7th Annual Season Kickoff Party!

Venture Snowboards and Ska Brewing are once again teaming up to welcome winter with our Seventh Annual Season Kickoff Party scheduled for Saturday, December 3rd - opening day at Silverton Mountain!

For the 7th year running, the two homegrown Colorado companies are producing a small run of custom graphics boards and a special winter brew, both of which will be unveiled at the bash. This year's Season Kickoff features live music from The Crags and Farmington Hill, Ska drink specials, and tons of giveaways from Purgatory, Purl Wax, Silverton Mountain, Silverton Powder Cats, Smith Optics, Skullcandy, Spark R&D, TREW Gear, and Wolf Creek Ski Area and more.

The highlight of the evening will be the raffle for a coveted limited edition Ska/Venture custom snowboard. This year's deck features the Euphoria Pale Ale graphic and the distinctive Venture snowflake, and is destined to become a collector’s item for beer and snow lovers alike.

The Season Kickoff Party gets rockin' at 8 pm at Silverton's Grand Imperial Hotel (1219 Greene Street). Cover charge is $6 and this is a 21+ event. Proceeds will benefit the Center for Snow and Avalanche Studies in Silverton. For more information call 970.387.5527.

YOU COULD WIN THIS BOARD!!

ODIN SPLITBOARD NAMED EDITORS' CHOICE!

We are stoked to announce that Venture's new Odin Splitboard has received the prestigious Editors' Choice Award from Backcountry Magazine!

As the premier backcountry skiing and snowboarding publication in North America, Backcountry Magazine’s endorsement is highly coveted within the snow sports industry. This year's annual product test was held at Crested Butte Mountain Resort, where a selection of boards from top manufacturers were put through their paces both on piste and off by a crew of 35 independent testers.  When the powder cloud settled, Venture’s Odin Splitboard emerged as a top choice.

According to Backcountry, outstanding tester response, exceptionally high scores, and category-leading overall performance contributed to their selection of the Odin as a 2012 Gear Guide Editors’ Choice.  Additionally, testers gave it the “Best in Pow” award, and said, "When the stakes are high, you want the Odin underfoot."

The Odin is the result of a close collaboration between legendary rider Johan Olofsson and Venture’s founder and design engineer, Klemens Branner.  Dubbed Odin after the Norse god of war and wisdom, this big mountain beast is a nod to its creators’ Viking roots and is the ideal choice for hard charging freeriders who like to pull out all the stops.   

  

Tailored to Olofsson’s riding style and preferred terrain, the Odin combines all mountain precision with powder specific features for uncompromising performance across the full range of big mountain conditions.  Moderate sidecut delivers wide arching turns and quadratic sidecuts offer plenty of grip, while a rockered shape and serious stance offset promise plenty of float when Mother Nature gives up the goods.  As with all boards in the Venture line, the Odin is available both solid and split.

 

The Odin is the third board in the Venture quiver to receive an Editors’ Choice Award, following close on the heels of victories by the Zephyr Splitboard in 2011 and the Storm Splitboard in 2010.  “Three Editors Choice awards don’t lie,” says Branner.  “To receive such an incredible honor three years running is a huge statement about the quality and performance or our boards.  Clearly the backcountry community feels we’re doing it right.”  Olofsson agrees, and is excited be pushing the boundaries with innovative new designs. “I’m always looking into projects that will progress the sport, in this case freeride boards which are getting to be a rare breed in the industry.  Working on this level with Venture makes it possible to create and shape boards quickly, and I hope to get some more good shapes out there for you all in the future.”

The Odin Splitboard will receive special coverage in this year's Backcountry Gear Guide which will hit the newsstands in September.  A preliminary write up can be found online at http://bit.ly/EC2012. 

Find detailed product specs and more information on the Odin Splitboard here.

 

SOLITAIRE Trailer from Sweetgrass

Check out the trailer for Sweetgrass Productions' new film SOLITAIRE.  It's got some awesome footage of Venture splits in action, especially under the feet of Kyle Miller.  As usual, Sweetgrass has done a fantastic job, and we're proud to be a sponsor.  Tour dates TBA, so stay tuned!

