20 Search Results for ""leo ahrens""
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AK Their Way - The Dubsatch Co AK Their Way - The Dubsatch Collective
- From: ermecatino
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Description:
Interview by Erme Catino
Born and raised on the slopes of Alta and Little Cottonwood Canyon, Utah, the Dubsatch Collective are a group of hard charging skiers at the pinnacle of what it means to be young and talented with the ski-world at their fingertips. Known for creating soulful edits stacked with faceshots and backcountry kickers, Dubsatch was previously a household name for the Utah locale (Dubsatch, Wasatch … get it?). However, that all changed when they won the Eye of the Condor video contest during the summer of 2011. Building upon their recent success and launch of ski careers, last season the group ventured to Alaska for their first time. TGR recently caught up with one of Dubsatch’s co-founder, Leo Ahrens, to talk about their latest film: AK Our Way.
TGR: How did the Dubsatch get its name and grow into the group of riders it is today?
Leo Ahrens: Sam Cohen, Nate Cahoon, and I founded Dubsatch. Both Sam and I started our ski careers together. We began shooting with Lee Cohen, Sam’s dad, and started getting photo publications.
Originally we were called Living Local. In the beginning, Connie Marshall from Alta gave us GoPros, and we would make edits. We met our videographer Nate Cahoon 3 years ago, he had a 7D, and we convinced him to start filming us—he’s one of our best friends now.
The name Dubsatch actually came from my sister’s boyfriend: the Dub is as in the letter “W” with “satch” standing for Wasatch Mountains, UT.
TGR: Growing up skiing Alta is every powder skier’s dream, how was that experience, and how did that shape your crew?
Leo Ahrens: I’m 19, and was born in Alta at the Goldminers’ employee housing. Both of my parents work up here, my mom works in the Albion Grill, and my dad makes ski racks you see around Alta, sometimes he’ll plow the wildcat base as well. They both ski all the time. In terms of Dubsatch, we’re all from LCC. That’s who we are; when we travel we try to take our LCC style to other places.
The whole Alta community brought us up. It’s very un-commercial, Alta is unique, and it’s our home—more than my real home. What pushed us to where we are now is that there are always pro-skiers cycling through. I thought Dave McReynolds was a god, and I would follow him around—I wanted to be like Dave, he’s the sickest. Sage… We stalked him, and hid in the trees. Then, I would hit a jump in front of him and he would be like “cool dude.” Those guys knew all the spots. We would see all these crews taking photos, and I thought we could do that too.
TGR: You guys have steadily been receiving more press with your edits. What was the breakthrough?
Leo Ahrens: Eye of the Condor was huge for us, and was a classic junk show. I didn't’ buy my plane ticket until a day before, and I couldn’t afford to bring a filmer and photographer. So we met these two Chileans, and it worked out. All we wanted to do was jump the roofs on their houses, and they were into it—they were helping us build jumps with backhoes… We would be entering the in-runs to jumps with tons of Chileans cheering us on. They supported us so well, and the Eye of The Condor crew gave us a huge marketing push when we won.
The Dubsatch Collective crew: Nate Cahoon, Leo Ahrens, Grant Howard, Jason Astle, Hayden Price, Sam Cohen, Ben Price, Carston Oliver, Eliel Hindert, Neil Howard, John Collinson, Douglas Nangle, Taylor Llyman, Henry Gates, Zach Halverson, Mitch Cahoon, Trevor Akimoto, Andrew Pollard, Colter Hinchliffe, Lexi Dupont, and Christian Mandahl. “We cycle through a huge crew, whoever is down to ski and work/film.” – Leo Ahrens.
TGR: Talk about AK // Our Way. Was it your first time to AK, and who was in tow?
Leo Ahrens: Filming for AK // Our Way was our first time to Haines. We were in Stanley, Idaho, filming with our Dub Crew. Then, Lexi Dupont sends us a message saying we have two empty seats in Haines for a heli, “get here in 24 hours.” Not even thinking logistically (Colter put this all on his credit card!), Colter and I left Stanley and drove all night to Portland, Oregon, to catch a flight—we convinced the airline lady to hold the plane and we made it… I had a first decent on the trip, and named it “Holy Junkshow.”
When we got up there we met up with Lexi Dupount, Will Wissman, and Reggie Crist. Typically when you’re in AK you have a film production team, but we didn’t have a filmer… I had a 7D, and Will and Reggie also had cameras so we figured we would switch off filming each other, while still crushing lines—hence the name AK Our Way.
