Nissan Russian Adventure

The Flight from Moscow to Sochi was interesting after we picked up Jamie Berge who was on our flight to Moscow and 6 of the Scandinavian Freeride crew. The farther back on the plane one sat the smaller the space between rows. I got 21A my knees touching the seat in front of me and an Amazon of a lady who was really excited to be going to Sochi on holiday and talking with an American. As the plane approached Sochi the turbulence was out of hand and only clouds were visible through the windows. We got off at 10 pm to a downpour of rain and flooded parking lots where Vitely the Russian Heli Guide met us for the 1 hour trip from the sea into the mountains and Krasnaya Polyana. As we snaked our way up into the mountains the rain got harder until we went through a tunnel over a KM long and came out into dumping snow with flakes the size of silver dollars. Our residence for the week was The Villa Uyutnaya a little hotel about 5 Kilometers from the Ski Area.

The next morning we woke to a foggy rain snow mix and no idea what the valley or mountains looked like. The ski Area had received three feet of snow the day before and only the bottom lifts were open. We were told that the ski area had not opened til after New Years due to lack of snow, but two days before we arrived they had received 6 feet in a 2 day time span, leaving us with waist deep powder on top of no base layer.

The mountain itself starts at 1500 ft and 4 slow double chairs later drops you off on a ridge line at 6800 ft. There are only 2 groomed runs running down on either side of the lifts from the 3^rd chair down. The top of the 4^th lift puts you on a ridge that goes for miles in both directions and allows access to some crazy lines where the Freeeride World Tour would begin its 2009 campaign.

Day 1 we got to ride the steep trees off the 2^nd and 3^rd lifts. Snorkels were definitely in order as we choked on the snow billowing off our chests through widely spaced trees and rock drops. All the athletes raged the terrain for 6 hours that day and returned to the hotel exhausted and soaking wet from the wet maritime snowpack that seemed to stick to everything. The snow stopped that day but the sun never broke out and the clouds sat low to the valley floor.

Day 2 they opened the top lift but only to the ¾ station where the sickest spine split the ski Area in two, complete with cliffs and even steeper tree skiing. Being a Monday it seemed that the freeriders were the only ones up there and we did are best to tear up the untouched steeps. Another six hour ski day and early night.

Day 3 blew up bluebird and we could finally see the extent of the Caucasus Mountains surrounding us. The peaks went well over 10,000 feet from the valley floor and was very much like the Alps in its grandeur. We also got our 1^st look at the venue for Run 1 of the comp. Two features with pitch greater than 60 degrees connected by cornices and steep chutes. Then into the rolling terrain filled with pungy sticks and bushes to grab you like snow snakes if you were not careful. The snow up high was almost Colorado blower and would sluff with you as you went making it hard to see where you were going. It was announced that the next day would be our first run.

The next morning we arrived at the ski area before the sunrise and the butterflies were already working themselves up. Also in my head were thoughts of Wallace and Nicoletta and the previous season. Having drawn bib 11 the day before I would be getting a pretty clean line. As the first few athletes took there turns, some of the biggest names in freeride were blowing up due to the difficulty of the snow, which led me to second guess my line and opt for my 2^nd choice. Being the 1^st comp of the year and my initial run as a world tour athlete I wanted to keep it simple and stay on my feet so I chose an easy line down a chute with walls on both sides that I tried to hit up the left side and into a wide open field of fresh pow. But when I went up the side it threw me back into the chute and all the debris in the exit which bounced me, spun me around, and made me lose my head just pointing it straight down the hill to the finish. I placed 18 out of 19 on the 1^st run with a score of 7 while The leader Eric Themel sat 18 points ahead of me. We were given the next day off after the Mountain Guides decided the cornices were becoming unstable due to the warming trend we were experiencing.

Saturday was a little cooler and the final run was on. An hour walk out the ridge brought us to the 1^st start gate where I had found a decent line and got my head back into a good mindset. As we were waiting for the comp to start 4 of us were peering off the edge when two more people approached overweighting the cornice at which point it fell taking me and Willy Lindberg with it. I ended up ten feet down stuck in a crevice as chunks the size of cars broke to my left and started an avalanche into the basin below us. Willy lost his skis and poles and had to borrow equipment from the Camera men. My run started off by dropping the cornice and then slashing side turns down to a rock feature bigger then I had expected with an uphill ramp that sent me 30 feet straight up to a hip check which spun me around but allowed me to keep my momentum going enough to way overshoot the transition of my next hit and have me peering down from over 3 stories in the air. From which I promptly did two cartwheels before regaining my composure and finishing my line with several small features and some nice turns.

