Concierge.com has been kind enough to put together some of the best apres-ski places in the world, all under one roof.
Working people in mountain towns that cater to the richest of the rich have a hell of a time finding an affordable place to live. In Park City, that problem is exacerbated by developers in no hurry to comply with City Council requirements. " "I don't think 'dragging their feet' is the right terminology," Councilman Jim Hier said of the developer Talisker. "But they need to know we're serious about the affordable-housing schedule. Hier told reporter Christopher Smart the Council wants to "put some teeth" in a Talisker promise in 1999 to "build 118 so-called work-force units to go along with 914 upscale dwellings in Empire Pass."
How long would it take a normal human being to ski every single mountain in Maine? Would you believe 3 1/2 days? A hardy band of eight skiers plan to ski 17 mountains over Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend in 2008. Maine resorts include Sunday River, Sugarloaf, Saddleback, Baker Mountain, Black Rock, Big Mountain, Camden Snow Bowl, Eaton Mountain, Harmon Mountain, Lonesome Pine, Lost Valley, Mt. Abram, Mt. Jefferson, Quoggy Jo, Shawnee Peak, Spruce Mountain, and Titcomb Mountain.
Nothing beats the Roaring Fork Valley in Colorado--featuring Aspen, Highlands, Buttermilk, Snowmass, and Sunlight--when it comes to chowing down. "Speaking about Main Street Carbondale," writes Post blogger Michael Conniff, "you already know about White House Pizza, because you went there about three times on your last visit. (You should also try Redstone Pizza in Basalt just off Highway 82 by the Diamond Shamrock gas station.) We are huge fans of Russets for any occasion, with a preference for the salads and the pulled pork sandwich with gorgonzola. Just up the street is Mark Firscher's Phat Thai, where the cool people go, not to mention his six89 further down the block, which juist might be the best restaurant in the whole valley."
Chef Dava Parr waxes on about the food you love when you come in off the slopes.
"The first World Cup women's downhill here since 1988 went off under a cloud of controversy," reports Vanessa Pierce. "After two major crashes, bad visibility, soft snow and only 37 women down the course, the race was called. America’s Lindsey Vonn, the hands-down favorite after winning two training runs this week, struggled in the soft snow and finished fourth.... Austrian vereran Alexandra Meissnitzer and France's Anne-Sophie Barthet each crashed, with Barthet apparently suffering a blown knee and two lower leg fractures. The race jury reviewed the tape of both Meissnitzer's and Barthet's runs and concluded that both racers were outside the course lines when they crashed, but many racers said the snow outside the lines was dangerously soft."
"With the snow coming down...," writes Aspen Club & Spa's Tom Pazdernink, "comes the risk of overdoing it. Many people are in great shape for skiing or snowboarding but even the most well conditioned athlete can still get hurt if they do not know their limits. There are no rules for when you should or should not be out there. Just pay attention to signs your body will give you."
""Because we don't have mountains," says the president of the Florida Ski Council, "we have to be organized in order to go and get the best dollar and buying power for our ski trips."
Greenland, Pakistan, Iran, and Japan all have more skiing than you think. "There comes a time when the black runs of Thredbo," reports Rachel Oakes-Ashe, "the double diamonds of Aspen and the back bowls of Vail just don't do it for you any more.
You need places to talk up at your next dinner party and Whistler Blackcomb just doesn't cut it now all your friends have been there, too.
Throw these into your bag of snow tricks and watch the eyes glaze over with awe and envy. Greenland. It's all about the helicopter in snow-laden Greenland, choppers that take you to the peak of mountains for 2km runs right down to the sea. In a word? Magic."
Post blogger Casey McConnell was there with his camera on a beautiful day on Aspen Mountain.
The Aspen Club and Spa's Amy Knight knows as much about ski conditioning as anyone in the state of Colorado. "We worked, pushed and pulled off of each others energy (myself included)," she blogs, "and walked away with great fitness, great fun, some new friendships and alot of great moments. It’s not just about the physical body and fitness. It’s much, much more!"
It's not the first Colorado ski town you would think of, but Durango in southern Colorado has not one ski resort at hand but two--Durango Mountain Resort and Wolf Creek. "In between these two up-and-coming ski areas is the unsung urb of Durango," writes Post blogger Michael Conniff. "Here’s what I can tell you about our visit: whenever anyone pines away for old Colorado—the opposite of the Aspen that we call home—I immediately send them to Durango. You can buy actual land and houses in Durango for what are still reasonable prices, but that’s not why I send them south. I recommend Durango to people because it is just way cool."
"Don't you dare read this if you are a woman of any sort or even a guy who has even the slightest feminist leanings," writes Post blogger Michael Conniff. "This blog is not for you--don't even think about reading one sentence further or you will be offended beyond all recovery.
This is actually my third attempt--here's attempt one and two-- to assay the meaning of fake boobs in Aspen and I am tired of acting like an intellectual when it comes to things that go bump in the night. This one's for you, Dude, the guy who likes to look at them and then immediately get to the et cetera part."
Say, did you know Colorado, Utah, and other points East and West are struggling with the dearth of snow on the eve of Turkey Day? "Click: balmy fall weather," reports Sandy Shaw. "Click: brown barren slopes. Click: Scattered patches of mostly machine-made snow. From live Internet camera shots, one can easily glimpse the challenges facing resorts across the Rockies as they struggle to open for the Thanksgiving weekend. Some, including Vail Mountain and Steamboat Springs, have postponed start dates. Conspiring against them are weather systems that have kept storms away and hampered snowmaking and the fact that Thanksgiving falls earlier in the month than usual. The good news is forecasts are calling for snow next week in Colorado and Utah."
Text your ski pals if you can find snow anywhere--like in the Sierra Nevadas for example... or Utah... or Colorado....
Will Batchelor is one of those people who happen to love the Italian Alps--and the apres-ski that goes along with them. "By 5pm," he writes, "after a busy day on the slopes, I was soothing my ski-wrecked legs in the luxury spa of Italy’s newest mountain resort."
What happens if you love in a mountain out West where people just don't want to show in the real world. Post blogger Michael Conniff finds out the hard way, dude. "Something's been happening here in the valley lately," he blogs, "and I'm doing my best not to take it personally. What's been happening is that people are just not showing up, and I don't know why. I know, I know--it's probably me, probably this strange notion I have that people should actually show up when they say they're going to show up. Or maybe it's the natural aversion of others to yours truly. That would explain it, too."
"We fell for The Canyons," write Anne Cooke and Steve Haggerty. "The Canyons, its 3,700 acres open and uncrowded, is a bona fide best-kept secret. Spread over adjacent ridges, the resort's 152 trails flow and turn, challenging and entertaining in turn.... Plenty of expert-only chutes, most rated double-black-diamond, plunge into Murdock Bowl and off Apex Ridge. But The Canyons really seems to be a bonanza for intermediate recreational skiers, people who are happiest carving turns on groomed trails. On the lower slopes, look for a tangle of woodland trails providing ski-in, ski-out access to a cluster of multimillion-dollar homes."
