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5 Parties Every Boater Needs To Go To

by TheSkiMonster
May 3rd 2012 - 0 comments

It's May, Stoke Levels and temperatures are rising for Summer 2012 that is just around the corner.  We love boating quite a bit over here at The Ski Monster.  We just put our boat, a MasterCraft X-2, in the water yesterday and are ready to go.  If you have a boat and love boating as much as we do, you love hearing all the boat parties going on around the world.  These are 5 Parties every boater needs to hit up at some point.  This blog was inspired by the hashtag on Twitter: #yolo.  You Only Live Once, but if you do it right once is enough. 

 



Yacht Week... Crazy party in Croatia.  You probably won't be able to bring your boat there if you're part of the 99%, but you can rent a variety of Sail Boats Huge and small with a crew so all you have to do is take in the scenery, listen to good music and keep on enough sun screen.  This is a party.  



Big Island on Lake Minnetonka in Minnesota hosts one of the best parties you'll ever go to every weekend.  On a 90 degree Saturday in July you can expect over 500 boats rafting up for an Epic party.  (I'm actually in this picture)



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the last Monday of July, boaters on Lake George take the day off to enjoy a Holiday known as Log Bay Day.  Get there in the morning for a good spot, bring plenty of Sun Screen, food and beer, it's going to be a party.  



Chicago has an unbelievable boat scene.  What you're looking at in this picture happens every weekend.  Boats big and small raft up partying on Lake Michigan with the Chicago Skyline as a back drop.  



Ladies and Gentlemen, or should I say chicks and dudes,  this is Brostock.  This party is going down at Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri June 15th - 16th.  Bring your wakeboard boat, rent a houseboat and get down while watching Pro Wakeboarders session in the background. 

The Best Boating Fails

by TheSkiMonster
May 3rd 2012 - 0 comments

Having fun on the water this summer is priority number one, but things can go wrong relatively quickly. As long as you can recognize poor boating etiquette and don't allow your idiot buddy to drive, you should be in the clear. To raise boating awareness, I have posted some of the Best Boating Fails on the internet. This blog should help you realize that there is always someone dumber than you driving a boat.



This guy took the advice that everything's opposite when your backing up a trailer, a little to literally.



 Think this guy was inspired by Paul Walker in 2 Fast 2 Furious?



Doubles for an easy on shore picnic.



Chrysler convertible with racing stripes and a one seater Polaris Jet Ski... America



This is what happens when Ray Mysterio takes to the waterways.



Trailer Tie Downs - $12.99



This dude has no idea.



JetSkiers are so awesome!



Friends don't let other friends power turn.



#sorryforpartyrocking

Top Five Tuesday: Week 6

by TheSkiMonster
May 1st 2012 - 0 comments

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Top 5 Tracks of the week!

Boston's Clinton Sparks, remixed this 90's rock hit into a hard hitting electro track while still keeping good emphasis on the vocals.



Kaskade played this in his set at Coachella and since I heard it, I can't stop listening to it.  



This track has sounds in it from Jack Beats you just haven't heard before.



Foster The People remixes are amongst my favorite.  The Oliver and Joe Maz remix are my favorite remixes of this song, can't decide which one I like better.



Something every Deadmau5 fan and electro house head will enjoy.

Summer Stoke: Wakeboarding and Wakesurfing Videos

by TheSkiMonster
Apr 29th 2012 - 0 comments

As May 1st approaches, wakeboard boat owners are getting ready to drop in and take advantage of some early season riding. These are a few sick wakeboarding and wakesurfing videos to keep your summer stoke levels rising. Check out some photos of last year in TheSkiMonster's Rewind Summer 2011 Photo Album.

DEFY - Danny Harf Wakeboard Trailer:



Phase 5 Wakesurf Boards:



Liquid Force Wakeboards and Wakeskates:



Red Bull - Cranberry Wakeboarding:

Apres Ski at Pump House - Jay Peak Vermont

by TheSkiMonster
Apr 27th 2012 - 0 comments

Jay Peak Vermont has always been known for its incredible lake effect snow and extreme east coast terrain. Located in Northern Vermont about 10 miles from the Canadian border, its location isn’t exactly ideal for an Après scene. Once you finished skiing you had few options, Après Ski at Jay Peak Vermont was almost nonexistent. In a dramatic turn of events, Jay Peak skyrocketed from a quiet little ski area into the most sought after tropical destination south of the Canadian border. When your legs can no longer handle another turn, head over to the Pump House Water Park for some Apres Ski activities that cannot be found anywhere else.

