So if you took my advice last week, you should have all the gear necessary to look like a G while you're out on the slopes. But as any legit snowboarder will tell you, clothing is half the battle. The board and bindings is instrumental in achieving complete superstar status.

Obviously what you buy hinges on what you're into. If you're a terrain rider that enjoys diamond shredding on the regular, you'll certainly be looking at something a little different than a board for pipe riding. This sounds elementary, but so many of you buy boards based solely on the graphics that I feel compeled to hit you over the head with a quick paint by numbers lesson.

The "I just want to ride down the mountain" Board

K2 Slayblade
This is THE board for terrain riding this season. I know that last sentence was super lame, but I mean what I say. This board comes in a 156, 159, and 163 and although it's noticeably wide, K2's futuristic hybrilight construction gives it an exceptionally light feel. Price tag is a bit hefty (Retails at $549.95) but this is a board to retire on.

Forum Scheme Pat Moore
Forum makes the greatest snowboards in the world. There I said it. The Pat Moore series is constantly on holiday wish lists and it's easy to see why. The woodcore makes for a ridiculous pop and the directional shape is exactly what you want in an all terrain board.

Lib Tech Jamie Lynn Phoenix BTX
This board has been making a ton of noise as the ultimate new toy for riding fresh powder. Their banana technology has long boasted superior freestyle riding and I have to believe getting Jamie Lynn on help with the design only heightens their claim. My one critique, as I have with most Lib Tech boards, is the artwork. I'm not a fan of scantily clad women... as a snowboard graphic.

The "I only ride pipe and park. Period" Board

Burton Fix
Burton's park series has long been the crown jewel of freestyle riding. You really can't go wrong with any of their 2010 collection, so it may ultimately come down to graphics. I like the Fix because it's Lakers colors and has a rad scissors artwork. And yes I make all choices in life based on what color it is. Also the edges on this particular board screams "throw me mercifully down a rail."

Gnu Danny Kass BTX
Danny Kass won the US Open with this board; you will not. But it's easily the best park and pipe board from Gnu which means it's better than 86% of the competition. It has a surprisingly stiff base which aids in stomping your landing. The board is uber light and should feel like you're strapped into a cheetah heading down the slope, or so I've been told.

StepChild JP Walker
StepChild is making some noise with Walker's second pro model and for good reason, this board looks like an absolute game changer. Top shelf tech includes four strips of high density beech wood, quadrax fiberglass, and pre-waxed finish. This board will need little, if any tweaking.

Bindings review next week, children.

-BG

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As So Cal residents pray for rain so some snow can fall, I feel it's important, nay, vital to discuss a winter trend that is swiffering the mountain tops. Each year, thousands of snowboarders travel to their respected resorts of choice anticipating a fun filled day of riding. And while I certainly say shred on, I say it with reservation. Why the hesitance you ask? Well dear comrades, because all too often I see something like this go down:

Lame snowboard gear.

Now I realize this isn't the easiest concept for some. "Brando, I don't care what I wear in class or even at the work place, why the heck would I worry about snow style?"

Mountain fashion isn't to be scoffed at. The right gear has been known help you carve cleaner, tighten up your grabs, and even make a few snow bunnies heads turn, know what I'm saying?

First things first, let's identify the problem. You're guilty of lame snowboard gear if:

• The jacket you're wearing is from 8th grade
• Your beanie is camo
• Your gloves don't have separated fingers. Those are called mittens
• Your snowboard has something called a "twin tip"
• Your goggles are from the brand Bolle

I realize most of you aren't Upper East Side fashionistas so I compiled a list of hot product to go and get your grubby little hands on.

Neff is quickly becoming one of my favorite apparel brands. Their Slouchy beanie is popular amongst long haired skaters, but I think it does the trick on the mountain even better. Dogfunk.com

The Burton Field Jacket is all business. No frilly neon or kindergarten patterns here. Burton makes the best jackets on the planet and this four pocket gem is a prime reason why. Burton.com

The DC Donon pants have a great baggy fit and guilt in suspenders. And at $165 you won't have to break the bank to keep your limbs stylishly warm. DCshoes.com

Nike continues to roll out an uber impressive winter gear list. The Zoom Force 1 boot collection is jaw-dropping good. Nike.com

Stay tuned, as next week I'll break down the very best from the board and bindings department.

-Brando

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Been awhile it has, but absence makes the heart grow fonder. Much love.

Although the industry is notoriously quiet this time of year, there have been a couple newsworthy nuggets that should feed your hunger, unless of course you're vegan. Because I write meat.

Toy Machine named their new AM, Collin Provost over the weekend. I've never seen him skate personally, but the HB product definitely has an impressive sponsor list (Volcom, Spitfire, Oakley). I did happen to catch some solid video from the Tampa AM a couple of years ago and his style is incredibly clean. Collin could definitely be the next great player in a new Toy Machine video.

Also on the skate front, I have to give a shout out to my boy Preston Pollard. "Presto" hails from the very underrated Alaska (Igloos anyone?) and will be helping me out a lot here with some new features we'll be filming. Keep your eyes open for this kat with a 'k.'

