Girls' Gospel Archive:
Check out previous sermons of the Girls' Gospel

Check this out now, sisters, because this month's Gospel report has more fast news than I can fit into my tiny computer (affectionately called "Princess") here at the Site-Formerly-Known-As-SOL. Haven't heard? Interzine was purchased by Times Mirror, owners of Transworld Snowboarding, for some ungodly amount, meshing SOL and TWS On-Line into a mega-mothership of virtual snowboarding reality. Gospel's still around for now, although I'm waiting for the virtual ax to fall upon my virtual throne, so email your support before I end up like the Dead Angry Interns, to: [email protected]. Or better yet, send it right to the top: [email protected], attn. Brian Sellstrom. Let the Gospel Live!

Tracy Fong from Deep

I'm headed to BoardAID (www.boardaid.com) tomorrow, March 15, at Bear Mountain to see The Offspring and Steel Pulse, plus ride with 5,000 other snowboarders and skateboarders all hoping to have clear skies and a good time while raising money and awareness for AIDS research. Ugly statistics show that AIDS is the #2 killer of people ages 25-44 in the U.S., and that women are the fastest growing population of people infected with HIV. The amount of charities receiving the benefits of the money raised at this event is enough to get this grrl off her keyboard long enough to venture to SoCal in support of the cause. Look for my complete story on the Site-Formerly-Known-As-SOL this coming week, March 16.

While we're on the snowboarding-for-a-cause beat, Boarding for Breast Cancer (the BBC), April 18, 1998, at Sierra-at-Tahoe has named their bands. Line-up includes: The infamous Foo Fighters, swing-band (and Tina Basich's favorite), Royal Crown Review, the techno-heads of Moby, and the Toadies, whomever they are. MC choices are still being determined at time of writing so don't tell your friends you heard that Drew Barrymore was the hostess from me. It's not confirmed, as I said.

The BBC has raised more than $110,000 dollars to date for breast cancer research and continues its efforts to attract attention and spread awareness about this disease, all in the memory of Monica Steward from Bonfire, who died from breast cancer at the age of 29 in 1996. Some sobering facts: -1.8 million women in this country have breast cancer-1 million more don't know they do. -1 in 8 women in the United States will contract breast cancer sometime in their lives. -A woman dies of breast cancer every 11 minutes. -Breast cancer kills more women than AIDS.

"Sick" author Susanna Howe, and Yang designer, Martha Harkey.

What's this mean for us? In younger women (under the age of 35), breast cancer can be more aggressive because of a higher level of estrogen, which acts like air on fire if it catches the disease. The bummer for younger women is that diagnosis tends to be ignored or dismissed as a clogged milk duct or something. That may not always be the case, so check it again! Mammography isn't the ultimate test and unnecessary radiation exposure in our younger years could pop up as yet another health risk later in our lives. So don't get one until after you're 35-unless your mom, grandmother, sister, aunt (in that order) has a history of breast cancer.

What to do? 1) Give yourself regular monthly exams (in conjunction with an exam by a breast health expert every 2 years). If you don't know how, check- out the breast exam charts in a doctor's office or better yet, contact the Susan G. Komen Foundation (1-800-I-AM-AWARE) for your own breast cancer health kit and inside, you'll find a nifty, illustrated card which gives you step-by- step instructions that you can hang in your shower. 2) Eat healthy stuff-lots of fruits and veggies. 3) Exercise regularly by riding a lot; have fun; eliminate stressful situations. Our BBC on-line site has all the news you need to help volunteer for this year's event or to host your own "Board-A- Thon"-mini BBC's-at your home mountain. Go to: twsnow.com/bbc.html. Your's truly also produced the official BBC TV show, which will be airing on Lifetime TV this month and in April, so check your local listings. Once it airs, we'd like to distribute the show to college campuses, high schools, and other facilities that target young women, so contact Fuse: [email protected]; (802) 864-7123 for a copy of the flick, copy of a 3-miute teaser, or a 30-second BBC commercial. The film is both educational and entertaining with interviews of Michele Taggart, Olympic silver medalist, Stine Brun Kjeldaas, bronze medalist, Shannon Dunn, Tina Basich, and musicians Luscious Jackson, That Dog, 7-Year Bitch, and Primus.

