Downdays Magazine, October 2015 (EN)

DOWNDAYS

SEASON 15/16

MAGAZINE

NIMBUS IN EUROPE / BOLIVIAN DIARY / BLANK CANVAS

OCTOBER

#4

loaded minimalism™ Driven by quality, function and design, since 1929. We design and develop clean products with all critical details for when it counts.

www.norrona.com

RIDER: EVEN SIGSTAD PHOTO : CHRIS HOLTER PRODUCT: RØLDAL GORE-TEX JACKET & PANTS

Welcome to nature

WE ARE SKIING.

CHRIS BENCHETLER

STAYING NATURAL ON HIS ATOMIC BENT CHETLERS.

THE NEW BENT CHETLER WITH HRZN TECH KEEP UPDATED ON FB.COM/ATOMICSKIING

DOWNDAYS

SEASON 15/16

MAGAZINE

OCTOBER DROPPING

8

WHEN SKATEPARKS AND Photo:

David MALACRIDA

SNOWPARKS COLLIDE Rider:

Leo TAILLEFER

In only its second year, the 2015 B&E Invitational revolutionized what is possible in terrain park design. The brainchild of Henrik Harlaut and Phil Casabon, brought to life by prodigious influencer and retired freeski judge Rafael Regazzoni and legendary filmmaker Eric Iberg, this unequalled event set a new standard in freeski competition. The course itself—with three distinct bowl lines, all interlinked with countless transitions and gaps—was perhaps the most creative feature ever built on snow. Add to that some of the most talented, unique and style-driven riders in the scene—many who never compete—and you have the most innovative and exciting freeski event of the season. Needless to say: we need more of this!

10 EDITORIAL

Incentive Creating a magazine about a winter sport while the oppressive summer heat turns your office chair into a sweat sponge is difficult and absurd, yet somehow surprisingly rewarding. You see, the magazine you hold was put together during one of the hottest summers in living memory. Staring at stunning ski photography, conducting interviews, and reading inspiring stories from colder climes, while the sun is fusing rubber to asphalt, kind of messes with your head.

“You cannot create experience. You must undergo it.”

Albert Camus

OCTOBER

In the hazy heat, a cosmic realization filtered through to the fore of my brain: the collective experience gathered by snow’s devotees around the globe is a staggering testament to humanity’s capability to find awesome ways to pass the time.

Please excuse the pseudo-philosophical jargon; I may be suffering from heat stroke. If there is a point I am trying to make, it is that we all have a very limited amount of time on this wonderful Earth, so we may as well make the most of it while we can. While this mag contains only a percentage of a percentage of all the rad things of our snowy world, we’ve tried our utmost to select an even balance of great material in order to inspire you to go out and experience rad things yourself.

DOWNDAYS

SEASON 15/16

MAGAZINE

From creating unique park features out of a shapeless mound of snow in Austria with an eclectic crew, to searching for powder in Italy and Switzerland with Nimbus Independent, to a soul-searching expedition in the lofty heights of Bolivia with Sam Smoothy, this issue’s feature stories run the gamut of the skiing experience. Whether you get your kicks in the park like Swiss young-gun Fabian Bösch, or you prefer touring to isolated locations like Eric Hjorleifson, we’ve got interviews and profiles of inspirational skiers that may help get your own gears in motion.

If you’re still lacking in inspiration, you can always read up on the Wu-Tang Clan’s unusual influence on skiing, find out what we can learn from monoskiers, or simply ogle some surreal oil paintings of mountain landscapes. Eventually, you may be overcome by that unquenchable desire to experience snow under your feet again. When you do head out, be safe, make good choices, and perhaps check out the Brains and Science sections to scrub up on your safety knowledge beforehand.

So long, summer and sweaty office chairs, and hello there, winter. We hope we can ignite your motivation to get out there; the only incentive you need is the reward of the experience itself.

Mark VON ROY

ANDRI R AGET TLI [ L A A X RIDER ]

12 CONTENT

Cover Rider: Jérémie Heitz—Spot: Zermatt, Switzerland—Photo: Tero Repo/La Liste

Content 16

Dialogue

Eric Hjorleifson

20

Gallery

34

Gear

Park or Powder?

37

Science

38

Creative

Media

42

Thought

44

Talent

48

Brains

Jetforce Revolution

Conrad Jon Godly

OCTOBER MAGAZINE SEASON 15/16

DOWNDAYS

40

Wu-Tang

The Hip that Popped

Coline Ballet-Baz Lukas Schäfer

Backcountry Redundancy

52

Bolivian Diary

62

Nimbus in Europe

72

Blank Canvas

Sam Smoothy & Crew in the Andes

On The Road to Engelberg & Aosta

A Park Shoot at Nordkette

80

Spray

90

Insider

82

Destination

92

Portrait

86

History

96

Vibes

88

Crew

98

Après

Monoskiing

Lyngen

Stefan Kruckenhauser

The Freeski-Crew

Eric Iberg

Fabian Bösch

Legs of Steel in Canada

14

Contributors

IMPRINT

Dane Tudor

Chris Benchetler As proficient and skilled in the park as he is in the backcountry, Dane Tudor is among the most well-rounded skiers of his generation. Whether it’s a switch triple into powder or a hairy big-mountain line, Dane has the skills to pay the bills.

But even the best sometimes get bucked, as Dane lets us know first-hand in his harrowing tale of a backcountry trip gone wrong.

Sam Smoothy

A longtime member of the legendary Nimbus Independent crew alongside Eric Pollard, Pep Fujas and Andy Mahre, Chris Benchetler has done more than his share to progress the field of backcountry freestyle, with a long line of film segments and a celebrated pro-model ski, the Bent Chetler, to his name. In this issue, Benchetler recounts a challenging trip to Switzerland and Italy with the Nimbus crew.

Conrad Jon Godly Born in Davos, Switzerland, Conrad Jon Godly grew up with the mountains, so it’s no surprise that they are so often the subject of his art. After studying painting, Godly became a professional photographer, traveling the world for magazine and commercial work before returning to painting. His textured, impressionist mountainscapes, in which thick globs of paint become hanging cornices, and brush strokes blow the wind over the ridges, convey surprising realism and power.

OCTOBER

A veteran Freeride World Tour competitor, Smoothy puts words to the page as masterfully as he carves lines down mountains. When he’s not terrorizing FWT stops, he is out adventuring in the snow around the world; his most recent endeavor to the high altitudes of Bolivia is documented in an eye-opening feature story in this issue.

“The biggest risk is to take no risk at all.”

Pep Guardiola

Imprint Publisher Distillery Concept & Creation GmbH Innsbruck, Austria

Downdays Editorial Staff

Ethan Stone | ethan@distillery.cc David Malacrida | david@distillery.cc

Do you want to get the Downdays Magazine for your shop, chalet or bar to hand out? Please don’t hesitate to contact us!

Editor in Chief

English Translation & Copy Editing

Publishing House & Editorial Address

Production Manager & Photo Editor

Image Processing & Desktop Publishing

Photographers

Print House

Mark von Roy | mark@distillery.cc

DOWNDAYS

SEASON 15/16

MAGAZINE

Klaus Polzer | klaus@distillery.cc

Gianmarco Allegrini, Elliot Bernhagen, Florian Breitenberger, Adam Clark, Oskar Enander, Markus Fischer, Louis Garnier, Stefan Kruckenhauser, Pally Learmond, David Malacrida, Alicia Martinez, Flip McCririck, Takahiro Nakanishi, Klaus Polzer, Tero Repo, Mickey Ross, Nikolai Schirmer, Erik Seo, Ethan Stone, Stephan Sutton, Fabrice Wittner Writers

Mark von Roy, Ethan Stone

Klaus Polzer

Mayr Miesbach | www.mayrmiesbach.de Adverts & Marketing

Distillery Concept & Creation GmbH Leopoldstrasse 9 6020 Innsbruck Austria Tel.: +43 (0)512-307 811 Fax: +43 (0)512-307 812 info@distillery.cc www.distillery.cc

Downdays Magazine is published in English, French & German.

Simon Kegler | simon@distillery.cc

Downdays is also a website: www.downdays.eu

Head of Distribution

Downdays Social Media: www.facebook.com/downdays www.instagram.com/downdays_eu www.downdays-eu.tumblr.com

Simon Kegler | simon@distillery.cc

Chris Benchetler, David Malacrida, Klaus Polzer, Nikolai Schirmer, Stephan Skrobar, Sam Smoothy, Ethan Stone, Dane Tudor, Mark von Roy Art Direction & Design

W—THM Büro für Gestaltung | www.wthm.net Layout

Floyd E. Schulze | hello@wthm.net

The magazine and all contributions are subject to copyright, Duplication, publication or any other re-utilisation, as a whole or in part,

is only allowed with prior written consent from the publisher.

The publisher and the editorial team accept no responsibility for text or images submitted for appraisal.

The Aaron Blunck Signature Collection Au r i c h e l m e t Aaron Blunck put his talent on display in 2014, with seventh at the Sochi Olympic Games and podium appearances across the AFP, U.S. Grand Prix and Dew Tour series. The Aaron Blunck Signature Collection includes the Auric helmet, the Fovea goggles and the Will sunglasses.

The lightweight and highly ventilated Auric helmet features a durable ABS shell and a multi-impact EPP liner, which is strategically thicker in the most exposed areas. The award-winning Auric provides increased protection for the ears and temples and is compatible for use with a beanie and goggles underneath.

FoveA goggles

The Fovea goggle has a spherical shape that ensures maximum vertical and peripheral vision. The double lens

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from Zeiss is made of optical grade PC/CP and provides superior optical performance while the soft-coated PU frame conforms to your face and maintains its flexibility even in cold temperatures.

Will sungl Asses

The grilamid frame is lightweight, flexible and durable, which makes it perfect for almost any athletic endeavor.

The hydrophilic rubber stays grippy even when wet, so the glasses will stick to your nose when you move, regardless of rain or transpiration. The nylon lenses are treated with Ripel for clear vision and easy cleaning.

POC is a Swedish company with a strong mission to do the best we can to possibly save lives and to reduce the consequences of accidents for gravity sports athletes and cyclists.

16 DIALOGUE

Of Tooling And Turn-Earning Interview & Photos:

DOWNDAYS

SEASON 15/16

MAGAZINE

ERIC HJORLEIFSON

Klaus POLZER

You first appeared on the big screen in MSP’s milestone movie Yearbook about a decade ago. What has changed since then?

sleds, but I do greatly enjoy that ski touring is now actually considered a very effective way to film. Having the ability to go where you want, when you want, accessing the mountains under your own power, is quite satisfying, and generally gives you the best chance to analyze snow conditions and the terrain; this is very important when skiing lines. This decision to film skiing with ski touring rather than with helicopters or sleds was a natural evolution that really corresponded with the progression of ski touring equipment. Additionally,

Since his breathtaking debut segment in MSP’s 2014 film Yearbook, Eric Hjorleifson has counted among the most prolific and most admired protagonists of the international freeride scene. Electing to avoid the beaten track of month-long heli trips to Alaska, Eric prefers venturing into the backcountry on the strength of his own two legs.

Well, that is a great question. Things have changed so much it is hard to imagine going back to these good old days.

Experience is everything but back then I had very little; despite this lack of experience I did manage to somehow survive my proving time. Looking back to that first season filming with MSP, I think about the lines I skied, my total fearlessness and go-for-broke approach, and am happy that I made it. I cannot say I was totally reckless – in fact quite the opposite – but I wanted to ski hard, prove myself and grasp onto the dream of becoming a pro skier. I think it was my attention to detail and drive to learn from those around me with so much experience, especially Hugo (Harrisson) and Ingrid (Backstrom), that really helped me advance my skills and continue to improve and evolve.

