Top Snowboarders Face Off in Travis Rice's Supernatural at Baldface, B.C. (Video)

By Samantha Cook

Starting today, 18 of the world’s top snowboarders will face off in the inaugural Red Bull Supernatural Contest, a competition unlike any before. Snowboarder Travis Rice, one of our 2012 Adventurers of the Year, has created his dream playground designed to determine the best snowboarder on the planet.

Located in the backcountry of Canada’s Baldface Lodge, the heli-access-only 2,200-vertical-foot “Scary Cherry” run has been enhanced with more than 80 man-made features that took Rice and his crew five months to build. The course is designed to test a wide range of skills such as navigation and the ability to ride natural terrain as well as overcome challenging man-made obstacles. The daylong competition will run sometime between today and February 8 to ensure the event takes place under the best possible weather conditions.

“Inspiration for the course design came from nature, straight up, and the crazy features that I’ve seen people ride,” said Rice. “Also, some inspiration came from what they are able to do with mountain biking courses, like building stuff through the trees. There’s no limit to what is possible with a little creativity and some will.”

Rice himself is known for his creative moves. In his film The Art of Flight, he and his friends performed breathtaking snowboard feats in previously uncharted terrain. Now with a course of his own design, Rice seeks to inspire competitors to show off their own ingenuity. His ultimate goal for the competition? “To crown the best, most well rounded snowboarder in the world.”

Gear Crush: Ladies, Here's Your Splitboard - Solution, Jones Snowboards

"From day one, the women have been screaming and yelling, 'Where’s our stuff?' And we’ve taken notice," said Jeremy Jones, who we recently interviewed about his snowsports alliance Protect Our Winters (POW) (follow POW on Facebook for informing and entertaining posts). "It’s really common to see a lot of women in the backcountry freeriding," he noted. "Women don’t have the as much as of a need to be in the park learning a new trick like a lot of men do. Women are much more comfortable with cruising the whole mountain and enjoying that aspect of snowboarding."

Thanks for noticing, Jeremy.

In fall 2012, Jones Snowboards will release three women's boards, including one splitboard, the Solution. It probably goes without saying that the construction and materials are identical to their men's boards, but the sidecut, flex, length, and waist width have been tuned to benefit a lighter, smaller rider. 

We admit, the Solution's Arctic Ocean map design drew us in like a magnet at Outdoor Retailer in Salt Lake City last week. Made for the complete big-mountain, trail-breaking backcountry experience, the early rise tip and tail will float on top even on the deepest powder days. Meanwhile the Mallow Magna traction on the inner and outer edges will keep you in control even on ice. It's identical to the Mothership, just split. Retailing for about $800, the Solution quickly pays for itself since you won't be buying a lift ticket. 

Jones Snowboards will have three women's boards are the Mothership, Solution, and Twin Sister this fall. Roxy and Gnu will also have new ladies splitboards.

So, ladies, see you in the backcountry. —Mary Anne Potts

Videos: Stuff Outdoors People Say, Bro - Which is Your Favorite?

We gotta give these guys points for creativity and keep a straight face—all in good fun and great for a laugh. Which is your favorite? It's a tie between the skiing and climbing for us.

Skiing


Climbing

Shit Climbers Say from Louder Than 11 on Vimeo.

Kayaking


Snowboarding

Your Adventure Civic Duty: Vote for the People's Choice Adventurer of the Year (Last Call)

We are down to just a few days left to vote once a day for your favorite Adventurer of the Year. On January 18 at midnight, we will have a new People's Choice Adventurer of the Year. We'd be thrilled if any of the twelve nominees won. So far the race has been tight! It's possible that the standings could change over the weekend, if people really come out and rock the vote every day. As a member of the greater adventure community, it really is your civic duty to thrown down your ballot (once a day) until the voting is done.

