367 Search Results for "show"

• Sony Eye of the Condor 3 Previ Sony Eye of the Condor 3 Preview

  • From: TetonGravityResearch
  • Description:

    EYE OF THE CONDOR 3 from La Parva on Vimeo.

    The final chapter of the saga comes to fruition for its third and final year. Ski La Parva is thrilled to announce that it will once again be host to the annual Sony Eye of the Condor – a weeklong film and photo competition set high in the heart of the Andes.

     

    This year’s event will showcase teams of skiers and snowboarders hailing from around the world August 2 - August 9. Discrete Headwear, and Icelantic Skis are among some of the teams returning but the competition will also feature some exciting new faces that will be making a first time appearance for the events third and final year. With all-star alumni featuring icons such as Andy Mahre, Pep Fujas, Sean Pettit, Tanner Rainville, Ingrid Backstrom, Rachael Burks, Seth Morrison, Chris Davenport, and more, you never know who will show up this year.

     

    “Sony Eye of the Condor has been such an important event to us the past several years, and we would love to see more events with this format, but all good things must come to an end and we have decided to put this trilogy to rest and look forward to what is next. To those teams out there thinking about making the trip this year, I am going to make you an offer you can’t refuse!” says La Parva Director of Marketing and Sales Rodrigo Medina.

     

    In addition to the competition, which will award cash prizes to the best video and photography portfolios, Sony Eye Of The Condor will present its annual forum discussions led by industry leaders examining the role action sports and media play in our society at large.

     

    The week of festivities will culminate in the booming metropolis of Santiago Chile for the second annual iF3 La Parva/Chile (International Freeskiing Film Festival). The film festival will play host to the Sony Eye of The Condor awards and will include a celebration of the global Freeskiing film community, complete with athlete autograph sessions, film screenings, vendors, and live music.

     

    The winning films and photos from Sony Eye of The Condor will be showcased not only in Santiago but also around the globe at the other iF3 events, including Montreal, Quebec; Annecy France; and Innsbruck, Austria.

     

    Eye of the Condor is presented with the support of Sony. Please address press and other inquiries to La Parva Team eotc3@laparva.cl

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• Go: Irwin Cat Skiing Go: Irwin Cat Skiing

  • From: TetonGravityResearch
  • Description:

     

    Words: Pip Hunt

    Photos: Re Wikstrom

    A gloved finger etches a penis on a foggy window, then hastily circles it and slashes a line through the center. It’s almost as if our Tucker snow cat is filled with sixteen year-old boys. Rather than baseball, Alfalfa, and a “no girls allowed” sign, this moving clubhouse is filled tutus, sparkles and a pink wig. Pop music blares through the speakers and an old school ski film skitters across the big screen in front of us—though no one pays attention. Hannah Whitney, Utah Regional Director for SheJumps, gets down in the middle of the spacious cat. Before long, the entire snowcat bounces as seven women dance to “Call Me Maybe”. I’m not even through my first cup of coffee yet. 

    We’re heading up a snowy Kebler Pass, the unpaved summer road that connects Crested Butte to the rest of the Western Slope. Ten miles outside the funky, prayer-flag-draped ski town lies the Movie Cabin, the base for all of Irwin Catskiing’s daily adventures.

    While Crested Butte is known for its low snow pack, steep pitches and rocky terrain, locals have always known that the “donut hole” weather pattern leaves only the Butte bare. Irwin regularly receives two to three times more snow than Mt. Crested Butte every storm. It receives more than 600 inches annually, making it a leader for Colorado ski area snow totals.

    I slurp the dregs of my coffee before stepping out of the cat, taking in the panoramic view of the Elk Mountains and the minuscule movie cabin. We crowd inside the former Hollywood Western film prop and spread out around the fire to boot up for a day of skiing. 

    

    Guides can make or break the catskiing experience; but Megan Poden, CB local, mom, ski patroller, and guide extraordinaire greets us with more flair than we arrived with. Her hot pink wig, black tutu, and sassy ways set the precedent—things are about to get ridiculous. 

    Luckily, these ladies at SheJumps, a 501-c3 non-profit organization aren’t afraid of having fun. SheJumps challenges women to reach their fullest potential through outdoor adventures. This trip wasn’t about luxury lodging, and delicious food though; it was about the terrain and initiating a new SheJumps chapter in the Gunnison Valley. It was about introducing more women to a safe backcountry skiing environment, skiing pow, and challenging each other to break free of our comfort zones. 

    Six inches of fresh waited us at the top, and the cat was stacked with snacks and beverages. Our guides cranked the tunes up between each lap. We chased each other through lines of fresh soft snow on “2D or Not 2D,” sent the “Outer Limits,” and played through the endless, rolling terrain of “Long.” 

    

    “The terrain seemed endless,” Hannah gushed afterwards. “I’ve been out here touring before when I lived in the valley, but all of my surroundings seemed so much more accessible with the cat. I’m going to be dreaming about getting back here to ski more!”

    But the real fun started every time the cat door closed. We laughed, and had a really, really, really good time.

    “I think we just set the precedent for fun,” Kyra Martin, Director of Admin for Irwin stated at the end of the day. “Irwin sees a ton of male clients, but we’ve never had a cat full of women. We wanted to bring in SheJumps to show that women need adventure too!” 

    Details: 

    Website: Irwincolorado.com

    Contact: Info@Irwincolorado.com

    Prices: $500 per day

    1000+ Acres of Terrain 

    10,000-15,000 vertical feet of skiing per day 

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• Rahlves' Banzai Tour Finishes Rahlves' Banzai Tour Finishes Strong

  • From: TetonGravityResearch
  • Description:

     

    Truckee, Calif. (March 12, 2013) –Throughout the past two months, skiers, snowboarders and spectators alike have descended upon the Tahoe area to compete in and watch the rowdiest race in the Sierra. Rahlves’ Banzai Tour brought in tough competition from across the country to four renown Lake Tahoe resorts for the ultimate test of ski and riding skills.  The tour also entertained guests with quintessential pre and après ski parties, exciting results, and photo finishes.  

    Starting at Kirkwood Mountain Resort, athletes were challenged by “The Wall,” which proved to be one of the most challenging races to date, as competitors had to drop into an intimidating 20 ft. vertical wall right out of the gate. For the second tour stop hosted at Alpine Meadows, athletes were tested with fast and rough terrain, while spectators were entertained with the closest and most dramatic photo finish in Banzai history. With warm spring-like weather on the first day of the Squaw Valley tour stop, and formidable conditions on Sunday, Squaw tested the resilience of Rahlves’ Banzai Tour, as well as the dedication of tour participants. However, with fresh snow in the forecast, Rahlves’ Banzai Tour rallied for the final tour stop at Sugar Bowl Resort, home of the original Silver Belt Banzai.  

    The Sugar Bowl Final and Super Final concluded the tour in true Banzai style, complete with strong competition paired with music, barbecue, libations and the beloved Banzai atmosphere of camaraderie and healthy competition. Banzai veterans Johnny Bochenek, Kyle Coxon and John Lange took the top spots for men’s skiing during the Silver Belt, which also qualified Lange as the final athlete to compete in the Super Final. Men’s snowboarded Chelone Miller raced to first in the Silver Belt, while women’s snowboarder Kiana Putman and women’s skier Shannon Rahlves both secured the top spot in their respective categories. The men’s Super Final provided drama and a $5,000 paycheck to Salt Lake City skier Kyle Coxon. “The Sugar Bowl final and Super Final were awesome,” said Daron Rahlves. “It was a beautiful day, fans lined the course and the athletes delivered a great show. I wanted to be skiing in the Super Final, but instead was an excited fan like the rest watching and stoked for Kyle Coxon taking home the 5 grand. I will be back in the Super Final next year so those boys better start training now ha, ha.  I’m so grateful to my wife and kids for the endless support, all the sponsors, the fans and athletes for making this year’s tour the best yet. ”

     

    2013 Sugar Bowl Silver Belt Banzai Top Finishers Included:

    • Men Ski    1st Johnny Bochenek; 2nd Kyle Coxon;          3rd John Lange

    • Men Snowboard    1st Chelone Miller;     2nd Sylvain Duclos;     3rd Lucas Dehmlow 

