Posts Tagged ‘ Just Snowboard Camps ’

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We’ve had an epic start to the season out here in Morzine… after almost two weeks of non-stop snow, the sun is finally out today, 23rd December. This made for fun times on the December Just Snowboard camps.

Snow conditions were unquestionably fantastic, with everyday being a powder day, although the weather was certainly challenging at times. Strong winds and the huge quantities of snow caused some lift closures, but the team battled on with rosy windswept faces showing huge smiles at the end of run after run of epic powder. The one day that the lifts did shut completely, we were the only ones in town to battle against the elements, turning a potential down-day into a fun day up the mountain building a couple of backcountry kickers as well as doing some transceiver training.

Other than fantastic snow conditions, other highlights of the week included an exclusive showing of the much acclaimed Art of Flight at the Morzine cinema with after party in the Cavern and a great day tearing around the Avoriaz Stash park with James Stentiford, Jamie Trinder & Henry Shackleton of the Quiksilver UK team. Progression in everyones riding was impressive within the 4 coaching groups each headed by one of top qualified instructors from Mint Snowboard School.

Check out some photos from the week:

We have several more snowboard camp dates coming up in 2012:

21th – 28th January 2012 : Just Performance Lab
28th January – 4th February 2012 : ACME Off Piste Snowboard Camp
3rd March – 10th March 2012 : Just Freestyle Camp
31st March – 7th April 2012 : Just 4 Girls Snowboard Camp

Check out www.just-snowboard.com for more info.

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The most anticipated snowboard movie of the year is coming to Morzine!

The Art of FLIGHT, sequel to the much acclaimed That’s it That’s All, is making an appearance on the big screen in Morzine thanks to the determination of the guys at Just Snowboard Camps (Mint Snowboarding’s sister company) and the help of Quiksilver. Join us at the Morzine cinema to get closer to the action, live the grandeur of the locations and feel the scale of the tricks, like you can never do at home.

All you need to know:

Where: Colibri Cinema, Morzine

When: Wednesday 14th December, doors open 7.00 pm (showing at 8.00 pm)

Goodies: from Quiksilver for the first 10 through the door

Tickets: Only 5 € !!! On the door

After Party: At the Cavern. Hand your ticket in to get a FREE shot! 

For those of you who haven’t heard about the Art of Flight, it is equal parts action and adventure mixed with the inevitable drama encountered along the way. Two years in the making “The Art of Flight” gives iconic snowboarder Travis Rice and friends the opportunity to redefine what is possible in the mountains. Experience the highs, as new tricks are landed and new zones opened, alongside the lows, where avalanches, accidents, and wrong turns strike. Immerse yourself in the cinematic experience as Brain Farm and their ever expanding arsenal of filmmaking technology, capture the dramatic beauty of the culture, wildlife and scenic landscapes the riders take in along the way.

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We are happy to announce that as from this winter, Mint Snowboard School will be offering snowboard lessons in the resort of Chatel, part of the Portes du Soleil ski area.

The reputable Mint Snowboard School has been established in the resorts of Morzine, Avoriaz & Les Gets since 2006. This winter one our team of top qualified British snowboard instructors will be based out of Chatel, for the 2011 – 2012 winter season. Mint offers a range of tuition, including private lessons, group courses, freestyle coaching, off-piste guiding, avalanche safety & awareness and much more. We teach all levels, from total beginners to training instructors and advanced freestyle coaching. For more information on the range of instruction we offer check out our website on snowboard coaching in the Portes du Soleil.

If you are a local Chatel tour operator reading this, please get in touch for more information on Mint Snowboard School. We will be happy to meet you and bring around flyers etc.

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Mint supporters, Quiksilver, are pleased to announce the signing of a new rider on their UK snow team. Billy Morgan, previously sponsored by Westbeach, has been on the UK scene for a while now and has turned heads with his solid riding and impressive results at the Brits.

‘I’m super stoked to be joining Quiksilver and the team! Can’t wait to get things going, push things forward and let the good times roll in!’

Billy is the newest addition to the, updated, Quiksilver team and joins recently signed young shredders, Jamie Trinder and Fin Bremner. The team now hosts 4 generations of riders with Henry Shackleton and Ollie Jackson still representing and old man Stenti still killin it on the World Freeride Tour.  James Stentiford, who is team manager, is looking forward to the new season ahead:

‘I’m stoked to have Billy on the team and look forward to riding and working with one of the most promising young riders in the UK, especially with slopestyle confirmed for the 2014 winter Olympics. I’m also excited to have Fin and Jamie on-board. Should make for some epic team trips!’

Keep checking on the Quiksilver blog for news, updates and podcasts as the team prepares for the upcoming winter season: http://quiksilver.co.uk/england/news

If you want a chance to ride with the Quiksilver team, join us on a snowboard camp for the best in snowboard coaching from the Mint team of instructors along with the Quiksilver riders: www.just-snowboard.com

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So the last snowboard camp of the season is over and what a fun week it was! It was cool to have a camp filled with Just Snowboard camp returners who were back for the 2nd, or even 3rd, time and all solid riders. From NYC gangsta Mariesa, surfer Manon, ever-smiley Fi and the original camp legend Glenda there was no shortage of friendly faces and giggles in Morzine that week.

