Jonathan Tollefson

Every year I like to bring something new to my snowboard life.  Whether it is going to a new resort, learning a new trick, testing different gear, or riding a new rail.  I want to do something different.  This year I have not done this, but tomorrow is going to be the day I test my skills on an Urban Rail.

Hitting Urban Rails

If you don’t know what an urban rail is, let me give you a quick explanation.  An urban rail is a hand rail that is set in an urban setting.  These rails could be set outside the white house, they could be in a park setting, or anywhere there might be a stair set with a hand rail.  Usually these rails are in setting where you would never think snowboarders would be.  Most people see skateboarders using these types of rails to perform tricks.

What excites me about urban rails… is the fact that they are not made for snowboarding, and the fact that you have to find the perfect time to hit them.  Obviously there has to be snow and it is good to find one that you can snipe when there are not a lot of people around.

With urban type riding you always have to be on the watch for owners of the land, for cops, and for anyone who doesn’t think you should be snowboarding in the place that you are.

The whole process is a rush. Scoping out a rail, setting up to hit it, and then getting in and out as fast as you can is all part of a crazy fun process.

At this point, I have not even talked about actually hitting the rail.  With urban rails you usually don’t have time to practice and hitting an urban rail is an all or nothing type of scenario.  You have to go for it.

Tomorrow is the day that David Z. and I are going to get after it.  We have made a last minute decision that we have to go for it before the snow is gone.  Living in the Midwest this might be our last chance to rock, so we have to go.  The time is right and I am excited to get out there and test out the rail skills we have been sharpening all season.

What happens next?  Only time will tell. We will both keep you updated and goals will be accomplished tomorrow.  If you want to Board the Midwest All Day, Everyday, find a urban rail, hit it, and you are one step closer.  Get out and scope some urban hits, and then shred them like you never have before!  Feel the rush.

Here is a quick video of me hitting an bridge gap at Fire Fighters Park.  I will have to go back to conquer this one but enjoy it anyway!  Falling off of a bridge is always fun.

Leave a comments of urban hits you have rode.  Send me some of your vids and pics!  I will post them up for everyone to see.

From the beginning of the snowboard season, I have been trying to find a pair of snowboard bindings to buy.  The bindings I ride now are busted and need to be thrown in the trash.  The only problem I have is that I cannot find a binding that is worth my time or money.

Good thing I went to Test Fest because I found the binding that I am going to buy.

The Republic by Forum

Comfort: The republic is the only binding I put on that I didn’t feel.  It’s the best part about the binding.  This means the comfort of the binding is a 10 in my book.  I could buy them based on this fact alone, but I know you want more.

Lets go with appearance next. I think the binding looks sweet.  The 2011/2012 is coming out in a few different colors.  I rode mustard and black Republics at the show, and who knows they might have a few more colors up their sleeve.  They also look tough, like they won’t take sh!t from anyone.

Flex: I think this is a good all around flexing binding.  Right in the middle for flex.  It was sturdy when I bombed the hill.  It allowed me to poke out grabs and tweak tail and nose presses on the rails.  It didn’t dig into my calves at anytime, and I didn’t feel any restriction from this binding.

The Tech Side: Forum has a new hinge plate that allows the binding to flex with the board.  I think it is a brilliant idea.  The plate doesn’t change other than the hinge, and it attaches to the board like a standard base plate.

The Republic comes with a full foot bed that snaps into place which makes it super easy to adjust.  Forum added some techy foams to the foot bed to help with the comfort of your stance and make riding easier on your feet.

All in all every snowboard binding should have a full foot bed.  Forum is one binding that does, and I won’t buy a binding without a full foot bed.

The Straps: The Republic has a toe cup that fits perfectly.  It has a super comfy heal strap that takes all pressure points off of your foot.  The buckles are super smooth and super easy to get on and off of your boot.  If I don’t feel the straps and they work well.  I give them a ten!

Price: The Republic is going to retail for around $225, and I know you can buy last years version for around $200.  I think it is a perfect price for a binding that works great and one that you will be able to ride anywhere on the hill.

My overall Impression: I know I don’t get as detailed as some might want, but when I find something that works well, I am going to talk about it.  I can’t get over this binding, and I can’t wait to get a pair.

To me the comfort is the biggest when it comes to buying a binding.  The Republic hit the spot, and I didn’t even want to test another binding because I knew what I was going to buy after I rode the Republic.  I’m getting it, and if you are looking for a killer binding you have to check out the republic.  I promise that Boarding the Midwest All Day, Everyday will be a lot easier if you pick up a pair of forum Republics.

