Josh Cohen of the Faction Collective walks you through the 2010-11 line, and talks a little KISS.
January, 2010
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SIA: The Faction Collective
Sunday, January 31st, 2010
One Question with Mike Nick
Saturday, January 30th, 2010Mike Nick is a busy man. With an army of middle-aged shop owners waiting to ask what “the kids” will be wearing, and a couple kegs that just got rolled in–we only had time for one question.
Now that you’re all super pumped (or really bummed) on that news, check out all the Day 2 photos on our Facebook.
Photos, Photos, Photos!
Friday, January 29th, 2010Free hotel wifi kicks ass! BUT it doesn’t kick that much ass, and so my image uploader won’t work. Sorry, but they’re all on our Facebook for your perusing pleasure.
We’ve got big plans for today, and there will be a few video tours of the skis we deem good enough to be worth our time. Thus far the highlights include ORAGE MAKING A TIGHT PANT, a Causwell baselayer they claim is made from bamboo, and a case of mistaken identity where Chris and I thought we were meeting JP Auclair (we weren’t).
Today we’re aiming for some footage of the 2011 gear from Holden, LibTech, Trew, and whoever we else isn’t a dick (like the dude at Sessions who called us “impolite”).
That's a tapered men's pant from a ski company son!!!
So We’re at SIA
Thursday, January 28th, 2010I landed around two, got a shuttle to a relatively sketchy part of town, and then walked my ass to the Convention Center. It’s my first SIA, so I’m not jaded yet, and it was pretty damn cool. Although, the snowboarding booths attract way more specimens of the female sex.
I know you are only here for the photos, so here they are. I promise more details tomorrow, but for now you’ll have to bask in some pure new product porn (cheap porn at that).
This bear likes the new skis.
Icelantic
Josh Malczyk and the Wacky Waving Arm Inflatable Tube Man.
The Stepup..and the Afterbang.
Surface sticks.
Fortitude skis. More on that later.
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- This bear likes the new skis.
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- Fortitude skis. More on that later.
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- All mountain ski? I think? I promise we’ll be better tomorrow.
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- Icelantic
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- Josh Malczyk and the Wacky Waving Arm Inflatable Tube Man.
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- The Stepup..and the Afterbang.
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- Surface sticks.
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- Boronowski’s new topsheets.
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- Ninthward Harlaut Pro
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- Chris cheesin’ with LJ
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- Faction
The RMU Skis Interview
Wednesday, January 27th, 2010SIA is fast approaching, and here at BroBomb we’re kicking off our event coverage with an interview with Mike Waesche of RMU Skis. Mike is a Summit County local, and his special-order-only boards are making waves in the crowded pool of independent ski manufacturers.
Check back over the coming days as we take a good look at what RMU and some other companies have in store for ’10-’11.
BroBomb: Hey Mike, thanks for taking time out to chat with us. You guys just got back from a few days on the road right? What’d you get into?
Mike Waesche: Thanks, Chris. I’m stoked for the opportunity.
Yea, we were down in SOCO for a few days, started out in Telluride, then headed to Silverton. It snowed two feet over night in Telluride, and Silverton received over 50 inches…to say the least: Epic.
Was that trip business, pleasure, or both….and more importantly will we be lucky enough to see any footage?
That there is the grey area…who would of thought skiing powder could be a tax write off!? We are working on a new edit to show off our new pow ski, the Professor, and it should be up around the 15th of this month.
The Professor. RMU’s powder whip. Early rise, and 122mm underfoot.
Oh, the wonders of capitalism…How did RMU come to be? Who are the key players?
RMU was the search for a better way, it was about the product. My good buddies Chris, Ocho, and Alex were all down for the cause from day one. I think Ocho’s exact words were, “Drink beer and build skis?…I’m in”.
Know Your Roots: Julien Regnier
Tuesday, January 26th, 2010
Why is Julien Regnier the Ultimate Badass?
- He landed a 360 mute at the Nagano Olympics in 1998.
- Illegally did cork sevens in mogul comps.
- Did the first flair, as seen by JP Auclair.
- Designed one of the first twin-tip skis, the “Pow Air.”
- One of the 1st skiers to go switch off backcountry jumps.
- One of the first to throw critical rodeos.
- Invented the double japan.
- Original Armada team member.
- Editor for Poor Boyz.
- Co-creator of UP1 series (classic).
- Designed the Armada ”JJ.”
- Designed the Red Bull Linecatcher event.
Sickest Japan Ever!
Julien Regnier is probably your favorite skier’s favorite skier. He single-handedly influenced more aspects of the sport than almost anyone. This past week, Anthony Boronowski mentioned him and JP as the skiers he watched growing up. With Ant and JP, Julien created the UP1 series, which was such a refreshing dose of fun at a time when ski films took themselves very seriously (imagine that). If he were given the money, he would create the greatest ski film ever, and that’s a fact. I guess there are those who would disagree; even as an original team member and trendsetter, he found himself orphaned by Armada this year. It’s a sad story, but dry those nostalgic eyes and check his new sponsor- Black Crows Skis. Seems like a perfect fit for the legend and his imagination.
