Outdoors FanHouse http://outdoors.fanhouse.com Outdoors FanHouse http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://outdoors.fanhouse.com/media/feedlogo.gif Outdoors FanHouse http://outdoors.fanhouse.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/New York City Hearts Snowboardinghttp://outdoors.fanhouse.com/2009/02/06/new-york-city-hearts-snowboarding/http://outdoors.fanhouse.com/2009/02/06/new-york-city-hearts-snowboarding/http://outdoors.fanhouse.com/2009/02/06/new-york-city-hearts-snowboarding/#commentsFiled under:

Never one to miss out on a chance to freeze our toes off with thousands of shivering hipsters, FanHouse hit the man-made slopes of Manhattan to check out the Red Bull Snowscrapers competition that took place Thursday in downtown New York City. Here are photos, videos and one writer's observations from the event.



While walking over to the towering, nine-story ramp that Red Bull had constructed in Manhattan's Lower East Side for Thursday's Snowscrapers snowboarding competition, I was approached by a middle-aged mother with two young kids. She was walking out of one of the nearby public-housing projects and upon seeing my press pass, stopped me on the street and asked me what time the event started. Around six o'clock, I told her. Then she asked if Shaun White was really going to be over there. I said yes, he certainly was. The woman smiled and said she'd better hurry up and get over there then.

Well, I thought to myself. That's not your typical snowboarding fan.

Later, while I was buying a slice of pizza at an old East Village pizzeria, the cook behind the counter saw my press pass and talked excitedly about seeing Shaun White and some of the other riders ring the bell at the New York Stock Exchange.

I've been going to this pizzeria for, oh, 14 years now? And I've certainly never heard anyone behind the counter discuss snowboarding before.

And then, as I was walking to the subway after the event, I saw two bankers have a chance encounter on the street. After exchanging hugs, one of the bankers explained why his voice was so hoarse. "I was just over at the snowboarding event! It was nuts! There are thousands of people over there, dude! I was screaming my [expletive] face off!"

The point of all of this? For one day, at least, NYC had snowboarding on its collective mind. And it had a nine-story ramp and a redheaded Olympic gold-medalist to thank for this.

Boasting a $100,000 purse, "Snowscrapers" brought 16 of snowboarding's most talented riders together to showcase an outdoor sport in an urban setting. And judging by the thousands of spectators that turned out, this odd juxtaposition turned out to be a winning formula for Red Bull.

According to Red Bull's press release, the event was created to have "snowboarders from around the globe compete against the majestic backdrop of the New York City skyline." Those snowboarders included big names like White, X Games gold medalist Travis Rice, soulful stylist Pat Moore, and "Living Legend" Terje Haakonsen, so there was no shortage of talent vying for the top prize.

Yet, despite this technically being a competition, as an event, "Snowscrapers" was really about two things: the huge, icy megaramp and 2006 Olympic gold-medalist Shaun White.

From the perspective of spectacle, neither of these two things disappointed. The ramp itself has been talked about, and blogged about, for weeks leading up to the event, and seeing it framed against the Williamsburg Bridge did nothing to lessen its impact. And as for White, watch the video below to see how beloved he is by New Yorkers young and old.

Yet while the ramp and White both delivered in terms of showmanship, both the ramp's and White's actual performances came up short within the context of the sport of snowboarding.

Constructed primarily out of huge cargo containers, the ramp -- while extremely impressive in stature -- didn't actually give the riders enough speed to get a lot of pop off of the kicker at the end. The crew even brought out a makeshift winch to help pull the riders more quickly down the slope, but eventually scrapped that and resorted to physically throwing them from the top of the ramp to give them extra speed.

Moreover, the landing ramp was higher than the actual top of the kicker itself, which made it appear as if the riders weren't going all that high (at least not compared to what one is accustomed to seeing on the X-Games, etc.) Couple that with relatively low approach speeds, and big air was in short supply.

Like the ramp, White didn't perform extremely well, either.

The "Flying Tomato" (a nickname White seems to have outgrown) looked great during practice and in the preliminary rounds. The amount of pop he gets off the lip is really an extraordinary thing to see in person, especially when compared to how much higher he was going than the other riders.

Even more impressive than White's riding, however, was to see first-hand the huge response he got from New York fans. Again, watch the video below to get a better idea, but suffice it to say that if Tony Hawk is the Michael Jordan of action sports, then White is LeBron James. (And Ryan Sheckler is Kobe Bryant.)

Yet, despite White's solid preliminary-round performance, not to mention his fanfare, the Tomato's night ended early. He was eliminated by Torstein Horgmo in the quarterfinals after White didn't get enough spin on a 900 and scored lower than Horgmo. Hence, the crowd was deprived of the event's biggest name for roughly the final hour of the competition.

The eventual winner turned out to be unheralded Shayne Pospisil, a local rider from New Jersey. Afterwards, Pospisil was beaming, saying that his friends and family don't usually get a chance to see him ride, so to win in New York City was a dream come true.

So in the end, it actually was quite fitting that Pospisil, not a big name like White or even Travis Rice, wound up taking home the huge $50,000 first-place purse. This event, after all, was about New York City and stoking the locals more than it was about snowboarding excellence.

And on that front, Red Bull and White were huge winners.

Just ask any mom, dough-roller or banker you happen across on the streets of lower Manhattan.

Shaun White Gets Mobbed:


Rider Hits the Nine-Story Ramp:

New York City Hearts Snowboarding originally appeared on Outdoors FanHouse on Fri, 06 Feb 2009 15:34:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Randy KimFri, 06 Feb 2009 15:34:00 EST St. Onge Headlines Day Two at Deer Valley Freestyle World Cup http://outdoors.fanhouse.com/2009/02/02/st-onge-headlines-day-two-at-deer-valley-freestyle-world-cup/http://outdoors.fanhouse.com/2009/02/02/st-onge-headlines-day-two-at-deer-valley-freestyle-world-cup/http://outdoors.fanhouse.com/2009/02/02/st-onge-headlines-day-two-at-deer-valley-freestyle-world-cup/#commentsFiled under:

The news quickly spread all over the world; Ryan St. Onge was back. He won the Deer Valley Freestyle World Cup aerials with a triple back flip and four twists -- called "double full full full" and while in the air with the risky jump, just hoped he could land with his skis on the ground.

"I knew that if I could somehow get my feet underneath me, it was going to be the biggest scoring jump that I could possibly do. I had a good takeoff. I stretched for my life, and somehow my feet got down, and I was so happy," St. Onge said. It was the U. S. Olympian's first World Cup win since 2006.

In the women's aerials, Emily Cook managed to take third place, despite the domination of the Chinese women, who went one-two. Nina Li won, followed by teammate Xinxin Guo. Of the 12 international women who qualified for the finals, four were from China.

The story of the second day of the annual World Cup is best told in a series of visual, behind-the-scenes moments.

While the aerialists soared into the night ski like acrobats without trapezes, a line of exhausted volunteers slowly moved up the mogul hill shoveling and chopping the snow, getting the dual mogul course ready for Saturday. They were fluffing up the snow to make soft landings below the jumps for the final day of competition.

Canada's Veronika Bauer was the first freestyler out for the women's finals, but hung on to her "first place" for nearly the entire competition, as skier after skier blew their landings, touching down with a hand, landing off center, or falling. Bauer ended up in fourth place, not because her trick was that difficult, but because she was one of the few who nailed her landing. Nice!

