verbier ride 2006

Transcription

verbier ride 2006

��
��
��
��
��
��
��JASON SHUTT�
��ROSS WOODHALL
��VALLANDRY
��
��
��
��
��
Contributors
Editor
Zack Wragg
[email protected]
07815 888 157
Creative Director
Daniel Crawford
[email protected]
07986 669 244
Marketing Manager
Andrea Conneely
[email protected]
07968 479 503
Senior Photographer
Ross Woodhall /
Kumara Images
[email protected]
Director
Adrian Swift
[email protected]
Editorial Contributors
Samantha Chapman
Will Burrows
James Woods
James Webb
Phil Martin (natives.co.uk)
Justin Hawxhurst
Ben Hawker
Steve Wells
Julian Thorp
Betony Garner
Ian Johnson
Photographic Contributors
Ross Woodhall
David Baird
Melody Sky
Lucas Kane
George Powell
Jay Michelfelder
Peter Charaf
Yves Garneau
Tero Repo
Mark Shapiro
Samantha Hart
Tash Armitage
Nathan Gallagher
Published by
Dark Summer Ltd
143 Walkley Crescent Road
Sheffield S6 5BA
United Kingdom
www.darksummer.co.uk
Printed by
Williams Press Ltd
T 01628 622 345
www.williamspress.co.uk
��
��
��
��
��@��
This magazine is printed on paper that is
sourced from sustainable forests. Please
recycle it by passing it on to a friend
(or your Doctors / Dentists surgery) when
you’re done. Unless, of course, you are
proudly keeping them on your coffee table!
Respect our beautiful planet. ✌
David Baird is studying for a BA (Hons) in
Photography at Nottingham Trent University.
He is a passionate music and lifestyle
photographer and has taken photos of
musicians such as Robert Plant, the Scissor
Sisters, The Prodigy and Metallica. David
has recently turned his attention to ski
photography. You can see David’s skills put
to work on our fashion shoot (see page 55)
and we think you will agree that he has done
an sterling job.
Lucas Kane is an American photographer
who currently lives in Chamonix, France.
A chilled out, nice guy, his impressive
client list includes the likes of Red Bull,
Oakley, Vans and The North Face. You will,
of course, also have seen Lucas’ photos
adorning the pages of Dark Summer. In
this issue you can see Lucas’ pictures
from an amazing Eastern European Road
Trip (see page 64).
Ben ‘Bungle’ Hawker is a pro skier
sponsored by Faction Skis, Animal and Ellis
Brigham. Bungle burst onto the UK scene
in 2004 and became instantly known for
his unique personality. In 2005 he starred in
Snow Patrol, a TV show about the lives of
four pro skiers on the road. Bungle spent
last season in Mayrhofen and tells us what
is so special about the resort that makes
him want to go back (see page 84).
Whilst Phil Martin’s day job is as Business
Development Manager for Natives.co.uk,
he also engages in a good deal of
freelance journalism. Phil is well known in
the ski industry for producing entertaining
and captivating articles. Phil has written
for Dark Summer before, giving us an
insight into Engelberg, but in this issue
Phil gives us the low-down on the Verbier
Ride 2006 (see page 42).
We’ve been lucky again with our British summer and many sunny days
were spent playing frisbee in the park. But just recently the weather has
started to turn, and there’s that unmistakeable nip in the air that tells you
that winter is coming. I get a little restless about now. I’ve had my fill of
summery things, and now I am itching to fill my winter with snow.
My mind wanders at the most inappropriate times... Steep, open faces with
pristine untouched powder. Stood at the top of a ridge that overlooks
the most awe-inspiring view set before me, I push off over the edge. As
I drop onto the face I feel myself sink into waist-deep powder, each turn
throwing up a plume of snow directly into my face. I lay wide open turns,
picking up speed with each second that passes.
And then I am snapped back to reality... It is not winter yet. I will have
to wait. But soon it will be winter and the snow will be falling. Until then,
here is the first issue of Dark Summer to whet your appetites and fuel
your daydreams.
– Zack
��
��
��
��
WWW.DARKSUMMER.CO.UK� �
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
�
�
�
LOCATION
SKIER F ELIX TANGUAY
VERBIER / SWITZERLAND
PHOTO PETER CHARAF
�
�
��
��
�
��
CRAIG COKER
BOULDER / USA
JAY MICHELFELDER
SKIER
PHOTO
LOCATION
�
�
��
��
��
��
�
LOCATION
SKIER ANDY COLLIN
LAAX / SWITZERLAND
PHOTO ZACK WRAGG
LOCATION
SKIER
GORDY HUGHES
VALLANDRY / F RANCE
PHOTO ROSS WOODHALL
KUMARA IMAGES
��
��
��
�
�
�
“Imagination has given us the steam engine, the
telephone, the talking-machine, and the automobile,
for these things had to be dreamed of before they
became realities. So I believe that dreams – daydreams, you know, with your eyes wide open and
your brain machinery whizzing – are likely to lead
to betterment of the world. The imaginative child
will become the imaginative man or woman most apt
to invent, and therefore to foster, civilization.”
– L. Frank Baum?
LOCATION
SNOWMAKING
VERBIER / SWITZERLAND
PHOTO CHLOE CREW
��
��
��
��
��
��
�
��
��
Buy In Britain.
Keep our industry alive.
Save your dreams.
I never bought skis for years. I’d rent them each holiday and at the dry
slopes back home. Finally, before I left for my first season, I bought
these. They were part of so many of my skiing firsts... When I hit my first
kicker, when I dropped my first cliff, when I slid my first rail, when I did
my first photoshoot and when I picked up my first sponsor.
Just like songs can remind us of people and places in our past, so can
certain treasured possessions. I haven’t used them in years but I could
never get rid of them. Every time I look at these skis I remember the
adventures and good times I’ve had on them, the things they’ve helped
me achieve and the path they’ve ultimately led me down.
– Zack Wragg (Ski Journalist)
The �� campaign is an initiative by Dark Summer magazine with the aim of highlighting the benefits of purchasing outdoor products within the UK
– especially prior to an overseas trip. Most staff in UK specialist outdoor stores receive training in the fitting, comfort and performance of outdoor equipment. In
many cases, the staff themselves are enthusiasts and competing athletes with a wealth of knowledge and experience to call upon when assisting you. Purchasing
equipment such as ski, snowboard and hiking boots a couple of weeks prior to your trip menas you are able to ‘wear them in’ at home and importantly (should
there be any problems) allows time for adjustment back at the store before your holiday. After sales service is a lot harder to pursue once you’ve returned to the
UK if you have purchased your equipment abroad. In addition you are supporting the UK snowsports industry. The Snowsports Industry of Great Britain (SIGB)
research and test relentlessly throughout the year to select the best range of equipment for you to select from. Choose wisely. Buy Britain
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��@��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
NEWS : GOSSIP : RUMOURS : LIES
Heli Challenge to Fly Again
Just as we were going to print
we heard some of the most amazing news, and we can guarantee
that this is the first place
you will hear about it. The
Heli Challenge (formerly the
Rip Curl World Heli Challenge)
will be returning in the New
Zealand winter of 2007.
When the Heli Challenge was
last held it was one of the
most awe-inspiring events.
The Heli Challenge will return
with four disciplines: Big
Mountain Freestyle, Extreme,
Chinese Downhill and the Wanaka
Big Air. The first three of
those events will require the
competitors to be helicoptered
to a remote peak, while the
Wanaka Big Air will take place
in Wanaka town centre.
We’ll get you more information
about this amazing event in the
next issue.
................................
Snowlife Schools Tour
The Snowlife Schools Tour has
just finished its journey to
introduce over 10,000 children
in 16 schools around the UK to
skiing and snowboarding.
A team of professional skiers
and snowboarders toured around
the schools in Edinburgh,
Swadlincote, Plymouth and
Chatham and invited over 1,500
pupils to try a free lesson at
the Snowlife ‘Ride & Slide’
event held at local slopes.
................................
Dark Summer Freestyle Ski Test
As the title suggests, we are
putting on a freestyle ski test
in association with Ellis
Brigham. The test will take
place at Tamworth SnowDome on
Saturday 25 November. We will
have all the manufacturers down
showing their latest freestyle
skis, and we will have a whole
lot of toys out on the slope.
For more information, keep your
eyes on www.darksummer.co.uk
................................
UK Freeski Awards
For those of you who have been
living under a rock, the first
annual UK Freeski Awards have
been running over the summer
months collecting votes from
the public for their favourite
nominees in the following categories:
• The Ski Club of Great Britain
Award for Best UK Male
• The Salomon Award for Best
UK Female Freeskier
• The Oakley Award for Best UK
��
��
Rookie (Under 16) Freeskier
• The K2 Skis Awards for Best
UK Unsponsored Freeskier
• The Da Kine Award for the
Best UK Ski Film
• The Disciple Gloves Awards
for Best UK Rider Segment
• The Adidas Eyewear Award for
Best UK Freeski Event
• The Freeski Britain Award for
Best UK Freeski Team
• The Zag Skis Awards for the
Best UK Ski Photographer
• The Natives.co.uk Richard
Taylor Memorial Award
The Awards were developed to
provide recognition for the
skiers, photographers and filmmakers that are driving forward
the sport of freeskiing, as
well as highlighting freeskiing
to a wider audience.
The award ceremony for the UK
Freeski Awards will be held at
the Metro Ski & Snowboard Show
in Olympia Exhibition Hall,
London on Thursday 19 October.
All the results of the UK
Freeski Awards will appear in
the next issue of Dark Summer.
For more info visit
www.ukfreeskiawards.co.uk
................................
Join the Tribal Team in
Whistler this year.
Last winter British skiers
Katie Leask and Lorna Carmichael
joined the Tribal Team for a
month to improve their park
skills. With the expertise of
the Tribal coaches and encouragement of fellow team members
from all over
the world, both girls stepped
up their skiing considerably.
They even competed in New
Zealand in the summer!
Völkl international team rider
Darryl Ball will be joining the
team once more this year to
coach anyone who wants to be
taught, all you need to do is
get to Whistler. Tribal is
expanding to include snowboarders as well this year. Two
week packages are available and
are ideal for anyone visiting
with family or looking for a
package trip with a difference.
We also offer season long packages. All training includes
frequent trampoline sessions;
AVI training and you will feature in TribalTV movies! Check
out www.tribalsnow.com or email
Darryl at [email protected]
for more information.
................................
Rider News:
Paddy Graham has picked up
Salomon boot sponsorship. He
retains Line as ski sponsors.
Josh Fawcett is now riding for
Oakley eyewear.
Andy Longley has joined up with
the guys at Freeform Clothing
with a sponsorship deal.
Naomi Edmondson has become the
first UK girl hooked up with
Oakley clothing and eyewear.
After some great performances,
Kate Williams has been picked
up by the Salomon UK team.
After a brief stint on
Ninthward skis, Andy Collin has
now moved back to Nordica.
Slavemonkey had just come out
of hospital after his ACL
reconstruction surgery. He told
us that the op was a success,
but he won’t be back in the fun
park for 9 months, and will be
on crutches for 2-3 weeks. Get
well soon, Slavemonkey.
................................
Competition for Pat’s Book
We have 3 copies of Pat
Sharples and Vanessa Webb’s
book; Top 50 Ski and Snowboard
Resorts in Europe 2007, up for
grabs. All you have to do to be
in with a chance of winning is
email us with the name of your
favourite resort in Europe.
Send your emails to
top50resorts@ darksummer.co.uk.
................................
It’s a Dangerous Game
Last year saw more than its
