The Wonderful World of Skiing

Come Heli-Skiing with myself and Chugach Powder Guides!

2011-12-19T12:32:00.000-08:00

Typical terrain accessed in Girdwood, Alaska.

This coming April Chugach Powder Guides is hosting an Epic Athlete Experience with me! I am so thrilled to have this opportunity. If there was any year to come heli-skiing in Girdwood this is THE YEAR. Girdwood is predicted to receive over 800 inches of snow, and already it has accumulated over 200 inches so I think it's safe to say 800 inches is going to be easy to achieve.
The Athlete Experience is a really cool set-up for clients. The clients get to go heli-skiing with myself, and I'm not acting as a guide or instructor but rather as an athlete so it will be much more relaxed and all about having a great time. We will be based in Girdwood and there is a 5 day or 7 day package available. This year the prices have dropped significantly, so this is the year to take advantage of the deal! I think Girdwood is one of the best possible locations for heli-skiing in the World for so many reasons. First off, Girdwood is one of THE coolest ski towns in the world, with lots of good restaurants (Double Musky here I come!) and interesting people to mingle with. Secondly, if we can't fly we get to go snowcat skiing. CPG recently opened 500 more acres for cat skiing in addition to upgrading to a new, super posh cat, which I have experienced and it's sensational. Thirdly, there is Alyeska Resort, one of the best ski resorts in the world, at your disposal for down days as well. I know the resort by the back of my hand so there will be no dilly-dallying about where to find the goods. But down days in Girdwood with CPG are RARE, only once has a group been unable to get in a helicopter in their 14 year history. No other heli-operation in Alaska has it this good! If this is something that interests you CLICK HERE to view more info on the package. Hopefully I'll being seeing you there!!!

LIVE THE GIRDWOOD HIGH LIFE WITH ELYSE SAUGSTAD

For Elyse Saugstad, the opportunity to share the big mountains of the Chugach Range from the epic ski hub of Girdwood is more than she could ask for. It's a return to her old stomping grounds. Elyse has been taking the competition and film world by storm over the last 6 years, but there's nothing like returning to the Chugach.

Join this unique unique Co-ed week hosted by Elyse with an easy going focus on squeezing as much fun as possible out of these mountains. Come for either 5 or 7 days and grab your backstage pass and have a blast spending the week with these this consummate pro in the mountains and on the town.

This experience isn't about classes or clinics, it's about having a good time with an amazing athlete and ski personality on her home turf, experiencing the best of the Chugach Range and the most fun you can have with the Girdwood experience.

ABOUT ELYSE
Elyse Saugstad is originally from Girdwood, Alaska. She grew up skiing at Alyeska Resort, racing on the Alyeska Ski Team while finding a passion for skiing the big mountains of Alaska. In the past few years Elyse has competed on the Freeride World Tour, claiming the championship in 2008 and the female "Line of the Year" in 2009. In those few years of competing Elyse has won 5 out of the 9 international events she's entered. Elyse's focus has switched to filming, and she has been captured on film in movies by Salomon Freeski TV, Rage Films, Garchois Productions and The Levitation Project. In 2011 she was nominated for Powder Video Awards' "Best Female Performance".

Elyse Saugstad: "I'm blessed to be a professional skier and through my job I want to help inspire other female skiers and push the limits of what women can do."

FEATURES
We've set this package up to fit multiple budgets and schedules and to include the best social experience possible to top off your ultimate ski or snowboard experience. So, we've included all dinners out on the town with Elyse. Shred the mountains, eat and drink well, and catch a good band!

5 Days, 6 nights
Apr 1 - April 8

Single Occupancy - $6550
Double Occupancy - $5600

Includes:
- 50,000 - 60,000 vertical feet of skiing / boarding
- Snowcat backup for no-fly days (optional purchase)
- 6 nights lodging at the Hotel Alyeska
- Round trip transport to and from Anchorage International Airport
- All Dinners
- Lunch on Heli / Snowcat days
- Use of Mammut PULSE Barryvox transceiver

Schedule:
- Arrive Sat., March 31
- Heli / Snowcat ski Sun., April 1 - Sat., April 7
- Depart Sat., April 8

7 Days, 8 Nights
April 1 - April 9, 2011

Single Occupancy - $8950
Double Occupancy - $7825

Includes:
- 80,000 - 1000,000 vertical feet of skiing / boarding
- Snowcat backup for no-fly days
- 6 nights lodging at the Hotel Alyeska
- Round trip transport to and from Anchorage International Airport
- All Dinners
- Lunch on Heli / Snowcat days
- Use of Mammut PULSE Barryvox transceiver

Schedule:
- Arrive Sun., April 1
- Heli / Snowcat ski Mon., April 2 - Fri., April 7
- Depart Sat., April 9

CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE CHUGACH POWDER GUIDES SITE!

Salomon Freeski TV Pacific Northwest Roadtrip Part I

2011-12-08T10:13:00.000-08:00

Holding the world record for snowfall, the bountiful Pacific Northwest of North America is the ideal location for a two-week, no fixed itinerary, powder adventure. Cody Townsend, Leo Ahrens, and myself indulged in one of the the snowiest months of the snowiest year in a decade. This trip was a blast!

If you would like to see this on a larger screen, here is the link: Salomon Freeski TV Pacific Northwest Roadtrip Part I

Yosemite

2011-08-17T15:53:00.000-07:00

If there was any year to visit Yosemite this would be the one. With record snowfall throughout the Sierras the waterfalls and rivers are absolutely raging. I had never been to Yosemite before so it seemed like there was no better time than now to make my way there to see the majestic National Park with Mr. Cody Townsend. Since we didn't make campsite reservations like a year ago there was no way we were going to be able to stay in the park. Plus, Cody has this whole knee injury thing going on so hiking was out. Not a big deal, we camped at the entrance of Tioga Pass and made our way through the park in one whole day. WOW and uber-WOW pretty much sums up my experience in Yosemite. It's amazing. One of the best things to do, FYI, is to bring your cruiser bike with you. When you get to the valley don't bother driving all the way in and sit in traffic. Instead, park your car early on, pull out your bike, and take advantage of the bike trails that run all over the valley to see all the sites. It truly made for a exciting experience! Here are a few pictures attempting to capture the beauty of Yosemite.

Entering Yosemite from the eastern entrance

Entering Yosemite Valley with Bridalveil Falls and Merced River in view

Bridalveil Falls

Parmesan CHEESE!

Bridalveil Falls in force: the spray that was coming off the falls felt like we were in a misting room

A cute cub undisturbed by tourists, where's Mama bear?

Yosemite Falls

Biking to Half Dome

El Capitan on the left, Bridalveil Falls on the right

After a hot day in the sun down in the central valley, horns necessary

4th of July Weekend

2011-07-06T13:19:00.000-07:00

Upper mountain of Squaw looking pretty dang good

Summer took awhile to really kick in here in Tahoe, winter really never wanted to end. In fact, it snowed up high less than a week ago. Because of the record-setting snowfall season Squaw still has a ridiculous amount of snow and was easily able to open for the 4th of July weekend. With the combination of skiing, the Cushing Classic Pond Crossing, concerts, and a 'celebration of life' party there really was no other choice than to celebrate 'Merica's holiday in Squaw. The skiing part was a huge bonus to the weekend. First off, I've never skied on the 4th before and, secondly, the skiing was fantastic. The high energy on the hill was palpable, everyone was having the time of their lives. Anyway, here's a few photos to go along with a most spectacular 4th of July!

Feeling really festive atop the Palisades

It's hard not to pose when you're wearing suits like these

Amie channeling... I'm not sure what exactly but it's freakin' awesome whatever it is

Emily Turner & Alli Donovan as the 'Royal Couple' just about to royally get soaked

The pond crossing probably had the largest crowd it's ever seen

Cody and Ingrid taking their judging job really seriously

Some dude going switch, he ALMOST made it. Must of been the hair that slowed him down!

Big Head Todd & the Monsters concert: not good music but fun to hang for a bit with friends

Chris, Cody, & Danny chillaxing

Pep and Keely were all smiles

What would 4th of July weekend be without fireworks? Tahoe City on the 4th

Salomon Touring Trip in Interior BC Part II

2011-05-02T18:37:00.000-07:00

The Billy Putnum Fairy Meadow Hut.

After a few days at Sentry, we flew into the Fairy Meadow hut deeper in the Selkirks. The first few days were mostly sunny with a stable snowpack so we were able to venture into the high alpine. The terrain was more glacial than Sentry, and it took a bit longer to get to things we wanted to ski. Things definitely got a bit more mountaineer-esque. After some fun-filled 'big' skiing a storm came in. We decided to take a much needed down day or two and watched the snow pile up outside our quaint little cabin. Once the snow accumulation seemed worthy, we headed out to play in the trees and ski some pillows and deep pow. I had a great time to say the least! I've never really skied BC pillows like this before, so I had a wonderful introduction to what pillow skiing is really like. We were lucky to get in high alpine skiing as well as deep pow tree skiing before our trip was over. When you're in this kind of terrain you never know what to expect with the weather. Of course a few things went untouched that I would liked to have skied, but that's the way it generally goes. Too much to ski in too little time! Ultimately the whole touring trip was a positive experience for our group and I don't think we could have asked for anything more. As Chris Rubens dutifully reminds everyone, "It's the time of your life!"

Kim Havell looking for lines at dawn.

The group making our way up the Adamant Glacier.

Kim and I skied the obvious colouir in the middle, also known as the 505.

Making our way through glacier terrain.

Chris Rubens chipping away for some glacial ice for our cocktails later on.

The collage of gear drying by the fire.

Rubens skiing some pillows.

And more pillows...

There is something about Canadians and lighting dead trees on fire. Or maybe it was a strike of lightening. Either way, it always seems to happen when I'm on trips with Canadian boys.

Kim getting some deep pow.

Rubens and, yep, more pillows.

Heading back to the cabin after a long day of deep pow and pillows.

Pistachio eating contest time! How many pistachios can you eat in 30 seconds?

Anthony Bonello and Bruno Long getting ready for some fierce competition. I believe Bruno tied for the record.

Practicing Glacier Crevasse Rescue: Unassisted Prussiking

Chris in a compromising position, haha! But really, it's not easy to get those skis off and not drop them while prussiking.

Salomon Touring Trip in Interior BC Part I

2011-04-06T22:39:00.000-07:00

I think this rainbow I saw on my drive to Golden represented the good luck I was in store for.

Wow, I have been on quite the whirlwind of travels this winter and am having a hard time keeping up with my posts. I'm actually skipping over a trip I took to Idaho and some shooting I did with Voleurz in Whistler, and instead am choosing to dive straight into my Salomon Freeski TV touring hut trip in the Adamants Mountain Range in Interior BC for the purpose of testing the new Salomon touring binding. I really wasn't sure what to expect of the trip. I have never done an actual multi-day touring trip before, let alone a hut trip that you get flown into by a heli. I sort of set my expectations for adversity: long strenuous days of skinning, cold nights in a hut, sharing small spaces with lots of other people, not easy livin' due to things like no running water or electricity, meals that are light, packable, easy and thus ultimately bland... Don't misinterpret me, I can easily go without all these things and actually like stepping away from the ease of modernity, but I just had this vision that it would make things a tad more uncomfortable. Au contraire! The days were REALLY long and tiring, and all those "hardships" existed (minus the bad food), but they really didn't seem so hard at all. In fact, this trip was 100% enjoyable and an experience I am so thankful for receiving. So let's get on with it...

First time for me driving over Roger's Pass... and what a view! My eyes weren't glued to the road like they should have been with the amount of crazy truck drivers there are but rather they were captivated by the glorious mountains that I was surrounded by.

