Featured Brand: NIKITA!

We all know about Burton, Volcom, and Roxy (not that they don't totally rule and can't be considered for "Featured Brand" as well), but what about some of the smaller guys? Depending on where you are regionally located, you may or may not be exposed to certain smaller brands. Hopefully, the "Featured Brands" will expose girls to small, new, or upcoming companies that you won't find in every Sports Chalet across the country. So here it goes...obviously Nikita starting it off.

Nikita "for girls who ride" is an all girls snowboard company under the ownership of Amer Sports (along with Salomon, Bonfire, Atomic). They are based out of Iceland and offer something fun and different then a lot of the run of the mill outerwear.

Anyone who knows me from Tahoe has probably seen me rocking my favorite pink Nikita hoodie. It's old, stained, and beat to death, but it is quite possibly one of my favorite articles of clothing of all time. I ordered it from Dogfunk.com in 2009 and it is still a staple in my winter (and year round) wardrobe. Although, I am not a pink person, I love this thing. The fabric is top notch and my favorite thing about all Nikita products is the neckline.

I might wear that pink hoodie the most, but I am also lucky enough to have an array of jackets from them as well.

The classic color blocked puffy has been another staple in my coat collection. I believe it is now called the Meron jacket and has a waterproofing breathability rating of 10k/8k. The light layer of Thinsulate keeps me warm when I need to be warm, but doesn't drench me in sweat when it heats up. With tech pocket, goggle pocket, arm sleeve pass pocket, regular pockets, removable powder skirt, pit zips, micro fleece lined collar, and a super soft inner liner, this jacket has about all the bells and whistles you could ask for! And now that Nikita is owned by Amer Sports, it is a bit more affordable then it used to be!

Ricole and I on one of the coldest days I've ever experienced in Mammoth

One of my other Nikita faves is the shell I have. I scored this at the Porter's outlet for a good price many years ago and it kills it in the spring and pretty much any time at Big Bear. It's got all the sweet pockets and features of the Meron jacket, but no insulation. A lot of light weight shells have a tendency to lose some of the tech features for cost, but I've still got the bases covered every time I wear this and I love it!

Nikita shell on the left at the B4BC lap a thon with Team Squaw

And luckily for me, I've known the Nikita rep since my old school days at the bathing suit store when she used to work for Volcom. This season she hooked me up with the top of the line jacket! Due to this warm season, I haven't gotten to wear it quite yet, but I guess that's just more incentive to hit a storm in Mammoth or Tahoe. With all the bells and whistles of my other Nikita jackets, the Katla jacket has a 20k/15k rating (hot damn!). It also looks like denim, has fake leather hits on it, studs on the pocket, and a funky graphic on the back just calling my name!! 

Pic from nikitaclothing.com

Moral of the story, if you see Nikita in your local shop or online, give it a try!!! Style and quality for days!! They also make awesome street wear, and boards, boots and bindings!! 

Ps. As we inch our way towards spring, now is the time to shop! Check your local stores or online for some sweet discounts!

Karen!!!!

Karen Derman. My soul mate, my same guy, roller derby queen, Phillie native, Queen of Squaw Valley Uniforms Department, lover of the Potato. One of the most bad ass chicks you will ever have the pleasure to meet on the hill. She can beat any dude in a race, drink them under the table after, karaoke their faces off, wake up, and do it all again!

Goggles: Electric EG2

Jacket: Airblaster

Board: Flow Jewel (also rides a GNU B Nice)

Bindings: Flow

Gloves: Burton Women's Pipe Glove

Home Mountain: Squaw, Stowe, or Blue Mountain. I can have more than one right? They were all my homes at different points of my life.

Years Riding: 15 years

Favorite Girl Rider: Jamie Anderson. Girl can tear it up on the hill and at the bar. Kind of like the Ke$ha of snowboarding.

Hottest Dude Rider: This is hard. I've gotta go with my old staple of Aaron Bittner as a classic.

Current Jams: Ke$ha. Did you need to ask? Always Ke$ha.

Off Season Activities: Roller derby, running, drinking ("hydrating")

Bear suit by Carhartt

When there used to be snow

Rain bibs by Helly Hansen. 

Oh the Potato Man.

