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.

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.

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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Calling all college students!

Oh, college. The ups and the downs. For every closet sized dorm room, warehouse sized lecture hall, and pop-collared frat dude, there’s a Spring Break road trip, a Friday class with optional attendance, and sorority girls. Add our $200 discount for Session 1 and you’ve justified your decision to opt into 4 years in the slammer.

Toss the books, kiss your profs goodbye and point your ’89 Station Wagon toward Mt. Hood and the “funnest” place on earth.

From parents and campers to you: Windells Camp reviews

The reviews don’t lie! Parents love Windells Camp for all kinds of reasons. Here’s what parents and campers have to say about their experiences with Windells Camp…

love2ride4ever: “Heaven on Earth for my 3 kids and I. I have 3 children, 2 boys and 1 girl, ages 11,12 and 14, who have attended Windells Camp for the last 3 summers. They absolutely love it! My daughter, who is the youngest and was only 8 when she first attended, was a little apprehensive. After meeting her counselor and coach, whom both made her feel so comfortable, she quickly became at ease. [Read more...]

Team Takeover Thursday: Surface

The trees are blooming, the bugs are buzzing, and it sure does feel like summer is on the way. Now, obviously we are excited for the warm weather and loads of sunshine, but most importantly we are counting down the days until the Surface team takes over campus! The crew is gearing up for another amazing summer of bluebird laps and tie-dye mayhem. After checking in with the team, it’s safe to say that these guys will be turning camp upside down and delivering the goods during Session 4. Don’t forget to comment and answer the question at the bottom of this post for a chance to win some serious swag!

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The even better “Best of” snowboarding and skiing videos

Here at Windells, we don’t believe in “been there, done that.” Surely in 24 years we have been there and done that, but we believe in going there and doing that again (only better!)

Our media team one-upped themselves with the all new “Best of” videos. By now it just comes as no surprise that we’re full of surprises. Go on, start ‘em up!

Want to hang out with all the snowboard pros this summer? Check out the Windells Team Take Over schedule for Summer 2012.

Want to know when your favorite ski pros will be here? Have a look at the Team Take Over schedule for Summer 2012. Get ready for a skiesta!

Register online at www.windells.com for a summer that will be your own “best of”!

 

The best is out West: a spring storm hits Mt. Hood

A spring storm has hit the Northwest! Mt. Hood is getting an insane amount of snow this week. Snow really started falling yesterday and we don’t see any sign of it letting up. Meadows reported 25″+ in the last 24 hours and a total base of 169″. The evidence is in the snapshot of their picnic tables! Timberline is sitting pretty and prepped for a fantastic summer. We were happy to see this photo of the Palmer buried under the late winter snow pack. Timberline’s reported base depth of 198″ is above average!

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The Big Cheese: Spring Break session 1 with Justin Norman

Oregon’s own Justin Norman is joining us a guest pro for Spring Break session 1. Justin is a phenomenal snowboarder; his style is something else. He’s worked at camp for years and we were more than happy to invite him back to Windells for our first spring session. We caught up with Justin to pick his brain about the season, Japan, and Windells.

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Your Summer Edits!

You guys are awesome. It’s true. Watching each one of you get stoked, day after day, is why we love to be at the “funnest place on earth.” Our media team works their fingers to the bone filming and editing all summer long, but we know that some of you are doing just the same! So in an effort to showcase how truly awesome all of you are, we are bringing you an exclusive all-camper summer edit series. Here are just a few of the edits we have received so far.

WindellsEdit from Chris Stimpson on Vimeo.

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