PHOTO & ART EDITION 2014
Mt. Baker local Robin Foster takes a brief moment to reflect mid-air over the Mt. Baker Highway. -Photo by Brad Andrew
Chief Motivator / Designer
Todd Heath Marketing and PR
Amy Balbier Bomb Snow TV
Axel Peterson KYLE TAYLOR randy evans rob raymond RYAN WALTERS Managing Editor
Alex Buecking Digital Director
Gavin gibson Photo Editor
Reid Morth Senior Photographers
Travis Andersen DAN ARMSTRONG Cont. Photographers
BRAD ANDREW Ashley Barker DEAN BLOTTO GRAY Liam Gallagher GAVIN GIBSON Dave Heath Bruno long ANDREW MILLER tal roberts COLTON STIFFLER JASON THOMPSON WILL WISSMAN colin wiseman Writers
mark davidson David Steele mike rogge Cover Artist
CHILI THOM Cont. Artists
JOHN FELLOWS MARK KOWaLCHuK Max KAUFFMAN EMIL ORTH RACHEL POHL World Wide Web
bombsnow.com Email
TODD@bombsnow.com Insta: @bombsnow
BOMB SNOW HEADQUARTERS 109 East Main St. Suite #5 Bozeman, MT 59715
CAN SNOWSPORTS BE SAVED? 22
Lessons from a Stalled Industry
Will Wissman / Haines, Alaska.
REMINISCING RASTA 34
Youthful Identity in Skiing
PISTE OFF COLUMN 52
Local Wildlife Announce Support for Olympics
POETS CORNER 54
Poetry meets Pow-etry
MINING FOR SNOW 62
The Upper Peninsula Delivers
AZERBAIJAN 70
Photographs from the Land of Fire
REVIEWS 84-91
Random Shit We Like
Creating a Magazine with Substance. Skiing isn’t about the actual shralp, but the long lasting friendships and memories created while walking in the woods with boards strapped to our feet. The experiences alone are valuable. The initial act of doing is what counts. No matter how gnarly or sane your line may be, the art of action alone is admirable. The characters who’ve forgone prestige to wake up early and shred snowy slopes are of a special breed. From the alpine start to a sunny park lap, our shared experiences on snow are what keep us passionate and unique, but still very much the same kindred spirits with similar stories to tell. Whether we choose to share our recollections through photographs, drawings or words is entirely up to ourselves. The whole notion of a Photo and Art edition has been kicking around the offices of Bomb Snow Magazine for several years. The idea is to celebrate the lifestyle we all share as dwellers of snowy landscapes, and give others a glimpse into a way of living we are so reluctant to leave. So here’s to the people who know what it truly means to do what they love, and for all the others who wish they could be a small part of something so unique as sliding down snow with sticks on our feet. Let’s also remember to not take ourselves too seriously, after all, it’s only the simple force of gravity we’ve fallen for.
-Chief Motivator, Todd Heath
In memory of Peter Maxwell, who inspired us all more than he will ever know. -Bomb Snow
Strive not to be a success, but rather, to be of Value. -Albert Einstein
Two days after closing, in the pre Raven Lodge days at Mt Baker, It was 10am and getting hot when Forrest Burki sent this pillow. -Photo by Colin Wiseman
Dawn in the Wasatch with Forrest Shearer. -Photo by Andrew Miller
#Cochise2014
THE BEST JUST GOT BETTER
5 Fingers Ridge — Elks Mountain, Colorado
tecnicablizzardexperience.com/cochise2014
Dave Heath / Kye Peterson, Retallack, BC
Dave Heath / Banks Gilberti, Retallack, BC
This March, we sent it to Chamonix for Bomb Snow TV’s first European ski trip. We arrived a week into a strong high pressure system that lasted nearly the duration of our trip. After two weeks of spring like snow, and scaring ourselves shitless rappelling into the steepest lines we had ever skied, the storm finally came. We woke on the second to last day of our trip to 2-3 feet of the finest French powder. This particular photo is the definition of a “Shortys Pow Shot.” It’s all about hiking just above the groomer or moguls, and posing a turn in the 30 feet of untouched powder. On our last day in Cham, Rob Raymond hiked for five minutes above the groomer off the Grand Montet, and posed a perfect blower turn before hitting the rope line. Thank you Travis, Marc, and E-Rod for the inspiration to shoot some “EuroShorty’s,” I think it worked. -Axel Peterson
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Ashley Barker / Dustin Craven, Method Air, Whistler BC
Illustration by Mark Kowalchuk
Grant Gunderson / James Heim, Cornice drop- Mt. Baker Backcountry.
Illustration by Chili Thom. / www.chilithom.com
Ashley Barker / Craig Beaulieu, Fence-Ride: Whistler BC
Tal Roberts / Yancy Caldwell, Double Grab: Sun Valley ID
*
snow
Can the sports industry be saved from itself?
By Gavin Gibson
T
he snowsports industry has long hailed mega resorts like Colorado’s Vail Mountain as pinnacles of the on-mountain experience. But by the time the chairs start spinning at 8:30 am on any given powder day, thousands of people have already tackled I-70, paid $60 bucks for parking, negotiated rental and ticket lines, and maybe even had time to snag some coffee. Powder crazed parents herd confused toddlers through hoards of diehard locals, weekend warriors, and Texas vacationers—all hell bent on skiing the same snow. Opening bell’s initial rush looks like the start of an Ironman triathlon minus the wet suits and Gu Packets. Vail’s expertly laid out lift system distributes ski-
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ers so efficiently that the majority of untracked terrain on Vail’s 5,289 acres quickly becomes a distant memory. By 2 pm when it’s time to wrestle the family back into the minivan and “beat traffic” back to the front range, Dad’s already been up for 10 hours and only gotten a total of six un-tracked turns all day. Others board shuttle vans to DIA, only to return a year later for their next skiing vacation. The resorts that fall under the Vail empire see a full 12.3 percent of US skier visits*, it’s a big number considering Vail controls only 10 of the 478 ski areas in the United States. On January 27th, Outsideonline. com published an article titled “Can Snowboarding Be Saved?”
citing the sport’s youth-driven marketing model as a limiting factor in the sport’s growth. The article pointed out snowboarding’s slow adoption of the backcountry market, and the lack of carving boards on the shelves today. Deeper research shows that snowboarding’s numbers have only “stalled,” but as a whole, the snow sports industry has seen a decrease in participation over the last few years. According to numbers posted by the Snowsports Industries of America, the number of Alpine skiers dropped off by 2 million between the 11/12, and 12/13 seasons. Blame for poor numbers always rests on “bad” winters. While these numbers show the most dramatic drop in Alpine ski-
ers in the last four seasons, it’s fair to say that all markets have been holding relatively steady. So why then, does dire news about the snow sports industry keep popping up? With the corporatization of the snowsports industry comes the expectation for infinite growth. Unfortunately, participation is stalling. Less people are trying the sport out, and even less are returning after their first experience. The cost of gear, lift tickets, and lodging mixed with declining on mountain experiences from overcrowding, commercialization, and an increasingly unpredictable winter weather storm cycle all prevent people from enjoying their time on the hill. This process shows no signs of slowing. In the Proxy Report of Vail’s
Anyone who has skied long enough knows that it’s easy to make life long friends out of strangers mid-run.
