NZsnowboard.com NewsWeek

Zeros&Ones newest WebTV programme, 'NZsnowboard.com NewsWeek' is set to kick off a month from today.

We've been busy working on the programme, and the logos have just been finalised - a big thanks to Lester Perry at Quiet Chaos for working on these.

Jason Morrice is working on the introduction, and motion effects for the programme as we speak. It's going to be an exciting season, and our Presenter Nick Hyne is already throwing out some golden ideas. For now to find out more about NewsWeek, click here.

An official Press Release for 'NZsnowboard.com NewsWeek' will be seen everywhere in a couple of weeks.

Robett Hollis

Its hard to believe that Robett Hollis is a presenter for National Televsion, when it comes to doing a portrait shoot with him. Last night, we went and popped off a few hundred portraits for a Publication. The big maori managed to kook 90% of the shots, and some sort of feeble attempt at using mentos and sprite ended up being a dissapointment.

Its just aswell Robett has his business game and website on lock, otherwise we wouldnt be working with him this year. www.nzsnowboard.com

Wanaka Mountainbike Park

Construction has started on a Mountainbike Park, in Lismore Forrest, Wanaka. Its looking like its going to be a really nice set up, with flowing trails, and tonnes of berms all the way through the trees. The boys are working hard, and I'll keep posting photos up here as the progression continues. For now heres a couple of shots of the toys.

Forum Announces 'Forum Or Against 'Em' Video Project

Forum Snowboards is proud to announce Forum or Againstem, a high-definition, full-color film starring the influential members of the Forum team.

Set to release in Fall 2008, Forum or Against em will contain a compelling mixture of video imagery, documenting remarkable backcountry adventures, progressive urban exploits and the notable times spent in-between.

Forum or Against 'em will be Forum's fifth team-video release, upholding the progression of an acknowledged movie-making process that has made legacy releases so noteworthy including The Resistance, True Life, Video Gangs and That.

Forum or Against em will feature the riding of Peter Line, Joni Malmi, Eddie Wall, John Jackson, Pat Moore, Jake Blauvelt, Stevie Bell, Travis Kennedy, Jake Welch, Nic Sauve and Daniel Ek with production and editing by Jeremy Pettit, Nathan Yant, Kurt Heine and Mike Bishop.

Dirt Banks.

Well, its got nothing on the Frews Dirt Quarter, but this little bank in Wanaka seems to have conveniently been shaped up. Some Queenstown crew came over on Saturday to ride the Skate Park, including Ben Finney and Lowell Smyth.

We ended up shooting a few fun photos on the bank/quarter, and Lowell started boosting the shit out of it! Cant show you the hammers, but heres what the bank looks like.

Gorge Road

I've been pretty non stop since I've been back, trying to catch up on computer work, but felt it was time for a trip over to Queenstown to catch up with my fellow mountainbikers. Headed over yesterday afternoon, and had a swell time at the Gorge Road trails with the likes of Brett Frew, Ben Finney, and Seb Kemp.

Good times were had all round. Got a few runs in then pissed round taking a few photos. Bretts flow and style seems to have got more effortless, and Seb Kemp was doing the slowest Loops out. Finney, well, Finney... Haha, heres some shots using a softbox on my new strobe. Enjoy.

Brett Frew, One Foot Flat, and Downside Steezed 3.

Seb Kemp loops.

Finney. Well. Finney

Jossi Wells.

I shot some portraits this arvo, with the one and only Jossi Wells. If you havn't heard about Jossis recent success, then you better get out from under that rock. Jossi is one of New Zealands most successful athletes, at only 17 he has rissen straight to the top of the Game, placing 2nd at the X Games in Slopestyle this year amongst other amazing results. Jossis kept a level head, and I look forward to seeing everything that he achieves in the future.

Jossi in the playground.. bring it back.

The Frews.

New Zealands most prominant bike riding family, the Frews, have been ticking along all summer, and continue to push New Zealand Freeriding to new places. I've done my best to put a few updates on here, about whats been happening.

Big news is that they now have broadband down on the farm, which is pretty awesome. Things are ticking along, and both Dan and Brett are heading over seas to Ride for Summer.

Brett and Dan formed the Southern Freeriders Association. To know whats up there, go and add them to myspace -
http://www.myspace.com/southernfreeriders

And for now, heres a shot of Dan doing what he does best.

