Everyone is always talking about different ways to get new faces and people into snowboarding, and it is great to see when companies follow through. It is even better when you find out they have been doing said initiative for over a decade on their own. Never Summer has been holding a graphic design contest in partnership with Warren Tech (a career and technical school servicing Jefferson County just west of downtown Denver) and its students in Colorado, with hundreds of students participating since its inception eleven years ago. We don’t know how this got past us for this long, but it is a pretty simple concept that has an exciting total refresh every time it is held. What is not to love? Each year ten boards designed by students in the illustration and graphic design program are chosen as finalists and put up to a vote to decide a winner. The finalist receives an actual board with their work on the topsheet and the winners get a ton of extra gear. Doubles of each board are also made and given to the school to auction off and raise money for the design program. You can join the vote now by heading over to Never Summer’s Instagram and liking your favorite before the March 2 deadline!
This year’s class includes ten artists from surrounding high schools:
Fiona Goble – Golden HS
Adam Kirwin – Bear Creek HS
Heydi Mendez – Lakewood HS
Bella Menges – Green Mountain
Clara Ohlsen – Pomona HS
Maya Ross – Jefferson Academy
Morgan Sullivan – Evergreen HS
Alyssa Trujillo – Addenbrooke
Adelyn Westfall – Lakewood HS
Ben (Isabella) Brown – Arvada West HS
Each student gets credit towards the class and explains their work and inspiration online. Some come from anime, outside interests, their own riding preferences, or simply pay homage to their parents. The sketches and thought processes are also laid out in the voting posts. Go see for yourself. Last year’s finalist attended an award show where they were presented with their boards, highlighted below on Warren Tech’s Instagram.
The more designers the merrier. Maybe we should start a writing contest for next winter so we can find some new interns.