fair share of tragic accidents.
Legendary skier, Doug Coombs
died in an accident in La
Grave, France. Ski photographer,
John Wilhelmson died in an avalanche in Zermatt, Switzerland.
CR Johnson was left in a coma
after an accident in Brighton,
Utah. Marc-Andre Belliveau was
paralysed in an accident in
British Columbia. In the UK,
Mike Wakefield broke his collar
bone twice, and Eddie Thelwell
broke his once. Nick Southwell
suffered a torn meniscus and a
snapped ACL.
Why, you may ask, are we telling you this? Why are we bringing you down at a time when you
should be getting excited about
skiing? Well quite simply, what
we do is dangerous. Each time
you go out on the slope you are
taking your own and other people’s lives into your hands. We
aren’t saying don’t do it, we
are saying be careful. None of
us like hearing about accidents
like those above, and we definitely don’t like to be on the
receiving end of them. Be sensible and be safe.
��STEVEN MCKENNA.CO.UK
��
��
The first stop on this years AIM Series graced the enclosed
slopes of Castleford SNO!zone on Friday 28 July. This stop on
the AIM Series was the Rail Jam Session leg.
The second stop on the Orange AIM Series took us to the
newly opened Braehead SNO!zone near Glasgow. This
latest addition to the SNO!zone triumvirate boasted an
impressive set of rails on which to hold the British Indoor
Slopestyle Championships.
��
With four holidays up for grabs, the riders turned out in force. Over
100 skiers and snowboarders took to the slope, working their
magic on the rails trying to get their best tricks on lockdown.
The Castleford park had been prepared with its usual care and
attention. An array of rails were on display for the competitors,
with the favourite of the night being the down-flat-down box.
A good session got underway on the down-flat-down box, with
the highlight being Andy Collin’s 270 disasters onto it.
The young skiers were out in force with 7 year old Mason Ferebee
and 13 year old Rory Flindall, pushing the older competitors. It
was Rory’s disasters on the flat-down kink that secured him first
place in the under 16s category.
Leeds local Amy Rudman, took first place by going switch on and
off the box, securing herself not only the title but also the fantastic
prize of a four week, worldwide holiday. The men’s title, and free
worldwide holiday went to Charlie Smith, whose smooth 270 on
270 off, along the kinked rail held off fierce competition.
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
The freeski scene in Scotland has always been strong,
but with a new freestyle facility in Glasgow, this was to
be a showcase for the local talent. 14-year old Murray
Buchan set the bar with a run where he went switch 270
onto all the rails (switch 270 disaster onto the flat-down,
to a switch 270 on to 270 out of the box, to a switch 270
onto the C box). No one could catch Murray, but Charlie
Smith from Stoke-on-Trent got close, followed by Will
Burrow from Sheffield.
In the women’s category, child prodigy Amber Connors,
showed her affinity with rails and qualified in first place.
Unfortunately, Amber took a fall in the finals and ended
up in third place overall. Kerry Daniels, a newcomer to
the Orange AIM Series, seized the opportunity and took
second place, with Shelley Jones taking the top spot.
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
�
�
�
�
�
�
�
��SAMANTHA HART.COM
�
�
�
�
�
�
�
�
�
��
��
��
��
��
��
The Milton Keynes SNO!zone round of the Orange AIM Series saw an even split of pain and
glory. As the National Indoor Skiercross Championships, we expected a fair bit of carnage on
the course and weren’t disappointed. The competitiveness was clear as the heats got more
aggressive leaving eliminated competitors nursing their bruises.
The men’s final saw defending champion Michael Bates pitted against freestyle skier James
Webb and World Cup Skiercross competitor Angus Morrison. Morrison’s quick start,
obviously a result of his racing background, got him in first place early, a position he held
until the finish line. The battle for second place was closely fought between Michael and
James with them ending up in second and third place respectively.
Fellow World Cup Skiercross competitor and 2005 indoor Skiercross champion, Emily Sarsfield
charged into the lead in the women’s final to retain her title leaving second place for Zoe Norton
and third for Bromley Ski Club local, Amy Bryant.
After the Skiercross competition, the freeski action moved onto the slopestyle course for the
Slopestyle Jam Session. All the skiers on the course were pushing their limits, especially on
the large flat-down rail which claimed some prisoners. Charlie Smith’s smooth 270 on to 270
off claimed him the top spot, but that winning run came just before Charlie concussed
himself on the same rail. Richard Martin and James Webb laid down some smooth runs to
land in the second and third spots.
The nastiest slam of the day was undoubtedly Max Alden’s switch 270 to rail straddle on the
flat-down. Max had to be stretchered off and taken to the hospital, but luckily his injuries
weren’t too severe.
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
�
��
��
��
�
��
� � � ��
��
��
� ��
��
�
�
�
�
�
�
�
�
�
�
�
�
��
��
��
��
��
�
��
��
James Webb: Wow, I have never interviewed someone
before. I guess I should start at the beginning. How did
you start skiing? James Woods: Well, I started skiing
when I about 9 at Sheffield Ski Village. I did a little bit of
racing to start of with, and then I had a year out playing
hockey. When I came back I thought that racing was
boring so I tried out freestyle. I had seen Andy Bennett,
Mike Wakefield and Will Burrows riding on Sheffield’s fun
park I really wanted to get into it.
Webb: Do you think it is about time that you finally cut
your hair? Woods: I don’t know, it’s confusing me. The
hair controls me now!
Webb: What trick do you currently enjoy doing the
most? Woods: I’m really loving doing cork 900s, 720s
and 540s at the moment. I love the feeling when you can
just pull out of them knowing you’ve landed it clean and it
looked awesome in the air. I think they look really good off
a big kicker with a nice new school cross in there too.
Webb: What is the best ski trip you have been on
and why? Woods: I had a really good time this summer
in Saas Fee. I was really pleased with my progression;
I managed to get corked 720s and 900s in the pipe.
Saas Fee is a gorgeous place. I had a good time learning
stuff in the skate park too and getting to know loads of
new people. I’m really glad I was able to go there and
experience it.
Webb: Park or pipe? Woods: Pipe.
��
��
What are the odds that
two of the most prominent
up-and-coming skiers to
burst on the UK scene this
year would have the same
initials? James Woods and
James Webb are both
pushing hard and the UK
ski scene is sitting up and
taking notice.
We set them loose on
each other for our first
two-person Youngblood.
James Woods is
sponsored by:
Salomon, Xscape and
Sheffield Ski Village.
James Webb is
sponsored by: Atomic Skis
and Technique Ltd
��
��
Woods: OK, so now it is my turn. How did you start
skiing? Webb: I started skiing when I was about 11.
I had some lessons at Bracknell Ski Slope and then went
on a ski trip with family friends to Andorra. I got into
racing with the Bracknell Race Squad where my skiing
progressed thanks to my race coach Pete Heywood.
After seeing some of the boarders at Bracknell I decided
to give freestyle a try. I started on blades but progressed
pretty quickly onto skis.
Woods: When was the last time you fell attempting
a straight air? Webb: At the Orange AIM Series in Milton
Keynes doing a rapid fire with you, Pat Sharples and
a few others. I did a Breby air and lost balance and fell.
Woods: Do you have lucky boxers like me? Webb:
I don’t think I’m superstitious but I used to have a lucky
pair. That is until I ripped them. Not that lucky I guess.
Woods: What is your favourite trick at the moment?
Webb: I think that 360 Breby airs are pretty cool. They
look great and are a bit different. I am also liking Misty
720 Safetys too.
Woods: What new tricks are you working on? Webb:
I am working on getting Misty 900s nailed, and I am trying
to get more switch spins with different grabs.
Woods: What comes first; girls or skiing? Webb: I will
have to say skiing, but girls are a close second. Girls on
skis would be amazing!
Woods: Park or pipe? Webb: Park. ✪
��
WWW.DARKSUMMER.CO.UK�
��
��
��
The bus from Zurich weaved along the winding roads through small Swiss villages before finally pulling
up in Laax. We unloaded our bags and began the fully-laden walk from the centre of town to our hotel.
Passing through the doors of the Riders Palace and head-on into the lively throng of the crowded bar,
we had arrived: The Orange Brits 2006 had begun.
I awoke on the Sunday morning to blue skies and more fresh snow than we knew what to do with. Although
it was a designated practice day, few people were actually practising. Laax has some amazing tree skiing
spots and everyone was out taking advantage of the conditions. A day full of knee-deep powder, pillow
drops, face shots and good old-fashioned hiking set us up perfectly for the week of competition ahead.
FOUR DAYS OF COMPETITION, FIVE NIGHTS OF PARTIES, PERFECT
WEATHER AND PERFECT SNOW CONDITIONS. IF ONLY EVERY
OTHER SKI COMPETITION COULD BE LIKE THIS SAYS ZACK WRAGG
Monday greeted us with another day of glorious blue skies, and the skiing comps kicked off with the
Big Air event. The standard of skiing at this year’s event was extremely high, with many high spinning
rotations impressing the judges. As the crowds gathered for the qualifying and finals, the tricks got better
and better, until they topped out with Joe Tyler landing a perfect Corked 900 to take the title.
Tuesday saw the ski action move to the slopestyle course. The sounds of Toby One flooded the course and got
the riders amped for their runs. Proving to be a veritable playground for the riders, the run was littered with
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
kickers, rails and a wall ride. The competitors were all fired up and
attacked the course with vehemence to put on a worthy display for
the hundreds of spectators who’d turned out to line the slope.
Andy Bennett, the reigning British Slopestyle champion, laid down
an awesome run including a Switch 540 and a Corked 720 over the
kickers and some smooth sliding on the rollercoaster rail. It was
enough for Andy to see off the likes of Joe Tyler and Murray Buchan
to retain his title. In the womens event, the previous Monday’s Big Air
Champion, Naomi Edmondson, dominated the Slopestyle course
with a 360 off the first kicker, a 180 off the second and some clean
grinding on the box and A-frame.
��
��
��
��
The Skiercross took place on Wednesday, pitting racers against
freestylers in an aggressive battle. The men’s final saw World
Cup circuit competitor Angus Morrison up against Jax Stephens,
Brian Latto and last year’s ‘thorn-in-Graham-Bell’s-side’ Brad Scott.
Clearly showing his experience, Angus confidently pushed away
from the start and opened a lead that lasted to the finish line, closely
followed by Brad Scott who had to settle for Silver for the second
year running.
The final ski event was the Halfpipe competition. There was one
undisputed star in the halfpipe and that was Sheffield’s Paddy
Graham. Having based himself in Laax for the season, Paddy had
spent plenty of time in the pipe and his dedication shone through.
Not only did Paddy’s smooth run win him the title, but in a little postcomp jam, Paddy managed to get above the flags lining the halfpipe
on his first hit.
��
��
Thursday night saw a new event brought to the Brits, the Orange
Air Time. The Orange Air Time was essentially an Acid Drop from
a suspended platform onto a quarter pipe. The platform could move
up and down to increase the distance.
The crowds gathered outside the Crap Bar to watch the skiers