The cool thing about the trip was we were filming each other. We would pick out our line and everyone would help film it… Reggie and I filmed the shots of Colter on Dr. Seuss that appeared in TGR’s The Dream Factory.
TGR: What’s next for Dubsatch?
Leo Ahrens: This season we’re planning on 4 online films. We’ll be releasing them shortly after we complete production, and are trying to add some structure to make us more legit.
For our first film this winter we’ll be putting a face on who we are, almost like Lords of Dogtown style… These will be followed by several trips offering unique stories; we’re also trying to get the whole Dubsatch crew to Haines again. - Blog post
- 4 months ago
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Vuelo - Season 6 E05 - Salomon Vuelo - Season 6 E05 - Salomon Freeski TV
- From: salomonfreeski
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Description:
In season 6 episode 5 of Salomon Freeski TV's web series, Alexi Godbout, Vincent Gagnier, and Leo Ahrens travel halfway around the world to feed their hunger for flight on skis. When they arrive, they find the same passion in the eyes of the kids living at the foot of the Chilean Andes.
Click To Watch More Salomon Freeski TV Videos - 5 months ago
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Salomon Freeski TV S6 E02 Quar Salomon Freeski TV S6 E02 Quarter Past Midnight
- From: salomonfreeski
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Description:
Under twinkle of stars and light of moon
spirits roam the world at night
emerging cold and frozen
from shadows left and right
more richly colored than the day
they'll play 'til dawn's first light
set your clocks, the fun begins at quarter past midnight
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/salomonfreeski
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/salomonfreeski
Spotify: http://open.spotify.com/user/salomonfreeski/playlist/0PvG1kcYX6NCJt3FQ2zTFX
Watch More Salomon Freeski TV Videos Here - 7 months ago
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Video: Baker - A Short Film By Video: Baker - A Short Film By Dubsatch Collective
- From: TetonGravityResearch
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Description:
Returning from a bottomless binge that was Alaska, Sam Cohen and Nate Cahoon decided remaining at the snow deprived slopes of Utahs confused resorts was not an option for our still buzzing powder hangover. As the wise know, the best cure comes from the source in which it was obtained. Thus pointing us back north, just not quite as far as last time. Mt. Baker, Washington was going off and their solution was to part ways with home in exchange for the open road. One more crew member and the ship would be ready to sail. Who better than thei Alaskan host, Zach Halverson...
dubsatch.com/bakershortfilm/
Skiing: Sam Cohen // Zach Halverson
Filming//Direction//Editing: Nate Cahoon
Producers: Sam Cohen // Leo Ahrens // Nate Cahoon
Soundtrack
Steve Earle
Copperhead Road
steveearle.com
Riders On The Storm
The Doors
thedoors.com
WWW.DUBSATCH.COM - Blog post
- 7 months ago
- Views: 100
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Noteworthy: 10 Skiers On The R Noteworthy: 10 Skiers On The Rise
- From: gregfitzsimmons
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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.” - Blog post
- 1 year ago
- Views: 307
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Video: Dubsatch Collective In Video: Dubsatch Collective In Alaska Episodes 1 and 2
- From: media-75233
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Description:
This season Utah has had the worst snow year since '76, with that in mind Nate Cahoon, Leo Ahrens and Sam Cohen made the long trip up to Girdwood, Alaska, to check out the amazing Chugach Mountains. The snow kept on falling as the days grew longer. The crew found themselves camping in negative 15 degree temperatures, flying in bushplanes throughout the Chugach and skiing some of the most incredible terrain available in life.
With a ton of new snowfall and little daylight we were only able to ski and film so much. Here is Ep02, enjoy.
Nate Cahoon: Cinematography/Editing
Leo Ahrens: Additional Shots/Motion Graphics
Sam Cohen & Zach Halverson: Skiers
Thanks to all the sponsors who made this possible:
Backcountry.com, Smith Optics, Goal Zero and MFD All-Time
Additional thanks to: Salomon Freeski, Dakine, Blizzard/Technica, Faction skis and Joystick Poles. - Blog post
- 1 year ago
- Views: 148
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Salomon Freeski TV S5 E08 Gene Salomon Freeski TV S5 E08 Generation Alta
- From: salomonfreeski
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Description:
Alta, Utah has almost a cult-like following of devoted powder skiers. Leo Ahrens, Jamey Parks, and the many generations of Alta shredders show us the soul of skiing is alive and well in one of the best powder skiing spots on earth.
