Most Recent Blog Posts

• Video: Steve Popovich POV+ edi Video: Steve Popovich POV+ edit

  • From: stevepopovich
  • Description:

    mostly headcams and some radical HD footage of the RadBots season in Montana Backcountry

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  • 10 hours ago
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• Video: Sebastien Toutant Tripl Video: Sebastien Toutant Triple Cork Backside 1440 At Superpark 16

  • From: SamPetri
  • Description:

    This was Sebastien’s third attempt at a triple cork backside 1440 and he stomps it so clean. Not much else to say except, “sick, dude.”

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  • 1 day ago
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• Video: Steve Corbett First-Eve Video: Steve Corbett First-Ever Quadruple Backflip On Skis

  • From: SamPetri
  • Description:

    On April 13, 1974, at Whistler Mountain, Steve Corbett skied off a jump and traveled a distance of 170 feet, at a height of 80 feet, turning four revolutions in the air, landed and skied away. While Steve’s feat of being the first-ever skier to do a quadruple backflip has largely been lost in history due to the fact that Guinness World Records never recognized it, we now have this classic video to watch on YouTube. It’s hard to tell if he stomps it clean, but even if it was a backslap situation, you’ve got to respect the dude for really giving’er back in the day.

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  • 1 day ago
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• Video: Wingwan Gary Connery Be Video: Wingwan Gary Connery Becomes First Skydiver To Land Safely Without Parachute

  • From: SamPetri
  • Description:

    Here's Gary Connery, 42, of Oxfordshire, England, jumping out of a helicopter at 2,400-feet and landing with out a parachute on a pad of 18,600 cardboard boxes 350-feet long, 40-feet wide and 12-feet high. Balls of steel, Gary, balls of steel.

    Connery's buddy, Mark Sutton, filmed the feat with a follow cam until the last minute. Can't wait to see the second angle.

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  • 1 day ago
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• Griffin Post, Todd Ligare And Griffin Post, Todd Ligare And Ralph Backstrom Kill It At Ski-Camping

  • From: sampope
  • Description:

    The Teton Gravity Research crew blasts through the mud in their Ford Explorer on the way to go ski-camping for 12 days in Alaska's Chugach Mountains.

    In April, I spent 12 days camped between Cordova and Valdez, Alaska, on the Woodsworth Glacier at the base of the famed Pontoon peak, in the Chugach, filming Ralph Backstrom, Todd Ligare, and Griffin Post for Teton Gravity Research’s newest film, The Dream Factory.

    Todd Ligare, Griffin Post, Ralph Backstrom took sleds from Valdez almost all the way to Cordova, Alaska — a 25-mile trip through the Chugach.
    
    We used snowmobiles to cover the 25 miles from Thompson Pass, and though we started in Valdez, our camp was actually closer to the town of Cordova. While camped, we used some of our limited SAT phone time to get snow and weather reports from the guys at Points North Heli, who are based out of that town.

    Todd Ligare, Griffin Post and Raph Backstrom hike for their turns.
    
    Though everyone knows Alaska for its heli-skiing, it’s a little-known-fact that many of the same zones that are accessed by high-dollar heli clients can also be accessed by snowmobiles. To our knowledge, we were the first group to use sleds to get that deep into the range. There’s some sweat equity involved, but unlike heli skiing, you won’t be panhandling on the streets of Anchorage to buy a plane ticket back to the Lower 48. Unless you wreck your snowmobile, which is easier to do than you might think.
    
    The sun sets on the TGR campsite.

    Of our 12 days out there, probably 10 of them were sunny, but we did have a couple down days. Anyone who’s spent any time filming up there knows about the Alaska Slow Roast; sitting around in a lodge or hotel waiting for something that is completely and utterly beyond your control — the weather. Roast time can be anywhere from a couple hours, to a day or even weeks, but there are always distractions: the Internet, movies, trips to town. One might even occasionally indulge in an adult beverage.
    
    But the glacier takes the Roast to a whole new level. When the weather is bad, there is literally, NOTHING TO DO. You can sit in the tent and stair at the walls, you can walk outside and stare at the mountains. You can contemplate your wasted college degree, lack of a 401k, or any kind of long term plan. If your iPhone has any battery power left, you can play Tiny Wings. The options are pretty limited.

    Ralph Backstrom is a damn good snowboarder, but his true talent lies in fireworks.

    Anyone who knows Griffin Post, knows that he’s a motivated guy. To my knowledge, he’s the only professional skier with an M.B.A. In fact, while we were roasting in the tent, he was outside making real estate transactions on the SAT phone. No joke.
    
    On the second day of our Glacier Roast, Josh Swierk, owner of the Robe Lake Lodge, showed up to help us pass the time. And being a true AK local, he showed up with several, semi automatic weapons. We were all excited, don’t get me wrong, but for Griffin this was a totally different thing — it was the opportunity to fulfill a lifelong dream. You see, Griffin skis big lines, takes big air and he dreams big. And Griffin’s dream was to fire a semiautomatic weapon, off of a moving snowmobile. And it just so happened that we had a snowmobile AND a semiautomatic weapon. Actually, a few.

    Ralph Backstrom blows off some steam.

    And so for most people, while the AK Slow Roast is an opportunity to sleep, waste time and complain a lot, for Griffin, it was the opportunity to fulfill lifelong dreams and you don’t get to do that every day. 

    Alright, let's go snowboarding.
    