You are still present in the big movie productions despite the fact that you decided to base your big mountain skiing on hiking rather than on the use of sleds or helis in recent years.

To be fair, I am not really opposed to skiing and filming with helicopters or

I do think that reducing the consumption of fossil fuels is a good thing, but truly I simply enjoy ski touring and filming via touring. There is definitely a connect made with the mountains when you climb them traveling through the snow. Climbing the terrain really allows for you to study your line and this is very beneficial for filming. I enjoy the pace of ski touring, I would rather ski one perfect line than ten average ones. I also think that the audience might connect with ski touring a bit more than with heliskiing, since not every skier can afford helicopters, but most of them can invest in touring gear and go for a walk.

You have been working with 4FRNT, a small rider-owned ski brand, for many years, with whom you are now producing your own movies in a similar manner as you are making your pro-model skis: a small team focusing on the essentials, with comparably small budget but great results.

How is that filming experience compared to working with the big boys?

4FRNT is definitely a small ski brand compared to the big manufacturers, but

17 DIALOGUE ERIC HJORLEIFSON

Showing not the slightest signs of fatigue following two hours of climbing, Eric Hjorleifson rips this fantastic big mountain line in the backcountry of Kappl in the Tyrolean Paznaun Valley.

MAGAZINE

One could say you are partly responsible for the freeride touring trend, as you were one of the first pro freeriders to convert to low tech bindings and contributed to the evolution

March 14th 1983 in Banff/Alberta, Canada CURRENT HOME: Whistler/British Columbia, Canada HOME MOUNTAIN: Whistler-Blackcomb SPONSORS: 4FRNT, Arc’teryx, Dynafit, Smith, Pomoca, Gordini, Led Lenser SKI HEROES: JP Auclair, Shane McConkey, Hugo Harrisson, Jen Ashton, Andrew Sheppard, Kevin Hjertaas, Ingrid Backstrom, Candide Thovex INFLUENCES: M.C. Escher, Fritz Barthel INTERESTS: Mountain biking, Climbing, Machining, Stone Masonry BORN:

SEASON 15/16

The latest trend of freeride touring may be attributed partly to changing

environmental awareness, but it’s mainly the progress in the respective ski touring equipment that has lured more and more freeriders to hike for their lines. How do you see this evolution?

I do think that this industry trend of freeride touring is a good thing for skiing in general, providing experienced alpine skiers the ability to progress their skiing experience to the next level. There is so much involved when it come to ski touring, experience is really the key so there needs to be focus on the importance of learning about the mountains and snowpack conditions. One can really never know it all, and I think this is part of the attraction for me personally; I like learning and progressing through my skiing. This is a bit of a dangerous learning curve, however: If you know nothing and just avoid backcountry skiing, you’re not putting yourself at risk, but once you start to learn and become comfortable with the risks involved, you are exposing yourself, and you might not understand the level of risk you are actually exposing yourself to by the decisions you have made. It really takes years to become experienced in the mountains. I certainly am not an expert in snowpack evaluation even after all my time in the mountains.

DOWNDAYS

one thing I can say for sure is that the founder Matt Sterbenz is truly a very motivated and resourceful individual.

The amount he has accomplished on almost no budget is amazing. That being said, there is certainly a difference between filming with 4FRNT compared to a production company. When filming for our team movie it has typically just been Matt and myself, and sometimes another athlete. This creates a unique environment and you really have to be self-sufficient; for example, the last few years while filming in Austria, I would scope a line, figure out how to access it, and then go off and climb it solo, sometimes disappearing from Matt’s field of view for extended periods of time. This method is not the normal way I would approach filming; it’s always nice to have someone looking over you for safety, like a guide or an experienced athlete or filmer, especially in difficult alpine terrain. However, I do enjoy the challenges of solo climbing in the mountains; it’s interesting to be responsible for yourself, and I find it really tests your experience and skills. You really have to be cautious and take care of yourself, as your climbing ability and comfort level in exposed terrain can get you into trouble quite quickly. Despite our bare-bones film crew, we really have managed to accomplish a great deal on our trips to the Alps, keeping it simple and focusing on the skiing.

18 DIALOGUE

in the bindings’ capabilities increased.

It wasn’t flawless and there were setbacks, mostly the user interface issues; there were some tricks to learn to ensure the bindings fully engaged and so on. Ultimately by the end of that trip I was pushing it pretty hard, the proof of Dynafit’s binding performance is in the video, and obviously the boots and bindings held up to the forces applied during freeride skiing. This was the true beginning of my relationship with the Dynafit brand. There are actually shots in that edit of me modifying my Titans in my friend’s shop in Bralorne, B.C.!

DOWNDAYS

SEASON 15/16

MAGAZINE

ERIC HJORLEIFSON

Hard work pays off. Eric bags some sweet turns in the rather dry winter of 2015 thanks to his touring set-up.

FILMOGRAPHY WITH MSP:

4FRNT TEAM MOVIES:

Yearbook (2004) The Hit List (2005) Push / Pull (2006) Seven Sunny Days (2007) Claim (2008) In Deep (2009) The Way I See It (2010) Attack of La Niña (2011) Superheroes of Stoke (2012)

Loyalty (2010) Dang! (2012) Elements (2014) Shaping Skiing (2015)

WITH SHERPAS CINEMA:

BEST LINE AWARD 2013 (POWDER VIDEO AWARDS)

The Fine Line (2008) All.I.Can (2011) Into The Mind (2013)

WITH SWEETGRASS PRODUCTIONS:

Valhalla (2013) Afterglow (2014)

AWARDS FULL THROTTLE AWARD 2008 (POWDER VIDEO AWARDS)

AMONG TOP 10 IN POWDER MAGAZINE’S READER POLL 2007-2015

of the current sturdy versions that everybody seems to trust. Tell us something about this process!

Low tech bindings had already been on the market for almost 25 years but during this time no manufacturer had produced a boot with tech fittings that provided enough downhill skiing performance, and for this reason they had never been considered a viable option by the traditional alpine-based freeride community. This all changed with the release of the Dynafit Titan boot; finally there was a tech-compatible ski touring boot with a seemingly reasonable amount of skiing performance, and Dynafit’s timing could not have been better. We had already been filming pillow lines via ski touring for a number of years and I personally was very frustrated by the restrictions of the alpine touring crossover gear that was accepted by the North American freeride community at that time: alpine boots with Alpine Trekkers. The Marker Dukes were just hitting the market. I felt there had to be a better way, and when I first saw the Titan in a ski shop in the fall, I felt that they could provide the answer I was looking for.

At first I did not consider the tech bindings to be part of the solution, I was just happy to have an alpine-style boot that provided me with a walk mode. But I decided to test out the bindings to see how they would hold up. I was quite skeptical about these tiny minimalist bindings’ ability to withstand freeride-style skiing abuse. The first trip testing them was a ski touring film trip with MSP at Golden Alpine Holidays in January 2010 for The Way I See It. Obviously I did not start charging full throttle on the bindings right away, it was a perfect trip for testing them out as it was the first film trip of the season, so everyone was just getting warmed up for action. Slowly but steadily my confidence

We’ve heard this experience has fueled your interest in product development, and that you are slowly transforming into an engineer?

Two years ago after ISPO Fritz Barthel, the father of the low tech binding, who later joined forces with Dynafit to get the product onto the market, invited me to visit his home and work in his machine shop. This was the very shop where the first low tech bindings were prototyped and produced. I had an idea for a ski boot concept but no real way of building it. Fritz liked my idea, so he invited me to his home and taught me a great deal about engineering and machining. He not only allowed me to use his shop freely, but also helped me build my idea for a new ski boot design. That first trip I worked day and night for two weeks straight—I was immediately addicted to machining! I have since visited Fritz for two additional work trips, probably working a total of five weeks now. Before I met up with Fritz I had already bought a small cheap Chinese-import milling machine and was attempting to learn about milling, but not making much progress. Thanks to Fritz’s mentorship I am now making some progress, and after working on his beautifully crafted German, Austrian and Swiss machines I could not settle for a machine of lesser quality. That motivated me to sell my old mill and purchase a German Wabeco milling machine. This summer I have been working long hours in my tiny workshop in Whistler. The Wabeco is a small bench top CNC/manual milling machine, so this has resulted in a total shop overall and I am just at the beginning of trying to learn about the expansive world of CNC milling. I am setting up my tiny machine shop to allow me to fabricate elements for ski boot and binding product development. It’s a whole new world to discover and that is awesome!

Editorial Note: The wise and inspiring words of Eric Hjorleifson keep coming, but unfortunately we’ve run out of pages for them! Read the full interview on www.downdays.eu !

20 GALLERY

Gallery Photo:

Spot:

Christian GRAF

Florian BREITENBERGER

Obergurgl, AUSTRIA

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MAGAZINE

OCTOBER

Rider:

Rider:

Photo:

Spot:

Christian GRAF

Florian BREITENBERGER

Obergurgl, AUSTRIA

21 GALLERY OCTOBER MAGAZINE

Spot:

Tallin, ESTONIA

SEASON 15/16

Photo:

Stephan SUTTON

DOWNDAYS

Rider:

Sandy BOVILLE

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SEASON 15/16

MAGAZINE Photo:

Erik SEO

Rider:

Dale TALKINGTON

OCTOBER

Boston/MA, USA

Spot:

GALLERY

22

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MAGAZINE

OCTOBER

GALLERY

23

24 GALLERY

Spot:

Photo:

Rider:

ER

, ITALY nights/Livigno

OCTOBER

Jesper TJÄDER

Markus FISCH

Suzuki Nine K

Spot:

Photo:

Rider:

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SEASON 15/16

MAGAZINE

Jesper TJÄDER

Markus FISCH

ER

Suzuki Nine K

, ITAL nights/Livigno

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MAGAZINE

OCTOBER

Photo:

Oskar ENANDER

Rider:

Henrik WINDSTEDT

Spot:

Haines/AK, USA GALLERY

25

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MAGAZINE Photo:

Flip McCRIRICK

Rider:

Sammy CARLSON

OCTOBER Spot:

GALLERY

Copper Peak/MI, USA

Driver: Photo: Location:

Zoyd WHEELER Doc SPORTELLO No WHERE

26

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MAGAZINE

Photo:

Louis GARNIER

Rider:

Flo BASTIEN

Spot:

OCTOBER

La Plagne, FRANCE GALLERY

27

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MAGAZINE

OCTOBER

GALLERY

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29 GALLERY OCTOBER

Neacola Mountains/AK, USA

MAGAZINE

Adam CLARK

Spot:

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Sage CATTABRIGA-ALOSA

Photo:

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Rider:

30 GALLERY

Rider:

S

Photo:

Eliott BERNH

AGEN

Spot:

Nakusp/BC, C ANADA

OCTOBER

John SPRIGG

Rider:

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MAGAZINE

John SPRIGG

S

Photo:

Eliott BERNH

AGEN

Spot:

Nakusp/BC, C ANADA

31 GALLERY Rider:

Photo:

Takahiro NAK

ANISHI

Spot:

Nakayama Pas

s, JAPAN

OCTOBER

LJ STRENIO

Rider:

Photo:

Spot:

Nakayama Pas

s, JAPAN

MAGAZINE

ANISHI

SEASON 15/16

Takahiro NAK

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LJ STRENIO

TAKING PERFORMANCE TO NEW HEIGHTS.

TEAM RIDER PADDY GRAHAM IN THE NEW GINGA JACKET AND CONTEST PANTS.

34 GEAR

To Park or Whether sending it off booters in terrain parks or collecting faceshots down untouched powder faces, having solid gear will make the experience that much more memorable.