The Pump House is located directly at the Base of Jay Peak. It’s a 50,000 square foot indoor water park that is open for business throughout the four seasons. The glass enclosure is heated to a consistent 84 degrees Fahrenheit, features a retractable roof and is packed with every possible water park feature you can imagine. There are four water slides, the longest indoor lazy river in the country, hot tubs, a climbing wall and a dual wave flowrider, called The Double Barrel.

Jay Peak's best Après attractions have to be The Double Barrel surf machine and the water slide cleverly named, La Chute. The Double Barrel produces a serious surf wave and lets two people ride at once. You may take a few spills before getting the hang of it, but once you figure it out it’s a blast. There is a spectator area, so all of your buddies can get a good laugh when you wipe out. The La Chute Aqualoop is a slide that drops you 60 feet then directly into an upside loop at about 45 miles per hour. As you step into La Chute, you stand on a trap door mechanism and wait patiently for the drop sequence to begin. Once the overhead speaker counts down from three the trap door opens and releases you into free fall. The speed and inverted loop will give the most extreme thrill seekers a rush of adrenaline.

If water slides aren’t your thing, there is a poolside bar that is sure to satisfy your Après Ski needs. You can grab your favorite cocktail and watch your friends and family surf in the middle of winter!

With the edition of the Pump House Water Park, Jay Peak’s Apres Ski scene is unrivaled. There is no other place in the country where you can ski powder in the morning and surf in 84 Degree weather in the afternoon. This water park not only gives skiers and riders another reason to visit Jay Peak, but it lets visitors brag to their friends that they actually surfed in Vermont!

Five Hour Friday: Week 3

by TheSkiMonster
Apr 27th 2012 - 0 comments

Ahhhh yes, Friday again.  Weekend is here and stoke levels are rising, hard to believe next month is May. Here's about 5 hours of music for you to enjoy however you want.

Kaskade is a beast, his last full length album Fire & Ice showed just how versatile he is.  This is Kaskade live at Coachella.



Chuckie, known mostly for banging electro and dirty dutch.  Brings something completely different to the table with this disco-funk mix.  Bounce



Being based out of Boston, we have to show the local talent some love.  DJ Breeazy made this mix earlier this month.  Supposedly it sounds best in a Nissan Maxima, I don't know, might be a rumor.



DJ Jason Smith of Queens, made this fun bouncey, hipster mix.  It's dope.



Another DJ from NY, Eli Escobar, rounds off this weeks edition of Five Hour Friday nicely

 

Athlete Interview: Gus Kenworthy

by TheSkiMonster
Apr 27th 2012 - 0 comments

Getting in a good habit of interviewing Skiers right after they do something sick, we're gonna have to keep this up. This time Gus Kenworthy did something really pretty sick, learned Alley-oop Dub Flat 9's in the Pipe, killed it at Nine Knights and won Slopestyle and Big Air at WSI (World Skiing Invitational).  After doing all that he took sometime to answer some questions.  Here we go!

TSM: How old were you when you decided you wanted to ski as your profession?

Gus: When I was really young I actually wanted to be a professional hockey player and for a short time I wanted to be a professional soccer goalie too.  I've always loved sports, skiing especially, and I guess I was about 14 when I decided that I wanted to ski professionally for the rest of my life. I picked up my first sponsor when I was 16 and I think that was the first time that I actually believe that I could do it.

TSM: Was there a skier that you looked up to for inspiration at the time? Are there any skiers you still look up to now?

Gus: Growing up TJ Schiller was a major influence on me.  I wanted to be just like him and I bought his pro model Orage puffy, Anon goggles and Red helmet, and I used to watch his video parts over and over again.  There are a ton of skiers that I look up to nowadays, but it's a lot different now because they are my friends.

TSM: Can you walk us through a normal day in your life right now?