Australia's Jaqui Cooper, once the most dominant freestyler in the world, also had a bad landing and a nanosecond of enraged anger flashed cross her face before she replaced it with a noncommittal expression. She ended up eighth out of the dozen finalists.

Emily Cook, watching the men from inside the athlete's fence, was exuberant. "I've been working on a new trick, so being on the podium has been my goal for the whole season," she said. Luckily, it was a near balmy night. The ankle that Emily smashed in 2002 still hurts her when it's cold. "But I just push through it and go out every week and try to do the best jumps I can," she said.

Jeret "Speedy" Peterson, obviously annoyed at having the settle for the rubber trophy-- fourth place --still stopped and posed with three young boys who were holding a homemade "Speedy" sign.

In the finish area, at the bottom of the aerial hill, Ryan St. Onge and his father, Cary, hugged each other tightly in a long moment of silent rejoicing. As they pulled apart, Cary was crying. Embarrassed, he walked away from the horde of photographers and reporters surrounding his son. Still, he could not contain his joy over his son's win after two dry seasons. "Last year was a tough year for him, and seeing him come back -- we've all been dreaming about this for him" Cary said, his eyes glowing with pleasure.

But one of the top moments of the night happened after the whole event was over, the press was gone, and the public was walking down the snow covered hill to the parking lot. Three teens grabbed one of the thick foam pads from inside the course fencing, piled on it and began sliding down the hill, a dangerous out-of-control joy ride. Deer Valley Ski Patroller Mark Chytka began skiing down after them, yelling at the careless trio to roll off the pad.

They actually got thrown off when they hit a bump, and all three began running away as fast as they could. By this time, other patrollers had joined the chase. Two of the joyriders got away, but Chytka, skiing fast, grabbed one of the perps and chewed him out a new one. Bystanders cheered and applauded. One spectator said, "You should be on the ski team! You came on fast, came up beside that guy and took him down. That was well done!"

Chytka smiled modestly and said, "I was just doing my job."

St. Onge Headlines Day Two at Deer Valley Freestyle World Cup originally appeared on Outdoors FanHouse on Mon, 02 Feb 2009 13:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Wina SturgeonMon, 02 Feb 2009 13:00:00 EST Freestyle World Cup Underway at<br />Deer Valleyhttp://outdoors.fanhouse.com/2009/01/31/freestyle-world-cup-underway-at-deer-valley/http://outdoors.fanhouse.com/2009/01/31/freestyle-world-cup-underway-at-deer-valley/http://outdoors.fanhouse.com/2009/01/31/freestyle-world-cup-underway-at-deer-valley/#commentsFiled under:

It was a bluebird day on Thursday, and Deer Valley put on its usual excellent show. The opening day of the event featured moguls, with a bump course that was slightly in the shadows, and so remained firm, even icy, as the rest of the mountain was bathed in warm sunlight.

It was a good day for the American women. U. S. mogul skier Hannah Kearney won, solidifying her number one world ranking. Teammate Michelle Roark was second. Only the top 16 women made the finals, and seven of those were Americans, including Shannon Bahrke and Sandy's home town hero, Kayla Snyderman.

It wasn't so wonderful for the American men. Patrick Deneen was the top U. S. skier in third place, the next American was David Digravio, who was tenth. Guilbaut Colas of France was the men's winner.

The Deer Valley course is the longest and one of the most difficult mogul courses in the world. Skiers come out of the start, and after a few turns through the bumps, come to the first jumps, where they do a spin, back flip or other trick. Then there's a long field of more big moguls, where their legs pump so fast they are a blur, then another jump near the bottom of the course.

The skiers are judged on the difficulty of their jump tricks, the quality of their skiing and their jumps, and their time. One athlete may do an ordinary trick and still win because they were faster than the rest of the field.

Kayla Snyderman showed how far mogul comps have come, when she barely qualified for the finals despite doing a back flip iron cross for one of her jump tricks. She said, "That's a pretty standard trick for the women." Yet just a few years ago, a back flip iron cross was considered incredible for the men, and one American man won an Olympic gold for doing it.

French skier Alizee Boulangeat (shown above), considered a favorite, caused a crowd moan when she got off balance in the air and belly-smacked onto the snow.

The event continues for the next two days, with aerial qualifications starting at 1:00 p.m. and aerial finals starting at 6:30. The new addition this year is a halfpipe contest in the Olympic halfpipe at Park City Mountain Resort on Saturday, Jan. 31. Qualifications in halfpipe begin at 9:30 a.m., with finals starting at 12:30. Saturday will also have the dual moguls event, and there will be fireworks at the end of each day of competition. Admission is free.

Freestyle World Cup Underway at
Deer Valley originally appeared on Outdoors FanHouse on Sat, 31 Jan 2009 17:07:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Wina SturgeonSat, 31 Jan 2009 17:07:00 EST Shaun White Steps Up Again at Winter Xhttp://outdoors.fanhouse.com/2009/01/26/shaun-white-steps-up-again-at-winter-x/http://outdoors.fanhouse.com/2009/01/26/shaun-white-steps-up-again-at-winter-x/http://outdoors.fanhouse.com/2009/01/26/shaun-white-steps-up-again-at-winter-x/#commentsFiled under:

Shaun White closed out Winter X Games 13 Sunday by capturing his second-straight gold medal in the Men's SuperPipe -- the first person ever to accomplish the feat.

The winning run came on White's last as then-frontrunner Kevin Pearce watched. Pearce ended up in second with a 90.66 while Antti Autti was third with an 87.33.

The win gave White his ninth career Winter X Games gold medal, a record.

On Saturday White had an even better day when he captured the gold in Slopestyle. His 96.00 tied a career-best score in that event. Scotty Lago was second and Mikkel Bang scored third.

The full results follow. Check out more at the official Winter X Games site.

Men's Snowboard SuperPipe Finals (Winter X Games 13 - Jan. 25, 2009 - Aspen, Colo.)
Name - Bib No. - Hometown - Score
1. Shaun White 514 Carlsbad, Calif. 91.66
2. Kevin Pearce 550 Norwich, Vt. 90.66
3. Antti Autti 542 Rovaniemi, Finland 87.33
4. Elijah Teter 554 Belmont, Vt. 86.00
5. Mason Aguirre 519 Mammoth, Calif. 76.00
6. Steve Fisher 548 Breckenridge, Colo. 75.33
7. Andy Finch 547 Truckee, Calif. 70.00
8. Louie Vito 553 Bellefontaine, Ohio 55.00

Men's Snowboard Slopestyle Finals (Winter X Games 13 - Jan. 24, 2009 - Aspen, Colo.)
Name - Bib No. - Hometown - Score
1. Shaun White 514 Carlsbad, Calif. 96.00
2. Scotty Lago 507 Seabrook, N.H. 94.66
3. Mikkel Bang 501 Oslo, Norway 91.33
4. Chas Guldemond 504 Truckee, Calif. 91.00
5. Peetu Piiroinen 511 Hyvinkaa, Finland 90.33
6. Andreas Wiig 515 Oslo, Norway 89.00
7. Tim Humphreys 506 Basking Ridge, N.J. 88.66
8. Jussi Oksanen 509 Encinitas, Calif. 75.00

Shaun White Steps Up Again at Winter X originally appeared on Outdoors FanHouse on Mon, 26 Jan 2009 08:59:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>shaun whiteShaunWhitex gamesXGamesGregMon, 26 Jan 2009 08:59:00 EST 'That's It, That's All' Dominates at X-Dance Film Festivalhttp://outdoors.fanhouse.com/2009/01/25/thats-it-thats-all-dominates-at-x-dance-film-festival/http://outdoors.fanhouse.com/2009/01/25/thats-it-thats-all-dominates-at-x-dance-film-festival/http://outdoors.fanhouse.com/2009/01/25/thats-it-thats-all-dominates-at-x-dance-film-festival/#commentsFiled under: ,



There was no Shaun White, no Tanner Hall. Some say a torch has been passed. This year's star at the X-Dance action sports film festival was Travis Rice, who, with Curt Morgan of Brainfarm Entertainment, dominated the awards with the existential snowboarding film, "That's It, That's All," which won the Best Film award, while Morgan won Best Director and Rice took the Athlete of the Year trophy.

