I, like many of you out there, am in the job market. There are many questions that arrise when headed down this road: “Do I have the necessary experience?”… “Will this salary support my lifestyle?”… “Could I get away with ‘dancing’ for a little while longer? You know- have some fun… pay off the school loans…” (<–What? No one else?)

But how many of you have seriously asked yourselves: “Would I be willing to relocate?”

I’ve recently asked myself this question and come to realize: No, given the choice, I would not relocate (for work or otherwise).
The state of Colorado is one of the greatest places in our country.
Sure, if given the opportunity to work our dream job in Fiji, most of us would probably jump ship. But let’s be realistic- 40k a year for a middle-management position in Mianus, CT… no thanks. I’ll keep my anus in Denver.

Some of us, however, get in ruts. We begin to think “the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.” A common theme in my posts to you has been finding contentment, and in continuation of that theme, I’d like to share with you 10 Reasons Colorado  is GREAT:

1. Colorado ranks as the nation’s fifth-best state for business and careers in the latest annual report by Forbes, posted November of 2011. So stick it out, job hunters!
   
2. Colorado consistently ranks in the top 10 healthiest and slimmest states in the country. There’s so much to do! Plus, walking anywhere west of Denver means going up hill.
3. Denver was named the 13th best city for singles by Forbes.com in 2009. We have the thinnest, most attractive young professionals. Look in the mirror… you’re probably getting laid tonight.
4. Boulder is the most educated city in America. Colorado is one of the most educated states. It’s everywhere online… Google it.
5. Colorado gets over 300 days of sunshine every year– the most clear-sky days of any state.
6. Denver is the top city for bicyclists according to Bicycle Magazine and the Huffington Post. One more reason we’re not fat.
   Moreover, I’d like to share: I have ridden a bicycle on both coasts and in many different states. In California you get flipped off and run off the roads. On the east coast you can’t breath from the smog or people assume you’re poor. Colorado is the only state where drivers will slow down for you and wave. Shit- in Boulder they’ll stop at a convenience store and circle back around with gatorade.
7. We’ve got Colfax. In addition to all the different aswesome “scores” you can make within a single-block radius, Colfax is the longest continuous street in America.
8. The Colorado Rockies. Sure, we’ve had some good baseball years, but I’m talking about our mountains. People from all over the world save for years and spend thousands of dollars to ski and snowboard where we do any day we fancy.
9. Colorado loves good beer and has has more breweries per capita than any other state in the U.S.
10. Denver is the sixth happiest city in the country according to market research performed by the fast-food giant McDonalds.

BONUS: COLORADO HAS YOU! The communities within this fine state are filled with healthy, intelligent, open-minded, friendly people.

 What more could you want from your home?

- Ches Sheridan Arms

It’s post-Thanksgiving and Christmas is right around the corner. That means you can’t blame the early-season for your lack-luster performance on the slopes any more. The snow is no longer riddled with rock and twig death traps; you aren’t considering amputating a foot after a full day in your boots; and there is much less giggling and snickering when your friend mentions a “big dump,” because the image that comes to mind has nothing to do with last nights drunken Del Taco burrito bender.

Every day we ride we try to improve, but sometimes we hit a plateau. Something is holding us back but we don’t know what.
So- Maybe you’re downright embarrassed to tell your friends you’ll meet them after your bunny slope warm-up runs. Could be you need a little extra game to seal the deal with “Jackie from Texas” at the bar in the lodge. Or perhaps you’re somewhere right in between. Whatever the case, these three tips should have you back on the path to bragging rights. They may seem simple and obvious, but I guarantee you haven’t considered all three (if any)!

1. Rub it Out- err… On. 

   The wax that is! Or even better, get an iron and do it right. Think about your first day this season. Were you “that guy/girl” in the group: the last one down every run– leaving your friends tapping their foot in the lift line? Maybe you should try a few solo lesson days… OR- maybe a fresh tune is all you need. I waxed my board halfway through day 1 this season and was TOTALLY amazed the diference it made. If you have to take it to a shop I wouldn’t be TOO embarassed… but you could just as easily follow these instructions at home.

2. Get Some Beef on those Buns 

   Nobody wants to believe it, but chances are you’re out of shape. Maybe you bike, run, or perform arial acrobatics on the reg, but that doesn’t mean your ski/snowboard muscles are up to par. Flexibility and endurance are equally as important, but most of us sending it every week are young bucks anyway.

