Snowboard

Severin's life revolves around snowboarding. Here he tells us how he went from two boards to one and what the everyday life of a professional snowboarder is like.

Last spring, the best men and women of the competitive freeride scene met in Fieberbrunn to find out who had what it takes to stand at the top of the Freeride World Tour podium two weeks later. I was also able to be part of the action, not as an athlete of course, but as a reporter who was able to provide insights into the tour and the supporting events. As part of this, I had the pleasure of conducting an interview about our favourite activity with local heroine Manuela Mandl. In 2018, she became freeride world champion in snowboarding and last year she secured victory in Xtreme Verbier, taking third place in the FWT.

The FreerideFilmFestival is back on tour and will be showing six truly wonderful international freeride films that will make you extremely excited for the upcoming season. The focus is not only on the action, but also on the stories and creativity of the filmmakers and their messages to the audience.

One of the most legendary ski races in the Alps takes place on Saturday, 21.01.2023. The White Ring - The race is a traditional ski and snowboard race in which all participants have to complete a lap around Lech am Arlberg as quickly as possible. On 22 downhill kilometers with an altitude difference of 5500m spread over six lifts, all ambitious winter sports enthusiasts can put their skills to the test.

As a skier, I realize that snowboarders always have a special approach. Their flow and style are different, they glide or float along and it looks as if they can sometimes let themselves go completely - just let go. I watch this with admiration and since the advent of splitboards, you don't have to feel so sorry for them in their other movements. So today we are concentrating on snowboard films.

Splitboards are now available like sand by the sea. Every season, tried and tested boards remain on the market, new ones are added and others disappear again. Different manufacturers try to stand out from the crowd with different designs and shapes in order to be seen in the ever-growing splitboard market. In the end, everyone has to decide for themselves which criteria are the most important when buying a splitboard.

The CLEW founders describe their motivation to develop a new type of step-in binding as follows: "Buckle on and out 40 times a day? Two times should be enough [...] We wanted to save ourselves the trouble of buckling and unbuckling after every lift ride, while still not giving up the unsurpassed riding experience of a buckle bindings. Until then, there was no snowboard step-in binding on the market that satisfied us". We have tested for you how close they've reached to their goal.

On the weekend of 10.11-13.11, the annual Intersport Snow Days took place on the Stubai Glacier. Under the motto "Rent what you can", visitors were able to test the new products for the 22/23 ski season. Up to three items could be borrowed at the same time for a period of 90 minutes. A total of 36 outfitters gathered at 2900m at the Eisgratbahn mountain station and offered everything winter sports enthusiasts need, from ski goggles and helmets to equipment for their feet.

Planet Earth keeps on spinning and the freeride scene and its filmmakers keep on making their films! And the protagonists, they also keep on turning and turning and turning! We are pleased to note that all kinds of new films have been created and that individualisation is progressing. Modern motifs are carefully handled by some productions and completely ignored by others, as in the more or less good old days.

I am a winter sports enthusiast with heart and soul. And that's not surprising, as my parents let me walk through the winter garden on skis waxed with klister when I was just 2 years old.

Fresh snow, sunshine and untracked slopes - can you top that? Hardly, but maybe the right sound will put the finishing touches to the perfect powder day. That's why the PowderGuide Powderday Playlist is our Gear of the Week.

In terms of snowboarding, ISPO is stagnating at a low level as far as the number of stands is concerned. It hasn't actually become completely insignificant, but young brands are often at ISPO once, but then give it a miss and only go to the industry meetings such as rock on snow or Shops 1st Try. That's why we were at the Shops 1st Try in Alpbachtal again this year in addition to ISPO, to capture as much news as possible in the splitboard and snowboard sector for you.