Season Wrap
Up 03/04
By: Ben
Wannamaker
New
companies, websites, graphics, events and a new movie have put skiboarding on
the map for another season. This season was quite possibly the biggest season
for skiboarding since the year that Neal won the X-Games.
The year began on a great note. Canon released new graphics with the Neal Lyons
pro and a new M7. The graphics were received extremely well at home and abroad
where Canon also picked up a rep in Japan.
Bent Films and the ISF took a trip to Japan in early January and saw tricks
and riders that on one has seen before.
This season also brought together the most rookies on the Bent Films tour and
otherwise. Riders like Kirk Thompson, Ethan and Ben Mitchell, Dave Lynam, John
White and Billy Doucet all exploded onto the scene. The youngest of the Mitchells,
Ethan invented the 'Lame Flip' a tweaked out switch back 180 that he learned
in Japan and perfected at Mtn Creek NJ in February.
The new Skiboard Magazine came to be with the merging of SkiboarMagazine.com
and SBMag.cjb.net, and was the official notifier of ISF, SBOL and Bent Films
events. SBMag also hosted a photo contest.
Skiboardsonline.com hosted an event with Bent Films and the ISF in Mt. Tremblant
in late January. Cold weather drove away lots of riders, but footage was got,
and partying was done.
February brought the crew of skiboards to Mtn Creek. Paul Recalde (from Biohazards
glory) came to Mtn Creek to help out with the shoot. Kirk Thompson also drove
7 hours to make it out to the epic trip.
This year skiboarding took an otherwise EXCPECTED turn. Riders developing soul
plates on the east, and doing kind grinds and souls on the west, it seems like
more and more skiboarders are using the sport as a crossover tool from inline
skating, and the sport is progressing and flouring because of it. Less tricks
in the air (minus Ethan) and more technical rail slides (Alex and the Quebec
cats) were the new norm at contests. Every contest this year was a jib contest.
It shows where skiboarding is really evolving to.
Bailey Mitchell was the recipient of the first annual Bent Films MVP award for
the epic trip to Utah with Brian Class, Kevin Boate and SBOL. Bailey learned
basically a trick per day out west, and showed everyone in Park City that skiboarding
wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.
The big battle this year will be for rookie of the year. Every rider brings
something new to the sport. Ethan brings the big gnarly air tricks, John White
brings the urban creativity, Dave Lynam brings the fun back to the sport, Kirk
Thompson brings a work ethic and drive that blows away anything we've seen,
and Billy Doucet takes on handrails and park rails with huge amounts of aggression
and determination. The rookie of the year will be released on April 20th.
Handrails were also a huge change for the season. People were sliding bigger
sets, kinks, and curves all outside there own home and butters, spins on and
inline-style grinds are more the norm.
Next season brings the next release from Bent Films titled White Dwarf. Less
of a one-man mission, and more a collective effort to better the sport, White
Dwarf will be released in September and is set to blow minds with the progression
of such a roots and underground sport.
Pictures from SBOL