BODE MERRILL has no idea he’s about to get the ender in the biggest movie of the year.

Friday night was a big one in the Salt Lake snowboard world with the world premier of Absinthe films NEVERLAND. This has probably been the most anticipated shred film to be released this season and it was well worth the wait. From start to finish it will be hard to find a film that can hold a candle to NEVERLAND. Keeping in the ABSINTHE tradition of quality filming,amazing soundtracks, clean editing and next level mind blowing riding this film will get you so stoked you’ll forget that the resorts don’t open for a few months.

JUSTIN HOSTYNEK, BODE MERRILL, MARK CARTER and CALE ZIMA getting the crowed stoked!!!

THE CROWD WAS HYPED TO GET SOME FREE GEAR

The film opens with some of the most insane pow footage from Japan…this is where the title of the movie starts to make sense. The SOLD OUT crowd at the TOWER had no problem yelling at damn near every shot for the first ten minutes. Summers in Salt Lake are nothing short of brutal so to be able to see your favorite shred idols globe trotting  and destroying everything in site is a nice break from the heat.

With out giving too much away it’s important to know that all your favorite ABSINTHE stars like WOLFGANG, ROMAIN,DCP,JP SOLBERG,TRAVIS RICE, NICOLAS MUELLER and GIGI RUFF just absolutely take shit beyond the next level. Along with some newer names to the ABSINTHE program. DAN BRISSEE proved that he is a man and is down to do some man shit. BRISSE’s part was full of some of the biggest gnarliest jumps and jibs around. CALE ZIMA delivered one hell of a section and his rail riding is just as awesome as his dancing skills…..With all the new DANCING WITH THE STARS rage this might be the next step for CALE. A shout out to Levitation team rider PHIL DAMIANAKES that had a few hammers in the mix too.

CHEERS!!!!

We are a little biased over here but the highlight of the night was realizing that all of the riders on the roster had been seen except for 1. BODE’S name came on the screen greeted to a roar of cheers from the audience. THE BODE MAN shut it down harder than ever. One of the heaviest/well rounded parts of all time. The kid has it all and didn’t hold back on anything. For the past few years due to one reason or another Bode has been plagued with not getting the credit he deserves and not getting the shot he is worthy of…..well that all changed at around 9 PM on August 28TH 2009. The world is finally about to see what this kid is made of. When you think that he filmed 90% of his part in Utah and had very little travel budget and nowhere near the sponsor support that other riders who have had the ender to an ABSINTHE film it’s impressive to say the least. No AK heli angles or monster features created just for him. Just true honest shredding at its finest. He has a natural part that shows every aspect of his talents from the streets to the backcountry.  Get ready because BODE is well on his way to helping the progression of snowboarding on a global level.

Chances are this film will sell out so make sure you go to the premier early or buy your tickets in advance. To check out times and locations click on this link SPHERE OF INFLUENCE WORLD TOUR

BODE and his Dad BACKCOUNTRY BOB walking out of the theater. Those are some pretty hefty grins!!!

NICO,PHIL DAMIANKES,BODE MERRILL,SHANE CHARLIBOIS AND PARKER DUKE getting ready for a big night.

The post film celebration started at Chris Grenier’s house and then moved to a new bar called the REPUBLICAN in downtown SALT LAKE. It didn’t take long for things to start to get rowdy.

TIM RONAN and PHIL DAMIANKES getting after it!!!!

Chris Brewster is looking a little faded or maybe it’s just the photo….nope BREWSTER’S FADED!!!

IT’S MERRILL TIME!!! The LP Team was there in full support sporting the MERRILL HIGH LIFE shirts. Corey Mac, NICO and PARKER DUKE looking like they just drank a beer as big as the one on the shirt.

Once the bar called LAST CALL we made a quick run over to the gas station and stocked up for the rest of the night. For the next half hour everyone just hung out on the sidewalk and shot gunned beers on state street. By the time it was all said and done there were over 10 30 packs piled up outside. PHIL DAMIANKES was down to do some judo kicks.

Shotgunning beers was the theme for the night and it went on for a few hours after the bar closed. PARKER DUKE giving it his all.

AUSTEN GRANGER stocked up for the rest of the night…..from here on out we can’t show much more and don’t remember much more.

YEAH ABSINTHE!!!!! YEAH BODE!!!! FUCK YEAH!!!!! GO BUY THIS FILM AND BE THE PROUD OWNER OF THE BEST FILM OF ALL TIME!!!!