Fast Times In Tahoe.

Tahoe was definitely one of the highlights of my trip. As I'm sitting here working through editing a bunch of photos, its bringing back all the good times. Theres something therapeutic about living near water I believe. I will definitely be heading back there.

Heres a shot of Chris Blinkhorne from Tahoe. We were bored one day, so we put some snow down some steps, and Chris put down a whole bunch of presses on this Pier.

Chris Blink Horne - 5-0 - Just outside of Tahoe City

Dunedin

Drove to Dunedin on the weekend to pick up my car and computer. Caught up with Chris Arnison, and went and watched some bike riding... Chris and his buddies are filming bits and pieces from round dunners and the likes. They shot this rock ride 180 out type thing.. pretty tech. I'll post the sequence up when I can be bothered putting it together.

Chris, Michael, Tim and a conveniently shaped rock.

Bravo Condoms Signs Duncan Riffle

Probly the best piece of news in Mountainbiking EVER.

Summer Of Shred Part 2.

SHRREDDING??!??!?!

The 2nd Installment of the summer of shred has just been released. Theres a whole lotta hammers in there. Highlights include Sundbaums Rail fuf at Kaikora, Beverland Flipping Mini Dream, Frews Flow, Foot plant on something in a tractor bucket and so on.. Just watch it. NZ riding is stepping up!

CLICK HERE FOR SHRED OF SUMMER PART TWO

Home Sweet Home.

Sooooo, after what was a pretty incredible 3 and a half months of wallowing around the world, I've finally managed to make it back to Wanaka. The trip definately went beyond my expectations, and am pretty stoked on how everything turned out. I'm just setting up office in Wanaka again, and have a whole stack of work to do in preparation for winter.

I Will be able to do a tonne of updates shortly. For now, heres a sneak peak from the last shoot I did in Tahoe. I finally got my flash gear back, and had to get a shoot done, so I headed up Donner Pass with Emily. Built this wedge and made her gap it. Came out with a pretty steezy tail snatcher with some art reflection. yus!

Moving On.

Am back on the move again, left Kings Beach yesterday, and am currently in San Fransisco, being a tourist for today, and tomorow, then depart for Auckland at 9pm tomorow night. All in all, Tahoe was really fun, and pretty productive, shot to everyone who helped us out! Next big update when I'm back in NZ!

zerosandones.co.nz - Launches

So, its a little later than I planned, but zerosandones.co.nz version 1.0 ,has just been launched! Go have a look around the site, any problems, feedback, or just plain amusing comments, hit me.

There will be alot more content uploaded to the site shortly, 2008 is going to be a very big year for us, and you'll be able to tune in to the site to watch it all go down.

Bookmark it, and tell your friends - www.zerosandones.co.nz

2008 Spoke Magazine Beverland Jam

The 2nd annual Spoke Magazine Beverland Jam is happening on Saturday the 19th of April at the Beverland Farm just outside of Huntly.

Map here: http://www.smaps.co.nz/nz/waikato/rangiriri/beverland+road/63/

Videos from last years Jam [HERE] and [HERE] - Photos from last years Jam [HERE]

Chris Beverland has been hard at work building new features on his 1/4 acre dream. There is a new line of doubles along side the main set for huge transfers and going extra big, and there is way more in the works. The format again will be the same, three awesome prizes for three categories. The categories are best trick, best run and best style and there is no second and third. Up for grabs is a Commencal hardtail frame, a set of Kore BFD Wheels and a pair of Rock Shox Argyle forks.

The event kicks off at 12 (midday), on the 19th of April. Its $15 to ride (this covers food and refreshments) and $2 to spectate. There's room for camping but you will have to be a tidy Kiwi. If your interested in riding you need to email
beverland[at]spokemagazine.com

The Light.

I'm stoked to say that after almost 2 and a half months without flash, I'm back in the game. A bunch of my old gear got maimed, and around a month ago I ordered some brand new Quantum Gear from b&h. This turned into a complete nightmare, as the gear ended up being damaged from the store, but it took weeks of phone calls and emails to find this out!

Quantum repaired my gear and I now have it going.. Got a new Qflash set up and some new receivers and so on.. Went and tested it on a jetty in Kings Beach last night. Its the goods. Although my photographys suffered over the last couple of months, it should be on the ups now!

