The Hit List Trailer

by Erik Olsen on

Yeah, I know. It’s a bit early to be talking about skiing again,
but some folks out there might be interested in the new trailer released by
Matchstick Productions for their forthcoming film The
Hit List.

The film features some of the world’s best skiers shredding the “V” in locations like Whistler Blackcomb, Krasnaya
Polyana (where?), Russia, Crested Butte, Keystone Colorado, California, and the unexplored remote inlets of British
Columbia. The new ski film is scheduled for worldwide release in Whistler British Columbia on September 15, 2005 on top
of Whistler mountain at the Round House. I took a look at the trailer (26 MB) and it looks very promising. The film is
wonderfully shot. Keep your eyes open for when it might play at an Outdoor Film Fest near you.

Nice Tahoe Gallery

by Erik Olsen on

Years ago, I spent a winter working at Squaw Valley in Lake Tahoe and remember the time very fondly. But while many
people know Tahoe has a winter destination, it is also a kick-ass summer spot, with fine mountain-biking and hiking, as
well as water-skiiing on the Lake (remember that scene in the Godfather of folks skiiing on the lake…for some reason
that always comes to mind).

Anyway, no big deal here, but a
pretty nice
little gallery on Tahoe can be seen at the Sac Bee (requires registration). It shows some of the summer fun at the
Lake and gives a niice taste of what a nice place it is to while away some summer days.

Ski Chile This Summer

by Erik Olsen on

Ski fans who did not get enough out of the Northern Hemisphere’s decent (and in some places disappointing) winter
can still hit the slopes in one of the finest places to ski in the world: Chile.

Way down south, there are several excellent places to ski, including
Portillo, Valle Nevado, and
Termas de Chillán. The snowfall in Chile is said to be excellent,
with as much as 9 feet of snow in some areas. I’ve skied Chile myself and consider it excellent terrain. There are a
couple of things happening down there should you be interested in a trip.

Portillo Chile announced their 2005 summer season which started
mid-June and goes until October 9. Portillo was Named one of the Top 10 Ski Resorts in the World by SKI magazine, The
Travel Channel and Warren Miller Entertainment. If you’re lucky, you can also catch
Chilean Wine
Week from August 6-13, and have yourself a fine après ski wine party.

Water Skiing Schools

by Erik Olsen on

Summer means lots of killer opportunities for outdoor activities. Across the country people are putting on their
hiiking boots, stuffing their packs, waxing up their surf boards, lugging their kayaks down to the water. And many
folks rev up their ski boats and head out to do some water skiiing. I love to water ski. I’ve been doing it since I was
a kid on lakes, rivers and the ocean (whiich is always a bit tougher, but if you can ski a rough ocean you can ski
anything). Thinking about water skiiing got me thinking about how someone might improve their skills, which immediately
made me wonder if their were schools out there that can help the amateur pick up this great sport, but also add to the
skill set of folks like myself who know how to ski or wake board, but want to improve. Sure enough, there are ski
schools all over the country. I found this great little
list over at the US Waterski Association Web site. And here is
another list that does a much better job of covering states
like California. So if you’re up for taking your skills up a notch, check into these sites and see if there’s a school
for you.

TV Re-Evolves

by Erik Olsen on

If you don’t spend much time watching video on the Web, then you’re missing out on a big
revolution. More and more great stuff is turning up online, as both people who couldn’t get their insane clips or
stories aired on TV turn to the net, and even some of the traditional media start to get wise. Let us praise this
movement.

Now take a look at the re-evolution of adventure sports Web site.
Granted this isn’t homespun TV, but the site is over-flowing with great, intense video from a world of sports far
outside the traditional (and let’s face it, boring) triumvirate of football, basketball and baseball. Re-evolution TV
has got people doing insane things they call sports on ice, water and land. There is so much to sit and watch here, I
can’t begin to list it all, but I will say the interface is sleek and intense, and the videos are a blast.