Near Canada, USA (August 8, 2012) – Mervin Manufacturing welcomes an incredible crew of long term collaborators Tim Zimmerman, Krush Kulesza, and Jesse Burtner into full-time in-house staff positions. Veteran lensman Tim Zimmerman, (previously Staff Photographer for Gnu and Lib Tech snowboards) accepted the position of Mervin Photography Manager, and has been handling Mervin’s photographic vision throughout all categories. Events specialist Krush Kulesza became Mervin’s Global Event Manager, bringing with him a vast amount of experience and very long hair. Most recently, as of August 2012, Lib Tech Team Rider and Think Thank mastermind Jesse Burtner has taken a third job as Mervin Team Manager. Jesse will keep shredding as a team rider as well as run the day to day team operations for all Mervin brands.

Pictured from left to right: Tim Zimmerman, Krush Kulesza, and Jesse Burtner

Tim Zimmerman
After more than a decade spent documenting Lib Tech and Gnu Snowboards team riders around the globe, Tim Zimmerman has accepted a full-time, in-house position as Mervin Photography Manager. Zimmerman’s path into snowboard photography started in the early 90‘s in Killington, Vermont, as a mountain staff photographer. He invested the money he made snapping pics of tourists smiling on the top of the mountain to buy his own slide film and shoot the riding of local talents in his spare time. This determination eventually lead to the position of photo editor for Eastern Edge Magazine, where he honed in his eye and photographic style. Looking to increase his vertical and diversity of subject, Zim soon made the pilgrimage out west to Mammoth and began framing the likes of Eric Jackson, Danny Kass, Sketchy D, Kyle Clancy, Zach Leach, Sammy Luebke and Travis Rice. From this, his bond with the Gnu and Lib Tech family was formed. Zim’s career highlights include: #1 most published snowboard photographer in 2009 (according to the Transworld Exposure Meter), 17 career covers, winning a free snowboard back in 1999 in a photography competition at Mountain Creek, and clocking 305,000 miles on a single V8 engine in his 2003 Dodge Dakota.

Zim: “It’s a humbling honor to transition in-house from my 10 year role as Mervin’s contract photographer. Without the career long support of the entire team at Mervin and all the riders there’s no way I could have developed into the photographer I am now. I’m looking forward to becoming a daily part of a team I already consider family.”

Krush Kulesza
Krush Kulesza and his company, Snowboy Productions, have helped redefine snowboarding events across North America and Japan over the past 15 years with successful gatherings large and small, including: The Downtown Throwdown, The Feeders!, Holy Oly Revival, Boxes for Days, Greenhorn Games, Tube City—Population Radness, Kinko de Mayo, Get Bent!, and the recent Holy Bowly, among others. As Mervin’s new Global Event Manager, Krush will be taking his fresh perspectives and unmatched passion for quality events across all Mervin shred categories.

“Getting to build an events program from the ground up for the company I respect more than any other is an absolute dream job…I never have a case of ‘The Mondays’.”

Jesse Burtner
Jesse Burtner started snowboarding in 1989, riding professionally in 1998, and began shredding for the Lib Tech family in 2000.  Burtner has been dubbed, “the hardest working man in snowboarding,” and has been many things to the industry, including: coach, writer, producer, rider, announcer, amongst many other things.  Burtner coached at High Cascade Snowboard Camp for 10 years, and was head coach at Boarderline Snowboard Camp for four years. His writing has been published in Snowboarder Magazine, Snowstyle Magagzine, Frequency, Transworld Snowboarding, Freerun and Pleasure. His riding accomplishments include 2001 Vans Triple Crown National Big Air Champion, 3rd place in the Merrill Mini Pipe Invitational last month at High Cascade, and making popular the idea of only strapping in one foot to your snowboard. Beyond his talents on a board, Burtner has influenced multiple generations of riders with his vision of what a snowboarding video could be. His production company, Think Thank, released their ninth video this season, “Mind The Video Man.” It is sure to twist whatever preconceptions you have about the correct way to ride a snowboard.

“Ever since I joined Mervin as Lib Tech rider twelve years ago I’ve known I wanted to work there.  The opportunity to work closely with the Mervin crew and the insane group of athletes they’ve assembled is an honor and a gift.  I’m looking forward to pulling all of the skills I’ve developed as a rider, a director, a film maker, a writer and a pile driver in to this one endeavor for the most bitchin’ board builders in the universe, Mervin Mfg.”

Zimmerman, Krush, and Burtner will be working out of Mervin office headquarters in Seattle, WA, and will be reporting to Mervin Director of Marketing, Jami Davis, and Creative Director and Mervin Founder, Pete Saari.

Mervin Manufacturing home of Lib Tech, GNU, and Bent Metal is a leading designer and manufacturer of snowboarding, NASing, surfing and skateboarding products built at the world’s most environMENTAL factory by people who ride them. Mervin Manufacturing was founded by snowboarders Mike Olson and Pete Saari in 1977. In an industry where virtually every other snowboard, ski, skateboard, and surfboard company has moved production to China or offshore, Mervin is the longest running and last major board building factory in the USA. Based out of Carlsborg, Washington, between the rugged Olympic and Cascade Mountain Ranges, Mervin is a direct link between riding and manufacturing.

Trust Mervin Manufacturing.