POC | Auric

OCTOBER

Aaron Blunck Pro Model; Robust ABS shell with multi-impact EPP liner; Extra ear and temple protection; Goggles & beanie fit underneath helmet.

O’NEILL | Quest Jacket 20K/20K waterproof/breathable; Long fit with canvas fabric; Snow gaiter & pant connector system; Fully taped seams & venting system.

POC | Fovea

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SEASON 15/16

MAGAZINE

Aaron Blunck Pro Model; Carl-Zeiss double lens with wide field of vision; Anti-fog and anti-scratch layers; Triple foam layers to fit every face.

MELT | Levity Dimensions: 118-84-107 mm Lengths: 158/166/174/182 cm Wood core with Titanal Stringers & ABS sidewall; Nyvilen Nano Carbon Base – no need to wax!

O’NEILL | Contest Pant

DALBELLO | Il Moro T

10K/10K waterproof/breathable; Pant snow gaiter & jacket connector system; Articulation & critically taped seams; Waist adjuster & pant reinforcement.

98 mm Last & 120 Flex; Antishock footboard with customizable I.D. liner Adjustable flex & forward lean; Twin canting & kinetic response tongue.

35 GEAR

to Powder?

Solid gear is defined by function, safety, performance and of course style. We’ve selected some of the freshest gear that will help maximize your mountain experiences.

ANON | Striker Helmet Performance driven & low profile design; Endura-Shell ABS construction; Passive ventilation that keeps goggles clear; Simple fit to allow beanie & goggles under helmet.

OCTOBER

NORRØNA | Røldal Jacket Freeride GORE-TEX 3-layer jacket with urban look, snap seal and zip seal system; 28K minimum waterproofing & water resistant zippers; Multiple pockets & practical accessories.

ANON | M3 Pollard Pro

MAGAZINE

Magna-Tech quick lens change technology, comes with magnetic integration facemask; Wall-to-wall vision & no-slip silicone strap; Cylindrical lens & triple layer face foam.

Dimensions: 141-120-133 mm Lengths: 172/180/188 cm Tip & tail rocker with camber underfoot; Basalt suspension strips & titinal stringers.

NORRØNA | Røldal Pants

K2 | Pinnacle 130

Freeride GORE-TEX 3-layer pants with urban look, snap seal and zip seal system; 28K minimum waterproofing & water resistant zippers; Multiple pockets & practical accessories.

97 mm or 100 mm last & 130 flex; High performance with touring flexibility; PrecisionFit Tour Intuition liner; Tech binding compatible soles.

DOWNDAYS

SEASON 15/16

AMPLID | Hill Bill

T O M WA L L I S C H Photo by: Tom Wallisch

Avalanche airbags have become an essential element of the freeride kit. With the launch of Jetforce bags, a collaboration between Pieps and Black Diamond, the technology has taken a new leap.

37 SCIENCE

Jetforce Revolution

Text:

1

bergundsteigen 3/2014, p. 94 – 101

Power Supply

Handle

Battery

Jet Fan

temperatures up to -30º C. The Jetforce system can thus be used for multi-day backcountry excursions without replacement pieces, even if the airbag is triggered. Another strength is the maintenance-free motor of the fan, which spins at 60,000 RPMs regardless of battery charge, filling the 200 L airbag in less than three seconds, and regularly refilling the bag even if it is slightly damaged by an avalanche. Potential problems due to snow compaction or the bag being iced up are mitigated by a refined filter system.

Slightly more complex than pressurised canisters, the trigger system of the Jetforce must be thoroughly understood and practiced before use. Never-

theless, the system specially designed by Pieps offers a number of advantages. It is easier to deactivate and constantly controls and indicates its status to deploy via LED. The tried-and-trusted trigger handle used by other airbag systems is used to trigger the mechanism.

The biggest advantage of the electronic control is that the airbag automatically deflates three minutes after being triggered, giving a buried victim extra volume to breath from and more time before suffocation.

With all these positive developments, there are also slight disadvantages. The Jetforce packs are slightly heavier and more costly than their counterparts. But considering the advantage of never having to replace expensive pressurised cartridges, in the long run it could be the more affordable option. With a volume of 200L, the Jetforce airbags are also the largest and most effective airbags on the market, which is the advantage of the extra kilo you have to carry. The new system has definitely brought many positive developments to avalanche safety, but as with all safety measures, understanding and practice are necessary so that if an incident occurs, you’re ready to pull the trigger. How this will actually influence accident statistics, and how robust the Jetforce system is in real-life scenarios, is yet to be determined.

MAGAZINE

cost, and no worries about triggering the device when in doubt of a situation’s danger. Considering the statistics, the Jetforce system is a significant development in preventing avalanche casualties.

Many problems had to be overcome to reach this breakthrough, but the extensive testing has shown that the development process has turned problems into advantages. For example, the special low-temperature lithium-ion battery can be used for three triggers and has a 150-hour standby time at

SEASON 15/16

valanche airbags are not a free pass.

They neither make knowledge and awareness of avalanche dangers redundant, nor replace transceivers, shovels, probes and avalanche training. In 2014 an international study1 found that although the chance of avalanche survival doubles with an inflated airbag, one in ten freeriders equipped with an airbag system that inflated in a serious avalanche still lost their lives.

More alarming is a different result of the study: one in every five airbag users caught in an avalanche did not have an inflated bag. This further increases the risk of perishing in an avalanche, even equipped with an airbag backpack.

In 60% of those cases of non-inflation, the freerider didn’t trigger the system; in 12% of the incidents, an operating error in setting up the system led to non-inflation; 17% were due to system failure; and in the rest of the cases the airbag was damaged in the avalanche.

The number of non-triggered airbags is particularly concerning. Further research determined that in most of those cases, less experienced freeriders were the victims. The conclusion is that regular practice is just as important for airbags as it is with transceivers and probes. This is where the Jetforce system comes into play.

Until recently, all airbag systems essentially used the same system: a trigger opens a pressurised air canister, inflating a bag stored in the outer area of the backpack. The Jetforce system developed by Pieps and Black Diamond takes a different approach, with a battery-powered fan that drives outside air into the bag. The big advantage is that after triggering the device, no canister needs to be replaced; the bag just needs to be packed away, and the battery recharged if necessary. It doesn’t cost anything and can easily be done on the mountain. The Jetforce system thus allows for repeated training at no extra

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OCTOBER

Klaus POLZER

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CONRAD JON GODLY CREATIVE

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39 CREATIVE

Layer upon layer, Conrad Jon Godly’s crafts are part oil paintings, part sculptures; reaching out from the canvas in ways that are both abstract and photo real. Inspired by mountainous monuments, the Swiss native creates large and small format works one can appreciate endlessly. www.conradjgodly.com

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MouM nta / ins Mo me nts M ou nta/nu ins /nu Mo nunts ments ouins nta Mo me s t nments M ouins nta/ ins /nu Mo nu e M ou nta Mo me mnts M ou nta Mountains / Monuments ins / Mo numents u M ou n nta ins M / Mo nu me nts o untainsM/oMon Mountains / Monuments u m eentts / s Mountains / Monuments m u n o M / s in s ta n u o M / Mo nnuments M i ou nta ins a Mountains / Monuments t Mountains / Monuments n u

MAGAZINE

CONRAD JON GODLY

Mounta Mountians / Monum isns/ Mon enumen ts ts Mon / umen so ntainntain MouMou t /M s n uumen mtsentsts s / Mon ntain Mou umen Mon / s ntain Mou ts ts umen umen Mon s / umen s / Mon ntain ntain Mou ts on s / Mon ntain MouMou um s / Mumen tsents ounta Mntain s /inMon Mou

40 78 MEDIA MEDIA

For the CHILDREN

FOR THE WU-TANG CHILDREN

“Shaolin shadowboxing, and the Wu-Tang sword style.

If what you say is true, the Shaolin and the Wu-Tang could be dangerous.

Do you think your Wu-Tang sword can defeat me?”

Show. In 2011, the first B&E movie BLACKOUT! paid tribute to the Method Man & Redman album of the same name. “It was just us two, so we did it with Meth and Red because they had the same kind of synergy,” says Casabon.

Relations between the Wu-Tang Clan and the ski world received a boost at the 2014 Sochi Olympics when slopestyle competitor Harlaut tossed up the Wu-Tang “W” hand sign in front of the cameras and quoted Ol’ Dirty Bastard:

Rider: Henrik Harlaut, Photo: Louis Garnier, Spot: B&E Invitational, Les Arcs

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F

or over two decades, this kung-fu challenge on Bring Da Ruckus has prepared millions of listeners for the inimitable style of the Wu-Tang Clan, one of rap’s greatest dynasties with worldwide cultural influence—even in skiing.

Like a gang of comic-book heroes, Wu-Tang swept into the game in 1993 with hurricane-force presence. Mastermind RZA united nine MCs from Brooklyn and Staten Island into one crew that electrified live crowds with timeless beats, lyrical wizardry and indomitable stage presence.

Their alliance brought them instant fame, but RZA had another secret plan. Even while Wu-Tang albums were selling platinum, its members began launching independent careers, engulfing rap in a tide of Wu-affiliated solo efforts and side projects. Despite setbacks including jail stints, feuds and the passing of Russell Jones, aka Ol’ Dirty Bastard in 2004, the Clan has endured as a unit for over two decades, while its MCs have become permanent fixtures in the rap firmament.

Beneath the raw street scenery, cryptic lyrics and well-honed battle raps, Wu-Tang’s underlying message is unity in the face of adversity, a theme that resonates with continuing generations of fans. Going to a Wu concert for the first time can feel like being inducted into a cult: a sea of Ws in the air, the audience chanting each line in unison, hypnotized by the energy on-stage.

In 2007, rap helped form a bond between Phil Casabon and Henrik Harlaut. Casabon had inherited Wu-Tang from his older brother, while Harlaut’s broken English was a pastiche of rap lyrics and ski-movie quotes. Rap was a common language for them, and WuTang were the bards. “The synergy of the group was amazing,” says Casabon.

“I always wanted to replicate something like that in skiing, take a group of really talented people and link them all together. The first person that made me realize it was possible was Henrik.”

Under aliases like their rap heroes, “B-Dog” and “E-Dollo” collaborated on the highly successful web series B&E

“Wu-Tang is for the children!” Harlaut didn’t anticipate that the reference would cause a disturbance. “I’ve been flashing the ‘W’ for years,” Harlaut says.

“When I stand at the bottom in front of the cameras, it’s hard for me not to say anything. I like to express myself.”

But it’s not every day that an Olympic competitor quotes ODB. The shout-out received wide publicity, and Wu-Tang members gave Harlaut props via Twitter. Soon afterwards, Harlaut’s helmet sponsor Bern launched a WuTang collab, and Harlaut and Casabon met Wu MC Masta Killa, who accepted their invitation to perform at the B&E Invitational. With rumors floating about an exclusive Raekwon track for the upcoming B&E movie, it seems that the collaborative juices are just starting to flow between these two camps united by a common love.

DANE TUDOR

NO S H O R TC U T S It’s amazing how the sound of a few deep breaths can make you realize how loud the rest of your life is. But when that moment arrives, when it’s just you, and a mountain, and the line of your dreams — that’s when everything makes sense.

SCOTT-SPORTS.COM © SCOTT SPORTS SA 2015 | Photo: Will Wissman

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MAGAZINE

Rider: Dane Tudor; Photo: Adam Clark; Spot: Neacola Mountains, AK

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DANE TUDOR

THOUGHT

42

The Hip that Popped

wind-blown snow surface that was thick and hard to ski. Red flag #1. We questioned the snow quality, but after some thought we decided to go for it. My mouth was still extremely tender and I was having a hard time dealing with the nerve sensitivity, let alone stomping a trick off the cliff I was standing above.

