Ski News

Extreme Skier Dies During Warren Miller Film Shoot

Written on January 23rd, 2008 at 07:30 am by Bill
Filed Under: Ski News

Sad news from the world of big-mountain extreme skiing, skier Billy Poole died after jumping a cliff near Solitude Resort in Utah: 

Billy Poole was flown by helicopter from the backcountry of Big Cottonwood Canyon to University of Utah Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 1:30 p.m., hospital spokeswoman Vickie King said.

The 28-year-old Poole was sponsored by Salt Lake City-based Black Diamond Equipment Ltd., maker of ski and climbing gear. Chief executive Peter Metcalf described him as a rising star among big-mountain skiers.

"His stature was increasing. He was inspiring, outgoing, friendly, the perfect ambassador for a company like Black Diamond," Metcalf said. "He lived the life of big mountain skier on just enough money to support his habit.

"In this sport," the executive said, "death is part of life."

Poole cartwheeled through some rocks after jumping off a cliff in an area known as Wolverine Cirque, said Penn Newhard, a Black Diamond marketing consultant.

[SI.com]

Poole was being filmed for a Warren Miller film at the time of the accident:

Poole was filming in the area with Boulder, Colo.-based Warren Miller Entertainment. A spokesman said the company is trying to learn more details about the accident before commenting.

"He had wanted to ski in a Warren Miller film his whole life," Erck said.

Pennie Thompson, Poole’s sister, said her brother had been a "cautious" skier since they were children in Missoula, Mont.

"I skied with him my entire life," Thompson said. "He takes risks, but they’re always calculated risks. He doesn’t usually do something so insane that nobody else would do it. When he’d come home and say, ‘I’ve been jumping off cliffs,’ we’d say, ‘Oh, great,’ but we knew he was smart about it.”

[Salt Lake Tribune]

Unfortunately, in the world of Big Mountain skiing there is extreme danger and everyone is aware of the risks.  Let’s hope this is the last story of this nature for a while.

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Brighton Day Pass $14 with Food Donation

Written on December 19th, 2007 at 12:00 am by Bill
Filed Under: Ski News

If you happen to be visiting or living in Utah, there is a great promotion at Brighton Resort today:

On Wednesday, December 19, 2004, Skiers and Snowboarders can purchase a Brighton Day pass for only $14.00 when they bring a full bag of non-perishable to the resort for donation to the Utah Food Bank. For more information concerning types of food needed see the Utah Food Bank website at www.utahfoodbank.org

Last year Brighton collected over 16,000 pounds of food. Don’t miss this opportunity to help Utah’s hungry and break last years total while having fun skiing and riding for just $14.00.

It doesn’t get much better than that! You help out the Utah Food Band AND get to ski at brighton for only 346 Russian Rubles ($14).

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Avalaunch Festival with Michael Franti and Spearhead

Written on December 18th, 2007 at 09:30 pm by Bill
Filed Under: Ski News

Michael Franti and Spearhead will be putting on two concerts benefiting the Avalaunch Festival during the Outdoor Retailer Winter Market in Salt Lake City on January 25 and 26.

The two shows are at The Depot and cost $33 ahead of time and $35 the day of show. Buy tickets online here (there is a $6.50 ticket surcharge) or you might (I said might! I have no facts behind this) be able to buy them without the surcharge at a Smiths grocery store in Utah or at The Depot ticket window.

The Avalaunch Festival is the featured event at this year’s Winter Outdoor Retailer show and it looks to be a worthy cause:

Avalaunch Festival is a social and environmental movement that celebrates live music, film and snow while promoting avalanche awareness and environmental stewardship within the snowriding community.

Sounds like a perfect match with Michael Franti and Spearhead. I would venture a guess that they play more shows in ski towns than any other major music act. Of the 7 show dates on their current tour schedule, Michael Franti plays 5 of them in ski atmospheres (Telluride, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake City, Vail, Vail).

Personally, I have seen Michael Franti and Spearhead at least 4 or 5 times in Park City or Salt Lake over just the past couple years and I have haven’t even been to all of them.

Have you seen Michael Franti and Spearhead play in your ski town?

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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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Burton Offers $20,000 for Poaching Ski-Only Resorts

Written on December 17th, 2007 at 11:30 am by Bill
Filed Under: Ski News

Photo: Argyleist

On the heals of Taos Ski Valley lifting their snowboarding ban, Jake Burton and Burton snowboards are hoping to ride the momentum and bring snowboarding to ALL ski resorts.

