Analysis of this month's Transworld

[Jack Michaud]

OK, so I bought a subscription to Transworld Snowboarding from the kid down the street as part of a fundraiser. I already get two motorcycle mags, so this was all he had left in which I was remotely interested. Usually I'll leaf through it for 5 minutes and chuck it. This month I decided to disect the mag and see exactly how they fill 200+ pages.

Before you say "don't you have anything better to do?" save it. My wife was watching Gilmour Girls, and I certainly wasn't going to do any housework while she was doing <i>that</i>.

I counted every page and tallied how many pages were actual TWS CONTENT (what their writers/editors are paid to actually <i>do</i>) and how many were ADvertisements. These two groups were subdivided as such:
pages picturing AIR (snowboard not on snow),
SNOW (snowboarder riding snowboard on snow),
RAIL/MAN-MADE objects (snowboard being mutilated on a man-made object),
and OTHER (no snowboarding pictured on page at all).

Pages that were split evenly were counted as half, otherwise whatever comprised the bulk of the page was counted as one page. Two-page spreads were counted seperately, so if a spread had a snowboarder jumping through the air on one page and the rest of the scenery on the other page that was counted as 1 AIR, 1 OTHER. Fold-outs were counted per panel.

<i>As I write this, my wife is ragging on me for doing it. Whatever lady, you just watched the Gilmour Girls. Talk to the hand.</i>

Here is the breakdown:
<table border=1>
<tr><td>Total Pages: <td>215<td>100%
<tr><td>Total Content: <td>102<td>47%
<tr><td>Total Ads:<td>113<td>53%
<tr><td>Ads AIR<td>35<td>16%
<tr><td>Ads SNOW<td>1<td>0.5%
<tr><td>Ads RAIL/MM<td>18<td>8%
<tr><td>Ads OTHER<td>59<td>27%
<tr><td>Content AIR<td>46<td>21%
<tr><td>Content SNOW<td>4<td>2%
<tr><td>Content RAIL/MM<td>9<td>4%
<tr><td>Content OTHER<td>43<td>20%
<tr><td>Total Snowboarding<br>(not including rail/mm)<td>86<td>40%
<tr><td>Total Other<td>129<td>60%
</table>

So, if you want to see pictures of people actually snowboarding (not skateboarding with their feet bound to a long skateboard without trucks or wheels, or hucking their carcasses through the air) you'll obviously have to look somewhere besides a magazine called Transworld SNOWBOARDING. Go figure.
-Jack

[lonerider]

You forgot an obvious statistic... photos of women who aren't snowboarding, with the Reef Girl ads being the most ridiculous. Ok, having the bikini-clad girl in their surfing ads is somewhat reasonable... but having that poor girl standing by a halfpipe?!?!Isn't that a little excessive (even I though I don't mind the view).

Anyways, I found the magazine to be pretty content-free myself. Even the supposed tutorials for tricks aren't very useful... I remember the cab 540 instructions being like:

1. Ride switch towards jump
2. Cork body
3. Jump
4. Spin 360
5. Spot landing
6. Spin remaining 180
7. Don't crash on landing

I mean it had a *tiny* amount of info, but dude... they make it sound like their are telling you the secret ways of shaolin kung fu.

I find transworld to be essentially a Maxim/FHM for snowboarders, which again is basically the male equivalent of Cosmopolitan/Vogue magazine... some outrageous anecdotes, some not very interesting interviews, not very useful how-tos, and lots and lots and lots of ads.

[Gecko]

the truely sad thing is that there isn't really anything better...at least TransWorld Skateboarding (TW Sk8) shows more Skateboarding (wheels on pavement) than TW Snow shows Snow though not by much...I am somewhat sad that the disciplines I practice (alpine riding and ramp pool skating) get so little coverage...then again maybe not as it just means I get the slopes/ramps/pools to share with a smaller number of people

[Coldrider]

This (http://www.snowboardjournal.com/Issue001a.html) looks promising.

COLDrider

[freerider26]

I totally agree. Transworld and Snowboarder are both way off track anymore. Its a great shame what they have come to. When I look through them, virtually every single picture is of someone doing a railslide or a spin. This has got to stop. I agree that Snowboard Journal looks promising.

[Gecko]

Originally posted by Coldrider
This (http://www.snowboardjournal.com/Issue001a.html) looks promising.

COLDrider

Promising enough that I subscribed just on the cover alone...that is the kind of powder turn I miss seeing in the mags (I just broke out some of my old vids (snowboarders in exile, TB 1/2/3) to get a fix. Anyone look atthe Fawcett preview? I learned to ride resorts on a Flight that looked just like that Sims...wish I still had it

[dragonfly jones]

Transworld has done the same to surfing, motox, underwater basket weaving, tiddlywinks and I heard they are coming strong with a new chutes and ladders rag that will rival all of these in ladder slides and sickening chute wrecks. When will the carnage stop....

There is wisdom in sarcasm somewhere.

Dragonfly Jones

[Gecko]

Originally posted by dragonfly jones
Transworld has done the same to surfing, motox, underwater basket weaving, tiddlywinks and I heard they are coming strong with a new chutes and ladders rag that will rival all of these in ladder slides and sickening chute wrecks. When will the carnage stop....

There is wisdom in sarcasm somewhere.

Dragonfly Jones

Maybe it's Transworld who's to blame for sucking the soul out of my favorite sports...I know I never even glance at TransWorld Surfing...no soul all flash...Surfer and Surfing at least have a bit LongBoard magazines, both Skating and Surfing seem to be very good probably due to the passion and likely age of the participants.

[lonerider]

Originally posted by eddie
I am fed up with tw snow and surf. Maybe it's a sign that I am getting older, I still like to browse through them sometimes but I can't stand to read it for too long.

