New Zealand Snowboarder 55

TRAVIS RICE POSTER INSIDE

LIVING THE DREAM HOW THE NZ PRO’S DO IT

SPLITBOARDING CANADA UNLIMITED BACKCOUNTRY ACCESS

MACKENZIE’S COUNTRY ROAD TRIP TO AORAKI/MT. COOK

P: Blotto Photto L: Minnesota

photo : RĂŠmi Petit.

STR ETCH :: LIG HT :: BREATHABLE :: WATE RPROOF rider : VICTOR DELERUE

Contents

08 Essence 18 Cliff Notes 24 Trick Tip

The Building Blocks of Rotation. By DB

26 Outer Realm

Spring riding in the New Zealand backcountry.

By Shane Orchard

28 Hynesight

How do you view? By Nick Hyne

30 Style Council

The endeavors’ of Travis Rice. By DB

32 Settin’ Up

Getting your ride sorted. By Joel Westcot

34 Mackenzie’s Country

The highs and lows of a mid-winter road trip in sheep stealin’ territory. By Nick Hyne

40 Living the Dream

A look at what it takes our top ‘Pro’s’ to ride full time

52 Bluegrass and Powder Fields

Rob Mitchell, Mark Anderson, Ferret, and VB hit Jackson Hole on the smell of an oily rag. By Vaughan Brookfield

58 Split-boarding Magic

All access pass to the Canadian backcountry. By Scott Heale

62 Fast Forward Milu Multhaup-Appleton

64 Haere Ra

The Illusive Turoa Powder Day. By Willie Beggs Contents Jordan Decker takes full advantage of the huge snowpack this year in Whistler, Front-three to chair-bonk.

PHOTO: TODD EASTERBROOK

Cover Jake Koia packs another season under his belt shredding, filming and gettin’ amongst it in the Whistler backcountry, BC, Canada.

PHOTO: ASHLEY BARKER

NZSNOWBOARDER 7

ESSEN C E

BY DB

MMMM… POWDER! I’m sure Scott Heale of Taumaranui, the ‘Heart of the King Country’, got his fill this past winter in BC, Canada. In fact, I know he did because I’ve seen the photos! Not to mention BC had one of its biggest snow years in history. Scott’s story on splitboarding this issue just goes to show that you don’t have be a pro, own a sled, or have a heli budget to get your powder fix, it just comes down to ‘where there’s a will, there’s a way’ and a bit of good old Kiwi determination. The terrain in New Zealand is world class, and there’s plenty of wind lips like this one just waiting to be smashed right here at home this season....

PHOTO: RYAN CREARY

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THE ALLEY-OOP IS NOT AN EASY TRICK TO MASTER, but it’s extremely satisfying once you do. The feeling of spinning against the direction in which you’re travelling seems to give you an extra sensation of ‘float-i-ness’. You’re going against gravity, the law to which all things must abide. The crux of the alley-oop, however, is the landing… this is where true mastery of the trick becomes apparent. It’s always ‘blind’ so touching down in the sweet spot is key. Often they can have a tendency to send you into the flats, and that, combined with the blindness and the chance of over-rotation all equate to pretty high stakes. Here Connor Harding shows his mastery of the frontside alley-oop and defies gravity with this transfer in the Washington backcountry. PHOTO: GREG ROEBUCK 10 NZSNOWBOARDER

THERE’S SOMETHING TO BE SAID FOR THOSE RIDERS that have the ‘eye’ when it comes to freeriding. It’s pretty much the make or break of getting ‘the shot’, or some decent footage when shooting and riding in natural terrain. Getting footy in the park is pretty much... exactly that, a walk in the park! The jumps, rails and other features are all there for you, set up and ready to rip. The effort it takes to shoot freeriding is ten-fold, and it all comes to back to the rider being able to ‘see’ lines and then ride them straight off the bat. There are no warm-up laps, grooming the run-in, or shaping the take-off, it’s pretty much strap in and hit it. More often than not you get one chance and that’s it, the line or landing is done. So when you get a chance this winter, make sure you get out in the big wide open and find your own line, the whole mountain is one giant park. It’s just a matter of ‘seeing’ the terrain... the options are endless. Freeriding is the past, present and future of snowboarding! Roland Morley-Brown riding free in Bulgaria. PHOTO: ALEX ROBERTS 12 NZSNOWBOARDER

August/September/october 2011 ISSUE #55 NEW ZEALAND SNOWBOARDER © 2011 DIRECTOR Phil Erickson phil@nzsnowboarder.co.nz EDITOR Ste’en Webster sw@nzsnowboarder.co.nz ASSOCIATE EDITOR Dylan Butt db@nzsnowboarder.co.nz DESIGN Brent Courtney www.brentcourtney.com SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHERS Greg Roebuck Vaughan Brookfield CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Pablo Azocar Ryan Anderson Shane Orchard Todd Easterbrook Tommy Pyatt Russell Darby Ryan Creary Corbin Crimmons Alex Roberts Scott Serfas Jordan Ingmire Kyle Cooper SENIOR WRITERS Joel Westcot Nick Hyne CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Shane Orchard Scott Heale ILLUSTRATIONS Jason Kyle

ADVERTISING Phil Erickson ph: (06) 868 7974 fax: (06) 868 7971 email: phil@nzsnowboarder.co.nz PUBLISHER Ohana Media Ltd 7 Pare Street Gisborne, New Zealand ph: +64 6 868 7974 fax: +64 6 868 7971 email: hq@ohanamedia.co.nz

PRINTING PMP Print Christchurch Subscriptions A subscription to nz snowboarder is $34.00 (4 issues) Australia $60.00 (4 issues) other countries $90.00. send cheque or postal order to: New Zealand Snowboarder, 7 Pare Street, Gisborne, New Zealand Or subscribe online at: www.nzsnowboarder.co.nz No part of New Zealand Snowboarder may be reproduced either in part or in full without the written permission of the publisher. Every effort will be made to ensure accuracy regarding facts stated in advertisements and editorial, although no responsibility will be taken by the editor or publisher regarding inaccurate information. Contributions are welcomed and will be paid for at current rates.Contributions can only be returned if a stamped self addressed envelope is provided.

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Nick Brown is always throwing down wherever he’s at, whether it’s Auckland City, Queenstown, or Washington, USA. PHOTO: GREG ROEBUCK

C L I F F NOTES

By DB

AS THE WINTER HAD TAKEN LONGER THAN USUAL to kick off this season, tensions were high in ‘shred-towns’ Wanaka, Queenstown and Ohakune. Apparently there had been a lot of coffee drinking going on, amongst other ‘liquid refreshments’ I’m sure. The likes of Will Harris, Connor Harding and Leroy Christenson have all returned to Wanaka after some interesting adventures in the USA, along with Andy Kennerly who’s been away for the last couple of years… lookout! Will Jackways and Abby Lockhart are back also, along with Stef Z and Robett Hollis who’s hanging at the ‘Dog Pound’ with the one and only Mad Dog for the winter. Mel Simmons has also been spotted in Wanaka, in between jet setting around the globe as part of her new position as The Southern Hemisphere Representative for the TTR World Tour, yeah girl!

Down in ‘Kune, Maia Stier is back on the board this year, after a massive rehab on a 3-times blown knee! Local Turoa rider Rodger Dodger has re-opened the Fat Pigeon Café as the OCR wine bar and eatery with his girl Becks, go check it out! The Suitcase Bar has been 18 NZSNOWBOARDER

‘Kune ex-pat Colin Bartlett dropping in blind at Tahoe, USA. PHOTO: RYAN ANDERSON

pumping and will be hosting a bunch of video prems and some big parties this spring. Don’t forget the Matterhorn deck on those sunny afternoons for a few cold ones. There’s also a rumour going around of a massive wooden bowl being skated by a bunch of old legends??? Shelly G is back and forth between Wanaka and Ohakune, keep an eye out for her killing the Ruapehu this spring, along with Leroy Christensen and Tom the Baptist. And if you’re looking to ride with some top crew this spring, FTB snowboard camps are planning a big camp at Mt. Ruapehu, for more info hit www.ftbsnowboardcamps.co.nz Nick Hyne and Nick Brown are back in Queenstown for the winter, Hyner has been busy as ever working on many projects including ‘Diaries Downunder’, a series of web clips to be released during winter, check ‘em out! Queenstown local Jake Koia has decided to sit the beginning of winter out in Vancouver BC, recouping after a huge winter in BC filming with the ‘Givin’ crew for their new film, ‘One’. Check out Jake’s triple backflip clip at www.jakekoia.com – can’t wait to see the final result there!

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©2010 Oakley, Inc.

The difference. | ´ bÊb´ 8 Y Ê Á® ´bb ¼|b Y nnb±b ObU ¼|b O oYb Ob ¼|8¼ O b´ from seasons of experience and the self-awareness that has never allowed him to stop short of anything. Part of it is those freakish abilities he was born with, but even more so are the intangibles that have really set him apart. If you asked him, he would humbly credit his hard work and his

lifelong resistance to any form of defeat. If you asked all of us here at Oakley, we would say Shaun White is a man after our own heart. Because just like Shaun, Oakley has relied on our dedication to accomplish those things no one ever thought possible. That’s the difference that has taken us and Shaun to a level reserved for only the most elite performers.