and snowboarders psyce themselves up for the huge drop. Six
snowboarders (James Thorne, Nate Kern, Gary Greenshields,
Tyler Chorlton, Scott McMorris and Jenny Jones) and two skiers
(Rob Taylor and Andy Bennett) started out at a qualifying height of
5 metres. The platform was raised by 1 metre each round, with
riders either landing on the quarter pipe and proceeding to the
next round, or falling and being eliminated.
Rob Taylor achieved the best result for a skier, landing a drop of
8 metres. This was just short of snowboarder, James Thorne, who
managed to land 9 metres. Straight after nailing his 8 metre jump,
Rob came over, totally out of breath, and said “That is the craziest
thing I have ever done, my legs were shaking so much up there but
once I dropped, I got the biggest rush.”
Anyone who has been to the Orange Brits knows it is a far cry from
being just a competition. The nightlife plays just as big a part as the
skiing and snowboarding, with this year no exception. Pretty much
every night saw some form of drunken shenanigans or another,
with Thursday night being the pinnacle. After the Orange Air Time
everyone headed into the club below the Riders Palace and got
down to the sound of mighty US Hip Hop trio, Ugly Duckling.
As with previous years, the gods had smiled on the Orange Brits
crew and the event was an amazing success. With preparations for
the Orange Brits 2007 already underway, I can’t wait to get back
out to Laax. ✪
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
WILL BURROWS
��
��
Ski Porn stands out as one of
the best movies of this year. Still
keeping the usual Poorboyz style
which I like, but with fantastic
animations and a great soundtrack
giving it something fresh. Jon
Olsson has a great section; Seth
Morrison takes his backcountry
to yet another amazing level, and
watch out for TJ Schiller’s Switch
1440! The girls have much better
sections than in previous years.
Grete Eliassen, Kristi Leskinen and
Michelle Parker show the guys
that the gap is closing fast. Having
UP1.2.1 as a bonus movie adds to
the already impressive box-set.
��
��
It is great to see the Pléhouse team
at it again with another great movie
idea. The animated introductions
work really well and the action is
awesome. The say that it’s quality,
not quantity that counts, but the
Skimatic sections are pretty short
and I would have liked to have seen
more. Having said that JF Houle
really comes out of his shell and
Laurent Favre’s section is definitely
one to remember.
��
��
��
��
It’s good to see Tanner pulling
away from the ‘rude boy’ image.
Show & Prove is completely different
from last year’s film by The Bigger
Picture and tells the tale of Tanner
and CR’s seasons. Rather than being
your usual ski film with segments for
each rider, this film has a storyline
and explains what happened to
CR and how Tanner worked for his
X-Games title. I think the idea is
good, but it comes off more like a
Warren Miller documentary film than
anything else, The skiing is great but
the narration gets tiresome and the
film moves too slowly for my liking.
Having said that, I know some other
people out there who found this
movie quite moving.
��
��
One of the better ski films for the
year. Bringing new faces from
America and Canada, it has a very
chilled out theme accompanied by
a similar soundtrack. The section
introductions are cool and there’s
some brilliant heli-skiing. Definitely
look out for the Booter’s Ball sections
featuring the likes of Mike Wilson
and Derek Sprong. A very cool, and
slightly insane, touch is the ski-only
cliff drops in between the section.
These go as far as dropping 250ft
without a parachute. It is crazy to
watch. Sammy Carlson is back with
another good section, and some of
the bonus features are pretty sweet
too. Good work Rage Films.
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
Run Jump Fly Productions are
the new kids on the block of
UK ski film making. Their debut
movie, Ski City, is a celebration
of British freeskiing. The Sin Cityesque graphics give the movie
a unique feel, and the standard
of riding is excellent. Paddy
Graham’s section shows what he
has learning during his season in
Laax, and Nick Southwell shows
some amazing resolve while
skiing with a ****. The highlight
for me was Jamie Cameron’s cliff
section. Jamie has two sections
in Ski City, and the second one
will have you begging for more.
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��@��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
PHIL MARTIN
��
��
AS MARKED
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
Now in its sixth year, the Verbier Ride has grown from a small
resort-based ski bash into a feature event on the four-stop
IFSA Freeskiing World Tour. As IFSA president and World
Tour head judge, Jim Jack, commented in the aftermath of
some of the finest Big Mountain freeskiing the circuit has
seen, “This is a special venue. The atmosphere’s incredible
and the Mont Gele face just phenomenal.”
rock and jutting cliff bands, speckled with shelves of
snow, narrow couloirs and the occasional open expanse
of white. On first viewing, there are few obvious descents.
For the sport of freeskiing it makes a perfect venue. As UK
pro and Verbier Ride finalist Nick Southwell explained “It’s
such an epic face, it pushes your mental focus and skiing
ability to the limit!”
The Big Mountain freeskiing is the signature event of the
Verbier Ride. Big Mountain competition consists of riders
skiing a route down a steep and technically challenging
off-piste slope in the most creative and stylish manner
possible. A judging panel of five drawn from senior
figures in the sport assesses the relative merits of each
run on the following criteria: line, control, technique,
fluidity and aggression. Each category is marked out of
ten, giving a total out of fifty. The ‘line’ score evaluates
the imagination, difficulty and risk-exposure of the
route chosen and remains the key factor in determining
a competitor’s overall performance.
With qualifications completed on the Sunday, the Big
Mountain finals took place on Tuesday 21 February. The
tension was palpable at the start gates. Only a select few
riders would make it through to the Superfinal the next
day and the prospect of World Tour points and sharing
in the $10,000 prize pot provided by Ride Freesport and
event sponsors Peak Performance and Saab.
The west face of Mont Gele in Verbier, Switzerland is one of
the most fearsome slopes in skiing. Its perfect triangular
peak looms over the Attelas lift station, a mass of dark
��
��
The riding was superb, especially given the ultra-challenging
snow conditions. For the women Marte Lise Karlsen and
Jess McMillan dominated the field. In the men’s Craig
Gabriel from Kirkwood, Adrien Corier and Olivier Meynet,
both from France, showed the best combination of technical
skiing, fluidity and creativity to top the scoring. However,
ex-world champion, Guerlain Chicherit was lying in fourth
and was hungry to regain his crown.
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
A day later, nineteen men and six women assembled for
the Superfinal at the bottom of the Mont Gele ridge for the
arduous hike to the top of the competition face. At least the
40 minute climb fully warmed the riders up.
The Superfinal consisted of two runs, but only the top five
men and three women would get a second run – what
British freeski icon and Verbier Ride commentator, Jamie
Strachan, christened the ‘SuperDuperFinal’.
With Mont Gele offering such dangerous exposure to the
athletes, Head Judge, Jim Jack, had made clear that, while
he “wasn’t going to rule out any sections of the face, it would
be up to the riders to take responsibility for themselves and
also for the sport of freeskiing.” This they did. To many of the
spectators their routes seemed plain crazy, but to the judges
watching through their binoculars, it was clear that everyone
was staying just the right side of insane.
In the women’s, Marte Lise Karlsen, Jess McMillan and
Laura Ogden impressed the judges & won through. On their
second run Jess McMillan put in what was clearly the best
women’s run of the day, skiing into, and successfully out
of, a particularly exposed chute. However, in the end it was
Laura Ogden’s consistent high scoring over the three runs
that won the day. For her precise, controlled and smooth
riding, Ogden walked off with the Verbier Ride 2006 Big
Mountain title and a cheque for $2,000.
��
��
Line choice is key to scoring well and the Verbier Ride
2006 saw the highest ever line score given in World Tour
freeskiing. Tom Dunbar’s route was awarded a nine. As
judge, Joey Smallwood, commented “I’ve never seen a ‘9’
line before. I don’t think we even have competition faces
you can score a ‘9’ on in the US.” No wonder the Mont Gele
is considered such a special venue.
The rest of the men followed Dunbar’s example and
let the skis rip and their imaginations fly as they chose
astonishing routes down the overbearing face. Some
like Peak Performance rider, Jon Larson, were unlucky.
Larson lost a ski on landing a massive 50 foot cliff up
top. Others like US rider Justus Meyer plotted a new
path down the mountain including a steep-angled
traverse on a narrow shelf of snow that sent snow
sluffing over the life-threatening cliffs below. His exit
out of a seemingly impassable section of rock had not
only the spectators, but also the judges on their feet
cheering him home.
The five riders who went through to the second run were
Julian Gaidet, Cedric Pugin, Guerlain Chicherit, Craig
Gabriel and seemingly untouchable, Olivier Meynet.
Again in the second run, the skiers pushed themselves to
the athletic limit. Craig Gabriel’s tumble dropped him to
fourth – one above Gaidet – and left Pugin in third.
��
��
��
��
��
��
Liberty Skis was founded in Edwards, Colorado, by a group of dedicated riders living in the heart of Colorado’s ski country. Disillusioned
with the large traditional race-oriented, giant European ski companies,
they decided to start building their own skis for “the way we and our
friends ski everyday.”
Liberty Skis have just moved to Europe and the UK and to celebrate
this we have an amazing giveaway. One lucky reader can win a pair of
Liberty Skis, a Liberty hoody, t-shirt, hat, double ski bag, and a Liberty
Reps Jacket (a top-of-the-range Helly Hansen Verglas Jacket). This is
over £700 worth of kit!
If you want to get your hands on all this gear, simply email your answer
to the following question to [email protected]
Which Liberty Pro-Team member has designed their own Liberty ProModel with bamboo inserts?
��
��
��
��
a) Ryan Spinks
b) Phil Larose
c) Pip Simmonds
In second place came freeskiing star, Guerlain Chicherit,
recently returned following a 3-year hiatus due to
contractual obligations with his rally-driving. He rode
with his signature super-nimble, super-fast style and
managed to find route variations that no-one else had
spotted. His result put him at the top of the IFSA World
Tour rankings.
This marked the end of the Verbier Ride 2006. The event
was a festival of freeskiing excellence, confirming Verbier
as a spiritual home to the freeskiing movement. IFSA’s
Jim Jack summed it all up – “The IFSA is glad to have the
Verbier Ride as part of the World Tour. The atmosphere
was fantastic and the venue is awesome. We’re looking
forward to returning for the World Tour 2007.” ✪
However, the French freeskier, Olivier Meynet, had
dominated right from the start. His riding is so smooth,
strong and fast that he often makes very difficult routes
look far easier than they actually are. This was the case
in both Superfinal runs and, by the time he reached the
bottom of his final descent, it was clear who was the
Verbier Ride 2006 Big Mountain Champion. His cheque
for $4,000 was just deserts for an awesome display of
freeskiing brilliance.
��
��
All that was left was for the Verbier Ride Big Mountain
Party and the following day’s more chilled-out Big Air