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  • 2 days ago
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• Wolf Creek Utah Ski Resort Up Wolf Creek Utah Ski Resort Up For Auction

  • From: SamPetri
  • Description:

    Ever want to own a ski resort? Well, now you can. Er, you just have to have a $100,000 cashiers check to participate in the auction of tiny, bankrupt Wolf Creek Utah ski resort in Eden, Utah. The highest bidder on Jun 1, 2012, will get the hill, the 18-hole golf course, the clubhouse and more.
    
    The ski area’s website boasts that: “Wolf Mountain offers a variety of skill levels to accommodate each skier, and snowboarder. Approximately 20 percent of the mountain is appropriate for beginners, 50 percent for intermediate skiers and 20 percent for advanced skill levels. Wolf Mountain also boasts the best slopes in Utah for night skiing with the entire mountain lit up each evening.”
    
    However, looking at the trail map indicates that there may be less than 20 percent of terrain for advanced skill levels. ...

    
    I like to imagine buying this place and keeping it all to my self, kind of like Eric Cartman in that South Park episode where he buys his own amusement park. ... Wouldn’t it be sick to have your own ski area, even if it was one of those tiny bumps of a hill, like Wolf Creek Utah?
    
    Read below for more information on the auction:
    
    Wolf Creek Resort Ski and Golf Course for Auction
    Real Estate Bankruptcy Auction
    
     
    Wolf Creek Resort
    3926 N Wolf Creek Dr. Eden Utah 84310
    
    This includes
    
    The 18-hole championship golf course
    The Clubhouse (restaurant, snack bar, golf shop)
    State of the Art Golf Course Maintenance Building
    Pineview Lodge Event Center (event center and corporate offices)
    Discovery Center (workout facilities, retail space, corporate offices, etc.)
    Wolf Mountain Ski Resort
    800+ acres of open dedicated space
    Development acreage for aprox 850-950+ mixed use units (single family homes, condos, townhomes and retail/commercial) among many different development parcels
    All the personal property to operate the businesses.
    
     
    
    Over 3,000 Total Acres!
    Working business!
    A turnkey operation!
    Minutes away from Olympic Venues!
    This is a once in a lifetime opportunity!
    $100,000.00 Cashiers Check payable to Erkelens & Olson required to bid.
    3% Buyers Premium
    
    Preview by Appointment Only.
    Call 801-355-6655 to Schedule Appointment

    Click Here To Go To The Auction Site

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  • 2 days ago
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• Video: Henrik Harlaut Spins No Video: Henrik Harlaut Spins Nosebutter 1080, Tanner Hall Throws Double Backflip

  • From: SamPetri
  • Description:

    Although Sammy C couldn’t compete at his own event due to a knee injury he sustained at the winter X Games, plenty of other rippers showed up to throw down this past weekend. Here, Henrik “E-Dollo” Harlaut spins a nosebutter double cork 1080. Sick.

    Below, Watch Tanner Hall throw a double backflip. It was Tanner's first contest since 2009.

    Results:
    
    1. Torin Yater-Wallace 2. Bobby Brown 3. Parker White 4. Tanner Hall 5. Henrik Harlaut
    
    Best Style — Phil Casabon
    
    Best Rodeo 5 — Clayton Vila

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  • 3 days ago
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• Video: Ian Smith Crashes At Su Video: Ian Smith Crashes At Superpark 16 At Mount Bachelor

  • From: SamPetri
  • Description:

    Filmed by Dave Warren, uploaded to Vimeo by Will Mayo, this is a clip of Ian Smith completely blowing an attempt at a double cork 1080 at Mount Bachelor during Superpark 16. Who ever is talking in the background of this video is right, this really is some “Tony Hawk Pro Skater shit.”

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  • 3 days ago
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• Open Season: Big Game Hunting Open Season: Big Game Hunting On Mt. Shasta

  • From: sethlightcap
  • Description:

    

    Words and photos by Seth Lightcap

    Unless you have the freedom to beeline straight to Northern California in the next 48 hours, do not call this number: 530-926-5555
    
    That’s the number for the Mt. Shasta Climber’s Hotline sponsored by The Fifth Season mountain shop in Mt. Shasta City. It’s a recorded message that is updated daily with the current climbing and skiing conditions on the 14,179-foot tall Mt. Shasta, the second highest volcano in the Cascades.
    
    Calling the Shasta hotline is not to be taken lightly. Spontaneous calls have been known to send ski fiends into a frenzy. No doubt jobs have been lost and relationships trashed because of Shasta hotline calls. But if there is even the slightest chance you can drop everything and run to Mt. Shasta this very minute...dial the number now. Yes, right now. Then call your boss and start coughing...
    
    Despite a lackluster winter in Tahoe and the central Sierra, Mt. Shasta caught the brunt of northern trending storms which stacked the snowpack to near average depth. The gargantuan flanks of this mystical peak have now ripened into golden fields of corn snow that beg for 200 foot radius GS turns. If you’ve ever laid eyes on the mighty Mt. Shasta, or better yet, been able to shred it, then you know these runs are all par five. Six thousand-foot descents drop off the summit plateau on every aspect. The only caveat is that you’ve got to earn every turn, so get stoked to spend some hours putting one foot in front of the other if you want to slay this giant.
    
    As usual, May is the month to find primo conditions on the southwest facing routes that are the easiest to access. The Bunny Flat trailhead is the starting point for most adventures at the moment with the trailheads on the north and east sides still a few weeks from melting out. Vinnie Poch, a Shasta ski freak who works at The Fifth Season, suggests you get on these south facing routes now, otherwise look around the corner come June.
    