Bruno Long / The underside of a beautiful temple near the top of a dormant volcano, Miyagi Zao, Japan.
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Colton Stiffler / Young ripper finding courage.
2013 meeting of stockholders, Vail reported the following strategy for increasing profits: “While the ski industry has performed well in recent years in terms of number of skier visits, with the eight best seasons occurring in the past 10 years for United States visitation, a particular ski area’s growth is also largely dependent on either attracting skiers away from other resorts, generating more revenue per skier visit and/or generating more visits from each skier. Better capitalized ski resorts, including
our mountain resorts, are expanding their offerings as well as enhancing the quality and experience by adding new high speed chairlifts, gondolas, terrain parks, state of the art grooming machines, expanded terrain, onmountain dining venues as well as amenities at the base areas of the resorts, including dining, retail and lodging, all of which are aimed at increasing guest visitation and revenue per skier visit.” The snow sports industry faces two futures. The first is to work with a flat number of participants while a
cycle of price raising and brand failures becomes the result of competition for higher earnings amongst a limited pool. The second involves a monumental shift in thinking, but not necessarily a new concept. In a letter to Mike Moore of the Skiers’ Gazette , Aspen’s own Hunter S. Thompson pointed out the incredible contrast between people who ski, and people who sell skiing: “There is a hell of a huge difference between skiing as a sport—or even skiing as a lifestyle—and skiing as an industry, a boom-time fad like golf
“The other side is a weird mix of locals, liberals, freaks, dropouts, ranchers, heads, geeks & other less commercially oriented types who see Aspen as a place to live—not to sell.” - Hunter S.Thompson
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or bowling... On one side are the Cops and the Mayor and the County Commissioners, along with local realtors and corporate land developers from Chicago & LA & Texas—and even NY & Boston. These people see Aspen as a resort, they want to sell it. And they are. Indeed—for the last 20 years they’ve been selling harder than New Orleans streetpimps. The other side is a weird mix of locals, liberals, freaks, dropouts, ranchers, heads, geeks & other less commercially oriented types who see Aspen as a place to live—not to sell—a refuge of sorts from the same kind of rotten urban madness that these scum-sucking developers are trying to sell here in Aspen.”** The message of bigger, better, more extreme and more expensive has proven to attract a limited audience. The simple thrill of the mountains is a lost message when the obstacles of gear, travel, and just learning how to ride scare people away before they
even start. Most people never stick with it long enough to experience the powder days, Alaskan spine lines, and double corks they are sold by snowsports marketing. It’s time to start selling the side effects of sliding down snow that keep people around. For starters, the social benefits of the sport exists regardless of snowfall. Anyone who’s skied long enough knows that it’s easy to make life long friends out of strangers mid-run. A slow double chair ride makes for great couple’s therapy. The transformation from pizza to french fries is more empowering than buying the right pair of skis
ever will be. These lessons come with time on the slopes though, and for most, that just isn’t happening. The total number of resort visits (56.6 million) last season divided by the number of skiers and snowboarders(15.6 Million) shows that on average, people spend less than four days a season on snow. Even though skiing and snowboarding are billed as “lifestyle” sports, it’s clear that for most, they are merely a novelty. For most of the United States, skiing at a “premium” level resort in the West for a few days makes
more sense than skiing at a local resort with inferior vertical or slow lifts. Sadly, the same money could be spent skiing at home mastering skills and making new friends. With dozens of small resorts closing across the country in the last decade, it’s getting harder to commit to turning in the first place. If the snow sports industry wants to grow, it needs to focus on getting more people on the hill in any capacity. More chairlifts don’t breed more skiers. Better dining options don’t attract people who can’t afford to eat at them. Magazines touting the same tired resort
guides year after year do little to help anything but their advertisers. Let’s put an end to playing the same broken record season after season. There’s much more to skiing than a cellphone app and a helmet cam will ever capture, and we all know it. I vote we stop skiing by the numbers and just start skiing, as much as we can. Hopefully the industry will catch on. The experiences gained in the mountains are not a one hit wonder; diversify the message, or die.
*
Dean Blotto Gray / Red Gerard at Seven Springs *Vail Resorts Notice On The Annual Meeting of Stockholders Proxy Statement Annual 2013 Report on Form 10-K found online at investors. vailresorts.com
** Thompson, Hunter S., and Douglas Brinkley. Fear and Loathing in America: The Brutal Odyssey of an Outlaw Journalist, 1968-1976. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2000. Print.
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Grant Gunderson / Wiley Miller, Knuckle Draggin’, Whistler BC
Ashley Barker / Mads Jonsson, Niseko, Japan
Ace Kvale / Trango Towers, Pakistan, 1992
Illustrations by John Fellows
Illustration by Max Kauffman
Ashley Barker / Rusty Ockenden, Whistler Backcountry
Ashley Barker / Helen Schettini, Niseko, Japan
Ashley Barker / Dustin Craven, Backside 180, Whistler Backcountry
youthful identity in skiing.
By David Steele
Walking along the rows of bushes, the weeds were easy to spot. Down with the hoe. Up with the roots. After an hour, nine more dollars from the summer job at a plant nursery east of town— money to buy skis in the fall. They came new, and three weeks into the season, the tenth grade taste for cool took over—despite being a white, middle class kid from Montana who didn’t smoke pot, I Sharpie’d a large rasta band on the largely white topsheets. The marker stayed until I managed to snap them, fading a bit more from sun and water. Once
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Bruno Long / Roger’s Pass, BC
the yellow had washed dull, the red and green looked Italian. Which might have made more sense, and it begged the question: what caused a young skier to jettison the basic facts of just sliding down snow to borrow religious tendencies from the Caribbean? Looking back nearly ten years, I find the gesture puzzling. I was impressionable; a buddy I looked up to was listening to Bob Marley, and putting on rasta airs. However, for me to jump on a bandwagon I knew so little about—there’s some level of discomfort. Bare skis weren’t enough of an identity. Surveying the lift lines or Vimeo, it’s easy to find every image represented in skiing. I’d credit the
rebellious influences of snowboarding with shaking the stolidity of skier garb. Somebody connected rastafarianism with people smoking in the snowy woods. Egregious neon colors made a resurgence. Pants got tighter and blacker. Leaving us somewhere near today, with influences from surfing to corporate ski vacations, all with varying relevance to sliding down a hill on skis or a board. Clearly, this borrowing isn’t a new tradition. Thrift stores and my private collections of awesome bloom neon flowers of twenty years ago. If what I wear and how I think is stale, then I find my rear entry boots and straight skis. These connect me, via equipment and clothing, to a different train of emotions—
usually straightlining, daffys, and exuberant yelling. It’s time travel manifested in sub-culture wide, temporary realignment of identity. Such shifts might characterize communities in general, but they influence skiing and snowboarding toward youthfulness. Be it grabbing clothes and skis from my parents’ closets or music choices in an edit, I feel an adolescent disquiet with status quo. Thus the cliques in my ski life: rasta in the park, the mogul skiing circuit, my touring buddies now. Such youthful searching through different parts of the sport exercises a freedom to determine identity—the commonality of all skiers or boarders. Growing and looking for challenge has fueled my transitions
Ace Kvale / Bogner Photo Shoot, 1992
John Eaves, Mark Stevens, and ??? > 1992 Caption from ACE.