Watch this “mixtape” edit of Julien in PBP films like The Game, Propaganda, Happy Dayz, and WAR, and witness why Julien is no doubt the most underrated founding newschool skier. Then, be sure to check out Julien’s other edits on his Vimeo page. Especially the “Yeah Dude” edit, that shows him absolutely destroying BC pillow lines.
Real Deal Review: Orage LTD
Monday, January 25th, 2010We had an absolute blast testing this suit. There’s something to be said for trying to destroy the fancy new setup you just got in the mail. Most questions you may have about this kit will be answered by pressing play on the video below, but this suit has some sexy little details that aren’t immediately apparent in a little embedded screen. I especially like the little zipper-pull shovels. I’m a sucker for bells and whistles.
Sage Does 3’s Off Cliffs. TGR Goes Wild!
Friday, January 22nd, 2010I’m very new to the TGR forum experience, putting me on pace to be a respected member about five years after my death. They’re a rough bunch over there, but there’s one surefire way into their hearts: sponsor Sage Cattabriga-Alosa. The dude is their Wallisch, Tanner, and Dumont all rolled into one. Therefore, the following press release comes as no major surprise. Let’s just hope that Scott throws similar money at Level 1 for their new boy wonder- Tom Wallisch.
TGR announces Atomic as its new premium ski sponsor.
Real Deal Review: Steamboat
Thursday, January 21st, 2010As an East Coast boy, Steamboat always seemed to me to be the epitome of a Warren Miller segment from the early 90’s. Picture it- an opening shot with a pair of cowboys riding horses with skis on their back, a bunch of little kids getting towed down Main Street by some other cowboy into a kicker. Then there’s the four minute montage with lots of bump skiing closeups and Billy Kid destroying tree sections while somehow managing to keep a cowboy hat with a silver and turquoise broach on the front secured to his head. Countless ads from old SKI magazines that I read in the dentist’s office showed Steamboat’s front side stocked with thousands of moguls glowing in the pinkish dawn sun. It always somehow suggesting that a) people go on vacation to ski moguls, and b) no one on the East Coast knew what powder was or wanted to ski it. Needless to say, I wasn’t really sure what I’d be getting when I visited the ‘Boat this December, days away from 2010 and at least ten years since I’d seen a Warren Miller movie (by the way, middle fingers in the air to the Bonnier Corporation!).
Sundown Express, scene of literary & spiritual investigation for the duration of the stay.
Talking with Anthony Boronowski
Wednesday, January 20th, 2010Anthony Boronowski doesn’t need much of an introduction. As one of the founding Armada shreds, Anthony laid it down to “Blue Collar Man” in Session 1242, and has had a cult following ever since. One of the first skiers to spin both ways and the first to take that diversity to the backcountry, Anthony has been pushing the sport from all angles throughout his career. Whether as a backcountry slayer, founder of skiing’s first arthouse brand, Joystick, a practiced painter, film producer, and aficionado of pictures of bicycles, Anthony has always redefined what it means to be a skier.
Thanks to the e-communication powers of the internet, we were able to sit down with Anthony to talk about the big moves he’s been making recently.
photo: Jason Eichorst
BroBomb: So you just made the move to Surface. What prompted that?
Anthony: There were a lot of things which went into this move. I’ve always been a fan of Surface, and at this point everything seemed to fit. Surface is doing great things, what they were doing with their brand and how they approach skiing resonated with me and I wanted to be a part of that.
Was this something you’d been thinking about since the Hot Lunch days?
Not really, when we filmed Hot Lunch I was really content with Armada.
How did you leave it with Armada?
It’s good. I rode for Armada for a long time and we’re all friends. There’s no hard feelings.
What level of involvement are you going to have with Surface?
I’m doing 2 signature design skis for them. They’ll be released at SIA in the end of January, and on the shelves next September. Aside from skiing, I’ll be involved in ski design and direction. At this point I’m just starting with them, and since its a young brand who’s open to new ideas I’m sure I’ll be involved on many levels. I’m just not sure which ones yet.
Will we be seeing as much of your artwork on Surface product as we did at Armada?
I would say more.
Now that you’ve moved to Surface, where do you see them fitting in among the growing number of independent brands?
I don’t really see Surface as fitting in among the other young brands out there. I think they’re making better skis, with a better direction. They have the people to make the brand a major player in the industry, and are putting the pieces in place to do so.
Does the move to Surface feel like changing to a much smaller company after Armada?
Yes and no. Armada is really much smaller than many people envision, there’s a few core people who make things happen and that’s all there with Surface so that feels the same. In terms of recognition of the brand, like people on the hill and such, it feels much smaller. Surface is still gaining recognition with the common skier.
Outside of Surface and Joystick, who else are you skiing for this year?
Under Armour, Full Tilt Boots, Whistler/Blackcomb, Evo.
