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Rahlves' Banzai Tour Finishes Rahlves' Banzai Tour Finishes Strong
- From: TetonGravityResearch
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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
- Blog post
- 1 month ago
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Tanner Hall Invitational - The Tanner Hall Invitational - The Triumph Edit
- From: armadaskis108111
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Description:
Highlights from the Armada team at the first ever Tanner Hall Invitational. Thank you Tanner Hall for putting on such an epic event and Sierra at Tahoe for building such a great feature.
Song: Mr. Dibbs- Mountains
Watch Armada Videos - 1 month ago
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Kirkwood Hosts Stop No. 4 Of F Kirkwood Hosts Stop No. 4 Of Freeride World Tour
- From: gregfitzsimmons
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Description:
CLICK HERE to watch today’s event live. The action gets underway at 9 a.m. PST as the ski women drop in.
The FWT comes stateside to kickoff the second half of the season
By Greg FitzsimmonsThe fourth stop of the newly unified Swatch Freeride World Tour by The North Face goes down stateside today at Kirkwood Mountain Resort. We’re halfway through the FWT, with stops in Revelstoke, Courmayeur, and Chamonix in the rearview mirror, and Fieberbrunn and Verbier coming up after the sole comp of the season in the United States.
Today’s action will take place on Kirkwood’s famed Cirque, a permanently closed rock-littered zone that introduces a new type of terrain into the FWT mix this season. The Cirque is almost 1,500 vertical feet of exposed terrain, with tight chutes, big cliffs, scattered trees, and open bowls for arching turns. Unlike Mac Face in Revy and the venues on the Italian and French sides of the Mont Blanc, Kirkwood’s Cirque is a wide, venue with a mix of steep aspects and bench-like sections that will require some navigation from the competitors if they’re going to ski the Cirque fluidly from top to bottom.
Per usual, the athletes are working off of a visual inspection only, and the consensus is divided amongst athletes. Fall-line chargers will be tasked with finding terrain that suits their style, while freestyle jibbers might have an advantage with the abundance of natural features that are primed for a playful approach.
“The Cirque at Kirkwood is a powerful place in the history of freeride, and I take riding it very seriously. It’s a pretty big face, so solid runs definitely have to be high speed and powerful so you don't spend multiple minutes up there,” said current tour leader Drew Tabke. “But there are lots of airs with good takeoffs and steep landings, so there is definitely a place for freestyle as well.”
Tabke’s blend of full-tilt and playful charging has earned him the overall tear leader spot going into the fourth stop of the FWT. With wins in Revelstoke and Chamonix, Tabke’s approach has been rewarded so far on the tour, and rightly so.
Other athletes, like last year’s overall FWT Champion Reine Barkered, aren’t super psyched on the Cirque’s prospects. “I don’t believe [the venue] suits me that well,” said Sweden’s Barkered. “On the top part you can go pretty fast, but in the middle and bottom sections you will have to slow down since there are a lot of airs to flat landings. I like to send my cliffs with speed so it might be better for the more freestyle influenced riding as there are a few transfers and kickers.”
It’s ladies first on the venue today, with the ski women kicking things off. There was a storm last week that dropped a few inches of fresh snow on the venue, but temps have gotten warm the last few days and there’s a spring break vibe in the Sierra Nevadas.
“The venue is in rough shape, but still has a ton of fun potential,” said Jackson Hole’s Crystal Wright, who has had solid showings in Kirkwood in the past. “I am looking at the same line as last year but hoping to ski it better if I can. It is fast and fluid and it makes me happy! [That line] is the only thing that is jumping out at me when I look at the venue.”
With Kirkwood’s Cirque possibly favoring a more playful approach to skiing and riding, there are a few names in the start list to take note of. Last year’s North American-based Freeskiing World Tour Champion Josh Diaek is a longtime Kirkwood local, and Diaek has won the last two comps on his home turf. Look for Diaek to blast a fast, creative line through the Cirque that mixes trickery with fall-line skiing. If big-mountain jibbing is the predicted approach for Kirkwood, Euros Fabio Studer and Markus Eder and Americans Johnny Collinson and Colter Hinchliffe are names to watch, too. But, don’t sleep on Tabke, Barkered, Oakley White-Allen, and Jérémie Heitz—who is sitting in second place overall behind Tabke—to put on full-throttle show.
On the women’s ski side, Sweden’s Christine Hargin is riding a lot of momentum into today’s comp after sweeping the first two stops of the FWT in Revy and Cham. Jess McMillan and Crystal Wright, both from Jackson Hole, have a lot of experience on the Cirque and are due for strong showings.Save Big on Kirkwood Mountain Resort discount lift tickets through Liftopia.com
The men’s snowboard field should be interesting to watch as Squaw Valley’s Ralph Backstrom will don the yellow bib, which denotes the overall tour leader. Another Squaw rider, Ryland Bell, who has been sending it on Jeremy Jones’s Further project, will slide into the FWT start gate for the first time this season. Frenchmen Jonathan Charlet got his 2013 season going in the right direction with a win in Chamonix, and Sammy Luebke always brings a fresh approach to riding; both will be throwing down in Kirkwood.
Tahoe locals Casey Lucas (from Kirkwood) and Iris Lazzareschi (from Squaw) will be looking to represent in front of their hometown fans as they take on overall tour leader Margot Rozies, Snowbird’s Laura Dewey, and the rest of the snowboard women field.
Some competitors are in good shape going into the Kirkwood stop of the Swatch Freeride World Tour by The North Face. Tabke and Hargin sit atop the men’s and women’s ski fields thanks to two wins by each athlete so far this year. Ralph Backstrom has ridden consistently en route to being the tour leader of the snowboard men at the halfway point of the FTW, and French rider Margot Rozies is on top of snowboard women after her win in front of her home crowd in Chamonix.
Other competitors are feeling the pressure, however. There are no guaranteed spots for the final in Verbier, and everyone is vying for a bib to compete on the renowned Bec de Roses venue in Switzerland. So, look for a high level of skiing and riding today in Kirkwood, and at the subsequent stop in Fieberbrunn, Austria in early March, as competitors are working to solidify invites to Verbier.
CLICK HERE to watch today’s event live. The action gets underway at 9 a.m. PST as the ski women drop in. - Blog post
- 3 months ago
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News: Sierra-at-Tahoe's Burton News: Sierra-at-Tahoe's Burton Star Wars Experience
- From: TetonGravityResearch
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Description:
Combine kids, Burton Snowboards and Star Wars and your guaranteed lots of fun as is the case at Sierra At Tahoe ski resorts new Burton Star Wars Experience. Looking for something to do with the kids on the next big pow day, full day packages includes: lesson, equipment, lunch, snacks, indoor-outdoor games and activities for only $145.00.
The Force is strong at Sierra for Younglings and Padawans this winter in Yoda's Riglet Park at Wild Moutain Children's Center. The Burton Star Wars Experience uses the beloved intergalactic saga to help children ages 3-6 make their first snowboard turns using Burton's innovative Riglet Reel Technology. This singular on-mountain experience filled with visuals from the Star Wars galaxy combines Burton's industry-leading technology with Jedi Master Yoda's teaching methods - movement, navigation and control.
Younglings and Padawans will learn using the ways of the Force through interactive drop in nodes showcasing custom-made wood carvings of R2-D2, C-3P0, Chewbacca and more. Availability is limited and may sell out on a daily basis; reservations are strongly recommended. Please call 530.543.3150.Sierra At Tahoe has received over 25 feet of snow this winter, sitting on 2,000 skiable acres with easy backcountry access, one of the top rated snowboard parks in the country and a 2.5 mile long beginners ski run makes this the perfect family destination. TGR Readers Save 35% on Sierra-at-Tahoe lift tickets currently on SALE.