    “The skiing has been phenomenal, but if it doesn’t cool down the south side is gonna go quick,” said Poch. “But then we’ll just have to move to the north and east sides of the mountain.”
    
    Brennan Lagasse rips the northeast face of a Mt. Shasta sub-peak known as Shastina. The Whitney glacier pours down between the two peaks.
    
    On your first Shasta ski trip climbing the Avalanche Gulch route from the Bunny Flat trailhead and skiing the Red Banks bowl or the West Face is a sure bet. Once you get accustomed to the climbing logistics and the lay of the land the potential for linking multiple descents and stacking up big vertical is endless. If you want to bag the summit and ski down in a single day be ready to leave the trailhead at 3 or 4 am. You’ll need about seven hours to the climb the 7,000 feet to the summit. The other option is to camp midway up which substantially shortens the summit push.
    
    Allison Lightcap and Brennan Lagasse tour alongside the Whitney glacier. The north, east and south sides of the mountain are home to active glaciers.
    
    For the next month or more you’ll be able to skin right from the car up to about 10 or 11,000 feet. Beyond that, the pitch steepens dramatically and most routes become a bootpack. Crampons are crucial, as you’ll be trudging up frozen slopes pre-dawn. Climbing with a whippet self-arrest pole or ice axe is also a must. The routes vary in exposure but there is always the potential for an awkward slip to turn into a very long tumble.
    
    Allison Lightcap crunches across the rime-y northeast ridge of Shastina.
    
    Weather and wind will make or break your day on Shasta. If the winds are cranking stay low as anything above 10,000 feet won’t stand a chance of softening up. 
    
    North facing slopes between 11,000 and 14,00- feet still hold some transitional winter snow. Allison Lightcap found a panel of the porn-y stuff slashing off Shastina.
    
    If you don’t have the crampons and ice axe necessary for the mission you can rent them from The Fifth Season or the Shasta Base Camp in Mt. Shasta City. Without that gear excuse, the only thing standing between you and a 7,000-foot backcountry ski descent is a fair bit of travel time (it’s a long way to Shasta from anywhere) and of course, the gusto to climb this bad mother. All things considered, the ascent is not a super human feat, though. If you’ve ever pulled off a 10-hour day in the mountains and you’ve had some experience climbing above 12,000 feet, then the climb shouldn’t be a problem for you.
    
    You reap what you sow on Mt. Shasta. Allison Lightcap harvested first tracks down a 3,000 foot panel of perfect corn as a reward for dropping off the summit into the Wintun glacier before the Brewer Creek trailhead on the east side of the mountain was open. We climbed back up the Wintun to the summit and dropped down the West Face to the car at Bunny Flat.
    
    Just like a hunting season, to get in on the Shasta season you’ll need to fill out a wilderness permit and purchase a summit pass if you plan to climb above 10,000 feet. Permits cost $20 and are available at all the trailheads. If you have the motivation to climb but are shaky on the technical skills you can also hire a ski guide from Shasta Mountain Guides. They offer both group and custom backcountry ski trips until the snow is gone.
    
    Do you catch my drift? There’s really nothing to it but to do it. So take a deep breath, think about how rad it would be to cap off your winter with an epic descent off one of the finest ski peaks in the world and then pick up the phone. Now dial these digits and make it happen - 530-926-5555.

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  • 3 days ago
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• 7 Ways To Survive The Off Seas 7 Ways To Survive The Off Season

  • From: ryandunfee
  • Description:

    
    
    With the mountain closed, work on hold until the summer, and nothing obvious to do, off-season in resort towns can drive a sane person crazy.  No structure, no income, and seemingly no one around can really turn living the dream into an existential nightmare.  However, with some motivation and discipline, off-season can be one of the best times of the year to be in Jackson, Tahoe, or Telluride.

    You didn’t know that camping in a shitty tarp tent that lets mice in is free?
    
    1. Take Advantage Of Free Activities
    
    With most national and state parks not switching gears into high season until Memorial Day, May is an excellent time of year to check out some parks and camp and visit for free.  Golf courses are also either cheap or not officially open yet, meaning free greens fees!  And if you’re thinking about that trip to Moab, do it now.  Come July, you’ll be suffering from dehydration and heat exhaustion along with caravans of out of shape tourists.
    
    2. Scavenge
    
    With the season over, everyone and their mom is getting the hell out of Dodge, and likely tossing a bunch of their winter gear in the hurry.  The people who just came for the winter have tossed a bunch of crap they couldn’t fit in their car on the way out of town, restaurants and stores are jettisoning blemished and broken equipment, and the rich people on the hill are probably chucking their skis just so they have an easier time getting to their golf clubs when they come back for summer.  Roll around town, grab what you see, put in some elbow grease, and voilà!  The local coffee shop’s busted espresso machine turns into a shining, functioning eBay sell and you cash out a bunch of used skis on this site’s own forums.  All off-season takes is a healthy amount of resourcefulness and an ability not to succumb to the mental toll all resort towns take on their residents when they turn into rainy ghost towns in the spring.

    “And the best part is, this isn’t even our house!”

    3. Poach A Hot Tub
    
    A ski bum rite of passage, the hot tub poach is most obviously taken advantage of in winter, when sore legs need the loosening effect of a bathtub of scalding chlorinated water.  However, security is also on its game during the high season.  Come May, they’re furlowed or taking a nap in their truck.  Take advantage and poach with minimal risk from the feds.

