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.
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.
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!
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!
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!
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:
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!
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!
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!
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.
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!
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.
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.
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 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:
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:
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!
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.
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 BayNational 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.”
News From 9,318' is a forum for Venture Snowboards to share company news and happenings. We'll post pics from recent backcountry trips, give you the skinny on our different board models, announce events and contests, tell tall tales, and connect with fellow Venture owners. We look forward to sharing the stoke with you...
