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Winter X Coverage
/compete/xgames/xarc.htm

Clicker Review
/hardware/stepin2.htm

Spy Photos From SIA in Salt Lake City
/hardware/sia/siahome.htm

Cyber SOL Tour
/live/cybertour/tourarc.htm

Mt. Baker
/compete/bakersl.htm

FIS World Championships
/compete/fis97/fis_16.htm

Hello all you snow sliders. Welcome to another edition of the Sporadic Groove. We've decided to call it this since you have probably noticed we can't seem to get this out every week, but we're trying.

NEW TO SOL
Over the last few weeks a lot of road work has been done by our SOL staff and contributors. Lee Crane was commentating at the X Games in So Cal, Shanti Sosienski completed her mini-Tour with Jimmy Clarke which finished up in Cataldo, Idaho in an avalanche course with Peak Adventure. To read about this course or the other live SOL adventures check out Live Remote on the front screen of SOL.

Also on the road was SOL Shack caretaker and groovy New York journalist-at-large, Susanna Howe. She visited Mt. Baker for the first time during the Banked Slalom and spent a lot of the weekend schmoozing photographers, so that they will give her photos for her upcoming book. She should be writing a little story on her experience with snowboard photographers for her column this week.

And of course posted since last week are the results from the Mt. Baker Banked Slalom complete with pictures from the event. For those that missed the legendary race history was in full force that day as Rob Morrow placed first in the men's pro division and Karleen Jeffery in the women's pro division. The Mt. Baker Banked Slalom results can be located at:

Considering stepping in? Not sure what to buy? Don't be afraid of what you don't know. Check out our latest Hardware review as SOL writer Shanti Sosienski offers a personal account of her experience with Clicker's.

Looking for the latest Girl's Gospel? Kathleen Gasperini kicks down a flow of info ranging from her experience at the Utah On-snow demo where she tried out a whole lot of '97-'98 gear for women, to a list of some upcoming events that you might want to get to. The Girl's Gospel can be found hiding out in the SOL Matrix under Circleplus.

And finally keep an eye out the weekend of February 8-9 for live coverage from the FIS World Cup competition taking place at Mt. Bachelor. You will be able to find results under Competition.

WHAT'S GOING ON OUT THERE?
With the new year comes new boards and a number of pros have been spotted on their most recent models. Morgan Lafonte has a slick new model for the '97-'98 season with her shakra rainbow graphics. This is not shaka bro, this is shakra--like healing stuff you know. Morgan explained that after doing a lot of spiritual healing in the last year from her knee injury, she wanted a board to support her recovery. Keep an eye out for her ripping it up all over the place this season. She recently completed filming a Mountain Dew commercial that also features Victoria Jealouse and Tina Basich.

Joe Curtes is up and riding again after a knee injury less than a month ago. While witnesses at the injury site said they heard a loud popping noise, Joe said he's back on board and will be a hundred percent next week.

We didn't even have enough time to send Michele Taggart a get well card and she's riding again after being down for a month with a broken leg. She'll be heading to the F.I.S. contest at Bachelor this weekend with her racer husband Shannon Melhuse.

The U.S. Snowboard team will be changing its name to the U.S. broken team after the recent European tour which saw the following injuries:

Brian Mullen collided with Ted Martin who was standing at the finish line at a race in Austria. Brian dislocated his jaw and fractured his skull and Ted saw stars with a little concussion.

Lynn Ott and J.F. Pelschatt had a little collision in Italy with one another when they both dropped into the pipe at the same time. The result of this accident was a little less severe than the one between Brian and Ted and only entailed stitches and a black eyes.

Lael Gregory broke his arm and Tommy Czeschin broke his wrist. That's okay though because you don't need your arms to snowboard. Lael proved this by competing in the X Games last weekend.

Rob Kingwill took the nastiest looking spill of the trip at a Boarder X where he lost his helmet in a crash and sustained head injuries and bruises from bouncing around after his helmet had fallen.

American raised Danish snowboard team member Mike Kildevaeld was determined not to get left out of the U.S. circus so he managed to get a concussion in a boardercross on the circuit. Wish we could have gotten pictures of it all.

Well, that's all folks. Stay tuned, check the weather, and get out and enjoy the rest of the winter.

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