12 Search Results for "vantage"

• 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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  • 3 months ago
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• Under The Orange Glow Of Mount Under The Orange Glow Of Mount Etna

  • From: kimhavell
  • Description:

    Nick Waggoner skins up a volcano in Italy.
    
    Last winter, filmmakers Nick Waggoner and Zac Ramras, photographer Grant Gunderson, and Salomon freeskiers Elyse Saugstad and Kim Havell went to Italy on assignment for Salomon Freeski TV to shred Mount Etna. The episode is soon to drop. In the meantime, read the story below.
    
    The spray of liquid magma burst into the night sky. Mount Etna was erupting, as she does once roughly every two months, and we were skiing under the orange glow of her latest paroxysm.
    
    In early February 2012, a promising Italian snow forecast had us chasing a storm to Sicily, an island on the Mediterranean Sea. While much of the U.S. languished in a dry early winter Europe was being blasted by heavy snowfall and Italy was deep in the weather pattern. With a lofty goal of ski exploration on Sicily’s notorious active volcano, Etna, our team thought it best to aim for winter-like conditions.
    
    With the promise of powder, we booked tickets and landed two short days later in the coastal Sicilian city of Catania. Geographically, Sicily is the soccer ball to Italy’s boot. Assembled at the airport, we had a vague plan of action. On assignment for Salomon Freeski TV, filmmakers Nick Waggoner and Zac Ramras, photographer Grant Gunderson, and Salomon freeskiers Elyse Saugstad and I loaded into a white minivan and drove out of the city and up towards the volcano.

    Reigning above numerous fragile, cozy old towns, Mount Etna basks in a sea breeze that wafts over its small, scattered cones, jagged igneous black-rock ridges, and wide, fluted flanks. Steep, rocky lines run down parts of her face along with miles of more benign terrain to descend. Topping out at almost 11,000 feet, Etna’s high position provides unobstructed views of the coastline, which blend seamlessly into the olive groves and vineyards dotting the landscape.
    
    The quaint Sicilian town of Nicolosi was our home for the next 10 days. From the lower vantage point we admired the mountain, scoped our dream lines, and we waited. Each morning we were greeted with unpredictable weather and the repercussions of an eruption that included turbulent cloud cover, and low visibility for skiing on her relatively blank, high-alpine expanse. Café-bound, we sipped our espressos, snacked on arranchinas (popular rice cones & balls served hot with a variety of inner ingredients) and waited for sunshine and clear windows to explore the vast terrain and the best ski lines on the active volcano.
    
    We quickly realized we had to accept Mount Etna at her best and her worst. She threw out strong winds, thick fog, serpent-like clouds, and serious eruptions. She rumbled, coughed, spit, and spewed volcanic bits, with lava flow and liquid magma sliding down her slopes. We inhaled and skied ash debris but also enjoyed a few short sunny, clear stretches with a steady refresh of white snow from the constant storm cycle.
    
    With slow access via an ancient gondola, creaky chairlifts, and struggling pomas, we got a gradual boost up 740 meters of hillside. Passionate locals joined us in gondola line each morning with their short carving skis and big smiles. Pouring out of the cabins, we warmed-up with the Sicilians on a few of the groomed options at one of Etna’s two ski resorts.
    
    Elyse Saugstad skis Mount Etna.
    
    After sampling the mellow in-bounds terrain, our team headed into the backcountry. Though there is easy access to ski tour and explore the many additional acres of more challenging off-resort offerings, there is absolute solitude. We had any line we chose all to ourselves.
    
    As we ventured across Etna’s broad landscape, we crossed high ridgelines that protected hidden valleys of rocky couloirs, mini-volcano cones, and small amphitheatres with mini-golf-like terrain. Dropping off one sastrugi-ridden ridge to the West, we skied wind-buffed corridors and then toured back up and skied corn back to the resort. Checking out the Volcano cones, we set a hard edge on each icy turn on the windward slopes and then skied packed powder on the leeward. Skiing into the craters was almost always soft as the sun reflected heat into the white belly of their inner bowls. We got a taste of everything.
    
    One evening as the setting sun cast luminous colors over the horizon and the volcano erupted behind us, Nick turned to us and asked, “Should we hike up and get some ski shots next to the lava?”
    
    Elyse and I looked at each other, then looked at Nick, and said, “No, thanks.”
    
    Though there were many cultural highlights we were there to ski. When the visibility was poor up high, due to Etna’s unusually deep snowpack during our visit, we were able to find good alternative options. We ducked into heavily wooded hillsides off the winding road up to the resort. From a skier perspective, the forests needed some pruning, but we found tight alleyways and fun, smooth powder skiing under the protected canopy of the towering trees.
    