Skiing in the nude is, to my mind, the purest mix of joy, freedom, and style in skiing. from competing in rail jams to glacier travel— a variety of enjoyments lets me hit the park when it’s slushy, tour when it’s fresh, and challenge myself when wearing crampons. This broad appreciation is powered by a youthful boredom of too much similarity. I call skiing’s quest for identity adolescent with a full respect towards the benefits of that outlook. The adolescent mindset also has shortcomings, especially given episodes like my rasta rebranding. Clothes or music listened to don’t make me a person, skier, or snowboarder, but my youthful approach to identity needs some rigor. It’s fine to listen to and enjoy reggae; I just don’t want to naively brand myself with ideas or groups irrelevant to who I am and what I want to do on skis. The taste for cool
is gone. Instead, I’d rather be comfortable. Negativity sits on the skin track too: a jerk who hates chairlifts is still a jerk, so I don’t need to believe my slice of fun is better to feel superior. I’m not that different from the kid with the rasta flags on his skis, and it’s a search for identity through phases—not a final decision. The style of my skiing identity has moved inward. Whereas clothes or other visual coolnesses used to matter, I find that the hard questions of skiing don’t lend themselves to such surface level analysis. How should I, as a skier,
mitigate the climate change that will drastically change the skiing I love so much? What can I do to support the folks that are trying to keep the ski industry within the range of blue collar families? To what extent is travel necessary as a skier? If my old identity saw skiing as a venue for powder hedonism and apathy, the turn inward has made me dwell on the part that I play. Skiing in the nude is, to my mind, the purest mix of joy, freedom, and style in skiing. Until this catches on and climate change makes skiing warmer, I think clothes
might be nice. And so as I exercise the freedom as a skier to make my individual identity, knowing that freedom to be the basic, essential identity to sliding around on snow, my influences should have more than a glancing relevance. I should renew myself while staying true to the youthful ebullience of strapping on skis or a board, and keep patience with others at a different phase of the process. And the truth? Haile Selassie had nothing to do with my topsheets. He belongs elsewhere. Besides, I still haven’t tried smoking.
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Tal Roberts / Chris Logan, Sun Valley ID
Max Kauffman Art
Illustration by Chili Thom. / www.chilithom.com
Travis Andersen / Ax Man , E-Rod and K.T.
Travis Andersen / Saddle Peak University
Tal Roberts / Mark Carter chopping toothpicks
Liam Gallagher -Cory Stasinos goes frontside 180 over a fence at Snowbowl, near Missoula, MT.
Colin Wiseman -Forrest Shearer gazes out the window early in the morning at Temple Basin, New Zealand. With a foot of new snow overnight, it was the best snow of our two weeks in the country. We just had to dig for a couple hours to help everyone get the hill open before riding it.
Reid Morth / SkierTy Guarino rolls into the Bridger slack-country on an overcast morning.
Travis Andersen / Skier Kyle Taylor reveals a light dusting of Cold Smoke near Saddle Peak.
Grant Gunderson Josh Daiek skiing pow at Mt. Baker WA.
Illustration by Max Kauffman
Dean Blotto Gray / Snowy Chair
SLASH
Tal Roberts / Wyatt Caldwell
Andrew Miller / Forrest Shearer
&
Tal Roberts / Chase Josey’s shadow
Bomb Snow’s “Piste-Off” is a fictionalized, satirical rant. Its content should in no way be interpreted as an actual record of events. These stories are also not intended to be, nor should they be construed as, attempts to predict the future course of any individual or entity, but should be viewed only as parody. Thanks for understanding. -B.S.
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Is that an iPhone in your hand? Kyle Miller Snapchatting mid-slash. YOLO! -Photo by Reid Morth
Starting in November, the advisory will be sent out in the form of 10 second self-deleting videos to all Snapchat friends of @mtavalanche. The Snapchats will also be linked, allowing a 24 hour Avalanche report forecast to be viewed at on MT Avalanches website. “The young backcountry users of today aren’t concerned with reading, they’re concerned with how many Instagram likes they will get for taking selfies while airing into 38 degree slopes.” Doug Chabot clarifies “I didn’t believe it myself until I saw a group of young skiers on Saddle Peak yolo-ing and hash-tagging down the football field.” “Snapchat will not only provide a way for more users to view the advisory, but will allow #mtavalanche to get the latest updates on snow conditions.” Mark Staples exclaimed, “We encourage all Snapchat friends to send us Snapchats of the snowpack when they venture into the backcountry. At the end of the season, the Snapchatters who send us the most Snaps will become our yearly winner and be entered to win a GNFAC t-shirt.”
By Andrew Nakas
After
much deliberation, avalanche specialists at the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center (#GNFAC) have come to a decision regarding their social media policy for the 2014-2015 season. Next year, daily advisories will be posted not only on the GNFAC website, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, but also Snapchat. “Kids of today are different, they don’t think or communicate like they used to” Eric Knoff explains. “They have a safety third, mentality, and put danger and social media first. ”
Several locals have expressed their concern over the recent changes. Local skier Matt Shortland thinks Snapchat avalanche reports are unnecessary; “I subscribe to time-tested methods of backcountry communication”, he explained. “One shout if you’re good, two shouts if you’re very good.” Most of the older ski community doesn’t know what to think, being barely able to operate a smartphone, let alone view a Snapchat or Tweet something. Mark Staples proposed several more radical ideas, such as replacing the currently used avalanche danger levels with YOLO levels: “My proposed changes would allow the advisories to trend better, but they were shot down by Eric Knoff.” he said. “Adding more ways for people to get avalanche information is ultimately good, and I think we’re headed in the right direction.”
Get #AvySavy by following the GNFAC on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and now Snapchat @Mtavalanche. Seriously though, you can check out Southwest Montana’s most up to date snowpack conditions at www.mtavalanche.com. ...and next time you run into Mark, Eric, or Doug, give them a high five for us. -Bomb Snow
BOZEMAN-- The wildlife of the Gallatin Canyon made a statement recently stating that they are unanimously in favor of the 2026 Winter Olympic Games, and the potential new infrastructure that comes with it. The canyon, long deemed an inconvenience for anybody trying to make it to Big Sky on a powder day, currently contains the relatively unimportant Gallatin River, a prehistoric two lane road, and an overabundance of freeloading wildlife. That all could change with the arrival of Bozeman 2026 though, and the wildlife are ready to do their part. Speaking on behalf of the various aquatic species that inhabit the Gallatin River, Spokesfish Earl Troutman issued the following statement: “Gallatin Canyon is currently accessed by a dismal two lane road that becomes easily congested at the mere mention of snow. Bringing the Olympics to Bozeman means that the road will be widened to at least four lanes to accommodate the thousands of Olympic personnel for a two week period, as well as the heavy construction equipment needed to build at least half a dozen new hotels in the Big Sky area. Words can’t express our enthusiasm for these improvements.”