McFly

The woman, the myth, the legend...McFly.  She showed up to Squaw Lift Ops in Airwalk boots like a true OG... we met on the Funitel... I told her I would ruin her life... I never let her down... and she never let me down. Here she is on her journey from Colorado to Mountain View via Jackson Hole!

Board: Burton Lipstick

Bindings: Burton Stiletto

Boots: Burton

Vest: North Face

Companion: Dog

Party on McFly

Bindings Bindings Bindings

Bindings are somehow the most important and least important part of my set up. My take on purchasing them is usually to invest extra money to get the nicest ones, so I don't have to buy new ones for as long as possible. As long as they hold my feet to my board, I feel they are doing their job, but after demoing a few at Mammoth last week, I realize how important it is to invest in the right ones and not just what costs most or looks coolest.

The first pair of bindings I ever had were Ride Vixens. They lasted a really long time, but that was about 10 years ago, so they're probably a bit irrelevant.

From there I moved on to Rome Madison's. These were my favorite bindings of all time. The toe caps blew my mind and the straps were super comfortable. The only issue I ever had with them was that they had metal ratchets and when it was extremely cold, they had a tendency to lock up. Luckily, Rome has toolless micro adjusting and I could easily get myself out from the other side if need be.

My original Madison's in the gold/brown color way.

This year, going with my non Burton route, I purchased some Union Legacy's. They are the highest end in the women's line and the prettiest ones. I was pretty hyped on these before I used them a lot of times. In all fairness, they are light and durable and look sweet, but the ratchets on the toe caps lock like crazy! And unlike Rome, they have a screw in them, so I find myself standing in front of the deck at Bear looking like an idiot far too often. Once these bad boys lock up, there's not too much one can do to get them undone.

This year's Legacy's. They certainly are pretty.

When I got to Demo Days, I decided I was going to try the new Rome Madison's. Mine are about 6 years old now, so I was excited to see the upgrades. I would say I was pleasantly surprised, except for that I wasn't surprised at all. I figured these bindings would deliver and they definitely did. They somehow even managed to make the best toe caps ever even better! The ankle straps are squishy and comfortable and they added canted footbeds. Canted beds add a bit of an angle under the foot to help align your knees and legs properly. Although, I have talked to people who prefer a traditional footbed, I'm all about the cant! They come with traditional beds as well, if you want them. The two color ways are awesome! One is black with some iridescent highlights and the other is Marie France Roy's pro model with brown leather. Thank you Rome for making the best bindings ever.

This is the 2014 MFR color way. Still cool, but nowhere near next season's.

When I purchased my Unions, I almost got Burton Escapade's instead. I had a chance to try these with the Burton boards I tried and although I didn't like them quite as much as the Rome's, I still enjoyed them! The heel hammock feature helps for extra grip and dampening (shock absorbance), the colors look good and the ankle strap is as good as they come. My favorite feature is how the ankle strap has a flex in the side of it so it just flaps open when you're strapping in to avoid stepping on it.

This year's Escapade. Next year's black color way is quite similar.

All in all, I feel like I got a well rounded experience with a few of the biggest binding companies on the market. Personally, I would stick with the Rome Madison's, but for those of you going EST, the Burton Escapade's are killer as well. I still have faith in Union, but I think it might take them a couple more seasons of upgrades to really tweak them to perfection.

Get free shipping from The House on new bindings!

Demo Dayzzz!

This past week I was lucky enough to be invited to Mammoth Mountain to check out the newest gear for the 2015 season. Smith Optics and Surfside took up about six guys and me from Tuesday to Friday for four days of shredding, food, and partying. With the ratio of dudes to chicks being about 10 to 1, I was able to get to try all kinds of good stuff (not to mention, scope some serious studs). Here's a recap and my reviews of the gear I got to try!

Boards:
Roxy T-Bird
GNU B-Pro
Capita Birds of a Feather
Burton Deja Vu
Burton Lipstick
Never Summer Onyx
Never Summer Infinity
Jones Twin Sister

Since I started riding Mervin boards last year, it has taken a lot for me to get on anything else. I am a die hard magnetraction fan and with this season's conditions being icy, crusty, and dry, I've never loved magnetraction more. I was surprised that I was able to really enjoy the other boards as well. Here is some feed back I have on the boards listed above...

