The French Climber Lionel Terray famous term “Conquistadors of the Useless” Which I think is a perfect description of the enlightened ones that call these beautiful mountain towns home for the winter and life becomes a lot simpler. After many years of living this dream myself I dedicate this to our fellow Conquistadors! 1. You consistently buy bulk instant ramen. 2. You have all the free Wi-Fi passwords in town. 3. You think beer is a legitimate form of currency 4. You use duct tape to fix everything clothing, furniture, vehicles etc. 5. “Doing Laundry” consists of cycling through different flannels on your floor. 6. You have a day job anight job and possibly a third job for the “hookups” 7. You might not have been a gear head but you are now. 8. You collect all your old seasons passes and grow your moustache all summer for the photo. 9. Your goggle tan is the only tan line on your whole body. 10. You find yourself storm chasing with a car full of gear, sleeping bags and beer. 11. You yank broken skis and snowboards from a dumpster and think: “With a touch of epoxy, these could last an entire season.” 12. Seven strangers share your apartment from November till May. 13. You have facial hair. Lots of it. If you answered "thats me" to any of these 13 points... Guess what? you are a ski bum!
The French Climber Lionel Terray famous term “Conquistadors of the Useless” Which I think is a perfect description of the enlightened ones that call these beautiful mountain towns home for the winter and life becomes a lot simpler. After many years of living this dream myself I dedicate this to our fellow Conquistadors! 1. You consistently buy bulk instant ramen. 2. You have all the free Wi-Fi passwords in town. 3. You think beer is a legitimate form of currency 4. You use duct tape to fix everything clothing, furniture, vehicles etc. 5. “Doing Laundry” consists of cycling through different flannels on your floor. 6. You have a day job anight job and possibly a third job for the “hookups” 7. You might not have been a gear head but you are now. 8. You collect all your old seasons passes and grow your moustache all summer for the photo. 9. Your goggle tan is the only tan line on your whole body. 10. You find yourself storm chasing with a car full of gear, sleeping bags and beer. 11. You yank broken skis and snowboards from a dumpster and think: “With a touch of epoxy, these could last an
When travelling to cold places its always good to plan your wardrobe before you go. I have so many first time working holiday visa kids heading to places like Canada, USA, Europe and Japan coming in to the shop saying that "they will just buy every thing over in place X when they get there". To me this is dumb. What do you do when you get off the plane in say Calgary and its -30 outside and you brought your "Australian winter hoodie" yep thats right you freeze your arse off until you get to a shop to buy one and that may not be right away as soon as you land. Us veterans do know how to do the luggage pack and know that when we are on holidays that wasting time searching for that jacket that is just right takes away form precious time on the hill. So its always good to be prepared before you go and have every thing you need. A good start is the basics. Here are a few essential items to start with. Walking around wear - not ski gear although the cool kids do both Soft shell Jacket down parker/jacket for the cold days hoodies/jumpers/sweaters some nice clothes to wear out to dinner. (party shirt for the boys) apres/ waterproof walking boots Japan this is a must as the town gets meters of snow in town. gloves thermals/ skins glove liners travel socks/ thick socks - don't use these in your ski boots dumb dumb beanie day backpack camera Mountain wear ie. Skiing/snowboarding gear base layer- thermals top and bottom Mid Layer- fleece, hoodie, tall tee Jacket and pants 10k recommended gloves, glove liners and mitts goggles, helmet, beanie thin merino ski socks neck-warmers/ balaclava and of course, your ski/snowboard boots and
When travelling to cold places its always good to plan your wardrobe before you go. I have so many first time working holiday visa kids heading to places like Canada, USA, Europe and Japan coming in to the shop saying that “they will just buy every thing over in place X when they get there”. To me this is dumb. What do you do when you get off the plane in say Calgary and its -30 outside and you brought your “Australian winter hoodie” yep thats right you freeze your arse off until you get to a shop to buy one and that may not be right away as soon as you land. Us veterans do know how to do the luggage pack and know that when we are on holidays that wasting time searching for that jacket that is just right takes away form precious time on the hill. So its always good to be prepared before you go and have every thing you need. A good start is the basics. Here are a few essential items to start with. Walking around wear – not ski gear although the cool kids do both Soft shell Jacket down parker/jacket for the
Avalanche Safety is imperative when going in to the back country, always Know Before You Go! " It doesn’t matter if you have made thousands of good calls – all it takes is one bad call and that is one too many. Some days the mountains are screaming GET OUT OF HERE and some days they are saying come on in – it’s time to party." - Jeremy Jones
Avalanche Safety is imperative when going in to the back country, always Know Before You Go! ” It doesn’t matter if you have made thousands of good calls – all it takes is one bad call and that is one too many. Some days the mountains are screaming GET OUT OF HERE and some days they are saying come on in – it’s time to party.” – Jeremy Jones
Yes the title says it all Mc Ski the ski in, ski out Mcdonalds in Sweden's resort of Lindvallen north of Stokholm has been serving the burger giants famous foods since 1996. "No need to take off your skis. You just ski up to the counter, order your food and ski off" Customers wanting to get out of the weather will also enjoy a modest a 140-seat restaurant.