As a brief refresher, here's a look at each adventurers' video clips. Hiker Jennifer Pharr Davis, who set a new overall record on the Appalachian Trail, and kayakers Jon Turn and Erik Boomer, who completed the first circumnavigation of Ellesmere Island, were so consumed by their challenges that they did not shoot video. That in itself is pretty bad ass. Mountaineer Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner's footage will be shown in conjuction with an upcoming article in National Geographic magazine.

Who will be the People's Choice? You decide.

Vote Here

Microadventure 8: River Swim from Alastair Humphreys on Vimeo.

COLD - TRAILER from Forge Motion Pictures on Vimeo.

Danny Macaskill: Industrial Revolutions from Cut Media on Vimeo.

Brain Farm - The Art of Flight Trailer from Brain Farm on Vimeo.

SOLITAIRE: A Backcountry Skiing, Snowboarding, and Telemark Film from Sweetgrass Productions on Vimeo.

Ten Days Left to Vote For the People's Choice Adventurer of the Year! VIDEO

Here's to living adventurously. And voting for the People's Choice Adventurer of the Year. There are just ten days left to cast your vote once a day. Voting ends January 18, 2012, at midnight.

Vote Now!
http://adventure.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/adventurers-of-the-year/2012/vote/

You can also read interviews and see photos of each candidate.

We'd like to give special thanks to our Adventurers of the Year Advisory Board. They helped us stay on top of the year's brightest adventure accomplishments. We hope you will check out their respective work and organizations.

National Geographic Adventurers of the Year Advisory Board

Colin Angus and Julie Wafaei Angus, adventurers-authors, Angus Adventures (2007 Adventurers of the Year)

Kraig Becker, Editor, The Adventure Blog

Fitz Cahall, Editor, The Dirtbag Diaries

Natalie Cash, Senior Producer, Wildlife Conservation Society

Steve Casimiro, Editor, Adventure Journal

Ted Endo, Surf Editor, The Inertia

Alex Honnold, Rock Climber (2011 Adventurer of the Year)

Trip Jennings, Kayaker/Filmmaker, Epicocity Films (2008 Adventurer of the Year)

Lorie Karnath, President, The Explorers Club

Pete Mortimer, President, Sender Films

Rebecca Martin, Executive Director, National Geographic Expeditions Council

Andrew Skurka, Hiker/Expeditioner (2008 Adventurer of the Year)

Bryan Smith, Kayaker/Filmmaker, Reel Water Productions

Gregg Trennish, Adventurer/Biologist, Adventurers and Scientists for Conservation (2009 Adventurer of the Year)

Sadie Quarrier, Senior Photo Editor, National Geographic magazine

 

Gear Review: Anon M1 Snow Goggles's Magnetic Changeable Lens

By Contributing Editor Steve Casimiro, editor of Adventure Journal

This goggle doesn’t exist yet. It’s new for the 2012-13 season, but Red/Anon (a Burton brand) released the above YouTube vid to give the world an idea of what’s to come, and we have to admit it looks intriguing. Smith already has their Outrigger I/O-I/OS lock/unlock system that allows lens changes much more quickly, but Anon is promising something mas rapido, with magnets holding the lenses in place and small levers at the bottom of the lens and goggle frame junction facilitating a quick swap even while you’re still wearing the goggles.

Pitfalls? Well the lack of a mechanical latch to hold the lens in place might mean that it could detach inadvertently — say, during a face plant in a few feet of powder. And what we’d really love is for someone to invent a light adaptive and tint-adaptive lens to make swapping a thing of the past.

$199 – $220, depending on the style. LINK

 

Snowboarder Jeremy Jones on Protect Our Winters

"Jeremy Jones is an alien. He's just inhumanly good at snowboarding." So lives the legend of this pioneering big-mountain rider. We heard this comment this week from an Alaska-based ski/snowboarding operator, but the sentiment is one that rings throughout the snowboarding world.

