Innovations on snow

Every year at this time, ski and snowboard shops around the country start bustling with anticipation for the upcoming winter. The shelves are stocked high with new gloves and Skittle-colored goggles and the walls are lined with shiny hard goods. But how do you make sense of all the new stuff? And what do you actually need? Don't worry. We're here to help sift out the overly hyped gadgets from the truly useful innovations. Here is a cross-section of the upcoming season's products and trends worth paying attention to.

100 percent recycled outerwear: Many companies are stepping into the eco-friendly outerwear game, but Lib Tech is leading the way with its line of outerwear made completely (down to the zippers) from recycled bottles ($175-280). Why bottles? "Hemp technology isn't quite there yet to make it as waterproof as we need it to be," says Lib Tech's Trevor Phillips. "Bamboo is a good renewable resource, but it takes a lot of chemicals to break down. We found that recycled bottles worked best." Why doesn't everybody jump on the bandwagon, then? "Cost," says Phillips. "It just costs more." Read More

Freeze Festival champion Billy Morgan teaches Asylum how to snowboard

Some of Britain's top young snowboarders and skiiers had gathered at SNO!ZONE in Milton Keynes to show off some of their skills ahead of the Freeze Festival at London's Battersea Power Station next month.Find out if Oli tamed the slopes after the break.

Yesterday, when I woke to hear Jim Naughtie casually crashing the monotone parps of the Radio 4 pips, I was not a snowboarder, and nor did I want to be. But today when I woke, okay... I still wasn't a snowboarder, but I really wanted to be one.

Being Asylum's features chap comes with its fair share of perks: I've learned how to lasso cattle and throw knives, I've driven a six tonne armoured Jackal assault vehicle, and I've even been to Spy School -- where a man with scary eyes made me shoot an actual gun. So when an email dropped into my inbox offering to teach me how to snowboard, you'll have to forgive me for being a bit "meh" about the whole thing. Read More

Snowboard Cores and Benefits

Making perfect snowboards is all about getting the right balance of weight, flexibility and strength. You need to make sure that no matter how the board is configured, the experience of snowboarding will be of a very high quality. Something that plays an important part in this is the core of the snowboard.

Generally, snowboards are formed of a core, normally made out of some sort of wood, around which is fashioned fibreglass to give the board its shape. Some boarders have a preference over the wood that is used in the core of their board as it can often have an impact on the snowboarding experience.

For instance, if you are looking for a board that will be really quick, you might want to go for something light. This means you might want to consider a core made out of softwood, such as aspen, spruce or poplar. Softwoods are easy to mould, which makes them very useful in making snowboard cores. Read More

Ski, snowboard expo will be Nov 4-6

ALBANY -- The 50th annual Ski & Snowboard Expo will be held Nov. 4 through 6 at Empire State Plaza Convention Center in Albany. The show, presented by Alpin Haus and sponsored by Dunkin' Donuts, will feature equipment and apparel exhibitors, and representatives of ski resorts from the Northeast, the western United States and Canada.

Auctions, sales of used equipment, workshops and seminars also are planned.

Tickets are $8 at the door and $7 in advance, with children 9 and under admitted free when accompanied by an adult. The show will run from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 4; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 5; and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 6. Advance tickets and other information are available at its website. Read More

Jet-setting to Mammoth Mountain Made Easy Thanks to United Airlines

MAMMOTH LAKES, CA - Jet-setters rejoice! If you are a looking for a way to maximize your slope-time this year then the first thing you need to remedy is the time it takes you to get to your favorite mountain. For residents of California that title rests with Mammoth Mountain. And what's not to love? Last year La Nina absolutely had its way with our beloved Mammy, providing the mountain with literally "the most snow in the world" and the best, longest, most fun-filled season in the resort's history!

