Our second, hammer-filled issue of the season hits stores today that will have you frothing to strap in like a rabid wolf. Peek at what’s in issue 132…

DYLAN THOMPSON INTERVIEW

It’s fair to say that Dylan Thompson’s something of an enigma here in Europe but one thing’s certain: his riding’s anything but low-key. After successive, mindblowing urban assaults in FODT’s recent movies we decided to give Dylan the exposure his riding deserves.

KAZAKHSTAN

Last winter our French ed embarked on a journey east with Morgan Lefaucheur and his Almo Films crew. Their destination? Kazakhstan. Going low on the Borat-gags an high on culture, the boys scored the goods and slashed and jibbed the old Soviet state’s impressive mountains and monuments.

GIGI & FICHTL SCORE PERFECT MONTAFON

An early-season dump in the Montafon meant the Pirates crew got off to a sterling start shooting for UNIQUE8. Regional homeboys Gigi Rüf and Marco Feichtner took full advantage of the tit-deep conditions for the lens of Jerome Tanon.

STANDARD FILMS 2112 GALLERY

The legendary Standard Films crew drop in with their 21st snowboard movie this season, entitled 2112. With a host of heavy hitters you can bet this will get your love bus rocking, and we’ve assembled a gallery of bangers from their time shooting.

PLUS

Our Ed in Chief bounces across the pond for the opening of Forum’s The Streets park, we throw a spotlight on the rookies who lit up our Send Off Session, chat Britain with Jamie Nicholls, present some of the finest outerwear around… and there’s even more.

Onboard issue 132 is on sale now at all fine core stores and newsagents so pop down and nab yours. Better still, subscribe to Onboard, bag some free swag and never miss an issue.

Renowned backcountry freestyle specialist will now have his body kept safe by Slytech. Read more…

First RDM, Then JPS, Now DCP Joins Slytech. SLYTECH is excited to announce the signing of David Carrier Porcheron – DCP. Apparently, so is he…

“Stoked to be on the team and be protected by Slytech, now, Rocks, WATCH THE FOUT!” – DCP

Originally part of the Burton team for 14 years, DCP, like Romain de Marchi’s wild antics were too wild for Burton and together, along with JP Solberg started YESnowboards and is a star in Absinthe movies and YES It’s a Movie (the former which Slytech has sponsored and the latter we are sponsoring this year). And like RDM and JPS before, he now joins the talented Slytech stable of riders that includes Wolle Nyvelt, Marco Feichtner, Mat Schaer, Yale Cousino and Antti-Juhani Piirainen.

DCP was born in Qubec and now calls Squamish, BC his home. He’s a proud father and is married to professional snowboarder Megan Pischke. With so much to live for and such an addiction to perilous extreme snowboarding, pressure from his teammates to get on the protection program mounted. It took a while longer for him to strap one on, but the time eventually came for DCP.

With more and more professional riders wearing back protection, it’s only a matter of time before the everyday rider sees it as a
requirement as well.

Our Bulgarian homie Hristo just dropped us a mail about his crew’s new project – Stinky Socks. Keep your feet comfy and plant a tree. Check the skinny…

This Earth stinks! / Is the Earth stinky enough? Plant a tree with each Stinky Earth socks you buy

Do you want to change your entire way of living? Do you want to stop traveling, stop having fun with friends, stop buying clothes and stop using your car because you want to do something for this planet? Well, we won’t so why should you?

Stinky Socks and Ride for Earth teamed up for a great collaboration to present you how you can keep your lifestyle and enjoy life while being green. They created a product that allows you to leave your green impact on earth. This is the specially designed sock called Stinky Earth. It provides you not only with comfort and style but with a great way to plant a tree of your own. It’s simple – each time you buy a pair of Stinky earth Rider, Ride for earth plants a tree.

The collaboration between Stinky socks and Ride for Earth is inspired by the idea that by supporting young athletes in following their dreams, people can be environmentally friendly and also have a lot of fun.

Ride For Earth has helped lots of people plant a tree for every board, ski, bike and ride they own. Focusing on snowboarding, skateboarding, surfinng, wakeboarding, skiing, mountainboarding, sandboarding, other boardsports, MTB, BMX, Freestyle MX and more, RFE encourages riders to do something good for the environment. Young athletes from around the globe have joined the cause of Ride for earth as part of their team, as friends or partners. For more information about Ride for Earth, visit: rideforearth.com

Now Stinky Socks join the initiative to find and gather people who care, share common interests and are ready to do something for the planet.

Stinky Socks is a young brand devoted on the idea of encouraging boldness, fun and creativity in the everyday life. It’s inspired by the spirit of difference even when it irritates or challenges limitations. It’s a brand for those who never stop but always remember that having a good time is more important than proving you’re the best. This collaboration between RFE and Stinky family will encourage young and active people to become trend-setters, to support and share this environmental project, and to really make a difference.

For more information about Stinky family, visit: stinkyfamily.com or facebook.com/StinkyFamily

Stinky Earth is designed to provide all the necessary comfort. The long ribbing supports the sock to insure maximum strength and fitting. The fabric has been treated with the typical Stinky antiseptic and anti-moisture technique so your feet stay fresh and clean. Buy buying Stinky Earth you not only continue to enjoy your favorite sport or style, but you also help the Earth to deal with the CO2 we all produce.

