I'm famous

I'm kind of a big deal around these parts. I'm famous.
Last week I got a new ski movie titled Adrenaline Hunters and my cousin purchased the new Poor Boyz film, Ski Porn. To my amazement, I had a cameo in both of them. No, I was not skiing. I was however playing a key role as an enthusiastic fan watching guys like Simon Dumont and Sammy Carlson throw huge tricks off even bigger jumps. I couldn't actually convince anyone who was watching the films with me that the little dot off in the side of the screen was me, but I know.
For a long time ski movies were pretty much just Warren Miller traveling the world with some of the greatest skiers. His cameramen would film them skiing some amazing lines while he romantized the sport through narration. It was enough to bring a tear to my eye. Now with the decreasing cost of equipment and production, guys that decided to start filming for fun a few years ago are turning their love for skiing and making it look as cool as possible into a money making venture. Ski Porn retails for $39.99.
So why is there a market? I wouldn't purchase a ski movie just to see my ant-like resemblance off in the corner. I, along with many other skiers, purchase the films to get amped for a day of skiing. Nothing will make you want to ski bigger lines and huck cliffs than watching someone who is way better than you do something 10 times bigger than you would even consider.
When i was skiing in New Zealand, we had no television, no heat except for wood that we cut and one outlet. We plugged in my friends computer and gathered around to watch what we called "white porn." White of course refers to the snow and it was the perfect way to end a day and get ready for another gnarly day of skiing.

The rise of helmet use

It had been about six years since I started religiously wearing a helmet to ski and bike when a doctor and a paramedic told my mom that I might not be alive if I was not wearing a helmet. I was biking home from work on my triathlon bike when I was 18. I was going through a green light when a car made a lefthand turn without seeing me. I slammed on my brakes, but it was too late. I flipped shoulder first into the car breaking his windshield. My pedals unclipped from my shoes sending my bike to the other side of the road while I did a flip off the car, landed on m head and rolled for a few metres on the concrete. A passerby luckily called an ambulance which rushed me to the hospital. I needed two stitches in my leg. I flew a few metres after the car came to a complete stop, landed on my head and only needed stitches in my leg. And some people say they don't really need a helmet.
This is just one story from biking that happened to be quite serious, but I can't even count the number of falls I've had on skis where I pop an advil and shake it off for a few days - falls that could have been bad news. When I look at the scratches in my ski helmet, I can't believe I beat some of those trees.
I bring up this story to show the importance of wearing a helmet. In the past dozen years, I can count on one hand the number of times I've skied or biked without a helmet and they were all working days. I make it a policy to not go on challenging terrain if someone I'm skiing with isn't wearing a helmet.
Most resorts, such as Whistler, require everyone under 18 to have one on. A study done a few years ago suggests that one can reduce your chance of a head injury by almost 60%.
This is because most fatalities on the hill are due to multiple injuries. An impact to the head is usually the number one cause of death. Another finding shows that helmet use is rising about five per cent per year and highest among children, experienced skiers and males.
However, hospitals such as Seattle Children's Hospital feel the need to remind people that wearing a helmet isn't a license to go faster.
I have definitely noticed that more people are wearing helmets, especially ones that want to ski with me. However, one of my friend's wasn't lucky enough to jump on the helmet bandwagon earlier. I can't help but think if it would have helped.

Skiing at the beach

I spoke to a man named Derek last year around the end of March. He fasions long hair, a long goatee and a sick pair of tele skis. I made some comment about the great snow and he slowly glanced at me to say, "my mind is already in biking mode." He has been a true mountain man for a long time and when the snow starts to fade, he can't help but hope to be back on his bike soon. I thought this was strange. Afterall, I was living to ski. But this year for some reason I am definitely ready for summer to roll around. One of the key signs that sailing, kayaking and biking are right around the corner is spring skiing.
Often called slush skiing or sitting on the beach, it really has no substitute for the unambitious, lazy alcoholic who has trouble dealing with the transition between sports. That time when neither is good and you can do both, but would rather just sit on the beach. This beach is not sand covered, but the snow has a certain corn-like quality to it.
Some times the snow would melt beyond slush and form little ponds in flat sections of the hill. These are the times when I got to show off my pond skimming ability. One gains a lot of speed and waterskis through the water hoping not to fall.
Not far from Vancouver is a local mountain called Cypress. Locals talk about sitting on that beach as they talk about looking forward to a day of spring skiing. Similarly, Arapahoe Basin in Colorado is a small local mountain with no accomodations nearby. Cars back into the closest spots near the hill and pop their tailgates to blast music. They display small groups of fold-out chairs in a circle around a portable camping stove. They tap the keg and, dressed in either Hawaiian or 80's wear, do a few runs before having a burger and beer while baking in the sun. The skiing is really just a way to cool down.
For whatever reason people enjoy spring skiing, I am definitely happy it's finally here. While the skiing may not be great, I'm starting to get some colour back on my face and it is getting me in the mood for summer.