Mammoth is without-a-doubt one of the top ski and snowboard destinations in the United States, and while it just so happens to be in California's backyard -- for Southern Californians, it is still at least a 5 hour schlep, and for San Franciscans just getting out of the city can be a major ordeal in its own right. Read More

HOT DAWGZ & HAND RAILS 2011 RECAP

Some things just don’t go well together: toothpaste and orange juice, sex offenders and drunk children, flip flops and socks, etc. You would think snowboard contests and summer would fall into the same category, but on September 24th at Bear Mountain it was definitely a different story. 130 tons of ice, two-dozen riders, and thousands of colorful spectators gathered at the base of Bear Mountain for the 8th annual Hot Dawgz & Hand Rails. This year’s setup was the most progressive I have seen at the event, and maybe any rail jam for that matter. The drop-in consisted of two identical wallrides that led the contestants into the main features. On the viewer’s right was a massive wallride containing a creeper rail allowing you to slide the rail or utilize the wallride and air over the whole thing. Along the wall was a stairset with a flat box that dropped off more than Charlie Sheen’s acting career and a down bar. To the viewer’s left was a closeout down bar and a gnarly down-flat-down with an aggressive 3-foot flat making the feature even more technical. And to top it off, in the middle was a large patch of grass, which riders could choose to air over from the upper deck making it a 20-foot gap to the landing. Read More

Shaking Hands With The Devil: Final Throw

The truly frustrating thing about the way the Olympic slopestyle qualification debacle has unfolded over the last eighteen months is that we really can’t say we weren’t warned. After all, this entire thing has already been played out once before, when halfpipe and slalom snowboarding were introduced into the 1998 Nagano Games. At least that time, we had naivety and disorganization as an excuse.

This time around, we don’t even have that. Since the Vancouver halfpipe final snagged some of NBC’s highest 2010 viewing figures, certain far-sighted snowboarders have been warning that another hostile takeover was on the cards. The recent controversy about tennis underlined once more how fundamentally ridiculous it is that a ski federation looks set to control the way snowboarding is represented and organized on the biggest sporting platform on the planet. Read More

Ski trip planned for Park City Mountain Resort in Utah

Northwestern students will hit the slopes at the Park City Mountain Resort in Utah this winter, NU Ski and Snowboard Club announced Friday.

The club held a barbecue Friday on the Lakefill to unveil the location of its annual ski trip, which occurs during the first week of winter break. Between 700 and 1,000 people attend the trip every year, including undergraduate students and faculty members.

According to Co-President Kyra Weiss, this will be the most well-known mountain the club has gone to in the last three years.

"It's a great location," the Weinberg senior said. "It's absolutely amazing skiing in early snow."

Tickets will cost around $400, which covers rent and a four-day ski lift pass. For transportation, students can either buy their own plane tickets or take the motor bus provided by the club. Read More

Alta Chalets Offers the Ultimate in Alta and Snowbird Ski Vacation Rentals

A winter vacation at Alta Ski Area and Snowbird Ski and Snowboard Resort is an experience you’ll never forget, and booking your accommodations through Alta Chaletswill ensure your ski vacation is great from day one. Alta and Snowbird have been ranked the number one ski resort in North America by Outside Magazine and have consistently ranked as the number one ski resort by SKIING Magazine over the last 5 years With epic powder, stunning views and world-class skiing, Alta and Snowbird are the places to go for your next Utah ski vacation.

Alta and Snowbird cater to die-hard skiers and families alike, with wonderful ski terrain for all abilities and plenty of fun winter activities to choose from off the hill. Alta and Snowbird offer an abundance of Alta Snowbird vacation rentals, including beautiful homes and condos, many with the convenience of a ski-in, ski-out location or located just a short distance from the slopes. At Alta Ski Area and Snowbird Resort, you can save time driving to the resort and spend more time skiing or relaxing in your slopeside Alta home or Snowbird vacation rental. Read More

‘I looked just like Shrek’ – how snowboarder Mike’s heart almost gave out in the Alps

The active dad was on the piste at an altitude of 2,500m when the heart failure he had unknowingly suffered for 18 months took hold.

Michael, 35, said: “For every three runs everyone else was doing, I could barely manage one on my snowboard, I couldn’t even make it up the lift most of the time.

