Nikita

Born in Iceland with a few handmade items, Nikita is now a brand for active, creative and collaborative girls worldwide.

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Spring Cleaning

May’s almost here! That means we are almost 5 months into our New Year’s Resolutions of living a clutter free life and simplifying our lifestyles…. Right?

In between life’s crazy curveballs, schedule changes, a social life, exercising, staying healthy, etc. it’s hard to find time to catch up on things we’ve been neglecting (i.e. folding laundry, meditation, shaving legs, cleaning). So now we find ourselves thinking about everything we have to do before the summer months.

At our Portland office, we have come up with a few tips to help you get motivated to clean out he oldies and reinvent ourselves for the second time this year. WOOO!

Here we go:

#1. Map it out

- Make yourself a list of everything that you would like to be done and map out a timeline. It’s so much easier to visualize exactly what you have to do/ when you need to do it and helps organize the cluttered thoughts you have going on upstairs. 

*Bonus: You can scratch things off the list…. An oddly satisfying thing to do.

#2. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither was the mess.

- It will take time! We know from experience, distractions happen (let’s reminisce at our 3rd grade yearbooks and see what Jimmy wrote to us circa 2003). Things will come up and you may not get to everything you wanted to that day. Don’t get frustrated if you aren’t able to completely finish the task – but don’t cross it off your list either. Even a little progress is still progress.

#3. Make donation piles

- If you aren’t going to use it, don’t keep it! If you think you may use whatever said item is, then put it in a spot where you will see it. If you don’t use it by the next spring cleaning, you know what to do.

#4. Celebrate – break out your finest cheese log

- Hey, you did it. Invite some friends over, go pop that bottle of Prosecco, and get yourself

some cheese and crackers! You deserve it :)

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Spring has sprung and with it comes all of the yummy produce we’ve been waiting all winter for. 

Here are our fave five fruits and veggies available March through May.

Apricots

How to pick: Apricots are best if they’re firm and uniform in color. They can be purchased ahead of time and stored to ripen, just don’t forget about them!

Apricots are great for your daily dose of vitamins A and C, dietary fibers, and potassium.

Low in fat and full of flavor, apricots look best on a skewer: Link

Artichokes

How to pick: A good artichoke should be firm and heavy with tightly closed leaves.

Peel back the layers and reap the reward; artichokes are full of folic acids and essential dietary fibers along with vitamins C and K

This recipe is super easy and stays true to the artichoke muse: Link

Mustard Greens

How to pick: Mustard greens should be green and blemish free (without brown spots or yellow coloring).

What don’t mustard greens have? They’re full of protein, vitamins C, K, and A, and dietary fibers.

This recipe is just about as easy as it gets and makes for a crowd pleasing side dish: Link

Radicchio

How to pick: Leaves should be crisp and fresh. Any wilting or discoloration is a bad sign.

What you get: Radicchio is not only fun to pronounce but it’s full of antioxidants and essential vitamins.

This recipe is radicchio! Link

Strawberries

How to pick: Strawberries are best when shiny and bright in color. They should have fresh looking leaves, any leaves with browning color or dryness indicates a old strawberry.

Strawberries are easily the most underrated superfood on the market, they’re full of vitamin C, antioxidants, and potassium.

Honestly, strawberries are best left alone, but don’t forget to wash them!

p. Pinterest

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“State of Mine” The trip of a lifetime.

Content by Forrest DeVore and Ashley Thornton. 

Follow, long time shred couple Forrest DeVore and Ashley Thornton while they travel their home state of Oregon in search of good snow, good times and unfamiliar places to them, even though Oregon is where they both were born and raised. They will be camping out of their Skamper (pop up cabover camper) and truck. Home will be where they park it. Most likely up close to the goods. Oregon is quite a big state and while talking about traveling the world something came to mind for both of them, that they wanted to take a step back and do something more feasible, but still fulfilling and even more important to them at this particular time. They want to see their home state and see what snowboarding terrain lies out their back door. With a goal of seeing all that Oregon has to offer and conquer their home state. "We have been so many places in Oregon, countless road trips, but have so much more to see", they both had the idea instead of traveling all over the western states, as they have together for the last 11 years in search of contests, which were mostly at big popular ski resorts ran by Corporations. They would start traveling to mom and pop ski hills around Oregon, that they have never been to. While they explore these places, they will also be doing plenty of splitboarding, sidecountry and backcountry outings in some of the most beautiful places that they see. They will be filming each other on their journeys so stay tuned for "State of Mine" edits to be dropping soon!

