Boosting out the pipe and onto the cover of this month’s Whitelines is Japanese ripper Kazu. It’s the first pipe shot we’ve run on the cover in over four years and we hope you agree it’s a beauty. In keeping with the spring issue theme, there’s an article about the snowboard scene in Australia which might inspire you to continue the shred this summer. It seems hard to believe that the land of crocodiles and bush fires has snow, but as Aussie local John Matkovic explains, the gum tree covered mountains and well groomed parks are well worth a visit. This month’s interview is with Nelson Pratt, a man who usually steers clear of the media circus but who is without doubt one of the most stylish and talented riders this country has ever produced. We spoke to Nelson about why he’s flown under the radar, how he had the balls to tackle an 80 ft gap jump in a war zone and what he puts in his ‘frankfurter surprise’. Elsewhere in the mag, ‘Changing of the Guard’ looks at the growing rivalry between Shaun White and Burton team mate Kevin Pearce, which came to a head at the recent European Open. Has Shaun White’s reign as undisputed comp champ come to an end? Finally, we visited New York for Red Bull’s latest mega event, ‘Snowscrapers’, in which 16 of the world’s best competed on a specially constructed hip for $100,000 prizemoney.

Don’t miss your last fix of Whitelines for this season. The Spring Issue is on sale now.