Alaska Wakeboarding Teaser from Catchin’ Air Tv Show from UpDown Productions on Vimeo.
A teaser edit from episode 4 of catchin’ air. Andy Hurdman wakeboards through an ice field well waiting for the wind to pick up. You can download the show at http://hydrusmedia.spinshop.com/
Music – “Magical World”–Bassnectar remix
Treehouse inventor creates Ewok world in Rural Oregon
I recently found this webisode series on Youtube about a man named Masa, a successful travel writer with an MBA that has decided to live off the grid in a small community on a remote B.C. island called Haida Gwaii (First Nations’ name for were the Queen Charlotte Islands. The community is called Tow Hill and it’s right on the beach and full of amazing creative cabins, built with mostly found materials.
Masa is currently in day 319 of his year on Haida Gwaii, he’s built his cabin and trying to live a subsistence lifestyle, gathering as much food as he can while it’s in season; hunting or growing. He uploads video updates 3 times a week to his YouTube Channel and posts long thoughtful blog entries to the RADx website and his Facebook Page. I encourage you to follow his project and slowly get to know him and his journey as he truly has put his money where is mouth is and left a busy career to sample a totally different lifestyle.
Go Masa!
I’m a big YouTube fan and use it as my main entertainment source, I even watch it on my TV in HD. That’s the easiest way I catch Masa’s videos so I encourage you to subscribe to his YouTube channel and you’ll be notified each time he uploads.
Here’s his first video if you want to start off right:
Cool Neighbor cabins
Masa visits Richard and Frances Riley, neighbors and cabin builders themselves to check out their digs. The couple explains how they’ve put together their own comfy home using recycled materials and timber they found on the beach.
Keep coming back for updates as Masa documents his epic adventures for radX.ca. His new video diary will be published every Tuesday, along with a weekly written blog.
Check this thing out! It’s a pretty rad custom setup for his mountain rock fortress near Tahoe. It’s hard to see exactly how it works but looks like he’s got a spring or a pump feeding a lot of cold water down a waterfall into a cold pool next to the hot tub and there’s also a little stream of cold water that flows around the hot tub to cool beers n such for the bathers.
Now this is what he doesn’t show but I think he’s using a metal stock tank, a kinda small one that’s probably heated with a fire below. The stone and cement work he’s done up there is impressive, I only wish he’s post more videos!
I’d like to setup something like this at Camp Taint outside the sauna, but the project is a ways out.
I used to have a 6′ round, 4′ deep Snorkel hot tub that I got used off Craigslist but I never got our water system out at the property to work so it never made it out there… My neighbor didn’t really like me running that thing in my backyard in the city so I eventually put in back on Craigslist and got twice what I paid for it. Which was still a steal for how much they cost new. Someday I hope to figure something out that doesn’t cost that much since it would only be used a few times a year.
Raphael's smoke shack - Breckenridge
My latest project is to find all the “smoke shacks” or “huts” hidden in the woods inside ski areas. I know there is usually at least one hidden shack or shanty built by skiers and snowboarders hidden inside almost every ski area. I know of a few local ones but have only found one so far. Don’t worry I won’t be posting the location of any. That would leave them open to destruction by the “Man” and that’s no fun for anyone plus finding them is half the fun.
I’ve seen one at Stevens Pass but didn’t bother to hike up the hill to check it out. It’s hidden in plain sight and I understand that’s it’s inside the spray painted rock I saw. A few guys were smoking in front of it when I looked up to spot the landing for a friends jump, that’s the only reason why I saw it. I have ridden right past it for 20 years.
My next smoke hut to find is the one at Snoqualmie Pass, I hear it’s 3 stories tall and has a new window. I’ve got some foggy directions so it’s going to be fun to find one day when the snow isn’t so good. Lots of people know about this one.
Check out these 2 videos below about this smoke hut in Colorado. It’s just out of bounds at Breckenridge. This one is a tree house, built with all natural found materials from the area. It must be pretty strong judging by how many people are inside it in the video.
Other Smoke Shacks from around the country.
Got a photo of your smoke shack? Is it the best around? Send it to me! I promise I won’t ask where it is. Upload photos to Solar Burrito’s Facebook Page.
Snowboarding to Colorado 420 Smoke Shack – Loveland Pass, CO
The tree bach was built by a group of friends in Palmerston North, New Zealand. It was constructed largely in the dark of the night as most of the builders had full time jobs during the day. It consists largely of donated materials or from rubbish laying around Jono’s parents farm. – The Best Hut
They just completed the custom propane heated bath tub for the tree house or bach as they call it. Also I’m really impressed with the radio controlled draw bridge! Fun stuff guys!
Custom Propane heating system for hot tub
Mike Basich Area 241 cabin
Mike Basich is Off the Grid in what he calls Area 241. In this final episode of the rope tow segment, Mike gets the mothership up onto his property and preps the trees with shivs. With a little help from his friends the DIY specialist gets his new rope tow system in place at a record pace and just in time for an evening debut run. Enjoy and stay tuned for more Off the Grid segments with Mike Basich coming soon!
Watch professional snowboarder and off-grid engineering genius Mike Basich, build his famous Area 241 in the Tahoe Backcountry.
More Snowboarding Videos
In this follow up episode Mike dives right in with custom fabrication on the motor he must mount to his new rope tow transmission. Watch Mike grind, weld and work his way through difficulties as he creates the power plant for Area 241′s newest transporter. Using spare parts and old junk is his favorite approach, “… a lot of times you’d be surprised what is just laying around or even in the gutter of someone’s house.” Enjoy Mike’s creative ingenuity in episode 2, The Mothership!
COFFER from thismustbetheplace on Vimeo.
Produced and directed by Ben Wu and David Usui,
of Lost & Found Films (lostfoundfilms.com).
THIS MUST BE THE PLACE
There’s no place like home. It’s where we live, work and dream. It’s our sanctuary and our refuge. We can love them or hate them. It can be just for the night or for the rest of our lives. But whoever we may be, we all have a place we call home.
THIS MUST BE THE PLACE is a series of short films that explore the idea of home; what makes them, how they represent us, why we need them.
We’re always on the lookout for dwellings of all sorts. If you’ve come across any curious or eccentric homes, feel free to send them along.
thismustbetheplace.tv
mail@thismustbetheplace.tv
More Snowboarding Videos
This is episode 1 of a new series called Off The Grid following Professional snowboarder, Mike Basich as lives in his hand made stone house at 7000 feet. Here he is making a rope tow out of a truck axle and transmission. Lloyd Kahn also features Mike’s house in his brand new soon to be released book Tiny Homes, Simple Shelters. I just pre-ordered it!