A lot of snow, or names for it anyways

Sometimes it feels like my skis are either easily gliding over or being forced through a different consistency of snow every turn. Some turns are easy. These are the turns in fluffy, deep powder. But sometimes the skis fight through heavy slush or glide over ice that would resemble the Red Bull Cushed Ice course.
I guess the Inuit hit the nail on the hammer with the 100 plus names they have for snow. If an Inuit was having a great day on the hill, he or she would be skiing some steep and deep tlapa. But if the hill gets all skied out and no new snow falls overnight, he or she would probably talk about klin. If no new snow falls for weeks, the word changes to naklin.
Here on the wet coast we get a mixture of tlamo and tlapinti. And on St. Patrick's day last week, we even saw some sulitlana. It was a good thing, we could all go in for some mactla and mexla.
In the minds of skiers, nothing is just tla. Sometimes if you hit a patch or shlim, it will soon be motla. Just make sure to watch out for tlayopi.
Some say that even the English language has numerous words and the Inuit words are a bit of a myth. But I feel that it's so much easier to say jatla instead of snow between your fingers or toes, or in groin-folds or quinyaya instead of snow mixed with the shit of a lead dog.
One thing is for sure. If an Inuit is a serious skier, he or she never stops talking about ylaipi.

St. Patrick's day on the hill

There are many great theme days on the mountain - Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentines Day, rock star day, one-piece day, 80's day, Australia Day. But the best one is definitely St. Patrick's day and last Saturday didn't disappoint.
I don't remember the last time I wasn't skiing on St. Patty's day so I have a number of good memories. Lots of people ski around in strange green apparel some wearing Irish flags and some trying new tricks thanks to a little liquid courage. The funny thing about these days is that the skiing doesn't really matter. A great outfit and bragging about hitting the bar early do.
Lift operators, mountain hosts and other guest services representatives can all be seen getting people in the mood by wearing all green and speaking in poor Irish accents.
The town of Snowmass has possibly the most organization of any ski town and even puts on a parade to celebrate among other events. The parade runs right through the centre of town where tourists can purchase cheap, green beer right on the street. This year the parade even featured the Colorado Youth Pipe Band. I remember not even being able to walk through the town during the afternoon because of the number of people. The preview article in the Aspen Times about this day even ended with a suggestion to check local bars for specials.
Was anyone on the hill? Lift lines don't exist on St. Patrick's Day, but by 2 p.m. it really seems like the lift operators are the only ones on the hill.
This year, I shifted festivities to Whistler where some rationalizing between friends turned a full day into seven runs and a trip to the bar at the top of the hill at noon. Some people didn't even have ski stuff on. They just rode the gondola to the top in their full Irish apparel. The town of Whistler doesn't seem to have the same organization, but the spirit was still there. It was almost raining at the top of the hill and groups of green-clad stumbling fools were lining up to have their pictures taken at the top of the hill. The bar was standing room only by noon. It was a good thing I had a long ski down to my car before driving home.

