travis rice 157

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features
contents
30) children of the revolution
[
buyer ’ s bible
For these kids, nu-school was the only school.
They’re taking it to the next level.
]
18) software
Russ Henshaw becomes the first Aussie skier ever
with a signature clothing line this year, so we put
fashion up front in recognition. Preview that, the
cross-dressing trend and more.
58) ski buyer’s bible
Fattest ski guide ever — 200 new skis plus
exclusive ‘Rider Raps’ from some of Australia’s
hottest skiers, young and older, along with new
Super Grom & Back ‘n’ Side Country categories.
58) Wide Bunch [58] his [70] hers
74) all rounders [74] his [82] hers
110) park and pipe [110] his [118] hers
122) super groms
124) carve and cruise [124] his [127] hers
132) back and side country
138) hardware
138) goggles
140) boots
142) helmets
161)
subscriber special
pay 2, get 3 years!
45)
bring back the biff
We get misty-eyed with old timer S.D. Blondel
for the good ol’ biffo days, when skiers had to
fight to get in the park & pipe.
46] did snowboarders make the
best ski movie ever?
51)
most popular ski movies ever
That’s a no brainer: Warren Miller is in a class of
one, preview the new 2012 movie here.
54)
to russia with love
Veteran racer Jenny Owens is in the best form of
her life, on a mission to make the next Olympics
after snatching X-games bronze in Aspen.
72)
mini poster
Australia’s #1 male skier, Russ Henshaw
86] deep south
Same season, different snowpacks - we check out
deeper options in NZ, Argentina and Chile.
86) patagonia goes off
94) australia’s newest ski towns 100) round hill
103) Powdersouth heliski chile 104) temple basin
128)
family first: buller
Buller rules for families.
136)
real big mountain skiing: everest, ‘84
Tim Macartney-Snape climbed Everest in tele
boots back then, and skied the area on ye-olde
super long toothpicks as well.
144) departure lounge
snowaction
editorial director
Carmen Price [email protected]
search snowaction
editor victoria
Dave Windsor
[email protected]
ART DIRECTOR
Nic Lever
Next issue is the most amazing selection of
overseas options you’ve ever seen, but in the
meantime grab the earlybird deals on offer here.
like, post, win stuff
www.facebook.com/snowaction
also at the app store
managing editor / publisher
Owain Price [email protected]
We talk to Travis Rice about Art of Flight.
Disagree? Post your nomination on our facebook.
writers & photographers
Tim Macartney-Snape, Nick Franklin-Jones, Scott Kneller,
Matt Hull, Patrick Fux, Tony Harrington, Flip McCririck,
Andrew Railton, Ben Burnett, Lincoln Hall, Christian
Pondella, Mandy Lamont, Steve Cuff, Claire Potter,
Ben Boyd, Alex Guzman, SD Blondel, Scott Serfas,
Danny Zapalac, Alex O’Brien, Eric Lars Bakke, Katya
Crema, Ben Hansen, Cory Carlyon, Matt Lovejoy, Chris
Booth, Julian Lausí, Vlanney Tissau, Thomas Richard,
Geoff Bartram, Sam Leith, Jack Affleck, Thomas
Zuccareno, Anna Legstrand
NEWSAGENT DISTRIBUTION australasia
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© Matt Hull / matttheimage.com
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hands up if you can name
If it’s Kiwi and good enough then it’s Aussie is an
equation that’s worked for adopting everything from
Rusty Crowe to Phar Lap to Split Enz to the pavlova.
So for ski towns it’s a no brainer, lets just call
Queenstown & Wanaka ours, says Dave Windsor ..
australia’s newest ski towns?
ow this might upset the
odd Kiwi, but seriously it’s
about time we officially claimed
Queenstown and Wanaka as
ours. It’s only a two-movie direct
flight from Melbourne, Sydney
or Brisvegas, and whether you fly
low cost or full service it’s a lot
less painful, and more fun, than
driving for 5+ hours to reach the
snow (going to Buller being the
exception for Melburnians like
me). Besides, we’re not greedy,
they can keep Invercargill.
Luckily, a week before our
journey the ‘Polar Storm of The
Century!’ dumped white gold all
over New Zealand. There was
snow in the cities, in the towns
and on the beaches. Airports
were closed, kids stayed home
and the country ground to a
halt (except for the rugby).
Most importantly, the Southern
Highlands of NZ’s Otago
region was smashed with snow.