    Hey, it worked for TJ Burke…
    
    4. Start A Local Romance
    
    Now that the tourist bros who showered your town’s female population with shots all winter long are gone, your chances of hooking up with that one girl you’ve been eyeing from across the liftline are up considerably.  For those looking for a little more than a one-night stand, now that the town is whittled down to the permanent population, girls are going to take the prospect of you as a potential long-term mate more seriously.

    A cheap fishing rod, or simply sticks, is all you need to thrash about in the river and maybe catch some food.

    5. Catch Your Dinner
    
    Most resort towns, in addition to their home mountain, also have a picturesque creek flowing through the valley.  There are very likely healthy, delicious, natural-fed fish in there as well.  Brush up on your fishing skills and get out on the shore to catch some free dinner.  It’s a perfect way to both pass a lot of time and cut down your costs, two primary concerns of the off-season.

    Get out there, there is plenty to see even without the snow.

    6. Set A Goal
    
    The off-season is a great time to slowly lose your mind, with the lack of commitments, schedule, or any real responsibilities of any kind.  To keep the mind nimble and make the best of your time, set some goals to hit before summer.  Hike all the trails within a fifteen minute drive, bike three hundred miles in May, watch the sunrise over town from the local vantage point, take your camera everywhere you go, read a book – whatever you gotta do to feel like you crossed some achievements off the list come summer.  It’ll take a lot of pressure off when you still want to do all those things but have to accommodate a high-season summer works schedule.
    
    7. Proclaim Yourself A True Local
    
    With the chaotic blend of tourists, first-timers, and others during the winter season, it’s pretty hard to tell who you’re sharing the lift with or sitting next to at the bar.  But the off-season whittles the local population down to the true locals who are there for the long haul.  Make some new friends knowing they’re actually going to stick around, and be proud that you’re sticking it out yourself.  Living in Aspen, I finally met all my neighbors and started some of my best friendships in the spring.

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  • 6 days ago
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• Video: On Repeat — Kelly Slate Video: On Repeat — Kelly Slater’s Surprise Excitement Party Segment

  • From: SamPetri
  • Description:

    I’ve probably watched this clip 10 times now. Maybe it’s the song, "No Love" by Hooray For Earth, but the footage of Kelly Slater is just so sick. The whole thing hits. Such aggressive and fierce surfing — especially around the two-minute mark — put to an epic jam. It's perfect.

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  • 6 days ago
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• Video: Cinco de Ski-Climb-Bike Video: Cinco de Ski-Climb-Bike-O With Brody Leven

  • From: SamPetri
  • Description:

    Days like this are what it’s all about. In this video Brody Leven makes the most of May 5, 2012, by having a skiing, climbing, and biking fiesta with his friends in Utah. No, it’s not the most epic footage of all time and yes, the song choice is slightly cheesy, but that’s not the point. Spring is a time when you feel like you can do almost anything and Brody woke up and got it done. We salute him for attacking the day, having a sweet bike, attending backyard soirees, and crushing life. Well done, sir.

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  • 6 days ago
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• Video: Parker White Is Mr. Cle Video: Parker White Is Mr. Clean

  • From: SamPetri
  • Description:

    Grilling hot dogs, drinking beers and boosting at Mammoth Mountain, just another day at the Parker White Invitational. Watch it in full-screen mode.
    
    Click Here To Read An Interview With Parker White

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  • 6 days ago
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• Video: Xylophone Snowboard – S Video: Xylophone Snowboard – Signal Makes A Musical Shred Stick

  • From: SamPetri
  • Description:

    
    
    From Signal Snowboards:
    
    "Make some noise! It's time for the new ETT! It's important to note this one gets a little scientific and there were a lot of key elements needed to finish this board. And although we are very happy with the finished board, we have no idea how it will ride. Watch as New Zealand Signal rider Hamish Martin blows us away and steps it up and sets the tone at Snowboarder Magazine's SuperPark 16."

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  • 6 days ago
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• Daron Rahlves, Jess McMillan A Daron Rahlves, Jess McMillan And Chris Davenport Ski The Ring Of Fire

  • From: drahlves
  • Description:

    
    The Spyder Active Sports Land Yatch is seen parked in front of Mount Lassen in California. Skiers Chris Davenport, Jess McMillian and Daron Rahlves have been on the road skiing volcanoes out of this rig for the past two weeks.

    Words by Daron Rahlves
    
    On May 2, Captain Grant, our event director at Spyder Active Sports, hit the road in the Spyder Land Yacht from HQ in Boulder, Colo. After one stop in Salt Lake City to pick up Jess McMillian, the two were back on I-80 West to meet up with Chris Davenport and myself at Whole Foods Market in Reno, Nev.  This is where we loaded up the back garage with the food cache we were going to rely on for this epic trip called the “Ring of Fire.”
    
    The team’s mission: to climb and ski 16 volcanoes from California to the Pacific North West Cascades, practically back-to-back in a two and a half week period.
    
    My plan was less of a commitment, but still a mission in itself: to tour for four days and ski five volcanoes. 
    
    Starting in California with 10,457-foot Mount Lassen and 14,162-foot Mount Shasta, I was committed on the trip through Southern Oregon for 9,495-foot Mount McLoughlin, 9,182-foot Mount Thielsen and 9,065-foot Mount Bachelor. 
    
    What an opportunity to top-out on iconic peaks and score creamy corn in prime May conditions. It was a pleasure to hang out with Davenport, who has so many experiences summiting amazing mountains all around the world and the enthusiastic charger, Jess McMillian. I was eager to learn a few tips on preparing and achieving these ascents.

