Quite A Sight Over Denver Tonight

Another one from twitter, had to post this pic: Colorado summer sunset, it’s a good one tonight.

Back in Brooklyn

If you like graffiti, There’s No Place Betta…

Shepard rules the art world.

DC Artist Projects™ Arkleon Portland Release Party

Photos courtesy of Natasha Figueroa for Ace Hotel

DC shoes recently threw a release party for the latest Artist Projects™ shoe, the Arkleon at the newly opened Ace Hotel in Portland, Ore. A collaboration between Portland based artist Michael Leon and Arkitip Magazine, the Arkleon is a limited edition mid top sneaker that is also featured in SNOWBOARD Issue 3.1.

Many local artists and sneaker heads turned out for the party, which included custom artwork by Michael Leon (left) and free Sessions beer for the thirsty crowd.

Ace Hotel’s Natasha Figueroa and DC’s Suzy Way.

Me and DC’s Cristina Kown.

Always tip your bartender, especially if the beer’s free.

Sneakers and vaporizers…what a perfect combination!

Art is cool.

P-Town locs.

DC’s Damon Way and Dave Allen, Bass player of Gang of Four.

Damon Way thought it was funny when I went up to him and asked him if there was anyone there from DC. Yeah…only one of the founders of the whole company! It was good to finally meet him and everyone else who works hard to get the Artist Projects™ shoes developed. Thanks to www.dcshoes.com and Ace Hotel for a great time, and look for the next DC shoe designed by legendary shoe customizer Methamphibian.

ir77 World Premiere in Portland

The World Premiere of ir77, the new movie/book project by Lukas Huffman and Jess Gibson went down last Friday night in Portland, OR. One of the most anticipated snowboard films this year, ir77 chronicles the winter exploits of some of the best riders in the world, including Lukas Huffman himself. Instead of the usual bar or theatre, this premiere took place in a dimly lit loft space located in an industrial warehouse district on the east side of Portland. A perfect spot for the nouveau hipster Portland crowd, the raw-ish loft space was decorated with tea light candles, live foliage and pages from the book plastering the 25-foot high walls.

The urban ambiance set the stage for a different kind of snowboard film—one maybe just a little smarter. Just arty enough—without being over the top.

Walking into the loft space was a surreal experience, and I knew right away that this was an event not to be missed. All preconceptions of a usual evening were laid to rest once inside the warehouse, as the serenity and sense of cool that the room afforded automatically heightened the overall experience and expectations of the film. Soon enough, the room was filled with hundreds of Portland’s most interesting and talented members of its prevalent creative community. Artists, designers, filmmakers and even snowboarders gathered around the makeshift bar, eagerly awaiting the first showing of ir77.

As Lucas and his brother Jesse calmly let the anticipation build, the crowd mixed and mingled while bartenders tried to keep up. All the usual suspects began to arrive like the Portland official struggling artist crew: Pinski, Neefus and Taylor. DDC intern extraordinaire Eric Lovejoy was there too—free for a couple months while Draplin gets his Fall Tour out of the way. SNOWBOARD cover boy/contributor/Kits model and all around supporter Jesse Grandkoski was in the mix, and we quickly retired to a dark corner for a little safety meeting. It’s always good to take certain safety precautions—just in case.

Wille Yli Luoma surveying the crowd.

Scotty the Body showed up with a old friend, both born and raised in nearby Brightwood. That’s Mt Hood local staus forildo.

Darrell Mathes and Jesse Huffman.

Soon the crowd began to drift toward the big screen, artistically affixed to a section of the massive concrete walls with gaffer’s tape. After making my own VIP section by moving some chairs and a table front and center, I patiently waited for the movie to start with while I argued with some girl about how Riverdale doesn’t count as the Bronx (different story). When the film finally came on, all eyes turned to the screen and visions of winter slowly crept back into the crowd’s mind.

The movie begins with a few phone calls to Lucas and his crew, showing every shredder’s dream: The early morning pow report. It wastes no time skipping to clips of waist deep powder turns and face shots galore, as the film tells the tale of the generous snowfall that the NW was blessed with last season.

I could go on and on about the details of the film, but I’d rather leave it a mystery for you to discover for yourself. ir77 is a beautifully shot, skillfully edited visual and audio masterpiece that effectively conveys what it means to be a snowboarder—and the book it accompanies no doubt provides even more insight into these riders lives. It truly is a work of art, and recommended viewing for the upcoming snowboard movie season.

After the film however, the observational crowd quickly dispersed and all that was left was the real snowboarders. You know, the ones that never leave a party. Booze mixed with music always equals the same results: A crunked-out dance floor. This party was no exception. Laura Hadar and friend putting in their time.

Boozy McMathes, sporting a Mary’s shirt. That P-Town love fo ya right there.

Karli Foster=Troublemaker.

Thank you and goodnight. For more info, check out the official Press Release:

ir77 was started by professional snowboarder Lukas Huffman as an effort to tell a story about the raw passion in snowboarding. A story that includes powder landings, high fives, and laughter, but also includes the frigid mornings, broken bones, and frustrations. We all love snowboarding for the rush and the feeling of accomplishment that we get, but it is in the challenging and heartbreaking moments that the real love of snowboarding exists. ir77 explores and celebrates the entire experience.

Both the ir77 book and movie are a result of a global network of photographers, cinematographers, artists, and riders. They have all been asked to submit work, comments, and ideas about five specific themes in snowboarding. The five themes are Anticipation, Dedication, Stories, Pain, and Exhilaration. This process is an effort to create a group project that represents many perspectives from snowboarders all over the world. The book and movie will be available late summer 06′

Produced by: Lukas Huffman Pro Snowboarder
Directed by: Jess Gibson of Robot Food

For more information, check out www.ir77book.com

More from Lukas Huffman and ir77.

Click to view teaser for ir77.