Queenstown and it’s little bro
Wanaka had lakefront snow to
rival anything in Switzerland or
Tahoe. In fact, but for the L&P
(a local soft drink), fush and
chups and right hand drive, the
parallels between this part of
the world and Switzerland are
numerous.
This was evident from the plane
load of punters who ooh’d and
aah’d upon the sight of real snow
on real mountains as we jetted
into Queenstown. We’re talking
some serious topography, full of
ballsy terrain and endless acres
of skiable territory.
So vast are the Southern Alps
that if it was North America,
Japan or Europe there’d be scores
of resorts dotting the majestic
landscape. As we surveyed the
lay of the land during our daily
commute to the ski fields, or
high up in a chopper, it begged
the obvious question, why aren’t
there more lifts, runs and resorts
in this land of the long white
mountain range?
Presumably lack of people and
funds, so all the more reason for
us to take it over - with no passport control and just domestic
flight check-in it would be even
quicker to get there.
Having said that, the beauty
of this place is that it’s wild,
expansive and seemingly empty.
The other compelling aspect
is that it’s not a nanny state,
yet. The locals take pride in it
being the ‘adrenaline capital of
the world’. So if the skiing isn’t
enough there’s bungy, canyon
swings, rafting, monster trucks,
quad bikes, sky diving, jet boats
and more. It’s like Lake Wakatipu
is full of Red Bull.
it’s no accident nz’s best ever freeskier, jossie wells, grew
up at cardrona, the first kiwi area to embrace the park/pipe
gig, developing world class facilities for over
20 years
© Atomic New Zealand / Cardrona
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[australia’s newest ski towns .. we wish!]
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coronet peak is the closest to queenstown, lower than most kiwi areas but with just tussock grass to
cover it doesn’t take a big dump to make the whole area playable © miles holden /
It’s not all wild and woolly. Queenstown
itself is delightfully pretty, and there
are abundant options from backpackers
to luxury apartments, B&Bs to 5 star
international chains. We stayed at the
top notch Millennium Hotel, a cruisy 3
minute walk from town and with a ski-bus
stop outside the front door. Downtown
offers a plethora of dining options from
pubs to pizza and curries to patisseries,
as well as surf & turf and the famous
Fergburgers in Shotover Street.
Wanaka is to Queenstown as Reno is to
Vegas. Sure, it’s smaller and a bit harder
to get to, but you’re still going to have
a kick arse time - after all National
Geographic recently listed Wanaka in their
Top 25 ski towns in the world, alongside
Chamonix, Jackson, Niseko & co. The big
drawcard staying at Wanaka is the close
proximity to Treble Cone and Cardrona
(which is even easier from Queenstown
now with the new lower carpark & Valley
View lift). So if you’ve got a van full of
mates and wanna hit back bowls, chutes,
bumps and blacks all day long, on an
uncrowded hill, then rent a house or
apartment overlooking Lake Wanaka and
live it up big time. The Arcadia Chutes,
Secret Chute and Powder Keg at Cardrona
are pretty epic too.
The bright lights of Queenstown aren’t
far away, and there’s plenty of good
eating, drinking and partying to be had
in downtown Wanaka. We’d be more than
happy to extend Aussie citizenship to
them as well.
The skiing all over here is pretty damn
good too, especially when you add some
heli time to the mix.
cardrona
Located half way between Queenstown
and Wanaka, Cardrona offers a fun family
focused day out. The new Valley View lift
opens access to a top to bottom 2.2km
run down the Goldrush Downhill through
600 vertical metres.
The Arcadia Chutes and Secret Chute
provide the advanced rider with plenty of
smiles, whilst the freeride crew will get
a massive kick out of the Big Air Half
Pipes, Gravity Cross course, Playzone and
Heavy Metal, which is testament to the
big names that stem from them thar hills,
including one of the world’s best and
most versatile freeskiers, triple X-Games
medallist Jossi Wells (Big Air, Super Pipe,
Slopestyle, he can do it all at elite level,
and will be a huge chance for medals
at the next Winter Olympics), plus his
equally talented brothers Byron, BeauJames & Jackson, not forgetting big name
international freestyle boarders Shelly
Gotleib and Will Jackways and whoever
happens to be in town training.
