Is Freeze Still relevant?

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@th1337

Hahahaha now that is some true words. Freeze forums were a vicious and ridiculous cesspool of internet hate.

I bet anything that 95% of the stupid 13 year olds slinging shit on there in 2000 are now the hipster 26 year olds talking about how 'freeskiing used to be a better place without the stupid 13 year olds'.

12 years ago

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Ryanvdonk

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i say use your aggressive feelings, let the hate flow through you.

12 years ago

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THE_WKND

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Issue #1, purchased at a Thrifty's Foods in '97. I would have been in grade 10 at the time. It was incredibly refreshing to see a young/fresh energy behind skiing. I had been skiing since the late eighties/early nineties and the mag almost felt like a reaffirmation that skiing had this crazy untapped potential to be even more badass than it already was. Most people my age were jumping ship and taking up snowboarding, but when I flipped through the pages of Freeze for the first time I realized there were other people out there who had the same view and enthusiasm for skiing that my friends and I did. When Freeskier came a couple years later my friends and I fucking hated it. It used never have skiing on the cover -- just studio shots of skier's faces/posing and shit. Freeze was the real deal. It was raw and sloppy, but it captured skiing's second wind perfectly.

12 years ago

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e.will

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Insane

print isn't dying, it's just evolving. There is a general uptake in specific, directed print. It's the larger, wholistic publications that are failing. There will -- at least for the forseable future -- a space for print. It offers an in-depth bent that web fails to engender.

Powder's first issue of this year will be 212 pages -- the largest in the history of the publication.

Freeze should come back. Freeskier is garbage, and Powder does not dedicate nearly enough of it's capacity to reach the park-skiing demographic. There is a place in the industry for a park-related publication, because now more than ever, the 20-30 demographic will establish itself has a purveyer of content.

Viva La Freeze.

12 years ago

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skiierman

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@th1337

How fucking stupid are you?

12 years ago

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Turkelton

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WO WO WO WO WHAT HAPPENED TO ME BEING IN YOUR SIG BRO??????

12 years ago

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@th1337

No way, he's absolutely right. Sure there is a major shift online, and a massive culling of the print industry going on but the right publication is still a very successful business.

I think you'll see an eventual shift like in music consumption. The vinyl LP is by far the best way to consume and collect music - and tonnes of big artists will take their Vinyl releases very, very seriously. Those who consume it consume it voraciously.

Of course, iTunes is a dramatically larger money maker overall.

12 years ago

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RubberSoul

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seriously. i love hearing people talk about the imaginary golden age where people didnt hate on the internet. the fighting was just as petty and mindless as it is nowadays

and skierman you desperately need to learn that lesson that most people learn by age 20: when you have no idea what youre talking about, just shut up for a few seconds

12 years ago

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Loner

Got my first cover with this Freeze issue. Funny thing is, I think this might be the first off-axis (even though it's on its own axis) rotation ever on the cover of a ski mag. 1998. Yep, I'm freaking old.

12 years ago

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@th1337

Wait - you shot that photo?

That photo is seriously the reason I am who I am today. It was that exact shot that intrigued me so much walking by a newsstand that I picked it up.

Rest is history.

12 years ago

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Huck_Norris

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They're all on TGR now. Guaranteed.

12 years ago

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RubberSoul

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sick. the gaffneys are so sick

12 years ago

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Loner

Sweet. Sorry to bum you out, though--that's me, not Seth. I don't think Seth started flipping until a year later. We'd never even seen Lincolns at this time, but Jonny Moseley had told me he'd done one so I started trying them. I always rubbed Shane's face in it because I got two covers before he ever got a single one.

12 years ago

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@th1337

Oh SHIT - looks like I needed a history lesson. I can't believe that all these years I had that wrong.

Doesn't bum me out - fucking stokes me out. So then you can take full credit for the fact that your trick was the reason that I got into the whole freeskiing thing.

For that sir, I thank you deeply. My life is dramatically better due to that single trick.

12 years ago

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Mr.Huck

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I am absolutely loving this exchange. Pretty amazing first hand OG accounts. Only thing missing is too many beers.

