain, one part shame and a lot of frustration.

We had spent the last two years in Connecticut. There, I pretty much only worked, and surfed may be five times in two years. When we returned to the coast, I vowed to surf as much as possible. I also spent the last month dialing in this Lost board. Big surf, small surf, baby surf. I made the commitment to dial in this board, get better as a surfer. Getting a board to be yours is much like the effort it takes to train a horse or your dog. It requires perseverance, passion, and time. And of course, once I put in that time and effort, it was ripped from me.

This post doesn’t truly express how I feel. I still hold out hope that I’ll be reunited with that Black Sheep. To look at the silver lining, this too will make me a better surfer as the next board will of course be different than this one. And require a similar commitment or devotion. It doesn’t slow down my passion for surf. Quite the opposite.

Much love to the local shops: Summer Sessions, Cinnamon Rainbows, Pioneers and Liquid Dreams. Also thanks to those of you who read my post, scanned the beaches or have kept your eyes peeled. It means a lot to that random Asian guy that you see in the line up on those shitty days.

I wrote this a while ago when times were a bit tougher. I’m finally posting this as I hope it provides some inspiration to those who need it. So crank up L.L Cool J’s Mama Said Knock You Out or Fort Minor’s Remember the Name…

How does one go forward after giving an all-consuming drive towards one passion then one is summarily terminated? To be tossed aside like an old, tired garage relic before its final day? Then to add insult to injury, finding yourself in close quarters with one of the conspirators, making small talk and smiles. Could it be any worse? But there were the good ‘ol days! Mountains were moved, trophies were won, monsters were slain, but the end result is still the same. It doesn’t change.

But you do not have the luxury to wallow in the cold embrace of self-pity and nostalgia. There are those who depend on you. Their lives have just begun, and deserve the world and all of its amazing opportunities. So dust yourself off Old Boy, wipe away the grime, and straighten that back!

The dawn has risen, kiss the family gently good-bye, and Destiny awaits… within arm’s reach. Do not look back, push forward and fight.

Keep moving. Be Strong. Bob. Weave. Do not rest. Overturn every rock. Make the Discovery.

Most importantly, never… never give up.

People always ask “how can you go surfing in winter?” This little video tells you what it’s like and why. Thanks to thegranitestoke.blogspot.com for showcasing our little slice of winter life.

Voice of Casey Lockwood

Surfers:
Casey Lockwood
Shawn MacDonald
Stevie O’Hara
and others

I remember when the Burton Nug was first announced as an early release in 2011. I was intrigued, but not to the point of WANT. The premise was relatively simple. Down-size your board by 8-10cm through lengthening the surface area at the tip and tail contact points, creating improved edge-hold. This down-sizing trend is super evident in surfing currently. When combined with V-rocker, this will also allow the board to plane easier in powder and offer a super-fun, playful, jib stick. Then for 2012, Burton early released the Harvest. Similar concept but this time with camber… SIGN ME UP HOLMES. After lots of nudging and procrastination, I finally found myself on a Harvest at the US Open of Snowboarding. I really wanted to try a 147, but I settled for the 151.

Location: Stratton

Set-up: 2012/2013 Burton Harvest 151 with 2013 Burton Diode bindings and 2009 Burton Coalition Ruler boots

Conditions: About 4-6″ fell the night before, but with super warm temps, it was primarily crust on ice in the AM then slush in the PM.

Thoughts: Inspired by the Burton team, the Harvest is the team’s take on the Nug. Slightly trimmed waist, 100% camber, Nug Raduction, 10:45 sidewalls, Squeezebox, Frostbite edges and 10 other Burton bling-tastic technology features. With all this tech, you expect that this thing will be rad.

I have to say, the Harvest didn’t disappoint. I really wish that I could have ridden the 47, but I think it might have been a blessing in disguise by riding the 51. In the lift line, swinging it around in the air, flat land, this felt like a short little park board with a nice waist width (252mm). Riding down the hill, I found myself thinking that the board was stable and almost a bit slower than expected in the turns. I kept muscling the board around in the turns until I had a slight epiphany. When carving, don’t think of the board as a 151, think of it as if it was a 160. With this mentality, it was like someone had flipped a switch. The board performed and delivered, bombing runs with the best of ‘em. But then the switch was flipped again when spinning. Suddenly I had a short park board again. The 2012 version has graphics from Shark Toof. Above you’ll see the 2013 graphics. Personally I lean towards the 2012 ones, but to each his/her own.

