JT Holmes Hurls

by Erik Olsen on

JT Holmes is insane. Check out some of the pics in
this article about this daredevil skiier. This is serious air.
Holmes it turns out hangs at Squaw Valley, where I spent a long, wonderful winter whose details remain murky even in my
own mind (ah, yes, those immediate post-college days). Holmes was featured in Matchstick Productions’ 1997
film Sick Sense when he was just 17, his first ski film appearance.

 

Since then Holmes has been featured in over 9 films and has pioneered the sport (well, I guess it’s a sport) of
Ski-BASEing. BASE jumping, you know, is when guys hurl themselves off cliffs for fun. Of course, they wear parachutes,
but that hasn’t stopped places like Yosemite from making BASE jumps illegal.  Anyway, check out the
pictures of Holmes here, too.
Gnarly sh%$.

Crowded Slopes

by Erik Olsen on

More people are skiing and snow boarding than ever before, so no wonder the slopes sometimes seem like
anthills. An article in Skiing
Magazine looks at the over-crowding phenomenon and asks what can be done. The answer: not much. Most areas it
turns out, are operating on publics lands, therefore approval for expansion often requires navigating the laws and
bureaucracy of the Forest Service, a task many resort owners have decided ain’t worth it. That said, some of the larger
resorts like Vail and Telluride, who can afford high-falutin lawyers, have been able to expand while others such as
Crested Butte, have largely given up on the idea because of the legal hassles. Alas, it is tough to be a victim of
one’s success.

More Backcountry

by Erik Olsen on

A short, but sweet, skiing
story from backcountry magazine (can you tell the kind
of mood we’re in today?). Here is a peice from Jon Johnston about skiing Plinth Peak in British Columbia. 

I am a major fan of BC skiing, Whistler/Blackcomb being my favorite place in the world to ski (you can bet we’ll
have posts about Whislter as the season progresses). Anyway, a pretty simple, but nicely written narrative
about shredding the virgin in the Northwest.

 

Heli-Skiing in British Columbia

by Nino Marchetti on

A recent issue of Vitals, a magazine
targeted towards men, suggested one of the best places on Earth to get in some good heli-skiing was British Columbia.
One company on their list, Canadian Mountain Holidays, offers
multiple vacation packages to get you to that fresh virgin snow. One thing which CMH emphasizes, which makes sense
when you think about it, is that heli-skiing is not for beginners. They suggest you be at least a strong intermediate
skier before even thinking about being dropped in areas were conditions vary widely and stability of the snow can
change at a moment’s notice.

Snowboarders can also take part in CMH
trips.

Get Dazzled at the Ski Dazzle Expo in L.A.

by Nino Marchetti on

If you happen to live in or around Los Angeles and are looking for something to do December
2-5, consider checking out the Ski Dazzle Ski Show & Snowboard
Expo. Billed as the “largest annual consumer ski and snowboard event in the nation”, the show will draw an expected
90,000 winter sports fans to check out “more than 5 football fields of exhibits, bargains and entertainment.”

Highlights of the Ski Dazzle Expo look to include 360 exhibit booths, show shopping specials to help you gear up,
skateboard and in-line skating ramp shows, free ski lessons on an indoor ski school ramp, a climbing wall and tire
chain contests.

Tire chain contests – cool…