and Rail Jam. This took place on the sun-drenched
slopes next to Carrefour and Bar 1936. The rail slide
was won by 15 year-old freestyle prodigy Russ Henshaw
with the UK’s leading freestyle skier, Andy Bennett
following him in second. In the Big Air the result was the
same. Bennett’s brilliant switch seven just not enough
to catch Henshaw’s styled-up switch nine off the 16
metre long tabletop jump.
��
��
If you need help finding the answer, head over to www.libertyskis.com
Closing date for this competition is 20 November 2006.
��
��
The second edition of Path Sharples and Vanessa Webb’s book, Top
50 Ski and Snowboard Resorts in Europe, will soon be in the shops.
The book contains the latest information on each resort and makes
a great reference to any avid ski traveller.
We have managed to lay our hands on three copies of the
book before it makes it into the shops. To be one of three
lucky readers to get their hands on a copy, simply email us
and tell us what your favourite resort is and why. Email your
answers to [email protected]
The closing date for this competition is 20 November 2006
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
Last year saw the second Natural Born Riders Tour, presented by EA Sports Big – SSX On
Tour. With the events happening earlier in the season, the attendance at the individual rounds
was much greater than the previous year. The Natural Born Riders tour is a series of slopestyle
competitions which act as qualifiers for a final, held at Milton Keynes Xscape. The qualifying
rounds take place at Sheffield Ski Village, Castleford Xscape and Milton Keynes Xscape. The top
three qualifying skiers from each round advances through to the final.
��
��
��
��
The final of the 2005 Natural Born Riders saw some of the smoothest riding of the whole series. The
finalists were out in force, taking full advantage of the great course laid out for them. With the rail-heavy
course, Andy Collin was at home. His aggressive disaster 270s on the flat-down NBR rail impressed
the judges, and coupled with his disasters on the down-flat-down Magic rail gave him the win.
��
��
��
��
In the women’s category it was Shelley Jones who was stealing the limelight. Shelley locked onto all the
rails and rode with confidence, narrowly fighting off the competition from local girl Amber Connors.
��
This years Natural Born Riders Tour presented by Bop-It Extreme promises to be more of the
same. There will once again be three legs to the tour.
Round 1: Saturday 17 Novermber 2006 – Castleford SNO!zone
Round 2: Sunday 18 Novermber 2006 – Sheffield Ski Village
Round 3 and Final: Saturday 24 November 2006 – Milton Keynes SNO!zone
As last year, the top three qualifiers from each round will progress to the final at Milton Keynes.
For more information about the Natural Born Riders Tour visit www.naturalbornriders.co.uk ✪
��
��
��GEORGE POWELL
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
We know that you started skiing at about 5 or 6 years old
with your family, but what first got you into the freeskiing
side of things? In my first season I worked above the Moris
Pub in Val D’Isere where all the staff were really into hitting
the park, so I started to do a little bit of jumping but not much.
Then in my second season (04/05) I did a 3-day course with
Pat Sharples and Chris Howarth which got me really keen.
Combined with one of the longest cold spells they’d ever seen
in Val (rubbish snow conditions everywhere as it was blue sky
and ‘15 everyday for 2 months with no fresh snowfall) the park
was one of the best places to ski.
What are your plans for next season? Next season I’m
basing myself in Verbier, Switzerland and travelling as much
as I can afford, including trips to Laax,Val D’Isere, St Anton and
maybe Mayrhofen. I’ll compete in the Orange Brits, Verbier
Ride, Xbox Big Day Out, Orage European Open and any other
comps that look good.
that I looked up to. I get inspiration from the friends I ski with
and the other people out on the hill. I’ve always been quite
competitive so when I heard, during my 2nd season, that a girl
was throwing 540s on the red kickers in the park, I made it my
next challenge to be able to stomp those.
JP Auclair or Julien Regnier? JP Auclair.
Last season you went out to the Orage European Freeski
Open and scored yourself a second place against some
of the best female skiers in the World. How did that feel?
I genuinely wasn’t expecting to do well at all at the Orage
competition so it was a pretty cool surprise. I was pretty
scared too though and I was totally knackered after the Brits
the week before and another big air event in Klosters so I had
to stuff my face with emergency chocolates in between my 2
runs in the finals to try and give me the energy I needed to
land my run.
With that result you made a great ambassador for British
freeskiing. What do you think about the current state of
British freeskiing and how do you think British freeskiers
are performing on the International stage? From everything
I see and hear British freeskiing is getting better and better
Batman or Superman? Superman, in fact I used to have with more and more people doing it. Hopefully, with the
a small obsession with Dean Cain when he played the standards increasing every year, soon the Brits will be taking
on the international riders and putting GB on the freeskiing
man of steel though I really can’t see why now.
map a little more.
What skiers inspired you back when you started and who
inspires you now? I don’t really have any particular guys Full English or continental breakfast? Continental.
Who do you normally ride with? This season I’m going to
be living with Nick Southwell and Nic Watkins (RJF) in Verbier
so will be skiing with them lots and hopefully the other Brit
skiers out there.
��
��
��
��
If you weren’t skiing what would you be doing? I’m not sure anymore. Before
I went on my first season I was going to do a music degree and try and do something
within the music industry and before that I had a place on an Art and Design course,
but now all I want to do is ski and it occupies my mind most of the time. It’d have to be
something exciting and different every day with good people around and....snow...?
Where do you picture yourself being in 5 years time? I’m really not sure, I hope
I am still doing something within the ski industry as it’s a community I love being part
of. Hopefully not waking up discovering I’ve ballooned to the size of a whale and
doing a job I hate.
If you could meet anyone (alive or dead) and ask them one question,
who and what would it be? I’d ask the Queen how long it took her to perfect
her wave, because I’ve been trying for years but I can’t help but feel there’s
something missing.
Chocolate or alcohol? Can’t decide, so alcoholic chocolates
Of all the places you have skied, what has been your favourite? For park skiing
Snowpark NZ was amazing. I was there last season and I loved every second of it. The
amount of care that goes into grooming the features and cutting the pipe everyday is
awesome, and there’s such a good atmosphere.
What is your best skiing memory? Probably still my first competition – the
Orange Brits Big Air 2005. It was then that I realised I might be able to actually do
something with my skiing. I had an overwhelming feeling that everything seemed
to be going right.
��
��
��
What would be your perfect day? Waking up early on a blue sky powder day,
skiing fresh snow all morning then hitting the park in the afternoon with a good
group of friends, having fun and stomping everything.
There is such a strong gangster fad in skiing at the moment. What do you
think will be the next fad to hit skiing? The glorious return of mono-boarding
and perhaps those sweet jester hats complete with bells and ‘c-c-c-crazy joker’
written underneath?
In the year 2050, when the aliens have made contact and machines are
ruling the Earth, what will happen to skiing? Not much I don’t think, their
batteries would probably drain in the cold. Mine always do anyway.
Do you have any superstitions or rituals with your skiing? Yes, sometimes.
Some days I find I have to do the same number of pole taps or something similar
when I’m dropping into a kicker otherwise a season destroying crash would
surely follow… but normally no.
What are your top tunes at the moment? Fell City Girl – February Snow,
Guillemots – Trains to Brazil, NWA – Express Yourself.
Do you have any shout outs you would like to give?
Thank you to my parents for encouraging me and letting me do what makes me
happy and thanks to Oakley and K2 for the gear and support... and maybe bigup to the Moreton Pinkney Pony Club?! ✪
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��DAVID BAIRD
��SAMANTHA CHAPMAN
��DANIEL CRAWFORD
��
��
��
��
��
HUMA ��
MORTEN MARKVARDSEN
NICOLA CHAPMAN
��
��
��
MORTEN ��LANCASTER ��
��NOHO��GALLERY
RANGE��ORAGE�
��FENCHURCH
��
��
ABOVE: �� KAT ��
FLARE ��BONFIRE�
��ZACK �� CHROMA
��BONFIRE
TOP: NICOLA ��
COSMO ��
HELLY HANSEN�
ZACK ��
VINTER ��
HELLY HANSEN
��
��
�� BECKY ��
��DEVICE ��
CRESTA ��OAKLEY�
��ZACK ��
TUX ��SELECT��
��PROTEST
��EDDIE ��
�� PHANTOM ��
��OAKLEY ��
��ARMADA��
��
��
��
��
��HUMA �� MARIA ��
��AUSTIN��
��GALLERY RANGE��ORAGE
��MISSONI
��DANNY �� DECAGON
��THE NORTH FACE�
�� NICOLA ��
TIARÉ ��OPUHI ��
��BILLABONG
��BOUNCE��
��PEAK PERFORMANCE
��
��
��
��
ABOVE: �� HUMA ��
ADRENALINE ��
��PEAK PERFORMANCE�
��MORTEN ��
FUSION DOWN ��
��TELLURIDE ��
��SALOMON
�� ZACK ��
VERDI DOWN ��
��THE NORTH FACE
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
�
��JUSTIN HAWXHURST��
��WWW.LUCAS KANE.COM
��
��
that the snow wasn’t about to let up anytime soon and came up
with the ridiculous idea of waiting out the storm by driving for two
days straight, all the way across Eastern Europe, through Croatia
and Serbia, to Bulgaria, just north of Greece. Bulgaria’s mountains
were the biggest we’d see all trip and we figured we’d arrive just
as the weather was about to clear. By midday, we’d packed our
We were a team of three; Photographer Lucas Kane, Norwegian bags, downed several coffees and were on the road again.
freeskier Ane Enderud and me. Our goal was to cruise Slovenia,
Serbia, Bulgaria and Bosnia, ski the major resorts and explore the Crooked Cops We entered Croatia, crossed most of the
former Yugoslavia. It was a trip we’d been looking forward to and country and parked the camper near the border of Serbia. We
large snowfalls were forecast over the next five days so our timing ate some Hungarian Goulash at the truck stop and killed time
playing cards in the RV. At 6 am we entered Serbia where things
was perfect, or so we thought.
became tricky. Little did we know, from that point on, we’d
First stop was the small Slovenian town of Bovec where we encounter police, speed traps and road blocks every 50
met up with Mac Simenc, owner and lead guide of Outdoor kilometers. The speed limit was a mere 60 km/h and within the
Freaks, a ski and kayak tour operator. Mac always smiled, was first hour, we’d been stopped and searched three times. The
police were handing out speeding tickets like candy, but luckily,
enthusiastic and spoke quickly.
our RV wasn’t really capable of breaking the speed limit due to
Sleep came easily and in the morning we woke to find snow still the falling snow and treacherous roads.
falling at a steady pace. To our surprise, the parking lot was nearly
empty and we boarded the gondola in less than a minute. Mac Adding to the hassle, were the crooked police who’d do anything
peered through the scratched plastic windows and pointed, in their power to fine you. Instead of taking you to the station, they’d
“There’s something you need to know about the skiing here... there suggest a smaller ‘cash payment’ (which they’d pocket) then send
are huge holes just off piste, so follow me. Some of them are 200 you on your way. Secretly, I loved the idea of bribing an officer.
metres deep. They were carved by ancient glaciers and you can’t