So do I think the Harvest is a quiver killer? In a word, no. But in reality, most riders don’t ride at Whistler or Jackson Hole or Tahoe. They ride at Big Boulder, Bolton Valley, Mountain Creek, Sunday River or Gunstock. With that in mind, the Harvest is a perfect board for most people. It’ll carve effortlessly down 2,000 vertical feet, letting you duck into the trees then letting you roll through the big park then flat land through the baby jumps. For me, I’ll be looking at this for 2013 as the day to day board, especially with more and more of my time spent on the smaller stuff with my daughter. I’ve also got my Easy Living in my quiver for the bigger days. Plus a Fish and a Salomon Powder Snake for the pow pow. But when I prioritize the list for 2013, this board in a 143 or 147 is in the top 5… may be the top 3.

You may have read my earlier post about “borrowing” a friend’s Burton Snowboards’ 2013 Burton Parkitect. If you were one of the 5 people that read it, you’d know that I tested the board at Stowe and Gunstock with some new Genesis EST bindings. I really wanted to test the bindings separately, but honestly I couldn’t get myself to split up this dynamic duo. It was like Sunny and Cher, Batman and Robin or Gretchen and Slade. At the US Open, I had to return the combo. I quickly replaced it with a 2013 Burton Harvest. But I couldn’t swap the bindings. To mix it up, I tried the Re:Flex version. Apologies for any procrastination, but here is the review.

Location(s): Stowe, Gunstock, Stratton

Set-up(s): 2013 Burton Parkitect, 2013 Burton Harvest, 2009 Burton Coalition Rulers, 2013 Burton Ions

Conditions: Similar to what I tested the Parkitect in, Stratton was no better (or worse). It snowed about 4-6 inches the night before, which was a nice plus. This provided a great light cover to hide all the bare spots, ice and rocks so you were guaranteed to hit them all. But once things warmed up and the sun was out, it was a full on spring slush session.

Thoughts: Ok, so at first blush, these bindings look pretty complex. Immediately your eye is drawn to the neon green web of mesh called the Zero-Lean Kickback Hammock. Designed to hug the heel in a two-piece suspension. The two pieces are combined with a  rubberized heel hammock (seen on many companies’ bindings now). The suspension is linked via a “spring”. Traditionally, highback padding has been glued on, woven of mesh, or created of some crazy NASA carbon fibre (yah we’re spelling it the UK way). This idea of suspending the highback certainly has been tested before, but what impressed me the most is how durable this mesh was. It seemed like an evolution of the mesh used in the CO2 and  bindings. I accidentally caught my pant cuff on it then stepped on it. I was convinced that I had just destroyed my friend’s binding, but the mesh bounced back like flubber.

In addition to the mesh, the binding features the Hinge (cue pomp and circumstance music). According to Burton, the Hinge is an all-new, Burton-exclusive technology that allows the heelhoop and baseplate to move independently for a never-before-felt lateral flex. Mimicking the biomechanical movements in skateboarding, The Hinge flexes dynamically with your leg, for increased foot roll and more powerful ollies.

Burton pioneered comfort in their bindings, and there is a reason why more pros ride Burtons than any other binding, whether they are sponsored by the 13 or not. As a result, I wasn’t surprised that the cap straps and the asymmetric ankle straps (React Strap and Lightweight Gettagrip Capstrap) were super supportive and amazingly comfortable. There’s also a next-level EST ShredBED 3.0 with minimal EVA underfoot for responsive board feel with enough cushioning. The baseplate is dual zone, optimized for responsiveness. The Re:Flex version has a single-Component 30% Short Glass / Nylon baseplate with the Re:Flex FullBED Cushioning System featuring B3 Gel.

And how did it ride? Like a dream. The combination of the Hinge, the new highback design, the comfy straps and a solid baseplate creates a winning combo. I tested both the EST version (pictured here) and the standard Re:Flex version. Both were pretty rad bindings, creating a binding that offers a surfy or skate feel. Burton claims more natural movement which creates better snowboarding. I can’t say it made me the next Ayumu Hirano, but hawt damn son.

Any complaints? Yup, I have to wait until this Fall to get a pair for myself. And I don’t know the retail cost, but it’ll probably be somewhere around $300, which is a lot for bindings, no matter how rad they are.

Recently, I had the pleasure of getting some shredding in with a pack of old friends at Stowe. It’s always fun to ride with pack of your friends (and their friends). Everyone has a different take on how to attack and destroy the mountain. I may be taking the same run that I’ve done a million times from the top of the Quad through the blues and into the parks, but each time is always different. In this case, I hadn’t ridden “hard” in over a year, especially since last season I only had 6 days in total. Yep, 6. Ouch. Each time is always a fun surprise, and nothing compares to riding at mach 3, wolf pack style in a group of 10 deep, bouncing around the mountain.