Here’s a link to their first episode: https://vimeo.com/156058802

And here’s what they have to say about it:

Out to Eastern Oregon! Soul mates and snowboard couple Forrest Devore and Ashley Thornton set out on there first "State of Mine" Oregon road trip. Their first trip was to a part of Oregon that they have only heard about. First they hit up Anthony Lakes ski resort and after that they traveled to the northeastern part of the state to hit up the backcountry in the Wallowa's. "It was Gorgeous and as Stunning as we have always heard!" Along their first journey they found fresh pow, plenty of cliffs, and fun to be had for days! "We met some very amazing people out there in the middle of nowhere. The country life is where it at."

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Words by Ashley Thornton on her shared vacation to Hawaii with friends and family.

Each Spring Legendary Surfer, Yogi, and Snowsurfer (snowboarder) Gerry Lopez Holds the Big Wave Challenge a freestyle snowboard event at our home mountain, Mt.Bachelor in Oregon. It consists of big hips, quarterpipes, banked turns, spines and is always different each year. This year’s different feature was a big cat track gap into a small transition then straight into a large bowled out quarterpipe. It is judged the same way a big wave surf contest is judged. There are two panels of judges one for each zone. The two zones have multiple features in them and each one of the features is named after a famous surf break. The judges are looking for control, speed and power.But here is how Gerry puts it "The judging format actually begins from the moment you begin your run. Surfing, like snowboarding, is a freestyle art form, an expression of your creative and athletic skills as expressed across the canvas of a liquid or frozen wave. Everything you do will be scored, every turn you make going into the feature will count towards your score." In the end, the winners of the Wahine (Women's) and the Kane (Men's) Divisions are stoked out harder than imaginable! This year my boyfriend, Forrest, and I both claimed the win. Both winners have the opportunity for two trips to Hawaii. One of the prizes is to stay in the world famous Volcom pipeline house on Oahu's Northshore. The second trip is to go watch the Billabong Pipeline Masters in December! We also received a custom made surfboard from the legend Gerry himself, along with beautiful glass blown trophies and a ton of swag.

As the winners we had the entire Volcom beachfront house to fill with our choice of friends and family. Forrest brought 4 generations on his side. His Grandma, Mom, Daughter and a good friend. I brought my Mom and my good friends Janessa and Marissa along with me. Janessa and Marissa are also both fellow Big Wave Challenge competitors! While we were there, we saw and met many more family members that live on the islands. Little did we know how many we had haha. They all had such beautiful souls and were a great motivation in the ocean for all us Mountain Haole's.

We all had a wonderful time swimming, snorkeling, beach combing, boogie boarding, skateboarding, belly and back flopping into the shore break, duck diving, doing handstands and front handsprings on the beach, some even attempted to surf, drinking coconuts that grow out front, eating amazing fish tacos and poke, visiting fruit stands and farmers markets, watching our beautiful family’s children perform Hawaiian dances and play ukulele for us out on our front patio. We also just spent time relaxing and soaking in the sun!

There were so many special moments on this trip. I will just name few:

- Getting to be with the love of my life in the tropics - Sharing the Hawaii experience with my friends and family for their first time - Watching Forrest's grandma Anita's face after a huge wave hit her (and it was pure joy!), also seeing her and my mom snorkel. I haven't seen my mom that stoked in a very long time. She was so giggly and ecstatic - Getting to see Guinevere (Forrest's daughter) having a blast in Hawaii for her first time was incredible. - Boogie boarding at castles with Janessa, we were killin it lol. - Playing on the beach break with Guinevere, Janessa and Marissa. - Going to Psychic Migration's Surf Premier presented by Volcom in Honolulu with my homies. - Oh, and doing front handsprings for the first time in over a decade.

All in all we had the time of our life's and had a perfect vacation.

I want to thank Volcom for their generous accommodation of a beautiful house, Gerry Lopez for making this all possible, and big thanks to Mt. Bachelor for making this an annual event!

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European ambassador, Chevy Challis, discusses her active summer adventures and fitness routine.z

I decided to try surfing this summer and I climbed a lot too. I also did yoga and pole fitness along with regular gym sessions that included balance, strength and cardio training.

Surfing: There’s no better feeling than getting out and sitting on that board in the open waters. It can’t get rough―the salt pulls out all your water and you get dehydrated very fast―and it's a brutal thing to learn, but it’s also amazing when you start catching your first waves and manage to even stand up a tiny little bit, till it eats you all up again.

The ocean has powers you can’t experience anywhere else. In my opinion surfing is probably one of the most difficult and challenging sports. We are just visitors in the ocean. It makes it a privilege to be able to sit on water and go with the flow; learning how to read the waves coming in and paddling as hard as you can to catch just one wave. You need a lot of time to learn how to surf, patience is key. It’s amazing training, the ocean is so rough, you have to stay on the board without falling off so your body is tensed the entire time. Its an insane back and core workout, plus your shoulders get strong from paddling. Mentally it’s very challenging but so beautiful at the same time.