12 years ago

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skimeehan

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Thanks for posting this Bishop.

One word. PARKASAURUS!

12 years ago

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skiierman

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@th1337

And fucking fat.

12 years ago

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Loner

Well, considering I'm 5'9" and 155 lbs, I'd have to say you're incorrect. It's just that my NS name might be as misleading as yours.

12 years ago

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skiierman

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@th1337

Well, considering I've got a 9" dick and one of the best skiers to ever grace the pages of this website, I'd have to say you're incorrect.

How does it feel to lie to people? You dishonest and fat fuck.

12 years ago

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Loner

Boy, that escalated quickly. I mean that really got out of hand fast.

12 years ago

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Melvs

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don't feed the troll.

also, what would you think of uploading the Brad Holmes rap song parts somewhere, so the young guns can see just how multifaceted the legend really was. pretty please?

and thanks for making my childhood rad as hell. Went to Freeze ECMT every year until it ended and it was always the greatest thing of the year, meant skiing was not far behind.

12 years ago

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@th1337

Jesus... don't even get me started on the EMCT. Holy fucking balls those days premiers were insane. Something isn't quite right with the premier scene right now, though I can't put my finger on it.

12 years ago

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too_old_for_this

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Created an account after lurking for about... 7 years now(?) to say: if you guys digitize FREEZE I will read every issue cover to cover. It was basically the formative document for me getting into freeskiing rather than racing or bumps or any of that shit. It was what was cool and new and amazing and funny.

I don't know how relevant it would be to bring it back; the niche print scene definitely exists, but I don't think that punk rock/DIY vibe that a lot of companies and mags had in the 90's and early 2000's would really make sense in this time. If it came back I think it would have to be a little different; as others have said: for better or worse, we made it as an industry.

That experience of seeing another guy in the park with twintips and instantly knowing that you'll be friends doesn't just doesn't really exist on the same level anymore, and I think the openness that comes with being a part of a niche community was something that FREEZE really capitalized on.

Anyways: get that shit digitized. Will read.

12 years ago

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TheStamos

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I've got a couple dozen in storage and 1 with my name in it/claim

12 years ago

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Mr.Huck

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Dude, you are starting to sound like Anthony Weiner's love child.

12 years ago

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Craigskis

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"I don't do shit, I get shit done."

12 years ago

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Craigskis

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12 years ago

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Melvs

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^^ Ya I found that one too, but the sound is so far off it's worthless. The man synced his rhymes with his shots, without that you just can't appreciate the artistry in it.

12 years ago

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RustyPlanks

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I haven't posted shit here in ever but this topic is quite relevant. The day that changed everything for me was the FREEZE Issue with Skogan Sprang sliding a haidrail right down the middle of two sets of cheese grater on the front cover. Back then that was gnar shit. However skiing really has gotten away from that kinda attitude. Back then skiing had a bit of the travel aspect to it. it was like a story of the different things that happened through out the year. Now because of the mass media and all the browser based "look at me" sites we've lost the sence of story telling and it has become a one upper contest. I've followed less pro-skiers over the years and have followed more week-end warriors or mid-week warriors, for all the hospitaity people out there. I just find that there content (video, audio, and pictures) is far more entertaining. And for the most part many of them are damn good skiers and can ski and jib right along the best of them, they just have other shit going on. Plus, I enjoy seeing the story as it unfolds like people all roped together trying to get off some gnarly wall at the top of a chute for like 2 hrs before they get that 1 track. But yeah FREEZE is relevant just not to the mass's.

12 years ago

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@th1337

Bump for today's opinions...

9 years ago

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billhill

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Loner

Mr.BishopJesus... don't even get me started on the EMCT. Holy fucking balls those days premiers were insane. Something isn't quite right with the premier scene right now, though I can't put my finger on it.

The ECMT was an epic time for sure. Hanging out under the big top at Redhook in Portsmouth NH. My liver is still in recovery. Our shop made into the last issue of FREEZE and then it was gone! Good times

9 years ago

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@th1337

billhillThe ECMT was an epic time for sure. Hanging out under the big top at Redhook in Portsmouth NH. My liver is still in recovery. Our shop made into the last issue of FREEZE and then it was gone! Good times

The memories....