Once a pro rider hitting a different big-mountain location every week, Jones's ethos have evolved over the years. Instead of heli-assisted first descents, he now prefers to go the old-fashioned way—on foot or splitboard. "The reality with going on foot is that it can take days to go do one run. It’s definitely a quality over quantity deal," he says. His film trilogy Deeper is aimed to show that you can do world-class freeriding without a helicopter. Further, part two due out September 2012, shows some of the best riders exploring the backcountry the slow way, which makes for a more a richer, more personal snowboarding film.

This falls right in line with Protect Our Winters (POW), a foundation Jones started in 2007 to unite the snow-sports industry and fans to fight climate change. With 30,000 members and some of our favorite athletes as ambassadors, Protect Our Winters is taking their message to the classroom and to Congress.

To kick off skiing and snowboarding season, we caught up with Jones to find out the latest on POW, what it's like to talk to Congress about climate change, and his favorite places to ride. —Mary Anne Potts

Become a Protect Our Winters Member:
This year, Alamos Wines is spreading the love by gifting 1,000 people with yearlong POW memberships. The winery is getting involved because it relies heavily on the snowmelt from the Andes to irrigate its vineyards. Simply register on protectourwinters.org. Your fee will be waived by entering the codeword ALAMOS.

Adventure: What’s going on with Protect Our Winters right now?
Jeremy Jones: The foundation continues to strengthen and grow. We're becoming more educated in doing our job better and making sure that each dollar raised goes as far as possible.

This fall we have been busy with a Hot Planet, Cool Athlete tour, where we take professional athletes into high schools with a scientist. We have this really hip, upbeat presentation on the state of the planet and climate change. We break it down for them and explain ways that they can help. The in-school stuff is the most rewarding, uplifting thing we do at Protect Our Winters because it gives us a level of hope to see the next generation really rise to the challenge of climate change. They really want to make a difference—and they are not accepting defeat like some of the older generations.

A: What's it like to talk to Congress about climate change? Are there any skiers or snowboarders among our elected officials?
Jeremy: Well, there aren’t any snowboarders in Congress. But I have met some die-hard skiers...and general mountain climbers and outdoor enthusiasts. When we go to Congress, sometimes we meet with full champions on climate change who are really excited that we are there. They realize that they need our help, really. Although I would say the discussion on climate has gone the wrong way on Capitol Hill over the last couple years. But there’s hope on Capitol Hill that the ship will be righted and we can start feeling positively.

Video + Interview: Snowboarder Xavier de Le Rue's This Is My Winter—Full Movie

THIS IS MY WINTER (full movie english) from TimeLine Film on Vimeo.

What makes French snowboarder Xavier de Le Rue tick? The big-mountain feats he pulls off are nothing short of incredible as he mixes skills from different sports. The new film This Is My Winter, now available in full on Vimeo, looks at Xavier, his friends, and their film crew as they took on Europe's terrible snow conditions last season. You'll see some of the most jaw-dropping snowboarding captured on film and get a candid look this intrepid, skillful rider. The movie is a must-watch and was one of our favorite films at the Banff Mountain Film Festival.

We asked Xavier to answer a few questions about his daring, progressive snowboarding style and his plans for the next winter season. —Mary Anne Potts

Adventure: How do you decide which lines to ride?
Xavier de Le Rue: If a line fits my riding style, which means if it is aesthetic, can be ridden fast, has some escape options, and possibly some features to hit on the way, and a clean outrun, then it has every chance to catch my eye.

A: What do you say to people think you too many risks in your riding?
Xavier: If I judge a line as being dangerous, I won't consider riding it. If I judge a line interesting and difficult, I give it some thought to see what are the consequences if I do a mistake.

In any case, if I feel the snow layer is tricky I back off. I'm concerned about the stuff I don't control, such as stability of the snow, hidden crevasses, etc. I don't argue with people judging my riding as risky—I'm not them and they are not me. Every one can say what they want. I put enough thought to my riding to avoid considering random people opinions. I'm scared enough when I ride to not listen to others being scared for me. I appreciate their concern though. I get these comments every now and then.