    • Women Ski            1st Shannon Rahlves;  2nd Shelly Robertson; 3rd Hannah Jermstad

    • Women Snowboard    1st Kiana Putman;       2nd Macy Price;           3rd Carrie Hall

     

    2013 RBT Overall Top Finishers Included:

    • Men Ski          1st Johnny Bochenek;  2nd Kyle Coxon;         3rd John Lange

    • Men Snowboard  1st Chelone Miller;      2nd Lucas Dehmlow;  3rd Adam DeVargas

    • Women Ski        1st Shannon Rahlves;  2nd Shelly Robertson; 3rd Hannah Jermstad, 

    • Women Snowboard    1st Casey Lucas;          2nd Macy Price;          3rd Anna Weber

     

    2013 RBT total prize purse winnings:

     

    Men Ski

    •Johnny Bochenek$14,200

    •Kyle Coxon  $9,500

    •Jesse Maddex$3,900

    •John Lange$2,600

     

    Men Snowboard

    •Chelone Miller$8,150

    •Lucas Dehmlow$2,900

    •Adam DeVargas$2,150

     

    Women Ski

    •Shannon Rahlves$6,750

    •Shelly Robertson$2,000

    •Hannah Jermstad$1,000

     

    Women Snowboard

    •Casey Lucas$2,550

    •Macy Price$1,100

    •Iris Lazzareschi$750

     

    For those who are curious about the tour’s name, Banzai is a Japanese term expressed as an exuberant cheer meaning, “Long Life!” or “Hurray!”  An apt name for a high-spirited downhill ski and snowboard competition, the Silver Belt Race first took place in the 1940s at Sugar Bowl Ski Resort and was re-introduced with the head-to-head action by Daron Rahlves and Sugar Bowl in 2009. The race continued with one event for another year, and then Rahlves decided to take the show on the road, officially launching Rahlves’ Banzai Tour and expanding to stops at four of Lake Tahoe's premier resorts.

    The Rahlves Banzai tour is presented by Bank of The West. The Rahlves Banzai Tour is also supported by sponsors such as Red Bull, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Contour, CEP “intelligent sportswear”, North Lake Tahoe Chamber/VCB/Resort Association, Spyder, Atomic, Start Haus Ski Shop, Wend Wax, COAL, SVE/BOSE, The Bar Effect, World Cup Supply, Jagermeister, Snow Fest, Sports Insurance, Technical Equipment Cleaners, Resort at Squaw Creek, ZINKA, 101.5 Truckee Tahoe Radio, Tahoe TV, POWDER Mag, High Fives Foundation and CRUX Events, thereby creating an alluring $80,000 prize purse. For more information, to check out previous race results, videos and to register, visit www.rahlvesbanzai.com. For up-to-the-minute news, “Like” The Rahlves’ Banzai Tour on Facebook and follow @RahlvesBanzai on Twitter & download the free Official Banzai App on your smart phone at banzai.genzplay.com

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• Life In Focus Teaser By F-Stop Life In Focus Teaser By F-Stop

  • From: fstopgear
  • Description:

    Life in Focus takes us behind the scenes with the F-Stop Staff Pro Team to capture them in their element, and to show the world their story of how they became the pro's they are. The series will present a different f-stop Staff Pro in each episode exploring their world along with the techniques and skills that distinguish them from the rest.
    
    F-Stop's collaborative effort with the team is an essential cog in the product development process. Working with industry leading professionals to design and build the ultimate camera packs and bags is an ongoing endeavor that has helped them to become the brand and company that they are today.
    
    For more on Life in Focus and F-stop

     

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• TGR Acquires World's Most Adva TGR Acquires World's Most Advanced Gyro-Stabilized Camera Platform

  • From: TetonGravityResearch
  • Description:

    Teton Gravity Research Aerial Reel - The Bay Area in 4K from Teton Gravity Research on Vimeo.

    (Teton Village, Wyo.) - Award-winning action sports production company and lifestyle brand Teton Gravity Research (TGR) has become the first to acquire the new Gyro-Stabilized Systems (GSS) C520 system, the most advanced five-axis gyro-stabilized camera platform in the world. GSS, which specializes in the development of leading-edge camera systems and other custom stabilization technologies, has awarded TGR a number of exclusive benefits that position TGR as the premier carrier of this platform.

    The GSS C520 is the first fully upgradable and interchangeable portable gyro-stabilized system, able to accommodate a range of existing cameras like the RED Epic and Sony F55 that shoot at 4K resolution, as well as future advancements in camera technology. The portable platform allows TGR to capture stunning, Ultra HD cinema, about four times the resolution of regular 1080p HD. Widely predicted to become the new worldwide standard for HD programming, 4K footage approaches the limits of what the human eye can process. The Cineflex Elite, the current leading gyro-stabilized camera system, maxes out at 2K (just above 1080p).

    “In terms of technological adoption, this may be the most significant step TGR has ever taken,” proclaims Steve Jones, TGR co-founder. “We’re able to mount the GSS system on helicopters, automobiles, boats, planes, and all sorts of other vehicles to shoot the most stable, crisp, clear aerial/motion shots ever captured. In the near future, people will come to expect their content in 4K, and TGR will lead this Ultra HD movement through our feature films, television series, and commercial work.“

    “The GSS C520 is the most highly sophisticated 4K digital cinema system in the world,” adds Todd Jones, TGR co-founder. “This platform has the potential to redefine aerial cinematography at the highest levels of filmed entertainment and reshape the way we see motion pictures.”

    “We’re longtime fans of TGR’s athlete-driven productions in some of the world’s wildest environments, so they are a logical launch partner for us,” says Jason Fountaine, GSS Managing Director. “It’s taken us almost two years of development to bring this system to market, and TGR will have the first chance to show everyone what’s possible. We can’t wait to see what’s created with it.”

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• Go Now: Selkirk Wilderness Ski Go Now: Selkirk Wilderness Skiing

  • From: SamPetri
  • Description:

     

    
    
    “I don’t fuck around.” Dr. Powder says. “This is my 30th week up here. I only get two weeks each year to really ski, and I’m not going to blow it. I come here. I am not fucking around."
    
    It’s hard to look directly into Dr. Powder’s intense, near-purple eyes as we chug uphill in one of Selkirk Wilderness Skiing’s bright-yellow snow cats on a bluebird Monday morning. Instead, I look outside in awe of Canada’s pillow-packed mountains. Dr. Powder is actually a heart doctor from California, and he’s serious about skiing. A quivering passion shows on his face when he talks about the sport, and he spends his precious little skiing time here. But he’s not alone.
     
    
    
    Fanaticism runs deep in the clientele at Selkirk Wilderness Skiing, the first cat skiing operation in the world located in Meadow Creek, British Columbia, just two hours north of Nelson. It’s not a mystery why. The cats access more skiable terrain than Whistler/Blackcomb and Vail combined, and only see about 24 skiers per day. They’ve been quietly delivering stellar powder since 1975, when founders Allan and Brenda Drury literally changed the ski world by inventing a new way to ski.
    
    It snowed 25 centimeters up high last night. In Freedom Units, that’s 10 inches. SWS lead guide and 20-year veteran Jason Remple, has seen fatter days, but he wasn’t complaining as we ended our first cat-assisted assent. 
    
    Ecstatic chatter cracks over the radios: “25 centimeters of new! Whoo Ha!”
    
    Our crew of 12 applauds.
    
    
    
    The cat stops and we file out into knee-deep snow. I just grin while looking the snow-caked, spine-filled mountains with pillow clusters and steep glades. There’s every type of skiing feature imaginable here. I search for my skis. Ian, our cat driver, has already laid them out on the snow for me, as he has with everyone else’s skis. How nice. I click in.
    
    Remple, who also owns a business called Stellar Heli-Skiing, rallies the crew.
    
    “Follow me.”
    
    We’re off. We ski 12-deep in a mob, like some sort of Canadian cat skiing advertisement. “We really are skiing Canadian,” I chuckle to myself. We keep it up until we reach a convex rollover, the top of our main line. We stop.
    