Gus: The past few months have been chalk full of competitions and at the moment I'm at a Vitamin Water training camp, so it's pretty hectic still.  Here's my schedule from yesterday: wake up at 6:45, shower, eat breakfast and get out of the house by about 7:45.  Get to the mountain just after 8 and start lapping the pipe around 8:30.  I skied pipe until about 11:15, learned a new trick Alley-oop Dub flat 9 (Watch it below) , ate lunch and then hit the jump for a half an hour or so until we got rained out.  Got back to the house just before 1.  Golfed 9 holes in the afternoon, it was only my 3rd time golfing ever but I'm starting to get pretty into it!  I got invited to a golf tournament this summer so I'm trying to tune up my game in time.  Then came back to the house, sat in the hottub for a bit and had dinner around 6.  I'm reading the hunger games series at the moment and I'm pretty hooked on them, and I read for about an hour after dinner and then hung out on my computer until about 10 when I went to bed.  Not really all that exciting, haha. 

TSM: Exactly how dizzy do you get after a slopestyle run?

Gus: I think that you have to be grounded while you're spinning in order to get grounded.  Not sure, but I don't think that I've ever gotten dizzy after a contest run.  Sometimes I get really nervous and forget to breathe during my run and when I get to the bottom I'm out of breath and feel like I'm going to puke though, hahah.

TSM: How was Nine Knights?

Gus: Nine Knights was sick!  The jump that they had built for the contest was beautiful and definitely made for some really cool shots.  They had a slideshow the last night with some of the pictures that the photographers took over the week and I was in a lot of them which I was really happy about!  My fingers are definitely crossed that I'll have a few in next year's magazines!



TSM: Tell us a little about your recent win in the Big Air and slopestyle events at WSI

Gus: WSI was awesome!  They did a super good job building and maintaining all of the features and I felt really comfortable throwing down on them.  It was definitely a pretty amazing weekend for me!

TSM: You have landed some of the hardest tricks in the sport today so far. Which would you say was the hardest one to get?

Gus: Last summer at Camp of Champions I did the first double off of a rail and I think that I would probably say that it was the hardest trick that I've done.  It took me only a handful of tries to get but I definitely beat myself up pretty good trying it and it was one of the scariest tricks I've ever attempted.

TSM: Are you working on any film projects this year?

Gus: Not really, unfortunately.  I would have loved to have filmed more this year but it was hard trying to make time for it.  I'm hoping to go to a few park shoots this spring with either PBP or MSP but we'll see whether or not it works out.

TSM: Where is your favorite place that skiing has taken you?

Gus: I've gone to New Zealand at the end of the summer for the past few years and it's definitely a pretty incredible place.

TSM: With all of the gnarly tricks you’ve got on lock, is there a personal favorite?

Gus: I really like doing dub 12's they're pretty fun.  I started mixing up the grabs that I can do in them this year and it's become one of my favorite tricks for sure!

TSM: Any words of advice to the kids looking up to you?

Gus: Just ski your heart out and work as hard as you can to keep progressing but try not to think too much about the other stuff.  First and foremost, keep it fun!  The moment you start getting too hung up about getting sponsored and turning pro and everything is the moment you begin to lose sight of why you got into the sport in the first place.

TSM: Any shoutouts?

Gus: Big shout out to all my sponsors, and my fans I couldn't do it with you!  My friends back at home and all the ones on the road.  Robin Macdonald for putting up with me all year long and helping push my career as much as possible.  George knowles.  Most importantly my family and lastly my agent, Spencer.  

Thanks for taking the time to answer all my questions during your busy schedule man, and congrats on all the success.  We'll catch up again soon.

That new trick Gus mentioned earlier is ridic---u-lous.  Alley-oop Dub Flat 9. 



And check out this full edit with Mr. Gus Kenworthy at Breckenridge.

How do I get Sponsored?

by TheSkiMonster
Apr 25th 2012 - 0 comments

The life of a pro athlete; gear, travel, hotels, taking a helicopter instead of a chairlift, and getting paid to do what you love is really appealing, it's awesome and a total dream job! One of the most common questions we get over here is "How do I get a Sponsor?" Getting sponsored is the dream of almost every young skier and snowboarder out there, so here's some advice to help you acheive your dream, of getting a sponsorship.



First off, you need to love your sport, it needs to consume your thoughts all day everyday. If this is how you feel you're on the right track, and getting a sponsor is definitely a possiblity.

