Xmas Gifts

Now I'm not sure... but I think everyone on the planet loves the holidays. Everyone.

I may be projecting, or I may be completely and totally right. Regardless, I think most would agree there is no better way to celebrate the holiday season than to give the gift of shred and snow fun.

Below is a list of awesome gifts any rider would cherish or, at least, appreciate:

SNOWBOARD VIDEOS

Whether in physical or digital format (so you can watch on your iPhone or... whatever other phone plays video,) these are awesome gifts for anyone who appreciates the art of shred. Whether the recipient is into background metal, hip-hop, or girly hipster bands, there is a movie for them. My personal fave is Peep Show's "Let's Make Better Mistakes Tomorrow" but that's just because I have a ridiculous obsession with all things Peep Show.

JACKETWhile most may wonder why this is here, as most already have their winter gear on lock by late December, I am of the mindset that one can never have too many clothes... especially when it comes to outerwear. Like it or not; so much of snowboarding is about your style-- the way you ride AND the way you dress. People judge you on all of it, and you should put your best gear forward.



PANTS ARE COOL, TOO.


GIFT CARD FOR NEAREST RESORT
Example: Killington Gift Card
This is pretty self explanatory. You can usually use them on lift tix and if not, you can use them on food/drinks/lodging/gear/knickknacks/whatever. This is probably one of the most useful gifts, and one you can prolong over time.


MONEY


Let's be honest... most people who ride are broke a lot. Not quite sure why this is; if riding is the cause of such brokeness, or if people who are broke are naturally attracted to boardsports. This is a large question which would require much more thought and research, so I'll forget it for now. But my main point is that money-- whether in cash, check, or money order form -- is a SWEET GIFT. You can do whatever you want with it: legal or illegal, snowboarding-related or not. And that is what Amurrika is all about! You wouldn't want to be a un-American, now, would you?




I know there are cooler things out there, but I wanted to post this before Christmas.




And it's the thought that counts, anyway.

BLOWING IT

Wow. I am one of the worst "bloggers," ever.

A lot has happened since my last post, not much of it dealing with what I'd much rather be writing about, unfortunately.
I had an amazing summer after working at MMC; I did a lot of traveling to Boston to visit one of my best friends and had good times. We did a lot of reminiscing back to college and Killington days, and made plenty of new memories. I also did a lot of traveling down to the DC/N. Virginia area and had some amazing times visiting and sight-seeing. We went to Summit Point Motorsports Park in West Virginia (which has a bunch of really great tracks) to do some autoX-ing and even got to see some bike racing, which is one of my all-time favorite things to watch. Maybe sooommmme day I'll participate, but I doubt my waif-ish body could control even a quarter of the weight of one of those ridiculously awesome race-prepped bikes. Sigh.

In September, I was offered a position at a well-known PR firm at home in NYC, and I jumped at the opportunity, as a career in PR is something I'd like to pursue in the future. Having absolutely no background in public relations has made it a bit difficult, but I hope to learn a lot in my current position and apply my skills as well. My constant research doesn't hurt, either.

Ugh, enough horn-tooting and self-reflection. I even hate myself a little for this post. I hope to make this blog better in the coming months and maybe even one day call myself a "blogger." But for now, I'm content with "occasional blogger who tweets a lot."

MMC NYC

I was lucky enough to get a job working at the first Maloof Money Cup held in New York City a few weekends ago, on June 5th and 6th. I worked at some of the promotional events held during the week leading up to the competition, as well as throughout the actual event where I met some really awesome people and learned new things. The experience also confirmed my passion for the "action sports" industry and I feel as though my desire to make my career in it is not in vain (I hope.)
I was able to be a part of this thanks to Joanne of JSQUARED mag. She is an awesome chickie and is starting her own skate magazine focused on the NJ-NY area. Definitely give it a look-- she has a ton of support from the skate community in the area and I'm excited to see how it will grow.

Peep these pics I managed to take while I was working:
(click to embiggen)

Kids lined up on Saturday morning after they basically flipped security the metaphorical bird and knocked down the gates to the village


Bits and pieces of the course




(I'm pretty sure that's Eric Koston in the striped tee)



My coworker Noelle attempting to ruin my picture, in the skater lounge, after a long day working in the sun


Pro Finals on Sunday, right before the random storm that started just as the competition was over





And here is the crappiest video ever posted in the history of the internet:



(Taken right at the end of Finals)



I feel so lucky to have been involved in this event. It was friggen epic-- dramatic finish and all-- and I got to be around skaters I admire and brands/companies I have been hooked on for years. All that, and I got a behind-the-scenes look at how events like these take shape. What else could a girl ask for?