After an 8 hour drive to Golden from Whistler I met up with Salomon team members Kim Havell and Chris Rubens. Rounding out our crew was cameraman Anthony Bonello (b4apres Media), photographer Bruno Long, and guide Greg Franson from Bluebird Guides. We started off with socked in weather, so unfortunately we were unable to leave the staging area and fly into Sentry until 6 pm. At least we got in, but that left us with 2 days of skiing at Sentry instead of 3. Surely that wouldn't be a big deal, but there was so much awesome terrain I was definitely a bit bummed we didn't have more time to ski at Sentry. Luckily the two days we did have were mostly blue. The snow wasn't deep but it was stable and it enabled us to ski pretty much whatever we liked.
One realization when doing a touring trip is you tend to not ski lines that are pushing your limits. I found myself skiing no more than 75% of my capabilities, some runs not even. When you put in multiple hours to ski a line the last thing you want to do is crash, so you tone it down a little. Plus, getting hurt is less of an option, it becomes a bit more of an issue than normal circumstances. But that doesn't mean it's any less fun, you just ski with different intentions.

Kim Havell standing next to our pile of stuff while we waited to get flown into Sentry Lodge.

We had a jolly ol' time at Sentry lodge. There is plenty of accessible terrain right when you leave the lodge, and thus it's not necessary to start slogging away to reach fun stuff to ski. Like I mentioned before, I feel like we were just scratching the surface of what I scoped out and wanted to ski. The lodge itself is pretty cush and nothing like the true hut living that we'd be doing at Fairy Meadow. For example, I had a queen bed and shared a room with only Kim, there were toilets to do #1 in (still have to use the ol' outhouse for #2s), the lodge is spacious and comfy, it has electricity and running water, and there is a stereo system to rock out to. Hmmm... nothing like I expected. After three nights of luxury we jumped on the heli once more to take us deeper into the Adamants to the Fairy Meadow hut. Stay tuned for more on the next leg of the journey...

Round 2 of the heli bringing our group in.

Getting in a heli is ALWAYS exciting, at least according to Chris Rubens and I.

Just one of those purtty views around Sentry Lodge (this is looking to the East).

Kim checking out the view from our bedroom window, not too shabby.

The new and much larger "hut" Sentry Lodge. Apparently the Sentry hut burned to the ground a year ago and this is what replaced it: a lodge. It runs off of self-sustaining hydro-power so that's a bonus.

One of the many sweet faces that Sentry has to offer.

Kim taking a lap through the trees.

Chris and Bruno scoping out the next zone we were headed to.

Chris dropping into a fun line: he's in the upper left corner.

Kim making some sweet turns.

Yes I'm cheesy, but after a 12 hour day of skinning and skiing some rad lines Anthony and I were very stoked.

Greg was not only a great guide but he had a knack for cooking us delicious, healthy/organic meals. For example, those pancakes are orange ginger pancakes. Hard living I tell you.

Our next stop: Fairy Meadow hut next to Adamant Mountain/Glacier up in the far right corner. The mountain shrouded in clouds is Sanford, which is still waiting for a 1st descent.

PNW Salomon Road Trip

2011-03-04T22:07:00.000-08:00

One of the many enticing faces to ski at Mt. Baker.

Come mid-February Salomon had scheduled a Freeski TV road trip in the Pacific Northwest. Accompanied by the superstar Cody Townsend, the youngster Leo Ahrens, the renowned photographer Grant Gunderson, and cameraman extraordinaire Jeff Thomas I was prepared for a fun adventure in search of pow. The PNW is a fairly large area to work with in a region that is infamous for its huge snow pack. As much as it was enticing to start with Whistler as a huge storm was working its way in, we left to Washington with hopes that it was going to get good at Mt. Baker. Baker hadn't seen a substantial storm for over a month so we were taking a bit of a gamble, but lucky for us a storm came in just as we arrived and dumped multiple feet of superb snow. Mt. Baker is another area I had never skied, and it's legendary snowfall and terrain has always left me hoping I'd get a chance to test it's goods. The photos in this post are merely a glimpse to the fun Baker offers.
After a solid 4 days of skiing at Baker I injured myself when I unintentionally punted an air, landed in a compromising position, and gave myself such bad shin-bang I couldn't even walk for several days. It looked like I'd be sitting out for at least the next week. We headed to Stevens Pass and I sat in the hotel room while the guys went and got some of the deepest pow of the season. Then Mark Abma arrived to join the second leg of the road trip and the pow got even deeper at Stevens. After the guys killed it we headed back to Bellingham to regroup and put Leo on a plane home. I managed one day out with the boys doing tree laps at Baker, but my legs ultimately didn't agree and I was sidelined for what looked like the rest of the trip. It snowed a ton the entire time, and the guys were able to hit the notorious Baker road gap. I definitely was bummed I didn't get to join in on the festivities, but I was happily entertained watching Cody and Abma session the jump. Next time!

Cody having a leisurely good time.

Leo putting in his time with the elders. "Leo, fix my bindings!" Nice whippersnapper that Leo.

I like fast pow turns, period.

Leo harnessing the light. The things kids can do these days...

The magnificent Mt. Shuskan.

Jeff Thomas working his magic.

Abma playing in the snow.

My turn to play!

Kapow!

Abma and Cody checking out the beach in Bellingham.

Cody

Abma

Cody

Sled Skiing in Whistler

2011-02-14T17:12:00.000-08:00

Quite a sight atop the Rutherford glacier.

At the end of January I wrapped things up with the 'Run Around' crew and took a road trip to Aspen with Rachael Burks to catch the 2011 Powder Video Awards. After a night of schmoozing and drinking with other skiers that I admire as well as other fun industry people, I promptly made my way to Denver to catch a day of SIA mayhem. Following the whirlwind weekend I made my way back to Salt Lake City to catch the snowstorm that was coming through. I managed to get in a few days of skiing and photos in the ridiculously freezing -25 F temps before I was on the road once again. My ultimate destination was Whistler, but I routed myself through Tahoe for a 24 hour pit stop since I hadn't been home in about a month. Total time spent in a car in one week: 51 hours.

I arrived into Whistler with perfect timing. A fresh storm was finishing up and it popped blue the very next day. I was thrilled to say the least. Like Jackson, I have never really skied in Whistler and it's always been on the MUST SKI list. I headed out to the Rutherford glacier the first two days of blue with Cody Townsend, Jeff Thomas, and Bryn Hughes, and boy was it deep up high! We definitely had some issues with the stability in the snow pack, but we managed to find a few fun things to ski. It was almost a little overwhelming trying to soak it all in, there is so much awesome terrain!

Cody catching a bit of air. Actually A LOT of air. He landed down in the sun-shadow line!

After few days on the Rutherford we headed out to Sprout's in search of a better snow pack at a lower elevation. We found it and thoroughly enjoyed our bell to bell day of skiing. After 3 longs days of clear skies the weather rolled in and allowed us to recuperate. As we waited for the next slaughtering of BC pow, KC Deane rolled into town. Once the wet and heavy storm let up we headed out to a zone filled with an abundance of pillows. We had a great, adventurous day, but it was one of those sledding days that was consumed of sled-digging. We snowmachined for 9 hours and only got in 2 ski runs! The problem was the snow was really heavy and wet at lower elevations, and as we climbed higher to get to the better snow it just got deeper and deeper which made for some pretty tough sledding. Nonetheless, the group stayed positive and we were stoked on the 2 lines we did get to ski. Needless to say my trip to Whistler has exceeded my already high expectations. I think I just might have to head back as soon as possible...

I'm just having a ball!

A view of the Tantalus Mountains.

Nose butter time for Cody.

Catching a flight through a chute.

The snow was as magnificent as Cody makes it look.

Cody getting spinny.

Trying to catch the last bit of light of the day.

KC Deane playing in the extremely deep snow.

KC having fun in the pillows.

Deep. Deep. Deep.

Lining up a run of fun.

Enjoying life is an understatement, even if we spent 6+ hours of sled-digging to get to this point.

The "Run Around" Webisode

2011-02-11T11:21:00.000-08:00

Jackson Hole

2011-01-31T10:25:00.000-08:00

The magnificent view of the Tetons.

After having a spectacular start to the ski season, I was eager to get on the road in search of snow and get to work. This desire to leave Tahoe was metastasized by the fact that Tahoe had turned dry and it seemed that the dismal forecast was going to hold. After a few phone calls I was packing my car, loading up my snowmachine, and heading to Jackson Hole to meet up with the Felton brothers, Corey and Taylor. I was excited to say the least. I haven't skied in the area since my teenage years for ski racing, and not because I didn't have the inclination but rather because I never lucked out in having a project to beckon me to the Tetons. Corey, Taylor, and another buddy, Topher Plimpton, are doing a webisodes ski-sled project this winter called "The Run Around." The plan is to film their snowmobile ski adventures throughout the season, following snow with their huge pop-out trailer and sleds in tow. Fortunate for me they asked me to join them in Jackson.

Corey Felton enjoying untracked pow.

I arrived into Jackson just as a storm was wrapping up. The stormy skies decided to linger, however, and we never saw the sun before the next storm came through. We managed the time with hitting up the backcountry accessed off the resort and sled missions to go scope things out. The last few days of my time in JH the sun broke out on the mountaintops as the fog and clouds persisted down low. The wind that came through with that final storm had quite an effect on the snow, so it wasn't optimum conditions. However, it seems quite rare that everything comes together perfectly when trying to film, so you take it for what it is and just enjoy. To follow "The Runaround" and it's webisodes throughout the winter CLICK HERE, it will definitely be entertaining! To see the webisode that goes with this post CLICK HERE!

Corey getting flippy. Frontwards to be exact.

Topher Plimpton taking a bit of snow in the face.

Sitting atop the cloud layer overlooking the Jackson valley.

I enjoy a bit of speed every now and again.

Corey experiencing a failure on his double. I soon followed with a tomahawk incident of my own in the same zone.

HaHa! Corey's pull handle on his ABS pack got caught in his handle bars (and it was ready to be pulled because he and Toph were putting in a sled track) and next thing he knew his chute was deployed. Well, it works.

Corey catching flight.

The filmer, Austin Gibney, capturing all that is cool, silly, and fun.

Once Topher stomped his huge air he saw no point in making foofoo turns.

Early Winter in Tahoe Backcountry

2011-01-11T09:52:00.000-08:00

A picturesque Lake Tahoe shrouded in fog.

The start to the 2010/2011 winter has been fantastic to say the least. By the beginning of January the Tahoe area had already received 2/3rds of its average annual snowfall! Taking advantage of the killer snowpack has been at the top of my list and heading to the backcountry seemed the logical thing to do. Already I've been out plenty of times snowmobiling and skinning to get to the untracked goods. The pictures accompanying this post is a brief recap of all the fun.

Cody getting in a slasher. It wasn't so deep that day but it sure was buttery smooth.

This zone, Little AK, is quite the playland! I find it amusing that everywhere I ski in the world seems to have a zone named in likeness of Alaska.

Jason Abraham setting up for the shot.

Just a little whore layer forming... so beautiful and sparkly yet SO SCARY.

KC Deane enjoying a little air time.

A snow ghost that I thought looked cool.

Christmas Stocking Stuffers

2010-12-09T19:03:00.000-08:00

WOW, it's been an extremely exciting start to winter with all the snow that has blanketed the entire west coast! From Alaska to Cali to Wyoming the storms have piled up so much snow that I get goose bumps just thinking about it. Then I start thinking about Christmas because it's always a better holiday when you get to play in the white stuff! It even makes the holiday shopping seem a bit more fun (or less evil if you view X-mas shopping the way my man does) when it includes ski/snowboard gear to go play in the snow with.

