FBBB summer snow tour goes out with a bang
For Boarders by Boarders kept it shredding throughout the summer.
As dark winters turn into bright summers, many a mournful snowboarder has to return from their snowy mountain paradise and back to the banality of the British summertime. However, the sunshine, or lack of as it seems in the UK, doesn't mean the shredding dream has to be put on hiatus. One such group of UK riders are determined to see out the summer with plank firmly attached to feet.
Mixing live art, music and of course, snowboarding; For Boarders by Boarders (FBBB) summer tour has been helping those afflicted by the dreaded dirge of summer snowboarding. Touring both snowdomes and dryslopes alike from Scotland to Kent, the emphasis is one designing the sort of freestyle park that both Pros and Ams dream of; street rails, picnic tables, gas pipes - all riders competing in an informal jam session. But not just for the prizes, for it's own reward.
Photo: Mateusz Iwanczyk
Photo: Rich Webb
"It all started in Jan 2006 when I returned from a trip in the mountains," says FBBB co-founder Mikee Chen. "I got proper hooked with snowboarding and started going to Milton Keynes snowdome every week. Chico (who DJs at the events) and I realised how boring normal sessions were and saw potential in organizing something unique."
And along with Milton Keynes snowpark shaper Thom Boddington, the three began FBBB's unique contest series.
"Our events are focused on encouraging everyone and anyone to come and have fun together, no matter what standard they are at. We all want to push the progression and to raise the awareness of the sport we love. With this, we include what we see as relevant elements which are music and art, which is why those two things are always evident at all our events. We try to create a platform for established and up-and-coming brands, artists, musicians, film makers and stores."
This year's tour also saw FBBB branching out into snowboarding's drier sibling, skateboarding with them holding their first event in a church in Caterham, Surrey. "The church event was really cool, we got such a good response for holding it in such a unique location!" says Mikee, citing plenty more events in this vein in future.
Photo: Mateusz Iwanczyk
With the final event kicking off this Saturday 13th September at Sno!Zone in Castleford, the party's not quite over. Anyway, winter is fast approaching anyway. Bring it on!
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FBBB summer snow tour goes out with a bang (text) by Ed Andrews is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 2.0 UK License.
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