Roxy T-Bird: My favorite board I demoed. C2 BTX (rocker camber with magnetraction) absolutely slayed the hard packed groomers and although camber boards are traditionally the fastest, I felt so comfortable, I was flying on this thing. The flex of it helped me launch through moguls, bumps, flawed grooming streaks, and gapers. Award: Favotire Board of Demo Days

GNU B-Pro: A lot of us were raised on camber boards and this C3 with magnetraction is the most camber dominant boards of the ladies Mervin choices. Comparable to the Jamie Lynn from Lib Tech, it's stiff, fast, and a little bit heavy, but is built for girls with a need for speed. With a trippy outerspace graphic for 2015, it was asthetically one of my favorites. I enjoyed hauling on this board, but the only size available was a bit big for me and the conditions weren't quite what were meant for it. Award: Best Graphics

Capita Birds of a Feather: An extruded base flat top cambered board coming in hot in 2014, the Birds of a Feather won a vast majority of Good Wood awards for women. I was excited to try it and it didn't fail to impress me. The only board I rode this week with an extruded base (and priced at less than $400), it could hang with the big boys for sure. Having an extruded base makes most board a bit flexier and I did prefer the 2014 graphic a bit more then what's to come, but I could definitely see myself having this in my quiver for springy park days. Award: Best Big Bear Board

Burton Deja Vu: Although I generally stray away from Burton boards, I did ride a Feelgood for about 7 years and they will always have a special little place in my heart. I was most interested in the Deja Vu because it flew off the shelves at Surfside and I am a fan of its Flying V (rocker camber) shape. Graphically, I have preferred the last 2 years a bit more, but it's still pretty. The softer flex, Flying V camber, and true twin shape could win over anyone who's too cool for Burton. It was also the first time I have tried the channel/EST system and although it wasn't leaps and bounds different from a traditional set up, I definitely enjoyed the easiness of setting it up. Award: Best Burton Board

Burton Lipstick: The Lipstick is one notch below the Feelgood in stiffness and has flat top camber. Sadly this was my least favorite of the boards I tried. Feel free to take into account that not everything at demos is brand new or perfect and I feel like part of my distaste for this board might have had to do with a lack of wax, but something just did not feel right. I like the flat top in Capita and a lot of girls I know have really enjoyed the Lipstick, but it was not for me. The graphics for next year are pretty and maybe I will have to give it another go. Award: Least Fave

Never Summer Onyx/Infinity: I have had a lot of respect for this company for a long time, but this happened to be the first time I have ridden one. All Never Summer's are made in Denver, have a rocker camber flex and a 3 year warranty (not that anyone has ever had to use it). These boards are absolute beasts. I loved the Onyx and feel like I have been missing out not riding these. The only boards that I felt just as badass on as Mervin's, I loved both of these. The boards are very similar, but the Onyx is a bit more stiff and aggressive. For being the softest board in the line, the Infinity was user friendly, but still felt very responsive and aggressive. Even without magnetraction on the hardpacked snow, I felt secure and was hauling ass. The graphics used to be hit or miss with me, but each year they seem to get progressively better. I didn't get a chance to ride the Raven, but it is the stiffest of the line and the only female board with the carbonium top sheet. Award: Favorite Non Mervin. Can Hang With Any Dudes

Jones Twin Sister: Surfside doesn't carry Jones yet, but I wasn't sure when the next chance I would to have to get on this board would be, so I had to go for it. Jones has had a killer reputation since day one and are known for their big mountain boards. I am a die hard true twin rider, but I was pleasantly surprised with this directional twin. As agressive as a B Pro, with a bit more camber in it and some sweet graphics to boot, the Twin Sister would be epic on a powder day! Award: Favorite Big Mountain Board

Layering!

What do you wear under your outerwear? The main factor is no cotton against the skin, but these are a few of my favorite things!

