Jonathan Tollefson

Now that 2010 is coming to an end, I figured it was time to look back through some of our wakeboard pictures.  The top ten I picked made me laugh,  brought back a great memory, and it had to be a good pic.  Enjoy my top ten, don’t forget your past, and make sure to take pictures.  You won’t regret it.

What were your favorite times on the water in 2010?  What are you going to remember from the last year of shredding?  Do you have plans for 2011, other than Boarding the Midwest All Day, Everyday?  Let me know!!

If you still have to finish up your holiday shopping for your favorite snowboarder, here is a list of Five Stocking Stuffers that every Snowboarder could use. 

Stocking Stuffers

1.  Gloves

Every snowboarder can use an extra pair of gloves or two.  These are great gifts because riding with wet gloves is the worst thing in the world and it can end your day.  

2.  Hot Wax and Waxing Iron

In snowboarding the need for speed is critical.  Having a waxing iron and some extra wax around never hurts anyone.  Being able to wax your board often will make your board last longer, and it will save you some cash because getting your board waxed by a shop is not cheap.     

3.  Hats

Everyone needs a new stocking hat or two.  You can use them for style, they will help keep you warm, and no one wants their friends or family members to be out on the hill looking like a fool snowboarding without a hat on.  From my own experience, that is just plain stupid. 

4.  Neck Gator

Neck Gators are perfect gifts for those cold windy days.  This gift can keep you on the hill longer, and save you from freezing your face off.  The Neck Gator will also help stop the cold wind from jetting down your jacket and cooling off the rest of your body. 

5.  Snowboard Tuning Kit

Snowboard tuning kits come in all shapes and sizes.  No matter what, if you have your own tuning kit, you will save a ton of money.  I know many people who never had their boards tuned because it costs to much money.  A simple tuning kit could save their board and save their bodies if they just happen to find one of those lovely Midwest ice patches. 

In a sport like snowboarding there is so much equipment that a person needs to get out on the hill.  Do you think I have left anything out, or do you know of something that might be more important that the five things on my list?  What have you bought for your favorite snowboarder?

A couple months ago, I was a lucky winner of a wakeboard video called Not Just Clockwise.  Because I was the winner of this video, I would like to pass it on and pay it forward for someone to enjoy.  Leave a comment after reading my review and I will pick one person to send the video to! (Make sure to leave your email)

My Review: Not Just Clockwise

Not Just Clockwise was produced by a guy named Robert Absher who produces wakeboard videos over at Absher Films.  There is never a way to tell how long it takes someone to put together a full production movie, but I can tell you that Robert put a ton of time into this video.

The only reason I want to send it on to someone different… is because this is Robert’s first video that he has ever produced, and I believe more people need to see this film.

For a first production film, Robert KILLED it.  He taped pros such as Bob Soven, Dallas Friday, Kevin Henshaw, and about 20 other great riders.  In this film you will see Cable riding, straight up steller wakeboarding behind a boat, rail parks, and shots from any angle that you can think of.

From wakeskate supermans to chicks going inverted to pros throwing down massive spins and airs, the caliber of riding in Not Just Clockwise is top notch.  You guys have to watch this video to see Daniel OBrien hit a kicker on a wakeskate, grab the board indy, and throw his feet behind him superman style.  Best trick in the film.  There are many others that I can think of, but nothing sticks out in my mind like that trick.

Where Absher Films could improve – Lighting, on some of the clips it was hard to see the rider.  I know that this is never an easy thing to improve on because you really only have one light source.  The sun.  Seeing that it is hard to rely on Mother Nature, I am not going to take anything away from the film.

Another area where Robert could improve is in the text and editing of the video.  A lot of the song titles were hard to read.  This will just take some more editing and playing around with.  I would also like to see some variation in the video clips.  A lot of the clips were straight clips of the riders.  I would like to see Robert get creative and mess with the clips a little bit.  Layer them up and add some dimension to the riding through editing.  I know this only adds more time to the overall edit, but I bet you will be super happy with the final product.

Summery of my Review: All in all, I am pumped that Robert was willing to give out a copy of his video.  The video is loaded with crazy riding, and a bunch of people having the time of their lives.  If you haven’t hooked up with Robert on Facebook yet, make sure to become friends with him so you can see his latest edits and everything else he is doing.  For a first time video, I say it is worth it to go out and get yourself a copy and support Robert’s cause.  He is doing great things for the industry, and I have a good feeling that he is not going to go away.  Nice work man, and thanks again for sending me your vid!

Be sure to leave a comment so I can send you a copy of Absher Films Newest video, Not Just Clockwise.

Do you wonder how you can become a professional snowboarder?  Has it been your dream?  Is this something that you want to accomplish before you die?

If you answered yes to any of the above three questions, you want to know what the USASA is.

USASA = United States of America Snowboard Association.

The USASA is an organization that standardized Amateur grassroot snowboard competitions around the United States.  If you want to be a big gun in the snowboard industry and end up competing in competitions such as the Dew Tour or the X-Games, you should start by competing in a USASA series.  The USASA is broke up into five different Regions across the US.  Each of the Regions are then broke up into smaller competition series.

For instance, if you live in Michigan,  you will choose to compete in the Central Region.  From there you have two competition series to choose from.  You can either compete in the Huck Finn Series, or you can compete in the Middle Earth Series.  Once you choose the series that fits you the best, you will have to throw down your best tricks in each competition in hopes that you can stack up enough points for your chance to go to Nationals.  If you make it to Nationals, this will be your time to shine and get noticed.  You can do it!

