150 Cherry recently let me do a piece on BFS over at their brand new site, and I thought it would be cool to share it with y'all below. And if you head over to the .org, check out some of the other incredible programs that 150 is launching...

A couple of years ago, my friend Deane and I started talking.

That's how it usually begins. 

We were both working at a local resort, I in the position of leading the snowboard school as director, and he in the position of leading lots of kids' lessons as an instructor. And as we talked, we realized that something was lacking in our industry experience.

That something was accessible snowboard coaching. It seemed that progressing in snowboarding - already a niche sport - had become out of reach to many, perhaps most, not least because of the economic downturn. And most of all, it seemed that progressing in snowboarding was simply unavailable to most kids in our city, Burlington.

Since Deane and I started talking, I've joined the Team at 150 as Program Coordinator. And, alas, all of our talking has taken us somewhere - to a brand new 150 Cherry St.-sponsored initiative called Burlington Freestyle. 

BFS has a tagline: Purveyors of Equal Shred. Night and day, we are stoking on the dream of equitable shred progression. If that's a bit misty, let me break it down.

First off, what BFS intends to deliver, to purvey, as it were, is the shred. The shred is a something, not just an activity; it supersedes the act of snowboarding and becomes a state of mind, a lifestyle, an active pursuit, and a passion. The shred is what we offer - and we seek to offer it equally.

Time and experience have shown that snowboarding has an unfortunate characteristic, which is what Deane and I first recognized: it is niche-y. In fact, it might even be elitist at times, if you think about it. I mean, resorts - especially in New England - are charging higher and higher prices for day passes, catering to out of state vacationers; and season's passes are priced with profit margins, not local skiers and riders, in mind.

On top of all that, gear prices are soaring; and the cherry on top of everything is that instruction, training, and coaching is an even further expense, becoming out of reach to most average folks. 

For a neighborhood kid in Burlington, it might be nearly impossible to get basic snowboard instruction; and it would almost surely be impossible to get coaching in order to progress further in your skills.

The shred must be available to all! Equally!

This is the dream we are stoking on at BFS - and with 150 Cherry St., Sugarbush Resort, and The Chill Program behind us, the dream will become a reality this year. 

[Like Burlington Freestyle on Facebook!]

Also in 2009, important partnerships were formed with The Chill Program and Sugarbush Resort. 

And last but not least, in 2009, the BFS board of directors sought out an affiliation with a wonderful nonprofit called 150 Cherry St. And all was right with the world.

But alas, there was a failure to launch. 

Winter 2010 would not be our inaugural on-snow season.

But that's OK. Because as we enter fall of oh-10 and transition into the oh-11 snow season, ALL ENGINES ARE GO!

Our affiliation with 150 Cherry St., a 501(c)(3) corporation, is complete. As our nonprofit sponsor, they will provide the legal and administrative support that we needed in order to get - and keep - things rolling. They are, in a word, incredible.

And our relationship with Sugarbush is stronger than ever. In addition to making Sugarbush Parks our venue for BFS training, we will also co-host an event with the resort, and do community service sessions in the park - BFSers gotta know how to handle a rake and sculpt some beautiful takeoffs!

Finally, our partnership with Chill is perhaps the most exciting aspect of the upcoming season. Two - count 'em, two! - of our BFS board members are National Coordinators for Chill! Both Megan Skiles and Deane Calcagni are responsible for coordinating Chill resorts in the US and Canada, and generally spreading the snowboarding love everywhere they go. And now, they'll be spreading the BFS love, too! Equal shred, for the win!

Just check out Megan's recent recognition by the governor of VT, and the BFS shout-out! Also check out Deane's hiring announcement at Chill and the shout-out there! So cool.

All in all, we are LAUNCHING in 2010-2011. And we couldn't be more stoked.