Yo, check it!
Just as we thought winter was over,
Its back. Now it time to drop in
on winter for the second time, because it is this deep.
So keep you skis out and your tips facing in the right direction,
because the winter will be over before you know it.
and we will be riding bikes again soon.
Monthly Archive for March, 2009
For the past month I have been on the road in search of the slight possibility of some remaining soft snow. With some previous obligations preventing me from traveling farther then Utah, Wyoming, and Colorado it has been a challenge given the average temp has been well in the 60’s. Spring has sprung as they say, and the snow has been melting at a considerably noticeable rate. As bare spots started to show up on resorts and south facing slopes started to unmask their hidden land mines I stared to see more and more shorts, t-shirts, and bikes. However, tales of the past and from my memory of Colorado winters, March has always yielded the greatest amount of moisture throughout the winter months. While the past three weeks would prove differently, there is still hope. None-the-less March snow is usually wet and only sticks around for a few days before the longer days of sun cook it into the rivers, but the snow in march is what sets us up for an epic spring in the backcountry, or early trips to Moab or Fruita to get in shape for the summer.
Lets hope what’s materializing on the radar right now is option A.
Spring adventure with the Hochtl brothers and Onie B. my brother.
Snowbird, US Nationals:
This year, if you have previously red my blog you would know, but for those who have not, click on heading or title below called “Not A Laughing Matter” to understand. Anyway, I broke some ribs back in January and have been trying to get back on the wagon ever since. Needless to say, I have been hurt before and have recovered and kept trucking. However, rumors have proven to be true and ribs are the injury that keeps on giving. For me it is not a gift in daily pain, but a memory that needs to be overcome. A memory creating a memory that reminds me what it feels like to have your chest rearranged.
Anyway, on that note, last week I ventured out to Salt Lake City, and competed in the US Freeskiing Nationals in Snowbird. The snow was dreamlike on the Monday when I drove into town through a blinding blizzard; and Tuesday was great, despite the fact that every powder hungry skier in the state of Utah miraculously had work off to ski that day. The 14in of fresh snow that had fallen,,, was flattened by 10:30. Needless to say however, it was fun and it gave a lot of hope for the competition that started in two days. However, that afternoon the sun came out and by the time we drove down the canyon into the city it was 65 degrees. The following few days leading to the competition were followed by much of the same. Temp rose to 65 to 75 degrees in the city and well over 50 at the resorts. The snow was cooked into a firm chalk, and skied hard as the resort does not see the benefit of closing the venues before the competition.
Highway to the danger zone.
So the stage is set:
Wary, weak, and timid. Horrific conditions. Perfect for a competition…
Needless to say, you can sense my cynicism for the situation, but I signed up anyway. I figured I was there, and the camaraderie is why I was there anyway, so I committed to the event. I wish I could say I overcame the adversity and skied my little heart out, but unfortunately I remained timid and skied like I was fearful of everything I have been doing for six years. I guess that is why sports psychologists do so well, but the head games got a hold of me.
Photo: Devon Balet
As I dropped in for my competition run I was questioning my own actions. Out of the gate I had a few turns before I pointed towards my first air, which was a solid 35-foot cliff with a hard pack landing. I landed on my feet but hit hard and skidded out a little, but recovered quickly enough to make the right footed turn towards my next chosen air. A few more turns, a speed check, and then air-born again over a 20ft rock into a bump field. The landing was bulletproof and my knees buckled hard into my fragile chest as I landed. After a sketchy but quick recovery I headed towards the point of no return and into a mandatory clif area. One more 15-foot drop and then I scurried across the slope to my last air. As I skied up onto the last rock area I changed my mind from my original plan and decided to hit the low speed cliff drop as apposed to the high-speed drop. As I took off the 20-foot drop my trajectory became clear and I could see just how flat the landing I was about to endure really was. As my skis hit they broke through the chalky snow and sent my body forward. I knew I was going down, so I tucked my chin to my chest and miraculously came out of the front flip maneuver landing back on my skis, skiing towards the finish without my head or body touching the ground. However, my frame of mind reflected the way I skied and so did my score.
I am lucky I skied away unscathed given my frame of mind, but lets just say the next day during the finals I was glad to be spectator. The snow was one hot day older and harder, and the venue more serious. Furthermore it was great to be with an awesome group of people at the bottom cheering on the weekend’s gladiators.
Holding down the show.
Ninja
Final day venue. Not Powder.
O-Factor
Celebratory fireworks.
Freeskier Ski Fest 09:
Copper Mt., CO:
Testing skis is always a little challenging, yet interesting to see what different manufacturers are able to create in a sport where many view skis as just skis. However, shapes, glues, cores, etc. all vary from company to company as skis alike have changed so drastically in the last few years it is hard to follow industry trends. As I have grown up in the industry, I have seen and experienced many changes in the designs of skis from straight 210cm long with no side cut and 35mm under foot, to skis 170cm long and 140mm under foot with double rocker tips, reverse camber construction, and cores made out of materials only created in high tech chemistry labs. Over time I have developed an affinity for trying different skis, but when the skis we are testing were specifically designed to be used on slightly better conditions then we were dealt at Copper Mountain this week, the experience becomes more of a challenge.