Yes the title says it all Mc Ski the ski in, ski out Mcdonalds in Sweden’s resort of Lindvallen north of Stokholm has been serving the burger giants famous foods since 1996. “No need to take off your skis. You just ski up to the counter, order your food and ski off” Customers wanting to get out of the weather will also enjoy a modest a 140-seat restaurant.
Your ski and snowboard boots are the make or break of a good day on the hill. It is a must when purchasing your boots to have them properly boot fitted by a professional ski boot fitter for that perfect day on the mountain. After purchasing and using your boots, storing your boots correctly is key. This will provide proper hygiene and increase the lifespan significantly. Having them ready to go is important, but looking after them is equally important. For the start of the season good preparation starts with the last day of the previous season. First of all you should always make sure your boots a dry before storing them. When your finished for the season use a damp cloth and some mild soapy water clean the shell of any dirt marks or impurities and leave to dry. Pull the liners and foot beds out and leave them in a dry place to dry for a few days (I leave mine in outside undercover in the sun for a day then bring them inside to dry for another few days). Note: if liners are not removable leave them in a dry place with news paper scrunched up to draw out any moisture. Once they’re dry put foot beds and liners back in boot and do them up so they a loose enough but still firmly together. The reason behind this is, all boot liners these days are all heat mouldable in some way or another and a lot of ski boot shells are going that way too. With the highs and lows of temperature this can cause them to change shape over time and the next time you put them on they will feel different. SO its always a good idea to do them up for storage. leave them
Your ski and snowboard boots are the make or break of a good day on the hill. It is a must when purchasing your boots to have them properly boot fitted by a professional ski boot fitter for that perfect day on the mountain. After purchasing and using your boots, storing your boots correctly is key. This will provide proper hygiene and increase the lifespan significantly. Having them ready to go is important, but looking after them is equally important. For the start of the season good preparation starts with the last day of the previous season. First of all you should always make sure your boots a dry before storing them. When your finished for the season use a damp cloth and some mild soapy water clean the shell of any dirt marks or impurities and leave to dry. Pull the liners and foot beds out and leave them in a dry place to dry for a few days (I leave mine in outside undercover in the sun for a day then bring them inside to dry for another few days). Note: if liners are not removable leave them in a dry place with news paper scrunched up to draw
Building Booters Who doesn’t love watching those epic video parts where the pro launches off a perfectly placed booter built in the middle of nowhere, spinning some switch 1660 quadrillion triple cork thing (pretty sure that's a thing -ha) landing in to a perfect down ramp of untouched powder and riding out like the wizard they are. How did the booter get there? did they use a snow groomer ?why is it so perfect? Well, it takes patience and an understanding of the snowpack. All those backcountry booters are handmade and built by the filming crew and the riders. 1. Find the right location. When searching for that sweet spot, always make sure that there is a good run in where you will have enough speed and good landing zone (if you crash you don't want to end up cartwheeling into a tree). Test the run in before you build to ensure you have enough speed. 2. How big do you make it? Once you have established that sweet spot you will want to work out the exact size of the height/distance you will travel in the air. If you want to go higher for a steeper landing build the booster with more “pop” if you want to go further build it with less “pop” these parameters should be established when selecting the “sweet spot”. 3. Start digging. It's good to start with the base, clear the area where the booter will start to ramp up. Assuming there is enough snowpack in your location, you'll want to dig down into the snowpack to find the harder snow. Cut blocks out of the harder snowpack and start stacking them like bricks to form the jump. fill the top in with snow and compact with your skis or snowboard. 4. Don’t worry