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-Illustrations by Mark Kowalchuk
During it’s heyday, Gallatin Canyon was revered for its natural scenic beauty, even hosting scenes from the 1992 classic film A River Runs Through It. But according to Bozeman 2026 advocate Jon Bluespoon, those days are long gone. “It’s not like they’re going to make A River Runs Through It 2. Brad Pitt died in that movie, and he carried all 123 minutes of it,” says Bluespoon. “In fact, I can’t even remember the last time someone took a good selfie there.” Bluespoon is confident that he can implement the “I-70” model, made popular in Colorado. “When I drive down Gallatin Canyon now, all I see is potential. Look at I-70. People love that drive, and it gets millions of visitors every year. I see a beautiful, elevated road structure like the one in Glenwood Canyon. Plus, it’s easy to restore the inherent beauty of concrete much faster than it is to fix decay on rock formations that took millions of years to create.” The canyons’s Bighorn Sheep population is increasingly excited for the larger amounts of salt minerals distributed on the roadway as well.
“Currently we only have two lanes of road to lick for salt during the winter,” states Bighorn Sheep representative Roger Rammalot. “Double the amount of pavement means more treats for us, and that’s a win.” Montana’s bear population also stands to take advantage of the years of construction waste left on site during the road expansion. “What Gallatin Canyon lacks right now is dumpsters for easy foraging,” says local bear Billy Oso during an interview. “If you could have three to five years of easy meals, you’d be excited too. Add in all the road kill and poisoned fish and we might have to put a gym in just to keep in shape.” While the noise of constant construction and increased traffic initially deterred wildlife from agreeing to any potential improvements, the wildlife agree that it’s a small price to pay to give the canyon a face lift. “People deal with the sound of jackhammers, blasting, and heavy equipment every day,” adds Troutman. “As wildlife, it’s a small price to pay for a greater good.”
Bomb Snow’s “Piste-Off” is a fictionalized, satirical rant. Its content should in no way be interpreted as an actual record of events. These stories are also not intended to be, nor should they be construed as, attempts to predict the future course of any individual or entity, but should be viewed only as parody. Thanks for understanding. -B.S.
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Dave Heath / Karl the Gnarl, Retallack Lodge, BC
“Karl the Gnarl” is one of several legendary and genuine cat drivers that I’ve had the pleasure to meet while cat skiing at Retallack Lodge near Kaslo, BC. Karl has been known to read and write poetry, and will do so before his Starship Enterprise departs from the lodge, as well as at dinner time after a long day of shralping the white stuff. An all around inspiring dude, with plenty of stories to tell and jokes to deliver, Karl is one of many reasons why being tapped into the ski and mountain culture is so damn rad. The next several pages are dedicated to the poet within us all. Keep it up, eh.
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Todd Heath / Karl’s Poem
Todd Heath / Classic Karl “Double Finger”
Local Kashmiri children with their handmade skis, circa ‘89. Photo by Ace Kvale.
by Alex Buecking
Most locals are friendly,
but some locals are bums. Some locals ski hard, but others complain for fun. Most locals aren’t from here, only a few of them are. Regardless of hometown, they’re all chasing the same gnar. If you’re a local, please heed my advice: Instead of crying about tourists in the lift line, try being nice. You probably came from someplace else, after all. You surely don’t own this placenot any more than you did last fall. Being a local doesn’t make you special, nobody cares how long you’ve lived wherever. Bad attitudes don’t last in small towns, but the sting of a high five should last forever.
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Revelstoke’s Tournament of Chumps. Photo by Bruno Long
Ode to
the
by Mike Rogge
Throw ’em big, throw ’em small.
When it comes to spread eagles I love them all. In powder, slush, corn or on a groomer think of your next spread eagle, then go do it sooner. You’ll look good and stylish, but most of all you’ll have fun. The best part about spreadies is you can never do just one. Hear the ladies giggle, the guys all cheer. Throw 40 in a day, or 4000 in a year. Take it big and soar, don’t be shy. You’ll hear all the snowboarders say: “Hey! Who is that guy?” There’s no right or wrong way to do it, but just in case you need a reasonpop hard off that jump and throw your limbs out for freedom. Ax Man and Randy going BN in BC. Photo by Dylan Crossman / Illustration by Trevor Leaf
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Conditions were perfect for sending,
the takeoff packed but landing fresh. Others had gone, left the pocket clear, the lifeline above waits to be impressed. So I lined up smoothly, caught the the lip just fine. And I wondered what snagged me, ‘cause it was tomahawk time. The world spun ‘round, I lost one ski. Both poles were gone, uphill from me. End over end I traveled to a ravine and then creek. I dropped into the water with a manly squeak. My friends were gone by the time I was out, so I went to the lodge to drink and pout. They’d found my poles, but not the ski—I guess the icecrust has set it free.
by David Steele
Illustrations by Rachel Pohl
Dean Blotto Gray / Keystone, CO
Abandoned lift at a small resort on Honshu Island, Japan. Photo by Bruno Long
by Todd Heath
I reminisce of bumping chairs,
back in high school, rocking long hair. Days when a boom box was a part of the kit. Grinning, talking and dancing while lit. Whatever happened to a nod and a smile? Nowaday’s seems like the lifties aren’t wild. Instead I am graced with no tunes and a ‘tude. Why in the heck have most lifties gone rude? Doesn’t a storm mean my chair needs a sweep? Let’s bring back the days when lifties weren’t cheap.
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Mining for Snow
by Gavin Gibson
Isurrounded t takes a special kind of tired to fall asleep in a lawn chair while by the frozen surface of Lake Superior. But three days into a Michigan ski journey, we’ve found that level of fatigue and settled into a tiny ice shanty heated by a small wooden stove. The only defining point outside our small box of comfort is where half of infinity’s snow and restless blue sky clash at the horizon. The shanty’s walls insulate local Scott Gibbs, Washington native Ian Wood, and myself—a western transplant originally hailing from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. We’re here investigating rumors that there are steep technical lines with easy access hidden in the woods, without long hikes or avalanche danger. This morning we skied a few secretive runs cut in dense hardwoods, two dozen miles north of a building with the words “THE LAST PLACE ON EARTH” painted on its side in white block lettering. For a ski trip, this is anything but. Copper Harbor, Michigan isn’t home to any lifts or avalanche centers. It’s illegal to buy booze until noon on Sundays. A pack of hanging dead coyotes is displayed right on the main street. Our apres-ski session doesn’t come with a deck, crowds, or even soaring peaks in the sunset. It does come with snow, and here surrounded by frozen water and silence, it makes perfect sense.
