So I picked up a pair of the Rossignol S7, which is the Will Barras piece in the seven artistic sins line up, and took them out for a few laps the other day. As I was riding the lift I was thinking to myself it might be a good idea to take an easy run and see how they feel before I really let em rip, especially considering I had’t skied a fresh set of edges in who knows how long. I picked the steepest line I could find and scrapped the take it easy idea. I aired blindly over a knoll and once I was at a heart rate raising height off the ground I realized there was nothing but deep hot doggin’ bumps to land in. At 188 in length and some serious beef under foot I wasn’t expecting these skis to be all that quick. They claim it has something to do with the taper in the tail, I think its just magic, because those things moved like lightning and I rode out with a serious shot of adrenaline. I’ve had a little time to ski them in the trees as well, and they have been much easier than expected to maneuver around the tight spots. The slight bit of camber underfoot allows the ski to perform well on the hard pack and groomed stuff, and I had no problem letting them go fast. If you haven’t really dipped into the rockered stuff yet, this is a great ski to do it. More of a directional ski, but still twin tipped, the S7 rips. If you’re debating on sizes, go bigger, they ski smaller.
An unfortunate loss…
As many of you may already know, the skiing community suffered a great loss today when CR Johnson passed away in a tragic skiing accident at Squaw Valley. CR was an inspiration for many, and led the sport from the day he came on the scene. After nearly loosing him to a serious head injury in the past, I can’t imagine what his family is going through now. Tonight I raise my glass to all those who have fallen victim to the risks and hazards of the sport we all love and respect so much. Coombs, McConkey, CR, and many others… And may we all send good vibes to those effected most deeply by this tragic loss. Keep shredding, think snow, and never forget those who created the sport we have today! Peace.
Think Snow!
Well, unfortunately here we are in the midst of another typical east coast winter. If you haven’t been to the hill sense the rain hit you are safe to assume the conditions would be what you expect. However, fear not, as most mountains have doubled their cat operator hours the past week and rebuilt their terrain parks. Sugarloaf is claiming a halfpipe soon and has supposedly rebuilt their jump line. If you haven’t checked out Saddleback’s park this year, its a must see! The jumps are big and the rails are legit, it’s their biggest park to date. Let’s all make a sacrifice to the snow gods and pray for some powder!!!
Peace.
Tuck’s
With wind predicted to be around <15mph and temps in the high 50’s on Tuesday it wasn’t a hard decision to make when someone asked if I wanted to head to Tuck’s. We arrived around 10am and reached the bowl by noon. Conditions were epic and the atmosphere was euphoric. After a run we hung out for a bit on lunch rocks in nothing but our t-shirts, snow-pants and socks. Coverage was excellent, though avy dangers are increasing. Sherbourne was closed about 3/4 of the way down.
Sugarloaf receives 3 feet of snow in freak storm
Last night, as April graced us with its presence, a freak storm dropped around 38 inches of snow on Sugarloaf. No surrounding mountain received snow, as this was a storm system which seemed to form and remain over Sugarloaf. Better get there before it melts!
Taste of spring…
It’s been warm lately… The skiing has been soft and spring like. It was awesome. But are you ready? We were all enjoying the sun, the atmosphere, the packed deck at the widomaker, but I couldn’t help but think how nice another big storm would be. Who is ready for spring? Who isn’t? Leave some thoughts in the comment field, I’d like to see what others think.
Jay Peak and a 6 hour road trip
So even though there was more snow projected locally, we figured why not go on a road trip? As it was dumping snow we packed the car and skipped town around 8:30pm. Our goal was to reach Jay Peak, normally a 3.5 hour drive. By the time we were getting close to Sunday River, usually about an hour from where we had started in Farmington, we were debating whether or not to pull in and cut our losses. The streets were barely plowed and the snow was coming down so hard visibility was near 0. But, we kept on going and Ross’s jeep cherokee, with a 6 inch lift and somewhere around 32" tires took it on like a champ. We had packed tents, but when we finally arrived at Jay Peak around 3am no one had the energy to set them up in the howling blizzard. Continue reading “Jay Peak and a 6 hour road trip”
Downtown Showdown Feb 14
The first ever Downtown Showdown will be taking place this Saturday, Feb 14, at Monument Square in Portland Maine. The event will showcase 16 skiers and 16 riders that make up some of the East Coast’s best talent. Competitors will test their skills on a 3 rail staircase that has been custom built with a two-story in-run. The event is hosted by Sunday River and Sugarloaf with over $5,000 in cash prizes and should turn out to be one of the best freeskiing events on the East Coast this year. So, head on out to Monument Square this Saturday and check out the Downtown Showdown! I’ll be sitting at the Judges table, stop by and say hi! For all of you of age join the masses as we hit the Old Port after the event.
Peace.
An afternoon of extreme unpreparedness
Blue skies and warm temps Sunday left three of us wondering why we hadn’t gone skiing. So around noon we decided to set out for a little fresh air and some good exercise. The plan was to skin up Ira Mountain and poach what we thought was a private ski trail. After loading the van, a brief stop for greasy pizza and some gas, we were on our way..
Snow!
It’s coming down hard outside here in Farmington and tomorrow is shaping up to be an EPIC pow day! I hope you’ve been saving those sick days because tomorrow is definitely the day to come down with the mysterious 24 hour flu! Head up to the mountain tonight and grab first chair in the morning, it’ll be worth it with over 2 feet predicted here in Maine!
On another note, a late update on our Mad River Glen trip the other weekend. If you’re getting bored with the glades at your home mountain, get to Mad River because this place has some of the gnarliest tree skiing I’ve ever seen on the East! Find some locals willing to show you around and you won’t be disappointed. Not to mention, if the snow is right, plenty of cliff drops that will get the heart rate going good.