Murder near the mountain

The strangest thing happened last weekend in Whistler. Someone was murdered for the first time in 30 years. I couldn't believe it when I saw the caution tape. When my brother told me it was a murder, I didn't believe him and insisted the tape was for the movie that was being shot. The first thing I did was ask a local, because in a town that size locals know everything. The story from this local who walked by the scene 10 minutes before the shooting said he saw two men in an altercation and that is why the cops were called. The Globe and Mail reported that a cop was nearby, but it seems like more than luck. Something I heard that all the news missed was a rumour that the two men were rival gang members. The altercation involved one party owing the other money and when the one didn't pay he was shot.
This is the kind of news that shocks a small town. For security reasons, cops are on the hill, but they are mostly looking for pass fraud. The only time I've ever seen cops in action in a ski town was to meet someone at the top of a chairlift to see if they were using someone else's pass. The person turned out to be local snowboarding Olympian Jason Smith who had a lot of gear on. When Jason got off the lift, the cop said, "Oh, hey Jason." They went their separate ways. Hopefully this event doesn't keep people from coming to Whistler.

The best of Apres

As I mentioned last week, a crucial part to finding a good apres spot is cheap beer and wings/nachos. I'm not sure why finger food is associated with good apres. It may be because skiers love the stench of their gloves after a day of skiing or because it is too early for dinner so appetizers are a good food choice. Because of this tradition, I've come to crave beer and wings/nachos almost every day while skiing. I've skied a lot of different places and I want to share some of my favourite places with you.
Just down the road from the main village in Keystone, Colo., but still in the town is a place called Dos Locos. From 3-6 p.m. you can get 2-for-1 margaritas and cheap pitchers of American beer, but the best part is their free nacho tray. They feature a constantly refilling hot tray of some of the best nachos I've ever had and its free. Not many people know about it so you always get good service and nachos.
Only five miles away in the town of Breckenridge, Colo. is a place lots of people know about, Mi Casa Mexican Cantina. Also a Mexican restaurant, it has unlimited free chips and salsa with beer specials on good, local beer. You aren't guaranteed a seat, but it is right on the main street in Breckenridge and close to the hill.
The town of aspen features a lot of apres destinations between the four mountains, but my favourite by far is Zane's. After eating wings at other places I usually have to say, "these wings are good, but their no Zane's." They feature flavours such as cajun and asian teriyaki in addition to the traditional hot and barbecue. They are the biggest wings I've ever seen and they are only 25 cents. That is all in addition to the friendly service and $6.50 pitchers of beer.
My final spot is the Crystal Lounge in the village of Whistler about 50 steps from where you take your skis off at the bottom of the hill. It is downstairs with a small sign so it is harder to find than the ones with outdoor patios right next to the hill, but that doesn't mean people don't know about it. It is a younger crowd, mostly in their twenties, and features a couple different drink specials each day plus 25 cent wings. They are good, but they are no Zane's.

Apres - The other part of skiing

I don't think I would be doing justice to the skiing world if I didn't talk about the other half of skiing - Apres. Apres literally means after in French and it means exactly what is sounds like, what you do after skiing. In most cases this involves cheap wings, nachos and beer.
The ski bum life usually doesn't attract the conservative, academic type so it is easy to find friends who will share in this joy most days. Apres usually happens when the day is over, but if there is bad weather or poor conditions on the hill apres can begin earlier. When there is no fresh powder, it is not strange to start talking about it around noon and make it to the bar around 2 p.m.
Last year when we were working on the hill, we would start talking about it around lunch and tell everyone by making a small, medium or large "A" with our hands and arms similar to doing hand motions in "YMCA." Little A's might mean a couple beers, but often a little "A" would turn into a big one and apres would end at 2 a.m.
Once I was skiing with a couple Austrian girls in New Zealand at the Remarkables and I lost them around noon. When I saw them again at 4 p.m., they said the conditions weren't good so they went in for Jagertee. Similar to how North Americans eat wings and drink beer, Austrians drink some mixture of tea and rum for apres. This was something they started talking about at 8 a.m. The food and drink may be different but the spirit is the same around the world.
People sit around and tell exaggerated stories about what they skied that day. A five foot cliff that someone jumped can easily be 20 feet during apres. It is also a way to not feel bad about leaving a friend or loved one at the beginning of the day because you didn't want to ski with them. If you ditch someone during the first run because they are slowing you down, you can always say, "I'll meet you for apres." Then you will still spend time with them and they won't slow you down.
The key for someone in their 20's to a good apres is finding good and cheap wings, nachos and beer.
Next week I will share my favourite spots and why.