11.12 Lineup Available for Pre-Order!

Though summer is in full swing, here at Venture we haven't stopped thinking snow for a second.  We are busy building boards and gearing up for winter.

The annual revamp of our website for the 11.12 season is now complete so give it a gander and get all the beta on our latest and greatest board lineup, including the new Johan Olofsson signature model, the Odin.

Pre-order now through the Venture Webstore and reserve the board of your dreams before they sell out! 

TWS Biz Profiles Venture

We were recently interviewed by Transworld Snowboarding Business about Venture's ongoing commitment to the environment.  Below is a snippet from the story:

"Lisa Branner and husband Klem stepped into the  snowboard manufacturing ring 12 years ago, founding Venture Snowboards in remote Silverton, Colorado with the vision of creating a more environmentally friendly snowboard. Over the years, their vision and efforts have evolved. 
 
Lisa won’t run a product just because it’s environmentally friendly; the product has to be durable, and Venture focuses on improving the quality and performance of its snowboards while minimizing environmental impact. The company only uses wood approved by the Forest Stewardship Council for their cores, uses a comprehensive recycling program and has converted its  entire operation to run on wind power. 

While the Branners and Venture continuously look at ways they can make their company more environmentally friendly, they also realize that these changes must be practical, and durability cannot be compromised—otherwise, they’ll just end up in the dump. Our contributor Michael Sudmeier recently caught up with Lisa Branner about Venture’s efforts to be more environmentally friendly."  Check out the full story here!

King of the Hill

A big congrats to Will Brommelsiek, the new reigning King of the Hill! 

Will recently won the King of the Hill big mountain snowboard competition at Thompson Pass, AK, riding his trusty Venture of course. 

Way to go Will!

This accomplishment is not to be underestimated.  Will competed against many well known pro riders like Rob Kingwill and Mike Basich, who placed 6th and 7th respectively, in the comp.  It's also worth noting that two of the top five riders were on Ventures.  The #4 competitor - Brandon Reid - also rides a Venture as his board of choice.

Check out these links for more info on King of the Hill and Tailgate Alaska:


ESPN.com

Tailgate Alaska

Snowboardermag

Spring Fling!

Join us on Saturday April 2nd for our Spring Fling party!  We'll be celebrating the return of the unguided season at Silverton Mountain with live music from Waiting On Trial and a raffle for lots of great prizes - including one of next's season's decks!  The party gets rocking at 8 pm at Silverton's Pride of the West.  This is a 21+ only event.  See you there!

Gearing Up For The SIA Show

We're getting ready to hit the road for the annual Snowsports Industry America "Snow Show" in Denver, where we will unveil the 2011/2012 lineup.  Transworld recently interviewed Venture's Lisa Branner about what's in store.  Read the interview here,
and check out a sneak peak at the new line below!

Venture Featured in Hemispheres!

United Airlines' in-flight magazine is running a full page write up on our Zephyr splitboard - just in time for all those holiday travelers!  Check it out here!

6th Annual Season Kickoff Party!

Venture Snowboards and Ska Brewing are once again teaming up to welcome winter with our Sixth Annual Season Kickoff Party scheduled for Saturday, December 4th - opening day at Silverton Mountain!

For the sixth year running, the two homegrown Colorado companies are producing a small run of custom graphics boards and a special winter brew, both of which will be unveiled at the bash. This year's Season Kickoff features live music from Salem and Farmington Hill, Ska drink specials, and tons of giveaways from Ice Pirates Snowmobile Tours, Purgatory, Purl Wax, Silverton Mountain, Silverton Powder Cats, Smith Optics, Skullcandy, Spark R&D, TREW Gear, and Wolf Creek Ski Area.

The highlight of the evening will be the raffle for a coveted limited edition Ska/Venture custom snowboard. This year's deck features the Euphoria Pale Ale graphic and the distinctive Venture snowflake, and is destined to become a collector’s item for beer and snow lovers alike.

The Season Kickoff Party gets rockin' at 8 pm at Silverton's Pride of the West (1323 Greene Street). Cover charge is $6 and this is a 21+ event. Proceeds will benefit the Center for Snow and Avalanche Studies in Silverton. For more information call 970.387.5269.