Shaun White in his Signature Series A Frame

Wanaka Loco’ Will Harris stepping up his game this summer in Colorado, USA with this frontside wall ride. PHOTO: PABLO AZOCAR

Nick Hyne is a man of many talents, from Japanese speaking to business runnin’ to switch back one’ing in Blackwoods, Tahoe. PHOTO: VAUGHAN BROOKFIELD

C L I F F NOTES Believe it or not there was even a welcome to winter party in Ponsonby Road of all places, at the Mini Garage, celebrating their new partnership with Burton Snowboards and the Global Open Series. New Zealand’s most amped shredder Jay Smith was there along with ‘The Kingpin’ Guy Alty and a bunch of the Burton crew. Quite a few OG riders came out of the woodwork like Joel Westcot and Johnny Mac, and ex QT shredder ‘Creamz’ even managed to win himself a trip back to Queenstown for the Burton Open.

For the first time in years we saw the return of the inner city Big Air, this time on Princes Wharf at Auckland’s Viaduct during the Snow Show in June. Although the weather didn’t co-operate for the first few days, on Sunday the clouds parted and the sun came out – by this time most of the visiting riders hangovers were easing up from Friday night and the show was able to go on! The likes of Will Jackways, Nick Brown, Bevan Hall, Robett Hollis, LPR were all in town to get amongst some big city action. The event drew a pretty reasonable crowd considering no-one I spoke to even knew it was going on, and it was cool to see some shred action in Auckland. The crew definitely worked hard to make it happen and the riders were able 20 NZSNOWBOARDER

to throw down. Liam Ryan took out the men’s with a backside rodeo and Christy Prior stomped a FS rodeo 7 to win the ladies division, doom!

Speaking of comps, the Billabong Slopestyle is back, bigger then ever as a 4star TTR event at Snow Park on the 5th and 6th of August. There’s some pretty big prize money up for grabs this season, and the format has gone back to Slopestyle for the first time in many years. There will be an opening party in Queenstown on the 4th, featuring Aussie band Van She at Revolver, and of course the infamous after-party will be held at Snow Park following the event. Following that is the Burton NZ Open, pretty much the biggest event of the season from the 8 – 13th of August just across the valley at Cardrona. Up the hill there’ll be the Superpipe and Slopestyle events, while the Open Sessions will be held in Queenstown featuring Shihad, Kora, Tiki, QT’s own The Sunshine Sound System and many more. At the end of August, on the 27th and 28th, Cardrona will also be hosting a FIS World Cup Halfpipe event… if you want to see some of New Zealand’s and the World’s top riders be sure to get up the hill and check these events out.

nixonnow.com

Another Ohakune come Wanaka local, Leroy Christensen, laying back in Colorado, USA. PHOTO: PABLO AZOCAR

C L I F F NOTES These comps will all help our crew get prepared for some bigger action down the line… It’s now official; Slopestyle will be added to the 2014 Winter Olympics in Russia as a medal event. This is pretty big news for our top competitive riders as it’s probably the strongest discipline for the Kiwis, and means not only extra funding to help get them there but also possibly the chance to see a New Zealand snowboarder on the podium.

It does bring up some other ‘issues’ amongst snowboarders worldwide,

as with the Olympics comes the politics concerning the sports governing bodies, etc., which is far too big a kettle of fish to get into now. But there are definitely some positives for our top riders who have the Olympics in their sights. As we speak some of those riders have just returned from a summer training camp at Whistler; Mitch Brown, Stefi Luxton, Rebecca ‘Possum’ Torr and Bex Sinclair were joined by coaches Tom Willmott and Jodi Blatchley.

CONTRA…As we go to press, the snow has finally fallen…never say never! So to make your day on the hill even more epic this season go and check out our website and hit the giveaways tab, and you could get your hands on some of the cool booty below. www.nzsnowboarder.co.nz

It’s hideous missing that last chair at closing, timing it right so you do miss the lunchtime chaos in the café or catching that 4:20 safety meeting on time!

Be on it thanks to the Rubber ‘Player’ from Nixon Watches. www.nixonnow.com 22 NZSNOWBOARDER

Nothing like some crisp new goggles to liven up your day! You’re good to go with the Jamie Lynn Signature model goggle from DRAGON. www.dragonalliance.com

If you’ve got the grommets up riding, your day is over real quick if they’re shivering... Keep them stoked and warm in this Merino hoody from WHIPPERSNAPPER. www.whippersnapper.co.nz

TRICK TIP

Will Jackways, looking forward to that ‘stomping feeling’ in Switzerland with this textbook frontside 360. PHOTO: RUSSELL DALBY

THE

BUILDING BLOCKS ROTATION WHEN YOU’RE LEARNING NEW TRICKS, especially spinning up a storm, there are steps you need to take so your progression stays on the right path and you feel comfortable to throw down, and more importantly, ride away. Just because you landed a trick once or twice doesn’t mean you’ve got it on ‘lock’.

Learn the Basics The staples of any freestyle snowboarders repertoire are the 1’s and 3’s. Learn them, practise them, and do them every day on all types of features and terrain. Frontside and backside 180’s are probably your first step – get them down on different jumps and drops and try them with different grabs. Next up are half-cabs or switch 180’s, same deal, learn them off and over everything! Then come the 360’s, frontside, backside and switch (both ways). Most people are more comfortable spinning in one direction, eg. backside and switch frontside, or frontside and switch backside… whatever floats your boat – learn them, get them down and practise them. Important factors to think about are body position (stay centred - do some sit-ups!), body rotation (mostly shoulders and upper body), and where to look - the takeoff and landing are good places to start.

Apply the Basics Once you’re comfortable with your 1’s and 3’s and landing them consistently, it’s time to step to the 5’s. This is where you can apply the basics, for example a frontside 540 = front 3 + front 1 (same feeling when you land). Same for backside and switch, Cab 5 = switch fs 1 + back 3. The main thing here is you need to get your switch landings and take-offs sussed, which you should already be familiar with from the 1’s…

24 NZSNOWBOARDER

get it? From your 3’s you’ll have already learnt about ‘air awareness’ and ‘body position’, so now it’s just a matter of giving it a bit more juice when you takeoff, and adding that extra bit of rotation.

Add Some Flavour Now you’re ripping! It’s time to add a lil’ bit of flavour to your spins. Get your grabs sorted, at least one for each rotation – even better, two or more – and throw some tweakage in there. Not everyone likes to ‘bone it out’ but you’ve gotta do something otherwise it just looks like poo, a solidly grabbed 5 looks better than a flappy 9 any day. Getting a solid grab will help with your rotation and body position, allowing more control in the air. Once you have that on ‘lock’ then adding an extra 180 will come easily, bam… now you can do 7’s as well! This is about the time you can start throwing some corks in the mix; you may have already by ‘accidently’ dipping your shoulders on a front or back 3…. Ultimately it’s good to be able to rotate both flat and corked, some jumps suit corks, some flat spins, it’s kinda the same with grabs… you’ll figure it out!

Stomp it! By now, you’re pretty much on your way to being a major shredder and if you’ve reached this stage then the rest will come with time, and more importantly, practise. Learn the basics and it will not only make you a much better rider but save you from getting ‘broke-off’. It all comes back to applying what you’ve learned, getting to know when the time is right to step it up, and riding to the conditions. At the end of the day, no matter where your level is at, whether it’s a backside 180 or a frontside 720, the feeling of ‘stomping it’ is the same. And most important of all, have fun!

Ben Pritchard and Tess Carney making the most of a good spring day in the Aoraki, Mt. Cook area by rappelling onto the west face of Mt Acland. PHOTO: SHANE ORCHARD

O u t e r R e a l m By Shane Orchard

Spring Riding

in the new zealand back country SPRING IS A MAD TIME OF YEAR to be a snowboarder. With all the variety we get and longer days there’s always something good to be done, which could mean going for a tour to new ground. If there’s one main point about finding good snow and keeping safe in springtime it might be that ‘timing is everything’. Luckily there are some fairly consistent patterns to go by which helps matters quite a bit. Here are a few brief tips to get you thinking.

A crucial concept to pick up on is the difference in the angle of the sun on the slopes compared to earlier in winter. With the sun higher in the sky, less sunlight glances off the snow surface and much more can be absorbed by the snowpack during the day. In particular, periods of melting lead to rapidly changing snow, and a number of common scenarios. If there’s any powder around, a rapid warm up increases the snow density quickly. This can result in gorilla snot conditions in surprisingly short time, and can cause avalanching in the surface layers or worse. You may see snowballing on powder slopes as an indication that this process is underway.

Another nasty problem happens when the snowpack is also warm at the base – the pack could be rotten nearly the whole way through, leaving scarcely any frozen layers to support 26 NZSNOWBOARDER

a rider. You need to check for a solid base, by scratching around in safe places and working out just how much slush has formed, how deep it is, and what’s holding it up. Be especially wary as you exit bowls at lower elevations, come around corners onto a really sunny slopes, or at any time cut across or under slushy slopes on obviously warm terrain. Rock and icefall can also be a big problem in spring. If in doubt, get off a warm slope, especially if it’s getting warmer!

An option for good spring riding is finding quality corn and a solid base. Good corn quality happens once the snow has had a few cycles of thawing and freezing, hasn’t been compacted too much, and has released to a nice depth on the day you visit. However, wet spring snow is very heavy, so you don’t want the slush to go too deep or it’ll want to fall off the hill.

Often spring has the max snowpack depth for the season. Up in the bigger mountains this means the crevasses and other difficulties can fill in and make access reasonable or at least possible. The longer daylight also helps, so spring can be a good time to look at some of the big steep lines, if you don’t mind an alternative to powder! Just when to hit a big line can be tricky though, as you need to gauge when the ice up high is soft enough, without the lower

slopes getting too soft, or your route out getting threatened by avalanches. This usually means juggling quite a few hazards throughout the day.