Quantum Qflash....

Seb Kemp Installment # 3

Heres another update from the one and only Seb Kemp.

Kemp Rolls Deep.

::: I think this summer has to of had the most varied riding for me ever. Its also been pretty painful. Take last week for instance. Saturday was all about the third and final Revolver Summer Session at Gorge Rd. All the usual suspects were there even if half of them seemed to be sidelined due to injuries or demoted to camera duties. Also as usual there was Matty Smith as MC being shit at DJ duties but doing well to have riders cracking up half way through their run. Of course, AS USUAL, the riding got out of hand after a few hours, especially when Coulson starting handing out prizes to the riders willing to kill themselves...pain followed.

Brad Greenslade gets upside down, and turns his bars round. Revolver Summer Sessions

That night the summer sessions dvd was premiered. Bourbon was consumed and as usual the morning was painful... Especially if like me you only had an hour and a half sleep before loading up the van and heading to Bluff for The Worlds Most Southerly Race.

Amazingly it didn't rain and the course was super fun. Even if like me you decided to blow up even riding a couple slow easy investigative laps. pain followed. The set up was tailored towards getting as much riding in as possible so every rider had a seeding run then TWO race runs. The results aren't necessary, but i can tell you that wearing shin pads might be a good idea after taking a pedal to the shin that left me with a golf ball lump on my shin that looked awfully like a broken bone, and still does a week and a half later.

After the most painful Monday of my life and several visits to the physio, I felt ready to take on my next bicycle challenge...Riding a fixed gear road bike around an indoor track with 12 foot wooden berms on it. The pain this time came not from crashing but from having the hardest work out of my life. Basically to stay upright on the track you had to be cranking as hard as you could. I have never felt like being sick from riding my bike before...And maybe never again.

Tim Cici and Seb

Bascially the last week or two of riding has made me happy that thank god we are paid lots and lots of money to ride our bikes, and have really hot podium girls, and are adored by the nation for our accolades, because some time it just aint fun enough to justify the pain.

Installment Number 1 from the Summer Of Shred has just been uploaded to pinkbike. Go check it!
http://www.pinkbike.com/news/summer-of-shred-new-zealand-part-1-2008.html

Aaron Chase Bio

Heres an in depth Aaron Chase Bio from MTBcut.tv

NZsnowboard.com Version 2 Launches.

NZsnowboard.com Version 2

Our good friends over at NZsnowboard.com have just launched NZsnowboard.com Version 2.0. The new site is going to spread its wings over the next few weeks. We're stoked to be working on a large amount of web televsion for NZsnowboard.com this year, more on that shortly. For now, head over and check it!

www.nzsnowboard.com

Cock&Balls.

Wow. What a bizarre day. Hit up Donner for the billionth time with Blinks, Andy K, Creames, and later on the ladies showed up.

From left, Andrew Kennerly, Chris Blinkhorne, Creams & Ems.

A cold breeze had kept the snow at Donner solid, which meant we couldnt hit some cliffs and lines that we had planned, how ever Chris Blinks still decided to throw down on a booter, and was killing it. But got Rolled. Broken board and all sorts. Someone hook blinks up a board so he can keep on killing it!

Chris Blinkhorne and a sponsorless elbow.

The afternoon took a bizarre twist when we decided to head down the road and look at some rocks to stall. We were all getting a bit delirious after about an hour of throwing snow at a rock, in an attempt to build a tranny. It started off as a stall thing, then got changed into another stall thing, then we somehow took on the ambitious attempt of building a quarter pipe. After staring at the behemoth pile of snow which we had somehow moved, we wondered what the hell we were gonna do with it. Well. It all became very clear. We made a giant cock and balls. Over 8 foot of pure snowboardable girth.

Art Direction was key on this project. Andrew Kennerly took care of shaft shaping. Creames and Blinky took on the head, and we all came together for the testies.

Andrew Kennerly gets ready for one big shaft.

Sugar Bowl.

Hit up Sugar Bowl with Chris Blinks and Neale Gibbons yesterday. Was a refreshing change from riding with the steeze cats at NorthStar. Did a bunch of freeriding and scoped a few things to shoot. The mountains got chair access to some pretty amazing terrain, with a bunch of real dope big mountain lines.

The light didnt co-operate, but we still shot a little something something. Here Blinky gets a fun little toe side digger.