I think I too am like that. I had a free subscription a few years ago to TW snow and I didn't even bother reading it anymore. If just doesn't have anything I'm interested in... and I like jumps and rails. :mad:

[nils]

and jack, its the same here in europe, appart from few exceptions!!

Can't wait for my first issue of Snowboardjournal!!!

Nils

[LeeW]

I miss Snowboard Life.

I like Frequency.

Had a talk with a skater-friend of mine. We both agreed Thrasher's far more better than TWSkateboarding in terms of contents. TWSports' too "trendy" and waste of my time. I have old TWSnowboarding magazine. Perhaps I should compile like what Jack did. (1989 to early 1990s)

[jeffnstefanie]

ONE YEAR SUBSCRIPTION $40
save $11.80 off the cover price

For that money you get four (4) Issues

I hope its great
I think I will wait and pick it up an issue at a time

I picked up a couple of Mags from the great white north that I think were called "Snowboard Canada" that were pretty good.

[Gecko]

Originally posted by jeffnstefanie
ONE YEAR SUBSCRIPTION $40
save $11.80 off the cover price

For that money you get four (4) Issues

I hope its great
I think I will wait and pick it up an issue at a time

I picked up a couple of Mags from the great white north that I think were called "Snowboard Canada" that were pretty good.

The Magazine shop in my parents hometown (Newport RI; also home of CATEK...I had no idea) had Snowboard Canada (along with a couple of other rather good rags) and I bought 2 issues while home last year...canadians seem to be smarter about their boarding (or at least what they aspire too and publish) than those south of them...I have also seen a bunch on carving here in Japan though it is still out numbered by the whole rail thing

[orser506]

I have to agree with you guys. TWSnowboarding is damn useless, you can't even start a fire with the pages.
I just sent the publisher of snowboard journal an email to see if they have plans of including alpine/carving in there rag. If everyone that hangs out in this forum done the same , do you think we could convince them to include us?
Just a thought

[philw]

I just sent the publisher of snowboard journal an email to see if they have plans of including alpine/carving in there rag. If everyone that hangs out in this forum done the same , do you think we could convince them to include us?

I don't know, but you may be aware that some of the people behind SJ were the early guys behind TWS, but they left TWS for a number of reasons. IMHO TWS isn't what it was, perhaps that and AOL are why.

I was boarding with one of the SJ people over Xmas. I think you could get stuff in there if you have the right quality of images.

[Phil]

I stopped subscribing to TWsnow years ago when I realized that they were marketing to a low teen demographic. (and also those who are older but have never grown out of their low teens) They are making money doing this, and most likely they won't change, so I gave up reading the mag. Unless you are 12 or 13, it seems that the mag is useless.

[jlm27]

Rails are a part of snowboarding now as much as halfpipe, air, and GS racing(all of which are manmade and unnatural just like rails).
James
PS - I do think TWS is the sucks too. Got a free subscription and still cancelled it.

[Jack Michaud]

As I was flipping pages, I came across the editorial in the beginning. I glanced at it, and it said "Peter Line was more influential to the sport of snowboarding than any other, during the decade called the 90's". HUH?!? Not taking anything away from Line, but there are several I would rank above him. Kelly, Terje, Palmer.... the list goes on.

[ncermak]

And let us not forget Craig Kelly for his influence on all of us.

As for magazines, Jack, I love the breakdown.

Why can't snowboarders put together an adult magazine (NOT THAT TYPE) that has some real content. I read Ski and Skiing in search of good info on resorts, new gear reviews, and useful ski tips. I still ski too, But would love to see a snowboard magazine with that level of sophistication, that is not entirely about sex drugs and rock roll with snowboarding being the door to it all.

-Noah

[Scotty Pumpkins]

I remember reading "snowboard life" a number of years ago. I thought it was a pretty quality publication. someone bought me a subscription to tws and i thought it was the biggest piece of junk out there. it would get to the point that i wouldnt even read it anymore, id just toss it. I cant imagine anyone getting anything valuable from tws. Its really ashame we dont have a good mag to read. You would think that one would exist.
Scott

[Jack Michaud]

Originally posted by jlm27
Rails are a part of snowboarding now as much as halfpipe, air, and GS racing(all of which are manmade and unnatural just like rails).
James
PS - I do think TWS is the sucks too. Got a free subscription and still cancelled it.

Well, you can say unequivocally that riding rails and concrete walls and cars and such have absolutely nothing to do with snowboarding because no snowboard is designed to withstand those activities for very long. I'd be very surprised if those things were covered by a snowboard's warranty.

Furthermore, I think that someone who can carve turns and/or freeride the whole mountain, but who never goes near the park/pipe can more legitimately call themselves a "snowboarder" than someone who never leaves the park/pipe. Just my opinion.
-Jack

[ncermak]

I'd argue that the guy who does it all is the true snowboarder...one who transcend the stereotypes and truly see the mountain as a playground....

[Jon Dahl]

is MOUNTAIN !!!

[JohnSch]

"Well, you can say unequivocally that riding rails and concrete walls and cars and such have absolutely nothing to do with snowboarding because no snowboard is designed to withstand those activities for very long. I'd be very surprised if those things were covered by a snowboard's warranty.

Furthermore, I think that someone who can carve turns and/or freeride the whole mountain, but who never goes near the park/pipe can more legitimately call themselves a "snowboarder" than someone who never leaves the park/pipe. Just my opinion.
-Jack"

They're not everyone's cup of tea, and personally I both suck at rails (but hope to get better) and am afraid of them. That said, starting rails did a huge bit to quiet my rear hand and build overall body awareness. Plus, they gave me a jumpstart on doing natural logslides in the woods, and are similar to rock drops, and in those ways have begun to help my freeriding. Finally, they can be great fun.