So let’s go on to the second sport I learned to love this summer, climbing. Climbing is a mix between mental training and strength. Luckily I had a partner I can trust with while I learned new ways to climb and tried more difficult routes. I was basically a beginner but with the right instructions and a good climbing partner it’s an amazing sport. You get hyped by the height and the feeling you can fall down anytime, that’s the adrenaline I love. Your muscles get super strong and lean from climbing and your mind stays sharp also because if you are not focused you are going to fall. That’s an amazing combination. Especially the part about trusting and staying focussed is a brilliant way for me to train my mental strength. To hang on those rock walls and see the world from a different angle, changes your perspective in many ways.

Right, so what else? I train a lot in the gym and do “HIIT” training most of the time. Filled up with some stretching, balance training and of course, strength (Crossfit is also a part of my training).

On yoga: I’m in love with all those Yogis out there. It's so impressive and (you’ll see as soon as you start doing yoga) you relax more often and cherish every moment a bit more. Its an intense and different training too. Again, lean muscles and balance is the main part of yoga workouts that I love. In doing yoga you feel close to yourself and get a connection with the earth. It feels like being a part of nature, especially if you practice yoga outdoors. You learn to calm down and meditate, perfect mental training for the competitions and runs I focus on during the winter.

Last but not least, I’d like to talk about a sport that gets questioned a lot, pole fitness. It’s probably one of my absolute favorite workouts. It gives you the chance to train like a beast but still feel feminine and beautiful working out. To be able to learn positions and spins on a pole very much comes down to technique, an amazing trainer, and strength. You work every single part of your body, your hands get strong and your calves get shaped. Your core, back, chest, shoulders, legs, … every part of your body gets fit because you have to work with your entire body. Lifting up and stretching out to your toes (just like gymnasts do) is the key to amazing strength and a beautiful body posture. You dance, remember choreographies and it's a load of fun training with a group of fun girls that love to dance, feel beautiful, strong while working out at the same time.

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Words by Luba Lubinskaia

My whole life I was searching for happiness. I hoped that happiness could fill the empty space in my heart. I hoped that I would get this happiness from other people. People that I loved. But that never happened. I was always unhappy. Unhappy with myself.

I grew up in a huge chaos. No family, no home, no safety.

When I was 3 I almost died because I was born in Moldawia and there was a civil war at that time. My mother married a man from germany and we moved here when I was 5.

He was a drinker, a psycho and violent. We had to move almost every year, because he was loosing all his jobs. Meanwhile he hits my mother every day. The reason why he was doing that, is me, he said. In the most important moments of my young life I was always told that I am a piece of shit, that my mum is only in pain because of me, that I am not worth it to be loved. From a very young age I understood that grown ups are bad. They are pretending to see nothing, even if it is right in front of their eyes.

Until I was 13 she didn´t leave him. I was just so tired of living and hoping. I thought, sooner or later, he is going to kill us.

But as tired as I was, I couldn't stop fighting. I was very good at school and was always creative. I had a bunch of good friends, who all had problems at home. Somehow I lived my live.

At the age of 13 he finally tried to rape me. In a very similar way.... he wanted that I believe it was my idea. But I said NO! And told my mother.

She finally kicked him out......my life had begun.

Until I was 22 I struggled a LOT. I never had money, was always partying. I have had bad bad boyfriends, starting with the first love of my live. Total disaster!

I could be so so happy when I was together with my friends or doing art. But beside that I was sad. All my life I am sad. I have this huge hate against myself, I have nightmares, I am very afraid of being left alone...always. But I always had HOPE. I knew that my life is going to be a amazing ride, after I survived all those horrible moments. Although I am kind of weak, I always was STRONG. I was always able to be there for others and give them love and support. I managed my acting studies , fell in love and moved on.

But then I came to an important point.

2012 I had very bad depression. I was almost done but I couldn't finish my acting school. I took a break of 6 months, to go to a therapist and after this 6 months I tried again to finish. I failed again.....my depression just came right back. So I stopped. ( afterwards they fucked me... I have to pay over 2000 Euro for a school year I never took. They had been my family and now they are stealing the money I need for food.)

There have been two options for me:

1. To stay in Munich, without money, without a home and without any future for myself as an artist.

2. Move to Berlin and save myself from depression..... START a new life.....leaving those bad memories behind.

2013 I moved to Berlin. It took 2 years to finally settle down.

BUT I MADE IT!

I have my first real home, where I feel comfortable within the environment and the people. I can spend my time in nature.

Of course it is still not “easy“ when it comes to money, but I don't care too much anymore. I have all I need, I am a the best human I can be at the moment.

So now, I am in the woods for hours, doing yoga and meditation and am no longer afraid. Yoga helps me a lot with my body issues and I can finally get into meditation. That is maybe the most helpful, because my mind is ALWAYS talking to me and my body is weak.

My mind and my heart are open and for the first time in my life I feel  PEACE. Of course there are still depressions, and nightmares and fear. But they aren't stronger than me anymore.