They said it couldn't be done, but the Snowmass Town Council banned smoking outdoors--except on chair lifts, of course. "Outdoors," writes Post blogger Michael Conniff. "That’s right. Light up in the great outdoors of Snowmass Village and you are toast–or at least subject to a fine as high as $1,000.... We can all certainly feel for all the victims of second-hand smoke, but we have to laugh out loud out the twisted logic of the Snowmass Town Council. The one thing they refused to do was to ban smoking on chairlifts–the one place outdoors where you might actually experience second-hand smoke because the person sitting right next to you is blowing smoke."
There is no reasonable explanation why people who live in mountain towns are not more fit and less fat. "You have access to year-round outdoor trails for hiking, cycling, mountain biking, cross country skiing, and snow shoieng, writes Aspen Club blogger Tom Pazdernik. "Not to mention, world class downhill skiing and snowboarding. Throw in 300 plus days of sunshine and the fact that 'everyone is doing it' and there really is no viable reason why we shouldn’t be fit. Other than Domino’s and McDonald’s there really isn’t much crap around here to eat. Since I am a trainer, you may be thinking, “why is this guy writing this? Doesn’t he want out of shape people for potential clients?”
Keystone Ski Resort couldn't wait until the scheduled opening Novembe 9, 2007. Post Time News reports: "Thanks to more than two feet of new snow this month and efficient mid-mountain snowmaking,"Keystone Ski Resort moved up their season opening date to 9 a.m. on November 2, 2007, making it the first Vail Resorts Mountain to open in the country. This is a full week earlier than its initially scheduled opening date of November, 9, 2007." ResortQuest properties in Breckenridge are promoting special deals to celebrate the early opener.
The underrated Colorado outpost for skiing of all sorts has plugged its schedule with a plethora of events--and a news Tree House for the kids.
ZG is the ultimate Aspen insider's brand--but only one man really owns ZG. "I always found iconic things interesting," says ZG owner Tom Hayles, "how you say things without saying things. Subtle things. I thought it was pretty interesting that ZG represented the place where we live. You weren’t tied to the normal life others might be. I was looking for a way to be distinctive or different. I find it really hard to plaster something on me to say “Aspen.” I still feel it’s a little bit of a bull’s-eye. ZG is a way of saying “Aspen, this is where I’m from, this is my designator, yet it doesn’t say Aspen.”
Red Lodge Mountain Resort, southwest of Billings, Montana, was acquired by JMA Ventures of San Francisco, owner of the Lake Tahoe Resorts Alpine Meadows and Homewood. “We were always a small, family-oriented area, but in the last 10 years we’ve barely been able to keep our heads above water,” said Homewood Mountain Resort general manager Kent Hoopingarner. “JMA came in, and they’re fun to work with. They sank a tremendous amount of capital into the place. They’ve pretty much turned us around.”
After a trip for treatment in India, the disabled skiing pioneer Amanda Boxtel is in the midst of the controversy over stem-cell therapy. "As I venture forth as one of the pioneer patients receiving human embryonic stem cell therapy I realize more and more that Dr. Geeta Shroff is at the eye of a global controversial storm," she blogs, "and I am at the dawn of an age of discovery that will forever change the world.
Since landing on American soil two months ago, I have found myself spiraling into a whirlpool of emotion. While sometimes spinning out of control, those intense emotions collided with an influx of stem cell information causing deep anxiety on all levels. As scientists and researchers speak of worldwide collaboration in stem cell research, I have witnessed outright ridicule for those blasted as radicals experimenting with new therapies in other countries. Egos abound and I am more perplexed."
Can a ski resort really be green? It's not as easy as you think--in fact, one of the industry pioneers say it's a load of crap.
Post blogger Keith Hemstreet says he has discovered the great untruth about snow forecasts in Aspen. "Recently, I was devastated to discover an Aspen untruth of criminal proportions. I’ve lived in this town for five years now, all the while believing we get a steady 300 inches of snow annually. Ask any Bartender, Ski Instructor, or Lift Op how much snow Aspen receives each year and they’ll spit out “300 inches” as if it had been burned onto their forehead with a cattle prod.... This is a common belief thanks to some deceptive marketing. It’s even written on the Aspen Skiing Company’s website under 'Aspen Mountain Stats and Facts.' Well, well, well…not so fast, my friends."
Mount Sunapee in New Hampshire owners are suing the governor because he won't allow the resort owned by the state to expand. "Operators of Mount Sunapee ski resort have sued the state, claiming Governor John Lynch has violated their lease agreement by refusing to consider their plan to expand," according to a published report. "Tim and Diane Mueller have run the resort on state-owned land since 1998. The state leases the land to the Muellers. For six years, the Muellers have tried to expand the resort to include 175 acres of state park land and connect it to private land they own in Goshen. They have proposed building up to 250 condos on that property. The plan must be approved by the Executive Council, but Lynch has refused to put it before the council for a vote, saying it would be a waste of time, because he would just veto it."
Aspen Life blogger Tom Pazdernik, a personal trainer, nows a thing or two about the connection between the mind and your muscles. "Recently," he blogs, "I have been paying special attention to clielts form and feedback as to where they feel muscle stimulation. I feel this mind-muscle connection to be a tremendous asset to anyone taking part in weight training. It is not enough to simply go through the motions. When someone consciuosly makes an effort to exhaust the targeted muscle grouops of a given exercise, they will get much more out of the work out. Obviously this is difficult to quanitfy in any measurable way; however I notice clients exhaust a given muscle faster and feel like they get a better overall work out when they maintain perfect mechanics and focus on contracting the appropraite muscles."
A strong loonie--that's the Canadian currency, eh?--has Canadian skiers looking south to the great United States for skiing, with New England, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and Utah all looming as distinct snowbound possibilities. "Utah is known for its powder," writes The Toronto Star, "and some resorts average nearly 1,300 centimetres annually. Those who prefer their powder packed will find some of the most aggressively groomed slopes around. Resorts range from old and funky to run-hugging ritzy real estate developments. Compared to other close-to-the-city ski resorts, Utah slopes tend to be less crowded."
What was it like way back then? It takes a great novelist like James Salter to really put it into words. "Skiing in Colorado is exceptional because of the weather, the plentiful snow, and because of the scale of it all, the blue mountains stretching out without number, the immense sky," he writes over fifty years ago. "Vail is just a two-hour drive by good road from Denver and gets a lot of day and weekend visitors. It's huge, new and well-run. The great bowls on the back of the mountain are unique and provide superb, untrammeled skiing. Steamboat Springs and Crested Butte are farther and most conveniently reached by air, as is the best loved of them all, Aspen, probably the best ski town in North America. It possesses, in addition to great skiing, the things Boswell loved about London, brightly lit rooms, lively talk, women, drink. Like London, it is no longer cheap. Lift tickets are $22 a day now, and rooms $70 to $100. A few can be found that are cheaper."
Crested Butte. Steamboat Springs. Winter Park. Snowmass. Arapahoe Basin. Colorado ski resorts are pumping hundreds of millions of dollars into resort upgrades. "The Mueller Family has put $200 million into a base village overhaul at Crested Butte.... Winter Park, which has been among the last to develop its base area, has grand plans for a pedestrian village and already has committed $132 million to the first phase of the project. Intrawest's 2007 purchase of Steamboat Ski Resort also kicked off a building boom in the area.... In its first major move under a new owner, the ski area spent $16 million this summer.... A number of other areas - Copper Mountain, Telluride, Arapahoe Basin, Echo Mountain and Monarch - have opened new ski terrain this season.""