“At this point I looked like Shrek, I was huge, but my stomach was solid with fluid, all the pains I was getting were my internal organs sending out signals because they were being squeezed.

“I had gone from being able to swim 60 to 80 lengths of a swimming pool in an hour, to nothing.” Read More

Ambuhl, Helgasson win Freestyle.ch

Skiers and snowboarders came together at Freestyle.ch this weekend for the opening big air event of the season held in Zurich, Switzerland. Elias Ambuhl took top honors in the ski event and Halldor Helgasson topped the podium for the snowboarders. In skiing, Kai Mahle took second with Jossi Wells in third. Halldor was joined on the snowboard podium with Seppe Smits and Stale Sandbech in third.

Local crowd favorite Ambuhl earned a score of 93.75 with a dub 14 over mute tweak. He tried to step it up to 16 but saw his ski fly off in mid air. "Watching my ski come off in the air was an unreal feeling, bringing the spin around I was happy I'd worked out during the summer so I didn't hurt myself," Ambuhl said. On talking about the win Ambuhl added, "It's been a long time coming. I've been second twice before so to finally win my home event is the best feeling ever." Read More

Jake Burton diagnosed with cancer

Jake Burton, founder and owner of Burton Snowboards, announced via company memo Friday night that he had been diagnosed with testicular cancer.

"The bad news is that I have cancer. The good news is that it is as curable as it gets. What I have is called Seminoma, also known as Testicular Cancer (think Lance Armstrong). I have three months of chemo ahead with the possibility of surgery along the way," said Burton in a worldwide memo to his employees titled 'Good News and Band News,' which was forwarded on toTransWorld Business. Read More

Local snowboarder resists off-season

What if a skateboard could ride like a snowboard with edging and carving sensations, and even the ability to flat-spin?

One local rider says he's been doing it all summer. And with steep hills and a strong snowboard culture, Summit County is a great candidate to have people riding Freebords, said Dallas Phillips, local representative for the manufacturer.

The technology is not new, about 11 years old, but the trend is starting to take hold, in California especially, for people who don't want to give up snowboarding in the summertime.

“All summer you have that itch to be snowboarding. You can longboard; you can skateboard, and it will kind of cure it,” Phillips said. “But, this is the real thing. You're snowboarding on the street. It cures that itch until you can get riding again.” Read More

5th and 6th graders rejoice! Colorado Ski Country Passports now available

Colorado Ski Country USA (CSCUSA) announced today the return of last year’s successful First Class lesson as part of the launch of its popular 5th and 6th Grade Passport programs for the 2011-12 ski season. Registration is now open for the Passports, so click here to get on board. We used it last year, and if you have a fifth or sixth grader there’s really no reason whatsoever not to sign up.

The Passport Programs introduce fifth and sixth grade kids to skiing and snowboarding by giving them free and discounted access to Colorado’s legendary resorts. And don’t forget about CSCUSA’s $10 Gems Card for discounts at member resorts. Click here for more info about the Gems Card.

The CSCUSA 5th Grade Passport is available to all fifth graders and provides three days of free skiing at each of the 21 CSCUSA participating member resorts. The 6th Grade Passport gives sixth graders four days of skiing at the same participating CSCUSA resorts for $99, equaling 84 ski days for less than $1.20 a day. Read More

Ski films come to Apple’s tonight

Part of Gathering Film & Music Festival

Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation product Griffin Post of Jackson Hole, Wyo. is one star of a Teton Gravity Research ski film titled "One for the Road" that will screen today, Friday at Apple's Bar & Grill in Warm Springs.

Post, 28, is a prominent player in the "One for the Road" ski and snowboard film that follows some of the world's most progressive snowsports athletes. It documents their lives on the road and captures stunning riding and skiing.

The "One for the Road" movie premiere will be about 8:15 p.m. today at Apple's, preceded at 7:30 p.m. by "Prospecting Idaho," a film that features local skiers in familiar nearby locations. "Prospecting Idaho" is produced by Smith Sport Optics of Ketchum.