    
    
    Remple explains the layout of the run, and where people of different abilities need to go. Throughout the trip, Remple, Jeff Gostlin, and Carla Aldinger consistently guide us to the gnar. Every run has features to jump off of, leaving us repeating phrases like: “So sick!”
    
    “You’ve got to understand this is a diverse group,” says Remple. “On any given run though, there are a lot of options and we can get into almost anything. There’s something for everyone.”
    
    
    
    That might be the best thing about SWS—you can go there with your old man and have a blast. In fact, two guys in our cat were a father-son duo from San Francisco. While dad would ski the open powder field, his son, who we nicknamed “Big Air Blair,” would shred pillow lines. Both were fired up at the bottom of every run, ready for more. That’s quality family time.
    
    It goes on all day. We ride up, blast down, each time linking back up with the cat. Rarely do you see the other cat out there. Each run from start to finish takes about 40 minutes or so, including time spent in the cat. Depending on the group, it’s possible to ski anywhere from eight to twelve runs in a day. Depending on the group, it's possible to get six to twelve runs per day. Most runs are about 2,000 to 3,000 vertical feet.
    
    Helicopter flights jack you up for the next run, while traveling in a snow cat is like a relaxing bus ride through a powder forest. If heli skiing is a stimulant, then cat skiing is an opiate.
    
    SWS serves lunch in the snow cat, and it’s one of the best things about the experience. It even comes with tea and cookies. This daily ritual happens every day at SWS. It’s amazing. Skiing needs more tea and cookies.
    
    
    
    The lodge, located at an elevation of 4,000 feet, has a cool, community-style vibe where guests hangout together and eat together. There’s a pool table, ping-pong table, hot tub, sauna, and a serve-yourself bar stocked full of chronic Canadian microbrews that don’t show up in America. Oh yeah, there’s WiFi, but you’re here to unplug. Just ski. Don’t forget to eat though. The food is healthy, hearty, and delicious. Dinners are served family style, adding to the overall camaraderie one feels while at SWS.
    
    The snow in interior BC, while feather-light, has a bit more moisture content than in the Rocky Mountains. This lets mini-AK-style spines, flutes, and pillow features form almost everywhere, allowing for playful bonks off terrain features without fear of dry-docking. I go all day without hitting a rock or crossing a track.
    
    
    
    Back at the lodge we melt into the cushy chairs, kick our feet up by the fire, pop beers, thumb through Kootenay Mountain Culture Magazine, play ping-pong, and soak in the tub. This is the place. Tomorrow, we’ll get on a snow cat at 8:15 a.m., and ski the best powder of our lives all over again. It’s no wonder Dr. Powder comes twice a year—he’s in on the Selkirk’s secret.
    
    Book Now
    
    Selkirk Wilderness Skiing TGR Special
    
    March 24 to March 30. Both 3 and 5 day package are available at 20% off right now.
     
    3 day – normal price/discounted price = $2580/$2150.
    5 day – normal price/discounted price = $4300/$3440.
    
    Photos by Steve Shannon

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• Resort Review: Vail Colorado C Resort Review: Vail Colorado Celebrates 50 Years of Skiing

  • From: drewrouse
  • Description:

    

    Vail has quite the reputation with out me writing one word about it as a subject you probably already have an opinion on the place. However after living here for 15 years and growing up skiing this place with my family before that I know some of its secrets so perhaps I can add some perspective both as a former gaper and a long time local.
    
    Essentially a 5 mile by 5 mile expanse of ridges and huge open bowls that happen to sit at the south end of the Gore Range which creates a jagged cloud trap to catch any precipitation and funnel it towards Vail. It is the reason that there can be 5 inches on the report at mid vail but the back bowls and Blue Sky basin will receive feet as happened just this last storm cycle. On a good year well over 400 inches of super light Colorado fluff fall back there a few miles from the village.
    
    The terrain here is mostly mellow but trust me there are some steeps and cliffs if that your thing. I spoke with young big mtn up and comer Christian Nichols formerly of Ski Club Vail’s Big Mtn Team and he told me that its legit terrain for him and the rest of the team to have to train on to prepare for contests at mountains that are much more highly regarded as steep and technical.  The terrain parks at Vail are looking better than ever with a brand new 22 foot super pipe this season and always innovative rails and eagle counties little secret, lots of log slides in the trees if jibbing lumber is your thing.
    
    Lines can be long on weekends or big powder days but there are ways to get away from the crowds. Show up early with a plan and get ahead of everyone and you will be lapping untracked powder for hours or show up late when its dumping and go seek out some stashes. Ptarmigan cornice and the ends of the ridges in the bowls are some of my favorite places to look for super deep wind-loaded leftovers.  As a kid I can remember loving to go out to inner and outer Mongolia bowls just because there was no one ever out there and there was a lot of terrain to explore. Its not that steep but it is always worth a look if you want to find some solitutde.
    
    The resort has a bunch of easily accessible side-country, which means you can usually find fresh snow even weeks after a storm if you know where to look. East Vail, The Minturn Mile, West vail trees…. It would take you years and years to ride all of the lines located a short walk from Vail’s ropes. Just remember here in Eagle County more often than not we have a sketchy snow pack with lots of depth hoar and a recipe for slabs that step down into bigger slides so use good sense and remember your Avalanche gear if you are wanting to venture out.  Seems almost every year someone is lost in an avalanche around here and its definitely something that’s always in the back of my mind.
    
    The snow is not the only attraction here, Vail does a pretty good job of putting on events and concerts all year long almost. With the Burton U.S open making its Vail debut,  this coming weekend it looks like they are just stepping it up.  Things have never been better as far as nightlife goes and bridge street, will keep even the most seasoned partiers happy.  Check out the George if you want to chill or Samana Lounge to get your groove on.
    
    Some of the things I have heard is that Vail is flat and its crowded, full of gapers, extremely corporate,  expensive, my aspen friends call it a truck stop and yada yada yada.  So what, a lot of negative things are true about this place and people always hate on the biggest for whatever reason but subtract that and what do you have.  A huge expansive mountain with a pretty fun town, pretty easy access from Denver, via a very well maintained highway that doesn’t close often enough for my liking. Check Vail out, you may have the time of your life here whether it’s a deep pow day or a night out on the town, I know I have.

    Skier Drew Rouse
    Photo Ben Koelker

    Vail Lodging Sale, book online through Mountain Reservations.

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• Drew Tabke - Between the Lines Drew Tabke - Between the Lines Episode 5 - Freeride World Tour TV

  • From: freerideworldtour
  • Description:

    Take a look at the fifth installment of the Between the Lines show, starring Drew Tabke (USA).
    
    Watch More Freeride World Tour TV Videos

     

  • 3 months ago
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• Andrew Whiteford Shreds Jackso Andrew Whiteford Shreds Jackson - Dub Tales Episode 1

  • From: line_skis
  • Description:

    Shot in December, one of Andrew Whiteford's goals for this video was to show off the great conditions we had here in Jackson. It also shows a couple “firsts” for my ski year: first Saratoga lap (:13), First Tram (1:02), first Alta Chutes, (1:05), first pass lap (2:33), first tomahawk (3:23). Check it out.
    
    Watch More Videos By Line Skis

     

  • 3 months ago
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• News: Team Europe Takes Top Ho News: Team Europe Takes Top Honors At Swatch Skiers Cup 2013 In Zermatt

  • From: TetonGravityResearch
  • Description:

    
    Zermatt, Switzerland - Team Europe took the SWATCH SKIERS CUP trophy back from defending champions Team Americas today, with a masterful team performance on the Backcountry Slopestyle course. Today’s 10 – 6 win follows their victory on Big Mountain Freeride day, making Team Europe the event champions with a final score of 21 – 11.
     
    A crisp, sunny day greeted spectators and competitors as they emerged from Zermatt’s spectacular Gornergrat Bahn ski train. Riders found the competition face in perfect condition, with 20cm of untouched powder blanketing the venue. The top section of the course featured steep, freeride-style terrain, while the middle and lower sections were filled with hand-sculpted jumps, with the riders taking full advantage of the variety of possible lines and airs.
     
    Team Europe’s Fabio Studer (AUT) had the standout run of the day, entering the course with a switch cork 540 (taking off backwards with one and a half off-axis rotations) off the ridge, drawing cheers from the large crowd as he flashed effortlessly through a hidden couloir, before finishing with a flawless cork 720.
     
