Do you have Tweety Bird doing a daffy off a mogul on your butt cheek? A delicate snowflake on your ankle? Shaun White’s portrait on your bicep (Umm, that’s weird, but okay.)?

If you have a ski or snowboard-related tattoo that proclaims your passion for all things winter in Vermont, we wanna see. Simply click the ADD PHOTO link below and upload your ink. If we like it, we’ll include it in a special “Love Winter. Love Vermont” photo essay in this winter’s issue of Ski Vermont magazine. We’ve also got some sweet winter-leftover prizes kickin’ around in our swag closet, so we’ll toss those to a few randomly selected submissions as well. Finally, that “Save Magic Mountain!” tattoo across your chest may make you famous. Mom will be proud.

When you upload the photo you’ll see a “caption” box — include your first name, age, where you’re from, and a brief story behind the tat. Then, if you want to be considered for publication in the magazine, Leave a Reply at the bottom of this post with your full name, an email address (will not be published) and your favorite Vermont mountain.

That’s it. Now show us your tats (and feel free to rate the submissions in the gallery below).

ADD PHOTO (Make my ink famous!) Select an image to upload: Browse for file  Enter URL Import Image by URL Caption: Toggle ratings   Gaetano age 39 from Bellows Falls VT. This is an ongoing tattoo of a medley of my passion for snowboarding, it has a Burton symbol(which when I flex is a \"G\" symbol, what my friends call me) and at the top it ismy creation of the Arbor tree/logo, of which I ride. All this work was done by Alexander Lawrence, owner of Mountainside Tattoo in beautiful downtown Bellows Falls. Peace.   Here is my snowflake tattoo I got in Burlington, VT in 2006. My husband and I lived in Jeffersonville for a year after we got married, and I wanted to get this tattoo because I love snow and skiing, and to remember our first year of marriage there. We currently reside in Telford, PA.   Matt Poynton   Tiffany, 26, Jeff VT. This is my ongoing backpiece of snowflakes, and each are as uniquie as the really thing. I started this as a dedication to my life revolving around the winter. Working at a resort, ski patrol. and just the passion for winter activites. Now it has become my constant reminder to the way of life.   Circa 1993. Original. Looking to have it reworked/added onto...   Angel G. , Long Island, NY Artist:Rob Green Email Robgreen@fortapachestudio.com This tattoo hightlight the love The Amp Crew has towards shredding!!!   Jeff W. , Long Island , NY , Artist:Rob Green Email:robgreen@fortapachestudio.com This ink represents all things snowboarding. For all the time we spend on the hill, i needed something to take home with me. AMP CREW ALWAYS   B, age 23, from the dirty dirty. I got this tat on my 21st birthday. I got it for 2 reasons: 1) snowboarding is my life 2) in honor of my dad. i was totally a daddy\'s girl, and snowboarding was a major part of us bonding together. i can still feel his presence sometimes when i go take a free run during my lunch break (i\'m a snowboard instructor).

We have a very important and urgent snowboarding update to relay to you…

TRIPLE CORRRRRRRK!

The Triple Cork from torstein horgmo on Vimeo.

But alas, there can only be one winner of this extremely limited, hunter’s plaid Burton Custom snowboard. In the end, it was Andrew Ensminger who impressed us the most with his poem turned video. Congratulations, Andrew. Rad video. You are the proud new owner of the Rad Plaid Superbad Not-for-your-Dad Burton Custom.

Watch Andrew’s video below.

We know that all of you put a ton of effort into your poems and our beanies are off to you. You kick so much butt and you are an inspiration to us as we sit in front of computer monitors every day, trying to figure out how to tell the story of Vermont snowboarding. Turns out, you do a darn fine job yourselves. Thanks.

Big ups to Burton Snowboards, Cabot Creamery and pathtovermont.com for supplying the shred, the chedd and the online cred.