Take that vacation without breaking the bank

It is a really good thing that my parents put me in ski school. I don't know if I would still be skiing today if they hadn't. Some people seem to think that when they are on a family ski vacation they need to spend every minute with each other despite the fact that everyone may be at a different level of skiing. Everyone wants to do something different and go at a different speed. In the end no one gets to ski what they want.
My first piece of advice for a family vaca own age and an instructor that will show them all the cool places on the hill such as the kids trails or castles. If the parents want to save on lessons, almost every mountain offers different levels of mountain tours that are free almost every morning. It is a great way to learn the mountain and ski with people at your level. This is not to say that I discourage skiing with each other, but I know I'm much happier when I ski with someone at my level. That way I'm happier when I see my family at the end of the day and we can share our tales in the hot tub.
It is hard to save money on hotels, but if you start looking early enough and spend some time looking around, you can usually find one near the hill at a reasonable price.
If you have to fly into an airport, there is usually some sort of shared transportation from the airport up to the hill. In Colorado, when you land at Denver International Airport you can take Colorado Mountain Express to any resort in the state. It is direct door-to-door service and will save you driving on sometimes dangerous mountain roads and the money of renting a car, which you probably won't use the entire time you are at the resort.
For lift tickets and rentals it is hard to save money, but the more days you buy and if you buy before the season starts (before November) tickets are usually cheaper. You can also purchase tickets for many resorts in a nearby city at a discounted rate. You can buy Whistler Fast Track lift passes for a $10 savings at 7-11 in Squamish. In Denver you can buy a similar type pass for many of the resorts at the grocery store. This idea works if you are going to be spending time in that nearby city.
They key way to save money is on food. Eating lunch on the mountain is never less than $10/person. If your hotel has a continental breakfast feel free to take an extra bagel for lunch or pack some instant noodles. It won't look as nice at the $9.50 cheeseburger, but your wallet will thank you. Dinners can also be pricey, that is why ordering pizza or enjoying 20 cent wings during a late apres is often a way to cut down on the cost of dinner.
Almost every mountain I've ever skied boasts an array of great family programs and they are telling the truth. They truly go out of their way to make sure all age groups will have fun. All you have to do is ask.
Remember it is your vacation, you might as well have fun.

I need a vacation

The beginning of March is upon us. For students or parents of school children that usually means one thing - spring break. For families like mine and many others around the world with some extra cash flow, that always means ski vacations. In the past quarter century, I have only missed a couple years where I haven't been skiing with at least one family member for a week during this time.
When I was little, ski school was the reason for my excitement. Now it is the fancy food my dad treats me to.
We began as a family going to the small resort of Talisman in Ontario. My mom liked the place because it had good food. I was skiing what they called a double black diamond by age eight. It was time for an upgrade. At nine, we took our first trip to Quebec. We actually went back to the same resort where my parents honeymooned, Gray Rocks. It was another decision based on food. My mom hated the idea of leaving the hotel to eat after she had her hot tub. That was also the place where I pulled my fist Iron Cross off a jump to impress my dad. I coincidentally dug my ski tips in and landed on my face causing my ex-ski patroller father to pop off his skis and run over to me as fast as possible. At 10 we were challenging the tough slopes of Vermont at Jay Peak. My brother and I had an instructor named Jay who skied, snowboarded, did arials and loved the backcountry. I'll never forget the first time I skied in bottomless snow out of bounds. One of my skis popped off and when I took the other one off to look, I sunk up to my chin into the fresh powder. Since I moved out west I have become a spoiled brat enjoying this week at either Vail, Aspen, Tahoe or Whistler.
I could go on for days talking about my ski vacations, but this is the week when many others are forming theirs and nothing should mess that up.
The memories are terrific, but picking a resort and planning all the details can seem like a full time job some time. It also should be noted that the cheapest rate a family of four should expect for a week is about $10,000. Next time, I'll give some tips for finding a good location and keeping some costs down without sacrificing fun. It is your week off, there is no point to having something small get in your way of a good time.

