A winter defined by feast or famine, shattered snowfall records and endless droughts, tidal waves, floods, and for many, a season that simply would not end. In a time where technology and the energy of our planet are accelerating off the charts and Mother Nature's confusion can no longer be explained away by experts. The Kootenay, Purcell, Selkirk, Monashee, Pacific Coast, Cascade, Wasatch, Uinta, Cache, Gros Ventre, Strandafjellet and Kaçkar mountain ranges were on the winning end of the spectrum, and you might guess where the Absinthe crew spent their winter. Twelve riders having a blast, redefining the limits of what is possible. Absinthe brings you the next wintry shred classic: Twel2ve.

twel2ve

In pursuit of the best that the winter of 2012 had to offer, the Absinthe crew employed a dual strategy to both hustle & hunker down waiting. In a year of erratic snowfall, there was no other way to slay. But by splitting up and spreading out across the globe in smaller groups, they stacked the odds in their favor. The strategy worked. Tight, agile crews tuned themselves to local frequencies enabling them to tap into record-breaking dumps in Europe, heavy sessions in the Pacific Northwest, Japan, and ultimately, Alaska. It was a winter with Resonance: new riders came on board, new locations were exposed and as always, the Absinthe cameras captured all the action on film.

Resonance

Dopamine is a naturally occurring chemical in the brain that influences movement and reward. At the core of progressive snowboarding, it is movement and reward that provide a natural motivation for riders like Bode Merrill, Victor De Le Rue, and Brandon Cocard to evolve and innovate. These explorers of mountain and mental landscapes led the charge this year, changing the definition of what can be done on a snowboard, and changing the guard. From the Yukon, Kootenays, Valhallas, Monashees, Dolomites, and Pyrenees, the Absinthe crew proves Dopamine is free, but you have to get out there to earn it.

Dopamine

The lack of snow in much of the world, and a lack of snowpack stability in most other places, made this winter exceptionally challenging. Mentally and otherwise. A bit like a riddle, a maze, and a game of chicken rolled into one. With heavy consequences for not playing at the very top of your game. Lucky for you, (and for Absinthe) we were at the right place at the right time. But that would be a long and weird name for a movie, so we decided to call this one HEAVY MENTAL. You will be rocked.  Riders include Victor De Le Rue, Austen Sweetin, Bode Merrill, Jason Robinson, Mat Schaer, Wolfgang Nyvelt, Manuel Diaz, Victor Daviet, Johnnie Paxson, Romain De Marchi, Blair Habenicht, Scot Brown, Ozzy Henning, Rusty Ockenden, Nils Arvidsson, Mathieu Crepel, Sylvain Bourbousson, Helen Schettini, and Mike Basich