Seattle, WA (January 30, 2012) – It was a big week in Colorado for riders on Mervin Mfg’s Gnu and Lib Tech snowboards. Gnu rider Forest Bailey won his first X Games gold in his first X Games appearance by winning the street competition. The next day Jamie Anderson won her third X Games gold in slopestyle riding a Gnu Ladies Choice. Later that night at the TransWorld SNOWboarding Rider Polls, Lib Tech riders took home major honors with Jamie Lynn receiving the ‘Legend Award,’ Travis Rice winning ‘Men’s Rider of the Year,’ and Eric Jackson’s part in People’s “Good Look” winning ‘Men’s Video Part Of The Year.’

What a long strange trip it had been for Forest Bailey who arrived in Aspen only an hour before the elimination round for X Games street. The street course dominated by rail and box features, provided a change of scenery for Bailey who’d just come off two weeks of riding powder at Mt. Baker in Washington.

What a Long Strange Trip It’s Been, Forest Bailey Wins Gold at X-Games!

“I never thought I’d even come to X Games in my whole life, but I guess we’re here and I guess gold will do,” Bailey told ESPN.com after winning. The Vermonter won on his signature Gnu Forest Bailey Psychedelic Park Pickle featuring banana between the feet for catch-free freestyle performance, Magne-traction for unreal edge-hold and asymmetric sidecuts and construction.

Jamie Anderson Wins Gold on her Gnu Ladies Choice at X Games, Thats Two for Gnu!

Jamie Anderson is now six-for-six in podium finishes in women’s snowboard slopestyle at the X Games. She dominated the competition posting a 95.33 in her third run, the highest score ever in a women’s X Games snowboard slopestyle final. Due to the freshly fallen snow, most of the competitors struggled to keep their speed over the series of jumps, but Anderson was able to manage the conditions for the top spot on her Gnu Ladies Choice with pickle tech, C2 Power Banana and Magne-traction.

Jamie Lynn: Transworld Legend Award Acceptance Speech

The crowd went wild as Lynn, Rice and Jackson took the stage to accept awards at TransWorld Snowboarding’s Rider Polls. The ‘Rider of the Year’ nod was Rice’s second for the year, after also receiving the honor in Snowboarder’s February issue. Congrats to Bailey, Anderson, Lynn, Rice and Jackson from the entire Mervin Mfg crew building boards near Canada in Carlsborg, WA.

Eric Jackson Wins Video Part of the Year at the 13th Annual Riders’ Poll Awards

Travis Rice Wins Rider of the Year at the 13th Annual Riders’ Poll Awards

“The entire Mervin team feels truly grateful to be recognized for doing what we love,” says Ryan Hollis, GM of Mervin Mfg. “We’ve been building boards since 1977 and have always had our retail partners first of mind. We feel lucky to be able to maintain a healthy business for them and us, especially in rough times.”

The men and women working at Mervin are true board builders with a mission to innovate and improve the sports they participate in and love. Mervin brings real innovation including Magne-traction and banana technology, making snowboarding, skiing, skating and soon surf, easier and more fun for everyone. The company has been building ecoMotional boards near Canada in the USA since 1977.

“Mervin was the clear winner for brand of the year – it was an open ended survey and they dominated with responses such as ‘anything Mervin,’” says Mike Lewis, Editor-in-Chief of TransWorld Business. “Mervin crushed it in 2011, helping keep specialty retail special.”

Specific to supporting specialty retail, Mervin uses Shopatron, which sends online orders directly to shops. The company also actively enforces minimum advertised pricing and Internet sales in an effort to protect specialty retail.

According to SIA RetailTRAK™ data produced by the Leisure Trends Group, Mervin brands have the highest sell-through of major snowboard brands with very strong margins and enjoyed the most volume growth of any other snowboard brands on the market last season. Both Lib Tech and Gnu moved into the top five snowboard brands sold at retail last season with early season sales indicating that they will both keep their top five positions for the current season. The study also states that Mervin dominates price-points between $400 and $699 at retail.

Retailers can preview Mervin Mfg products from Lib Tech, Gnu, Roxy, Bent Metal and Freedom Dolly during SIA at the following booths: Lib Tech 1307, GNU 1507 and Lib Tech NAS 4235.

~ESPN Green Guide 2010:
The Banana Magic is Featured as the Best Eco-Minded Snowboards out there!

“Their new Banana Magic model takes it further, incorporating 100 percent Basalt fiber instead of fiberglass, and a topsheet made from castor beans.”

Lib Tech Banana Magic Product Page

GOOD WOOD TEST
Lib Tech Skate Banana Men’s
~ TransWorld magazine, 2010

GOOD WOOD TEST
Lib Tech Skate Banana Women’s
~ TransWorld magazine, 2010 WINNER!

GOOD WOOD TEST
Lib Tech TRS BANANA Men’s
~ TransWorld magazine, 2010

GNU
PLATINUM PICK
EXCELLENCE IN DESIGN AWARD
Park Pickle [BTX]
~ Snowboard-Mag, 2007,2009, & 2010

GOOD WOOD TEST
GNU Park Pickle
~ TransWorld magazine, 2010

GOOD WOOD TEST
Danny Kass BTX
~ TransWorld magazine, 2010

GOOD WOOD TEST
B-Pro BTX
~ TransWorld magazine, 2010

GOOD WOOD TEST
B-NICE BTX
~ TransWorld magazine, 2010

ROXY
GOOD WOOD TEST -Top Ten Women’s Under $399
Roxy Ollie Pop BTX
~ TransWorld magazine, 2010

GOOD WOOD TEST-Top Ten Women’s Over $400
Roxy Eminence BTX (All-Mountain)
~ TransWorld magazine, 2010

The Gnu B Pro BTX featuring C2 Power Banana Technology and Magne-Traction was awarded Snowpress’s Innovation Award at the 2009 SIA Las Vegas Trade show! The innovation award honors the best innovations in the snowsports industry for the 2009/2010 Season. C2 Power Banana is designed for aggressive all terrain freestyle riders and features Banana Tech rocker between your feet combined with cambers at each end of the board. This Banana Camber combination offers the best features of Banana Tech…float in powder in both directions, carving on hardpack and ice and a catchfree freestyle performance with the best features of camber…end to end stability, and extra pop for strong aggressive riders. Power Banana is also available in the Lib Tech Travis Rice and Dark Series, as well as Gnu Danny Kass and Temple Cummins series. Travis Rice won the X Games big air on a Power Banana T Rice model! Torah Bright won the X Games half pipe and US open on a BTX Power Banana. Keep your Banana between your legs!