Before Snowboarding...before Snurfing...

...way, way before...like 300 years ago...there was Petranboarding!

Last winter, stuck in the office and dreaming of snow, I found myself watching a super chill, completely sublime documentary featured by Patagonia that explored a small village in Turkey that had been "Petranboarding" for 300 years. The village is called Petran and the board they've been hand crafting for centuries is simply called a Petranboard; wooden planks in a "toboggan-esque" style, but ridden standing up snurfer fashion, without bindings.  According to the author and producer, Alex Yoder, Mythology claims Petranboarding was invented by a small Muslim boy who used his prayer board (a board instead of a rug, since textiles were scarcer than wood) to slide on snow.  It was a chance encounter, but "after a grueling hike in waist-deep snow, he went on a date with gravity he'd never forget".  And so, Petranboarding was invented and exists to this day, virtually unchanged, but -alas- barely holding onto the interests of kids.   As explained in the video, "The youth is so caught up in social media and popular entertainment culture that they're simply not excited about Petranboarding's craftsmanship...they don't care to learn the craftsmanship and as soon as they're old enough most of them will move to the city".  Boy, that sounds like the same old lament of this blogger, doesn't it?  Maybe one day, like I did, they will return from the city (or escape for a bit) and rediscover the joy of their childhood riding fresh tracks on wooden boards.

If you too are stuck in the office dreaming of snow, dreaming perhaps of a simpler time with simpler pleasures, do yourself a favor and read about Petranboarding

...and then watch the video (it's at the bottom of the page, along with some other cool snurfer videos).

...and then, well, since Petranboards aren't for sale outside of Turkey (yet!) you'll probably want to grab a PHNX Board...infused with the original Petran spirit!

Free Shipping...and other lies!

A potential customer called on "Black Friday" and wanted to know if we offered free shipping.  I explained that no, we did not, and that if we did offer "free" shipping, we'd have to raise the price to include it.  We are so accustomed to phony marketing in this country, people truly believe you can get something of value for free, when in fact you are mostly paying too much anyway. Sure, retailers will often reduce prices in order to move product, and "free" shipping is just another way of offering a discount and calling it something else.  But, just as often, they will set phony high prices on an item to begin with so that then they can offer a phony sale or that "Free" shipping.  Have you ever read the fine print on a Kohl's catalog (or Macy's or most other large retailers)?  Here's Kohl's:

"Sale" prices and percentage savings offered in the advertisement are discounts from Kohl's "Regular" or "Original" prices.  The "Regular" or "Original" price of an item is the former or future offered price for the item or a comparable item by Kohl's or another retailer.  Actual sales may not have been made at the "Regular" or "Original" prices, (emphasis added by the blogger) and intermediate markdowns may have been taken. "Original" prices may not have been in effect during the past 90 days or in all trade areas.  Merchandise in this advertisement could be offered at the same or lower "Sale" prices during future promotional events..." (November 30, 2017 flyer)

Can you blame people for expecting everything to be discounted, and shipping to be for free when you have this kind of phony pricing to be the norm in our culture?  How can a small business compete, when they try and offer a genuine, hand-crafted product at a fair price and don't want to join the phony merchandising game?  It's a challenge, for sure, especially given all the other costs that go into running a business that somehow must be paid for out of every "Sale" (web fees, advertising, rent, supplies, etc.)  .

Oh, BTW, the reality of shipping costs at PHNX Boards is that we lose money pretty much every time, mostly because we haven't figured out the algorithm, but also because we realize there is a point at which people will hesitate to buy (those who aren't expecting free shipping, anyway).  As an example, we shipped a board recently to Oregon and it cost us $38, while we only recouped $17.95.  That person got a $20.05 "sale" without even knowing it, and we recouped that much less.

So, in the spirit of the season, PHNX Boards is now offering a HUGE 50% OFF SALE on all of our Boards, with FREE Shipping*

*note: this sale assumes a "Regular" and "Original" price double the current listed price plus whatever the web-store shipping algorithm spits out.  Uh, yeah, that equals exactly what the boards are selling for, plus shipping, but if it makes you feel better, go ahead and tell everyone you got 50% off with "Free" shipping!

AYADOAW?

