Wednesday, February 27, 2013

The Avalanche at Tunnel Creek

Got a half hour spare? Sit back and absorb the gripping account of the Avalanche at Tunnel Creek courtesy of the New York Times....

The Avalanche at Tunnel Creek

Friday, February 22, 2013

What is Rule 40?


What is Rule 40 and how will it affect skiers in 2014?


Rule 40 first gained national prominence during the 2012 Summer Games in London when a band of track and field athletes spoke out about the rule on Twitter. Since skiers generally make the majority of their income from sponsors, this rule is primed to hit home in our sport. Here’s what you need to know about it.

What is Rule 40?

“Except as permitted by the IOC Executive Board, no competitor, coach, trainer or official who participates in the Olympic Games may allow his person, name, picture or sports performances to be used for advertising purposes during the Olympic Games,” states the London 2012 official guidelines.

Read On...

Monday, February 18, 2013

Ski resorts by train


Ski trains price check

If you fancy heading to the Alps by train then the great site SnowCarbon  shows you train prices that they have checked on rail company websites for you, so that you can view and compare fares at a glance. Read on...

Thursday, February 14, 2013

2013/14 products on display

The snowsports industry descended upon Denver on Thursday, for the first day of the 2013 SIA Snow Show—one of the most highly anticipated annual events for folks in the skiing industry. All of our favorite brands are on hand this weekend to show off what’s new for 2014 and we’ve only just scratched the surface. On day one we checked in with Oakley, Dakine, Scott and Saga to name a few.
Read on..

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Snowflakes in the Moments Before They Disappear


Ethereal Macro Photos of Snowflakes in the Moments Before They Disappear macrosnow 5
Russian photographer Andrew Osokin is a master of winter macro photography. His photo collection is chock full of gorgeous super-close-up photographs of insects, flowers, snow, and frost. Among his most impressive shots are photographs of individual snowflakes that have fallen upon the ground and are in the process of melting away. The shots are so detailed and so perfectly framed that you might suspect them of being computer-generated fabrications.

Read on..

Friday, February 1, 2013

Friday Interview: Eric Hjorleifson


The big mountain specialist with a knack for hucking huge air and developing his own touring bindings and boots discusses saving his feet, designing gear, and how to get after it in the backcountry
By: Kelley McMillan

Eric Hjorleifson. Photo: Matchstick Productions
Whistler, British Columbia-based skier Eric Hjorleifson, a.k.a. Hoji, is a big mountain specialist with a knack for hucking huge air of off natural features in the backcountry and stomping pillow lines with unmatched power and fluidity—all in a pair of Dynafit boots and bindings. His hard-charging style bridges the gap between ski touring and aggressive alpine skiing, and proves that performance doesn’t need to be compromised by touring gear. You can still go big in the backcountry and rail turns on the resort in a pair of touring bindings and boots if you follow the gospel of Hoji.
What separates Hoji, 29, from many of his peers is the depth of his involvement in product development for the brands he works with. Sponsored by 4FRNT and Dynafit (among others), he’s equal parts pro-athlete and product engineer. In 2011, Dynafit signed him as an athlete and as a “boot and binding” consultant—and it’s not just some branding/PR plug. With a tricked-out workshop in his basement, which his girlfriend calls his “playpen,” he spends hours a day, thousands of hours a season, perfecting his set up to meet his performance demands. The result is this year’s Dynafit Vulcan boot, which hit the shelves last week (and has already won numerous awards), and a binding to be launched in January that’s poised to revolutionize ski touring. When he’s not tinkering with his gear, you might find him shooting for Matchstick, Sweetgrass, or Sherpas Cinema—he scored major segments in all three’s most recent ski flicks.
We dragged Hjorleifson up from his workshop lair to talk about saving his feet, designing gear, and how to get after it in the backcountry.

Read on...

Partying Hard In Morzine and Avoriaz

  Partying Hard In Morzine and Avoriaz ...