see them as you’re skiing – so pay attention or you’ll never be seen Over the next ten hours, we were stopped numerous times and
it became a routine... papers, passports, full RV searches...
again!” He said with a big grin. ‘Welcome to Bovec’ I thought.
they’d see us coming from miles away and as we approached,
The snow continued for days and so did our knee-deep turns start rubbing their hands together, but for some reason, they’d
– mindful of the holes that Mac had warned us about. We realised always let us continue on our way.
As snow buried the French village of Chamonix, we were on
a mission and the only vehicle actually leaving town. Rallying
past the stream of cars heading in the opposite direction,
we completely crossed Northern Italy in blizzard conditions
in just six hours and pulled up at the border of Slovenia.
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
In Bulgaria the police were scarce but the roads worsened and
all driving rules went out the window. We swerved and skidded
our way past Sofia, Bulgaria’s capital city, and made the threehour ascent to Bansko, a large, modern ski resort.
We met up with Andy Balevski, a local ski guide and the town’s
avalanche expert. He’d arranged for us to stay in a local bed
and breakfast and when the RV came to a halt, I collapsed at
the wheel. Lucas brought me a cold beer and some food
which revived me just enough to crawl into bed.
Bansko recently had a full Swiss-style make-over, complete
with six-seater chairs, high-speed quads and mid-mountain
cafes. The following morning, most of the top lifts were closed
due to high winds, so we tracked out the trees and pounced
on as much powder as our legs could handle.
Andy had friends in town and that night we joined them for some
nightlife and local culture. They took us to a slick cocktail bar with
couches, candles, flat screens playing the latest ski films and some
good tunes. To our surprise, beers were 40 cents and double
orange juice vodkas were only a Euro! The drinks flowed steadily
until the bar shut and we stumbled home at 3 am.
Next day with the resort shut due to high winds again, we took
a lap around town and checked out the Sunday market. Walking
through Bansko was like seeing two worlds collide. Some of the
shops were modern and swanky, but sat next to a dilapidated
building with no roof or windows. You’d hear the ‘clip-clop, clipclop’ of horse shoes and a horse-drawn cart would pass followed
��
��
slowly by a shiny new car with ski racks, power windows and
chrome wheels. The entire scene was a contradiction in itself.
into the ditch just as the driver of the other car managed to
straighten his game out and (barely) miss side swiping us.
telling 007 style stories about traveling Eastern Europe with
reckless abandon.
During our week at the resort, we skied lots of trees and shot
black and white photos as the weather never really cleared. We
continued to tag along to the local bars and restaurants with
Andy and his friends indulging in the home brewed brandy
called Rakia that burned like hot nails as you took a swig. “Take
a sip to rid the nip,” they’d say as they handed us the bottle.
Just after midnight we finished the ascent into the tiny resort
town of Kopaonik. The parking lot was small and nearly full, so
we plowed through the knee-deep snow into the bus parking
and finally came to a halt. My hands were shaking and my
head was spinning, but we’d made it! Four hundred kilometers
in only 15 hours! We took a stroll through the small town and
found ourselves in a tiny bar with pumping music and a half
naked girl dancing in an elevated cage. Not a bad welcoming.
Gangsters at Ski Skool Since the Serbs like to party, and we do
too, we hit the town that night. Girls were dancing on the bars and
at around 4am we met a group of locals who took us to an after
hours club called ‘Ski Skool.’ We made our way through the crowd
and found a table. Lucas threw me an elbow and pointed with his
eyes when he noticed two cops in the middle of the bar. They were
wearing bulletproof vests, holstered guns, and drinking beers. The
locals caught our looks and explained, “A lot of gangsters from
Belgrade hang out here and sometimes people get hurt, but don’t
worry, it’s normally quite safe.” ‘Good to know,’ I thought.
Ane had to fly back home to compete in a freeski competition
and Lucas and myself were heading for Serbia. Mac, whom
we’d met in Slovenia, was going to meet us in Serbia as he
wanted in on some of the powder. After charming our way
through the three checkpoints to get out of Bulgaria, we did
the same at the three checkpoints to get into Serbia. The last
test was a stern cigarette smoking border agent. After looking
over our documents he looked at us, blew smoke in my face
and said, “Good luck and keep an eye on your car.”
Pray For Potholes The potholes in the roads became a blessing
as they gave the RV some traction on the icy roads. We’d steer
the RV towards the holes and kept the gas pedal pinned. While
I was concentrating on keeping the rig moving, Lucas was
leaning forward in the passenger seat, peering around the
turns, looking for oncoming traffic. Each time he’d spot some,
he’d say, “Car!” and I’d force the RV as far to the right as
possible, sometimes almost into the snow bank. Everything
was looking good until I heard, “Oh shit.” Around the next
corner, a car was sliding sideways. I jacked one side of the RV
The next morning we woke up in the RV to a complete
white-out. After a healthy breakfast of Pringles, pretzels and
orange juice, we threw our gear on and hit the mountain. It
was small and relatively flat, but we were in disbelief of how
much snow had fallen. It was as if the storm was following
us; so far each resort had welcomed us with a fresh blanket
of the fluffy, puffy white stuff. We skied pistes and flat tree
runs, occasionally popping switch, then back again, jumping
and bouncing off of anything and everything in site.
Later that afternoon, Mac arrived with his girlfriend Shpela.
They’d driven in equally difficult conditions and had racked
up two speeding tickets along the way. Instead of heading
to the police station to pay their fines, they’d bribed the
cops with a hundred Euros each and some cigarettes.
Secretly I was jealous. While we didn’t have the extra cash
to spend, I wanted to bribe a cop and earn my bar stool
bragging rights. I could just picture myself an old man,
It was now the 21st day of our trip and we’d seen the sun for less
than two hours. We made plans to move on to Durmitor, a more
rugged ski resort located in Montenegro, a state within Serbia. After
a chains on, chains off kind of drive, we arrived at the border of
Montenegro. We were shocked that a border even existed as it was
technically a state within Serbia, however, they’d adopted their own
set of rules and this proved to be our worst border crossing yet.
As we handed over the vehicle’s registration papers, the agent
started shouting. We had no idea what he was saying and did
our best to refrain from laughing. At this point, I jumped out of
the vehicle and followed him inside.
The RV was registered to neither Lucas or I, and he wanted
proof that we hadn’t stolen it. Again, I had to stop myself from
laughing. You’d have to be real dumb to steal a 7-metre RV, tag
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
it with a bunch of stickers and drive it across Eastern Europe.
The agent went back to his desk and started eating lunch with
our passports sitting just out of arms reach. He shot me dirty
looks as he finished his sandwich. After wiping his hands on his
uniform, he threw our passports back at me and told me to
move on. With that we skidded out of the border and entered
Montenegro and eventually pulled into Durmitor.
At the hotel we ate the local specialty of meat wrapped in cabbage.
It was then that the hotel owner explained that Montenegro,
although technically a state within Serbia, was struggling for its
independence. Not only had they shunned the Serbian currency
and illegally adopted the Euro as their currency, but they’d put up
their own borders and unofficially declared themselves an
independent state. Little did we know they would eventually gain
independence just months after our visit.
This elderly gentleman also told us that the former Yugoslavian
President Slobodan Milosevic had died in prison a few days
prior. Milosevic was a man who was called the “Butcher of the
Balkans’ for his ethnic cleansing campaign against Bosnian
Muslims in the 1990’s. Many people also say he was directly to
blame him for the wars that broke out in Kosovo and Bosnia.
Either way, everyone was angry for different reasons. Some wanted
him punished for genocide and war crimes, and were outraged
that he died before true justice was served. Those that had
supported Milosevic felt that he’d been denied medical attention in
prison as an attempt to prematurely end his life. Regardless of
what you believed, tensions were at an all time high.
��
��
Lucky for us, we were buried deep in the mountains in a small town
where not much seemed to happen. Once we visited the resort, we
were in for another surprise. What we’d read on the internet and
heard from other skiers didn’t really represent the actual resort.
Yes, the mountain was steep and covered in couloirs but they all
forgot to mention the lift that accessed this terrain was no longer
functional. As we skied over to it, we realized the cables were
buried under several meters of snow and it probably hadn’t been
operational for several years. We burst out laughing, took a few
photos for memories sake and went on our way.
Mac and Shpela had to head back to Slovenia as they had clients
arriving. Lucas and I had seen enough of the resort in just one day,
and decided to make a move for Bosnia, our seventh country of
the trip and the last stop on our itinerary.
Bosnia’s lack of highways made the going slow and so did the fact
that in the 1990’s, during the Bosnian war, tanks had severely
damaged the roads. We also learned that the police presence was
even worse in Bosnia than it was in Serbia. Every twenty minutes,
even in the most remote locations, we’d come around a corner into
a police roadblock. In the middle of mountain passes we would
suddenly find ourselves surrounded by a team of police who
scrutinized our passports, studied the RV’s registration papers and
searched the interior.
Although irritated that we were getting hassled several times an
hour, we remained polite as it was hard to tell whom they supported
during the previous war and how they might possibly feel about
two foreigners touring their country in an expensive vehicle. Each
time we donned stupid grins and explained that we were headed
for Jahorina, the ski resort that hosted the 1984 Winter Olympics.
If that didn’t work, our backup plan consisted of cash and bottles
of fine wine from the various countries we’d just visited. We figured
if things got rough, we could give them money and get them drunk
until we had a chance to escape. Luckily, it never came to this and
to be honest, my desire to bribe the police was quickly fading.
Going for Gold Pulling into the hotel parking in Jahorina felt like
going home to Grandma’s house. Because it had hosted the
Winter Olympic Games, it had many of the amenities you’d find at
a resort in Western Europe. In the hotel lobby we checked in and
managed to sweet talk the receptionist into letting us sneak into
the kitchen to make some sandwiches. Again, sleep came easily.
The resort was quite small, but most of the lifts worked and yet
again, we found ourselves in knee-deep powder. While everyone
else at the resort skied the pistes, us two powder hounds ducked
in and out of the trees. When that grew old we began imagining
ourselves in the ’84 Olympics. We tucked into our best Super-G
speed ski stances and spent the day pretending to be professional
alpine skiers. I was Hermann Maier and Lucas was Alberto Tomba.