   I spent WAY too much time looking through websites to find pictures and explanations of exercises that would be the most beneficial to you. So, while Exercises to Prepare for the Slopes on Bodybulding.com seems a bit hardcore, the exercises in the article are the most quality, and appropriate for skiers and snowboarders alike, that I could find. Try to incorporate a few of these into your day once or twice a week. You’ll be blown away how much easier tricks will be. And a positive side-effect: you’re ass will look better than ever come summer.

3. Treat Her Right
   

   I’m talking, of course, about our Mother Earth. In true DVLP Life fashion, “riding green” had to get thrown in here. While being environmentally conscious probably wont help you stick 60 ft. frontside 5′s by the end of the season, it may score bonus points with the snow-bunnies. When she says, “Ooo, I like your snow pants!” what’s better than replying: “Thanks! I bought the skinny pair because I’ve been doing conditioning this season (i.e.- ‘they make my ass look awesome’). Oh, and did I mention they’re made entirely of post-consumer recycled material and $1 of my purchase went to saving children and puppies in Kazakhstan?” Nicccce.

   This article is an awesome place to get started: How to Go Green: Skiing & Snowboarding

    

So now you have no excuses! With these three easy-as-pie tips, you should be upping your game in no time!
And if any of these tips worked for you and you want to show off, hit me up ANYTIME– let’s ride!

- Ches Sheridan Arms

Recently, the good folks at Battery 621 hosted an event called “The Business of Fun: Keeping Kids out of Cubicles.” It was held as a panel, with an open discussion format, and featured guest speakers of varying professions within the action-sports industry. I’ve attended the event two years in a row now. Both panels left me feeling invigorated about pursuing a career for passion instead of paycheck.

Q with Travis Rice at "The Art of Flight" premier in Denver

This time around, there was a gentleman in the audience sitting two seats to the left of me: Questor Sapnu. If you enjoy the Denver nightlife, chances are you’ve met him, felt enamored with him, shared bottle service with him… woke up in a hotel room, missing teeth, with a baby and Mike Tyson’s tiger [giving you the stink eye] with him.

Don’t remember? Likely story…

Well anyway, his friends know him as “Q.” For years Q ran the scene at several of Denver’s most popular locales, including Wicked Garden and the Jet Hotel & Twenty. After being on the grind forever he realized it wasn’t his calling. He dropped everything in the pursuit of something he has been passionate about his entire life. Q’s enthusiasm for the action-sports industry will soon deliver us a unique training facility for skateboarders, bmx riders, skiers, and snowboarders. The facility, located at 9499 Washington St. in Thornton, will be called Progresh– and it’s gonna blow your mind!

Q, Rustin, and I had an epic day at Loveland on Monday and the drive to/from gave us a chance to chat about the specifics of Progresh:

DVLP Life: What made you decide to leave the Denver nightlife and start Progresh?

Questor: For a long time all I wanted was to open my own bar/club.  I got back into the nightlife business here in CO to learn more as well as try to log 100 plus days a year riding…  And successfully did that for 11yrs in a row.  After 18 yrs in the bar biz I realized that this wasn’t my goal anymore. The only other thing I knew was riding…that’s always been my passion.

DL: Any hint of when we may be able to start signing liability waivers?

Q: We’re hoping that you guys could start hucking your carcasses by March 2012!!

We’ll have price points that will fit all budgets!  You can figure dropping in for a 2hr session in the morning for $25 or in the afternoon for $35.  We’ll do a variety of passes, but the more in advance you purchase the bigger discount you get.  We want to take care of our loyal customers.  Kind of like buying your ski/snowboard pass.

We are SUPER excited to see this thing blow up! For up-to-the-date info make sure to ‘Like’ the Progresh Facebook Page and follow Progresh on Twitter!

- Ches Sheridan Arms

Gretchen Bleiler, a well known snowboarder, is doing much more than that. Her love for snowboarding has sprouted her love of the environment. Bleiler has dealt with and experienced the repercussions of climate change all across the world. She and her family started Alex Bottle, a company that makes and sells reusable water bottles.

