If you haven’t heard, Spacecraft is all about creating art and making it accessible through hoodies, beanies, iPhone stickers, and traveling art shows. It is built around inspiration from snow (the logo is a snow cat) and the people and culture in Bali, where a lot of the knit beanies are handmade at small family-owned businesses.

THE BEGINNING

I wanted to find out Sarah’s story, which starts by working as a fisherman in Alaska to save up money for trips to places like El Salvador, Nepal, and Bali. After lots of winters fishing, and then going on trips, it was on a trip in Nepal in 2001, when she realized she was burnt out. In a journal on her plane ride back to the States she wrote, “maybe I’ll start a wholesale company.”

She was in Skykomish, her home, and she wanted to stay. It was then that she met Stephen-who lived to travel. He was going back to Asia and he wanted her to go with him. Instead, she took out a loan–her first for traveling–and went to Panama. Stefen came back from his trip with handmade beanies, met up with Sarah, and the idea for Spacecraft was built.

In 2002, she invested $10,000 in the company. She said, “I thought I could spend $10,000 and be done. I didn’t know what would happen, but then everything unfolded.”

What got you so involved with the project?
There was a big demand for the product. I wanted to do something and I was looking for a project, so I put everything of myself into it.

What keeps you interested?
Just supplying product isn’t enough of an interest for me. I want to balance the product with the art. I think that people are looking for authenticity and that is what we have. Over 2,000 hats are handmade in Asia. When we first started, we knew everyone that made our products. We met them as artists and travelers. We also helped them with mass production. Now in the industry that is more the norm, but at the time it was unusual.

What is the hardest part of your job?
Leadership and management. It is easy to lose sight of the vision and get lost in the day-to-day. When you are a smaller company you might not have it perfect and you have to wear a lot of hats. When you are bigger, you have to spend time on things like HR.

Do you find it difficult to be a woman in a male dominated industry?
Because I grew up in a male dominated industry, I don’t really notice it. I owe a lot to my parents for making it seem possible that I can do anything. The way I was raised, I didn’t even realize I was a minority. Also, on fishing boats most women aren’t physically as strong as men so you learn how to use your talents strategically. Instead of carrying a bunch of crates, you get a hand truck. Overseas I experienced sexism, however it was more cultural. Once the relationship with our vendors had developed I was treated equally as Stefen was, however at first I was ignored.

What have you learned as an entrepreneur?
Being proactive is a huge thing, motivating people to find solutions, and organization is a huge part of the job. There is a time to make a quick decision and a time to take your time with making a choice. Knowing when to do what, is critical.

What are you interested in right now?
Right now I’m reading Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. Being at the helm, there’s so many things you have to balance. I’m learning about myself–what I can do and what I can delegate.

Do you have any tips for people who want to be an entrepreneur?

• Setting a mission, vision, and values may seem cliche, but knowing what you want to do really helps.
• Have your finances in place.
• Find advisers –they can help you.
• Don’t be overly cautious. If you feel passionate about what you are doing, you’ll find your way.
• If I knew how hard or how great it would be I might not have done it, so if you really believe in it–go for it.

Thanks Sarah!

Watch for Spacecraft’s upcoming art shows and check out their work in person.

*All images from Sarah.

Where are you from?

Well in a nut shell, my mom is Russian and my dad is Egyptian. I was born in Kuwait., then I moved to the United States when I was six.  Dallas, Pennsylvania is where I grew up until I moved to Oregon in 2002.

What is your home mountain?

Montage mountain, which has a new name now.  Snow Mountain I think?  Even though it is not a mountain….more like a rolling hill.  I spent a few years working at Big Boulder.  Both resorts are in the Poconos of Pennsylvania.

How long have you been snowboarding?

About 10 years now.

What first got you interested in trying it out?

I had some friends in high school that convinced me to join ski club at school.  The school basically took us to the mountain each Friday night for 6 Fridays in a row.  I started out skiing but I was super motivated to learn to snowboard.

What keeps you motivated to keep riding?

Support and personal satisfaction.  Every time my sponsors extend an increased amount of support, I get super motivated to keep that support increasing.  More significantly, every time I learn something new I gain an extreme sense of happiness and self satisfaction that keeps me searching for that feel more.

So currently you are down at Mt. Hood, what are you up to out there?