After a few days of imaginary ski racing in Jahorina, we were
both looking ragged. I could honestly say I’d almost lost my
life more than 10 times during the trip, usually due to maniac
drivers and somewhat aggressive locals or police. The driving
was Hell, the language barrier impossible and we decided
that after four weeks of Eastern European travel, it was time
to head back to the Alps.
As we drove through Sarajevo, the capital city of Bosnia and
navigated the valleys which stood between us and the border of
Croatia, the trip really got heavy. The valleys were war torn, many
of the houses had bullet holes in them and some had been blown
to pieces. We’d been warned not to approach any buildings, or
walk off the beaten path as land mines still lurked. They’d been
placed in strategic places during the war and once the war had
ended, nobody was exactly sure where the mines had been
buried, so there was no way to remove them. Lucas shot photos
of the destroyed homes from the passenger side window as we
drove the small mountain roads. I suddenly felt shame for feeling
like we’d ever been roughing it, when in fact, the locals that
surrounded us were the ones who’d truly suffered. The trip had
been Hell at times, but driving through these towns put our
definition of Hell into perspective.
We pointed the RV back towards the Alps and when we reentered Croatia, the feeling of smooth tarmac was ecstasy.
Without roadblocks or corrupt cops, we set the cruise control
at a comfortable speed and my jaw became unclenched for
the first time in weeks. Back in Chamonix, France where the
trip had begun, our friends asked, “So how was it?”
While it was impossible to sum up the whole trip in a few sentences,
we definitely weren’t lying when we replied, “Well, we saw the
sun for 2.5 hours in 30 days, almost died in countless car
crashes, got hassled daily by crooked police, danced on the
bar with sexy Serbian girls and skied some serious powder at
every resort.” Although nobody believed us, we didn’t try to
convince them differently. ✪
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
The fact of the matter is that there is only a certain amount of information that you can usefully apply from someone else’s ski review. We still maintain, as always, that there are no bad
skis being made nowadays, only models that don’t suit either your build, experience, skiing
style, or preference.
What you will find over the next 9 pages is the 50 skis that we personally enjoyed and thought
were the best that we tested. The only way for you to find the ski that is right for you is to go
out there and try some of the skis that you like the look of.
The astute readers out there will realise that on the 8 pages after this one there are, in fact,
only 48 skis, and not the 50 previously mentioned. Those missing two skis are the Zag H112
and the Zag Freeride Big 84. At the time of going to print, word had reached us that Zag has
been forced into liquidation. Despite this we want to mention the Zag skis as they were not
only our favourites, but also the favourites of many of the other magazine testers.
The H112 is a remarkably solid big mountain skis that skied like it was made for incredible
speeds through wide Alaskan powder fields. The Freeride Big 84 offers a good choice for
someone looking for easy powder skiing from an all-mountain ski. We were impressed by the
whole Zag range and we wish them the best of luck in their fight to get back on their feet.
Whatever ski you choose to buy, we strongly recommend that you buy your skis, boots, clothing and other equipment in the UK. Prices are generally the same as in Europe, the selection
is usually better here and you gain from the benefit of after sales service as well as directly
supporting the British industry.
A big thank you from the DS team to Julian Thorp and Steve Wells from Ellis Brigham, Betony
Garner from the Ski Club of Great Britain, and Ian Johnson for helping us out with the tests.
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
�
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
Carrying on from last season with new
graphics. The 8000 benefits from the
Legend technology used in its big
brother the 8800. The “Hull” shaped
tip ploughs through the powder and
keeps the nose on track at speed and
the narrower profile makes it more
nimble if you’re on piste. The tip is the
same dimensions as the 8800 (116mm)
but with the 79mm waist and narrower
tail a deeper sidecut is produced
knocking a full 5metres off the turn
radius (compared to the 8800) giving
a manageable 20m radius. Still better
for trucking at speed in big arcs.
Still a classic. It’s unchanged from last
season except for a slightly different
graphic and the new M1 binding system
from Marker. The binding now slides
onto metal brackets allowing improved
ski flex and quicker energy transfer to
the edges and you still have the option
of the piston ski control system. With
a versatile 78mm waist and progressive
sidecut, it’s equally at home on the piste
or in the powder doing short or long
radius arcs. Less energetic skiers may
find it slightly demanding. If you spend
more time off piste choose the wider
Outlaw instead.
The flagship ski in the Magfire range.
High performance. Based on the construction of the Race GSX ski but using
a wider profile (76mm underfoot) and the
Fusion Performance binding integration
system to give a smoother less aggressive flex for all mountain use. This ski
really is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. The
Magfire 12 is virtually unbeatable in the
Price to performance ratio. It loves big
fast turns and blasts through chopped
up snow effortlessly. Perhaps a little
stiff for cruising deep powder but a joy
to ski in all conditions. If your thing is
short turns try the Magfire 10.
Line classify the Chronic Blend as a freestyle/freeride ski, so we thought it would
feel at home in our freeride category.
With freestyle skiing now existing all over
the mountain, the Chronic Blend caters
for the all-mountain freestyler. Line have
taken last years Chronic and added
more of a freeride geometry, borrowed
from the Prophet, to aid the skier outside
of the fun park. The carbon ollie band
helps with pop on take-offs, and the
90mm underfoot gives good stability on
landings. The fatty edge and base make
this ski very durable. This ski sees the
mountain as one big fun park.
A new model, the iM82 uses a sidewall
construction with dimensions that will
be at home off-piste and on. It has
good grip on firm snow, and the solid
core and liquid metal technology give
the ski a lively feel when pushed –
making it fun to ski on piste. Away
from the prepared runs it has enough
base area to get decent float in all but
the deepest conditions, and is stable
when the going gets rough. Some may
argue it’s too wide to do a good job
on piste, but too narrow to be a
freeride option, though for many this
would make a great one ski option.
Designed to be the one tool in your
box, the X Wing Fury handles the
whole mountain like it were its home.
The X Wing sidecut means it performs
incredibly with carved turns on the
piste while the ample width won’t let
you down when the ground gets a little
more changeable. The X Wing Fury
would be an appropriate replacement
for those out there who still harbour
a pair of XScreams in their basement,
as they combine the same all-round
medium to long radius turning that the
XScreams were loved for.
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
The Hotrod family grows ever bigger and
more powerful. 7 skis, 3 waist widths, 2
construction types and 2 core materials.
Jet Fuel is the widest at 84mm, with full
race department wood core and 2V Active
Titanium construction reinforcement. It’s
mean and stiff! But god it’s good! Quite
tricky to ride unless you’re a highly technical skier who likes their ears to bleed
with the speed. Easier options would be
Afterburner, Jet Fuels twin, with 2V
Active Carbon construction instead,
more forgiving but still a beast or Nitrous,
same as Afterburner but with 78mm
waist. All 3 skis have 16/17m radius.
Volkl have a long history of producing
highly technical skis for the performance skier and this is no different. Its
wide body floats great in powder and
the Titanium construction gives race
proven grip on the hard stuff. It’s a high
energy ski for a high energy skier.
Technical skiers will love it especially
if a little heavier. If you’re light and your
technique needs polishing this ski will
find you out in a heartbeat. If you
want an easy days skiing probably
give this baby a body swerve you’ll be
knackered by lunchtime but you will
have a massive grin on your face!
A classic returns. A direct rival to the
K2 Recon. The B2 is super smooth
and controllable in any conditions on
or off piste. The Aluminium insert in
the tip known as ‘Shark Nose’ reduces
the twist in the nose and improves the
grip on hard snow and the effective
F.A.T damping system allows a really
great feel for the edges and quick
transmission. Suits technical skiers
who are more subtle in their style and
not as heavy. If you are a heavier skier
you will need to use a longer length ski
to maintain the performance you want.
The Mission is one of the most impressive skis available this year. Its 89mm
under foot gives maximum flotation in
the powder but then that’s what you
would expect. The real difference
comes in how well it skis in piste, crud
and ice; it will go wherever you point
it with the minimum amount of effort.
The reason for this is the amazing
maneuverability, this ski will pivot just
as smoothly as it will grip and bite in
hard snow. And with Jesus staring up
at you from the top sheet you truly feel
like a god. Very impressive and exactly
what a freeride ski should feel like.
A new ski last season, the Foil was
exactly what 1080 fans had been
waiting for – a stiffer, wider version of
the 1080. It has its haters and it probably isn’t suited to the most aggressive skiers. There are also many who
won’t forgive it for not having a wood
core, but it is actually a very good ski.
It’s not too heavy, it has the dimensions to ski park, piste and powder,
and its overall performance is surprisingly good. Anyone looking for one
ski that does a little bit of everything
wouldn’t go too far wrong with this.
Taking the same construction as last
years Sugar Daddy, but reforming it
into a new shape, the Snoop Daddy is
made for those who want to ski both
on-piste and off-piste. Their stiffness
gives them a great feeling stability, and
this comes in handy when powering
through choppy snow. With deeper,
softer snow they will glide through to
the surface and are happy at speed.
While aggressive skiers will find the
stiffness a benefit, others may struggle
to get the desired response from the ski.
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
The flex isn’t too stiff, and the springblade tail isn’t to everyone’s liking, but it
is a very precise ski that has plenty of
pop and a lively feel on firm snow. A
long turn radius makes it super stable
on landings and in bad conditions, and
also means this is a pretty sound
bump ski. It may not have the width of
some other twins but when you realise
how well it’s made, you can see why
this is possibly the best freestyle ski
out there. Think about it… how many
other good park skis still rock on all the
other terrain?
Maybe not as good as some others in
the park, but the all-round abilities of the
PE make it stand out for skiers looking
for one ski to tackle everything. The flex
is stiffer than many other twin tips, the
dimensions are a little fatter, and the
ABS sidewalls transmit energy effectively, meaning this a good choice for charging a bit of everything. It may not excel
at any one thing but how many skis can
do as many jobs – or look quite as good!
Highly recommended for seasonnaires
and all-mountain skiers that still like to
throw down in the park.
One of the most impressive new brands