Testing “Big Mountain” skis specifically designed for powder on snow comparable to a world cup, H20 hyper injected slope was a little difficult. While it provided the testers as well as the magazine editors a new idea of what skis should be able to do, it was a challenge to judge skis designed for powder on their ability to make GS turns. Copper had not received snow in weeks and the high winds had scalped every last amount of soft snow off the mountain and deposited it on the planes of Kansas. The snow was comparable to ice or chalk, which to our dismay made the testing difficult and uneventful, but as a result we were able to test the skis from a different perspective. Yeah, everyone knows that skis are more fun when the snow is soft, but if we all bought skis and went skiing only when the snow was good there are many skis that work well for that purpose only. However, given that the snow is always different and the theme of winter seems to be constantly changing and unpredictable conditions, we want a ski that handles in all circumstances. This year’s test was a true investigation into the skis that are going to perform on those days you wish you had stayed home on the couch.
Furthermore, the Freeskier crew was in full affect and the crew involved with the week’s event was stellar. Aside from shot gunning Red Bull and partaking in the consumption of many fermented beverages, the week was rather tame. Unfortunately I was not able to partake in many of the evening’s adventures, as I was staying 35 miles west in Avon, CO, so maybe my perspective of the week was rather skewed. All in all it was a great experience and there are a lot of great skis coming out on the market next season. Just remember as you read the reviews in the magazines next fall, the skis were not exactly put to a fair test, but if a ski can handle on the hard pack it will get you down the powder gracefully.
Le Big Lepowski, Brighton, UT:
Last weekend we embarked on the first, and maybe annual, Big LePowSki. An event started by Black Diamond and Backcountry.com that gave participants the opportunity to yuck it up with some of their favorite professionals as well as ski and get some pointers on the art of skiing and riding. Pros from both Black Diamond’s and Backcountry.com’s teams came from around North America to teach and assist in the event. Veterans like Chris Davenport, and up and coming starts like Callum Petit, as well as other like Sage C. Alosa, Cody Barnhill, Julian Carr, Carston Oliver, Mark Welgos, Myself (Toot Toot), and many more.
The day started with the participants signing up for the perspective class in a discipline they wanted to improve on. These included, “Learn to Spin a 360, Air Awareness, See a line and ski it, Steep Skiing, Freeskiing 101, Air Sense, and Drop a cliff.” I teamed up with Sage C-Alosa teaching “Air awareness” in the morning. However, we were challenged with the conditions not only because both he and I are big mountain skiers and the snow was not applicable for big cliff dropping, but the crew we were teaching were on all different levels and abilities. We tried to go through the park, but we were both intimidated by the firm to very firm conditions, se we opted to get our group skiing small lines and dropping smaller cliffs. Given the conditions, it was pretty hard to find anything we were all willing to jump off, but props out to our “students” who were surprisingly stoked to try anything we deemed “safe.” Enthusiastically our group skied lines and pushed their limits, which was made the experience enjoyable, as we were able to see our group progress through the morning session.
After lunch I taught a class called “Choose a line and ski it.” Given the firm snow and intimidating conditions this class was a little difficult to teach, as my group was not really looking to ski a line the way I see a line, yet were all enthusiastic to ski none-the-less. Lines to me involve going through varied terrain with the intent to jump off or avoid cliffs, yet my group was more interested in a line through the bumps or learning how to look at a slope differently.
I hope I was able to give my groups some pointers and improve their skiing without scaring them on a line or jumping a cliff, however, the sun was out and we enjoyed the day and the people involved.
Powder Week, Jackson, WY:
When we arrived to Jackson the sun was in and out of the clouds and the snow was melting at a noticeable rate. Rain was falling as we traveled over Teaton Pass, but our hopes for skiing the infamous Jackson remained strong. As we pulled into Teaton Village water dripped off the roofs and seeped through the parking lots like the floodgates had been opened in the hills above. It was hard to believe we were there to be testing and showcasing the industries new and best powder skis, as winter had taken a turn towards spring. That night all the people involved in the event, and a few extras, all got together and talked about the week and shared stories from the arduous trip up to Jackson or from previous experiences from winter months prior. The room was filled with the who’s who of industry folk. From media giants to athletes past and present, Powder’s Powder week had gathered yet another great group all there to experience one of North America’s greatest mountain resorts.
We awoke the next morning and the sound of settling snow and dripping water filled the air. The stoke level was not very high as people gathered in the Gabe room at the base of the mountain to prepare for the less then stellar day. The Powder Magazine affiliates scrambled to greet everyone and make sure the event was getting off as planned, but no one was in a rush to hit the icy “slopes.” People were pensive about skiing, as the snow was questionable and the clouds were low and dense. Winds howled at the base of the mountain, although the temperature was hovering well above freezing. The air was filled with a moist eastern feel, yet as we boarded the gondola at the bottom of the mountain and rose into the clouds the air thickened and the rain turned to snow. Eager anticipation for what was going to be a total wash of a day turned to hopes of fluff and white smooth fresh blown snow.
Exploring the backcountry of Jackson turned out to be more of a challenge then expected. However, with the help of a few locals, some secrets were divulged and powder was plentiful as the four day event passed and the weather turned from crappy to cake. The snow started to fall and the death cookie crust from the first day turned into cookie flower. The snow came, although in small amounts, and everyone that was in attendance was beyond stoked. Furthermore, I was there representing HEAD and as the snow fell and became more apt for powder skis, the new 110mm under foot ski called the Jimi came out and those who were able to make some laps on the new board were elated. I personally only had the opportunity to make one lap on the ski, but I must say I was giggling the whole way down. Biased opinion aside, one of the most fun skis I have ever skied on, and to experience it on a mountain like Jackson is a testament to the experience.
All in all a great week in WY and many thanks to the guys at Powder Magazine for making it happen.