Although these are some general trends, the degree to which these happen can be hard to forecast and sometimes even hard to see happening right in front of your eyes. So remember, timing is everything! Both your timing on the day and the weather on the day you choose to go will be important. Pay extra attention to the forecast weather pattern including range of temps and likely pattern of sun and cloud. Consider the options for finding the best snow, which means the elevation, aspect and slope angle will all be important. Continue reevaluating the snow quality and comparing what you’re seeing to where you’re planning to go. Keep a close eye on both the temperature and the sun, so a watch and a thermometer are good to have. Consider the range of hazards around and always keep your safe travel practices going; one person at a time, escape options in mind and always with spotters at the ready. Even in the worst year’s spring touring gives you the chance to really extend your season. So as spring sets in it’s a good time to refresh the avalanche reading and training, adjust your snow strategy and consider the possibilities. Happy touring!

by riders - for riders

Settin’Up

By Joel Westcot. Illustration by Jason Kyle

THERE’S NOTHING BETTER than getting a brand new board, stripping off the plastic, laying it on the shag pile, picking it up n’ giving it a wee flex, tapping the tail a little, laying it down again, staring at it longingly…. At least that’s what I did with the last new board I got. Anyway once you’ve finished with the undressing and caressing it’s time to get down to business, seal the deal if you will, gotta set that sucker up.

Putting the bindings on is a big step for you and the board, and as simple as it may seem at this early stage in the relationship, mistakes can be made. Before jumping into screwing on the bindings you really want to have a pretty good idea of what stance you want and this mainly comes down to personal preference. If you’re unsure about how wide to go, the width of your shoulders will give you a rough guide. Avoid stances that are super narrow or super wide. Too narrow you lose stability; too wide you lose control. Try just standing on your board without bindings to figure out what feels good before you pull out the tools.

Stance angles are just as important as width, and again come down to personal preference. They also have an influence on your style, so if you’re 5ft 11 and have an 18-inch stance with -5° on the front foot and +10° on the back foot, you can be

NICK BROWN

Board Burton Loves In 158cm for pow, 155cm for park Bindings Cartel EST’s Stance Width Probably 24 inches, changes a little Stance Angles 15° front, -12° rear Forward Lean Couple of clicks, F2 to F3 on the Cartels Extra Tips Just have everything centered. If you’re catching or landing on your toes you need to take some forward lean off, or move your binding towards the heelside edge. If you’re always skidding out on your heels, crank the forward lean up or move your bindings towards your toeside edge. Otherwise just what feels good...

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sure the only way you won’t be sleeping alone is with your snowboard. By the same token, a duck stance (+ on the front, – on the back) may help you ride and land better switch but taking it to extremes won’t land you anywhere but in the same place as our pigeon toed friend above. Check out how some of the pros are rollin’ if you get stuck.

When screwing on the binders be careful, it’s the first time, don’t want to mess it up. You need to be firm yet gentle, don’t force anything. Seriously though, cross threading inserts, especially on a brand new board, sucks. And if you do mess it up things will never be the same, take your time, do it right. Also make sure you have the right length screws. Once you’ve got your bindings locked into place put on your boots, step in and strap up. If you’ve got new bindings now’s the time to adjust your straps, get the length right so you can put them on easily but still be able to crank ‘em down for a snug fit.

Now just bounce around on that shag pile, get your carpet press on. If something feels weird, change it, it’s better to do it now than while the crew do laps around you on a 40cenchi pow day. Things are looking good now, but we’re not quite basking in the afterglow just yet. If you have a brand new board de-tuning is important,

ROLAND MORLEY-BROWN

Board Rome Agent Rocker 155cm, 159cm for pow Bindings Rome Targa Stance Width Never measured it. Chuck them on and if they feel good screw them down. Stance Angles 21° front, -12° rear Forward Lean No way! Extra Tips De-tune. Wax your stick as much as possible - you don’t wanna be left behind on a pow day!

NICK HYNE

Board Ride Arcade 154cm, DH 155cm, Machete 158cm Bindings Ride Delta/

Rodeo medium Stance Width About 22 inches Stance Angles 18° front, -15° rear. It used to be -12 until I did the ‘Going Both Ways’ article last year. Forward Lean A little. Not so much that it hurts, but enough to help me stay upright.

Extra Tips I always rock a stomp pad!

SHELLY GOTLIEB

Board Burton Feelgood 151cm Bindings Burton Lexa Stance Width 23 inches Stance Angles 18° front, -12° rear Forward Lean None Extra Tips Play around with it till it gets comfy.

this is where you blunt the edges just a little to stop them from catching on harder snow, rails and those plastic things that say wait before you get on the chair. The shop you buy your board from should help you out with this.

Figuring out how sharp to have your edges again comes down to personal preference. If you’re riding pipe a lot sharper edges will help, if you’re doing a lot of jibbing blunt edges will save you from catching on that double kink, and if your shreddin’ everything you need to find a happy medium. Always keep your edges free of burrs too, they’ll slow you down and get caught on everything from rails to your Mum’s shag pile.

Another piece worth giving a tweak is your forward lean; once again this comes down to dirty old personal preference. Forward lean helps to keep your knees bent and gives you more drive through your heels. It can be great in the pipe and on the groomed, doesn’t make much difference in the pow, and some people don’t like it on rails. Try none, try a little, try a lot – you’ll soon figure it out. And don’t forget the Madwax!

Finally, if you’re still questioning your ride wise orientation see what, to coin a phrase, “the pros are rockin’.” Check out their tips below, most def better than what you last gave to a waiter.

WILL JACKWAYS

Board Volcom 158.5cm and 162cm Bindings Mediums Stance Width 23 inches or 59 1/2 cm Stance Angles About 15° or 18° front, -9° rear Forward Lean Usually a bit on both binders Extra Tips I quite often change my stance for different conditions, if it’s super deep pow I’ll set the stance back a notch or two so I can stay on top. Sometimes I might make my stance a bit narrower so I can go fast. Hitting rails I usually make my nose shorter and have more of a centered stance. Take your time set-

ting up until it feels right, don’t rush it or do a half-ass job, nothing worse than having to change your kit on a pow day when everyone else is off shredding. Experiment with your stance and ask other people what they’re rocking. Wax as much as you can, it’ll keep the base in good condition and it’s always better going a little faster than being left behind.

Remember to check your screws, as they naturally get loose from constant shreddin’, and carry a small driver in your pocket, glove box or B.C. backpack. It’ll come in handy, trust me!

ST Y L E C OUN C I L By DB

Travis negotiates the Alaskan steeps while filming for ‘The Art of Flight’ movie, his latest film project, due for release this September. PHOTO: SCOTT SERFAS

OVER THE YEARS I’ve been lucky enough to have the chance to spend bit’s n’ pieces of time with Travis on his trips to New Zealand, since his first visit back in 2002 up until now. Through a lot of hard work he’s managed to propel himself to ‘legendary’ status in snowboarding. The thing with Travis is that it’s not just his riding that does the talking; he somehow finds the time to apply his knowledge and skills to creating some amazing projects for the benefit of all to see and participate in. Amidst high flying and woodcutting in the BC interior, he managed to fill us in on his latest and greatest yet!

THE Endeavours OF TRAVIS RICE 30 NZSNOWBOARDER

How was this past winter filming for ART OF FLIGHT? We couldn’t have asked for a better winter. We basically spent the whole year between Jackson Hole and Revelstoke, BC, under the wise mantra, “Never leave a good time for a good time”. Jackson had its biggest winter in history and Revelstoke topped out with one of their biggest as well. We as a team just had our heads down for four months straight. I don’t think I’ve ever worked that hard before, it was basically the deepest, coldest, most pow-filled winter I’ve had. It was great to come up for air this spring.

Did you achieve everything you wanted to? No - But we came damn close. It was tough early season as some of our posse had to deal with injuries, but all in all I’m damn proud of what this film is shaping up to be. It’s definitely darker, much harder hitting and all around way better snowboarding. We had an amazing crew of riders come out for it.

What are you looking forward to doing once you have this project wrapped up and in the bag? The majority of my summer is dedicated to ‘The Supernatural’, it’s an event I’ve been working on for about three years and is finally happening next winter. Basically we’re spending four months with a pro logging crew and heavy machinery, and creating the best snowbo arding run in the world. Come February 20, some of the world’s best will battle it out in a contest in some of the best terrain and snowpack on earth, Interior British Columbia. We’re partnered with Red Bull and Baldface Lodge to host what I’m hoping will be the future of competitive snowboarding.

Whammy - look for more info online this October.

How and when did the idea for Asymbol Gallery come about? I started Asymbol Gallery about two years ago as a platform to connect creators to the appreciators. I’ve been able to work with so many incredibly talented photographers and artists throughout my career, and I really noticed there was a disconnection when it came to promoting their work. Being a huge fan myself I set out to help streamline the sharing of emotion and wanderlust that these images provoked. Working closely with artist Mike Parillo and photographer Tim Zimmerman, we were able to showcase and facilitate works to the highest possible level of archival quality. Two months ago we launched asymbolimaging.com so we can offer our services to photographers, artists, or really anyone looking for a quality print and imaging house.

Is there any exciting expansions coming up from the Asymbol Team? We just installed a state of the art large format screen-printing department. That’s been a fun project and the first tests coming out look insane! Come the 1st of September we’re launching ‘The Art of Flight’, which consists of a “Flight” Series of the most epic photos from two years of filming. We also have an incredible book called ‘The Art of Light’ which is a large format 200-page hardcover limited edition design piece that comes with both a DVD and Blu-Ray of the film. The book was edited down from over 15,000 photos! There will only be a couple hundred available outside of the World Tour, which we will sell through asymbolgallery.com so pre-order if you want to make sure to get a book. There’ll also be some limited edition hand screen-printed tour posters.