So, I thought that since I'm one of THOSE people who actually likes to shop for Christmas I might as well put together a list of great stocking stuffers for others who could use a few ideas. To make it even EASIER you can click on the item and it will take you straight to the place to buy it...

1. ARCADE BELT
This belt is the most functional belt you can wear for skiing, snowboarding, or any other action sport you can think of, it's cool looking and it's cheap. There is nothing like it out there! I personally got sick of wearing a leather belt when I ski: it doesn't fit well and it warps with exposure to the elements of weather. I know this belt is new to the market so get it while it feels uber-exclusive to have one.

2. SMARTWOOL SOCKS
Socks are fairly cliche to give as a Christmas present. However, if you're giving the best pair of ski socks possible it's actually a great gift. A huge misnomer with sock giving is the notion that the more cushion a sock has, the more comfortable they become. However, it's the contrary. In fact, my feet go numb the more space that is taken up in my boots which ultimately leads to colder feet, no thank you! This particular pair of PHD ultra light Smartwool socks are comfortable, optimal sweat regulators and stink less than your average sock (all of these reasons are because they are made of Merino Wool). Since I discovered these socks I won't wear anything else.

3. HESTRA MITTENS/GLOVES
Warm hands equals an ability to take one more run, and who wouldn't want that?! Hestra gloves and mittens have the most amazing fit, use the most nubile leather (which, consequently, goes easier on the nose for those quick wipes of dribble), and keep your hands warmer than other brands, which are all things your hands deserve. No joke, those little Hottie hand warmers were my best friend until I discovered Hestra mittens. Now, those poor things are dis-regarded like a old, broken ex-boyfriend.

4. SALOMON HELMET
A new helmet is always a great gift, and although it may not fit well in a stocking it's a hard gift to pass up with all the new bells and whistles that are included in helmets these days. Sure, you may think you or anyone else doesn't need any added features to something that is about safety but when those extras are about comfort and enjoying your day that much more, why not?! When Salomon asked me to help design my very own pro-model helmet I quickly obliged, now I could get exactly what I wanted in a helmet. First off, I need to have the option of music and this helmet is I-Pod ready. No more fumbling with headphones, the speakers are built right into the earpieces (and they are removable as well). Helmets don't always fit perfect but because this helmet is equipped with a custom air-pump system it allows for the exact fit you desire. Plus, the lining is super soft and cushy, no more irritated skin from the harsh weather combined with your helmet straps. One other great feature of this helmet is the Greek themed graphics, which is a nice change from the typically plain and boring brain bucket. For the guys, Cody Townsend's Salomon helmet also fits the bill. That helmet has the same sweet features but with a California-redwood tree-bear inspired graphic and a removable visor.

5. BEACON, SHOVEL, PROBE
This is not a glamorous gift, but that doesn't mean it isn't worth a thousand words. This gift screams, "Hey, I care about you enough I really want you to live!" Don't forgo the shovel and probe, because that person may not only need to find you in an avy but they're also going to need the ability to dig you up. A beacon is truly only half the equation when it comes to being fully prepared and equipped for backcountry skiing and snowboarding.

4. AVALANCHE SAFETY CERTIFIED COURSE
Everyone that ventures into the backcountry should take an avalanche course. Even though you or your friend/significant other may have experience going into the backcountry, avalanche courses give one a healthy dose of reminders and invaluable information. This gift is also not sparkly and dazzling, but life is precious and is more worthy than any piece of jewelry.

Come Heli-Skiing With Me In Alaska!

2010-11-18T14:20:00.000-08:00

Typical terrain accessed in Girdwood, Alaska.

This coming April Chugach Powder Guides is hosting an Epic Athlete Experience with me! I am very excited to have this opportunity. I get to go heli-skiing with clients, not as a guide but as an athlete so it will be much more relaxed and all about having a great time. We will be based in Girdwood and there is a 5 day or 7 day package available. I think Girdwood is one of the best possible locations for heli-skiing in the World for so many reasons. First off, Girdwood is one of the coolest towns in Alaska, with lots of good restaurants (Double Musky here I come!) and interesting people to mingle with. Secondly, if we can't fly we get to go snowcat skiing. CPG recently opened 500 more acres for cat skiing in addition to upgrading to a new, super posh cat, which I have experienced and it's sensational. Thirdly, there is Alyeska Resort, one of the best ski resorts in the world, at your disposal for down days as well. I know the resort by the back of my hand so there will be no dilly-dallying about where to find the goods. But down days in Girdwood with CPG are fairly rare, only once has a group been unable to get in a helicopter in their 14 year history. No other heli-operation in Alaska has it this good! If this is something that interests you CLICK HERE to view more info on the package. Hopefully I'll being seeing you there!!!

LIVE THE GIRDWOOD HIGH LIFE WITH ELYSE SAUGSTAD

For Elyse Saugstad, the opportunity to share the big mountains of the Chugach Range from the epic ski hub of Girdwood is more than she could ask for. It's a return to her old stomping grounds. Elyse has been taking the competition and film world by storm over the last 5 years, but there's nothing like returning to the Chugach.

Join this unique unique Co-ed week hosted by Elyse with an easy going focus on squeezing as much fun as possible out of these mountains. Come for either 5 or 7 days and grab your backstage pass and have a blast spending the week with these this consummate pro in the mountains and on the town.

This experience isn't about classes or clinics, it's about having a good time with an amazing athlete and ski personality on her home turf, experiencing the best of the Chugach Range and the most fun you can have with the Girdwood experience.

ABOUT ELYSE
Elyse Saugstad is originally from Girdwood, Alaska. She grew up skiing at Alyeska Resort, racing on the Alyeska Ski Team while finding a passion for skiing the big mountains of Alaska. In the past few years Elyse has competed on the Freeride World Tour, claiming the championship in 2008 and the female "Line of the Year" in 2009. In the past two years Elyse has won 5 out of the 9 international events she's entered. Elyse has been captured on film in movies by Rage Films, Garchois Productions and The Levitation Project and will hopes to continue to film in the future.

Elyse Saugstad: "I'm blessed to be a professional skier and through my job I want to help inspire other female skiers and push the limits of what women can do."

FEATURES
We've set this package up to fit multiple budgets and schedules and to include the best social experience possible to top off your ultimate ski or snowboard experience. So, we've included all dinners out on the town with Elyse. Shred the mountains, eat and drink well, and catch a good band!

5 Days, 6 nights
April 3 - April 9

Single Occupancy - $7470
Double Occupancy - $6870

Includes:
- 50,000 - 60,000 vertical feet of skiing / boarding
- Snowcat backup for no-fly days
- 6 nights lodging at the Hotel Alyeska
- Round trip transport to and from Anchorage International Airport
- All Dinners
- Lunch on Heli / Snowcat days
- Use of Mammut PULSE Barryvox transceiver

Schedule:
- Arrive Sun., April 3
- Heli / Snowcat ski Mon., April 4 - Friday, April 8
- Depart Sat., April 9

7 Days, 8 Nights
April 2 - April 10, 2011

Single Occupancy - $9969
Double Occupancy - $8869

Includes:
- 80,000 - 1000,000 vertical feet of skiing / boarding
- Snowcat backup for no-fly days
- 6 nights lodging at the Hotel Alyeska
- Round trip transport to and from Anchorage International Airport
- All Dinners
- Lunch on Heli / Snowcat days
- Use of Mammut PULSE Barryvox transceiver

Schedule:
- Arrive Sat., April 2
- Heli / Snowcat ski Sun., April 3 - Sat., April 9
- Depart Sun., April 10

CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE CHUGACH POWDER GUIDES SITE!

City Time in SF, NYC & Philly

2010-11-09T21:06:00.000-08:00

GO Giants!

This fall has been packed with lots fun of activities and travels. So much I've been terrible about updating my website. Back in September Cody took me to a Giants-Dodgers game for my birthday. The game was a blast- the Dodgers are the Giants' biggest nemesis and their rivalry is one of the best in the league. Needless to say SF smoked LA. A month later I found myself back in SF for a NLCS playoff game against the Phillies, which they won in the 9th inning- thrilling to say the least! If I had a list of top ten things you have to do in life going to a playoff game would be one of them. The electricity and excitement in the stadium is more than palpable! It feels like you are at one with the 40,000+ other fans surrounding you who are absolutely going nuts. The next day I got on a flight and headed to the East Coast.

NYC

I headed back East to visit some friends and meet up with Cody while he was doing MSP's 'The Way I See It' east coast movie tour. He nor I have ever spent any time in any of the major east coast cities, and having 5 days in New York City was something I had been anticipating for awhile. NYC didn't let us down at all. In fact, 5 days didn't seem long enough to take it all in, however, my bank account would disagree. There is so much to see and do in NYC our heads were spinning. We definitely knocked off the touristy things like the Empire State building, the financial district, Central Park, shopping, eating at fantastic restaurants and indulging in New York pizza (Oh my goodness there is nothing like it, and whynot?! It's SO DAMN GOOD!), hitting up the nightlife at bars that aren't even marked, hitting up clubs in the Meatpacking District, and endless hours of walking around the city... At the end of our NYC jaunt we headed back to Philadelphia to spend time with our good Tahoe friends Samantha and Max and run some "Rocky" stairs.

The views from atop the Empire State building are amazing!

There is no shortage of taxis in NYC.

You can't help but be cheesy when being a complete touron!

fall in Central Park = a barrage of stunning colors

No matter what your age F.A.O. Schwartz is a playland for all. Unfortunately we didn't get any time on the "Big" piano due to a handful of children going bonkers playing on it, we were bummed to say the least.

NYC MSP movie premiere night: hanging with my Alaskan buddy Josh, Bobby Brown, Michael Clarke, myself, and Cody.

The enthusiasm by Asian tourists is unmatched, especially when it comes to taking photos. This has always been Cody and mine's inspiration for our tourist photos. When Cody and I were back in Philly we decided to bike around town and go run up the infamous "Rocky" stairs. While I was holding our bikes while Cody did some sprint laps the Asian tourists bombarded me wanting to take photos with me- it was amazing! For some reason I must have fit the bill for a great photo op and they lined right up. Priceless.

ESPN Say My Name Photo Gallery

2010-11-03T13:06:00.000-07:00

Last year, during the 2009-2010 ski season, I spent a few days shooting with the Say My Name crew. ESPN has put together a photo gallery of the female skiers who participated. CLICK HERE to check out photos by Austin Holt, Stan Evans, and Erik Seo.

ESPN Skiing Argentina Article

2010-09-27T13:34:00.000-07:00

ESPN Skiing Online recently posted a little write-up and photo gallery on Sweetgrass Productions trip in Argentina, which I was a part of. CLICK HERE to see the article and gallery of photos by Jay Beyer.

Argentina Part II

2010-09-01T14:57:00.000-07:00

Just can't contain the excitement to be back at Cerro Cathedral in Bariloche.

In my last post I finished by saying that over a meter of snow was expected to hit the Bariloche area, where I had just relocated from Las Lenas with the Sweetgrass Productions crew. Heck yeah! And then it started to snow. Well, the storm came in wet and poured rain at the bottom, making us terribly anxious since it renders one unable to ski. And why couldn't we ski? Because it's Argentina. I love Argentina, but if you even whisper the word wind they'll shut down just about everything, except a few bottom lifts, and skiing in a monsoon is not so pleasurable. Even if we were to skin to a higher elevation than the running lifts and up to the snow, starting off in the rain just doesn't work. So we decided to party. In Alaska you drink it blue, and in Argentina you drink it white! It worked. The temperature dropped and the snow kept coming. In fact it pounded. By the time the storm was finished it had snowed between 3 - 4 meters up high (10-13 feet) and a meter at the bottom. Holy cow did we hit the jackpot! The 10 days we had in Bariloche were fabulous. A summation: an entertaining group of people to hang out and ski with + delicious food + tasty wine + a couple of really late nights with fernet + two full blue pow days at the end = a spectacular ski trip to finish off the month of August. My next stop is my return to Lenas for my camp with Zekeseven Adventure. The fun never ends!