I live here year round which is the beauty of Mt.  Hood because you can snowboard here 12 months out of the year.  Currently the summer snowboarding is amazing and I have been taking full advantage.  I’ve been snowboarding about 3-4 days a week and skating, camping, golfing, and kicking the rest of the time.

You also work with Cilla, what got you interested in the company?

Pat Corelli who is currently the NW Rome rep introduced me to the company.  He knew Priscilla Levac, founder of Cilla, because she was a pro snowboarder for Ride and Pat was a rep for them as well.  He referred me to Priscilla as an athlete to sponsor and she was kind enough to hook me up.  After riding for her for a season she presented me with the NW sales position which I happily accepted because Cilla is an amazing company.

You’ve done a lot of competitions in the past, are you going to be doing some this upcoming season?

I am planning on competing but not a lot.  I’d really like to focus on traveling and filming.

What would your ideal day on the snow be like?

An epic pow day with good friends.

What would you say to female riders who are thinking of snowboarding this winter or who are just learning?

Function over fashion.  Snowboarding is a cold sport and you really need to consider your gear and making sure you stay well insulated so you can tolerate the cold.  Also most importantly, don’t give up.  Snowboarding can be extremely difficult to learn initially which means it can be extremely frustrating.  Don’t give up.  It will get easier every time and then eventually you are going to have the time of your life.

Sponsor shout-out?

Ride snowboards, Smith Optics, Pow, Spacecraft,  Evo gear, Cilla, Shredbetties.com, & Kind Bars.

We started out touring the front offices. When we walked in the front door it was easy to see that we were surrounded by people that loved to ski and snowboard. There were skis and boards hanging on the wall that showed the progression of design that’s happened, there were old advertisements and posters everywhere. One wall had snowshoes. Here, Molly was checking out the bike pictures.

Molly getting the perfect shot.

Cubes were lined with boots and bindings.

Ride snowboard boots.

Then we checked out the marketing and development offices for K2 and Ride. The K2 office was definitely going for the old west vibe.

K2 marketing and development office.

One thing that was really cool to see was all of the design comps hanging for board graphics. Here you can see the light box and a rack of designs. There were two racks like this.

Snowboard design comps for the top sheet and base graphics.

Once we were done in the front offices, we headed down to the production area. Ride is set-up so they can design and create prototype boards in house. Once the boards are ready for blind testing, they head out to the Summit for some riding.

Rolls of different types of fiberglass.

The best part of the whole tour was seeing how snowboards are made. Paul made a complete, ride-able board while we watched. In one board there are 20-30 different layers all held together with epoxy. Each layer is different and certain combinations of wood and carbon make boards that have varying degrees of snap or stiffness. The board we saw being made had three different types of wood. Certain wood was chosen for its lightweight quality and others were used for their durability. Each layer was so thin. Watching a board in production it was easier to see how a poor coating of epoxy can make a board delaminate.

Paul showing us how a snowboard is made.

Once all of the layers were added to the board, it was sandwiched in between fitted metal plates. The plates hold the layers in place as it is heated and pressed together by the machine below. You can see the curve of the press where the tip and the tail of a snowboard are. They use air pockets to make sure the board stays smooth throughout the entire pressing process.

Doug, our tour guide, explaining how the press works.

Once the board was done, we headed over to the printing room where we got to see how graphics were made. Ride has both a screening processes as well as a digital printer.

Sample of a board graphic.

Ride also tests durability in house. One of the ways they test their boards is to see if they can hold up to -4 degrees F. The freezer reminded me of restaurant freezers but it was about the size of a trailer. It was, obviously, cold.

Testing boards for cold durability.

After seeing the manufacturing section of Ride we walked through the cavernous warehouse they use for storage. All of K2′s US products are stored here. The picture below is about 1/4 of the space. Despite the amount of room needed for storage, they were still able to squeeze in a bowl and a basketball hoop.

Ride's warehouse

Thanks to everyone at Ride for inviting us out, especially Doug , Paul, Casey, Angie, and the rest of the design and development crew.