CHECK OUT THE NEW ABSINTHE SITE AND THE TOUR SCHEDULE FOR THE NEW FILM NEVERLAND.

CONGRATS TO LEVITATION PROJECT TEAM RIDERS BODE MERRILL AND PHIL DAMIANAKES  WHO ARE BOTH FEATURED IN THE NEW FILM.

DON’T WORRY YOU’LL SOON BE ABLE TO PURCHASE THE FASTEST SNOWBOARD WAX AROUND DIRECTLY FROM OUR SITE.

PHIL DAMAINAKES sending it at the resort that is the epitome of modern day segregation=ALTA

  Alta is by far one of the most fucked resorts in the U.S. due to fact that it is one of the best mountains around but they have a NO SNOWBOARD policy which is TOTALLY FUCKED!!!!! During the winter if you ride a snowboard you are not allowed at ALTA because they DISCRIMINATE  but once the spring hits and ALTA is closed  for the season you are free to go live life like everyone else. So if you want to go build a huge late season booter with your homies now is the time to go and piss all over Alta. 

BODE and PHIL admiring their handy work.

BODE putting the final touches on the days work.

PHIL DAMIANAKES was worried that  there wasn’t going to be much pop on this one….didn’t take long for that worry to go away.

It’s funny that people always say that snowboarders would HATE ALTA(we do hate ALTA because they discriminate) because of all the flats and that you would have to traverse too much. Seems like BODE MERRILL didn’t have to worry about flats and got enough speed for this hit.

PHIL what do you think about Alta’s no snowboard policy? 

” They say snowboarders wouldn’t like it because there is too much traversing but all we do is shred everything that we can see and everything that is in front of us, Land and traverse to HIGH FIVES….so fuck that non shred resort!!!!!!

BODE is A….a super hero flying to save a family from a burning building

                 B….flying with a squirrel suit but forgot the suit

                 C…..about to get wrecked

BODE what do you think about ALTA’S no snowboard policy? 

” The one good thing…It keeps the super agro shit talking shit don’t stink type of skier away from us!”

BODE doing nothing even close to a spread eagle at ALTA

 With out skiing there would of never been the invention of the snowboard but Snowboarding has helped skiing quite a bit over the years….now days skis are almost as wide as snowboards and skiers have one on each foot. Alta allows mono boards on their mountain and that is a snowboard mounted the wrong way with ski boots. That is just funny that snowboards are so hated…seems like skiing keeps biting on snowboarding’s steeze but not giving credit where it’s due. Clothing style went from stretch pants and visors to sweet gear that actually looks cool. Half pipes and parks are all from snowboarding and play a huge role in the ski world now. Oh yeah what about the tricks?….It used to be daffys and spread eagles but thanks to snowboarding skiers learned about tranny and re entering and they even call there grabs Mutes and Japans. That’s funny that skies have such a solid art approach to their top sheets and base graphics…wonder where they got that from ?  Remember the 2002 olympics when Ross Powers, Danny Kass and JJ Thomas did the full medal sweep for the US……yeah those olympic medalist are not allowed at ALTA. ALTA is a part of the WASATCH NATIONAL FOREST and we as snowboarders pay taxes that help preserve the range but we are not allowed on a mountain that we contribute funding for? THE LEVITATION PROJECT is down for skiers but not down for people that support  ALTA’s NO SNOWBOARD  policy….IT IS WRONG….So next time you take one of those little blue snowflakes and place it somewhere for everyone to see… just know that you are being a complete asshole.

PHIIL DAMIANAKES  sending a solidly steezy back 7 tail behind enemy lines. 

On a day that is typically spent in doors and hanging out with relatives BODE MERRILL and PHIL DAMAINAKES celebrated Easter doing what they do best.———DIGGING AND SENDING IT!!!!

the homies  out for an Easter hike 

BODE getting his dig on

PHIL getting his spring time tan rolling

UHHHHHH!!!!

TIME TO TEE OFF

BODE in the midst of a FRONT 10

A smile only a day in the canyon can produce. Bode seems to be pretty psyched on EASTER shredding

PHIL DAMIANKES has a tendency to go FUCKING HUGE!!!!

While the majority of UTAH was in church on EASTER Sunday BODE was getting all religious with his FRONT 9′s

SNAP CRACKLE……POP!!!! 

BODE chucking across the street from the NAZI compound they call ALTA……SERIOUSLY FUCK ALTA!!!!!!

It’s pretty sweet that he has the same name as the bad ass from POINT BREAK……BODE!!!!