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STEEP - Big Mountain Skiing Documentary

Written on December 17th, 2007 at 02:30 pm by Bill
Filed Under: Featured, Ski News

STEEP, The Story of Big Mountain Skiing, will premier in 16 theaters across the country this Friday, December 21 (see screening schedule below).

This skiing documentary was part of the Tribeca Film Festival last spring and has been anticipated by skiers throughout the world ever since. With big mountains, big snow and big skiers, hopefully STEEP is being screened at a local theater near you.

Here is some background on STEEP, followed by the trailer, an interview with the directors, and screening dates/locations:

STEEP is a feature documentary about bold adventure, exquisite athleticism and the pursuit of a perfect moment on skis. It is the story of big mountain skiing, a sport that barely existed 35 years ago.

It started in the 1970s in the mountains above Chamonix, France, where skiers began to attempt ski descents so extreme that they appeared almost suicidal. Men like Anselme Baud and Patrick Vallencant were inspired by the challenge of skiing where no one thought to ski before. Now, two generations later, some of the world’s greatest skiers pursue a sport where the prize is not winning, but simply experiencing the exhilaration of skiing and exploring big, wild, remote mountains.

STEEP features many of the sport’s greatest athletes including Bill Briggs, Stefano De Benedetti, Eric Pehota, Glen Plake, Shane McConkey, Seth Morrison, Chris Davenport, Ingrid Backstrom and Andrew McLean.

The man who is often described as the greatest big mountain skier of all, the late Doug Coombs, is the character at the center of STEEP. He died in a skiing accident in La Grave, France, in April, 2006, just days after being filmed for STEEP. His rich life and tragic death reveal the essential question at the heart of big mountain skiing: How does a skier weigh the risks versus the rewards of a sport where the possibility of dying is ever-present?

STEEP was shot on High Definition and on film in Alaska, Wyoming, Canada, France and Iceland.

STEEP trailer:

The directors of the documentary STEEP discuss extreme skiing:

STEEP Screening Schedule via The Documentary Group:

DECEMBER 21, 2007

• IRVINE, CA - University Town CTR 6 Cine
• SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CA - Heavenly Village Cinemas
• WEST LOS ANGELES, CA - Nuart
• ASPEN, CO - Isis Theatre
• BRECKENRIDGE , CO - Speakeasy Theatre
• BILLINGS, MT - Carmike 7
• KALISPELL, MT - Stadium 14
• WHITEFISH, MT - Mountain Cinemas 1 & 2
• HUNTER, NY - Hunter Theatre
• NEW YORK, NY - AMC Empire 25
• NEW YORK, NY - Angelika Film Center 6
• ASHLAND, OR - Varsity 5 Cinemas
• PARK CITY, UT - Redstone 8 Cinemas
• SALT LAKE CITY, UT - Regency Trolley Square
• BURLINGTON, VT - Merrill's Roxy Theatre
• JACKSON, WY - Movie Works Cinema 4

DECEMBER 28, 2007

• PORTLAND, OR - Cinema 21

JANUARY 4, 2008

• PASADENA, CA - One Colorado Cinemas

JANUARY 11, 2008

• PALM SPRINGS, CA - Stadium 10 Palm Springs
• ASPEN, CO - Isis Theatre
• CRESTED BUTTE, CO - Majestic Theatre 3
• DENVER, CO - Mayan Three
• DILLON, CO - Skyline Cinemas
• DURANGO, CO - Gaslight Twin
• TAOS, NM - Storyteller 4
• HOOD RIVER, OR - Skylight Theatre & Pub
• PARK CITY, UT - Redstone 8 Cinemas
• LARAMIE, WY - Fox Four