The most charming winner was Dave Mossop, who won Best Documentary for "Between the Lines," which is a backcountry educational film. Mossop was stunned when his film was announced. He stood up, put his hands over his mouth, then over his eyes, then proceeded in obvious shock to the stage. He told the room, "I'm in the company of giants," saying that his heart was pounding so hard, it was echoing in his head.

"Chasing Waves" won Best Original Score, Clay Marzan won Best Biography for Just Add Water," Dave Arnold won the Best Emerging Filmmaker category for "Chasing Waves."

X-Dance was five days of action sports film screenings, with over 200 entries ranging from extreme motocross to female surfers. Though officially a part of the Sundance Film Festival, it couldn't be further away in product, money or attitude. The athletes and film makers work as a team on shoestring budgets, risking their lives and credit status to create a film which will never see the inside of a movie house, but may be downloaded by millions of fans.

X-Dance organizer Brian Wimmer reminded the crowd that these film makers and athletes don't have millions, don't have business models and scores of employees. Jeff Pakosta and Jeff Castelluccio are typical of the action sports film scene. The two relaxed, happy and confident filmakers created "Tougher Than Iron," about Austria's Erzberg Rodeo, an extreme motocross race. Out of 1,500 athletes who started, only 30 finished. The film was nominated for the Best Documentary category. Pakosta, 40, said, "This film took about 8 months. We expected to be nominated, we kind of had a feeling, because this film is really good. The Erzberg Rodeo, 30 finished out of 1,500 entries. We makes films on extreme motocross races. These really extreme races take place all over the world. I make a living doing this. It's a fun living."

The look this year among the participants was oldschool flannel shirt grunge, a far cry from the designer duds parading along Park City's Main Street, 40 miles and a world away. In what seems to be a sad and repetitive annual tragedy, the announcement was made that another action sports icon has been paralyzed by a spinal injury. Cinematographer Riley Poor was injured January 10 in West Dover, Vermont. But unlike last year's casualty, Billy Poole, he lived.

Get more about X-Dance at the official site.

'That's It, That's All' Dominates at X-Dance Film Festival originally appeared on Outdoors FanHouse on Sun, 25 Jan 2009 11:08:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Wina SturgeonSun, 25 Jan 2009 11:08:00 EST Swiss Skier Daniel Albrecht in Stable Condition After Nasty Crashhttp://outdoors.fanhouse.com/2009/01/24/swiss-skier-daniel-albrecht-in-stable-condition-after-nasty-cras/http://outdoors.fanhouse.com/2009/01/24/swiss-skier-daniel-albrecht-in-stable-condition-after-nasty-cras/http://outdoors.fanhouse.com/2009/01/24/swiss-skier-daniel-albrecht-in-stable-condition-after-nasty-cras/#commentsFiled under:

Swiss skier Daniel Albrecht is in stable condition at an Austrian hospital after suffering injuries in a crash.

Dr. Jacques Menetrey, the Swiss skiing team's doctor, said he was placed in an induced coma:
"Daniel had a quiet night and all vital functions were stable," Menetrey said. "Daniel is now the medical responsibility of the doctors in Innsbruck. They are doing further examinations and will decide what's best to do. ... With this kind of (brain) injuries, it needs a couple of days before you can judge. ... But all vital parameters are stable now and that's the best we could hope for."
The 25-year-old Albrecht is the current super-combined world champion.

Swiss Skier Daniel Albrecht in Stable Condition After Nasty Crash originally appeared on Outdoors FanHouse on Sat, 24 Jan 2009 06:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Michael David SmithSat, 24 Jan 2009 06:50:00 EST Gretchen Bleiler Endures Huge Wipeouthttp://outdoors.fanhouse.com/2009/01/24/gretchen-bleiler-endures-wicked-wipeout/http://outdoors.fanhouse.com/2009/01/24/gretchen-bleiler-endures-wicked-wipeout/http://outdoors.fanhouse.com/2009/01/24/gretchen-bleiler-endures-wicked-wipeout/#commentsFiled under:



Note to self: Never, ever try to attempt a 900.

The X Games crowd is likely still buzzing about the ridiculous spill that favorite Gretchen Bleiler took at Aspen. The defending event champ somersaulted backward down the wall during her second run in the superpipe finals and slammed her head at the bottom of the pipe.

Bleiler laid motionless for several seconds before rising and smiling to cheers, although she couldn't make her third and final run. She wasn't the only American to take a nasty fall during the competition, though; Kelly Clark face-planted on her second run as well.

While the U.S. women's riders struggled, Australia's Torah Bright put on a dazzling display to take the gold Friday. Her winning array included a backside 360, a switch-backside 720 and a Cab 720 -- for a winning score of 91.33. It was Bright's second X Games superpipe gold in three years.

Gretchen Bleiler Endures Huge Wipeout originally appeared on Outdoors FanHouse on Sat, 24 Jan 2009 04:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>gretchen bleilerGretchenBleilerTom HerreraSat, 24 Jan 2009 04:30:00 EST Bright Leads Qualifying For Women's Superpipe at Winter X 13http://outdoors.fanhouse.com/2009/01/23/bright-leads-qualifying-for-womens-superpipe-at-winter-x-13/http://outdoors.fanhouse.com/2009/01/23/bright-leads-qualifying-for-womens-superpipe-at-winter-x-13/http://outdoors.fanhouse.com/2009/01/23/bright-leads-qualifying-for-womens-superpipe-at-winter-x-13/#commentsFiled under:

Torah Bright is back in a big way. After being MIA on some of the biggest contests so far this season, she dominated the women's snowboarding superpipe qualifiers on Thursday at the Winter X Games 13.

Following up Bright in the standings were Kelly Clark and Hannah Teter, with Ellery Hollingsworth and Gretchen Bleiler rounding out the top five.

The finals will be taking place on Friday night. Get more about the games here.

Full results after the jump.

