Foto: Luka Pretzelloni

Olè Luka! Al final Luka no se puede estar de tirar switch up 3 disaster que le vale el Best Trick. Which means: “switch up 3 disaster” makes you happy and rich. Got it!?

If he doesn’t have the right socks, he can’t ride. If he has the wrong wax, he won’t ride. But seriously: Ryu, ambassador of the Tokio A.R.C. has the most sensitive feet - which goes beyond western imagination. This is why Ryu is involved in product testing. A prototype he doesn’t like goes straight into the garbage. Or into the shelf called “dead end projects”. Here is a little sneak preview on our 08/09 binding concept. We kindly ask for a little patience. Available when you come back from your surftrip…

Photos: Peter Ortmann

Another nice moment during the ISPO showing once more AIMLESS frontman Mark Dembler melting into one unit with his vintage Gibson “Les Paul” (his only true love).

Below: Tom Hetzenauer, Boss of the German-Austrian $ales Cartel, cheering for another guitar solo. Or more Vodka.

After placing 4th in the Nissan Mammoth Challenge Austrian A.R.C. rider Bibi Pekarek is on her way to Sochi (Russia) for the 2nd leg of the freeride tour. By car? No, by plane. But we thought she’d look killer in that pink Caddy.

You’ve seen how they spent October now here’s Steve, Tom, Alex, and the 4bi9 crew doing what they do in November

Photo: Peter Ortmann

The ISPO was packed. And the Amplid booth even more. A.R.C. own punk band “The Aimless” rocked the ISPO on day I.

On top: Anian and bass player Hannes, and a little sneak preview on the 08/09 Amplid line up.

Below: Leadsinger, guitarist, rock star and Amplid teamrider Marc Dembler stimulating the crowd until the wall of our neighbor Northwave crashed. Thanks guys at Northwave for having it taken really easy…

Even though it’s almost Febuary lets look back to October and see how Tom, Steve, and the rest of the 4bi9 crew spent the month

Today we had a great day in Spitzing, trying out the new park. Lots of jumps and rails. And they’re good. So we had lots of fun there, whatelse do you expect of a nice, sunny day like this. piies dennis

Welcome Luka to the Amplid ambush team!

Regards

Pako

First Contest of the Freeride World Tour

Nissan Mammoth Challenge

Postponed Due to Snow and Weather Conditions

Mammoth – Sochi – The Alps – Tignes – Verbier

Mammoth Mountain, 22 January 2008 – The first contest of the Freeride World Tour, the Nissan Mammoth Challenge, was planned to kick off on 22 January on the McGee Mountain in the outskirts of Mammoth Mountain CA. Due to difficult snow conditions and poor visibility the contest is postponed to one of the following days, depending on weather and snow conditions. The world’s best starting field of male and female skiers and snowboarders is present in MammothMountain, promising top performance for the Nissan Mammoth Challenge.

Event coordinator and world re-known snowboarder Steve Klassen, who is also competing in the event, comments the conditions of the McGee Mountain: “The combination of flat light caused by clouds coming in and the fact that the snow conditions have deteriorated the last days because of North Easterly winds, was the reason why the organisers decided to postpone the event, which definitely was the best decision for the riders”.

This week is “Mammoth Safety Week” at MammothMountain, corresponding well with the contests of the Freeride World Tour, where safety is top priority. Today was a perfect example. The variable snow conditions with patches of ice, wind packed snow and a few powder pockets were too difficult and not safe enough for the riders to compete in. Mountain guides and ski patrollers analyse the snow conditions rigorously before each contest. Mountain Guides and ski patrollers are also placed on the face during the contests and a helicopter with a doctor and medical equipment is on stand by below the face. All competing riders are obliged to wear integral helmet, harness, back protection, avalanche transceiver, and back pack with shovel and probe.

Last week 70 riders participated in the pre-qualifying contest Mammoth Open, 14 January, and 92 riders challenged the first contest of the Freeride Qualifying Series Nissan Mammoth Quest, 15 and 16 January. The riders’ level was very high already in the open contest and even more impressive in the qualifying contest. Squaw Valley local Ralph Backstrom probably epitomised what the open contests and the qualifying series of the Freeride World Tour are all about. Backstrom, an unknown rider, entered the open competition and won the Quest in the men’s snowboarding division. He then went on and won the qualifying contest and will therefore now compete in the Nissan Mammoth Challenge and potentially qualify for the entire Freeride World Tour.

The podium winners of each discipline of the Nissan Mammoth Quest were awarded invitations to join the world’s absolute elite of freeriding in the first contest of the Freeride World Tour Nissan Mammoth Challenge.

Legendary skier and mega star Glen Plake has been present in Mammoth since the qualifying contest Nissan Mammoth Quest last week, and will with three other judges (four judges per discipline) be judging the skiers during the Nissan Mammoth Challenge.

… and another foot on the way for the coming weekend.

Here’s a little shot from our going-big-friends showing a freshly groomed killer kicker line in our home resort Spitzingsee. Big shout out to Dominik and Poschi for the excellent shaping job - Heise, Wasti and the rest of the A.R.C. are really stoked.

… as approved by Ondra Benes while shredding some lonely handrails in his neighborhood somewhere in the Czech Rebuplic.

Ondra was running a bet that in case he is not able to pull off that rail 10 times in a row, he has to wear a silly hat. The photo shows his 9th run after bailing on the 8th.

Photo: Hannes Sautner
Nice SW BS 7 sequence from ambush rider Christian Hohlrieder yesterday in the Westendorf Park / Tirol.

Here is a little selfportrait from A.R.C. sharpshooter Peter Ortmann. “It’s not about putting myself into the scene, I am just really keen on trying different angles…” Yeah right, Peter! Picking up chicks with media coverage, we know that this works … We’ll get to see more from this angle…

photo: 350photo.fotolog.pl

Nightrider Sam Strauss showing a stylish frontside lipslide 270 off during the nocturnal Railbattle in serfaus, Austria. Moments 1 second before the “off”, and about 10 minutes before the “in” (”in” the bar to start the real battle).

Photo: David Blazek

Czech Ambush rider Benes on his way to convert to a complete vegan life.

Ambush Shredman Christian Hohlrieder rocking his homepark in Wildschönau on his brandnew Declaration.

Seth Hill… The newest addition to the A.R.C. 

photo: www.janisweidner.com

We had dinner at my hut in Bregenzerwald and for desert i prepared a small quarterpiperight in the backyard. Killersession until about 1 a.m. Lots of Glühwein, lots of tricks, lots of fun.

- Ambush Rider Simon Günther

Check out this little edit I made with footage from last season. Filmed in French Pyrenees, Andorra, Dachstein, Absolut Park, Mammoth, Snowpark NZ. Hope you like it! 

… yeah, right. Not in Norway. The country where this bottle of champagne in the picture costs about 5 times as much as anywhere else … Cato, enjoying life.

The beast from the east: Libor and Radek from AMPLID Czech did a nice job pimping up their vehicle. The risk that the car might get stolen is even bigger now …

martini drops off a wall, thats cool

Greetz

Alex