Do you have any words of wisdom for aspiring artists, artistes and photographers out there? Yes indeed – keep creating! Don’t compromise your visions and remember that the arts are the voices of our generation!

Mike Parillo | Hydrocycle, 2007 Acrylic on Canvas, Asymbol Edition

A S Y M B O L G A L L E R Y . C O M P R O U D LY

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O N L I N E G A L L E R Y O F F E R I N G A R T & P H O T O G R A P H Y F R O M T H E P E R I P H E R Y O F O U R C O M M O N L I F E S T Y L E

5 3 5 D e e r D r i v e # 5 1 4 J a c k s o n , W Y 8 3 0 0 1 | 3 0 7 . 7 3 4 . 1 1 2 2 | i n f o @ a s y m b o l g a l l e r y. c o m

H Y NES I G H T By Nick Hyne

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How Do You View The platforms to view media these days seem as diverse and varied as the terrain we choose to ride. There have been over 100 million iPhones sold since their inception in 2007.

That’s 100 million extra 3.5-inch screens that didn’t exist four years ago. This, combined with all the other digital media platforms we see every day, assures there’s no end in sight to how and where we can view snowboarding in the future. Here are just a few of the abundance of viewing options we now have access to…

Web Videos Web videos are amazing for the fact they’re free to watch. As long as you’re connected to the Internet, you can see the latest shred stunts unfold before your eyes in your own living room, bedroom or even on your phone in the neighbour’s backyard. Not only are web videos free and accessible, they’re also up-to-date and showcase what’s happened within the last few days or weeks. The snowboard community has come to want access to content NOW. Web videos have become a staple part of a snow spectator’s viewing diet and a variety of concepts have been concocted. These days, most video companies are complementing their major productions with web content.

Some production companies are even dedicating their time solely to web to appease the aspiring shredder.

TV Shows Snowboarding has become mainstream. The number of moustache clad skiers yelling abuse at ‘knuckledraggers’ has decreased quite dramatically this side of the millennium. With this, snowboarding has made its way onto our television sets and onto channels such as TVNZ’s latest youth network ‘U’. Fuel TV is another network that’s almost solely dedicated to ’Extreme’ content. The X-Games is a snowboard competition arranged almost totally around TV time. It creates a melting pot for progression and the drama from the competition is conveyed to the viewers from all walks of life watching in awe from their sofas. TV shows very rarely captivate the core snowboard community and a (usually cheesy) storyline is often the crux of the program. This appeal to a wider audience with a focus on general entertainment spreads snowboarding’s reach, and helps professionals get the budgets they need to create wild features to experiment and progress with.

DVD’s The snowboard movie format is nothing new. This phenomenon of gathering a bunch of the world’s best talent and piling them into a 30-minute progression extravaganza has been adapted from the skateboard world. Some film companies have reached upwards of 20 years in the game. Just as we go to the movies to see a hot new film, and buy bigger, fancier screens to play higher resolution movies, we like to watch the best snowboarding on the best equipment available. Blu-Ray is the latest edition and the viewing experience derived from a massive HD TV is unparalleled. Snowboard movies act like time capsules and are amazing at capturing a certain era that often lives on through the nostalgia created by these flicks.

Magazines Magazines are a massive part of every subculture it would seem. From ’Hunting and Fishing’ to ‘The Haberdashery monthly’, magazines are a way the community can identify with their cultural niche. Magazines sit on the coffee table and are always opened by visitors on their passing through.

They’re a piece of time. They capture an era and side of the sport not always seen by the masses. Unlike a DVD or video project, a grommie can rip up a magazine and coat their bedroom walls with their favourite rider’s antics. Photos, although only a split second of time, often tell a detailed story. A rider’s facial expression may tell us more than an entire film clip. Often, what a photo doesn’t tell us is the most exciting part: Did he land it? What was the snow like? What was his line?

So, which platform will rise above and become the ultimate?

Each one has its place, and everybody has their own personal opinion on how they like to consume their media. No winner necessarily needs to take the cake, it’s just a matter of who can do the best job in their field and capture our attention, keep us entertained, and continue to keep us stoked on calling ourselves snowboarders.

Jake Koia demonstrates what it takes to be a professional snowboarder on this gnarly, steep as line in the Whistler backcountry. PHOTO: JUSSI GRZNAR NZSNOWBOARDER 33

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By Nick Hyne

ACKENZIES MOUNT COOK NATIONAL PARK sits smack bang in the middle

of some unique New Zealand high country, named after the so-called sheep rustler James Mackenzie, who with his sheep dog Friday was accused of stealing our most famous livestock back in the 1850’s. Well over a century later I found myself hitting the road to plunder this region myself, but I wasn’t going after any of our fine woolly friends. New Zealand’s highest and most famous mountain range, meets helicopter, meets snowboarding. The formula was untouchable. As a grommet I would’ve wet myself if I knew I’d ever have the chance to be part of such a trip.

Big country, big mountains…. The crew contemplates the day ahead as the East face of Aoraki, Mt. Cook tastes first light

NZSNOWBOARDER 35

Nick Hyne ‘kicking it new school’ on the Ohau rain crust.

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Alpine Guide’s Trev Streat does his best to share 30-plus years of avalanche experience in ten minutes!

The surroundings are mind-blowing-- glaciers, blue ice & gigantic white peaks. We were literally surrounded

by New Zealand’ ' s fi nest & highest terrain.

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As with any roady, the formula can be watertight and the plan immaculately conceived. But the reality – as anybody who’s ever been on any trip to do with the outdoors probably knows all too well – can play out a whole lot differently. Luck has a massive role in every excursion; it can manipulate a trip without any wrongdoing, mis-planning or ignorance on the part of the adventurers involved. This trip to the Mount Cook region had elements of good and bad luck across a range of different things. It all started at the Lonestar bar in Wanaka, at the prize giving of the NZ Snowboarder Banked Slalom. Beers were handed over on arrival and the crew was to consist of Will Jackways, Phil Erickson, Joram Makuru and myself. As luck would have it however, we were offered the larger helicopter and an extra spot became available. The lucky recipient of the extra seat was Mitch Brown. Even though, or maybe because he was called in at the last minute, Mitch was frothing on this trip.

I ended up jumping in his truck and the two of us gasbagged our way to Mount Cook village in the dark. Mitch was like a man possessed behind that wheel, with some back road his hunting mate told him about being our first adventure. In awe of the rabbit slaughtering potential, Mitch became more and more animated as the onset of stoke on the day ahead became closer to reality. The only thing he could think about to down his stoke was all of those hunting opportunities going to waste as we saw continual sets of eyes staring at our headlights. We arrived late at the village and our accommodation was bangin’. King size beds and blazing heaters were welcomed as we hobbled out of the freezing mid-winter temperatures with our luggage.

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6:30 a.m. and our alarm (Phil’s knock on the door) went off – “We’re on boys!” We began driving, surrounded by a plethora of beautiful mountains, lakes and textbook Mackenzie Country scenery. The beauty of this place is immense. Soon enough we were at the heli pad and our guide Trev was briefing us on the gnarly avalanche potential, and the dead guy he’d once dug out of debris. All of us – now scared shitless – were then sent on a mission to find a transceiver. We were RUBBISH! Quite angrily Trev told us to sort it out and try again. We’d improved a lot by the time the heli arrived to pick us up. We piled into the chopper and the smiles were contagious… we were on our way..

The best thing about being in a helicopter is that it adds a new dimension; you can fly around a rock outcrop or mountain peak and suddenly appreciate how rad the jagged rocks-thatseem-rise-out-of-nowhere are from an infinite number of angles within seconds. We had a zone in mind, we all knew this jump spot – it’s pretty famous. We arrived and looked around, in admiration of where we were. Trev assured us the avalanche danger in this area, unlike every other slope in the region, was manageable. So we got on foot and started looking at where we might build the lip for the jump of our dreams. We wander around, a little further, then further again and over the other side, then back to where we thought we’d seen it built before… ahh, it’s way different! At first glance it looked like it would need a snowplow to scoop out the take-off. Over the rise and checking out the landing – again it looks dodgy. We start wondering where you could actually land and how much speed you’d need to just get to the steep part of the landing. Limited heli time combined

Last turns to the chopper, with a timeless backdrop down to the Tasman Glacier.

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After a day that’'d had its share of challenges, we felt free ollying off cornices, spraying each other & xxxXxxxXxxx straight-lining through New Zealand’s finest powder.

with crazily high avalanche danger meant we were stuck in this one zone for the day whether we had the world’s best jump lined up or not. Unlucky I guess. We didn’t let this hinder our motivation though, Will and Mitch scoped out an alternate angle they thought might just work….

The surroundings are mind-blowing – glaciers, blue ice, and gigantic white peaks. We were literally surrounded by New Zealand’s finest and highest terrain. We’re eager to start sliding, and get a heli ride up to where the run-in would usually start… we cruise down individually, yelling and hooting at how good the snow is and the turns we just got.