Admission is $15 per person at the door, with all proceeds going to the SVSEF. Raised here in the Wood River Valley, Post plans to attend today's film screenings, according to Hank Minor of Apple's. Doors open at 5 p.m. today.

Nike 6.0 Presents the Vapen Sessions

Nike has released its snowboarding boot named Vapen, which is a new product of its action sport-oriented Nike 6.0 accompanied by a series of video episodes, the Vapen Sessions.

The Vapen boot has a re-moldable liner that reacts to the heat of your foot and forms to it. The footbed is also heat reflecting and keeps the cold out.

First three episodes of the Vapen Session are documentaries that follow riders including the famous British snowboarder Jamie Nicholls among others as they make a trip on a yacht to Norway and then ride on the slopes. Picturesque shots and cool riders’ tricks in the videos are aimed to attract snowboarders. Read More

Shaun White snowboarding flair coming to Northstar-at-Tahoe

If you thought Shaun White was just an accomplished one-sport athlete, think again. Of course, many people know White for his amazing skills on a snowboard, but the "Flying Tomato" is pretty accomplished on a skateboard as well.

White will have a definite presence this year at Lake Tahoe ski resorts - Heavenly and Northstar-at-Tahoe. He will represent all six of Vail Resorts, which also includes Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone in Colorado. Vail Resorts, Inc. recently announced a worldwide multi-year partnership agreement with White, a professional snowboarder and skateboarder. Read More

Dunhill Carbon fiber snowboard for stylish cruising on the snow

For those living with snow around, especially during the winters in the mountainous regions, or if one is simply on a vacation in the mountains, there lies ample opportunities for snow sports, especially snowboarding. For the ones that can spare the cash, and like perfection in their sports’ equipment, Dunhill introduces its designer snowboard that balances perfection in design, and high order of materials used in construction to give riders an optimum experience while being on the snow. A look at the board and it oozes of the masculinity and perfection that Dunhill is otherwise known for. Read More

Do You Know These 3 Important Tips for Skiing and Snowboarding?

There are few things in life as amazing as gliding down a pristine slopw on a beautiful sunny day. Nowhere will you find the same feeling. Yup, we are addicted to the feeling. Yet we are still safety conscious. This is why we think it’s important to give you these tips for ski and snowboard safety.

The effects of viagra super force, not only on you but many others, is a fact that has to be recognized. It can be challenging to cover all possible examples simply because there is so much concerned. That is really a lot when you think about it, so just the briefest moment to mention something. We are highly certain about the ability of what we offer, today, to make a difference. The last remaining areas for discussion may be even more important. Read More

Hot Dawgz Take On Bear

The Bull is coming to Bear. The eighth annual Hot Dawgz & Hand Rails snowboard contest at Bear Mountain is sponsored by Red Bull. The unique fall pro snowboarding event takes place Saturday, Sept. 24, starting with season pass sales at 9 a.m.

The BBQ and Beach Bar opens at lunchtime, and the action kicks off at 2 p.m. This snowboard competition features some of the best freestyle snowboarders battling it out for $15,000 in cash on a one-of-a-kind, man-made snow park utilizing 110 tons of snow. Read More

Columbia Sportswear Partners with U.S. Freestyle Ski Team

PARK CITY, Utah, Sep 21, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Columbia Sportswear COLM -5.25% , one of the world's most respected outdoor apparel, footwear and equipment brands, will be showcased with some of the world's best Olympic athletes. The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) named Columbia as the official outerwear provider to the U.S. Freestyle Ski Team in a partnership that will extend through the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi.

The relationship will provide Columbia with a global marketing platform for its trademarked Omni-Heat technology as well as a research and development outlet. A key element for Columbia is garnering insight on its products from athletes and coaches, which will help develop and hone the winter line every season. A team of over 40 world-class U.S. Freestyle Ski Team athletes will be wearing Columbia clothing in diverse and challenging situations where clothing performance clearly impacts athletic performance. Read More

Burton Wireless iPod-Controlling Gloves Cost More than an iPod

I might never have been near a snowboard, but I can see how these iPhone-remote gloves from Burton could be really, ahem, handy. The Burton Mix Master Glove/Mitt doubles as a wireless controller for your iDevice while the phone itself sits safely inside a cozy, warm pocket.