Years ago, while living in Europe, I signed up for a weekend bus trip to a famous ski resort in the Alps.  It was to be a fantastic ski adventure with a group of friends and none of us had to drive.  But when I called my best friend at the time, he said he'd have to miss it because it was Super Bowl weekend.  Not being a huge football fan, it hadn't occurred to me that this was the "big" weekend.  I appealed to my friend, painting a picture of fresh snow, alpine peaks, fast skiing, cold beer, and camaraderie.  No luck.  How could anyone miss the Super Bowl...even if we were living in Europe, where you'd have to go to an American bar to watch, since the only football anyone cares about over there is soccer?

I was at a loss for words, bummed that my friend would miss out on an epic trip and that I'd miss out on skiing with him.  But then, without thinking, I blurted out: Are you a Doer or a Watcher?  

I don't know where the words came from, but it worked.

My friend came on the trip and if you ask him who won the Super Bowl that year, I doubt he'd know who it was.  But if you ask him about the ski trip I guarantee he'll tell you all about it: about the all-night bus ride, the cool hotel we stayed at, and especially the last run of the last day, where we decided to take one more chairlift ride to the top, and then raced at breakneck speed the entire 3,000 vertical feet to the waiting bus (and the last ones on the bus, much to the chagrin of the waiting group!).  Yeah, he missed an exciting football game on TV, but instead of watching other people "do" something, he was "doing", he was living, he was starring in his own far more memorable adventure.

As I've noted before in my blog and videos, I'm often outside in the snow all alone, or with very few people around.  Gorgeous blue sky days after a fresh snowfall, with hills all around and only a handful of "doers" taking advantage, and more often than not, the doers are younger kids, still excited to grab a sled or a tube or a snurfer (!) and hike up a hill to come right back down. Fresh air, fun, exercise. Not yet so immersed in digital culture that they've forgotten the joy of playing outside in the snow rather than hanging out inside (sedentary) and watching football or a movie on TV ....watching other people live, or playing video games...watching other digital people live!

So, Are you a Doer or a Watcher?

Am I Dreaming, or is it Snowing?

Well, I guess I'm dreaming since here in the Boston area, we have yet to have our first snow for the 17/18 winter.  The mild fall, which made for great soccer, extended into November, and it is only now getting cold.  The mountains are starting to see some white, but in the burbs we have to rely on memories from last winter and patiently await that first snow (memories like this photo looking out to my patio, and the wooded hill behind my home).  The beauty of a snurfer is being able to take advantage of that precious first snow, when it does come, without having to drive all the way to a resort. And even if you did drive to a resort the first snow there is always packed down (and icy!) to create a base for the snow...and crowds...to come.  With a snurfer, you get that incredible feeling of powder surfing from day one, and you get it all to yourself...and free! There is nothing quite like the first tracks of every winter, and two or three inches are all you need.  Some of my best memories of snurfing and winter are those first runs on lightly frosted grassy hills.  Fresh, cold, white, falling snow is always such a positive, powerful expression of the beauty and wonder of nature...in winter. 

Has it snowed where you are?  Are you ready to snurf?

Spring break in New England!

What do New England College kids do on spring break?  Well, first they use up all their parents' frequent flyer miles to visit family in sunny, warm California! But then, when they return to another spring snow in New England, they get right back outside and do what doers do...snurf!  Oh, and by the way, in case you didn't notice, girls rock PHNX Boards too!

PHNX Boards caught sight of these two UVM'ers (Stefi and Trevor) enjoying a beautiful blue sky day on soft spring snow west of Boston.

Holy cow, not bad for a PHirst timer on a PHNX Board!  Did he actually turn the board?  Yes, for sure...just not in this clip.  Did we edit out the crash at the bottom?  ....well, maybe.   But, like all doers, he got up and went right back up the hill for another run!

Slow Down...and smell the Powder!

OK, this one minute clip probably won't win an Academy Award, but I hope it highlights two things:  First, how easy and fun it is to shoot slow motion with your cell phone (loving my Moto Z Play!), and Second, most importantly, how easy it is to take advantage of fresh snow when you have a snurfer.

