Mid Morning Coffee , Sentimental Ramblings and Switch at Lakeridge

The following is another update from our tour of local under rated Ontario resorts. No super uber pros, no pyrotechnics, no bibs. Just mini biking, friends, shaky filming and a way for you to pass away the day at work or school.

Spring is awesome! Well it was last week anyhow, when we showed up to Lakeridge with next years boards, bindings and the Switch Skate and Snow family. First, a bit of history for the youth of today or some sentimental ramblings about Lakeridge depending on your perspective. Skip to the next paragraph to avoid memory lane.

Sentimental Ramblings/Lakeridge History Start

It'll be twenty years ago next season that Lakeridge started operating. These were times when most resorts made you take a test to prove you could turn before letting you on the hill. Other resorts in Ontario didn't even allow snowboarding yet, and worse still, some resorts had allowed snowboarding and then banned it due to skier-boarder collisions (or conflicts). Lakeridge had one of the only two pipes in Ontario (Talisman being the other) and for their time were super progressive. As a result every snowboarder in Ontario would show up for contests and pipe laps. The Ontario scene was so small that everyone pretty much knew everyone else and event days were a pressure cooker of future pro shreds and industry heads with the likes of Kevin Young, Kale Stephens, Dennis Bannock, Derek Kettela, Brad Hainschwaing, Matt Houghton, Mikey Scott, Wes Loates, Anthony Vitale, Brian Langhorst and more that I've forgotten over the years. Times have obviously changed for the better with all hills letting you get your shred on and most having some sort of a park. Lakeridge is no different, featuring one top to bottom park, a mini-bike park and a full size pipe in the classic locations.

Sentimental Ramblings/Lakeridge History End

The park was starting to finally thaw after some sub arctic temperatures and a good crew came out to do laps and hang out. Since this isn't a sponsor roll call, I'll just mention that Dani Brown, Matt Bujok, Andrew Rusk, Justin Jopling, Clancy, Bradley Hesson, Beaver and little...I mean all growed up Dan Stubbs, were present. Multiple laps and multiple smiles were had until the lifts closed. The only disappointment according to Matt Bojuk? The kitchen closed prior to feeding the poutine dragon!!!


Mid Morning Coffee Break with Switch from mhg stuck on rinse on Vimeo.

Poutine Sampling at Boler Mountain

A couple of weeks ago, Thurs. Feb. 26th, we loaded up next years boards and bindings and took a leisurely drive out to London's Boler Mountain. By we, I mean Beaver, Justin Jopling and Matt Bujok. The Boardshop hosts Thursday Night Throwdowns, a combination jam/on-hill party. The hill isn't the biggest and the park doesn't have the biggest jumps or longest rails. But so what, its super fun since the park is jam packed with everything from a mellow table, to c-boxes, to flat boxes, to fun barrel jibs...there's a lot of stuff in not a lot of space. Plus instead of uber pro attitudes, and the usual sponsor me questions everyone's pretty mellow and having a good time!


The Boardshops Thursday Night Throwdown at Boler Mountain from mhg stuck on rinse on Vimeo.

For your viewing enjoyment: Last Week

Due to severly impaired typing skills this ones going to be somewhat short. To recap TJ Schneider was in town last week with Capita photographer Joel Fraser and No Limit's Mikey Scott. Aside from creating a deadly combination of funk in my basement the crew was in town filming local riders for Tj's Snowboard Realms. Matt Bujok's got a great frontboard at that church on the hill in that town we won't mention. I've wanted to see somewhat hit this since like 1982..or somthing. Taylor Hill has some styled ollies to flat, Gauley's got the gap,Dani Browns got a bunch of shots, plus Justin Jopling, Jamie Corneal and more. Enjoy and Thank Tj, Joel, Mikey and everyone that came out.