Instead of running cables through clothes, the Mix Master communicates with the iPhone or iPod via an RF dongle which plugs into the dock connector. Thus prepared, you can press buttons on the back of your hand to skip and play/pause your music, and adjust the volume. Read More

Four to enter Intermountain Ski Hall of Fame

Membership in the Intermountain Ski Hall of Fame increases to 50 on Thursday, when the 10th class of honorees is inducted at the Alf Engen Ski Musem at Utah Olympic Park.

This year’s inductees include three Utahns — groundbreaking freestyle skier Bob Theobald, Utah County ski pioneer Raymond Stewart and Alta Mayor William Levitt — as well as Kit DesLauriers, a freeskiing and mountaineering leader from Wyoming.

The Hall of Fame honors ski and snowboard racers, industry innovators and developers in Utah, Idaho and Wyoming. Selections were made by a committee from the University of Utah J. Willard Marriott Library Ski Archives.

Their plaques will be displayed at the museum, which has attracted 1.2 million visitors since opening in 2002. Read More

Snowboard On The Rocks Photo Gallery

On Friday September 16, the second annual Snowboard on the Rocks music and shred film festival descended on Colorado’s iconic Red Rocks amphitheater. The event exploded onto the scene last year, hosting perhaps the largest snowboard premiere in history, and outdid itself this year.

The evening featured screenings of Videograss’s Shoot the Moon, FODT’s Familia, and Standard’s TB20, along with performances by RJD2, Doomtree, and Michal Menert.

As snow was falling in the high country above Red Rocks, the vibe at the event was a good sign of the level of stoke in Colorado. Here’s a look at the night’s festivities. Enjoy.

Check out the pictures HERE

Heavenly Ski and Snowboard Foundation announces 2011-12 programs, scholarship opportunities

The Heavenly Ski and Snowboard Foundation has opened registration for the 2011 – 2012 Alpine, Freestyle, Freeride and Snowboard Programs. With a variety of options from the One-Day Program to the Full-Time Competitive Program, the Lake Tahoe foundation has something for all ages and levels of skiers and riders. Registration packets are available online, at the HSSF building, or by calling the HSSF administration office. Those who register and pay in full now will receive the early registration pricing; prices increase $100 on November 1, 2011.

“The foundation continues to strengthen its relationship with Heavenly and work with the community to provide skiing and snowboarding options to the local youth,” said HSSF president Jim Plake. “With the Blue Angel middle school program we’re reaching out to children who want to ski recreationally. But then with our Full-Time competitive program we’re also catering to those who are striving to reach the Olympics.” Read More

Snowshoes and Snowboards: A Backcountry Boarding Adventure in the Scottish Highlands

It was an unseasonably warm February morning when I set off with Jamie, fellow snow-hunter, in search of a mountain that still had a reasonable covering of the white stuff. Just a couple of months earlier, there had been so much snow that I hadsnowshoed around central Edinburgh, but since then, warmer weather had descended upon Scotland, and the snowline had rapidly retreated back up the mountains.

With a hefty amount of gear, including snowshoes, hiking poles, and avalanche transceivers, we set off from Scotland’s capital, heading north, up and in to the Highlands. We had no set plan. If we saw a mountain that looked liked it had enough snow to ride, we would stop, climb it and ride it. However, it was sometime before any snow was sighted at all. The thaw had really done its damage and we began to worry if we’d find anything rideable. But as we drove further north along lonely lanes, past cold lochs and through tiny hamlets, we began to see evidence of winter on the mountain peaks, and our spirits rose. Read More