A typical vacation to Taos, New Mexico, takes a dark turn when he hears a sound a 2:47 AM and grabs the nearest hammer. "There was a noise at the back door," writes Post blogger Keith Hemstreet. "A sudden crack. My muscles tightened. My heart was racing. My mind buzzed frantically. I looked at the clock. It was 2:47 a.m. I reached under the bed and grabbed the hammer I had stashed, the only decent weapon in the house. Might I actually have to use it? Might I have to defend myself and my family from an intruder? This can’t be happening."
Ever wonder what's going down as Aspen gears up for the high season in Rocktober? ApenSpin gleans the skinny in the town where the glitterati get their grit: "With the help of a wellness counselor at The Aspen Club we designed a daily fitness and nutrition routine that should allow all of us at Aspen Spin to have a healthier, more productive ski season. So here it is. Cardio--45 minutes. Core and strength exercises using the bosu ball, medicine ball and fitness ball and some light weights. What can we say--we like to ball. We're concentrating on balance and core specific exercises for skiing ---some of the same ones that Bode Miller does. The whole thing is followed by some serious stretching."
So you've got a kid but you live down the road from the Maroon Bells. So what? "Rejuvenated by the thought of a quiet morning alone in nature," writes Post blogger Keith Hemstreet, "I threw on a jacket, packed up my video camera and was on my way. It was 5:32 AM. The streets were empty. The sky was dark and cloudless and spotted with stars. A full moon sat just over Shadow Mountain. I was alone. No cell phone. No radio. Just a quiet detachment. What a wonderful time, the early morning. The stillness is liberating. There is a wonderful simplicity to it, a peace. Maybe it’s just that the assholes of the world are still sleeping. Either way, the hour just before sunrise is my favorite hour of the day. Once the sun is up, things tend to go downhill quickly. The sky began to warm with a neon blue light as I approached the parking area at Maroon Lake. Turns out I wasn’t the only one who thought it would be nice to view Maroon Bells at sunrise. Much to my disappointment, the parking lot was nearly full."
Aspen Life blogger Kim Moore finds the meaning of life as she turns 40 in an ambitious plan to get fit and eat right in time for ski season. "I turned 40 on Saturday," she blogs, "3/4 of the way through the Golden Leaf half marathon (I was born at noon). The leaves were blowing and bright yellow, the sun was blazing through the fall breeze; my boyfriend and 2 best friends were running with me and I was overwhelmed by gratitude!! In fact, about 8 miles into the trail - when I realized I was actually going to finish, I thought I would cry from the overwhelming gratitude of being among my best friends, healthy and blessed in every way. There are times when you realize you have everything you need and none of it is outside of yourself - today was one of those days for me."
Is the true, authentic, mountain town becoming a thing of the past in Colorado? Two mining towns--Aspen and Steamboat Springs--are at opposite ends of the development cycle but facing the same existential question: what to do once money floods into town. "Under the banner 'Steamboat Unbridled,'" reports Post Time News, "uniqueness is also under assault here in Steamboat since the news that Intrawest was buying into the resort. More than $600 million of development is now planned over the next five years...."
Amanda Boxtel, a pioneer in teaching skiing for the disabled, is now a pioneer in embryonic stem cell therapy after her nine-week trip to Delhi, India for therapy. "So," she blogs, "you might be anxious to hear how my body is? To see me rolling down the sidewalk with Tucker leashed to my wheelchair, I look like Amanda. Only me and my few friends who have seen me flop around out of my wheelchair can recognize the new Amanda coming to life. My legs have more definition and I feel healthier. My body has remained static with regards to continued improvement and I imagine it will keep strong as long as I maintain my daily therapy and exercise. Herein lies the challenge."
Aspen Life blogger Tom Pazdernink wants you to beware the perils of the in-between weather before the snow falls. "Many of us live our lives in a truely cyclical nature," he blogs. "Meaning that we do things based on what time of year it is. In some respects this is great because it gives us some variety and we don’t get sick of doing the same old things everyday. But, we also need to be careful as the weather starts to change here in the Valley. Soon it will be too cold to go up smuggler or ride to the bells in short sleeves. Yet, you won’t be able to hit the slopes or bust out the snowshoes, either."
A 32-year-old extreme skier has his sights set on skiing Kathmandu and the Himalayas in Nepal. Frederik Ericsson is on the verge of skiing down Dhaulagini, the seventh-highest peak in the world. "There are not that many people trying to ski all 14 8,000s [26,400-feet mountains]," he says, "but I think in a few years there will be. I hope to finish all of them before I am 40. Skiing all the 8,000s is one of my big goals. I am not sure if I am going to make it. So far I have done one and a half...."
Aspen Skiing Company just set the bar at $87 for a one-day lift ticket--the highest price known to man, woman, or child in the United States. And that ain't all. "At Aspen," reports Joanne Kelly, "a full-season pass for an adult will go for $1,699 if purchased by Sept. 7, for $1,879 by Nov. 16, or $1,999 afterward. Aspen also set prices for its Classic Pass, which targets Colorado skiers and must be purchased at specific locations in the Front Range this fall. Online and phone renewals begin today. A pass for seven days (no restrictions) will go for $259, with the same offer available to 7- to 17-year-olds and college students for $199. A four-day pass will cost $159 for adults and $129 for youths/college students."
The Canyons ski resort in Park City, Utah--the last remaining resort owned by American Skiing Company--is in limbo as Vail Resorts Inc. files a lawsuit.
Post blogger Michael Conniff believes Dr. Hunter S. Thompson never quite reached the gonzo heights that stretched before him in Aspen.
Stricken with paralysis from the waist down by a freak skiing accident fifteen years ago, Post blogger Amanda Boxtel co-founded Challenge Aspen for disabled skiers and has led of life inspiring others that includes motivational speaking. Her incredible journey continues with a trip to India for experimental embryonic stem cell research--and preliminary results that are blowing her mind. "Although I am not sure how to tactfully convey my ground breaking news to the world," she blogs, "I shall resort to the simple facts…I had my first bowel movement on my own in fifteen years last night. Yippee!"
Click here for a look at the Lange Girls of years past and embark upon a historical survey of style, fashion, boots, and bootie.
The deal by Specialty Sports Ventures to buy Breeze stores includes a little bit of everything--including several cups of joe at Starbucks. "Specialty Sports Venture (SSV) has become an even bigger player in ski rentals and retailing," Post Time News reports. "SSV, a joint-venture majority-owned by Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: MTN), announced that it entered into an agreement to acquire 18 Breeze Ski Rental shops at locations throughout Colorado, Utah and California for $6.5 million. SSV now has 145 shops in Colorado, Utah, and California, with more growth a distinct possibility."