Spring.

Wow. Kareoke semi finals. More Whiskey. Sweet dance moves and so on. Bit of snowboarding here and there. Shot some stuff up the pass with two under ground rippers Creames and Ems yesterday. Hammer time. Here Creames stomps the shit out of this line.

Snow Waves.

One - I hate drinking bottles of whiskey in hotel rooms.
Two - I hate Public Transport when hung over and carrying snowboards and camera gear.
Three - Those little tiny teddy biscuit things are really tasty.
Four - I love trying to redeem myself when hung over by suggesting silly things.
Five - Snowboarding on old tubing runs is EPIC.
Six - Suggesting Chris Blinkhorne should pop over the tubing run as a joke made me giggle.
Seven - Watching Chris Blinkhorne pop 35 foot out of a 2 foot tranny over a tubing run made me giggle even more.
Eight - Got the shot. Time to surf the giant white wave again.
Nine - Back on the bus hating life.
Ten - Poach the internet at safeway whilst drinking a bottle of No Pulp Tropicana Orange Juice - still hung over.

I could only document a few of todays amazing steps. Heres a sneak peak.

Chris Blinkhorne shapes a 2 foot tranny. Yes he flew right over that dirty snow and landed on another tiny little pile of snow. Wakeboard style snowboarding gap, fresh. SOMEONE HOOK BLINKS UP!

Magic

Jed Mildon Invitational

Lester Perry Just flicked me through an email, with a little write up and some photos from the JED MILDON invitational. Jeds an absoloute ripper whos on Quiet Chaos, and is off to the states to ride shortly. Read on..

Take Taupo Skatepark, mix in 50 odd BMX riders, 30 or so Skaters, Hundreds of spectators, 1 huge LCD screen with live feed from around the park, a huge sound system with a couple of DJs, a crazy Maori on a bike heading to the USA to show them how its done and what do you get? The first Annual JED MILDON Invitational jam.

Jed Mildon 360 double wip attempt

Jed is one of NZs top freestyle BMXers and at the end of April he heads back
to the USA to compete in some heavy hitting comps and bring some NZ flavour
to the US BMX massive.

Jed + Wip + Bowl

The Jed Jam was basically a send off for him, and riders flocked from around
the North Island to Taupo to shred. And Shred they did, the Bolter twins
(George and Louis) from Auckland showed their ample bag of tricks with Louis
ruling tech on the deck and coping, and Georges 540 flatspin things out of
the quarters blew everyones minds, along with some big ass boosting in the
deep bowl.

Whangamata Caleb and a lofty turn down

Heaps of dudes were throwing down, including groms from Taupo who were
flipping and flairing there way around the park. Stand outs were Caleb from
Whangamata winding the boosty airs right up with some sweet inverts and
turndowns wayyy up.

Whangamata Caleb and the deep end

Jed himself pretty much ruled it with airs at least 2 foot higher than
everyone and every trick in the book thrown at full height. Hightlights of
Jeds day would be 8 or so attempts at 360 double tailwhips at height over
the spine, (he got so close but kept blowing his feet off the pedals), flip
whips over the spine, transfers at about 8ft up from the small bowl to the
big bowl, flairs!! over the same gap, and a few huge flips over the box jump
in the middle of the park, oh and a flip whip out of the end of the park out
to grass bank. Bananas!!

Got Pop? Jed Mildon with a MASSIVE flip.

Everyone was stoked on the day, and no doubt we'll see plenty more rider run
jams and comps on the horizon. Good luck to Jed in the USA, and cheers to everyone who showed up to ride or
just chill and drink beer. - Lester

Jed Mildon signs off...

Was Pretty stoked to see this! Justin Leov, Sam Blenkinsop & Cameron Cole, killing it early season. To see Sam & Cams section in 'How About It' Click Here.

Kiwi boys on the podium

The first International race for the Northern Hemisphere season for our Kiwi riders was held at Fontana, California over the weekend. The race presented by Maxxis, was the first round of the National Mountain Bike series in USA.

The downhill was internationally represented with World Cup riders from New Zealand, Australia, Spain and the UK joining USA riders making it quite a competitive event.
However the Southern Hemisphere riders dominated the top 5 mens downhill with 2 Australians and 3 Kiwis on the podium.