JANUARY 18, 2008

• BERKELEY, CA - Shattuck 8
• PALO ALTO, CA - Cinearts @ Palo Alto Square
• SAN DIEGO, CA - Ken
• SAN FRANCISCO, CA - Lumiere Cinemas 3
• SAN JOSE, CA - Camera Stadium 12
• SAN JOSE, CA - Cinearts at Santana Row
• SAUSALITO, CA - Marin Three
• SAN DIEGO, CA - Ken
• BOULDER, CO - Century 16
• WESTMINISTER, CO - Westminister Promenade 24
• CAMBRIDGE, MA - Kendall Square Cinema 9
• MINNEAPOLIS, MN - Lagoon Theatre 5
• BOZEMAN, MT - Campus Square 8
• PHILADELPHIA, PA - Ritz at the Bourse 5
• SEATTLE, WA - Varsity three Cinemas

JANUARY 25, 2008

• PHOENIX, AZ - AMC Ahwatukee 24
• SCOTTSDALE, AZ - The Luxury Shea
• SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA - Downtown Centre Cinema 7
• BOCA RATON, FL - Shadwood Square 16
• MIAMI BEACH, FL - South Beach 18
• CHICAGO, IL - Music Box Theatre 2 (Art)
• ALBANY, NY - Crossgates Mall 18
• DALLAS, TX - Inwood 3
• HOUSTON, TX - Angelika Theatre 8
• WOODLANDS, TX - Cinemark at Market Street 5

FEBRUARY 1, 2008

• NORTH FALMOUTH, MA - Nickelodeon 5
• ST LOUIS, MO - Tivoli Theatre 3

FEBRUARY 8, 2008

• BONITA SPRINGS, FL - Bonita Springs 12
• JACKSONVILLE, FL - Beach Blvd Cinema 12
• TALLAHASSEE, FL - Miracle Five
• WINTER PARK, FL - Winter Park Village 20
• ATLANTA, GA - UA Tara Cinema 4
• CINCINNATI, OH - Esquire 6
• EUGENE, OR - Bijou Art Cinema
• NASHVILLE, TN - Green Hills Commons 16
• AUSTIN, TX - Arbor Cinemas @ Great Hills
• FT WORTH, TX - Modern Art Museum of Ft. Worth
• MILWAUKEE, WI - Oriental 3

FEBRUARY 15, 2008

• ANCHORAGE, AK - Century 16 Anchorage
• TUCSON, AZ - Centruy Elcon 20
• DAVIS, CA - Davis Vasity Theatre
• MONTEREY, CA - Oslo Plaza Theatre
• BOISE, ID - Flicks Four
• INDIANAPOLIS, IN - Keystone Art Cinema
• OLATHE, KS - AMC Studio 30
• NEW ORLEANS, LA - Canal Place Cinema 14
• KANSAS CITY, MO - Cinemark Palace 14
• ALBUQUERQUE, NM - Century 14
• SANTA FE, NM - UA Devargas Center 6
• RENO, NV - Riverside 12
• PITTSBURGH, PA - Regent Square Theatre
• KNOXVILLE, TN - Regal Downtown West Eight

FEBRUARY 22, 2008

• HUNTSVILLE, AL - Madison Square 12
• TRUSSVILLE, AL - Trussville Cinema 16
• WASHINGTON, DC - E-Street Cinema
• GAINESVILLE, FL - Gainesville 14
• SARASOTA, FL - Hollywood 20
• LEXINGTON, KY - Lexington Green 8
• LOUISVILLE, KY - Village 8 Theatre
• DETROIT, MI - Detroit Institute of Art
• CHARLOTTE, NC - Manor Twin
• LAS VEGAS, NV - Village Square 18
• BEND, OR - Pilot Butte 6 Plex
• SAN ANTONIO, TX - Fiesta 16

FEBRUARY 29, 2008

• BALTIMORE, MD - Charles Theatre
• OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - AMC Quail Springs 24
• RICHMOND, VA - Westhampton Theatre 2
• SPOKANE, WA - River Park Square 20

MARCH 7, 2008

• VERO BEACH, FL - AMC Indian River 24
• OMAHA, NE - AMC Oakview 24
• TULSA, OK - AMC Southroads 20
• CORVALLIS, OR - Darkside Cinemas

CANADA

• Coming in January - Stay tuned for details
  

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Taos “Ski” Valley Opens to Snowboarders

Written on December 17th, 2007 at 09:00 am by Bill
Filed Under: Featured, Ski News

Photo: UHLMAN

And then there were three…

After years of pressure, Taos Ski Valley in New Mexico has finally given in to the demands of snowboarders.

