Snowboarding has always attracted creative types so it’s little surprise that four of the eight finalists from the 2010 TWSSF 72 Hour Filmmaker Showdown have notable riders involved in some part of the process. Here’s a look at the films and the people behind them.

Long time filmmaker and the force behind Fire Truck Earrings, Robjn Taylor, could have easily picked up a sponsor years ago but has always opted to hold it down on the soul tip. The closest he’s come to being pro is the pay cheque he collects for coaching at Camp Of Champions. His quirky films have earned him some local celebrity over the years and column for the last two years in Snowboard Canada Keep an eye out for the Robjn’s one of a kind wit in the 2011 Buyers Guide issue late this summer.

If you’re a fan of the Alterna snowboard flicks then you’re probably already a fan of Bryant Bell. Bryant has been filmimg and editing the Alterna movies for years. He also works as Creative Director at his design company The Rogue Muse. Check out the new Alterna film Hello World out this fall. Bryant directed First Sight.

Fanny Pack, stars Ontario shred Dan Pitts in the role of a nerd-on-the-verge. Dan has graced the pages of Snowboard Canada numerous times over the years.

This year’s People Choice award winner The War Of 1910 and/or 1924   features up and comers Chris Rasman and Wiley Tesseo as extra. Chris and Wiley are both filming parts for Alterna’s new movie. 

That’s right bitches the Grenade Games are back, and chunks are guaranteed to get spewed. If anything last year’s event only primed peeps as most shreds seem to have spent the last week getting shit canned. So, not that the party needs anymore hype, but I thought I’d share an experience from Grenade Games 5.

In my teen years the Whiskey movies and Big Brother and Blunt magazines heavily influenced me. That meant lots of getting wasted and trying to break bottles over my head (a trend I’m kind of surprised hasn’t returned with all the renegade partying going down, not that it necessarily should but that’s a different issue). That also meant lots of puking the next day. I’ve spent some vicious hangovers on my knees barfing barley sandwiches on the side of runs (I wonder if Ullr—a name oddly reminiscent of the sound someone upchucking makes—considers this a form of praying, or perhaps something like a sacrificial lamb?). But never in that time had I puked off a chair lift. In the 18 years I’ve been partying and shredding at resorts I’ve always made it to the top before I had to heave leftover hops—call it a source of pride.

Then came that fateful day riding up Jersey Cream. Maybe it was the faint swaying of the chairlift or the warm breeze swarming around my face. Maybe it was the stench of B.O. from not showering for five days. Most likely it was the fact that we had been partying for ten days straight, so I’m going to blame this one all on the Grenade Games (who takes responsibility for their own actions these days anyway, right?).

I tried my damndest to hold it down. My eyes peeled back. A sweat broke on my brow. Someone beside me farted. I knew it was all over, a sort of violation of the last high and holy place I had not defiled over the years.  Then the wretch, the stomach clench, the vile stench spiraling earthward. Look out below ye unwary skiers. And then I felt much, much better.

It’s Tuesday at 4:47 and I’m three beers deep. See you at the Games. --Gerhard Gross.

It’s just after 9 a.m. when Natazsa Zurek and I arrive at a small turn off on the side of Highway 99 in Joffre Lakes Provincial Park, north of Pemberton. We’ve left Whistler/Blackcomb and the valley’s myriad snowmobile accessed backcountry zones behind for the day to search for powder the old fashioned way—with two feet and a heartbeat.

To prepare for the ascent Natasza slides her bindings off the specially mounted plates and breaks her board into two skis. Leaning them on the tailgate of her truck she affixes a set of skins—two board length strips with adhesive on one side and fabric on the other that allows you to glide forward but grips against sliding back. While I fiddle with my binding plates and generally struggle to copy the procedure Natasza points out the ridgeline on the North Arm of Joffre that will be our destination. It looks close enough; we should be up there in no time.

Skinning up.

Although we’re near 1000 metres above sea level a recent rain has created a solid crust. We’re hoping to find fresh snow soon but for now it makes the climb easy going. My natural tendency is to lift my skis like I’m walking but Natasza instructs me to slide my feet to save energy. Once I find a rhythm I’m able to focus more on my surroundings. It’s immediately clear that touring on a splitboard is completely different experience than resort riding or backcountry sledding. 

The going is undeniably slow and sweaty but without a mechanical device propelling me uphill it’s close to meditative. A stream babbles between deep fissures in the snow. The squeaking of our bindings blends with the chirped conversation of some hidden birds. Sun streaks through the canopy of needles above. Sweat stings eyes. Lungs burn.

In my state of deep reverie I find myself thinking, ‘Wait, I’m the man. Shouldn’t I be leading this expedition?’ At least I feel like that’s how I’m supposed to think. But as we continue our trek I realize I’m completely comfortable with someone like Natazsa taking charge. After all she’s no ordinary woman. As one of the most iconic female snowboarders she’s represented Canada in the Olympics at Nagano and Salt Lake City. She’s filmed numerous video parts and managed to stay at the top of Burton’s team list for over a decade. And she continues to make her own path, choosing splitboarding as a means to access the backcountry. It’s a decision that’s inline with her personal values but puts her at odds with an industry where careers are sustained by video parts and magazine coverage.

