“I’m just ready for it to be cold” says John Cavan Rome Team manager as he and I walk down a dimly lit Park City street. Its true it is still a bit warm here in Utah but the desert to the west and the late winter starts it gives us is the trade off for the greatest snow on earth. However I do agree, Im ready for it to get cold too. We have just left the theater where Romes newest effort “The Shred Remains” premiered in Utah to lots of whoops and hollers. We are heading a few blocks up the road to the after party on main street in Park City so it gives us time to talk. I like John, he seems easy to talk to, and I like talking snowboarding with him. We bounce around a few subjects but it seems to keep coming back to The Shred Remains… “We wanted to keep it obtainable” he says. Its a common theme with RomeSDS almost a mantra (ahem…No Correct Way) that snowboarding is what you make of it. Whether that means dropping back country lines or slaying front country rails snowboarding is there in what ever way you see fit to do it. Sitting backstage earlier in the night talking shop and drinking some real beer you can see it in the team members present.  ”We like to have team members that are diverse and have a good personality to work with” says Cavan … looking around and seeing Hucal, Debari, Leines, Lazz, LNP, and new pro recruit Rusty Ockenden you understand what he means. Couple that with the long running Local Gnar contest and last years “Best Backyard Park” contest and you can tell RomeSDS is just really stoked on snowboarding in whatever form it takes.

Hucal, TM John Cavan, Ockenden, Debari, LNP, Lazz and Bjorn .. most of the Rome pro team in the house

Finally the time comes for the flick and we head out to sit down and enjoy.  Like many Rome fans I was disappointed when the company announced after No Correct  Way that there would be a hiatus on filming for the next season but in the long run it seems it was a blessing. “Really it is a one season movie” notes Cavan about The Shred Remains alluding to the season ending injuries suffered by Leines, LNP, and Hurcal as well as the late signing of Ockenden and departures of Paxson and Eiki Helgason. In addition after all the seasonal drama was over mother nature had more in store for Rome. The entire project was almost lost when flooding from Irene hit the Rome offices. Cavan recounted to me the story of them literally yanking equipment out of electrical sockets and running it to safety as waters were filling in the editing room… another bullet dodged. Sometimes no matter how much you try to keep it fun and mellow the bullshit gets in the way. Luckily Rome found a way to work around it and none of that chaos comes through on the film.

Kids on Shred

Opener goes to Johnny Lazz whose part is prefaced with about 90 seconds of carnage in the form of edge catches, stair rolls, and shoulder landings and it makes you wonder how in the hell Lazz’s name wasnt on the previous list of those that suffered season ending injuries. Speaking of season enders Bjorn Leines whose season ending arm destruction was well documented last year comes in with a solid part including going back to the pyramid gap and showing it whose boss.  Rome signed Rusty Ockenden (who you may remember from Sandbox films) in April of THIS  year but the B.C. back country jumper still put together a full part and its really good. On a side note why the hell does Forum (Ockenden’s previous sponsor) let these pow kids go? Two of the top five women in snowboarding today are on Romes team and Marie Hucal and both MFR offer up great parts. MFR with her heavy backcountry lines and Hurcal with her front country jibbing are both impressive.  Lucas Debari yet another pow line back country destroyer has a good solid part as well which is pretty amazing considering hes also produced parts for Absinthe while filming for The Shred Remains. Lucas told me hes just moved to Canada so expect even more amazing shots to come from the Mt Baker local.  Stale Sandbech didnt get the biggest response when his part started (hey it happens sometimes) but three shots in the park jumper and pow ripper won over the crowd.. by time he stomped 12′s to end is part everyone was a believer. Will Lavigne has been with Rome for a while and to me hes really a good glue for the team. Hes easily the most “do it all” member of the pro team with strong urban and back country skills Will definitely has it all in his part. I dont think there was any doubt that LNP  was going to close out the movie. From the time he first burst on the scene through his VG parts and even through a broken back LNP  has remained a solid producer. This year is no different and his desire and intensity on a board is matched with his selection of classic Metallica to get his shred on with.  Toss in a good AmArmy part and a trip to Plymouth College, winners of Romes “best backyard park” contest, and you have Romes third foray into the video world.