In a land far from TJ and Dex jokes, ski areas sculpted from trash heaps, and urban sprawl lies an undiscovered paradise for those looking to escape the average ski trip. Unlike the massive geological events that forced the mountains into the sky in the Western United States, the rugged landscapes of Michigan’s Keewenaw Peninsula were excavated from the ground by 10,000 foot tall glaciers during the last ice age. Thousands of years after the glaciers receded, miners came to the area to extract valuable metals such as copper left close to the surface. Today, many of the mines are closed off and forgotten, wiped from memory by nearly 20 feet of snow each winter. By mid-March, the Midwest’s token resort with big vertical, Mount Bohemia, was reporting over 290 inches of snowfall. At 900 feet of vertical, and surrounded by hills of similar elevation change, Bohemia serves as a solid indicator for the surrounding back coun-
try skiing. So, in the middle of an unstable snow cycle in the west, I packed my bags and embarked on one of the weirdest back country trips I’ve ever been on. Our trip began at the Minneapolis Airport where I connected with Ian and began the long drive north. Like any good ski location, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is a pain in the ass to get to. Our nighttime sojourn didn’t let us see the terrain, but one thing was certain, we weren’t going to be short of snow. Wintery banks taller than cars line streets hiding the first and sometimes second floors of buildings in each town. Most contain little more than a few bars, a post office, and a general store. Our 3 am arrival is less than celebratory, so before we began touring the next morning, we got our legs under us at Mount Bohemia. “There are no inverted aerials,” says the woman handing out lift tickets. Just out of earshot from the ticket counter Ian asks me if she was being serious. She was. They’ll kick you out. Far below the West’s definition of “extreme,” Bohemia’s steep rocky terrain is still a mini-golf paradise on a powder day. Two chairs access nearly 360-degrees of gladed, pillow-packed natural snow. Riding at Bohemia has all the fun of the West’s off-the-radar resorts, with even less competition. We arrived a week after any significant snowfall and still found plenty of turns and airs. There are dozens of cliffs and pillows within sight of the chairs, and we didn’t have time for them all. Bohemia’s quirky crowd quivered with excitement. Beaver tails ran rampant. I’ve seen less backpacks in the back country, and the lifties loathed my camera bag. They asked me every lap to take it off before I boarded one of the aging neon-colored fixed grip chairs. It’s easy to sympathize with them when dozens of clumsy skiers and snowboarders struggle with their camel backs each lap. Spring breakers tumbled around us over Bohemia’s bear-themed runs after pounding Jaeger Bombs in the parking lot. The common yurt at the base discourages bringing in slow cookers for private meals. These eccentricities only add to the fact that this might be the weirdest mountain in the US to get downright awesome at. Sure, there aren’t any open powder bowls or sustained glory runs, but if you have a lumberjack’s lust for slaying timber, Bohemia delivers. Upon leaving the lifts and returning to Houghton—our base for the trip—we spend the entire drive scanning the roads for possible places to ski. Ian’s face lights Colton Stiffler
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The icy laps breed strange smiles that come with a quintessential Midwestern night of goofing off, but we’re here for powder.
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Gavin Gibson / Ian Wood, Hand-plant, Mt. Bohemia
Gavin Gibson / Slash on “Phoenix.”
Coyote Treats Anyone? up every time a crag appears next to the road. “You could film a whole season here,” he keeps muttering. Just like the miners that had come before us, the glacially cut rock faces send our hearts racing with their potential for treasure. Back in Houghton, we can’t help but notice the eerie lights of Mont Ripley illuminating the night. Boasting a 440 foot vertical drop, and the Midwest’s only open bowl, we stuff our feet back into soaking boots and spin a few laps. The temps dip to the low teens making most of the mountain a sheet of ice. For the first time all season, I find my edges. Illuminated under the lights though, Ripley’s Bowl and glades still hold soft snow and make for secret slashes in plain view. The icy laps breed strange smiles that come with a quintessential Midwestern night of goofing off, but we’re here for powder.
The next day we find ourselves touring into a cliff zone we spotted from the side of the road. Oddly enough, a place called Phoenix is home to to a large cliff-laden bowl with several lines. Within 30 minutes of hiking and boot packing we stand at the top. It’s the same sort of zone that might take hours of hiking to get to on bigger mountains, but it’s within site of the car. Mini-golf heaven. We aren’t alone though, some local friends went behind the bowl on snowmobiles. It may very well be the first hiker/sledder competition for the same set of lines in the area. Instead of grumbling about who goes first, we trade jokes. Ian starts the party by dropping a cliff right from the top. Local David Ruben sends one of the wildest carves down a south facing sheet of ice I’ve ever seen. There’s a level of fearlessness in the local crowd similar to any ski town. Instead of being nervous about the snow though, we can’t stop laughing.
Above Mass City, MI
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Lake Superior
Over the past few days there have been no tense moments, no scary calls, and hardly any heavy breathing.
We make laps up a road called Cliff Drive. A dozen miles’ worth of cliff bands line the side of the road, mixed with piles from mine tailings. Snow covered mine shaft entrances exist up and down the entire ridge. I can’t help but think that it’s easier to find veins of snow here instead of copper. There are so many options we build a fire and return to it lap after lap. Decision making never gets any more serious than “Hey, let’s go ski that.” The miners faced years of digging through rock to get what they were looking for in this same place, but our only challenges are the thick stands of underbrush. They make certain lines feel like going through the whirling brushes of an automated car wash. After six hours and several hot dogs, we call it
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quits. Cliff Drive’s thick brush make it slightly imperfect, but the drive out only yields miles of possibilities. On our last day of dedicated skiing, we drive all the way to Copper Harbor. We’ve been hearing of trimmed runs at the northernmost tip of the Keewenaw Peninsula. To find them, our friend Scott Gibbs introduces us to full-time Copper Harbor resident Aaron Rogers. He’s got the smile and demeanor of someone who is actually living the dream. He is. During the summer he builds some of the best mountain bike trails in the United States. In the winter he ski tours, kite boards, and ice fishes, all on land so remote he usually has the place to himself.
Around a mile from his door is a snowmobile trail head that accesses a skin track and several runs worth of north facing, untracked powder on Brockway Mountain. Rising up nearly 700 feet, laps take less than 30 minutes to complete. By 2 pm, our legs are cooked. It’s rare to find such easy laps without tracks, but Copper Harbor’s remoteness and lack of back country skiers make it a nearly private paradise. I can’t help but notice the similarities in remoteness that Copper Harbor’s back country skiing has with my favorite places in the west. Showcasing the generous local hospitality, Aaron offers to take us ice fishing and snow kiting on a frozen bay where he keeps his ice shanty. It’s a strange thing, hiking out to the middle
of a frozen lake to drill holes and set up auto-hooking fishing devices called tip-ups. At the end of the lines minnows dangle, waiting to be devoured by pike, splake, or lake trout. It’s also a waiting game, so to kill the time Aaron kite boards on the massive ice flats speeding and spinning his way across the frozen water. He leaves early to attend a meeting, and leaves us with all of his ice fishing and kiting gear to use as we please. Exhausted, we climb into the shanty and doze off. A few hours pass by and no fish are caught, but we don’t mind. We’re all completely unwound. Over the past few days there have been no tense moments, no scary calls, and hardly any heavy breathing. Based on the experiences we were so accustomed to having elsewhere, it
was hard to tell if we’d even been skiing the past few days. We weren’t disappointed, the snow was awesome. Our adrenaline stores weren’t depleted, but we’d ridden cliffs, chutes, and pillows. The simple concept of “content” enters my mind. We got what we needed, no more, no less. When we went looking for snowy steeps in Michigan, we weren’t exactly sure what we would find. Making a trip to the Midwest mid-winter didn’t make much sense. Unlike most ski trips, the only crux was making the choice to go. The Keewenaw’s rewards aren’t so obvious, but if there’s anything I’ve learned on this trip, it’s been from the miners—treasure isn’t there unless you look for it.