    Sverre Liliequist (SWE) kept his momentum from Big Mountain day going with a creative double cliff drop to backflip and a huge double front flip attempt. “Even though Slopestyle isn’t my strength, it doesn’t make me nervous to give it my best try. I know I’m stretching my abilities super far, but the features are very safe and the vibe here is so encouraging that it creates the perfect environment to push your comfort level,” said Liliequist.
     
    Team Americas laid down standout performances as well. Rory Bushfield (CAN) skied an extra run to replace the injured Tim Dutton (USA), nailing all three of his super technical, stylish lines. The last competitor of the day, Charlie Ager (CAN), nearly pulled off a switch landing on his cork 900 in the deep powder of the final jump.
    
    
    The successful week in Zermatt points to a bright future for the SWATCH SKIERS CUP. “Bringing together 16 of the best riders in Big Mountain and Backcountry Slopestyle has proved to be a winning combination and I’m pleased to be able to announce today that the event will go on. Thanks to our key partner SWATCH, we’re looking forward for the next two editions which are confirmed,” said head event organizers Nicolas Hale-Woods.
     
    The two captains for the 2014 SWATCH SKIERS CUP have just been confirmed, with legendary riders Julien Regnier (FRA) to lead Team Europe, and JP Auclair (CAN) to head Team Americas. Look for the host resort of the next edition to be announced soon on www.swatchskierscup.com.
     
    Today's Quotes:
    
    “For my second run, I knew we were out of reach of getting the trophy, with no mathematical way to win. So at that point I told the boys to just go have fun, and for myself, I decided to give this crowd a show and go for my double cork 1080. The rotation was right on but I just went a little, ok, a lot too big. But it was just so much fun.
    After that epic Big Mountain day, and then to top it off with today? I mean, it was honestly one of the greatest contests I’ve ever seen.” Cody Townsend (USA) – Team Americas Captain
     
    “We deal with huge challenges to make this event happen. Putting in tons of work on the jumps, and the safety protocols, and judging, and then hoping mother nature cooperates. It’s a job, but I love it, and wouldn’t want to be doing anything else.”
    Julien Regnier (FRA), jump shaper and judge.

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• Top 10 Reasons To Enter The Co Top 10 Reasons To Enter The Co-Lab

  • From: TetonGravityResearch
  • Description:

    
    
    TGR is making it rain.
    
    You heard it right: We are giving away $100,000 to the skier that can produce the best freeskiing video edit of 2013.
    
    As part of The Co-Lab, skiers will team with filmers to produce a clip that they will submit to TetonGravity.com between May 1 and May 31. After that, TGR will reveal all of the edits and the public will vote to decide a winner.
    
    Ready to enter, shop for your next DSLR camera direct from Amazon.com, start shooting and editing now!
    
    Seems simple, right?
    
    Well, some people have concerns. So, here are the top 10 reasons to enter The Co-Lab …
    
    
    1. We are giving away $100,000.
    
    The winner of this contest will get a fat check for $100,000. For serious.
    
    2. Get noticed in a competitive field.
    
    We know there is a whole lot of talent out there that otherwise gets unnoticed. This is your chance to show the world what you’ve got. It’s go time.
    
    3. You own your own footage, not us.
    
    Just like it says in the rules, you own your footage, not us. If you want to re-cut and re-edit your footage after the public voting is done, go for it. TGR has no rights to sell footage to third parties for advertising, promotion, or stock purposes.
    
    4. Anyone can win it.
    
    This is the first year we are doing the competition. That means there is no winner from last year to compete with. There is no bar set. There is no standard. ANYONE could win this thing. That person could be you.
    
    5. You could win $100,000.
    
    Think of all the laser and foam machines you could buy with that.
    
    6. You could be in a TGR film.
    
    If you make one of the Top 21 best Co-Lab videos, your footage could be used for a bad ass compilation film of the best ski edits of 2013.
    
    7. You don’t need a helicopter to be in this competition.
    
    Who knows what we are going to see come May 31? But you absolutely do not need a helicopter or budget for a fulltime cinematographer. We have been thoroughly impressed with the up-and-coming edits and we know there are plenty of good lines to be had without a heli. It’s just up to you to find them.
    
    8. Five subcategories are up for grabs.
    
    In addition to the $100,000 cash prize and a chance to be in a compilation video, there will be five subcategories that will be up for grabs. Stay tuned for categories and cash amounts.
    
    9. We don’t pick the winner; we just provide the platform.
    
    This is the public’s contest. You will decide what the best edit is. And we are stoked to see what you, the people, pick.
    
    10. The grand prize is $100,000.
    
    This is the biggest cash prize in freeskiing history.
    
    Are you in? We want to hear your Co-Lab story. Send us an email to CoLab@tetongravity.com for a chance to be featured on this site.
    
    Use the hash tag #TGRcolab

    Go To The Co-Lab Contest Page
    
    Get The Co-Lab Overview
    
    See The Co-Lab Schedule
    
    Read The Official Rules
    
    Read The Frequently Asked Questions
    
    

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• Carving Through History With C Carving Through History With Chuck Barfoot Part One: The Old Days

  • From: jakedesroches
  • Description:

    

    With each year that passes, the opportunity for seeing, meeting, and speaking with a snowboarding legend diminishes. The passing of Tom Sims last September is a stark reminder of this. The ranks of the original riders, the guys who took what we would consider simple wooden or fiberglass planks to the snow, are fading fast. On Friday February 1st at the SIA Snow Show, I was fortunate enough to come across one of the original riders. I was lucky enough to meet Chuck Barfoot.
    
    After speaking to Chuck and his board-building partner Ernie Delost, I was nearly at a loss of words. I had never met a stranger who had lived through so much snowboarding history, let alone helped to create it. I knew I needed to learn more about this man. Before he parted to meet with old friends on the snow show floor, I asked if he would be willing to do a brief interview with me the next day.
     
    Being simply a down to earth guy, he agreed to come back the next morning and speak with me for fifteen minutes. This fifteen-minute meeting turned into a thirteen-minute interview plus another twenty minutes of great conversation, just talking, laughing, and enjoying the snow show vibe.
    
    Chuck Barfoot is a humble, inspiring, and truly good man. We should be thankful he loves snowboarding so much, because without him we might still be riding wooden boards with black grip tape and skyhooks for bindings (ok, it probably wouldn’t be that bad).
    
    This is Chuck’s story.
    
    The Old Days
    
    Chuck Barfoot started surfing in Beach Haven, New Jersey in 1961. Nine years later, in 1970, he moved to Santa Barbara, California and was living with Tom Sims. Chuck was well positioned to help craft the snowboarding industry that we know today, but he didn’t know it.
    
    It was 1977; he was working for Tom Sims, building prototypes and doing research and development on the classic skateboards and surfboards that Sims produced. At this point, he had never even touched his feet on a board and placed that board on the snow. He was a surfer and a skater. He had no idea how much his life would change.
    
    One day, Tom Sims approached Barfoot with a project Bob Webber and Tom had worked on. According to Barfoot, it was a “yellow plastic ski board with a skateboard deck on it.” It had black grip tape, and skyhooks for the riders’ feet. The board worked, but it had some problems.
    
    The grip tape would pack with snow, and the skyhooks were permanently mounted regular or goofy. There was no switching the skyhooks from regular to goofy, or vice versa. At the time, these snowboards were a rare thing (the word “snowboard” wasn’t even used yet). If you had a board, you wanted to share it with all your friends. With the skyhooks mounted only in one direction, if your friend was regular and you were goofy one of you was simply out of luck.
    
    Tom Sims approached Barfoot with the crude snowboard device and said, “What can we do to fix these problems?” Barfoot gave the board a quick look up and down and replied, “Well first, get rid of the black grip tape.” He replaced the standard black tape with a sheet of clear plastic grip tape, and then sprayed the board with a coat of silicon to help relieve the skate deck from packing with snow. Thinking about how to fix the skyhook problem, Barfoot took rubber bungee cord and bolted it to the top of the skate deck, running from tip to tail. Instead of having a set mounted position, a regular-footed rider could now stand on it, set his feet underneath the bungee, ride down a hill, and then hand the deck over to his goofy-footed friend.
    
