For the past four years, Never Summer Industries and Breckenridge Brewery have teamed up to welcome the new season with a custom designed snowboard. Always one of our "Things To Do" events this time a year, we have had the chance to attend all the previous parties. The event itself has become a rite of passage amongst snowboard and skiing enthusiasts as well as the beer drinkers of our fair state.

It's this time of year that we get together with our friends at Never Summer to prepare for Opening Day of the winter sports season. Opening Day isn't just a day, though; it's a living, breathing, mini-season that varies by region. It's celebrated across the country with events throughout November and into December. 

They are officially kicking off Opening Day in Denver on Saturday, November 5th, at the Punch Bowl Social. Plan to join the party and enter to win the first of the snowboard giveaways. From 5:00 - 10:00 pm they will be serving up Breck beer with live music from MF Ruckus. Never Summer is celebrating its 25th anniversary, and they'll be showing their new full-feature film. Be sure to check out Nick Hughes' art exhibit & play some games with friends while you're there.

So, put those golf clubs and fishing poles aside and bring out your snowboards and skis for a fresh wax courtesy of 7Twenty Boardshop. It's a free parking lot party you won't want to miss!

We had a chance to catch up with Nick Hughes who designed this years board and asked him a few questions about how the idea came to be and a little bit of his background.

(U5280) How long have you been designing and tell us a little about yourself (background).

 (Nick) I've been an artist and designer for about 10 years now. I started getting really serious about art in college and got a studio in downtown Denver right after graduating. Nowadays I work primarily as a large-scale designer, designing vehicle wraps and graphics for interior and exterior walls. However, my background is in large scale painting and digital art.

(U5280) How did you get involved in this series?
(Nick) I did a pretty cool piece for Breckenridge Brewery's Agave Wheat beer a while back. After that they asked me if I wanted to have my artwork featured on the board this year, and I couldn't say no.

(U5280) What was the inspiration for this series and design?
(Nick) I really wanted this board to scream Colorado, from the old west to today. You could say the girl is just like Colorado: outdoorsy, classy, bold, and beautiful.

(U5280) Do you snowboard yourself?
(Nick) Absolutely. That is one of the great privileges of growing up in Colorado.

(U5280) Who are some of your influences in the design world?
(Nick) The design world is a bit bland and predictable these days so I focus more on the art world. And with that said I like what the illustrators James Jean and Tomer Hanuka have done the past few years.

(U5280) How much work goes into the process of designing a snowboard?
(Nick) On some designs I can jump right in and get an idea out in one sitting. Other times I spend weeks on a design gathering reference material, sketching out compositions, creating linework, coloring, shading and refining everything as I go.

(U5280) If you could help design or be part of a large project what would it be and why?
(Nick) I have always had the idea of wrapping one of those crazy angular rooms in the Denver Art museum from floor to ceiling with artwork printed on vinyl. I think it would be really great if you entered the room and you were basically inside of the artwork itself because it was that big. That would be the most extreme version of digital art that I can think of. 

(U5280) Finally what is your favorite Breck Brew?
(Nick) Agave Wheat, hands down.