Immerse yourself in death...or go outside?

 

Yes, with Playstation 5 you have even more reason NOT to go outside.  And with the upcoming release of Deathloop, why would you ever leave your couch when virtual killing becomes so much more immersive than ever before?

"Your trigger button locks up mid-firefight.  Damn, another gun jam.  It really might be time to find a new weapon.  You feel the scrape of your boots against stone as you clamber up a wall.  The control rumbles in your hands with each movement.  You hear a quiet beeping emanating from the controller's speaker; there's a mine nearby, so you better watch your step.  These are just a few examples of how Deathloop is taking advantage of the PlayStation 5's DualSense controller to enhance the immersive experience."

How can fresh air, exercise, nature, the outdoors... and snurfers compete against such an "enhanced" immersive experience?  How can reality compete against virtual reality?  How can anything compete against the thrill of virtual violence?  As they say in Deathloop, "you're going to need a killer arsenal if you're going to survive...Take the PT-6 Spiker, for example.  This silenced nailgun is a brutal piece of art, and with the dynamic weapon system, you will feel each nail fall into the magazine with granularity every time you reload your weapon.  Feel the resistance of the adaptive trigger as you hold to align your shot, and the immediate recoil and discharge when you fire."

OK, PlayStation 5, with your Deathloop, we accept the challenge!  

Yes, It's an epic battle for sure, but PHNX Boards snurfers have what it takes. 

Take the PHNX Trailblazer, for example:

• A brutal piece of art with the dynamic Rip-Cord Binding/Brake System
• Dynamic weather, with changing conditions that may require layering skins*
• Feel the REAL scrape of your boots on an actual piece of sports equipment
• Clamber up a REAL hill and get healthy exercise while you defeat the evil Sloth
• Feel YOUR ACTUAL body moving based on your every command!  Amazing!
• Feel the granularity of the snow every time you step on it.  
• Defeat the resistance of the snow when you plow through it on your snurfer
• Feel the immediate recoil and discharge when you WIPE OUT in the snow

*layering skins not included 

 Yes, indeed PS5, PHNX Boards has its own killer arsenal.

Go ahead, choose your weapon!

*PS5 images and text copyright (c) Sony Interactive Entertainment

Snurfing through a Pandemic - PART 2

 

Unfortunately, we are still snurfing through a pandemic BUT there is WHITE at the end of the tunnel!  

Yes, despite a resurgence of C19 there are several vaccines close to being ready and so we just have to get through this winter safely together.  And, with boarding and skiing at resorts very much in question, there is no better time to get a PHNX Board, something you can definitely do while practicing social distancing!

I wrote this post at the end of March, when C19 was just rearing its ugly head.  Now, at the end of November, as we await snow here in the Northeast, it is every bit as relevant.

Read on:

Until the snow started today in Boston, snurfing was the last thing on my mind.  In fact, I hadn't checked my PHNX email account in a week or so.  When I did, I found an email from a few days ago from PHNX rider Phil up in VT, along with a couple of photos.  He titled them "last run?" suggesting that spring really was here and snurfing would be over.   Funny thing, the photos could easily have been taken at the beginning of winter, when those first flakes fly and PHNX riders are some of the first to enjoy what all boarders crave: sliding on snow.

As I looked out my window from self-quarantine, I noticed the snow accumulating and realized this might actually be more than just a flurry, and yes, I might even be able to snurf tomorrow.  And then it occurred to me that snurfing is probably one of the last sports that folks can do while we all social distance. The ski resorts held out as long as they could and now are all closed for the season.  But, that's not to say the snow is over! Anyone lucky enough to be near a hill and still have snow, or receive a few inches like we have, well, what better thing to do than get outside and enjoy.  In fact, I may just try and slip away to a ski mountain and poach all that terrain  sitting there untouched.

