Analysis of this month's Transworld

[Jack M]

OK, so I bought a subscription to Transworld Snowboarding from the kid down the street as part of a fundraiser. I already get two motorcycle mags, so this was all he had left in which I was remotely interested. Usually I'll leaf through it for 5 minutes and chuck it. This month I decided to disect the mag and see exactly how they fill 200+ pages.

Before you say "don't you have anything better to do?" save it. My wife was watching Gilmour Girls, and I certainly wasn't going to do any housework while she was doing <i>that</i>.

I counted every page and tallied how many pages were actual TWS CONTENT (what their writers/editors are paid to actually <i>do</i>) and how many were ADvertisements. These two groups were subdivided as such:

pages picturing AIR (snowboard not on snow),

SNOW (snowboarder riding snowboard on snow),

RAIL/MAN-MADE objects (snowboard being mutilated on a man-made object),

and OTHER (no snowboarding pictured on page at all).

Pages that were split evenly were counted as half, otherwise whatever comprised the bulk of the page was counted as one page. Two-page spreads were counted seperately, so if a spread had a snowboarder jumping through the air on one page and the rest of the scenery on the other page that was counted as 1 AIR, 1 OTHER. Fold-outs were counted per panel.

<i>As I write this, my wife is ragging on me for doing it. Whatever lady, you just watched the Gilmour Girls. Talk to the hand.</i>

Here is the breakdown:

<table border=1>

<tr><td>Total Pages: <td>215<td>100%

<tr><td>Total Content: <td>102<td>47%

<tr><td>Total Ads:<td>113<td>53%

<tr><td>Ads AIR<td>35<td>16%

<tr><td>Ads SNOW<td>1<td>0.5%

<tr><td>Ads RAIL/MM<td>18<td>8%

<tr><td>Ads OTHER<td>59<td>27%

<tr><td>Content AIR<td>46<td>21%

<tr><td>Content SNOW<td>4<td>2%

<tr><td>Content RAIL/MM<td>9<td>4%

<tr><td>Content OTHER<td>43<td>20%

<tr><td>Total Snowboarding<br>(not including rail/mm)<td>86<td>40%

<tr><td>Total Other<td>129<td>60%

</table>

So, if you want to see pictures of people actually snowboarding (not skateboarding with their feet bound to a long skateboard without trucks or wheels, or hucking their carcasses through the air) you'll obviously have to look somewhere besides a magazine called Transworld SNOWBOARDING. Go figure.

-Jack

[lonerider]

You forgot an obvious statistic... photos of women who aren't snowboarding, with the Reef Girl ads being the most ridiculous. Ok, having the bikini-clad girl in their surfing ads is somewhat reasonable... but having that poor girl standing by a halfpipe?!?!Isn't that a little excessive (even I though I don't mind the view).

Anyways, I found the magazine to be pretty content-free myself. Even the supposed tutorials for tricks aren't very useful... I remember the cab 540 instructions being like:

1. Ride switch towards jump

2. Cork body

3. Jump

4. Spin 360

5. Spot landing

6. Spin remaining 180

7. Don't crash on landing

I mean it had a *tiny* amount of info, but dude... they make it sound like their are telling you the secret ways of shaolin kung fu.

I find transworld to be essentially a Maxim/FHM for snowboarders, which again is basically the male equivalent of Cosmopolitan/Vogue magazine... some outrageous anecdotes, some not very interesting interviews, not very useful how-tos, and lots and lots and lots of ads.

[Gecko]

the truely sad thing is that there isn't really anything better...at least TransWorld Skateboarding (TW Sk8) shows more Skateboarding (wheels on pavement) than TW Snow shows Snow though not by much...I am somewhat sad that the disciplines I practice (alpine riding and ramp pool skating) get so little coverage...then again maybe not as it just means I get the slopes/ramps/pools to share with a smaller number of people

[Coldrider]

This looks promising.

COLDrider

[Guest freerider26]

I totally agree. Transworld and Snowboarder are both way off track anymore. Its a great shame what they have come to. When I look through them, virtually every single picture is of someone doing a railslide or a spin. This has got to stop. I agree that Snowboard Journal looks promising.

[Gecko]

Originally posted by Coldrider

This looks promising.

COLDrider

Promising enough that I subscribed just on the cover alone...that is the kind of powder turn I miss seeing in the mags (I just broke out some of my old vids (snowboarders in exile, TB 1/2/3) to get a fix. Anyone look atthe Fawcett preview? I learned to ride resorts on a Flight that looked just like that Sims...wish I still had it

[Guest dragonfly jones]

Transworld has done the same to surfing, motox, underwater basket weaving, tiddlywinks and I heard they are coming strong with a new chutes and ladders rag that will rival all of these in ladder slides and sickening chute wrecks. When will the carnage stop....