I realized that without my inner peace, living cannot make me happy. It is not about being happy all the time. It is about loving yourself, respecting mother earth and helping others.

My INFINITE LOVE for the planet, art and people, that is what makes me strong. And I am so grateful to myself, that my LOVE was stronger than my HATE.

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FW15 STAFF PICKS

We’ve just released the Fall/Winter 15/16 collection on nikitaclothing.com, and it’s already available at hundreds of retailers worldwide! As you scan the new looks for your favorite pieces we thought we’d share some of our staff’s favorites with you!

Kristin Normansen, Designer/Developer is drawn to the Avant Dress in Plum Perfect Pinstripe. “It feels like high fashion with its vertical stripes. I love the contrast of the androgynous fit with its feminine purple-black color combo.”

Vicki Vasil, our Marketing Manager, loves the Carter Hoodie in jet black.

“This piece is so rock and roll. It’s the perfect alternative to my motorcycle jacket, but versatile enough that I can wear it to the gym too. The functional back zip is #hawt.”

Northwest Sales Rep Laicina Canham’s pick is the Delano shirt. "For the last couple seasons I’ve ordered every colorway of the Delano shirt and now my friends know it as the main staple in my wardrobe! Living life on the road I can wear it snowboarding or with a body con dress, tights and my favorite boots. It’s a no brainer!”

One of our ambassadors, snowboarder and behavioral neuroscience student, Hailee Soderholm was in our office when we were writing this blog, so we asked her favorite is. And same as last season…. “The Boxy hoodie in black. This is by far my favorite hoodie. It’s warm enough to wear on the mountain and comfy enough to keep on all day. A go-to piece for the winter months.

And, finally, from our social and community maven Jenna Kuklinski-

“Oops. I love it all. Here’re two:

The Ragged Jacket- it’s exactly what I want hugged around my face when summer gives way to fall. I love being able to layer long pieces and this jacket lets me do all that I want  while snapping up any pair of slacks and t-shirt that I pair with it.

The Turner Jacket- This jacket makes me want to go hunting, or at least pretend to (since I don’t want to actually shoot anything. Maybe I’ll gather some berries instead.) I can’t wait to throw it on and start wandering through some crisp fall foliage.

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Linda Paluc Tells You How To Succeed

Spring is here. I can feel it in my eyes and nose - my allergies alarm me the moment it arrives. But that shouldn’t be a problem because another great thing comes with spring – my one and only love – Mountain biking.  With this short blog, I would like to help all beginner mountain bikers start their season being as prepared as possible – to avoid injuries and have the highest amount of fun ☺. As every other sport, it requires a certain amount of readiness before you begin the season. There are many different ways you can go about getting ready for biking when spring strikes, but I’ll tell you about mine (which I find to be very fun and enjoyable).

The first rule to follow is – the season is never over! That means you should not throw your bike in the corner as soon as the first snowflakes start to fall. Of course, you should take a brake from biking, but definitely don’t go the whole winter. Whenever the weather allows you, take a spin with your bike, just so you don’t forget how much fun it actually is. It also keeps your level of riding up during the whole “off season”. Other winter sports help you to develop motor skills that are helpful for mountain biking too. For instance, I snowboard a lot during winter which helps me keep those finely-tuned skills.

Another very important thing is to keep your level fitness/condition as high as possible. There are many different ways to achieve that, as we all know, but my favorite is hiking or running in the mountains. Nothing can beat that harmony between workout and the peace in your soul. If you’re not that type of a person, you can just go jogging around the neighborhood or working out in the gym, it also keeps you in shape! I recommend working out at least two times a week. It’s not only great for your personal fitness, but also for your general health, as we all know.

In addition to hiking, I also do cross fit. I’m not a fan of indoor workouts, but it’s just a MUST if I want to stay in perfect shape and condition to ride my bike the way I want to. Though you don’t have to do all of this if you’re just a beginner, but it’s absolutely not bad for you – it only makes things easier when you get out there on a bike! If you decide to add crossfit to your workout, just be sure that you are doing all the exercises right! This is very important so you can avoid risking doing any permanent damage to your joints and muscles. There are many tutorials on the web that can help you learn safe practices with that.

Biking is a very comprehensive sport. By that I mean, it combines the skills you learn from every other sport you do and helps you ride easier. If you were ever a snowboarder or a skier, or even a horseback rider, things on your bike are going to be easier for you. But don’t worry if the beginning seems hard. Practice makes perfect and Rome wasn’t built in a day – so take your time and enjoy every minute with your bike to the max.

Now my time is up and my Specialized Enduro is waiting for me to take him for a spin. I hope that this was helpful and if you have any questions about biking, don’t hesitate to contact me on my Facebook – Linda Paluc.

Enjoy!

Watch the new teaser for Linda’s upcoming Mountain Biking video: Ponytail Trails!

