The end of 2008 and the beginning of 2009

I hope everyone had a safe New Year’s Eve and a good time! I’m definitely looking forward to what 2009 brings: Friends, snow, trips to snow, snowboarding, blogging…everything!
So just to give an idea of what 2008 was like for the blog:

• In terms of site traffic, 2008 was a good year. I received 374,376 page loads, 218,455 unique visitors, and 48,368 returning visitors. I had 91 people sign up for the monday newsletters (only one of those is a family member).

• My blog has reached 131 countries around the world.

• I made a total of 493 posts in 2008. That’s about 1.35 posts per day.

• The most popular posts were the Industry Profiles, Snowboard & Binding Reviews and all the upcoming product posts that came out of SIA and demos.

• Shayboarder.com now has pictures, writing and videos coming from just me. I’ve always been the editor, photographer, creative thinker and snowboarder. My friends are great sources of information and I’m happy they look good on camera.

• My own personal highlights from this year.
  • Going to the Oakley Photoshoot at Copper, meeting people I am in awe of and being able to take photos and write about such a cool event.
  • Going riding with Tj Schneider, his crew, my crew at Breck. It was fun and it was hanging out with with someone I admire as a person. I told him I sucked and he told me he sucked…but we had fun sucking.
  • I am still getting used to being recognized, I’m just a blogger and a girl who shreds so it’s rad and insane that people recognize me but great that people are stoked on the blog and what I do.
  • The whole Jackson Hole trip over Labor Day, meeting rad people. I spent more getting there and home but man it was worth it.
  • I visited a variety snowboard companies, that is always rad.
  • Finding my voice. Part of the reason I work so hard at this blog is because I’ve had people that used to be in my life tell me I couldn’t do anything, that I was nothing. Those people and anyone who is a negative influence, have pushed me to where I am today…to prove them wrong and show that I have a voice.
  • The freelance writing away from the blog. My writing from here has opened up opportunities that are a dream for me. It requires starting from the bottom and working my way up…which I am game for.

• My hard work was awarded in the daily emails from readers, comments and meeting readers in person. My readers vary from snowboard industry to the first time snowboarder.

What is coming up in 2009:

• I’ll be releasing information on the new shayboarder.com. Right now in the process of transferring over thousands of photos, organizing and getting the site completed before I launch it. There will be some changes and I’m working to finalize them. I made sure to keep my same look to the new site and I hope you guys like it.

• SIA is approaching. I’ll be attending SIA as press from January 26-30th to check out what is new from companies. I’ll be doing video, photos and write-ups while I’m in Vegas at SIA.  Because I work to keep a positive relationship with companies, I won’t be releasing the posts by company until I have approval from them. Luckily, most companies are cool with giving the public a heads up on what’s coming out.

• For snowboard & binding reviews, I’ll be finishing up the 08-09 reviews this month and getting ready for the 09-10 reviews that will start coming in mid-February.

• I’ve got some articles I’ve been writing for months that I’ll be putting up, interviews with various people on various subjects and still a lot of creativity flowing for what to write about.

• Visiting more snowboard companies. Got two lined up in the future.

• Summer 2009…Industry Profiles are coming back. I’m already talking to industry people and acquiring the interviews so you guys get a chance to find out about more industry jobs and what it took for them to get in. Also if you have anyone in mind or someone you know who would be up for it, let me know by emailing me. Last summer I did 30 interviews, this summer I’ll plan for the same amount.

• Lots of Snowboarding and writing about it.

• Meeting more readers of the blog, I look forward to that.