The Wasatch

For people living or skiing at Whistler or Vail/Aspen, there is a distinct us versus them rivalry but if you are a real skier, you go to Utah. Last year while living in Aspen, I needed to get away, I needed a ski vacation. My roommate and I skipped off work early one day, piled into my small hatchback with four pairs of skis covering the entire roof and drove to Salt Lake City. The home of Joseph Smith and his Mormon clan also hosts gnarly mountains and as it says on Utah license plates, "The greatest snow on earth." The plates don't lie. One day we got 13 inches and it was no big deal for the residents. In fact the mountain was practically empty because many of the residents were in Church.

The resorts of Snowbird and Alta are six and eight miles respectively away from Salt Lake City. Certainly much different than two hours spent on the Sea to Sky Highway going to Whistler. So after sleeping in and enjoying a relaxing breakfast in the city, we hopped in the car for a 20-minute jaunt up the winding roads of Little Cottonwood Canyon.
One mother from Massachusetts explained that her family members were real skiers. They don't bother going anywhere else for ski vacations. Compared to the rolling hills that are called rockies in Colorado, Little Cottonwood Canyon is endless jagged peaks. Compared to the heavy snow of Whistler, their snow is fluffy enough to blow up in the air and it won't land for hours.
For skiing, Utah is the place to go. What Snowbird and Alta lack is everything else. One big hotel, no bars and really nothing else to do. But with that terrain and snow, everyone who is serious about skiing needs to check out Utah.

Them vs. us

You may have noticed that most of my skiing-related subjects are directly connected to either Whistler or mountains in Colorado. That is because on the North American ski scene there is 'us' and 'them' fighting for ski resort supremacy. When ski magazines such as Powder pick their top choices for resorts each year, it is almost gauranteed that Whistler, one or two of the Vail-owned mountains and one or two of the Aspen-owned mountains will all be in the top 10. For people that live in Whistler, such as Pique newsmagazine's G.D. Maxwell, going to ski in Colorado meant getting over his Coloradophobia. For those who have spent their whole lives in one of the resorts, the hatred runs deep and the stereotypes are plentiful although a number of them are true.
Said by a Whistlerite: "They may have higher mountains, but the terrain isn't challenging, they hardly get any snow and Aspen is everything we don't want to become."
Said by a Coloradan: "They may get way more snow, but its the wet, heavy, rain-like stuff and the lifts are always crowded.
As someone who has held seasons passes to all these mountains and as someone who had to get over his own Whistlerphobia when moving here, I'm going to give you the brief run down of the differences. Vail owns five resorts in Colorado and Aspen owns four. In both cases the mountains are close to each other and one pass gets you access to all of the mountains with either of the companies. Whistler has one mountain, but has way more terrain between the two peaks that you can never get bored. Whistler gets way more snow, but Colorado gets the soft fluffy stuff that is superior for skiing.
Maxwell finally concedes in his article to saying that Colorado isn't an avoid-at-any-costs kind of place. He even goes on to say that they're not the kind of places they are made out to be around towns like Whistler. While people in both towns will poke fun at the other, Maxwell and pretty much every skier I've ever met realizes at the end of the day that skiing is skiing and the more place you can ski the better.
These places may fight for tourists and skiing supremacy, but next time I'll tell you about the place that really should be the 'them' for everyone who lives in every ski resort around the world.

Resort goes green to save the white

It has been told to me a number of times that the only thing that would keep Colorado drivers from purchasing SUV's was if the ski season was visibly cut short. It is hard not to notice the sheer number of SUV's when driving up the I-70 corridor which connects Denver to Vail and numerous other ski resorts. It is a three and then two-lane divided highway covered with gas guzzlers that apparently thought they were an Indy car in a past life. The number of cars is limited on highway 99, but that still doesn't mean that a good percentage aren't SUV's. I sometimes feel that my little warrior of a VW Golf called the Green Bean is going to be eaten alive. But over the past few years, I have felt more secure on the roads. People are realizing that they don't need a million cubic feet of space for a family of four to enjoy a day of skiing. You can call me a hypocrit because I still drive to the mountains every weekend, but I honestly feel that I'm doing my part. If only everyone drove a more fuel efficient car, the CO2 that would stay out of the atmosphere would be amazing. Luckily, it looks like things are going that way.
Skiers and their driving habits are not the only ones that will feel the effects of global warming. The ones who have the most to lose economically are the ski resorts. Just ask one of the thousands of workers who were told they didn't have a job at the beginning of this season on the East Coast of Canada or the U.S.
I can't speak for every resort, but I will tell you what my former employer is doing to lead the industry. Aspen Skiing Company (ASC) employees have the option of donating two dollars from every pay cheque to an environmental cause. This is something that almost every employee takes part in. Vending machines have sensors so when they are not used for a bit of time such as at night they automatically turn off saving electricity. But the biggest effort is the Cirque, a lift that was built without using any emissions and runs off of 100% wind power.
ASC is also the first resort company to vow to reduce it's CO2 emissions annually in compliance with the Chicago Climate Exchange and this past fall launched it's 'Save Snow Campaign' designed to spur debate and encourage people to act. Guests can also purchase SkiGreen tags making their day on the hill CO2 neutral. The proceeds support new local renewable energy projects. All of this makes ASC a leader in the ski industry. They are keeping the world green and the mountains white.