to hit the shelves this year, Amplid
brings the unique trait of producing both
skis and snowboards in their first year.
The Antidogma is the freestyle offering
from Amplid. The ski has been built
from the rider’s point of view. It has
a reduced swing weight in the tail and
nose to make it easier to spin, a durable
underfoot construction for rails, and
a flexible tail which gives a noticeable
pop. Quite simply, Amplid have created
a ski which will attack the park like
a mad Scot.
The Liberty KGB has been redesigned
this year to give it an all-mountain
feel. With 84 mm underfoot it has
some floatation in the powder, while
still maintaining a good turn radius
and responsiveness on the piste.
While a little groggy at slow speeds,
once it is opened up the KGB flips
from edge-to-edge with ease. The
laminated poplar core gives a nice
light ski which is easier to get off the
ground. This is one for the park rat
who wants to get out and start
exploring more of the mountain.
As last year, the trademark third ski
in the Triplets package is still there,
giving you an option If you should
lose/wreck one. The Urban Triplets
come with a reinforced base underneath the binding for extra durability
when grinding rails. When on the
rails, they work like a dream, locking
on almost effortlessly. The soft tip
and tail make for some effortless
take-offs and ollies, but be careful
when landing as this can soon become
a hindrance if you are off centre.
If there was a value for money award for
park skis this would win it hands down.
It’s got a full wood core for smoothness
and strength, carbon stringers for
increased pop, reinforced edges, and an
85mm waist and 23m radius for maximum stability. The flex is perfectly dialled
for presses and butters, and combined
with the construction makes it perfect
for hitting big kickers or your first rails.
It doesn’t have a lot of grip or edge hold
but if skiing is all about sliding and
jumping then this is an awesome ski –
just clip-in and suddenly everywhere
you go has massive jib potential.
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
The legend persists. The 80 is back
unchanged and for very good reason.
It’s a ski that feels dialled for the park;
it’s super stable and rides switch very
sweetly. It also has a solid core and is
built very well, meaning it’ll handle the
bangs that accompany time on the
kickers and rails. Because the Mojo
80 is a little stiffer than many other
twins, it also has the kind of grip you
expect from a piste ski. Perfect for
stronger or heavier skiers, or anyone
wanting a tough ski that can still rip
on firm snow.
The AR6 is a new ski for this season
with slightly wider dimensions than its
predecessor the AR5. The construction
is still the same with a combination of
hard and soft woods to give good edge
hold and stability without making the
ski heavy; whilst the sidewalls are now
vertical for improved edge durability.
The new shape definitely improves its
all-round ability but it still rocks in the
park, with plenty of pop and a balanced
feel. Whereas before the AR5 was
predominantly a park ski, the AR6 is
definitely a very sweet freestyle ski
with a much broader appeal.
This is Candide’s baby, so you know it
won’t let you down. Using the same
shape from last season but adding the
new WRS core, means it feels much
lighter – 400g per pair according to
Rossi. It’s still just as strong, and in fact
it’s a lot more fun to ski. On-piste it
feels effortless, take it into old or cut up
snow and it’s nicely balanced with
confidence inspiring stability, and in the
park it’s got the pop and energy to
inspire. Of course no-one cares about
graphics, so it’s barely worth noting
how good this ski looks in the flesh!
The Dogen is a park ski through and
through. While many companies are
going out of their way to make their
freestyle skis capable of handling the
whole mountain, Volkl have produced
a ski that knows where its home is.
The Dogen comes in at an amazing
£199 because it has such a specific
use. The flex is smooth enough to
absorb landings and there is a lot
of pop in the tail for take-offs. Their
responsiveness on piste was excellent.
This one is a true park ski.
With a shape suspiciously like last
seasons factory 1080 team edition
(the camo CR Johnson), the SPK is
a thorough-bred park ski. It has a narrower waist and longer radius than
any of the other 1080 skis, making
it smooth and stable when hitting
kickers and rails. The flex also feels
a little firmer, giving that bit of extra
speed in the pipe, and the edges are
reinforced for added protection. It’s
the weapon of choice for the team
riders and has been developed with
their input so you can be sure it’s
tested and definitely works.
One of the fatter skis in our freestyle
category, the First Blood carries a 97mm
around its waist making it an ideal ski for
those who want to take it in the park and
in the backcountry. The First Bloods
come in a little stiffer than the Ninthward
butterlicious, giving them a smoother
ride through the choppy and cruddy
snow. Their extra width gives them that
little extra floatation in the powder and
paves the way for some backcountry
freestyle. All that wrapped up in some
nice graphics. Who could ask for anything more?
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
This is a gnarly ski; it likes to be thrown
off big drops, driven down the steepest of mountains at the highest of
speeds. You’ll need legs made of steel
and little desire to turn. It uses race
construction with full length vertical
sidewalls and a very firm flex, providing nerve shattering grip and plenty of
power. This is combined with wide
dimensions to maximize the float, and
a straight sidecut for scary stability at
speed and over nasty terrain. It’s
actually quite easy to use, but to get
anything out of it you need to be sure
you’re the kind of person who wants
to ski super fast on steep terrain.
The Big Trouble is the twin for all-mountain rippers who still want to throw down
in the park. The 92mm waist is big
enough to handle most conditions,
and combined with the 20m radius
provides a reassuring stability whatever terrain you find yourself on. The
flex is also just right to ski a bit of
everything – not too soft, but not too
stiff, just smooth and progressive.
Sure, there are plenty of fat freestyle
skis out there, but not many that feel
so natural in powder, as responsive
and precise on piste, and can still
manage to be effective in the park.
Apart from graphics, the Vicious returns
unchanged. Some may dismiss it as
soft, but that’s only the tip and tail – the
middle of the ski is definitely solid. This
gives it a powerful feel which takes some
doing to out-ski, but still means that it
absorbs landings smoothly – it’s only on
the very worst snow conditions that you
may want a stiffer tip. The progressive
sidecut makes the ski initiate and release
turns effortlessly, and along with the flex
is what makes this so good in powder.
Brilliant for hard charging freeriders that
like to drop cliffs, hit the odd BC booter
and occasionally tap up the park.
The Head Mojo 105 is made differently
to the other Head skis, for one it is much
softer than the smaller versions: 80 and
90. The Head team riders said they
wanted some fat, soft and twin tipped so
they could hit backcountry booters with
ease and this is what they came up with.
The softness of this ski just bends it out
of powder so it can take heavy landings
with no problem and its 105mm underfoot gives a nice stable platform too.
Head have a reputation for building
bullet-proof skis and the Mojo 105 is
no exception. This ski performs best
in the backcountry freestyle arena.
The fattest in the 1080 family, the Gun
was a natural progression for Salomon.
As freestyle moves ever further into the
backcountry, the development of better
and better BC Freestyle skis is inevitable.
The Gun takes all the good points of the
1080 and makes it fatter. The extra width
gives better floatation in the powder
(although still remaining one of the smaller waists in the category), but it still
holds itself on-piste with an impressive
turn radius of 18.6m (at 174cm). If you’re
looking for something to take you to the
backcountry, but also keep you happy in
the park, this is the workhorse for you.
Any ski that boasts a swallow tail is
going to attract the attention of hardcore freeriders out there. The PowPow
Swallow is the big brother of the
PowPow, juiced up a bit for those that
demand it. The Swallow has some
extra stiffness and a different core, but
it also benefits from some increased
responsiveness. This is definitely a ski
for those out there that want steep,
deep powder and very little else.
At slow speeds you may struggle to get
it to listen to you, but these were never
meant to go slow.
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
Designed from scratch by Eric Pollard,
the Elizabeth carries an impressive
130mm waist. The floatation gained
from such underfoot width is phenomenal. Definitely a friend of the powder,
the Elizabeth struggles a little on other
surfaces, but if you plan on taking these
on piste you need to have a quiet word
with yourself. The ski was designed
to handle less like a ski and more like
a snowboard, and the agility you feel
on the Elizabeth is testament to that.
If you like the powder then this is a very
good weapon of choice.
What can we say about the K2 Pontoon?
One word... Epic! This ski is like no other
ski around. The brainchild of Shane
McConkey, the Pontoon has an inverse
camber and a rocker design inspired
by surfing. Its unconventional shape
allows it to rise to the surface in powder easier than any other ski and
when you are on the piste it feels like
you are riding a snowblade as only
about 60cm of the ski touches the
snow. Any novice powder rider could
use this ski. However we wouldn’t recommend it to anyone unless you are
serious about your powder riding.
Always a hit, the Gotama blends the
exuberance of the freestyle with the
resilience of a backcountry ski.
Boasting an impressive 105cm underfoot, it floats effortlessly in powder
but has a stiffness that makes it eat
through any crud they should encounter. The Gotama has performed persistently well over the years since its
inception and this year is exactly the
same. Definitely one for the off-piste
fan, it is surprisingly quick from edge
to edge on the piste.
The Nordica Supercharger Blower is
like Ronseal, does exactly what it says
on the tin. On piste this ski underperforms but that isn’t what it is made
for. As soon as you get this thing in
the powder it floats with the greatest
of ease. If you are confident enough
you can gun it down chutes and drop
big cliffs, but if you want to just cruise
around then you would be better with
the smaller model, the “Enforcer”.
This ski is made in the Nordica race
department and looks pretty indestructible, only the graphics bring this
ski down.
Not packing the same width as many
of its peers, the AK Rocket has long
been considered the tool of the hardcore freerider. A mere 95cm underfoot, yet it feel as stable as its counterparts. What it lacks in width, it
makes up for in length, and its speed
and floatation are owed to this. This
ski is one for steep straight-line
descents and requires a skier onboard
who is up to the task. Definitely not
one for the faint hearted.
The first thing that struck me about
the P4 is the amazingly retro graphics.
It’s like having a bottle of P20 sunscreen on your feet. The next thing
that struck me is the wide nose, which
works amazingly well. Made for the
likes of Laurent Favre to rip up the
backcountry booters and jibbing off
cliffs, we think they designed one hell
of a ski. Our only quarrel with this ski
is that it could do with something in
between 181 and 191 but it is reasonably priced and is a great performer.
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
Atomic keep adding stuff to this ski to
make it better, and it keeps working!