Snowboard SuperPipe Qualifiers - Women
Winter X Games 13 - 1/22/2009 - Aspen, CO

1. Torah Bright / 97.66 / Bib 560 / Cooma, Australia
2. Kelly Clark / 95.00 / Bib 561 / Mount Snow, Vt.
3. Hannah Teter / 86.66 / Bib 378 / South Lake Tahoe, Calif.
4. Ellery Hollingsworth / 85.66 / Bib 373 / Darien, Conn.
5. Gretchen Bleiler / 84.66 / Bib 559 / Aspen, Colo.
6. Kaitlyn Farrington / 73.66 / Bib 563 / Bellevue, Idaho
7. Kjersti Oestgaard Buass / 73.33 / Bib 531 / Trondheim, Norway
8. Maddy Schaffrick / 64.33 / Bib 376 / Steamboat Springs, Colo.
9. Molly Aguirre / 62.66 / Bib 556 / Mammoth Lakes, Calif.
10. Faye Gulini / 55.33 / Bib 381 / Vail, Colo.
11. Leslie Glenn / 51.00 / Bib 319 / Breckenridge, Colo.
12. Meg Pugh / 49.66 / Bib 382 / Cottonwood Heights, Utah
13. Tricia Byrnes / 48.00 / Bib 562 / Aspen, Colo.
14. Lizzy Beerman / 37.00 / Bib 558 / Weston, Vt.

Bright Leads Qualifying For Women's Superpipe at Winter X 13 originally appeared on Outdoors FanHouse on Fri, 23 Jan 2009 05:17:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>GregFri, 23 Jan 2009 05:17:00 EST Shaun White: Cover Boy... Againhttp://outdoors.fanhouse.com/2009/01/22/shaun-white-cover-boy-again/http://outdoors.fanhouse.com/2009/01/22/shaun-white-cover-boy-again/http://outdoors.fanhouse.com/2009/01/22/shaun-white-cover-boy-again/#commentsFiled under:


Shaun White's grabbed his latest magazine cover. On his living room wall next to the framed copies of Rolling Stone, Nylon, Men's Journal and those two SI's he can put up the latest issue of ... Fast Company?

Fast Company? Yes, the signature magazine of the dotcom boom (and bust) is still around and it is pretty fascinated with the flying red-headed wonder and his million-dollar smile and multi-million dollar business.

The article itself doesn't reveal much new if you've been following Mr. White over the last few years, but corporate America is certainly perking up thanks to the moves he made in the last year (releasing his own video game and his own clothing line at Target).

If you do want to check it out, you can read the article here. Plus get some behind-the-scenes background on his skateboarding photoshoot here.

Shaun White: Cover Boy... Again originally appeared on Outdoors FanHouse on Thu, 22 Jan 2009 22:59:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>GregThu, 22 Jan 2009 22:59:00 EST Shaun White, Kelly Clark Notch Superpipe Wins at Winter Dew Tourhttp://outdoors.fanhouse.com/2009/01/16/shaun-white-kelly-clark-notch-superpipe-wins-at-winter-dew-tour/http://outdoors.fanhouse.com/2009/01/16/shaun-white-kelly-clark-notch-superpipe-wins-at-winter-dew-tour/http://outdoors.fanhouse.com/2009/01/16/shaun-white-kelly-clark-notch-superpipe-wins-at-winter-dew-tour/#commentsFiled under:

Shaun White took the men's Superpipe contest at the second Winter Dew Tour stop at Mount Snow, VT Sunday. White scored a 96.25 thanks to run that included back-to-back 1080s. Following White on the podium was Steve Fisher with a 92.75 and Kevin Pearce with a 90.00.

Kelly Clark took the women's Superpipe win thanks to her 90.75 score. Clark is a Vermont native and enjoyed winning in front of the hometown crowd.

"I couldn't be happier coming home to Mount Snow and doing so well in front of all my friends and family," she said after the win. "I really had a lot of fun tonight and it's great to come away heading into the third event with a first and a second place."

Hannah Teter, also of Vermont, ended up in second with an 88.75 and Ellery Hollingsworth, of Darien, Conn., was third, 83.00.

On Saturday, White finished in second to Torstein Horgmo in the Slopestyle contest, while Andreas Wiig ended up in third. For the women, Jamie Anderson took the women's title, followed by Spencer O'Brien.

On the freeski side, Simon Dumont won the halfpipe contest and Justin Dorey was second. Tanner Hall ended up in third. For Slopestyle, JF Houle demolished the competition with a first place finish.

Find out more about the contest at the official site and watch highlights of the men's snowboard Superpipe finals below.

Shaun White, Kelly Clark Notch Superpipe Wins at Winter Dew Tour originally appeared on Outdoors FanHouse on Fri, 16 Jan 2009 11:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>GregFri, 16 Jan 2009 11:05:00 EST Make Your Own Snow With New Burton Contesthttp://outdoors.fanhouse.com/2009/01/14/make-your-own-snow-with-new-burton-contest/http://outdoors.fanhouse.com/2009/01/14/make-your-own-snow-with-new-burton-contest/http://outdoors.fanhouse.com/2009/01/14/make-your-own-snow-with-new-burton-contest/#commentsFiled under:

Do you have too much snow in your backyard and you don't know what to do with it? I hate it when that happens. If you have that same problem, here's your chance to do something creative with all that white gold.

Burton Snowboards and SNOWatHOME are working together on what could be the coolest (pardon the pun) contest of the season and the winner will receive a complete snowmaking system courtesy of SNOWatHOME. Burton is looking for the best backyard snowboard video you can put together. Build a park in your backyard, or use the natural terrain of your favorite urban spot. Call up your crew, get creative and get it all on film.

Put together a sweet edit from your footage and upload it to the Burton website. Burton is going to review all videos and pick the best, so pull out that video camera and get outside. This is your chance to take your backyard park to the next level with the ultimate home snowmaking system.

Contest deadline is March 15th, 2009. Check out the Burton website for more details.

Make Your Own Snow With New Burton Contest originally appeared on Outdoors FanHouse on Wed, 14 Jan 2009 11:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>MikeWed, 14 Jan 2009 11:35:00 EST Use a Nastar Course to Improve Your Skiinghttp://outdoors.fanhouse.com/2009/01/03/use-a-nastar-course-to-improve-your-skiing/http://outdoors.fanhouse.com/2009/01/03/use-a-nastar-course-to-improve-your-skiing/http://outdoors.fanhouse.com/2009/01/03/use-a-nastar-course-to-improve-your-skiing/#commentsFiled under:

One of the reasons that running gates will make you a better skier is because the race course forces you to make exact turns. The more sloppy your technique, the more difficult it will be to make those turns with any precision.

The recreational pay courses of Nastar are perfect for practicing your turns. They're usually on mild blue runs, the sets are always a relatively easy back-and-forth giant slalom, and Nastar gates can be run without much concentration; so you can fully concentrate on how you are skiing and what you need to do to turn better or go faster.

This is especially true if you are a club or Masters racer. For example, the newest technique among World Cup racers is to hit GS gates like they were slalom gates. It's a more direct and faster line. But a lot of recreational racers are a little wary of getting that close to double-paneled giant slalom gates, or bashing them when they're not designed to give like slalom gates. Nastar is great for learning how to do it. You can run the same course over and over again, getting closer to the gate with each run. You'll learn the feel of hitting the gate without bruising your arm or shoulder (though some sort of padding is a good thing). You'll learn how to angulate over to hit the gate with your arm without hooking a ski. By practicing for several days, you'll get the technique wired in, so you can do it in a race and be a lot faster.

But even if you're not a racer, repeatedly running simple course on a daily basis will make you a better skier. On a regular run, you're making turns all over the hill. In a Nastar course, you're making the exact same turns every time. You get used to them, so you can push your envelope. Maybe you've never been able to bend your ankle over enough to set your ski on edge for a powerful carve. But after learning how the turn feels on the third gate or the fifth gate, you can try edging more, then a little more, and suddenly you're carving and even accelerating out of the turn.