]]> http://www.girlgetssocal.com/2010/04/02/touring-ride-snowboards/feed/ 0 http://www.girlgetssocal.com/2009/12/15/gift-ideas-shred-girls/ http://www.girlgetssocal.com/2009/12/15/gift-ideas-shred-girls/#comments Tue, 15 Dec 2009 18:00:50 +0000 Bekah http://girlgetsboard.com/?p=526

1. Seven Ply

How awesome are earings made out of old skate decks? So awesome. They don’t look like it, but they are really lightweight. Lynn of Seven Ply makes every single piece different in color and style and also makes different sizes (down to studs) if you don’t like rocking the hoops. (She also makes belt buckles, bangles, necklaces and lots of other cool things out of old decks.)

2. Burt’s Bees Sun Protecting Lip Balm

I’m a recent Burt’s Bees convert, even though its a little expensive ($4 for a tube of chapstick!!), I think its worth it. This lip balm is SPF 8 for bluebird days and keeps my lips from getting chapped out on the mountain. The only thing I need to remember is to keep the lip balm inside my jacket so it doesn’t turn into an icicle stick when I’m out on the snow.

3. Cilla Nikki

Its a classy tall tee. The top is made out of super comfy fabric and the light blue band is water repellent so you can wear it while snowboarding. But I think its prime material for hanging out after snowboarding. Its pricey, but I can’t resist the cuteness. Cilla isn’t in a bunch of shops yet, but you can find it online at Shredding Betty. For local Seattle gals, Evo will probably be carrying it soon.

4. Smartwool Snowboard Socks

I’m pretty sure everyone knows riding with regular wool socks equals no fun. Snowboarding socks are the way to go. I love Smartwool because they are thin and really warm. I’m always, always cold, but for some reason the blend that Smartwool uses keeps my feet warm.

5. Pom Pom Sonic Boom Board Bom

Its all temperature wax and you can use it hot with an iron or just rub it on. Sweet! I keep mine in my pack and then I have it whenever I need a quick wax job on the hill. You can pick it up online at Shredding Betty and at dogfunk.com.

6. Frequency

Pick up a copy of Frequency magazine for stocking stuffer. Good writing and amazing photography. I know its what I want curl up with after too much Christmas cheer.

7. Casual Industrees – Chairlift Hoodie

Casual is a Northwest brand that makes some pretty sweet hoodies, tees, beanies, and beer cozies. I heart hoodies, especially this one with the chairlift. But they do such a good job with graphics its hard to decide which one is best. You can order from their shop online or if you live out in the PNW, check out your local board shop.

8. Dakine Torque Tool

The tool that I have isn’t Dakine, but its the same idea. Keep your bits magnetically attached to a wrench that fits in the handle. If your bindings are coming loose and you need to fix them at the top of a run this is the best little thing to have in your pocket.

9. Camp!

If you want to go all out, camp would be the way to do it. (I’ve always wanted to go–I’ve also always wanted a pony–but so far neither have happened….) There are some pretty well-known camps that I can’t personally attest to, but come pretty well recommended. Check out MGT, Windells, or High Cascade.

What’s on your wish list this season?

*Thanks to Seven Ply, Cilla, Pom Pom, and Casual Industrees for letting me use their images for this post!

**And, I was in no way coerced or bribed into posting these items…I really do think each one would make a pretty sweet gift.

The Blender has the party rocker and a scooped nose and tail.When I grabbed the board, the first thing I noticed was the weight. It seemed a lot heavier than my current set-up. Sadly I don’t hit rails or boxes yet, which is what this board is built for. I took it out on the corduroy and it did a good job, but I really didn’t notice a difference in turning with the p-rocker. Doing some flatland ollies it was nice and poppy. A few times when I was turning the stars would align, the tail would really connect with the snow, and the board would pop forward. It was fun, but I’m not sure if the speed was from the rocker or not.

For some reason I was expecting more from the Blender and rocker. But again, I didn’t take it into the park.

I <3 the Feelgood V- Rocker. Is this because it was a bigger board? Maybe. Is it just that good? Perhaps. Do I have expensive taste? I guess. It is one of Burton’s priciest women’s decks.

It charged. I felt like a speed ninja. I could pop and flex the board easily. I loved it. It felt substantial, like I had something solid under me that could handle speed without freaking out. The ice wasn’t so noticeable with the Feelgood and I didn’t want to give it back at the end of the day.

What have you demoed this year that you liked?

If you do wear a helmet, I’m guessing you aren’t going to get made fun of like you would have ten years ago. Last year, 48% of people wore a helmet. In 2002, only 18% of people wore a helmet. Some resorts are even making it mandatory for kids, this season Intrawest is implementing a helmet policy for kids at its resorts (Whistler, Steamboat, Winter Park, etc.).