The sun is out and layers are off as we start savagely building Mitch and Will’s jump. After an hour or so of digging and shaping, the jump is manicured nicely and ready to hit. Unfortunately the cloud decides to roll in and throw us another curveball. Looking for other features around the area, a shark fin style deal caught our eye, and Joram and I decided to try and get creative. Joram began sending some textbook front 3’s and straight airs over it. He looked like he was having a ball, his smile now even wider and whiter than normal. I joined in and began getting some turns on the frontside. We had such a good time hitting the shark fin that we’d soon forgotten how unfortunate we were that the dream jump 38 NZSNOWBOARDER

didn’t happen – it was probably more fun anyway! Will got serious and decided to hike right up the guts of a chute he’d spotted. He looked like an ant making its way up a drainpipe. Completely dwarfed by the size of the surrounding mountains, Will continued up the chute and weaved his way up the final metres to safety. A couple of tight but nice turns then a straight-line out, it was crazy to see how dwarfed he was by the immense size of the mountains we were riding. Will looked stoked on his little adventure and was now psyched and ready to hit his jump. It was a sketchy one, with loads of flat before the take off, so judging speed was always going to be difficult for the guinea pig. Will was ready and willing by this stage though, and ‘boom’ – he launched a massive backside 3.

The landing was short and sweet but Will managed to get damn close to the sweet spot and rode on out of there. How he got the speed that dialed on his first hit really is astonishing! In one piece and keen for another hit, he dropped from the same spot and launched once again.

This time he went a tiny bit bigger and only just caught the last metre of landing transition, as luck would have it. He’d done everything the same as the first hit but had come within inches of a serious injury. Not quite ready to call it a day, we agree to meet the helicopter further down

When it comes to stepping up to the plate, Will Jackways will hit a homer every time.

the hill. The four of us begin to hoon down the terrain below the dream jump, LOVING it! After a day that’d had its share of challenges, we felt free; ollying off cornices, spraying each other and straight-lining through New Zealand’s finest powder.

We now all had Joram-sized smiles, thanks to an all-time last run at the end of the day! On the flight out we were shown some crystalblue glacier lakes and treacherously rugged Southern Alps terrain. We gathered back at the accommodation, exhausted, sunk a few beers and enjoyed Phil’s burrito mix while planning the next day’s events.

Day two, and after breakfast, with Mount Cook as the backdrop, we piled into our vehicles and made our way through the inversion layer up to the sunny blue skies of Ohau. Ohau is the kind of mountain that can be incredible, with an array of accessible terrain all above a jaw-dropping backdrop. We were looking around the hill from the car park seeking out which aspects and lines would work the best for us. It was really hard to tell what was on though, and as soon as we got on the chairlift we realised there was a crazy crust on top of the off-piste snow. This crust was different to anything I’d ever seen before – it was thick, but just soft enough for your board to break through to the powder underneath. Riding

through it proved as difficult as riding a unicycle through quicksand. The snow controlled your board, rather than the other way around. This crust, or ‘riming’, was amazing to look at and proved to stack quite nicely. I got the idea to turn the thing that was holding us back into something that could actually work in our favor. I stacked it up, strapped one foot in and sent a couple of airs over this phenomenon known as ‘riming’. Mitch and Joram were stoked to be freeriding the mountain and found themselves lapping the park and then hurtling their way down the groomers, ollying off every bump in sight. Will, in the meantime, had begun to build a bump onto one of the fences above the park and eyed up a steel beam on the end, proceeding to do numerous textbook boardslides off the beam to an overhead-high drop.

So there’s an example of a trip that didn’t go without its challenges and surprises, but turned out to be a good time nonetheless. We had two amazing mid-winter days, the first planned well in advance, and the second planned over breakfast. Neither day turned out how we expected, but both delivered their fair dose of good and bad luck that in turn resulted in a very welcome adventure, and another story to tell about the wilds.

NZSNOWBOARDER 39

By Ste’en Webster

SNOWBOARDING IS ADDICTIVE. Once it’s in your system, the desire to ride as often and as long as

possible overrides what many others might call the important things in life – like getting a nine-to-five, settling down, wife and kids, and a house in the suburbs. Back in the 1980’s when snowboarding first fired up, that was pretty much the stock option. Apart from being a rebellious snow-bum for a season or two, snowboarding on the weekends or during the annual family holiday was really the only box it was ever going to fit into. There were only a few contests or opportunities for top riders to make a buck, and even fewer riding-based career options.

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“My contracts went up significantly when I was about 19, and ever since then I’ve managed okay.

But back in the day there was definitely a lot of money borrowed from parents and never paid back, ha-ha. Nowadays I’m not getting rich, but on paper it probably looks like I’m doing pretty good. There are just so many expenses with this job – it’s crazy. I’m happy, and for the most part doing everything I want just off my snowboarding, so I feel blessed, yo.” Jake Koia, BC, Canada. PHOTO: JUSSI GRZNAR

“If it wasn’t for snowboarding I’d have never been given the opportunities to see and experience all these amazing places, just the life lessons and memories I can take out of it are awesome. Ever since I was young I always wanted to travel and see the world, so I’m super stoked I’ve been able to do so the last few years. I think in the time I’ve been snowboarding I’ve been to around 14 different countries!” Will Jackways, Stevens Pass,

Washington, USA.

PHOTO: JORDAN INGMIRE

“Yeah I receive some government funding, and it all revolves around getting competition results.

This side of snowboarding is really tight as you need to be at an international level, and you have to play by their rules to get the benefits.” Stef Zeestraten, Tahoe, USA. PHOTO: RYAN ANDERSON

Then during the mid-nineties the sport went into overdrive, and started to grow beyond all comprehension. What sceptics initially labelled a fad became a multi-billion dollar industry overnight. It was a gold rush, and literally hundreds of start-up companies began pumping out their product to meet the rocketing demand. They also started marketing their product any way they could, and one easy way was to dish some out to local riders… it wasn’t uncommon for even average snowboarders of this era to find themselves ‘hooked up’.

For the better riders this might’ve included dollar-figure contracts and photo incentives, on top of free boards, boots, clothing, and other accessories. Prize money at contests wasn’t substantial yet, but it was improving.

New Zealand, of course, has always been an integral part of the global snowboard machine, if not on the somewhat smaller end of the scale. So the opportunities were here too at that time, as Roland Morley-Brown recalls, “I think I was doing my first season in Queenstown, entered the Nationals just to give it a go, came 2nd in the junior halfpipe, and then got a little flow from a board sponsor. I didn’t have any expectations - I was just super stoked to get a board for free and be able to say I was ‘sponsored’, ha-ha.”

A young 15-year old Will Jackways was in Wanaka at around the same

time when things started rolling for him as well, “I think it was about 1998 when I got my first hook up, through the Boardhouse here in town.

There weren’t really too many demands, mainly just to keep shredding, throw a sticker on my board and pop into the shop every so often.”

Being sponsored in New Zealand was generally a small-time and casual arrangement, compared with the bigger more serious sponsorships happening in the larger overseas markets, combined with the thriving growth at that time.

But with every good boom, comes a bust… and this bubble burst hard at the end of the nineties. Where just a few years earlier it had been hard to get hold of decent equipment, there was now an oversupply.

And although snowboarding continued to grow, it couldn’t support every entrepreneur and their dog – the world market was flooded and reality struck. Companies went down. Teams were cut, and riders were left in the cold. Some of the top names were able to hold their ground, but it was a real shake up as everyone left standing was forced to scrutinize their bottom line, and move forward with caution.

One of New Zealand’s current and perhaps most successful freeriders, Jake NZSNOWBOARDER 43

Nick Brown doing what he does best, another day in the office. Tahoe, USA. Koia, signed his first three-year contract during this time, at the tender age of 15. “Looking back, I was just super excited to be getting any kind of financial support. It was crazy to me, I really didn’t think it was that realistic for anybody from New Zealand to be getting any kind of money to snowboard. It was more just looking at people in Transworld magazine, you know? I just thought those guys were making millions. I don’t know whether they were or not, probably in the glory days they would’ve been making stupid money, but yeah, I didn’t think anybody from New Zealand could make any kind of living out of this.”

By the new millennium things has somewhat stabilised in the world of snowboarding, and the whole idea of sponsorship and being able to make ends meet by doing it was beginning to take shape. Chasing a career as a ‘snowboarder’ was now socially acceptable, even if reaching the upper echelon where the real money starts to happen was, and continues to be, a difficult task. There were a handful of top riders making serious bank, and many more managing to make ends meet and have fun at the same time. Snowboarding had become legitimate.

Being a competition rider was certainly the more chosen path at this time, where results can easily be measured against rewards, making this a fairly cut and dried pathway. Less predictable and measurable was the freeriding option, which interestingly enough was almost born out of a 44 NZSNOWBOARDER

PHOTO: VAUGHAN BROOKFIELD

reactionary response to the developing competition scene. Many riders have always felt snowboarding was being ‘sold out’ through the whole competition and sponsorship scene, opting for the more soulful activity of ‘just going riding’ Ironically, as media picked up on this, sponsorship opportunities followed! The late great Craig Kelly was probably the first snowboarder to throw in a highly successful competitive career and just go freeriding, with Terje Haakonsen not far behind. Guys like this, whether they intended to or not, showed that contests weren’t the only way to make a living by snowboarding; freeriding was viable too.

One of the first Kiwis to put all the pieces of this puzzle together and make a real impact was Quentin Robbins. Now well into his 30’s, Quentin can still put it on the line and hold his own, though he’s a lot more settled than the days of his back-to-back winters between New Zealand, Japan, and the rest of the world. Quentin was a standout all-rounder who could whoop ass in the pipe, on the boardercross course, and in the backcountry.

His sponsorships were on an international level, and this, along with his raw talent, is perhaps how he managed to make it work.

In the years since Quentin’s era, the formula for ‘success’ has been clearly outlined, with both the competition and freeride aspects of ‘professional’ snowboarding becoming well established. By finding a

“There’s not too many downsides for me, I live this life because I love it and choose to.