    The tempestuous visit was a beautiful and healthy reminder that nature is very, very close. Etna was in charge and we were on her agenda. After ten days of patience, waiting, and unusual skiing adventures on Etna’s flanks, our U.S. team “Magma” was provided with a couple of lessons: don’t book a ticket to Etna for a storm and Sicily is beautiful but Etna can be a tricky beast.
    
    The sunset in Taormina, Italy.

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  • 4 months ago
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• Smith Vantage Helmet Review 1. Smith Vantage Helmet Review 1.jpg

  • From: thanvolk
  • Description:
    Smith.jpg
  • 6 months ago
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• Endless Winter - Skiing 108 Mo Endless Winter - Skiing 108 Months In A Row And Counting

  • From: brennanlagasse
  • 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.

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  • 7 months ago
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• Vantage Helmet review with Sag Vantage Helmet review with Sage Cattabriga-Alosa

  • From: idarado
  • Description:

    The Vantage Helmet is the one you want this Winter, just ask Sage.

  • 7 months ago
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• Smith Vantage Helmet Smith Vantage Helmet

  • From: idarado
  • Description:

    Smith Optics professional skier Cody Townsend models and discusses the Smith Optics Vantage helmet in this short product video.

  • 9 months ago
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• 7 Ways To Survive The Off Seas 7 Ways To Survive The Off Season

  • From: ryandunfee
  • Description:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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  • 1 year ago
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• The Deepest Trip Of Your Life: The Deepest Trip Of Your Life: Japan

  • From: brennanlagasse
  • Description:

    By now you‘ve probably heard about how much it snows in Japan. The edits keep coming in continuing to show off deep powder shots time and time again; but does it really snow that much?  The answer is yes, yes it does.
    
    Japan has a recipe that keeps storms rolling in for most of January and February that essentially ensures it will snow if you make a trip, and chances are, it’ll be some of the finest snow you’ve ever slayed.
    
    Although the unbelievable food, hospitable culture, and easy travel logistics are worth the effort alone to come to Japan, the lake effect snow recipe is really the ticket that gets travelers from all over the world to make a visit.  This recipe involves super cold air masses that originate in Siberia and flow toward the Japanese landmass. As the frigid Siberian air moves across the warmer Japanese Sea, intense evaporation occurs and facilitates the growth of massive clouds that become so full of precipitation, at some point, they just can’t hold their moisture anymore and have to release. It’s when these clouds meet the mountains that the Japanese magic is realized.
    
    To access Japan and all its powder bliss there are two main locales worth checking into.  Although, with more than 600 ski resorts stretched out in a country about the size of Montana, there’s no shortage of off–the-beaten path ski areas to check out.

    A big mountain feel is less than a 45 minute skin or bootpack to get to lines like this right outside the boundaries of Happo-One in Hakuba, Japan. Skier Brennan Lagasse. Photo by Jillian Raymond.

    Hakuba
    
    Access is a breeze and here you’ll find the biggest lines in the country. Fly to Tokyo, and then choose a train, bus, or even a shuttle that will take you right to the door of your chosen accommodations.
    
    While Cortina seems to be the local choice for storm days, and Goryu Ski Area offers amazing sidecountry access, Happo-One has it all. A resort that’s relatively large in terms of its inbounds offerings “Happo” offers all the amenities you’d come to expect at North American resorts: on-mountain eateries, high-level grooming, lots of piste and a park. However, deep powder is what you came for and during storm days and periods of instability Happo provides more than enough fun tree pitches to relish in the plentiful trademark Japanese white-room that’s commonly on tap.
    
    However, the potential of Happo as a resort goes infinite when looked at from a big mountain perspective. This is the place you come to and wonder if you’re actually in Japan or in some undiscovered part of Alaska.

    The alpine terrain in Hakuba is beyond the usual deep powder shots we've grown accustom to seeing from Japan. Photo by Brennan Lagasse.

    While some of these big lines rarely see traffic due to complexities with snowpack safety and proper timing, the near out-of-bounds access from Happo can get you to dream spines, pillows, and big faces in a matter of minutes when conditions allow. It will pop blue here, but for how long is the question.

    A shot like this begs the question, are you sure we're in Japan? Photo by Brennan Lagasse.

    The aesthetic Y Couloir as seen from Happo-One, many miles away. After looking at this line for a few days you just have go for a walk and ski it. Photo by Brennan Lagasse.