-Luke

Thanks everyone for your submissions. We’re currently sifting through the rhymes, stanzas and cheese-bombs to figure out which poem is the victor. Check back on Monday when we’re back in the office to make our final decision.

In the meantime, read through the poems at your leisure. There’s some real gems in there.

-Luke

Here’s how it’s going down. Anybody can win this extremely limited, only-a-handful-ever-made Custom snowboard. All you need is a little creativity and a few minutes to pen a poem.

•Poem must include the words VERMONT, BURTON, CABOT, and SPRING.
•Poem can be any length (keep it under 350 words, though, Shakespeare. we ain’t got all day.)
•Poem must be submitted in the comments section below this post to be eligible.
•Poem must be awesome — this is for a plaid Burton Custom snowboard, after all.

Submissions will be reviewed by our professional panel of Seriously Sharp cheese eating, majored-in-English-at-an-accredited-liberal-arts-university-but-spent-all-four-years-in-the-Stowe-backcountry education having, goggle tan aloe applying  judges. Our Alaskan Malamute, Zena, is in charge of quality control.

Poems will judged on creativity, entertainment value and rhyminess. Contest ends at 11:59 p.m. on Friday, April 9. The winner will be announced the next day.

Here’s a video featuring the Cabot board that could be yours. Your buddies are gonna be hecka jealous.

Good luck and happy poem writing.

When Tom Messner tells you it’s going to be 75 degrees this weekend, you get in the car, you drive to your favorite Vermont mountain and you shred. You shred like it’s your last day of the season (because it just may be). It’s what Tom Messner would want. And you DO NOT defy Tom Messner.

Tom Messner says we’re going to set records with the high temps on Saturday. And tomorrow’s gonna come darn close. This is the last weekend to get your shred on at several VT resorts, so if one of your go-t0 spots is on the April 4 list below, get your butt in gear and get up here. Tom Messner.

Closing Dates:

The view from the peak of Bolton Valley this morning. Sunshine and record-breaking temps in the 70s are in store this weekend.

Bolton – April 4th
Bromley – April 4th
Burke – April 4th
Mad River Glen – April 4th
Magic Mountain – April 4th
Pico – April 4th
Smugglers’ Notch – April 11th
Okemo – April 11th, possibly later

Mount Snow – April 11th, possibly later
Stratton – April 11
Stowe – April 18th
Jay Peak – TBD
Killington – TBD
Sugarbush – TBD

Mountains tend to offer deep discounts this time of year, so really you’ve got no excuse not to be here. Ride Vermont recommends throwing a hibachi and a cooler full of adult or non-adult, whatever your case may be, beverages in the trunk of your hoopty and setting up base camp in the parking lot. There’s nothing better than taking a few laps with friends, grilling, taking a few more laps, beverage  break, take several more laps, beverage break #2.

Have a blast this weekend.

-Luke

email Luke

With my third cup of coffee almost drained and the sun high in the cloudless sky, I decided it was time to hit the road. It was Vermont Maple Open House Weekend, and I was ready to sample the freshest syrup available.

I directed my GPS to Sugarbush Farm in Woodstock, Vermont. I drove north up Rte. 100, past Stratton and Killington and cows. Lots of cows. The only snow left in the valleys clung to north-facing hills in small patches, hanging on for dear life like ice cubes in an ignored gin and tonic. It was a gorgeous day — cold for this time of year but brilliantly sunny.

As we neared Sugarbush Farm, it was easy to spot the maple trees. They were the ones with galvanized buckets hanging from their sides. There were hundreds of buckets glinting in the sunshine.

After hanging out with Betsy, the 2nd-generation owner of the farm, and purchasing some Grade B Light Fancy, it was time to continue north to Smuggler’s Notch. I had never been to Smugg’s and I was eager to see what it was all about.

Shred-Friendly

When I think of Smugg’s, I immediately think “family-friendly.” Most people think likewise, I’m sure. Without knowledge of the Smugg’s layout, it’s easy to equate family-friendly with lots of green circle trails and not much glades or black diamonds. So not the case.