Show some love to the ski industry--please!--the place where any good news is considered great news. Consider the numbers coming out of Colorado Ski Country USA this summer about last season. Sure, skier visits bumped up over 12 million for a new record--that's the good news--but the bad news is skier visits were up just a smidge compared to the 2005-2006 season. In all, CSCUSA said Colorado accounts for 23 percent of the domestic ski business. But the trade group also reported Colorado visits increased just 30,000 skier visits over last season.
Post blogger Keith Hemstreet is all for the Sky Hotel as one of the great pool scenes in America, but he is not without his reservations. "This week Playboy announced its Top 10 Poolside Bars and our very own 39 Degrees made the list," he blogs. "I agree, the scene is noteworthy, but let's take a minute to analyze what it is that 39 Degrees offers the readers of Playboy magazine. (In case you were wondering, Playboy targets the “sophisticated pervert.”) I can’t say I frequent the bar, but I do know a thing or two about what goes on there. I walk by this pool each day on my way to and from work."
Vail is hosting the summer's mountain Olympics, an X-styled extravaganza of paddling, biking, running, and climbing. "What began as a gang of paddling pals racing down the Eagle River," reports Jason Blevins, "has become Colorado's mountain Olympics, an X-styled extravaganza of paddling, biking, running and climbing."
In Jackson Hole, summer tourists roll in on their RVs to see the sights of Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks. So to see a skier hiking on the trail, well that's just freaky for them. "This time of year," according to TetonAT.com, "with the increased tourist traffic on the dry park trails, skiers are subjected to a barrage of comments as we hike back to our cars with skis on our backs. Many of the comments are classic and predictable, but occasionally you get a doozie and you just can’t help laugh at."
Michelle Leroux is the PR and communications manager at Whistler/Blackcomb. She was one of the key players responsible for creating one of the biggest girls contests to come to the ski and snowboard industry ever. If Ullr Was a Girl was born in April 2006 and culminated with a three-tier contest in Whistler/Blackcomb in April 2007. She loves working and living in Whistler, and here’s why ...
"Here’s the part I don’t get: after years of pain and campaigning, why in the name of Fanny Hill would Aspen Skiing Company sell out the rights to develop Snowmass Base Village to Pat Smith?" writes Aspen Post blogger Michael Conniff. "The answer is most likely money–$169 million in the sale–because that’s the answer most every time, and I can’t be blaming Skico for wanting to make a buck—though I wonder if people who voted for the project would have changed their minds if they knew Skico was only a temporary landlord."
Whistler/Blackcomb is set to open the Horstman Glacier Monday, June 4. Open through the end of July, the Horstman Glacier offers intermediate skiing and riding for those looking to extend skiing into the summer.
Word is, Independence Pass outside of Aspen is skiing good, and the rumor is coming from backcountry skiing expert Lou Dawson. "Snow conditions: Still some moderate breakable crust about 12,000 feet," he writes, "not as much new snow as I’d like to see covering the dirt layer. Overall snowpack is below average. Might not be many days of good skiing left, so hit it soon."
Specialty stores finished the August through March selling season with $1.8 billion in sales. Overall unit sales and average retail-selling prices remained even, according to the SIA Retail Audit report. “This season was a weather-driven roller coaster and equipment sales suffered from it, but apparel sales bolstered the market,” said Kelly Davis, research manager for SnowSports Industries America (SIA). “At season’s end, total dollar sales in specialty stores were down by just one percent compared to last season.”
Weather in the mountains during the summer is unpredictable as it is in the winter. It can be blue skies and beautiful in the morning and then turn to thunderstorms in the afternoon. Whenever Skiing Post editor Vanessa Pierce goes outside, she takes her Marmot PreCip shell.
Don't you wish you could watch skiing 24/7 on TV? Well, now you can. By early next year, households across America will be able to enjoy the world of winter right from the comfort of their couch. Steve Bellamy, founder and former president of the Tennis Channel, plans to launch the Ski Channel early in 2008. Bellamy has already lined up business that includes a long-term affiliation agreement with Time Warner Cable. With content like skiing and snowboarding, rock climbing, kayaking and even high country real estate hunting, who needs the outdoors when you've got The Ski Channel?
The Winter X Games are back in Aspen, and the official dates for 2008 have been announced. Start planning your vacation to the hottest town in the ski world during the last week of January. And, just so you know, if you miss next year's contests, there is always the next, and next, and next (through 2010).
Do you know what the Flybar is? It's a pogo stick that, depending on its style, can bounce up to 6 feet. If you ever have tried a pogo stick (likely when you were a kid), you would be psyched to own one. Skiing Post editor Vanessa Pierce is flying high for that reason. She contacted Flybar to see if the company needed a girl on its freeride team. Now two Flybars are enroute to Jackson Hole where Pierce will bounce around town representing SBI Enterprises, the company to developed the first pogo in 1918.
Try skiing or biking with a pulled muscle. Ain't going to happen. Aspen Post blogger Sarah Kochis writes: "Most people believe that flexibility is some thing you have or you don’t. Not True. The key is to finding flexibility, are in the way you train your muscles to respond when called upon and how consistently you request them to work their potential."
The United States Ski and Snowboard Association released a list of nominated athletes for the 2007-08 alpine ski team, headlined by Julia Mancuso and absent of Bode Miller. "The men’s A team, headlined by Olympic gold medalist Ted Ligety, also includes three racers on the mend from injury — Bryon Friedman, Erik Schlopy and Dane Spencer," reports Sam Flickinger. "Friedman is still looking to return to full speed after suffering a badly broken leg two seasons ago; Schlopy hurt his knee, hip and thumb in a pre-Christmas crash last season; and Spencer began skiing last November after breaking his neck and pelvis during a crash in February 2006."
Free skiing? Right! Listen up, skiing is positively 100-percent FREE, with no strings attached at Crested Butte Mountain Resort from Nov. 25 through Dec. 15, 2007. All you need to do is go to the ticket office during these days and one of CBMR's cheerful ticketing specialists will smile, give you a lift ticket, and send you to the slopes to ski or ride for FREE.
The decision of Bode Miller to part company from the U.S. Ski Team hasn’t caused much of a ripple among the skiing fraternity. Those who loved him, still do, and those that didn't, still don't.
Dean Cummings and the H2O Guide Team has specifically selected Las Lenas, Argentina, for its next heli-ski mission. The H2O Guide Team experience in Las Lenas will guide skiers of all abilities into premium snow and terrain. One day of remote helicopter skiing and two days of cat skiing are built into your package to provide the ultimate big-mountain powder skiing experience.
New music acts and events plus $200,000 worth of improvements in the Fanny Hill venue are the Town of Snowmass Village’s recipe for record crowds in summer 2007. Think live music, mountain-bike races, a chili and beer festival, plus much more.
Right On Brother! This film company just came out with its teaser of athletes skiing/snowboarding in the most snow ever. "The Nina" is coming out this January, and you don't want to miss it. In 1997-1998 El Nina hit Mt. Baker and dropped over 1,000 inches of snow, the most recorded in any ski area ever! Then this last season, El Nina returned to dump 300 inches of snow at Mt. Baker in January alone. One storm dropped 12 feet in four days. It was drawing riders from all over the country, and world to ski the powder. You could huck off anything and feel like a hero. See what Right On Brother caught on film, and get psyched for next season.