Halfpipe: the unweighting/compression/unweighting feel of riding a pipe is, to me, very similar to doing gs turns. Pumping is similar to a crossover. If you subscribe to the view that you should ride in line with your binding angles, riding a pipe gives you great feedback as to whether this is the case or not (facing the nose of the board generally leads to scrubbing speed). Even the stiffness of pipe boards ties them back to carving.

Not saying there's a direct freecarving benefit to be had from any type of park riding that you can't get from freecarving itself, just that park riding is not that different from the rest of the sport. For people who do ride in softies at least occasionally, I'd encourage them to at least try riding a pipe before deciding they have no interest in it -- there have been several posts here that seemed to view pipe riding as dangerous and different, when in fact it is probably both similar to and as safe as freecarving (harder to reach the flat bottom than to ride into the trees).

Peace.

[jlm27]

A snowboard isn't designed to slide rails, so therefore you shouldn't do it? We should only use the snowboard the way the manufacturer's warrantee says we should? Well, then you better not be riding your donek freecarve switch, because it's directional and not designed to be ridden that way! Did snowboards always have stiffer tails so that they'd have more ollie pop? Did snowboards always have bindings? Last time I checked they didn't, but they do now. I guess someone voided their warrantee and tried mounting something on their board to hold their feet down. I guess someone started taking their board into the air, and realized how to make them bounce higher. Thinking creatively and trying new things is how a sport progresses. Snowboarding isn't this stagnant thing, where it's only about making turns and carving. It's a living breathing things, that is growing and progressing.
Sorry Jack, I understand if you don't like rails and don't enjoy freestyle. It's no different then kids not liking carving and hardboots, it's just not their thing. You always go on about how people don't give hard boots and alpine and carving a fair chance, but have you ever given rails, pipe and freestyle a fair shot? Have you ever even tried to slide a straight, flat rail? Ever dropped into a pipe and ridden it just for fun?
I used to only carve, but then one day I took off the blinders and looked at the whole mountain and realized there is alot of other fun stuff to do and as long as a board is strapped to my legs somehow, it counts as riding.
James

[Brian]

I agree with Kent, Kevin Kinnear had a vision and SBL was great, it's how I became involved with carving and riding plates. Met Kurt Hoy and know a little bit of his background, but that attitude seems to be part of the mags current style and format.

Snowboard Journal looks like it will be different from SBL and similar to Surfers Journal. Looking forward to my first issue, talked with two of the editors about carving and "invited" them to attend the SES, we'll see if they show to cover the event.

[lonerider]

Originally posted by Jack Michaud
Well, you can say unequivocally that riding rails and concrete walls and cars and such have absolutely nothing to do with snowboarding because no snowboard is designed to withstand those activities for very long. I'd be very surprised if those things were covered by a snowboard's warranty.

Furthermore, I think that someone who can carve turns and/or freeride the whole mountain, but who never goes near the park/pipe can more legitimately call themselves a "snowboarder" than someone who never leaves the park/pipe. Just my opinion.
-Jack


Hi Jack, I see your general point, but like JohnSch and jlm27, I disagree with your use of the manufacturer's warranty to define what snowboarding. Wasn't the "snufter" two skis bolted together? I'm pretty sure THAT wasn't in the ski warranty. I'm sure you realize this point, but part of creativity is "thinking outside the box" (I can't believe I used that term).

One of my boards is a Neversummer Evo with a super tough base that doesn't has a scratch on it after several rails. They have a three year warranty that might cover rails (I actually just asked based on this post). Definitely this board is designed to withstand rails. Concrete walls and cars are another story, but I'm pretty sure 99.9% of all snowboarders never tried to ride their snowboard on a concrete wall or car (was that just an exaggeration).

Over time I have decided, I don't think I should be judging whether a person is a "true snowboarder" or not just because his or her terrain/riding preferences are not the same as mine because who am I to judge? When I was younger, I used to be like "What?!? you *never* go into the park??!? not even for one small jump!??! secretly wondering what that person sees in snowboarding. I no longer think that now, but it's the extreme I'm coming from.

[Jack Michaud]

Originally posted by jlm27
A snowboard isn't designed to slide rails, so therefore you shouldn't do it?

Correct, if you want your snowboard to last. If you don't, then go nuts.

If I take my golf clubs and whack rocks around my yard, am I golfing?

And when did I ever say I don't enjoy freestyle?


Have you ever even tried to slide a straight, flat rail?
No. I have too much respect for my equipment. I also have no interest in suffering the inevitible groin-shot.

Ever dropped into a pipe and ridden it just for fun?
Sure - whether I'm on my carving board and hardboots or my Burton Custom 164 and two-straps, pipe/park is great fun. That's not my argument though.

I'm just considering two extremes: someone who never goes in the park/pipe, and someone who never leaves them. Which one is more deserving of the title "snowboarder"? I think it's the former. If you had never seen snowboarding before and you picked up a copy of TWS, you'd think that it was the latter. Actually you wouldn't know that the former even existed. Hell, you probably wouldn't even realize that a <i>mountain</i> was required. I think there's something wrong with that.

[ncermak]

How many of you took your try on a snowboard on the local sledding hill or on a slope in your buddy's back yard.

I am hard pressed to say a mountain is required. Surely it makes things better, but hell, my mountain has 700 - 900 ft of vertical. All definitions would call that a hill at best. The legal limits for slope on a half pipe are 16-18 degrees, 16 to 20 for a superpipe. Given 120m at that slope (hardly a mountain), you someplace that Ross Powers would be happy.

my point is that snowboarding is not about doing it right or wrong, but enjoying it and having fun. we all have it in our own way....

[John Gilmour]

I used to search for snowboarding content prior to snowboarding appearing in anything with vague resemblance to a mAg.

I have several copies of "Absolutely Radical" the first dedicated snowboard magazine ISsue #1 and several of later issues when it was remaned International Snowboard Magazine. But who had the best footage? The older Powder Magazines would on occassion have a few good shots.