Beginning on March 19, 2008, Taos will officially begin a new era by opening the resort up to snowboarders. This really is only the last 2 or 3 weeks of the season so skiers can enjoy a few more months of skiing freedom.

With Taos dropping the snowboarding ban, there are only 3 U.S. resorts that still keep boarders from their slopes: Alta (Utah), Deer Valley (Utah) and Mad River Glen (Vermont). Alta and Deer Valley are highly unlikely to open up to the boarders anytime in the foreseeable future.

Why now? The new RideTaos website explains:

For a long time the discussion has been more focused on when we would open, and we feel like now is the right time. Taos has a long-standing tradition of being family oriented, and now with so many young people snowboarding, we are turning away more and more families, particularly families that traditionally come to Taos. Opening to snowboarding allows us to refocus on being a family oriented mountain.

Additionally, as Taos Ski Valley, Inc. began to consider expansion and it’s base area redevelopment plan, it was clear that the "snowboarding question" would have to be given real consideration. It was determined by the Blake family and administrative staff that snowboarding would become an integral part of Taos Ski Valley’s future. We look forward to sharing our storied resort with this brand new audience.

Ultimately, this had to be a financial decision despite what they say. The snowboarding integration will cost the resort $35 million over 7 years and several phases, so they aren’t just doing this for fun.

As never having skied Taos, I can’t speak for the experience there. But I thoroughly enjoy the skiing only atmosphere that exists at Alta and Deer Valley and I am a little sad to see Taos abandon that. Maybe I will have to ski there before March 19.

Are you more or less likely to ski Taos now that boarders are welcome?

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9 Gift Ideas for Skiers

Written on December 11th, 2007 at 04:00 pm by Bill
Filed Under: Featured, Ski Gear

With Christmas just 14 ski days away, we thought this would be a great time to give you some last-minute gift ideas for that skier in your life. Let’s get straight to the list:

1. Canon Digital Rebel XTi 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens

Price: $599 (normally $1400)

Wow, we just found this great deal, right now it is $800 off!!! This is THE hot deal for Christmas and you are virtually guaranteed to score major points with this one. Switching to a digital SLR will yield exponentially better ski photos than your point-and-shoot camera.

If you are looking for one step closer to professional, try giving the Canon EOS 40D 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera.

2. Oakley A Frame Goggle with Iridium Lens

Price: $120 - $130

The A-Frame’s are great goggles for those cold, sunny days. Oakley has long been the leader when it comes to ski goggles and the A-Frame is their numero uno best-seller. There are many color and lens combinations to choose from.

Of course, you can also enter our contest to win one of 3 pairs of Smith Triad Goggles.

3. Ski Lift Tickets to Snowbird

Price: $100 for 2 out of 5 Day Adult Tram Tickets

Of course, if you don’t live in Utah then this could be part of a far bigger present. If you have never skied Snowbird then you know that you need to, and if you have skied Snowbird, then you know you need to get back.

4. The North Face Denali Jacket

Price: $165

It’s no fluke that this is The North Face’s best selling jacket by far. Get one for the wife and reap the rewards.

4. Ski the 14ers (Hardcover Book by Chris Davenport)

Price: $39.16 (book was released on Dec. 10)

This 152-page hardcover book is the perfect conversation starter for your coffee table. This book is less about the word and more about the spectacular images.

