About a[GNAR]chy

a[GNAR]chy is a website devoted to the gnar. The term gnar has its etymological roots in the surf culture¹, it has been adopted by the skate and snowboard cultures. The word has an overall positive connotation, but is sometimes used in the negative sense, albeit only in describing something of extreme un-coolness². Brad G became accustomed to using the word (long since out-of-favor in his native Midwest) while living in Colorado, shortly after what would come to be known as Gnargasm 1.0.

By Gnargasm 3.0³ (Whistler, B.C.) the word had gained popularity, if only among a handful of friends and family. Although the first order definition of gnar is unequivocally an assessment of just how rad the snow conditions are on a given day, as a colloquialism, the word gnar is used (especially) between David and Brad to denote anything with cool, epic, or otherwise rad qualities, not limited to snow-sports.

This website is initially established as an online repository for pictures, videos, stories, and other memorabilia from past and future vacations, wipe-outs, parties, and other justifiably gnarly endeavors.

At a future date, we would like to accept user-contributed content. No monetary compensation will be given, although any submitted content will be credited appropriately. a[GNAR]chy will reserve full rights to distribute, disseminate, reproduce, and otherwise publicize any and all user-submitted content, because here at a[GNAR]chy, we don’t believe in copyright laws or other state-sponsored usurpation of property rights⁴. Any submission of content is deemed to be in agreement with the aforementioned conditions.

So, what is a[GNAR]chy? Well, the long-and-short of it is, it’s simply a clever play on the words gnar and anarchy, which ought to, by now, be apparent to even the most uninformed readers. And it’s our toy, where we can keep track of our exploits, adventures, and conquests, and share them with the world.

**Update**

• As of January 23, 2008, David Z has shelled out the cash for an I.E.E.E. 1394 cable (a/k/a ‘firewire’) so he can finally transfer video content from his digital-8mm to the interwebs. Hopefully, this newfound technology will encourage David to use his camera more frequently, and result ultimately in better and more frequent content.

** end update **

---

+ + ++ notes ++ + +

1. Wikipedia entry on “valspeak“
2. The Urban Dictionary provides at least 24 definitions of the word gnar, although the reader is advised to use discretion, as some have clearly been posted by poseurs (distraught upon learning they aren’t the first or only person attempting to define the word on the Urban Dictionary) merely trying to create their own, narrowly unique definition.
3. The annual winter vacation (est. 2003) has come to be known as the “Gnargasm,” which should need no further explanation… The “version” is an accompanying, numeric notation, where a whole number denotes the year during which it takes place, starting with 1.0 (Winter Park, CO) and proceeding through 5.0 (forthcoming as of this publication). Interim events are rarely referred to by number, and an official numeric system has yet to be established, although nothing precludes such a system.
4. Exceptions will be made where your content is submitted by someone other than you, without your permission. In these instances, our preferred course of action will be to black-list the user, and give proper credit for the source material. If this is not satisfactory, please contact an administrator to have the content removed.