Adventurers of the Year 2012: Snowboarder Travis Rice

Over the next two weeks we will introduce each of the new Adventurers of the Year here on our blog. Be sure to cast your vote every day for the People's Choice Award.

See photos of all the Adventurers of the Year!

Travis Rice’s father was in the ski patrol at Wyoming’s Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. And like many dads, he raised his son to follow in his ski tracks. Fortunately for snowboarding, things didn’t go as planned.

A decade ago and unheard of at the time, Rice arrived at Snowboarder magazine’s Superpark contest at Mammoth Mountain, launched a now legendary backside rodeo across a 117-foot gap jump, and left a star. Since then, Rice has developed into the best all-around snowboarder in the world: He is equally capable of showing up to win a slope style event in Aspen as he is in pioneering a first descent in the remote Darwin Range on the tip of South America. The 29-year-old makes use of all the tools in a snowboarder’s quiver—big-mountain tenacity, acrobatics, and snow and mountain sense, often in a single descent. And 2011 was the apex so far in Rice’s career.

Filming for the highly anticipated film The Art of Flight, which he co-produced with Brain Farm Digital Cinema's Curt Morgan and Chad Jackson, Rice took the staggering aerial tricks usually reserved for the relative safety of the manicured, avalanche-controlled terrain parks made popular by the X Games and the Olympics, and applied them to the big mountains. In these peaks, a fall could mean tumbling down a vertical face or being swept into a gaping crevasse. Rice performed them all while under the watchful eye of director Curt Morgan’s superslow motion camera.

The movie, whose trailer went viral, marked the final stage of snowboarding’s crossover into the mainstream. It generated excited retweets from 50 Cent and Justin Timberlake and large movie industry players—such as Dolby Laboratories and Skywalker Ranch—teamed up with Morgan.

While the tricks and big-mountain lines mixed with cutting-edge cinematography inspire “ahhs” from wide-eyed audiences, ultimately it’s Rice’s enthusiasm for pushing the limits of his sport that resonate. In 2011, Rice made an entire generation of young skiers consider buying a snowboard.

“Experiencing the world through endless secondhand information isn’t enough,” says Rice. “If we want authenticity we have to initiate it.”

—Fitz Cahall

Now read the interview with Travis Rice and be sure to vote everyday for your favorite adventurer

The Art of Flight: Welcome to a New Era of Adventure Filmmaking

By Mary Anne Potts; Photograph courtesy Red Bull Photo Files

New York City is a lot of things—outdoors hot spot is not generally one of them. Last night, however, there was no cooler place to be than the premiere of The Art of Flight, the groundbreaking new snowboarding film by director Curt Morgan, the Brain Farm production team, and Red Bull Media House.

Maybe you have already heard about it...50 Cent and Justin Timberlake did tweet about the trailer when it came out last spring. It now has 3.7 millions views on YouTube.



The anticipation was palpable at the Beacon Theatre as 1,500 (highly attractive) fans—including surfers from the Quiksilver Pro—listened to the DJ, slurped on Red Bull and vodkas, and waited for Travis Rice, Jeremy Jones, and our new favorite, Nicholas Muller, and the other incredible snowboarders to hit the stage. And the film delivers.

The Art of Flight ushers in a new era of adventure film-making, one that is ratcheted up by the highest quality cameras shooting in the wildest places on Earth never seen before by camera or snowboard alike. Alaska. Chilean Andes. British Columbia. Backcountry Jackson Hole. Backcountry Snowmass.

In short, the film is exquisite. A masterpiece. The riders look invincible as they rip down impossible, near-vertical lines—often for the first time. The slow-motion filmming technique showcases the flawless precision and art that these athletes intuitively whip off.

Is it snowboarding porn? Who cares? The inspiring and well-considered statements from the riders have a profound effect. If you don't want to explore more, train harder, and think bigger about your own life after watching this film, well, then good luck to you. Just see it. And see it on a big screen if you can.

On tour, available on iTunes for $7.99