- Blog post
- 4 months ago
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Swatch Freeride World Tour Ram Swatch Freeride World Tour Ramps Up In Revelstoke
- From: gregfitzsimmons
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Description:
The snow has been stacking up in Revelstoke. On Jan. 11, the first stop of the Swatch Freeride World Tour by The North Face is scheduled to pop off. Photo: D.CARLIER.
The Swatch Freeride World Tour Is Ready to Go
Tomorrow marks the beginning of the Swatch Freeride World Tour by the North Face, and the action will go down on Mackenzie Peak at Revelstoke Mountain Resort. Dubbed “Mac Daddy,” the face is a perfect venue for the best in the world. And, this year we actually get to see the best from all over. For years the North American-based Freeskiing World Tour and European-centric Freeride World Tour have run mutually exclusive contests during the winter, each crowning their own “World Champion” at the end of the season. This year, however, the tours have come together to create a unified world tour, aimed at pitting the best against each other and determining an indisputable World Champion in men’s and women’s big-mountain skiing and snowboarding.
The six-stop tour has handpicked venues throughout the world for big-mountain freeriding. In addition to this week’s Revelstoke comp, the FWT will stop on the Italian and French sides of the Mont Blanc in Courmayeur and Chamonix, in California’s Sierra Nevada at Kirkwood’s cliff-strewn Cirque, in the Tyrol Range where Fieberbrunn Pillerseetal exemplifies Austria’s terrain, and culminating in Switzerland at the infamous Bec de Rosses venue for the Swatch Xtreme Verbier.
Around 60 competitive big-mountain freeriders from all over the world have been posted up in Revy for about a week waiting for a weather window to run the contest. Just as the competitors started arriving, so did the snow. Upwards of three feet of snow has blanketed Revelstoke and set the “Mac Daddy” face up with insane conditions for Friday’s comp.
Among the competitors are TGR’s Griffin Post, Colter Hinchliffe and Ralph Backstrom.
Mackenzie Peak, the FWT venue, is just outside of the Revelstoke Mountain Resort Boundary. Photo via FWT.
“It has been snowing ever since we got here,” says Hinchliffe, who has been diligently icing and resting a banged up leg in the hopes of being able to compete. “Friday is supposed to be full-on bluebird, primo conditions. The fact that we’re waiting for the conditions to be right is going to make for a good show; it should be really sick.”
Post agrees: “It’s snowed probably two to three feet on the venue. If the snow locks up it should be all-time conditions.”
Relying strictly on a visual inspection — rather than being allowed to get into the venue to size-up airs, probe landings, and see first-hand what the conditions are like — athletes are constantly mulling over photographs of the “Mac Daddy” face to get familiar with the terrain and choose a line or determine a direction to head out of the start gate.
“There are two dramatically different options,” says Post. “Skier’s left is far more playful and flowy; whereas the skier’s right is more gnarly and exposed, it’s traditional big-mountain skiing. I’m pretty sure I’m headed skier’s left to get into some doubles and ski the less-exposed zone. I think the skier’s right is going to sluff super hard and with all of the new snow it is not the day I would want to ski it.”
“At this point I am doubtful rather than hopeful for Friday,” says Hinchliffe, “If I am feeling good Friday, though, I am looking at the skier’s right side of the venue, it’s exposed getting in but then there are a couple of nice features on the right side and that direction leaves a couple of options down low — a little roller or a third and fourth cliff. As far as the top, I’m looking to rip the face on the top and maybe find something to jump off.”
A skier gets deep in the fresh snow at Revelstoke. Photo: B. Long
With the merger of the North American and European tours, there are a lot of new names for fans US-based fans of big-mountain competitive skiing and snowboarding.
“The talent in men’s skiing is so deep,” says Post. “Pretty much every skier out there I’m excited to watch. There are younger guys who are super hungry and older, seasoned guys who are a little smarter. A few guys in particular are Sam Smoothy and Markus Eder, I always like watching Tabke, of course. It’s such a stacked field, it’s crazy how many really good skiers there are up here, and it’s anybody’s game.”
Hinchliffe shared his thoughts on the competition field.
“I am pretty stoked to see what Johnny Collinson is going to do out there," Hinchliffe said. "He seems to be feeling good right now, and he’s definitely not suffering from a leg injury. He’s been out there doing threes off of everything he can find. We’re on a similar wavelength. The standard Tabke show should be cool to watch, too. I’d like to see O’Meara kill it, I’m sure he will. I’m excited to see who pops up and who shines.”
Stay tuned for a recap of the comp.
Click Here To Watch A Live Stream Of The Event
Official Start List:Snowboard Men Last Name First Name Nationality Hometown Carlson Tim USA Stevens Pass Rodosky John USA Jackson Hole Badoux Emilien SUI Valais Alpes Van Helfteren Irian Holl Luebke Sammy USA Squaw Valley Rizzuto Jamie CAN Fernie Guillot-Diat Ludovic FRA Villard-de-Lans Annetts Matt USA Jackson Hole Charlet Jonathan FRA Chamonix Routens Aurelien FRA La Grave Rouge Joel SUI Alpes Vaudoises Backstrom Ralph USA Squaw Valley Orley Flo AUT Hochfugen Snowboard Women Last Name First Name Nationality Hometown Mouthon Anouck FRA La Clusaz Lucas Casey USA Kirkwood Yates Shannan USA Snowbird Mouthon Elodie FRA La Clusaz Rozies Margot FRA Pyrenees Bock Aline GER Innsbruck, Arlberg Lazzereschi Iris USA Squaw Valley Dewey Laura USA Snowbird Ski Men Last Name First Name Nationality Hometown Slemett Leo FRA Chamonix Mont-Blanc Lyons Charlie NZL Mt. Olympus Kappler Ryan CAN Revelstoke Coirier Adrien FRA Les Arcs Heitz Jeremie SUI Les Manecottes Gauthier Laurent CAN Whistler/Blackcomb Hinchliffe Colter USA Aspen, CO Salencon Nicolas ARG Bariloche Guri Kevin FRA Les Menuires Lindberg Willie SWE Rikgransen Post Griffin USA Jackson Hole Ducroz Aurelien FRA Chamonix Chickering-Ayers Silas USA Mad River Glen, VT Eder Markus ITA Klausberg Smoothy Sam NZL Treble Cone Lopez Julien FRA Tarentaise Tabke Drew USA Crystal Mountain Barkered Reine SWE Are, Sweden Hausl Stefan AUT Arlberg Michaud Seb FRA La Clusaz Collinson John USA Alta / Snow Bird Fornell Dani AND Ordino-Arcalis, Vallnord Nelson Luke CAN Fernie Ogilvie Benjamin CAN Fernie Haunholder Matthias AUT Fieberbrunn Daiek Josh USA Kirkwood Bijasson Mathieu FRA La Clusaz Collin Sean USA Squaw Valley O’Meara Kevin USA Squaw Valley Ski Women Last Name First Name Nationality Hometown Gundersen Pia Nic NOR Anstadblaheia Segal Natalie AUS Jackson Hole Slinning Anne May NOR Aalesund Wright Crystal USA Jackson Hole Walkner Eva AUT Dachstein Lercher Sonja CAN Blackcomb Paaso Jackie USA Squaw Valley Maxfield Ashley USA Jay Peak / Peak Hargin Christine SWE Ramundberget Wallner Nadine AUT Arlberg - Blog post
- 4 months ago
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Tahoe Sees First Avalanche Dea Tahoe Sees First Avalanche Deaths Of 2012-13 Season
- From: jeremybenson
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Description:
A large avalanche crown is seen in the Tahoe backcountry on Dec. 27, 2012. In late Decemeber, as the area saw new snow, it also saw many avalanches, including two that caused fatalities at Alpine Meadows and Donner Ski Ranch.