The end of skiing

My Grandfather loved to ski. When my mom was little he purchased a chalet in Collingwood near the biggest moutain range in Ontario to increase his ski days. I love to ski and have had the fortune to ski at some of the best places in the world, but a new report suggests that my great grandchildren won't be sharing this joy. A new report released last month in Park City, Utah is projecting the temperature to rise between six and 15 degrees Fahrenheit by the end of the century. While a number of residents packed an auditorium and bit their nails waiting to hear the results, I think everyone knew what was going to be said. We may not be skiing in 2100. The evidence is all around us. World Cup races were canceled earlier this year in Val d'Isere, France and St. Moritz, Switzerland due to a lack of snow. Closer to home, there was barely any skiing to be done over Christmas vacation in the Eastern parts of Canada and the U.S. Even if we change all of our habits, there is still a lag that will eventually hit us.
In response to a comment made a few weeks ago about Saudi Prince Al-Waleed purchasing the chain of Fairmont Hotels including Chateau Whistler, I would agree that he has competing interests. The more oil he sells, the more global warming therefore shorter ski seasons. People are already saying that in a few decades it will only extend from Christmas to President's Day in the middle of February. To give a comparison, I have skied from October until June in Colorado before.
What would make good economic sense for the Prince would be to invest in ways to extend the ski season.
What would make sense for all skiers would be to do somethings that reduce greenhouse emitions. The problem I have found is that skiers won't start to care until the snow stops falling. Whistler has been having one of the greatest seasons ever so why should we do anything now? It is only time before it catches up to us. The report shows that the rockies are warming up at twice the rate as low lying areas. This all may look bleak, but next week I will bring you what skiers are saying and what resorts and skiers are doing to ensure my great grandchildren will be enjoying the white fluffy stuff just like I do.

The snow decides the equipment

When I wake up in the morning on a ski day, I get dressed and then spend some time looking in my toy chest trying to decide what kind of day it is going to be. I have set-ups for all three disciplines (alpine skiing, telemarking and snowboarding) and therefore some choices to make. What ultimately makes the decision for me is the snow conditions. When the snow is falling or the powder is deep the only boards i consider riding are the tele skis. Its hard to explain, but the feeling of slicing through deep powder on what is essentially one long ski with two edges is definitely the best thing in skiing.
But not everyday includes face shots courtesy of the fluffy white snow. For those days when the mountain hasn't received snow for a few days and all the fresh powder is gone, its good to switch it up a bit. When you can get up early and hit the fresh corduroy/machine groomed snow (the time right after the hill has been groomed), its nice to have alpine skis on, especially carving skis that will allow you to rip. If the crowds are down, a good day of going really fast on less steep terrain is often in order. It reminds me again what it means to let the skis go with no fear. While I can't reach speeds near what athletes on the World Cup reach, it feels great to go fast. The other great aspect of alpine skis is their versatility in the terrain park and superpipe. Having your heels locked down gives you more balance when landing in the pipe or landing switch (backwards) that just can't be done on teles, although some of the best tele skiers are attempting such feats. These days often contain lots of sunshine and early apres beers.
For the days when there will be little snow, not much corduroy, little visibility for the park and varied snow conditions, I grab the snowboard. Those warm days when the snow resembles the slush we often find in Vancouver also call for the snowboard. It is similar to wakeboarding and the single edge can really carve through the slush. Granted I am still not at the level on my snowboard to truly enjoy the park or the deep powder, hopefully i will be one day.
But for now it is tele in powder, alpine on groomers and in the park and snowboard all other times.