“I like splitboarding because you can really slow down,” says Natazsa as we stop for a drink of water. “With a snowmobile you tend to move around quickly. I like the idea of going slow and appreciating the day and the moments. I also really want to be more conscious about my actions towards the environment. It’s not as easy as it looks though. At first I was thought I could hike up and pinch off a few shots but it’s really hard work. This is my first season so I’m still trying to get into shape and work up my stamina. It’s kind of like a wait and see for me because I haven’t had that much opportunity to shoot yet. But it’s really something that I have to do and at this point I’m just going with what my heart is telling me.” 

There’s no doubt her journey will be an uphill battle as will the rest of our day. We’re a little over halfway up and the snow conditions are far from what we had hoped for. Looking at a set of crusted over pillow stacks that would be perfect in good snow is nearly as painful as my burning quads.

Crusty pillows.

Above the pillows we crest onto a plateau and the snow finally begins to improve. The cliff band seen from the road looms in front of us and we switchback through the trees on the left hand side.

First ridgeline.

At the top my heart has barely stopped pounding before Natasza suggest we head one ridge higher. I suppose this is the kind of attitude that got her where she is. Besides the snow looks good and it will add a couple of hundred metres to our run.

Heading for the second ridge.

Standing at our goal we see a massive natural avalanche that has released in the bowl on the opposite side. The scene triggers something in Natasza and after we transform our skis back into proper snowboards she shares the biggest reason she got into splitboarding.

Putting your board back together is as easy as one, two, three.

After a brief safety discussion we're ready to redeem our cardio credits for some well earned vertical. Working for your run means you truly savor it. It took us nearly four hours to reach the top and each turn seems a little more memorable. Even though the snow is only knee high the feeling is left etched much deeper in my mind than any resort pow day. There’s no sense of urgency to get to a run before anyone else, just the bliss of cutting untracked turns at your leisure. 

Back at the bottom we stop for a moment to refill our water bottles in a shallow section of the stream we passed on the way up. As I dip the mouth of my bottle in I’m filled with an exhausted satisfaction followed by a sense of incredible calm. It’s a rare moment to find in an increasingly technological and mechanized world. The stream is laden with tree branches giving the water a slightly bitter but earthy taste. It’s the best water I’ve ever drank. -- Gerhard "Granola" Gross

Natasza's Splitboarding Tips

Make sure you pack an avalanche transceiver, shovel and probe. Make you’re your buddy is equally equipped. There should be a minimum of two people going out into the backcountry.

Tell someone who will be staying at home, like your mom or a friend (not your dog), where you will be going.

Double check that you’re using the correct skin on the correct ski. I’ve put a skin upside down and had to start all over. The little furries only work in one direction.

Keep your skins as clean as possible from dirt, wax, and snow.  Make sure to scrape excess wax off otherwise your skin won't stay on.  If that happens you can use ski ties or duct tape. If the skin accidentally falls in the snow scrape the snow off by grazing the sticky side along the edge of one of your skis.

Store your skins by folding each in half, glue side to glue side.  

Some skins have the sticky glue along the entire surface of the skin. In that case it is a good idea to use something called skin savers. They help you rip your skins apart much more easily.

Align your skis on your feet with the flat inside edges facing outwards.  

Don't lift your skis as you hike. Keep them in contact with the ground and slide your feet forward.  You don't want to waste energy by lifting your feet.

If you are coming upon a steeper section of the trail lift up the silver widget underneath your heel called heel risers. They will even out the grade of the slope and make hiking up much more efficient.

Lift up your heel risers without bending down by using the upper hook part of your ski pole handle. You can also use it to bang the heel riser down once you get to mellower terrain.

Don't pee in the skin track. It is unsightly.

Get ready to explore a new world of fun filled adventures!

So Will Demers from Brothers Factory really wanted me to put this video on the site because if he gets the most views in a week he can win $10,000 or something. Lord knows his greasey broke ass could use it. Plus we're down for the cause over here. Plus there's some good shredding in it from Jeremy Cloutier. Billy-D, if you win you owe me as many poutines as I can eat and as many Belle Gueules as I can drink.

Becoming a quadriplegic is one of the worst injuries imaginable. Anyone who has ever stepped on a board or been involved in an action sport has likely experienced some brief moment of repose where they’ve thought, ‘What if that happened to me?’ It’s the kind of fear we push deep down, pretend it doesn’t exist and pray some like that never happens to us. Thankfully incidences of paralysis in snowboarding seem few and far between. But what’s even more rare is to see someone recover from it.