Sunday, Dec. 23, was yet another stormy powder day in a string of many at Squaw Valley, Calif. Ski patrol and mountain operations teams had been doing battle with harsh weather and copious snowfall for days on end. Midway through the morning they managed to open the KT-22 chair to the public. Shortly after opening, a powerful avalanche was triggered above The Fingers, directly beneath the chairlift. The avalanche swept up one skier, a 39-year-old female, and was so powerful that chunks of the avalanching snow deflected up in the air, knocking a 16-year-old male skier from the chairlift and into the avalanche. Both skiers were conscious, and neither completely buried in the slide. The woman was treated and released from the medical clinic, and the young man was taken to the local hospital to be treated for a shoulder injury. This post-control inbounds avalanche was an unfortunate accident, but the outcome could certainly have been much worse.
Earlier in December, the Tahoe region experienced above-average temperatures, resulting in rain that created a distinct crust layer in our snowpack. Since then, faceted snow crystals developed both above and below this crust creating some especially weak layers. Significant amounts of new snow piled up above these persistent weak layers resulting in an uncharacteristically unpredictable snowpack for the area. With an advisory rating of “considerable,” a 3 on a scale of 1-5 (low, moderate, considerable, high, extreme), the Sierra Avalanche Center’s advisory for the days before Christmas said, “Overall the data indicates a snowpack teetering on the edge of failure.”
The following day, Dec. 24, 2012, broke clear and cold in Tahoe. The blue skies were a welcome respite from the relentless storm that dropped 4-6 feet in four days on the west side of the lake. The holiday crowds were out in force at resorts around the region, eager to ski all the new powder, and I was among them. I went to Alpine Meadows that morning, the “considerable” avalanche danger rating, recent large avalanches, and persistent weak layers in our snowpack kept me from venturing into the backcountry. Summit chair opened shortly after 9 a.m. as patrol finished avalanche control on the front side of the mountain. For my first run I headed out to Art’s Knob, my friends and I shocked to find a 4 foot crown on the convex roll at the top and large cracks in the snow stretching in both directions along the ridge. The entirety of the storm snow had slid down to the rain crust, one of many large intentional avalanches at the resort that day.
About an hour later, the distinct blue and white colored Care Flight helicopter flew overhead toward the Sherwood chairlift. I thought it odd due to the fact that Sherwood wasn’t open, nor had it been yet this season. I hoped they were doing some sort of training exercise, not realizing that patrol was doing avalanche control work back there at the time. Later that day, I was saddened to hear the news that Bill Foster, a 28-year veteran of the Alpine Meadows Patrol, was caught in an avalanche while doing control work.
According to a press release from Amelia Richmond, the Squaw Valley/Alpine Meadows public relations representative, “The avalanche was triggered by an explosive charge that had been thrown by a senior member of the ski patrol team. The patrol team members were positioned in an area that was, based on historical experience, believed to have been a protected area. The charge triggered the avalanche, which broke much higher and wider on the slope than previously observed in past snow safety missions.” With nearly 3 decades of experience on the Alpine Meadows patrol, Foster had routinely performed avalanche mitigation work in this area. “The patroller was found within one minute and uncovered within eight minutes from the time of the avalanche,” wrote Richmond, “After uncovering the buried patroller, members of the ski patrol team immediately began CPR.” Foster was flown via Care Flight Helicopter to Renown Hospital in Reno where he succumbed to his injuries the following day.
The site of the in-bounds avalanche at Donner Ski Ranch.
That same day at Donner Ski Ranch, a small ski area at the top of Highway 40 on Donner Summit, an avalanche occurred around 9:30 a.m. According to the Tahoe Daily Tribune, the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office received a report from a man around noon on Monday saying that a member of his group was overdue and was feared to have been caught in an avalanche that occurred sometime around 9:30 a.m. The search was assisted by neighboring ski resorts and a body was found in the debris, buried under 2-3 feet of snow, nearly five hours after the slide happened. Truckee resident, 49-year-old Steven “Rocker” Anderson was snowboarding that morning when he was caught up in the inbounds slide. According to reports, Anderson had just moved back to the area and was enjoying his first day snowboarding for the season.
Since that tragic day last week, the Tahoe region has received roughly two more feet of snow, burying our weak layers in as much as 7 to 8 feet of snow. As our snow depth increases, triggering avalanches on our persistent weak layers is becoming less and less likely, but remains far from impossible. Any avalanches that propagate along the facets by the buried rain crust are likely to be massive and catastrophic. Our typical “more stable than most” snowpack is clearly different than usual, and it takes some getting used to. Our current weak layers and recent events have reminded me that there is no room for error or complacency when it comes to avalanche safety. Skiing is the best thing in the world, but it’s not worth dying for. Have a happy and safe New Year. - Blog post
- 5 months ago
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High Sierra Backcountry Season High Sierra Backcountry Season Opener
- From: sethlightcap
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Description:
Story and Photos by Seth Lightcap
The rumors had started to trickle in the previous week. “Crest looking solid. Maybe Negatives?,” said one text message from a Mammoth bro. “Still thin but could be good high, real high,” said another message.
These were the magic words we had been waiting for. Finally our frantic calls to friends living in Mammoth, Calif. asking, “How’s the coverage? Can we ski in the backcountry yet?!” were met with a response other than, “ Ummm...Bring your climbing gear! Perfect bouldering weather in Bishop!”
Snow has been stacking up in the Northern Sierra and the Tahoe Basin since late October but the early season storms didn’t hit the High Sierra peaks near Mammoth Mountain quite as hard. Back to back storms the first week of December changed all that, or at least helped the effort. The couloirs and aprons dropping off the crest got creamed enough to start looking tempting anyway.
A glimmer of hope that we might slay alpine pow lines while our backyard peaks in Tahoe suffered through a nasty melt/freeze cycle was all it took to round-up the posse. Alpenglow Sport’s Jeff Dostie, Brennan Lagasse, Toby Schwindt, Allison Lightcap and I rallied down HWY 395 and went to have a look around near Mammoth in early December.
This Eastern Sierra season opener trip turned out to offer the complete package - good weather, stable snow, sweet alpine pow shots and the distinct feeling that we weren’t in Tahoe anymore. Conditions weren’t epic everywhere and the coverage was still thin at best, but one thing was certain, it was definitely worthy of leaving the climbing shoes at home.
One day we toured out of the recently closed June Mountain. It was an odd feeling being the only two cars in the parking lot on a sunny Saturday. The lower lodge was barren of any signs of life. It looked like no one had lifted a finger at the place since last spring. Starwood Capital Group, the owner of Mammoth Mountain and June, is obviously sticking to their plan to keep June closed this winter. Starwood’s tentative plans are to re-open the mountain next season. We weren’t sure if we were allowed to start hiking from within the resort boundaries but we saw no signs suggesting otherwise. There were also a few sled tracks on top of the first bench for those with braaa-p lapping on the mind.
