Featured Brand: L Space!
It might not be a snowboard brand, but spring is here and hot
tub season is all year long, so this featured brand is all about my favorite
swim line, L Space! Although, my
main fashion passion is all about snow gear, I have worked off and on in a swim
wear boutique (The Persimmon Tree) for 10 years or so and I might have just a
bit of an obsession with bathing suits. (Kerry Bannon might be the only person
who has a bigger addiction than I do!) Volcom, Vix, Rip Curl, Maaji, Ralph
Lauren, I love them all, but L Space is the cream of the crop.
Their quality, prints, cuts, and styles are just unbeatable.
L Space is as innovative in swim wear as Mervin Manufacturing is in snow. Fringe
suits were brought back and done best by L Space and last year they blew up the
scene with laser cut suits and flowy tops.
One of the other nicest things about L Space is that they
have tops and bottoms for numerous body types. In the bottoms there is
everything from the tiny Brazilian to a nice coverage full. And in the tops
they make all the way up to a D cup. For my big busted friends and myself, the
L Space D is the way to go. It actually fits, you still get the cute styles and
prints that smaller chested girls get, and best of all, no side boob!!!
So before you head to the beach or the hot tub, hit up Persimmon Tree, Surfside Sports, or your other favorite and local shops and try on your next suit!
So before you head to the beach or the hot tub, hit up Persimmon Tree, Surfside Sports, or your other favorite and local shops and try on your next suit!
My Favorite Suit:
Top-Strap Back in the Cozumel Print.
This is my absolute favorite top ever! It has three fixed straps in the
back, comes in awesome prints and colors, looks perfect while laying
out, but is still totally functional!
Bottoms-Lacey Bottom Classic in Black: New
this year, I love this bottom! I usually wear the Estrella bottom as
well, but the cut outs on the side of this one are super cute and
totally forgiving to my not quite toned lower half.
Active and Adorable:
This season was also the release of L Space's new active styles. I
about lost it when I saw these suits. Good for swimming laps, jumping in
the lake, playing volley ball, surfing, or anything else for the
athletic girl. The color ways are killing it as always and now we can
have high quality, cute, fun, and super functional suits!
Honorable Mention: One of the cutest suits I have seen in a long time! New, different, classy, and fun, so L Space!
All photos from LSpace.com
Featured Brand: POLER!
As spring approaches, the snow begins to melt and we get ready to pack up our snowboards, shed our winter clothes, bronze our pasty skin, and search for new adventures. Most of us who snowboard have an undying love for the mountains whether there is snow or not, so come spring and summer, we find ourselves drifting back into the woods for some camping. Enter in the featured brand, Poler.
Poler two man tent
Check out: http://www.polerstuff.com/
One of the coolest products: The Napsack
Somewhat of a hipper and higher quality Snuggie, the Napsack is a sleeping bag/pancho, ideal for camping, lounging, post surf sessions, and hangovers. Or maybe you are like me and just don't feel like putting pants on.
Don't make it home? No problem!
Chillin with the Potato? No problem!
My favorite product: The Tracker Anorak Down Jacket
We all know, I am a sucker for a pull over and this thing basically just looks like a jacket version of the Napsack. It comes in black, blue, and a rust color.
Lots of guy models, but it's all unisex
Notable mention: The Poler x Granted Sweater Vest
I mean come on.
All images from polerstuff.com
Spring Sales: What to Buy, What to Wait For!
If you are in California, it has been a brutal winter. Spring is always the best time to buy new gear and stores seemed to drop prices far earlier this year than usual. After viewing the products coming up for next year, I'd love to give a little insight on what sale stuff to buy now and what might actually be worth waiting until next season (or maybe next spring).
Outerwear: Buy now or wait until October. The only better time to buy "last season's gear" is when shops put it back on the floor pre-winter. The only problem with waiting it out for a better discount is that a lot of outerwear either gets sent back to the companies or the sizes get picked over. When it comes to next year's outerwear, the prints and colorways are looking pretty awesome, but tech wise, nothing has really changed, with maybe the exception of better looking Gortex and high performance gears for ladies.
Burton Aurora Jacket 2014
Boards: My take on boards is about the same as it is on outerwear right now. Not much difference in the tech aspect of things, but if you are going for graphics, there's some awesome stuff coming up. Tech wise, over the last few years it seems to be going a bit full circle back to camber, but in the ladies boards, the only camber dominant ones you will really find are the Burton Feelgood camber, the GNU B-Pro C-3, probably a few from Jones, and Bataleons are always in a league of their own. My biggest recommendation is if you see a good price on a Never Summer, just go for it. All of these women's boards are amazing and Never Summer's were one of the first companies shops were sending back to this year. (Generally sending back from shops is just based on deals with the manufacturers and because Never Summer is small and high end, they were probably able to ship them to other dealers in places like Colorado or Utah that had better seasons then California.) The only catch is as usual, Never Summer has been stepping up their game in ladies graphics and this year was solid, but next year's are looking even better.
pic from white lines
Bindings: It's a toss up. If you're happy with what you've got then skip them, but if you are on the market for some new Burton's, you might want to wait it out. The only one changing is the Escapade and I mentioned it in my previous blog on bindings, but they changed the ankle strap to have a hinge it in that just stays open. It sounds simple, but I swear, it's one of the best ideas I have seen in bindings in ages. It is definitely one of those things you will see and just go, "How the hell has no one thought of this until now?!" In the world of wonderful Rome bindings, next year's colorways are epic and might be worth waiting for as well.
