Dash and Kix Kamp: No, despite the cute names, they’re not the latest invention of the Disney Channel or some comic book writer, but even at the young ages of 15 and 10, respectively, these brothers from Sandpoint have already established themselves as unreal. Unreal snowboarders, that is.
Dash started riding when he was six years old, and the first trick he pulled was a 360 at age eight. His little brother Kix started snowboarding only two years ago, and already his favorite trick is a 540. The brothers have big goals for this season: Dash wants to dial in his backside “cab 9”, and Kix wants to get another rotation out of his air time for the 720. Which brother is better? “Dash,” says Kix, “but not for long.”
The brothers both rocked their way through competitions last season. Their favorite place to compete is North Star at Lake Tahoe, where Dash took 7th in the slopestyle competition out of 84 in his age group, and Kix took 3rd in the slalom race for the 8-9 year olds. Better add another wing to the family trophy case, right Mom and Pop?
What kind of gear gets these two down the mountain, medals and trophies in tow?
Snowboard: Kix rides a Rome label 134. “It’s really noodly-that means it flexes a lot,” he says. Dash will be riding this year on a new Twilight 155 board from High Society Freeride, a custom snowboard maker his dad found on a business trip to Colorado. “I don’t know how he did it, but he convinced them to sponsor me,” and after his successful season last year, “they knew I was ligit,” he says.
Bindings: Burton Custom Poncho Villas for the brothers.
Boots: ThirtyTwo brand for both, Ultralights for Dash. “They’re super, super light, they’re the lightest boost ever,” he says, and according to their website, it’s truth.
Coat: The brothers are lucky enough to be sponsored by Oakley (among others), who provides their outerwear. Dash just got his new Crevasse jacket in a limited edition color. “I’ve been getting sample stuff for a while, and it’s like, whoa, I’m the only one with this stuff, so it’s cool,” Dash says. “All the gear they give me is so durable and slick.”
Kix has been wearing Oakley Ultimate jacket in black. “The size small is too big for me,” he says, so he wears it puffy in true snowboarder style.
Pants: Dash wears the White pants by Oakley, and Kix wears black Vaporize pants by Oakley to complete his black bomber look.
Layers: “I don’t need to bundle up that much because my black stuff keeps me really warm,” says Kix. Dash says he wears an Oakley fleece “and sometimes Chilis on really cold days.”
Gloves: Dash alternates between a pair of Burtons and a pair of Sessions. “It depends on which ones aren’t wet the next morning.” Kix wears Dakine gloves.
Helmet, or hat? Helmets-“they’re the smart way to go,” says Dash, who uses an R.E.D. helmet in yellow. Little brother Kix sports the Burtons R.E.D Hi-Fi mp3 compatible helmet that lets him pump his hip hop all day long. Also handy for drowning out older brothers on long road trips to competitions, right Kix?
Goggles: Oakley, obviously. Dash sports the Oakley Crowbar goggles in emerald. “They look really cool and they fit my face, plus the lens is just out of control good,” he says. Kix is pumped about his new Crowbar goggles, too, which he got in yellow.
But how does ten-year-old Kix remember all that gear? “Coach,” he says. The brothers ride together with their coach, Nate Wagner, almost every day at Schweitzer. “We usually take our stuff in a backpack and leave the backpack in the park,” Dash says. Keep an eye out for the new Dakine camera bag they’ll be sporting as they shoot film, making themselves even more famous this year.