5. Subscription to Powder Magazine

Price: $10.97 for 12 months (6 issues)

You can always have more ski-related magazines to get you psyched. If Powder magazine is not suitable, then perhaps Ski Magazine, Skiing, Freeskier or Outside Magazine will do the trick.

6. Ski Porn

Price: $29.95

Since giving actual porn on Christmas may not go over great with the in-laws, give the next best thing. If you still don’t want to give anything with the name porn on it, then how about these other great ski DVDs: Warren Miller: Off the Grid , Lost and Found Ski DVD or Yeah Dude Ski DVD.

7. Swix Waxing Table with Swix XC Profile 3 Piece Vise Set

Price: $108 (table) and $99 (vise set)

For the skier with everthing (except for a decent tuning setup). This combo waxing table/vise set is provides a sturdy surface for you to tune. The table can collapse for storage and transport, making it ideal for at home or slope-side. An additional Christmas gift could be the Toko T8 Wax Iron.

8. Suunto X6HRT Titanium Heart Rate Monitor Watch

Price: $899 (normally $1100)

Simply put, this watch is beyond remarkable. It records loads of information which you can then transfer to your computer to dissect and store with the included software. You can use the heart rate monitor and altimeter together to see how altitude affects your heart rate, or measure the slopes’ angle and the atmospheric pressure as you descend it. Unreal.

9. Outdoor Research Super Couloir Glove

Price: $152

Skiers often spend thousands of dollars on their equipment only to use their 7 year old duct-taped gloves. Nothing can ruin a day in the powder quit like ice fingers. With these gloves, the cold is an after thought.

If you are still having troubles finding the right gift for the holidays, be sure to check out our Ski Gear.

What is the best gift you are giving this Christmas?

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Lange Playmate 2008

Written on December 8th, 2007 at 03:30 am by Bill
Filed Under: Featured, Ski News

Not much is better than a sexy girl wearing almost nothing but a pair of big gorgeous ski boots. That is why we LOVE the annual Lange Playmate.

This year you can vote for a deserving girl to buckle up her Lange ski boots as the 2008 Lange Playmate.

Or, perhaps if you are feeling particularly sexy as you read this, you can enter yourself into the contest.

The most ideal ‘Lange Girl’ will have "Athletic style, Sex appeal, Originality and Glamour." If you are interested, email your info and some photos to webmaster@dynastar.fr to enter. Lange is inviting all ski instructors and professional/expert skiers to participate.

"The winner of this contest will be an ambassador for the brand, will join the Exclusive Team and will be publicized on web sites and in magazines."

The winner gets a pair of Lange ski boots signed Hermann Maier and 20 Lange Playmate T-shirts. That doesn’t seem like a huge prize package but I assume the big prize is the related publicity and exposure the winning model receives.

We’re not quite sure how it works if you want to enter yourself or a friend into the contest because it appears that they already have 6 professional-looking models from which to vote. Let’s have a quick look at the contestants:

The voting shows that Titia is clearly in the lead, but we don’t think she has ever skied in her life. We would rather see the title go to Alexandra, Roxanne or Patricia.

Once again, you can vote here for the next Lange Playmate.

Who did you vote for? Do you think she can actually ski?

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December Contest: Win Smith Triad Goggle!

Written on December 6th, 2007 at 12:00 am by Bill
Filed Under: Featured, Site News

December is a month of giving and we are giving away Smith Triad Goggles to three (3) lucky winners.

Each goggle prize (retail value of $90) will have a separate contest ending at 11:59PM on December 31, 2007.

Listed below are the three contests and instructions on how to enter. Be sure to use a valid email address that you check, because if you win, we will contact you via that email address. Your email address is safe with us and will not be shared or abused in any way.

Contest #1: Enter by making comments on SNOWNATION.com

You will receive one entry for every comment that you make. Make as many comments as you would like, however, comments need to be thoughtful and related to the post in order to be eligible. You will need to enter your email address (or be signed in) when you make a comment so that we can contact you if you win.