Skiing hada few shots and did Skier and ISM was the main mag and ironically when TWS came out it was more of a freecarving mag and free riding mag with some carving.

As it stands now- I can't be bothered to read through TWS.

The content is essentially of no value.

Much of the info is incomplete and only good for beginners.

My time would be far better spent reading
POWDER magazine than TWS. At least I would find out about good places to go and deals- along with articles written at above a 4th grade reading level with some semblance of storyline humor, and value to the reader.

Its too bad.
________
Mercedes-benz w116 specifications (http://www.mercedes-wiki.com/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_W116)

[lonerider]

Who are you really mad at? The people who prefer only to do rails, jumps and halfpipe? The magazine that glorifies them? Or the clueless mass populace that reads the magazine and believes it? Or just "The Man" keeping trench digging hardbooters in the minority down and out of sight? :eek:

I totally understand you grievances Jack. Remember I was the first to chip in that I found TWSnow worthless as well. And I fully admit that at one time or another, I am guilty of some of the things that you are angry at, and you are rightly so angry at people who abuse their boards. However, I do question the definition of "abusing your equipment" and contend that it is a matter of personal preference, where the extremely are obvious, but everyone truly lies somewhere in between.

In the following post I'm just trying to get people to see the opposing side's argument (sorry, it's something I really like to do on forums) in an effort to gain more perspective.


Originally posted by Jack Michaud
Correct, if you want your snowboard to last. If you don't, then go nuts.


I think this might go back to the topic of personal preference about treatment of equipment (I briefly mentioned this in the other thread) and we probably should deal with that subject first.

CAR ANALOGY
It's like the same thing with cars. For instance here are two extremes (comparable to your examples I think):

There are the sport car enthusiasts have lots of fun making tight and precise runs down windy roads at high speeds. They wax their car once a week, have it maintained regularly, strictly avoid sand/salt, put on the car bra and never take their car offroad for fear of damaging their pristine paint job and engine.

The opposite extreme would be those off-roaders who do crazy stuff like the Rubicon trail that involves things like driving their car over 3 foot boulders, off 5 foot ledges, through 3 feet of water, etc... most often crashing/rolling over their car a few times, breaking a couple of axles and drive shafts along the way.

I *admit* I am a tiny bit more of the latter type in terms of what is considered proper use of my car. No, I never take my puny Honda Civic offroad and I don't intend to, I'm just talking about how I treat my car. However, I drive it everywhere, in mud/snow/salt/rain. I take it in for all its servicings, wash it occasionally and I try to avoid banging it up, but at the same time I don't pamper my car in anyway. It has a few dings and scratches, but I consider that a mark of a car that was really used (this is my personal preference and is no way a judgment on other people with difference preferences).

SORRY FOR THE LONG TANGENT
Back to snowboards. I personally expect a board to last about 120 days before it starts to lose it's camber and springiness. How long to most people expect their board to last before they replace it? I've rode my Salomon 450 for about 100 days on rails, logs, even down snow covered concrete library stairs (you could see sparks).

http://hcs.harvard.edu/~husc/gallery/widener/blake1b_web.jpg

Aside from a few minor base scratches and some edge dings, the board was fine. Ok, so the shop guys were not amused at my base/edge condition when I brought it in. I mean I wasn't looking to do some GS race where I needed a perfect condition base for those few hundredths of a second. I could still make deep, fast carves. When I first got the board, I tried to keep it in good condition, but after about 30 days and a few accidents, I didn't mind "using" my board. Nevertheless, I don't actively seek to damage my board either. My point is - after a couple of weeks on a snowboard, I'm not going to worry too much about the condition of my gear if it's going to prevent me from having fun.


jlm27 wrote Have you ever even tried to slide a straight, flat rail?

Jack Michaud wrote
No. I have too much respect for my equipment. I also have no interest in suffering the inevitible groin-shot.


How can you comment on something you don't have much experience with? Riding a straight, flat rail does almost nothing to your board. If you tried it a few times, you would realize that. Also, you could get a tougher, not so good "rock board" to do rails on it you like. Yes, it would be limited in it's usability, but I figure most Bomber people are more willing to get boards that they don't use very often.

Also, groin-shots are very rare for snowboarders (common for skiiers) you are much more likely to hit you butt, back, legs, knees, chest and head (both sides) :-O So rails can be dangerous, and you CAN get hurt... just that your crotch is the least likely place to hit :D


Originally posted by Jack Michaud
I'm just considering two extremes: someone who never goes in the park/pipe, and someone who never leaves them. Which one is more deserving of the title "snowboarder"? I think it's the former. If you had never seen snowboarding before and you picked up a copy of TWS, you'd think that it was the latter. Actually you wouldn't know that the former even existed. Hell, you probably wouldn't even realize that a <i>mountain</i> was required. I think there's something wrong with that.


Why is that even a question worth considering ("Which one is more deserving of the title 'snowboarder'?"). I totally understand your complaints about TWSnow and how it presents a skewed perspective on snowboarding. However, I think it is unfair to blame the activities and people that the magazine twists into it's own glorified image.

As I think someone mentioned it... who says that a mountain IS needed. I started snowboarding with a plastic snowboard (no edges, rubber straps) on a hill on a golf course near my house. I'm sure many kids started out that way. Most beginniner start on slopes that you wouldn't even call hills, let alone mountains. Are none of them "true snowboarders"? If you say that they don't count because they eventually "plan" on going up to the real mountain. I can counter that most of those park kids will eventually decide to go up to the rest of the mountain... in ten years, when they are banged up, older, and maybe wiser (maybe).... :-D (Bomber won't let me use another smiley, says I have too many images)

[Jon Dahl]

I still have my premier issue of Snowboard Life, missing the 2 pages on how to learn to ride :>) That mag and espn2 watching freeriders making big pow turns @ midnite for a week is what got me interested in snowboarding in the first place! I respect the good ones in the pipe, but I'm more psyced about a telemarker on skis in the pipe than most of what I see now. I drop small rocks/cliffs and ollie of natural MOUNTAIN terrain when I need to, but have no interest in the pipe. I have to agree with one statement; a complete boarder uses all the mountains natural terrain. The last thing I saw in the mountains that remotely resembled a rail had the word pipeline in it's name! Trees are a different matter entirely.