Heres how you win a board ata Rome premiere ... first we drink Mickeys backstage .. for those of you that dont know Mickeys bottle caps contain little picture messages ... if youre first to figure one of them out on stage you win a board ... simple huh just fyi "howl at the moon " was the winning phrase

Now let me speak a bit about the overall effect of the film. The Shred Remains tagline is “A film about the 100 day perspective” and its pretty fitting. Its a normal film with rider parts a few montages whatever but put together it just has a whole different feel. It really feels like (and this is meant in a positive way) an edit you made with your homies… well if your homies are world class snowboarders. Its not pretentious, its not about being hard core, and its not about wide panning choreographed shots. Its about snowboarding but it doesnt puff out its chest and say its about snowboarding and its great to see.  Its a great flick a throwback if you will to a time when teams were tighter and the partying was a bit harder. Im putting it up there in the must buy category, even with 12 as the best movie Ive seen this season so far… go buy it you will not be disappointed.

wait .. isnt Lazz 19 ... erm nevermind

Nickerson, Hucal, Ockenden, and Debari

TM John Cavan, Bob Plumb, Bjorn Leines

LNP and Bob Plumb

It was a big weekend in SLC as VideoGrass and FODT  teamed up for a triple premiere event Saturday night. Both crews are heavily entrenched in SLC so there was a great turn out for the event. Heres a few pics and some fast thoughts on all three films.

Dave Doman works within the industry on lots of different art projects. Hes done graphics for both Nitro and Salomon but you most likely know him as the creator of the Celtek "stoney monster". Dave also does this if you point a camera at him...

Familia2

For every crew there are injuries each season thats just part of the game. However this past season for the T9/FODT crew almost every member suffered a severe/serious injury. Through it all FODT  managed to keep it together and put out a really good movie, Familia2.  As with last years flick The Arena  Cole Taylors eye for film continues to take a leap forward. The film is visually stunning with vibrant urban locales full of graffiti mixed with ghetto urban decay spots full of rust and crumbling buildings. Its not all just good looks though because the team, despite all the damage they took during the season, still manages to get a solid list of tricks. All in all honestly its not quite as good as Arena but thats only because it lacks the end of part bangers that were in so many parts through out Arena. Sometimes its hard to completely overcome the injuries and I think this is where you can see them take their toll on the crew. However its still a great flick and sure to inspire anyone who is a fan of FODT and the T9/Nomis family. Paxson, Gooner, Brewer, Devine ( one of worst slams on film this season) Dennison, Hironaka, Thompson all give great parts. MFM reminds us he is still hands down the most stylish snowboarder ever and Jonah Owens opener part is more than enough to make sit up and pay attention.  Of special note is  the Japan section. If you didnt know the FODT crew was in Japan when the earthquake hit. It was a hairy time for sure and you can read the account from Ethan Fortier himself in the current issue of snowboarder.. you really should pick it up its well worth the read.

Derek and Dylan signing posters for the kids ... Brewers in the middle behind that kids Altamont hat

See there he is Brewer in the house too!

Retrospect

I already had the chance to view Retrospect at Brightons Passapalooza event. You can read my thoughts here and after a second viewing heres a  few more quick words… Retrospect  definitely holds up on the second viewing. Its a solid film with probably a few names you dont really know too well mixed with some that are more familiar .. like Mikey told me last season (paraphrased) if they are stoked on a rider at Videograss they get him in the film known or not. This is a well balanced solid flick…

The Salomon Tour bus stopped in for the premieres.... Johnny Miller and Grendy looking mildly suspicious

Shoot the Moon

STM  is the second offering from VG this season. STM  features a roster of riders that will be more familiar to most viewers than those of Retrospect. I liked STM  a lot mostly because it had a very skate feel to it from start to end. Lots of up close rail shots and urban follow cam like a skate vid. Unlike Retrospect which had a pretty good balance between backcountry and urban STM is pure urban chaos with the rare  mountain shot thrown in. It seemed that everyone was able to get a good bit of tricks on film this season including Nick Dirks and  Jordan Mendenhall who have both been on the bad end of injuries for the past couple of seasons. I still love Greniers energy, Mathes’ style, and the tech of Jake O.E. , Jonas, and Louif. I was stoked to see LNP  with a good bit of footage despite devoting much of his time to Romes new team flick and I think Kooley produces his best part in a few years. All in all each of the riders really brought something to the table to make the film a success. One other note is Gus Engle… Gus has been a bit pigeon holed  as a “play around” rider who just does “goofy” tricks on “goofy” obstacles. Well if thats your impression of Gus prepared to be shocked because this season we see Gus hittin 270s on  half way down huge rails .. sweet to really see him up his riding level. Final part once again goes to Jed Anderson who never fails to simultaneously impress and dumbfound viewers. A solid  solid movie.

As a bonus if you buy a hard copy of either VG movie this season you will also get “The Rascals” a film from the man the myth the legend Scotty Whitlake and Bryan Fox. It includes riding from lots of well known Baker shreds including Blauvelt, Landvik, Pat McCarthy, Temple Cummins, Forrest Burki, and Shaun McKay…. sick!

All in all a great night with three solid movies for the 2011 season.