    While Happo is the biggest and baddest resort on the whole, the other smaller resorts in the area tend to be less crowded and offer access to classic lines like the “Y Couloir,” which can be seen from just about every vantage point in the greater zone. This aesthetic line clocks in at about 6,300 vertical feet, top to bottom, with roughly 3,250 feet of the run within the walls of the couloir.

    Savvy avalanche skills, gear, and education are a necessity to enjoy the out-of-bounds terrain in the Hakuba area. Heavy winds frequent the area along with plentiful storms that polish the many ridges that you’ll use to access the bigger mountain terrain. If you don’t have the necessary skills or equipment, simply hire a local guide, which is pretty easy, and let them take you to the goods.

    Most of the ski areas have ridge systems that leave resort boundary lines and lead you to a wealth of amazing terrain. Here, Miles Clark, Jake Cohn, and Jillian Raymond discuss whether to keep going deeper, or to peel off for another bottomless run starting a few feet away. Photo by Brennan Lagasse.

    With stability comes the opportunity to ski blower powder with full terrain like this... Photo by Brennan Lagasse.

    ... and if you're Jake Cohn, the opportunity to send and air like that. Photo by Brennan Lagasse.

    Hokkaido
    
    While I’m sure the terrain and snow quality in Hakuba will become more highlighted in the coming years, it’s the ski terrain of Japan’s north island, Hokkaido, that’s given most uninitiated skiers and riders a glimpse into the world of Ja’Pow. To get here fly into the New Chitose Airport and grab one of the several shuttle buses that travel to Niseko.
    
    Niseko has become the hallmark ski area for what we international powder seekers are looking for in a trip to Japan. If you ever wanted to lay into blower face-shots while night skiing, ride in a land reminiscent of something right out of Super Mario Brothers, or literally take laps through trees where you’ll follow your own tracks lap after lap as they continuously fill in, this is the place.

    Niseko is the land of marshmallows and mushrooms. When you ski and ride in the Niseko side and backcountry it's pretty clear where the creators of Super Mario Brothers got their inspiration. Skier Miles Clark. Photo by Brennan Lagasse.
    
    The Freedom Lodge is a good bet for local accommodations offering an in-house onsen (Japanese hot-spring), breakfast, and ski-in ski-out access to the portion of the Niseko resort massif that gets less wind affect and holds more of the cold smoke you’re looking for.
    
    Over all, the Japanese experience is a completely unique ski trip. The freshest sushi imaginable, smooth sake, and a warm onsen soak will only accentuate the amazingly kind people and bottomless powder you enjoyed all day. The best part about the trip is you’ll probably be able to do the exact same thing the very next day. 

    This shot was taken on our down day in Hokkaido. As you can see down days are still overhead blower powder days in Niseko. Photo by Jillian Raymond.

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  • 1 year ago
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• Welcome To Austria - TGR Atomi Welcome To Austria - TGR Atomic Product Shoot Part 1

  • From: TetonGravityResearch
  • Description:

    Teton Gravity Research has been deep in the mountains of Austria all February filming for Jeremy Jones' upcoming snowboard movie "Further."

    On Feb. 22, TGR founder Steve Jones flew into to Salzberg, Austria, to meet up with the Atomic crew at their world headquarters and to do some filming for next year's Atomic product line. There, he met up with Nick Kalisz of TGR who was fresh out of three weeks in the backcountry with Jeremy Jones. The two filmed with Atomic for two days up at Altenmark and then headed up to Krippenstein for the weekend. 

    Atomic has the ultimate backyard playground with infinite options for freeriding. TGR showed up at Krippenstein on Saturday morning in a full snowstorm. The terrain at Krippenstein is amazing and seemingly infinite. With minimal visibility, snow, and high winds, the Atomic boys showed us the goods. This turned out to be some of the best powder skiing we have had all season and it was still dumping when we pulled out on Sunday afternoon. We will definitely be back.

    Nick Kalisz and Steve Jones meet up with the Atomic crew Chris Mckearen, Clemens Steibock and Ulrike at the Austria office and factory.

    Making some turns on Atomic's Nomad series skis during a product video shoot.

    Chris showing what the Vantage series can do in all terrain.

    Atomic put us up in the heart of Hallstatt, right next to the lake and Krippenstein Resort.

    You don't see a home and church next to a waterfall everyday.

    Clemens getting some pow at the end of the trip.  An all around success.

    Click Here To Read Part 2

  • Blog post
  • 1 year ago
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• Sawyer Thomas, Taking Advantag Sawyer Thomas, Taking Advantage of The Jackson Hole Backcountry

  • From: sawyerthomas
  • Description:

     Sawyer Thomas, 15, taking advantage of the endless Jackson Hole backcountry. I send Smart Bastard and frontflip the cave (Rachael Burks aint got nuthin on me (exept all the other crazy stuff she does)). I would love to see some of my shots on gopro. 