As for the photo of my Trailblazer with the face mask covering PHyrclops, our mascot?  First of all, I'm not a hoarder, that's just a cheap workshop mask we use when we handcraft our boards.  But, is it sensational, taking advantage of a crisis to sell boards?  No, this is just the reality of the situation we are in.  And frankly, along with a sense of humor, we all need ways to get outside and get fresh air and if we can help in any way, we've done our job.  Fresh air has a new meaning, doesn't it?  Every breath of untainted air is precious.  Get outside and appreciate it, snurfing or not.

Snurfing through a Pandemic!

Until the snow started today in Boston, snurfing was the last thing on my mind.  In fact, I hadn't checked my PHNX email account in a week or so.  When I did, I found an email from a few days ago from PHNX rider Phil up in VT, along with a couple of photos.  He titled them "last run?" suggesting that spring really was here and snurfing would be over.   Funny thing, the photos could easily have been taken at the beginning of winter, when those first flakes fly and PHNX riders are some of the first to enjoy what all boarders crave: sliding on snow.

As I looked out my window from self-quarantine, I noticed the snow accumulating and realized this might actually be more than just a flurry, and yes, I might even be able to snurf tomorrow.  And then it occurred to me that snurfing is probably one of the last sports that folks can do while we all social distance. The ski resorts held out as long as they could and now are all closed for the season.  But, that's not to say the snow is over! Anyone lucky enough to be near a hill and still have snow, or receive a few inches like we have, well, what better thing to do than get outside and enjoy.  In fact, I may just try and slip away to a ski mountain and poach all that terrain  sitting there untouched.

As for the photo of my Trailblazer with the face mask covering PHyrclops, our mascot?  First of all, I'm not a hoarder, that's just a cheap workshop mask we use when we handcraft our boards.  But, is it sensational, taking advantage of a crisis to sell boards?  No, this is just the reality of the situation we are in.  And frankly, along with a sense of humor, we all need ways to get outside and get fresh air and if we can help in any way, we've done our job.  Fresh air has a new meaning, doesn't it?  Every breath of untainted air is precious.  Get outside and appreciate it, snurfing or not.

One thing ALL snowboarders/skiers should have

It's amazing at how many snowboarders and skiers don't even know what a Snurfer is, despite it's having been around for 50 years, and despite a resurgent interest, with dozens of companies offering new versions.  Sure, snurfing became snowboarding and for a lot of people there was no looking back.  But, whether you snowboard or ski, if you love fresh tracks on new snow (the ultimate goal for most people!), you're missing out big time if you don't have a snurfer.  The idea that a snurfer is for little kids or people who can't afford to go to a resort is just wrong.  Why would anyone want to limit their access to snow, if there were products available to make it happen?  A storm comes in and you aren't heading to the mountains?  Grab your snurfer and get some runs in at any hill nearby..FOR FREE! (hey, rich people like free too, no?).

Shown in these two photos are ten versions of snurfers, although Jones and Grassroots call theirs pow surfers, being designed wider for the deep powder snow mostly found out West.  The others are more traditionally designed narrower for the 2 to 8 inches more common to snow storms in the Northeast and Upper Mid-West.  Just like snowboarders and skiers may have multiple sets of equipment, snurfers (used here as a verb) often have a few versions too, especially since snurfers (as a noun!) are so much less money than snowboarding and ski equipment.

Most snowboarders and skiers spend hundreds and thousands on resort riding near and far, driving and flying all over with the hope of getting good snow.  Yeah, groomers are fun too, but ask 100 riders what are the best possible conditions and 99 of them will say "Fresh POW!".  The sensation of riding in powder snow is unparalleled, whether it is two feet in the back bowls of Vail (at $209 A DAY!!!) or two inches in ANY back yard or back hill (at $169 for LIFE with a PHNX Board!!!) and with the swings of climate change it may become even more rare.  Now, more than ever, snow riders everywhere should be snurfing!

So, all you snowboarders and skiers, all you SNOW RIDERS, RISE UP AND SNURF!

PHNX Boards congratulates two recent Harvard graduates!