[Baka Dasai]

I think railslides are totally cool. Stair rails that is.

The idea of taking a piece of ordinary, boring infrastructure, ostensibly put there for the safety of people who are walking, and turning it into a prop for a risky, but stylish stunt has a wonderfully subversive appeal to me.

Ordinary people don't have much influence over the physical design of their everyday surroundings, but sliding a stair rail suggests a mental reconfiguration of that environment - boring safety item becomes fun prop. It suggests a whole range of possibilities for transforming the world and for extracting new meaning from otherwise banal objects.

But a fake stair rail built in the middle of a ski slope suggests something else entirely. It epitomises the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0226260127/qid=1075335451//ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i4_xgl14/002-7273889-6100016?v=glance&s=books&n=507846">conquest of cool</a>, the re-packaging of previously subversive activities to make them acceptable for mass consumption. It takes your subversion, packages it up nicely, and sells it back to you for the price of a lift ticket.

Say yes to rail slides.

Say no to phony rails that are built into the ski hill.

<small>Admission: I have never done a rail slide.</small>

[Phil]

50-50'ing a short rail does not really damage your board. I really stay away from boardslides on hardboots. I am just not as comfortable. So I have 50-50'ed a ton of rails on my race boards - no damage. My freestyle boards are a different story, they are all messed up, but I do many different types of slides on them.

Baka - Handrails are the original, and the best - no doubt. But if they are the original, then the rails in the park are just extra crispy. I am glad that we have rails. Rail conditions never change. If we have an ice storm, and the slopes are crap, I can always count on the rails being the same. You should definitely try a rail (again, preferably 50-50 on a short, flat rail to start). You never know, it may change your mind.

[lonerider]

Originally posted by Baka Dasai
I think railslides are totally cool. Stair rails that is.

The idea of taking a piece of ordinary, boring infrastructure, ostensibly put there for the safety of people who are walking, and turning it into a prop for a risky, but stylish stunt has a wonderfully subversive appeal to me.

Ordinary people don't have much influence over the physical design of their everyday surroundings, but sliding a stair rail suggests a mental reconfiguration of that environment - boring safety item becomes fun prop. It suggests a whole range of possibilities for transforming the world and for extracting new meaning from otherwise banal objects.

But a fake stair rail built in the middle of a ski slope suggests something else entirely. It epitomises the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0226260127/qid=1075335451//ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i4_xgl14/002-7273889-6100016?v=glance&s=books&n=507846">conquest of cool</a>, the re-packaging of previously subversive activities to make them acceptable for mass consumption. It takes your subversion, packages it up nicely, and sells it back to you for the price of a lift ticket.

Say yes to rail slides.

Say no to phony rails that are built into the ski hill.

<small>Admission: I have never done a rail slide.</small>

I agree that natural rails like logs, benches, snowmaker pipes, actual picnic tables are pretty cool and you get much more props for doing one of those. At the same time, I think the general populace would prefer if jibbers stayed enclosed in a "zoo" away from them so they don't take anyone else out when they "eat it" which happens more often than not. So I think it is a matter of practicality and safety. The park lets people practice their moves, and keeps them away from regular snowboarders. I mean watching a guy try to ride a handrail by the base lodge is cool... until he messes up and takes you out with him.

Here are some other photos (in addition to the library handrail) that I have taken over the years.

Riding through a hockey game at the base of Sunday River:
http://hcs.harvard.edu/~husc/gallery/vday99/hockey.jpg

Barrel riding at Copper Mountain(we have no idea why these were on the mountain).
http://hcs.harvard.edu/~husc/gallery/spring99/barrel.jpg

Oh yea, and who says you need a mountain, or even real snow to snowboard! Taken in May. Ok, so this wasn't exactly "snowboarding" but it was a pretty fun and silly thing to do in the middle of May.
http://hcs.harvard.edu/~husc/gallery/bbq/jesse_first.jpg

[pike]

One of the great mags, which off course is defunct, was Longboarder. You can find issues still online.

http://shop.vendio.com/Surfclassics/item/588277764/


Originally posted by eddie
I am fed up with tw snow and surf. Maybe it's a sign that I am getting older, I still like to browse through them sometimes but I can't stand to read it for too long. I don't read too many snowboard mags but when it comes to surfing, The Surfers Journal and The Surfers Path are where it's at. Nothing but soul.

[ncermak]

Great points by all.

and here's one or two more.

Regarding natural stair rails vs. park rails: Natural - Much cooler. Look at the Rail Jam in last year's open (BTW They should still race in the open, it's a crying shame that Jake has forgotten the race world). They built a city scape into the hill.

Park rails: Fun accessible, and most importantly they hurt a hell of a lot lerss than falling onto a staircase. Great place to learn to slide, develop trick, and progress the sport before heading out into the urban landscape.

Back to the original topic: TWS!

Now lets talk about reeadability. Personally I find that whenever I look through (is ay look through b/c one cannot read it) the magazine, I find that I often cannot tell the difference between Ads and articles. Multi colored text (sometimes in the same word!) as an attempt to place a bigger picture just doesn't work. I am not sure what their designers and layout guys studied, but my Biology degree taught me enough to not do that (actually, I think it was my High school diploma).