Cardrona also boasts 15 on-mountain
apartments – get in early as demand is
strong.
treble cone
TC is the chick with tatts and piercings
that wears black to the deb ball. She’s
more beast than beauty and one of my
favourite places to ski. With heaps of
chutes, half pipes, bumps, dark blue and
black runs she never disappoints.
From Queenstown, TC is a 90 minute
drive (or an easy half an hour from
Wanaka) and absolutely worth it. The
drive on the historic Crown Range is brilliant. Take the time to enjoy the scenery
and notice the varying terrain as you drive
up, down and around, through gorges,
valleys and farmland past Cardrona on
your way to Wanaka. Then you navigate
around Lake Wanaka for a little while
before turning off the asphalt and hitting
the dirt.
From the get go TC makes her intentions
clear on the rugged, winding goat track
from the valley up to the car park. The
drive alone is a double black diamond
experience. However, on arrival we’re
greeted with a friendly smile from the
car park attendant and head indoors for
a quick coffee before jumping aboard the
Volkswagen Express 6 seater. Yet another
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coronet peak
We enjoyed a gloriously sunny day at
Heli skiing with the crew from Alpine
Heli Skiing is the ultimate. From the
moment we were picked up through the
safety briefing, gourmet mountain lunch
and big bird experience, it was professionalism 101.
I’d be lying if I didn’t admit nerves and
trepidation climbing aboard the 1.5
tonne Eurocopter boasting 732shp (546
kW) of power. Landing on a saddle in
the middle of nowhere after an 8 minute
flight across Lake Wakatipu heading
towards 2,061m Tooth Peak in the
Thomson Mountains trepidation turned
into one of those wonderful “why am I
here” moments!
For Jason, our nonchalant pilot, and
Woody from Wellington, our awesome
guide, it was just another day in the office.
Woody has conquered Everest a mere 8
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alpine heli skiing
u th
The Remarkables certainly are. A great
place to warm up and/or ride with beginners or youngsters (kids aged 10 and
under ski free). Featuring wide open
bowls surrounded by majestic rugged
peaks, it has heaps of dry snow and is fun
for all levels.
A handful of short high speed groomers featuring 45°+ drop-offs, such as
Waterfalls and Cross Fall, plenty of offpiste accessible by short hikes and directly
off the lifts, and epic side country on the
1.5 km Homeward run down to a bus pick
up offers the more advanced rider (and
snowkiter) plenty of excitement.
A highly noticeable and progressive
network of terrain parks includes the
Tararua Beginner/Novice Terrain Park,
the larger Dirty Dog Terrain Park and the
Southern Hemisphere’s first Stash, an
evolutionary, revolutionary Burton signature park offering the baggy pant crew
plenty of options to hit, trick and stack
their way down the slope.
It’s north facing aspect will work your tan
a treat as you lunch on the deck or enjoy
some quiet ales.
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the remarkables
Coronet Peak with perfect snow conditions and exaggerated views that extend
beyond the horizon in every direction. CP
has longish runs (the longest at 2.4km),
plenty of natural half pipes, bumps,
chutes and corduroy all only 20 minutes
by sealed road from Queenstown.
The extensive investment made in 2008
is evident at the impressive base station
complex and, more importantly, the gazillion yellow snow guns dotted all over the
mountain and three super quick express
lifts.
The fact that CP, like all Kiwi resorts, is
above the bushline means every square
metre is skiable with a decent cover and
with only tussock underneath, not rock, it
doesn’t need a lot of snow.
The Euro inspired Heidi’s Hut at Rocky
Gully is the order of the day for lunch –
great pizzas, pastas, espresso, glühwein
and goulash with 180º views is pretty
special. Après kicks off at 1600m at the
natural ice bar serving schnapps, grappa,
jaegis, brewskis and sparkling at the top
of the Greengates Express. Perfect for
some Dutch courage before attacking the
plentiful off-piste, particularly the double
black Back Bowl into Exchange Drop. If
it gets too hairy a groomer isn’t too far
away.
n
fast detachable climbing 500m vertical in
less than 5 minutes.
TC is an uncrowded gift from the Gods
boasting 45% intermediate & 45%
advanced terrain across the 550 hectare
Motatapu Basin, Saddle Basin, Matukituki
Basin and Home Basin.
Quote of the day came from a Pommy
punter skiing Saddle who exclaimed,
“This isn’t like any red run I’ve skied
before!” Which sums up TC quite nicely.