Red Flag #2. As I mulled over the trick I wanted to do, I was lacking confidence; thoughts of injury ran through my head. I pushed them aside and did a very sketchy 180 pillow bonk 180, landing on my feet and riding away. Spriggs followed suit, landing his air. The snow was pretty bad and we were unsure of hitting the feature again. We voiced this to Pete, who really wanted us to hit it again. I got talked into round two, even though I wasn’t feeling it. Red flag #3.

Thoughts of injury run through my head, but I repress them and go for the same trick again. I get hung up on the pillow, lose my balance and start to over-rotate in an awkward position. I land fully stopped on my left leg, feel the energy running up my knee and think “here goes my knee”, but it continues and releases by blowing my hip out of socket. I lie in an uncomfortable position, head facing downhill with legs cocked sideways. My mind registers what has happened, and I begin screaming uncontrollably, like a wild animal. As I calm, Spriggs arrives by my side. I tell him I need a helicopter and he calls Search and Rescue. Pete brings fresh mittens from the sled and whatever other gear we have.

Spriggs and Pete do their best to get me off the snow and into a better position.

The pain is so intense that no matter how hard I grit my teeth I can’t bear moving, so I opt to stay in the snow. They cover me with down jackets, and Spriggs stands by my side as I use him as a support to keep weight off my hip. It’s been around 15 minutes and I am getting very, very cold.

It’s now been two years since this incident. I learned a lot from this experience, and continue to learn and attend yearly workshops with Teton Gravity Research, where I train with the best guides from around the world. We practice scenarios in first aid, avalanche rescue and ropes. I continue to access the backcountry by snowmobile to ski, and will continue to do so for a long time.

Editorial Note: For more information on how to prepare for backcountry excursions, first aid and emergencies see the Brains section on Page 48.

43 THOUGHT DANE TUDOR

have been fortunate enough to travel the globe, filming segments in mystical Japan, on massive Alaskan faces, shredding with friends in Europe and learning new tricks in New Zealand. I’ve been lucky to sustain only minor injuries such as a torn MCL, concussions, sprains and tweaks. Throughout my travels in all these amazing places, I used knowledge learned in avalanche courses to the best of my ability. What I didn’t realize is how serious an accident in the backcountry can be: how quickly things can change, and how you and your team can be under-prepared for a full-scale rescue.

In January 2013, the years of sending it finally caught up to me. I had an incident on January 2nd: doing a 180 off a cliff, I overshot and broke seven of my teeth. And if that wasn’t enough, my friends—who should have taken me out of the backcountry—convinced me to stay, since they wanted to keep riding. I vented my frustration by riding my snowmobile around to hit some jumps.

This was not smart; I struck a hidden rock under the snow, breaking the A arm and bulkhead of my sled. I realized it was time to get out of the mountains.

None of the group wanted to leave with me, so I committed a backcountry nono by riding out on my own through a technical section to reach the valley floor. I took six days off, resting my mouth and ego. Every time I’m taken down by an injury I reassess my direction in life, learn from my mistakes, see the brighter side of the situation and move forward.

On January 8 I headed back into the backcountry with Pete Alport and John Spriggs. It had snowed the night before, so we were hoping to find deep blower powder. We knew a cliff area that was perfect for the conditions. We found the snow had come in with a lot of wind.

All the snow had fallen from the trees, creating firm tree-bombed areas in a

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Dane TUDOR

Spriggs gives Search and Rescue our coordinates and we wait for rescue. Pete decides to line up a second rescue, in case the helicopter can’t approach. It is late in the day, very cloudy and snowing lightly. He takes off to a snowmobile cabin in hopes of finding a rescue sled and people to help.

Spriggs and I are alone. I am freezing and so is he. He’s given me all his warm clothes and has been standing by my side for over 45 minutes.The serious situation has created a silent bond between us. I am mentally preparing myself for a very painful ride out if the helicopter doesn’t make it. It would be horrendous, but at this point it’s about survival.

I start to get testy. “Where the fuck is the helicopter?” It’s been almost two hours; I have never been so cold.We are only a five minutes’ sled ride from our trucks and a three-minute drive to town. It should be faster. We continue to wait. Frozen, alone.

Pete arrives with a group of sledders and on cue, so does the helicopter. A rescuer long-lines from the helicopter and takes lead of the situation. They stuff my clothes with body warmers, roll me onto the backboard and bundled me in into a bivouac sack as I swear my head off. By now the pain is radiating all around my leg. The helicopter comes in, the rescuer and I are connected to the long line and we are lifted out of the forest. Every small movement sends immense pain through my leg.

As I am trolleyed through the hospital – bright lights, white walls and IVs swimming past me – I try to control myself but am still swearing uncontrollably. It’s been roughly six hours since my hip popped.

In the operation room I yell at the docs to please put it back in as smoothly as possible. A moment later, the meds kick in and I’m out…

I’m awake. My brain is startled by the fact that the excruciating pain is suddenly gone. As I’m wheeled into a waiting room I see my buddy Brodie. The emotions well up and I begin to cry. It has been the most traumatic, painful and intense six hours of my life and I am exhausted and overwhelmed.

DOWNDAYS

On skis for over 22 years, professionally for the last seven, Dane Tudor is a talented, skilled and experienced skier. With an Avi 1 course under his belt, beacon, probe, shovel and other essentials always in his bag, Dane blew the boundaries between park and backcountry skiing apart, snagging the iF3 “Best Male Pro” award for his segment in Every Day is a Saturday. He learned the basics of avalanche danger, route finding and line selection, but nothing could have prepared him for a fateful day in January 2013.

44 TALENT

Coline Ballet-Baz

The Permanent S M I L E Interview:

Photo:

David MALACRIDA

Klaus POLZER

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MAGAZINE

COLINE BALLET-BAZ

What’s the level like in women’s freeskiing right now?

There is still a gap between guys and girls; the number of skiers and the level is different, but this gap is reduced every year. The level in videos and competitions has exploded recently! Even if we spin or flip less than the guys, we still have the same love and motivation for skiing. Freeskiing will have to consider women more in the future.

Who are your favorite skiers?

Emma [Dahlström] and Keri [Herman] for their style and spirit on skis, Candide Thovex for his humility and vision.

Also Henrik Harlaut and Tom Wallisch.

What I love is the way people can add a personal touch of creativity and style.

What tricks have you been focusing on?

Spinning more in both directions, more switch, but mainly more lazyboys, they are too cool!

DATE OF BIRTH: 12th of June HOME: Grenoble, France

1992

HOME RESORT: Les Deux Alpes SPONSORS: Monster, Völkl, Picture,

Glisshop,

We hear you like to party and drink?

What? That’s not true, you have no proof. I never drink! But what would life be without fun, happiness and some parties?

Why do you have a permanent smile?

I have a female disease that gives me cramps and makes me smile all the time.

But thanks for the compliment!

You just finished studying, what’s the plan now?

My political science degree is about the topic of national and social organization. It’s an area I want to work in eventually. It’s a world full of interesting people and job opportunities. But that is another story. For the moment I’m happy in the mountains.

Drift, Outof, Level, SFR, Caisse d‘Epargne, Ville de Grenoble

HOBBIES: Travelling,

Music, Friends

Skateboarding, Hiking,

Photographer: Mattias Fredriksson

Introducing the Mission Shell Engineered with GORE-TEX速

GORE-TEX速, GUARANTEED TO KEEP YOU DRY速, GORE速 and designs are trademarks of W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.

46 TALENT LUKAS SCHÄFER

The Multi-Talent We got started last year shooting nature; animals, wildlife and landscapes. We want to show how beautiful it is and motivate people to go outside and take care of nature. It’s our home and if we don’t take care everything will be affected. Since I was a kid I’ve spent a lot of time walking through the woods and watching animals. It gives me energy.

It’s great to capture these moments and show other people how beautiful nature can be.

How’d you get your start in skiing?

My dad put me on skis when I was three years old. I jumped a lot on snowblades, then a friend told me about the Vitamin-F freestyle club at Kronplatz and that’s where it all started. I was 12 I think. My coach was Andreas Recla and he taught me a lot of things. I am still on the team and work a bit as a coach now, to give something back to the kids!

Favorite skier growing up?

Candide Thovex! My first twin tips were the Rossignol Scratch and they came with a DVD with Candide showing trick

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MAGAZINE

Skiing isn’t your only talent. Tell us about your photo projects!

DOWNDAYS

Photo:

Lukas Schäfer

Klaus POLZER Interview:

Ethan STONE

tips. I watched it probably a hundred times. The coolest thing in the video was the intro, Candide waking up to the alarm clock, jumping out of bed, putting on his gear and going out skiing, without breakfast! Kinda the same thing I did on Sundays as a kid and still do.

Just with breakfast.

What are your thoughts on competitions and freeski teams?

I’ve always been interested in comps, but a couple weeks ago I pulled out of the Italian national team. I don’t want to do World Cups anymore because it doesn’t make sense for me. I was stoked to go around with the crew, a lot of good friends are there, but I really want to start to do my own thing. I’ll still do some comps, but I want to get photos and make edits and stuff like that. I want to have more fun, and I have fun when I ski for myself.

BORN: September 9th 1992 in Innichen, South Tyrol, Italy HOME: St. Georgen, South Tyrol HOME MOUNTAIN: Kronplatz

Photography, skating, camping, hanging out in nature Armada, Kiku Apples, Smith Optics, Dalbello, F-Tech Snowparks

HOBBIES:

SPONSORS:

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MAGAZINE

BACKCOUNTRY REDUNDANCY

BRAINS

48

Backtrack a few pages in this magazine, and you’ll find Dane Tudor’s description of a day in the backcountry gone terribly wrong. While there’s always an element of risk in backcountry skiing, it’s safe to say that everyone would prefer to avoid such days. How to dodge these bullets, or at least be ready to manage them, is something we should all keep in mind.

Text:

Photo:

Stephan SKROBAR

Klaus POLZER

1.

Who is part of the group?

Your partners in crime are probably the most important element to consider.

The buddy system is an effective method of implementing a redundancy system. In pairs, you are responsible not only for yourself, but also for your mate – one should always know where the other is and what they are doing. Additionally, partners can complement and strengthen their collective competence and experience.

3.

What injuries can you cover with your first aid capabilities?

Contrary to popular belief, doing a first aid course does not give you experience.

It is a definite must; however, only time and actually experiencing and dealing with incidents can teach you to accurately gauge the nature and severity of injuries. On the flip side, being confident in your knowledge and capabilities is key, even if the experience is lacking.

When accidents occur far from the ski area or in terrain difficult to access by helicopters, one has to be able to act with responsibility. Being able to objectively assess a predicament and create a solution, over the noise of one’s own screams or that of the injured party, is a skill worth having, and one that can only proven in the field. Naturally, it is also very important to have the right medi-

How can you transport the injured?

Or can you transport your fallen comrade at all? Ideally, you can enlist the help of the grumpy liftie at the bottom of the piste. Yet if you have truly gone adventuring, then there’s no piste in sight, so: call the heli. Shit, it’s no-fly weather.

Ok, then call the mountain rescue, they are trained veterans in this scenario.

Shitballs, flat battery or no reception; slowly your redundancy systems are running out. Now it’s time to make the tough decisions of how to transport the injured with your own means. Your final provisional evacuation plan comes into play: bivy bag rescue. Having one with you and knowing how to use it can be the difference between a freezing night on the brink of hypothermia and managing to save your mate.

Does your adventure suffer from preparing for and trying to minimise as many risk factors as possible? All things considered, after reading this, I should hope that the answer is easy. And if you think it’s not worth carrying all the right equipment with you and preparing for the worst, you will definitely think differently if shit does hit the fan and you personally have to deal with the consequences.