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Katy Caringer Gives You Time to Travel

Words: Katy Caringer, Photo: Carolyn Jaime

As I near the end of my twenties, I admit I have a fear of life’s adventures passing me by, and waking up one day late in life with the question, “What have I done?”

Most young twenty-somethings tend to get trapped in the vicious thought cycle of “once I have more money, more time, and when I’m done taking care of things, then I will go”. You then wake up one day to find you have lost your dreams in order to conserve your days. Without adventure and travel, you live your life in a routine that is both comfortable yet limiting because of your fear of taking risks. By making time for adventure, I have learned that it’s absolutely worth it to take the chances the traveler must take. I’ve never regretted this decision.

With an uncertain economic future facing young adults these days, it makes sense to travel now, instead of saving travel for a future that is in no way guaranteed. To get motivated to make time to travel, here are a few tips I have learned along the way that inspire me to make the time:

1. Don’t wait for others, go solo!

Solo trips can be the best thing you can do for yourself - by getting to indulge fully in yourself, you find out what you are truly capable of. The best part is being on your own schedule; you don’t have to feel obligated to please anyone else but yourself. Adventure always awaits because you never know who you will meet.

Want to go bungee jumping or learn how to snowboard? You can go and not feel guilty that someone is waiting at the bottom for you. Mistakes are truly yours and so are the rewards; it’s a constant learning process with unforgettable memories that you can take with you forever.

2. Check out a new music festival:

There’s always the option of visiting big festivals like Coachella or Bonnaroo that celebrities and big name bands frequent, however I believe finding smaller, more close-knit festivals can be a much better experience. Music festivals are a great way to break up the monotony of everyday life and commitments and see a side of a city or a forest you never knew existed. Less expensive and a great opportunity to meet new people, you can open your mind to new and upcoming music. Most of the biggest musical acts today, all started on those tiny stages tucked away in the corner. Music truly unites people from all walks of life, and dancing next to strangers and good friends can be a perfect way to escape from everyday life.

I just visited a smaller music festival in Austin, Texas this past month called Euphoria Music and Camping Fest, and it was truly a lifetime experience. With the option to camp just outside the grounds for three nights, you literally escape into a world filled with positive energy and no obligations, where you feel a sense of belonging with people you would never meet in your everyday life.

3. Remember to be a real traveler:

I hear from time to time of people taking trips where they get trapped in tourist attractions and never really experience the local culture or leave their own lives when they are there. They try to bring their own world with them wherever they go, moving from hotel to motel, protected by money and credit cards, and don’t truly immerse themselves in the world which they are traveling.

Taking the time to sit with locals and find out where to go and what to do is the best thing you can do, because it leaves you with a unique story to tell. By giving yourself over to the present moment, you experience an everyday life in a completely different place. Their world becomes part of yours.

Travel really is the only thing in life that makes you richer, and making time for it will give you a peace when you are older that is truly priceless. Especially if you haven’t quite found your passion in life just yet, traveling gives you time to reflect on your life questions and decide on your next career choice.

It’s common these days to think bumming around in our twenties for too long is a bit immature or irresponsible , but I also find it crazy to work unfulfilling jobs only to feel like you are doing what you are supposed to do. And if we have the ability to take a break, meander a bit, and reevaluate, then why not take advantage of that opportunity?

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Faye Young Wants to Jib With You

Words: Faye Young. Photos: Florian Trattner

Last month,  Julia Baumgartner (along with the help of Mary Luggen) hosted a girls-only jib contest at a snowboard park in Innsbruck. The weather forecast looked great, so me and my friend Polly made a short car ride from Mayrhofen to join in. Over 30 girls made the effort to come together for a really fun day of shredding. Patscherkofel was easy to get to, being just ten minutes drive from Innsbruck and you can even catch a gondola from the city center to get there. It is a small and quiet resort, so apart from a few local lads the girls had the park to themselves.

The Patscherkofel park is a really fun jib park with lots of nice features. There are sections of open piste between the parks, so you can do some side hits and butter around in between hitting the rail lines. The park is nicely colour-coded based on difficulty, so there is something for everyone. You can stick to the features within your ability or take it up a notch and try something new. That was the great thing about this contest- you really felt like you could try new things and if you did land something cool everyone was cheering and supporting each other.

The competition was a jam format, so no pressure and lots of laps to land tricks. After a morning of practice the jam took place on a section of the park that had a t-bar alongside it so we could get plenty of laps in. The atmosphere throughout the day was amazing, I've never been to a contest that felt this relaxed! The highlight of my day was when every single girl did a full park lap together, it was like being on our own girls-only mountain!

