Archive for the “ISPO08” Category

There is no reason to do an ISPO Battle as Rough snowboards is one of our favorite brand! For sur they’ll have won it
Small company, true spirit, quality board’s construction and fabulous designs…We’ve met them on their booth during ISPO 08 and brought you back this set of pictures. Check it out!

We are wrapping it up with our ISPO[battles]. Maybe a few more to go but that’s about it.
Today it’s Salomon versus Sapient. Don’t ask us why we choose to oppose these 2 brands, we can’t even remember.
Ah yeah, maybe coz both brands have really ultra gnar boards graphics, and that their booths where exploding with colors.
At Salomon we really were impressed by the base graphics with extensive use of die-cut. Along the Relay bindings, the Arnie 501 are really dope with their Levi’s jean feeling. Salomon was also awarded for their new Sick stick board concept based on an entirely re-usable bamboo core.
On Sapient’s side, it’s all about board graphics and and improved offer of bindings and boots so that you can rip it up and look good.
Enjoy the pics!

ICON Snowboards - or Immortal Cowboys Of North - was officialy founded in Helsinki, Finland in the year 2000. The main idea behind Icon was to form a truly rider driven snowboard brand from Finland. Through the years Finnish riders have been known worldwide for their incredible high level of riding skills and still today many of the best riders in the world are owning a finnish passport. ICON Snowboards was founded to reflect everything that Finnish snowboarding stands for: high performance, quality and style.

In times where big sport supermarkets paralize evolution with their housebrands, while copying what the riders on the very front have created, where profit driven mass market suppliers send only graphic files to huge factories to flood the market with low price clones made in the same open moulds dozens of other brands in that league are using, Amplid, as a truly rider owned brand, stands up in the face of this sell out and fights by shouting our main ethos: create the best performing product from the best materials.

Two independent, rider-driven, snowboard brands for this new ISPO[Battle].
Check the pictures and pick you winner. For us both are dope!

Ah ah! Always funny to go for a fratricide ISPO[battle]!
Gnu vs. LibTech, sister brands for a head-to-head encounter!
It sunday we are out riding, so we’ll let you decide for yourself how to split them.
Just check out the pics. What we recall for sure is that you couldn’t miss on the yellow banana flavor on the LibTech/Gnu booth. Saw some pretty sick “Narrow Ass Snowboards” too - that’s skis in LibTech language - with magne-traction por favor.

Time for a new ISPO[battle], this time between two Swiss brands: the legendary Nidecker vs. the old new-comer Hammer.
Nidecker has been on the eurosnowboard scene since ever, producing quality boards season after season and focusing on developing new techs. This year they even introduce a little fun, color and originality in their range with an arty program and a “random base” eco-friendly board.

Hammer is an independent brand since two years now and has turned Swiss in the process. Hammer has the particularity to be the first snowboard brand producing skis! And not the other way round!
But the last snow-less winter has caused many damages and what a disappointment to see that they’ve introduced racing skis and even an alpine ski boot in their range !!
We were just wondering how is it possible to keep the spirit of the brand while playing on both extreme? Will they ask Sylvain Monney to shred rails with alpine skis and boots ? Could be fun anyway…
Nevertheless, thanks to Jean-Michel Rodot and Rossignol’s factory plant, design and boards stay on the top!

As we are on the Swiss territory the result can’t be anything else than a draw

Don’t misunderstand us! These two European brands rock!

Again we are not opposing Imperium and Forum because their name end in “ummm”
No we thought it was judicious to put those 2 brands face-to-face because we believe they have - or had really - similar values.
If you remember, when Forum arrived on the scene with the input of Peter Line, it was THE brand with THE sickest team ever. Forum edited a couple of team videos which will remain snowboarding milestones.
Sadly, Forum has lost a bit of it’s feeling these past years and as everybody knows it is now part of Burton.
They are focusing on rebuilding a strong team though and benefit from Burton’s kon-how to produce quality boards, boots and bindings.
Now Imperium is somewhere like Forum was at the beginning: a fresh brand, rider driven by Demir Julia, with strong values and image and a siick team of European riders!
Staying true to their style and lifestyle, the Imperium legions are preparing an impressive battle for 2008/09. The board range has drastically increased, and solid bindings have arrived.
The Imperium booth was massive as well, with of course a strong roman image.
At the beginning of the season, when we were focusing on “small brands with a soul” we clearly stated that we digg Imperium - and we will continue to support Demir and his crew whatever happens

The man Danny Kass is riding Union bindings and he looks stocked about it!
Danny is holding out the Union Data binding on this pic.
Union really have the styliest bindings out there!
Sick looking, and really tech, with machined baseplates, injected EVA dampening, huge spoilers and magnesium heelcups.
Joni Makinen who is the new Marketing guru at Union Company for Europe send us hero pics of 3 top bindings of the range.

