Rider: Cole Navin
Hot jibby dogging on rails and urban features is a fresh new trend sweeping the nation, and many of today’s youth are focused on becoming sweet little tiny rail dancers. So much so that the majority of web edits that fill our screens this winter will be street hammer straight out of urban snowboarding Mecca’s, like Salt Lake City, Minneapolis, and Montreal.
Every year we’re treated to a ludicrous display of urban shredding via today’s top rail rippers, and every year they seem to set the bar just a little higher than the season before. But filming in the streets ain’t a joke, and half stepping can get your card pulled, so before you and your crew set out to be the next 1817 or Déjà Vu, make sure you have what you need to keep the rail count heavy and get the job done before all the snow melts and your dreams are dashed away.
Wanna make like Louif or Jake OE? Make sure at least one member of your crew has these essential items, and then go front board that triple kink you pansy.
Drop in, two friends, or Banshee Bungee
The thing about snowboarding is, that without a hill, it can be extremely difficult to generate speed due to both of your feet being strapped in. And if you want to make it down a legit handrail you’re going to need some speed. So make sure you have some way to sling your frail teenage body at that hard piece of steel. Drop in ramps are awesome if you have the space and time to set one up and a friend with a large rig. And about those friends, they’re cool, but human slings are the slowest of the propulsion options and will usually require a few pump bumps to generate speed and they also look dumb on film–but are a good option in a pinch. Banshee Bungee’s seem to be the latest craze, and have a number of benefits such as minimal size and maximize speed generation, just make sure you bring some friends who can curl more then 12 pounds as they will have to pull that shit back to you.
Pros? Yes, they have wenches, but unless you’re Dan Brisse and plan to jump from one six-story building to the next, it’s probably a waste of time and money to buy a proper machine.
Shovels
Yes you will need shovels, not just to build a chump bump because you can’t ollie, but also to remove all of the snow from the concrete stairs that are waiting patiently to readjust your spine. Every real street dog knows that it doesn’t count unless you can see the number of stairs that are waiting to massage you every time you come off early. This will also help build transitions at the bottom of wall rides and re-directs as those seem to be all the rage in today’s urban scene.
Salt and Water
Salt and water are essential tools when building any type of street kicker, chump bump, or just crafting a runway that would make French models weep with envy. Chances are that you’re going to need to do some snow crafting and instead of having a lip that blows apart every time you hit it, bring some salt and water to create some icey firmness so you don’t end up taking your favorite down flat down straight to the shins.
Generator and Lights
Many street sessions happen at night, the reason being that snooty property owners and dick hole cops don’t really take kindly to teenagers risking their lives to front board their storefront handrail. So if you want to really be a street soldier you might want to invest in a generator and lights. The generator won’t always be necessary as some street spots will have electrical, so make sure you are running plenty of extensions cords, and make sure you buy some good construction lights from Home Depot, so you don’t end up with dark footage of your triumphant triple kink heroics. But don’t be bummed if you have to leave them in a pinch when the police show up to end your fun.
Snacks
While this one might be entirely self serving it still has merit. If your video and photo guy or gal has to sit in the cold and watch you try the same switch back lip for five hours than the least you could do is bring some chips and beef jerky to keep their stomachs from growling. Bringing snacks just keeps vibes and spirits high. But you might have to ration your more herb-minded crew members, especially in Colorado, Washington or Oregon.
Remember kids, the streets are wild, so stay safe and live to slash another day.