    Snowboarding could now be shared.
    Sims knew Barfoot was onto something. Shortly after this, Sims approached Barfoot again and asked, “How about building me a fiberglass prototype of a board I built like in 1963?“ Always the tinkerer, Barfoot began working on what he described as, “a little four foot bullet with a v-bottom.”
    
    At this point, it was 1978 and Chuck Barfoot had still never ridden a snowboard, a snurfer, or even one of those plastic ski boards. Barfoot finished his fiberglass copy and knew he could do better. He took the board back to Tom Sims and immediately said; “I can build something way better.”
    
    Sims told Barfoot to go for it, and go for it Barfoot did. He wanted to craft a board that would let surfers and skaters like him carve through snow just like they were surfing or skating.
    Barfoot began designing his first snowboard in his head; “The idea was like putting two skis together, with camber and channels.” The channels ran along the sidecut of the board, allowing loose snow to flow (at this point, boards were only made for riding powder). He started by building a mold, “a solid rectangular fiberglass shape, with camber, v-shape, nose and tail lift, and sidecut.” After the mold was complete, Barfoot built his first snowboard.
    
    It was time for him and Bob Webber to begin the nearly thousand-mile journey from the Southern California Coast to entry three between the Snowbird and Alta ski resorts. At the time, entry three was a series of switchbacks winding up the mountain. He had no idea that his life was about to change forever.
    
    We aren’t all lucky enough to first experience snowboarding riding in 18 inches of champagne Utah powder on Christmas day, but lucky for us, Barfoot was.
    
    “I remember taking off, taking my very first toe and heel turns, 15 yard beautiful carves all the way down the freaking mountain.” Chuck reminisced. He wore a red, white, and blue jersey, and after getting to the bottom he grabbed his board, held it high above his head, and screamed. “YEAHHH!”
    
    Chuck Barfoot and Bob Webber weren’t the only ones enjoying a miraculous Christmas. By some stroke of luck, fate, or both, they spotted another rider, sporting a snurfer-like board with a rope on the nose, coming down the mountain. It ended up being Jeff Grell’s older brother, Jay (Jeff was one of the designers of the highback binding).
    
    Barfoot was amazed. “We were like ‘Oh my god!’ So we snowboarded together all day long.” The three pioneers enjoyed a day of powder, laughter, and camaraderie that truly created history. To this day, riders across the world unknowingly seek to emulate those three young men as they search for that perfect day of freedom, riding, and friendship.
    
    Barfoot continued to work for Sims for the next several years. But that day was the real beginning of Barfoot Boards. His mind and more importantly his heart were in it. He worked hard, building one of a kind snowboards. Each new board was a little bit different from the last, a little lighter, just a bit more flex, a new shape.
    
    “I did about fifteen different models until I had boards that worked, really-really well.” He described his motivation for building boards. “It was basically just to surf snow.”
    With such a simple goal in mind, Chuck lovingly built boards for Sims until the 1980 – 1981 season, when he left Sims Snowboards and founded Barfoot Boards. He continued to build individually crafted snowboards and skateboards for the next twenty odd years. Until, around the 2003 – 2004 season, his company had grown too large. It was out of control and unfocused. It became such a problem, that he decided to stop producing snowboards (he continued to craft surf-style longboard skateboards under the Barfoot brand).
    
    Chuck didn’t sound happy as he said this. “Things were being done for not the right reasons. It was more about money and all that stuff.” Chuck was fed up with the corporatism that had invaded his, and so many other good companies.
    
    “My philosophy has always been, build something really good, that works. Take care of someone and they'll be back, and your company will grow and the money will come with that. And that's not the corporate world. And I am so far away from the corporate world.”
    
    Fast-forward ten years, and lucky for us, those same snowboard corporations, the mass media, and most importantly, the internet, created a huge market for snowboarding. The market was so big, that people wanted something smaller, something personal. People began demanding a product made just for them.
    “The internet got so many people getting ahold of me saying, ‘You need to be building boards again. My fifteen year old Barfoot is at the end of its road, I need a new board.’ So my old partner, Ernie Delost, him and I got back together again. So him and I, we are hand building the boards in his factory.
    
    We design them together. We hand build them in house, and that’s just what I love doing. So that’s why I'm building boards again. It’s for the right reasons.” As Chuck said this, the grin on his face widened to remind me of a child’s first visit to a toy store, his mind hungry for the possibility of building even greater adventures.
    
    What really amazed me about my meeting with Chuck Barfoot was his willingness to become my friend after just speaking a few words with me. I never once caught a rude tone come out of his mouth, and it was hard to catch him without a smile. The word that kept coming up was “personable.” With his business, Chuck wanted to, and still wants to create a personal connection with every single one of his customers (and many more lucky people, like me). He was also very humble. It never once seemed like he was boasting, or trying to make what he did out for more than it was. Long after our interview was over, and just before we said our goodbyes, Chuck Barfoot left me with one last history lesson.
    
    “All credit really goes to Dimitrije Milovich, Winterstick founder. He was the one that set the right direction. P-tex base, sidecut, steel edges, swallowtails — it was straight up surfing on powder-no rope attached.”
    
    Remember to check back later this week for part two, “Barfoot is Back,” a sneak peek at the new Barfoot Boards.
    
    Save big on 2012-2013 Snowboards when you buy online through Dogfunk.com, while giving back to TGR

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• Inside The Jib Factory Inside The Jib Factory

  • From: sethlightcap
  • Description:

    
    
    X Games terrain park builders Snow Park Technologies to star in reality TV show on National Geographic Channel.
    
    Story and Photos By Seth Lightcap
    
    Reality TV has shown us dirty jobs, dangerous jobs and of course, ‘only in Nevada’ jobs (see Cathouse). But for once, you’re late night channel surfing is about to drop you into the boots of a talented crew doing a really freakin’ cool job.
    
    Ever wonder what it takes to build an X Games halfpipe or design a super-human sized slopestyle feature? You’re about to find out as the exploits of Snow Park Technologies, the rockstar terrain park builders tasked with creating the X Games courses and signature resort terrain parks at Sun Valley, Northstar and Vail, will be featured in a reality TV show on the National Geographic Channel. The eight-episode series, called ‘Mountain Movers’, will air in late-spring 2013.
    
    Snow Park Technologies (SPT) was founded on the sunny So-Cal slopes of Snow Summit Resort in 1997 by then Snow Summit terrain park director Chris ‘Gunny’ Gunnarson. Gunnarson’s offshoot terrain park consulting business has since grown to become the world’s foremost designer and builder of resort terrain parks, competition courses and signature park features. SPT is known for it’s exacting logistical expertise and innovative production abilities having built every Winter X Games course there’s ever been, as well as next-level park features like the cubed halfpipe that SPT created for Red Bull and Simon Dumont at Squaw Valley in 2011.
    
    The talents of SPT’s crew of cat drivers and jib builders attracted the attention of NatGeo Channel who are currently filming SPT’s operations as they criss-cross the globe building halfpipes and terrain parks. The show will offer a behind-the-scenes glimpse at SPT’s unique construction efforts, said Gunnarson.
    
    “‘Mountain Movers’ will tell the story about the design and construction efforts that go into the work we do at SPT, and the different conditions and environments we deal with along the way,” said Gunnarson. “The idea is that each episode will follow one project from start to finish — from initial design and planning through the execution of the project on site.”
    
    
    
    Armed with a no-nonsense, get-it-done-right attitude, Gunnarson will take a lead role in the TV series as the show chronicles the SPT president’s moves leading the company.
    
    
    
    
    
    Beyond strictly on-snow, on-location scenes, Mountain Movers will showcase SPT’s new Jib Factory, a cavernous office/production facility in Verdi, Nevada where they design terrain park layouts and build the rails and wallrides. SPT’s drive to bang out on-time construction, delivery and installation of such features will be a focal point of the show. This massive 40x30 foot wallride (the biggest SPT has ever built) was constructed early-January in the Jib Factory for the 2013 Winter-X Snowboard Street course.
    