  • 2 years ago
  • Views: 1402

• Reruns: 1/7/09 to 1/24/09 Reruns: 1/7/09 to 1/24/09

  • From: turxski
  • Description:

    Day 9, Weds 1/7 (kind KT) & Day 10 Sat 1/10 (not so bad) at Squaw

    Posted 01-14-2009 at 07:41 PM

    Wednesday 1/7
    I already typed this once, but it got "disappeared" by the computer
    Ok, the short version.

    
    The bus got a flat on the way to the pick-up, so we spent a couple of hours trying to get some sleep in the BART parking lot...yay for techy clothes
    We got on the hill around 11, 11:30.
    This was the day we began to get lots of joy from KT22. We don't go over there very often.

    
    East Face/East Face Gully was perfectly yummy, and felt like "ours"!
    Soft bumps, a bit of slough, no one else around, and it seems to go on, and on
    We hit it a few times.
    GS Bowl was very nice.
    We only managed to get one run on West Face (we forgot the time) but that was wonderful. A lot more showing through than on East Face, and bigger bumps, but it skied way faster

    
    We skied off of Siberia, almost corn beside the "road". One run into Shirley, just so so.
    Tower 16 (?) was nice and smooth and spring-soft, we would have rode it some more, but needed to find a pee-tree.
    Sun Bowl was also only so so.
    North Bowl/Sidewall was still way too firm for fun. Grit the teeth stuff (it was closed all day on Saturday).

    
    Before we knew it, the lifts were closing! Doh!
    Because the bus was so late, it delayed it's departure, so we got one "night skiing" run in. Pretty lame, except for one lap through the wee terrain park with all of 4 jumps Yeh baby!
    A very nice day, actually.
    
    I pretty much covered Saturday in the Tahoe Conditions thread, so here it is:
    

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by TurxSki

    Saturday 1/10
    It was pretty cold when we got there.
    
    KT was the most fun for us, all around Olympic Lady lift (OL). East Face & East Face Gully was bumps and hard pack, but edgeable, satisfying fun, somehow.
    The "main face" under OL (Womens Downhill/Accelerator) held the best "old, cold" snow. It looks like it stays in shadow all day.
    Then there was a nice "chalky" gully, kind of under OL lift (Waterfall?) leading to the "road" by Red Dog.
    We were going to hit West Face at the end of the day, but as we saw no sign of anyone over there, we decided to just do the same again for a last run. It was still $$'s
    
    I heard that Granite Chief lift line was crowded all day, so guess that's where everyone was.
    
    Tower 16 & Sun Bowl were mostly crappy, but better where others had skied. Coming out of Sun Bowl, down through the gully's (Hour Glass/Tree Chutes/Wagon Trails) was the most fun.
    Headwall Face was pretty awful, except for the far skiers left, where it makes a ridge (Hogsback?).
    
    We rode up Emigrant to ski that Rock-Knob between Shirley & Granite lifts. Good snow, similar to Womens Downhill, and some thrilling steep, narrow parts where you come out onto the groomer
    We traversed from Granite Chief to the "tree chutes" the other side of the groomer by that Rock-Knob. Man, they had some super burly bumps in there and ice cubes (really!) under the trees! omg!
    
    The only place we found corn, was that groomer that runs from Emigrant, around the back, and down towards Shirley lift. Mach Looney!!

    Day 11, Sat 1/17 Sierra, groovin' the groomers & scratching the bumps

    Posted 01-20-2009 at 07:24 PM

    Sunny bluebird, but not as warm as we'd feared, and not too badly crowded. West Bowl lift was busy, Grand View lift got crowded around 1ish.
    The groomers in West Bowl were rather excellent, hence the lift-line. A few inches of dusty granular, on top of the hard pack, made for fast, but "secure" feeling skiing.
    I had "a moment" on a big open groomer. Laying down a nice carve, I was low on the snow. Decided to make a turn around a lift tower.
    What the!?

    The groomed ended at the tower! I was in the air, over a bunch of rocks, branches, and hard pack bumps
    On landing, I managed to hit no crap, and muscled a turn to pop back onto the groomer. Whew! F*ck me!
    There were 3 'boarders on the lift (old Puma triple) above me. They actually looked shocked, and had lifted up out of their seats as I'd popped into the ungroomed.

    I told Cinders it was a close call, she said, from her vantage, it looked like my normal behaviour...
    
