Letter From Freeze Mag.

I got this letter cause I'm on they're mailing list and I'm sure alot of you also got it but for those who didn't here it is. I can't wait until next years issues, Transworld and freeze together is gonna kick ass.

It's long but you should read it.

Dear FREEZE Heads,

Greetings from sunny southern California, where FREEZE is now
published from the offices of Transworld Media, in Oceanside.
That's right. Transworld. The same office that publishes action
sport magazine standards like Transworld Skateboarding and Transworld
Snowboarding. You should see this place. It used to be a big,
old warehouse, but it's been built up over nearly two decades
into a labyrinth of nooks, crannies, and tree houses. I'm surprised
Tony Hawk Pro Skater doesn't have a level based around the joint.
After all, Transworld used the wood from his old halfpipe to
build the advertising department. Seriously.

It really is like a living action sport museum around here. Huge,
blown up covers from the magazines dominate the walls, celebrating
surf, skate, and snow superstars from years past. Big name athletes
from all these industries wander through the offices all day,
trying to find the bathrooms (we can't help them. We're still
looking ourselves). And around every corner is a group of young
guys and girls drooling over insane photography of tube rides,
20-stair double sets, and cliff hucks. The place simply hums with
energy and it's inspiring to watch such talented writers, photographers,
and filmmakers at work.

Southern California's a little weird. Hell, I just moved to
Oceanside from Los Angeles (where I used to be a contributing
writer for FREEZE) and even I've got culture shock. I don't know
how Jerk, Rosa, Ashley, and Little Buddy manage to keep their
heads on straight around here. First of all, that 'sunny everyday'
crap? All lies. This time of year, we get thick marine layers of
clouds that, if we're lucky, burn off by afternoon. Secondly,
there's only one road. It's called Interstate 5, and 'road'
doesn't quite do it justice. Parking lot is a better description.
Thirdly, the ENTIRE world down here looks like they stepped out
of a Transworld Magazine. I've seen homeless dudes in spanking
new skate shoes. Girls are walking billboards, with surf and
skate logos all over their boobs and butts. Mom and dad join
little Johnny in the beginner's bowl at the skatepark. And the
surf competitions come complete with over-hyped parents cursing
out the judges. If you surf, skate, or snowboard, this place is
the center of the universe.

All in all, the effect of the move on the magazine has been huge.
Since our long-time Art Director, Steve Beneski, stayed in Colorado,
we've been working with a new group of designers who do the
Transworld Snowboarding Buyer's Guide. They're bringing a whole
new eye to our stories and pictures and, needless to say, FREEZE
is going to look insane this year. We're also doing some fun
stuff with our formats that I'm not going to reveal here, because
you've got to see it to believe it. But the thing that strikes
me the most as we put together the first issue of the year is the
photos. Oh, the photos.

When I stopped working full time at FREEZE in December of 1999,
skiing was just scratching the surface of new freestyle and
terrain park innovation. I could see where the sport is today in
the same way you can see a piece of moldy cheese in the first
gray spots that appear on the surface. Leave the fridge closed
long enough and, eventually, you've got a full-blown fuzz ball on
the shelf. Well, that's how I feel going through the submissions
from our senior contributing photographers. We got some funky
shit to throw your way this season.

The convergence of new freestyle and big mountain skiing is
slowly becoming a reality, and that is clear in our first issue.
Since FREEZE exists to cover the most progressive skiing on snow,
we go where the innovators ski. In recent years, that has led us
increasingly to terrain parks and backcountry kickers. But this
year's photo submissions are way more diverse than previous
seasons. From cliff bands to custom-built jib craziness to halfpipe
skiing that is finally on par with the best snowboarding in the
world, things simply look insane.

At the end of the day, FREEZE is only as good as the photos we
produce each winter. But, because the skiing and the skiers keep
stepping things up every season, each volume of magazines is
always heads and shoulders above the previous. The only change in
this trend is that, this season, the progression is no longer
incremental. This season, we're blowing the roof off this mother.
At least, we're trying to. I think they used some of Tony Hawk's
2x4s on the roof, because the thing is actually pretty sturdy…


-Micah Abrams
Editor In Chief