Ride it slide it jib it carve it ski it tele it....it just doesn't matter.
Have fun and see you on the hill

-Noah

[Jack Michaud]

Listen folks, I never said I was angry at anybody. I'm not even angry at TWS, it's a free country and if they can capitalize on an activity and give people jobs, then fabulous. I just think it's a pathetic magazine. I think it's a sad statement that TWS and their advertisers consider rail riding to be 440% more important than actually being able to ride your snowboard down the hill (in this issue anyway). I just do.

I also think that if you are a rippin' all around rider and you can stomp the rails with authority, then that only adds to your coolness in my book. Does it make you a better snowboarder? Sure, it helps your balance and requires skill. But if <i>all</i> you're concerned with is rails and tricks, well, you're not much of a snowboarder in my book. That's exactly what TWS is encouraging.

Sorry if this is against the rules.
-Jack

[Jon Dahl]

about the content change. Looked at my first issue of SBL last night. Had a few air pics, counting ads, but mostly actual snowboarders on, guess what, SNOW. Wow, what a concept!

[John Gilmour]

Considering what the vast majority of snowboarders do ..... just slide/bomb down the hill and carve.

I find it startling that a magazine would chose not to devote any Hardboot carving shots.

Certainly Skiing Magazine covers heli shots,teli, carving, cross country, air, rails etc....

So why should a snowboard mag deliberately decide to exclude its hard booting brethren. And might I remind those who have followed snowboarding for a long time- who was the most extreme snowboarder at one time? Damian Saunders who did multiple backflips off of kickers in.....gosh...hard boots. And shudder......also got huge air at the time in the pipe.

But hard boots are no good for the back country...they say???

Tell that to Tom Burt- winner of King of the Hill in Valdez Alaska.

IMHO one possible reason could be snowboardings major distrust for the ski industry- who at first embraced hard boot carving. They pushed their product on the early adopting ski areas. The snowboarding companies lashed out.

But who now are the players in the snowboard industry other than Burton?

I see K2, Rossignol, Salamon, and a host of other Ski companies hiding their ski persona behind other names. Original Sin, Nale, Hammer (Grand Chavin), Bond, Lizzard- (I started those for Blizzard) (of course some are defunct now)

The Irony- of course -is that Coiler, Prior, Donek, and other board companies that cater to the alpine community who have absolutely no connection to the traditional ski industry now carry this...This....LEGACY, of discrimination.

It's a crime- it shows great stupidity on the Magazines part.

They've forgotten why they disliked alpine in the first place- because of the ski companies that originally bore it. There was a time when "jumping" was discouraged on snowboards at resorts - I can show you the mags. (Wonder who benefited from pushing that through?)

I doubt any of them ever gave it a thought.

Most new snowboarders look to Alpine with curiousity and interest- particularly since the IOC has recognized it. Yet the Magazines still pretend Alpine is not snowboarding.


If Alpine snowboarding is not snowboarding then why ALL people say to me "Why is that Snowboard so thin?" Instead of "Wow, what a neat looking mono ski?" After all we wear hard boots and our bindings more closely look like telebindings than soft boot bindings.

Because- Alpine is still much more snowboarding than Skiing.
________
Help In Love (http://www.love-help.org/)

[Gecko]

Part of the TW problem is that they are based in SoCal...where every brat thinks he can be a Pro Skate/Snow Boarder a'la Shaun White...The odd thing is that RideBMX (I have raced and street-riden a 24"BMX cruiser since I abandoned MTB's to the technology race) hasn't been as effected by the TW effect as other sports. This could be because the "Core" BMX audience is spread out accross the US and SoCal doesn't have as much to exert it influence on...

As for the Future of Alpine and the Olympics...Remember BX is set to hit the next 5 ring circus next time , lets hope the Course design doesn't end up like something out of the Xgames downhill BMX(So dangerous that Pro's were getting very hurt)...I personally would like to see a (Paired maybe) (super) Super G replace Slalom but that's just because I have never really liked Slalom and I have always had dreams of Blazing down a mountain on a BIG BIG (+200CM) raceboard

[Jack Michaud]

Originally posted by John Gilmour
So why should a snowboard mag deliberately decide to exclude its hard booting brethren. It is obvious to me that TWS is directed at the 12-17 year old crowd (and college students of similar mentality) - people who have enough leisure time after school to read through 220+ pages of rubbish. I got a free subscription to Skiing mag by going to a Warren Miller movie and filling out a card. It's all of about 97 pages, and is a much much better read (although they still don't list ski radii in their reviews). Teens are way more concerned with what is "cool" and "extreme". Rails and pipe are cool and extreme, carving is a discipline, an art.

But is TWS merely reacting to public demand, or are they pushing an agenda - <i>telling</i> teens what is cool and extreme? You could probably write a master's thesis on that


Alpine is still much more snowboarding than Skiing.Hmm, maybe. I think the new school of carving skis are closer brothers to alpine snowboards than anything else. I've seen several pictures in Skiing of people carving their skis - and if you put your hand over their feet and ignore the poles, they look <i>a lot</i> like us.

As far as the old-guard hip wiggling swishy turn fall-line skiers (the people who <i>really</i> scrape all the snow off the hill!) are concerned, alpine snowboarders are no less despicable than their softbooter cousins, because they don't know how to deal with us on the trail, and we get in their way. So in that sense I agree we are more snowboarders than skiers. But not for long.
-Jack

[philw]

Hmm, I think I have about as much in common with your average side-slipping snowboarder as I do with your average snow-ploughing skier. I choose to ride with whoever is most competent; I don't care what tools they're using.

The clever bit with the magazines is that they circumnavigate the fact that most of their punters can't actually ride. Or talk to girls. I presume that the target demographic doesn't want their lack of skills in these areas highlighting.

I'd think that the skate-oriented magazines are unlikely to be the source of any changes. It's more likely to come from some back-country or other cross-over publication.