Gavin Gibson / Ian Wood, Cliff Ridge
“Skiing Rogers Pass on a regular basis, my partners and I frequently comment about the drive being the most dangerous part of our day. As a major transportation route, we often see semi trucks flipped over on their side or buried deep in the ditch. I wanted to try and capture the essence of the highway and backcountry skiing together in this shot. I knew the timing would be difficult but managed to get something I was quite happy with.� Photo by Bruno Long / Skier: Sean Cochrane ... And the shot on the other side of the shed worked out quite well also (Powder Magazine Cover, October 2013.)
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AZERBAIJAN Land of Fire Photo Essay by Dan Armstrong and Reid Morth
Remote Mountain Village Xinaliq, Azerbaijan
H
ow did two Bozeman-based photographers end up half way across the world in a country that most people have never heard of ? Turns out a lucky encounter with a DC lobbyist and a foreign ambassador via a college friend and ski bum aficionado did the trick. Lucky or not, they had an opportunity to travel and document the adventure of a life time in an area that until now, had no ski resort and absolutely no ski culture. The unique experience led them to see urban growth of a thriving economy in Baku, and its investment in a state of the art ski area with grass-fed powder slopes at Shah Dag Mountain Resort. Witnessing the opening season of Azerbaijan’s first ski area was a mix of people watching and exploring terrain not accessible from the magic carpets of eastern Europe. The surrounding mountainscapes and beautiful people made the experience alone irreplaceable. The next several pages present a momentary view into both old and new. A juxtaposition of imagery from the Land of Fire and it’s inhabitants.
Our band of travelers gathered outside the Laza market, Azerbaijan.
Shah Dag’s massive five-star accommodations, still under construction, rises out of the Caucasus countryside.
Kicking it Quba, Azerbaijan style.
This guy is glad he hasn’t seen a snowblower before. Shah Dag Mountain Resort. Space age architecture of The Fire Towers contrast against the 16th Century stone buildings of Old Town, Baku.
There is grass under that pow. Hannah Hardaway throwing up some light Azeri powder.
Dylan and Hannah checking out the night-scapes of Baku.
In the remote mountain town of Xinaliq an elderly local looks-on as our group of outsiders gather outside a local market.
Skier - Dylan Freed
Skier - Dylan Freed at Shah Dag Mountain Resort.
Being the opening season of the first ever ski area in AZ the magic carpet was where the action was at.
Cat skiing the proposed development area of Shah Dag.
Woman lighting sage in a 16th Century Hotel in Old Town, Baku.
Skier Dylan Freed hiking in-bounds terrain at Shah Dag
Gangsta’s Xinaliq, Azerbaijan
Dan Armstrong goes for a new look while shopping from street vendors in Old Town, Baku.
Lower-class housing running adjacent to The New Baku Hotel, Baku.
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Reid Morth / Todd Kirby teeing off, Shook Kitty, MT
The fishermen know that the sea is dangerous and the storm terrible, but they have never found these dangers sufficient reason for remaining ashore. -Vincent Van Gogh
Illustrations by Chili Thom
How often I found where I should be going only by setting out for somewhere else. - R. Buckminster Fuller
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Forrest Coots, Griffin Post and Hadley Hammer skiing above the clouds in Chamonix, France
Noah Ronkowski and Chelan Babineau Z finding beers and a perfect Montana sunset after a day skiing Sheep Point.
Drew Stoecklein and Forrest Coots enjoying the bit of evening light in Cerro Castillo Patagonia, Chile
All photographs this page : Jason Thompson
“If patience is a virtue, let light be its presence.” Local rider/skier Cal Arnold in Cooke City, MT.” -Photo by Brett Seng
Dean Blotto Gray / February in Colorado.
Dean Blotto Gray / August in Los Angeles
melodies
1 BROTHER 2 CRIME 10 3 FLESH WAR 44 HALF BAD 5 KID HARPOON & FLORENCE WELCH Mac DeMarco
Real Estate
Total Control
White Reaper
I’m Goin’ Down (Springsteen Cover, Bastian Le Bel Edit)
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LET ME IN
Bad Sports
FANCY
Vespertown
8
I WANNA BE A YANK
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2 is 8
Fucked Up
Lone
10 IN YOUR HEAD 11 I’M NOT PART OF ME Sonic Avenues
Cloud Nothings
12 NO OTHER LOVER Alpines
13 PARADISE 14 STILL AMATEUR 15 GLORY 16 GODDESS White Hex
Amateur Dance
Wye Oak
Chrome Sparks
17 FILTHY LUCK Beach Slang
THE BLACK KEYS “Turn Blue” Anticipation is almost over: after 3 years The Black Keys are back with a new album due to release in May 2014. Produced by Danger Mouse, their new single “Fever” has a catchy new-wave beat with organilike synthesized background riffs much like the sounds from the 2011 album “El Camino” but more psychedelic. No doubt about it, the Keys will deliver a most fantastic ear melting album that is sure to score them more Grammy’s in the near future.
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18 JEALOUS (I AIN’T WITH IT) 19 BAD COMPANY 20 MAD MEN Chromeo
The Beverleys
Herzog
IMPRESSIVE
NEW ALBUMS BLACK LIPS: Underneath the Rainbow
EX-CULT: Midnight Passenger
MOZES & THE FIRSTBORN: I Got Skills
Atlanta’s garage rock rulers the Black Lips just released their newest record “Underneath the Rainbow” on Vice this March. Like a tipped over bottle dripping on the floor, the leaked first single “Boys in the Wood” sticks to you with its woozy blues approach. Drink it in slowly because it will leave you wanting more. Oh so good. -Rob Molt
Menacing sounding Memphis band, Ex-Cult has spent the last year smashing their songs into every club they could. Seemingly perfecting their mixture of psych rock low end, post punk guitars, and a hectic vocal story line. Their first single “Midnight Passenger” is a dark look into what will be a scary good release on Goner Records on April 29th. -Rob Molt
Although Mozes and the Firstborn might sound like some sunny California garage pop, they actually come to us via a Netherlands basement. The Dutch band has been a favorite among the European skate scene and are now ready to cruise west. Their debut album, “I Got Skills” is reminiscent of the psychedelic 70’s sound met with a nod to easy listening melodies. -Rob Molt
LOST&
FOUND
GRIEVES: Winter and the Wolves
THE SHRINE: Bless Off
DEATH: ...For the Whole World to See
Tackling subjects like addiction and heartbreak, Grieves signature combo of humor & gloom depict the inner turmoil between abandoning the dreams of his youth, and carving a new path for himself. Hip-Hop heads may be a bit turned off by the emotional rollercoaster, but any heartbroken woman will be psyched. - Todd Heath
Venice Beach’s THE SHRINE combine the hooks and presence of 70’s rock and glam with 80’s hardcore / skate punk energy and attitude. They do it right and I love them for that! -Karate Rex
First released in 1974, Death was a punk band before the genre had a name. Three black dudes from Detroit playing fast, psychedelic garage punk in the 70’s. Sound like a dream? It’s real. The album collected dust in an attic dresser for 35 years until being re-released in 2009 after the original bass player’s son heard his dad’s voice on a friend’s record. Fast, loud, meticulous grooves and catchy lyrics makes for a totally bad ass punk record with 70’s undertones. Watch the documentary and buy the album. -Todd Heath
HIPPY SABOTAGE, VOLUME 1 / SO CRATES and SOUR BEATS Perfect for mellow morning drives to the mountain, or cannabis enhanced coitus, Hippie Sabotage’s Volume 1 is the kind of instrumental experience you’d expect to hear in a Vegas elevator after a long night of liquor induced gambling. You’d wonder what the hell you were listening to, if it was actually real, and then ask yourself and your ten new friends who the fucking artist is while trying to Shazaam the song with no luck. It’s an instrumental, so although repetitive at times, the beats provide a smooth and soft tone made perfect for whiteboy freestyles after said late-night in Vegas. And although a bit down tempo at times, it’s still great music to play while romancing your best friend’s hot sibling on a midnight escapade.