There is wisdom in sarcasm somewhere.

Dragonfly Jones

[Gecko]

Originally posted by dragonfly jones

Transworld has done the same to surfing, motox, underwater basket weaving, tiddlywinks and I heard they are coming strong with a new chutes and ladders rag that will rival all of these in ladder slides and sickening chute wrecks. When will the carnage stop....

There is wisdom in sarcasm somewhere.

Dragonfly Jones

Maybe it's Transworld who's to blame for sucking the soul out of my favorite sports...I know I never even glance at TransWorld Surfing...no soul all flash...Surfer and Surfing at least have a bit LongBoard magazines, both Skating and Surfing seem to be very good probably due to the passion and likely age of the participants.

[lonerider]

Originally posted by eddie

I am fed up with tw snow and surf. Maybe it's a sign that I am getting older, I still like to browse through them sometimes but I can't stand to read it for too long.

I think I too am like that. I had a free subscription a few years ago to TW snow and I didn't even bother reading it anymore. If just doesn't have anything I'm interested in... and I like jumps and rails.

[nils]

and jack, its the same here in europe, appart from few exceptions!!

Can't wait for my first issue of Snowboardjournal!!!

Nils

[LeeW]

I miss Snowboard Life.

I like Frequency.

Had a talk with a skater-friend of mine. We both agreed Thrasher's far more better than TWSkateboarding in terms of contents. TWSports' too "trendy" and waste of my time. I have old TWSnowboarding magazine. Perhaps I should compile like what Jack did. (1989 to early 1990s)

[Guest jeffnstefanie]

ONE YEAR SUBSCRIPTION $40

save $11.80 off the cover price

For that money you get four (4) Issues

I hope its great

I think I will wait and pick it up an issue at a time

I picked up a couple of Mags from the great white north that I think were called "Snowboard Canada" that were pretty good.

[Gecko]

Originally posted by jeffnstefanie

ONE YEAR SUBSCRIPTION $40

save $11.80 off the cover price

For that money you get four (4) Issues

I hope its great

I think I will wait and pick it up an issue at a time

I picked up a couple of Mags from the great white north that I think were called "Snowboard Canada" that were pretty good.

The Magazine shop in my parents hometown (Newport RI; also home of CATEK...I had no idea) had Snowboard Canada (along with a couple of other rather good rags) and I bought 2 issues while home last year...canadians seem to be smarter about their boarding (or at least what they aspire too and publish) than those south of them...I have also seen a bunch on carving here in Japan though it is still out numbered by the whole rail thing

[orser506]

I have to agree with you guys. TWSnowboarding is damn useless, you can't even start a fire with the pages.

I just sent the publisher of snowboard journal an email to see if they have plans of including alpine/carving in there rag. If everyone that hangs out in this forum done the same , do you think we could convince them to include us?

Just a thought

[philw]

I just sent the publisher of snowboard journal an email to see if they have plans of including alpine/carving in there rag. If everyone that hangs out in this forum done the same , do you think we could convince them to include us?

I don't know, but you may be aware that some of the people behind SJ were the early guys behind TWS, but they left TWS for a number of reasons. IMHO TWS isn't what it was, perhaps that and AOL are why.

I was boarding with one of the SJ people over Xmas. I think you could get stuff in there if you have the right quality of images.

[Phil]

I stopped subscribing to TWsnow years ago when I realized that they were marketing to a low teen demographic. (and also those who are older but have never grown out of their low teens) They are making money doing this, and most likely they won't change, so I gave up reading the mag. Unless you are 12 or 13, it seems that the mag is useless.

[Guest jlm27]

Rails are a part of snowboarding now as much as halfpipe, air, and GS racing(all of which are manmade and unnatural just like rails).

James

PS - I do think TWS is the sucks too. Got a free subscription and still cancelled it.

[Jack M]

As I was flipping pages, I came across the editorial in the beginning. I glanced at it, and it said "Peter Line was more influential to the sport of snowboarding than any other, during the decade called the 90's". HUH?!? Not taking anything away from Line, but there are several I would rank above him. Kelly, Terje, Palmer.... the list goes on.

[ncermak]

And let us not forget Craig Kelly for his influence on all of us.

As for magazines, Jack, I love the breakdown.