We toured way back beyond June Mountain’s boundaries and punched a staircase up a chute to the crest. Damn it felt good to get back in the bootpack.
Yet again, Mammoth Mountain proves to be the snow magnet of the High Sierra. Mammoth’s upper mountain is caked with snow, seemingly more than any other peak in the region.
Though it had rained to the top in Tahoe two days previous, the summits near Mammoth were spared the deluge. At 10,000 feet we found drifted panels of boot-top winter pow and a fair bit of wind buff snow. Jeff Dostie lapped it up in between long looks at Mono and June Lakes.
Rippable passageways through the craggy Sierra granite are starting to fill in. Brennan Lagasse carved up this surf gully.
We chased the sun as we best could but it’s warmth was fleeting. Coverage was way better on northern aspects which kept us hiking and riding cold north faces. Allison Lightcap broke out into the sun topping out for another lap.
If you want to shred in the High Sierra you gotta love wind buff. This mission was no exception. Brennan Lagasse ripped into this tasty textured panel of the chalky stuff.
I wish I could say the Sierra snowpack down by Mammoth was super fat. Sad but true, it was not. There are some sweet alpine lines that were ready to ride but a vast majority of the peaks needed more snow to be fully in-season. Toby Schwindt carved into a rock field soon after this shot.
But where the snow was deep enough...Jeff Dostie found some High Sierra bliss opening it up down this alpine face.
Slashing deep pow in the High Sierra is always extremely satisfying. Between the effort it takes to get there and the unfortunate reality that wind or warm temps often strip away the snow with a quickness, you gotta cherish every blower turn you can get in the Sierra. Brennan Lagasse made this turn count.
It’s a distant second to shredding pow yourself but watching your buddy whoop it up takes home the silver everytime. Dostie and Lagasse approve a Toby turn with a hearty pole whack. - Blog post
- 5 months ago
- Views: 186
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High Sierra Opener High Sierra Opener
- From: sethlightcap
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Description:High Sierra Opener
- 5 months ago
- Views: 155
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The Pay Off - Sierra Storm Cha The Pay Off - Sierra Storm Chasing
- From: gregfitzsimmons
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Description:
The promise of precipitation was too much to ignore. A series of late November storms were lining up on the Pacific and barreling towards the Sierra Nevada. A lot of dialogue was swirling around about the systems, though, with everyone wondering, speculating, and predicting a full gamut of outcomes. Ranging from torrential rains up to 10,000 feet that could force the Tahoe communities to start from scratch, to rain at lake level foreshadowing copious amounts of blower above 7,000 feet. It seemed like every pow-starved skier and rider in Northern California fit one of two molds: Negative naysayer or eternal optimist.
For us, it was a worthwhile gamble on the last weekend of November. We knew full well that the potential rain would be a huge drag, forcing our crew to baton down the hatches of our West Shore cabin, watch football and drink whiskey in close quarters to pass the time, and ruminate and brood over what could have been. The other option that proved to be the impetus for us loading in the truck, weathering the pissing rain en route to Tahoe, and risking cabin fever can be summed up by one stat that had our heads spinning: The series of storms — if things lined up and it all came to a cold fruition — could drop as much as 100 inches on the Sierras.
It seemed like a no-brainer; we opted to head to Tahoe.
Friday afternoon was shit. Unrelenting rain followed us from Santa Cruz to Sacramento, but we held onto hope as we started climbing in elevation toward Donner Summit. If the temps started to drop as we climbed, the rain would turn to pow. But, as we crested Donner Pass, at 7,056 feet, the Truckee River raged with runoff and the thermometer on my dashboard read 36 degrees. That night was spent sipping on whiskey and hoping it was pounding up high.
Those predicting rain and a wet weekend nailed it for Saturday. We woke up early to check the snow reports, and drove to the base of Squaw hoping to see something different than what we read online. But, soaking wet tram operators greeted us in front of the closed tram doors. “Not today, guys,” they said beneath dripping hoods. “It’s snowing hard on top but the winds are too strong.”
So, biscuits and gravy in Rosie’s dining room — a Tahoe City institution — were followed immediately by IPAs at Rosie’s bar, which lead to pulling slots and playing cards at the Crystal Bay Casino. The precipitation didn’t stop, but neither did the winds. Kirkwood was spinning its chairs while getting buried by wet snow, but the chairlift-halting winds had most of Tahoe’s mountains in a holding pattern.
Finally, late Sunday morning the rain at lake level turned to heavy wet flakes that accumulated quickly. As the winds started pulling back in the late afternoon we pulled ourselves away from the slot machines and headed up to see what was happening at Mount Rose — the semi-secret hidden gem on the eastside of Lake Tahoe. With a base elevation of 8,260 feet, Rose offered a solid option to rectify the weekend and sample the snow. Skin tracks winding up to the Mount Rose backcountry were promising, 40-plus inches of fresh were sitting untracked on the mountain after two days of weather closure, and we decided to sit around one last night to see if Monday was a-go.
“That shift in weather on Sunday morning was very much expected,” said OpenSnow.com's Joel Gratz. “That was the cold front from the final storm that came through. That whole weekend event wasn’t one storm, but was a series of a few storms that drew a lot of moisture off the Pacific, which also drew a lot of warm air. That final storm was strong enough on Sunday morning to pull in colder air from the north. It just took a stronger storm, a stronger piece of energy, to drag that colder air down.”
As Mount Shasta was getting buried beneath 18 feet of snow, our guys called in sick to work on Monday. It proved to be a solid decision.
From Squaw to Mount Rose, the lift lines were sparse on Monday morning. Most of the pow-hungry masses were either at work or just over the weekend’s waiting game. But, Monday proved to be an all-time, early-winter day for the patient few whose priorities are straight.
Storm totals of 42 inches on the upper mountain at Squaw and 45 mid-winter inches blanketed Mount Rose, and bluebird skies sat over all of Lake Tahoe. The waiting game proved to be a war of attrition, but Monday’s conditions rewarded the patient.
What’s this mean looking forward and for everyone in Colorado, Wyoming, and Idaho?
“There’s a difference between an individual storm and a general weather pattern. What happened last weekend in Tahoe was a series of individual storms, but what were tracking now is an overall change in the weather pattern,” Gratz said. “The storm pattern is going to shift to a different orientation which should hopefully bring in colder air for more areas and give some new areas a better chance to see snow. That’s not a guarantee that we’ll see big snowstorms, but at least it sets us up for the PNW, the northern Rockies, and down into Utah and Colorado to have better chances of consistent storms over the next few weeks. That’s the key: consistent cold storms. Some might be big and some might be small, but at least we’ll have [storms] every couple of days, which is the most important part when considering good powder skiing.”
So, here’s to hoping that all of our communal patience pays off this winter just like it did for us in Tahoe last weekend, because my body can’t handle much more waiting-game whiskey and my wallet definitely cannot take one more hand of “maybe-tomorrow-will-be-blower” blackjack.
It was a bluebird pow day at Mt. Rose on Monday, Dec. 3, 2012.
Is that a Soul Pole?
Cutting a rug at Mt. Rose.
Pfffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffttt.
Vapor trails.
What it's all about. 
Pretty much crushing it at Squaw Valley early December 2012.
This is what winter looks like.
Straighten up and fly right. 
Time to track the living shit out of this. 
And now we can all breathe a sigh of relief, winter is here.
