Sessions has some sick new stuff for next season. I thought they got some new patterns, whatever. To say the least I was wrong, they got some full on new innovative things going on in outerwear and Chris Ellsworth, Design Lead, took us through the latest and greatest at Sessions

SR: What's new for the 2009-2010 season at Sessions? CE: To continue to push the envelope with innovations. We have 2 ISPO innovations in outerwear award winners. The Hidden Mitten which we had such great success in our soft shell program that they asked if we could put in outerwear and I said "Yea, I can do it"

SR: Is the Hidden Mitten an alternative to gloves, like do you not wear gloves anymore? CE: No it's like if you forgot your gloves or you are going to be on your phone, taking pictures and you don't want to have to worry about gloves, just slide in, slide out and not drop them.

SR: Or it's warm CE: Or it's warm and you only want gloves when riding and not on the chairlift up

CE: We also won an ISPO award for the Breakaway Pant. It's a system pant with like a track pant liner but you can take the track pant liner out while you're riding. You can remove a layer of clothing while you're riding. You don't have to stop, take your boots off or even you board take your board off.

SR: So you can just wear the inner layer driving up to the mountain? CE: ¦Yep and when you get to the mountain, put on the outer pant, then when you get hot as the day warms up, you can head to the car and take off the inner pant. SR: So you don't have to do the deal in the parking lot, you know change from your street clothes! CE: Nope, you don't have to get cold changing, you can stay warm. Then when you are done riding you are comfortable for the ride home or apres.

SR: So both the Hidden Mitten and the Breakaway pant won an award at ISPO, what's ISPO? CE: ISPO its Europe's version of SIA, which dwarfs SIA, it's huge, itâ's like 4 halls the size of SIA.

SR: So when is Sessions are winning the awards? CE: Next week, it's been on TV over there, we have gotten some good press out of it

CE: We got a tight relationship with Metallica. Lars contacted us just this last summer and said "Joel, I need something I can play drums in; I get so hot in my jeans. I am too old to wear shorts on stage, what can you give us, we know you make breathable fabrics and everything" We were thinking he doesn't want breathable fabrics but if we made some first layer stuff and styled it out like jeans. Lars has ordered like 6 pairs of these things. He wears our first layer when he plays all his shows styled out like jeans and that inspired us to do this; like the tuxedo t-shirt of pants SR: That's pretty sick, is that what Lars wears? CE: No he has one where we patch on the pockets

SR: Are you going to sell that too? CE: The one that he wears?

SR: Yea CE: I want to but it hasn't been pushed forward, we're going to see how this does. The reaction has been good so far.

SR: Anything else new? CE: We have a denim collection with three fits; a baggy collection, a loose fit and a slim fit.

SR: Are they waterproof? CE: Yep and 100% cotton so it's environmentally friendly

SR: Wait, cotton is not waterproof CE: Yea, cotton is kind of not waterproof but we put a 10,000 mm coating on the back and we blast this shit out of it with VWR coating on the front. I would not wear these when it's raining but when I go up and it's not dumping powder or raining, I wear my denim.

SR: Basically anywhere in California on a sunny day? CE: Absolutely! They break in, they wear in, they fade in and they wash in just like your regular denim so they become unique to you and how you wear them

Also for next season surf trunks for snow shredding

SR: What's with the Metallica outerwear? CE: True Band Co-op, it's one of our co-ops. We did co-op and co-merchandising pieces with Skullcandy. We've been doing one for a few years with Boarding for Breast Cancer, we also do one with Snowboard Outreach Society as well. So this year with music being such a big part of our heritage and history, Joel knows the guys from Metallica; he's been snowboarding with the guys and knows the band manager and it was like why don't we hook this up. Metallica said "We want the music to be loud" so you get an amp, power speakers in the hood, Skullcandy five button control so you can control any device that you have and not just an I-pod. Metallica had to approve the badges, the style, the color, the fabrics, the materials; they did everything. So this is a true band co-op.

SR: So if you go to Squaw Valley you could possibly see Kirk Hammett riding around in the Sessions Metallica jacket? CE: Yep

The outside of the booth

Joel Gomez of Sessions and of course Tara Dakides Check out Andrew Miller and Joe Carters photos of the Sessions sponsored shows at SIA featuring the Metallica cover band Damage Inc www.snowboard-revolution.com/news/SIA-Tradeshow-2009-_-Day-Two.html

  www.sessions.com