As it turned out I was the only male snowboarder to blow up both days thus insuring my spot at the bottom of the results. Swiss Veteran Cyril Neri took home the top spot followed by Alex Coudray and Xavier de La Rue. My travel partner Will Brommelsiek brought 4^th and a bunch of tour points back to the US and is in good shape as we get ready for Squaw Valley.

From here the show goes to Squaw Valley USA February 27- March 5 where the riders are to tackle the legendary Tram Face which has been closed to riders since the resort was created and then on to the French Alps as the Freeeride World Tour stops in Tignes, France March 8 -15 for the third stop and last chance to get points and move on to Verbier, Switzerland for the Finals.

Freeride World Tour Russia 2009

The 1st stop of the tour took Place in Krasnaya Polyana near the Black Sea resort of Sochi which will Hold the 2014 Winter Olympics. 2 meters of snow fell during the week before the riders arrived and a meter fell on the night we arrived making for epic steep tree skiing and and very sketchy conditions on the top of the mountain. Pictures are of the venues and I will follow it up with a lowdown of the comp and the overall results.

2009 Freeride World Tour Kicks off in Russia

Well It's time to start cranking out the comps and what better way than the 1st stop of the Freeride World Tour from Sochi, Russia January 20-26. I will be covering the happenings from Krasnaya Polyana, Favorite Heli Ski resort of Vladimir Putin. So check out the action at www.freerideworldtour.com then come back to get my take on the whole thing.
Then the 1st stop of the North Face Masters from Snowbird January 28- February 1. I will also be sliding around Snowbird that weekend and give an update on the results.

Winter starts with a bang in Aspen/Snowmass

What's up Everybody! Just broke the snowfall record for December here in the Roaring Fork Valley. The Picture is from Highlands Bowl and it was pretty good when they opened it. Hope you guys have been following the Freeride contest scene. If anyone wants to compete at the only freeride World Tour stop in the US looks like you can get your shot by coming in the top three at The Tram Face Golden ticket at Squaw Valley USA the week before. So check out all of the new action at Freerideworldtour.com Myself, Will Brommelsiek, and Legend Steve Klassen will be the American riders for the 1st Stop in Sochi, Russia 3 weeks from now. Stay tuned for pics, vid, and the story of the 1st stop

Winter 2009 Snowboard Freeride Schedule

What’s up all you rippers? Seems like the freeride lights for the 2009 season are starting to flicker. Announcements for comps are all over the web. Snowboard Freeride is on the rise. Looks like the North Face Master’s Series is going to be part of the Freeride World Tour Qualifying Series. Are you going to be there? I know I am. See you in Snowbird, Utah January 30 – February 1. Then hanging out on a cliff with all the billygoaters in Crested Butte, Colorado February 13-15. Bridger Bowl hosts The Bridger Gully Freeride February 21. My home mountain Snowmass hosts the Colorado Freeride Championships February 27 – March 1 and the first stop the North American Snowboard Freeride Tour. Keep an eye out for Casey Vandenbroek I think it’s his year. Kirkwood gets riders back and it’s riders only March 6-8 for the final stop of The North Face Masters. The final comp in North America is going to be the Silver King Freeride at Crystal Mtn. Washington. It’s thw second stop on the North American Snowboard Freeride Tour. The King is sick and Crystal is insane with a North and South Backcountry that offers just about everything .Besides this continent, Europe has tons of potential for Freeride World Qualifier. Austria starts it off at The Fieberbrunn February 5-15, with the winner going to Tignes to compete in the Freeride World Tour Stop. Then Italy throws out the Mystic Freeride Event February 21. If you go to legendary Verbier for the Nendaz Freeride Comp March 14-18 and win you get to compete in the Freeride World Tour Finals the Following week. After Verbier there are still points to be had at the Jasna Freeride in Slovakia March 31- April 5. And there is also the Norwegian Freeride Cup. Four events culminating at the Championships in Roldal, which is also the final stop of the Freeride World Tour Qualifier Series, which I attended last year. All I can say is there is crazy shit everywhere though not a lot of vert. The First three stops are Lofoten which is on an island, Hemsedal, and Sauda which has a hybrid comp with a day devoted to a run with natural features and man made kickers for you to choose from. The final day is a great face and the guys who run it are cool as shit. Oh yea , The winner at Roldal is in for the 2010 Freeride World Tour Sochi, Russia which will be the first stop.