Nikita hoodie

Burton Tech Tee

Stance compression socks (the BEST)

Under Armor sports bra (if you know me, you know that's a serious bra)

Lulu Lemon Inspire crop pant

B4BC

About 5 years ago my doctor found a lump in my boob. It sucked and was scary, but I got it biopsied and it was ok. Now there's another and it's ok as well, but it definitely sucks. I know I am fortunate that the lumps in my chest were cancer free, but a lot of people's aren't. Looking back, I realize I wouldn't even have found it if I hadn't gone to the doctor. Many people put off doctor's visits and don't have health insurance. I've been familiar with Boarding for Breast Cancer for a while, but it never really hit home with me until I had my health scare. They are a fantastic organization and do a lot to raise awareness and help survivors, so please donate if you can!!!

Here's the link to my donation page!!

http://www.stayclassy.org/fundraise?fcid=298123

Squaw Dogs...OMG

Alright, who doesn't love a life saving dog? After Kerry Bannon sent me a pic of Squaw Valley's newest member to the Squaw Dogs team, I just couldn't resist a post on these magnificent animals!

The Squaw Rescue dog program began all the way back in the 1980's and still continues at Squaw today. The dogs and their patrollers go through rigorous training to become certified by the Canadian Avalanche Rescue Dog Association. I have personally watched these dogs go through training and find what they can do absolutely amazing. When Karen and I worked in the uniforms department at Squaw, I was lucky enough to wash the sweaters that the patrollers would rub their scent on and bury in the snow for the dogs to dig up. We also got to fix the dogs uniforms when puppies in training would chew through them. If you were lucky enough as a guest or employee at Squaw, you would get to see the dogs load onto chair lifts or the Funitel. Often times Karen and I were graced by Murphy's presence in uniforms on his way back to the patrol locker room because he knew we had treats waiting for him.

Despite their undeniable cuteness, the Squaw Dogs are not only an asset to the resort, but to all of Placer County where they assist as search and rescue dogs. They are also transported to other resorts in the Tahoe area when avalanches occur there and were even welcomed to the Vancouver Olympics!

Meet the Squaw Dogs here! http://www.squawdogs.com/About_The_Dogs.html

Like them on Facebook here! https://www.facebook.com/pages/SquawDogs/181583001454

And donate to the Squaw Dogs here! http://www.squawdogs.com/Donate.html

Welcome Shaka to the Squaw Dogs team!

Snow Report!!!!!!!!

Turns out it does snow in California!!!

Reports for:
Tahoe

Mammoth

Bear

A shot from McDonalds in Big Bear today. For the record, 

I wasn't eating there.

Sochi 2014

We probably all know the gossip and scandals surrounding the 2014 Sochi Olympics. They are over budget, run by crooks, lack safety for athletes and guests, and even have a pillow shortage (seriously?!?!), but they start tonight on NBC and I'm sure they will still be totally entertaining!

This is the first year they are incorporating the slope style event and there have already been plenty of ups and downs surrounding it. Torstein broke his collar bone, Shawn White bowed out to focus on pipe (and got some abuse from the Canadians), and there have already been various changes to the course. The U.S. girls facing this beast of a course are: Jamie Anderson (go Tahoe!), Jessika Jensen, Karly Shore, and Ty Walker.

The pipe is generally my favorite event to watch and every day the girls (and boys) are pushing limits and astounding viewers and athletes. Although Elena Hight is not competing at the Olympics, she set a serious standard at the X Games last year killing it with the first ever double backside ally oop rodeo. I'm a huge Kelly Clark fan myself, but it will be interesting to see Hannah Teter and all the other ladies giving her a run for her money. The U.S. girls launching in the pipe this year are: Kelly Clark, Hannah Teter, Kaitlyn Farrington, and Arielle Gold.

Good luck to all the teams and riders and go USA!

The US Olympic Snowboard Team

Ps. Can we casually just give a shout out to the Norwegian curling team for their epic uniforms? Looking good boys!!!

How To Wax A Snowboard

Tired of paying shops to wax your board? Owner of Surfside Sports (and my boss, Duke) has the most popular How to Wax a Snowboard video on youtube.com. The man's been in the game a long time and definitely knows his stuff. I find it easiest to set your board on top of a couple of chairs in the kitchen if you feel like doing this at home. It's cheap, it's easy, and it's fast! Once the spring weather turns the snow to glue, I find myself waxing my board almost every time I hit the slopes!