    
    Jess McMillan, Daron Rahlves, Jim Morrison and Chris Davenport on the summit of Mount Shasta.
    
    I’m always hungry to ski.  Growing up in Tahoe I learned to appreciate the mountains.  Then taking on a racing career, it kept my skiing experience locked into resort skiing.  My desire to see what’s out there and work to get it is at an all-time high.  My interest is not all over the planet, but more of what’s out my back door and this trip was a dream opportunity.  From Cali to Southern Oregon skiing volcanoes and taking in the surroundings of old growth forests, pristine lakes, ancient lava flows, wide open panels and terrain filled bowls after earning it delivers a stronger connection to the adventure.
    
    The weather was just what we needed.  We scored with clear nights and sunny days with calm winds, or none-at-all. On some days, you could light a match on top of the peak. 

    
    Daron Rahlves blasts down Mount Shasta.
    
    Northern California and Southern Oregon turned out to have a lot more snow than I expected.  We could start skinning right from the road or parking lot and even had to walk in over a partially snow covered dirt road 3 miles to the McLoughlin trail head. 
    
    Days started with wake up calls from 3:30 a.m. to 5:30 a.m. for the best climbing conditions and to limit the physical exertion by avoiding the intense solar radiation. Hulk Shakes, Bare Naked Granola, Greek Yogurt and fruit fueled us up for days on the Ring of Fire tour.  Clif shots, gels and electrolyte drinks / water were mostly what I consumed on the way up to keep the pace moving and keep Dav and Jess close.  Dav would get so fired up on the hiking and at times I’d shake my head when I was dripping wet and my heart was pounding.  My motivation was to take one step at a time to ultimately ski down, but deep down I can say that his outlook made for a better experience and made me take in the beauty of what we were doing and where we were.

    
    Chirs Carr, Jim Morrison, Jess McMillan, and Chris Davenport after skiing the West Face of Mount Shasta.
    
    Reaching the top was a great feeling and then to share it slapping high-fives from excited friends tops that off.  We had a variety of snow conditions, but most vert was dry, smooth chalk to buttery corn on the open faces.  Then it went into the trees and made for the most fun tree GS skiing chasing each other through a maze, picking lines at speed.  When it tightened up and we had trouble locating skin tracks and were surrounded by massive trunks and an enclosed canopy from the trees, I was able to help out the team with navigation using my Garmin Rino to track back the route.  It was total disorientation in those old growth forests and without a GPS we would have added on lots of time and expended a lot more energy.

    
    Oregon's Mount McLoughlin as seen through the trees.
    
    To put eyes on home base was a huge relief. Now we could wind down and most of all the feed was on!  Protein waffles, egg scrambles, recovery shakes, fruit, Red Bulls, jerky, cookies and water.  Heavy caloric intake sessions would then be followed with packing up the drying gear lying in the sun and then the wheels began to roll to the next one on the hit list. We had all kinds of great snacks for the road trip and then once we found our next place to post up, we ate like royalty with in-house recipes a Whole Foods nutritionist planed out for us.

    
    Chris Davenport updates his Twitter and Facebook followers from the summit of Oregon's Mount Thielsen. Follow him on Twitter @steepskiing see more updates at #volcanotour.
    
    Thinking back to the trip a recurring moment that set it apart was reaching the top of each volcano, we could then see the next volcano and look back to the one we did the day before.  To see where we were, standing on what we just climbed and then gazing out to the north for the next day was a very cool feeling.

    
    Looking at Diamond Lake and Mount Bailey from the summit of Oregon's Mount Thielsen.

    Thanks to Dav for dreaming up the Ring of Fire Tour and to Spyder and Whole Foods Market for helping us make it happen.
    
    Follow the adventure at blog.spyder.com and think about getting after a few or all of these volcanoes yourself.  My favorite was Mount Thielsen.  It was the full package, with skinning, booting, rock climbing to the summit, great views and the best skiing I had.  We left the Land Yacht at 6:08 a.m. and got back by 11 a.m. 

    Daron Rahlves skis from the summit of Mount Thielsen at break-neck speed. He also hits a pine tree like a slalom gate. Awesome.
    
    Thanks to Johnny Cash for putting these words into my head on the daily climb, “I fell into a burning ring of fire, I went down, down, down and the flames went higher…”  The broken record effect kept me plugging away.

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• Video: Ian Walsh And Travis Ri Video: Ian Walsh And Travis Rice Shred With The Jacksons In Brothers On The Run Ep. 2

  • From: SamPetri
  • Description:

    Damn, this web series is shaping up to be all time. The concept of the show is to follow brothers John Jackson and Eric Jackson as they go on an epic snowboarding road trip from Alaska to the tip of South America. In episode 1 they got ready for their trip and went fishing with Travis Rice. In episode 2, the brothers still haven’t gotten on the road and actually go in the opposite direction of South America when they fly to the Tordrillo Mountains to go heli-skiing for four days with Rice and surfer Ian Walsh. Will they ever get on the road? Who cares?! Here, the crew scores an epic four-day window of powder slaying and Walsh rides the run of his life. Why would they ever leave?
    
    Click Here To Watch Episode 1

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  • 1 week ago
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• Noteworthy: 10 Skiers On The R Noteworthy: 10 Skiers On The Rise

  • From: gregfitzsimmons
  • Description:

    Had this story been written a year ago you might have seen names like Nick Goepper, Carston Oliver, Eliel Hindert, Aidan Sheahan, Logan Pehota, Leo Ahrens, and Johnny Collinson on the list. All of these guys were known at their home mountains for being full-tilt skiers, but burst onto the scene over the last 12 months with insane contest results, video segments, and photo spreads.
    