Since Taos gave in, there are now three resorts that do not allow snowboarding: Deer Valley and Alta in Utah, and Mad River Glen in Vermont. All three of these ski resorts pride themselves on their skiing-only culture and appear unwilling to change. Many skiers choose these resorts based on the fact that they can have a ski vacation without snowboarders.

According to Mad River Glen’s website, "To preserve the area’s unique character the shareholders of the Mad River Glen Cooperative chose not to allow snowboards."

Jake Burton believes this is discrimination and Burton Snowboards is offering up $20,000 to bring more awareness to the issue:

There are four [now three] resorts in North America that still don’t allow snowboarding. In the face of this blatant disregard for the Constitution of the United States of America, poaching isn’t simply a peaceful form of protest; it’s truly your patriotic duty. It’s time we take a stand and let these elitists know that it’s not acceptable to discriminate. Power to the poachers!

To fuel the movement, we’re throwing down a $5,000 cash purse per resort video to the person or crew that submits the most creative documentation of their poach experience. Hit all four spots and you could claim $20,000. Deadline for entries is March 1, 2008. Videos should not exceed five minutes and must be in .flv format.

Certainly this is a noble effort by Burton and a pretty sweet contest by Burton but we doubt it’s going to bring any change to the snowboarding stance taken by Deer Valley, Alta and Mad River Glen.

Which ski resort do you think will be the next to cave in and allow snowboarders?

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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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It’s Dumping in Utah

Written on December 8th, 2007 at 07:00 am by Bill
Filed Under: Ski News

The “Greatest Snow on Earth” has been falling on Utah for the last 2 days. Check out the three images above from Snowbird’s SnowCam at various times during the last 24 hours (Snowbird received 20" in the past 24 hours and 24" in the past 48. Looks like they are gonna need a bigger measuring stick.

Here are some of the snow totals for Utah resorts for the past 24/48 hours:

• Alta Ski Resort - 21"/29" (past 24 hours/past 48 hours)
• Brighton Ski Resort - 18"/29"
• The Canyons - 13"/27"
• Deer Valley - 9"/21"
• Park City Mountain - 9"/19"
• Snowbasin - 13"/20"
• Snowbird - 20"/24"
• Solitude - 22"/32"

Currently it continues to snow, there is a HEAVY SNOW WARNING in effect until 4AM Sunday morning. Additional accumulations of 10 to 20 inches are expected by Sunday morning!

Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!

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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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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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Skiing vs. Global Warming

Written on November 16th, 2007 at 11:00 am by Bill
Filed Under: Ski News

We don’t like skiing on dirt - unless it involves excessive drinking, the fourth of July and girls in bikinis - because that sounds like fun.

To keep us from skiing on dirt year-round, ski resorts everywhere are going green. It’s a positive public relations move, it’s a positive move for the environment, and it’s a positive move for the long-term health of the ski industry.

As ski resorts struggle to open by Thanksgiving this year, there is more and more talk about the probable current and future affects of global warming as it relates to skiing. If you live in a ski resort community, you would be hard-pressed to go the month of November without hearing someone bring the topic up.

As of mid-October of this year, there were 61 ski resorts that purchase green energy (solar power, wind power, wave power, geothermal power, etc.) to power their ski lifts and other operations:

Of these 61 resorts, 28 are offsetting 100 percent of their energy use through the purchase of renewable energy credits (RECs). All tolled, these 28 resorts are purchasing 292, 853,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) of green energy and their purchases result in the avoidance of 427,596,000 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2). This is the equivalent of planting nearly 17 million trees or avoiding more than 169,000 round-trip flights between New York and San Francisco.

Green Power Program Continues to Snowball [NSAA.org]

Although those are definitely great numbers, there is definitely room for improvement. We would like to recognize those 28 resorts that have gone the distance and offset 100% of their energy use with green power:

Calif: Alpine Meadows, Boreal Mountain, Soda Springs, Sugar Bowl; Colo: Aspen Highlands, Aspen Mountain, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Buttermilk, Copper Mountain, Crested Butte, Keystone, Snowmass, Vail Mountain, Wolf Creek; Maine: Shawnee Peak, Sugarloaf/USA, Sunday River; Minn.: Buck Hill; Mont. : Moonlight Basin; N.H.: Mount Sunapee; Nev: Heavenly; Ore.: Mt. Ashland; Vt.: Middlebury Ski Bowl, Okemo; Stratton Mountain Wyo.: Grand Targhee, Jackson Hole

Green Power Program Fact Sheet [NSAA.org]

Let’s hope that more ski resorts join the 100% green power club soon - come on, everyone is doing it!

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