BACKCOUNTRY REDUNDANCY

Consider how you can initiate a rescue operation if needed. Can you contact the outside world and communicate vital information for a rescue? The most obvious method to contact rescue operations is a cell phone. However, with fickle reception and batteries easily running flat in cold conditions, the next option is a long-range radio. No radio or trucker CB HelloRubberDucky skills?

Satellite phone. Sure, a satellite phone may be expensive, however, would you rather spend 500-800 bucks, or risk spending a night out in the cold with a serious injury and no help in sight? Depending on the excursion, a satellite phone could be a must.

4.

MAGAZINE

Before every excursion, even just a quick afternoon hike out of the ski area, one thought should always pass through your neurons: “What can go wrong and how can I respond?” The larger the endeavour, the more hazardous factors come into play and thus, the preparation of brain and equipment needs to be at least equally as large. Ad hoc, four major areas to take note of come to mind, which I will define, if somewhat superficially.

How can you communicate?

SEASON 15/16

How do you do this?

Simply put: preparation and planning.

2.

cal equipment and the ability to use it, like the SAM splint that Dane Tudor would have benefited from.

DOWNDAYS

ife is no petting zoo, and often enough we have to deal with the painful and lengthy consequences of youthful and risky behaviour. The paradox is that it’s exactly this kind of behaviour that makes life worth living for many of us.

To the sobering facts: an excursion into the winter backcountry carries more potential disaster than an afternoon in the beer garden. By closer inspection, I guess it may depend on how much malty beverage is ingested; nevertheless, the topic here is how to avoid, prepare for, and mitigate horror scenarios in the backcountry.

Redundancy is the duplication of critical components or functions of a system with the intention of increasing reliability of the system, usually in the form of a backup or fail-safe.

L

BRAINS

49

Redundancy in the Backcountry

SAM ANTHAMATTEN, CHARGING THE LINE. DEGREES NORTH EXPEDITION // SEWARD, ALASKA TERO REPO

TH E N O RTH FA C E .C O M

52 FEATURE

Excerpts from the

Bolivian Diary Sam Smoothy

BOLIVIAN DIARY

Text:

Photos:

Mickey Ross

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The author after a month in the Bolivian Andes.

This is not a complete account of deeds that took place in Bolivia, but rather a collection of fragmented, shining moments experienced over many hours of thinking in tents. Following in his father’s footsteps, Sam Smoothy and his entourage climbed and skied Pequeño Alpamayo and Huayna Potosí, making potential first ski descents on the west face of Aguja Negra and the southeast face of Ala D. Sur in the Condoriri area of the Cordillera Real mountains.

53 FEATURE BOLIVIAN DIARY MAGAZINE SEASON 15/16

DOWNDAYS

Take only memories, don’t even leave ski tracks. Exposed ice skiing on Pequeno Alpamayo.

54

eneva. Milan. Madrid. Miami. La Paz. How long the transit actually takes is a mystery, but however long it is, it seems longer. Carting sixty-five-point-eight kilograms of assorted devices for ascending, descending, cooking, sleeping and eating, we’ve come to discover the Bolivian Andes. Currently cosily sandwiched on the plane between two rotund, Taco Bell-loving Yankees en route to visit their daughter, who clearly prefers the missionary position she now so devoutly fills in Bolivia. It is strangely gratifying to encounter people still so committed to con-

bunk beds. It is 6am, May the 13th in the Age of Oversaturation that is 2015, and my eyes have ceased to function.

I have come to Bolivia to retrace the climbing steps of my father, Ronald M. Smoothy, and hopefully lay fresh ski tracks on the descents. Armed with his notes and vague stories told deep in the night, I’m on a journey to discover how my father’s life of travel in the mountains has influenced my own path. And perhaps come to understand my father—a man of few words, but many stories—a little better.

verting the natives to God, Capitalism and all things West, regardless of how ancient the local culture may be.

Though it is very possible I am dreaming all of this; that potent mix of tiny bottles of red, chased with the Johnny that Walks, guarantees the most lurid dreams. I bid the Yanks farewell with an earnest promise to find Jesus—and in a way, I do, promptly stumbling into a pile of The North Face duffel bags that have chased Johnny Collinson south of the border. A hazy cab ride through La Paz’s sleeping streets dumps us into hostel

I have assembled a crack team, enlisting the prodigal talents of the aforementioned J. Collinson as Head Altitude Gnar Expert, while my hometown adventure buddy and full-time mountain strong man Fraser McDougall joins the team as Senior Aeronautical Advisor.

Capturing our escapades are Will Lascelles and Jason Hancox of CoLab Creative production fame, the former a new and the latter a long-time brother of mine, who’ve turned my blurry Bolivian visions into an actual expedition. They have the risky task of creating a moving

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MAGAZINE

BOLIVIAN DIARY

FEATURE

“He came dancing across the water, with his galleons and guns, looking for the New World and the palace in the sun.” Neil Young

La Paz, the huge city nestled in a ravine.

Four of the toughest Cholita wrestlers in Bolivia.

picture film of our adventures. The final member of our motley unit is ex-Olympian and man of international disrepute Mickey Ross, who’s in charge of herding us into crisp still photos amongst the general disarray.

We spend the first few days in La Paz shuffling around the city, getting used to the 4000m altitude and gathering necessities like fuel and food. Will hands out ritual cigarettes and we challenge our lungs even further, trying to comprehend the whirling mayhem of this city in a ravine. As the six of us stare out over this suitably chaotic city, we notice the reassuring presence of a family sedan wedged deep in a cliff-face crevice a hundred metres below. A perfect holeshot, its shattered headlights light up in the fading sun and the brick shanties flame red before the shadows engulf us.

munity is often met with an angry lynch mob, which restrains the perpetrator with a few old car tyres stuffed over the head to pin the arms. After a short gasoline marinating period in which the rap sheet is read, all it takes is a little spark to ignite street justice. Bolivian a la Flambé.

Cocaine production has moved into Greg’s neighbourhood, but is managed in a uniquely Bolivian manner. The producers are careful not to anger the local community, which is wise considering the locals’ penchant for human

“That kid sure can take a good kick to the face.”

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The peaks of the Cordillera Real rise abruptly above the already 4000 m high plains of Bolivia.

Local street behaviour

Ernesto in reality.

DOWNDAYS

Strange words and even stranger scenes.

Woman on woman. Man on woman on woman. We are watching Cholita wrestling in El Alto, where locals in swirling traditional garb take part in fake poor man’s wrestling in a rusted old ring—the referees may count you out, or just kick you in the ribs. I am well short of the cerveza needed for such a spectacle, but on it rages into the dark night, regardless. A five-year-old clutches the ring, ready to aid and abet his mother with tiny kicks to the torso of a “trapped” opponent. A mistimed kick lands square on his bewildered face, but while his lip quivers, he holds back the tears. What a way to make a buck.

I can’t imagine my father, sitting popcorn in fist, watching two cholitas theatrically beat each other. Would these fights exist without the ever-present jet setting Lonely Planet sect to fund this queer circus? Is it all shiny-sign tourist-agency couch adventures now? Or are the adventures that lured my father still out there in the hills? Back on the bus, few words pierce the dusty air as we plunge deeper into the city and I sink into a moral hangover.

“This is a burning neighbourhood,” explains Greg, our Kiwi contact in La Paz. Any crime against the com-

FEATURE BOLIVIAN DIARY

Lost Gringos: Fraser, Sam and Johnny in La Paz.

BBQ. In return, the Bolivian cocaine barons are largely left alone, free to do business as they see fit as long as any violence is neatly kept in-house. A wonderful arrangement that keeps out the universally hated police, drying up opportunities for those “protectors of the people” to extort and blackmail.

We leave for the Condoriri base camp and my heart is glad to get out of the city. I have loved our wanders though La Paz but for the constant shrieks of car horns and the claustrophobic overcrowding, all wreathed in clawing smog.

These are not for me; I long for fresh air, though it may be thinner still. Cruising along the pockmarked road, the window entertainment sends my mind wandering…

Dust billows from the back tyre of Ernesto’s hand-welded bicycle, its clanks evaporating into the eerie stillness of the lonesome Alto Plano road that winds across the barren, gold-

57 FEATURE BOLIVIAN DIARY MAGAZINE SEASON 15/16

DOWNDAYS

Not all the turns were ice; Sam scores a scenic one after turning back on Piramide Blanca.

58 FEATURE DOWNDAYS

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BOLIVIAN DIARY

Vertigo-inducing ski mountaineering.

en-tussock badlands. A quiet family man, Señor Ernesto has ridden day and night to plead with cocaine baron Jefe for the lives of his family. Not (as the villagers suspect) with his decrepit guitar and quavering, smoke-cracked voice, but with his old friends Smith & Wesson.

I can almost see the awkward overacting of Tarantino’s pained cameo in the broken words of a down-and-out roadside fruit vendor as we motor through this celluloid fantasyland.

Dramatic vistas unfurl as the grandiose peaks in the background lord it over the brittle mud huts strewn across the plain. The media honchos are so excited that I fear we may never reach base camp, so often do we stop to unleash the camera arsenal. The approach across the barren and up to the glorious is so much like the mountain plains of New Zealand that homesickness briefly tugs at my heartstrings. But this notion is quickly trampled into the dust by a stately herd of llama, reminding me just how physically far from home we are.

First objective: Pequeño Alpamayo. Sorry slog on skis. Father was on foot. Why? Can’t breathe. Anger at my weakness. John drags us higher. Gain 5000m. Cloud comes in. Summit vanishes. Abort. Home. Eat. Sleep. Faraway girlfriend waves. Jack Nicholson steals Sharon Stone off some suit. Confusion. Awake. Frozen beard. I hate the altitude.

Pequeño Alpamayo, take two. A brisk morning stroll brings us to our gear cache from the previous day’s attempt.

Scoping the Hanging Death Bowl and the exposed line from the top left corner.

My father Ron was once robbed here, so we tempted fate in bold style when we stashed roughly 35 grand in gear at the tongue of the glacier. But it seems Bolivian thieves drift at lower altitudes nowadays. I smile at the echo of Ron’s notorious curses ringing around these crumbled giants as we skin up in silence, finally feeling strong. Ice axes clink in celebration on top of a beautiful stunning peak with friends who have sweated, swore and slogged uphill together, staring out across a landscape that is simultaneously foreign and home.

Hours later we are back at camp, stretched out in the sun, staring back at our peak in the distance, eyes aglow after laying turns down this aesthetic pyramid that my father wandered up long ago. A not-so-pequeño 5370m, Pequeño Alpamayo is the first peak over 4000m that Fraser and I have climbed and skied.

Much has changed in the years since my father’s ascent—the gear, the style—but that core, the root of it all, is still the same. Quiet contentment resonates around a flaming stove, chomping away on something hot, a feeling not for sale in any department store, one that sits fierce in your soul.

In these moments he is here, these quiet, in-between times. Ron was never an aggressive mountaineer, more interested in campfire camaraderie than dangerous summits, in creating stories for future campsites. He opened the tent-fly to this environment for me and I made a competition of it, seeking to outstrip him and take victories, a trait common in

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sons. But now I realise there is so much more to this; that this could be a place where even defeat feels sweet.

On Piramide Blanca, I begin to think using the rope might have been a wise choice. We didn’t forget it, but had deemed it excessive. Standing tall on three-and-a-half toenails with my nose scraping ice the consistency of brittle bacon encourages me to revise this decision. Rope retrieved from Mickey the sunbathing photographer, we push through the nastiest and steepest ice bulge of my infantile ice climbing “career” only to find decaying ice, perfect for sliding head-first off the behemoth cliff cutting across the route, impossible to place protection in.