Any of the sacrifices are things I can still do later, when I’m not snowboarding!”

Abby Lockhart, Stevens Pass, Washington, USA.

PHOTO: GREG ROEBUCK

PHOTO: PABLO AZOCAR

Connor Harding is part of the up and coming crew of Kiwi riders chasing the dream. Colorado, USA.

balance of what suits them best, many top Kiwi riders are able live the new dream, including Abby Lockhart. “Would I consider professional snowboarding my job? Yes and No. I am sponsored, and do get photo incentives, which go toward my travel, along with a salary/travel budget based on getting media coverage… but it’s not my full income. I’m also working fulltime at the moment as an interior painter, which helps support my snowboarding, along with part-time work coaching in the winter.”

This is typical of most Kiwi ‘pros’, having to supplement their income one way or another, but having no problem with that. Stef Zeestraten is one of the few who can get by without a job, but reckons every dollar he’s made over the last 11 years has gone back into his snowboarding lifestyle. “I love what I do and wouldn’t change anything if I wasn’t sponsored, my life revolves around snowboarding. Although I do work hard at having a good time on the snowboard.”

Jake Koia also works hard, and when asked if he considers snowboarding as his job, it’s a simple one-word reply, “Definitely.”

Of course nothing happens overnight, and these riders have all put in the time to get where they’re at, including Will Jackways. “I think in the beginning it can for sure be hard, finding enough to cover all the travelling and expenses. As like anything, you have to start somewhere, and that’s usually at the bottom.”

Relative newcomer and halfpipe specialist Rebecca Sinclair, who because of growing National support and the amount of time she puts into training and competing, also considers snowboarding as her job. “As a Kiwi, it’s hard to get enough sponsorship to live off riding, due to a relatively small industry and budget. It’s really hard to break into the international market but I think once

you do, money shouldn’t be a problem any more. Although I’d say parents still play a big part in supporting most New Zealand competition riders!”

So what exactly does being a professional snowboarder entail? How do these riders go about maintaining good sponsorships and a ‘career’ once they get it rolling? What does it take? RMB sums it up, “It takes heaps of shit – I’d say 60% is how well you shred and the other 40% is all the behind the scenes work you do. Answering questions like these, blogging, emailing with sponsors and other shredders, editing photos and film… pretty much everything else that makes actually going snowboarding possible. Probably the single most important thing in a snowboarding career is the communication side of the game, especially with your sponsors.”

Stef Zeestraten also puts a lot of emphasis on communication, “This is where you can make or break it. You need to keep your sponsors up to date so they know what they’re investing in.”

Jake Koia’s response is along the same lines, “Communication is important. I talk to my sponsors all the time, they probably get sick of me, ha, and before every season I let them know my thoughts and plans and see where they’re at with everything. I really appreciate being able to do this for a living so I work hard. I keep healthy during the little downtime I have, do my interviews like this, manage my photos, film a video part, compete back home, and have a website and the rest of the social networking shit.”

Another recurring theme that comes up among these top riders is the very real threat of injury. In this game physical fitness is crucial, and staying in shape is key not only for strong riding, but also as a form of injury prevention. Perhaps in the past snowboarders weren’t always NZSNOWBOARDER 47

“I do consider snowboarding my job, but I think it’s a grey area as the riding is only part of it; I try to do a whole lot more than just snowboard… everything revolves around shredding though. You can be the world’s craziest snowboarder but it’s how everything else ties in that’ll get you the money to fund your craziness.” Nick Hyne, Blackwoods, Tahoe, USA. PHOTO: VAUGHAN BROOKFIELD viewed as being so serious about their bodies, but times have changed. Jake Koia likes to work out every day that he’s not riding or shooting, “I’m not doing specific snowboard training, I mean I don’t just do squats all day. I’m working out because I love going to the gym, it’s just a hobby for me and makes me feel good. Also, to stay injury free, I try to pick my battles more carefully and be smarter about it. The days I go up the mountain for myself I’ll probably just cruise, you know. I’m not just trying to throw down and impress the people on the chairlift.”

Will Jackways agrees, “Taking care of your body is a big one. Things like stretching before and after riding, going to the gym, making the right 48 NZSNOWBOARDER

“When I first started the travel and shred buzz, no way did snowboarding cover it – it was all off my own back.

Nowadays snowboarding covers quite a bit of it. But it’s not just the money side of things, it also comes down to getting invited on trips or shoots, and most of the time a lot of the extra expenses are covered.”

Roland Morley-Brown, Eastern Bloc, Europe.

PHOTO: ALEX ROBERTS

decisions riding and in the backcountry, and generally just listening to your body and gut instinct is important. Eating properly, taking time off, and understanding how you body works can also help you avoid injury.”

For Nick Hyne, who has been sidelined in the past, injury prompted him to think ahead. “I think injury has been one of the main influences on my snowboarding. After knee surgery I decided to go to University, while recovering. It also inspired me towards activities that can earn money in snowboarding without requiring craziness and being 100% fit. Writing, producing video content, and helping my sponsors with selling is all a byproduct from snowboarding at a high level and putting my body on the line, but all can be done well after my body’s sick of catching gnarly edges.”

Being at the peak of your game, both physically and mentally, has become increasingly important for competitive snowboarders as well.

As the Winter X Games and other high-profile events have established themselves and drummed up lucrative advertising potential, rider opportunities have increased in this arena. One of our more successful competitors on the international stage recently has been Ohakune’s Shelly Gotlieb. Currently ranked 5th in slopestyle on the TTR World, Shelly has been racking up solid results for the last three years including 2nd at last year’s US Burton Open and 3rd at this year’s FIS World Champs. But even 50 NZSNOWBOARDER

for Shelly, it can be hard to cover all the travelling and living expenses.

“Yeah for sure it’s difficult, the comp circuits require travel to so many countries, all which is super expensive. A lot of the time it’s back and forth from USA to Europe. It’s hard to do this and have time and money for other aspects of the snow, you do need help. I’ve worked really hard, three jobs at once sometimes, and lived rock bottom to be able to afford snowboarding all year round in the way I wanted to do it.”

Snowboarding being included in the Winter Olympics, as controversial as this may be politically, is certainly responsible for large amounts of funding being pumped into National Sport Organisations, like Snow Sports New Zealand and the associated Winter Performance Programme. Pamela Bell was the first Kiwi to compete at Olympic level when snowboarding was introduced in 1998, though much of what she achieved at that time was off her own back. Juliane Bray and Deni Bevin managed to receive more National support when they made their bid to qualify for the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City by travelling to Chile for crucial ranking results.

This in turn paved the way for the following Olympic cycle, in which Juliane did actually manage to qualify, along with Mitch and Kendall Brown. In 2007 funding increased dramatically thanks to SPARC (Sport and Recreation New Zealand) coming on board – something that wouldn’t

Keeping it real... Rob Mitchell rides hard, but also works hard to fund his winters around the globe and here at home. Roundhill, New Zealand. PHOTO: VAUGHAN BROOKFIELD

have happened unless snowboarding was an Olympic sport.

The Winter Performance Programme (WWP), and its snowboard division headed up by Head Coach Tom Willmott, is a direct result of the SPARC funding. Riders, or ‘athletes’ who gain access to this programme, also become eligible for substantial funding and results-based grants.

After her top results in 2009 Shelly Gotlieb was recruited to the program, opening up funding doorways for her to continue competing on the world stage. Other competition riders like Rebecca Sinclair have also been reaping the rewards. “Four years ago I had to find about 80% of my funding personally. But in the last six months I qualified for a performance grant, and that’s meant my funding for this year is taken care of.”

Rebecca’s referring to Performance Enhancement Grant (PEG) she received thanks to a top result, placing 4th in the halfpipe at what’s referred to as a ‘pinnacle event’, the FIS World Champs earlier this year.

The PEG’s payouts can be substantial, ranging from $20,000 for a 16th placing, scaled up to $55,000 for making the podium and $60,000 for a win. Add this to what sort of prize money is being dished out at the upper level events these days, and any top Kiwi competitor stands to do pretty well! The catch is, only one event per year is identified as a pinnacle event, and it must be an Olympic discipline… so the recent confirmation that Slopestyle is to be included as an Olympic event at Sochi, Russia in 2014 is the real icing on the cake. All of a sudden our slopestyle riders have access to funding that until now could only be received by halfpipe

riders. This includes the likes of both Shelly Gotlieb and Stef Zeestraten, as well as up and coming rippers like Stefi Luxton, Rebecca ‘Possum’ Torr, Christy Prior and Ben Comber.

Regardless of which path is chosen, the freerider and the competition rider both have to work hard at living their respective dreams. Most are doing winters back-to-back, and as amazing as that may sound, it can get old. Missing out on summers and not having much time with family are the flipside of this coin that most of us don’t see. “I guess sometimes it sucks that you can’t always be there for your family or girlfriend when they’re having a tough time,” says Jake Koia, “and I’m gutted none of my close mates I grew up with took this path because it would’ve been a blast going on trips with those guys, but that’s life….”

And generally speaking, any earnings of a New Zealand pro seem to be absorbed in their expenses, so apart from the odd exception don’t be mistaken thinking snowboarding is going to make you rich any time soon.

Will Jackways reckons, “Snowboarding can be and is an expensive hobby, so a lot of budget and expenses we get are put straight back into it. And yeah, not seeing family and close friends can be a big sacrifice as we’re on the road a lot. Keeping in touch can be difficult.”

But none of the riders mentioned in this story have a single regret, and as Nick Hyne sums up, “If you’re truly living the dream - the downsides will be so minimal that they won’t enter your mind long enough to put you off for a minute!”

