It’s time for your tattoo to get its 15 minutes of fame.
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for publication in the magazine, Leave a Reply at the bottom of this post with your full name, an email address (will not be published) and your favorite Vermont mountain.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).
We had a blast reading through all the submissions in the Burton/Cabot Board contest. With lines like “The weather in Vermont/ Would even impress your aunt” and “No more joeys on the hill is key/ Spring riding in Vermont is the place to be” and “After riding for hours on my Burton/ My black and blue bottom was a-hurtin“, you guys and gals kept us entertained all day here in the office.
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.
Thanks to our shred-brethren at Burton Snowboards and Cabot Creamery, Ride Vermont is stoked to announce our Cabot Hunter’s Plaid “Custom” Board Contest.
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.
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.
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.
•Poem must include the words VERMONT, BURTON, CABOT, and SPRING.