Won by Chris Kovarik, with Nathan Rennie on his tail followed by our own locals, Justin Leov, Sam Blenkinsop and Cameron Cole.

1st Chris KOVARIK Chain Reaction Cycles/Intense 2.19.6
2nd Nathan RENNIE Santa Cruz Syndicate 2.22.2
3rd Justin LEOV Yeti/Fox 2.24.6
4th Sam BLENKENSOP Yeti/Fox 2.25.1
5th Cameron COLE Maxxis 2.25.3
6th Duncan RIFFLE Cannondale 2.25.5
7th Waylon SMITH 2.26.5
8th Luke STROBEL Maxxis 2.26.6
9th Jared RANDO Giant 2.26.7
10th Oscar SAIZ Giant 2.27.1

Snow Park NZ - Box And Rail Building Bonanza

2008 Is set to be a pretty busy season for New Zealand, Transworld has been raving about Wanaka, and as usual SnowPark has been splattered all over every International Magazine. SnowPark has been busy keeping up with all the park trends, and it seems there will be alot of changes for this season. Amongst all the park upgrades there will also be night riding!

A visit to the Snow Park NZ workshop late last week uncovered what’s been going on in there all summer… massive rebuilding, repairing and the creation a whole arsenal of new boxes and rails for the ’08 season. All the work is in preparation for the upcoming winter when Snow Park NZ will be opening up over 14,000 m/sq of previously unused hill space as well as introducing ‘Event Specific’ rails and boxes.

Included in the new terrain is a slopestyle lane to the east of the existing box run filled with skillfully crafted intermediate jumps and jibs. In addition to these new intermediate features, close to 4,000 m/sq of terrain has been opened up for the redevelopment of Half Pint Park, which will be shifting to the eastside of the resort this year. Look out for an overwhelming amount of features purposely built for first time and beginner park riders.

Not for beginners however, is the introduction of ‘Event Specific’ features. Painted bright yellow, these rails and boxes are set aside specially for events. The biggest impact to you the rider will be that none of your favorite jibs will get pulled out for the big competitions. The other upside will be that competition courses will stay up for longer and give you a chance to play on the comp courses.

Some other big surprises in store for 2008 include new permanent features and the return of an old favourite. Plus, Snow Park NZ lights up with night riding!

Opening day is set for June 13^th, 2008! Keep checking these updates for more information.

Seb Kemp Installment # 2

Inbetween sending the dream track, and updating his face book status, the one and only Seb Kemp finds time to send us another riveting installment on the bike riding scene in qtown.

Author Seb Kemp

Gotta love living for the weekends. However its even better when everyday is like a weekend. Thats been the case in Queenstown all summer cause theres always someone or somebodies to go N-Shredding with. However, the summer is waning and creeping into autumn. Its cooler, its getting darker earlier, and the trails aren't always so damn dusty.

It's also the time of year when the riding clans are dispersing. Some people are cruising back to their hometowns and home countries. Often this is a sad sad time. Sad because every night there is another leaving party so you wake up constantly with a head full of nails and pockets full of cash slips. But what is different this year is that most of the riding fellas in Queenstown are living the endless summer dream and are heading out to Whistler. Its gonna be a riot.

Personally I haven't been there for a year and a half so im stoked to catch up with old buddies, see whats been developing there since i was there last, and to get back to lazy chairlift accessed riding again (although ive vowed not to live in the bikepark this summer)

The things im not looking forward to are:
-tipping every bloody person even if they simply poured a druaght beer,
-the bloody ridiculous goods and service taxes that they dont include in the price of what your buying, so a $1.99 coffee becomes $2.13 when you get to the cashier. makes budgeting hard when you can't add 13% in your head, -been bombarded by the 2010 olympic propaganda,
-and having to queue to ride my bike

Mitch Brown & Bataleon.

A few weeks back Mitch Brown got his hands on the new Bataleon Limited Edition NZ board. Mitch has been shredding it all over the states, and has nothing but love for it.

I'm pretty sure Bataleon will do a press release soon, and i'll be sure to post it up here. Mitch has to head back to Colorado so our shooting plans got cut short, but we had a few minutes to get some portraits and a quick pipe shot yesterday. Heres some shots of Mitch at the racks.

Base of the board. Clean + Bold + Bright

Buzzy Bee Top Sheet. Epic.

Mitch Putting the new board through the pipe. Casual Grey Stale.