    If I were a betting man, the following 10 skiers are the ones that I would put money on. With solid on-snow techniques and even better on-shoulder heads, odds are we’ll be talking about this crew in the near future. So, rather than making you wait, we decided to tell you about them now.  Here are 10 relatively unknown shredders — six guys, four girls, in no particular order — to take note of.
    

    Mat Jackson slashes a powder turn in the Tahoe backcountry. Photo by Josh Anderson.

    The Guys:

    1. Mat Jackson
    Home Mountain: Squaw Valley
    Age: 25
    Sponsors: Völkl, Marker, The North Face, Smith Optics and Helmets
    Twitter: @mat1TJackson 
    
    This Squaw Valley local originally reigns from Crystal Mountain, Washington. As a grom, Jackson banged plastic with the local racing program and tried to keep up with the Backstrom clan — Ingrid, Arne, and Ralph — that were a few years older than he.
    
    At 25, Mat Jackson is older than most of the names that follow, but his consistent skiing and patience with the industry are two attributes that are starting to pay off.
    
    “We love Mat,” says Völkl/Marker Team Manager Chris Adams . “You’ve got to wait your turn and Mat’s waited for his opportunities while skiing great all of the time. His skiing is fairly technical, big-mountain while still having the backcountry jib thing happening.”
    
    “I definitely think that there’s a process to the ski industry that you have to embrace and be a part of,” says Mat Jackson. “I always wanted my skiing to speak for itself, for my skiing to be the vessel that took me places. My patience has paid off a ton, because I’ve had a lot of amazing opportunities come along and it’s awesome to be a part of that. I went to Japan in January filming with TwoPlank Productions. We had 10 days of perfect snow. The movie will drop this coming fall.”

    Colston VB spins off a cliff in British Columbia. Photo by Dave Heath.
    
    2. Colston VB
    Home Mountain: Red Mountain Resort and Whistler Blackcomb
    Age: 20
    Sponsors: Salomon
    
    When the “godfather of freeskiing” vouches for someone we need to listen, and Mike Douglas only had good things to say about Colston VB.
    
    “Colston’s a good skier and a good kid,” says Douglas. “He’s super keen and has a good attitude. I think that if he keeps on skiing and pounding he’s going to do well… He’s a confident skier and Colston is always skiing with a smile on his face — which is the best part.”
    
    Having grown up skiing Red Mountain in British Columbia, Colston VB is now residing in Whistler. Whether he’s sled skiing in the Whistler backcountry, working in front of a camera lens, or freeskiing with his crew, Colston’s style and creativity are undeniable.
    
    “This season I got to really push myself and ski the biggest high-alpine lines, hit the biggest drops, and do the biggest tricks I ever have,” says Colston. “Filming video is a high priority for me right now, because I like how you have to keep it together and be on-point the entire time, not just for one frame.”

    Gerorge Rodney's 2011-'12 season edit.

    3. George Rodney
    Home Mountain: Aspen and Alta/Snowbird
    Age: 19
    Sponsors: Völkl, Marker, Dalbello, Smith, Obermeyer
    
    George Rodney found a home on the podium this year during the Junior Freeskiing Tour en route to winning the overall tour championship. Finishing on the podium at three of the four stops this season, Rodney will immediately be a contender on the Subaru Freeskiing World Tour as he transitions from the junior circuit to the main event this summer in South America.
    
    “George took that super solid fundamental background with racing and translated it to big-mountain terrain,” says Völkl’s Chris Adams. “He’s a big kid, he skis on the Gotama 198 — which is a big, big stick — and he charges big-mountain stuff.”
    
    Headed to Salt Lake City to pursue an engineering degree at “the U,” a change of venue isn’t new to Rodney. “If the ski industry could have the equivalent of an ‘army brat,’ George would be one,” says Adams. “His mom has worked in the ski industry forever and George has learned first-hand how it all works by watching his mom.”
    
    “My mom is an awesome person to help out with everything — from my skiing to school,” says Rodney. “I grew up ski racing in Aspen, and then moved down to Summit County and competed there. After finding out about the Winter Sports School in Park City I transferred there for my junior and senior years. My mom got a job at Obermeyer, so I moved back to Aspen with her after graduating and now I’m headed to Utah.”

    
    Jake Teuton's 2011-'12 season edit.
    
    4. Jake Teuton
    Home Mountain: Revelstoke
    Age: 16
    Sponsors: Fortitude Skis, Strafe Outerwear, Revelstoke Mountain Resort, Marker Bindings, Smith Optics, and Planks Clothing
    Twitter: @jrteuton
    
    Revelstoke Mountain Resort Pro team rider Jake Teuton makes the most of the incredible surroundings he gets to call home; spinning hot laps on the mountain, building backcountry booters to session with friends, and using his local knowledge to snag some of the most eye-popping photos that have come out of Revy in the last season.
    
    The young gun put together an insane season of skiing, mixing burly lines and massive natural airs with crazy tricks off of man-made features (Teuton added a few dub tricks to his arsenal this year).
    
    “The highlight from last season would probably be sending the 60-footer, skiing deep powder, or spring park laps with friends,” says Teuton. “I definitely want to do a few competitions next year, but I’m mainly going to focus on filming and travelling as much as I can. Hopefully, I’ll get to see more of BC, ski more places, and get into the backcountry more.”
    