Hats are as important to a ski town locals as shoes are to city dwellers. Everyone has about 20 more hats than they need, but they make the outfit. Skiing Post editor Vanessa Pierce fell in love with Shred Alert hats this winter at the Snowsports Industries America trade show in Las Vegas. Shred Alert owner Heather Amaryllis is the coolest: a mother of three (Jessica, 7, Rio, 9, Noa, 11), a former telemark champion, and kitesurfer. "From making the first product in her laundry room 17 years ago," Pierce writes, "to becoming an award winning company recognized in the competitive outdoor industry for our innovative designs, product quality, and company integrity, she still loves to create hats and accessories."
Roxy, the apparel/gear brand to challenge and promote women worldwide, is offering a chance for skiers to perfect their park skills this summer. At Utah Olympic Park, girls of all abilities will transcend the boundaries between mountains and water with the best female coaching staff and the finest facilities in the country. This three-day camp will allow girls perfect flips, spins, and grabs on water ramps and trampolines before taking them to the snow next winter. This camp is perfect for all ages and abilities, and all participants will be outfitted with a Roxy swimsuit!
Skiing and snowboarding in Utah has not ended yet, as Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort will open for one final weekend of spring skiing May 18-20. Lift tickets will be $49/day. Little Cloud Chairlift, accessing the Mark Malu Fork and Rasta Chute ski runs, will operate from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Park in the Snowbird Center lot, Snowbird Entry 2, and take the Tram to Little Cloud Chairlift.
Source Interlink Companies, Inc. has purchased PRIMEDIA Inc.'s Enthusiast Media division for approximately $1.2 billion. POWDER magazine is in the process of re-organizing. Changes are under way, check it out.
Sometimes the real world cramps the style of a true mountain person. Bills? Boo. Car payments? Please. Speeding tickets? Whatever. "Living in a ski town is a mix between spending time playing in our outdoor Disneyland (i.e. skiing, biking, kayaking, paragliding, traveling)," writes Skiing Post editor Vanessa Pierce, "and trying to remember that the real-life world is a reality we can’t fully escape." She was hit with reality after coming back from a ski-mountaineering trip with Jessica Baker this spring. A little snow bank that got in her way while heading to the airport caused the most expensive headache she has had in a while. (Photo by Heather Erson)
U.S. Ski Teamer Lindsey Kildow reports on medals, medicals, and marriage. She plans to be at the New Zealand training camp this summer after a knee injury hampered her World Cup season. "I'm planning to go to the first major Ski Team camp – New Zealand," she says. "That'll be my first time back. When you've done the volume, as I have through the years, you need to get back on snow, but you don't need the volume when you were younger. I really like New Zealand - everyone speaks English, which is awesome, and we get great training space. Last year, we had a full-length super G course, which was epic."
A cousin of skiing star Bode Miller fatally shot and ran over a police officer, then was killed by a passer-by who grabbed the officer's gun.
Attorney General Kelly Ayotte said Liko Kenney shot Cpl. Bruce McKay four times, then ran over him with his car after a traffic stop Friday night.
David Gonzales takes "Fear and Loathing" to the Tetons for an adventure in Salamander World that you don't want to miss. "We were somewhere around the Platforms at the mouth of Garnet Canyon," he writes, "when the drugs began to take hold. I remember saying something like, 'I feel a bit lightheaded; maybe you should break trail . . .' And suddenly there was a terrible roar all around us and the canyon was full of what looked like huge salamanders, all grumbling and hissing and slithering around us, as we motored toward the West Hourglass Couloir of Nez Perce."
Freeskier magazine has teamed up with Target to give away a piece of skiing history: Simon Dumont’s Target gloves produced by Oakley. Dumont, 19, hit the slopes competitively for the first time in 2003. In just his first year of competition, he won the Whistler Invitational Super Hit and finished fourth at the U.S. Open. In 2004, he won gold in the Winter X Games Superpipe, with a performance worthy enough to be featured on ESPN’s “Top Ten Plays of the Week.” Simon has worn these very gloves in recent contests, and they are not available for sale to the public. Win them by clicking here ...
When ski season is over, Jackson Hole kids have to fill the time somehow. They hike up Snow King, bike on Putt-Putt, climb the Grand Teton, whatever it takes to get the fun done. At night, those same kids go crazy and play dress up. Last night, at the Stagecoach Bar, it was the Resi show. Resi Stiegler – U.S. Ski Teamer, Jackson Hole native, and a dear friend to those who know her – was the only one to play dress up last night. She appeared on rollerblades, dressed in a leotard she got at Kmart. There is always a party when Resi shows up, and last night was no different. Click here to see the photos. Some were kept off the Internet for future blackmail opportunities ...
Olympic medalist and former World Cup champion Bode Miller is leaving the U.S. Ski Team. He will travel and train independently if he competes next season. "This was a difficult decision for me to make," Miller said. "Despite any of our past differences, I have been part of the U.S. Ski Team for 11 years and I cherish the relationships I have built with my teammates, the coaches, staff, sponsors and trustees. I do not believe I can excel and perform at the level I demand of myself under the guidelines the U.S. Ski Team has presented. I will continue to ski as an American under the U.S. flag, and am proud to do so."
Backcountry and Couloir magazines have merged. Backcountry Magazine publisher, Height of Land Publications, said the deal will create a bigger, better Backcountry Magazine. Plus, Telemark Skier – formerly a publication of Couloir – will be re-launched in the deal.
Aspen Post blogger Deb Weisman knows the importance of yoga for the soul, stress, and overall energy. This practice is a skier's answer to avoiding many ailments and staying healthy. "I realized how important Yoga is in my life," she writes, "and for my well being in general. It’s no secret exercise keeps us young and fit, but the de-stressing benefits are monumental. Exercise is a great release."
Whistler Blackcomb is a skier's paradise in the summer. For one, there is skiing on Blackcomb until June 3 then more on Hortsman's Glacier through July. This is a place where you can go skiing in the afternoon, bike after that, and then go to the lake. It's definitely paradise. What makes it cooler is the fact that the Whistler Mountain Bike Park opens May 19. This is the hardest core course in North America. Even the names of the runs are intimidating. “The Bike Park crew plans on opening up 20 trails for all skill levels this May, including A-Line, Schleyer, and Karate Monkey’s distant relative, Monkey Hands,” says Bike Park Manager, Tom Prochazka. “John Cowan and his crew are hard at work as we speak, building the Boneyard slopestyle park." Yikes!
Getting fit is easy in the mountains during the summer. It only takes a mountain in your backyard and the love to spend time in the woods. If you live in downtown Jackson like Skiing Post editor Vanessa Pierce, it's extra easy. "I've discovered the secret to summer fitness," she writes. "My fitness regime last summer was mountain biking a couple of times a week, but mostly hiking/running up the 8,000-foot Snow King in downtown Jackson. "I started walking up this super steep hill, then when I felt more comfortable, began to run. At the end of the season, I was doing interval sprints at the top pitch. Then I would take the chairlift down (to save my knees), and then run up it again."