YOU COULD WIN THIS BOARD!!

Win a limited edition Ska Modus Hoperandi Board!

We are teaming up with Ska Brewing to help raise funds for our public lands!  Donate $17 to the Conservation Lands Foundation and you can be entered to win a limited edition, custom Ska snowboard emblazoned with their Modus Hoperandi graphic!  Just CLICK HERE to enter before November 5th!

Born In The USA

How many snowboard companies actually produce their decks in the good old USA?  According to Transworld, only seven!  Venture is proud to be one of them.

Order Your Limited Edition POW Board Today!

To increase awareness of environmental issues and the global warming crisis, last winter Venture partnered with the nonprofit group Protect Our Winters (POW) for a snowboard design contest. The winning design, created by Canadian artist Julie Boake, artfully captured the contest's themes of winter, the environment, and activism.  This limited edition POW graphic is now available by special order on any of Venture's solid boards. 

A portion of the proceeds will be donated to POW to support their work to reverse the global warming crisis by uniting and mobilizing the winter sports community to have a direct and positive impact on climate change.  Order your limited edition POW board today and help us support this worthy environmental cause!  

Order Details:

• Orders for limited edition POW boards must be received by August 15, 2010.  

• You may choose any length/width combination of our solid Zephyr, Storm or Helix models.  

• A 50% deposit is required at the time the order is placed.

• POW boards will ship on a rolling basis from September - December 2010 as they come off the production line.  

 DOWNLOAD THE ORDER FORM HERE.

For more information about POW visit their website:

www.protectourwinters.org.

THINK SNOW!

Zephyr Splitboard Wins Editor's Choice

Venture's Zephyr Splitboard has received the prestigious Editors' Choice Award from Backcountry Magazine!

As the premier backcountry skiing and snowboarding publication in North America, Backcountry Magazine's  endorsement is highly coveted within the snow sports industry. This year's annual product test was held at Crested Butte Mountain Resort, where a selection of boards from top manufacturers were put through their paces both on piste and off.  When the powder cloud settled, Venture’s Zephyr Splitboard emerged as a top choice.

According to Backcountry, "Outstanding tester response, exceptionally high scores, and category-leading overall performance contributed to our selection of the Zephyr as a 2011 Gear Guide Editors’ Choice.”  Additionally, they commented that the Zephyr splitboard is “the elusive quiver of one: an all-season, all-conditions animal that devours all-things powder.”

The solid version of the Zephyr has been Venture’s flagship board since the company’s founding in 1999.  Designed as a versatile, all-mountain powerhouse, it performs well in a range of conditions.  It has also received many accolades over the years, including Future Snowboarding Magazine’s Most Valuable Product award in 2007 and 2008.   

The split version, introduced last winter, was well received by backcountry riders seeking a precise and controlled ride in challenging and variable terrain.  Building on this successful design, the changes for winter 2010/2011 have boosted the board’s performance.  A switch from camber to rocker has had the biggest impact, giving the Zephyr splitboard greater maneuverability and float without sacrificing edge hold or performance in less than ideal conditions.

The Zephyr’s victory follows close on the heels of the Storm Splitboard’s success in 2010.  The Storm is Venture’s best-selling splitboard model, and also won an Editors’ Choice award from Backcountry last season.  

Needless to say, we are stoked to have our splitboards receive such a prestigious honor two years in a row!  Look out for the Zephyr's write up in this year's Backcountry Gear Guide, which will hit the newsstands in September.

 

Jarrett Luttrell Rides All CO's 14ers!

Jarrett Luttrell recently made history - he became the first snowboarder to climb and ride all 54 of Colorado's 14ers from their summits.  It's an amazing accomplishment - congrats Jarrett!  And we're stoked to say he bagged some of those peaks on his trusty Venture splitboard!

For more info, check out the following stories about Jarrett:

Transworld Snowboarding

Wild Snow

Scootpalooza! A Benefit for Scott DW Smith

Our buddy and kick ass action sports photographer Scott DW Smith - known and loved far and wide as "Scoot" - broke his femur early this spring while riding and shooting at Telluride, providing us with a great excuse to come together and drink some beer.  