The timing clock is an accurate reporter of your progress. Naturally, you'll take a second or more off your time once you've run the course a few times. But once the clock doesn't change by more than a few hundredths of a second, that's when you should start working on your technique.

Are you significantly faster if you deliberately hold your inside arm higher as you pass the gate? Are you faster if you buckle your boots tighter -- or looser? What does the clock tell you when you take a run looking further down the course, or skating through the first few gates?

The more precise your technique, the faster you can go. Some Nastar racers can go fast, but without much control. Before the finish, they have to jam their edges to stay in the course, scrubbing speed. The buddy they race on a dual course kicks their butt. It's better to practice going slower under control, gradually working up to being able to go faster. Use your physical senses; you can easily tell when a turn feels good, you can hear the noise of a skidded turn, you can feel the bouncing that happens when you're leaning back instead of forward.

If you're able to do ten runs on any one day, you'll improve more than you would with a private ski instructor lesson. If you're not already an expert skier, read up on ski technique so you'll know what to work on.

There are many online sites where you can find excellent information on ski technique and training (such as Adventure Sports Weekly), but nothing beats real 'hands-on' -- or make that 'feet-on' experience. And for that kind of experience, nothing beats a Nastar course.

Use a Nastar Course to Improve Your Skiing originally appeared on Outdoors FanHouse on Sat, 03 Jan 2009 11:59:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Wina SturgeonSat, 03 Jan 2009 11:59:00 EST Tips on How to Kill It in the Parkhttp://outdoors.fanhouse.com/2009/01/02/tips-on-how-to-kill-it-in-the-park/http://outdoors.fanhouse.com/2009/01/02/tips-on-how-to-kill-it-in-the-park/http://outdoors.fanhouse.com/2009/01/02/tips-on-how-to-kill-it-in-the-park/#commentsFiled under:

Shawn Lake started out as a racer. But once he learned to ride park, it was slopestyle all the way for Shawn. The 19-year-old has podiumed in several contests already, but his big thing is helping beginners learn to jump and ride rails -- without trauma. Here's some of Shawn's best tips, for both skiers and snowboarders:

BIGGEST MISTAKES

The biggest mistake most people make in the park is riding out of their ability. Start out in a small park with little jumps and rails. Learn on 'ride-ons,' rails that are real low to the snow. Work your way up slowly. Other snowriders will always be willing to give you help, just ask. Ask a lot.

BODY POSITION

You want 75% of your weight on your front foot, with your leading edge off the rail about a half inch or so. You want your head up, to be looking at the end of the rail. You want your knees bent, and a good wide stance. A lot of people keep their hands down and stand up straight on the rail. You want to be in a slight squat.

For skiers, since you're sliding sideways, turn your body facing down the hill for the landing. Your skis will follow.

This first-time park rider got tips from Shawn that let her ride with confidence after this photo was taken. He helped her eliminate the three biggest flaws for beginners: "Look ahead when you hit the lip of a jump, not down at your board or skis. Keep both hands forward. Knees should be bent."

SPEED

Carry the right amount of speed, and right when you get to the lip, pop yourself up a little bit, and you will get air. The harder you pop (extending your bent knees), the more air you'll get. If you don't want air, then when you get about two feet from the lip, bring your knees up to absorb the lip, then when you get to the back side of the jump, stand up.

LANDING

Look before you leap. Ride the park once just to check things out. Pick your landing spots. For spins, like a 180, you're landing backwards, so you want to know where you're going to land, keep your head back to spot your landing.

FALLS

Most people fall on rails is because their center of balance is off or their weight is not distributed correctly. If they fall on a jump, it's usually because they either didn't carry enough speed, or had too much speed, or didn't spot their landing. Never start out big. Just because you can do a flip on a trampoline, doesn't mean you can do it on snow.

FOAM PITS

Most gymnastic schools have foam pits where you can practice flips and tricks without getting hurt. They usually have open sessions, and many gymnastic schools will let you work out in the foam pit on skis. Practice doing your inverts and big tricks in a foam pit first. If you don't have one for practice, then only try your harder tricks on a big powder day with a really soft landing.

Tips on How to Kill It in the Park originally appeared on Outdoors FanHouse on Fri, 02 Jan 2009 14:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Wina SturgeonFri, 02 Jan 2009 14:50:00 EST Keeping Feet Comfy in the Coldhttp://outdoors.fanhouse.com/2008/12/30/keeping-feet-comfy-in-the-cold/http://outdoors.fanhouse.com/2008/12/30/keeping-feet-comfy-in-the-cold/http://outdoors.fanhouse.com/2008/12/30/keeping-feet-comfy-in-the-cold/#commentsFiled under:

I was all ready for my friend Zara to pick me up to go skiing at Brighton Resort. She came in, handing me a belated Christmas package. I opened it and looked at the gift in total bewilderment. It was two brightly colored tubes of cloth, filled with something or other. "Rice," she explained with a big grin, adding, "Microwave them for two minutes."

Still puzzled, I nuked the tubes. When they were done, she was right there, armed with a potholder and my ski boots, which she had unbuckled. Pulling out the boot tongues, she slipped a tube deep into each boot, then buckled them again. "Your boots will be totally toasty when you put them on," she said.

I silently scoffed. But when we reached the resort an hour later and I pulled out the gizmos, they were warm. And so were my boots. The warmed plastic even allowed my feet to slip in easily, with no grunting tugs. And the boots felt like heaven.

It's a sad fact that if your toes get frostbitten, they will afterwards be very susceptible to cold. I learned all about that when my feet got frostbitten years ago. Right now, with Wasatch Front temperatures in the 'teens, even my bootheaters don't work. I can only take a few runs before I have to go inside to warm up the cold toes. It takes at least 20 minutes out of every hour, which is a lot of down time on a powder day.

But those rice-filled tubes worked wonders. I was able to ski for more than two hours before my feet got cold.

Zara had made those nifty bootwarmers herself. The nuked rice holds heat for a long time, so they're good for both skiers and snowboarders. And they're very easy to make. Make some, and give yourself the gift of warm winter feet.

Start by buying a yard of sturdy, yet flexible, cotton cloth. Thin denim or quilting cotton both work well. Wash it to remove the sizing. Then cut two strips, each seven inches wide and 24 inches long. Fold it over, wrong side out. Stitch down the long side and along one end, leaving the other end open. If you don't sew, and don't know anyone who does, don't worry. Go to a large fabric store; they usually have sewing machines. Ask a sales person if someone could stitch the easy seams. You'll almost always find an employee willing to do the few minutes of sewing without charging for it. Even a professional tailor or seamstress will only charge a few bucks to sew something so simple.

After it's stitched, turn the tube right side out. Fill it with plain white rice, leaving the top four inches empty. Fold the unstitched top over half an inch, then another half inch. Sew it securely closed, by hand if you don't use a sewing machine.

Zara said the tubes will last for at least a full season before the rice starts to break down. A full yard of cloth will make enough warmers for three to four pairs of boots, depending on the width of the cloth. Just one hint: if the warmers get dirty, or start to smell like your funky boots, don't even think about tossing the rice-filled tubes of cloth into a washing machine. The result will be the end of your boot warmers in an explosion of soggy rice all over the inside of your machine.