Barbara Hillary, 75, trekked to the North Pole last month. She is one of the oldest people and the first black woman to accomplish the feat. Hillary, of Averne, N.Y., grew up in Harlem and devoted herself to a nursing career and community activism. At 67 and during retirement, she battled lung cancer. Five years later, she went dog sledding in Quebec and photographed polar bears in Manitoba.
Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort received the 2007 Golden Eagle Award for Overall Environmental Excellence due to its participation in the American Fork Pacific Mine reclamation project. “We’re really proud to be a part of a project that has such a positive impact on aquatic wildlife and water quality,” said Snowbird Owner Dick Bass. “Our partners Trout Unlimited, the U.S. Forest Service and Tiffany & Co., played an integral part in the project and we would like to thank them immensely.”
Eight-year veteran of the U.S. Ski Team, Tom Rothrock, has retired. The 2002 Olympic skier and former Western regional slalom and giant slalom junior champion had four World Cup top-10 results in his career. "I still feel competitive, but the traveling really gets to you," he said, "so I'm excited to go into some different opportunities. I may try skiercross – I did a couple of them in the spring and it was fun, and that'll be in the Olympics in 2010," he said. "Yeah, it would be cool to go back to the Olympics in a different sport ... and the travel now is all in the U.S., so that's good, too."
Aspen freeskier Chris Davenport's "Ski the 14ers" project failed to meet the White River National Forest's criteria for "primitive recreation." As a result, the accompanying film of the 2006 project by Ben Galland likely will never be seen. There are 54 rugged mountain peaks in Colorado over 14,000 feet, and in 2006, Davenport was the first to ski them in a year. Only one other ski-mountaineer has laid tracks from the summit, down all 54 mountains over 14,000 feet in Colorado, the legendary Lou Dawson. It took him 14 years to complete the task. After all the work, the accompanying film of Davenport's mission may not be seen.
Phil Mahre, a two-time Olympic medalist and three-time World Cup champion, is attempting to qualify for next year's U.S. Alpine Championships, where he hopes to compete in the slalom or giant slalom as a half-centurion. As Mahre approaches his 50th birthday on Thursday, the former U.S. skiing star is trying to recapture some of his glory from a quarter-century ago. "By my mid to early 40s I thought about it some, that I might start competing again just for the heck of it," Mahre told The Associated Press. "And the more I thought about it, the more I thought, 'Why not?'" Mahre calls this a "mid-life awakening" — and says it is an obtainable goal.
Bella Coola is where skiers go to get the goods (steeps, powder, epic lines). And the access just got easier. Bella Coola Heli Sports Inc. announced the purchase of a new heliskiing operation adding half a million acres of heliskiing terrain to their 1.5 million acres.
Camp of Champions, on Blackcomb's Hortsmans Glacier, can teach any wannabe freestyle skier how to jib with the best. Skiing Post editor Vanessa Pierce was a camper last year and had one of the best times of her life. Here's a place where some of the world's top freestyle skiers and snowboarders like Steele Spence and Rob Kingwell, coach kids (and adults) of all levels. It's fun time, playtime, and even a little bit of fantasyland. Where else in North America can you ski in the middle of summer? In Whistler/Blackcomb, the ski lifestyle continues ... and Camp of Champs is registering campers now.
American Skiing Co. founder Les Otten may be preparing a climb to the top of his former empire by buying Sunday River. The ASC has been busy this year taking advantage of big-time sales. "Based on American Skiing's recent sales of Vermont's Killington and Pico to Powdr Corp. and New Hampshire's Attitash and Vermont's Mount Snow to SP Land Corp., which were both in the $70 million range," Dealscape reports, "odds are Maine's Sugarloaf and Sunday River will sell for around the same figure."
The much-anticipated big-mountain documentary, "Steep," premiered at Tribeca Film Festival in New York last weekend. It was created by The Documentary Group, formerly Peter Jennings Productions. "The premiere event included the entire production crew, several of the athletes, many members of the New York media, and representative from major studios all mixing at the Vail Resorts-sponsored after-party," Tom Bie reports. "And while opinions of the movie varied, all in attendance seemed to agree that a project like this could only benefit the sport of skiing as a whole."
Have you ever had a day that felt like an blank canvas – no appointments, no projects, no nothing? That was Sunday for Skiing Post editor Vanessa Pierce. She had planned to go skiing, but woke up feeling like it was a super Sunday where brunch was a necessity. "So instead of go skiing with the boys at Alpental," she writes, "my friend Sunny and I decided to wander around downtown Seattle and let the day unfold." Adventures included visiting Pike Place Market, The Crumpet Shop, numerous Starbucks, a snowboard shop (Snowboard Connection), and walking along the Puget Sound waterfront. See where the Sun(ny) went.
Portillo is the place to be this summer. Annual guests include the U.S. Ski Team, the rich, the famous, and the hardest core ski bums. This place is beautiful, a mountain-top resort with ski-in, ski-out lodging, gourmet food (four times a day), spa, gym, bars, and enough skiing to make you easily fall asleep in a cushy bed when the day is done. (Gabe Rogel photo).
If you hadn't heard, big-mountain skiers said goodbye to a dear competitor this month in Tignes, France. During the last stop on the IFSA World Tour, Neal Valiton died during his ski run. He allegedly broke his neck immediately after falling off a cliff, then tumbled the distance of the venue. A memorial was held in Geneva, Switzerland, for him, and some of the athletes like recently crowned World Tour champion Jess McMillan and Drew Tabke want to establish a memorial fund in his name.
Amazingly talented skier Heather Roberts and snowboarder Molly Hawkins joined their cinematography skills last week to document the If Ullr Was A Girl contest. Skiing Post editor Vanessa Pierce spent the week hanging out with the 14 Ullr candidates learning about their lives. This video, made for Whistler/Blackcomb, really shows the color of all these women. Grete Eliassen was crowned the Ullr Girl on Saturday and has decided to donate all the money to a number of charities like StandStrongAgain.org and the Women Sports Foundation. Read all about the Ullr Girl contest on Skiing Post or at SheJumps.com.
Whistler/Blackcomb announced its boldest move yet with the construction of the Peak to Peak Gondola, set for completion December 2008. It will stretch 2.73 miles and provide guests with easy access to two world-class mountains. Construction will begin in May.
The man with the mohawk does not always find it so easy to make his way into Canada. He missed an event in his honor at the TELUS World Ski & Snowboard Festival because of some minor little issue with the law back in the day. Didn't they know who he was? Even Glen Plake can't get away from the increasingly stringent border police.
"Parts of the Subaru U.S. Freeskiing Series and the IFSA Freeskiing World Tour will air on Fusion TV on Versus Channel (formerly OLN) on six different occasions starting April 28," Post Time News reports. "Competitive Big Mountain Freeskiing allows competitors to utilize all natural terrain features between the start and finish area, being judged on line choice, technique, aggressiveness, control and fluidity, with higher points awarded for unique and difficult routes. Competitor’s runs often include skiing down steep terrain at high speeds while skiing over cliffs and rock exposure."