Middle Earth vs. Huck Finn

Middle Earth Snowboard Series is northern Michigan’s competition series.  If you join this series you will be competing at Boyne Resorts, Nub’s Nob, and the Otsego Club.  If you are unfamiliar with the Otsego Club, let me tell you a little of what you have been missing.  The Otsego Club produces the biggest half pipe in the Midwest and one of the only half pipes with 22 foot walls in the US.  Unreal!!  If you want to compete at some of the best resorts in the Midwest, and want to take your chance at conquering a half pipe with 22 foot walls the Middle Earth Snowboard series is for you.

Huck Finn Snowboard series is southern Michigan’s snowboard competition series.  If you decide that the Huck Finn series is your cup of tea, you will be competing at resorts such as Alpine Valley, Mt. Holly, Mt. Brighton, and Shanty Creek.  Along with the standard USASA competitions, the Huck Finn Series throws in an extra event called the Impossible Rail jam.  The Impossible Rail Jam is a competition that is all about rails.  This rail jam style event is a little extra something for you to go out and prove yourself on rails.  I have been apart of these events and they are nothing short of fun.  If you live in southern Michigan and want to test your skills on the hill or on the rails you need to check out the Huck Finn Series.

All in all, if your dreams are to be on the cover of Transworld Snowboard Magazine, or if your dreams are to be a person who gets to travel around snowboarding while getting paid, you need to become a member of USASA.  This will be your first step to success and it could change your life.  Get out there, ride hard, meet some new people, and and enjoy every minute of it!  I’d much rather Board the Midwest All Day, Everyday with a pro that smiles than one that doesn’t have fun if he/she isn’t winning.

Buying a wakeboard is a challenge.  How do you know which board fits you?  Did you test the board before you spent 300 bones?  Out of all of the choices, where do you even start?

I never knew, and I have never rode a board before I bought it. I see this as an opportunity for improvement!

I don’t want to take away from a great shop and the knowledge of their employees because this is all I have gone with in the past to buy a board.  Thank you.  The board knowledge you contain is great!

On the flip side, I think a makeover is needed for the way we sell boards. Do you buy a pair of shoes before trying them on?  Boards are different than shoes, however the price is three times as much.  Why do we have to buy boards without testing a few styles?

Wakeboard Demos

In my 13 years of wakeboarding I have yet to know of, be at, or seen any type of wakeboard demo.  There is a slight chance I miss all of the events, but I find that hard to believe.  I have been to free wakeboard nights that shops put on, but I have never been to a shop that lets you come out and test the boards they sell.  I have been to a few wakeboard nights that will have a couple of beginner boards to ride.  These boards are boards I never want to ride or buy, but I know why they are there.  They are cheap and the shop doesn’t have to take a huge hit if they let people use the boards.  I’ll give you props though, because you give the person that doesn’t board a chance to test out the sport.  This is a good thing.

But what about the die-hard who buys a new board every year?

To make it fair, I know that the cost of a Wakeboard specific demo can be a huge to the shop.  You really can’t sell a board that has been rode by other people for the retail price.  I don’t think it has to be all on the shops.  I think it has to start with the manufactures.

This is where my idea comes in. My idea is for the wakeboard manufactures.  I want to hook up with a couple of you and travel around to groups of people who love to board and want to test out their next purchase before they buy it.  The demos will not be a competition between board companies, and we will not need every board you produce.  All we need is a few boards that will cover the wide range of boards you actually design.

This idea will give a single boat of people a chance to test out multiple boards in a single session.  This will allow you to gain a wealth of knowledge because the demo boards will be the only thing that is spoke about on the boat.

This is what it will look like… One Rep, One boat, 4-6 riders, 4-6 demo boards, 4 hours of riding, and endless nights of friends sitting around talking about the next board they are going to buy.  I pray that it is your board!

Is this going to drive people to the shops to buy a board that fits them?  I believe so.  Who benefits from the situation?  The buyer, the shops, the manufacture (board and boat), the rep., and the industry as a whole.  With a one on one, person to person, hands on test of boards, I think the industry would grow to new levels.

I know it is important to get the pros feedback on a board; however I think it is even more important to get feedback from the bigger part of the population.  Every other rider.  If people were able to test boards before they bought them, you would gain faithful customers, and you would have a happy customer from the time they break out their wallet and spend their hard earned money.

Where are the demos?

My last thought on this subject… I don’t know exactly how this business model is going to work, but as a passionate wakeboarder I would love to test out a few boards before I spend another 300 bucks on a wakeboard.  Yeah I can ride my friends’ boards who have gone through the same troubles to see if I like their board, but I want the system changed.  I know it is possible.  I know manufactures and shops can connect with costumers in a revolutionary way, and I will step up to the plate to make it happen.

Other than the price of a few boards, what are you really going to loose?  Nothing.  You will gain respect, personal connection, and word of mouth that travels in ways that you will never see or be able to track.  Give it a try, maybe you have.  If that is the case please leave a comment and let me know why it doesn’t work.  Maybe I am way off course, maybe not.  I have provided only one solution to one problem.  I believe there are more solutions, and I also know that something can be done to make people happy as hell as soon as they walk out of the building with a board under their arm that they are 100% confident in.

What better way is there to help people Board the Midwest All Day, Everyday than with undeniable confidence?