We met up the crowd on friday at the Mondschein Bar in Stuben/Arlberg for the 10. LongBoardClassic to have a meet & greet with people we know since we began to plow the slopes and to meet new friends and like minded people to participate on one of the most legendary events when ever snowboarding goes back to it´s roots.
 

On Saturday, after accreditation, we´ve tried and tested some of the new longboards of Rad-Air, Dupraz, Nitro, Pogo and Voelkl until Host and Anchorman Kiwi announced the start will be at 12 am at the top of the Albona chairlift.

A crazy crowd gathered on 2400 mtrs. sea level to wait for Kiwi to let the different classes start (the neons, girls, boys).

With us were the roots of snowboarding: Terry Kidwell, Shawn Farmer, Bob Klein, Mike Chantry, Mike Basich, Jose Fernandes, Shigeru Ishi Ishihara, Titus , Reto Lamm, Micki Früh, Serge Dupraz, Xandi Kreuzeder, Oliver Holzmann, Dani Kiwi Meier, Martin Freinandemetz, Petra Müssig

The sun came through the clouds and threw some beams on the albona peak as the hunk of snowboarding broke off like an avalanche to hit stuben in the craziest colours which twinkled in the snow and colored it in the sweetest colors of neon yellow, green and pink on to the wonderful terrain in Albomaska.

My special respect goes out to Bernie! "Hut ab!"
 

As the avalanche stopped in front of the event area the opening band MUHA and the bluebird sky and sun got the masses hot for the most legendary snowboard band of the world HUNK OF METAL. 

Terry Kidwell (guitar), Shawn Farmer (vocals), Bob Klein (drums), Scotty Milburn (bass), Jeff Hackett (lead guitar & vocals) hit the eardrums with screaming metal guitars like back in the days when neon clothing was not a crime and resorts in europe handed out flyers with slogans like "Don´t sit on the slopes" until Kiwi and Paul started the prizegiving.

On saturday night Mike Chantry showed and commented some of his snowboarding vid´s of the beginning of the history of snowboarding. After the crowd saw what snowboarding was about in the 80´s Paul showed a really nice vid about Crazy Banana "Rock it" which was filmed on the Albona and the Riddim Sound mashed up open end.

 This was awesome !!!

BigUp & bless to Paul, Kiwi, Harry, Ishi, T.K., Farm, Bob, Mike C., Mike B., Jose, Titus, Reto, Micki, Serge, Xandi, Oli, Frejn, Milka, Genso, Silke, Magic, Tina, Marcel, Marcus, Sebastl, Benno, Jogi and all the rest who made this happen !

My special thanks goes to Mr. Shawn Farmer - it was a pleasure to ride with you and follow your line.

You all hold the white flag of snowboarding - United we stand ! 

Save rides and all the best to you all who came together to celebrate snowboarding of it´s best,

cheers,
Crusty - Chris

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Greetings Tanker Riders,

Get ready for some PHENOMENAL news!!!!

Rad-Air is coming stateside to host the first EVER Tankers-N-Tahoe event.

This is an impromptu meeting of Tanker riders from throughout the world. Everyone has been invited from Harry Gunz, Co-Founder of Rad-Air Snowboards, to show up in Tahoe at the end of April for a Longboard Session. He is arriving to the states on the 21st and will be on the slopes from the 23rd to the 26th. The actual Tankers-N-Tahoe event will be Saturday and Sunday at Kirkwood(you voted for it, you got it ), but you can check the website www.exoticboards.com/tankersntahoe to see where everyone will be meeting up and when. There is very little time to get things ready, so move quickly. Riders from all over the world are coming to meet up in picturesque Tahoe, they are coming from: Japan, Switzerland, Canada, and those are just the initial reports we’ve gotten from the rumors that were started in March. It is shaping up to be an event you have to join.

Please join me in welcoming Harry to the states for an epic event in Tahoe.

WAIT…….Hold on……….. 

There’s MORE!!!

In an amazing turn of events, Harry will be navigating new waters and turning the RAD-Air Tankers in a completely RADICAL direction. As we celebrate together the end of the 2008/2009 season, we can look forward to the 15th Anniversary of the Tanker line for next season. Harry has designed a limited edition 200cm Tanker to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the Tanker 200 with an aluminium topsheet. The whole line of Tankers has been redesigned from ptex to the topsheet, nose to tail, and Rad-Air is launching the first Converse Camber Tankers starting this coming season, 2009/2010!!! You can wait until next year to ride one, but why? Rad-Air is almost completely sold out of the limited edition Tanker 200s already.  Better get there and demo a new Tanker to see what all the fuss is about!

I would say it’s a risky proposition to bet the famous Tanker lineup with a completely new design which goes all the way back the very roots of our sport, but that is why Harry continues to be able to make snowboards after 25 years in the industry; he’s constantly innovating!!!!!

 There are a lot of events that you can pass on, but not this one. Do whatever you have to do to make it to this event. Walk, Drive, Fly, Run, do what you got to do to make it to Tahoe at the end of April. The memories we make will last a lifetime.

See you there!
RJ
 
RJ Sakson
Rad-Air North America

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