Ajax in June

I know it's summer but Aspen mountain was open for business last weekend. With $29 lift tickets and 7 runs, the slopes were filled with people even though they were a little out of place. Moving out to Portland Oregon for the summer. If anyone is out that way give me shout. Surfing, Mountain Biking and of course Mt Hood for riding are all on the Agenda and maybe even an ascent of Mt. St. Helens. If you get any sweet summer riding pics would love to post them.

Roldal Freeride Challenge 2008

Roldal, in Western Norway is located 500 meters up into the spine of the mountains that run the entire length of the country. Getting there is a couple hour car/bus ride from the major cities of Bergen, Stavanger and Oslo. The town itself is nestled on a lake that is fed by rivers surging out of Hardangervidda National Park. It is surrounded on all sides by towering plateaus that rise steeply from the lake and valley floor. The Ski center is located 2.8 kilometers to the west just before the highway tunnels for 5 km’s under the ridges which are accessible to riders from the ski area. It was at the end of these tunnels that the Qualifier for the Roldal Freeride Challenge, The final of four stops on The Norwegian Freeride Cup, was to take place. Amidst a steady drizzle of rain and poor visibility all of the non qualified athletes would have to brave the elements and marginal snow conditions (it had been raining for 8 straight days and was beginning to take its toll on the snow as large waterfalls appeared out of the snow only to crash back underneath where one could hear the water as it rushed downhill underneath the riders on its way to the fjord.

Day 1 saw 20 men and women looking to advance into the final. On the women’s side it was Elise Gerlie of Norway who would set herself apart by staying on her feet for the entire run as the other ladies had difficulty handling the tricky snow conditions and Phat to flat airs, which would be the undoing of many of the Men who were to come. On the men’s side only two were able to stay on their feet for the entire run. Jan Fredrik Westgaard and Torolf Tofte were the only riders to get points for fluidity and control. They moved on.

Day 2 was Final day 1 and it turned out to be the first sun in a while. But the damage had already been done. All of the water had destabilized the steeper venues and the riders were sent back to the qualifying venue. The peak was about 350 meters above and about 4km back from the road. It had a pitch ranging between 15 and 45 degrees as it started flat on top into the 1^st of three steep sections separated by flats and the final Phat to extremely flat. 6 women and 14 men left the finish with 3 hours to walk up and choose a line. The night before at the riders meeting it was stressed that a fall meant a control score of zero and stopping would be a zero in fluidity. Judging from the scores awarded at yesterday’s qualifier they were serious. There were two starting gates. One on top that could get almost anywhere on the venue, and one to the left to access the steep chutes and rock drops.

The ladies kicked off the comp and it was Charlotte Hagen putting down a fast flawless run not high on line score but with an aggressiveness not seen in the other women. Kaisa Harkonen also put down a solid run with a couple airs to push her into the super final. Eline Garlie rounded out the qualifiers with a 3^rd.