Keeping Feet Comfy in the Cold originally appeared on Outdoors FanHouse on Tue, 30 Dec 2008 11:54:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Wina SturgeonTue, 30 Dec 2008 11:54:00 EST The Best Snow on Earthhttp://outdoors.fanhouse.com/2008/12/30/the-best-snow-on-earth/http://outdoors.fanhouse.com/2008/12/30/the-best-snow-on-earth/http://outdoors.fanhouse.com/2008/12/30/the-best-snow-on-earth/#commentsFiled under:


Utah claims to have the "Best Snow On Earth." Snowriders must believe it, because every year, there are more tourists visiting the vast snowfields of the Wasatch Front. But it may be more than the snow that draws them.

One big draw is easy access. Salt Lake City's airport is only about 40 minutes away from most of the major Utah resorts. Put your boots on in the van, grab your gear and you can be on the lift less than an hour after your plane lands.

The other draw is personality. Each Wasatch Front resort has a different personality, a different ambiance. Instead of choosing a resort just for its famous name, you can find one that perfectly fits your desires and style. Here's some inside info on the major resorts, to help you make the decision.ALTA: Their motto is; "Alta Is For Skiers," and it's one of the few areas that still don't allow snowboards. The resort is vast, with some of the best expert terrain in the world, long steeps that allow skiers to test their daring. A novice black diamond skier can develop confidence on wide slopes like Sunspot. But here's the secret of Alta: it has the best beginner terrain you could ever find, a huge area as big as an entire resort. Beginners can choose a flat, easy line, but right beside it will be a more intermediate line, so better skiers won't be bored skiing with a less experienced friend. Alta's ambiance is slightly old fashioned, skiing as it used to be, but with high speed lifts, good grooming, and more powder than other Utah resorts.

BRIGHTON: This is the playground of resorts. You can take side trips through the trees, carving your own trail or following one already cut. The trees that line the runs have been thinned, so there's little danger from tree skiing. There are impromptu jumps built everywhere, and many little parks. The resort is naturally divided into separate sections with unique features---the always deserted runs of Great Western, the rolling terrain off Crest Express, and the entirely separate mountain, with cliffs and jumps, served by the Millicent lift. The snowriding at Brighton is fun and playful, and the snow coverage is the best of any Utah resort. But the biggest plus is the night skiing; with more lighted terrain than any other ski resort in the world; so well lit that snowriders can see perfectly.

THE CANYONS: It's a mountain that ripples and rolls. Just when you think you've reached the bottom of a run, you find there's a whole other slope still to explore. It goes on forever. It's also the best resort to learn to snowboard, because the lift to the left at the base serves a wide, easy run with several flattish areas that encourage riders to try carving instead of just dong the 'falling leaf.' The Canyons gets less snow that the other major Utah resorts, so coverage isn't always great, but when it is, snowriders can spend an entire day exploring without repeating the same run twice.

DEER VALLEY: This resort is a self esteem builder for the intermediate who wants to feel like an expert or the middle class skier who wants to feel like a millionaire for a day because they skied Deer Valley. No snowboards allowed. The food is gourmet excellent, but the terrain is not exciting---mostly long straight blue trails with very little challenge. Two nice touches: free ski check, and you can leave your skis overnight; and a drive-up valet who will take your skis from your car and place them in a rack to await your return after you park. This is a good thing, because it can be a long walk from your spot in the parking lot to the base area. A lot of celebrities ski here, so star gazers will be in heaven.

PARK CITY MOUNTAIN RESORT: This is the resort for racers. The Intermountain Masters train here every weekday, and expert skiers can buy a day pass to train with them. The nearby U. S. Ski and Snowboard team sends its athletes here to work out in the Eagle Race Arena. The resort has Jupiter Peak, the highest expert area in the state. There are a plethora of lifts, so once out of the base area, there are never any liftlines. Not much beginner terrain, but a long of long intermediate runs. The parks are always voted number one in the country every year, and there are five big slopestyle parks, plus the 2002 Olympic superpipe. Try the new Crescent lift, it goes right to the top of the mountain.

SNOWBASIN: Is there an end to this resort's terrain? Probably, but you'd be hard pressed to find it. It has the longest runs of any Utah resort, both intermediate and expert. The 2002 Olympic downhill course is on the list of National Geographic's "25 Things To Do Before You Die," and rightly so. People have been known to stand frozen at the top for an hour, working up the courage to make that first turn. You can always find untouched powder if you don't mind hiking to get to it. Several glass-walled gondola lifts provide a comfortable ride up the mountain, and the base lodge is utter splendor, with glorious antiques and a four-foot wide, always blazing, fireplace with couches and easy chairs. Gourmet food at reasonable prices in Earl's Lodge. The Snowbasin ambiance is adventure and elegance. Best of all, the vast terrain means you'll often have an entire run to yourself.

SNOWBIRD: The resort with the famous tram. The terrain is make-your-own-run, with a variety of bowls that invite dropping in anywhere. The 'Bird also has the Peruvian Tunnel, the only tunnel through a mountain in America. Snowriders stand on a wide moving belt, and come out in Mineral Basin; a huge bowl totally separate from the rest of the mountain. The base area plaza has live bands to entertain, restaurants and burger places, plus shops. Terrain may be a bit tricky for beginners, but experts and those who love extreme terrain will be in heaven.

SOLITUDE: Not very crowded, but not very much terrain, either. You can ski it all in half a day; the trails are not very challenging. But there are nice adventures, like delicious dinners; nighttime feasts served in a yurt, a base area of condos built to look like an old Euro ski village. It's a nice place to wander around. The ambiance is more the European atmosphere than endless skiing, but older skiers will be delighted.

Updated and more inside information on Utah resorts can be found on Adventuresportsweekly.com.

The Best Snow on Earth originally appeared on Outdoors FanHouse on Tue, 30 Dec 2008 11:49:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Wina SturgeonTue, 30 Dec 2008 11:49:00 EST Ski Channel Launcheshttp://outdoors.fanhouse.com/2008/12/28/ski-channel-launches/http://outdoors.fanhouse.com/2008/12/28/ski-channel-launches/http://outdoors.fanhouse.com/2008/12/28/ski-channel-launches/#commentsFiled under:

Steve Bellamy gave himself the biggest gift anyone could ask for on Christmas day -- the coming true of a lifelong dream. That's the day the Ski Channel came on air.

Bellamy, originator of the Tennis Channel, says, "It's the next generation of television networks. It's video on demand (VOD). When you go to the ski channel, you see a menu of all the shows, it lets you pick what you want to watch when you want to watch it."

The 44-year-old entrepreneur, still a major shareholder in the popular Tennis Channel, actually started out with the idea for the Ski Channel 13 years ago, six months before he began the Tennis Channel. "But (ski) racing doesn't translate to TV as well as tennis," he said.

In its original form all those years ago, the Ski Channel went nowhere, while the Tennis Channel was immediately successful. But Bellamy, a passionate skier for 30 years, never gave up on his dream. Time became his friend, as adventure and action sports grew more and more popular, and VOD became a reality. Suddenly, in 2009, it was the right time to make his dream come true. Bellamy explained, "Skiing really lends itself to VOD, whereas tennis doesn't."

Currently, the "channel" only has about eight hours of programming, mostly old Warren Miller films and shows, but more content will be added every week and ten new shows are being generated for the new emerging network. It may be difficult for fans to find the Ski Channel at the moment. "If you're Direct TV, you have to have their newest box, which is the HDDVR Box and it is channel 1860 on direct TV. If you are on Time Warner or Cox or Verizon, you go to channel 1, click on sports, then click on the Ski Channel. It's completely free to the consumer. But you do have to have digital cable. It doesn't work on analog. Basically, as long as you have digital, you can get the ski channel," Bellamy said.

