The Snowboarder's Journal - The Snowboarder's Journal 20.2
WEIRD TOGETHER
Words: Ben Shanks Kindlon 2022-11-01 08:34:55
“Max Warbington, double exposed at Brain Bowl Mt. Bachelor, OR, where Tre Squad invited all to come join them in shaping and riding something unique. The Dirksen Derby was on, it was nuking snow, and this little kickoff event in the parking lot in mid-December attracted a few dozen boarders and a several photographers. Erik Hostetler had a flash set up and I was shooting double exposures, so we both had to time the action to a single frame. Happy accident that Erik and I pressed the button at the exact same 1/1000 of a second.” Photo: Colin Wiseman
I’m chilling in a modern two-bedroom condo in a quaint suburb in upstate New York. The owners are eager to point out its vaulted ceilings, big basement, fresh carpeting, etc. Now don’t get me wrong, it is quite nice. As I tumble into my third decade of life in this capitalistically constructed land on this naturally occurring rock floating through a vastly unknown space—a land in which we place extremely high value on such features in one’s living establishment—I really can appreciate and even share their excitement. The abode’s got a great aesthetic and is cozy as can be. Although what’s really catching my eye right now is the staircase leading from the kitchen into the backyard. Looks like a drop-in to me. And aside from those trees in what would be the landing, this patch of grass looks to have the perfect slope for a little winter rail setup.
Upon catching myself examining the home’s snowboarding potential, I think back to watching Star Wars in the basement of my buddy Pat’s house in high school. Specifically, a scene in which folks walk through a set of automatic sliding doors and onto a large set of stairs laden with ledges on each side. “Damn,” I said, “look at those hubbas.” Pat, though not much of a skater himself, was relatively learned in the lingo through association. He looked at me and laughed. “You’re literally the only person who would point that out right now,” he said. Fortunately, only one of our statements was true. Those hubbas really were nice, and I’m only so unusual in making such an astute observation.
Whether we’re visualizing roadside turns, street drop-ins, or jokingly pointing out ideally shaped yet impossibly sized street features (that Dan Brisse should still seriously consider), our minds’ eyes tap into a special frequency as snowboarders. A frequency that leads us to U-turn in the most peculiar of places and circle the backs of nondescript parking lots. A mind’s eye that compels us to walk, hike, split or sled to that peak way, way out there, just to explore the faint possibility that one line might ride clean to the bottom. So the next time you catch yourself feeling out of place drooling over some piece of steel, that little slope in your backyard or those mountains on the horizon, know you’re far from alone. At any given moment scores of snowboarders, photographers and videographers are tilting their heads to the side, eyes squinting, visualizing the possibilities of the world around them through what I’d argue to be the best lens there is. And no matter where we may be, we can all be weird together.
©Funny Feelings LLC. View All Articles.
WEIRD TOGETHER
https://digital.thesnowboardersjournal.com/articles/weird-together