Ski Press World Inc. - Index

Ski Press World Inc. - SIA Day 3 - Index

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“SIA is art,” or so says RSN’s Drew Simmons. Wander through the snowboard
booths in the halls and you might indeed feel like you’re in an art gallery.
Big, wide snowboards are natural canvases, and they’ve become billboards for
dynamic, often urban artists. It’s just part of the spirit of snowboarding — instead
of corporate logos, topsheets have become a space for creative expression. Here
are some of the best designs we saw on the fl oor. — DOUG SCHNITZSPAHN
LIB TECH T.RICE
Artist Mike Parillo spent a month riding in New Zealand with Travis Rice and fasting for
10 days while envisioning this board that represents the rider’s planet-sensitive ethos as
well as that of Lib Tech. The company has been walking the green walk for years, and
the topsheet of the board is built from ecologically friendly bio-bean material.
BITCHBOARDS AIRE
San Diego ad wiz Alex Masterson designed
these boards to fi t the “bitch niche,” which
she defi nes as women with class, style sense
and real jobs who like to get out and ride
a few days every year. They feature hi-res
photography blown up to fi t the boards.
Masterson’s favorite ride, the Aire, features
a trippy, fresh topsheet made by dropping
red food coloring in water.
ROME SDS ARTIFACT
“Our reps were nervous about this board design,
but we ran it by focus groups of retailers in four
cities, and they loved it,” says Rome SDS cofounder
Josh Reid. Designed by in-house artist
Michael Paddock, it features peepshow graphics
with a perfect mix of steeze and sleaze. A scratchcard
graphic reveals a lingerie-wearing lady, but
a special run of boards for shop kids will feature
a nude girl.
Paul Maravetz,
Rome
Alex Masterson,
BitchBoards
Pete Saari,
Banana Lib Tech
PALMER HALO
“There’s a robot drama going on here, “ says
Nebraska-based mixed media artist Carrie
Masters, who painted the broken-heart-androbot
scene on this board. “This yellow robot
was betrayed.”
Masters was
on hand in
the Palmer
booth painting
boards live
on Tuesday.
Carrie Masters,
Palmer
Dyer, Pierce and
Bennett to Receive
OIWC Awards
Lynsey Dyer and Vanessa Pierce will receive the
Pioneering Woman Award (PWA) for outstanding
mentorship.
Lynsey, a professional freeskier, and Vanessa,
Features Editor for Ski Racing magazine, founded
SheJumps.com to inspire and provide financial
support to female snow athletes.
Sarah Bennett will receive the First Ascent Award
for her extraordinary vision and superior leadership
qualities. “Working in action sports has liberated
me,” says the Global Supply & Planning Analyst for
Burton Snowboards. “I am able to be 100% Sarah,
with no apologies for being competitive, driven
and athletic.”
Both awards will be presented by Outdoor Industries
Women’s Coalition at the Snow Lounge in the
Mandalay Bay Conference Center, room Palm H on
Thursday from 5:30-7 pm. — SUSAN SCHNIER
US Ski Team, SIA
To Honor Volkl,
Marker, Tecnica
SIA and the US Ski Team handed out hardware
named after a man instrumental in the success of
both organizations. Doc DesRoches, who died in
2003, was a pioneer in forming and leading SIA
for nearly two decades and developed the US Ski
Team’s early fundraising efforts. The fi fth annual
Doc DesRoches Award for innovation in featuring US
Ski Team athletes in a unique national promotional
campaign went to Volkl, Marker and Tecnica.
The ski-racing suppliers’ won for a poster featuring
US Ski Team women strutting like bad girls down
the street in Government Camp, Oregon while the
men’s team watches.
“This poster was a stunning example of how partners
can create a great image around our exciting, young
US Ski Team athletes,” said US Ski Team President
and CEO Bill Marolt. — DS