- 1 year ago
- Views: 20
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Salomon Freeski TV S5 E07 Nort Salomon Freeski TV S5 E07 Northwest Road Trip Part 2
- From: salomonfreeski
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Description:
Our Northwest adventure continues with the arrival of Mark Abma, and one of the deepest days on record at Stevens Pass, Washington. http://www.salomonfreeski.com
- 1 year ago
- Views: 20
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Salomon Freeski TV S5 E06 Nort Salomon Freeski TV S5 E06 Northwest Road Trip Part 1
- From: salomonfreeski
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Description:
Holding the world record for snowfall, the bountiful Pacific Northwest of North America is the ideal location for a two-week, no fixed itinerary, powder adventure.
Cody Townsend, Elyse Saugstad & Leo Ahrens indulge themselves in the snowiest month of the snowiest year in a decade.
- 1 year ago
- Views: 46
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Behind The Scenes Of Red Bull Behind The Scenes Of Red Bull Cold Rush Day 1
- From: redbull
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Description:
This 3-day backcountry freeskiing competition returns to Silverton Mountain in Colorado with brand new features and a new roster of athletes. 17 men and 5 women set out to raise the bar of backcountry freestyle progression.
http://redbullusa.com/coldrush
- 1 year ago
- Views: 727
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Slopestyle Day Goes Off At Red Slopestyle Day Goes Off At Red Bull Cold Rush
- From: gregfitzsimmons
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Description:
Renowned for burly big-mountain skiing, Silverton Mountain’s park scene is 99 percent nonexistent. Aside from one day a year, “park” isn’t even in Silverton’s lexicon, but that lone day during the year when the core crew in Silverton talks “park” was Tuesday. On the coattails of the big-mountain day, the Red Bull Cold Rush slopestyle event went down in a big way.
With helicopters flying overhead and a small, but raucous, crowd perched atop a rock outcropping overlooking the slopestyle venue, Day 2 of Cold Rush saw a shrunken field of competitors—a few guys got banged up during the first day and were sidelined due to tweaked knees, necks and psyches—blast the man-made features strewn throughout the slopestyle course.
Competitors get ready Tuesday for Day 2 of Red Bull Cold Rush at Silverton Mountain, Colorado. Photo by Ian Fohrman.
The venue looked like something conjured up by a madman, but, in fact, the person behind this year’s course design is the same guy that laid out last year’s insane slopestyle day of Cold Rush: Pep Fujas.
“I wanted to expand the venue a little bit,” Cold Rush competitor and slopestyle course designer Pep Fujas said. “We tried to make it more athlete friendly, made the jumps bigger and added a rail up top to make the course longer as well.”
Pep Fujas is the first competitor to tackle the Mine Cart rail feature. Photo by Erik Seo.After the crazy session that went down during last year’s Cold Rush slopestyle day athletes were buzzing about what was on tap for this year’s event during the early morning breakfast at Silverton’s iconic Grand Imperial Hotel.
“Did you see the start list yet?” Sage Cattabriga-Alosa asked Dash Longe as he handed over a piece of paper that showed Longe as the first competitor of the day. “You get to be the guinea pig today, Dash.”
“I was pretty shit-scared seeing the venue this morning,” Breckenridge’s Anna Segal said. “I guess the fact that I couldn’t hit any of the features before I actually had to hit them in a comp run was pretty intimidating. This morning is probably the highest level of adrenaline I’ve ever had in my life.”
Andy Mahre spins a 270 off the Mine Cart rail at Red Bull Cold Rush. Photo by Christian Pondella.
Athletes had two line choices in the zone aptly dubbed “Mandatory Air” after dropping in from the top of the course. To the skier’s left: a ridgeline railroad-tie rail feature lead into a cornice gap jump, which funneled into a rampy hip step-down coined “Hipstamatic.”To the skier’s right: a few fall-line turns on chalky snow dropped athletes into a step-up gap jump and then lower into an absolutely massive (80+ feet) step-down called “The Castle.” Obviously, minor variations existed in each line choice, and, with it all said and done, the competitors that approached the course creatively—fluidly linking multiple features between the main lines or bypassing the cornice gap to throw a stylish butter trick off the cornice—are the runs that proved to be memorable.
Wiley Miller butters off the cornice into a 720. Photo by Ian Fohrman.Wiley Miller rolled into the skier’s left line, cleanly hit the rail on the top but opted to ski right past the subsequent cornice gap jump. Instead, Miller unleashed a smooth nose butter 720 off the cornice, showing a creative and stylish approach to the course. Dane Tudor built on his momentum created during the big-mountain day by spinning a 720 over the cornice gap and then banging a right off the tranny to link up with The Castle, where he absolutely crushed a switch 540 off the 80-plus foot kicker.
