Powder players come of age

The premiere issue of this La Jolla-based publication is promising if its lush format -- fewer ads and more grown-up editorial content -- finds market share among cheaper-priced snowboard mags. Several all-glossy surf magazines have gone this route already.

While promising “snowboarding for everyone” on its cover, what’s inside is geared for the moneyed aficionado instead of the rank amateur or the duct-taped thrasher. Veteran snowboarders and mountain photographers are prominent while up-and-comers are mostly absent. The how-to section provides contacts for British Columbia heli-tours, not trick tips or instruction.

The magazine hits with coverage of Vern Wicklund, who apparently was riding homebuilt snowboards as far back as 1918. Footage from 1939 shows him going down hills in Chicago, wearing a top hat and dragging a stick behind for control. With more stories like this, Snowboard Journal may find its place.

--Emmett Berg