Sputnik Team

Snow team

Tom ‘Smithy’ Smith

Smithy has been a part of the sputnik family for a very long time – ever since he took his first snowboard lesson with Rich, he was into Sputnik to buy his very first board – a Burton Bullet from Anna. Since then he has lived, worked and breathed snowboarding. He currently rides at Hemel Snow centre every week and is now sponsored By Sputnik, Stepchild Snowboards, Dragon Alliance, Colour Outerwear and Sandbox helmets. His attitude is second to none, and is pretty much the rider on the hill having the most fun!

Age – 23
Years Riding – 8 Years
Equipment used – Stepchild Jibstick 149, Union Danny Kass Bindings Bindings, 32 86 Boots, Dragon D2 Goggles, Sandbox Helmet, Colour SE Jacket, Colour Rocker Pants
Favourite Trick  - Backside 180 to Switch 5050 down handrail
Favourite snowboard Moment – Winning best un-sponsored rider at Burton High 5
Favourite Snowboard video section – Jeff Anderson – Back in Black or Halldor Helgason - Hooked

Alise Balode

Alise is the newcomer on the Team. She has been rocking Hemel Centre sinced it opened and has progressed incredibly. Alise loves getting other girls involved and had really helped push girls riding and especially the sputnik girls riding on the freestyle nights at hemel. Hailing from Latvia, she brings a european influence to the snow team and we look forward to watching her improve month by month. We are currently looking for an outwear sponser for her, so watch this space!

Equipment used: Forum Spinster.

Kat Miller

Although having been a visitor to old Sputnik at the now dead Wycombe Summit, Kat officially joined the Sputnik family in 2008 after her successes at the British Championships also found her on the SNO!zone team, since then she's done her best to balance her workload as Director of Synuron (www.synuron.org) and cram in as much shredding as she can. An old face on the dry slope and indoor scene Kat can be found encouraging the up-coming girls at slopes around the country. You won't miss Kat on the slope she's always decked out in bright colours so that the photographers can get the best shots.
Kat's other sponsors are SNO!zone, Humanity Snowboards, i360 & Laurus

Age - 36
Years riding - 9
Favourite trick - switch frontside board slide (especially on CasVegas's 10m rail)
Equipment used: Humanity Plastictastic 150/156, Burton Infidels, 32 Lashed, Bern helmet and what ever bright outerwear Sputnik are stocking from Eleven and other brands
Favourite snowboard moment - 2 clean slope style runs at the Brits 2010
(and surviving my mega kicker slam at the Indoor Big Air in 2009!)
Favourite movie moment - The Afterbang Collection, I miss that crew

Skate Team

Charlie Smee

Charlie is one of the quietest kids you will ever meet – but don’t let that fool you!
His skating ability talks for itself, and when he is busting tricks like nollie tre flips, its no wonder people take notice of him. A local kid, Charlie mainly skates at High Wycombe skate park, but has also travelled to other spots and has been spotted at Hemel’s XC and Newbury Park among others. He has just secured help from FORM distribution, and this is one kid to take notice of for the future – were just stoked he skates for us!

Age – 14
Years Skating – 3
Equipment Used – Girl 7.75” Deck, Thunder 145 lo’s trucks, Bones OG 50mm Wheels, Bones Reds Bearings
Favourite trick – Frontside Flip
Favourite Skate video section – Guy Mariano – Fully Flared

Nico Carstensen

Nico brings a European flavour to the Sputnik Skate team, growing up in Denmark and now residing in Austria during the summer, he does his best to promote Sputnik in Europe. Nico has had sponsorship from Globe shoes and Almost decks, and has competed at European level competitions. Nico is always keen to skate for the shop and always keeps an eye out for a good street handrail to skate – He has a clean style and a fun attitude, and we loving having him involved with us!

Age – 19
Years Skating – 6
Equipment Used – Real 8” Deck, Krux Trucks, Spitfire 55mm Wheels, Bones Reds Bearings
Favourite Trick – Kickflip to Crooked Grind
Favourite skate video section – Zoo York State of Mind – Chaz Ortiz

Alistair Freeman

Alistair is a very laid back character and when you watch him skate you wonder how he gets away with his tricks! His safety trick is the biggest treflip you will ever see and his hardflips are immense. Alastair would skate everyday, all day if he could, and loves a good hip to work on his flips. Not much of a contest skater, but when you put a video camera on him, he very quickly delivers the goods! If you ever get the chance to see Alistair skate just sit back and watch him for a bit – you will defiantly be entertained!

Age –  16
Years Skating – 6
Equipment Used – Girl 8.25” Deck, Thunder 145 Low Trucks, Bullet 52mm Wheels, Bones Reds Bearings
Favourite Trick - Treflip
Favourite skate video section – Dylan Rieder – Gravis Video. Grant Taylor – Mindfield. Figgy – Stay Gold. Erik I Petterson and Anton Myhrvold - Sweer

Jus Moore

Jus was one of the first names down on the sheet when we discussed the Sputnik Skate Team, his influence over the local area in the last few years is incredible – everybody knows who he is and what he can do! Now living in London, he helps promote the shop in the Capital, and when he has time he has also started his own clothing company – Blasé http://cargocollective.com/blaselondon.
His style is unique and when challenged to a game of skate, there is usually only one winner!

Age –  22
Years Skating –  12
Equipment Used – Real 8.18” Deck, Indy 139 Lows, Hifi Benny Fairfax 50mm Wheels, Reds Bearings
Favourite Trick – Switch Treflip
Favourite skate video section - Every Eric Koston part ever