SheJumps co-founders, pro skier Lynsey Dyer and Skiing Post editor Vanessa Pierce, had plans to give $25,000 to the SheJumps foundation fund if Dyer won the Ullr Girl purse. It didn't happen, but the girls came away with more than an empty pocket. They made more friends, and had some experiences that they will never forget. "This contest had the spirit we could all be proud of," writes Dyer. "Sure we’re all competitive, but this contest said something about the bigger picture. About the fact that we all love this sport, and that we deserve an equal portion of it, and that we’re all in it together." The rewards on during the 10-day contest were much greater than the $25,000 prize (maybe, tear, pout, wail ...)
Freestyle skier Jon Olsson had a flawless performance at the last Big Air at the TELUS World Ski & Snowboard Festival. The event announcers called his performance "perfection" as he flew through the air while pyrotechnics flashed from the jump. Ten thousand spectators cheered him on. Olsson took home a check for $4,250 and a brand new PlayStation.
Skiing Post editor Vanessa Pierce has a hangover of the most epic kind, but it's not all from liquor. It's from highs and lows at Whistler/Blackcomb last week. "It wasn’t too hard to get even if you weren’t drinking," she writes. "The TELUS World Ski & Snowboard Festival caused all sorts of event yo-yoing. A typical day started with skiing, then to après ski and free concerts in the plaza, dinner, evening events like the Filmmakers Showdown, and after parties. Repeat." There was almost too much to do. Her head was spinning with fun choices and not enough time. Plus the skiing was amazing, as in a bona fide winter powder days (two, actually).
Mike Riddle and Sarah Burke got the job done during the final of the TELUS World Ski & Snowboard superpipe contest in Whistler. Riddle went huge, but kept it tight showing his technical prowess. Burke spun 900s like she was on a merry-go-round. Then to prove she could push the limits for girls, during the Superhit contest she landed her first 1080 in a competition. Skiing Post editor Vanessa Pierce reports.
The Ullr Girl contest came to an exciting final day, when the pros were forced to show their skills in scary conditions. "If I were blind," writes Skiing Post editor Vanessa Pierce, "I surely wouldn’t want to be skiing on blue ice above exposed cliffs. But that’s what it was like inspecting the venue with the competitors at the Ullr Girl big-mountain contest. It was a foggy day on Chainsaw Ridge, the grayness so thick that you couldn’t see a pink elephant on the ridge if you tried. In fact you couldn’t see anything, not even the snow below your feet." Her best friend, Lynsey Dyer, totally blew away the competition (in a nice way) by dropping a 30-foot cliff and skiing clean.
The second day of the Ullr Girl competition was a blast. It was art/talent night at the Glacier Shop in Whistler Village where the girls busted out Chinese songs, slideshows of their art, and dance routines. Lynsey Dyer and Vanessa Pierce were pogo stick maniacs introducing the show with a hop in and exiting with a hop out. Then post show, there was a freestyle pogo competition just for fun. Highlights of the evening included a rap by Bev, Chinese singing by Grete, and pogo sticking by Lynsey of course.
Aspen Post editor Michael Conniff looks back at a season that was a sweet as they come. He had the formula down this year, work done by 10 a.m. and then skiing took over from there. He got in 50 days of skiing this year, plus plenty of black diamond runs thanks to his extreme ski instructor.
The world's most successful ski racer, Croatia's Janica Kostelic, said she will retire from the sport to spend time with her boyfriend and work at her beauty salon.
Though Telluride, Colo., is booming by many yardsticks, in the off-season the town misses the benefits in sales-tax dollar revenue.
Montezuma Bowl, A-Basin's 400-acre "backside" expansion, is still semi-wild, a secluded place where those willing to hike can get away from it all.
Silverton Mountain will host a two-day extravaganza April 28-29 for women who love to ride. Warning: There will be no hand holding, coom-bi-ya singing, crying, or feeling talks. The weekend costs $150-180 and includes lodging and two days of skiing, about as much as a fancy haircut. Plus, some of the ski industry's women in media will be there for a discussion panel as well.
A "Ride of Your Life," a documentary that tells the story of what happened after Olympian Chris Klug contracted a rare live disease in 1993, plays Tuesday in Denver. His story is one of the classic athlete-overcomes adversity stories, and it couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.
Pro skier Lynsey Dyer has heard about the state with the steepest, deepest skiing but has never actually been – until now. She is spending the week in Haines, Alaska, a place notorious for the goods. "After four down days of waiting out the low clouds," writes the Skiing Post blogger, "I finally got to see what all the AK hype is about. And I couldn't even talk. I almost cried actually – these sparkly peaks, spines, cornices, and huge mountains are the most beautiful things I've ever experienced. The movies don't even begin to do justice to their grandeur. I'm pretty sure this is my heaven." She was obviously blown away and only has a few more days to enjoy it until she's off to Whistler to compete in the Ullr Girl contest.
The much-anticipated Whistler/Blackcomb's If Ullr Was a Girl contest is on the brink. Skiing Post editor Vanessa Pierce is on the road to Whistler and can't wait for the fun. The contest starts April 14 with the Stompede event and runs through April 21. Ten pros are in the running for a $25,000 cash purse.
Undeterred by the recent furore surrounding the filming of London's Tube skiing segment, RJF Productions poked fun with this bit of humor. It all started back in January when a segment from "Mind The Gap," a freestyle ski movie, showing Peter Olenick (though this is still debatable) skiing down the escalators at Angel underground station in London, was posted to YouTube.
Aspen Skiing Company's Auden Schendler is featured (again) in a national magazine, this time in a section on eco-friendly living in Outside magazine.
U.S. Ski Teamer Resi Stiegler killed it last week by taking home two U.S. titles in Alaska. The fact that she's the funniest, freshest, and craziest girl Skiing Post editor Vanessa Pierce knows, it seemed like an apropos time to spill about the personality behind the racer. "'I have to warn you, Julia (Mancuso) and I might go crazy tonight,'” Resi said before The Sounds concert in Zurich, Switzerland," writes Pierce about the concert they attended. And they did. Meet "Crazy Resi," a rad racer and super fun girl ...
Musician Lucas Reynolds, formerly of Blue Merle, and artist Emilie Lee, recently completed a film for Nau clothing – a new company that only uses recycled and sustainable products – which really meant a lot to each of them. "For a long time I have been thinking of trying to animate my collage-style art, so the viewer can see what the piece looks like throughout the creation process. All the animations in this film are hand made and I scanned each frame one at a time (there are thousands)," writes Lee on her blog. She couldn't stop talking about it when Skiing Post editor Vanessa Pierce visited her in Salt Lake City, and here's why ...
Australia's ski industry may become unviable, tropical diseases and cyclones will become more common and some Aboriginal groups could suffer as climate change intensifies, a UN climate change report shows. "I believe that the skiing industry may not be an economic proposition. It depends on the rate of warming entirely," said Dr. Jim Salinger, a lead author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Australasian chapter.
Olympian Resi Stiegler just got back home after winning two U.S. titles in Alaska. She's looking forward to the summer where it's back to "The Virg" and her redneck roots. Rival Films caught her in action.
Skiing Post friend and Outside magazine assistant managing editor, Megan Michelson, had fun spending spring break skiing in Italy. "Herein lies the lesson I learned on my trip to the Dolomites," she writes. "For the Italians, ski trips are as much about skiing as they are about celebrating."
