Congratulations, Shay!

My online colleague-in-blogging, Shannon Johnson, author of Shayboarder.com, has been hitting her stride and making a name for herself. What I didn't know is just how popular she has become.

The other day ESPN.com ran a story, "Chez Shayboarder," about Shannon and her site. I don't remember when I first came across Shayboarder--that site started in August 2007, I started this blog in October, 2004--but I've appreciated Shannon's work for several reasons.

First, her writing doesn't sound like it comes from a high-school dropout. Perhaps that's one reason it has less of the snowboarding dialect than the typical snowboarding site. (On the other hand, she does use the word "haters" as a synonym for "critics." Is that a generational artifact?)

Second, we're both minorities within snowboarding. She's a woman; I'm a man who has passed his 40th birthday. I can relate to someone being out of the mainstream of the sport.

Third, she knows her stuff, and she's approachable. I've asked for her opinion on gear, and she's been kind enough to give me her opinion.

A lot of other people have found reasons to like Shayboarder. For one thing, it has had over 800,000 page views in its two years of existence. The Grays on Trays blog, in its nearly 5 years of existence, has received ... a lot less.

Perhaps it's Shannon's product knowledge. Or more importantly, her attitude. "'The site is popular because it's for average riders, whether they ride 10 or 50 days a year,' explains Shay." She adds "I think many snowboarders today go online looking for something to relate to."

Makes sense to me.

Blogs you should consider: Passion for Addiction

I started Grays on Trays back in 2003 because I was looking for, but failed to find, an online resource about snowboarding that was suitable for adults. Everything I could was geared toward teenagers, or even younger children. So the site was born.

Starting the blog in October of 2004 was a logical extension of that.

Since starting the blog, I've found some other blogs that are worth checking with from time to time. This isn't to say that I would write in the same way or with the same style that the authors of these blogs do. In fact, sometimes they write about things that I have little or no interest in, or use a style that I would use.

Still, I recommend checking out the sites listed blogroll if you're looking for more places to seek out information, inspiration, and stories of snowboarding.

Today I'm going to introduce one site on the roll, Passion for Addiction. The author, Pamela Valure, writes from the Hudson Valley. She works in the design field, so the layout of the blog is appealing. At least I find it appealing: It's clean and not cluttered with a lot of background artwork, like a lot of snowboards and snowboarding magazines are.

Valure is a certified snowboard instructor, which certainly adds to her credibility, though in the short tenure of the blog she hasn't written much about techniques. I realize that communicating good technique through the written word can be difficult, and that there's a limit to its utility. But here's hoping that Passion for Addiction includes some instructional tips along the way.

A Review of Online Snowboard Shops

Speaking of shopping for snowboarding stuff, be sure to check out the review of online shops offered by Shannon at Shayboarder.com.

Some Good Photos from the Mountains

For a variety of reasons I haven't made it out to the snow yet, which means that my "snowboarding" this season has been limited to getting vicarious thrills from other web sites.

Allie, the author behind the blog Vancity Allie, describes herself as "a 24 year-old Vancouver girl who loves and writes about everything 'Vancouver' and West Coast." Snowboarding is one of the topics she covers. (Click here for the snowboarding archives.)

Check out one of her recent posts for some good photos from Whistler Blackcomb, other spots in British Columbia, Steamboat, Mammoth and other destinations I'd like to visit someday.

Revised Blogroll

One reason I started this blog--similar to the reason I started the Grays on Trays website itself--is that I could not find any snowboarding-related blogs that I liked.

Fortunately, things have changed since then. So once you're done reading here, head over to one of the worthy destinations listed in the sidebar of this site. Look for "Snowboarding blogs."

PowderRoom.Net

I'm always eager to highlight niche outlets that spread the joy of snowboarding. Since the teenage male gets most of the media attention, there's a lot of room for adults.

Another segment of the population that doesn't get much attention in the world of snowboarding is women, generally. So here's to PowderRoom.Net, a U.K.-based site that bills itself as being "for girls who know snow."



It's got news, a blog, a discussion forum, and other features.

Worthy Destinations: Snowboarding as Jo(e)

Most snowboard-related writing on the Internet is drivel. (For that matter, so are most of the magazines!) Some of it, though, is written with style and skill. Take a look, for example, at the blog Writing as Jo(e). Great photos accompany this well-written blog. Of course, Jo(e) ought to write well; she teaches college students how to write.

Most of the time, Jo(e)'s blog isn't about snowboarding. She writes about her job, family, friends, travels, and on occasion, her adventures on a snowboard. Unfortunately, Jo(e) doesn't use labels or tags on her posts, so you can't bring all of her snowboard-related posts into one spot.

Until now. Here are links to Jo(e)'s snowboarding blog posts, complete with excerpts.