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climbed 50 more metres? What if that hollow ice curved toward the sun and became skiable snow?” Maybe another year, maybe another crew, maybe not in this lifetime.

Who’s that stumbling around in the dark? A sleepy Señor Smoothy, Jr. lurching around somewhere on the border between night and morning, trying to find the gear stashed the day before. I rendezvous with J. Collinson and F. McDougall and we push onto a new glacier west of the prior one and pick two lines, both snaking through a hanging bowl above sobering exposure. As the sun rises, the pitch jacks into crampon territory; but on we climb, up through the looking glass that is the dogleg onto the upper Hanging Bowl of Death.

Between my heels I can see a lurking beast snapping for my soul: an abyss, a personal apocalypse of a cliff hovering at the end of the slip-and-slide beneath my boots. I have skied above such ter-

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Climbing out of the icy jaws of the fear monster, high on The Hanging Death Bowl.

Fraser finding some pow on the glacier.

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Turning around halfway is always hard, those hours spent can feel like hours wasted. But John and I agree that pushing higher in these conditions is far beyond our acceptable level of risk. As a reward, the sheltered snow we get to ski after the rappel is the closest thing we’ve yet found to dry white powder in these mountains.

Another day. The radio crackles and Fraser shakily reaches out to us across the valley. “That was the most exposed skiing I have ever done. John and I would be OK with going home now.”

The lads have just climbed and skied a slanting ramp above terminal exposure, slicing through a rock pyramid called Aguja Negra right above our camp. It’s a daring line, finishing in a close-out cliff and a gutsy downclimb, all in fading light.

Fraser’s comment resonates. It is almost June, we’ve been gladly putting ourselves in the firing line for six months straight, and the strain is starting to show. My thoughts have been turning, wheeling in the dark hours huddled in the tent, mulling over the classic risk-versus-reward clause ever-present in mountains like these. We’re a long way from help, a feeling also expressed in my father’s notes. We have no guides, no helicopters, no medics astride donkeys that will come charging to our rescue; out here the hard decisions rest solely in our hands.

Maybe I should’ve just gone surfing. But there is that other side, that half of me that hesitates to leave. I turn back and stare even longer at the un-skied line on Piramide Blanca, all the more glorious to behold knowing its virgin status.

It’s a line that asks, “what if you had just

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“Home time Johnny, and don’t spare the buried anchors, it’s time for a cuppa at camp me thinks!”

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Johnny doesn‘t choke, not on big lines like this. Getting it done with Fraser watching closely.

rors before, but this is a different beast, a fear that draws out as my pace slows.

For reasons unknown I have parted ways with the boys, striding out on my own, a decision I now regret as I see them happily chatting their way up the guts of the bowl. Meanwhile, I solo up the steepening face, which from the safety of base camp had seemed a barely audible second fiddle to the dogleg. Actually being here is markedly different, as the sewing-machine shake in my knees testifies. My axes are my world, my rock of Gibraltar, my anchor to the centre of

the Earth, and my grip tightens around them as their rhythm solemnly carries me up.

That mountaineers readily suffer this drawn-out terror not just on the way up, but on the way down, currently seems excessively masochistic. I love the fact that in freeride I can ski lines faster than my brain can process the fear impulse. Which, in hindsight, may not be a positive reflection of my skiing. My mind runs rampant, galloping through all the possible and improbable ways that this little jaunt could end awfully.

Maybe this is not the place for me, these giddy heights and crucial grey decisions, these little doubts creeping in. I am no Mallory, no Messner, I am a very mortal man. Solo, metres from the top, standing on what seems like a hollow slab, I turn and click in.

These long hours in glaring exposure shine so brightly and are all the more vivid in memory for the ski descent that follows: a gripped, icy, skidding affair where omnipotent gravity slowly overcomes pride, the sole fuel my engine has left to run on. Slippery speed floods my resistance and I barely hold it under the line of control. At the bottom, I finally allow myself to collapse in a soggy heap of exultant exhaustion. Six hours up, two minutes down. Never has feeling so ill felt so good. The sky pulses at the edges as, flat on my back, I stare up into everything in that big blue nothing, one of the gnarliest lines of my life sitting above me, unmoved by my actions. What a way to get your kicks.

But it is not over, oh no buddy boy.

Now I have the equally nerve-jangling experience of watching Fraser and John descend their line. Equally exposed but more technical, they lace graceful turns through the serac section and down to the crux, a small rappel but more exposed than Tommy Lee’s piece. Why oh why did I ever want to lead an expedition? I have no desire to ever call anyone’s parents bearing bad news. But the lads reign in my fear as they studiously tag-team the line, piece by hanging puzzle piece, before airing out the final cliff without the planned rope and riding away hooting in fine style.

Though there are no judges and no finish line, the borderline manic look in their eyes reflects our shared inner victories. Out in the wild, in the here and now experiencing this together, this is winning. Our stoke carries us all the winding way back to camp, smiles still on our faces even after accidentally taking the long way home. But in the end, isn’t that the point?

Sweet cerveza lifts our voices louder, bouncing off the stained walls of some backstreet bar as the stories turn south quicker than the cans are emptied.

61 FEATURE not dead. Whether finding a new line in a distant corner of the globe, or understanding a little more about those who pushed you out the door of adventure in the first place, the mountains have many more secrets to be sniffed out. But as much as I love the mountains, it is the people you are with, those who share the adventure found there, who matter most. Just don’t tell my father he was right, I would never hear the end of it.

Fraser charging hard even though he barely leaves tracks.

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Author’s Note: To understand what actually went on during this expedition outside of my head, check out the CoLab Creative video to be released online by The North Face in January 2016.

Sam preparing for the next excursion.

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High in the Andes, a ski tour starts far away from the road.

We terrible six are cruising the Gran Poder festival mayhem, devouring everything in our path, a last twisted supper as we cram in as much of Bolivia as we can before those steel birds in the sky scatter us across the globe again. A learning curve steep as the faces we climbed, this expedition has moved me, pushed me a little way away from the bright lights of competition and a little closer to the campfire, toward my brothers around the flame, eyes wild with the retelling of the day’s adventures.

It is June 2nd and the winter in the north has finally broken. The great mountains and faces of the world have been conquered, blank spots on the map charted and claimed, but exploration is

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NIMBUSNIMBUS UNDER IN EUROPEAN EUROPE SKIES

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Chris BENCHETLER

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Oskar ENANDER Eric Pollard enters the Engelberg scene with classic style.

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Winter is changing, for better or worse, and the obvious signs of strangely developing weather patterns string powder seekers along like puppets. While this posed challenges for Chris Benchetler and Eric Pollard of Nimbus Independent, it also opened up many doors, opportunities and friendships.

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Chris Benchetler loves sending spray and getting tubed by it.

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also a smooth cat ready to roll with the punches and is always down to have a good time. And lastly, Oskar, the self proclaimed mayor of Engelberg, introduced us to some great Scandinavians, better known as “The Scandis”, who seem to have annexed a large portion of the Engelberg area in recent years.

The Scandis we befriended worked at The Ski Lodge, where we were staying, and were super down for a good time, fitting into our crew immediately.

After a solid week of waiting the weather out, Oskar saw a massive storm front hitting northern Italy.

Anticipating greatness, we packed up our van at 6am and hit the road, directing the GPS to the southeast.

The 6-hour drive was surprisingly easy, aside from the fact that we passed by a resort that appeared to have been hit by the same storm we were chasing, and it was bluebird. We decided to stick to the plan, although we later found out it was one of that resort’s best days of the season. Go figure.

Despite the consequences, driving into the Italian Aosta valley was beautiful. Historic castles, ancient homes built of chiselled stone and vineyards lined the valley. We were guests in an epic 18th century stone house owned by local legend and friend Zeo. With his long hair in a bun, awesome grey beard and sunglasses, we watched Zeo rip pow from bell to bell on old straight skis and long poles; smoothly stabbing his turns, hooting and hollering the whole way down. Zeo is exactly what you’d expect when you think of an archetypal soul skier. All the Italians we met were incredibly friendly and warm, but Zeo took it to the next level and made us feel like family.

After picking Zeo’s brain about the regional conditions, it sounded like we were slightly behind. The storm had arrived sooner than expected, and although Gressoney—a resort of the huge Monterosa ski area network we were planning to ski—was vast, we got word

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y virtue of winter’s decision to avoid the West Coast of the United States entirely, we set our sights on Europe instead. The southwestern corner of Switzerland and northern tip of Italy looked to be getting the most snow accumulation. Our primary goal was to find conducive terrain that would enable Eric and I to get creative on natural features while putting the final touches to the Nimbus movie After The Sky Falls. Unfortunately, just like the non-winter in California and the Pacific Northwest, Europe delivered temperamental climates, ty was to avoid falling into a crevasse roadblocks and many unforeseeable while trying to figure out where the most ideal terrain for filming would be. variables.

Our European escapade was In contrast to most American ski areas, sparked by a phone call from Swedish European resorts have a different phiphotographer Oskar Enander, who losophy regarding access restrictions to spends his winters in Engelberg. He dangerous terrain; it’s not entirely safe, wanted us to come to Switzerland, and smart or easy to just drop in and wing it. offered to show us around his adopted Particularly in Engelberg, more often home resort. Upon arrival in Zurich I than not you are atop a 100-meter cliff, felt the familiar excitement I always get or surrounded by a field of crevasses. when I arrive in Europe. It’s like travelling back in time: rich in culture and history, refined architecture, and valleys of enormous mountains towering over small, ancient villages. The European Alps have been inhabited for over 5,000 years and if mountains could talk, the Alps would have plenty of stories to tell. Almost 900 years ago the Engelberg Abbey was built in the Obwalden canton of Switzerland—over 350 years before Training for the next Olympic Winter Games.

Christopher Columbus first sighted With that in mind we went into the towAmerica—and the monastic communi- ering peaks slowly, took our time, and ty still has a large presence in Engel- cruised the resort getting the lay of the berg. Like a child in a museum, the land. There was no sense of urgency sheer depth of history can be an over- seeing that we had a couple of weeks whelming and eye-opening experience ahead of us, and our renowned guide for any North American that has the Oskar would hopefully be healthy in no time. chance to visit Europe.

As it turned out, Mother Nature The timing of our arrival seemed almost perfect. The Swiss Alps had just had a different plan. In hindsight, the received a fresh coat of snow; sun and first days cruising and scoping the ski cool temperatures were in the forecast, area proved to be two of the best ski and we had a knowledgeable local to days of the entire trip. As Oskar reshow us the best nooks. Unfortunately gained control of involuntary coughing our trusty guide and photographer fits, we were forced to patiently wait Oskar had sent it a little too hard at IS- out the inconsistent weather patterns.

PO, and looked more like the walking Occupying our down time was easy, we dead than a mountain guide. He was found countless activities to keep our bedridden by a violent cold that kept minds and bodies at ease; from curling, him stuck in the foetal position for to ice hockey, to tobogganing, to soccer days after our arrival. So it was up to us tennis. There was no shortage of good to explore immense Engelberg with times and laughs while we waited for a limited insider knowledge for the first reset. Traveling with the right crew of great individuals always helps keep the week.

With almost 2,000 vertical meters morale high during the ups and downs of predominantly uncontrolled off-piste of poor weather. Eric is always hungry terrain underneath the 3,239m tall Tit- for adventure, and more than anything, lis peak, the Engelberg resort is vast and happy to be healthy and back tearing it a little intimidating. Our biggest priori- up again. Jeff, our cinematographer, is

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snow over to Austria. Not to be deterred, we still skinned out, built some jumps, and tried our best. On one of our excursions, we found a super cool bench that allowed for a step-down into a little natural wind lip, and directly next to that a poppy jump that fed into the same windlip. The zone made for a fun session, but the snow wasn’t ideal and when you’re trying to make a movie about skiing powder, powder is an essential ingredient.