This seasons's Madison (until I upload a pic of my new ones)
Boots: Coming from a DC girl, I hate to say it, but Burton is changing the game next year. Nothing innovative or new for most, but they are finally putting Boa's on their boots. For the mainstream weekend warrior audience or actual Burton boot users, this is kind of a big deal. I still believe people who already wear Burton might stick to the speed lace system, but life just got a bit easier for the people less familiar with boots or who are fitting their kids for them. I have always been a Boa (preferably a double Boa) fan. And now with the most popular boot company utilizing them, we might see a big shift in boot sales. My recommendation- if Burton boots are the fit for you, hold out until next year and get your hands on some double Boa's. (and for the record, I don't think anything bad of Burton boots, I just prefer DC. Everybody's feet are different.)
Burton Speedzone Lacing
DC Mora with Double Boa
Newport to Tahoe to Mammoth to Newport
A couple of weekends ago I got to take an awesome trip to Tahoe and Mammoth with a couple girlfriends of mine. And here's a little recap/a good guide to some of my favorite places in Tahoe and Mammoth...
We left at about 5:00am on Thursday to make sure we had enough time to hang in Tahoe City that afternoon. Along the 5, we stopped in good old Sac town to pic up some new Rome Madison's for me (thanks Paul!) and at one of my favorite fruit and pistachio stands, so we could stock up on goodies. We took a brief stop in Truckee for bloody mary's at Bar of America and finally arrived on the West Shore around 4:00pm.
Annie, me, Ola at Bar of America
There's a feeling of overwhelming love and excitement that only ex ski bums can truly understand. Some frat kids probably feel it when they go back to college, some people feel it when they go home, but as I pass Squaw on the 89 towards Tahoe City, as cheesy as it sounds, there is an undeniable magic in the air.
Fannies at Fanny Bridge
We pulled up at Kerry and Joey Dubbs' house (greeted by Bear dog) and got ready for some serious grilling. Within 5 mins of one friend showing up, almost every person I had been dying to see had showed up. And in true Tahoe style, drinks were flowing and handles were polished off in moments. After a few hours of rough housing, drinking, music, and food (always the best from Kerry), we headed to into town to continue our party at Fat Cat. It magically happened to be karaoke night!!! We partied, we belted out the usual classics, "Come to My Window" and "Love is a Battlefield," ran into some more friends and did God only knows what else.
Kerry-o-kee
New friends are made-Anni and Patty
We woke up early the next day because when you are excited enough and running solely on Kahlua and coffee and you have a day of heavy Squaw shredding ahead of you, who has time for a hangover? The Funitel, Gold Coast, hot laps on Shirley, Emigrant, and Mountain Run, intermingled with stops at the bar to see Tahoe's favorite bartender, Mona Bona (who made the best drinks we had all weekend), made for one hell of a day. We topped it off by dinner at Bridgetender and called it a night.
Anni overlooking her kingdom
Shred sticks-Ola on Bataleon, Me on GNU, Anni on Arbor, Kerry on Lib
Girls and boys-Anni, Ola, Me, JR, Joey, Kerry
Ladies on top! Anni, Ola, Me, Kerry
Big Blue is cool, but it's no High Camp
5:00am Saturday morning we began our venture to Mammoth via the 395. I could have stayed in Tahoe forever, but the sunrise over the East shore and the hills of Carson City made the drive a bit less painful. We arrived in Mammoth, changed our clothes in a bathroom and met up with the girls from Boarding for Breast Cancer for a day of awareness and fun. They held a yoga session, a lap a thon, a tribute ride, and had a band and party at Underground in the evening. We just cruised all over the mountain for most of the day and met up with B4BC periodically and had a blast.
Good Morning Ola!
B4BC!!!
Cheers from the Campo deck!
5:00am Monday morning, we grudgingly stumbled out of bed and hit the road. I almost passed out driving on the way to Bishop, so we stopped at Schat's Bakery and, thankfully, Anni drove for a few hours. Once we saw that thick, black air, we knew we were home. An epic weekend to keep the three of us surviving through the daily grind had come to an end and I went straight back to work at 3:00pm. The end.
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 Salomon. 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 Salomon, 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!
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!!!
Squaw Dogs...OMG
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!
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