For the women, Jackie Paaso was the first competitor to boost the cornice gap jump and bypass the Hipstamatic kicker beneath it, to link the cornice gap with The Castle, where she had a-go at a huge front flip. And, just like on the big-mountain day, Rachael Burks showed up to shred. Burks straight-aired the skier’s right step-up and then came into The Castle hot where she lofted a large back flip (crashing on the first attempt but rebating it one her second run when she stomped it).
Rachael Burks lays out a massive backflip. Photo by Christian Pondella.
For every one athlete that put their line to the bolts there seemed to be two that crashed, with the stomp to blowup ratio hovering around 1:2. But, that’s what you get when some of the most committed men and women in skiing are looking to push themselves and give’r.
A few crashes from the day stand out because the skiers were fully committed and looking to throw down. Collin Collins (who uncorked spins off everything in front of him), Leo Ahrens (who was the only competitor to go for a double, but ended up crashing on both attempts) and Anna Segal had solid attempts but couldn’t keep their feet through an entire run. All three, among other competitors, felt the “thwap” of punch-front tomahawks as a direct result of charging skiing.
Sean Pettit sends the biggest switch 540 of the day. Photo by Mike Arzt.
“On my second run I hit the rail a little smoother [than the first run], and I hopped around switch to come in for a big switch 9 off the first jump," Collins said. "Again, I four-pointed and bounced off the hard landing. Then, I went down to The Castle and did a cork 7-tail grab off the feature. I thought I had that, too, but crashed in the deep pow landing. I haven’t hit too many jumps this year, so I guess I’m a little rusty. It was super fun, though.”
“I’ve never crashed so many times in one run,” Segal said with a smile. “If it was any other comp I would probably be really pissed off, but I was laughing so hard the whole time today. It was a really cool experience.”
Collin Collins goes big off the Castle jump at Red Bull Cold Rush. Photo by Erik Seo.
As the slopestyle event wrapped up so did this year’s official Red Bull Cold Rush competition. Unfortunately, the cliff day venue ripped to the ground — an aspect of backcountry skiing that we all have had to get used to this year because of variable snowpacks — and the third day of the comp has been canceled. It is a bummer because the cliff day of last year’s comp sent ripples throughout the entire skiing world and was an apropos wrap up to the event. What’s cool, however, is that instead of competing against each other on Silverton’s insanely sick terrain on Wednesday, the Cold Rush athletes will be ripping around the mountain together. Picture this: a hand-picked crew of the best skiers in the world, heli access to top-notch terrain, Cineflex cameras filming the shredding on a freeride day devoted solely to skiing with you friends, sans agenda. It sounds pretty legit, right?
Check back for a final recap from Silverton, Colorado in which we’ll divulge the overall peer-selected winners of Cold Rush, recount the freeride day and highlight some of the standout edits created over the last few days.
Pep Fujas busts a laid out backflip off the hip. Photo by Christian Pondella. - Blog post
- 1 year ago
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News: Red Bull Cold Rush Retur News: Red Bull Cold Rush Returns To Silverton Mountain - Athletes Confirmed
- From: media-75233
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Description:
Red Bull Cold Rush, a peer-judged, three-day backcountry freeskiing competition, returns in March to Silverton Mountain in Colorado with some brand new features and a new roster of athletes. For the second year in a row, 17 men and 5 women will compete in the Big Mountain, Slopestyle and Cliffs disciplines to determine the best all-around backcountry skier.
This year the Big Mountain venue is held on Silverton Mountain’s north-facing Storm Peak, the highest ski area in North America at 13,487 feet. The aptly-named peak snares snow from passing storms, filling in the steep, rocky chutes and couloirs. The Grande and Pequeño chutes where the discipline is held are so steep that they do not see any sunshine until March, keeping the snow cold and light.
The Cliffs venue returns to Silverton Mountain’s famous Zone 7 - a beautiful alpine cirque with 13,500-foot peaks that funnel into a freeskier’s paradise stacked with cliffs up to 70 feet in height in every direction. The cliff zone is located lower down on the mountain, keeping the snow sheltered and fresh. The landing zones are wide open, allowing the competitors to throw down their biggest tricks with fewer consequences than that of the Big Mountain arena.
Last but certainly not least, the Slopestyle venue is located just off the top of the Silverton Mountain chairlift in the aptly-named run Mandatory Air. “Mando” as it is sometimes called is a big, wide-open, north-facing bowl filled in with powder and natural features to build massive hits. The area is quite large, allowing for multiple jumps and transfers in an above-tree-line alpine bowl.