No, not Harvard University, Harvard Massachusetts, a rural town outside of Boston with lots of great hills for snurfing!  And by graduate we mean Jim Burns and his son came by the PHNX Boards factory (aka basement workshop!), where they learned some history and production secrets.  And, instead of useless diplomas, they left with two brand spanking new boards, a Trailblazer for dad and an UNPLUGGED for his son, which they plan to use up in those Harvard apple orchards (in fact, one of our own PHNX videos was shot in Harvard a few years back: you can watch HERE ).

Truth be told, Jim broke his first board, an early version of the Trailblazer, somehow snapping it in two up front, where the foot bed meets the base.  He said he was just pulling too hard on the Rip-Cord, which shouldn't break the board (the base is 7 hardwood plys!), but then again, not everyone builds up their muscles so much by building car engines for a living!  Jim builds/rebuilds vintage and historic sports engines up in Ayer, and some day we hope to stop by for a tour of his shop.  Anyway, being a DIYer, Jim considered repairing the board somehow, but instead we offered him a great deal on some new boards (yeah, that's what happens when you stop by!). 

Thanks and Best Wishes to the new graduates as they continue their studies of all those cool FREE places to snurf in the 'burbs!

Snurfing the Woods! FREEstyle!

Gabe Blumberg on a PHNX Trailblazer...blazing trails in the woods behind his home in Lincoln, Ma.  And by FREEstyle we do mean FREE, since there aren't any ticket turnstiles or RFID readers in the woods, just snow, squirrels, birds...and yeah, watch out for the trees!

As a skier, skateboarder, soccer player and all around active kid, Gabe is quickly figuring out how to ride a snurfer, and why a PHNX Board gives you more control.

5 years ago or yesterday? Snurfing Boston!

Snow finally arrived in the Northeast and the snurfing has begun.  Frankly, we spend more time snurfing than videoing so until we post a new one, here is one of my favorites.  Arnold Arboretum in Jamaica Plain, just outside the city of Boston.  Tremendous hill begging to be snurfed and so few people doing it.  Boggles the mind, really, since once you have a board it's FREE and so much fun.  A LIFETIME PASS for the cost of a PHNX Board!  Great exercise, challenging, and fun.  If you ski or snowboard at a resort, after you spend hours getting there, spend a fortune, and wait in lines, you are lucky to get those precious fresh tracks in powder snow.  With a snurfer you get fresh tracks every time and you can snurf anywhere there is a hill and a couple of inches of snow.

DANG, what are you waiting for?   Snurfing is alive and well, and great for any age.   C'mon and join us!

BTW, this was filmed with a DIY 360 camera rig.  A bit of a balancing act but some cool video, huh?

PHNX Boards Team Riders...waiting for snow!

Say Hello to Josh and Gabe Blumberg, PHNX Boards Team Riders!

OK, so there's no snow yet in the Boston area where these two PHNX riders live, but they're certainly ready to ride when the first flakes fall.  And, as PHNX riders know, it only takes a couple of inches before the "rope drops" on all that FREE terrain!  Pictured here, Josh with a Trailblazer on the left and Gabe with an Unplugged on the right.  Two fired-up guys with some pretty cool snurfers ready to rip the woods behind them!

So, what does it take to be a PHNX Team Rider?  Well, mostly you just have to be psyched to turn off the TV, put down the cell phone, (yeah, and maybe blow off the homework for a bit!) and do pretty much anything outside in the winter!  In addition to snurfing the woods and hills in the area, you'll find these two skating, kite-skating, ice-sailing, playing pickup hockey, and skiing.  Ten degrees outside and a blizzard?  Bring it on!

Once the snow hits, we're looking forward to some action shots and videos of Josh and Gabe.  Do they really have what it takes to take on the PHNX PHounder?

RIP Jake Burton Carpenter, most influential inventor of Snowboarding

(photo from Burton.com, circa 70s')

After recurring bouts of cancer over a span of eight years, Jake Burton Carpenter lost the battle on November 20, 2019.  The world has lost a truly inspiring person.  While there were many inventors of snowboarding, there is no question Jake was the most influential and successful, and most responsible for making it into the worldwide sport it is.