    5. Grant Howard
    Home Mountain: Alta/Snowbird
    Age: 15
    Sponsors: Salomon, Gordini, Lightpole Clothing
    
    In 2011, Grant Howard absolutely dominated the 12–14 age group of the Junior Freeskiing World Tour with a couple of first place finishes and the overall title. In 2012, the 15-year-old bumped up to compete in the 15–18 age class, and Howard didn’t miss a beat. Skiing against guys a few years older than he, Howard finished as the overall runner-up (behind George Rodney).
    
    “This kid lives and breathes skiing,” says Rob Greener, Head Coach of the AltaBird Freeride team. “[Grant’s] father, Sam Howard, was named top 100 skiers by Powder Magazine 10 years ago; so skiing is in his DNA.”
    
    “Grant is a natural athlete, and his approach to the mountain is very creative,” continues Greener. “Overall, Grant at age 15 is one of the most talented athletes I have worked with in Little Cottonwood Canyon.”
    
    What’s on-tap for next year? Aside from getting a driver’s license, Grant Howard has his sights set on the overall Junior Freeskiing Tour Championship.

    Matt Evans stands on the Junior Freeskiing World Tour podium. Photo by Billy Swan / JFT.
    
    6. Matt Evans
    Home Mountain: Crested Butte
    Age: 16
    Sponsors: Smith Optics and Helmets, Tecnica/Blizzard, Colorado Freeskier, and Trew Outerwear
    
    Matt Evans has been riding the tails of his older brother Randy's and the rest of the core CB local crew’s skis for years, and everyone in Crested Butte knows about the young grom that charges. Recently, however, people outside of Crested Butte started to notice.
    
    “This season was super awesome,” says the 16-year-old Evans. “I got sponsored by Blizzard/Tecnica, and my best result was 3rd. I am hoping to go to South America this summer, and next year I am going to compete in every Junior Freeskiing Tour competition.”
    
    “Matt's name started to come up a lot this [season]. Ben Wheeler was the first to tell me about how this kid impressed everyone so much at the Squaw stop of the Junior Freeskiing Tour,” remembers Tecnica/Blizzard Team Manager Frank Shine. “The buzz wasn't just about Matt’s skiing, though. I kept hearing about his attitude, big smile, and good-times approach. At Snowbird he brought it all: high speed turns, spins off cliffs, and backflips. Then, he dove face-first into a pile of snow in the finish corral of the venue to get a laugh from his friends."

    Tatum Monod's double backflip video.

    The Girls:
    
    1. Tatum Monod
    Home Mountain: “Banff will always be my home, but right now I'm based out of Whistler.”
    Age: 20
    Sponsors: Monod Sports, Rossignol, Orage, Soul Poles, Smith, Icebreaker, and The Soze Group
    Twitter: @TatumMonod
    
    “Like a lot of athletes her age, what stands out most about Tatum right now is her drive and genuine enthusiasm for skiing, and that's always nice to see!” says ski legend JP Auclair. “On top of that she has a good attitude and a great smile. If she stays hungry and humble, we're going to hear lots more about Tatum in the years to come.”
    
    The first time I saw Tatum Monod ski was in 2011 at Revelstoke for the Canadian Freeskiing Championships. The event was Tatum’s first ever big-mountain competition. Her line choice, aggressive approach, and rock-solid bellied her inexperience, and stood out to everyone watching. The Subaru Freeskiing World Tour judges noticed, too, because Tatum finished on the podium.
    
    This season ended up being another huge one for the 20-year-old from Banff. Among other things, Tatum stomped a double backflip that had lots of people talking and asking, “Who is that?”
    
    “I'm stoked to say that last season was my best season yet,” says Monod. “My highlights were my first ever first descent in Bella Coola, shooting with Robin O'Neil and an amazing group of women in Revelstoke, and, to top it all off, an unforgettable trip to Retallack with Orage where I threw my first ever double backflip.”

    Emilia Wint slides a rail while competing in the Dew Tour.
    
    2. Emilia Wint
    Home Mountain: Breckenridge
    Age: 17
    Sponsors: Breckenridge, Volkl, Marker, US Freeskiing
    
    It was a busy season for Emilia Wint, who skis at Breckenridge when she’s not traveling to compete in Slopestyle events.
    
    “When I’m in Breck I ski with a team called Hawks Freeride, run by Chris Hawks (1999 X Games Champion). I also ski with Anna Segal and Kerrie Herman a lot,” says Emilia Wint.
    
    Wint seems destined to follow in the footsteps of the company she keeps at Breckenridge: The Breckenridge shredder logged some serious time atop the Slopestyle podiums in 2012. Third overall on the Dew Tour, Champion at the Aspen Open, third at the US Freeskiing Grand Prix in Mammoth, and second at WSI in Whistler. The highlight, however, of Wint’s incredible season was when she was named to the US Freeskiing Team.
    
    “She’s hardly under the radar because she had a bit of a breakout season, but 17-year-old park ripper Emila Wint is definitely one to watch,” says Chris Adams from Volkl and Marker. “She skis with a style that not a lot of women park skiers have. We think she’ll take women’s park skiing to a whole new level.”
    
    With a high school graduation ceremony coming up soon and the Olympics on the horizon, Emilia Wint’s future is bright.
    