We went exploring on one of our down days while it stormed up above, it's amazing how much this place looks like the Pacific Northwest/Southeast Alaska.

I'm pretty sure they're looking at a picture of a naked lady, those smiles give it all away. Down days unhinge a skier from saneness like a carbonated drink being shook up and opened.

And then it was dumping... Will Cardamone waiting to drop in.

It only makes sense to include party pics from a trip to Argentina, because that's half of the experience. Picture taken with Squaw buddy, Michelle Parker, at about 5 am. I promise we were more hammered than we look (well, I'm impressed that we're not all cross-eyed by this time in the morning).

At about 2 am the rain switched to snow, but the dancing continued until they kicked us out. At 6 am our crew was as stoked as a firepit at a BBQ festival to be leaving in a swathe of white.

Chris Erikson getting whitewashed, the good kind.

It's an okay view when the mountains and trees are covered in snow, the sky is blue, and the lake is glimmering. Just okay.

Will demonstrating how much fun lots of snow is to play in.

Jay Breyer, our photog, was all smiles!

Chris laying down a fast, fun run.

Chris initiating a slasher. The backdrop wants to make me gag- it's just so dang pretty.

It's just a simple turn but dang, the snow was so good and the backdrop is so spectacular.

Argentina Part I

2010-08-20T14:27:00.001-07:00

Las Lenas, always a beautiful sight but looking a bit on the bare side for this time of year.

On August 11th I said goodbye to my sandals, jumped on a plane with luggage full of winter gear, and headed to the southern hemisphere in search of snow. Actually, truth be told I wasn't really going to be on a mission in "search" of snow as I was suppose to spend my entire month in Las Lenas. But as we skiers crave the powder oh how things can change. The first part of my trip was to meet up with Sweetgrass Productions and get in some skiing with them for their project on South America. We met up alright, but the conditions this year in Lenas are appalling. For example, most of the terrain that is accessed right off the Marte lift has been/still is closed, proving to be a very frustrating experience for anyone who knows what they are missing out on. I still had hope though, as did the Sweetgrass crew, because right after my arrival a storm arrived, perfect timing! The moment it went blue we energetically headed out to the backcountry accessed part of Lenas. It was a beautiful day, but the snow was ankle deep. The storm proved to be underwhelming.

Will Cardamone enjoying a run in Cerro Martin.

After a hearty discussion it seemed that the only reasonable thing to do was to head down south to Bariloche, where a storm looked to be a brewing. The next morning we packed our cars (which was an amazing feat in itself as the cars are so small and we have so much gear) and set ablaze on Route 40 with a sense of excitement brought on by the tantalizing thoughts of deep powder. The drive, though long, is absolutely mesmerizing. For example, there are the Andes to the west and volcanoes peppering the whole stretch, and sometimes the Earth seemed as though its landscape was carved into the resemblance of the Moon's. Of course there are tons of cattle, sheep, and goats along the way, but if you pay attention you will also see intriguing creatures such as the flamingo... my eyes were glued to the window the whole time!
We made it to Bariloche and the storm is hitting even harder than we anticipated. Over a meter is expected, and it's suppose to storm all week. That will be the next update so stay tuned...

Packed up and leaving Lenas, Bariloche here we come!

The stunning sights along the way made for no-brainer pit stops and play time.

The Rio Grande

The rock up close.

An interesting juxtaposition: flamingos in the middle of the Argentine desert.

Volcanoes can be seen on the entire drive.

Just another magnificent sunset in Argentina, seems to be quite the norm down here.

Invincibles Trailer

2010-08-12T10:13:00.000-07:00

This past winter I had the chance to film with Garchois Productions, a french company, for a few weeks in Les Arcs, France. It was a great experience! Here is the trailer for the movie.

Alaskan Summer Adventures Part III

2010-07-25T21:03:00.000-07:00

Going in deep with our guide Brad.

During our 2 week trip to Alaska Cody and I decided to break up our bountiful fishing adventures with some river rafting. We headed to 6 Mile Creek and met up with our buddy, Brad Cosgrove, and the NOVA rafting company crew. The river was running high, so high that we hadn't been able to go the week before because it was over the limit. Cody and I were excited to say the least, the more hair-raising the experience the better, no?! But a high river also meant that the water was going to be FRIGID. All that extra water was coming from the hundreds of inches of snow melting off the mountains. Brutal. I sound like a sissy but I'm telling you it was REALLY cold water and as the pictures demonstrate, we were taking a lot of it on. Holy cow we had a blast! There are three canyons that you raft through, and they're loaded with class IV and V rapids. Thanks so much NOVA! The crew were all really friendly and bad ass, which is a great combo in my book for a guided service. If you head to Alaska during the summer and are looking for an adrenaline filled experience go rafting with NOVA. It's totally worth it! CLICK HERE to check them out.

This was another group in the water with us. I don't know them but this picture is worth a thousands words, or maybe just a particular two- OH SHIT!

There's always another rapid coming up, hence Cody's happy face.

Going deep...

There's nothing quite like front row view when rafting, not that I can see much here.

Yeah! The fun never stops!

This rapid must have been so good it turned me into a Japanese anime character.

*Thanks to NOVA for providing these pictures

Alaskan Summer Adventures Part II

2010-07-21T12:18:00.001-07:00

Hiking in to go fishing.

An Alaskan summer trip isn't complete without a fair amount of time devoted to fishing. Not that you have to twist my or Cody's arm to do so. In fact, it's one of the main reasons why we make the summer pilgrimage to a land best known in our world for its epic skiing. To the average tourist we must of looked silly on our plane flight up, between Cody and I we had 5 fishing rods (3 fly and 2 traditional casting) hanging off our backpacks and 6 reels tucked in our bags! With further inspection of the two of us we must have also looked very confident: we were lugging along a big, empty cooler that was waiting to be filled with fish for the trip back. This summer the fishing was on the tougher side, the fish were finicky and the most of the runs were down making catching fish for the idle nearly impossible. Sure, Alaska is teeming with it's wildlife but like anything else in the cycle of life the fish ebb and flow (pun intended). We were determined though. We put in our time and hard work and it paid off. We caught plenty of red salmon, a king each, and a few trout. For the trip home we actually needed a second cooler, not too shabby.

Amazingly this is the Russian River. If you hike far enough you can escape the crowds.

These little suckers sure are pretty.

Cody bringing in a Sockeye...

And now playing with his food. Air guitar to be exact.

My loot.

Cody filleting up the fish before we head back. Now this is what you call deliciously fresh sushi.

Yeah! Fishing in AK!

Cody happy to bring in his King Salmon.

And this is my King... it's tradition in the Saugstad family for the women to catch the biggest fish. Not going to complain about that good luck!

Check out the airtime the fish is catching during it's attempt to swim up the falls! And in this video I took... it's pretty awesome to watch the salmons' determination and skill to make it. All in the name of procreation.

Alaskan Summer Adventures Part I

2010-07-12T11:33:00.000-07:00

The beautiful scenic drive along the Turnagain Arm from Anchorage to Girdwood at midnight

Once again it was that special time of year to head to Alaska for the annual family visit and fish trip. This particular year we tried to optimize our two weeks of king and red salmon fishing by arriving to the last frontier at solstice. We fished our little hearts out, but we did lots of other fun things as well. We started off with some nice weather and golf with my parents for Father's Day. We also boated, rafted, floated, camped, played with fire, blew up things, stayed up wayyyy too late every night because it's so light out, and everything else in between. The infinite light gives you lots of energy to Go Go Go! Here is the first update of photos...

Golfing with my Dad, Mark, on Father's Day

Cody getting a little light headed

Floating and fishing the Upper Kenai River with our pal, Nick Thomson.

The sun sets so late it's understandable when things get a little retarded, well, that's my excuse anyway.

The great thing is there are 4 more firework stands just like this one across the street and next door. Fireworks are one of the best inventions EVER. Oh I love Alaska.

Hanging out with hippies at the Girdwood Forest Fair, I've been doing it since I was a kid.

More Fun From Baja

2010-06-14T10:13:00.001-07:00

Avy, relaxing at the beach

Hanging out with Frida in San Jose del Cabo

The "other view" in Baja

Going for that Baywatch photo, but I now realize a rash guard still covers up too much skin

Cody "living it up at the Hotel California, such a lovely place..."

A beautiful night of full moon bravado from our deck

There is every reason to smile when spending time in Mexico

BAJA!

2010-06-06T22:04:00.000-07:00

Cody surfing Zippers

At the end of the ski season I headed down to San Jose del Cabo, Mexico with Cody for our annual de-thawing surf vacation. This time of year the East Cape of Baja sees a ton of swell, which is a great way to get into sufing shape for the summer real quick like. Not only did we have great surf, wonderfully warm weather, and plenty of cervezas to keep us refreshed, we also had a slew of other ski/snowboard buddies in the same area code with the same intentions. It made for a heck of a good time!

Oh I'm happy alright- Beach, check. Bikini, check. Beer, check. Relaxing between surf sessions, priceless.

Chris Benchetler getting some at La Roca.

Pep Fujas writing love letters, as you can see it's a fairly inspiring place.

Cody working on impressing his lady. I dig it.

Hanging at Las Olas, a place overrun with Squaw locals.

Plenty of animals to see in and out of the water.

The FUN crew hanging out on the East Cape: Chris, Kimmy Fasani, myself, Cody & Pep

Come Freeskiing with me in Las Lenas!

2010-05-17T14:24:00.000-07:00

What a spectacle, Las Lenas

At the end of the summer most pros, ski bums and just plain ol' ski enthusiasts alike start to fiend for snow no matter how great their summer is going. I am no exception. Even as I find myself still thawing out from this past winter and look forward to spending a good amount of time in the ocean surfing, I am already eagerly planning my summer "winter" escape. This summer I have come across a unique opportunity to be a hostess/guide/coach/someone to ski with that will inspire one to try new things on skis at Las Lenas, Argentina. Skiing in Argentina in the summer is the best! The Freeski Las Lenas camp that I am hostessing is put on by Zekeseven, a European company. This particular camp is going to be a lot of fun, and there are plenty of reasons why. First off, one of the ideas of this camp is it will be very hands on, and the concept is that we will be emulating what it's like to be a pro skier. We will have a cameraman that will be with us, and I as the pro will be leading the group and giving the inside knowledge, aka tricks of the trade, to making a ski film. We will be putting together our very own ski movie. The cameraman will be Laurent Jamet, who is the producer/filmer of Garchois Productions, the French film company that I worked with this year on the upcoming movie Invincibles. This is not typical of a camp! The next great reason that is also not ordinary and I am rightfully thrilled about is at the end of the ski portion of the camp we will head to Mendoza wine country for 2 days of wine tasting and relaxing at Bodega Salentein. Third, the camp guests will be staying at the very poshy Virgo Hotel, a 5 star hotel that is a skip away from the lifts. So what more could you ask for in a big mountain ski camp? One of the world's top ski resorts with endless runs to ski- check! Great Argentinian food (beef) and wine (Malbec)- check! An experienced cinematographer to shoot us- check! Really nice accommodations- check! And a fun person leading the way (me!)- check! Sounds like a fabulous experience! I couldn't be more happy to be included, and if you are interested in joining this adventure in South America click HERE.

A few pictures from my last visit to Las Lenas in 2008...