No doubt there were many who tinkered with their Snurfers back in the 70s to make them better by adding platforms, rubber straps,etc. Except Jake stuck with it and in the process changed the world of snow sports forever. He was the rare visionary who sees the future and has the tenacity and courage of his convictions to get us there, for the benefit of all.  Jake may be gone, but his legacy remains: bringing joy to so many people by creating products that help us discover and appreciate the outdoors in winter time.

If you want to know just how remarkable and full a life Jake lived, read his timeline posted on Burton's website:  Jake Burton Carpenter

RIP Jake!

RIP Sherman, Long Live Snurfing!

PHNX Boards is sad to say that the inventor of the Snurfer has died on 07/31/19/

I had the honor a few years ago of speaking with Sherman on the telephone when I was developing PHNX Boards.  Fifty years after his invention, it was like opening a history book and speaking directly with someone from the pages, someone who commercialized such a simple, enduring concept: snow surfing!  No, the original model did not endure more than a decade, as it was mostly displaced by snowboarding, but the original sport of snurfing is very much alive and well, as evidenced by quite a few manufacturers selling copies and variations.

With life being so hectic, complicated, and expensive, the simple act of taking a shaped piece of wood and sliding down a snow covered hill was and always will be an inexpensive, stress-releasing, magical way to experience the wonder of snow and winter outdoors.  Thank you, Sherman!

RIP Sherman, Long Live Snurfing!


Reported on 08/05 on Michigan Live.  Click HERE for the notice

NEW: PHNX UNPLUGGED...only $139...and now is the time to buy!

UNPLUG your phone, UNPLUG the internet, UNPLUG excuses...

...PLUG into Snurfing, PLUG into Adventure, PLUG into Freedom!

PHNX Boards introduces our newest snurfer, the PHNX Unplugged!

In the spirit of Less-is-More, the Unplugged is a modern version of the original snurfer, a wider, stiffer, one-size-fits-all board with the patented PHNX Board-2-Ski design with raised hex-screw foot platform for superior traction.  This is the must-have snurfer for all ages and abilities and the best time to buy one is NOW, even if there is no more snow where you are.  Why?  Because the beauty of a snurfer is that if you have one at the ready, you get FIRST TRACKS every season, every snowfall, because it only takes a couple of inches of snow to ride them!  There is nothing like the very first natural snow of the season, when those beautiful flakes start to fall.  With an UNPLUGGED snurfer, those first flakes ---and all the flakes after them---are yours to enjoy for FREE (no other equipment, no lift tickets, no skied off slopes).

Advanced riders who want even more control and safety can choose the original PHNX Trailblazer with the patented Rip-Cord Binding-Brake System.

The UNPLUGGED is the same handcrafted made-in-USA quality of the Trailblazer, with North American hard maple plys with smooth finish and minimal graphics (just the heat-stamped PHNX and Phyrclops brands) to showcase the beauty of natural wood.

At $139, including shipping, there is really no excuse not to be ready when the snow flies...or to have your 2019 holiday shopping already done!

Snurfing the Northeast Kingdom!

PHNX rider Phil Chadderdon sent this photo (taken by his wife) of a perfect day snurfing it up in the Northeast Kingdom!

Just where is the Northeast Kingdom?  So, the NEK, as it is known, comprises the northeast corner of Vermont, a tri-county area of 2,027 square miles and 55 towns.  The area is "based on a set of long-ago volcanic islands, compressed during collision with the Taconic orogeny".   What?   Let me boil that down for you: what that really means is their northern location and geology provides lots of snow and lots of great snurfing hills! 

(If you want to know more about NEK you can read the Wikepedia entry from which I quoted)

Kingdom or not, people who live up there are RICH!  OK, I don't know how much money Phil has, but if you measure wealth by blue skies, fresh tracks, fresh air, healthy pursuits, and big smiles (uh, and the wife with the camera!), he is clearly loaded. 