I took this video in the hilly woods right outside my condo in the Boston Suburbs.  You don't need much of a hill to have a great time, and you don't need much time to get in some runs...if you have a snurfer.  This hill has a slope that's probably a hundred yards or so long, but really wide and with tons of trees to snurf around.  And since I don't have to drive anywhere, I can get in a great workout in an hour or two...outside in the fresh air and the fresh powder...and for PHREE!  Even if your own hills require a short drive, its a lot less (driving...time...money) than a day trip to a resort.  Why not take advantage of it?

So, if you can't "Stop and Smell the Roses" in winter, you can surely slow-motion your way through fresh powder on a snurfer!

Boston gets snow...PHinally!

From 55 to 6 degrees in one day, with 12 inches of snow!

It's been up and down this winter in Boston, warm then cold and back again over and over, but never much snow.  PHinally, a real storm dropped 12 to 14 inches of beautiful, light, fluffy powder, free for the taking. Not only that, but no school in most of the Boston area...creating a perfect storm!

Yes, driving in a blizzard can be dangerous and it's tempting to stay inside, nice and warm.  Venturing out, however, pays off big time.  Just being outside while the wind blows and the snow swirls around and collects is such a cool experience.  It can be windy-loud but at the same time naturally-quiet, without all those cars we normally hear no matter where we are (at least us urban and suburban-ites), without our footsteps making noise, and with most people still inside.  And then, of course, if you have PHNX Board snurfer, your experience is amplified further.  

I just happened to return from a trip to Arizona and California, with sun and more sun every day.  As enjoyable as that was, returning to a snowstorm reminds me of why New England is such a great place to live: maybe not as much sun and warmth, but we get changing weather that keeps us on our toes: spring, summer and fall, each with their own character, and winter, mostly dark and cold, but every so often magnificently perfect when the snowstorm rewards us with it's whirling white wonder!  

Remember the joy you felt as a kid (...if you're not a kid!) when it snowed and you had a snow day?  It's never too late.  Get off the couch, bundle up, and get outside in the snow!

PHNX in PHoenix...but where's the board?

What's wrong with this picture?  Actually, nothing!

You would think the inventor of PHNX Boards would have brought one along for his 2900 mile cross-country drive from Boston to Phoenix...or rather PHoenix.  Well to spare you a long story, lets just say he didn't.  Since most of the journey was through dry, Western landscapes, it wasn't missed...until I approached PHoenix, of course. The snow line started in Flagstaff, and at the top of the pass heading toward PHoenix a rest stop offered a tremendous view...and an even more tremendous opportunity to GLIDE!  Most people stopping were travelers and truckers passing through, but one family -three generations- had driven a half hour precisely to get to this place.  And once you stepped beyond the guard rail, it was clear the drive was worth it.  A perfect hill in a perfect landscape with several inches of fresh, untracked snow waiting to be enjoyed.  And this family, three generations together, had it all to themselves...except for the lone board-less, sled-less, passerby.  So friendly, they shared their sleds and we shared the moment.  What made it even more incredible was finding out that the young boy climbing back up the hill to take another run had Lyme disease, which would prevent him from sledding more than a couple times before being too exhausted. And his sister, also beaming with delight and trudging back uphill had diabetes, and her energy would soon deplete and end her session.  Undaunted, these kids have learned early on that "doers" carry on and "do" despite their conditions that might slow them down, and that extra effort is often rewarded by extra pleasure...pleasure that others who have it easier may never experience as finely.

Yes, I sure wish I had brought a PHNX Board and I will never make that mistake again, but you THANK YOU to this incredible family for sharing your sleds and for being such an inspiration!

Trump Tweets PHNX Boards!

Holy Cow, did Trump really Tweet that?

In the "Post-Truth" era, when the PEOTUS can say whatever he wants, whenever he wants, whether it is true or not, even we are wondering if he really did Tweet support for PHNX Boards.  Was it real or was it PHake news?  Certainly, he could have, since PHNX Boards are made in America, just the kind of company Trump supports!  While other snurfer and snowboard companies outsource their production to save money (and lose American jobs), PHNX Boards are constructed out of North American hardwoods in a plant in North Carolina, and then finished in our basement workshop in Massachusetts. When you buy a PHNX Board you get a hand-crafted product that can last a lifetime, and you can feel good about supporting US innovation.  So, MAKE SNURFING GREAT AGAIN!  And buy a PHNX Board!