Becoming a triple threat

The term triple treat can be used to define a lot of things. But, I'm going to use it to define the creme de la creme of snowriders - the men and women that have mastered all terrains on alpine skis, telemark skis and a snowboard. Lots of people are good at one of the disciplines, but not many can do all three really well. One person who I got some tele tips from is Terry "T-Bone" Bannon of the Aspen ski school. He teaches all three, but said he prefers teaching teleing. He said it increases his teaching opportunities and allows him to mix it up once in a while. As with a number of people who live in a mountain town, if you have the chance to learn something new, you mind as well do it. He is not alone. Mountainzone.com profiles a triple theat instructor in Washington. Snowriders tend to be adventurous. We see someone do something cool and we want in. I saw some friends tele for a couple years before I finally learned and after not snowboarding for nine years, I finally got back on one and took a lesson last year. While my snowboarding leaves a lot to be desired, I am on the brink of calling myself a triple threat.
The lure of having that arsenal of equipment is too much. Every morning you get to chose your weapon and rip. Each is different and amazingly fun while providing pros and cons based on the snow conditions and personal preferences. Each day is a different challenge when you have no shortage of toys in the toy chest. The hardest decision when you have so many options is choosing. Next week I will detail my snow choices for each discipline.

No X Games in primetime for Canadians

This past weekend featured the biggest thrills and spills someone can expect to see in the sports of skiing, snowboarding and snowmobiling. Top athletes flocked from around the world to the sunshine of Aspen, Colo. to compete in the Winter X Games. While there are lots of stories including Simon Dumont failing to top Tanner Hall in the men's skiing Superpipe once again, Lindsey Jacobellis falling again when in the lead of of the women's boardercross, and disabled monoskiers flying down the skiercross course, the one I want to discuss is me watching the thrills and spills on a two-inch part of my computer screen instead of my nice 27-inch flatscreen TV at home. The X Games, both summer and winter are an invention of ESPN and shown during primetime on that station. Being in Canada prevents us from watching ESPN and therefore we are forced to watch the events online. But if you were going to turn on the TV to sister Canadian station TSN, you would get a plethora of highlights from around the NHL. Why TSN doesn't broadcast more X Games action is hard for me to say. Maybe Canadians are so involved with hockey that we fail to see what is going on in other sports? Maybe Canadians don't want to watch different sports that are outside the traditional main idea of sports? Either way, this is one person who would like to watch more skiing action on TV.

Go big at the Winter X Games

If I had to make a list of the sporting events I would most like to attend it would include the America's Cup, the Tour de France, the Superbowl, and anything at the Olympics.
If I was making a list of the coolest sports events I've actually attended, number one would definitely be the Winter X Games. The 11th edition of this adrenalin-junky spectable started with practice sessions today in the usual location of Aspen, Colo. For those, like me, who think the only way to ski is to go big or go home, this is an event you have to see live (even if it means standing out in the cold for hours on end). After a few years of wanting to see the games, I finally got around to it last year (living in Snowmass, Colo. helped). The television doesn't show how big these guys go.
I had the fortune to stand under Simon Dumont when he flew 22 feet out of the 21-foot Superpipe. That is 17 feet above my head. And he travelled over 60 feet down the pipe. This isn't flying, but it is as close as one can get without growing wings.

If you like controversy (will Dumont actually beat Tanner Hall in the judges eyes and not just the fans like last year) this has it. If you like excitement (Dumont is preparing a three-and-a-half-spin trick in the Superpipe) this has it. But most importantly, if you like all things gnarly you need to watch the X games in person. For Canadians this might be the only way to see the games. Instead of being able to watch live coverage during primetime on ESPN, Canadians will be watching selected coverage of last years games during the daytime on TSN. This is one person who will be glued to EXPN.com for all the excitement.