As for exactly where in the Kingdom Phil is snurfing, well, all he would say is:

"Danville, VT.  I promised the person who showed me that I wouldn't expose it to others...so I can't be specific".

Of course, this is a bit funny/ironic because at the same time, Phil (like me) says "I can't get people to to go with me."  Yeah, we want to share how awesome snurfing is...but we want our secret stashes too!

OK, maybe not entirely secret, because those other tracks you see in the photo are fox tracks, which Phil saw on both sides of the hill.  It's nice to know someone else is enjoying the snow!

Ride out the storm...on a PHNX Board!

I don't know where you are, but it's been a cold, dark, DRY winter here in the Boston area.  We had one wimpy "storm" that only dropped a couple of inches about a month ago (of course, if you have a PHNX Board, only a couple of inches is good enough!).  Here we are mid-January and I'm dying to get out on my board again, and it looks like this weekend is finally it! 

Last week, I took a walk over at one of my all-time favorite hills, Peter's Hill at Arnold Arboretum.  In addition to the main hill, there is more awesome terrain off Bussey Hill, across the street, but still part of the Arboretum.  It's a heavily wooded area but the trees are spaced way out so there are tons of great lines to be had.  And, as always, there's hardly anyone ever there.  Once the snow starts flying, I'll be heading over!

(Best parking for Peter's Hill is on Bussey Street, but for Bussey Hill it's over on South Street --a couple of spots are usually available at the Public Health building over there- or maybe at the Dana Greenhouses, though I've never tried there)

So, as always when there is a storm and travelling far can be problematic, if you have a snurfer -preferably a PHNX Board Trailblazer- you can ride out the storm in real time wherever you are hunkered down.  Some of us are lucky to have hills right behind our homes, or as in the case of the Arnold Arboretum, there are hills close by hundreds of thousands of people.  You don't have to drive far to get first...and last tracks!

Is this your kid?

If it isn't your kid, it's your friend, your spouse, ...yourself!  Yes, cell phone addiction is real, and during winter it can be even worse, with cold and snow keeping people from putting their devices down, going outside, and doing something active.  And if cell phone addiction wasn't enough, there's couch potato disease!  These twin beasts can slay your focus, your energy, your health.  Fortunately, there are alternatives out there and PHNX Boards is one of them.  We build snurfer snowboards that are fun, inexpensive, and easy to use on any hill that has snow.  Perfect for all ages, from tweens and teens who have outgrown sledding to millennials and adults who want to take advantage of all the free powder snow all around and outside the expensive resorts.  You can go skiing and pay $171 for ONE day at Vail (plus all the $$gear and $$travel) or you can buy a PHNX Trailblazer for $169 (including free shipping) and snurf THE ENTIRE WINTER, anytime, anywhere there is fresh snow.  Hey, even if you do ski Vail, why would you want to miss first tracks in the woods behind your house?

With the gift-giving holidays coming up, why not consider something beyond another electronic gift that will keep them glued to their device?  Something that will get them outside in the fresh air, getting exercise, and having a ton of PHun!

PHNX Boards will make a doer out of a watcher!

Sound like an ad?   Yes, but its' also a cure!

Winter, 2018, here we come!

Welcome back, Old Man Winter!  OK, so if we can't refer to winter in that sexist way anymore, maybe just the guy with the big nose and the earbuds!  So, what's going on here, where is it and where's the Trailblazer?

Well, the PHirst snow of the season for this guy was on Mount Monadnock on November 11, up in Jaffrey, NH.  Always a great hike with a fabulous 360 degree view from the top and only 1.5 hours from Boston.  The snow in the photo was crusty, frozen, windblown, and just in a few shaded places among the rocks so no I did not get PHirst tracks with my PHNX Board!  What I did get was a great 2.5 hour round trip climb up and down the famous white dot trail, with all sorts of other people out there who know what AYADOAW means. A great way to get the legs ready for the real snow soon to come. 