Don't Miss Out On Another Storm, Stay Up To Date On Snowfall In The TGR SnowLab - Blog post
- 5 months ago
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News: Rahlves’ Banzai Tour Ann News: Rahlves’ Banzai Tour Announces Tour Dates
- From: TetonGravityResearch
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Description:
Truckee, Calif. –Rahlves’ Banzai Tour is back, showcasing racing in its purest form of four at a time going head-to-head over natural terrain in ski and boarder-cross style action. The 2013 dates for this annual favorite have been announced, so mark your calendars and get ready to compete in the ultimate test on the mountain. With tour stops, pre and après parties spanning four weekends from Feb. 2nd through Mar. 10th at Kirkwood Mountain Resort, Alpine Meadows, Squaw Valley and Sugar Bowl Resort, the Rahlves’ Banzai Tour is sure to be a showstopper.
“There is no other race like this in the world,” said Rahlves. “Last year's low tide conditions forced new routes down each venue and produced exciting competition and a great show for spectators. I was impressed with the competitors attitude and level of commitment. What's so unique about this race is every day ripper’s line up against pro level athletes and have a shot at the title of Rahlves' Banzai Champ. It's a competition among competitors, but ultimately it's against the mountain.”
When the gate drops, it's on as four competitors battle it out for the holeshot and an early lead. Tactics, skill, strength and calculated risk are put to the test attacking terrain and skied out snow conditions found at any resort off the groomed runs. Watching the battle is simply awe-inspiring and commands respect.
The final stop on the tour at Sugar Bowl Resort, where the race originated, will feature the “Super Final” in which former World Champion, 12-time World Cup winner, X-Games Gold Medalist and four-time Olympic skier, and Sugar Bowl Resort Ambassador Daron Rahlves will race against the four men’s skiing division winners from each stop on this year’s tour. This grand finale will not disappoint, as it provides the only opportunity during the tour to witness Rahlves putting his technical skills and all out effort to the test against the crowned winners of the tour who will be vying to beat Rahlves and to take home the title of “Banzai Master” with a cash prize of $10,000; winner takes all.
Friday night before each tour stop, competing athletes, sponsors, media and special guests are invited to the event kick-off, “Rahlves' Banzai Welcome Party”. The location will be announced closer to the event dates. On Saturday after the solo qualifying timed runs to seed Sunday's Finals and heats of four, all competing athletes, sponsors, media and fans are invited to celebrate all things Banzai at the 3-6pm “Rahlves' Banzai Après Party” thrown by High Fives Foundation, a Truckee, CA based non-profit organization dedicated to raising money and awareness for athletes who have suffered a life-altering injury while pursuing their dream in the winter action sports community. A portion of the proceeds from Sierra Nevada beers purchased throughout the evening and raffle prizes will be donated to High Fives.
Competitors aged 18 and up are encouraged to start polishing up on their schussing big mountain skills and get ready to enter the men’s and women’s ski and snowboard divisions for the tour.
Make plans to catch the high-speed action at each tour stop including:
• Kirkwood Mountain Resort Feb. 2-3, 2013
• Alpine Meadows Feb. 9-10, 2013
• Squaw Valley Mar. 2-3, 2013
• Sugar Bowl Resort Mar. 9-10, 2013
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 the Rahlves’ Banzai Tour and expanding to stops at four of Lake Tahoe's premier resorts.
Building on the tour’s success and evolution, Rahlves has designated the worthy High Fives Foundation as the tour’s official non-profit partner, while leveraging big name sponsors such as Red Bull, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Contour, CEP “intelligent sportswear”, North Lake Tahoe Chamber of Commerce, Jagermeister, Spyder, Atomic, Start Haus Ski Shop, Wend Wax, COAL, The Bar Effect, World Cup Supply, Snow Fest, Sports Insurance and CRUX Events, thereby creating an alluring $80,000 prize purse.
Media coverage will include, Live event coverage on Sunday by 101.5FM Truckee-Tahoe Radio, Tahoe TV event edits for web / local tv, POWDER Magazine coverage and more.
For information, to check out previous race results, videos and to register, visit www.rahlvesbanzai.com
Event Registration begins January 2013
For up-to-the-minute news, “Like” The Rahlves’ Banzai Tour on Facebook and follow @RahlvesBanzai on Twitter.
For information on sponsorship opportunities, contact Switchback PR + Marketing at 530-550-2252 - Blog post
- 5 months ago
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#instahashtagmagramstormski201 #instahashtagmagramstormski2012 Headed Right For Us!
- From: gregfitzsimmons
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Description:
Many are saying Tahoe and the rest of the West is about to get pummeled with snow. Naysayers predict rain. #whatever #itson #7feetbitches !!
Social media platforms, blogs, and websites are a-buzz, and the chatter in dive bars from Tahoe City to Santa Cruz has been incessant about the series of storms barreling down on the Sierra Nevada. While professional meteorologists—and a few amateur radar watchers—were talking about this four-storm system weeks ago, the general public has just recently become privy to the news: Tahoe is about to get buried!
Over beers in Northern California’s dives and on headlines throughout the area, naysayers and sandbaggers are predicting rain. But those that know know that the first storm of the season—being dubbed “JW” by Kirkwood’s marketing guru Coop Cooper—signifies the actual beginning of winter in Tahoe.
“Everyone in Tahoe keeps saying ‘wet’ because the newspapers keep writing that,” says Bryan Allegretto, the mastermind behind Tahoe’s preeminent weather website TahoeWeatherDiscussion.com — which will soon be joining forces with OpenSnow to create the dream resource for skiers and riders by skiers and riders. “That’s why I keep saying on my site, ‘don’t give in to this media trap.’ Some of the best and most fun days of riding in Tahoe are when the snow level is at like 7,500 feet. Most of these ski resorts — like Squaw who has a ton of lifts up high — have chairlifts that start at like 8,200 feet and go up from there. Everyone looks out their window downtown at lake level, around 6,000 feet, and sees rain and says, ‘It’s wet, I’m not going skiing.’ Meanwhile, up top some of us are skiing powder all by ourselves.”A series of four consecutive storms over a five to six day window are forecasted for the Tahoe region. The first system rolled through yesterday dropping anywhere from 6 to 8 inches. The next storm moves in Thursday night and will settle over Tahoe into Friday night. And, the biggest storm rolls in Saturday and into Sunday, with the possibility of precipitation lingering into Monday.
“I’ve been telling people that we’re looking at a 7,000-foot snow level through Friday with a couple feet of snow and more on Saturday,” says Allegretto. “You have anywhere from 1,000 to 2,500 feet of vertical on these mountains that is going to get 3 to 7 feet of snow!”The good news for pow-starved skiers not located in the Sierra Nevada or Pacific Northwest — which looks to be getting hammered, too—is that these strong storms will be traveling east toward the Tetons and Rockies.
“The strongest piece of the main west-coast storm will head east on Sunday night and Monday,” writes the prescient weather resource OpenSnow, “and should bring decent snow to many Colorado mountains, primarily from Aspen north to I-70 and the Wyoming border.”
So, be patient and brace yourself for the unavoidable onslaught of blower Instagram pics and ubiquitous hashtags from Tahoe and the PNW that will be clogging your feeds this weekend. This beast of a storm is headed your way soon enough.