It was a week of soft, slushy snow with even some fresh and spring snow thrown in… so perfect conditions for heading to the park for some freestyle progression. The soft snow was great for learning new tricks and the more and more the boards were flexed the better the jibbing got.

The one bad weather day (and believe you me, it was seriously fogging and dumping with wet snow) was far from being a lost day at the pub and instead turned into one of the best riding days of the week! After a few runs of freestyle jibbery there was time for a quick hot chocolate stop at Avoriaz’s well known Changabang whist Mint coach Tammy got to work taking everyone’s highbacks off and readjusting their bindings! Everyone’s fears of riding without highbacks were quickly thrown out of the window and despite zero visibility the progression in everyone’s riding was insane. Quote “In all my years of teaching snowboarding, I have never seen such massive progression in such a short space of time” Tammy. In the afternoon the gang didn’t bat an eyelid to one of the infamous ‘Olly Challenges’ which involved some rather adventurous off-piste… and all done no-back style! Hellyeah girls!

Mid-week on the camp; tired bodies (even after a stretching session with the fantastic Sarah) and a day off from coaching with Tammy. A day to relax? Not a chance, there is always more fun to be had and new challenges to enjoy. This time the gangsta mob were given a 24 hr challenge to film, produce & edit their own snowboard movie. They were give a tiny Flip video camera and limited instructions or rules… and what an awesome video they came out with! See below. Thank you to Glenda for the editing.

Enough chat, but it is fair to say that the rest of the week continued in the same style: jumps, tricks, adventure, photo shoot, progression, smiles, laughter, cake, mutzig, aching bodies, gangsta moves and much more…!

Thanks to Herd Headwear, Bluebird Wax, the Keep a Breast Foundation, Flip Video & Les Ettes for their support in the Just 4 Girls camps this winter.

Check out some of the photos from the week as well as the video challenge movie:

www.just-snowboard.com

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See below a video edit made by Dan Jesse of the Just Freestyle snowboard camp in Avoriaz, France this March with Quiksilver. Thanks Dan! A great week filled with tons of progression and fun with coaching from Dave of Mint Snowboard School. Official camp photos taken by Damien McArthur coming soon…

www.just-snowboard.com

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We are stoked to announce a new partnership for the Just 4 Girls snowboard camps… and to introduce you to Herd Headwear!

Herd Headwear is a local Whistler grassroots company created by a Norwegian snowboarder who came to Whistler, B.C. in 2001.

From the love of the Canadian Mountains and the snow community she decided to create a company that would incorporate local talent as well as international influences to create unique products.

Herd Headwear started in the fall of 2008 having its first toques sold out of a sauna known as “the sauna shop”. Since then Herd has grown up to find itself herding around the world.

Herd Headwear is primarily a headwear company but this season sees an incorporation of clothing and artwork on the agenda.  Local Calgary based artist Mark Kowalchuk  and Squamish based artist Darren Camplin have both been creating one of a kind Herd pieces.

Check out the catalogue and get your Herd on!!! www.herdheadwear.com

The next Just 4 Girls snowboard camp will be running in Morzine / Avoriaz, France, from 2nd – 9th April. So for any of you shredettes out there who are wanting to step up their riding, get progressing and have a whole load of fun… check out www.just-snowboard.com for more info. And of course you can look forward to a goodie bag from Herd as well as helping support the Keep a Breast Foundation.

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UK freeride legend and experienced big mountain rider, James Stentiford, gears up for this seasons Freeride World Tour, with his eye on the podium.

After last years wild card invite and surprise third place finish at the Nissan Freeride de Chamonix, Stentiford has been invited to attend the full tour this season. An invitation he can’t refuse:

‘To get on the podium is pretty exhilarating for a UK snowboarder and that sort of spurred me on a little bit. I thought why not have a crack at it? I’m not getting any younger. I thought before I turn 40 I should give it a go. That’s why I’m here.’

The 39-year old snowboarder finds his place amongst the top freerider’s in the world and faces tough competition from other international big mountain legends such as Xavier de la Rue. But with experience rivaling the best of them and Chamonix as his training ground (a freerider’s dream) he is determined for success:

‘I’d like to win one to be perfectly honest and on the right day if I get the right line I think I can win, so that’s my motivation. And also I want to get to Verbier. Every freerider’s dream is to ride that mountain in perfect conditions so that’s my motivation behind it.’

The invitation makes James the only British rider on the roster and is good news for the UK scene. Some of you Mint students out there may even have had the privilege of riding with James who frequently joins us for a day or two on the Just Snowboard Camps.