As Burn TM Jason Horton wisely quips of this video, “Stale Sandwich takes a cruise through the Tignes X Games Slopestyle so you don’t have to.” Check the Norseman straight up cruising…

And, as a bonus, here’s the edit we spaced out posting announcing that Ståle’s now on the swelling Hoppipolla Headwear team. If you ain’t seen it yet, it is good. If you have seen it, it is still good.

Do you remember this year’s Real Snow Video contest at the Winter X Games in Aspen? Louif Paradis took the victory in a field of heavy urban hitters. However, the people behind the X Games are no slouches and have revamped the Real Snow contest for the European Winter X Games in Tignes: Instead of urban riding it is now all about the backcountry.

John Jackson, Nicolas Müller, Devun Walsh, Mark Sollors, Mathieu Crepel, Iikka Backström, Gigi Rüf, and Jussi Oksanen have scoured the backcountry to produce 8 individual 90 second videos that showcase raw snowboarding talent. Watch this teaser and you’ll what this is about.

Vote for your favorite video here xgames.com/realsnowbackcountry

Transform Gloves are proud to announce that Finland’s Fredu Sirviö has joined their international team. And to celebrate, they’re throwing a Facebook comp…

We had this chat from Transform bossman Tom Kingsnorth about why he recruited Fredu to join his hand shoe collective….

His balls-out approach to riding combined with rail wizardry makes him the perfect addition to our swelling rider roster. Fredu is currently hitting the gnarliest street spots Helsinki has to offer for his blog www.yellowsnowboarding.com.

To celebrate they will be running a Facebook contest where the winner can win some of Fredu’s favourite gloves, The Photo Incentive,
All they have to do to win is..

1) Upload a funny picture to www.facebook.com/transform.gloves
2) Get your friends to like it
3) The one with the most likes by March 10th 2012 wins!

You dun know.

Oops. Time’s running up – only one week left to decide on your favourite shot and to win Moreboards vouchers!

We have received incredibly hot photo material during the last weeks for the Nitro & Moreboards ”Best Shots” photo contest. Now it’s up to you: motivate your friends and acquaintances to vote for your shot until the 15th of february, because even among all voters Moreboards vouchers worth a total of € 350, - are raffled!

Go to the Snowpark Kitzsteinhorn Facebook page and vote for the Nitro & Moreboards “Best Shot”!

Those pics with the most “likes” win sick prizes from Nitro & Moreboards:

1st Place: Complete Nitro Gear set (Nitro board, Raiden binding and Nitro Boots) + Moreboards Goodies

2nd Place: Nitro Outerwear set (jacket and pants) + Moreboards Goodies

3rd Place: Nitro Raiden bindings + Moreboards Goodies

Special Price: The most creative and unusual shot can already start packing it’s snowboard bag - because a 3-day trip with the Nitro Road Warriors team is waiting.

Voter’s Reward: Under all voters 7 x € 50, - Moreboards vouchers are raffled!

Now click you to the Snowpark Kitzsteinhorn Facebook page and VOTE for the Nitro & Moreboards BEST SHOT>> BEST SHOT Voting

Damn, the Union bosses look younger than we'd imagined. Photo: Sami Tuoriniemi.

Travis Rice is now keeping himself attached with some of the best bindings in the game. Rice is stoked, Union are stoked. Here’s the chat…

Union Binding Company is proud to announce the addition of The Art Of Flight mastermind and 2012 Snowboarder Magazine Rider of the Year Travis Rice to the Union Binding team.

One of the most pivotal riders in existence, T.Rice is known for executing impossible tricks in impossible situations and generally just thinking big—both on and off the board. In the past decade, he has diligently brought real freestyle to serious backcountry lines. Rice has driven large-scale concept films like That’s It, That’s All, The Art Of Flight and Supernatural—exposing his own talent and snowboarding as a whole on a bigger stage than ever before. Travis brings envelope-pushing talent and career-defining ingenuity to the Union Binding Family.

Says Rice about the deal, “It’s amazing what Union has been able to achieve in the past eight years. More than just making the best bindings on the market, they have created a successful business with family values. I’m very proud and honored to join the incredible Union team.”

Romain De Marchi is primed to bring his unique mix of explosive riding and decades of mountain experience to the Billabong team. “It’s an honor to have such a talent join the team,” said David Pitschi, Billabong Outerwear Marketing manager. “Romain’s backcountry riding experience and knowledge of the snowboarding world will be a huge asset in the development of our outerwear division.”

Romain joins Wolle Nyvelt, Antti Autti, Eero Niemela, Sylvain Bourbousson, Johan Baisamy, Clint Allan and Tadashi Fuse on the team.

Coming off an incredible winter, Helen Schettini has also joined the Billabong team. Following her scene-stealing video part in the YES movie Helen has generated a huge industry-wide buzz. Her backcountry style and experience completes an already great team of riders including Jenny Jones, Anne-Flore Marxer and Jamie Anderson.

“Helen is a great addition to the team as her approach to the backcountry is unique,” said Pitschi. “She has the potential to have a great career and we are proud to welcome her to the family.”