Check back early next week for a recap from Tahoe. Until then, be safe, think cold, positive thoughts, and share your early season storm photos with us on Twitter and Instagram (@TetonGravity) by using the hashtag: #StormWatch. We’re eager to see those pow pics. - Blog post
- 6 months ago
- Views: 101
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News: The North Face Announces News: The North Face Announces Sixth Annual Masters Of Snowboarding Schedule For 2013
- From: TetonGravityResearch
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Description:
Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows host premier snowboard Freeride World Qualifier
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH - The North Face Masters of Snowboarding presented by PrimaLoft will take place February 13-17, 2013 at Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows in Lake Tahoe, California. The event will feature top big mountain snowboard competitors battling for The North Face Masters of Snowboarding champion title, $15,000 in prize money and a chance to advance to the 2014 SWATCH Freeride World Tour by The North Face.
The event will feature one open 2-star Freeride World Qualifier (FWQ) event at Alpine Meadows (Feb. 13-14) with the top five men and top three females advancing to the Masters 4-star Championship event. The Masters Championship event will take place over two days (Feb. 14-17) at Squaw Valley immediately following the qualifier event at Alpine Meadows. Riders participating in the Squaw Valley competition will also earn 4-star FWQ points. A seeding list will be created to qualify athletes for the 4-star event based off 2012 Masters of Snowboarding results.
“We are truly thrilled and honored to welcome The North Face Masters to our mountains,” said Andy Wirth, president and CEO of Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows. “The North Face Masters is undeniably one of the most prestigious events in big mountain snowboarding, and we look forward to watching the best snowboarders test their skills on our legendary terrain.”
In addition to the championship title, The North Face will also grant the A-Rob award in honor and memory of the late Master’s champion Aaron Robinson. The A-Rob award captures the spirit of the community and desire to explore the mountains. Another award up for grabs is The Young Gun Award for the under 21 rider who demonstrates raw talent, an innovative riding style and exemplifies true sportsmanship and passion for the mountains.
“Now in it’s sixth season, The North Face Masters is one of the largest big mountain snowboarding competition in the country, providing an opportunity for established riders, as well as up-and-comers, to put together a winning run during competition,” said The North Face Director, Sports Marketing Katie Ramage. “Utilizing control, fluidity, creativity and style in choosing their line, riders embrace the natural features within the venue to showcase their sport which continues to advance. We’re excited to bring this event to Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows given their world class terrain and history of attracting world class riders.”
The North Face Masters is part of the Freeride World Qualifier system. FWQs are rated on a 1 to 4-star scale with competitors earning more or less points at events according to venue difficulty and scale, competitive pool and other factors. The Masters is the top-level qualifier event and a pivotal step for athletes hoping to advance to the SWATCH Freeride World Tour by The North Face.
Athlete registration will open on December 4, 2012 at 10 a.m. MST. The North Face Masters is open to all men and women age 18 and above. For more information, please visit www.thenorthfacemasters.com or www.facebook.com/thenorthfacemasters.
The North Face Masters of Snowboarding is presented by Primaloft and supported by Subaru of America, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Mountain Sports International, Snowboard Magazine, Clif Bar, Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows. - Blog post
- 6 months ago
- Views: 142
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News: Mountain Sports Internat News: Mountain Sports International Announces New Subaru Freeride Series
- From: TetonGravityResearch
-
Description:
New Subaru Freeride Series Announced
4-star Freeride World Qualifiers provide Launch Pad to the Freeride World Tour
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH - Salt Lake City, Utah-based Mountain Sports International (MSI) announced the schedule for the 2013 Subaru Freeride Series today. The new series features three 4-star Freeride World Qualifier (FWQ) ski events for men and women at Crested Butte Mountain Resort, CO (Feb. 7-10); Moonlight Basin Resort, MT (March 14-17); and the Subaru Freeride Nationals at Snowbird Ski Resort (April 11-14). Two 2-star Freeride World Qualifier events will also be held as part of the series at Crested Butte Mountain Resort, CO (Feb. 6-7) and Snowbird Ski Resort (April 10-11). The 2-star events provide an additional platform for athletes to earn Freeride World Qualifier points with the top men and women advancing to the corresponding day of 4-star competition. The full FWQ calendar will be released tomorrow with a full slate of worldwide events, including additional FWQ events in Canada and the United States.
“These premier 4-star events provide crucial opportunities for athletes hoping to qualify for the world tour,” said Event Director Bryan Barlow of Mountain Sports International. “We are excited to provide this opportunity on the country's leading big mountain venues.”
The Freeride World Qualifier point system (FWQ) has been developed as part of the newly unified Swatch Freeride World Tour by The North Face (FWT). All FWT events are designated as 5-star events. FWQs range from 1 to 4-stars and enable athletes to earn a corresponding ratio of points based on their performance at competitions. Accumulated points immediately affect an athlete's position on the FWT ranking system. The top ranked athletes will qualify to participate on the 2014 FWT.
The first ever FWT season will start with a roster of 36 prequalified male skiers, 14 male snowboarders, 14 female skiers and seven female snowboarders. Athlete qualification for the 2013 FWT has been designated by previous tour performance and rankings on the 2012 Subaru Freeskiing World Tour, The North Face Masters of Snowboarding and Swatch Freeride World Tours. In the future, the FWT roster will be created through the FWQ point system granting FWT positions to athletes with the highest points on the FWT and regional Freeride World Qualifying events such as the Subaru Freeride Series. The 2013 season of FWQ competition will climax at the Freeride Nationals at Snowbird Ski Resort in April, the final opportunity for FWQ athletes to launch to the FWT.
The Subaru Freeride Series is sponsored by Subaru, Sierra Nevada, Clif Bar, The North Face and Black Diamond
Registration for Subaru Freeride Series will open Dec. 4, 2012. Riders will be able to create a profile and sign-up for the Subaru Freeride Series events of their choice through the Freeride World Qualifier registration system. Twenty-one days prior to the 4-star day of competition and 45 days prior to the 2-star event, registration for the events will close. Riders will then be determined off of the seeding list on the day registration closes.2013 Subaru Freeride Series Registration Schedule:
Date
Class
Star
Location
Open
Closed
Feb 6-7
SFS
2
Crested Butte, CO
Dec 4
Dec 23
Feb 7-10
SFS
4
Crested Butte, CO
Dec 4
Jan 17
Mar 14-17
Apr 10-11
SFS
SFS
4
2
Moonlight Basin, MT
Snowbird, UT
Dec 4
Dec 4
Feb 21
Feb 24
Apr 11-14
SFS
4
Snowbird, UT
Dec 4
Mar 21
For athlete information visit FWQ Americas on Facebook, follow the Subaru Freeride Series on Twitter at twitter.com/SubaruFreeride, or contact Julia Jimmerson, MSI athlete relations manager, at jjimmerson@mtsports.com or (801) 349-4616. A new website will be launched soon.For media or general information contact Jessica Kunzer, MSI marketing and communications director, at jkunzer@mtsports.com or (801) 349-4612.
- Blog post
- 6 months ago
- Views: 150
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News: Freeride World Tour Anno News: Freeride World Tour Announces New Subaru Freeride Series
- From: TetonGravityResearch
-
Description:
New Subaru Freeride Series Announced
4-star Freeride World Qualifiers provide Launch Pad to the Freeride World Tour
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH - Salt Lake City, Utah-based Mountain Sports International (MSI) announced the schedule for the 2013 Subaru Freeride Series today. The new series features three 4-star Freeride World Qualifier (FWQ) ski events for men and women at Crested Butte Mountain Resort, CO (Feb. 7-10); Moonlight Basin Resort, MT (March 14-17); and the Subaru Freeride Nationals at Snowbird Ski Resort (April 11-14). Two 2-star Freeride World Qualifier events will also be held as part of the series at Crested Butte Mountain Resort, CO (Feb. 6-7) and Snowbird Ski Resort (April 10-11). The 2-star events provide an additional platform for athletes to earn Freeride World Qualifier points with the top men and women advancing to the corresponding day of 4-star competition. The full FWQ calendar will be released tomorrow with a full slate of worldwide events, including additional FWQ events in Canada and the United States.
