Frank151 and Z Trip Tear Up Denver For SIA

Photos by Seth Hill, Bryan Redniss, Binky and www.mindlessphotos.com.

The SIA (Snowsports Industries of America) Tradeshow made its way to Denver, Colorado last weekend after a 35-year reign in Las Vegas. Of course there would still be the regular business of any tradeshow: industry leaders wooing retailers and showing off next year’s products, up-and-coming grassroots brands trying to get their foot in the door and media outlets of every shape and size there to cover it all. But one big question that was on a lot of people’s minds was, “Would it be as fun?” Luckily, Special Blend, Atmosphere Clothing and Frank151 were there to answer that question by hosting the best party of the weekend on opening night with DJ Z Trip at Beta Nightclub.

On Thursday, January 28th, Z Trip and his sidekick for the weekend Goldenchyld played to a packed house of both out-of-town SIA peeps and Denver locals for hours on end, juggling beats back and forth on four turntables and sending shockwaves of bass through Beta’s massive Funktion One speaker system. As one the best dance clubs in the country, Beta’s combination of stellar sound, sexy atmosphere and superb service always makes for a good night. Naturally there were some patrons who ended up getting kicked out and probably wouldn’t agree with that statement, but it wouldn’t really be a proper snowboard party without some form of debauchery. But those who managed to stay inside had an awesome time and Z Trip brought the bangers and fired up the crowd like no one else can.

Z-Trip’s Ride to Revolution

It always nice to see credit given where it’s due, and in DJ Z-Trip’s case, 2009 couldn’t have been more reaffirming. First he was approached by the developers of Activision’s DJ Hero video game (released in October) to create 3 exclusive tracks and consult on the game’s playability and design. He ended up as one of the game’s characters, and was even featured in a promo spot that aired during the 7th inning stretch of this year’s World Series! Then came the announcement that he had won the title of America’s Best DJ in a 6-month long online vote and 25 city nationwide tour held by DJ Times, the premier magazine for professional DJs. Paul Oakenfold presented him with the award (VIDEO HERE) and afterward the two celebrated by performing side-by-side. To top it all off, the high profile Las Vegas night club Rain at the Palms enlisted Z-Trip to take over the Saturday night slot left open by the late great DJ AM.

It’s not an easy thing to do, as DJ AM was loved and is missed by not only his fellow DJs like Z-Trip, but countless faithful partygoers. In a recent story on MTV.com, he expressed his concern over the subject, stating, “I want people to understand that I’m not filling his spot or his shoes…There’s no replacement for that person.” Dubbed “Z-Trip’s Revolution”, the weekly party also features artwork created exclusively for the club by Z-Trip’s close friend and sometimes touring partner Shepard Fairey, most well known for his 2008 “Hope” poster of Barack Obama. Randall Roberts from the LA Weekly was on hand for the opening last month and had the opportunity to battle Z-Trip in his hotel room one-on-one before the actual release of DJ Hero.

Frank151 + LikeMe Present The Launch

Burton’s “The B” Tour hits Denver

Burton’s “The B” Tour rolled through Denver on Thursday, October 8th to a packed Ogden Theater, as shreds from far and wide showed up to check out the latest film and meet some of Burton’s best pro riders. Halfpipe heros like Kevin Pearce, Danny Davis and Mason Aguirre (above) were on hand to sign autographs and help celebrate the start of another snowboard season in style. Heads were hyped for not only the screening of “The B”, but also the regional video “Think Positive”, featuring many of Colorado’s young up-and-coming riders.

The Ogden is home to hundreds of good events throughout the year.

South America Snow Sessions 2009: September

September is one of my favorite months of the year. Not only because of my Virgo birthday, but it’s also a special time weather-wise. Summer’s not quite over; Fall has not quite begun. It’s the perfect blend of seasons—the sun lingers around trying to hold on during the days while the nights are cool and comfortable. Of course, that’s in North America. In Argentina, it’s actually the opposite: while summer winds down and cold weather approaches in the States, winter is just about over and Spring is right around the corner. The storms bring in the snow followed by crystal clear bluebird days… ideal conditions for riding the big mountain terrain Argentina is famous for. Luckily this year, I decided to stick around for at least the first week of the month and was rewarded with the best days of the entire trip. SASS head guide Skylar Holgate knows about September all too well, and before leaving for Las Leñas showed me a few of his secret stashes at Cerro Catedral.