Joni had this to say about them:

Force, this binding is the team’s favorite.

The “Contact” is a new binding on the line. This binding has only “19% BINDING-TO-BOARD CONTACT”, because of this the board flex evenly, giving you improved board control and durability.

And something for the ladys, the Trilogy.

Click for super quality pics!

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Two of the most creative and arty brands out there, Capita and Artec are focusing on creative snowboarding thanks to creative individuals.
Both brands are the brainchilds from over-talented and respected ex pro-riders: Blue Montgomery for Capita and Blaise Rosenthal for Artec.
Both brands design boards inspired by various forms of art, blended with tech.
Both brands rely on their individualities to encourage kids to follow a path towards artistic and athletic expression.
We like and have to much respect for both to declare a winner. We just believe these are two of the best brands out there.

It doesn’t seem fair to compare Roxy with Elan Chicas, but honestly we didn’t have a better opponent for Roxy.
Quiksilver’s sister is really hitting strong on the girly market and - if we are not mistaken - is the only 100% pure girl snowboard brand.
In the clothing dept, Roxy has to face opposition from lots of brands, including our favorite Nikita. But on the board side, not many contenders. Ok every brand has boards for women, but I can’t recall any pure girl board brand at the level of Roxy (Bitch snowboards maybe in the US? or Sabrina snowboards in Japan?).

So we had to pick a brand developping a strong “women” section in their range, and we went for Elan Chicas because we believe they are the best opponents for this new ISPO[battle] girl style!

Roxy had a huge booth and some of their team rider on stage to present the range.
Roxy also take advantage of all the available techs from LibTech so features magnetraction and impressive topsheets on some decks.
Elan Chicas however have nothing to be ashamed off! Their boards look good, are super tech - elan trademark - and the Trinity is making a name for herself.

However we give the win to Roxy, because our beloved Basa was there to reprezent

The iDiom collection as well as Mark XIII and B for Burton, are Burton’s super high-end, trendy, limited collections!
To get a fresh look at their new products for 2008/09 at ISPO, first you had to find the small and cosy booth specially dedicated to those collections and then had to use some charm to take pics of them!
Here you go! More hot stuff from the BrOs!

Oh and by the way, Burton is now the owner of skate brands Alien Workshop, Habitat and Reflex. Snow, Surf, Skate, bra.

New ISPO[battle], between two young and strong american brands, image-wise and team rider wise.
StepChild, who added JP Walker to it’s already impressive team is growing good momentum around its name.
O-matic brand child of Todd Richards just got Hampus Mossesson on board and is also extending its reach.

Just check out our slideshow below to discover the new 2008/09 products from those 2 brands.
From our point of view, the battle goes to StepChild because their board design looks rad, their team is sick, and we love their booth…so disorganised and basic that we were really feeling that this was a true core brand. No need for fake style. Action speaks louder than word.

Rome and Bataleon are two of the most promising brands out there and it’s a real pleasure and head ache to put them face-to-face!
The American Rome is rider driven and has the strongest rock’n'roll style and spirit. Really core.
The European Bataleon is exploding on the scene with innovation and supa strong modern pop style.
Both brands are approx. 5-6 years old and have matured and found their spot in the market.

Concerning gear, Rome is really boosting it’s range and offers boards, boots and bindings, and they are releasing their outerwear range.
Bataleon is not to that standard yet even thought they have clearly progressed year after year, step by step. The design of the Evil twin is so good that for us it will be THE board of 2008/09 that everybody will remember so 1 point each.

Techwise, nothing particular to report. The triple base tech from Bataleon is their standard but it’s not an innovation for next year. So on tech we also give 1 point each. 2 - 2.

What about the booth animation and look?
Well on this one Bataleon is a clear winner. Man, you couldn’t miss the YELLOW, the aesthetic of structure, and the SMILEY. Bataleon is defining new strong tendencies on the scene and that’s appreciated. Don’t follow, lead!
Rome of course is true to it’s hard core rock style, but both K2 and Volcom where on the same theme and pushing 10 times more.
therefor it’s 3 - 2 for Bataleon!

And there’s our bonus point and yes we are bitches!
Bataleon is backing us this year, and we are proud to ride their boards and wear their gear so 1 more point for Bataleon!

Final score: 4 - 2 YEAH FOR IT!