Join us next Friday for Scootpalooza - an evening of great music, great beer and great silent auction items to raise money for his medical bills! 

Groovy tunes provided by Fuzzy Killing Machine and other musical guests. Amazing auction goodies from the likes of Osprey, Ska Brewing, Mountain Boy Sled Works, Montanya Distillers, Venture Snowboards and many others! Tongue-tingling brews from the mighty Ska Brewery!  Details on the benefit below:

Friday, April 30th

6 - 9 pm

Ska Brewing World Headquarters

225 Girard Street

Durango, CO

We'll see you there!

Splitboarding on RSN

Great short segment on splitboarding that aired on RSN earlier this winter.  Includes a demonstration with a Venture Storm-R splitboard!

POW Contest Winner Announced!

The winner of the Venture/Protect Our Winters board graphic contest is "Unknown Future" by Julie Boake.  Congratulations Julie!

Our panel of judges liked the clean look of Julie's design, as well as its illustration of the role that mountains play in the water cycle.

Julie will take home the grand prize - a brand new Venture deck emblazoned with her very own artwork.  These limited edition POW boards will be available for sale this fall and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to Protect Our Winters.  Stay tuned for details!

The runner up, Aggie Drelich Smith's "Modern Threat" wins a 09/10 Venture board and the top ten contestants will receive Venture swag as prizes.

Many thanks to all the participants who put their time, energy and creativity into their designs!

Spring Fling on April 3rd!

Opening weekend of the unguided season at Silverton Mountain starts the first weekend in April, so come on up to shred the gnar and then join the Venture crew for an evening of movies, music and madness at our Spring Fling party on Saturday April 3rd!

We'll be screening Signatures from Sweetgrass Productions as well as TGR's short film Generations, raffling off a custom graphic Protect Our Winters snowboard and other great prizes, and stomping our feet to the musical stylings of Durango favorite Waiting On Trial.

The Spring Fling gets rockin' at 8 pm at Silverton's Pride of the West (1323 Greene Street). There is no cover, but proceeds from the raffle will benefit Protect Our Winters and the Center for Snow and Avalanche Studies. For more information call 970.387.5269.

Hope to see you there!

Johan Olofsson Joins Venture!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We are super stoked to announce that big mountain legend Johan Olofsson has joined Venture Snowboards as a product tester, and will be contributing to product design and development.

Initially an accomplished freestyle rider, Swedish-born Olofsson is renowned for being one of the first snowboarders to take freestyle tricks out of the terrain park and into big mountain environments.  According to an interview in White Lines, “What followed was nothing short of mindblowing…he tackled lines which veterans of the Alaskan heli scene had only contemplated in their dreams, with a speed and fluidity that would change the concept of freeriding forever.” 

In 1996, Olofsson shook the very foundations of snowboarding with his descent of the Cauliflower Chutes in the Standard Films movie TB5.  The ride took him down an Alaskan slope of over 40 degrees and 3,000 vertical feet in just 35 seconds, averaging close to 50 miles per hour.  This feat landed him in the 1996 Guinness Book of World Records and solidified his status as a living legend of big mountain snowboarding. 

Olofsson’s involvement with Venture began last spring when we sent him a splitboard while filming in Glacier Bay National Park for the Teton Gravity Research movie Deeper.  After riding Venture’s Storm splitboard in some of Alaska’s most remote and inaccessible terrain, Olofsson was impressed.  “I like the solid feel of Venture boards and the first try at riding the Storm was a blast.  The rockered shape and snappy turns make it a fun freeride board.  You can slash and throw the tail around in all kinds of places.  I like to have fun on my board and this one helps.”

The primary role Olofsson will play with Venture will be to influence product design and development.  “I’m super stoked to have Johan riding our boards and am looking forward to working with him on continuing to improve our designs,” says Klemens Branner, Venture’s founder and co-owner.  “It’s going to be amazing to have one of the world’s most accomplished freeriders collaborating with us.”   

Olofsson is also excited about the opportunity, especially in regard to developing splitboards.  “I’m always looking into projects that will progress the sport, in this case freeride boards which are getting to be a rare breed in the industry.  The split theory speaks for itself.  Working on this level with Venture makes it possible to create and shape boards quickly, and I hope to get some good shapes out there for you all.”