It’s unique, bold, breathtaking, a real tuff
nut and not like anything else. Lift queues
are often non-existent, lunch is hearty and
listening to chillin’ tunes in front of an
open fire on the deck is a great place to
enjoy the superb coffee, vino and beers.
The longest run is 4km through an ear
popping 700m vertical from 1,960m. And
if you hike, there’s more, way more. TC
rocks.
w
[australia’s newest ski towns .. we wish!]
treble cone is terrain central, boasting a good chunk of nz’s best & ballsiest resort accessed options,
as charlie timmins checks out on a down day during last year’s world heli challenge © ben hansen
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“
[australia’s newest ski towns .. we wish!]
deep
heli skiing..
this is more
exciting than
having a baby!
times, and guided in the Southern
Alps for 23 seasons. He just loves
to see the delight on people’s faces
as they too conquer something that
”
might otherwise seem beyond them.
It’s an intense psychological hurdle to overcome. With every turn my confidence grew. At times
I felt like a dude in a Warren Miller flick – shame
I didn’t look like one. It’s not so much the terrain
or snow that threw me, but more the vast enormity,
and in some sense the serenity of it all. Following
the bluster, noise and av gas of the departing
chopper it’s suddenly silent. No crowds, no lifts,
no signs, no buildings, no car park, no people. Just
your mates, a shredder from Uruguay and Woody.
The only way down is down. No wimping out, no
home trail options here.
It felt I was pushing a boundary and it gave me a
focused sense of purpose. And having survived, a
sense of elation and achievement.
Lunch after 3 runs was a welcome distraction: a sun
drenched snow laden valley, a table made of snow,
a chopper, 15 punters plus guides and a spread of
pea & ham soup, salmon quiche, home made sausage
rolls, crispy garden salad, make your own
roll of roasted vegies & cold cuts, brownies, coffee, tea and OJ and not a waiter
in sight. Respect to our shredder brothers
on their BYO beer initiative.
After lunch Jason cunningly follows the
shadows, avoiding softening sun touched snow. As
for the skiing, it can be summed up as snow, snow
and more snow, big mountains, cold temperatures
and hot runs.
“Whoever said money can’t buy happiness hasn’t
been heli skiing - this is more exciting than having a
baby!” says my mate Darcy (presumably empathetically speaking). It truly was a magic day.
“Blue skies, fresh snow, heli skiing and two broken
snowboards - what a great days skiing!” summed up
PJ, the Uruguayan boarder.
We finished with a celebratory crepe suzette and
Pear Williams at Les Alpes back in town, and oddly
enough the Pear Williams smelt like av gas.
I guess the only reason for Australia not to take this
over (apart from local objections) is the awesome
exchange rate for us. µ
ah, what the
heli .. it’s
only money
and you only
live once so
just do it.
plus you’ll
never be
allowed to
back in the
west island.
© david
windsor
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buller
gets the gong for putting
family first
wouldn’t be surprised if we see more of buller rail rats talae rodden, mitch reeve and jared
rodden in these pages, they are on the pace already © tony harrington / buller
says our victorian editor and family guy dave
windsor who finds the way they cater for him,
his better half and their little princess is hard
to beat.
toss in the magic of on snow, the deals, the
programs and the easy access from melbourne
(or the airport from further afield) and the
winner of snow action’s best australian family
ski resort 2012 has to be buller.
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159
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happy kids © Tony Harrington / Buller
e’re a lucky bunch south of the border,
we can go for a surf in the morning
and be skiing Buller in the afternoon (not
that I ever have, but it’s a neat concept).
Buller is really close to Melbourne, and if
you’ve got limited time, kids, a non-skiable
better half, or, in my case, all three, then
Buller’s gotta be the number one choice
for family skiing – and not just on Family
Run.
It all starts with the journey and the inevitable “are we there yet?” echoing from the
back seat. Good thing is that it only lasts
for 3 hours, rather than 5+ hours.
The obligatory coffee, hot chocolate and
pee break in Mansfield, plus picking up
some kids rental gear, is easy. The fun
begins for kids on the final leg up to the
Village with a quick stop to say hello to
the Gnome Home, about 3km up the Mt
Buller Tourist Road. The Gnome hunting
continues on mountain with the self
guided Gnome Roam, where your youngsters can catch a glimpse of resident Mt
Buller gnomes (maps available from the
post office and clock tower). While you’re
at it, keep a look out for the Mt Buller Yeti
or Blake the Flake too.