“Since the event is taking place at Silverton Mountain again, I needed to make sure the event was unique in some way,” says Pep Fujas, lead course designer and competitor in Red Bull Cold Rush. “We don’t build any features on-slope for the Big Mountain or Cliffs events, so the Slopestyle discipline is the one venue I could switch up this year. I want to make the course bigger and better, so we’re playing off the local mining heritage and building a custom rail feature, adding some jumps, and creating two distinct lines with three features each.”
Helping execute Fujas’ Slopestyle vision was course supervisor Dale Womack, who led a crew of builders from The Public Works along with a group of Silverton locals to bring his ideas to life.
The skiers’ right line consists of a step-down over a cliff, followed by a true table-style jump measuring 60 feet to the knuckle but can be sent as far as 100 feet, and finishing up with a 70-foot step-down. The left line begins with a 20-foot long custom rail feature, followed by a 50-foot step-down over a cornice, and ends with a hip jump that can be aired out anywhere between 20-80 feet.
Stepping up to the plate in 2012 and making use of these features and terrain is a premier field of 17 men and 5 women set to raise the bar of backcountry freestyle progression. This year’s Red Bull Cold Rush competitors include:
MEN: Andy Mahre, Collin Collins, Dane Tudor, Dash Longe, Dave Treadway, Fabio Studer, Josh Bibby, Kye Petersen, Leo Ahrens, Logan Pehota, Pep Fujas, Richard Permin, Sage Cattabriga-Alosa, Sean Pettit, Tim Durtschi, Tobias Tritscher, Wiley Miller
WOMEN: Anna Segal, Jackie Paaso, Michelle Parker, Rachael Burks, Shelly Robertson
For fans in the U.S., tune in March 24th to Red Bull Cold Rush airing nationally on NBC at 1:00 p.m. EST / 10:00 a.m. PST. The event airs as part of the new Red Bull Signature Series, the most progressive and innovative snowboarding, mountain biking, freestyle motocross, ice cross downhill, skiing and BMX events, showcased on custom courses from the inspiration of the athletes themselves. - Blog post
- 1 year ago
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Video: Generation Alta - Salom Video: Generation Alta - Salomon Freeski TV Season 5 Episode 8
- From: media-75233
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Description:
Alta, Utah, has almost a cult-like following of devoted powder skiers. Leo Ahrens, Jamey Parks, and the many generations of Alta shredders show us the soul of skiing is alive and well in one of the best powder skiing spots on earth.
- Blog post
- 2 years ago
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Video: Northwest Road Trip Par Video: Northwest Road Trip Part 2 - Salomon Freeski TV
- From: SamPetri
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Description:
November 22, 2011
Holding the world record for snowfall, the bountiful Pacific Northwest of North America is the ideal location for a two-week, no-fixed-itinerary powder adventure.
In Part 1, Cody Townsend, Elyse Saugstad and Leo Ahrens indulged in the snowiest month of the snowiest year in a decade.
Here in Part 2, the Northwest adventure continues with the arrival of Mark Abma, and one of the deepest days on record at Stevens Pass, Washington.
- Blog post
- 2 years ago
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Video: Northwest Road Trip Par Video: Northwest Road Trip Part 1 - Salomon Freeski TV
- From: media-75233
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Description:
November 15, 2011
Holding the world record for snowfall, the bountiful Pacific Northwest of North America is the ideal location for a two-week, no-fixed-itinerary powder adventure.
In Part 1 of this episode, Cody Townsend, Elyse Saugstad and Leo Ahrens indulge in the snowiest month of the snowiest year in a decade.
Set to the song that seems to be in almost every action sports movie this year: "Sail" by Awolnation.
- Blog post
- 2 years ago
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Siblings John and Angel Collin Siblings John and Angel Collinson Take On Freeskiing
- From: johnclarydavies
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Description:
October 28, 2011
— John Clary Davies
In May 2009, Angel Collinson realized ski racing wasn’t fun anymore. She had finished the season ranked high and had been invited to camps by the U.S. Ski Team, but decided she was ready to move on. Angel just wasn’t sure how.
“I still loved skiing,” said Collinson, now 21, “and my brother, who had done the Junior Freeskiing Tour, was like, ‘you got to try this; you’ll love it.’ So I signed up.”
John and Angel aren’t typical siblings. They are Black Diamond, North Face, Smith Optics and Backcountry.com teammates, and they are training, travel and ski partners. They’re roommates and friends.