Teleing is great in bounds too

As I mentioned in my previous blog, a lot of people get into telemark skiing as a way to access untouched backcountry terrain. This past Saturday I taught a group of future tele skiers who were mostly taking the clinic for this reason. While skiing deep, virgin, back-country powder is one of the greatest things one can experience in life, teleing can be great in bounds as well. Whistler offers heaps of great in bounds terrain with limited hiking meaning lots of bang for your buck and lots of turns that you don't have to earn. Some say earning turns (through hiking) is what makes them so great, but I say turns are great based on many more factors and the more turns you do the better chance you have of skiing a great line. Lifts exist for a reason and even if it means fighting crowds, it still means more skiing. Teleing doesn't just have to be in the backcountry. I think it is the coolest way to slide down an open, groomed run or a powder covered, off-piste chute.

Tele Tigers

When going down a snow covered mountain people usually think of two different forms - skiing and snowboarding. Those weird people bending the inside knee while on skis are taking part in a sport called telemarking (teleing). An activity I consider the best choice of ways to descende a powder covered mountain. It is the fastest growing winter sport in Colorado. The fastest growing sport is Lacrosee, but Teleing is the fastest growing winter sport. It is a sport that is not as big in B.C., but the people that are teleing are really good. A number of people I talk to on lifts who notice I'm teleing ask if it is hard and tell me that one day they will be teleing as well. I wish them the best.
People say they are drawn to it as a way to access the backcountry or for reasons like me, because it looked cool. One thing is for sure, it is gaining in popularity. The Varsity Outdoor Club at UBC is offering a tele clinic this Saturday. Nineteen people have signed up. It is hard to explain the difference or why we do it, but once people do it they rarely go back to skiing or snowboarding. Check out my blog on Tuesday to see if any of these 19 new tele tigers will keep it up or go back to other forms of sliding down the hill.

Sunshine and Summertime

It was hard to erase a smile from anyone's face this past weekend in Whistler. Endless blue skies, white mountains and sunshine were the backdrop for some great skiing. But not everywhere is having such a great seaon. Whistler and surrounding mountains are reporting over 300cm of base - that is slightly higher than from your floor to your ceiling in compressed snow. World Cup races were cancellend in France last month and the season is struggling in the eastern part Canada and the U.S.
The largest mountain resort in Ontario, Blue Mountain, is currently experiencing white-out conditions, but it is the first real snow of the year. They were seeing near summertime weather for beginning of what should have been the first part of the season. With five runs open and a tenth the base of Whistler, it's not the year to ski anywhere but the West. I just hope this isn't a sign of things to come or I don't think I'll entertain the idea of ever living in Ontario again.
Over the past six years, I've been blessed with great snow where ever I've lived. Whistler was downloading until after Christmas a couple years out of the last five due to a lack of snow at the bottom, but this year has been explained by one local as the best snow in 15 years. Global warming can be blamed for the lack of snow out east, but the great snow here can only be attributed to one thing - or one person.
The moral of the story seems to be that if you stick with me, the snow will be there.

Wet Coast Skiing

A 7:20 wake-up call startles me. I knew it was snowing when I went to bed, but I could never have predicted how deep the powder would be. My car was burried up to the windows, so we rushed to the bus stop. Despite starting our day at 8:15, the crowds were not small. It was an absolute blue bird day (not common for Whistler) and with the high pressure system, the snow was as close to fresh Colorado powder as I have seen on the wet coast. The 30 cm of new jumped up into my eyes as my telemark skis sliced through the white, fluffy stuff. My friend Andrew looked over at me after a fabulous untouched line to ask, "How does it feel to win at life?"
My name is Jordy and skiing isn't something I do, it is my obsession, my passion, and my favourite reason to be alive. I grew up in Toronto, Ontario skiing a 150-foot vertical hill called Earl Bales. I moved to Denver for school when I was 18 and skied all over Colorado for four years before taking a job with the Aspen Skiing Company. I moved back to Canada for graduate school and have been skiing Whistler since the day it opened this year.
I am creating this blog to share my thoughts about skiing-related issues. I will report on and give commentary to events taking place in the skiing world, but mostly in Whistler. I will express my opinion on why people are taking a bigger interest in telemarking and other debatable issues such as the best runs to ski given the different conditions. I will also leapfrog off other's comments. I encourage comments, hope to spark debate and most importantly want to feel like I'm on the hill everyday.