SOOO many great options to ski around Lenas, this is just one of them

A sharky run, you can get as hairy as you like at Lenas

When the powder gets tracked the wind-buff is wonderful skiing, not to mention the lack of crowds

Did I mention already the abundance of skiing that is accessed by the Resort?!

I heard a little birdie say we might get in a helicopter as well. Oh the potential...

Spring, I Mean Powder, Skiing at Squaw

2010-05-07T14:35:00.000-07:00

Apparently Tahoe wasn't prepared for a huge storm at this time of year, road maintenance was not keeping up with the storm!

I got back from Alaska just in time to get in some final days of warm, spring skiing. But no! Instead I came back to a huge storm that dumped several feet of snow up high. Crazy! It was great to get in a few final pow days of the season, especially at the very end of April. It felt a bit like January, strange.

Quincy Young enjoying Mother Nature's spring gift

Come on Squaw, these lift lines are ridiculous, enough with the money hold! Give you pass holders the respect they deserve, without them you wouldn't be sustainable!

Me. Skiing. Typical.

The classic line-up on the Palisades

Alyeska Resort in April

2010-04-25T18:52:00.000-07:00

The gorgeous view of Cook Inlet from Alyeska. In my opinion it's one of the best views if not THE best of any ski resort in the world. You've got the ocean (and in this picture it is at low tide) at one side of the valley, a resort at another, and the remaining area is surrounded by beautiful mountains and glaciers.

Being a sponsored athlete of my hometown resort, Alyeska, I was given the opportunity to head up to Alaska and get in the last throws of winter once I returned from France. I was pretty excited about this, Alyeska was on its way to breaking 800 inches of snowfall. In the beginning the weather was full of precipiation- snow on top and rain on the bottom. Something to be expected in April when the temps start to warm up, the base of the resort is at sea level after all. Nonetheless, as long as it was snowing up high the rain wasn't much of a factor. After a week the sun finally broke and I was able to work with local photographer, Simon Evans, to do some photos for Alyeska. Fortunately, the Resort was really helpful and willing to cater to our needs- access to closed terrain where we wouldn't be competing with the crowds. This ended up with us hiking up Center Ridge and dropping back into Glacier Bowl, thus skiing terrain that hasn't been open for at least the last 3 years. So lucky! It was sooo steep and the snow was sooo good, those few runs were definitely the highlight of my trip up north. Ohhh Alaska. The BEST place on earth to ski.

Scott Hillard, one of the Alyeska patrollers who assisted us while shooting, getting in a fun run after us. What a great job to have! And lots of thanks to the Alyeska Patrol!!!

The top of Chair 6

Christmas Chute and the North Face are right behind me

Cody is all smiles for plenty of reasons. He decided to stick around and get in some more great skiing after his film trip with MSP was over, which apparently was THE film trip of his life. Can't wait to see his segment with Henrik in next year's movie!

Alyeska's annual Slush Cup - with the sun comes the crowds!

Someone taking a digger. This particular pond crossing is 3/4ths gapers so it makes for a great show!

So many good reasons to bring out the cheesiness!

A Day in Annecy

2010-04-19T09:17:00.000-07:00

At the end of my month long adventure in Switzerland and France I left the mountains to spend my last day in the beautiful city of Annecy. I love it when I have the opportunity to take a day in my travels abroad to experience a bit of culture. Annecy has all the touches to make it an ideal place for a tourist to visit: a charming, old part of town strewn with cobblestone streets, beguiling rivers flowing throughout, a mesmerizing lake nestled right between the city and mountains, and great French Savoie food to tease your palate with. Here are a few images from my enchanting day...

April in Les Arcs with Garchois Productions

2010-04-03T04:35:00.000-07:00

Mont Blanc as seen from Les Arcs

After the Verbier Xtreme I headed to Les Arcs, France to meet up with Garchois Productions to film. I had not skied in France yet this year, so I was eagerly anticipating these past few weeks. Additionally, I had never skied at Les Arcs Paradiski. I always find it amusing when a hotel or resort claims to be a slice of heaven, but this place really lives up to its self-proclamation. There is SO much terrain around Les Arcs, and I feel a bit guiltly talking about it because the locals told me not to, but I can't help myself. This place rocks! It's SO huge and has SO much to offer. As a bonus, since I've arrived storm after storm has swept through and blanketed the mountains with heaps of fresh snow. It's one thing to ski at an area and only see the potential due to bad conditions, but it's a whole other ballgame when you get to step up to the plate and try it out yourself! I've been a kid in a candy store. And yep, I got in a helicopter a few times as well, which is actually illegal in France. Heli-skiing is forbidden. Even though we were not flying to peaks outside of the resort, we were doing something that isn't the norm. So yeah, this trip is going pretty good. And to think I've got almost another week left...

Thibault Jurie Des Camiers getting in a little cornice action

An adult toy that is so much fun to play with

Herve Gouy standing atop his line

Standing in front of Aguille Rouge

I love this vision: only my tracks down a huge face, and only 1000+ more meters of untracked pow ahead of me...

Thibaud Duchosal setting off a little slough

Thibaud finishing off his line with some airtime

A nice view of a gigantic snowflake

Photos and Fun from the 2010 Verbier Xtreme

2010-03-31T02:19:00.000-07:00

Julia Mancuso and I taking in the hoopla onstage for the bib draw

This year I competed for the third time in the Freeride World Tour final event, the Verbier Xtreme. The electricity that runs through Verbier during this event has that extra wattage that just makes it really special and thrilling to experience. This year was also extra special due to the 15 year Anniversary of the Xtreme, and in accordance the majority of the past winners came to join in on the week of festivities.

The Women Ski Competitors: Jackie Passo (USA), Ane Enrud (NOR), Jess McMillan (USA), Eva Walkner (AUS), Janette Hargin (SWE), myself (USA) and Julia Mancuso (USA)

Unfortunately I crashed in my run. What a bummer! But it happens. The men got most of the way through their comp that Saturday but the weather came in and shut things down. Ultimately they were forced to postpone their event for a few days. Lucky for me I used this to my advantage and I persuaded the organization to allow me to ski right after the men whenever their event was to take place. Being able to do this run completely made up for my crash, I was absloutely tickled that I threw down a solid run. Let me explain, there are several reasons it was a big deal that I got to ski directly after the men. First off, I had never skied the Bec proper so this was a personal triumph, to not only ski the Bec but ski it well, especially for my first time. Secondly, the women's venue was moved off the top of the Bec and to the shoulder last year. There are a few of us who are not happy with this predicament and are trying to persuade the organization to let us back to the top. Thus, doing my run was a statement that we women can ski the Bec well and belong on that face for competition. Hopefully next year!!!

Part of the Men's Ski bib draw: J.T. Holmes, Cody Townsend, Phil Meier, Jeremie Heitz and Stefan Hausl

This year the Verbier Xtreme celebrated its 15 year Anniversary. It was pretty cool to join this troop of legends.

The infamous face of Death

Media interview with the past Xtreme winners. There is so much hype surrounding this event it is really exciting and totally overwhelming.

Ashley and Heather Call (Alaska buddies!) relaxing in the VIP area during the event. Ashley competed on this face many times, and he won with a killer run in 2000.

The Men's Winner, Kaj Zackrisson!!! This was his 3rd win on the Bec. Will he be back for more? He says he just wants focus on skiing powder. We'll have to see come next March...

The Men's Snowboard Winner and my favorite run of the day, Xavier De Le Rue. CLICK HERE to see his amazing run!

The party in Verbier after the Xtreme is always a blast, which is demonstrated by the smiling faces of my Tahoe buddies Cody, Julia and J.T. in the wee hours of the night.

A perk in Verbier: the bakery having a secret window open for people in need of a pain au chocolat at 4 am.

Video of the Verbier Xtreme's History

2010-03-24T11:45:00.000-07:00

This year marked the 15th anniversary of the infamous Verbier Xtreme. In celebration of its past, the organization put together a video of its highlights. I am very honored to be a part of this special history, I won the Xtreme in 2008. This video has some amazing footage!

That rock was darn heavy!

Chamonix - l'Aiguille du Midi

2010-03-17T12:15:00.000-07:00

The infamous l'Aiguille du Midi

I have found myself once again in Europe, but this time I have come to the west side of the Alps. The first purpose of business is to compete in the Verbier Xtreme, which I am totally thrilled to ski. On my first day of arrival I headed to Chamonix to hang for a day. Lucky enough, my fellow Salomon teammate, Chris Reubens, had one more day in Cham before he was to head off to Morrocco. Neither of us had been up the Aiguille du Midi, and we figured that since it was such a beautiful day it was the perfect time to check it out. The Aiguille is anything but short of impressive, another feat by Europeans to build something in a place that seems inconceivable. The Aiguille holds the record as the highest vertical ascent cable car in the world, from 1,035 m to 3,842 m. Once atop the view is amazing! The touristy/normal way to ski down the Vallee Blanche is 17 kms long. Even though it is really flat and all but challenging to ski the normal route, Chris and I enjoyed our ski safari down immensely. The views were breathtaking! Now onto Verbier for the ultimate freeride competition in the world... Stay tuned!

Chris Reubens and I enjoying our first experience atop the Aiguille

A partial view of Chamonix

It's amazing and dumbfounding where Europeans have built in the Alps

Just, you know, another one of those beautiful views from above...

Enjoying the ski safari

Following Chris while taking in the sights

Um, and more glacier

Typical Euro sighting- speed flying

The Euro way- enjoying a beer halfway down

Another Few Days in Utah...

2010-03-12T22:06:00.001-08:00

Our destination: Mt. Raymond

This past week I found myself back in Utah with the goal of getting some still photos. The last few days have been action packed with lots of skinning, hiking, standing around while waiting for the light, skiing pow, hanging out with my Utah buddies and watching Chad's Gap get hit by Mike Wilson and crew.

Beautiful scenery on our lengthy skin to Mt. Raymond

Jamey Parks checking his line while waiting for a break in the clouds

Mike Wilson sending it over Chad's

Jesse Hall doing the perfect lawn dart

Austria Part II

2010-03-02T18:40:00.000-08:00

A little pillow here, a little pillow there = FUN

After waiting for five days for some fresh snow we finally got some, about 30 cms to be exact. Apparently we had great dumb luck when we choose this valley for our trip, it seems that when a storm from the southwest comes through Austria the Defereggental Valley usually gets the brunt of it. Since the first day of new snow was going to be a cloudy, stormy day we decided to stick to the trees and do the unique experience of tractor skiing. What fun! The tractor has a sleigh attached to haul people up a snow covered road, and most utilize the tractor to reach the restaurant/hut at the top and then go tobaggin sledding down the road. It's pretty awesome when you have fantastic pillow skiing to yourself. At the end of our day we switched it up to the sleds and raced each other to the bottom after having some locally-brewed schnapps and beer, typical Austrian style.

Cody in playland

The next day went blue so we headed up the resort to see what we could find. What we found was avalanches on every aspect all over the valley, and then the wind kicked in as the morning progressed so going up high was completely out of the question. We were able to find a small zone that worked fine (the snow was quite nice), but by the end of the day the avalanche conditions became worse. We completely anticipated this and worked with the conditions accordingly, but when I ended up propogating a substantial slide we decided to call it for the day. No need to put ourselves in anymore danger. That just about sums up our sweet little trip to Austria. Good skiing, good beer and good friends equals great times!

The tractor that gets us up to the goods

I don't mind making powder turns

Cody logging in some airtime

Hmmm... which sled looks the fastest?!

Getting ready for some sledding

Cody bringing out his dorky side, the GoPro cameras have a knack for that

Saucer sledding was a great way to kill downtime

Austria = Beer

Cody making pow turns the Euro way

A quaint little village in a dangerous canyon

As you can see, natural slides eluded no faces

Ben, the cameraman, also enjoying the pow

At the beginning of my slide, you can see it propagating around me

The outcome...

