Vote Shaun Neff for mayor of Candyland

I've been a fan of Neff Headwear for quite sometime. In fact, I think most of the 07-08 lineup is dope (read Jet Set Pack, cut and sew t-shirts). But since when did clothes look more like an episode of Sesame Street projectile vomited all over 'em? Don't get me wrong, I have my fair share of zany t's and more than my fair share of over-the-top sneakers. But it seems like this year's crop of fall fashions were dipped in a vat of neon paint. Bright colors are rad, but where do you draw the line here? Allow me to suggest a fashion guideline. Use all-over prints sparingly. Limit your daily kit to ONE (1) dayglo, or all-over item. If you're rocking more than that, you've crossed the line to excessorizing. If you expect anyone to take your setup seriously, heed these guidelines- unless you're vying for Lieutenant Governor of Funkytown.

It's in ink: 07/08 snowboard trailers prove skiing looks stupid.

I'm a skier. I always have been and probably always will be. In fact I'll probably never ride a single day on a snowboard in my life. I was e-surfing around last night and came across a few of the snowboarding movies slated to drop in a few weeks. But I came to a daunting conclusion. Snowboarding is so much cooler than skiing. You think I'm lying? Check out Absinthe films new trailer, OPTIMISTIC? Absinthe always brings the whole package- stunning footy, great music, and killer locales. I hate to say this, but I get more stoke to ski from watching snowboarding movies than I get from the ham-fisted skiing flicks that drop every year.

Snowboarders just know how to flow a line down the mountain and make it look effortless, almost surreal. Watch a good rider in a Mack Dawg flick and take note how riders like MFM or Travis Rice jib and tap anything in their path. It's less a mode of transportation and more of an artistic reflection that embodies the attitude of the rider. Most skiers just aren't at that point yet. I'm waiting for the season where skiers transcend that line.

There are very few skiers that inspire me these days. Just to shout out to these chosen few, I can always watch a clip of Eric Pollard's surfy, obviously snowboard-inspired, riding style. Pep Fujas always kills it, whether he's no-poling on YouTube clips, or shredding in Austria. Of course, Tanner Hall continues to raise the bar of how to lay it down on two planks. Chris Biollo brings it raw as well. These dudes get me stoked, but that's about it. Check out the Trailer for Eric Iberg's film IDEA. These guys seem to get where the sport needs to go. Until then, skiing will have to borrow pages from snowboarding's radical style guide.

CrankWorx Showcases the latest insane MTB trickery

If you haven't been watching the progression of Mountain Biking in the last few years, you've been missing out. Freeride mountain biking takes a blend of freestyle motocross moves, a little BMX, and a whole lotta cojones, to bring a crazy sport that's going bigger than ever before. This week, all the top guns in the freeride world compete for cash and glory at Crankworx in Whistler, BC. Expect huge, airs, big spins, go-for-broke flips, and plenty of after-hours tomfoolery. Most of the competitors in the field aren't even old enough to get a driver's license, yet they'll stomp a 360-tailwhip over a road gap or a 35-foot tabletop like it's their job. The real cash and glory goes to the winner of the Kokanee Slopestyle course. Riders session the bottom section of Whistler's bike park, showcasing the latest and greatest tricks. This event has a $20,000 purse. Not bad for an afternoon.

Break out the bean dip, X Games 13 starts in less than a week.

Last year Travis Pastrana earned more X Games hardware than your local Home Depot normally carries. What can't this kid do? He threw it down the rally course, beating out rally legend Colin McRae, and DC Shoe Mastermind Ken Block. Trav shocked the world with the double-backflip in Moto X Best Trick. The list goes on.

I just know I'm stoked to all the mind-blowing trickery all the athletes have up their sleeves. I'm also stoked at the progression of action sports and the fact that these kids can start making mad money doing what they love. Truth be told, I'm kinda jealous. I had big dreams of making it huge as a pro-athlete when I was a bit younger and had less regard for my ligaments and joints. Some might argue that as multi-national corporations start coughing up sponsorship dollars for these huge events, action sports becomes the very thing it was out to escape- indivualism and youth culture. Yo, if someone told me they pay me a 100g or more to travel all over the world to ski, I'd be on that in no time. If that's selling out, I'll gladly rock my Mountain Dew bottle or whatever anytime someone sticks a camera in my face.