Last years Magnesium power channels
have now been supplemented by the
new Powerbridge binding interface. The
Powerbridge works like a leaf spring
and distributes energy evenly along the
ski throughout the entire turn radius for
better grip. The energy is stored in the
“spring” which powers the rebound into
the next turn. It’s fast and lively and
great fun to ski. It’s such a powerful ski
that it does get a little bogged down in
heavier snow.
Most skiercross skis are based on GS
Race skis, after all it is a form of racing! Dynastar skicross is no exception,
being based on the Speed Course 67.
It uses the same profile and construction but comes with the Non FIS regulated binding interface and a Look
PX12 composite binding instead of
the Titanium model. On the snow it
feels positive, precise and powerful
just as you would expect from a Race
bred ski, but the ARS binding interface smoothes out the feel and makes
a slightly more forgiving ride. Great on
hard pack, hard work if it gets soft.
A super stable GS based ski. Don’t be
scared by the GS tag, RX9 is one of
the most versatile skis in Skiercross and
is fantastic fun to ski, even by someone
who has no intention of going near
a skiercross banked course. Piste skiing
is RX9’s raison d’etre, obviously it
excels in long, fast, energetic turns but
it’s not averse to popping in a few tight
turns for good measure. If there is
a down side it would be that close up the
top sheet does look a little too plasticy,
but that is being super picky. For short
turn performance RX8 is the puppy.
I love them! Being a massive Volkl fan
and owner of a pair of Karmas (the
male version of the Kaya) this ski is
right up my street! Even though the
Kaya is pitched towards girls who ride
park and pipe, it rips through variable
off-piste as well as gripping the piste
pretty well. With a lightweight core the
ski was easy to use and popped over
small jumps with ease. The graphics
rock as well – green is the new black,
oh and the little houses are cute!
The K2 Missdemeanor was the success story of female skis in 2005/6
and with a new art-nouveau look for
this season, this ski will undoubtedly
continue to be a strong seller. The
Missdemeanor is a versatile ski which
is great fun to take anywhere on the
mountain. If you are very light then
you will enjoy using this ski, if you are
a little heavier or a really aggressive
skier, you may want to try the unisex
version of this ski – the Public Enemy.
Good in the park and pipe – not bad
on the rest of the mountain.
Salomon has gone for a very different look in their female range with
the Temptress. With one ski of the
pair hot pink and the other black, the
Temptress also boasts tip rivets, making the ski look pretty mean! The ski
was light and lively with great turn
initiation when taken on the piste.
A good park and pipe ski but not as
‘mean’ as it looks when taken off
the piste.
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
One of the only skiercross models
not modelled directly from a race
ski... K2 have correctly realized that
the essence of skiercross is speed
and versatility. To achieve this they
used the award winning Apache
Crossfire as the model and beefed
it up with the Metal laminate layers
and flat tail from the race skis,
so essentially it’s a rocket fuelled
Crossfire, I think that says it all!
Piston powered piste machine. The V12
continues. A new ski with the Isocell
wood core and Monocoque construction.
It’s the same shape and construction as
the Equipe GC Race, what changes is the
metal layers. V12 uses the Metaltex layer
instead of the Diatex metal layer in the
Equipe GC. This allows the ski to be more
versatile in turn shape in varied terrain and
a little more lively from edge to edge.
The new Smartrak Prolink Interface brings
active damping and pressure distribution
the next level. Superb grip and
performance, a real grin maker. You just
have to get past the hideous graphics!
Scott work closely with Salomon and
have produced a great ski here. Using
a traditional wood core construction with
Titanal sandwich and sidewalls gives the
RCX great edge hold and energy but
manages to keep a very light feel underfoot. Salomon’s input appears under
your feet as Scott use the Smartrak
binding interface and a Salomon binding
(with Scott branding) which adds to the
grip and response of the ski. Extreme
dimensions (126/76/108) produce a lightning quick 15m radius but the ski is
surprisingly easy to pump out long turns
on. Fast and technical ski.
This is a versatile ski which performed
really well in the powder and held
it’s on in the park. With dimensions
of 120-90-113 its fat. Not really fat,
but fat enough! It floats through the
fluffy stuff and is great for its job
– backcountry freestyle. The mounting position is 1cm further forward
than the men’s Rossignol skis which
means turn initiation is easy! Looks
pretty stylish too – but watch out
for the pandas!
Movement have a great selection of
girls freeride/freestyle skis and the
Sista is a fantastic ski for the backcountry. It has awesome graphics
(pink and black again!) and rips in
powder and varied terrain. It responded really well when pushed – you can
take it anywhere but it loves being
taken away from the smooth slopes.
This ski has very simple black and
white graphics, but it just goes to
show that looks are deceptive. One
of my favourite skis of this year, the
Rosa glided through the powder and
did not complain at all when cutting
through crud and cut up snow. Not
bad on the piste either… this is a great
freeride ski.
��
��
��
��
�
��AUSTRIAN TOURISM
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��BEN ‘BUNGLE’ HAWKER�
Until last winter I had never been to Mayrhofen or for that matter had even considered
going there, it was with some reluctance that I went, I would never have gone if it wasn’t
for a couple of British snowboarders who kept on about it. I was intrigued to find out
what they were on about, was it really as good as they say?
Mayrhofen is only 600m above sea level making it one of the lowest ski resorts in
Europe, but don’t be fooled, this is an advantage with a town that low. By March the
snow is gone from the streets and it’s possible to skate down the road or even at the
local skate park giving the best of both worlds! But unfortunately there is always a
down side, in this case it’s the gondola from the town. The Penkenbahn is the only lift
servicing the ski area from the centre of Mayrhofen making the queues in the morning
– and evening – diabolical because there’s no ski route down due to the town. As my
Mum always says ‘Where there’s a will, there’s a way’, so either be the first in the lift
queue at 8.30am or don’t go up until 10.30 when the queue has gone, and be down at 3
or 5pm to avoid the busy period. However, there is another option… the Horgbergbahn.
The Horgbergbahn is another gondola up to the Mayrhofen ski area but is relatively
unused by tourists as it’s hidden and does require the use of a car or the local bus to
get to, and generally is quieter than the Penken, plus they have seats!
Don’t let the lift put you off, it’s really not that much of a problem. Once up at the ski
area the first thing you will probably notice is the Alaskan looking peak underneath
the 150 Tux cable. And yes, this is as good as it sounds! But be warned; it’s not for the
inexperienced and it’s not for the faint hearted. This is the face that hosted the O’Neil
Rookie Quest qualifiers. The best part about this face is that once at the bottom you’re
actually now at the top of the fun park.
The Burton Park is one of the best in Europe. It doesn’t cover the largest area but it
does cater everyone’s needs. From a 4 metre kicker to a 20 metre super-booter, from a
��
��
��
��
TOURIST OFFICE +43 (0)528 567 600
WWW.MAYRHOFEN.COM
+
INNSBRUCK AIRPORT 74KM
SALZBURG AIRPORT 176KM
MUNICH AIRPORT 203KM
+
VERTICAL DROP: 630m – 3250m
exactly massive, you’re going to be hard pressed to escape your fellow Brits. And if
you’re still standing by now (which I find hard to believe), you can go to one of two
clubs; ‘Arena’ or ‘Schlussel’ – both good fun. Arena reminds me more of a British club
whilst Schlussel definitely has more of an Austrian feel to it and has its own kebab shop
inside! Be warned though, it doesn’t close until 6am!
Mayrhofen also plays host to one of the biggest British (snow related) festivals:
‘Snowbombing’. If club land and thousands of drunken students is not your thing then
maybe you should give the end of April a miss. But if it is, then be warned, your liver
will suffer and so will your credit card!
If you’re not into your skiing or boarding there is still plenty to do. Get a walkers pass
and discover the ski area on foot or maybe use the local swimming pool and gym. Or
perhaps a game of curling is your thing? Innsbruck is just 40 minutes away and is an
absolutely awesome city – be sure to find Magic Pizza if you go there, or the all-youcan-eat sushi restaurant for just 8 Euros!
St Anton is just a 2 hour car journey, as is Munich and Kitzbhuel. Mayrhofen is in the
perfect location to discover this part of Europe.
So is it as good as they say? Well it’s even better if you ask me. It has everything on offer
and the skiing is simply some of the best on the planet. The vibe is really relaxed and
it just feels like you’re on holiday. This is no Ibiza on snow, nor is it so remote there is
nothing to do. It’s just right.
It’s very common for the Brits to do the easy ski holiday... fly to Geneva and use one of
the resorts in this area, but I urge you... Be adventurous and go with the unknown, live
a little, you never know what you might find, it may just be what you looking for.
1 metre high ‘beginner wall-ride’ to a massive 3 metre curved wall of death... and not
forgetting the monstrous hip at the bottom making it possible to reach heights as high
as the chairlift that runs straight through the middle of the park.
If you’re not into the extreme fear not, Mayrhofen has 157 km of pistes, 28 huts and
restaurants (if you fancy something new order a Germknodel!) and the Harakiri – the
steepest piste in Austria! Either side of this run is amazing powder stashes for all
abilities. All this in just Mayrhofen, if you bought the valley lift pass you would be hard
pressed to visit all of the ski areas in one week. From the Hintertux Glacier at one
end of the valley, way down to Strass at the other end. There are numerous resorts in
between which your lift pass covers including Hochfugen, an area visited by Poorboyz
Productions to film with the likes of Seth Morrison and Mark Abma.
If you’re looking to get away from the main area though, Mayrhofen does have one
more area to visit on the other side of town. It’s quieter and generally has less people,
the Ahornbahn. This is particularly good for the piste skier and families.
Once down from the mountain its time to do what Austrians do best... après ski. As soon
as you come out of the Penken lift you’re immediately hit with the familiar thumping
beat and cheering as the ice bar is in full flow. This bar is purely après and closes
around 9pm. If you’re still standing at this point, head over to Scotland yard, you can’t
miss it, it has an old red British phone box outside. Be sure to order a cucumber shot,
the bar staff will explain how this works and it’s extremely funny. The whole bar is
usually drinking them by the end of the night! It’s cheap too, 3.30 Euros for a pint, and
on average just 3 for a shot. It’s not as British as it sounds but with Mayrhofen not being
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
� � ��
��
��
��
��

verbier ride 2006

Transcription

Similar documents

Roy Parker - New Mexico Ski Hall of Fame

DECEMBER 2011 General membership meetings

Untitled

Ski trip Andalo, Italy 27th February – 5th March 2016

sliding scale

Ski Tech - Gabriella Le Breton

06-07 high performance rental skis

NaturE, Sport aNd FrEEtimE!

Travel - Mazatlan

the other side - John Clary Davies