Words & photos: Darcy Bacha
If you’re invited to a Nike wear test, it’s recommended you drop anything you think you should be doing and get to the Nike campus in Portland as quickly as possible.
This year, buyers from around the world flew into Portland, Oregon to test out the new Nike ITES snowboard boot. Releasing this fall for the 2012/2013 season, the new Nike ITES boot features an interchangeable articulating flex system within the liner, giving you the benefit of three boots packed into one.
As you can imagine, any wear test that Nike puts on is going to be one hell of a good time. The first day started off with an explanation of the new boot by Nike, with each attendee receiving a new pair. After an exciting tour of Nike’s Global Headquarters, the crew headed off to dinner with team riders Gigi Rüf, Johnnie Paxson, Austin Smith and Jed Anderson, giving the buyers a chance to connect with the pros on the new boot.
The crew getting schooled on the new Nike ITES boot | GALLERY
Day two started off a little hairy, as Gigi got a little loose and cartwheeled his way into a crevasse. Other than that, the morning was filled with hot laps from the top of Palmer to the bottom of the Mile Chairlift. And even though the snow was melting quickly we were able dirt gap our way to the parking lot.
After an awesome day on-hill we headed off to the Deschutes for some white water rafting. Johnnie Paxson managed to shot gun about 10 beers on the 45 minute ride to the river on the Grease Bus, and by the end of the rafting trip he had successfully lost his favorite hat, sunglasses, contour camera, and pride. All that aside, he proved to be the most fun guy to be around. When we reached the 40ft bridge jump, Bobby Meeks, Gigi and Johnnie all took the plunge.
Testing out the ITES in the jump line. Damn does that looks fun! GALLERY
On day three we headed up to High Cascade Snowboard Camp to shred and get a real good feel for how the boots felt in the park. After a fun day on-hill we packed our bags and headed home. It was another amazing week with Nike testing out their new boot technology. I’m sure I speak for everyone there when I say; we can’t wait for next year!
The new Nike ITES boot drops on nikesnowboarding.com this fall. Stay tuned for more info!