Right now, they are also both building a house, along with their parents, at the mouth of Little Cottonwood Canyon. Once it’s finished, Angel and John will live there until their parents retire. In the meantime, they’ll continue staying where they grew up, in Snowbird’s employee housing quarters (though the two no longer share a bunk bed in a 5-foot by 12-foot room). When they were kids, their father worked for Snowbird’s snow safety department, while in the winter their mom taught Angel and John and four other students, from kindergarten to twelfth grade, in a one-room school. In the fall and spring, the kids would travel down Little Cottonwood Canyon and attend public school.
“When I was growing up I realized how awesome it was because I’d be in the valley for public school and be like, ‘man it kind of sucks down here; there are no mountains to play in,’” said 19-year-old John. “We were running around in the woods and living the mountain-man lifestyle. The setting for both of us was perfect for our endeavors in skiing and climbing.”
Angel Collinson rips a powder turn.
After taking her brother’s advice, Angel won the 2010 Freeskiing World Tour title the winter after quitting the race team. Then, she became just the third woman to back her title up by taking it again in 2011. This season, Angel is taking time off from the University of Utah, where she was pursuing a degree in environmental law, to put all her efforts toward skiing. She says she has only been able to dedicate about 40 percent to 50 percent of her time to skiing in the past, and wants to make the most of the opportunities the sport presents.
“I’m changing my identity because I’ve always thought of myself as an academic,” said Angel. “Now I’m calling myself a professional athlete. When I think that’s actually what I’ll be doing and making a living off of, that’s really exciting. To conceptualize myself in that role is neat.”
Angel says she and her brother feed off of each other’s skiing. She is a more technical skier from her background in racing, but John is better in the air.
“He’s a lot more playful with features and throws tricks a lot more and he’s teaching me that,” said Angel. “And sometimes he’ll be skiing and I’ll make a comment — keep your hands up more, or drop your hip — we’ll bounce ideas off each other.”
John Collinson airs a cliff.
John, like Angel, has experienced plenty of early success. At age 4, he summited Mount Rainier, and by age 17, he had become the youngest person to climb the Seven Summits. In all, he has climbed over 200 mountains. He is also a part of the Dubsatch Collective, a group of young skiers, including Nate Cahoon, Leo Ahrens, Sam Cohen, Grant Howard, and Andrew Pollard, who came of age skiing Little Cottonwood Canyon together. John won the overall Junior Freeski World Tour in 2010 and took second (as did Angel) in this summer’s Red Bull Powder Disorder in Las Lenas, Argentina.
“We’re really excited to have started working with them at such a young age and feel like both of these guys are the future of freeskiing,” said Black Diamond Team Manager TJ Kolanko. “I think that they have just scratched the surface and the sky’s the limit for both of them.”
Both Collinsons want to film this winter and compete when they can. Inevitably, they’ll end up back in Little Cottonwood Canyon, waking up to the 7 a.m. bomb squad and skiing Snowbird.
“Big mountain skiing is how [we] view the world,” said Angel. “Up at Snowbird, in this utopia… you watch it snow when you’re making breakfast and you get the feeling of what every day has in store for you. It’s a very intimate place to ski and be in nature and be in the mountains.”
- Blog post
- 2 years ago
- Views: 2809
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News: Lars Chickering-Ayers, S News: Lars Chickering-Ayers, Sole Diaz Win FWT Chilean Freeskiing Championships
- From: media-75233
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Description:
August 21, 2011
From Mountain Sports International:
Words: Keith Carlsen/MSI
VALLE EL ARPA, CHILE — Three days ago, the 25-minute 4x4 road to Ski Arpa was covered in a snow-dirt soup. Now, after the finals of The North Face Chilean Freeskiing Championships, it’s paved with some of the best ski lines the remote South American cat skiing operation has ever witnessed. Freeskiing’s elite gathered this week in Los Andes, Chile, and made summer skiing history with Lars Chickering-Ayers and Sole Diaz taking the top spots on the podium.
“I like turning where the mountain makes you turn and when you’re on big mountain terrain, that’s how I ski,” said Chickering-Ayers, the veteran champion.
In the men’s field, skiing talent rivaled some of the best this tour has ever seen. Mad River Glen’s Lars Chickering-Ayers took the win with a run that lasted six turns and 45 seconds. Chickering-Ayers’ run was total commitment; he dropped fast out of the gate into an air that covered nearly 40-vertical feet of distance down the slope, hit a turn in soft snow, sailed smoothly through two more high speed turns and nailed a three on the money booter at the bottom. Rounding out the stout men’s field, were Josh Daiek, of Kirkwood, Calif., in second with a huge mid-slope three, and Kevin O’Meara of Squaw Valley, Calif., in third with one of the biggest airs off the cliff just below the start.
