Let me take a second to setup my digital soap box...

This may seem odd to you, after my rant about how downloading snowboard movies is wrong, but I was left with mixed feelings after seeing the new Mack Dawg movie on sale for $45 at the Toronto Ski and Snowboard Show. Don't get me wrong...I'm still not advocating piracy (it's wrong, kids), but how can anyone be expected to take in all of this years amazing shred flicks on a budget the includes lift tickets and lodge lunches?

This led me back to something that's been on my mind since the advent of digital home viewing: DVDs (we'll ignore laser discs). Wasn't part of the move to DVD because of all the space on the discs? Early TV show DVDs made sense, with upwards of 15 episodes of a show crammed onto one disc for easy viewing, until some realized they could spread them out and make more money (you can't tell me the original Tranformers series, which is definitely not DVD-quality, is worth $75 for 5 episodes). Some shows still make it worth your money (thank you 30 Rock), putting an entire season on 2 discs, so I know it's possible.

My point: I'd like to see all the old shred flicks, now relegated to my dusty VHS shelf, brought back to life on DVD. And I don't mean as individual $45 DVDs, because I know those things aren't digital quality and I doubt they have 17 hours of bonus footage that we don't want to see. No, I'd like to see the back catalogues of FLF and Mack Dawg released as maybe two volumes each, crammed with old-school snowboard goodness. They could easily put 3, 4, even 5 movies on a disc. Most people wouldn't even want to seem them remastered, as they'll lose some of that nostalgia feeling that still makes you dust off the VCR.

I'd like to think there's two markets for this: the aging rider and the kids who are curious about these videos they hear about but have never seen. The VCR has been shelved for lack of space, so all my old movies are sitting dormant. The price of an Elton John concert ticket tells me that old people have money, and some kids are wondering what VHS is, and why the old guy at the shop keeps talking about this Jamie Lynn guy.

I've gone so far as considering to copy Roadkill from VHS to digital myself, since if it's not available for sale in any other form, I can't see anyone getting pissed so long as I'm not giving it away or profiting from it (or maybe it's on DVD already...but I doubt the legitimacy). All I'm saying is give me a chance to buy it at a reasonable price and value, and my money is yours.

Making money and doing something good for the history of snowboarding. Sounds good to me. You hear me Dugan and Dawger? Get on it!