Humanity Snowboards is a small, local online snowboard company based in Rialto, California. It was founded in 2008 by three owners who wanted to create a business focused on community involvement and charitable efforts, not just profits. The company sponsors snowboarders through its "Humanitarian" program, offering discounted gear in exchange for volunteering or promoting the sport. Humanitarians help underprivileged kids learn to snowboard, make promotional videos, and support other snowboard-related nonprofits. The owners also help causes like Kiva and try to make the sport accessible to urban youth through videos and partnerships. They manufacture boards locally using sustainable bamboo materials.

2. INLAND LIVING
MAGAZINE VOLUME 3, ISSUE 3
contents
18 ENTREPRENEURS · Rialto snowboard
company practices Humanity
TASTE · Elegance and comfort food
21 are served at Cafe Montclair
24
WINE · Expressive, affordable
selections for spring
28 HEALTH . As technology evolves,
medical imaging gets more precise
32 RETIREMENT • Moving doesn't mean
it's time to say "goodbye"
34 CAREERS • Make a successful leap
into a new line of work
also
Can't Miss and
Arts & Culture 8;
Dining 38; Seen 45;
Nonprofit calendar 48
On the cover: Snowboarder
Davis Poul at Mountain High
in Wrightwood
PHOTO BY PRI SCILLA IEZZI,
CHE STUDIOS
MAKEUP BY CHRISTINA M. GAUDY,
CMG COSMETICS

3. By CARLA SANDERS
AV]S PAU L ce rtain ly
knows how to land on hi s
feet. And th e multi-spa n
at hlete has done jus t that
in the pas t few yea rs, as a standout
college soccer player and on snowy
terrain where he 's leavi ng hi s mark
in the world of snowboarding.
His laid-back conversational style
gives little hin t to the dri ve n young
m an who has car ved out a niche ro r
him se li bo th on and o fr th e playing
field . He auribmes hi s success to
ti ming, great parents and a w illingness
to be open about th e ru ture.
"] have so many different interes ts,"
he says from Mammoth Lakes, where's
he's o n a trip to he lp create a
s nowboa rding video. "] wa nt to see
w here life takes me"
In his 21 years, it's alread y taken
him from the sea to the snow and
hack. Born in San Diego, he moved to
La Ve rn e as a child . Durin g his eight h
g rade yea r at EI Roble Intermedi ate
School in Clare mont , he joined I he
snowboa rd cl u b and bought a season
pass to Mountain High .
"My first year, 1 had a lot. of fun
I had a lot of friends who were good ,
a nd 1 wa nted to be as good as th em .
I lea rn ed a 10 l of tri c ks ," Pau l reca ll s.
"The second season I got into th e
video s ide of things. [love filmin g
friends"
Humanity snowboarder
Davis Paul of Upland and
UC Berkeley catches some
air at Mountain High.
PHOTO BY LAfONZO
' SNOWDOGG" CARTER

4. --------------;-- ~ - - ~- ~---~---~- -- -~ --- -~- - ~
'I love extreme sports and at 21, I've been able
to work on the administrative side as well.
I get to work the cameras and help set them up.'
That filming led to offers from After graduation in 2007, he
companies for product placement , headed north to ue Berkeley on an
which , in turn have aided Paul athletic scholarship. In 2008 , he
financially. "Since my second year started 19 of 21 games for the
of snowboarding, I haven't had to Golden Bears, earning All-Pac 10
pay for any of the gear," he says honorable mention honors. That year
enthusiastically. he also was a Pac 10 all-academic
When he was a junior at Damien honorable-mention selection. Now a
High School1n La Verne, his parents, junior, he plays forward on the team.
Doug and Donna Paul, moved the He expects to graduate after the
family to Upland. By then he'd also fall term this year, and is majoring
become a stellar soccer player. At in marketing, advertiSing and
Damien, Paul led the team to back­ American culture, a program he was
to-back Division 1 e lF titles as both allowed to devise himself to suit his
the goal and points leader. In 2006, particular interests, which circle
he was an NSCAA/adidas boys youth right back to snowboard ing. While
All-American and selected to the he enJoys riding, he's becoming more
prestigious adidas Elite Soccer interested in the video production
Program (ESP) He was one of 35 side of things~
When he's not on the soccer field at Calor working
players chosen to play in the ESP "I love the marketing and on a video, Damien High School grad Davis Paul likes
All-Star Game that year. adve rtising areas," he explains. to escape to the slopes.
Humanity rider Ryan Pluche, 18, of Camarillo slides along a rail a t Mountain High.