Building Booters Who doesn’t love watching those epic video parts where the pro launches off a perfectly placed booter built in the middle of nowhere, spinning some switch 1660 quadrillion triple cork thing (pretty sure that’s a thing -ha) landing in to a perfect down ramp of untouched powder and riding out like the wizard they are. How did the booter get there? did they use a snow groomer ?why is it so perfect? Well, it takes patience and an understanding of the snowpack. All those backcountry booters are handmade and built by the filming crew and the riders. 1. Find the right location. When searching for that sweet spot, always make sure that there is a good run in where you will have enough speed and good landing zone (if you crash you don’t want to end up cartwheeling into a tree). Test the run in before you build to ensure you have enough speed. 2. How big do you make it? Once you have established that sweet spot you will want to work out the exact size of the height/distance you will travel in the air. If you want to go higher for a steeper landing build the
Panic…. No don't. That's the first response you have when you realise you have a friend lost out on the mountain. Revelstoke B.C isn't just your regular ski resort. This mother of a hill is a free riders wet dream. 5620 feet of vertical fall line with the very best of British Columbia’s famous snowfall almost 18 meters annually and that's what makes this a destination for any skier or rider worth their salt. This mountain is anything but forgiving. The regulars for any of our road trips Matt, Tom, Del and our friend Joe who was visiting from Oz. We were meeting with our friends who call the town of Revelstoke home. These guys are the real deal. Living day to day and meal to meal. As long as they got on the mountain they sleep better than any baby,and they know the mountain like the back of their hand. After a massive day on the hill. Which involves a non stop top to bottom thrashing of our legs we were all ecstatic with the day's conditions. Blue bird day and 30cm of fresh blower pow! So we regroup and decide to do one more. A wee hike into Kokanee bowl which borders the resort boundary and traverses the cat ski area next to the resort. On the chair lift up Tom turns to me and with an exhausted look on his face says he should have done a poo at the base before we went up. No matter. This is our last one we’ll smash it out and Tom would be on the John before we knew it right? Wrong. We all strapped in and buddies up. The buddy system is a go to for us when we ride in groups, 2 people keep each other in line
Panic…. No don’t. That’s the first response you have when you realise you have a friend lost out on the mountain. Revelstoke B.C isn’t just your regular ski resort. This mother of a hill is a free riders wet dream. 5620 feet of vertical fall line with the very best of British Columbia’s famous snowfall almost 18 meters annually and that’s what makes this a destination for any skier or rider worth their salt. This mountain is anything but forgiving. The regulars for any of our road trips Matt, Tom, Del and our friend Joe who was visiting from Oz. We were meeting with our friends who call the town of Revelstoke home. These guys are the real deal. Living day to day and meal to meal. As long as they got on the mountain they sleep better than any baby,and they know the mountain like the back of their hand. After a massive day on the hill. Which involves a non stop top to bottom thrashing of our legs we were all ecstatic with the day’s conditions. Blue bird day and 30cm of fresh blower pow! So we regroup and decide to do one more. A wee hike into
I'm lying here in a Canadian Hospital in what is without a doubt the most pain I have ever been in. After being rushed to hospital while on our snowboard trip between Japan and The Canadian Rockies I am admitted in to hospital not for a torn ACL not for a broken collarbone that would be more fitting for someone that has been on hill everyday without any regard for his personal safety. But I'm in hospital praying to whatever higher power there is to take mercy on me and for that all to relaxed nurse to give me some Morphine. After X-rays and and ultrasound around my abdomen its conclusive… Bloody…kidney….stones. I'm feeling every one of my 31 years and cursing everything that might have done this to me (mostly myself for too many drink yourself sober nights from my youth.) The one thing that I'm not regretting