9 years ago

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danbrown

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Mr.BishopBump for today's opinions...

i'm home on the east coast for a week and i had to clean a bunch of shit out of my parents attic. I found 2 giant plastic bins full of old freezes i refused to let them throw away, needless to say i've been reading them for hours

9 years ago

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Mr.BishopBump for today's opinions...

I just nostalgia'd hard.

Learning 360's on 185 Blizzard skis from the 80's after scouring over the (best) sequences to ever grace the pages of a magazine. Ripping the edges out of cheap parabolic skis from Sportchek (you know, before the time when twin-tip skis were actually available. At least not in Saskatchewan...). Watching and rewinding Evan Raps and Skogan Sprang's segment in Ski Movie.

Good times.

9 years ago

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@th1337

saskskierI just nostalgia'd hard.

Learning 360's on 185 Blizzard skis from the 80's after scouring over the (best) sequences to ever grace the pages of a magazine. Ripping the edges out of cheap parabolic skis from Sportchek (you know, before the time when twin-tip skis were actually available. At least not in Saskatchewan...). Watching and rewinding Evan Raps and Skogan Sprang's segment in Ski Movie.

Good times.

Remember skiing switch on non-twins?

Fuckin' risky.

9 years ago

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willysworld

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Mr.Bishophttps://www.newschoolers.com/readnews/43286.0/From-the-Archives--Q-A-with-FREEZE-s-Micah-Abrams

This article got me thinking... Is Freeze magazine still relevant, or is it simply the leftovers of a past generation? Some things are better to have burnt out vs. faded away.... and maybe Freeze is one of them?

I don't know. Freeze was such a pivotal moment in my life. Literally the ONLY reason that I'm into this type of skiing is because I was standing at a magazine rack in London, Ontario at a Shoppers drugmart with my buddy Lucas, and saw this fucking dude on the cover of a mag doing some crazy upside down flippy thing. It was Seth Morrison doing a Lincon Loop for reference... but man my life changed that day.

I saw a High North ad, and knew that I needed to get into this type of skiing and get myself out to Whistler. The next year was spent shredding park as hard as I could on 205 slalom skis with no twin-tips, and saving every penny I could to go to Summer Camp. I did, and promptly followed it up by dropping out of school to become a pro skier.

I eventually realized I was better at getting sponsors than I was at filming or winning contests, and as such settled into a role as an ad sales guy at Newschoolers. History that you NSers know follows from there.

I just wonder with all this Freeze hype - how many people really had that type of a connection with it? Is it a romanticized piece that you all simply hold special because you know you should, or did Freeze touch you the same way it touched me?

There was also a magazine that Kent Kreitler started Called "Boards In Motion." I also remember the pull out poster from Scott Gaffneys "1999" of johnny Moseley doing a 1080 mute grab.

9 years ago

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Mr.BishopRemember skiing switch on non-twins?

Fuckin' risky.

So risky...

Pretty sure I gave up 180s/trying to ski switch and went straight to 360s after getting caught hard a few times.

9 years ago

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@th1337

saskskierSo risky...

Pretty sure I gave up 180s/trying to ski switch and went straight to 360s after getting caught hard a few times.

Hah... yeah I had the switch takeoff mastered with no twins. Icy east coast made that much easier to do.

Tried 180 though, got annihilated on landing, bought 1080s and the rest is history.

9 years ago

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Mr.BishopHah... yeah I had the switch takeoff mastered with no twins. Icy east coast made that much easier to do.

Tried 180 though, got annihilated on landing, bought 1080s and the rest is history.

I couldn't afford 1080s at the time. My first twins were first gen. Fujatives. Still one of my all time favourite skis. So soft and buttery. Could hardly hold an edge, but man where they fun (and burly). Back when 85 underfoot was one of the widest park skis you could get... (not counting Abma using Seth Pistols in the park)

9 years ago

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danbrown

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saskskier(not counting Abma using Seth Pistols in the park)

it always used to blow my mind when people used the og black and orange scratch BC's in the park as well

9 years ago

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