Boa snowboard team rider and last year’s Winter X Europe Slopestyle champ, Eric Willett (Vans Cirro Boa Focus), went for the golden repeat today but fell short taking home the bronze this go-around.

Boa team snowboarder Justin Mullen (K2 T1 DB Boa Focus) is holding the magic wand as it pulls him through the powder fields of Northstar!

3 MIN POW RUN TOP TO BOTTOM from justin mullen on Vimeo.

DC snowboarder Travis Rice (DC Status boot with Boa Focus) has been out playing with the Brain Farm cinema crew again. The Art of Flight is going to be sick! Check out the new trailer below.

Congratulations to Boa team rider Eric Willett for winning the Men’s Slopestyle at this past weekend’s Winter Dew Tour event held at Snowbasin in Ogden, Utah. Wearing the Vans Aura Boa Focus and competing in the finals against fellow Boa team riders Brandon Reis and Eric Beauchemin, Eric stomped the comp by laying down a 97.25 on his second run, the highest score in Winter Dew Cup Tour history. “I realized I do good under pressure,” said Eric after his come-from-behind, record-setting victory. This was the third and final stop on this year’s Winter Dew Tour. Eric’s win in Ogden along with his second place finish at the Vermont event in January helped push him into third place in the final overall standings.

Willet’s record-setting run included a 50-50 to backside lipslide, boardslide switch-up to frontside boardslide on the A-frame, and then a frontside boardslide 450 off the cannon. The jumps were also flawless and featured a switch backside 1260 double cork to a frontside 1080 double cork.

In case you missed it, check out the video of DC’s Torstein Horgmo stomping the first ever Triple Cork in competition history. That takes serious Boa Focus boot closure! He pulled it off in the DC Judge with Boa Focus.

As the old adage goes, necessity is the mother of invention. A little over ten years ago, ten thousand feet up in the Colorado Rockies, while re-tying his heavy, wet snowboard boot laces, Gary Hammerslag, Creator and Founder of Boa Technology, came to the realization that shoelaces were an inadequate closure system for snowboard boots. This was just one of the classic experiences over a two-year testing span that inspired Gary to develop early Boa prototype reels, laces and guides, the foundation of today’s Boa Closure System.

From left to right: Alex Draper, K2 Vice President of Product Development, Anthony De Rocco, K2 Executive Vice President of Global Brand & Product Development, Robert Marcovitch, President of K2 Sports, Gary Hammerslag, Founder & CEO of Boa Technology Inc.

Boa now offers more options than ever before to suit the construction and performance closure demands of leading snowboard, snowmobile and ski boot design. “In 1998 when Boa Technology started, we offered one snowboard closure system, the Original Boa, and had two very strong industry partners, Vans and K2,” says Hammerslag. “Ten years later, our roots are still solid with Vans and K2 and we work with the most innovative brands in the industry, while offering a total of six and counting Boa snow closure systems highlighted by the H2 Coiler reel, HP 42 Lace and Focus dual-zonal closure. “

Continuing to focus on retail education and emphasizing listening and learning from global partners, athletes, media, retailers and consumers, Boa has gained a 360-degree view of the Boa Closure System in action around the world. This valued insight coupled with innovative design is the catalyst of Boa’s successful growth into other categories and unwavering partner relationships.

Says Joel Yang, Department of Boot Wizardry at K2 Snowboarding, “Performance. Precision. Innovation. Boa delivers them all.”

We would like to throw out a huge high five to the newest member of the 2011 Boa Closure System Snowboard Team, Fredrik Evensen. Hailing form Oslo, Norway and wearing the Head 5Star Boa boot featuring the Boa Instep Grasp System, Fredrik is an extremely versatile rider who can be seen in high-level competitions, such as X-Games Europe, as well as being featured in numerous Isenseven videos. Fredrik is also sponsored by O’Neill outerwear. Welcome to the Boa snowboarding team Fredrik!

Welcome to Boa Fredrik!

Congrats to Boa snowboard team rider Ashley Thornton for taking the gold at the Dirksen Derby and Skjersaa’s Rail Jam! Here’s a quick update she sent over to us.

Ashley Thornton...wins the Dirksen Derby again!

From Ashley
This past weekend ended up going super good. On Friday night I was in our annual in town rail jam at Skjersaa’s, my local shop! The set-up was huge. It was a scaffolding set-up with really narrow in runs into the 2 features. There was a down (flat bar) that stood 6 feet plus off the ground which was crazy in it self. The other feature was a super fun jump with a barrel to bonk. There were 5 girls plus one female skier. We are all friends and were having a blast in front of a good size crowd. I rode solid and did a good variety of tricks. I stuck most of my tricks I tried and had a wonderful time. Three of us female snowboarders and the one skier made the finals and at the end of the night I brought home $250 and 1st place. It is always awesome to win money while having a great time. The following day was the Dirksen Derby at Mt. Bachelor. A charity race for a local that was injured while snowboarding Tyler Ekland, put on by local pro rider Josh Dirksen. It was the 4th year of the event and a fantastic time at that. It was a big turn out. A lot of old school pro’s and current pro’s attended the fun event. It was a combined time of 2 different courses, It consisted of a tight bank course through the tress on one side and a more wide open bank course on the other side. The women, splitboard, old and wiser and sit-ski event took place saturday in the pouring rain (best day in the rain ever!) I had good runs on both courses and ended up 1st place for the day! I was pumped! Dirksen had awesome prizes donated by his sponsor’s which was super rad. I got hooked up with a sick Dakine back pack full of stuff including a new HD Go Pro Camara, Yay!!!!! The next day was the Men’s event, the top 3 ladies had the chance to race the guys. I was a combined time of I Believe 7 seconds faster on Sundays race but haven’t seen full results. It was great weather for Sunday and the course ran way smoother and faster. Here is the Transworld write up on the event!
Here is a link to a photo of the winners of the rail jam!

It’s dumping snow in the west. Resorts are opening to the best conditions ever and the Boa snowboard team is not missing one inch of winter 2011! Ride With Us is a new monthly webisode series brought to you by Ride Snowboards and SixEleven Productions. It shadows riders Scott See, Steven Waters, and Joe Mango throughout the season of filming for their upcoming video “It’s Our Fault” with SixEleven.

Follow them, and some Ride pros through sleepless nights, early morning sessions, life on the road, good times, and see what it really takes to Ride With Us.

Ride With Us – Tahoe Bound – Ep.3 from Ride Snowboards on Vimeo.

What goes on behind the scenes when designing Boa snowboard boots? Check out this segment from Transworld Business‘ Work Space series and see for yourself!