To add to the surprise, my friend greeted me with one of the latest Burton Snowboards, the Parkitect. I remember hearing a couple of rumors about a new park board, something for the cool kids and saw a couple of iPhone pics from SIA. At this point, everyone makes a great park board so I was curious to know what would set this board apart from the rest. If on cue, the crew spent the morning bouncing around the mountain with lap after lap through the Stowe parks.

Locations: Stowe, Gunstock (afterwards)

Set-up: Burton Snowboard 2013 Parkitect 150, Burton 2013 Genesis bindings, Burton 2009 Coalition Rulers (and Burton 2013 Ions)

Conditions: It’s been a meek snow year (up until this weekend) on the East Coast. It was windy and fogged in at the top while the bottom was a sunny, spring day. The snow varied from a few inches of fresh powder to slush to ice-hard boilerplate. Kickers, rails, boxes, hips, wall rides, booters, you know the drill.

Thoughts: Here’s my initial review. I’ll update with the tech specs and marketing copy once I get my Dealer books. As I said above, it takes a lot to up the ante in the world of park boards. At first blush, the Parkitect is pretty understated. The graphics are very quiet (I thought it was this one, but production graphics are also very sedate). The biggest things you’ll notice are the distinctive tip and tail shapes. I rode the 150, which is about 2-4cm shorter than I typically ride.

The first thing my friend wanted to do is double-check my stance set-up as it has a very clear tip and a tail, even though it is a twin. It turns out that the board is asymmetric. Interesting. When pressed, I was told that the board has asymmetric Frost Bite edges and Squeezebox. WTF is Frost Bite and Squeezebox? A quick reminder from Burton.com.

Off-Axis Frost Bite: Get superior defense against rust and corrosion for edges that remain razor-sharp.

Off-Axis Squeezebox: Squeezebox is a patent-pending technology that transfers energy outward from under your feet, energizing the tip and tail for added snap when exiting a turn and ollieing. Thinner core sections underfoot transition to thicker, more powerful areas between and outside your feet for a more stable board that can be powered up and manipulated with less effort.

So, what does asymmetric Frost Bite and Squeezebox mean? I’ll try and tackle these one by one. By mapping the Frost Bite edges to be toe and heel specific, this creates better, more refined edge control. Areas of thinner and thicker core profiles, tied to separate heel and toe zones offers less overall board weight and more power in key spots. Asymmetric boards aren’t new. If you can remember the Santa Cruz Asym or the Burton PJ, asymmetric boards have been in place since the early 90s. Most recently, YES has incorporated asymmetrical sidecut into their boards. The theory is that the power and conditions that the toeside of your snowboard encounters is different than the heelside. This can be seen with things like highbacks, cankles, booty, etc. The Parkitec adds its own spin by also mapping the asymmetric portions of the board based on a standard duck stance.

If you haven’t fallen asleep with that random babble on asymmetry, you’re probably wondering how the board rode. I initially rode it my first day with my stock angles (21 in the Front, -18 in the Back with a 24 inch stance). Over time, I’ve increased my stance width, but also angles for more aggressive riding in all conditions. With the Parkitect, I began to back down my stance. My standard set up seemed to be overkill. I found with this board (note: were combined with the Genesis bindings), I found that I didn’t need to be so aggressive with my carving to set an edge. With the mixed bag of conditions that I rode, I attributed this change to the asymmetric tech. So this sounds ok, may be somewhat interesting, but keep in mind that I was testing a 150. For more perspective, I weigh 185 lbs at 5’9″, so I’m no tinkerbell.

On rails, off booters, on wood, on metal walls, the board was predictable, stable and confidence building. I hadn’t been in anything bigger than the famry park in about 2-3 years. After a couple of laps, I found myself hitting every feature in the park and blasting the kickers, feeling like I was getting back into the groove. I did wash out a few landings, but I attribute this to my poor landing skills tied to the smaller board more than anything else.

On flatland, this board was super fun with lots of good pop. Interestingly I had a couple of moments where I was sure that I was going to eat it from catching an edge, but was able to pull it out magically (and no the board isn’t rockered). I couldn’t comment on its powder or bigger mountain abilities, but with a name like Parkitect, you’re not buying it for its snorkel abilities.

Carves well, crushes the park, and puts you in that happy place. Sign me up for a great east coast board.

My friend told me that I might now want to return it after the day. He was right as it’s currently sitting in my house (on loan until the US Open).

No yanking in this one. Well not the video at least. What you do on your own time is your business.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKUhV1NU4ZQ&noredirect=1

One more before it gets taken down.