MENTAL
INSTRU
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RADIO UNNAMEABLE
by Paul Lovelace & Jessica Wolfson
ZEN IN THE ART OF WRITING by Ray Bradbury
LETTERS OF NOTE by Shaun Usher
Funny, tragic, brilliantly incisive, historic, lyrical, romantic and studiedly offensive, this stupendous compendium of letters ancient and modern is my book of the year. You will never tire of it - Stephen Fry In 2009, while researching a copywriting assignment for a stationery company, Shaun Usher noticed that the internet was full of facsimiles of letters. He started to collect the ones that appealed to him and the more he looked, the more interesting and memorable material he found. Soon, he was sitting on a rich trove of letters, telegrams, and memos that he felt were worth sharing. To do that he started a blog: www.lettersofnote.com*, which quickly became the internet's most popular online museum of correspondence. Shaun's inspired selection and quirky juxtapositions turned the site into a virtual anthology, one that demanded a more permanent form. The result is Letters of Note, a collection of 150 of the best letters Shaun has found, each reproduced with a short introduction and transcript and bound into a book. Inside, the famous and infamous, the significant and the insignificant, the noble and the ignoble rub shoulders with one another. From the Queen's personal recipe for drop scones sent to President Eisenhower to the first recorded use of the expression OMG in a letter to Winston Churchill, from distraught fans of Elvis Presley begging the army not to cut his hair to a Kamikaze pilot writing to his two young children on the night before his mission, Letters of Note is a beautifully orchestrated sequence of fragments that captures the humour, seriousness, sadness and brilliance that make up our lives. *LettersofNote.com is an attempt to gather and sort fascinating letters, postcards, telegrams, faxes, and memos. Scans/photos where possible. Fakes will be sneered at. Updated as often as possible; usually each weekday.
Susan Sontag argued that lists confer value and guarantee our existence. Umberto Eco saw in them “the origin of culture.” But lists, it turns out, might be a remarkably potent tool for jostling the muse into manifesting — a powerful trigger for that stage of unconscious processing so central to the creative process, where our mind-wandering makes magic happen. In Zen in the Art of Writing, Ray Bradbury describes an unusual creative prompt he employed in his early twenties: He began making long lists of nouns as triggers for ideas and potential titles for stories: “These lists were the provocations, finally, that caused my better stuff to surface. I was feeling my way toward something honest, hidden under the trapdoor on the top of my skull.” The lists ran something like this: THE LAKE. THE NIGHT. THE CRICKETS. THE RAVINE. THE ATTIC. THE BASEMENT. THE TRAPDOOR. THE BABY. THE CROWD. THE NIGHT TRAIN. THE FOG HORN. THE SCYTHE. THE CARNIVAL. THE CAROUSEL. THE DWARF. THE MIRROR MAZE. THE SKELETON. Bradbury would later come to articulate his conviction that the intuitive mind is what drives great writing, but it was through these lists that he intuited the vital pattern-recognition machinery that fuels creativity. Echoing Einstein’s notion of “combinatory play,” Bradbury considers the true value of his list-making: “I was beginning to see a pattern in the list, in these words that I had simply flung forth on paper, trusting my subconscious to give bread, as it were, to the birds.” Zen in the Art of Writing remains a must-read in its entirety, and a fine addition to the collected advice of great writers. *This excerpt was borrowed from an amazing website/blog called brainpickings.org. I stumbled upon this a few days ago and have found many inspiring antidotes to keep me inspired.
IN 1963, one man radically transformed the FM dial. Radio Unnameable tells the story of the groundbreaking New York disc jockey Bob Fass and his innovative use of the airwaves to inform, entertain and encourage dialogue amongst listeners. His program is entirely free form, there’s no telling what might happen next. It is a place to hear great music, conversations with artists and activists, audio experiments, and where the average listener can discuss local and international issues, from problems with landlords in the Bronx to the war in Afghanistan. Bob Fass is still on the air today, approaching 50 years behind the microphone, and he remains as vital and current as ever. Radio Unnameable’s orbit of listeners are active participants and a key component to the program. Bob Fass’s goal was to create a participatory democracy on the air, utilizing this community as an organizing tool, working with listeners to stage protests and events, such as the 1967 “Sweep-In” where listeners gathered to clean up a Lower East Side block during a garbage strike. He has talked callers down from bad trips and even averted a suicide attempt. Parallels can be drawn to today’s innovations such as Facebook, Twitter, flash mobs, etc.. The listeners were “citizen reporters” and on Radio Unnameable, every voice is heard. From the beginning, major cultural figures have dropped by the studio to perform, take calls and engage in the program’s spontaneity. The list of notables who’ve appeared is astounding: Bob Dylan, Abbie Hoffman, Allen Ginsberg, Joni Mitchell, Yoko Ono, Muddy Waters, Timothy Leary amongst many more. The film showcases these appearances alongside current sounds that Fass champions. Since it’s conception, there have been no boundaries for Radio Unnameable. Fass’s unique and influential program has blazed a trail for everything from NPR to Howard Stern. Radio Unnameable is not only about Bob Fass and his remarkable journey, but also radio’s evolving landscape and the necessity for free expression on the airwaves. This is a must watch movie for anyone interested in the history of free-speech in a time when people actually listened.
Chris Kamman / Skier and Author: Mark Davidson
A
s a product of the United States, I believe in the American Dream. I really do. However, there is more than one version of the dream to believe in. Is it prosperity through hard work? Not for me. I tried that; it’s too hard and doesn’t pay well. Is it having a spouse, two kids, one dog, and a white picket fence? That one sounds nice, but to afford it, you must combine it with the one that requires all the hard work. How about striving to live a life
more successful than your parents? That’s a good one, but most people equate success to net worth. If you’re reading these words now, you probably realize that idea is a load of bullshit. So, what do we need to do to find this Dream? Like any job, you must start with the correct tool. My dad is a good skier-- a solid intermediate. He’s happiest on groomers, cruising down fresh corduroy in his sunglasses.
Recently, as I took his early-90s, 200cm long, 76mm at-the-waist K2s out of the basement, he gave me a worried look and made me promise to not turn them into shot-skis. Why would I do that? Those K2s are seriously stiff skis. They are not meant for the conformity of manicured slopes. They’re wild and ready for action. Plus, they're mounted with old Marker bindings that go to 12. They’re exactly what you need to go big and fast. They allow me to balance steadily on a fine line that we skiers know well: impressing the closest ski bunny on one side, and watching the rest of the season slip by from the couch on the other. I have given those K2s a rebirth by calling the skis my own and giving them the turns and sick air they’ve always deserved. As it turns out, it is with these skis on sunny spring days that my American Dream is fulfilled. It's complete with spread eagles, soaring, and corn snow exploding from the troughs of moguls like fireworks. Pretty patriotic, huh?
