It’s important to me this year to be more conscious of my spending. I gave some tips in my post on how to spend less in a recession, and of course it applies to myself.

While I’m still planning on snowboarding, surfing, and furnishing my apartment this year… I will be cutting down on a major expense… and that is travelling outside of BC. I love travelling. I love the photographs, I love meeting new people, I love exploring, trying new food, and learning about how people live in the rest of the world, outside our little bubble.

I’ve been to a number of places, and there are still SO many places I want to go. Alaska… Africa… South America… China… Russia. Ah well, that’s what the rest of my life is for, right?

So in my decision to not travel anywhere this year, I couldn’t help but feel a little nostalgic. So here are some pictures from my trip to Europe and the Mediterranean in 2002. I’ve also posted a few here in previous posts, and here. These were all taken with my Nikon D50 back in the day.

The harbour in Cadiz, Spain. Such a beautiful place.

Gaudi’s work in Barcelona, Spain. Gaudi is all over Barcelona and it’s easy to see why it his art has become such tourist destinations. Talk about a visionary for his time.

Some workmen lining up outside in Lisbon, Portugal. Portugal is was one of my favourite stops. The food was delicious and the people are incredibly warm, kind, and have a passion for life you don’t see much anymore.

The sidewalks and roads in Lisbon are incredible. Such intricate detail on something so everyday.

Aging columns in Athens, Greece. If you get a chance to lie down in the grass and stare up at the sky and the columns, it’s easy to feel like you are back in ancient times and Adonis or Athena will come charging by.

This statue in Florence, Italy was one of the sculptures that touched me most during my trip (and trust me, we saw a LOT of statues… especially in Florence).”Il ratto di Polissena” or “The Rape of Polyxena” by Pio Fedi has such incredible emotion and detail carved into it; it’s hard not to feel moved by something immovable while standing there.

These donkeys/mules? in Santorini Greece did a lot of work… whether it was carrying people around or heavy loads. It’s amazing to see how people can get along just fine in life without cars, planes, or computers. It’s definitely a simpler life on Santorini.

A flower shop in Rome. There are no big box stores or sprawling shopping malls. Just normal people selling their wares on the street… anything from flowers to fish to shoes. Shopping takes on a whole different meaning and feeling.

A single rose in the trash in Barcelona on their version of “Valentine’s Day” there (La diada de Sant Jordi). Nope, this wasn’t a planted shot.

A gorgeous vista from Nice, France. One of my favourite places in the whole world. Nice moves at a different speed it seems, and when the sea is so blue and there’s so much sun it’s hard not to feel at peace. Just take a moment to yourself on a bench…

That’s it for now. On Saturday I hope to finally post those moving pictures I’ve been struggling to compile. Darn timelapse! Plans for this weekend: Seeing my best friend off from the UK with dinner, drinks, and TheatreSports… more furniture browsing, and cooking. Your weekend plans?

When it snowed 6 cm at Whistler recently, I tell you — my heart was in my chest. I CANNOT wait for this year’s snowboard season.

I’d like to do a mini preview of some of the cool snowboards that I’m super excited about this year.

Let’s start with Burton. Anyone who knows me knows that I love Burton. Sure, they’re the big corporation but I really do like the quality of their gear. Not to mention I’m super excited about going to Burton JAPAN in a month! (My work trip got pushed back unfortunately, until the middle-end of November).

This year Burton is introducing a new system called “EST” (Extra Sensory Technology). From Burton’s website, “EST™ stands for Extra Sensory Technology. Its  focus on the ability to feel and read the snow is essential no matter where or what you ride. EST breaks free from traditional thinking, offering seamless flex and the purest connection between you and your terrain. This creates super natural feel, control, and response unlike anything you have ever ridden before.” Part of this is the mounting system on boards called “The Channel”. Apparently they’ve tried something like this before in the past, but it wasn’t super great. This year, The Channel is said to provide more flexibility in terms of your mounting angle and centering options. Not just that, but with the different footbed options available, it’s designed to help you “feel” the snow better. Who knows if it is actually any good or not. I guess we’ll find out once the snow flies! To find out more about EST and The Channel, go here on Burton’s site.

Burton’s Custom X Board is looking as good as ever in 2009. This popular board is well suited for All Mountain riding. It’s pretty much the “Do It All” board. Keep in mind that this board is stiff and geared for high performance. It also comes in a wider version which is pretty sweet for you boys.