    
    
    
    
    Snow Park Technologies’ lead fabricator Tyrone Coyne is arguably the king of terrain park rail and jib building. Coyne built the world’s first “fun box” (a slide-able park feature with lexan plastic on top of it) when he was working at Snow Summit Resort in the late ’90s and has been designing and crafting signature terrain park features for SPT ever since. With a masterful eye for jib design and a steady hand with a welding torch, Coyne is the shop supervisor of SPT’s Jib Factory. Get ready for some heavy metal moments as the NatGeo cameras capture Coyne in action building monster features.
    
    
    
    Laying down corduroy in a snowcat may not sound that riveting, but sculpting jumps and halfpipes should present some interesting angles on some serious cat-time. SPT Project Manager, Corley Howard (shown here), and the legendary halfpipe cutter and SPT Business Director Frank Wells will be two of the cat drivers featured.
    
    
    
    “The weapon of choice is the Prinoth Bison X,” said Howard, talking about the best snowcat for building terrain parks. The Italian-made Bison X is a terrain park-specific snowcat equipped with special features that allows them to push snow more efficiently than a standard grooming cat that’s designed to go faster up and down ski runs. SPT has its own custom-wrapped Bison X that will star in the TV show and snowcat snafus will be a likely source of tension in the story line.
    
    
    
    
    
    SPT uses a software program called Google Sketch-Up to create 3D renderings of what a terrain park feature will look like on the mountain before it’s built. These drawings allow SPT to precisely present its suggested park layouts to resort and event management. The dimensions of the drawings can be used to determine the amount of steel needed to build a rail or the water volume needed to make enough snow to build a jump or halfpipe. These drawings depict a new jump line at SPT partner resort Alpine Meadows.
    
    
    
    
    
    Nobody builds bigger, badder jibs than SPT. Inside the Jib Factory, SPT fabricators Sean Picard and Erik Jakobsen prepare a couple gargantuan rails for primetime. Two of these rail segments came together to form the ‘Bat-wing’ rail featured in the 2013 Winter X slopestyle course.
    
    Look out for more info on ‘Mountain Movers’ including scheduled air dates at snowparktech.com.

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• News: One Year To The Winter O News: One Year To The Winter Olympics In Sochi

  • From: TetonGravityResearch
  • Description:

    
    PARK CITY, UT – One year out from the opening of the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, U.S. skiers and snowboarders are scattered across the globe anticipating the opportunities they will face 365 days from now. The opening ceremony for Sochi is Feb. 7, 2014, with the first medal events the next day. The USA is coming off a Best in the World Olympics in Vancouver that saw 17 different skiers and snowboarders win 21 medals.
    
    Venues in Sochi are undergoing final tests this month. Freeskiing and snowboarding athletes will compete in World Cup test events this month with U.S. Ski Team alpine racers conducting on-snow camps.
    
    Successful alpine test events were held a year ago with ski jumping this past December.
    
    Sochi will debut a host of new events including the inaugural appearance of women’s ski jumping, slopestyle snowboarding along with halfpipe and slopestyle skiing.
    
    WHERE THEY ARE NOW?
    
    Freeskiing
    
    Freeskiers are coming off the Visa U.S. Freeskiing Grand Prix where David Wise and Maddie Bowman swept to halfpipe titles. Athletes are preparing for the mid-February Olympic test events for halfpipe skiing and skicross at Rosa Khutor near Sochi.
    
    Slopestyle stars Tom Wallisch, Bobby Brown and Keri Herman appeared live on NBC’s The Today Show Wednesday morning, Feb. 6.
    
    “It's hard to believe the Olympics are only a year away!” slopestyle skier Tom Wallisch said. “It's really exciting and I hope that I am one of the lucky ones that will have the honor to represent my country. If you would have asked me a couple years ago if I thought our sport would be in the Olympics - it just wasn't on my radar. I am really looking forward to checking out Russia and this next year ahead. I am sure it's going to be a really fun roller coaster.”
    
    Halfpipe skier Maddie Bowman is blown away by to opportunity.
    
    “It's crazy to think that freeskiing is going to be in the Olympics,” Bowman said. “I mean, this is really happening and it's only a year away! Holy cow! The last couple months have been going so well for me and I hope that my skiing continues to improve and I can stay on top of my game. I will be keeping my eye on the countdown. I am looking forward to the next 365 days and the adventure my teammates and I are about to go on.”
    
    David Wise, also a halfpipe skier, is excited represent his sport in the Olympics for the first time.
    
    “The Olympics! Wow, only a year away,” Wise said. “It really is an exciting opportunity and something that I am looking forward to. Not just the potential to compete in the Olympics and all that comes with it, but the journey my teammates and I are about to embark on. It's going to be a lot of work, but this is a really special time in our lives and I am going to enjoy every minute of it - the good, the challenging and whatever comes my way.”
    
    Snowboarding
    
    Top snowboarders were in Laax, Switzerland, for the Burton European Open. Now it’s off to Sochi for halfpipe and SBX test events.
    
    “I love my country and I really hope that I will be able to be on that Olympic team next year,” slopestyle rider Chas Guldemond said. “I have been trying to stay really focused and perfect my run, there are always ups and downs, but I am going to do my best to be there. I've never been to Russia and I hope that I get to be there with my team.”
    
    Halfpipe rider Scotty Lago hopes to return to the Olympics in 2014.
    
    “I had such a great experience in Vancouver - there was so much fun energy around the games,” Lago said. “And here we are, a year away from Sochi and all the guys are riding so well. It's been fun to watch everyone learn new tricks and ride together. The year before Vancouver had a lot of twists and turns and it all worked out well for me. I hope that I can continue to ride solid so that I have the opportunity to go to Sochi in 2014.”

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• VIMFF Ski Mountaineering Night VIMFF Ski Mountaineering Night with Greg Hill

  • From: bcfreerider
  • Description:

    

    Greg Hill and team on Manaslu during their September 2012 attempt. Photo Credit: Greg Hill

     

    Greg Hill, known by many in the ski mountaineering world as the iconic "Two-mil-Hill", held court for an hour in North Vancouver's Centennial Theatre last Saturday. While the show marked skiing's arrival to the 16th annual Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival and the mood was pleasant, the topic was a heavy one. In September 2012, Hill and his team were first on scene an avalanche that killed 12 people on Manaslu, the eight highest mountain in the world and the fourth deadliest of the 8,000 meter peaks. An eye-opening presentation, it was inspiring to see such an ambassador of the sport completely open about his newfound humility when facing the mountains and the lessons he learned and re-learned from the experience. 
    Hill listed off a number of rules that he tries his hardest to observe any time he's in the backcountry. Paraphrased, they read simply: 
    1. Be afraid
    2. Be prepared
    3. Travel with people who share your risk tolerance
    4. Spend as little time exposed as possible and stop only in safe zones. 
    5. Tackle the smaller objectives first, then the big ones
    While these may seem obvious to the fire-side reader, the lines can quickly blur when chasing the summit of an 8,000 meter peak, or even that fresh foot of powder that fell last night on your back yard hill.
    Greg spent a large part of his stage time taking the audience through a play-by-play account of his team's attack on Mera and Manaslu. He was clear to note both the group's collective misjudgments as well as his own shortcomings in decision-making and the management of gear, people and terrain; it was easy to see his passion for driving home the need to think rationally in the mountain.
    Following a Q&A session and intermission, the evening was concluded with a screening of Further, Jeremy Jones's 2012 feature length chronicle of worldwide backcountry snowboarding, mostly under human power. The presentations were brilliantly juxtaposed, highlighting everything that can go so right and so wrong while chasing those glorious experiences in the mountains. 
    The Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival continues through this week, spanning eight days and 25 shows of adventure-laden story telling.
    - Theo Birkner 
    Adventure Travel Collective
    The Adventure Travel Collective will be on hand for VIMFF, taking inspiration and information from these true worldwide adventurers and passing it on to anyone looking to emulate their exploits.
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  • 3 months ago
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• Vancouver International Mounta Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival: Greg Hill on Ski Mountaineering

  • From: bcfreerider
  • Description:

    

    Greg Hill and team on Manaslu during their September 2012 attempt. Photo Credit: Greg Hill