Image: 416Style

So, what’s the point?

Well, a helmet might reduce the severity of a head injury if you hit a tree or slam your head on ice or rocks. But if you’re an average snowboarder (speeding along at 24.1 mph), you should know that NSAA says that a helmet provides the best protection at 12 mph or slower. Wait, what?

Fortunately (I guess), bike and motorcycle helmets have the same slow speed rating (14 and 17 mph). But, bikers (pedal and motor) go much faster than the rating. Despite the speed difference, motorcycle helmets and bike helmets are still considered very safe…even at the high speeds.

Helmets reduce minor head injuries like mild concussions, cuts, and bruises by 30-50%. But, in general, they don’t reduced more serious concussions, internal injury, and fatalities. (Warning, shocker ahead) So a helmet will probably help if you bail, but its not going to keep you from getting hurt if you’re going super fast or have a huge fall.

Helmet Safety Certs

With a certification, you can know if the helmet will actually do what you want it to do:

• keep your head in one piece if you hit something hard
• make sure your helmet will be on your head in the right place when you need it to be
• the chin strap wont break
• the part of your head that needs to be protected, is

Three approved certifications for helmets:

• Snell RS-98 – Considered the most stringent.
• ASTM F-2040 – American standard, considered almost as good as the Snell cert.
• CEN 1077 – European standard, considered the easiest certification to get.

A helmet can have just one or all three. To become certified, the helmet manufacturer has to meet certain design requirements for the way it sits on your head, where the chin strap is, if it allows for enough peripheral vision, and weather conditions, as well as a bunch of other design details. To test the helmet’s strength they require anvil testing. Awesome.

Helmet Brands and Certifications

Right now, there aren’t any snowboard or ski helmet makers that have the Snell cert. Most have the ASTM and CEN.

A few companies that make ASTM and CEN certified helmets:

• Bern
• Boeri
• Burton RED
• Pro-Tec

More Info

Helmet fit tips
More helmet details

What do you think? Is it worth it to ride with a helmet? Are you rocking one?

At the ripe old age of twelve, my boots have pretty much had it. The toes are trashed from the sharp edge of my board banging against them on the lift, and the sides are all ripped up from too much binding love. But the death knell came last season, when, I realized that I was getting the dread heel lift. Damn. We had become good friends, my boots and I. They had been my first step up from, please don’t laugh, my Sorrels. Yes. You read correctly. Don’t judge.

Back to boots. I needed new ones. So I headed out to my local shop check out what they had in stock. They had a pretty decent selection of boots for women, nearly ten pairs, and I think it was about an equal selection to what they had for guys boots. Score for the local shop.

First things first, the guy helping me at the shop and I talked about what kind of riding I did, mainly freestyle. I just wanted an all-around board that I would be happy with in deep pow, in the park learning my new tricks, and cruising around the groomers. Based on my riding style, he picked out a couple different types of boots for me to try, but not before measuring my feet–who knew my left foot was slightly bigger than my right? I tried on 32′s Lock Boa, Salomon’s Kiana, Burton’s Axel, and another Burton, the Emerald.

First off, I had to get a lesson on how to use the new lace systems…not too hard. One thing I was worried about though was the laces coming loose. My friends were always, uh, complaining about their boots. They were always too loose or coming undone. My old school beaters on the other hand were dialed. I asked about it. No way was I going to be the one on the hill stopping all the time.

The shop guy said that a lot of people had problems with the lace systems because they didn’t engage the lock system. Fair enough. I’m game.

I stepped into the 32s with my right foot and the Burton Emerald with my left–with my board socks on of course. I was prepared. The 32s were pretty uncomfortable. They weren’t very cushy and felt tight in all of the wrong places. As much as I wanted to love them, they didn’t love me. The Emerald however, felt great. But, I had two more types of boots to try on. Next, I tried on the Salomon and the Axel. Both were pretty nice and felt good. The guys told me that the Salomon linings didn’t change much after wear, so what I was feeling now, was pretty much how they were going to be. It wasn’t too big of a deal since they were pretty comfortable. I also liked the large straps on the back and on the tongue of the boot to help get the boot on.