After an hour-long session, all grabbed a deck chair and waited for prize giving. Austrian sisters Katha & Sandra took the top spots after throwing down some really stylish tricks, Katha easily claimed trick of the day with a back board through a triple kink rail! Her sister Sandra also did a steezy nosepress 180 out on the same rail. All of the girls rode really well and everyone left with a nice goody bag and a smile on their face! Hopefully next year will be an even bigger turn out and we can get more girls involved with this girls only rail jam!

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#RoadTrip vibes are strong with this one. @haillesoderholm #NIKITANation

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Laura Lawson Visconti Keeps You Strong

30 Minute Workout to Prep For Your Winter Season. 

What’s happenin’ NIKITA Nation! My name is Laura Lawson Visconti, and I am privileged to be one of the ambassadors repping Nikita! A little about me: I currently live in Portland, Oregon (just a hop skip and a jump from Nikita headquarters!) with my husband Nick Visconti, former professional snowboarder and quintessential mountain man. I am your classic right-brained jack-of-all-trades: personal trainer, artist, author, photographer, social media influencer and overall life lover. I work full-time in downtown Portland as a trainer, helping inspire others to live a healthier, more fulfilling life. My interest in fitness originally spawned out of my love for the outdoors. Moving to the Pacific Northwest a few years ago prompted a lifestyle change, one I know you are familiar with: embracing the outdoors and all the “ings” that come with it: trail running, hiking, bicycling, snowboarding, you name it; I can’t get enough. I always tell my clients that investing in a little time in the gym ensures spending a lifetime outside. And that’s really what it’s all about.

Now that the sun’s out and we’re all hurriedly slapping on some suntan lotion and trying to cover up our white legs (or is that just me…?!) it’s more important than ever to stay fit in these off-season months. If you’re a snowboarder, your summer workouts should emphasize squats, core strength and stability. I went ahead and put together a little routine for you focusing on just that – do this workout 1-2 times per week, and you’ll be progressing next winter faster than you can say handplant. Ready to kill it?

30 Minute Core/Leg Workout

Muscles Engaged: Core, Glutes, Hamstrings, Quads, Calves

Materials Needed: 1 heavier dumbbell (I use 20 lbs), 1 medium weight kettlebell (I use 25 lbs), 1 step or bench, BOSU ball, mat, 2 medium weight dumbbells (I use 15 lbs)

Note: When choosing weights, don’t opt for the lightest one you see, but you also don’t want to choose the one you can barely lift. You should be able to lift the weight for 10 reps without straining your back; it should start feeling super challenging about halfway through. Make sure to keep your core engaged at all times – navel in and back straight; imagine tucking your tailbone under your hips.

Spend at least 5-10 minutes on a killer cardio warmup before you get started. For bonus points, run or bike to the gym instead of hopping on the elliptical and watching Paula Deen. #daytimeTV

Start with 30 seconds of bicycle crunches immediately followed by 30 seconds of mountain climbers. Rest briefly, then repeat.

You’ll want to perform the following strength exercises in a circuit: one immediately followed by the other with minimal rest. This ensures you’re burning fat while simultaneously building muscle. After you’ve completed one set of all three exercises, rest and repeat the circuit two more times.

 Perform 24 dips (12 each side) holding your medium weight dumbbells in either hand, one foot on your step with the other straight in front of you on the ground. Make sure to dip nice and low, while keeping your back straight. Don’t let your front knee pass over your ankle (watch yourself in a mirror if necessary to ensure proper form). Don’t lock your knees when you come up; the movements should be fluid and controlled without resting.

Next, grab your kettlebell and hold it with both hands in front of you, allowing it to hang. Get into sumo squat position: your feet should be wider than hip distance apart with your toes pointed out on either side. Slowly, lower your torso down to the ground, holding the kettlebell with your elbows locked, until it almost touches the floor and you’re sitting in an invisible chair. Raise back up, without locking your knees out, and lower back down without resting. Complete 20 reps in total. Make sure your core stays tight the whole time. For an extra challenge, hold your squat at the bottom for 5 seconds after every 5 reps.

Now let’s challenge those stabilizer muscles and work on your balance. Hop onto a BOSU ball (flat side up) while holding your heavy dumbbell (if you’ve never stepped onto a BOSU before, practice first without the weight). Your feet should be pointing straight ahead on the outer edges of the ball. Hold the weight with both hands and slowly squat down, keeping your chest up and hips down. Make sure you’re squatting through your heels. Get down as low as you can without compromising form, and come up without locking your knees. Complete 20 reps in total.

Rest, then repeat circuit. Aim for three sets total with minimal rest in between. Make sure to have plenty of water on hand!

When you’re done, hop on your mat and make time for some yoga and stretch it out. Try a balancing pose or two. The more you work on your balance, strength, and cardio, the more prepared you’ll be when that first pow day hits. Now let’s get out of the gym and start our summer adventures! Yeewwww!!