Contemplating our trip. Well... we had a blast!

Austria Part I

2010-02-16T05:05:00.000-08:00

Aline Bock checking out our competition venue before our hike up

After leaving Utah, having a day to do my laundry and pack my bags, I found myself on an early flight to Munich with the ultimate destination being Austria. I am here in Austria to film a Salomon Freeski TV webisode, but since it worked out timing wise I left 2 days before the rest of the crew to participate in the Women's 2nd stop of the Freeride World Tour in Fieberbrunn. The competition venue was pretty cool, the women's field was loaded with tons of talent and I was excited to compete for the first time this season. Unfortunately I ended up crashing at the beginning of my run. The snowpack is very thin in Austria and my line accentuated the numerous amounts of rocks just lying beneath the powder. What a bummer! At least I can walk away and chalk it up as a learning experience. Congrats to Ane for laying down a solid run for the win!

View from the start

Later that afternoon the guys picked me up and I was headed to my next Austrian destination, St. Jakob in the Defereggental Valley. Since we definitely need some fresh snow in these parts to get after it, we have spent the last few days exploring and getting our bearings down in this valley. I can't wait for it to snow, which it is suppose to heavily at the end of the week- wahoo!, so we can take advantage of the great terrain offered. I'm with a really fun crew of Cody Townsend, Ben Mullin and Ian Coble, and I'm sure we'll find plenty of things to keep ourselves occupied with in the meantime. Like watching the Olympics live in the restaurants and bars here in St. Jakob, which is so cool. Last night we watched the men's Downhill: every single racer with no commercials and stupid 15 minute bios. Astoundingly we will get the optimum Olympic coverage going half way across the world!

Aline Bock, myself and Ane Enerud enjoying the sun by the judges tent while watching the men

St. Jakob in Defereggental, Austria

Cody and I hamming it up while checking out our surroundings our first day in the Defereggental Valley

Cody making a nice slasher, the snow was not ideal

Apres on the sundeck, very nice...

Ben Mullin, the cinematographer, and Ian Coble, the photographer eyeing the delicious plate of cheese and meats with a side of Schnapps

Julia Mancuso Going for Gold in the Olympics again...

2010-02-12T05:53:00.000-08:00

The 2010 Winter Olympics are kicking off this weekend, how exciting?! In honor of Julia Mancuso, a friend who won gold in the last Olympics, I am posting a really cool Team Visa video edit of her. When Cody and I were in Maui this past November, Julia actually showed up for a week and we got to hang out with her a bit. After spending a month there I can completely understand why she heads to Hawaii to train in the off-season. Anyway, I wish Julia the best of luck at the games- Go Jules!

Skiing in Jan/Feb

2010-02-07T19:34:00.000-08:00

It was a big congregation out at the Buttes in Tahoe after the big storm broke in late January. There was the TGR crew, a snowboard film crew in addition to me and my pals.

The last few weeks I've been doing lots of snowmobiling, skiing, searching for snow and a little bit of filming. This winter I am working on the female film ski project called "Say My Name" and have found myself in Utah for the past week to meet up with the crew. Utah is definitely hurting for snow this year and still has some pretty bad avalanche conditions, but we still managed to get some work done. It's a unique experience- rarely is there another female involved when doing a film or photo shoot. This week it was Lynsey Dyer and I in front of the cameras. It's been great fun! I'm heading to Austria in a few days but I can't wait to get back and really get after it for this project.

We found this hut in the middle of nowhere and decided to take a break from the cold. Next to me is Wiley Miller and Greg Lindsay

Lynsey Dyer skiing into an air, the zone we were skiing was really small due to the high avy conditions

Lynsey getting shacked in typical Utah pow

A History Lesson in Freeskiing

2010-02-03T17:36:00.000-08:00

I absolutely love this new episode of Salomon Freeski TV. We all could use a little brushing up on our freeskiing history and remember our roots...

Come heli-skiing with Cody and I in Girdwood!

2010-01-25T12:15:00.000-08:00

This coming March Chugach Powder Guides is hosting an Epic Athlete Experience with Cody and I! I am very excited to have this opportunity. We get to go heli-skiing with clients, not as guides but as athletes. We will be based out of Girdwood and there is a 5 day or 7 day package available. I think Girdwood is one of the best possible situations for heli-skiing for so many reasons. First off, Girdwood is one of the coolest towns in Alaska, with lots of good restaurants (Double Musky here I come!) and interesting people to mingle with. Secondly, if we can't fly we get to go Snowcat skiing. CPG recently opened 500 more acres for cat skiing in addition to upgrading to a new, super posh cat. I actually got to experience this cat skiing last winter. It was a blast and totally worthy! Thirdly, there is Alyeska Resort, one of the best ski resorts in the world, at your disposal for down days as well. But down days in Girdwood with CPG are fairly rare, only once has a group been unable to get in a helicopter in their 13 year history. No other heli-operation in Alaska has it this good! If this is something that interests you click here to view more info on the CODY TOWNSEND & ELYSE SAUGSTAD HELI-SKI EXPERIENCE. Hopefully we'll being seeing you there...

Skiing Squaw

2010-01-19T18:02:00.001-08:00

The KT-22 lift line at 8:30 this morning. The line never died due to the fact that the storm picked back up as the day ensued and thus, only the lower mountain was left open.

Squaw Valley has had a pretty good start to the ski season. Luckily the combination of a decent snow pack in Tahoe and a lack of it in other parts of the U.S. has allowed me to stick around the last few weeks. I have been enjoying myself immensely! So, I figured I would post what I have been up to. Last week after we received about 6" of butter up top, I did a morning session of filming with Ingrid and Arne Backstrom with Scott Gaffney behind the lens and Adam Clark as our photographer. It was exciting to get early ups with this crew and get a few lines in on Granite Chief Peak before the public trounced it.
This week Tahoe is being blessed with multiple storms. I think storm skiing is one of the most exciting parts of skiing. I love the fact that you can get fresh-ies lap after lap as the snow just keeps filling in the tracks. As of right now, there is no end in sight of the snowstorms ceasing according to NOAA. Yes!!!

Skiing Patrol Chute. Since it's early season with a low snowpack the chute is more fun because it has more features.

Looking back up at Granite Chief Peak

Gaffney with Patrols Robin and Dan

Movie: Catch Me If You Can

2010-01-10T21:33:00.000-08:00

As I am sitting here in Tahoe, longing for the next snowfall and wishing I was choking on powder, I've been drifting to dreamland of snowy mountains. To help keep myself at ease, I have been watching a short ski movie that I recently came across that is of some of my female Swedish ski buddies, also known as Generation Flinga. Rachael Burks and Lynsey Dyer join my fellow Freeride World Tour competitors and roomies, Janette Hargin and Stina Jakobsson, to put on a rockin' performance. After a disappointing lack of women ski footage in the major North American films this past year, it's refreshing to see some ladies get after it in front of the lens.

Early Season Essentials at Porters

2010-01-06T21:35:00.000-08:00

Cody and Tony putting in a great deal of effort to make sure our boots are PERFECT

Every season the typical skier loves getting new gear and also dreads it at the same time, well, that is if it is a new pair of ski boots. The fit can be so peculiar, and it's amazing how each year a new bump will miraculously give you aches and pains that had never existed before. I will say, it is a huge weight off my shoulders knowing I have a shop that I can head to that I know will be able to tackle every problem I may throw at them. What shop is it that performs these special miracles? Why Porters naturally! Of course this sounds like an advertisement since I am a sponsored athlete for Porters, but lest you forget I choose my sponsors as much as they choose me. Before Porters added me to their team I was already a regular at the shop, it being "the" place to deal with my gear and pick up any new needed goodies for the season. Anyway, I was really excited that the kick ass staff at the Tahoe City shop was happy to put in the few hours of effort it took to get my boots dialed. I am forever grateful... that is until next year!

John Segal, a former employee and still a normal sighting at the store (probably because it's the coolest ski store EVER), chatting up Cody while he cuts our new ski poles to size

Cody making sure the "boot fits"

Freeride World Tour Video Interview

2009-12-28T10:26:00.000-08:00

This past October I gave an interview with the Freeride World Tour. Here it is...

Salomon Freeski TV Maui Episode

2009-12-24T14:19:00.000-08:00

Here's the super sweet Salomon Freeski episode that demonstrates why we were in Maui for a whole month this past November. I think it's pretty cool!!!

A Reason to Go Vote for the Powder Awards

2009-12-17T09:32:00.000-08:00

The Powder Award Reader's Poll is still going on and here is a reason to go vote...

ENJOY!!! Click HERE to Go Vote Now!!!

Outside Magazine Interview

2009-12-10T19:48:00.000-08:00

I scored an Outside Magazine Online interview with a posting of my ski edit by the Levitation Project. Can you say stoked?! Click Here to see the interview.

Beaver Creek World Cup

2009-12-06T19:31:00.000-08:00

Not a surprise to run into our Tahoe buddy, Daron Rahlves, at an event he won in 2005

After a great Turkey Day with Cody's family in the Bay area, we headed up to Tahoe to finally make our first turns for the winter. We didn't care that it would be the one-run, nerve-racking, jockey-posturing racetrack on Red Dog at Squaw, we we're skiing. After a few days of forcing my feet into that old submission of pain and one day of heading to the backcountry with the boys to remind those muscles of what it feels like to skin for hours, Cody and I figured we needed to look elsewhere for snow. What we decided on was the indoor training park of Woodward in Colorado. Wow, that sounds a little funny but it makes perfect sense: we need to work on our tricks before we got to the backcountry when it counts. It took 16 hours of driving before we landed in the high altitude world to get our jibbin' on. Once we arrived and had our first session at Woodward we were beyond excited like kids in a candy store. I had no idea that I could attempt tricks that I watch the gumbi-like park rats make seem effortless from the sidelines. Alas, I'm experiencing 14 again! Luckily this time without the pimples and awkward growth spurts.

Since we happen to be in Colorado staying in Beaver Creek with the fun Salomon rep, David Crane, it only made sense that we check out the men's World Cup 'Birds of Prey' Downhill this weekend. Cody and I were both thrilled to get the chance to see a World Cup Downhill and cheer on our friends that were competing. Neither of us had been to a WC DH before, and since we both specialized in the speed events when we alpine raced this was a special thing to see. The US men fared okay. The real spectacle of the weekend was the young Swiss, Carlo Janka, who won all three events: the Super-Combined, Downhill and Giant Slalom. Someone is on fire during an Olympic year, how convienent!

Hanging with longtime buddy, Marco Sullivan, after the race. He had a solid effort with a 14th place.

Aksel Lund Svindal soaring like an eagle

The podium: 2nd place- Didier Cuche, 1st place- Carlo Janka, 3rd place- Aksel Lund Svindal

Cody hanging with his back-in-the-day powder pal Steve Nyman

I just couldn't resist posing with the ice sculpture

The Levitation Project Ski Video

2009-12-01T13:30:00.000-08:00

Elyse ShrEdit

2009-11-29T21:01:00.000-08:00

Here's an edit by The Levitation Project of my ski footage...

ENJOY!!!