Janet Freeman from Betty Rides

I just returned from the Snow Industries of America (SIA) trade show in Vegas, where I was surprised to find, that in this time of "snowboard consolidation," that the women's market was still growing. According to Scott Oliver from Burton, "[Women's] is the one growth area that's definitely still happening." Oliver goes on to predict a 30 percent growth in women's specific categories such as signature models and boots.

This we're already seeing, as I'll describe in full detail in the upcoming Circleplus Hardgoods Review this Fall. But what may surprise you (did me) was that some of the ladies are getting more than one signature board. Example: Barrett Christy's got a 148 and 154 from Gnu (Mervin Manufacturers); Tina Basich has a 143 and 151 from Sims (the latter has an incredible bird design from one of Tina's paintings). Other signature board news: Bev Sanders from Avalanche will again produce her 148 and K2 has come back with a longer Morgan LaFonte board (see Gospel X) at 155. K2 also got the grrl-bandwagon and pumped out a whole series of boards for us called the Luna, complete with narrower sidecuts, softer flexes, and "super-light construction" claims marketing gal, Heidi McCoy.

Switch's Patrick Brennan and the Stella boot for women

Introduced at the show were Salomon's Synapse step-in system and Switch's Stella and Millennium women's step-in boot. Switch communications guy, Patrick Brennan, boasted the boots inner "Ferragamo" fitted last-built by the renowned Italian boot manufacturer with eons of his/herstory in boot development . The fit does feel like a nice pair of Milan loafers, but of course with a lot more bulk. Burton had their women's step-in's at the show and gave a great deal of attention to women's specific molds when I aw the line. But the cutest things happening at Burton are the little kid step-ins-due out by the time the '98 winter season rolls around.

Other show oddities: Dina Hemlinger, producer of the snowboard flick 96, showed me her rock of a diamond from rider Mike Olson. Not only is she married and working on writing a pilot for the X-Files, but she, along with another Mervin Manufacturer groupie, were dressed up in beautiful blue ball gowns with sparkling eye glitter, baking chocolate chip cookies at the Lib Tech/Mervin booth throughout the show. Martha Harkey from Yang didn't have a booth this year, (nor did Belladonna or Kurves, who both are no longer in business), but did have one of the most practical and stylish outfits at the Snowboard Gallery show. Says Martha about Yang, "we're still in business, but we're showing our clothing at the Gallery rather than with a booth this year." Let's hope it worked.

Rebecca Herath, marketing director for Santa Cruz, held an entertaining press conference with Olympic halfpipe gold medalist, Gian Simmen who, at 21 and very shy, claimed that it was his "first big win in the halfpipe" and that to his surprise, when he returned home to Switzerland, he was suddenly "as popular as Michael Jackson. I just don't understand, I just don't understand..." We do! We do!

With that, Lisa Eilertson, Associate Editor of Snowboarder Magazine ([email protected]), Julie Gengo from W.i.g. (www.wigmag.com), and I, toasted with free Jagermeister shots and pieces of Santa Cruz 25th Anniversary cake "to the little boy who could."

Dina Olson and friend bake cookies at the Lib-Tech/Mervin booth

Missy Samilee from Goddess had one of the most unique booths at the show. Her line of boards and apparel, although not super technical, taps into every grrl's dream of looking hip on and off the mountain. Launched with the help of her three brothers, Missy came-up with such designs as "Chanel-inspired" jackets and "Pocket-Full-Of-Posies" apres street-style clothing. The board's were light, narrow, grrl-oriented, but most notable were the unique graphics, including two by a 17-year-old girl who won the "Goddess Snowboard Designer Award"-a contest Missy had the foresight to run in Seventeen magazine. Claims Missy, "We had more than 3,000 entries from the contest. And we've included some of the winners' designs in our T-shirts and board graphics." Remember the magazine "b lur"? The creator of that little gem, Scott Clum, who is also art director of Bikini mag ([email protected]), has his trademark graphic design work all over the pages of the Goddess catalogue. A must for any 'zine/catalogue art junkie's collection: (503-399-7452).