5. More (team) Humanity:
Ryan Pluc:he
It may ·be a bit early to call him "the other
redhead," comparing him to Olympian and
X Games friendShqun White, but 18-year-old
Ryan Pluche of Camarillo is making his way as
a Humanity Snowboards rider and a qualifier
for the Volcom PB&Rj" fi nals at Mammoth·
Mountain in April.
('PB&RJ ­ That's the Peariut Butter & Rail Jam,
Volcom's amateur snowboord contest ·series
during which tricks, not falls, are judged. The
national tour features 17 regional events leading
up to a championship event at Mamrnoth. . .
Peanut butte r a nd jelly sandwiches are served,
of course.)
Ryan has a friendly laid-back demeanor and
says he got into the sport following his.fathei
who was a Rossignol representdtive in Vermont.
When he's not on the slopes, Pluche likes to
cook ­ and hopes to go to culinary schooL
Videos arid more ciboul B uche may be found .·
online at myspace.cotn/notryanpluche, .
www.humanitysnow.com a nd
www.vimec.corril7861443 . .
PHOTO BY PRISCILLA IEZZI
"I love extreme sports and at 21, I've
been able to work on the ad ministrative
side as well. I get to work the cameras and
help set them up. I'm young and balanCing
all these aspects has been great."
Since Division I soccer is "super time­
consuming" with all the travel, Paul says,
he's only able to hit the slopes about
14-15 days a year. So, the "days I do go
have to be productive; I have to progress
at a quicker rate."
These days he's helped by Humanity
Boards of Rialto, which sponsors him .
Financially, Paul receives free boards and
often assistance with tickets for local
mountains. He also helps the company
with his inSight into new boards.
For Paul, though, there are other
bonuses. "There are a lot of intangible
benefits that are equa lly valuable to me.
• Spring Garden Tours / Weeken ds / March 20-May 16 Right now, it's about making contacts."
• Annual Wildflower Show / Saturday and Sunday / April 3 and 4 He also va lues Humanity, the company
• . Garden w ith a View / Sunday I May 2 / Claremont's Premier Garden Party "Humanity is a very family oriented team,"
• National Public Gardens Day / Friday / May 7 he says. 'They're more about helping the
• Moth er's Day Brunch and Lunch I Sunday I May 9 I Two Seat ings commun ity and being bigger than what
• Native Pla nt Clinics, Grow Native Nursery, Garden Shop and more .... snoKboarding is."
RSABG.org
150,() North College Avenue • Claremont, CA 91711 · 909.625.8767
16 I inlandlivingmagazine.com I february- march 2010

6. entrepreneurs I sport
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Director of development Daniel Malmese, left. with two of Humanity's co-owners, Ryan Monson and Tommy Czeschin PHOTOS BY LAFONZO CARTER
I
FINDING
I;
Rialto snowboard company takes a different course
By AMY BENTLEY everything their colleagues, called "Humanitarians,"
.1
I/! do to help others and advance the snowboarding life.
I·
; UMANlTY SNOWBOARDS is more than
H
I, "We wanted to implement our vision, and our vision
~:
'I " juSt another business out to make a buck. was do what everybody ciaims to do or wants to do,"
~r It's a small, local online company, and its
three owners have befriended snowboard enthusiasts
said co-owner Ryan Monson of Rancho Cucamonga. "But
we wanted to do it, not just say we're doing it."
il nationwide who help promote the sport to
underprivileged kids, do charity work and encourage
Monson is a snowboard deSigner and engineer who
found ed the company in 2008 with former Olympic
,.
'·1
other boarders to support each other too. snowboarder Tommy Czeschin and snowboard artist
The owners celebrate the sport, their business and Greg Huntoon, a childhood friend.
I
18 1 inlandlivingmagazine.com 1 february-march 2010
!I