Chilean Freeskiing Championships finals highlight video:
This competition’s women’s field was the most consistently strong and clean in FWT history. Every woman knew her line, charged it, and for the most part, stomped landings.
“I am so stoked for my win in Chile; I am the only Chilean woman in the comp and I won,” said an excited Sole Diaz. “I actually changed my run choice in the gate. I saw a couple of other girls do a new line and I knew I could ski it better.”
In a proud moment on her home country’s turf, La Parva, Chile, local Sole Diaz, took the win by a full two points over two-time tour champion Angel Collinson of Snowbird, UT. Diaz skied similarly to Chickering-Ayers descending straight down the fall-line with no hesitation and dropping air upon air with style, fluidity and control. Rounding out the women’s podium was Crystal Wright, of Jackson, Wyo., with her well-known grace and strength.
Setting the standard for the season 2012 Backcountry.com Sickbird Award, former Junior Freeskiing Champion Leo Ahrens, dropped an underflip 540 off the top booter, sticking his incredulous high-speed switch landing into the bowl before another massive three mid-venue.
With helicopters flying overhead, cat and snowmobiles shuttling skiers to the top of the mountain, this event was the complete package. And being South America in August, there were a few challenges related to weather and snowpack. The intended day two venue for the Chilean Freeskiing Championships — Stairway to Heaven — was kept closed until inspection today to preserve the snow quality. Due to overnight winds that scoured the ridge tops, competition director Bryan Barlow felt it necessary for the athletes to get a feel for the venue. When they entered the venue today, they discovered the snow coverage was too thin to safely ski the way they wanted to in the venue. The athletes met with Barlow and made a unanimous decision to not ski Stairway to Heaven, and to instead, return to the day one venue, Cornices, for the second run of the competition. Upon returning to Cornices, event organizers determined the higher scoring lines from day one had deteriorated from the impact of ski traffic and became unsafe to ski. Barlow and the athletes realized the competitors who had intended on skiing these lines, now had no opportunity to inspect new lines, probe landings, and check take-offs. Therefore event organizers made it optional for all qualified skiers to compete in the changed finals venue and made it an optional day, which would make it a best of two runs. Several competitors, who had established a lead with their day-one lines, chose not to compete, letting their day one score stand.
“Our Chilean Freeskiing Championships unofficially became the Chile Challenge,” said head judge Jim Norm Jack. “Conditions on the final face were too shallow and boney to provide a venue suitable for this level of competition. Safety being paramount, we opted to move back to Cornices. The athletes came together with the event organizers to put on one of the most exciting and spirited events we have ever seen. Relaxed and stoked, the skiers threw down dynamic runs. Today was a great celebration in the mountains and represented the full essence of our sport.”
Highlight video from Day 1:
For information, visit www.freeskiingworldtour.com, www.facebook.com/freeskiingworldtour, or follow us on Twitter at @FreeskiingWT.
- Blog post
- 2 years ago
- Views: 2247
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News: Chicherit, Wright Win Re News: Chicherit, Wright Win Red Bull Powder Disorder In Las Lenas
- From: media-75233
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Description:
Guerlain Chicherit, of France, and Crystal Wright, of Jackson, Wyo., are the winners of the Red Bull Powder Disorder, the first stop of the Subaru Freeskiing World Tour. The competition that took place in Las Lenas, Argentina, was cut short Friday after high winds canceled the finals. Because of this, the results from Day 1 determined the winners. Watch the video and read the results below.
The next stop, dubbed The North Face Chilean Freeskiing Championships, will take place Aug. 18-21 in Valle El Arpa, Chile. For more, visit the Freeskiing World Tour website here.