“These premier 4-star events provide crucial opportunities for athletes hoping to qualify for the world tour,” said Event Director Bryan Barlow of Mountain Sports International. “We are excited to provide this opportunity on the country's leading big mountain venues.”
The Freeride World Qualifier point system (FWQ) has been developed as part of the newly unified Swatch Freeride World Tour by The North Face (FWT). All FWT events are designated as 5-star events. FWQs range from 1 to 4-stars and enable athletes to earn a corresponding ratio of points based on their performance at competitions. Accumulated points immediately affect an athlete's position on the FWT ranking system. The top ranked athletes will qualify to participate on the 2014 FWT.
The first ever FWT season will start with a roster of 36 prequalified male skiers, 14 male snowboarders, 14 female skiers and seven female snowboarders. Athlete qualification for the 2013 FWT has been designated by previous tour performance and rankings on the 2012 Subaru Freeskiing World Tour, The North Face Masters of Snowboarding and Swatch Freeride World Tours. In the future, the FWT roster will be created through the FWQ point system granting FWT positions to athletes with the highest points on the FWT and regional Freeride World Qualifying events such as the Subaru Freeride Series. The 2013 season of FWQ competition will climax at the Freeride Nationals at Snowbird Ski Resort in April, the final opportunity for FWQ athletes to launch to the FWT.
The Subaru Freeride Series is sponsored by Subaru, Sierra Nevada, Clif Bar, The North Face and Black Diamond
Registration for Subaru Freeride Series will open Dec. 4, 2012. Riders will be able to create a profile and sign-up for the Subaru Freeride Series events of their choice through the Freeride World Qualifier registration system. Twenty-one days prior to the 4-star day of competition and 45 days prior to the 2-star event, registration for the events will close. Riders will then be determined off of the seeding list on the day registration closes.2013 Subaru Freeride Series Registration Schedule:
Date
Class
Star
Location
Open
Closed
Feb 6-7
SFS
2
Crested Butte, CO
Dec 4
Dec 23
Feb 7-10
SFS
4
Crested Butte, CO
Dec 4
Jan 17
Mar 14-17
Apr 10-11
SFS
SFS
4
2
Moonlight Basin, MT
Snowbird, UT
Dec 4
Dec 4
Feb 21
Feb 24
Apr 11-14
SFS
4
Snowbird, UT
Dec 4
Mar 21
For athlete information visit FWQ Americas on Facebook, follow the Subaru Freeride Series on Twitter at twitter.com/SubaruFreeride, or contact Julia Jimmerson, MSI athlete relations manager, at jjimmerson@mtsports.com or (801) 349-4616. A new website will be launched soon.
For media or general information contact Jessica Kunzer, MSI marketing and communications director, at jkunzer@mtsports.com or (801) 349-4612.
- Blog post
- 6 months ago
- Views: 126
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Video: My Wilderness - Jeremy Video: My Wilderness - Jeremy Jones Teams With The Wilderness Society
- From: TetonGravityResearch
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Description:
Professional snowboarder Jeremy Jones continues to revolutionize his sport by exploring some of the world's most remote mountain terrain. He uses snowboarding to raise awareness about climate change and the need to protect America's wildest places—like California's Sierra Nevada.
This video was produced by Teton Gravity Research for The Wilderness Society.
Click Here For More On Jeremy And The Wilderness Society - Blog post
- 6 months ago
- Views: 117
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Game On: Tahoe Goes Off In Oct Game On: Tahoe Goes Off In October
- From: sethlightcap
-
Description:
72 hours into winter, Allison Lightcap slashes a deep drift on Donner Summit.
Story and Photos by Seth Lightcap
More than a few Lake Tahoe folk got the lights turned out on their summer lifestyle last week. After a mild fall with very little rain, Old Man Winter flipped the switch with authority. A potent storm blew into the Sierra on October 21 and dumped nearly four feet of snow on the crest over the next three days. There was no window of tacky singletrack for the mountain bikes and motos this year. Tahoe went from dusty, powdery trails to straight-up pow turns in 24 hours!
It’s not the first time the Sierra ski season has opened with an overnight pummeling, but the last week of October 2012 will go down as something special. The combination of immediate coverage and cold pow made for unbelievably good skiing conditions within a day of the first flakes falling. But don’t take my word for it. I know seeing is believing. Here’s a gallery of shots from last week celebrating the epic start to winter in the Sierra:
The storm track favored North Tahoe. Donner Summit and the neighboring peaks of Sugar Bowl ski resort got especially creamed. 
Earning your turns is the only option if you want to shred the Sierra crest in October. Squaw Valley opened one base level chairlift for four hours on Thursday and Boreal did the same Friday to Sunday, but no upper mountain lifts have cracked in California yet. Allison Lightcap started her season on her splitboard.
The storm came in gusty on Sunday but the winds died Monday night. Tuesday and Wednesday it snowed steadily. Terrain at 8,000 feet was left with a couple feet of cream atop a couple feet of dense windpack - a perfect insta-base.
Moss Halladay lights up a turn testing the depths of a loaded gully dropping off the crest.
Allison Lightcap threads a line into one of the ‘Sisters’ chutes at Sugar Bowl.
You can bet Sugar Bowl ambassador Daron Rahlves has been out charging laps around his home turf.
Even speed racer Rahlves has kept his turns relatively mellow. Despite the thick blanket of fresh snow, lurking rocks still abound.
Ryland Bell left his home in Alaska just in time. He drove into Tahoe and wallowed into waist deep snow the next day.
Field of fall foliage turned field of dreams for Ryland Bell.
Matt Clark barrels into the white room while the storm was still pounding.
All of the Tahoe Basin got some snow but only select areas got enough to safely ski. Brennan Lagasse swam through a shark tank skiing this pitch.
These first tours were the perfect shakedown to remind you what you forgot about backcountry skiing over the summer. Brennan Lagasse won’t leave home without his skin wax next mission. 
From a mild fall to dead winter overnight - Chris Galvin lives the Tahoe dream tearing into an October pow turn. - Blog post
- 7 months ago
- Views: 249
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News: Discrete Headwear Announ News: Discrete Headwear Announces Sierra Quitiquit To Team
- From: TetonGravityResearch
-
Description:
Salt Lake City-based headwear manufacturer announces Salt Lake City-based skier Sierra Quitiquit to its athlete roster for the 2012-2013 season.
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – Discrete Sport, LLC, a rider founded, owned and conceived headwear brand in the winter sport industry, is proud to announce the addition of Sierra Quitiquit to their athlete program. Equipped with some of the biggest energy levels and a string of recent publications, she is poised to keep up the momentum, showcase Discrete and make a solid addition to a well-rounded Discrete athlete roster.
A Park City native, Sierra has been on snow since she was two years old. With a background as a ski racer and a former World Freesking Tour competitor Sierra brings a fast, aggressive and confident style to the mountain. Alta has been her home mountain for the past six seasons but skiing has led her to adventures in Chile, Argentina, Switzerland, Jackson Hole and Alaska. Last winter was a particularly successful season for Sierra. Her hard work has led to publications in Powder, Skiing and Ski magazines as well as new opportunities for filming, travel and sponsorship.