Tessa Horst, a former Jackson Hole resident, made it past the first round of 25 girls vying for U.S. Navy Lt. Andy Baldwin’s heart on “The Bachelor: Officer and a Gentleman." The show debuted April 2 and airs every Monday evening on ABC.
Locals in Jackson Hole are crazy $#*!@! They love laughing at gapers while they struggle to get down the hill in rear-entry boots, straight skis, jeans, and Starter jackets. But when it comes to April Fool's Day they celebrate their less cool friends on Gaper Fool's Day at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. "Gaper Fool’s Day is when Jackson locals take over the hill," writes Skiing Post editor Vanessa Pierce. "dressed as run-of-the-mill gapers, ducks, Ninja Turtles, naked raccoons (don’t ask), Captain America, little old ladies, rock stars, swimmers, referees, climbers, and thug snow bladers. It’s weird." Click here to see how it went down this year ...
Claire Smallwood, 21, spent this last season as a freeskiing tour competitor, student, and world traveler. She came to some serious revletions. "I am blessed with that fact that I have never lacked self-confidence," she writes, "but after that day I felt proverbially naked and sunburned from realizing that I had been trying to foster and excel in two irreconcilable activities — linguistic African research and competitive big-mountain freeskiing. But beyond that it comes down to respect for it all — including yourself. Don’t leave projects unfinished. If you undertake something, finish it well — stand proud by your creation! Take full responsibility for all your actions; abolish all audiences and be your own judge. You can’t lose things forever, but any horse that remains saddled after a rider has been bucked is much worse off — the horse is destined to wander a harsh desert in search of opposable thumbs to pry the disaster of a saddle off of its back!" (Photo by C.S.)
This race is insane. Speed demons easily dust novices in this 40-mile backcountry contest from Crested Butte to Aspen. It's a long adventure where darkness can through you off course, icy traverses can throw you off cliffs, and avalanches, well, they can do you in. The winners are fast, and the novices, are slow. Here's a first-person account (from a first-timer).
Aspen may host women's speed events – downhill and super G – next season if the draft FIS schedule is adopted in May. This would be the first time downhill has been run on Aspen Mountain since 1994. Speed specialists like Lindsey Kildow and Julia Mancuso will be able to represent the U.S. on their home turf (America).
Snowboarder turned skier, Lauren Whaley, is back at it in the documentary that looks at her adventure from learning how to ski greens at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort to jumping into the double-black Corbet's Couloir at the end of the season. Unfortunately, her plan was foiled a month ago when she took a spill on Snow King (the town's ski hill), and busted her knee once again and was forced to get a scope. Determined to get back on skis again, she worked hard, and just last week was able to hit the Village again. Though skiing Corbet's wasn't in the stars this winter, she may be back soon to jump in (with some other sort of gear). Click here to see the season's final video, and stay tuned ... (Photo of post-surgery legs)
Resi Stiegler won her second U.S. title in 24 hours Monday at the U.S. Alpine Championships. The "Gut Bomb" energized in between runs with a lot of food: "I had a whole box of Girl Scout cookies by myself," she said. "A whole box of 'em – 'S'mores. They're so good ... and then up at the start I had some awesome salmon and some halibut. The course workers were so awesome. They kept me fueled." (Photo by Jonathan Selkowitz)
The U.S. Supreme Court took the way-cool advice of Aspen Skiing Co. and others, and voted 5-4 to allow the EPA to regulate car emissions – a major victory for environmentalists. "This decision puts the wind at our back," said Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.
Peter Olenick has been tied to a video on You Tube that shows a skier speeding down the longest escalator in Europe, though the video's producer denies his involvement. The movie was made for a Norwegian DVD, and the producer is being investigated by British Transit Police for the antics. Was this a Olenick stunt or not?
In this new movie released in IMAX theaters, the son of mountaineering legend John Harlin II successfully reaches the summit of the infamous Eiger North Face, 40 forty years after the same mountain claimed the life of his famous father. The team summited on Sept. 24, 2005, after a climb that lasted three days, with two nights spent bivouacked on narrow ledges high on the sheer face of the mountain.
1% for the Tetons, an offshoot of the national 1% for the Planet, started in June 2006. Member businesses donate one percent of their gross revenues to a fund that grants money for project focused on supporting conservation and sustainability initiatives in and around the Tetons. It recently hit a milestone of having more than 50 businesses sign up in less than a year.
David Gonzales and crew, creators of Jackson-based thesnaz.com, have been busy making videos about home-town Igneous skis, paragliding in the Tetons, and much more. Entertain yourself for hours at this site. Go, go now.
Kids have never had a ski school experience quite like the one to be offered beginning next season at Snowmass ski area. "The Treehouse stands as the first of its kind in the snowsports industry," reports Post Time News, "boasting a family-friendly climbing gym, teen activities, kids’ retail, and a host of themed rooms for ages eight weeks and older." As part of the $45 million base area improvements, The Treehouse is the dream of the ski school staff, which will move from antiquated buildings on either side of Fanny Hill – where parents had to walk across the ski run to take their kids to ski school – to the $17 million Treehouse. Book your trip now!
The biglines in La Grave are endlessly scary. “'This is a no-fall zone,' Jessica Baker called up to me as she skied into the first repel," writes Skiing Post editor Vanessa Pierce. "I slide slipped down watching small slabs move out from under my feet worrying that it would take me and the skiers below over the edge. The rest of the ski was an equivalent adventure that included powder skiing, avoiding avalanche debris, and moving along quickly to evade the runout of 'Big Baby.'” To conclude her trip to the French Alps, Pierce and crew did three unforgetable runs that was icing on the cake during their ski adventure among the raw and rugged peaks of the Oisans.
Powder Magazine is holding its second create-a-cover contest. Win a prize package from Movement Skis and be entered to win a trip to the 2008 TELUS World Ski & Snowboard Festival. This is your chance to break into the "Skier's Magazine." Start drawing.
Hey, if there isn't any snow, why not go underground? That's what the skiing stuntman did to create an entertaining Norwegian DVD.
Ski season is far from gone, especially if you can get in a helicopter and access the steeps. It's pricey, but plenty of operations in France, Russia, Alaska, and Canada, are just getting their season started. "It might sound like an impossible dream," writes reporter Julie Clothier, "but this is the world of heli-skiing, where skiers are dropped to remote locations by helicopter to ski down runs layered with the most perfect powdery, virgin snow."
Skiing Post instruction editor John Clendenin, twice the world freeskiing champ, tells you that your natural instincts on the hill can be your own worst enemy. "To become great at our sport," he writes, "each of us must overcome the basic protective instincts we bring from living on earth."
Powder Magazine announced the appointment of Derek Taylor to the position of Editor. The former "senior editor" will now be the No. 1 man in charge of editorial content at the California-based magazine. (Photo of Taylor and Vanessa Pierce at SIA in Las Vegas)
On a foggy, rainy day in the Tetons, the motivation to go ski some epic mashed potatoes at the resort sounded far from fun. The conditions have lately been a death ice rink in the morning and slushy, sticky mashers in the afternoon. So pro skier Lynsey Dyer wrote it off as a "work day" but got distracted while designing top