Missy from Goddess.

Deep, Betty, and Bombshell's booths were all so packed, I was glad I'd made appointments to see their lines before the show. Of course, this is all good news for women because it illustrates this coming season's snowboard shops' need for women's apparel. When I was at the Deep booth ([email protected]), I shared my line preview with shop owners from the Front Range in Colorado who's shop couldn't keep enough Deep clothing in stock. Not hard to imagine given that owner Tracy Fong (who is the proud mother of a baby boy named Mason) has some of the most technical, and subtle blues and greens in women's snowboarding apparel. All of their clothing, including sweat shirts and sweaters, have zip-up fronts because, as Tracy pointed out, "Girls don't like things that go over their heads."

Bombshell's garments ([email protected]) although bolder and brighter, had way more technical features than last year, such as removable hoods and powder skirts, and are introducing undergarments like a fleece jogbra. Betty's Mountain Girl parka is a must-citrus green with pit zips, adjustable bungie cord powder skirts, which Janet Freeman claims "are the smartest things I ever added to my stuff"-for the 21st century. It also features a zip pocket right between the breasts for those super special things you can't ride without ([email protected])

Cristin Inglis, Princess of Gathering of the Goddesses, has announced that she is going to host the fourth annual Gathering after all, March 25-29 at Squaw Valley, California. As she says, it's a "calling for the Stellar Sisters of Snowboarding and related industries to unite for a symposium of networking, snowboarding, and relaxing." The Gathering truly is informational and a bunch of fun, but personally, I think the best part is wearing an "I'm A Goddess" pass officially for three whole days. Cost is $495 including lodging and lift tickets. Call (714) 856-0123; for travel arrangements call Wendy @ (800) 870-8646.

Katie Bush, director of Women Only Snowboard Camps emailed from Sugarbush, Vermont, to inform me of her fourth season of camps for women. It seems I've unknowingly plugged my friend's camp, the Wild Women's Snowboard Camp (Bearsb@aol,com), mercilessly to the Easter-coasters chagrin. To Katie and Maurice McIntosh, systems analyst for the Harvard Law School, my deepest apologies. Katie's camps are going on as I write (March, Friday the 13th), at Sugarbush, Vermont. All abilities welcome, all ages a must. According to Katie, campers average age is 30-something. "The women-only thing gets to women in their 30's-they get the idea of what it's all about," explains Katie. "It seems that women in their thirties and late 40's like to be with other women and have fun-it's something they love to do even if they're just starting off [snowboarding]."

The Women's Only Snowboard Camps (an independent camp, by the way) will be holding it's reunion weekend April 4. If you attended Fresh and Tasty's Fresh- Sesh at the beginning of this season, you're welcome to attend the reunion also. For info about the reunion, next season's camps, or the Fresh Sesh, call (800) 552-5065; [email protected].

And finally, if you called regarding Morgan LaFonte's Extreme Camps like I did, you'll discover they didn't happen. According to Mike Reynolds of Peak Experience, the adventure travel company that puts on these extreme camps for skiing and snowboarding, "We didn't get the news out there in time. But we're talking with Morgan about hosting a camp in Valdez this winter and possibly this summer in South America." If you're still interested, call (800) 842-7855.

Finally, "Harvest," the movie by Teton Gravity has some sick Julie Zell segments and even better music-even though it is considered a ski flick. Also, Justin Hostynek's "Absinthe" is a must for any grrls snowboard flick collection. And a Gospel congratulations to Bonnie and Jim Zellers on their upcoming parenthood!

That's all for now. Tune in next month for the Gospel on the women who rule the U.S. Open, the backcountry goddesses from the upcoming scene in Alaska (where if you're any sort of extreme rider, you're renting a van and nesting in Valdez for the month), and other grrly news. [email protected] www.wigmag.com

[email protected] or www.wigmag.com

Girls' Gospel Archive: Check out previous sermons of the Girls' Gospel