The Axels felt nice, but, not $60 more than the Emerald nice. I could get a new pair of nice waterproof mittens (yeah, those need an update too) for that price. So, it was down to the Emerald and the Salomon Kiana. The shop guy suggested that I try them both on again. One on each foot. So I re-laced up the boots, practicing my new ninja-like lacing skills with the locking systems. Standing up, I took my snowboarding stance to get the feel for how my feet would feel in the boots with my knees bent. The shop guy pointed out that when you bend your knees and get into a riding stance, your heels go back slightly and pull the pressure in your toes away from the front of the boot. It was true, it did. They didn’t feel as tight as when I was standing straight up.

After pretending I was in some sick pow with my new boots, I realized the winner. The Emeralds. The cushion was softer and snugger all around my foot. There didn’t seem to be any part of my foot that wasn’t totally cushioned, which felt amazing. The Kianas definitely felt nice, but the cushion wasn’t there, they felt a lot harder and less forgiving. I walked out of the store with the Burton Emeralds and am looking forward to testing them out on the slopes.

I always like to buy women specific gear when I can, it just fits better (makes sense). A few things I learned while shopping:

• Women have a lower calf muscle than men do. Women’s boots (and bindings) are cut lower to make room for the calf. This makes the boot snugger, making it easier to initiate turns. No one wants to be moving their feet or legs and not getting a response from the board.
• Women generally have a higher arch than men. Having a better arch support in your boots will keep your feet from getting tired or achy.
• Boots are made narrower for women to fit their smaller foot. Like I said, the boots with the full cushion and no gaping air pockets made them feel dreamy.
• Women’s boots are made lighter than men’s boots. Generally we weigh less than guys. Why should we have to carry around the same gear weight that they do?

Check out the Angry Snowboarder for more boot fitting tips.

Do you have boots you love? Hate? Want to get new ones? Tell me about it!

Photo: Alex Indigo

Your board. Probably one of the most basic of basics when it comes to snowboarding. In the past few years, the ways that boards are engineered have changed dramatically to say the least. Coming into the 2009-2010 season it seems like snowboard companies have their act together and actually know how to talk about the product they are trying to sell.

There are some really great articles on the differences so I don’t need to re-write what has already been written, but I do want to go over the basics…and give some places to go from here for more information.

The word of the day is “camber.”

And, if you don’t know, like I didn’t, camber refers to the curvature or arch of the board (Wikipedia). The way that your board arches can affect how you can use your edges in pow, groomed trails, or the park.

THE LINE UP

Traditional

This is the camber that you have been riding up until maybe last year. The center of the board arches up off of the snow from from each end of the board. When you ride this board, the middle of it presses down, increasing the amount of edge that is in direct contact with snow. The 2009 Transworld Snowboarding Gear Guide says traditional camber “initiates lively turns.” I’d have to agree.

Flat

This type of board will lay dead flat on the snow. The center doesn’t arch upwards like  traditional camber boards do. Since all of the edges are flat on the snow, Transworld says its a pretty stable and predictable ride. They also say that it has a lot of flex and will be easier to do ollies with. A move that’s harder with a traditional camber board.

Reverse (Rocker)

Like the flat camber board above, this design is exactly what it says it is. It’s a reverse of the traditional cambered board. The center of the board connects with the snow and the tips of the board arch up. Because there is less edge-to-snow contact at the tips of the board it is much easier to sail through pow.

Mixed Camber

Want a little bit of everything? This is where you are going to find it. There are a lot of different variations depending on the brand, but most mixed camber boards are concave-or touch the snow-between the bindings, then arch up off of the snow at the point where the binding is, then arch back down at the tips. It basically looks like those low-tech bows used for archery.

Learn More

There are a couple of other really great descriptions of the different board cambers that are out on the market.

• South if the North’s Guide to the Technology Formerly Called Reverse CamberGood examples of boards with the different camber styles. They also match riding style with board design.

• Shredding Betties’ Sneak Peak: The Shape of Boards to ComeExplains why you should even care about this new technology. They break down some of the camber designs from a variety of snowboard brands.

• Angry Snowboarder’s Camber Theories In UseTakes the discussion one step further, commenting on how these new boards actually hold up on the hill.

• And, if you still buy magazines, check out Transworld’s 2009 Buyers Guide. They have some excellent visuals that might make the different types of camber a lot clearer.

What do you think? Is the new technology all it is cracked up to be?