The wind kept blowing and significant snow accumulation remained elusive, so heading back to Engelberg may have been another slight mistake. We found ourselves keeping busy in the valley more than getting creative on the mountain; let’s just say Eric and I might be going to the next Olympics for curling and ice hockey.

The Nimbus crew always impresses me. Both filmers and riders are always very easy-going, but this trip really set the bar. It was honestly one of the most challenging trips to date; but while the inconsistency of winter, temperamental weather patterns and lack of knowledge of each resort were frustrating, we’ve all been around long enough to know that whatever will be, will be. There’s no sense in getting upset or forcing something to work when the conditions simply are not in your favour. Subsequently, we continued to find fun alternate activities, drank way too many afternoon coffees (as many Europeans do), and waited for the weather to turn around.

Even considering the somewhat discouraging conditions, we still had an incredible European experience. Unexpectedly it was one of the most fun trips to date; we got to participate in a ton of new activities on down days and laughed a whole load with the new Waiting in the fog of Engelberg and hunting first tracks in Gressoney. friends we made. When we did find powder, we made the most of it, and despite the ups and downs of Oskar’s guiding, having him lead the way made our trip that much more memorable. While our end goal of scoring natural terrain and deep snow for our movie didn’t happen on this trip, so much of our lives and especially our ski careers is dictated by Mother Nature, and you can’t fight the hand that she gives you. If you learn to accept the inevitable, you can make the most of every situation.

that eight other film crews were following the same forecast and had arrived the day before us. There were two Transworld Snowboard crews, an Absinthe Films crew, the Faction team, Pat Moore’s crew, a couple female snowboard and ski crews, Roman Rohrmoser’s crew and a few others. It felt like we were part of the reality TV show The Amazing Race, with everyone telling the resort’s marketing department their story, hustling to get tickets, and racing for the same lines and jumps.

We arrived to the resort at 1 pm; stormy skies and fresh snowfall gave us heightened motivation to boot up quickly. The view from the gondola gave us all a sinking feeling: tracks were everywhere! The reset we had been waiting for had arrived, yet we already felt rushed to find features and terrain with fresh snow. After stepping into our skis and making some turns in blower powder, some sense of anxiety left us.

Now we just had to track down some zones that hadn’t been touched by the other film crews. Pillows, jumps, stepdowns and lines littered the area; we just had to find them.

Since it was cloudy upon our arrival and the sun was expected to show its face the next day, we turned to our trusty guide Oskar to help us find what we were looking for. He had been to Gressoney before and assured us we were in good hands. As it turned out, he may not have remembered all the right and left turns. After getting lost a few times, he eventually got us to some very fun and featured terrain, and we established good lay of the land by the day’s end.

The next morning was sunny. We raced to the hill and headed to a couple of features we had seen the day before.

Being the first reset and sunny day the resort had seen in weeks, we knew that everyone was itching for their chance at

the newly blanketed terrain. Inevitably, we ran into a number of other crews who had already laid claim to the jumps we had in mind. We had to spend significantly more time on a sunny bluebird day, agonizingly tracking down something to get creative on. Eventually we found some pillow features and a few rocks to jump off, but between all the locals and everyday soul shredders on top of the film crews, we were more or less looking for a needle in a haystack of tracks.

Monterosa was oversaturated with crews that were one step ahead of us, so we cut the Italian leg of our trip short.

Another storm was forecasted to hit Engelberg, so we said goodbye to our gracious host Zeo and hightailed it back to Switzerland. The storm hit Engelberg as forecasted, but as luck would have it, so did gale force winds. We stood in the valley watching banners rip off the ridges, taking all of that long-awaited new

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Eric Pollard following his shadow through the freshies.

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Chris Benchetler takes to air despite, or perhaps due to the suboptimal conditions.

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On the flanks of the mighty Nordkette, high above the city of Innsbruck, a hefty pile of snow was pushed together. This was their Blank Canvas; Jossi Wells, Nicky Keefer, Lucas Stål-Madison, Beau-James Wells, Dennis Ranalter, Jackson Wells and Spencer Keirnes had a week to let their collective imagination run rampant on the mound.

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BLANK CANVAS

Photos:

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Mark VON ROY

Klaus POLZER

Blank Rider:

Canvas

Nicky KEEFER

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Kids sit in sand for hours on end, creating castles and civilizations, hands shaping whatever youthful minds dream up. Out of the sandbox and onto the mountain, they shape jumps into any soft snow to be found, an archetypal gateway into the freeski realm. The Blank Canvas project was a return to this primal fascination with making something out of nothing.

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Rider:

Lucas STÃ…L-MADISON

Rider:

Jossi WELLS

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At times, the eclectic mix of skiers would scatter into their own little projects, creating a transition here or shaping a new take-off there, but for larger projects the collective brainstormed and shaped together. With the help of Bjarni, the snowcat-driving Viking, and his squad of park shapers, the pile of snow slowly metamorphosed.

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There’s a unique vibe during the creation of such structures. Like designing a new musical instrument, the satisfaction multiplies when you get to ski the feature and the creative expression blooms. The finished piece was an amalgamation of concepts capable of being skied in innumerable ways. The transformed canvas was left on the Nordkette for others to interpret, reshape and ride in their own way – before it melted away.

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Rider:

Dennis RANALTER

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Who needs

two?

Ok, so monoskiing lies on the very periphery of skiing, a definite fringe element. You might be thinking: “Why in the world is there an article on monoskiing in this magazine?” Well, that’s because sometimes the most creative insights are found on the fringes of things.

Photo:

Text:

Alicia MARTINEZ

Mark VON ROY

is ain t n — o u ld m e wi s, e oe t h th n a in it d o n r i e r b he s k o co ut w o o n lbin h, b m a an a uc m ng g t t i ein pen p o e se hap lik sn’t oe it d

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Rider: Daniel Loosli, Spot: Laax

it’s worth a picture. The monoski was invented in the 1950s by Dennis Phillips in Washington state, who, tired of the concept of two planks moving independently, mounted ski bindings sideby-side on a waterski. It’s not the only time that waterskis have played into the developments of snow skiing—fifty years later, Shane McConkey used waterskis mounted with ski bindings to prove the concept of reverse camber.

Who would have thought?

After a brief boom in the late 1970s and early ‘80s, the monoski all but disappeared from the slopes.

Searching the dark corners of the Internet for traces of mono culture, it turns out that monoskiing is far from dead.

Because, as monoskis.co.uk states so succinctly, “Who needs two?”

Apart from the fact that clearly many people do, indeed, need two, I was intrigued. Apparently monoskiing is having quite the revival, with companies like Snowgunz and Snowshark pumping out new high-quality monos every season. With events like Monopalooza in North America and Mondial de Monoski in France attracting hundreds on mono-enthusiasts, it looks like the mono – once on the brink of extinction – is making a comeback.

Sifting through the thousands of photos submitted to the Downdays magazine, one photo stood apart from the rest. Here was fellow freeski aficionado Daniel Loosli shredding the shit out of a mono, and damn it looked fun. Daniel got his hands on the monoski as an experiment, just to see what it was like, and he loved it. A new on-slope challenge, he even slid some rails and got a handplant!

“It’s a fucking cool experience,” said Daniel, who plans to shred mono at least a few times a season.

One could say that monoskiing is even more of a counterculture than freeskiing. One thing’s for sure: a monoskier doesn’t give a rat’s ass what anyone else thinks. A monoskier skis for the enjoyment. Even if that enjoyment comes from restricting your legs’ freedom of movement, perhaps we can all learn from mono-culture—shredding for fun, and not giving a damn is more important than social media success. Or something like that.

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LYNGEN

LYNGEN THE WHITE HOTEL

Text & Photos: Nikolai

SCHIRMER

Though it’s long been known as a touring destination with beautiful, mellow lines dropping to the ocean, getting on top of a good big-mountain line in Lyngen, Norway isn’t easy. But with patience, planning and a little luck, the rewards are worth the hardship.

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Mid-March to mid-April is the best bet for good powder conditions. However there are great touring possibilities on spring snow until June.

TIMING:

ACCOMMODATION: Magic Mountain Lodge is located in the middle of the peninsula, while Lyngen Lodge, not actually on the peninsula, is also a good option. Both offer certified mountain guides. There are cheaper private cabins to be found online, or the adventurous can simply go camping.

Fish! Boat and gear rental from locals is relatively cheap, and if the ocean decides to deliver, you can catch enough cod in an hour to feed your whole group.

FOOD:

rested and ready to go at first light.” Now this was a promising plan.

I managed to fit freeze-dried food for a week, a jet-boil cooking system, fuel, Polartec alpha insulation from head to toe, an extra set of wool base layers and socks, a lightweight down jacket, solar panels for the camera gear and other camping essentials in a Trollveggen 45L and an aptly named Lyngen 35L pack, helmet strapped to the back, gypsy style, with just enough room for an extra chocolate bar. I considered bringing a book as well, but judged the paperback too heavy for my already overloaded packs.

It was raining as Håvard, snowboarder Lars Nilssen and I started trudging from the ocean side, the mountains dark, rocky and uninviting in the clouds. Though I try to go lightweight on these trips, I’m not willing to compromise on performance. So I was starting to feel the weight on the final steep pitch before the glacier. “God, I hope the snow is good up there!” I grumbled, as much to the dark mountain as to my companions, who were struggling just as hard with their oversized packs in the now deep, drier snow.

So far it had been a trip of disappointments and turnings-back, but as we came onto the glacier, the fog and precipitation lifted to reveal the massive east face of Trollvasstind. Snow-heavy spines, ridges and seemingly endless options for

airs appeared in the half-light. Beyond Trollvasstinden, the powder-filled faces of unnamed peaks continued up both sides of the valley.

I felt like an explorer of old witnessing the riches of the Forbidden City for the first time. As we hiked further onto the glacier, we were slowly encircled by everything I’d ever dreamed of skiing.

Knowing what lay beyond the thin walls of the tent made it hard to sleep that night.

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The last two weeks had been cycling through warm, windy, snowing, raining, pretty much every type of weather you don’t want in the mountains.

But now the forecast said light snow, stable temperatures and finally, a sunny spell of three days.

This could be our only chance to ride these stunning lines this winter. “We should just move in up there,” Håvard said, eager to get in on the action.

“If we’re up there when the weather clears, we’ll be

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After two weeks attempting to reach the lines around Isskard Glacier, I bumped into my old buddy Håvard Ånensen, a local snowboard legend, at the grocery store. “The conditions were dangerous, but the real issue was how beat we were just getting to the bottom of the lines,” I told him as the cashier scanned the beers I’d bought to drown my sorrows. Even if it’d been safe to get up there, we wouldn’t have been able to ride them properly.

APPROACH: Fly to Tromsø (TOS), rent a car for the one-hour drive east to Breivikeidet. Catch the car ferry to Svensby then drive 20 minutes to Lyngen.

Alternatively, there is a regular bus from Tromsø to Lyngen.

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he classic tours of Lyngen are on the picturesque, mellow peaks that jut straight up from the sea. The gems, though, are hidden just behind.

Massive, Alaskan-style faces surround 1000-m high glacial plateaus that keep the snow a few degrees colder than the surrounding area. The formations of the faces provide shelter from wind, leaving the steep, technical runs plastered in snow when conditions are right.

The problem is getting there. With no ski infrastructure available, just reaching the bottom of the lines is a five-hour hike. Then the real work begins, post-holing your way up a 600m, 40-degree slope in knee-deep powder. That is, if the weather cooperates and the snow is safe.