    Greg Hill, known by many in the ski mountaineering world as the iconic "Two-mil-Hill", held court for an hour in North Vancouver's Centennial Theatre last Saturday. While the show marked skiing's arrival to the 16th annual Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival and the mood was pleasant, the topic was a heavy one. In September 2012, Hill and his team were first on scene an avalanche that killed 12 people on Manaslu, the eight highest mountain in the world and the fourth deadliest of the 8,000 meter peaks. An eye-opening presentation, it was inspiring to see such an ambassador of the sport completely open about his newfound humility when facing the mountains and the lessons he learned and re-learned from the experience. 
    Hill listed off a number of rules that he tries his hardest to observe any time he's in the backcountry. Paraphrased, they read simply: 
    1. Be afraid
    2. Be prepared
    3. Travel with people who share your risk tolerance
    4. Spend as little time exposed as possible and stop only in safe zones. 
    5. Tackle the smaller objectives first, then the big ones
    While these may seem obvious to the fire-side reader, the lines can quickly blur when chasing the summit of an 8,000 meter peak, or even that fresh foot of powder that fell last night on your back yard hill.
    Greg spent a large part of his stage time taking the audience through a play-by-play account of his team's attack on Mera and Manaslu. He was clear to note both the group's collective misjudgments as well as his own shortcomings in decision-making and the management of gear, people and terrain; it was easy to see his passion for driving home the need to think rationally in the mountain.
    Following a Q&A session and intermission, the evening was concluded with a screening of Further, Jeremy Jones's 2012 feature length chronicle of worldwide backcountry snowboarding, mostly under human power. The presentations were brilliantly juxtaposed, highlighting everything that can go so right and so wrong while chasing those glorious experiences in the mountains. 
    The Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival continues through this week, spanning eight days and 25 shows of adventure-laden story telling.
    - Theo Birkner 
    Adventure Travel Collective
    The Adventure Travel Collective will be on hand for VIMFF, taking inspiration and information from these true worldwide adventurers and passing it on to anyone looking to emulate their exploits.
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  • 3 months ago
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• Eye Catchers: 10 Noteworthy Sk Eye Catchers: 10 Noteworthy Ski Products From SIA 2013

  • From: gregfitzsimmons
  • Description:

    The SIA Snow Show rolled through Denver last weekend like a carnival—it popped up quickly, took over for a few days, and disappeared overnight. There was some serious shoptalk and geeking-out that went down during the four-day ski and snowboard trade show. We were on the floor throughout, scouring the booths, talking with brands, and checking out the gear that’s on-tap for next season. There’s a lot for skiers to get excited about next year, from bindings and backpacks to skis and jackets. Here are ten pieces of gear that we were introduced to at SIA and think you need to know about.
    
    
    
    Kastle FX Skin
    
    Kastle has come up with the answer for the age-old problem of getting shit stuck to the glue of your climbing skins: make a skin without using glue. Like an octopus, the FX Skin uses thousands of tiny suction cups to stick to the ski, which means dirt, water, and dog hair are no longer a worry when slapping your skins on for the climb. For now, the FX Skin is only available cut to fit the Kastle FX line of skis, which are worth checking out, too.
    
    
    
    Völkl One & Two
    
    The One (blue) and Two (red) skis by Völkl are the perfect ski for jibbers looking “to take it the backcountry.” With “early” taper in the tip and tail and full rocker, this line will be the go-to quiver for guys looking to spin and stomp, get pitted and arc pow turns—like Dash and Dylan. A multi-layered wood core promises a poppy feel, the vertical sidewalls mean bomber quality, and the playful tail will allow for skiers to get creative in deep snow.
    
    
    
    
    
    K2 Shax
    
    We’re always psyched when we can consolidate gear and cut down on the equipment we have to schlep in packs during backcountry missions. So, people were talking at SIA when K2 unfurled their new “shax”—a combination of an ice ax and rescue shovel. This thing has many functions: rescue shovel, hoe, deadman anchor, flat surface for cooking, and, now, a removable handle with an interchangeable ice axe head. It all packs down into the size and weight of a normal shovel. The Shax is the go-to tool for booting up the couloir, building booters, and rescue situations.   
    
    
    
    Rossignol Soul 7
    
    The hype surrounding the Soul 7 (and Soul Series) is loud right now, and rightly so. The Soul 7 is 106mm underfoot with “Powder Turn Rocker” and boasts a new ultra‐lightweight core and new Air Tip technology that has reduced the ski weight by 20%. “At 106 underfoot, the Soul 7 is the new do‐it‐all, go‐to ski,” said Rossi pro Matty Richard. This ski is the bridge between backcountry, freeride, and freestyle; it’s super light for going uphill and spinning of features, but doesn’t compromise an ounce of performance when you’re clicked in. This one’s a blaster.
    
    
    
    Dalbello Krypton Lupo (Sean Pettit Pro Model) Boot
    
    Dalbello’s KR2 Series is building on the momentum it’s seen over the last few years, and unveiling a new pro model called the Lupo S.P. that looks and feels burly. Sean Pettit’s 98mm last pro model boot is geared for big mountain charging, and keeps the hiking and skinning in mind, too. With an ultra-burly cuff, high-traction mid sole rubber, and replaceable toe and heel, this 130 flex, three-buckle boot is legit.
    
    
    
    Smith Inspired Designs Helmet and Goggles
    
    The new Smith I/D Project has created a series integrated—as always with Smith—goggles and helmets based on colors and graphics that the athletes are clamoring for and inspired by. The end products are sweet. Sage’s Chakana I/O goggle and Vantage helmet boast a matte purple look and incorporates Incan mythology that Sage believes in and Bobby Brown’s Digital I/O goggle and Maze helmet are inspired by the London tube map when he was in the UK at the Olympics.
    
    
    
    Patagonia PowSlayer and Untracked
    
    The Patagonia PowSlayer kit has garnered a devout following in its first year on the market for its lightweight and durable design and freeride fit. The second iteration of PowSlayer is only getting better! With an articulated fit made for charging skiers, thoughtful design that allows for backpack straps, high-back bib with belt loops for après, and sick colors, the PowSlayer is a must-have kit. And, the Untracked pant and jacket blends a hardshell’s waterproofness with the breathability of a softshell. Look for awesome color combos like Yvonn’s favorite, army green with purple.
    
    
    
    Mammut Pro Protection Airbag Backpack
    
    Mammut has recently acquired Snowpulse which means that the airbag in all Mammut snow packs will be geared 100 percent toward snowsports. The new Pro Protection Airbag pack is the perfect example of an avalanche airbag pack that is designed for the serious skier. 35 liters of volume means there’s a ton of room for overnight hut trips, the back entry makes it easy to get into the pack’s main compartment, and the shape of the Snowpulse airbag aims at helping combat trauma in an avalanche in addition to helping flotation. Mammut is also working on a canister rental program with retailers to make sure that when you travel to BC or Europe from North America you don’t have to stress about your canister.
    
    
    
    
    BCA Tracker3 Beacon and BC Link Walkie
    
    The Tracker has been a go-to beacon for backcountry skiers for a long time because of the ease of use, and now the Tracker 3 comes in a smaller package. The T3 still boasts the industry’s fastest and most precise pinpointing with an instantaneous display, but it’s now 20% smaller and lighter than the Tracker2 and has three antennas. The BC Link walkie means that backcountry travel and communication aren’t mutually exclusive. Going one-at-a-time doesn’t have to compromise communication anymore. The real-time communication system is easy to use with gloves on and designed to be worn with all backpacks.
    
    
    
    Dynafit Beast Binding
    
    If you’ve been on a month-long hut trip or haven’t paid your internet bill for awhile, you might not know that Dynafit is unfurling The Beast. The 16 DIN binder has created a frenzy among charging backcountry skiers and for good reason. The Dynafit Beast 16 DIN binding is serious. The frameless touring binding is looking to change the entire binding category, blurring the once definitive line between an alpine binding and a touring setup.
    
    A Few Other Products to Note:
    
    Tyrolia, Elan, and Fischer will be producing a 16 DIN alpine binding called the Adrenaline that looks to be a solid competitor to the Jester, Driver, and others on the market. It’s lighweight design, low profile tow piece, and tight mounting pattern make it a binding to check out if you’re looking for a bomber alpine binder.
    