The Malolo is a great board for both men and women, and it’s something I’m seriously considering getting. It’s got a powder tapered shape (toned down from the Fish), and it’s meant for powder but still should be able to handle the whole mountain. Terje likes to ride this board, and hey, can Terje really ever be wrong?

The Fish! Ah the Fish… a board I seriously want to get but everyone is telling me it’s not really worth it and it’s leagues above my skill level. They’re probably right. If I lived in Alaska, I would buy this board. But for icy groomer days at Cypress… no, definitely not. I would seriously consider this as a second or third board in my quiver once I get some more powder experience. We’re going catboarding in February and I have to admit that I’m tempted by this board for that sole reason… *sigh*. But as my friends say, why buy a board for just one day? An improvement to the Fish this year? The S-Rocker. Keeps your nose up a bit more in powder and increases your float. And the retro design is awesome.

The Burton Hero is something I would definitely consider if I was a guy. It’s a reverse-camber board (V-Rocker technology between your feet), basically ripped off from the popular Skate Banana last year, except with Burton’s solid base and core technology. I’ve been reading a lot of reviews on this board from early testers and it’s all good. If you’re looking for a board that’s sick in the park and on powder, I hear this is the best compromise for both worlds. Excellent for pressing and pop, not to mention the pressure distribution edges which is meant to help you carve, kinda like Libtech’s Magnetraction. I love the design on the Women’s Lipstick (the female version of the Hero), but I think I’d have to be more into the park to make it worthwhile. This is a late release board, so you probably won’t see it in stores until the end of the year-ish.

The ConDOM is another late release board, but is even more park-oriented than the Hero. When you stand on it, none of the edges of your board touch the ground. It’s got Zero Camber (basically convex all around) so you can make ridiculous landings on your tricks, and jib, butter etc etc… I have a feeling my friend Jay would like this board….

By the way, I just gotta put a picture of the Burton Love‘s in here, because DAMN! That’s a hot looking board. I don’t know if I’d look like a cool guy riding that board, but it would definitely be interesting if a GIRL was to!… hah. Apparently they’re all retro Playboy photos. Awesome!

Let’s talk a bit about Libtech. Aside from always being innovative, Libtech has got AWESOME designs this year in my opinion. Actually, I find the Burton designs (especially on the Malolo) to be WAY too toned down for my tastes. I don’t understand releasing bright funky clothing and then putting dull designs on boards… but ANYWAY. So Libtech’s got some great boards this year.

The Skate Banana… the board that started it all. This board just blew up last year; I started seeing it everywhere, and it was selling out in stores. Basically the pioneer of the reverse camber, Libtech’s Skate Banana made it possible to go from park to pow effortlessly. It’s designed mainly for park and tricks, but I’ve heard amazing things about it in powder. This board has won a whole whack of awards, and is definitely worth checking out.

Some other boards that are interesting from Libtech … the TRice board and the TRS BTX (Banana boards that have Magnetraction for sticking landings and carving), and the Cygnus X1 board (a premium board with pop and vibration reduction).

And you gotta love Rome Snowboards, from the guys who left Burton to start their own company. Rome’s also got new Reverse Camber boards this year (can you tell they are all the rage?).

The Rome Mod is a high-end twin, that’s well rounded with lots of pop (but still soft) and decent in powder. Friends tell me that it’s very stable and holds an edge well, but it’s a little bit of a pricey board. The Rome Artifact also looks good with the reverse camber, and has similar features to the Skate Banana or the Hero. Good for the park and the rest of the mountain, and designed for ollies and pop.

A small shoutout to Prior Snowboards, who make excellent boards at home here in BC, in Whistler. They also do custom boards! Definitely check them out. The Spearhead looks particularly interesting to me, especially since I’m looking for a powder board… I’m seriously considering them but I don’t really know anyone who rides them. Are they good quality boards? Will it hold up? How’s the construction?

Phew, that’s it for now. More on other 2008/2009 snowboard gear coming up soon!

(P.S. As I write this post, the Canucks whooped the Flames 6-1. Luongo was huge and holy crap, Hansen is quickly becoming a favourite of mine. Only team in the NHL with a perfect record w00t w00t!)