Former freestyle world champion Jonny Mosely is one of the investors in the network and is going to have his own show called "Air It Out With Jonny Mosely."

But even though it's called the Ski Channel, the young network is really about mountain sports. And whether you ski, snowboard, mountain bike, hike or just want to absorb the mountain ambiance, Bellamy plans TV shows for you. "We are going to be huge into instruction and training. One of the neat things about mountain sports is that they are all participatory, so we are going to be showing how to train for various mountain sports," he said.

His enthusiasm when he talks about his new venture is obvious and so is his programming goal. "We're not trying to just do a better version of what's already out there, we're trying to put out stuff that isn't already out there. TV networks are already showing ski races, we're going to take viewers behind the curtain. We're going to let them meet the athletes and show what they do to train, what their lives are like, what they do when they're in the town (where the race is)."

He describes the concept as "The channel is kind of like the "escape" channel, it allows you to choose some place in the world to go and ski. Travel channels go here and there, but if you're watching the ski channel, you're already hooked, so it's about your passion of the mountains and mountain sports."

The plans are not limited to mountains, Bellamy explains. "We're in a constant state of researching and finding cool subject matter for shows. For example, we have a big programming involving wing suits and base jumping. It's one of our shows in the works," he said.

Bellamy is already negotiating with other television distributors to get the Ski Channel to more people. And while he hopes the project will be lucrative, to him it's not about making money. "This is very much my dream come true," he says. His voice is smiling.

Ski Channel Launches originally appeared on Outdoors FanHouse on Sun, 28 Dec 2008 15:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Wina SturgeonSun, 28 Dec 2008 15:00:00 EST Bode Miller: Big Mouth or Truth Teller?http://outdoors.fanhouse.com/2008/12/28/bode-miller-big-mouth-or-truth-teller/http://outdoors.fanhouse.com/2008/12/28/bode-miller-big-mouth-or-truth-teller/http://outdoors.fanhouse.com/2008/12/28/bode-miller-big-mouth-or-truth-teller/#commentsFiled under:

Bode Miller has never been afraid to speak up. He often says what others have been whispering, but are afraid to say. For example, he loudly criticized the International Ski Federation, the powerful governing body of ski racing, for allowing unsafe race courses after several disastrous crashes last season. US racer Scott Macartney ended up with a bruised brain and severe concussion, Norway's Aksel Lund Svindal smashed his face and got a life-threatening four-inch deep laceration in his groin area and Austria's Matthias Lanzinger broke his lower leg so badly it had to be amputated.

The field of World Cup racers quietly muttered to each other, but only Miller spoke up suggesting changes that would lead to safer race courses. But he said the FIS wouldn't listen to the racer's opinions. "We have very low expectations (about any FIS action)," he said.

After his statement, the FIS got defensive and did make some loudly heralded changes, but not enough for Miller, who indicated that the new safety measures were mostly talk. "There wouldn't even be any change (if) one of us dies," he said.

Suddenly, the FIS began asking athletes to meet with officials to discuss safety. In December, they held -- well, if it were politicians, you'd call it a summit -- with Miller, Svindal, Austria's Hermann Maier, Canada's Erik Guay and Didier Cuche of Switzerland. Then the organization loudly announced that after listening to the racers, they were making more changes.

So Miller's mouthing off resulted in some positive action.

In his latest verbal controversy, Miller said his showdown with US ski team officials at governing body USSA , resulted in improvements for the entire men's alpine program, saying that he had spent ten years complaining to team management, but got nowhere. After he left to race as an independent, taking with him millions in sponsor money, USSA did make changes, allowing athletes more independence in making decisions regarding their careers, coaching and accommodations. It is an indisputable fact that many of Miller's suggestions were gradually implemented in the men's program.

It's also indisputable that the US men are dominating as they never have before. In last week's Saslong downhill, won by Austria's Michael Walchhofer, Miller was second and five other American skiers were in the top ten, a historic first. After the race, Miller said his decision to leave the US team may have increased the desire and athletic development of the teammates he left behind.

While some may argue his point or call it self -centered, the facts speak for themselves. The US men's team is third in the World Cup rankings. Ted Ligety can be counted on to reach the podium frequently and Marco Sullivan is moving up. Other racers like Macartney and Steve Nyman are doing better with each race.

The women's team, who currently have no hero to argue for them, are ranked sixth in the world. Lindsay Vonn leads the World Cup rankings, but the next highest American woman racer is Julia Mancuso, ranked in 21st place.

So ski racing officials may claim Miller has a big mouth, but what comes out of it are truths that the sport's officials often don't want to face. Miller's comments force them to confront those truths. The results are changes that improve the sport.

It would not be far off to say that Miller's big mouth is the best thing that's happened to ski racing in a very long time.

Bode Miller: Big Mouth or Truth Teller? originally appeared on Outdoors FanHouse on Sun, 28 Dec 2008 14:09:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Wina SturgeonSun, 28 Dec 2008 14:09:00 EST After Disaster, He's Backhttp://outdoors.fanhouse.com/2008/12/24/after-disaster-hes-back/http://outdoors.fanhouse.com/2008/12/24/after-disaster-hes-back/http://outdoors.fanhouse.com/2008/12/24/after-disaster-hes-back/#commentsFiled under:

Alex Schlopy was the big underground buzz in free skiing slope style two seasons ago. He seemed like many of the budding phenoms that excite the sport, then disappear. Maybe they can't stand the pressure. Maybe they never got better than their first flash of brilliance. In Schlopy's case, it was disaster that derailed him.

First, he suffered a severe concussion in a car accident last autumn. Back on skis and training for the US Open in January, he blew out his knee and got another concussion, leaving him bedridden with vertigo. At 15, Schlopy had to deal with a double lesson of his own mortality.

That was then. Now he's back. His big sponsor, Dynastar Skis, stuck with him.

"It was kind of weird at the beginning of the season, but now feel I'm getting back to the state of mind I want to be in. I'm catching up, getting back to where I feel I'm ahead of where I was before the accident," the now-16-year-old said.

So did he choose some small, out of the way contest to make his comeback? Nope. He started big, trying for the first Winter Dew Tour stop at Breckinridge. But open qualifying was full. Schlopy was put on the waiting list. The night before the contest, one of the organizers called. A last-minute slot had just opened up. Schlopy was in.

"It was the first contest I'd been in since two years ago. I was a little scared, but at the same time I felt like it would be good to get back in. We got two hours of training before the contest. It felt good to be hitting big jumps on a nice course and I was ready. They were pretty big jumps, anywhere between 60-70 feet, but well built. I'd been off jumps that high, but not that well built," he said.

Any action athlete coming back after down-time knows how hard the first contest always is. Schlopy didn't put down the run he wanted. He came in 17th. But only the top 16 would go on. Then he got another nighttime call. One of the top 16 athletes was injured and dropping out. Again, Schlopy was in. But contest day was a windy blizzard snowstorm. "You couldn't even see the jumps," he said.