Too Many Dudes on the Dance floor

I'm a bummed for not discussing this earlier, but last week, Louie Vito was kicked off Dancing with the Stars. I must confess I have yet to see an episode, well, ever, but I was hoping he might be able to represent a little longer. I genuinely thought he was a contender, especially considering the show doesn't drug test, allegedly.

Halloween with Hall and Oats

I made it down to San Diego for a fun-filled Hallow's Eve weekend. The attended party's theme was the always tasteful 1980's. Needless to say the entire surf crew was there intact as your little sister's favorite cartoon clan.

I don't merely bring up my holiday exploits to put facebook photos on display, mind you. Transworld Surf editor Chris Cote ended up judging the costume contest. Now anyone who knows Conte or at the very minimum knows of him understands the guy tends to get down from time to time. This was one of those times. And no I don't have a photo.

Thriller Kickflip

After seeing the unbelievable Michael Jackson flick "This is It", with the unbelievably gorgeous Nadia (Don't you love how I throw that in there? You hate me I know) I am officially on a quest to get an athlete to rock my Thriller jacket in competition. How sick would P-Rod look in the leather red and black shoulder padded button up?

Rumor has it snow is falling, so I may be feeling under the weather next Friday.

-Brando

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Big weekend of BMX this past weekend in Portland. That's in Oregon, by the way.

Jamie Bestwick was just nasty in the Vert Finals. His whips were so clean and his footplant to flair at the end of his first run pretty much sealed the deal. He was automatic on both of his runs and took home gold with ease. One guy who's got to be disappointed by all this was Chad Kagy. Chad is without a doubt one of the most outspoken riders around and he's never shy about his intent on winning everything he enters. So to say he takes these events very seriously would be an understatement. His double whips were a thing of beauty, but you could see the disappointment on his face when his second run score was a mere point and a half away from Bestwick.

Stevie McCan had a really solid night of riding as well. His first run had the entire arena on its feet and even Ryan Nyquist, who was doing the play-by-play, wondered if that was going to steal first place. He settled for third, but something tells me that if he keeps throwing down those alley-oop tailwhips he's going to be the man to beat.

As mentioned Ryan Nyquist took to the commentating booth and really did a bang-up job. His insight was spot-on and his personality is so subtle yet quirky that he makes for good balance to Kenan Harkin, who has the ability to make every trick sound like it's never been done before.

The Park Final featured an uber impressive roster of talent. Dhers, Mirra, Nyquist, and Enarson would intimidate any rider, but Garrett Reynolds obviously knows no fear. The recent high school grad can chalk up a Dew Tour victory to his growing resume. After winning X Games gold a couple of weeks ago, Reynolds is quickly becoming a marked man. The victory was never really in doubt, although the judges scored it insanely close (Dave Mirra lost by a mere .38). Garrett's display of 270 barspins and truckdrivers proved more than enough to beat out BMX royalty. After Mirra's fantastic second run, the score of 91.00 popped on the scoreboard and Dave seemed satisfied. The camera caught him smiling as he said, "I'll take it."

The highlight of the entire contest was really an act of what could have been. Dennis Enarson was in the middle of a very good run when he attempted a nutty 360 triple tail whip. That trick would have undoubtedly catapulted him to a victory, but apparently landing is important. And he didn't do that.

It had been awhile since I completely immersed myself in BMX. After catching up with my two-wheeled friends I can see now why Nike and a number of other sponsors are dropping cash into the sport. The riders are better than ever, and the Dew Tour in particular is doing a great job of showcasing these guys. And their pegs.

-Brando

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If I didn't cover action sports I would watch movies all day every day, professionally of course.

I literally go to the movies once a week. I see everything. I saw the Bratz movie because it was the only thing playing at the time.

So imagine the grin on my face when the boss tells me I'm working the red carpet for a movie premiere and I also get to attend. And to top it off it's all about the X Games, and it's in 3-D! How player is that?

As you can see from the video posted on the Action Sports page, the flick brought about a real who's who in the industry. Bob Burnquist, Danny Way, Shaun White, Ken Block, and Ricky Carmichael just to name a few. And then the "celebrities " showed up. Pamela Anderson, Slash, some dude that plays a bad guy on Dexter, really just a plethora of the who's who in Hollywood. And your boy got to interview everyone of them.

I'll spare you the red carpet gab but just know this, Pam and I had a moment. Don't believe me? Watch the interview. There's something there.

The movie itself is very good. I'm going to be completely honest, I had reservations going into the film. A movie about X Games? What's the plot? Is there a plot? Was it going to be the story of Scott Murray?

Truth be told, the film needs no storyline. The movie itself was shot during last year's X Games 14 and it was done just brilliantly. It's visually stunning. The 3-D experience is just incredible. The best scenes involve Pastrana and the rally car racing. I actually saw people duck in their seats to avoid getting hit by dirt. Seriously.

All in all a terrific film. I would highly suggest checking it out when it hits theaters on August 21st. Did I mention ESPN Films produced it? Did I mention I love it?

-Brando

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