“I created and built awareness for Discrete by sponsoring amazing athletes,” said Julian Carr, Discrete Owner and professional skier. “Sierra fits our program so well, it’s refreshing to know there is a gal out there with so much talent and an eagerness to work hard – that’s our formula.”
Sierra will be based out of Salt Lake City for the 2012-2013 season, but has ambitious plans to keep her on the road. She’s planning a trip to Japan to ski endless powder, experience the culture and work as a model in Tokyo. Sierra hopes to find steep transitions and big airs in Jackson Hole while filming with KGB Productions. Alaska is also on her hit list with a ski to surf adventure. While in Utah, she will be climbing mountains in the backcountry, spinning laps at Alta and working with professional photographers. Sierra’s goals for the coming season are to, “train hard, go big, have fun and spread stoke.”
Photo by Steven Lloyd.
Discrete Sport, LLC is the true rider conceived, rider owned, rider operated headwear company in the snow industry. Business operations begin in 2008, Discrete is a collaboration of athletes, designers, musicians, artists, and photographers. The company’s international office is located in Salt Lake City, Utah with distribution in the United States, Norway, UK, France, Japan, Sweden, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, Denmark, Germany, Poland, Ukraine, and South Korea.
We invite you to experience Discrete style.
www.discreteheadwear.com
“Discrete: PUT EM UP.” - Blog post
- 7 months ago
- Views: 371
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Sierra QuitQuit photo by Steve Sierra QuitQuit photo by Steven Lloyd
- From: TetonGravityResearch
-
Description:Sierra QuitQuit photo by Steven Lloyd
- 7 months ago
- Views: 198
- Not yet rated
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Sierra QuitQuit Sierra QuitQuit
- From: TetonGravityResearch
-
Description:Sierra QuitQuit
- 7 months ago
- Views: 241
- Not yet rated
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Endless Winter - Skiing 108 Mo Endless Winter - Skiing 108 Months In A Row And Counting
- From: brennanlagasse
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Description:
Like all good things it began with a simple dream: to make a ski season a ski year. As much as I’ve always enjoyed the change of seasons a little sign framed by skis in a friend's house has always stuck with me - “Summer’s a Bummer.” It’s really not, but to a skier summer means something unique. It means ski season is over.
Skiers love to party on the final day of ski resort operations, but I was never all that thrilled to celebrate the end of another season. In the high alpine I knew there was snow in to be slayed in May, June and July regardless of what the resorts had to do to remain profitable. In reality, depending on where skiers find themselves during those late spring and summer months, the skiing can be more than just good. Come August, September, and for most locales even October, snow is a scarce resource. But I figured, why not try and link 12 months together and ski for a whole year? While most of my friends were “over it” come May I just couldn’t lie to myself. I wanted to keep skiing. When I posed the idea to link turns in every month of the 2003-2004 season to my girlfriend at the time, she was fired up. I was too.
Jillian asking herself why we have to cross another waterfall on Mt. Whitney, Eastern Sierra, California. Late Spring 2004.
That initial season we made the most of early season snowfall in the Sierra Nevada during November, and went out of our way to make turns in the lean months of August and September. Maybe it was a little ridiculous to drive all the way to Mt. Hood that October because we couldn’t find any snow in the Sierra, but we got it done anyway, and when we linked our first 12 months together the feeling of accomplishment was beyond what we thought it’d be. It wasn’t that big of a deal at all, really, but to us we had achieved our goal to turn the ski season into a ski year. We were stoked!
Even with grass poking out, early season skiing can be pretty good if you take caution and know where to go. Kirkwood, California. November 2008.
When the lean months showed up once again in the summer of 2005 it would’ve been pretty easy to leave the streak at 20. It was July, after all. Regardless of how we tried to rationalize that ending the streak was okay neither one of us really wanted to stop. So we didn’t. We kept going and it became our thing, something we looked forward to doing together, something that ultimately would help us develop a relationship in the mountains, with snow, that’s taken us to more random places than we ever thought was possible.
Jillian lays it down in the winter, so it's all relative come summer and fall. Lake Tahoe Backcountry, California. Winter 2011.
Whether it was living out of a Subaru Outback in Glacier, Washington, to take advantage of deep early season storms, or skiing into the crater of Crater Lake National Park, Oregon, on our first visit (we didn’t know it was illegal), the streak we started back in November 2003 slowly evolved from extending one ski season, to maintaining a run of consecutive months of skiing, to at the core planning as many diverse adventures as we could that revolved around the simplicity of sliding on snow.
Every summer/fall there's at least one ski mission when we laugh at ourselves. August 2005.
When September 2006 rolled around we used our streak as an excuse to check out other sides of the great Mt. Shasta that we hadn’t yet visited. We did the same that October. We would have never made trips like that otherwise, but because of the streak we dreamt of new places to visit where we could find snow to ski. What ultimately ended up happening is that mentality translated into our winter routine. We didn’t plan for that to happen, but it did. We started looking for off-the-beaten places to ski in our Sierra Nevada backyard, shared our first heli-run in Alaska together, which morphed into looking for more unique places to check out around the world. In 2007 we got married and enjoyed our honeymoon in the Kullu Valley of the Indian Himalaya where 20,000-plus foot peaks filled our vantage on every ski tour. In 2010 we made it to the High Atlas Mountains and locked into a full-on powder day in Africa. In February 2012 we took a trip to Japan and skied some of the lightest, deepest powder of our lives. It was our 100th consecutive month of turns together.
Dreadlocks, heavy alpine boots, and a long way until snow. So many memories ... Mt. Shasta, California. September, 2006
Last week, the first cold storm system of the fall impacted the Sierra. There wasn’t much punch to the storm at all, but after all these the years of seeking out snow we were able to find a little gulley in the Eastern Sierra that had blown in just enough new snow to allow for a few turns.
Our 100th month in a row was one of the deepest of our lives. Hakuba, Japan. February 2012. Skier: Brennan Lagasse. Photo Credit: Zach Paley.
Nine years in a row. 108 straight months. “What a long, strange trip it’s been.”
Ignorance is sometimes bliss. Crater Lake National Park, Oregon. Spring 2005.
A token couple shot after getting out of our first heli ride. Valdez, Alaska. March 2004.
Jillian on a break in India. I almost forgot she used to splitboard. Kullu Valley, Indian Himalaya. April 2008.
What started as a goal to make it happen for a year has turned into something pretty special for Jillian and I. On the surface, I think it’s easy to look at this as simply extending a streak, but I realize while we still desire to keep the streak alive it’s really not about number of months at all - it’s about the adventures. It’s about seeking out new people in new places and experiencing the uniqueness that comes when skiing moves beyond a recreational capacity, and it becomes part of your identity.
So far, in this October there were maybe a handful of hours where new snow was skiable in the Sierra. Would we have made the effort to get down there without wanting to continue our string of months in a row? It doesn’t matter. For a brief slice of time we hiked up, clicked in, skied down just like we’ve done hundreds of times before. Whatever the motivation was to make it down there and whatever motivates you in the mountains, the most important thing is to ask “Why not?” Why not make a trip to the far off destination you’ve always wanted to visit this season, why not ski that random peak in your local backcountry that no one else seems to care about but you stare at each season and wonder what it’d be like to shred? Why not try and ski 100- or 200-plus days this year? We should all celebrate every little weird, creative, special thing that comes with being a skier - even something as random as skiing for 108 and months in a row. Why not?
Nine years, 108 months in a row. Sierra Nevada, California. October 2012. - Blog post
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