Dew Tour organizers called it a day after the first heat and rescheduled the contest for two days later. Each athlete would have only one run to qualify for the finals. It was during his run that Schlopy learned that he'd made a mistake. "I didn't wax my skis, which was kind of stupid. I couldn't get speed, I was having trouble with the course and landed five feet short off the first jump. That was sort of it for me," he said.

But he's ready for the rest of the season. "I feel that I'm back, so I'm not too disappointed. But watching the contest, I saw how far the sport has come in the past two years. If I want it, I'm really going to have to train and go after it. And I will. If I want to go to X Games, I'm going to have to train really hard. The next Dew is in Vermont and hopefully I'll be able to go to that one. We'll see if I qualified to go," he said.

He's spending time practicing his favorite trick, switch sevens with different grabs. "That's getting the roots down for bigger spins. It's always good to have the roots," Schlopy said.

And it's also good, when you come back, to have already paid your dues.

After Disaster, He's Back originally appeared on Outdoors FanHouse on Wed, 24 Dec 2008 20:22:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Wina SturgeonWed, 24 Dec 2008 20:22:00 EST Resorts Offer More Than Slopeshttp://outdoors.fanhouse.com/2008/12/24/resorts-offer-more-than-slopes/http://outdoors.fanhouse.com/2008/12/24/resorts-offer-more-than-slopes/http://outdoors.fanhouse.com/2008/12/24/resorts-offer-more-than-slopes/#commentsFiled under:

Are you stuck in the same old ride-the-runs rut? Do you get off the lift, do the groomers and consider it enough? How about trying something different and adding more excitement to your snowriding.

I'm not talking about renting a ski instructor for an hour or so. Check out what else is available- you might be surprised. Nearly every resort offers something special for snowriders. It could be as simple as a "Lady's Day" discount lift ticket, like the one offered at Vermont's Okemo Resort for $39 on most Tuesdays, is also offered by many other resorts throughout the country. (Why the ladies always get a discount on Tuesdays still bewilders me, but hey, money saved is good on any day).

Many small local resorts offer special rental and lift pass rates for beginners. You can spend the day on the bunny runs on rented skis or a snowboard from $10 to $20 and up. This is a great deal for skiers who want to try snowboarding.

A few resorts offer "Mommy Days" where a child's lesson or nursery is offered along with the lift ticket. It gives harried parents a chance to spend some time on the slopes while someone else takes care of the little one. Even though they may be called "Mommy Days, dads can take advantage of the deal too.

There's a great program for women snowboarders or snowboard wannabe's at Mountain High in Wrightwood, Calif. The resort has teamed up with Roxy clothing and snowboards for the "Sunset Sessions," weekly night clinics in park riding. Mountain High provides certified snowboard coaches and Roxy provides pro riders from its own factory team. It's fun and low pressure, everyone progresses at their own comfort level in a supportive and friendly environment. There are two sessions of four Wednesday evenings, in either January or February, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. It's a good deal for just $99 because participants also get a subscription to Snowboard Magazine, a free demo of all the Roxy snowboard line and a chance to ride with the Roxy team. Best of all, every clinic ends with a party in the base lodge with free hot chocolate and desert. For more info, visit their website.

Even if you're going on a vacation destination trip, you're still not limited to yo-yo-ing up the lift and down the trail. How about learning to ski better from major Olympic stars?

Deer Valley, in Park City, Utah, is again offering the Mahre Training Center camps with multi-gold and silver Olympic medalists Phil and Steve Mahre. These guys get super-involved in making sure their clients improve, both in regular skiing and in racing. They teach on-slope exercises and drills to improve balance and turning abilities, show campers how to ski moguls with ease and offer race instruction for those who want to go fast or run gates. The famous twins also use a video photographer to tape your runs and give you in-depth, one-on-one feedback. There's even an awards party on the final day.

There are three day and five day camps and they are pricey. The three day is $685, the five day is $1,040 and that does not include accommodation. But if you break down everything included in the Mahre camps it's actually not too out of line. Lift tickets are included, which is considerable, since a DV day pass is $83. You get six hours of personalized coaching, not totally by the Mahres, but you get some time with them and the rest with coaches they have selected and trained. There's daily video, with coach's video analysis and evening discussions. Group sizes are kept low, between five and seven people per coach. Is the cost worth it? Well, how often can you ski with legends like the Mahres?

But if you don't have a couple of thousand dollars to drop on a ski trip, no matter how priceless the memories may be, check out your local resort. You may find an unadvertised event or program that can take your snowriding out of the ordinary and make it unusually special.

Resorts Offer More Than Slopes originally appeared on Outdoors FanHouse on Wed, 24 Dec 2008 17:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Wina SturgeonWed, 24 Dec 2008 17:00:00 EST Deadly Snowhttp://outdoors.fanhouse.com/2008/12/24/deadly-snow/http://outdoors.fanhouse.com/2008/12/24/deadly-snow/http://outdoors.fanhouse.com/2008/12/24/deadly-snow/#commentsFiled under:

The sudden snowy storms over much of America created dangerous conditions in the mountains. What are your chances of being caught in an avalanche? Or more to the point, how do you save your life when snow is ready to slide?

Bruce Tremper, Director of the Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center, is one of the most famous avalanche experts in the country and the author of "Staying Alive In Avalanche Terrain." He says that snow sliding down from the top of a mountain is a myth.

"Avalanches can happen anywhere, wherever you have a slope that's steeper than 30 degrees. Fatalities have occurred on the sides of gullies in the flat lands of Montana, on Mt. Everest and everything in between."

Another myth is that snow starts to slide by itself and thunders down on victims. Tremper explains a surprising fact, "It's very rare to be killed or caught in an oncoming avalanche(from above); 93% of avalanche accidents are triggered by the victim or someone in the victim's party."

Back-country experts all know to test the snow layers before heading outside resort boundaries, especially on steep slopes which are more likely to slide. Tremper, a former ski racer who loves the untouched snow in the back-country, says, "When I go back-country skiing, I do snow profiles, as they're called. Basically, you dig a hole in the snow and make the back smooth and vertical and then cut out isolated columns of snow. Then you do various kinds of stress tests to determine the stability of the snow layers."

"The best one is called the "Extended Column Test." Cut a column about three feet wide and eight inches deep, those are the dimension any direction. After you've isolated the column, put your shovel on one side of the column and start tapping on it. Do ten taps hitting with the shovel lightly, bending just at the wrist. Then do ten taps from the elbow, then from the shoulder. If it doesn't crack horizontally, the snow is probably stable, but this isn't foolproof and you have to be very experienced to do an accurate interpretation," he said.

Tremper stresses to look for a crack that goes across the whole column. That is unstable snow. "Sometimes it will crack underneath your taps, but it won't crack across the whole column. You're looking for it to crack all the way across the column."

Cracks in the snow are also a danger sign to look for before starting down any slope. They show that a slab of snow is ready to slide. Tremper has a warning for anyone who thinks they are safe going for a powder face shot just because it's right outside the boundary of a resort.

"An avalanche can happen just feet outside the rope. Inside ski area is safe, but as soon as you go under that rope line you go back to the stone age and you have to become your own avalanche expert," he said.

Another warning is to always carry a shovel, probe and wear a beeper whenever you go out of bounds. And never, never go alone. No matter how the slide is triggered, you always want someone ready to dig for buried victims -- or buried gear.

Deadly Snow originally appeared on Outdoors FanHouse on Wed, 24 Dec 2008 16:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Wina SturgeonWed, 24 Dec 2008 16:15:00 EST