Hawai'i Part III

2009-11-27T08:56:00.001-08:00

Cody paddling out to Green Trees at Hookipa

A whole month in Hawaii and I haven't even mentioned surfing yet... I was just saving the best for last. Maui is not known as THE island to visit for surfing, unless maybe you're a pro big wave surfer and plan to tag Peahi, aka Jaws. Rather, Maui is more known for it's hospitality towards wind-oriented sports as well as it's positive atmosphere for anything new and progressive in water sports. Hence, one of the several reasons as to why Cody and Mike Douglas went there to test their skills at 'big wave skiing'. Regardless, I was surfing just about everyday! You can't beat surfing in warm water and the balmly 83 degrees that registers on the thermostat. Some days the waves were really big (perfect for the guy's project and to watch Jaws go down) and some days were really, really small. I didn't seem to care and my body paid the price on the bigger days that I braved paddling out. Yes, I am able to surf overhead waves, but my consistency drops rapidly and my 'taking beatings' rises drastically. I guess it makes it all the sweeter..? Masochistic..? Hmmm...

Some random guy killing it out at Green Trees

Cody laying into a sweet ride

"Hey Kalama, check me out ripping" Cody displaying his skills in front of Dave Kalama on the SUP ( boy was it exciting to watch Kalama surf!)

Mike D gettin' some

I guess you could say driving around the island is somewhat scenic

A photog's wet dream looking over at Lanes at Hookipa

I'm paddling out to get my ass kicked at Green Trees at Hookipa

Can you say "Check me out ripping?!" HAHA! Ah, it's hard for me to get any pics on the bigger waves that I attempt because Cody, my personal photog, is always out surfing with me in addition to, well, my sucking factor. Who wants to see that?!

During my surf sessions this trip I got a LOT of bumps, bruises, cuts and scrapes. Oh yeah, and a black eye was thrown in for good measure. Just a few examples...

Another okay picture of Maui

Yeah! We're in Maui!

Hawai'i Part II

2009-11-24T16:00:00.000-08:00

Another post on Maui is in order. There were so many fun things to do and see I'd prefer not to say much but rather just show some more awesome pictures...

On the northwest side of the island, looking back at Kahalui and Volcano Haleakala

There's a great blowhole on the northwest side of Maui to play in. There use to be two but it seems the other one was plugged up, which is a bummer because you were able to jump through it. Regardless, we spent a bit of time getting splashed by this one!

Cody pulling into the barrel...

I'm practicing for Toyota commercials. Hey, it's a skill that may come in handy one day and should be finely tuned every once in a while.

I'm in there somewhere!

The infamous rainbow- a typical sight on the north side of Maui

Hawai'i Part I

2009-11-17T21:13:00.000-08:00

Standing on Hookipa Beach, a great place for surfing, windsurfing, and kiting

I know that as you view this post you must be thinking this is really odd to see a blog update on something that isn't related to snow or skiing at this time of year, especially by a pro and extra especially because there is some record breaking snowfall happening right now in the Northwest and B.C. However, by the end of this week (when I leave) I will have spent a month on the beautiful island of Maui. Along with Cody, Mike Douglas and his family I have been fortunate to leave the doldrums of fall by tagging along to watch a long anticipated dream project come to fruition. The special project that I am referring to is Mike D and Cody's long aspiration to 'ski big waves'. Of course that meant coming to Hawaii! So lucky me I have found myself in tropical paradise.
It is not exactly a place to come to get ready for winter, because for sure I will be freezing my bum off when I return to Cali (the irony is astounding- returning to Cali being a cold affair!). But I definitely have not treated this trip as a typical vacation where mai tais at the swim up bar are the norm. Instead, I find myself taking advantage of the great weather and warm water to try new sports and get better at the ones I already do. I also got a gym membership at the local fitness center in Haiku. There's no lounging around on this sojourn! But really, Maui has so much to offer laying around seems so boring...

The view from our place in Haiku, not too shabby!

Another view from the area we are staying in

A little relaxation time- this seems to be a fairly normal sight in Hawaii... but we've been so busy playing, however, that I think this is the only picture I have caught of Cody actually doing the typical "beach lounging"

Finally trying out S.U.P.ing. Heaps of fun and a great workout! But this doesn't mean I can't stand the SUPers in Santa Cruz any less

I swear I'm on a wave

Mike Douglas and Cody heading out to SUP-IT-UP

I'm not sure Cody has ever tried to catch a wave this small

A typical view from a beach in Sprecklesville

Watching some of the best windsurfers in the world take advantage of the great conditions at Green Trees at Hookipa

And yes for those of you wondering, I am thinking and dreaming everyday about the skiing to be had on my return- bring on winter!!!

The Levitation Project Video

2009-11-13T09:29:00.000-08:00

Here is a video edit of The Levitation Project ski team... It's awesome and makes me want to go ski lines IMMEDIATELY! Come on winter!!!

My 2010 Salomon Ski Review

2009-11-09T11:19:00.000-08:00

A huge perk of being a professional skier is the amount of gear we will receive from our sponsors. Salomon is no exception and in fact are one of the better companies in making sure their athletes have exactly what they need. Thus, I basically have the entire Salomon Freeski line in my garage with a whole range of skis to select from. So what do I choose? This is the question that I would like to discuss and give my personal review of what I ride and why.

Basically I ride the Geisha 75% of the time, the Czar 22% and the Lady or Mai Tai the other 3%. Here is my explanation as to why...

The GEISHA
dimensions: 128-99-118 mm
lengths: 164, 173 cm
300 mm of rocker in tip
Full woodcore with a layer of bamboo
Basalt dampening system

The Geisha is the twin sister ski to the men's Shogun. The skis are exactly the same except for the graphics. This ski is a replacement of the Gun and Scarlet, a ski I would ride a lot, but with much needed improvements (like a switch to a full woodcore instead of a foam core). I ski on the 182 length, which isn't going to production due to the lack of interest by the buyers, but if you're a charging female that wants a longer ski just opt for the Shogun. If you can't find the Geisha in your size, get the Shogun because you don't want to miss out on this ski.

This is the ski I choose to ride about 75% of the time. The reason I prefer this ski the most is it is the most all-around ski in my quiver. The ski is playful from the bamboo giving it a pop-like response yet it's still stiff enough due to it's full woodcore, I know this sounds like an advertisement but both of these components of construction really make a difference. I find that the Geisha rallies really well off the groomers (off piste)- in powder, crud, ice, whatever- and totally rips on groomers/hard pack just as well.

When I compete on the Freeride World Tour I never veer away from this ski. This is due to the fact that if I was to hit an icy or more hard pack section in my run, I am more confident that these skis will hold.

When I film I choose the Geisha the majority of the time because I can stomp cliffs better than on the Czars. Due to me being lighter in weight I have a hard time sinking the Czars thus being more prone to either wheeling-out or back-slapping, neither of which I want to do. The unfortunate side to choosing the Geisha over the Czar, however, is the potential to really butter turns or float quite the same way you can on the Czar or other reverse camber skis. The Geisha has a little bit of reverse camber in the front of the ski, which makes it better for powder than the traditional camber ski, but it's not the ski I choose for the ultimate deep powder day. That ski would be the Czar...

The CZAR
dimensions: 131-111-121 mm
lengths: 166, 174, 182, 190 cm
670 mm of rocker in tip
Full woodcore

I believe the Czar is an approachable reverse camber ski that just about anyone can have fun on. I admit, the first run I ever took on these skis a few years ago I wasn't that excited, but then I adjusted to the ski and found them opening up a side of skiing I wasn't accustomed to, the reverse camber. The reason this ski works for all skiing abilities is the fact that there is only reverse camber in the front half of the ski, thus allowing the ski to be able to handle hard pack, groomers and crud much better than a full reverse camber ski. I'm not fond of feeling like a gaper when I hit groomers or a funky patch of snow that was affected by the sun in the backcountry, so I particularly like the reverse-camber-only-in-the-tip feature because it makes the ski more versatile. Another factor of versatility that I have found is the dimensions of the ski, it's not ginormous underfoot so I'm able to manage the ski, not let the ski control me.

I also find this ski to be very playful. It's a ski that is really easy to maneuver. The Czar took my potential to throw my ski sideways and butter a turn to a level I had never experienced before, so much fun! The skis seem to have a lot of pop to them as well. I feel like I can bounce and catch air off of anything.

I ski the Czar on different lengths, depending on the circumstances. I generally ride the 174, but when I get lucky and head up to Alaska to ski bigger lines I ski on the 182. I feel that since I am smaller in size the 182 Czars are like my version of the big daddy Rockers.

The LADY:
dimensions: 128-86-114 mm
lengths: 153, 161, 169 cm
210 mm of rocker in tip
Full woodcore

The Lady skis are great all-around skis, but I don't ski on them very much because I prefer the beefier Geisha. The Lady skis feel lighter and less stiff than the Geishas and thus turn easier. I think this is a good ski if someone chooses to ski groomers a lot more than off-piste. They do not handle speed and crud like the Geishas do, but I expect the female that would like these skis better does not prefer to ever ski the crud or be the fastest person on the groomers. The times I choose to ride this ski is when it's a softer spring day and I plan to go in the park to hit the pipe or jumps. This ski is a little stiffer than a park & pipe ski due to its full woodcore, and thus a more all-around ski than a park specific ski.

Powder Magazine Reader's Poll 2010

2009-11-02T10:46:00.000-08:00

The 2010 Powder Magazine Reader's Poll is on! The Powder Awards are like the Oscars in the ski industry, so go vote for your favorite skiers (hopefully I'm included!) If a name doesn't pop up you can still type it in and it counts. Just click on this link... Powder Mag Reader's Choice Poll

Salomon Freeski TV Episode 3

2009-10-27T10:14:00.000-07:00

This episode of Salomon's Freeski is about the stories behind the photo. There is a photo of myself by Will Wissman, Matt Walker by Erik Seo, and Christopher Frankum by Mattias Fredriksson. Exciting! Can't wait for winter...

Fall in Tahoe

2009-10-21T20:57:00.001-07:00

Biking on the North Rim Trail with Lindsey, Cody, Andy Miller and Quincy Young- this was so much fun!!!

The fall season in Tahoe can be a great thing, but it carries its hardships as well. Basically, if the temperature drops to ridiculously cold (okay, it's not as cold as Jackson Hole but... it's California, and everyone is a bit on the soft side in Cali- even an Alaskan) and brings in precipitation that is not in the form of snow it can be REALLY frustrating. Plus, sports can become a bit on the not-so-fun side when it's rainy and frigid. On the upside, when the climate is acting a bit more Californian the outdoors are great. A bit of biking and fishing become a must!

Cody got jealous of the view that was distracting me so he turned to his no-fail talent of impressing me with his muscles by running uphill with his bike instead of actually using it- I'm such a sucker

Jessica Broyles onlooking as Cody brings in a fish on the East Walker River

Jess following suit

Taking a late afternoon break with Betsy

Photo in Powder Magazine

2009-10-18T22:10:00.000-07:00

The November Powder Magazine recently graced newsstands and I have a photo in it! I am so excited. The photo was taken by Will Wissman during a three week trip in February I took to Utah to film with the Levitation Project. The snow was so deep and light it made for great landings off any huge cliff you could muster the courage attempt. Did I stick this air? You'll have to find out when the Levitation Project puts out their film edits this coming November at www.thelevitationproject.com.

Road Trip Part VII

2009-10-12T20:25:00.000-07:00

Hitting up Slough Creek for Rainbows and Cutthroats

I have done plenty of posts on the road trip that Cody and I took in September, but it was so amazing with so many great things to see and do I have to indulge and do one more post so bear with me. Plus, I can't leave out the fishing and buffalo from Yellowstone, that would be blasphemy! In addition to daily sightings and being stuck in traffic due to the buffalo, it never got old to come across these huge beasts. Cody and I did witness a rutting battle between two males, they have so much power and strength it was mesmerizing to watch.