During my hike, I also tested out my new Bose Sound Sport wireless earbuds and they passed with flying colors.  Yeah, I know, sacrilegious for many purists to "ruin" a hike in nature with music.  Even I used to feel that way, but I have to say it was...really cool!  I happened to be alone that day, so it's not like I tuned out my companions.  What I did do was listen to the entire two album classic: Allman Brothers Live at Fillmore East and I was absolutely fueled by the Brothers' tireless jams (though not "Mountain Jam", which is on another album).  I also took the earbuds off now and again to enjoy the silence of the mountains...that is, as much silence as there is on Mount Monadnock, it being one of the most climbed mountains in the world.  So, best of both worlds, some music, some silence, and tons of fun.

So, yes, I am very much looking forward to the snow soon to come, and yes I will certainly be doing some snurfing on my PHNX Board Trailblazer along with my Bose earbuds!   What artist or album would you play while snurfing???

Old Man Winter Waves '17-'18 Season Goodbye!

...at least in New England, that is.  This guy sure stuck around this year, fighting back spring numerous times, sending us snow after snow (mixed in with a lot of rain), up and down temperatures, and some crazy wind storms.  But finally, the warmer weather got the best of him and he disappeared into the grassy field, to become moisture rising up into the atmosphere (see the fog in the background) to circulate around and plan his return to us next winter.

Oh, BTW, there was one very important thing he wanted us to ask you before he left:

Of course, all you PHNX riders know what that means and will be filling up your spring and summer with all sorts of outdoor sports and activities.  And PHNX riders will also be ready for the first snows when they come.  Until then, enjoy your memories of winter 17/18, and say goodbye for now from some of his PHriends:

Slow down and smell the...Powder!

No, PHNX Boards didn't close down just yet.  This writer was travelling to Amsterdam to a wedding, but got stuck in Dublin when a snowstorm bringing a whopping...two inches of snow... shut down the City!  Missed the wedding but was fortunate to complete the second part of the journey, a couple of days of great skiing in Val d'Isere, in the French Alps, including some incredible powder at the top of Tignes.

In the meantime, New England has been showing its true stripes with rogue snowstorms late into March, providing plenty of powder for those properly equipped (yeah, that means those who have PHNX Boards!).  We got 12 to 15 inches last week and another storm coming in tonight.  Last week's storm was a classic opportunity for PHNX riders, since schools were closed and roads were barely navigable.

Some of us are fortunate to have a hill right outside our home, so while everyone else was digging out, I was enjoying first tracks in the woods.  Understand, I say that not to brag like "yeah, I'm rich and I was heli-skiing, where were you?". The message is that snurfing is so much fun and so accessible to anyone for barely any money.  You too can grab first tracks anytime it snows if you just have a snurfer.

By the way, my back woods run is pretty short, just a dozen turns or so, but powder is powder and free is free, so its really pretty awesome!  Grab a few runs, get some fresh air and exercise, then back to whatever else you have to do.  That's the snurfer lifestyle and I'm amazed more snowboarders don't hop on the bus.

ARE YOU A TRAILBLAZER ?

PHNX riders come in all ages, shapes, and sizes but one thing they all have in common is a sense of adventure and a willingness to try something new (well, kind of new, snurfing being around for 50 years!!).  A recent response on our PHacebook page got me thinking about the kind of person who might be attracted to a PHNX Board.   When I asked the responder why our boards "might be fun for some people, but not for me", he replied "I like to go backwards sometimes and jump fakie, that's why".  While that is totally cool, and snowboarding itself is cool, I don't understand why you would want to restrict yourself to just one way of doing things.  Snowboarding, skiing, snurfing, sledding, dang, sliding your butt down a hill is one of the best things in life, why not do them all?

OK, so you really can't ride a snurfer backwards, but what you can do is experience first tracks all over the place with a hassle-free board that costs less than just the special boots required to snowboard.  You can experience the peace and quiet of slopes all to yourself, like my man Marcus in the photo above.  You can snurf right in the city on all those hills screaming out to be had...like my man Marcus in the photo above...who is snurfing in Boston.  And, you can learn something new, ride an "old school" snurfer but with some new features that make it even better.  Oh, and you can do all this without spending a fortune on lift tickets!