If you want skiing or snowboarding to be your business you have to invest a lot of time and hard work, treat it like a full time...

2013 Icelantic Nomad RKR Ski Review

by TheSkiMonster
Apr 24th 2012 - 0 comments

Icelantic skis was viewed as more of a boutique brand or a 'microbrew' as Freeskier would call it in their buyers guide a couple of seasons ago. Icelantic has been making some incredible skis over in their Denver Colorado Factory. Skiers are most familliar with Icelantic's Shaman, Da'nollie, Pilgrim, and Nomad. For the 2012 -2013 season Icelantic has a new model of Nomad, the RKR. If you wished the 105mm waisted Nomad had Rocker well now it does.

The only gripe I had about the previous Nomad models was that it didn't have rocker. The addition of rocker makes this 105mm waisted ski truely awesome. This is one of the easier wider waisted skis to get up on edge and arc some big cruising turns down your favorite trail. Of course rocker makes this ski a lot more fun...

Top Five Tuesday: Week 5

by TheSkiMonster
Apr 24th 2012 - 0 comments

This week's Top 5 Tuesday, is a little different and special. Instead of just staring at Wave forms we have a couple videos. #thumbsup

The industry's own Katie Layne, made this song months ago, and the official music video just came out last week. #tipsup



This song is just fun. You have Steve Aoki, Nervo, and LMFAO. Do I need to say anything else?



This is my favorite version of Martin Solveig's The Night Out, super bouncey!

Spring Skiing: Can't Stop, Won't Stop

by TheSkiMonster
Apr 23rd 2012 - 0 comments

Spring skiing is awesome. It's warm out, the sun is shining, you're getting a killer goggle tan, and your skiing like a rockstar because... well you've been skiing all season and now you're on hero snow. Not to mention your favorite resorts have bands playing on the weekends, epic pond skimming events, gaper day, 80's day, the apres skiing is ridiculously fun. It's tough to move on to the next season, but the mountains force us into summer mode every year as the snow melts back down into the rivers and reserviors.

But some of us can't accept what the mountains are trying to do, so skiing continues on, I mean why not. Just grab your favorite pair of rock skis a can of WD40, lube those boards up, throw on some board shorts and load your iPod up with whatever gets you stoked.

Skiing on grass isn't for everyone, some people struggle making the jump from snow skiing to grass skiing, here's a...

Where to Ski: Mount Sunapee, New Hampshire

by TheSkiMonster
Apr 22nd 2012 - 0 comments

As much as I love a good drive into the mountains, there is something to be said about being able to shoot up to your local hill. Wake up, hop in the car with your coffee, and by 9am you’re shredding. Wrap things up by noon and make it back to the office in time to send an e-mail, write a blog, make a phone call and do whatever else makes you feel productive other than three well spent hours on the hill.

When people ask me where to ski close by I always recommend Mount Sunapee in Newbury, New Hampshire. Mount Sunapee, once a state-owned ski area is now in the hands of the Mueller family who have had a hand in drastically improving Okemon in Ludlow, Vermont. The Muellers began leasing the land from New Hampshire in 1998. The acquisition has led to numerous improvements to the facilities such as the addition of...

Where to Ski: Mount Sunapee, Newbury, New Hampshire

by TheSkiMonster
Apr 21st 2012 - 0 comments

As much as I love a good drive into the mountains, there is something to be said about being able to shoot up to your local hill. Wake up, hop in the car with your coffee, and by 9am you’re shredding. Wrap things up by noon and make it back to the office in time to send an e-mail, write a blog, make a phone call and do whatever else makes you feel productive other than three well spent hours on the hill.

When people ask me where to ski close by I always recommend Mount Sunapee in Newbury, New Hampshire. Mount Sunapee, once a state-owned ski area is now in the hands of the Mueller family who have had a hand in drastically improving Okemo Mountain Resort in Ludlow, Vermont....

Apres Ski: Venga Venga - Snowmass Colorado

by TheSkiMonster
Apr 20th 2012 - 0 comments

Snowmass Colorado has two base villages that are filled with classic resort style shopping and exceptional dining options. Both the old mall and new base area, are littered with restaurants providing outdoor seating and daily specials. One of my favorite Apres ski spots is located in Snowmass’s old mall and is directly adjacent to the fanny hill gondola. It offers Mexican style food and drink served up right.