RED BULL POWDER DISORDER RESULTS — SUBARU FREESKIING WORLD TOUR STOP #1 LAS LENAS, ARGENTINA — EDUARDO'S FACE
Women:
1 Wright, Crystal 29.47
2 Collinson, Angel 27.50
3 Selig, Rebecca 26.07
4 Lintilhac, Louise 25.77
5 Backstrom, Ingrid 25.53
6 Burns, Clare 24.53
7 Lercher, Sonja 23.47
8 Maxfield, Ashley 21.67
9 Diaz, Sole 19.33
10 Jose, Maria 16.80
11 Edgerly, Jacqui 13.60Men:
1 Chicherit, Guerlain 36 38.27
2 Collinson, John 29 31.23
3 Lopez, Julien 20 31.17
4 Schneider, Willie 12 31.10
5 Permin, Richard 16 30.17
6 Daiek, Josh 27 29.50
7 Ahrens, Leo 18 29.30
8 Tabke, Drew 35 28.67
9 Aguirre, Facundo 33 28.33
10 OMeara, Kevin 31 26.67
11 Chickering-Ayers, Silas 30 26.33
12 Chickering-Ayers, Lars 40 26.13
13 Rossi, Gustavo 24 24.30
14 Lundin, Connery 23 24.20
15 Jackson, Mathew 34 23.67
16 Guzman, Santiago 14 23.33
17 Halverson, Zach 28 22.90
18 Brinson, Spencer 26 20.07
19 Deane, KC 41 19.87
20 Runcie, Tom 38 19.73
21 Diaz, Chopo 42 19.10
22 Imbert, Mathieu 21 18.27
23 Tenes, Jordi 37 17.97
24 Maniero, Ticiano 19 15.70
25 Post, Griffin 11 14.40 - Blog post
- 2 years ago
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Video: Solitaire Trailer By Sw Video: Solitaire Trailer By SweetGrass Productions
- From: media-75233
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Description:
In the high desert of South America, winter takes hold, devouring bleached bones and abandoned shacks. Into these most inhospitable of lands, a handful of drifters emerge from the whiteout, ready to cast their lot on forsaken peaks both merciless and magnificent. Venturing beyond the frontiers of most mountain films, Solitaire is backcountry skiing forged in the tradition of Western cinema. Born in the spires of Argentina’s legendary Las Lenas, a lonely two-year journey begins through an abandoned world, wandering the length of a continent from Peru’s Cordillera Blanca to Chilean Patagonia.
Lost in the winds of snowbound badlands and the blizzards of primordial forests; seen from a horse’s saddle and a paraglider’s wings; ridden on ski and board and telemark...
Solitaire fuses western-inspired tales of backcountry gambles into landscapes never before visited on film.
Shot on location in: Las Lenas, Argentina; Portillo, Chile;Nevados de Chillan, Chile; Patagonia, Chile; Bariloche, Argentina; Caviahue, Argentina; Huaraz, Peru; Iquitos, Peru; Uyuni, Bolivia; and Sajama, Bolivia.
Featuring: Leo Ahrens, JP Auclair, Ryland Bell, Will Cardamone, Johnny Collinson, Forrest Coots, Stephan Drake, Jacqui Edgerly, Chris Erickson, Sebastian Haag, Kip Garre, Atsushi Gomyo, Kim Havell, Eliel Hindert, Erica Laidlaw, Jaime Laidlaw, Kyle Miller, Osamu “Ommu” Okada, Carston Oliver, Alex Paul, Thayne Rich, Dave Rosenbarger, Don Roth, Elyse Saugstad, Aidan Sheahan, Forrest Shearer, Ptor Spricenieks, Thomas Steiner, Drew Stoecklein, Taro Tamai, Jack Tolan… and honoring Arne Backstrom and Kip Garre.
- Blog post
- 2 years ago
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Video: Discrete TV Teams Up Wi Video: Discrete TV Teams Up With Dubsatch In Latest Discrete TV Episode
- From: media-75233
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Description:
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, February 15, 2011
Discrete Headwear, a rider owned and conceived headwear brand in the snowsport industry, is proud to announce an official relationship with Dubsatch Collective, starting with, “Discrete TV #15 – DUBSATCH Collective”, showcasing the roster of emerging young talent that makes up Dubsatch; Leo Ahrens, Sammo Cohen, Doug Nangle, John Collinson, Colter Hinchliffe, Andrew Pollard, Grant Howard, Taylor Lyman, and others.Discrete has committed to this project, in owner Julian Carr’s words, “It’s amazing what these guys are doing, people need to see these guys, they are fantastic young adults that are a product of the Utah mountains and have grown up on fat skis.” Discrete has also launched a Junior team consisting of riders under the age of 19. “We’re giving an opportunity for a young group of athletes get involved at a grassroots level to get a feel for what it’s like in the sponsored landscape”, says Carr.
Discrete is a unique snowsport brand appealing to snow enthusiasts and hard core riders alike. “I created and built awareness for Discrete by sponsoring amazing athletes and thinking of unique ways to promote them,” said Julian Carr, Discrete owner. “Dubsatch is a perfect example of a creative bunch of individuals with whom we look forward to doing even more future projects.”
-Discrete Headwear
- Blog post
- 2 years ago
- Views: 1543
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