A familiar sighting in the northeast corner of Yellowstone

Working on my false casting- guess how many times I got my fly stuck in the trees? Well, just a few but not in this spot

The crisp nights and changing colors of the leaves were signifying that winter is just around the corner

Fishing in Yellowstone is not as easy as you would think. Yes, there are a lot of rivers to fish but because there are so many people that visit Yellowstone for the sole purpose of engaging in this fine sport the fish feel a lot of pressure. As a consequence the fish have become really smart and make it a more difficult task to catch these suckers. Game on!

Fish on!

Fall beauty in the central area of Yellowstone

Where the buffalo roam

Psyched on the sights

A typical cause for traffic congestion in Yellowstone

Biking near Mammoth Hot Springs on the Bunsen Peak loop with the Gardner River in the background

Cody and I decided that since we had our bikes with us we really wanted to get in a bike ride. However, there are not many places that you are able to legally ride your mountain bike in Yellowstone. We went out on the Bunsen Peak loop, a trail that use to be open to motorized vehicles. As we rode we came across a trail head for the Osprey Falls. Our curiosity got the better of us so we stashed our bikes (like everything else this trail was off limits to bikes) and descended over 700 feet into Sheepeater Canyon to the Gardner River. The journey's end is a magnificent 150 foot waterfall. It is a truely special spot in Yellowstone, I think magical things happen in this majestic place!

Even though it is on a major park stream and so close to a major tourist spot, very few people visit the Osprey Falls- it's a special thing to have a glorious Yellowstone sight all to yourself

Absolutely loving our adventures in the Park

Biking from the Falls. It is 12 miles roundtrip to the falls, 3 miles are the mandatory hiking. We were really glad that the other 7 miles we were able to do quickly on bikes.

We had many things to celebrate on this trip and there's no better way than including a bottle of champagne

Road Trip Part VI

2009-10-09T11:57:00.000-07:00

So excited to take a pic with my homie Old "F"

Most U.S. National Parks seem to have their own unique iconography that pops in to mind when brought up. Like Yosemite and El Cap, Katmai and the grizzly bear and Denali and that behemoth of a mountain called Mt. McKinley, the glorious image that represents Yellowstone is arguably Old Faithful and its dependable spout. Old Faithful has slowed in frequency but still goes about every 90 minutes. There are plenty of other geysers that are active in the Upper Geyser Basin, and some eruptions last longer and go bigger, but Old Faithful is the most dependable large geyser. It's average height is 145 feet and the eruption lasts between 1.5 to 5 minutes. To see Old Faithful go off is outstanding, but the combination of Yellowstone's geysers, hot springs, mudpots and fumaroles that make up its geothermal activity is just as astounding. Over 300 geysers can be found in Yellowstone, which accounts for two thirds that exist on earth. The pictures that you will find in this post all come from the Upper Geyser Basin.

Old "F' going off

Doublet Pool

Castle Geyser

A beautiful blue pool of hot water, it made us want to jump in

This is Beehive Geyser. Doesn't look like much does it? The picture below shows what this little nozzle will do when it erupts, sending water up to a height of 190 feet.

I was so excited by Old "F" that I convinced Cody that we should stay and watch it a second time. He was thrilled too.

Old "F" takes advantage of every photo op it gets

Road Trip Part V

2009-10-05T15:40:00.000-07:00

Cody unable to contain his excitement

I last left off at Cody and I camping in Cooke City, just outside the northeast corner of Yellowstone. We reentered the Park the next day hoping to lock down a campsite at Slough Creek, the best spot in Yellowstone to camp. We lucked out because we didn't get there until 10:30 am, and as we later found out if you want a spot you need to be there by 8 am. Now that we were situated at a site, we had the next few days to discover what a great playground Yellowstone is and the majesty it holds.

View from our campsite at Slough Creek

Yellowstone National Park has a plethora of fantastic things to see. Cody and I tried to capture the beauty on camera, but I'm not sure that we did it justice.

There are so many interesting rock formations around Yellowstone that are a result of lava fields being compressed, whittled and carved into shape over time

Tower Falls - I'm glad this was the first waterfall we saw because it is quite beautiful, but when you see some of the other waterfalls in Yellowstone it ever so slightly loses its splendor

One of those stinky hot spots, better known as a sulphur caldron

Artist's Point of the Lower Falls on the Yellowstone River

Working on the touron pose

Just one of the amazing views of Yellowstone River

A vortex of vivid colors

Upper Falls on the Yellowstone River

So many photo ops in front of Lower Falls

Oh Yellowstone...

Road Trip Part IV

2009-09-30T20:38:00.000-07:00

Entering Yellowstone at the North Gate

After Montana we headed south to Yellowstone National Park. I was eagerly anticipating the four days we had planned for Yellowstone: I had never been and the images that I have seen since I was a young kid made it seem like a very special place. Additionally, the month before our trip the August cover story for National Geographic was on Yellowstone and it's slumbering supervolcano that lies beneath, a sure sign that our road trip was destined for some cool experiences!

The Montana side of things in Gardiner... just as beautiful in the park

Right off the bat when you enter Mammoth Hot Springs you come across tons of elk. Very cool and very strange. I'll admit that being an Alaskan kid you become accustomed to being around a fair amount of moose and their tendencies to be casual towards humans and our habitat, but this is out of the ordinary. I was flabbergasted at how indifferent the elk were towards humans in Mammoth. A perk to this time of year is that it is rutting season and rightly so we spotted a feisty buck and his beautiful rack. But, what actually made it fascinating was not that the buck and his expectantly aggressive nature but rather the stupid tourists that were trying to get close so they could get a great photo. In some demented way I wish we stuck around to surely see that buck chase after some way-too-close touron.

Typical Yellowstone sighting: wildlife being wild and stupid tourists not too far away with their cameras thinking it's a good idea

It's amazing what great photos you can get from the car when an animal steps in front of you (okay, well minus the fact that she's crossing the street and there is a building and vehicles behind her)

Someone is letting us know who's boss...

After our first encounter with the domesticated animals in Mammoth we headed towards the northeast corner of Yellowstone, where it is the most mountainous and least touron packed. We were unable to secure a campsite in the park (be an early bird if you want to grasp a site at one of the good campgrounds!) so we headed out towards Cooke City for the evening. It is absolutely stunning out this way and our campsite was great so it was totally worth it. But alas, if you go be prepared for weather! I have no doubt that no matter what season it is this particular area gets a lot of precipitation. The canyon perfectly funnels everything in. We had multiple lightening storms overhead and I found myself scrambling several times for what I'm not so sure, if the lightning was going to hit me my running somehwhere was going to be too little too late. Fabulous nonetheless!

Driving in the northeast part of Yellowstone, headed towards Icebox Canyon

Camping just outside of the park near Cooke City in Icebox Canyon, we completely understood the reason why this canyon is named Icebox after only camping for one night

Cody using his master boy scout skills getting the campfire lit, I would completely feel safe in the middle of nowhere with this guy. Between his own learned wilderness knowledge and his intense fascination with shows like Surviorman, he's a man of many skills.

Cooking on the fire is very fulfilling: it's fun to think of dishes that are going to be satisfying and delicious. Plus, it's a time for me to eat hot dogs and feel really, really good about it.

Road Trip Part III

2009-09-27T21:22:00.001-07:00

Good ol' Montana

Alright, so the last post I did was the big finale of the 2 week road trip that I was on with Cody which found us in Jackson Hole, Wyoming for TGR's world premiere of Re:Session. The post before was the launch of our eastbound travels with our first stop in Utah. It may seem like I started with an amuse bouche, a tasty little mouthful a chef teases his guests with to conjure excitement for the delicious journey s/he is going to take them on, and then I abruptly ended with dessert, which I did, but I couldn't help it. Ski movie premieres are so exciting! And truthfully, the order of our journey is unimportant. What is more exciting is sharing the mouthwatering details that came in between, except it wasn't so much a feast for our lips but rather our eyes... and next up on the list is Montana.

Camping on Cliff Lake in Madison County

This State holds a special place in my heart, which is saying a lot coming from a kid from Alaska. When I was a teen and fortunate with the chance to travel to resorts like Big Mountain (now named Whitefish) and Big Sky for ski racing, I deemed Montana the lower 48's "Alaska". On our trip we were in Montana for only a few days and stuck to the southeast corner of the State, but it was magnificent and I think one can get the gist by the pictures.

Cliff Lake

When we came across this lake Cody and I were astonished. All of the dead trees reminded me of the flattened land and dead trees that you come across in the Turnagain Arm in Alaska as a result of the tsunami of the 1964 earthquake. We discovered that in 1959 an earthquake in the Madison River County Area cause 80 million tons of rock to slide (and you can see in these two pictures how the whole mountainside slid) and dam the Madison River. The National Guard was called to the rescue but the natural disaster caused 28 deaths, millions of dollars in damage to the surrounding highways and forests, and a lake now known as Quake Lake.

Quake Lake in Madison County

More of the lake they call Quake

We were so thrilled to be on this trip that we couldn't hold back on the tourist trap photos... more to come!

The Gallatin River

Fishing on the Yellowstone River near Chico Hot Springs

Road Trip Part II - TGR World Premiere

2009-09-23T11:00:00.000-07:00

It's pretty ridiculous to see this star studded line-up: Sage Cattabriga-Alosa, Ian McIntosh, Callum Petit, Cody Townsend, Dylan Hood, Erik Roner, Todd Ligare, Sammy Carlson, Wiley Miller, Seth Morrison and Dana Flahr

Now that I'm finally back in Santa Cruz after a fun-filled, activity-packed road trip loaded with adventure, I now have the chance to catch up on all that went down. I think it's fitting to pick up with our last stop, the TGR World Premiere in Jackson Hole, because I and everyone else that is chomping at the bit for the ski season to begin is super excited to check out anything that is ski related. Especially ski porn! Cody is a newbie to the TGR crew, so the two of us were really excited to join in on the legendary festivities that surround the premiere in Jackson.

Cody just couldn't contain his excitement for hanging out with one of his heros, Seth Morrison

It may make your hand cramp but it's really exciting to sign posters for fans. Cody enjoying the moment alongside Dylan Hood and Dash Longe.

The Powder Magazine boys, John Stifter and Matt Hansen, getting giddy while waiting to watch the movie

The amount of posters being signed on this evening definitely helps out the paper industry

Hanging with Annika Dahl, Roner's biggest fan and fiance

The sold-out crowd eagerly anticipating the movie

Adam Clark, one of the best ski photographers in the business, alongside Stifter

Road Trip Part I

2009-09-09T07:39:00.000-07:00

Guess where this is..? The scenery doesn't change much for 8 hours so your guess is as good as mine

I have always found September to be one of the best months of the year, and it's not just because it happens to be my birthday month. The weather is still nice, kids have gone back to school, tourists stop touring and it seems to be a time when sports are metamorphosing for the better. Yeah the NFL is starting and baseball is really heating up as the playoffs near, but the sports I'm interested in are either kicking off or getting better. The surf starts to pick up. The fishing starts to turn on in the lower 48. Duck and hunting season opens (okay, I'm not exactly a hunter even though I am Alaskan but I definitely eat the meat my friends pass along). And the best part of it all? Ski movie premieres!

Who doesn't love a good sunset?

Since I don't find myself down in South America gorging myself on powder and Argentinian steak the first half of this September, I'm taking a road trip with Cody through Utah, Montana and Wyoming for some camping, fishing, mountain biking and ski movie watching. A fun adventure for sure! So here is part I starting with the long drive across Nevada and hanging with the Salomon posse. Work meetings may sound like an unexciting way to start off an adventure but when you love skiing as much as I do the business side of it all is actually really invigorating. Hopefully before we know it we'll be skiing the great white fluff.

Flexing my way out of boredom

Salt factories once you hit Utah

Who doesn't start to do silly things once you've been driving for 6 hours?

Salomon BBQ at Jean-Yves Couput's house