    Line will be unveiling the Sick Day Series of skis that athletes like Colter Hinchliffe, Andrew Whiteford, and Max Hammer had a major role in the development of the three-ski line—with widths of 125mm, 110mm, and 95mm underfoot. Line’s Sick Day Series are surfy, stable, and fun.
    
    Chris Davenport recently joined forces with Scarpa to create the Freedom SL Freeride Boot. It’s lightweight (3 pounds, 15 ounces per boot), durable (Pebax and carbon-fiber construction), strong (120 flex), and comes stock with an Intuition FR Speed liner.

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• SIA Tradeshow Booth Walk Throu SIA Tradeshow Booth Walk Through 2013

  • From: line_skis
  • Description:

    Check out a preview of our gear being bought and sold in the coming year! Special cameo by LJ Strenio and Will Wesson.
    
    Watch More Videos By Line Skis

     

  • 3 months ago
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• Eye Catchers: 10 Noteworthy Sn Eye Catchers: 10 Noteworthy Snowboard Products From SIA 2013

  • From: ericodlin
  • Description:

    The SnowSports Industries America snow show just finished up in Denver, where attendees had the pleasure of scoping out all the latest and greatest goods from nearly every brand under the sun. At SIA, industry people from all over the world come get a look at next year’s gear and see what kind of new technology has been cooked up for our shredding pleasure. It’s quite the spectacle, and for gear gurus, it’s a little slice of heaven.
    
    This year, there was an endless amount of new goodies to be found around every corner, but here is a list of 10 of the most interesting or innovative snowboarding products we came across.
    
    
    
    Union Factory Travis Rice Signature Model
    
    Union is on top of the binding game, and this pro model binder is proof. Building from the Charger and Atlas models, Union and Travis came up with the Factory. It features a beefed up highback, killer heel padding, an uber-cush’ ankle strap, and three-degree canting in the foot bed. This looks like a real powerhouse binding, matching superior comfort with next-level response.
    
    
    
    Anon M2 Goggle
    
    Quick change lenses are the latest tech from the goggle world, and Anon’s new M2 really stood out. The lens attaches to the outside of the frame via high-powered mini magnets for fast, on-the-fly lens swaps and convenient snow clearing. We saw a guy actually throw the lens into place. Anon tests the lense's ability to stay put with the same machine Burton uses to test its binding ratchet strength, so you need not worry about loosing a lens during a wreck. With a nice-fitting, mid-sized frame and tons of color way and tint options, the M2 definitely stands out.
    
    
    
    Burton AK Freebird Jacket
    
    This lightweight 3L GORE-TEX piece has a clean look and a cut built for shredding. A great feature unique to the Freebird jacket is that is has two mesh pockets on the inside designed to hold your splitboard skins when not in use. The legendary Dave Downing brought this jacket to our attention, pointing out the value of keeping your skins dry and warm for faster touring set ups. That means more laps, more pow, more fun.
    
    
    
    Jones Aviator
    
    This is the newest offing from Jones Snowboards. The Aviator is a cambered, directional, all-mountain banger, ideal for hard carving and getting jiggy with the whole mountain. Its 3D power camber has a light two-degree bevel at all four contact points, which gives a loose, less catchy feel to the time honored pop and control of camber. I’m willing to bet we see a bunch of Jones’ freestyle riders ripping on this deck next season.
    
    
    
    Capita Black Snowboard Of Death
    
    Don’t let the dark name scare you away from this amazing snowboard.  Capita’s flagship model got a little re-designing for the upcoming season. By setting back the cam-rock and lengthening the shovel and tail, the B.S.O.D. is even more of a do-all freestyle/freeride deck. With its new profile, killer shape, and psychedelic graphics, this board is simply rad.

    
    
    K2 Snowboarding Speedlink Touring Poles
    
    Sure, they’re just poles. But, K2 has produced some of the finest splitboarding poles we’ve ever seen. With just one quick lock lever, they’ve reduced the collapsed length by 6 inches, making it only 13-inches long broken down. They’re small enough to fit into almost any pack with out sticking out the top. When you’ve reached your summit, you just flip the one-lock lever, and just kind of smash the pole straight down and it collapses all the way down in one motion. That’s smart.
    
    
    
    Lib Tech Speedodeeps By Travis Rice
    
    Lib’s got a new pow shape that looks like it’ll be soooooo much fun on those deep days. Designed with Travis, this twin features a short running length, a jumbo tip and tail, and BTX banana tech to make for one heck of a floating powpow machine. Available in 162, this replaces the infamous “banana hammock”, and will offer the user the option to turn their snowboard should they find themselves on non-powder type snow.
    
    
    
    Jones 30L R.A.S. Ready Pack
    
    Here’s a great example of a rider’s needs pushing design. This 30L pack comes ready to hold Snowpulse’s removable airbag system. That means you can use the pack with or without the airbag. Add an internal wire frame for support, color coded buckles for additional load options, and that it weighs only 6lbs 7oz with the R.A.S installed, and you have the recipe for a terrifically designed backcountry pack.
    
    
    
    K2 Kwicker Split System
    
    Remember clickers? Well, in case you forgot, K2 has brought them back for our backcountry pleasure. This system gives you a lighter set up, and quicker change over times than your traditional split kit. As A.J. from K2 explained, the boot/binding has been engineered to feel and flex just like a boot in a strap binding would move. With over two years of R&D, and many backcountry seekers not afraid to have a separate A/T set up, this could be the next big thing in splitboarding. In the words of A.J., “It’s the balls.”

    
    
    DC Travis Rice Signature Boot
    
    OK, we realize that we have included Travis Rice’s whole set up in this top 10 list. This was not intentional. It just goes to show that not only is he a fine shredder, but that he is pushing product design forward as well. DC’s redesigned Rice signautre boot is bomb proof. They put the upper boa dial back on the outside of the boot, got rid of the wrap design for the lower, designed the outsole with sledding in mind, and wrapped the whole toe box in ballistic Superfabric. The result is a boot that comes very close to being un-blow-up-able. It also comes stock with Remind insoles for happy feet. And Torstien just won the X Games big air wearing these. I think the proof is in the pudding.
    
    Do you see a trend here? We are pleased to see that backcountry riding and splitboarding are the catalyst for most new ideas and designs this year. The demands of those two elements of snowboarding are bringing more fun new things to the table to further enhance our enjoyment of the mountains. Cheers to you, innovative shred engineers! Hope this gets everyone fired up to get out and do what we all love to do: RIDE!

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  • 3 months ago
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• News: Burton Snowboards And Li News: Burton Snowboards And Lifebeat Debut New Salt-N-Pepa Collaboration Snowboard

  • From: TetonGravityResearch
  • Description:

    
     
    Pepa (of Salt-N-Pepa) to Visit the Burton SIA Booth Thursday to Celebrate the Partnership
     
    DENVER, CO - Burton Snowboards and Lifebeat, a national non-profit that uses music to raise awareness and funds in the fight against HIV/AIDS, announced that they have partnered up on an exclusive line of women’s snowboards for winter 2014. Debuting today at the SIA Snow Show in Denver, Burton’s 2014 women’s Lip-Stick Restricted snowboard is at the heart of the partnership and features iconic female hip-hop group and longtime Lifebeat supporters, Salt-N-Pepa.
     
    To celebrate the partnership, Pepa and a representative from Lifebeat will make a special appearance at the Burton booth this evening at 5 p.m. (booth #1965) to promote the collaboration and create awareness around the organization. During the happy hour event, Pepa will also announce the winner of the Burton x Lifebeat raffle, which will award a 2014 Burton Lip-Stick board signed by Salt-N-Pepa to one lucky winner. All proceeds from the event will go to supporting Lifebeat’s fight against HIV/AIDS.
     
    The boards are on display exclusively at the SIA Snow Show in Denver, and will be available at select specialty retailers and Burton Flagship stores in early September 2013. For a first glimpse of this exciting new collaboration, check out the image of the 2014 Burton Lip-Stick featuring Salt-N-Pepa. And stay tuned for more details on the board design and graphics later this year.

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  • 4 months ago
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