#Windells: May 16, 2012

Summer is creeping up, which means everybody is snapping photos of sunny days on hill and outdoor skate adventures. Let’s see what you guys have been up to on the world of Instagram. Don’t forget to tag #Windells in all your photos so we can get you up on our site! Now get out there and enjoy the sun and count down to summer with us.

@seanharkins Waiting for sunset #westcoastsession #sagaouterwear #windells

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Take me back Tuesday: movie premieres

There’s only a couple Take me back Tuesdays left before summer starts. Not only does that mean that we’re close to summer laps, skating in the Concrete Jungle, and hanging out with pro snowboarders, skiers, and skateboarders as they takeover camp, but it also means that we’re closer to another really exciting time of year–when new videos come out! [Read more...]

The Windells vibe with Nick Visconti

Nick’s ear to ear smile peeked in the door before he did. After the grin strolled in some signature Nick Visconti tight pants, excited chatter and a couple friends. When Nick and I sat down to talk, I expected a quick interview about shenanigans lately, upcoming projects, and general stoke for summer at Windells. A couple minutes into our conversation, I realized we’d cover these topics, yeah, however, Nick has a huge heart and “general stoke” doesn’t even scratch the surface.

Angela Swain: Hey, Nick. Let’s hit the basics. How long have you been coming to camp?
Nick Visconti: Oh, gosh. For about 13 years now. I was a camper for five years and I coached for a couple years and I’ve been coming back with Stevie Bell, Curtis and J Rob for our Team Takeover for a few summers.

Wow, that’s quite the stint. What have you guys done with your Team Takeover Session in the past?
We try to make our session about the campers. Yeah, we’re here to have fun and hang out and enjoy summer on Mt. Hood, but we use our session as an outreach rather than an outlet for ourselves. We try to interact with the campers as much as possible and really give back to the community that supports us.

So, what initially struck you about Windells that made you a return camper and then decide to continue your involvement with camp?
I think it was camp life; it was so much more than just camp. Windells is a place that welcomes campers to a community and allows them to really connect with other snowboarders, both peers and professionals. I really became absorbed into the world of snowboarding during my time at camp. For most of these kids, snowboarding at their home mountain is recreational but when they’re here they really get a sense of the culture.

What’s one experience with a camper that really sticks out to you?
It’s hard to pick just one. Me and the guys are more intent on building relationships and making connections with the kids during our Takeover session, and to carry those out beyond their time at camp, too. Social media has made it easy for me to stay in touch with campers throughout the season and to share my love for snowboarding with them which is really cool.

Well, we’re all looking forward to Session 4 with The Reunion. What projects and things should we be on the lookout for?
ReCreation with Transworld was a big one; it’ll be out in March. We’ve been working on a Christian snowboard film called ANTHROPOLOGY with Nations Foundation, Dave Downing, Ryan Paul, Simon Chamberlain, Jordan Phillips and Director Joel Parker. Other than that, I’m just eager to come out for the summer and excited, as always, to hang out with some campers.

Nick rides for Arbor Snowboards and placed third in this year’s Winter XGames Street Jam. Like the vibe at Windells Camp? Get registered for your session at the”funnest” place on earth.

On The Road With Mary Walsh

Kevin Bacon might be famous for the six degrees of separation, but in the snowboard industry, Mary Walsh has got him beat. This lady is all over the map, traveling in planes, trains, and automobiles to bring us the raddest events out there. Everyone knows Mary Walsh and her fast talking ways. She’s the one with the mic in her hand tossing you the goods, taking hot laps every chance she gets. All in all, she kills it. Lucky for us, Mary happens to be a major part of the Windells family. She’s the one behind the scenes working to create amazing summer adventures for all of us to enjoy. The East Coast native took a second to catch us up on her season while using the always convenient Wi-Fi thanks to Greyhound. Let’s hear it Mary:

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Spring Snowfall on Hood!

Here in Oregon, we pretty much have it all; mountains, beaches, great food, and oh yea…giant heaps of year round snow! Just last week one of our snowboard coaches Stephanie Sue Feld ran head first into a powder day. Some fresh snow was just the icing on the cake for Steph as she enjoyed all 164″ of Timberline’s base. Take a look at her killer trip to the mountain and try not to get too jealous. There’s plenty of snow to go around. Join us in a couple weeks for the summer of a lifetime because if you haven’t noticed, Oregon has the snow you need. It’s ready and waiting folks!

“Took so many pictures today you’d think I hadn’t seen snow all season until I got here. Oh, wait..” – Stephanie Sue Feld

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And the Team Takeover Thursday winner is

Hari Khalsa!

“Condasteeza Rice” actually made us laugh out loud, and for that you win this week’s Team Takeover Thursday contest with Poor Boyz Productions. Below you’ll see your booty. That sounded weird.

Every one else, thanks for participating! Keep up with the Windells camp blog for more chances to win. There’s still a couple more weeks before summer starts! Don’t like the anticipation? Get kitted out with all the latest gear in the online store.

Six minutes with Saga Outerwear

Saga was born at Windells Camp in 2005. When Saga was just a young brand, it had one jacket line. Saga got along with the other kids, and it was well-liked amongst its peers. When Saga grew up a little, it decided to move away from home; to the snowy peaks of Salt Lake City, Utah. There, Saga would develop and mature and soon, all the ladies wanted Saga.

Windells has been the “incubator” to many of the top brands in the industry. Grenade, Bonfire Salomon, Skullcandy, Atmosphere and Saga sprouted their first knuckle hairs at Windells Camp. I had the chance to chat with Sean Harkins, a past Windells employee and now the Sales Distribution Manager at Saga Outerwear, while the guys were on campus. I caught Sean, Jordan Harper and Jeremiah Paquette in the middle of a fashion show in the Betty Rides cabin, but I don’t want to be the one to spill the beans. Sean and I chatted West Coast Session, Saga summer plans, and expansion.

Collin Collins at Timberline. Photo: Jordan Harper

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Team Takeover Thursday: Poor Boyz Productions

This week has been a busy one on Mt. Hood. The West Coast Session guys are all staying at Windells, and, well… you can imagine. Tanner Hall, Henrik Harlaut, Karl Fostvedt, the Inspired Media crew and Poor Boyz Productions have been hitting the Timberline parks hard this past week enjoying the unexpectedly sunny weather and above-par snow conditions.

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On the road with Dylan Thompson – spring 2012

Our good friend, Dylan Thompson just checked in from the road and sent over a bunch of cool photos from his recent adventures. He’s been all over the place: snowboarding in Japan, surfing in California, supercross in Utah (watching, of course!), all the while logging clips for his movie part this year and having fun shredding at home at Park City. Here’s the low down from the man himself.

It was a rough year for snow in Utah.  Normally we spend a solid month or two filming around Salt Lake City and in the mountains. This year, the only chance to film was to go somewhere on a trip. When we were at home in Salt Lake, we spent a lot of time shredding park at Park City. Here is a front board on the stair set Cole Taylor shot with his iPhone.

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#Windells: our favorite instagrams from you! – May 9, 2012

p: @specicus

Zombie dodgeball facepaint can be as creative as you’d like. If you prefer to look like a classic movie zombie, Windells counselors can paint your face that way. If you prefer to channel Captain Jack Sparrow and other famous moustachioed individuals, that’s just as awesome, too. Above, camper @spencicus shows off his pirate-style stache.

And with that awesome example of what Windells is @spencicus, we bring you this week’s collection of instagrams, tagged #Windells. This is Windells through your eyes. To join in and maybe get your instagrams on the blog, tag your photos #Windells2012 and #funnestplaceonearth

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