1. Charlotte Hagen NOR

2. Kaisa Harkonen FIN

3. Eline Garlie NOR

Daniel Regensberger started it off for the men from the left gate dropped a 5 meter rock and flew across the flats to the next 5 meter drop which cart wheeled him on the landing before finishing with a clean double through the bottom section. Raphael Bullet went next from the top dropping a 5 meter cornice, splitting the venue into the middle rock section where he had a spill before getting to the final section jumping a crevasse then finishing. Dave Watson followed and took a similar run as Raphael except dropping a 5 meter rock just passed the cornice. Then on the exit air a 3meter drop ass-checked the flat landing. Asle Tangvik then took an easy line down the middle. But what was special about Asle was the fact that he had only one leg. He rode a single ski with poles that had small skis. He had been competing in the snowboard class for the last couple of years. Supposedly he wanted to compete in Alpine but the organizers denied him the Big Top at the Circus and threw him in the Freak show in the side tent with the snowboarders. Asle had a fast line without a fall which boded well for him. Havard Anensen winner of The Lofoton Freeride held a few weeks ago in The Lofoton Island chain tried to drop 10 meters but blew up and slid about 50 meters before getting up and finishing his run. For some reason a DNF was awarded. Then Will Brommelsiek left the top gate for the right side and a smooth triple before zigging where he should have zagged and ended up 2 meters away from a 50 meter cliff. This was out of the venue for good reason and he unstrapped and walked back up. Then came back into the venue finished his run with a 5 meter drop to a double and a DNF. Jan Fredrik took a similar line to his #1 qualifying run carrying more speed but starfished in an easy part of the line. Big time Swedish pro Daniel Furberg followed. From the 2^nd gate into the steep rocky section where he sent it 5 meters into the open carving nice turns down the mellow left side before finishing through the waterfall chute on the left side of the bottom steep section, a nice safe line. Morten Brockermann showed everyone that making turns and avoiding all rocks would put you through to the super final. Then David Magnusson the best Norwegian Freerider, fresh off a 3^rd at Extreme Verbier, the Championship of the Freeride World Tour, started at the top. Coming down the right side making big smooth turns he hit the steep mid section and dropped where Will had come off a few minutes before, went right at the bottom with an easy exit. Drawing the final run for snowboarders was Torolf Tofte who took the exact same run as Magnusson dropped the cliff bigger then the other two and carried a bunch of speed to the finish. The field was cut in half excluding the DNF’s and the top 6 moved on for the men.

1. Torolf Tofte NOR

2. David Magnusson NOR

3. Morten Brockermann NOR

4. Daniel Furberg SWE

5. Asle Tangvik NOR

6. Raphael Bullet SUI

Saturday blew up Bluebird for the super final. Since it had been clear and cold the night before a new venue above the ski area was chosen. Accessed by the only Ski lift in Roldal with a Northwest face and about 200 meters of 50 degree vert. Riders left and center of the venue had mandatory exit airs between 7 and 25 meters. Eline Garlie got the party started down the right side carrying a good amount of speed into the bottom chute and the finish. Kaisa followed her not as aggressively but she dropped a couple 3 meter rocks with out a fall. Charlotte tried to hold the lead carrying good speed down the right side and was on her way to victory until she wiped out off the bottom rock.

Raphael was 1^st to go for the men dropping right of center onto the shelve from 5 meters then working right off the shelf and down through the lower chute carrying good speed and off another 5 meter rock at the bottom. Then Asle came down the right side of the venue and tried to air into the chute but went to his side and got his pole caught underneath him. Daniel Furberg was up next. He dropped onto the top shelf made a big sweeping right turn with a sweet air out and down to the bottom right of the chute but could not manage to hold on to a 7 meter drop and took a cartwheel before finishing. Then Morten dropped the cornice as part of a double over a 5 meter rock lost control and spun out back to his feet where he became the only rider to drop the lower cliffs sticking it from 10 meters and finishing up with the run of the day in Men’s Snowboard. Magnusson then came off the top cornice with some heat and struggled to get it back under control before he exited the shelf over a rock and into the bottom area. Passing up the chute he set his sight on a little shelf but baubled before a 5 meter drop which ended in a double cartwheel. Torolf then took the final run dropping the cornice off the top then heading right with a double to exit the shelf, flying back into the bottom chute and back to back top runs. Here are the final results

Women’s Snowboard

1. Kaisa Harkonan FIN 30.7

2. Charlotte Hagen NOR 26.0

3. Eline Garlie NOR 24.7

4. Diane Seymour NOR 9.3

5. Annina Karvinen FIN 7.7

6. Gina Skjolet NOR DNF

Men’s Snowboard

1. Torolf Tofte NOR 60.3

2. Morten Brockermann NOR 44.7

3. David Magnusson NOR 44.3

4. Daniel Furberg SWE 37.3

5. Raphael Bullet SUI 37.0

6. Asle Tangvik NOR 28.3

7. Olivier Favre SUI 14.0

8. Dave Watson USA 12.7

9. Jan Fredrik Westgaard NOR 12.3

10. Daniel Regensberger AUT 11.3

11. Anders Ekkje Slettebo NOR 10.0

12. Helge Myrvang NOR 9.7

13. Will Brommelsiek USA DNF

14. Havard Anensen NOR DNF