Smugg’s has some seriously challenging terrain on the Madonna and Sterling peaks. Most of the trails from the peak of Smugg’s are double-black diamonds. Rock drops and skinny, winding trails are easily accessed, and there are dozens of spots to duck into the woods in search of powder stashes. I hear there’s even a triple black diamond, although I couldn’t get to it this late in the season.

Family-friendly might also conjure a lack-of-nightlife image. Once again, so not the case. I ducked into The Brewski bar, located within walking distance of the base area, Friday night and found a live bluegrass band playing to a locals-type crowd playing pool and partaking in general fun-times. The bartender (blond guy, very friendly) treated me like an old college roommate, letting me sample new beers on tap and filling me in on the best late-season trail picks.

Kids food? Not at 158 Main in Jeffersonville, about 15 minutes from the base area. The extensive, more-than-reasonably-priced menu featured everything from marinated skirt steak to cobb salad to crab-crusted tilapia. (note: they have a kids menu, too.)

Yup, Smugg’s is full of surprises. True, it is family-friendly and generally accepted as THE resort for a family vacation. But when you find yourself recounting your run down the triple black diamond for the the bartender at Brewski, you’ll find definition for a new phrase: “shred-friendly”.

-Luke

P.S. Smugg’s is hosting a parking lot tailgate party this Saturday, April 3, from 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm. It’s supposed to be, like 75 degrees this weekend so bring your tee-shirt and lucky burger flipper. Then, from 6 – 10:00 pm, move to the Meeting House for the 15th Annual Brewfest with regional beers and wines, music, munchies and prizes. Details here.

Bernie represents Vermont in the United States Senate. He is the only Independent (Lieberman doesn’t count) and whenever you catch him on C-Span, his hair is always a little disheveled as he addresses the chamber. Yeah, Bernie is pretty much a perfect representation of the Green Mountain State’s people.

Here’s Bernie name-dropping some Vermont snowboarders, post-Olympics, on the Senate floor. Notice how he pronounces Lindsey Jacobellis’s name (Juh-koba-liss). You rock, Bern.

Click here to view the embedded video.

There is an unbelievable amount of events at Vermont resorts this weekend, including live music, pond skimming and cardboard races. Know what else? It’s Maple Open House Weekend. Sugarmakers across the state open their sugar shacks to visitors, with tours and an array of maple products for sale. If you’ve never met a real live sugar maker, now’s your chance. Maybe they’ll even sign your chest. For a listing of open sugarhouses all around the state visit vermontmaple.org.

Ride Vermont-approved events:

-Vermont Specialty Food Tasting at Smuggler’s Notch. Cabot Cheese, maple products, Westminster Crackers, Green Mountain Coffee and tons more. Don’t be shy when visiting the sample stand – eat and be merry from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm at the Gazebo in the Resort Village.

-Snoe.down 2010 at Killington. Jam band fans: pull out your patchwork pants and fire up the Prius – this is a weekend-long winter music and sports festival hosted by the band moe., with performances at Killington Resort and Rutland’s new Spartan Arena. Several bands are scheduled to appear March 26-28.

-Reggaefest 2010 at Mount Snow. With reggae music all weekend, a crowd-pleasing pond skimming contest on Saturday and a raucous cardboard derby on Sunday.

-2nd Annual Joey Jam at Okemo. Fast becoming the most talked-about event of the season, the Joey Jam rail jam competition is back after a wild premiere last year. This year’s winner is taking home a 1989 Chevy Camaro RS. It comes with a new Pioneer CD deck, and some Efx speakers. So awesome. Be there.

-Battle for Burlington at Jay Peak. The 4th Annual Jay Peak Battle for Burlington is a slopestyle jam competition for snowboarders in college. Rep your school in team colors and slay the park in a 2 1/2 hour session.

Have fun and be safe out there this weekend.

-Luke