[glennmorton]

All in all Transworld is actaully pretty good at what they do. They cover the stuff that the majority of their customers care about, and sell a lot of issues. The dollar amounts rolling into these magazines from advertisers is huge. I work in the windsurfing industry and a full page colour ad does not come cheaper, and more expensive, a color 2 page spread. Personally, I pick it up and flick through it, rarely buy it since I can't really get excited about seeing rail, rail, rail,rail, more rail, more rail, rail, rail......but there are lot of people who do care, so props to TW for cashing in on it.

Glenn

[Neil Gendzwill]

Happened to have the March 1995 issue of TWS sitting here, open the front cover and what do you see - a 2 page spread ad from Burton, featuring Victoria Jealouse ripping a carve and looking fine. My how things have changed! For my money, the only magazines worth buying are Powder and Ski Canada.

[John Gilmour]

What I always found interesting about Alpine shots- other than the snow spray and the slice, was the expressions of the people carving at speed.

You saw intensity in their faces- even Victoria's "Angelic" face is blasting with intensity there.

I carve in soft boots - but I know I never get that intense look on my face unless I'm carving on a good alpine set up at speed.
________
MAGIC FLIGHT LAUNCH BOX (http://vaporizer.org/portable)

[Jack Michaud]

'95 was also the year Burton had a carver on the cover of its catalog. Actually there were two covers that year, one of a carver, one of your typical air shot. I don't know if it was just a dual cover year, or if they decided in late fall that they had picked the "wrong" picture for the cover.

Alpine is still much more snowboarding than Skiing.Actually now that I think about this a little more, I'll bet that many softbooters would consider twin-tip skis to be more hip than alpine snowboards.
-Jack

[Neil Gendzwill]

For my money, Victoria Jealouse has had some of the best photos of any rider, regardless of sex. I've had a centrefold from Snowboarder hanging in my office for years of her tearing it up down some 50 degree face in Valdez. She rawks!

[Mark Jeangerard]

Consider Formula One of the 50s - 80s. It has been described as "The worlds quickest drivers, in the worlds quickest cars, on the worlds fastest race tracks." Once upon a time it was. On paved closed circuits nothing in existence could beat an F1 car. Before over-commercialization men like Collin Chapman and Harvey Postlethwaite were designing cars that frightened brave drivers like Graham Hill and Keke Rosberg. Each designer, each driver, each team were in a desperate battle to out-do each other. Every race, someone would pull a miracle out of thin air and championship seasons would be driven by their own frenetic momentum. The sport, technology, and possibilities of what could be accomplished escalated because the stoke was on. Racing was exciting and the spirit of racing was maintained.

...for a limited time. Commercialism and the necessary mass media that follows destroyed F1 by way of forcing the sport to conform to the lowest common denominator. No longer was the conquest of speed the main focus, but rather, using the image of the conquest of speed to sell product was of utmost importance. One of the biggest money making products in the sport was the championship itself, and that activity had to conform to the expected image within the commonly accepted social guidelines of the generation, and at the same time, not displease the organizers or sponsors. The result is a formula that for all purposes is still the highest performing on earth, but far below its potential. And the *spirit* is lost... :-(

It is subtle, and to the uninitiated or even the casual to moderate follower the differences are all but invisible. But in here, in my heart, and the hearts of poor lost souls like Michael Schumacher - who had his natural purpose ripped from his existence by people who denied him the choice to take risks that he knows and they don't - the soul of F1 exists anywhere *but* in F1. What started as a contest to prove superiority in 1894, has become "Probably the worlds quickest drivers, in the worlds quickest cars (but still far, far below their potential), on the worlds most emasculated racing circuits." It is a mere shadow of its former self because it has been re-focused to appeal to a larger audience. It is no longer F1 but some surreal derivative thereof.

I see commercialized snowboarding in much the same way.

When I think of snowboarding I think of Craig Kelly. I think of giant mountains, sick speed, and the determination to conquer one's limitations and flow within the grace and awesome power of nature. I also think of riding at ski resorts and areas. By comparison, riding trees, steeps, powder, rocks, cliffs, groomers, rails, gaps, and trail hits within or close to the relative safety of ski patrol is still snowboarding, if on a somewhat less critical level. For me, snowboarding is not just a pastime though, it is a lifestyle, a spiritual quest... it is my purpose found and my sanctuary.

Where it becomes impure is at the juncture where commercialism excludes a part or parts of snowboarding in favor of that which will create the biggest sales. We are now beyond that point as is witnessed not only by the proliferation of rags like TWS but in the management of ski areas, organization and presentation of competitions, and in the mindset of the core support systems themselves such as manufacturers, shops, and introductory institutions.

For instance, the American Association of Snowboard Instructors not only dismisses the craft of 'carving', they are deliberately striking it from their curriculum. They are still teaching people to carve but the use of hard boots, plate bindings, and directional boards are officially described as archaic and inefficient. In the next manual ‘carving’ as we practice it will be ignored completely. Wha…? How…? Politics? Marketing? These are the guys that are supposed to be offering snowboarding to the masses. Rejecting such an integral part of snowboarding as ‘carving’ would seem to be sheer lunacy, unless snowboarding is not your primary concern. So, snowboarding is no longer snowboarding’s primary concern….

What I want to know is, where's the threat? Why shouldn't there be a world’s quickest auto racing series? Why shouldn’t we rejoice in all styles of snowboarding? Sure, I understand that you can’t put ‘carving’ on ESPN. How would you score it? But does everything we do have to revolve around the highest possible profit?

I believe all of us here have a kinship in the respect that we see snowboarding losing its soul in favor of mass appeal, and that is probably why the TWS syndrome bugs us so much - we will be the first to go.

At this point we are fortunate for people like Fin Doyle and Sean Martin, for they are our last hope, and unfortunately, maybe our last hoorah.