For more fitness tips and inspiration from Laura Lawson Visconti, check out her blog at lauralawsonvisconti.com or follow her on Instagram @lauralawsonvisconti

Pictured, I am wearing the ­­­­­­­­­­­­Agave bra top. I love it for hot days in the gym, or a bikram yoga class!

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Get Outside

If you put off an #adventure for when you have, "more time, more money, less responsibility" then it's never going to happen. So do it #now.

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Spring Snowboarding Progression

@hail_sods gets the most out of some sunny rails.

Words: Jenna Kuklinski

Snowboarding through endless open powder fields is every snowboarders daily fantasy- it’s fluffy, it’s fun and makes you feel like a pro who has no limit to their potential. But what about when spring rolls around and the snowboarding feels less like power hour and more like mashed potato dinner? Don’t pack up your gear just because your insulated jacket has become too stuffy- bust out the windbreakers and get ready for the season’s second progression session: Spring Riding.

Spring is for the people. The hard-charging winter is over and everyone who’s still out riding is on the slopes simply to have fun. It’s the time to learn weird grabs, floppy flat-land tricks and master the quarter-pipe. You get the same forgiving riding conditions of a powder day without the guilt of knowing there are fresh powder-loaded cornices you should be dropping.

Here are three tricks to master in the slushy spring-time (in no particular order):

Handplants

Do you know how many times you fall on your face when learning how to handplant? A lot. You have to go fast, you have to get your feet above your head and then get them back below yourself again. It’s tough. Always use your core- that’s why you have abs. Guaranteed, one of the best days you’ll ever have is sessioning a quarter-pipe with your friends and taking turns trying to plant your hand on top of the lip. People will be penguin-sliding left and right, but- no harm, no foul. You’ll find yourself unstrapping and hiking back up to try again in no time at all. 

Backside 180’s (or for those who already have that and their 360’s down-- back 500. It’s basically the same thing, as show by Eero Ettala and Heikki Sorsa in this throwback Transworld Trick Tips clip).

If you don’t have the back 180 down yet, spring time is the right time to get it dialed. We get it- you’re spinning blind and terrified of catching your back edge. But you know what makes that better? Knowing that catching your back edge won’t be all that bad (because let’s face it- it will happen. many times). Push yourself beyond your comfort level. If you aren’t falling, you’re not learning.

Double Tail

Got your tail grab down? Great, now double it up. Two hands are better than one, and a double-tail grab looks even sicker than a single. The most difficult part of this trick is going to be landing both hands on the back of your board at the same time (duh), so keep doing it until you have it on lock. Pop off the lip of the jump, grab the tail with your back hand and stick your front hand back there too. You’ll be twisting more than a normal-handed grab, so be ready to adjust accordingly for when you land. Think: Pop, grab, land- don’t try to do everything off the jump at once.

Sure, it can take a while to master these tricks, but you’ll be rolling through the snow laughing at yours (or your friend’s) latest attempt and forgetting about the fact you ever thought they were, “intimidating” to begin with. That’s what snowboarding is all about anyway, right? Having a good time.

Do you have any favorite spring-riding tricks to master? Share in the comments- we’d love to hear about them.

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Nikita Fun Run Recap

For five days 

Tremulous skies threatened to downpour on Portland. To rain. As March 28th approached, the forecast flip-flopped between boasting predictions of sunny skies and soggy afternoons. Finally, the day arrived. The skies were filled with patches of sun and white fluffy clouds-- and not a drop of rain in sight. Nature had given it’s blessing to the first ever Nikita Just For Fun Run here in Portland, OR.

Laura Lawson Visconti was one of the many that showed up for the day of activities, bringing along a few more friends and a lot of energy to get the run going. She lead the enthusiastic group in a series of pre-race stretches, ensuring everyone was safely warmed up to begin the run!

This wasn’t just any normal 5K- fans who joined us for the #NikitaFunRun were in store for a lot more than a jog through the neighborhood. Local businesses partnered with Nikita to host the event, putting together mini-challenges at a total of five different stops along the run route. Runners had to visit each stop, complete the mini-challenge and receive a “task completed” wrist-band before continuing on to the next stop. Challenges consisted of such high-skill-based trials like: The Hula Hoop Walk, Corn Hole Toss and Frisbee Golf Challenge.

As each person crossed the finish line they were met with cheers, high-fives and (for those over 21) a nice cool Basecamp Beer, kindly served up by evo. After everyone completed the run, Clutched Key Collective began taking people through the steps of tie-dye and shibori. While the running portion of the day was over, there was still a snowboard to win and tons of give-aways to raffle off (See our Facebook page for more photos from the event!).

The giveaways went fantastically, with amazing items from Nikita, Next Adventure and Basecamp getting raffled off to the animated crowd. Giveaways culminated with the announcement of the winner of the Instagram contest (and soon-to-be owner of a new Nikita Chikita snowboard). @prairiechicken; aka Amie, a visitor from Canada, took home the grand prize!