The big fun happens on the snow of-course
and Buller is brilliant for kidlets. The ski
& snowboard school is a village shuttle
ride or easy walk up heated pathways along
Bourke Street, and the team take care of
everything. From the outside looking in it’s
basically organised mayhem - kids, mums,
dads (some cheery, some teary), met by
keen young instructors with beaming
smiles and the promise of a story book or
a quick muck around with other kids. Our
5 year old bundle of joy, Porshia, feigns
separation anxiety (for about 23 seconds)
then quickly figures out where the fun is.
A minute later I’m on the Holden Express
heading to the Summit and Northern
slopes, then joining my better half at the
aptly named Aprés Bar for lunch.
Later, with a fresh lesson under her belt,
and the wisdom of seasons past, Porshia
is an instant expert and knows more than
me (as you do), and although stopping
isn’t yet her strong suit, she has no qualms
taking on Bourke Street from top to
!
Expert advice & friendly service with competitive rates
Latest equipment for adults and children of all standards
Special rates for groups
Range of demo skis for hire or “try before you buy”
Stylish waterproof clothing, lockers, toboggans, Figls,
snowblades, snowshoes and helmets for hire
Children’s ski clothing for hire or sale
Computerised booking system to save you time
Open late on Friday evening for “night-before” hire
Wintersteiger service, repairs and race tuning
Great clothing, gloves, goggles, sunglasses, helmets,
beanies, accessories and souvenirs for sale
Free overnight ski storage
Lockers (family (5 sets of gear & bags), single skis or board, or square) – 3 different sizes
skis.boards.gear
Athlete’s Walk, Mt Buller Village
tel: 03 5777 6088
e: [email protected]
www.georgesskihire.com.au
50 YEARS ON MT BULLER
MOUNTAINS OF EXPERIENCE
conditions apply
158
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bottom, insisting that I follow, and hitting
Wombat, Little Buller Spur or Shaky Knees
for something a bit more challenging.
Some refuge, a slice of cake, a warm drink
or lemonade isn’t far away when little
one starts to tire, be it Koflers, Tirol, the
Wombat Hut or any of the spots along
Bourke Street from ABOM down to the
Chalet.
Kid’s even have their own aprés session
with live entertainment from Barry the
mountain pygmy possum and friends. This
gets a big tick from me as Porshia’s happy,
I have a quiet one at the bar and we are nice
and relaxed ready for a big family dinner at
the Duck Inn Restaurant.
Duck Inn is a real gem, it’s a family owned
and operated boutique lodge with a cracker
restaurant that is relaxed (as is most of
Buller) and serves top notch nosh for the
folks and good kid’s fare for the grommits.
The owners are full of fervour and optimism about the future, with a spectacular
renovation planned to commence after the
2012 season.
The gourmet dining doesn’t end there as
we venture over to Pension Grimus for a
spot of Austrian lunch with the legendary
Hans Grimus the next day. The fare and
ambience at Pension Grimus is second
to none, and rivals anything that we’ve
experienced in the European resorts –
the exquisite Beef Goulash, homemade
spaetzle, roast pork served with kartoffelknoedel and sauerkraut, finished off with
Kaiserschmarren for dessert. Winning the
Leading Australian Ski Hotel World Travel
Awards in 2008 & 2009, and Australasian
Ski Hotel World Travel Awards in 2009 &
2011, proves it beyond doubt.
The better half was relaxed and happy after
a morning of pampering and hot stone
therapy at the luxurious Mt Buller Chalet
Spa, followed by café time & shopping in
the Village (oh the joy). Porshia and I were
happy after a morning of bonding on the
slopes. A short stroll back onto Bourke
Street for a few more laps rounded out a
great weekend with the family.
Then it was homeward bound for three,
but only three, more hours of, “are we
there yet?”. µ
family
first deals:
•KID’S STAY AND SKI
FOR A WEEK FOR $542
5 nights’ midweek hotel
accommodation
•continental breakfasts
•5 day adult discover lift and
lesson package
•5 day child lift & lesson
program (incl. lunch)
•from $1324.50 adult, $542 per
child, plus upgrade to an adult
3 hour lesson only $20 per day.
•valid 1 july – 30 aug 2012
•based on 2 adults sharing
1800 BULLER
skibuller.com.au
call
Conditions apply
Porshia meets a large possum while dad
gets a beer. Works for us!
© Dave Windsor