[Lowell Hart]

the American Association of Snowboard Instructors not only dismisses the craft of 'carving', they are deliberately striking it from their curriculum. They are still teaching people to carve but the use of hard boots, plate bindings, and directional boards are officially described as archaic and inefficient.

I've never seen a AASI description of hard boots as 'archaic and inefficient'. Where is that from?

[jlm27]

I'm wondering with Lowell...where does that description of alpine come from in AASI? I've read alot of their stuff and never seen that description. I've had beers with many of their examiners and members and never heard them put down alpine.
Also, how many of you have been laughed at and made fun of directly by kids in soft boots because of your gear? Just curious, because I've never seen it happen. They may not be informed about plates. At my local mountain, carvers get respect from the park kids. They respect our skills, and we respect theirs.
James

[corey_dyck]

Riding rails/jibbing never really appealed to me, even though I came to snowboarding from skateboarding. But, I have great respect for people that can do amazing stuff on rails, just as I respect people laying out beautiful carves all the way down the mountain. Personally, I'm now focusing my efforts on the carving side after spending many unsatisfying years learning aerial tricks.

You definitely do not need a mountain to snowboard! Just this weekend I was at a local resort with 350 feet of vertical. You can make a lot of carves from top to bottom with that little rise. It sure would be nice to have longer runs, but that simply isn't an option for me without a 12+ hour drive or a plane ride.

I will agree with everyone that TWS is a worthless magazine. I don't even have the urge to flip through it if I have to kill some time at a newstand. No content, just ads!

[kjl]

Gawd, that picture of Victoria Jealouse carving...
...like my crush on her wasn't bad enough already. Son of a biatch.

[Shred Gruumer]

I find transworld to be essentially a Maxim/FHM for snowboarders, which again is basically the male equivalent of Cosmopolitan/Vogue magazine

Vhat are you friggin nuts? I have learned more about america and how to survive from dis magazine alone! I mean they actually teach you how to do stuff, like blowing stuff up.... How to get even mit people, best chick bar advice...how to keep from getting fired!... man its endless!... Its the only magazine that has **** to read on every page! instead of just looking at pictures! and they keep doing it month to month!

I learned about all the parisites that live in ;your body and the worst wuns to get! .....Man so much interesting stuff,

Its loaded with the most street user advice money can buy! and the girls ain't bad either. Except now I expect every girl to look like that! What wrong with that!, I think they all should!

BTW FHM this month! Girls of the X-games,,,,,NiCE!:)

Finnally a magazine I read instead of all the pictures.. Every page filled with pure enjoyment!

your Straight right? :eek:

Right said Shred

[jason_watkins]

Also, how many of you have been laughed at and made fun of directly by kids in soft boots because of your gear?


"That's what you get for being gay" -- Screamed at a carver I was following by some kids on a lift chair after he fell. Made me chuckle...

[Mark Jeangerard]

Originally posted by jlm27
I'm wondering with Lowell...where does that description of alpine come from in AASI? I've read alot of their stuff and never seen that description. I've had beers with many of their examiners and members and never heard them put down alpine.

I've heard it three times from two different examiners in the context of official AASI clinics. On two occasions, each of them stated exactly that (and a bit more) to the entire clinic. The third time was in a private discussion on a chair. Again, during an official clinic.

Perhaps it is a case of examiners stating personal opinion instead of AASI policy, in which case I am mistaken.

One of them claimed to be instrumental in the design and philosophy of the new Snowboarding Manual. He told me to my face, and 7 other faces, that the "Y" model was to have one of the 3 arms removed. The carving arm. In that I am not mistaken.

But I hope things have changed.


Originally posted by jlm27
Also, how many of you have been laughed at and made fun of directly by kids in soft boots because of your gear? Just curious, because I've never seen it happen.

Me either.

[Lowell Hart]

Even though you heard this during an official AASI clinic, I don't think it is AASI policy to dismiss <I>any</I> aspect of snowboarding.

[Mark Jeangerard]

Originally posted by Lowell Hart
Even though you heard this during an official AASI clinic, I don't think it is AASI policy to dismiss <I>any</I> aspect of snowboarding.

Which is exactly why, if you can imagine, I find the idea so dark.

[John Gilmour]

Lowell Hart- just a short note to say thanks for the Book you wrote on snowboarding, btw which does not dismiss any aspect of snowboarding.

I've gotten at least 20 people to buy your book- which I'm sure is small compared to instructors that reccommend it. Your model of illustration and example in the book really hits the mark.

Please if you would, drop me a note at johngilmour@rocketmail.com I would be greatful for some advice on a project I am working on.
________
HEAD SHOP (http://headshop.net/)

[J Randy]

I’ve been involved in a few of the past manuals and AASI has nothing against hard boot riders and they certainly have nothing against carving. There will always be people that are short sighted and say things out place as it appears your examiners did. Hard boot riders make up a very small percentage of the snowboarding population, that in its self make them an easy target for people who like to give others grief. As AASI an examiner I never had a problem with riders on any kind of equipment; only when riders tried to use their equipment as an excuse for lack of skill. Ride what you like, don’t worry too much about what others think.
On the other hand, if you are an instructor, your mountain, supervisors, or cliental may suggest or even dictate what style of equipment you need to be on. I wouldn’t try and coach a high-end race client in soft gear any more than I would be involved in a halfpipe camp on a race set up.

[Helmut Karvlow]

Jack, counted all the pages? damn you should not have that much free time on your hands. Helmut.

[Mark Jeangerard]

Hey J

Thanks for the boost. I think we are in the same area, New Mexico, right? I get the feeling that NM is severely seperated from AASI influence. We have no mountain reps, I'm getting no newsletters, the website is less than helpful... I would really like to meet you on the snow and pick your brain. What AASI offers is of the greatest value to me, however, they have been a little short on delivery in my neck of the woods. At my area, no one has a solid view of what AASI is or what the latest trends are. I would love to learn more about how you are kept up to date.