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Haters gonna hate. Over the past several years Bomb Snow Magazine has celebrated women who shred in our notorious Bomb Snow “Betty” column. This spring, we’ve decided to celebrate man’s best friend in our now infamous Bomb Snow “Bitches” column. The precious pups pictured on the next couple pages have worked long hours on the slopes taking orders from their masters, and it’s about damn time someone appreciated their free services and talent by granting them a few adult beverages. You’re welcome, bitches! - B.S. Photos by Ezra D. Olson / Thanks Big Sky Ski Patrol & The Filler
Guido
baxter Charlie
Dillon Jenkins
Max Lowe / Axel Peterson, Montana
Sage Burgess / K.B. Shredding Pipeline
Max Kauffman “My work evokes a DIY culture where structures and life itself are cobbled together out of anything at hand. It’s making the most out of what you have and what’s around you. Showing that our struggles, fears, victories and dreams haven’t changed much since the dawn of humanity. Portraying power and the ways it changes hands - among individuals, imparted to objects, and released from self. Organizing the chaos that forms our day-to-day lives into something that makes sense. Making the world smaller by emphasizing the interconnectedness of everything.” Kauffman is a longtime Denver resident now living/working in Oakland, California. www.kauffmanartistry.com
Jason Thompson “I love taking pictures. It’s what I do. I’ve been fortunate to travel and adventure to some amazing places in order to tell a story through my lens.” Jason grew up on the Olympic Peninsula and moved to Bozeman, MT in 1999. He works full-time as a freelance photographer. “In a digital age, I want to remember the soul.” www.jthompsonphotography.com / Instagram: @_jt_photo
Rachel Pohl “Being born, raised, and endlessly attending college in Bozeman, MT has continually put me within reach of awe inspiring wilderness. Passion for the electrifying feeling of being in the mountains has given me community and purpose. I attempt to paint moments of complete immersion within the undulating energy, dazzling light, or quiet solitude of these experiences. I utilize vibrant colors and stylized forms based on feeling or memory of landscapes, which then take on their own existence in a dynamic and billowing world of light and shadow.”
Bruno Long Bruno Long is a Revelstoke, BC-based professional ski and mountain bike photographer. With a focus on backcountry ski touring and mountaineering, Long spends most of his time chasing around his amazing ski partners in the mountains near his home, lugging his camera gear almost every day. He likes his descents to be steep, deep and sometimes scary. His approaches usually have the same characteristics.
Dean Blotto Gray Blotto was born in the Midwest, and raised in Arizona through BMX, skateboarding and snowboarding. Eventually he moved to Colorado, Utah and Oregon before settling into Vermont as one of Burton’s Principle Photographers. “Luck favors the prepared so I always keep my gear dry and clean for the next day’s adventure, charge the camera batteries and have my shovel ready to dig alongside with the crew.” www.blottophotto.com / Instagram: @deanblottogray
Mark Kowalchuk Mark was born in Thunder Bay Ontario and studied school in Toronto, before moving to Calgary to be closer to the Rocky Mountains. He went to fine art school, then design school and refers to his style as a smash of both worlds. “My goal in the next five years is to be the first artist on the moon. “ www.markkowalchuk.com / www.artschoolskateboards.com
Photo by Tal Roberts
Tal Roberts Tal Roberts got his start in the world of still image making by hitting the pause button when tricks looked just right on classic skateboard videos of the mid 1990’s. Though he didn’t use a real camera until years later, the desire to document his passions was still intact. Originally from Gig Harbor, WA, Tal has lived in Ketchum, ID since 2005 and continues to focus on making pictures of his friends having fun. Tal’s work can be found on the information superhighway at: www.talroberts.com.
Andrew Miller Andrew began taking photos of his friends with disposable cameras on the sunny slopes of Snow Summit, CA. Ten years later, not much has changed, except cameras are more expensive and the trips get longer and more exotic. This past fall, Andrew journeyed to Nepal for a forty-day, high altitude snowboard expedition with Jeremy Jones documenting the final chapter of his next movie HIGHER. When Andrew’s not traveling, he resides in Salt Lake City with his beautiful wife and two dogs. He spends most of his time split-boarding and shooting in the Wasatch backcountry. Find more of his work at www.andrewmillerphotos.com
Ashley Barker This Rocky Mountain native turned Whistler local has a lively presence and a constant drive for success. Her talent behind the lens has allowed her to become one of the world’s foremost published photographers. With a decade of experience and forever growing passion, she finds peace in creating open, interactive environments where athletes are driven and personalities come alive. www.ashleybarker.com / Instagram: @barkerfoto
Photo: Justin Kious Rider: Frankie Devlin
TEsLA sYsTEM Introducing the Tesla System: email: todd@bombsnow.com
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WED- Our Famous Complimentary TAC0 BAR. $4 Margaritas, $3 Coronas
THURS- Free Pulled Pork Sliders $5 Moscow Mules, $3 Bud Lite Pints
Kyle Hitchcock and his KnappSack in Machu Picchu photo: Stacia Shapan
4-7 Weekdays
FRI- Free Wings $3.50 Micro Pints
Currently on Tap Trout Slayer Bozone Amber Stone IPA Hopper Pale Ale
Salmon Fly Honey Rye Bozone Seasonal The Juice IPA Cold Smoke Scotch Ale
Located on N. 7th inside the Holiday Inn (406) 587-4561
simple everyday carry solutions, built in bozeman. www.buckproducts.com @buckproducts
QUALITY BIKE REPAIR NEW & USED BIKES BUY, SELL, TRADE 30% MORE SASS.
101 E. OAK ST. Suite C, BOZEMAN, MT
406 - 587 - 3737 T H E G E A R W I Z A R D . C O M
Craftsmanship Guaranteed
Custom Split Board Conversions Backcountry Ski & Board Supplies Full Service Tune & Repair
WWW. lb-sno w.c om
SALES.RENT ALS.LESSON S www.strong
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614 s. higgins missoula, MT
406.721.2437
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ZE A L G O G G L E S A N d P r E S C r I P T I O N S u N w E A r AvA I L A B L E AT
118 E MAIN ST | 406.586.8412 | BOZEMANOPTICAL.COM
Mo! Home of the Mighty
186 Garden Dr JACKRABB 짜 4-Corners IT LANE (BETWEEN
- Bozeman 2631 W. Main- WEST OF THE MALL)
AIRPORT
406-586-33&5BIG SKY) 4
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(NEXT TO SIGN
406-585-2922 AWESOME AWESOME WRAPS WRAPS SOUPS SOUPS & & SALADS SALADS HOT HOT & & COLD COLD SANDS. SANDS. SACK SACK LUNCHES LUNCHES BREAKFAST BREAKFAST ALL ALL DAY DAY
SmilingMooseDeli.com
Facebook.com /SmilingMoose
Travis Andersen / Skier: E-Rod ®
“In Search of Cooler Times ” ™
313 N 1st St W / MISSOULA, MT / 602 Myrtle St (406) 728-1660 / kettlehouse.com
SUBSCRIBE ONLINE. / bombsnow.com