is the assuring memory of my sweetheart having all our travel insurance details on hand and calling the emergency phone line to start what I thought was going to be the not so pleasant process of dealing with an insurance company on the other side of the world! It's one of those rare times where I'm happy to be wrong! They answered straight away and we had constant contact with them and their medical team the whole time I was in hospital as well as the week I was in recovery making sure I was getting the best care. After two of the longest days that I'd rather forget, 2 hospitals an hour long ambulance ride to Calgary and an eye opening procedure called a Ureteroscopy from a friendly Urologist (I hope this never happens to you) I'm left with a invoice from Alberta health in the amount of $9000! As
I’m lying here in a Canadian Hospital in what is without a doubt the most pain I have ever been in. After being rushed to hospital while on our snowboard trip between Japan and The Canadian Rockies I am admitted in to hospital not for a torn ACL not for a broken collarbone that would be more fitting for someone that has been on hill everyday without any regard for his personal safety. But I’m in hospital praying to whatever higher power there is to take mercy on me and for that all to relaxed nurse to give me some Morphine. After X-rays and and ultrasound around my abdomen its conclusive… Bloody…kidney….stones. I’m feeling every one of my 31 years and cursing everything that might have done this to me (mostly myself for too many drink yourself sober nights from my youth.) The one thing that I’m not regretting is the assuring memory of my sweetheart having all our travel insurance details on hand and calling the emergency phone line to start what I thought was going to be the not so pleasant process of dealing with an insurance company on the other side of the world! It’s one of
Getting fit for the POW! The ultimate at home program designed to reduce injury and have you shred ready! Unfortunately some of us can't be hitting the snow year round meaning snow trips are limited to a couple weeks of the year and the body isn't conditioned to Snowboard... I'm going to keep this simple, to the point and easy to apply in a 2 x a week program to get you ready for your kick ass snow trip What needs to be strong? It starts with the feet! Your whole body's structure begins with the feet, effecting everything form the knees, pelvis, shoulders and even your breathing! We have weak feet due to wearing shoes from a young age which can cause knee pain and bad posture in some cases... I've got 2 awesome exercises that will help you 1. Build the connective tissue surrounding the joints and reduce your likelihood for injury 2. Develop stronger feet, ankles and knees to have even better control of your board... What else do I need to do? Well your CORE is super important when it comes to boarding... 1. The lower back needs to be strong 2. The bodies ability to rotate is really important as well! Weak abs and low back is a recipe for injury on the snow. Don't worry I've got some more kick ass movements to help you out! Workout time! What do I need? 20 minutes & your own body! A1. Ballerina squats 3x20 - 2 seconds down 2 seconds up A2. Lying hip bridge 3x20 - 2 seconds down 2 seconds up A3. Split squat 3x10 per leg 4 seconds down 2 seconds pause at the bottom 1 second on the way up A4. Seated Russian twists 3x20 per side A5. Tight arch hold 3x20
Getting fit for the POW! The ultimate at home program designed to reduce injury and have you shred ready! Unfortunately some of us can’t be hitting the snow year round meaning snow trips are limited to a couple weeks of the year and the body isn’t conditioned to Snowboard… I’m going to keep this simple, to the point and easy to apply in a 2 x a week program to get you ready for your kick ass snow trip What needs to be strong? It starts with the feet! Your whole body’s structure begins with the feet, effecting everything form the knees, pelvis, shoulders and even your breathing! We have weak feet due to wearing shoes from a young age which can cause knee pain and bad posture in some cases… I’ve got 2 awesome exercises that will help you 1. Build the connective tissue surrounding the joints and reduce your likelihood for injury 2. Develop stronger feet, ankles and knees to have even better control of your board… What else do I need to do? Well your CORE is super important when it comes to boarding… 1. The lower back needs to be strong 2. The bodies ability to