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Rob Mitchell launches into the heart of the Old West, at Jackson Hole.

Bluegrass A POWDER FIELDS Jackson Hole, Teton County, Wyoming, USA Words and Photos by Vaughan Brookfield

Welcome to the Old West!

MOST NEW ZEALAND DIEHARD POWDER HEADS

should have Jackson Hole, Wyoming on their ‘Bucket List’. It’s a place that’s produced the likes of Travis Rice, and we’ve all seen the endless pow available in the mags and on videos. So when asked to shoot a story there with a bunch of empty-pocketed, half-wasted Kiwi shredders that had run out of fuel on their way to pick me up, I was thinking, “Shit! I don’t know if this is for me!” However, everything started to flow more smoothly that evening, especially the White Russians, and before we knew it, 3:00 a.m. rolled around and we were still partying. Legendary tales of Jackson’s powder trails were going round and we made a drunken decision to hit the road as soon as we’d sobered up.

The crew consisted of Rob Mitchell, Ben ‘Ferret’ Vercauteren, Mark Anderson, Tim ‘Ruffy’ Williams (our guide) and myself, left to stand behind the lens. We hit the road from Reno with a car packed so full it lacked steering, and a bunch of grimy snowboarders just holding down last night’s dinner. It would’ve been disastrous if anyone got sick in such a confined

Riders on the storm…

space. After two days of driving we finally made it to Jackson. The floor of the car was completely swamped with rubbish – empty energy drink cans, beef jerky wrappers, and a potent smell of farts pervaded the limited air available.

We were all ready to escape the car and find a bed to say the least!

There’s loads of money in Wyoming it seems, I’m told it’s the richest state in the United States of America. So as you could imagine, everything is prêt-ty nice. We, however, were on a tight-as budget and needed somewhere warm but affordable to stay. We came across Hostel X – the only place right below the lift that’s cheap, but it’s sooo sweet. You can get a bunkroom with its own bathroom, heater, and sink… and there’s free coffee and a pool table downstairs. That’s where you want to book into if you need to do it ghetto-style like we did.

Next morning we awoke to a gloomy cold day. I wandered half asleep down to the front desk, following the sweet aroma of coffee, to where the weather report awaited me. The forecast each day for the rest of our stay was covered in snowflake symbols. We’d expected snow, as we were in Jackson

NZSNOWBOARDER 53

Ben ‘Ferret’ Vercauteren kicks one out on the hill before high-kickin’ his way through the crowd at the bluegrass band.

Bluegrass A POWDER FIELDS after all, but a few sunny days were needed for good shooting. Back up in our room and I found everyone still fast asleep. After unsuccessfully trying to get the crew out of bed, I found my recently purchased fire crackers and lit one - seeing as they’re readily available 24/7 in Wyoming… when in Rome - BANG! Now everyone was well awake, and a little pissed with the abrupt start to the day, a perfect way to get them amped! We decided to just go shred and see what we could find; it’s the best way to get an idea of what terrain is around and where the best spots are. Tim had been living at Jackson for a while and knew it well, so it didn’t take us long to figure out where the best cliffs were. The resort is huge. I don’t think we would’ve ridden even half of it in the five days we were there. A tram takes you straight up 1,262 metres to twelve square kilometres of skiable terrain, so

Mark Anderson… powdery fields forever!

there are endless possibilities to find untracked pow. We headed up for our first ride and by the time we all made it back to the bottom everyone was fizzing. There was so much untracked powder and things to launch off right underneath the lifts! It was snowing pretty heavily and impossible to get the camera out so we made the call (it wasn’t hard) to shred for the day and find some good spots to shoot once we got some sun and could see a landing.

You meet all sorts of characters while riding at Jackson, everyone is super friendly - I think New Zealanders must have a pretty good reputation there. Guys on the tram told us the best zones and what places were loaded. Most other places you seem to experience the opposite, where everyone is keeping it to themselves, and it’s a race to get there first.

People just seemed so easy going. I guess there’s so much terrain and pow

The legendary Jackson Hole Tram, a stairway to heaven!

Crackers… anyone?

NZSNOWBOARDER 55

Rob Mitchell pops a crail off the trail.

That’s one way to drop in… Haines, Alaska.

PHOTO: OLI GAGNON

Bluegrass A POWDER FIELDS that no one’s really too bothered, everyone knows they’re going to get their fair share. That night we checked out town and some of the renowned bars.

After an epic day of powder everyone was in high spirits and feeling pretty revitalised. We were told to go see a local band at a pub just down the road.

They play a style of music called bluegrass, which is super popular around there. When we walked in the door it felt like we’d entered an old movie set. Cowboys were dancing to the bluegrass music, tapping their cowboy boots, and girls were being flung across the room. It was all a bit much for me at first so I sat off to the side and soaked up the atmosphere. Then out of nowhere Ferret, with his pants pulled high, went straight through the dancers with some kind of crazy high kick thing. It was probably one of the funniest things I’ve seen Ferret do. The whole bar started laughing and the 56 NZSNOWBOARDER

band started giving the New Zealand crew props. By this time Ferret was spinning a girl across the room. No wonder he does so well with the girls.

We woke the next day to the front door barricaded with snow and the possibility of clear patches, so we headed out one of the top backcountry gates in search of something big. A few decent cliffs appeared but we couldn’t hit them because of cloud, and we were having too much fun just ripping the endless powder fields. I’ve never ridden such steep, deep terrain that you can access so easily from the lifts. I thought we might’ve been lucky with the snow we got, but everyone kept telling me it’s like this the whole season. We couldn’t help ourselves that day - we just kept going run after run. We’d get to a rise and look down, pick our lines, and cheer each other on.

Day three we decided to check out a mountain pass close by. What I thought

Mark Anderson threads the needle amongst Jackson Hole’s legendary freeriding terrain.

would be a quick hike soon turned into a two-hour struggle lugging my camera equipment up this pass. Near the top we found a little snow cave that looked like it had been there for 100 years. I crawled in the small kid-sized entry to find a room full of ten other hikers sheltering from the snowstorm outside. We carried on and dropped down a face on the backside that Tim had been to before. It would have to be one of the scariest runs I’d done all winter – it was deep in the backcountry, the snow was moderately stable, there was a large cliff band that dropped 40 metres that we had to avoid on the way down, and it was dumping like crazy. We all made it down after a very cautious descent, and once we hit the trees we had a bit more visibility. The final ride back to our vehicle was amazing and we found a few sick lines.

The sun finally came out on day four and we could all get a better

idea of our surroundings. We made it to the tram nice and early and got one of the first rides up. At the top on a clear day you really see why this place is so renowned for its amazing backcountry. We found some nice cliffs with steep landings and the crew were throwing down making the most of the time left in such an amazing spot. That night we stopped in to Asymbol, a gallery of artworks by Mike Parillo including some of Travis Rice’s best shots from his recent winters. It was amazing to see what these two locals have achieved, and you can discern how their home environment has helped shape their successful careers.

Jackson is somewhere I would love to return to one day. From the amazing mountains to the culture and the people, it’s an inspirational place.

And with all that bluegrass dancing there’s a lot of fun to be had too!

58 NZSNOWBOARDER

Splitboard

Magic

I’VE SPENT THE LAST FEW WINTERS over in Canada’s Interior Mountains, this last one by far being my most memorable. After a shred mission back home in New Zealand last winter I was rewarded with a wildcard entry to compete with the big hitters in the U.S. stop of the Freeride World Tour. This opened doors of opportunity that I couldn’t have even dreamt of previously. Being asked to partake in filming a backcountry documentary and working with a super pro photographer became means of hooking up some heli time and flying into luxurious backcountry lodges for some unforgettable splitboard magic....

It’s 5:00 a.m., quick check outside, damn, it’s puking 50cent flakes. Corbin’s Subaru is waiting in the driveway; time to go. Grab my gear, backpack loaded with necessary equipment, splitboard, check, definitely need that. Drive down to pickup Gord, it’s already accumulated 5cm in the time it takes to get across town. Got to love the weather warnings in Revelstoke BC, they mean business! Three hours later we arrive for flight briefing and learn there’s no way we’re going to fly today, leaving us to ponder on reports of 30cm that fell in a few short hours back at Revelstoke Mountain Resort! Next morning dawned grey overcast and a quick check, we’re on to fly. With 45+cm accumulated in last 24 hours it’s hard to hide a grin as the heli arrives and fills the air with that sweet smell of av gas exhaust fumes. The flight in is awesome, face pressed hard against the windows, drooling at the endless terrain laid out below. We spent 5 days filming at Sol Mountain lodge, a two story pimp-ass lodge fully catered, even

Author Scott Heale launches a classic method into the Revelstoke wilderness in what turned out to be the best season in years. PHOTO: RYAN CREARY

Scott Heale reaps the rewards of some good old ‘elbow grease’ in the BC backcountry. PHOTO: CORBIN CRIMMINS/VSP/THE HIGHWAY

Icefall Lodge, Golden, BC.