For the past months of my snowboard life, I have been helping the Michigan Boarder Cross League every Tuesday and Thursday, and I have been out with Middle Earth Snowboard Crew helping them put on weekend events in northern Michigan.  Needless to say, with these two organizations I have been out in the cold at least four days out of the week.  This doesn’t take in account my personal riding days.  Want to know what has saved my life in all of these cold conditions??  Hand Warmers.

Hand Warmers

Growing up in the Midwest, I have put up with sub-zero temperatures almost all of my snowboard life.  Sometimes it is down right brutal to be outside, but when you have to be out on the snow, you just have to be out on the snow.  For me it is a way of life, and now that I have found hand warmers, my snowboard life has improved big time.

I don’t know why more people don’t use hand warmers. Is it not manly?  Are they too expensive?  Do people actually hide the fact that they are warm so they are not looked at as weak?

Whatever it is, I am here to say that I love hand warmers, and that I will use them almost every time I am on the hill.  Having warm hands makes snowboarding so much better.  They make running events for a day in the cold bearable.   I never knew.  It seems so simple, and it seems like everyone would use hand warmers.

I have told a few people about my new finding and they have mentioned that their hands do not get cold.  Bonus to you. You either work your butt off on the hill, or you have killer gloves that do not let the cold in.  So far in my experience, there is always a time throughout the day where I will have cold hands, and cold hands is something that I will no longer have.  So Pumped!

Whoever came up with the idea of hand warmers, I have to give it up to you.  I only wish I would have caught on a long time ago.  I should probably buy stock in your company because I will be buying hand warmers for the rest of my life.  You have also made my girlfriend Kelly’s life on the hill 100% more enjoyable.  The number of people who use the excuse “it’s too cold out to go snowboarding” can now stop.  Thank you!

For all of my readers and everyone around the world, I would like to personally thank the person who made Hand Warmers, you have now made it a lot easier to Board the Midwest All Day, Everyday.

Over the last two weeks of crazy vacationing and traveling around the Midwest, I was still able to get out and snowboard a few times.  So many stories could come from these times of fun, and the one I am about to tell is one that I just can’t hold back.  It all started on a cloudy day in Des Moines, Iowa.  The snow was fresh, relatives were in town, and we needed to go boarding.  So what did we do?  We hit up Sleep Hollow with a vengeance!

Let me tell you about Sleep Hollow… Sleepy Hollow is nestled just outside of Des Moines with a vertical drop of about 150 feet (a conservative guess).  Their website tells me that their snow tube hills are about 1000 feet long.  I would say the snowboard runs are about the same length.  One chair lift and a single rope tow bring people to the top of the hill.  From there you can navigate your way down multiple terrain park features and a few steeps.   This is where the fun starts.

Vacation Snowboarding

The fun starts as we took trips up the chair lift.  From the great view, we saw people flying everywhere, 100′s of bodies laying on the ground, out of control skiers, and some of the best falls I think I will ever see this year.  I only wish I could say that it got better as we cruised down the hill.  It didn’t.  Our crew was nervous the whole time.  We didn’t know where people were going to go, we didn’t know if a ski was going jump out and kill us; we were snowboarding for survival, and I think everyone else was doing the same!

On the Flip Side I do have to say that we had a great time.  We found some un-tracked ice glades with about five inches of powder covering them.  It was great fun to feel the float for a couple of seconds.  The rail park wasn’t all that bad.  It started off with a couple of boxes that lead to a down rail (first pic) which directed you to a corrugated tube that was super smooth.  All in all, I have seen rail parks that are a lot more brutal than Sleepy Hollow’s.

In the picture above you can see my cousin who has only been snowboarding for a short time.  He was hitting Sleepy’s only kicker which had a four foot take off, a 25 foot table and a three foot landing.  Needless to say we never even tried to make the landing, but my cousin did stomp his first 180 ever.  Pumped!

Other than the crazies on the hill, the flailing bodies on the ground, and the not so sweet jump; we had a blast.  I am super stoked that I got to get out and ride with a few of my cousins, and I can’t wait to do it again.

I think this experience goes to show that if there is snow on the ground and you are on vacation, that you can get out and ride no matter the conditions.  Nothing has to be perfect for you to have a good time snowboarding with family and friends.  Heck you might even learn something new.  So I have to give it up to Sleepy Hollow for allowing us all another opportunity to get out and Board the Midwest All Day, Everyday!

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?