Unfortunately however, the trip claimed my camera in a strange loss at one of the hotels. Needless to say, I felt crippled without being able to document the rest of my days on the hill and about town. But I wasn’t about to be shut down completely; as I’ve said before, the iPhone does come thru in a pinch. It’s doesn’t exactly have the exposure capabilities to handle bright light on fresh snow, but it’s better than nothing. The last week was spent hiking all over Laguna, Cerro Catedral’s picturesque back bowl, nailing fresh turns, little chutes and cliff drops all around. The best line though was actually off the backside, through a 2000+ vertical foot couloir filled with light, fluffy, shaded powder.

South America Snow Sessions 2009: The Parties

There are a few undeniable facts when it comes to Argentina. One is people LOVE to party. Whether it’s enjoying an après Quilmes after a full day of shredding at the bottom of the hill, a glass of Malbec from one of the countless wineries in Mendoza at dinner, or Fernet and Coca at the crazy dance club all night long, Argentineans know how to live life and show it everyday with social events and smiles. SASS knows this full well and encourages all of our adult campers to take full advantage of the festive atmosphere. So far sessions 2 and 3 have been off the hook with many wild nights in and around town.

One of the biggest surprises of the summer was a very special guest appearance by international superstar DJ Z Trip. Z Trip came down to get his shred on with the SASS crew and blessed us with a once-in-a-lifetime set at Mute at the base of Cerro Catedral, our local mountain. Z Trip came thru like a rhino, mashing up hip hop and rock and roll in his trademark style like Argentina has never heard before. SASS took over the dance floor until the wee hours of the morning while a few confused local dudes simply stared in disbelief.

South America Snow Sessions 2009: The Journey

South America Snow Sessions is in full effect right now—we’ve just hit session three and winter has returned with a vengeance! The freezing levels dropped and almost a meter of new snow has fallen in the last week, setting up ideal snow conditions for the new round of campers. To experience riding epic powder in August, the first step of coming to SASS is embarking on the long journey to Argentina.

At over 6,000 miles from North America, SASS’ homebase in San Carlos De Bariloche is literally half way around the world. Hop on a plane from your town to any major hub in the US and 9-10 hours later you can watch the sunrise over Buenos Aries, the largest metropolitan center of the county.

Shakedown At The Border

Last weekend the Ride Shakedown took place at Mont Saint Sauveur in Quebec, Canada. Previously known as the Empire Shakedown, Ride recently took over title sponsorship of the long running event from Montreal’s biggest snowboard shop, with plans to possibly expand the event to the US in the future. But for now, the contest is still in Canada, which means it’s extra hard for me attend. But after hearing the rumors of the good times to be had for years, this time I took a shot at my own personal “shakedown” which happens every time I cross the Northern Border, without fail.

If you’ve never been to Canada before, then you probably don’t know what I’m talking about. For some reason, Canadians don’t like Americans. At all. In fact, I would go so far as to say they hate us. I don’t know if they hate our gun policies or what, but whatever the case, Canada is one of the hardest countries in the world to visit. At least for me, anyway. Sure, there’s been the occasional wave through at the border when I drive to Whistler (inside tip: bring a hot chick), but nine out of ten times it’s one rubber glove short of a full cavity search.

Wolf Creek We Go Hard

Colorado has many resorts, each with their own flavor and personality. Aspen is home to great parks and pipes at Snowmass and steep terrain at The Highlands. Vail has back bowls and lifts galore spread across thousands of acres. Summit County has a huge contest and party scene. But if you’re looking for just good ol’ fashioned snowboarding with none of the bells and whistles, the best place for pow in CO is Wolf Creek Pass. One of the last “mom and pop” style resorts left in the country, Wolf Creek is no frills shredding at its finest. No gondolas, no condos and no paid parking garages… just snow, and plenty of it.

If you check out this site at all, surely you’ve read about Wolf Creek many times in the past. It’s been blogged about before: Here, Here and Here, just to name a few. And that’s because Wolf Creek gets the most snow in the state. Period. While everyone else sits high and dry, Wolf Creek Pass sucks in the storms coming in from the West and hogs all the moisture. And that’s just fine with me; I’d rather drive 4 1/2 hours from Denver to ride epic pow with nobody around than sit in 1-70 traffic for at least 3 hours with 10,000 other kooks that track out the 4 inches at whatever crowded resort you choose to ride that day in 30 minutes. Get the point?