7. 'It's a platform, a community, an evolution .... Paupaw, a Brooklyn resident who hooked
We're looking for people who care about riding up with Humanity Snowboards inJuly,
the best boards, not the most expensive.' also started a nonprofit organization, The
Hoods to 'vVoods Foundation, to introduce
inner-city kids to snowboarding.
The fact that the company's owners each careers and provide them with a product Snowboarder Geoff lsringhausen of
have other businesses and Jobs gives them at cost so they do get it at a substantial Riverside helps promote the sport by
the freedom to be socially conscious with discount. And they have the opportunity making snowboarding videos that are
Humanity Snowboards, Monson says. through word of mouth to earn money posted online.
Czeschin also owns a laundry facility based on products that are sold based Another Humanitarian is longtime
and a firewood business in the Mammoth on their influence. Everything is tracked. snowboarder Gary Anderson, 37, president
area, where he lives, while Huntoon of Online orders are taken with a specific of Ac tion Spons Mi nistries in Alexandria.
Los Angeles also works full-time as the code," Monson explained. Minn. Anderson hits the slopes a couple
social media director for Break Media, There are about 10 Humanitarians of times a week near his home with his
a Los Angeles-based Internet company. on board so far, and the company plans Humanity board and sings its praises.
Monson owns a snowboard to grow the program this spring. "They've got the guys who really know
manufacturing facility in Rialto where Humanitarians must be involved what a board is supposed to ride like. I'm
Humanity's snowboards and boards with a charity or give back by doing a in love with it," said Anderson, who also
of other brands are made. "humanitarian deed" in their community coaches for snowboarding clubs and camps
"We're doing what we wa nt to do. It's not or by helping the snowboard ing in his area.
necessarily about the money," said Monson, community, Monson says. Anderson found Humanity through
34, who has enjoyed snowboard ing since One volunteers a few times a month Tommy Czeschin , a friend-of-a-friend,
he was a teen. "We want people to come to serve meals at a shelter, while another and t~ey met last year in Mammoth when
and be a pan of it with us. Anyone is in New York, Brian "Deka" Paupaw, creates Anderson visited California.
welcome to call us, we're accessible, we're small snowboarding experiences for "One thing led to another," he said.
real people. We're about being part of inner-city kids at local parks after it snows Action Spons Ministries is a Christian
the community." to teach them the sport. nonprofit in Minnesota that works to
Humanity Snowboards' Web site,
www.humanitysnow.com. states that
philosophy in a much edgier way to appeal
to hip, young snowboarders: "It's a
platform , a community, an evolution .
We're looking for people who care about
riding the best boards, not the most
expensive . Riders who spend as many days
riding as possible. Kids who doodle slopes
on their binders and wrangle with new
tricks in their head instead of counting
. stupid sheep."
What's unique about this business ­
which gets kudos from supporters and
customers for manufacturing its boards in
Rialto instead of China - is the company's
"Humanitarian" program.
The owners have created a network
of snowboarding friends who help others
and promote snowboarding; Humanity
Snowboards offers them discounted
snowboards and support.
"We provide the Humanitarians with
a lot of support to help them boost their Chris Espinoza, left, and factory manager Carlos Lopez craft new snowboards.
february-march 20 to I inlandlivingmagazine.com I 19

8. ,11
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provide faith-based opportunities for disadvantaged youths to get them
involved in action sports by helping with scholarships, money to buy Product profile
equipment and coaching. Humanity Snowboards has six models
Anderson plans to order some discounted snowboards from Humanity for sale, ranging in price from $349 to $399.
for Action Spons Ministries, and he appreciates the charitable efforts The newest board, released in early
of the owne rs. January, is the Midwest Twin, a slightly
smaller board with a different shape
"It's a nice company. They're doing things a little different from the big
specifically designed for riders in the
industr y. Helping the guys that help in the community is a new concept,"
Midwest who don't have huge mountains
said Anderson , who noted that snowboarding is popular in Minnesota, but ride on smaller or man-made hills.
which has some 20 ski resorts. "It's called the Urban Shredding
As a company, Humanity Snowboards also helps Kiva (www.kiva.org), a Movement." said company co-owner Ryan
lending program for low-income entrepreneurs around the globe. "We Monson. "It's growing like crazy. We're the
lend money to entrepreneurs. It may be a farmer in Africa or Europe who only company at this point that has
wants to expand their crop for the year and doesn't have the capital to buy developed a board just for that."
more seeds," Monson said. Humanity Snowboards are made at
Monson, Czeschin and Huntoon often use social networking sites Monson Snowboards, a manufacturing
facility in Rialto that Monson has owned
such as Facebook and Tw itter to reach out to snowboa rders and their
for 13 years. The facility has six employees.
friends, and they frequentl y post photos and videos of their snowboarding
Monson's was the first snowboard
pals on the Web. factory to use bamboo as a sidewall
On Dec. 23, Monson posted a lighthearted video on the Humanity material.
Web site and Facebook called , "Santa Shredd ing Hi s Humanity," of "We have found it to be a great
Isringhausen snowboa rding in a Santa costume with a couple of young alternative to plastic," Monson said. "It's
super durable, and it's more eco-friendly."
,I skiers at Mountain High in Wrightwood. It looked like a merry
Christmas indeed.
jl
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