Welcome on board Johan!

 

 

Make Your Voice Heard in the Senate!

The House passed the American Clean Energy and Security Act a few months ago and legislation is currently in the hands of the Senate. While the details of the Senate bill haven’t been ironed out yet, the fight may come down to a few undecided votes - and our collective voice could help tip the scales.

A strong US climate policy will help protect small businesses, jobs and the vitality of our unique mountain communities that draw millions of tourists each year.

The Protect Our Winters “Sixty Days” website offers an overview of the issues at stake, shows the current voting position of each Senator, and gives you an easy way to send an e-letter telling Senators why passing strong climate legislation is crucial to the economic and cultural well being of mountain communities.

If this issue matters to you, please take the time to send a note to your Senator letting them know you want them to support strong climate legislation this Spring. Make your voice heard!

Cast Your Vote!

What a great response we received for the first ever Venture/Protect Our Winters snowboard art contest!

More than 50 entries poured in from creative folks across the continent, each putting their own spin on the contest themes of winter, the environment and activism.

Our panel of judges convened last Friday to review the submissions and select the top ten finalists. They are:



Julie Boake
Pete Connolly
Aggie Drelich Smith
Glen Graves
Steven Harris
Glenn Holbrook
Emily Kuang
Skye McNeill
Eric Sakotas
Joe Weber

All of these participants will receive t-shirts and other Venture swag for their participation in the contest.

From these ten, our judges whittled it down to their five favorites - posted below. Now comes your chance to cast a vote for your favorite entry!

To vote, use the poll in the top left hand column of this blog. You may also vote in person at the Venture factory showroom here in Silverton.

Polls close at midnight on Monday, March 15, 2010 and the winner will be announced shortly afterwards. The top artwork will be used in a limited edition run of Protect Our Winters snowboards for winter 2010/2011, and the winning artist will receive a board emblazoned with their artwork as grand prize!

Many thanks to all of the participants who put in the time, energy and creativity to make this contest a success. We couldn't have done it without you!

[click on the images below to see a larger version]

_____________________________________________________________________________

Skye McNeill - Seattle, WA
"Dwindle"

_____________________________________________________________________________

Julie Boake - Alberta Canada
"Unknown Future"

____________________________________________________________________________

Glenn Holbrook - Venice, CA

"Regrowth"

_____________________________________________________________________________

Glen Graves - Mancos, CO
"Blue Kristl"

_____________________________________________________________________________

Aggie Drelich Smith - Boulder, CO
"Modern Threat"

__________________________________________________________________________

Happy voting!

Susan Mol In First Place of Freeride World Tour!

Venture rider and Crested Butte, CO local Susan Mol is currently in first place for women's snowboarding in the Freeride World Tour. Here she is on the podium in Chamonix. Congrats Susan and good luck with the rest of the tour! Tear it up girl!!

Follow the action here:
http://www.freerideworldtour.com/en/

Splitboarding Is The Answer

From love handles to lift lines there are few things that can't be improved by a nice backcountry tour. Because splitboarding is the answer!

Fifth Annual Season Kickoff Party!

Venture Snowboards and Ska Brewing are once again teaming up to welcome winter in style with their Fifth Annual Season Kickoff Party scheduled for Saturday, December 5th - Silverton Mountain's opening day!

For the fifth year running, the two homegrown Colorado companies are producing a small run of custom graphics boards and a special winter brew, both of which will be unveiled at the bash. This year's Season Kickoff features live music from The Freeman Social and Fuzzy Killing Machine, Ska drink specials, and tons of giveaways from Bubba's Boards, Ice Pirates Snowmobile Tours, Inferno Snowboard Shop, Purl Wax, Silverton Mountain, Silverton Powder Cats, Smith Optics, Skullcandy, Spark R&D, and Wolf Creek Ski Area.

The highlight of the evening will be the raffle for a coveted limited edition Ska/Venture custom snowboard. This year's deck features the Modus Hoperandi graphic and the distinctive Venture snowflake, and is destined to become a collector’s item for beer and snow lovers alike.

