Testing positive (for amplitude!) at the hospital.

Burlington’s infamous Hospital Hit, a now semi-defunct example of an urban shred-ready feature (made popular by numerous drunken UVM shred heads, old-timer Ryan Lang, and a photo of then Burton pro Jason Brown (not the Pepsi one!!) busting an 8ft out method for an issue TWS circa ’98) since a chain-link fence was constructed in front of the original take-off. I honestly think that we would have driven up to Montreal for an all-night ledge session, and may even some legs and eggs at dawn, if we weren’t so gosh-darn ham-faced. The betty’s rode, Joel-miester got some Jamie Lynn methods but I’m not a real photographer so I couldn’t capture the moment, and co-shreditor Mad-Dog Wild Will upped the ante 3 hits in a row. Peep the pics and notice the slight increase in amplitude and style each hike up the H-Hit. Way to rip, duder!

attempt #1:

attempt #2

attempt #3

attempt #1

attempt #2… oh, wait, he’s too drunk.

Who needs Jackson, we have the Rock Garden.

Matty the Nark snaps off the cliff of death in the Rock Garden (cheating doom for one more day) while the snowboard media covers the X-Games and The Coca-Cola Air Challenge. VTDR knows you rip, dude – all four of us!

We are Eyes, We are Builders, We Grab Shifty.

Okay, okay, it’s not really a grab. Tell the kids in Jersey that an ollie isn’t a trick and wait for the quick, piercing and fiery pain of a shanking. Never the less, maniacs try and throw 5’s without ever trying scope a jump and the next thing you know, orange meat wagons start rolling through town like the Conestoga parades through the wild west. Straight airs of kickers always looks lame unless you’re name is Jamie Lynn.

So backside shifty it is. Or double it up with frontside shifty then revert for a backside shifty with legs super sucked up and don’t set the landing gear down till the very last second. It’s pretty much the “statue of liberty play” in snowboarding, or maybe it’s a “pump fake”? I don’t know, I really don’t know anything about football except that people yell at televisions when they watch it.

This is the quintessential stock first air “scope it out” trick. It’s our god damned safety dance.

The downfall of the backside shifty is in powder at moderate speed. It may be one of these least possible things known to mankind unless you spend most of your days in the gym doing squats. What they usually end up looking like a typical “Joey” wiggle, which, notably is not a trick at all. Let me re-phrase that: AT ALL. Not ever. You’re more likely to actually produce a steamy load in your pants than make it look good so safe yourself the hassle or just go way faster. You can find peace of mind knowing that your about 70% done with a crail, which is a grab, maybe the most awesome grab ever and any kid from Jersey should know that.

-The Midwestern Scorpion

Casey Neefus! N.B.D. #3! (Seriously, how is everyone in the world not reading this)

There’s a lot of folks out there that hang the word “sport” on snowboarding. Call it what you want, because shred-lifer Senor Casey Neefus not only doesn’t care, but he’ll steal your lines while you’re debating the true meaning of snowboarding over fair-trade organic coffee at some reggae-themed café in downtown Burlington (oh, wait — that’s how I spend my Saturday afternoons!). With no more blabber, I introduce Casey Neefus to VTDR’s “No Big Deal” interview bonanza.

What do you say to dudes in Portland that say stuff like, “snowboarding’s lame” and “it’ll never be as cool as skateboarding or surfing”?

I try not to judge them on judging snowboarders or snowboarding in general, because snowboarding is not skating or surfing its snow boarding a completly different thing. Yes it did develop from skating and surfing but its different. So I tell them it dosen’t matter what your friend’s think is cool the only thing that matters is what you have the most fun doing, and for me its snowboarding.

Should snowboarding have an element of danger to it? Not like pissing yourself over a gnarly backcountry jump or something. I’m talking about a dangerous lifestyle, like a Hell’s Angels or Outlaws aspect to it that makes it something more than just living in the mountains or riding down a ski trail?

One of the best things about snowboarding is the freedom to be who you are, and how different snowboards choose to express it. If it’s through their riding or through the way the dress or there life style off the mountain, maybe they are an artist or a biker, or a fisherman or they like to travel alot in the off season or maybe they just like to party. But there is bad ass element in most snowboarder’s in I know.

You’ve been shredding since Peter Line was on Division 23, it’s no doubt been a long epic journey. Any regrets, highlights, or down and out periods you’d like to share with our viewership of 4 snowboarders?

It’s to hard to just choose a few things, because there has been so many magical times. But I will give a little advice. Set some goals for your self and try to make them happen, but dont stress on them just have fun with it, because isn’t that why we all started to snowboard anyways — because it’s fun?

As far as the snowboarding industry goes, is Mt. Baker the new Mammoth? It seems like it is, but on second thought, no pro-shreds really live there, except you! Is Mt. Baker Heaven on Earth or what?

I don’t think it will ever be the next Mammoth and I hope that it won’t be. Yes, Mt. Baker is heaven on Earth for me. But it’s not like that for every one, it’s pretty much always snowing. I think that I have only ridden two sunny days all year, but like 60 powder days. It’s always flat light and you are always cold and wet. But you get to ride some but the best lift accessible terrain ever. As far as the seen goes there isn’t really one — which I like. But there are a few pro shreder’s who do live up here. But it seem’s like the people who do live around here are
trying to keep it pure. Plus I think when most people come to visit they get intimadated because all the no-name/ soul shred locals will blow your mind and show you up with out even trying.

A lot of shred heads know your brother is an artist — a sick one — who has designed boards for Rome and gloves for Grenade. But what they don’t know about Seth is that he can knuckledrag with the best of them. Do you bros still shred together and does he show you up from time to time?

Yeah we still shred together every once in awhile, or when I can convince him to come visit me. And yes he will still show me up to. it blows my mind because he only ride’s a few times a year and he is still just as gnar-dog as before. Besides the fact that he can still show me up, he inspires me alot on the way he looks at the moutain and the way he ride’s it too. Seth is still my favorite person to ride with.

Thanks for sessioning with VTDeathrider, Casey. Keep us posted on your adventures in Mt. Baker. And raise a can of Olympia to many more days of epic pow dumps and Seattle chicks that put out!

What the truck!?

Are you for real — why is this dude an un-sponsored intern/ snowmaker and bums like (insert names of 50 percent of pro shreds here) getting more money than he earns in 10 years in one day to whine about traveling the world snowboarding?! Life ain’t fair — just look at Africa. Matty the Nark airing his shitbox to icy flat parking lot landing. So savory.

VTDeathThreat.com

This cut of trail goes by a different name, but it is no doubt gnar dog — thus spawning the idea behind the placement of the sign. Lots of stub ups on this one, but first tracks (if you don’t get knifed by a tele-marker first) is deathride. The drop in region is 45 degrees and probably the only trail on the East Coast where it is possbile to start a mini avalanche. Speaking on knives, yesterday I rode down this secret trail and found my lame-ass “gnar dog” sign torn down and a fucking KNIFE where it once hung! Dude, sorry to harsh your mellow angry tele-marker duder, but chill out! And, uh, don’t stab me, please. For real.