    3. Perry Martin
    Home Mountain: Alta/Snowbird
    Age: 18
    Sponsors: Blizzard/Tecnica
    Twitter: @Pearemartin
    
    Alta and Snowbird seem to have been a factory that specializes in churning out cool, smart, ripping female skiers recently. Rachael Burks and Angel Collinson are two examples, and on their coattails is 18-year-old Perry Martin.
    
    “Perry is an incredible athlete; she is a powerful, fast, and graceful skier,” says AltaBird FreeRide Head Coach Rob Greener. “Her technique has allowed her to dominate the IFSA Junior Freeskiing Series.”
    
    Perry did absolutely dominate the tour, too, winning two stops on the tour and taking third on the other two while amassing a 100+ gap between the runner-up.
    
    “Perry is really a smart young women, who is sensible and pragmatic.  Her hard work both on and off the hill is what sets her apart from her peers,” says Tecnica/Blizzard Team Manager Frank Shine. “What I love about Perry's skiing is that she’s aggressive and drives straight down the fall line. When you see Perry ski, she is not going to waste any time showing why she is the JFT overall champion. The girls on the Freeskiing World Tour better be ready for a new batch of ladies to arrive and shake things up on the big kid tour—Perry is going be knocking on that door first.”

    Yuki Tsubota slides a rail. Photo by Nadia Samer.
    

    4. Yuki Tsubota
    Home Mountain: Whistler
    Age: 18
    Sponsors: 4Frnt, The North Face, Skull Candy, Giro, Zett, TMC Freeriderz Pro Shop
    Twitter: @yuki_tsubota
    
    “Yuki’s getting better all the time, and she’s a cool girl,” says Mike Douglas about the 18-year-old Whistler native Yuki Tsubtoa. “I’ve been watching her for a long time and she’s been working her way up through the freestyle program at Blackcomb. She has a good chance of making it to the Olympics and she’s super fun to watch.”   
    
    With three consecutive slopestyle wins on The Canadian Shield Tour, Tsubota dominated the pro women’s field and earned the overall title. Then, a third place finish (behind Anna Segal and Emilia Wint who finished in first and second, respectively) at WSI/AFP World Championships during the TELUS Ski & Snowboard Festival in her hometown of Whistler, BC thrust Yuki into the big-time.
    
    “When we first were introduced to Yuki we thought her jumping was what stood out from everyone,” says Toben Sutherland, Head Coach of the Canadian Slopestyle Team. “But, at WSI this year one of the rail features was pretty burly, a lot of the guys were even talking about how gnarly it was. Yuki had no problem going 450-on which was pretty impressive for anyone to do, let alone a young girl from Whistler that no one had heard of yet.”
    
    “I think in one word what sticks out about Yuki’s skiing is her determination. She skis pretty hard and if she takes a hit she won’t back down. The Olympic Games are 20 months out and it’s definitely not too late for Yuki. Hopefully, we can roll into the games with her and hopefully she’ll be in the finals and on the podium in Russia.”

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• Video: Ice T On Taking Risks A Video: Ice T On Taking Risks And Living In The Moment

  • From: SamPetri
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    Words to live by.
    
    

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• Video: Guinness World Records Video: Guinness World Records Confirms Garrett McNamara Surfed The Largest Wave

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    Guinness World Records can confirm that Garrett McNamara has entered the record books for surfing the largest ever wave.
    
    The Hawaiian 44-year-old managed to surf a mammoth 78-foot wave last November at Nazaré, Portugal, a feat which has now been ratified by GWR after examining evidence.
    
    His epic ride, which required him to be towed into the wave from a jetski, beats a record set by Mike Parsons at Cortes Bank in southern California, in 2008 by over a foot.
    
    Garrett, a professional big wave surfer for the Body Glove International team, is part of an elite group that travels the world chasing storms and tracking swells in an effort to surf the largest waves.
    
    In the past he has ridden breaks such as Waimea in Oahu, Mavericks in California and Todos Santos in Mexico.
    
    Describing the record breaking wave ride, Garrett said: "It's the most challenging, dangerous wave I've ever surfed - it's the only place in the world in which a giant canyon reaches all the way to the beach".
    
    Among those to congratulate Garrett on his achievement was Jorge Barroso, mayor of the town of Nazaré, who commended the daredevil surfer with a tribute at last week's 2012 Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Award awards ceremony in Anaheim, California.
    
    The mayor said: "It is an honour to bring this title to our waters.. For the strength, bravery and the constant will to improve. Nazaré is a bit like your second home and our population admires you."
    
    The record for largest wave surfed (paddle-in) remains held by Shane Dorian, who managed  to successfully ride a wave measured at measured 57ft (17.4 m) in height without a tow at a break known as 'Jaws' off the coast of Maui, Hawaii, USA in March last year.

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• Video: Watch And Learn How To Video: Watch And Learn How To Make A GoPro Edit With Nathan Wallace In Chamonix

  • From: SamPetri
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    Children, gather ’round and let Uncle Nate show you how to make a GoPro edit. Now, we can’t all ski Chamonix every day, but aside from capturing killer terrain, what makes Nathan Wallace’s most recent video as good as his last is that it’s not all about him. This video is about friends skiing powder together – not one dude getting it all to himself. Here, Wallace skis perfect snow with Thor Husted down super steep slopes in France. He uses his GoPro more as a follow cam to document his mountains and his crew rather than his own greatness. The result is way more enjoyable to watch than what most people do, which is pretty much public ego-stroking to some random dubstep remix. Thanks for the lesson, Wallace. Now kids, run along and come back with something like this. And when you grow up, make friends with a dude named Thor.

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