The Season Kickoff Party gets rockin' at 8 pm at Silverton's Pride of the West (1323 Greene Street). Cover charge is $6 and this is a 21+ event. Proceeds will benefit the Center for Snow and Avalanche Studies in Silverton. For more information call 970.387.5269.

YOU COULD WIN THIS BOARD!!

Ska/Venture Limited Edition Decks

We're hop - hop - hoppy to unveil the limited edition 09.10 Venture/Ska Brewing decks with a sweet Modus Hoperandi graphic! If you haven't tried this incredible IPA, it's time you touched some to your lips! Ska will be giving these puppies away at special events throughout the winter, including our 5th Annual Season Kickoff Party. Stay tuned for more details!

Homegrown in the Mighty San Juans!

Venture & POW Snowboard Art Competition

Design your own snowboard graphic and help the environment too!

In cooperation with the nonprofit environmental group Protect Our Winters (POW), Venture Snowboards is sponsoring a board graphics competition centered on increasing awareness of the global warming crisis.

Any medium goes – photography, paintings, pencil sketches, you name it – as long as the artwork incorporates the themes of winter, the environment, and activism. So get creative and speak out for the environment!

Entries will be accepted through January 1, 2010, when a panel of judges will select the top ten submissions. The ten winners of this first level competition will receive t-shirts and swag as prizes, and be entered into a second round of judging open to the general public. The winning design will be incorporated into a run of special edition POW boards for winter 2010/2011. The grand prize winner will receive a brand spanking new POW deck emblazoned with their artwork.

Here's the nitty gritty on the competition:

• Submissions are limited to one entry per person.
• Submissions must be received by January 1, 2010.
• Results of the first tier competition will be posted on the Venture and POW websites in mid January 2010.
• Open voting will take place from mid January through late February 2010.
• First tier winners will receive t-shirts and other swag as prizes.
• Second tier winner will be announced in early March 2010.
• Second tier winner will receive a new Venture/POW snowboard.
• Only original artwork will be accepted.
• Employees of Venture Snowboards and POW are ineligible.
• No purchase is necessary.
• This contest is void where prohibited.
• By entering the contest, entrant grants Venture Snowboards and POW perpetual, nonexclusive rights to the artwork.
• Entries will be judged by a panel selected by Venture Snowboards and POW and all decisions are final.
  

Venture and POW logos are available for use in your design. See links at the bottom of this post.

HOW TO ENTER:

Electronic Submissions

• Electronic submissions should be emailed to info@venturesnowboards.com, with the words "POW Contest" in the subject line.
• Please submit electronic entries as jpg files, no larger than 2 MB.
• Please name your file using the following convention: POW_ yourfirstname_yourlastname.jpg
• Include the following information in the body of your email: Full name, daytime and evening phone numbers, mailing address, email address, title of artwork.
• Electronic entries must be received no later than January 1, 2010.
• Incomplete or late entries will not be judged.

Mail In Submissions

• Submissions by mail should be sent to: Venture Snowboards, Attn: POW Contest, PO Box 547, Silverton, CO 81433.
• Include the following information with your entry: Full name, daytime and evening phone numbers, mailing address, email address, title of artwork.
• Mail in entries must be received no later than January 1, 2010.
• Incomplete or late entries will not be judged.

Logo Files
Venture - Vertical EPS
Venture - Vertical PDF
Venture - Horizontal EPS
Venture - Horizontal PDF

POW - Vertical EPS
POW - Vertical PDF
POW - Horizontal EPS
POW - Horizontal PDF

Limited Edition POW Snowboards!

Venture Snowboards is proud to announce a partnership with Protect Our Winters.

Protect Our Winters (POW) is a non-profit environmental organization formed in 2007 by professional snowboarder Jeremy Jones. The organization’s mission is to reverse the global warming crisis by uniting and mobilizing the winter sports community to have a direct and positive impact on climate change.

For the winter 2009/2010 season, Venture will emblazon all its Euphoria powder boards – both solid and split – with the POW logo, and donate a portion of sales from these boards to POW. Get a POW board under foot today, and help ensure there's pow for the next generation of riders!

Check out the POW Euphoria board here.

THINK SNOW!