Watch The Games on ESPN, ESPN2, and ABC starting Friday, August 3. Scope EXPN.com for updates and rider bios.

New Wake Vests Make you look like a superhero (even if you suck at wakeboarding)

Let me preface this entry with a little disclaimer: I SUCK at wakeboarding.

O'Neill makes some of the raddest boardshorts on the market. Their Superfreak series features panels of neoprene and taped seams to keep you chafe free for a day of riding (or posing in my case). Although they're great boardshorts, they could be a tad longer.

I'm really stoked on O'Neill's wake vests for this season. They're built ultra-slim so you can dial those handle passes that keep you from nailing your backside 3s. I tried on the Gooru Vest the other day. I'm not gonna lie this thing is Dope. It kinda looks like bat armor mixed with kevlar body armor 50 Cent might wear. The vest is super-padded too, so if you're trying out your jibbing and you take a digger, you're far less likely to break your ribs.

Smith Sunglasses: New Fashion-Forward Sliders

I never thought I'd see the day when Smith would step up and make some shades that are as fashionable as they are functional. Well, that day has finally come. Smith's new installment in the Slider line, dubbed the Interlocks, bring a fresh look from the days of the Buzzsaw's and the Toasters. Don't get me wrong here, I cherished my Buzzsaw's until they met their untimely demise on a trail ride. (I even custom painted em with a rad night camo job). All paint-jobbery aside, the new interlocks feature a cam-locking system to release the lens rather than the usual drop-in interface the standard Slider series has. If you're a dyed-in-the-wool Smith fan, scope out the Interlocks.

Oakley steps up and makes some cool sunglasses for chicks

Oakley's made some pretty rad sunglasses in the past. They've made some really horrible ones too. Remember the Over-The-Tops? Oakley claims to have some of the best glasses in the game. Heck, all the lenses stop shotgun blasts from 15 feet. As great as the optics are on Oakley Eyewear, they've always pushed the I-don't-know-if-this-is-cool-or-just-really-too-much fashion envelope. They're starting to come around with some more sensible frames while maintaining those legendary optics that seem to scratch when you clean the lenses with anything except the magic bag they come in. All jokes aside, I'm pretty stoked on the summer line-up of women-specific Oakley's. I really like the Speechless frames. They look like Jackie-O shades with Oakley lenses. If I was a chick, I'd probably get a pair.

Nike Steps into extreme sports (AGAIN)

Although the Nike Dunk SB's are probably some of the best shoes on the planet, Nike continues to dabble into the ever-growing arena of core sports (or EXXTREEEEME sports). Nike's shelled out some big dollars to create some pretty impressive marketing and they've gathered a pretty respectable pro team under their youth-driven Nike 6.0 Line. They have a team of Mountain Bike freeriders, a few wake boarders, and a couple of skiers too. If the 6.0's are half as comfortable as the cherished SB dunks, it's on like Donky Kong.

RuffWear Dog Boots: Guaranteed to make most normal dogs go ballistic

Ruffwear makes some pretty cool stuff for dog owners that are into active sports. Most of the materials are super heavy duty-- they'll probably last more than the lifetime of your pooch. Ruffwear makes traveling with your dog a lot easier and safer (for your dog and you). I was into the product line until I stumbled onto the Bark'n Boots Grip Trex. Then I started wondering what kind of pet owner would be bold enough to put Vibram-soled boots onto Fido. Knowing all the dogs I've owned, the last being a Beagle (RIP Daisy), Every single dog I've owned would have gone nuts if some foreign object became quite securely attached to its paws. Maybe If you're running the Iditarod or you're out at Craters of the Moon on some really gnarly lavarock. Other than that, it's a bit of over kill. I get it. You love your dog.