BASI biz with Ben

BK sat down with Nicol and Kris Bell to talk BASI when he was up for a course last month. After talking shop the guys headed out to the hill for a quick burn in the sun. Back 1, front 3 and cab underflip from Kris, clean as anything! Stick around til the end for a nice Rutger cameo.

ARCHIVES: The Art Of Seduction with Nicol P

So you've got to Tignes after an epic journey from Aberdeen. Only problem is, your luggage didn't make it. The airport assures you the bags will arrive in a few hours. What's a guy to do? Why, set up in the nearest pub and drink the blues away of course. Then get on the bus, cut a rug, throw stuff at Ben, and then get to the main event: chatting up an unsuspecting French lass! Looks like Nicol even had a secret signal to the bus driver to dim the lights at the opportune moment. Fellas: that's how it's done!

Up-box session 2

Another Wednesday, another up-box session. This time Matt Gibson and Fin Bremner get all Scott Stevens-y, with cameos from Nicol and Sophie Addison.

BP's Scottish edits

Barry may have missed out on some Japan shred, but he's been doing his best to make up for it. Within a week of being back in the country he'd clocked up trips to the Lecht, Glenshee (twice!) and the 'gorms. With GoPro in hand he got enough footage for a couple of edits, take a look:

Nicol's BASI 2

A few weeks ago Nicol headed over to Aviemore in search of his BASI 2 teaching qulification. Obviously he stormed it, and has dropped us a line about what it was like getting techy for two weeks on the Scottish hills....

So first pic's the whole nine BASI 2 crew, ten if you include Mark Petty the trainer. We had all sorts in there: one mellow guy who has served 22 years in the army, to one funny immature Cockney called Chesney named after Chesney Hawkes who kept on singing 'I am the one and only.....'

It was a very mixed bag as far as the weather was concerned for the two weeks; we had cloud, mist, sheet ice, 60mph winds and we even managed to fit in a bluebird day with no winds and freshly pisted, squeaky 'get your toe side carve on' snow.

The days consisted of more-or-less first to last lifts followed by 2 hour lectures at Glenmore Lodge, at least that was the first week anyway. Due to high winds we had to travel to the good old Lecht on the second week. As you will see by the pictures, some of us were defeated by the snow on the roads at the Bridge of Brown, and had to take the long route around.

There was so much we all learned on the course that it would take a good while to write it all down. Everything from finding a solid stance to short turns down steeps (my least favorite part) to carving. Everyone who did the course really enjoyed it and also improved a great deal. We had a great trainer in Mark Petty, who has a wealth of experience and knowledge and also reckoned he had never ridden  ice quite like what we had on the second Tuesday in his whole career. If any of you are thinking of trying out a BASI course I would highly recommend it, not only for teaching but for improving your board skills.

Find out about BASI courses here. Alternatively it's worth looking into Aberdeen Snowsports Centre's rookie instructor training courses, call 01224 810 215 for all the info.

WILL IT SHRED? - Malavitas

Will It Shred takes a trip into the surreal world of Nicol Paton, enjoy:

I was itching to go fishing the other day. With the rivers out of season and the lochs frozen over, I decided to take my rod into Boarderline to go and see fellow angler Andy Duthie. We got our rods out and started casting, within minutes i hooked something. I reeled it in and was stoked when I realized it was a pair of Burton Malavitas! I love so many things about them, never mind the funky colour and stylish shape, but the comfort, response and weight just do it for me. I'm going to note this catch in my fishing diary. Had to throw them back as already got a set of Cartels, so they're ready for the next lucky punter.

Get a pair here.

Kicker session, 12/1/11

A quick edit from last Wednesday's freestyle shred at Garthdee, including some big spins from little Fin and a Halldor-esque shifty back 1 from Matt Gibson.

Lowriders Grom Camps 2011

LowRiders are at it again: after a massively successful inaugral camp in Morzine last year, the crew are off to Tignes in 2011. Timed to coincide with the resort's hosting of Winter X-Games Europe, the program offers bairns on- and off-snow performance coaching with two of the best in the business. Pipe, park, all-mountain freeride, it's all covered in one unique, affordable week of high-end coaching.


LSR's Ben and Nicol, Morzine 2010.

Find out more at lowsnowriders.com




Post-pub fitness with Nicol P

We'll try to make this a regular feature. Everyone do your bit and get the camera out when Nicol's had a few.

A Winter Love: Part One

Wee Findlay Bremner has been stepping it up on the snow recently, and made this vid of him and Nicol up at the Lecht. Fin must be one of the youngest riders to even attempt the Lecht's (in)famous kink, let alone stomp it with a front 1 out. Great stuff, roll on part two.....

Nicol shreds the 'gorms and the Lecht

It's always good to hear from Nicol, so to get an e-mail from him titled 'Scotland mountains shred oooh yeah' is like Christmas come early. He's sent over a few choice pics from his and Euan Linn's trip to the Cairngorms and the Lecht. Take a look...

Send your pics and vids of Scottish shred to damagedheads@googlemail.com