I have to admit I did most of my Grenade Games watching via the web from my house in North Vancouver. The SBC crew, Scott, Gerhardt, and John were doing  good job documenting all the events and nightly parties. Looked like everyone was having a lot of fun, some maybe a bit too much!  Either way things were getting loose up at Whistler for the annual Telus World Ski & Snowboard Festival and I had to go up there even if only for the past two events.

I made it up in time to check out the pipe jam finals on Friday and got to chill in the sun watching the event with all my favorite ladies. That night I went with Mercedes Nicoll and Meghann O’Brien to the Schick Fashion Exposed. In the Foyer of the Conference Center was an State of the Art was on display with work from various artists and photographers like Scott Serfas, Scott, Pommier, Inkspoon, Megan Majewski and Laura Javor. As well Westbeach had a photo display with archival photos from the past 30 years and I was pretty surprised to see a photo of myself in the display! It was a portrait taken by Dano back in 1997 at Mt Seymour. I remember the day too we were up there shooting the Seymour QP on Peak 1, such a fun day!  The Fashion show was amazing!  Nikita, Helly Hanson, Burton, Westbeach, Bench showed all their next year’s outerwear and apparel, Aaron Chang showed his swimwear collection, and We3 the Designer Exposed winners showcased their very tight and very girly apparel collection. I can’t forget to mention the breakdancers, who put on an amazing display of moves and talent to get the crowd going as well as a musical interlude by a guy who was not only talented at signing and playing the guitar but would mix in his amazing saxophone skills.

The Grande Finale for the Grenade Games was what would normally be a Big Air at Telus but being Grenade it was different then big airs in the past. With a choice of either a big air jump or step up that led to either a stair rail set up or stump bonk it gave the riders a chance to get creative. We watched the practice Saturday afternoon from just outside Sushi Village where you had a good view of the whole set up but opted to go to the Monster Party at GLC for the finals that evening for the free food, drinks and most of all you could watch it from indoors since it was still super chilly at night. Only thing was with so many people it was hard to watch the actual contest and you went from one high five to the next. Oh well it was fun and I know I can check out the highlight video online!

Check out my photos from the weekend!

Natalie Gough and Breanna Stangeland were ripping around on Snowlerblades at the pipe finals

Yum veggie burgers with Mercedes Nicoll

Pretty obvious why Sammy Luebke won highest air

Hana Beaman and Roberta Rodger enjoying the sun

Bev V likes to have a good time and a Kokanee by noon is always a bonus!

Double trouble Mercedes Nicoll and Gabi Viteri

Mercedes arrived to the Schick Fashion Show in style!

Happy Art!

Roberta Rodger from the Westbeach photo display circa 1997 

Boob chicks to get the crowd warmed up for the shot

Nikita Outerwear

Nikita Apparel

Helly Hanson Outerwear

Helly Hanson Apparel

30 Years of Westbeach

Retro looks from Westbeach

Westbeach's current collection

That's right Bench is launching outerwear

Aaron Chang swimwear collection

We3

Grand Finale Set up

JP Walker getting interviewed for the Canadian Heritage video

Crispin Cannon and JP Walker watching the Finale inside GLC

SBC's Scott Birke and Westbeach's Racheal Brick

Priscilla, Valerie, and Tenaya enjoying the free Monster

I tagged along with Spencer O'Brien today as she headed downtown to tape for Urban Rush on Shaw TV, Vancouver’s award winning entertainment talk show hosted by Michael Eckford and Fiona Forbe.  The show features guest from film, sports, food, fashion, music, and pop cultur. As the brought us to the green Room to await her taping we were warned that there were Falcons in the room and to give them their space. Spencer and I had the same thought "What sports team is here and why do they need space?"  Needless to say we were pretty surprised to actually see three brids of prey pearched in the room!   After Spencer's succesful winter on the contest scene the hosts were stoked to talk to her about how it felt to do so well, was it her goal to win the Dew Tour, and what her plans were for the summer. Spencer spoke about Slopestyle events and he hope that one day they would be included in the Olympics. 

Check out the Urban Rush website 

Male and Female shredders from all over BC came to Mt. Seymour today to compete in Volcom's Annual Peanut Butter and Rail Jam for a chance to not only win cool prizes and money but entry into the North American Championships held at Mammoth Mountain April 25th.  I went up to check out the event this morning and see what the local ladies had to offer. Seymour had built a sweet jib set up at the base of Mystery Chair and the 25 + girls charged every feature.  I didn't recognize many of the female competitors but a lot of them had mad steeze both on and off the rails.  One girl in particular wearing a Cheetah print hoody not only looked good but had a good bag of tricks on evry feature. I didn't stick around for the finals but I'm sure she was in there.

 For a complete list of contest coverage Click here

April usually signifies the start of the Spring Season but it still feels like winter at Grouse Mountain. After receiving 24 cm overnight the clouds opened up and it was perfect late season sunny powder conditions.  First tram at 8:45 was packed with winter enthusiast of every age and as the doors opened the crowd ran to get the goods off Olympic Express and Screaming Eagle. With a base that sits at 484 cm Grouse will be staying open till April 26th, nearly two weeks longer then any North Shore mountain.  With plenty of snow and all the terrain parks well maintained there is still lots of winter fun to be had!

 For more info on Grouse Click Here