Contest #2: Post a topic or reply in the Ski Forums

You will receive one entry for every post that you make in the SnowNation.com Ski Forums. Eligible posts will only include those that contribute to the discussions. You will need to be registered to use the ski forums, we will contact the registered email address of the winner.

Contest #3: Subscribe to the SNOWNATION.com by email feed

In the right sidebar of this page you will see a box titled “Subscribe to SnowNation.com”. Simply enter your email address in the “subscribe via email” box and hit subscribe. You will receive our RSS feed via email and you can unsubscribe at any time. The winner will be randomly selected from the list of subscribed email addresses when the contest ends… so don’t unsubscribe before then.

Further Contest Details

If you have any questions, leave a comment here (you will also receive a Contest #1 entry for your comment!) or ask me in the Ski Forums (where you will gain a entry into Contest #2!).

Contest starts at midnight MST on December 6, 2007 and ends at 11:59PM on December 31, 2007.

Good luck!

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Bearfire Resort - Where Skiing Meets Texas

Written on December 5th, 2007 at 12:30 pm by Bill
Filed Under: Featured, Ski News

Skiing, this is Texas… Texas, meet my friend skiing. Now don't kill each other.

Well if you can ski in London and if you can ski in Dubai, then someone was going to bring skiing to Texas.

Scheduled to open in 2009 is Bearfire Resort, located in close proximity to Dallas and Fort Worth.

The Bearfire Resort will be open year-round using a virtual snow surface called Snowflex:

Snowflex is a polymer composite consisting of a monofilament fiber and impregnated carrier layer. This sits on top of a unique shock layer, giving a responsive and reactive feel. Manufactured in tile form, Snowflex forms a homogeneous surface that can be made into complex features and shapes.

This appears to be an extremely ambitious project. Not only will 250-foot tall, 35-acre artificial Glacier Peak offer skiing and snowboarding, it will also attempt to create a ski mountain atmosphere.

A gondola will transport skiers and boarders to the peak, slicing through a ice crevasse and skimming a glacial lagoon.

Bearfire Resort also has ice skating trails, snowball caverns, glacier climbing wall, ice rafts, tobogganing, bobsleds and a tubing hill.

Get the full Bearfire Resort fake experience by watching this video:

It remains to be seen if the idea will translate into success after the initial hype has worn away. If Bearfire Resort is a hit, expect one to show up in Vegas before you know it.

Is this where the future of skiing is headed with the threat of global warming?

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Ski Dubai — Igloo in the Desert

Written on November 14th, 2007 at 07:00 am by Bill
Filed Under: Featured, Ski Vacations

Unless you have been living in a snow cave, you know that Dubai is the new "it" place. And as every "it" place should have --- Dubai has 110 degree heat AND skiing.

If you are cool enough to ever visit Dubai, then you are probably cooler than us.

Dubai is located in the United Arab Emirates. For the geographically challenged skiers out there, the U.A.E. is situated on the Persian Gulf with neigboring countries: Saudi Arabia, Oman and Qatar, and across the gulf is Iran. Ski Dubai is a indoor ski resort at the Mall of Emirates, currently one of the largest malls in the world.

A 5 minute quad chairlift ride climbs 25 stories and dumps you at the top of this ice cube in the sand. Surprisingly, the run is longer than you would think and has a decent pitch, especially at the top.

A lift ticket costs about $75 for an all day pass or $40 for 2 hours. All tickets include all of your ski or snowboard gear and cold weather clothing (Ski Dubai's air temperature is kept right about freezing).

If you would rather not shell out for the $75 lift ticket --- let alone a few grand for airfare, hotel, food, etc. --- then I suggest you watch the following video to get the full Ski Dubai experience:

That "Angle Station" brings back fond memories of the old gondola at Park City Ski Area. Anyway, if you ever purchase a home on the new Palm Islands, then surely, you will find yourself making some turns at Ski Dubai.

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