    Over to Grandview lift. We passed a sign, that said "check your speed", with some 'trollers standing around. I thought it was a Slow Down warning, but then saw the guy down the hill with a Radar Gun...they were Checking your Speed! All Right!
    We came back around. Apparently, they wanted to show you how much more speed you were carrying, compared to what you thought you were going. First me, then Cinders had a go, but the guy failed to record either of us.

    Epic Fail! What a wanker
    And I was wearing an Orange Jacket ferchrisake
    
    Eastabout was pretty similar to last time, big, firm bumps, exposed rocks, but much fun to ski anyway!
    Castle was groomed...Mach Looney.
    Because it looked fine, and was soft beside the trail, we dropped down into the steep gully, just past the last backcountry access gate. Old, slow, stiff pow, mixed with fast icy skied over tracks. Not super fun, but not too awful. Some steep shots, and interesting, at least.
    Preachers was still closed, but there was a fine way in, just below the closed off entrance. Firm, scratchy or chalky, with some shiny areas, that I avoided at first, thinking it icy, but it turns out it was fun stuff to go through. A really thin crust that exploded as you went through it, without grabbing.
    We tried the trees beside the run. Like last time, plenty of untracked (I guess Preacher's has been closed for a while, now), but a bit too much "leg breaking" work to really enjoy.
    The lift got crazy crowded, so we decided to go up and get some Sweet Potato Fries.
    The restaurant was practicaly empty! Everyone was enjoying the sun, I guess. We were surprised, but happy to get a window table.
    
    A couple more runs, over in West Bowl, including bumped out Clipper, then back to the bus for some Cabernet sampling (hic!).
    We're missing our midweek ski-days, but just going once a week stops the groomers getting too blah!
    Hopefully, snow will come, and we can switch to a 4 day work week.

    Day 12 & 13, Fri 1/23 & Sat 1/24, Kirkwood

    Posted 02-03-2009 at 08:32 PM

    Late update
    Friday Precipitation!
    Wet snow. Poor vis. Lots of natural release on the way down to KW. Backside closed. Empty.
    A few inches of "loose" snow on top of soft-ish. Under Ski School Chute, skiing into a snow boulder that'd rolled down, it just disintergrated. Stayed there all day, mostly. Rode 10 once. Poor vis spoiled it. 2 pairs of gloves day. Long ride back down to home
    
    Saturday: Still snowing.
    Deep and heavy now. Everything open. Still sketchy vis. Crowded.
    Ski-School chute (?) wasn't that good.
    Rode 10, then down into Eagle Bowl. Almost untracked! Did I say how it was deep and heavy? Man!
    Fun to crash. Had to straightline sometimes to get to the bottom.
    Met Schralp (Alex) and Danko as we came out of the meadow. Tried riding with them, but I found rocks, lost ski, then had trouble getting it to stay on, had snow jammed under my heel, so one ski would just fall off as I made a turn.
    We caught up at 1 Man tree chute which was $$'s
    Only time for one run, though
    The weather cleared a bit. Sunday was prolly the best day...we were at home, too tired to ride up again...
  • Blog post
  • 4 years ago
  • Views: 275
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• In the bag In the bag

  • From: PeteObrien
  • Description:
    In the Bag
    By Pete O’Brien
    
        The easiest part of filming is taking the shot.  It’s all about being in the right place at the right time with the right stuff. Racing around to set up with gear that is fragile and heavy can feel like an army drill sometimes.  One of the most essential pieces of equipment is my sled.  It has new pistons, starter, clutch etc. you need some mechanic skills and tools if you want to be ready when the weather breaks.  The people you’re with make a huge difference too.  Here’s my pack list so I don’t forget anything, but it’s pretty easy to tell just by lifting it up.
    
    LowePro Super Trekker Camera Pack
    Arriflex SB 16mm
    10lb. battery
    Bolex RX 16mm + Timelapse motor
    Canon A2 35mm
    Canon Powershot S80 Digi
    Vinten/Gitzo Tripod
    Bogen Tripod
    Quantaray Tripod
    3 16mm Zoom lenses
    35mm Zoom lens
    3 16mm Prime lenses
    35mm Prime lens
    Sekonic Light Meter
    Pocket Wizard remote triggers
    + a big pile of important stuff
    
    
    
    
    ** Sniper’s Vantage Point**
    
    
    ** a 10lb. battery**
    
    
    ** a big pile of important stuff**
    
    
    ** Timelapse of a snow storm**
    
    
    ** $800 + 2 down days + a pretty good slam**
    
    
    ** Home after a long day of nothing**
    
    
    ** All packed up for a night shoot**
    
    
    
    
    
  • Blog post
  • 6 years ago
  • Views: 84
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