Everyone gathered together after the raffle for one final group photo. Sweaty smiles (and a few birthday wishes) were abound in the group as everyone gathered together in high spirits. As people filtered out of the evo parking lot, there were more high-fives, hugs and grins being exchanged between all who were there. The day was an amazing success, and not even one drop of rain fell the entire time.

Stay tuned for more Nikita events! The requests for more events has been heard and there may well be something coming your way soon...

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Haille Soderholm Gets You Prepped

Tips to keep your life in order as a snowboarder while traveling, competing, and going to school. 

Words: Haille Soderholm

As we all know, life has a tendency to get a little hectic sometimes. Trying to balance a snowboard career while being a full-time college student on top of everything else has basically turned my life into a traveling circus. So here I have come up with a few tips and tricks I use to at least try and keep my life in order! Whether you are an aspiring snowboarder, or just a travel-crazed person, these tips are sure to help keep your life in order when bouncing from one place to the next.

 Airports are the perfect place for power naps. 

1. Keep deodorant in your backpack. Always. One day, you are going to have to go straight from the mountain to class, or dinner, or to the airport and you will thank me for this. I don’t care where you are, it is never acceptable to smell like a homeless snowboard bum, and having deodorant handy will do wonders.

2. Have at least two toothbrushes. Having a crazy busy life means you are inevitably going to forget things. I learned this after forgetting my toothbrush at home on at least 10 trips and being too busy practicing and competing to go buy a new one. Gross, I know. Luckily, I learned from this and now keep one toothbrush permanently at home, and one permanently in my travel bag. Problem solved.

3. Make a mental checklist of the necessities before you leave on a trip. I really mean only the necessities. Anything that you need to snowboard with should go on this list, and everything else- leave it out. My list consists of my Nikita Krystall Snowboard, boots, outerwear, helmet, goggles, beanie, headphones, phone (and charger), and wallet. Those are all I need to ride and everything else I can survive without.

Friends and Flavor-Blasted Goldfish; the bare necessities.

4. Do homework in the morning. If you are anything like me, you may have noticed it hard to concentrate or get anything productive done after 3pm. It’s proven that our minds work more efficiently in the morning hours which is why I’ve made a habit of waking up early and hammering out homework before heading to the mountain. Getting things done early leaves for a full day of worry-free shredding!

Balancing a crazy life of shredding, hitting the road, and getting an education can be pretty stressful sometimes. But I promise, if you follow these few tips your life may just get a little bit easier!

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Kazusa Nishii Makes You Better

I don't care  

How much weight you want to lose.

That’s right, I don't care.

Over the years, I've run into so many girls who are  unsure of their ability to do  this type of high intensity workout program. "I don't know if I want to lift weights and to work out with the "guys.""

They walk in when their self-esteem is low and their intimidation high. They walk in saying that their only goal is to "lose weight."

As a Crossfit coach, I've learned from my own insecurities. I to try to  focus on empowering other women by having them not focus on the number on the scale.

Why did I become a coach? I became a coach because I realized Crossfit was a program that worked for me and continues to work for me to this day. I want other people to experience that.

As a woman, it's hard not to focus on being a stick-thin supermodel. In most western cultures, we all focus on wanting to be thin. Crash dieting and eating next-to-nothing is what we’re used to do.

Now enter CrossFit-

A training program that focuses on strength and metabolic conditioning (the best of both worlds in my opinion). We do a variety of different types of lifting: power and Olympic lifting combined with a variety of different disciplines of cardio conditioning and gymnastic-type body weight movements  set under a time modality. The goal is to do the workout as fast as you can while making sure you have the correct form and all movements are done with complete range of motion.

In my coaching I focus on form vs. heavy weight, but my ultimate goal is to make people feel comfortable in an uncomfortable situation.  Most women have never picked up a barbell or  lifted a kettlebell. Some have never done a pull-up or push-up. Others have never even worked out before in their life. What they all have in common is that they’re extremely intimidated.

If you are one of the millions of women who come in wanting to lose weight, just know that we don't focus on the number on the scale. Instead, we focus on very measurable standards in work-outs and how your clothes fit.

Once I started focusing on my goals at hand, (I.e. being able to do five strict pull-ups, or get ten legit push-ups without needing rest) is when I saw the results to go with it. I didn't worry about the scale anymore.

This same thing goes for most women.  I've seen time and time again that when I focus on a skill-goal with a client who works hard to achieve that goal, they are transformed. They go from being insecure with themselves to becoming a confident and happy individual. Their bodyweight becomes a non-issue and their attitude changes and molds into that of an athlete.

This is what I thrive on. The success of everyone who works to achieve a skill they not only dreamed of doing, but because of it, they are confident in who they are. This translates to them living a better, fuller and happier life. When someone finds their inner athlete, that is what makes me truly happy to be a coach.