Venga Venga is a Mexican restaurant and tequila bar that delivers delicious authentic Mexican food in a slope side atmosphere. Burritos, fajitas and enchiladas all headline this classic Mexican menu. The entrée options and comfortable outdoor seating are sure to make your Apres experience a pleasurable one.

As soon as you enter Venga Venga, you are standing on a...

Five Hour Friday: Week 2

by TheSkiMonster
Apr 20th 2012 - 0 comments

The Second Edition of Five Hour Friday. Every Friday we bring you 5 mixes from some of our favorite DJ's to get your weekend started off right.

DJ Kevin Scott from LA, just put out this mix yesterday. Funky Progressive House to help you get into summer mode.



Boston's DJ JesseJess, did this mix a couple weeks ago, and I finally got around to listening to it.



Boston's Liz Ladoux, formerly DJ Ms. Thang, recorded this fun funky mix while playing at the Ames Hotel.

Where to Ski: Killington Mountain Resort, Killington, V.T.

by TheSkiMonster
Apr 19th 2012 - 0 comments

When you’re in the ski and snowboard business people ask for a lot of recommendations. Things like: What should I wear? What kind of skis do I need? Where can I get the best après burgers? But the real big one is, where to ski?

Killington Mountain Resort in Killington, Vermont is an experience. If you have never been, I highly recommend you set aside a weekend and plan your trip. There is truly something for everyone, whether you’re a student in college, lost in your twenties, raising a family or enjoying the freedoms of retirement, Killington has multitude of activities and attractions to keep you coming back for more.

Let me start by discussing the size of Killington, it is comprised of six amazing peaks, each with its own unique...

Game of SKI with Russ and Jossi

by TheSkiMonster
Apr 19th 2012 - 0 comments

You remember playing HORSE when you were a kid, or maybe even recently at your local gym. Some of us skiers like to take play SKI. Russ Henshaw and Jossi Wells are two dudes that I might have a chance against in HORSE but not in SKI. Russ and Jossi play SKI at Keystone Colorado.





Check out our Recent Interview with Russ Henshaw.

Where to Ski: Cannon Mountain, Franconia Notch, N.H.

by TheSkiMonster
Apr 19th 2012 - 0 comments

The Skiing and riding in New Hampshire is spectacular. The views, the mountains and the history play into an all-encompassing good time. New Hampshire has a ton of options to choose from but one of my true favorites is Cannon Mountain located in The Franconia Notch State Park.

Cannon Mountain is a state owned mountain, home to many of New Hampshire’s best skiers and riders including World Champion and Olympic medalist Bode Miller. Notorious for a variety of extreme weather conditions and steep terrain,...

Nine Knights Highlight Video

by TheSkiMonster
Apr 19th 2012 - 0 comments

The 4th edition of the Suzuki Nine Knights happened last week in Livigno Italy. In order to attend this epic event you must be invited by Nico Zacek. If you are one of the few chosen to go you get to hit one of the raddest looking jumps ever the Il Castello or The Castle. This year Nico invited Colby James West, Russ Henshaw, Gus Kenworthy, Paddy Graham, and Tom Wallisch to say a few. The highlight video from the event is hot off the press and it'll make you wish winter never ended, or that you were one of the few invited to hit The Castle. You may end up booking a session at Windells this summer after watching it too. The video is sick and the electro synths don't hurt one bit, check it out!

2013 Blizzard Bonafide Ski Review

by TheSkiMonster
Apr 19th 2012 - 0 comments

The Blizzard Bonfide is riding a monster hype wave from the 2011/2012 season. The Bonafide, which was part of the Free Mountain series release, received top-level reviews from every magazine test and ski industry die-hard. The Free Mountain series consists of the Blizzard Bushwacker, Bonafide, Cochise and Bodacious. With the exception of the Bonafide, each ski within the Free Mountain series is designed to fit the needs of a particular skier demographic. The Bonafide, however, is far more versatile and appeals to a much wider range of skiers.

The first thing that stood out to me was the new graphic. The Bonafide's new paint job is Mastercraft esque. The deep red flake and fierce bullhead really pop when you put the ski on snow. The 2013 Bonafide's graphics are more villainous looking than its...