Speaking of Marcus, this guy is so cool I could write an entire post about him.  Here's a guy I met at that same hill in Boston who saw me riding and wanted to try it out.  He failed, failed some more, then started to get the hang of it.  At the end of the day, he convinced me to trade a PHNX prototype for...a beer!  What? Yup, he took advantage of the fact that I was dang thirsty and got himself his own board.  To be honest, I figured he was too poor to buy one, but that changed later on when he came back and bought TWO boards, a brand new Trailblazer and one of my spare Burton Throwaways...er.. Throwbacks  (just kidding, the Throwback is actually fun, but would be better if had the PHNX features).  Oh, and by the way, this time he bought ME three beers!  Better yet, these were beers that he home-brewed...legitimate, full bodied brews.  Boy did I invest wisely in this guy!

So, whether you're a snowboarder who loves jumping fakie, a home-brewer who loves city snurfing, or a modifier who takes his various boards to the big resorts (read my last blog), one thing is for sure.  You are someone who likes to try new things and mix it up.  A trailblazer for sure, which is why we named our board after you!

Modify your life!

(modified and prototype snurfers with the PHNX Boards patented Rip-Cord Binding-Brake System)

PHNX Boards snurfers have been shipped all over the US and a few shipped overseas (Russia, Japan, Luxembourg).  We shipped one the other day to Utah and were surprised at the response:

Hey received my board yesterday cant wait to shred it around town when we get more snow here in Utah! Question i didnt realize the bottom wasnt ptex. How would i go about waxing it to keep it sliding good?? Also thinking about routering the bottom and installing some edges!

Wow, this was both concerning and exciting.  Concerning because we thought we've made it very clear that a PHNX Board was a wooden snurfer without a ptex bottom or metal edges.  At least that's what we say on our website...but there's not much on our PHacebook...er Facebook page.  At the same time, it was exciting because this rider got something he wasn't quite expecting but nevertheless was jazzed up about riding it...and already thinking about modifying it!

I explained what a PHNX Board is and isn't and steered him over to PHNXBoards.com.  His response:

I just didnt pay attention enough i guess! Yeah Im planning on taking it up to Snowbasin so edges would be nice when i'm crossing over hardpack runs. Ive modified a few burton throwbacks and takem them up to the resort on pow days allot of fun! Ill take pictures and tag them on your FB when we actually get another storm

While going back and forth with this new rider, it occurred to me that this is the kind of person who meets life with a sense of adventure and excitement.  Complainer?  No way!  Didn't get exactly what you thought you would get?  Well, maybe I'll just modify it!  Already skied or snowboarded Snowbasin, one of the premier resorts in the US?  Heck, I'll go up there with a modified Burton Throwback...and maybe modify this PHNX too!

This rider's "modify it" attitude really resonated with me because that's how PHNX Boards came to be.  The original snurfer was a modify of the sled concept, getting off your butt and onto your feet.  The original Burton Board snowboard was a modify of the snurfer, adding those edges and bindings.  And now the PHNX Board is a retro modify of the snurfer, taking a look back and starting over.   It's a cycle of modification and innovation, sometimes small modifies, sometimes big ones.

More importantly, though, its the "modify it" attitude that leads to all innovation and progress, no matter what product, or lifestyle.  These days, its called hacking, or lifehacking; fixing something that annoys you, taking a fresh look at what you are doing and finding a better way to do it.

Do you live by the "modify it" attitude?  When facing challenges, do you modify your life?

Here are some photos showing the development of the PHNX Board Trailblazer.  Modify, modify, modify until you get the best possible combination of features, using whatever you have to do it.  Oh, and don't mind the mess, you can clean that up later!

No, Snurfing is NOT dead!