Season begins
We are lucky to live within 25 miles of a good ski slope. Winters can be long here – it will be a months before I again feel sunshine against my bare legs – but spending at least one whole day outside in the fresh air every weekend does wonders for the winter blues.

Bonding through Boarding
"I think every part of my body hurts," I said to my daughter.

Promoted
Suddenly, I found myself in the position of snowboard instructor. Anyone who read my post about snowboarding from last weekend will see the irony in this situation.

About snowboarding Sunday
Coming down the mountain with my right foot in front was much easier. (Apparently I am goofy. Who would have thought?) And getting my body to move the right way was possible because I had figured it out in my head.

Mostly ice
I know that ski lodges in movies have comfy furniture, and fireplaces, and hot tubs, and sometimes famous actors wearing tap shoes, but our ski lodge is nothing like that.

Inside the ski lodge
I know that some of these parents are afraid. They are afraid of getting hurt. They are afraid that their kids will get hurt. They don’t understand the appeal of the ski slope. And yet despite their fears, they listened when their kids begged for snowboard lessons and scraped together the hundred bucks for the six-week program.

Soft snow at last
The great thing about rain is that most people don't like it. And they go home. For the rest of the day, there were no lines at all at the chairlift. And I didn't mind boarding in the rain. I've always liked hiking and canoeing in the rain, and this was no different.

Crowding the table
When we returned to the table, teenagers had gathered around it, drawn to the cooler and bag of food the way buzzards are drawn to roadkill.

Crossing over
What I’ve found, after five Sundays of snowboard lessons, is that I really like snowboarding. It's easier on my knees than skiing. And once I made it past the difficult first lesson, I’ve been able to learn pretty fast. I like the movement, the balancing, the speed.

Fresh air and sunshine
It's always wonderful when your student not only learns the basics of what you are teaching, but catches your love of what you are doing.

On a cold and wintry night
Snowboarding in the dark is an exhilarating experience. Breathing in the icy air of a winter night woke my whole body, the coldness tingling through me. ... By the time we drove home, making our way through dark country roads, we were all pleasantly tired from taking run after run. And the frustrating situation with the car had long been forgotten.

Icy winds
It was the kind of day when you make sure your helmet meets your goggles, your goggles meet your face mask, your face mask meets your neck gaiter, and your neck gaiter gets tucked into your coat.

Snowboarding drunk
I tell them that more snowboarding injuries happen when you are tired. And I have statistics to back that up. Most injuries happen on the last run of the day. The kids scoff at this information. Boy in Black explained to me patiently, "Of course, the injury happens on the last run of the day. Because once you've got a broken wrist, you aren't likely to take another run."

Injured
I got injured getting off the chair lift. Yes. Possible the lamest injury in the history of snowboarding. ... For the record, this did count as a snowboarding injury, even if I wasn't exactly snowboarding when it happened. I mean, my leg would not have twisted in that bizarre fashion if it wasn't attached to a snowboard.

Jo(e) Athlete
I kept badgering him to help me come up with a rule of thumb so that I would know when I could snowboard again. Finally, he said, "Okay, if you can run up and down a flight of stairs without pain, you are ready to snowboard again."

Healing
By the middle of this week, I came to the realization that despite all the wonderful snow we've gotten this week, I am not going to be able to snowboard this weekend.

Almost
For the last two months, I've been conscious, every day, almost every minute, of my right knee, a body part that, to be honest, I don't usually spend much time thinking about.

Healing
And finally, spring is here. Well, almost here. I've still got snow in my yard. But gradually, the knee has gotten better. It doesn't wake me up at night any more, it doesn't hurt when I bend it, and mostly, I no longer even think about it. I can run up and down the stairs without pain.

Stretching
The injury had healed but I guess the pain had gotten me into the bad habit of not using my leg, of dragging it about like a phantom limb. The healing, I realized, was not finished. So every morning now, I sit on the floor and put the bottoms of my feet together and start stretching out those leg muscles.

Ready
We are not a household that spends much money on clothing, but I will spend money on good outerwear.

Headed to the chair
The good news is the my knee is fully recovered, and I have no lingering fear of snowboarding. The bad news is that I am terrified of the damned chair lift. A chair lift, I keep explaining to anyone who will listen, is designed for someone wearing skis.

Invincible
With my right foot strapped in and my left foot on the stomp pad, I coasted away from the chair lift and stopped in a patch of new snow. When I finally took a breath, I could feel all kinds of adrenaline surging through my bloodstream.

Student/Teacher
We took three runs that day (the lessons are an hour and a half long), and he did fine as an instructor, giving me compliments every time I stopped, just as I had told him to. He seemed puzzled by the number of teenagers who kept yelling my name from the chairlift — or waving to me as they went by. "It seems like everyone here knows you," he said.