This Weekend in Stoke: Snowboard on the Rocks drops in

Mmm... totally! "We are looking forward to 10,000 snowboarders getting together to celebrate the sport and the start of the new season," says Waide Hoyt, production manager for Standard Films. The company is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its Totally Board series tonight with the world premiere ofTB:20 at Snowboard on the Rocks ($25, get there at 6 p.m. if you're after autographs), and Hoyt's predicted head count won't be far off: Red Rocks Amphitheatre seats just shy of 10,000, and organizers say it's on track to sell out. "Everything worked out with Colorado hosting the world premiere, being such a huge hub for snowboarding," Hoyt says. Cheer extra loud when Kimmy Fasani's part comes on: She filmed it here in Colorado at Silverton Mountain, and Silverton will be among the local ski areas offering discounts to Snowboard on the Rocks ticket holders. Read More

New Trails, Snowmaking and Grooming at Sutton

Sutton (QC), Canada – For the 2011-12 ski and snowboard season, skiers and riders will be able to take advantage of several improvements at Quebec’s Mont Sutton, just north of the Vermont border, starting with the addition of four new trails.

Sutton is expanding its skiable acreage this winter by offering four new tree skiing runs to its trail map: Crocodile, Entonnoir, Extase and Seduction. All four will be labeled with a “triple black diamond” difficulty rating on the resort’s new 3D interactive trail map which will allow guests to share photos and videos directly on it. The new 3D interactive trail map will be available on www.montsutton.com in time for the beginning of the ski season. Read More

Snow lovers look north: what's on offer this season

I love this time of year, when one season has entered it's twilight and another is filled with expectation. When it comes to following the winter north, Australian skiers and snowboarders are spoilt for choice with North America, Japan, Europe and even the Middle East, India, Korea and China on offer.

There is talk of another record-breaking season, like last northern winter in the USA and Canada, when snow dumps were limitless and winter fought with spring for rights to the months of April and May. But then there is always "talk" before a winter with long term forecasts bantered about and hopes of colder temperatures and more precipitation. La Nina was the phrase of last winter and it would appear it is heading their way again. Read More

Hot Dawgz And Hand Rails September 24th 2011

This year’s 8th annual Hot Dawgz & Hand Rails presented by Red Bull, is set to take place at Bear Mountain on Saturday, September 24th, 2011 starting with season pass sales at 9 a.m., BBQ and Beach Bar opening at lunchtime, and the event kicking off at 2p.m. This unique, summertime snowboard competition features some of the best freestyle snowboarders battling it out for $15,000 in cash on a one-of-a-kind, man-made snow park utilizing 110 tons of snow.

This revolutionary event provides up close and personal, jaw-dropping tricks by 40 of the best jibbers insnowboarding including Bear Mountain’s Team Riders Scott Vine, Zak Hale and Desiree Melancon along with other top rail riders such as Brandon Hobush, Yale Cousino and , .

Hot Dawgz & Hand Rails is free to the public and promises to get you ride-ready with roll back pricing on Big Bear Mountain Resorts’ screaming deal season passes – your last chance to get the best rates for the 2011/2012 season! This ultimate pre-season party promises to get snowboarders and skiers pumped for the coming season with live DJ’s, movie premieres for Bear Mountain’s “People’s Park” and The People Crew’s movie “Good Look” as well as a vendor booth city, product giveaways, BBQ and Bear Mountain’s world famous Beach Bar. A full schedule of events and information can be found at BearMountain.com. Read More

Ice magic!

The local Interschools Snowsports competitors proved successful on the snow, bringing home a swag on medals from the National Championships.

The team of snowboarders and skiers was met with a dump of fresh snow, blue skies and came home with both a stack of medals and big smiles on their faces!

The Interschools National Championships, held at Falls Creek Victoria last week, is the climax of the Interschools Snowsport Championships.

No less than 10 students represented our local schools at the National Championships. They were Luke Harvey from Ulladulla Public School, Ethan Ford, Jesse Wood, Tina Taylor and Felicia Auer from Milton PS and Cassi Fortune, Saskia Auer, Liam Wood, Max Cunningham and Russel Fortune from Ulladulla High School.

These talented competitors brought home no less than two team medals and five individual medals. Read More