Why can't snowboarders put together an adult magazine (NOT THAT TYPE) that has some real content. I read Ski and Skiing in search of good info on resorts, new gear reviews, and useful ski tips. I still ski too, But would love to see a snowboard magazine with that level of sophistication, that is not entirely about sex drugs and rock roll with snowboarding being the door to it all.

-Noah

[Scotty Pumpkins]

I remember reading "snowboard life" a number of years ago. I thought it was a pretty quality publication. someone bought me a subscription to tws and i thought it was the biggest piece of junk out there. it would get to the point that i wouldnt even read it anymore, id just toss it. I cant imagine anyone getting anything valuable from tws. Its really ashame we dont have a good mag to read. You would think that one would exist.

Scott

[Jack M]

Originally posted by jlm27

Rails are a part of snowboarding now as much as halfpipe, air, and GS racing(all of which are manmade and unnatural just like rails).

James

PS - I do think TWS is the sucks too. Got a free subscription and still cancelled it.

Well, you can say unequivocally that riding rails and concrete walls and cars and such have absolutely nothing to do with snowboarding because no snowboard is designed to withstand those activities for very long. I'd be very surprised if those things were covered by a snowboard's warranty.

Furthermore, I think that someone who can carve turns and/or freeride the whole mountain, but who never goes near the park/pipe can more legitimately call themselves a "snowboarder" than someone who never leaves the park/pipe. Just my opinion.

-Jack

[ncermak]

I'd argue that the guy who does it all is the true snowboarder...one who transcend the stereotypes and truly see the mountain as a playground....

[Jon Dahl]

is MOUNTAIN !!!

[Guest JohnSch]

"Well, you can say unequivocally that riding rails and concrete walls and cars and such have absolutely nothing to do with snowboarding because no snowboard is designed to withstand those activities for very long. I'd be very surprised if those things were covered by a snowboard's warranty.

Furthermore, I think that someone who can carve turns and/or freeride the whole mountain, but who never goes near the park/pipe can more legitimately call themselves a "snowboarder" than someone who never leaves the park/pipe. Just my opinion.

-Jack"

They're not everyone's cup of tea, and personally I both suck at rails (but hope to get better) and am afraid of them. That said, starting rails did a huge bit to quiet my rear hand and build overall body awareness. Plus, they gave me a jumpstart on doing natural logslides in the woods, and are similar to rock drops, and in those ways have begun to help my freeriding. Finally, they can be great fun.

Halfpipe: the unweighting/compression/unweighting feel of riding a pipe is, to me, very similar to doing gs turns. Pumping is similar to a crossover. If you subscribe to the view that you should ride in line with your binding angles, riding a pipe gives you great feedback as to whether this is the case or not (facing the nose of the board generally leads to scrubbing speed). Even the stiffness of pipe boards ties them back to carving.

Not saying there's a direct freecarving benefit to be had from any type of park riding that you can't get from freecarving itself, just that park riding is not that different from the rest of the sport. For people who do ride in softies at least occasionally, I'd encourage them to at least try riding a pipe before deciding they have no interest in it -- there have been several posts here that seemed to view pipe riding as dangerous and different, when in fact it is probably both similar to and as safe as freecarving (harder to reach the flat bottom than to ride into the trees).

Peace.

[Guest jlm27]

A snowboard isn't designed to slide rails, so therefore you shouldn't do it? We should only use the snowboard the way the manufacturer's warrantee says we should? Well, then you better not be riding your donek freecarve switch, because it's directional and not designed to be ridden that way! Did snowboards always have stiffer tails so that they'd have more ollie pop? Did snowboards always have bindings? Last time I checked they didn't, but they do now. I guess someone voided their warrantee and tried mounting something on their board to hold their feet down. I guess someone started taking their board into the air, and realized how to make them bounce higher. Thinking creatively and trying new things is how a sport progresses. Snowboarding isn't this stagnant thing, where it's only about making turns and carving. It's a living breathing things, that is growing and progressing.

Sorry Jack, I understand if you don't like rails and don't enjoy freestyle. It's no different then kids not liking carving and hardboots, it's just not their thing. You always go on about how people don't give hard boots and alpine and carving a fair chance, but have you ever given rails, pipe and freestyle a fair shot? Have you ever even tried to slide a straight, flat rail? Ever dropped into a pipe and ridden it just for fun?

I used to only carve, but then one day I took off the blinders and looked at the whole mountain and realized there is alot of other fun stuff to do and as long as a board is strapped to my legs somehow, it counts as riding.

James