The Freeride Tour is 100% natural, 100% clean. The event is all about celebrating the god-given terrain features found on any mountainside in the most exciting and elemental format possible. There‘s a start gate at the summit and a finish gate at the bottom. That’s it. Best run down wins. With contests all over the world during the 2011 season, the first stop is the Nissan Freeride de Chamonix which is due to take place on the 22^nd of January.

Follow his progress with updates on the quiksilver blog (www.quiksilver.co.uk/england/news) and for more information on the Freeride tour check out their website (www.freerideworldtour.com).

Good luck James!!!

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On 11th December, 25 snowboarders rocked up on the doorstep of our two chalets in Morzine for the Just Performance Lab and the Just 4 Girls snowboard camp.

Having been blessed by great snow and then cursed by rain the week before the camps we were slightly unsure of what to expect when the lifts opened again in Avoriaz on the Saturday. We were pleasantly surprised at how good conditions were, although the off piste was a no, the pistes were perfect for the first couple of lessons with instructors Dave & Tammy from Mint Snowboard School. The week started with getting straight down to technical progression for both the Just4Girls and Just Performance camps… breaking down the riding techniques and then building it up again, properly.

With both camps full we had a good mix of riding levels (with 4 coaching groups) and some great personalities. The Slopestyle party on Monday night in Morzine gave some of the boys the chance to brush up on their chat up lines as well others to win raffle prizes!

Mid week, right on cue, it snowed, allowing us to get more adventurous and test the new skills learnt over the previous days. There were a good number of campers who had never really ridden powder before… they thought they had, but when you’re getting first tracks off Cubore in Avoriaz it soon opened their eyes to what the good stuff is compare to those few turns at the side of the piste! New skills and techniques were adjusted accordingly to the off piste conditions and it was definitely the girls that got the best of the powder riding (hehehe)!

We took advantage of the fine snow and sunshine to bring Damien, our resident photographer, along and take some shots. This led to hunting out good terrain on which to bag a banger, and take it home to show mom! The photos can be seen on Facebook.

For the end of the week Mother Nature blessed us with an almighty dose of snow. So in preparation everyone waxed their boards (with Bluebird wax from their goodie bags!), or at least got shown how to, discussed the options and advantages of shifting your bindings back, borrowed longer boards from the Lib-Tech demo fleet and went to bed excited to see what the morning would bring.

And it brought snow, loads of it, easily 50cm… booyeah! There were strong winds and poor visibility, so to the trees was the cry and off we went. Even if you have ridden a fair bit of pow, over half a meter of light and fresh is still hard work to keep yourself going in. However there was no question, the grey conditions were irrelevant, it was an epic day all-round and tree riding a great experience for everyone.

The Perfomance Lab gang had Quiksilver pro rider James Stentiford along to show them what could be done if as talented as he is (which is incredibly). That didn’t perturb them from teaming up against James and the Mint Team for a pro vs am competition through the Stash. Although there is some debate as to who won, the performance level was definitely raised a notch or two and the fun factor was off the hook!

The girls and Olly stepped it up laying lines all across Lindaret to make a finale of a route down under the Abricotine chair. A super fun off piste section that normally gets tracked pretty quick, however end of the day and they were the first down it. This may have something to do with the flat track to get to it, which when waist deep and untracked took some effort. But with a thirst for adventure the girls followed, a track was put in and waist deep first lines were scored. They made it to the lift 5 minutes before it closed it after a full day (9am start) in super deep snow. Laughing muscles were aching as much as the legs… true sign of a great day!

After such an epic poweder day, there was zero desire to go dancing for an end of week party! Instead everyone enjoyed viewing of Damiens awesome photos, the various videos taken during the week, an award ceremony, a few ding repairs, drinks at the chalet and a well earnt good night sleep.

Now normally the story ends there, but due to snow in the UK and cancelled flights many had a night in Geneva, whilst others came back to Morzine and even got to shred another day!

Thank you to Quiksilver for their continued support of the Just Snowboard Camps. Thank you to the Keep a Breast Foundation and Herd Headwear for supporting the Just 4 Girls camps.

Check out a selection of the photos from the camp below (click on them to enlarge)…

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First things first… we have just had a RAD facelift to the website for our snowboard camps, check it out www.just-snowboard.com. We just love the graphics (thank you to the guys at www.origincreativedesign.com)!

As I am sure everyone knows… its SNOWING! We have tons of snow in Morzine (let alone higher up in Avoriaz) and we hear that it is snowing in England too. Best start to the season in years and so excited to kick off with two of the Just Snowboard camps running in the first week of the season.

On that note we have a couple of spaces left on the Just 4 Girls camp, 11th – 17th December. Get in touch if you are itching to get out to the snow… info@just-snowboard.com. There are also still spaces on the January Performance Lab and the January Freestyle camp. Coaching is from our pro instructors at Mint Snowboard School and accommodation in the fab Mountain Mavericks chalets.

We would love some feedback from you guys… Which is your favourite graphics on the new site (think ours is the cable car)? Who is your favourite of the Just characters? Who do you want to see more of?