She has also recently started the 21 Day Reusable Challenge to kick the plastic habit. Gretchen is going to schools across Colorado to promote the challenge. The 21 Day Reusable Challenge is to not use plastic bags, plastic water bottles, and Styrofoam to-go containers for 21 days. The focus is to make people more conscientious of the environment and possibly change their habits of using plastic after the challenge.

Check out Gretchen’s website to see what she’ll be doing next with her snowboarding career and for the environment.

 ”This planet is alive. If only we could know what it knows, see what it sees. Sometimes you feel like it’s trying to tell you something, showing you where to look, how to see. Lighting up the darkness ahead, illuminating your soul.”

Burn Energy Drink  recently announced the film ‘Alive’ which features The Burn Units own Gigi Rüf joined with Ståle Sandbech and Arthur Longo. This mind blowing  night shot film took place in Vorarlberg, Austria at Gigi’s uncle’s cabin where Burn proclaimed, ”this was one of the most ambitious projects yet undertaken in snowboard filmmaking: shooting backcountry action by electric light and moonlight.”

The Burn Units – ALIVE – feat Gigi Rüf, Ståle Sandbech & Arthur Longo from Burn on Vimeo.

View behind the scene photos at Burn Flickr

In tribute of snowboarder Jeff Anderson, Mammoth decided to launch a new terrain park that is packed with detailed artwork on every rail, box, bonks, and more. The Art Park opened last month with this Mammoth RPT video showing the construction processes “to the likes on Tyler Flanagan jibbing them.”

SNOWBOARDER MAG

Snowboard Magazine reported that “Jackson Hole had an historic top-to-bottom, wall-to-wall opener for the first time ever in November.” It hit the record books having its deepest snow depth in the history of Jackson Hole. It is only getting deeper with nearly 171″ of snow since October and it is said to be a La Nina winter.  Jackson Hole’s Burton Stash Parks are where you should be headed this winter; the only one in the Rocky Mountains.

“After a 4-foot dump in late October to get things rolling, the skies have not let up. Needless to say, DEEPcember is in full effect.”

Alex Yoder at Jackson Hole, Photo: Julie Weinberger

The World Snowboarding Championships are set for February 2010 in Oslo, Norway. The event is paving its way already and will be using the TTR World Rankings as qualification for the entry into slopestyle, halfpipe and quarterpipe competitions. Check out this teaser video and get pumped for what’s to come.

The World Snowboarding Championships 2012 is set for Oslo from ttrworldtour on Vimeo.

Winter Park Resort will receive a face lift for their six terrain parks. The major improvements for park and pipe system will include 20 new rails. It is currently under construction and with this change, Winter Park will more than likely continue to stay in the ranking of  “Top 10 Overall Resorts” by TransWorld SNOWboarding.

“After 4 years without a single new rail it is great to have put together such a big order of fresh and innovative rails,” stated by Bob Holme, terrain park/ youth marketing manager for Winter Park Resort. “The 20 new trails, in addition to our existing rail inventory, will allow the crew to be even more creative in our park set-ups and flow. “

Winter Park’s face lift will consist of 20 new rails including: two propane tank-jibs, “Kid” the horse feature is back ‘from pasture’, 20 single-barrel rails with a variety of configurations of flat, kinked, C-rails, rainbows, etc.

ARTICLE

Phresheez::  One App you should not pass up. Phresheez is able to record your location while you are shredding up a storm. Maps and charts show your personal speed, vertical, and difficulty as the day progresses. Check out how well your friends are tearing up the mountain by being able to retrieving their data; it is always better with harmless competition.

 Ski & Snow Report:: Get the latest ski and snow conditions before you head up the mountain; live ski cams, ski reports, and weather forecasts are bound to prepare you for a day on the slopes. Become a weather reporter by posting your own photos to the App to inform others of the current weather and snow conditions at your location.

Snow Grub::  This App connects you with the latest boarding news and contains the most recent updates on athletes like Shaun White, Marc Frank Montoya, JP Walker, Danny Kass, Gretchen Bleiler and Leanne Pelosi. Check out your favorite brands and sponsors; Burton, DC, K2, Rome, and Neff. To top it off you have the chance to cruise through the media, retail shop info, and snow reports.

Trailmap 3D:: Allows you to view yourself on a 3D mountain with the capabilities to record your tracks and then upload them to the web. Its features enable you to pan, zoom and rotate the 3D models of the resort as well as download their trail maps to your phone. Over 750 resorts are included in this App.