Ask most people what snurfing is and they'll either respond "huh??" or "it's that yellow board from the 60s or 70s that started snowboarding".  Either it doesn't exist or it existed long, long ago.  If you look a bit more carefully, though (i.e. do some google/YouTube searching of "snurfer" and "snurfing"), not only is snurfing not dead, it is very much alive and well, enjoying a steadily growing grass-roots resurgence.  At PHNX Boards, we call this a "retro-volution", combining retro for something in the past and revolution for a disruption of the present.

A combination of nostalgia and a response to the skyrocketing costs of resort snowboarding and skiing is causing more and more people to re-consider or newly discover snurfing.  I say newly discover because all the marketing of snowboarding and skiing drives people to their expensive equipment and resorts, and people just don't realize all those snowy hills all around them are theirs to be snurfed!

The photo above shows just a few modern snurfers, introduced only in the last few years.  Yes, these are all NEW snurfers, not eBay relics, including the yellow one, a recently issued replica of the original Snurfer-brand snurfer.  On the far right is Burton's retro snurfer, the longest and widest of the bunch.  When Burton starts making snurfers again, you know the sport is coming back. The others are different styles of the original "board and a rope" concept, with variations in length, width, sidecut, and style.  In the middle is our own PHNX Board, seemingly the same board and rope concept, but the only one with several critical differences (more about them later).  What distinguishes all of these snurfers from a snowboard is the lack of bindings and metal edges.  Snurfers are not designed for the hard-packed or icy snow of groomed resorts that require greater control (and $$$) offered by strapping in with bulky snowboard boots and bindings on expensive p-tex/metal edge construction. BTW, don't get me wrong, resort snowboarding is awesome!  It's just that Snurfers are meant to be quick and easy, inexpensive, hop-on, hop-off boards for all that terrain outside of resorts, the hills and woods that are all around.  They generally cost from $100 to $200 compared to $500 to $1200 for a snowboard setup (let alone the cost of lift tickets, transportation, and lodging), and you don't need any other equipment.  Snurfing is just another great way to enjoy all that snow!

Despite the renewed interest, a few hurdles remain.  The first is this curious attitude among snowboarders that snurfing is for children only and not cool for teenagers or adults.  While it may have originally been marketed to children, as it gained popularity older and older kids tried it out and realized just how fun it was.  That included Jake Burton who refined his snurfer and eventually created the modern resort snowboard.  Just because the sport was originally for kids or that it evolved does not mean it is no longer a great way to experience fresh snow.  As a skier, snowboarder, and snurfer, I'm psyched to get out into the snow however and whenever I can.  I can't imagine why any snowboarder wouldn't own a snurfer as well for those days they can't get to a resort or don't want to spend the money, effort, and time doing so.  Fresh powder is fresh powder, however you carve it up!

The other hurdle is the competition between snurfing (and for that matter, any other outdoor winter sport) and electronic entertainment/sedentary entertainment.  Its just easier to stay inside and watch a movie or play video games than suit up and go outside.  And, with snurfing, yes, you actually have to walk up the hill!   Lot's of people just don't want to make the effort, but they are missing out on a whole lot of fun (and endless fresh tracks!).  For those who would be willing to make the effort, i.e. all those active people paying for their monthly gym memberships, it just maybe didn't occur to them that they can get an unbelievable workout AND much fresher air....outside snurfing!

OK, so you don't have a snurfer but you want one?  Do some research.  If all you want is a really cheap replica, you can get one for about $100.  If you want a snurfer that retains the original concept but adds some critical new features, it may be worth paying a bit more for a PHNX Board.   The difference between a PHNX Board and ALL other snurfers on the market today is the double-patented Board-to-Ski shape and Rip-Cord Binding-Brake System.  Yes, it is still a hop-on, hop-off snurfer BUT these features give you more control.  The secret to the PHNX Board system is the fact that the steering/handling rope is not a fixed rope like all the others (look closely at the photo) rather an active rope that activates a binding that locks you onto the board.  In addition, the binding has an integrated safety brake to keep the board from running away if you fall during a run.

Whatever you choose, join the retrovolution and have a blast with the very much LIVING winter sport of snurfing!