Cold
We've figured out how to turn sideways and step off, but then as we go boarding down the ramp, which has been icy and fast, we are only inches away from each other. My self-defensive snowboarding instinct is apparently stronger than my maternal instinct because every time, without even being conscious that I'm doing it, I reach out with both hands and shove my daughter out of the way. "Your own daughter!" Drama Niece said in mock horror, the first time she watched us.

The right kind of snow
When I woke up this morning, my first thought was that it would be a great day to stay home by the fire and eat the party leftovers that Quilt Artist had sent home with me. Luckily, the thought was fleeting. And we arrived at the ski slopes just as the chair lifts were beginning to operate.

The whiteness of the squall
By the time we drove home, several hours later, the winds had died down somewhat, although we had to drive around drifts of snow that hadn't yet been plowed. The power company had emergency crews out everywhere, tying up the power lines that had come down. I felt sorry for the people who had been safely inside their houses for the squall, who didn't get to experience its full power.

Shopping Notes: Sierra Snowboard

There are thousands of places where you can buy a snowboard, either online or in a traditional retail store.

I have never purchased anything from Sierra Snowboard, but I came across them through some Internet searches.

What caught my eye are the interactive features of the site. It offers forums, a Wiki, chat, and other features that draw people to the site and build loyalty. It also has videos that describe various projects.

They sell Flow bindings, my favorite.

If you're looking for new gear for next season, check out the company. You might be able to find something you need for a good price.

For Your Summertime Snowboarding Reading

For this blog, I've got a goal of putting up at least one new post a month or if it works out, one a week--or better.

But if you're still interested in reading more, check out a "non-gray" rider whose site I've praised before. Shannon at Shayboarder is putting together (among other things) a series of profiles of various people in the industry, such as a professor of the ski business.

Shopping Notes: Sierra Snowboard

If you will need or want a new snowboard, bindings, or boots for next season, this might be a good time to go shopping. You can save a lot of money off retail.

One place that may be worthwhile is Sierra Snowboard. I've never bought anything from them, but their site has several features that could be useful. There are user forums, a Wiki, a chat, and helpful videos, to start with.

There are many places where you can buy snowboards, so look around.

A Cool Tool: SkiBonk and Google Maps

GraysOnTrays.com has a directory of North American ski and snowboard resorts. It lists most if not all places with a web presence, sometimes giving a snapshot from Google Earth so that you can see where the places are in relationship to each other.

But here's a tool that may be even better: the Ski Bonk directory. (Here's a look at Colorado.) It uses Google Maps to give you a map of a given state, with icons representing some lift-served terrain. It even gives, for each area, snow conditions and the number of lifts open. Click on the icon to get even more goodies, such as trail maps and a weather forecast.

The About page says the service is "a mashup of SnoCountry, OnTheSnow, Weather Underground, the National Weather Service, and several other data feeds to provide a graphical view of worldwide skiing conditions on a Google map."

The service appears to use your Internet address to provide the default map, but you can type in the name of a state, city, or even a ski area. (Be sure to put the name of the resort in the appropriate box, or you'll get invalid results.)



Try it out!

Snowboarding for Tourettes

Like most people who manage a web site of some sort, I look at traffic-management software to see what other web sites are bringing people to the Grays on Trays site. The other day I found something a bit unusual: Snowboarding for Tourettes.

The about page explains the origin of the site, and introduces the publisher, who might qualify as a "Grays on Trays" person--if he had hair.

Bob is a 41-year old man who has Tourettes, "a neurological disorder characterized by repetitive vocal and motor tics affecting about 200,000 people in the United States."

Here's what he says about himself--and why the site showed up on my radar: "There are many older snowboarders than myself." He gives a link to GOT and then says "I am not gray since I am bald, besides I enjoy the younger more hip look."

Not to worry, Bob, or anyone else. You don't have to have gray hair--or any hair--to enjoy snowboarding in the adult years. Some of us are more hip; some of us are worried about our hips. But we all enjoy sliding down the snow on a board. Thanks for the link!

Shop for Next Season Now

If you're looking for new snowboarding equipment, clothing, or anything else related to sliding on the snow, you can get some discounts if you shop now.

I'll be heading out to a local shop later this week as they start to clear out their winter gear and turn their floor over to summer goods. It will be a bittersweet experience, I'm sure: a chance to save some money, but a reminder that we're heading into the cruelest month when the lifts close, the ground is soggy, and the winds blow.

