Even if it already looks like 2018 is going to be a very positive year snowboarding wise, 2017 was filled by events that we’re not about to forget. To start the new year on the good foot, here's a look back at the Empire Snow Team’s 2017 highlights.
1- Seb Toots US Open qualifying run
Although his final run did not allow him to get on the podium, Seb Toots’s qualifying run at the Burton US Open in Vail, Colorado, will remain forever written in the history of snowboarding. Smooth, with perfect control, a heavy amount of style and a flawless dose of diversity, this series of maneuvers and this execution make this run one of the best that we have ever seen. The guy isn’t one of the best snowboarders in the world for nothing. Thanks Seb for treating us with this insanely sick performance.
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Dillon Ojo has been on fire for the past couple of years and he isn’t about to stop. 2017 was a big year for him, travelling the world to film for the first ever Vans Snow video and getting the cover of King Snow, one of the most important snowboard magazines in Canada. Dillon found this spot on a trip to Germany. A 10 feet drop on one side, a ledge that’s almost as skinny as the board, a sign/rail that’s like 20 feet above the ground and a German 3-lane highway landing… This boardslide is totally insane.
*** According to the story, a pedestrian who was walking by filmed the boardslide when Dillon landed it and the video somehow ended up on the headlines of the German news. The name of the video was: "Crazy snowboarder jumps off a building"! ***
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Even if he’s young and still has several years of snowboarding in front of him, Frank April is already a veteran of his craft. Just by watching him ride, you can see he’s got that magic aura around him. This is what he showed us in Cosa Nostra, the latest video from Arbor Snowboards. Damn… The guy probably aired on more jumps and slid on more rails in a year than a lot of us do in a lifetime. Monstrous setups, endless rail variations, high-altitude stunts and 100% street runs; this part will remain influential in the snowboard world for several years. Respect Frank!
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Frank Jobin has been making waves in the snowboard community last year. That's what he showed the world at the Hot Dawgz and Hand Rails competition in Big Bear, California. Fighting against a bunch of experienced riders from around the world, Frank has managed to make his way to first place after delivering a performance worthy of the greatest snowboard masters. Combining crazy rail tricks with stylish grabs and fluid spins and on the jump and hip, our boy showed what he was capable of and left with a fresh $10,000 USD in his pockets! Congrats Frank! We hope that 2018 will be as profitable as last year!
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Have you heard of Les Riders, the new tv series featuring a bunch of snowboarders including Empire’s own Seb Toots and Frank April. It's cool to see that some people out there are trying to push the snowboard culture further in their own way and get real riders involved in a television program. In our opinion, action sports like snowboarding are so unique and interesting, it's even surprising that we did not see shows like The Riders earlier. Check it out every Thursday 9:30 PM on Canal Z!
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