In response to the Get Over It feature in the Winter issue Jodie Thring from Australia sent in the story of her struggle to return to snowboarding after a fall left her paralyzed from the shoulders down. Against the odds Jodie got all Uma Thurman in Kill Bill on it and recovered. Today she even competes, something she attributes to the power of the mind. “I am living proof that visualization can help repair the body,” says Jodie. Here is her story. —Gerhard Gross

I am currently Australia's only disabled snowboard athlete and the only quadriplegic snowboard athlete in the world. I learned to snowboard in Whistler in 1996 and never looked back; I'd found my passion in life. I moved to Thredbo when I got home so that snowboarding could be a part of my daily life. In July 2005 I broke my neck snowboarding at my home resort. I fell really hard on my coccyx after failing to ride out of a Boardslide on a box. It was a really random fall, which instantly paralyzed me from the shoulders down. I woke from an induced coma 10 days later to be told I was a C5 quadriplegic and it would be very unlikely that I would ever walk again. I'd compressed my C4, split my C5 in half and chipped my C6 with splits in my spinal cord. I couldn't talk because tubes were down my throat to assist me with breathing. I tried to ask my mom for a pen so that I could write my questions down, not realizing I wouldn't be able to hold a pen let alone write.

Jodie Thring [second from left] with fellow adaptive athletes.

I was moved from Intensive Care to the Acute Spinal ward a few days later and there began feelings of anger, denial, depression, loss and fear. How dare they tell me I was not going to walk again? Three months later I was ready for my first day of rehab. I was really positive and determined that I would walk out of hospital. It began with the doctor coming in every day for the next three months pricking me all over with a pin to see if I regained any sensation. She'd also ask me to try and move my toe. I'd lie in bed thinking, 'Move your toe Jodes, move your toe', trying to get my brain to send the messages down that were being blocked. Around the three month mark she came in one day, did the usual pin-prick and asked me to move my toe. I couldn't see it as I wasn't allowed to be moved for 14 weeks, or feel it, but my toe moved. Just a small flicker, but it moved. She made me do it three times to make sure it wasn't a spasm. From there I started to get movement in parts I couldn't feel and feeling in parts I couldn't move. The spasms started to kick in, which is part and parcel for a spinal cord injury.

After 14 weeks they sat me up for the first time and prepared my new motorized wheelchair, still not confident I would walk again. I told them I would be walking out of hospital and they said, “Jodie, we know you're really positive but we don't want you to be too optimistic". That just made me more determined to prove them wrong.

Shortly after I was moved into the rehab ward and that's when the depression really kicked in. On the first day in rehab they tried to teach me how to transfer into my chair so that I could independently get in and out of my bed, chair, etc. I couldn't even sit up on my own or push with my hands let alone lift my body. I burst into tears. Reality kicked in along with depression but I was still determined to do everything I could.

Like a baby I learned from scratch how to move again (except for the crawling, haha). About a month later I was able to stand up without falling in a heap and took my first step with a frame. After five months in the spinal ward I walked out of hospital with a granny frame. A month later I was able to walk unassisted. I was able to manage most things on my own by May 2006 and moved out on my own again, but stayed close to the hospital as my rehab continued two days a week for the next three years. I am now classed as a C5 Incomplete (standing) Quadriplegic. Nothing functions properly from C5 down. It's a lot easier to snowboard than it is to walk but I'm grateful every day for every step I can take, to be able to clean my own teeth, brush my own hair and wipe my own arse.

In July 2006, just shy of a year after my accident, I got back on my snowboard. I had been planning on spending the 2005/06 winter season in Japan so in January of 2007 I went snowboarding in Japan. In February I attended the first Canadian Adaptive Snowboard Program with the CSF (Canadian Snowboard Federation). There I met a guy who was working with Adaptive Action Sports in the U.S. and he invited me to go to Northstar-at-Tahoe for USASA Nationals at the end of March. In July I moved back to Thredbo and learned to drive Pisten Bully's. I had wanted to be a snow groomer and was about to start learning just before I had my accident. I went back to the USASA Nationals again the following year at Copper Mountain, skipped last season since I was broke.

This winter I had the opportunity to be coached for the first time so I'm living in Park City, Utah training with Team Utah. We are trying really hard to get snowboarding into the Paralympics for 2014, which will hopefully be a SBX event. The WSF (World Snowboard Federation) have started to hold SBX Adaptive World Cup's, which will be held in conjunction with Nationals at Mont Tremblant at the end of March, Copper Mountain, Colorado April 4^th to 11^th, then in Cardrona New Zealand at the end of July. We compete at Nationals in SBX, Slalom, GS, Slopestyle and Pipe. There's a long way to go as there is no classification process in place just yet. I'm competing against amputees who have full strength in their body, no paralysis, no spasticity and prosthetics specifically designed for snowboarding. It's going to take time but it will happen. —Jodie Thring

Jodie would like to thank the Canadian Snowboard Federation for their support of Adaptive Snowboarding.