You can supplement your in-store shopping by going online. The other day I mentioned Steep and Cheap (SAC). You can find similar deals at Whiskey Militia and The Daily Steal. Whiskey Militia offers up yet another version of the pseudo-gangsta feel that plagues snowboarding, while TDS is more of a conventional shop. SAC, meanwhile, has more of a "I'm a fan of the Hitchhikers Guide" feel to it. If you know what you're looking for--or at just lucky--any could serve your needs.

Marks of a Good Online Trail Map

Many ski areas offer online trail maps, but only a few do it right.

Some places require you to down load a PDF file. For the resort's staff, that's the easiest and least time-consuming approach. Vail, offers as PDF, as does Michigan's Boyne Mountain. If you don't have a color printer, a PDF map loses some of its value, and on some computers, it takes a while to open the Acrobat Reader. A nice supplement to PDF maps is to give site visitors the option to view a JPEG map as well. Ohio's Mad River Mountain does this.

Not quite as desirable is a JPEG map. Jackson Hole, Wyoming presents an overview map that is fairly useless for anything but drilling down to a smaller area of terrain. But even then, the result is unsatisfying. Zoom in on the Gondola area, and you get an unreadable JPEG file. You can zoom into that file, but only once.

Flash technology can be useful; with that, you can click on, say, a blue square to see all the blue slopes. Click on another icon and all the lifts show up. (Minnesota's Afton Alps gives an example of this approach, but the results don't work out too well. The trail names are printed in a very small type size.)

Some resort maps let you zoom in quite a ways. Aspen/Snowmass uses this approach. The company offers three versions of maps: low- or high-resolution JPEG, or Flash. But again, the maps can be hard to read if you look at a large section of the map, and if you zoom in too much, it's easy to lose perspective of the rest of the mountain.

How about having multiple options? Mammoth Mountain offers three choices: a PDF map, an interactive Flash map, and what the resort calls a "static map." Actually, it's better than a static map; you can scan and pan the terrain, and the fonts are a reasonable size.

I've been experimenting with the trail map at Gunstock, New Hampshire. (Here's the page from which you can launch the map.) It's interactive, meaning that you can select from trails of various colors. That's fairly common.

But Gunstock goes one better by giving you pop-up windows that dispense more information. See that squashed little oval icon at the base? Hover over the icon and you'll find out that it's the tubing area.

Then head to the slopes and Gunstock shines. Want to find black diamonds? Easy enough. But then click on a specific trail and you'll find some commentary on that trail. The note for Upper Recoil says "A couple of steeper pitches, but wide." The intermediate snowboarder looking to advance to diamond slopes might find this to be a good place to start. On the other hand, the notes for Tiger Steeps reads "like skiing through Volkswagens." These notes--assuming that they are accurate and are not merely marketing fluff--make the map more valuable than most.

Welcome, Shayboarder

Today I'm adding a new feature to the sidebar, a list of some worthy destinations related to snowboarding. (It's called "Other destinations.")

The first one to go up, today, is "The World of Snowboarding Through Fembot Eyes," or more simply, Shayboarder.

Shayboarder, or more formally, Shannon, is a young (in her 20s) Internet professional with a passion for riding and an ability for writing that surpasses that of many snowboarding enthusiasts. Rather than simply dreaming of trips to the mountains, Shay can easily reach the slopes; she lives in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Not a bad place to start a career, wouldn't you say? I've known of her from other online forums, and eventually stumbled across her blog. We have exchanged a few pleasant and informative e-mails.

Currently, Shay's blog has lots of photos from SIA 2008, a big tradeshow of the folks who bring us snowboards, skis, and the like. If you ever wondered what a "splitboard" looks like, you'll find a photo of one on her blog.

Shay's blog deserves some recognition here because it has some great photos, insightful comments, and well, she links to this blog. Her blog has an RSS feed, of course, so you don't have to actively go out and find new content; it will come to you. In the coming days, I'll comment about something she said that could, not to be too dramatic about it, could save your life.




Welcome, Shay!

We're an 8.1

I've get up a Google News alert with various terms related to snowboarding, so I can keep up on the news. This morning's alert pointed me to a web site that gives a review of this blog. It's called Blogged.com. According to the "About Us" page, "Blogged.com is a blog directory that offers reviews, ratings, and comments on a categorized list of popular blogs." (Here's the page for the GraysOnTrays blog.) A pop-up screen says that ratings are "based on professional editors who evaluate a blog based on the following criteria: Frequency of Updates, Relevance of Content, Site Design, and Writing Style.

I'm happy to find that the Grays on Trays blog scored an 8.1 out of 10, which translates into "very good." Of course, a 10 would be even better, but that just gives something to shoot for. "Site design" could certainly use some help. Design has never been me strength, and I recognize the wisdom of division of labor. I've never been satisfied with the look of this blog, so if you've got some ideas for spiffing it up, send me an e-mail.