Ski filmmaker, Rage Films, has signed a deal with The Ski Channel to distribute both exclusive and non-exclusive content through Time Warner Cable’s Video on Demand service. In addition, the deal includes an investment from The Ski Channel into Rage Films with the option to buy the company outright at a future date. They will also be a major sponsor on the yearly Rage Film Tour.

Congrats to Rage Films. While they’re aren’t quite on the same level as say Poorboyz or MSP, they’ve consistently produced some of the sickest ski films year in and year out and deserve the success they’re having. This gives them a great opportunity to expand outside their usual audience onto the biggest media platform imaginable, the TV.

It will be great for the sport of skiing as well; aside from Fuel TV most channels only show oldschool skiing that is quite frankly very lame and makes the sport look ridiculous. Now when you tell someone you’re a skier maybe, just maybe they won’t have that stereotypical racer in neon spandex cruising down the groomers pictured in their mind. Skiing has come a long way in the last 10 years and no longer deserves the gaper stereotype.

I can only hope this turns into the a nice liquidity event for them later down the road and I’m expecting big things out of Rage with the new capital infusion. I have included the trailer from their latest flick, Enjoy, for your viewing pleasure… Enjoy.

The Artec Project, once a sub-series of Elan Snowboards, is now being announced as an independent snowboard company simply called Artec Snowboards. Originally conceived in 2004, The Artec Project has picked up several awards in recognition of innovative triumphs including the patented Omega Sidecut and Artec Blueprint.

The ‘08 collection will be available this fall featuring 8 different models for freestyle riders. There will be two pro model series for Artec riders Gabe Taylor and Laura Hadar. The rest of the Artec pro team consists of Nima Jalali, Jake Devine, Gus Engle and Johnny Miller. Not exactly the all-start team found in companies like Burton but not a horrible team either. I should mention that we’d never expect an all-star team from a startup though. Not only do they not have funds to support it but often times the top-notch riders don’t want their names associated with an unproven brand.

Elan has never really achieved a high level of success with either snowboarding or skiing. Their products have always been sub-par and often times associated with the ‘barney’ image. It will be interesting to see if Artec can breakaway from those stereotypes and become a core brand. The company currently has no website but says one will be available in September at http://www.artecsnowboards.com.

Artec Snowboards