Great day for a walk, if you have the right gear and the juice to make it to the top! PHOTO: RYAN CREARY

with a sauna to ease the pains of splitboarding and riding the mountains rising immediately around the lodge. It continued to snow 15 dry cm for the next three days, on top of the previous 45cm, making dropping into lines a game of guess where the trees went! Trips to the whiteroom were constant due to the super dry nature of the snow, I lost this game of tree roulette a lot; it was ridiculous! Filming became restricted to the trees due to high avalanche danger in the alpine. Our last day dawned clear bluebird, and with a settling snowpack it was time to finally get into that alpine! A quick skin up from the lodge rewarded us with some sweet-as tree line riding. With a few tests and growing confidence in the snowpack we used the same skin track for a quick up, heading further across each time, exploring the terrain and finding fresh cliffs, pillows and chutes. Splitboarding is a pretty simple deal, once you have the basics down and you’re in a zone you like, you simply split your board, slap skins on, walk straight back up, throw it back together and smash out another line. We rode laps until sunset, taking our last run back to the lodge as the snow went from orange to pink to purple, then finally a deep blue as the sun settled behind distant mountains. Sick day to end an epic trip! Early next morning was our time to fly out. With the weather looking to resume dumping, it was a mad push to get out before it did - and back to reality, well back to riding lift-accessed terrain for a while anyway.

Ryan Creary, a super talented outdoors photographer who I’d been working with at Revelstoke Resort, rang up to see if I had time to join him and Tim Haggerty on a trip to Icefall Lodge deep in the Columbia Mountain range north of Golden for a week long splitboard mission? Umm… let me think about this for a nanosecond, hmm, sure! After testing a tweaked knee with some noboard splitting therapy in Roger Pass the week before, I gave it the green light and headed back up over Roger’s Pass to rendezvous in Golden. Before we could even get close to Golden we came across an accident scene involving a semi and a car. Sadly, it seemed there wasn’t a good outcome in this incident. With the road blocked and not looking good for flight time, a quick call was all it took to get the lowdown and backtrack to the only lodge before Revelstoke and jump in a chopper there, sweet! Flying in this part of the Rockies is mind blowing, it’s really BIG country with 10,000 foot peaks rising all around, all sorts of crazy twists and folds in the rock strata, and glaciers hanging off every peak. The Icefall Lodge itself is located right at tree line, below an ancient glacial valley with massive peaks looming overhead in all directions. The terrain on offer

is something you have to see to believe; even after a full week we hadn’t scratched the surface! Tim Haggerty, it turned out, I’d met back when I first began snowboarding at Whaka’s. Well not actually met, but saw him take a huge bail during the Export Extremes comp, down a super exposed section of The Pinnacles, smashing himself up super well. So it turned out he’s a wise dude to be riding with, been in the mountains forever and certainly knows what’s up. He didn’t even seem to mind cleaning up some mystery crunch left behind on the long-drop seat to compose a wee shot, well sort of didn’t mind, top bloke aye! Up on the glaciers the first day, while we were riding through ice features, I took a wrong turn and stopped only to see a black hole of a crevasse open up right under my track immediately behind me! A super sketch position to be in, luckily the way out held up and I regrouped, smelling a bit weirder. We spent the week riding glacial features, couloirs, climbing peaks and snapping the odd shot to keep Ryan happy about lugging his camera gear around. By the end of the week it had been a mammoth adventure with some big days put in, definitely keen to return if I’m ever lucky enough to get in on another trip like that again.

With a splitboard under your feet you can easily walk on even 4 feet of fresh dry pow, opening up some seriously awesome options. The biggest hurdle is actually getting into the mountains. And being outside of a resort means you’re not on a controlled snowpack anymore, putting you at the mercy of the elements. Be sure to team up with some buddies, have all necessary avalanche transceivers, rescue equipment, and be able to use it efficiently.

Prevention is way better still, so read up on the latest avalanche bulletins and definitely take an avalanche course to wise up on terrain selection and snowpack. Mother nature can be a gnarly biarch and if you don’t respect her she will spank ya’. The consequences are real. A lot of our local resorts in Nzee have awesome splitboarding sidecountry, quick access and an easy ride out at the end of the day; Temple Basin, Olympus, Craigeburn, The Remarks, Cardies, Ohau, Ruapehu all have wicked sidecountry terrain… take a look over the back of the Pinnacles next time you’re up at Whakas’! .There’s even a rumour that Christchurch company splitn2.com are making prototype boards for the local conditions this season, with a view to having them in production for next winter. All said, splitboarding is a great way to explore the mountains and definitely opens up new options for getting the goods. Standing on top of a line with a few good mates in deep pow and epic terrain laid out below is totally doable with a little effort, and makes for some unforgettable days of riding!

NZSNOWBOARDER 61

F a s t F o rw a r d

Milu MulthaupAppleton

Age: 23.

Born where: Takaka, Golden Bay. First time shredding:1998 at Rainbow skifield.

Live in: Wanaka/Queenstown.

Local hill: The Remarkables.

Favourite spot to ride NZ and overseas: Any place with snow, and Canada.

Mode of transport: Peugeot 206 and skateboard.

Best travelling item: A good book.

Future plans: Study environmental engineering.

Best city: Vancouver and Munich.

Best beach: Beaches of Samoa.

Tastiest beverage: Tea. Last trick you nailed: Back 7 at Auckland Big Air. Last trick that nailed you: Cab 5 at Auckland Big Air. Sooo hot right now: The weather!

The future of snowboarding is: Probably quad corks.

Crew: All the boys from Mt. Hutt, you all know who you are, chargers!

Say no to: Littering.

Inspiration: All my riding buddies and riders pushing the level of the sport every season.

On the stereo: Nas and Damien Marley, Hieroglyphics, Cut Copy, Figurine, Fischerspooner, Salmonella Dub. Pipe, parks, powder and/or pool parties: Park and Powder!

Sponsors: Salomon, Bonfire, Parklife, NZSBU, Skullcandy, Celtek Gloves, Smith and Neff.

Thanks: Scottie, Neil, Rowan, Callam, Dale, Ross L, Miles H, Tommy P, Matty S, Thom B, Johnno S, Matt F, Matty P, Bill, Brownie, Frosty, M Bell, Mum and Dad. Last words: Yeah‌ naahhh... yeeeaahhh... I dunno.... Have fun, be friendly, stay positive and ride hard!

62 NZSNOWBOARDER

Backside 50/50, Turoa. PHOTO: TOMMY PYATT

91 NZSNOWBOARDER 63

H AE R E R A By Willie Beggs

Tom Battersby lays into an illusive ‘shaka’ on one of Turoa’s naturally formed and ever changing wind lips. PHOTO: KYLE COOPER

The

Illusive Turoa Powder DAY NOW, AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, when it comes to scoring Mt. Ruapehu, you’ve gotta be in it to win it. This massive volcano sitting smack bang in the middle of the North Island is pretty much a magnet for any weather passing up and down the country - you can easily spend a week waiting for a clear day. I’ve spent a lot of time chasing those few days a year when the planets align and the snow is deep and soft with a clear sky. Trust me, they do happen, and if you get one, it’ll be one of the best days’ riding you’ll ever have!

A typical scenario would see my crew and me sitting around Ohakune, starting to go mad having been trapped in town for the last three or four days, in the middle of what the weather man is calling a six-day storm. People would start leaving town, thinking there wasn’t any hope in sticking around, but the few who know the fruits produced if a gap in the weather does appear hold on. Reports would filter down of chairlifts being dug out from huge snowdrifts, and the sheer thought of the shakas to be had gave you insomnia anticipating what the next day might bring.

One such day was a few years back. Waking to a relatively calm morning, the wind had died down from the gale force of the previous day and I remember thinking to myself… “It could open today”. A quick check of the report showed the ominous words “On hold until 10:30” but also saying that, yes, the wind had dropped and there were clear patches of visibility. It was time to get up there.

After a drive up the mountain road that resembled a quest to the South Pole, I arrived at Turoa. There had been a massive amount of snow! Even if they just got the first chair going, I was in for a treat… not long and it was. At this stage, I’m so excited I’m yelling and screaming, and I’m still only on the chairlift. I strap in and make a straight line for the bottom only laying turns to spray skiers, scoring highly with bro’s on the chairlift above. Explosions from avalanche control signalled work taking place on the upper mountain, and after a few short runs, the next lift opened up.

64 NZSNOWBOARDER

The Giant. There’s a line to the west of the chair that I head straight for, putting my foot down, jacket flapping, smashing wind lips on each side of this hidden gully. It starts in a tight gun barrel, opening up to Waimea sized walls with transition gaps and step-ups and step-downs all created by the gnarly wind that had come with the storm. The next part of the run is Maungawhero headwall, a cornice that’s almost parallel with the drive of the Giant. Options from big to small, big mountain terrain in bounds you just cannot find anywhere else in New Zealand. I roll down the ridge, find my line, and pop off to eat some serious shit – much to the amusement of my bro’s. The landing from this cornice sends you into the start of the Maungawhero gully. With multiple options I traverse to a group of chutes; tight and short with single or double drop options. So sick.

After that I’m back at the first chair. With avalanche bombs making you feel like you’re in downtown Baghdad, the word was the upper mountain was about to open. The atmosphere in the queue for the 6’er chair lift was electric. As we get to the top, I’m so excited I can’t make a decision where to go… east… west? No friends on powder day, so I roll west to the Slider headwall. The snow up here is deeper and drier with big wind loads to land in. The crew is already doing some big drops, Leroy Christensen and Shelly G taking on the big ones! I hook up with Tom ‘The Baptist’ Battersby who’s frothing out, and we tail each other down valley towards the Organ Pipes with big hips and more epic wind lips. We amp each other up to go bigger and faster all the way back to the first chair. Feet aching and struggling for breath, I’ve never felt so alive.

The terrain that can be found on the upper fields of Turoa and Whakapapa, both inside the ski area boundary and the lift accessed backcountry, makes Ruapehu truly world class. Yeah, I’ll admit the wait for that epic pow day can be torture… but that’s what makes it so much sweeter when you do get it on. It’s always worth it!

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