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“It will get better,” Håvard said optimistically. We’d awoken to a total whiteout. “The forecast is obviously off,” said Lars, bummed because he had to leave that night for real-life obligations.You go a little crazy living in the white. Eat, shovel snow, freeze your bum off in the ever more malodorous snow toilet, melt water, eat, sleep, repeat. By the third day I began to deeply regret not packing that book. But finally, after midday the snowfall let up a little bit, enough to finally see the surrounding peaks. We threw on our skis and ran to the base of Trollvasstinden. While checking the snowpack, we discussed lines like children discuss Christmas, and when it was deemed stable, the hard climb was a welcome change after days of stagnation in the tent.

While climbing a face, you’re able to properly feel the snow, look at the features up-close, and get a real sense of the scale and possibilities. The weather worsened again just before the top, and with a heavy heart I realized I had to give up on my line. Screaming into the storm, I cursed the meteorologists as it slowly dawned on me that I might never get to ride this mountain in good conditions.

Unzipping the tent hatch to do my business the next morning, I looked out to see clear blue skies, the whole glacier bathed in warm sunlight,the snowed-in faces sparkling like the treasures they are. “Get up, get up, get up!” I desperately shook Håvard awake, having no idea how long this weather would last and not about to let this opportunity pass by. “Dude, I need my morning coffee,” grunted Håvard, unimpressed by the rude awakening. “Suit yourself, but have it outside so you can keep an eye on me,” I told him as I clicked in and sprinted the short distance to the east face of Trollvasstinden.

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MAGAZINE

LYNGEN

⁂

There is no need to go into details, save for the fact that I was screaming my heart out with joy as I cruised back into the camp. ⁂ Back on top, this time with the view of the entire Lyngen peninsula, endless mountain ranges broken up by fjords and the great North Atlantic beyond, I layered up my insulation and had some roasted cashews while savoring the moment. The sunny spell was holding, my legs were fresh and the snow was stable, deep and virgin all 500 vertical meters down to the camp.

There is no need to go into details, save for the fact that I was screaming my heart out with joy as I cruised back into the camp. Following the sunlight, we skied two equally exhilarating peaks around the glacier before the clouds closed back in, and we decided our time at the White Hotel had finally come to a successful end.

PIEPS JETFORCE

THE REVOLUTION IN AIRBAG-TECHNOLOGY

FIRST ELECTRONIC AVALANCHE AIRBAG ZERO COSTS MULTIPLE DEPLOYMENTS

*4th November 1904 in Munich

88 86 DOWNDAYS

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MAGAZINE

STEFAN KRUCKENHAUSER

HISTORY HISTORY

Stefan Kruckenhauser

nown as the Austrian Ski Pope and “Vater des Wedelns” (father of the parallel turn), Stefan Kruckenhauser reinvented skiing in 1953 at the third annual Interski Congress in Davos, where he stunned fellow ski instructors by shunning traditional techniques like the Stem-Christie and let his legs do the work. Swinging side to side, skis parallel with his upper body, Kruckenhauser gracefully revolutionized skiing one

turn at a time, to the dismay of more traditional French instructors.

The Parallel Turn changed the way we ski, but Kruckenhauser’s ski photography might be his most lasting impact. A master of black-and-white photography, he was one of the first photographers to extensively document skiing and its culture.

Stefan Kruckenhauser, a pioneer both on skis and behind the camera!

† 2nd October 1988 in Vienna

Text:

Mark VON ROY

Photos:

FREESKI-CREW.COM

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FREESKI-CREW

CREW

Innsbruck Influencers

Freeski-Crew From three guys making snowblading videos to possibly the bigge st freeski crew in the world creating award-winning movies—in just over a decade, the aptly named Freeski-Crew has become a household name in the global freesk i circus.

skis and their crew. Eventually moving to Innsbruck to study, their passion for skiing and filming never waned. Ensconced among stunnin g Tyrolea n mountains, they inevitably met others with the same mindset, whether at the bar or on the hill; and so the associates of the group known as Freeski-Crew proliferated.

The name Freeski-Crew may be somewhat unimaginative, as they themselves admit, but when they adopted the moniker in 2004, it simply fit. They’ve considered changing the name often, but have never found anything that worked quite as well, so Freeski-Crew they remained. The scope and quality of their movies has grown every year, with ever more audacious freeride and urban mis-

89 CREW FREESKI-CREW

PRODUCTIONS 2005: Escort 2006: Clash Trip 2011: One Love 2012: Dynamite 2013: Stammtisch 2014: Tribute

MAGAZINE

Hartmann, Bene Höflinger, Marinus Höflinger, Tobi Huber, Christian Jenny, Torge Nagel, Jürgen Nigg, Markus Obwaller, Sven Rauber, Tom Ritsch, Julius Schneider, Pius Schneider, Georg Stückler, Christian Stadler, Sebi Müller, Berni Liebl, Dominik Sagmeister, Paul Klein, Mac Minikan, Adrian Gaiser, Thomas Trifonitchev

films have gained in professionalism, the basic concept of friends skiing and filming together has always remained; they are united by a passion for mountains and sharing it with others, using their fitting mantra “The Mountains shall bring Peace to the People.” Still organizing parties to screen their latest creations, Freeski-Crew have retained the grassroots building blocks from their early days in Chiemgau over a decade later.

Their latest project is easily the most audacious yet. In addition to their now-standard camper van escapades through the Alps, last season they filmed two urban missions to Perm in Russia, and went adventuring twice in the Caucasus Mountains. The “Wild East” provided exciting locations and new challenges for the crew. In Perm they found perfect urban features and friendly locals who introduced them to the tasty distractions of Vodka

and women, the former perhaps a primary cause of all skiers except for one getting injured on the first trip. In contrast, the more freeride-oriented members undertook lengthy touring expeditions in the Caucas us range, even climbing and skiing Mount Elbrus, the highest summit in Europe at 5,642 m— depending on where you draw the borders of our continent.

Add a number of creative park and backcountry kicker shoots, and the newest feature film from one of Europe’s oldest crews is bound to be another stunner. But you’ll have to wait another 12 months to see the final product—to ensure that they step up the game yet again, the crew has decided on a twoyear project, enabling them to finally film in the Souther n Hemisphere and bring out their best movie yet. Not to worry, Freeski-Crew have a few banger webiso des up their sleeve, giving you sneak peaks into what they get up to during their rowdy and productive seasons. So stay tuned!

SEASON 15/16

In 2004 in Chiemgau, Germany LOCATION: Innsbruck, Austria TERRAIN: Urban, Park, Big Mountain, Backcountry AWARDS: Best AM Movie & Best AM Cinematography @ iF3 2013 MEMBERS: Felix Althammer, Ambros Fürstaller, Basti Färber, Daniel Gassner, Flo Geyer, Flo Göller, Severin Guggemoos, Dominik

FOUNDED:

sions throughout Europe when they should have been studying for exams.

But having to repeat a semester and spending another winter in Innsbruck wasn’t at all a bad prospect. While their

DOWNDAYS

I

t began with Dominik, Marinus and his brother Bene screening their snowblading videos at parties they were far too young to attend in their hometown of Chiemgau. As they grew, so did their

INSIDER INSIDER 90 96

It’s impossible to look at freeskiing without seeing the influence of Eric Iberg.

His films set new standards for style on both sides of the lens, while helping launch the careers of many of the sport’s most iconoclastic figures. For over a decade, being in an Iberg movie has meant being part of freeski history.

I

berg grew up in Edina, Minnesota just a few miles away from his local ski area, Hyland Hills. Hooked on skiing from a young age, he joined the local freestyle team and dedicated a wall to Glen Plake posters. Although injuries ended his own skiing dreams early, Iberg soon found other ways to stay involved.

In 1998 Iberg headed to the University of Utah to play on the baseball team, but ruined his throwing shoulder

within the first month. He decided to drop out of school, coach moguls, and—since he’d just seen Jonny Decesare’s film Degenerates—to film skiing. “I started bugging out, because I thought, ‘I know all these skiers who can do tricks, and I love all this music’,” says Iberg. “But I’d never made movies before.”

Iberg was in the right place at the right time. He met 14-year-old Tanner Hall and by December ’98 the two

STYLE

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ERIC IBERG

educator of

ERIC IBERG MOVIES:

Spun (2000) Royalty (2001) Stereotype (2002) WSKI106 (2004) Idea (2007)

Like A Lion (2010) Education of Style (2012) BE Inspired (2016) All of Iberg’s films are viewable for free at www.inspiredmedia.tv.

Text:

Ethan STONE Photo:

David MALACRIDA

filmed together every day. Iberg connected with others in the scene, spent two winters traveling, filming and learning the game, and released his first major film Royalty in 2001.

Royalty and its ’02 follow-up Stereotype flipped the script on the ski-movie game by centering on a hand-picked crew. Movies at the time often included quick shots of anyone hucking a new trick. Iberg chose the opposite approach, focusing on perfectly styled tricks from an exclusive cast. “I liked everything from the music to the editing style to the riders,” says Henrik Harlaut, who grew up on Iberg’s movies. “I got the feeling that the riders wanted to be in the movie. He wasn’t just out shooting the riders who were doing the best tricks.”

Iberg was just getting started.

2004’s WSKI106 mocked ski-industry caricatures, with a horror segment from Rory Silva that made viewers walk out of premieres. 2007’s instant-classic Idea captured Eric Pollard, Andy Mahre and Pep Fujas’ bold new take on the sport, while the 2010 Tanner Hall documentary Like A Lion cast a spotlight on one of skiing’s most polarizing figures.

In 2010 Iberg and Hall founded Inspired Media Concepts. Intended as a platform for their films, it soon blossomed into a network for collaborators they’d found around the world. The addition of Henrik Harlaut & Phil Casabon’s B&E Show strengthened the Inspired brand, while Inspired TV hosted webisodes from other keep-it-real skiers. Inspired’s influence now reaches worldwide, with events from movie tours to the B&E Invitational feeding local roots, while the crew’s films reach hundreds of thousands online.

Nowadays, Iberg’s connections reach beyond skiing to the music business, enabling him produce original soundtracks and reach a broader audience. A true ski-movie fan, he regularly uploads classic ski movies from the pre-digital era on Inspired TV, re-introducing a wealth of ski cinema for all to enjoy. If ever there was a freeski themed jeopardy show, Iberg would most definitely be a safe bet to take the win.

With over a decade of influence on our sport, Iberg is one of the most interesting characters in the freeski scene. And with big movie and event plans, this prolific contributor to skiing does not appear to be letting up any time soon.

PHOTO: Johan Wildhagen RIDER: Åsmund Thorsen

/

SUPERNAUT JACKET / R PANTS

The new Supernaut Jacket and Pants highlight Sweet Protection’s continuing evolution deeper into the mountains. Completely redesigned with no details left untouched, this combination is the essence of intuitive and durable function. The Supernauts are crafted for high alpine pursuits where backpack compatibility, coverage, ventilation and unrestricted range of movement are all critical.

TECHNICAL INFO

- GORE-TEX® Pro - 70 denier main material - 150 denier material in exposed areas - Fully taped seams

Grimnir helmet

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SUPERNAUT R PANTS

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TECH FEATURES

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2-way front zipper E

G 2-way armpit x-opening ventilation

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SuperFabric® inner leg reinforcement F Powder gaiter G

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www.sweetprotection.com

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02

DOWNDAYS

Photo: Gianmarco Allegrini

SEASON 15/16

MAGAZINE

FABIAN BÖSCH

PORTRAIT

92

93

Mark VON ROY

Blending style, technical trickery and an uncanny control whether in the air or on the slope, Fabian Bösch is a skier of rare talent. With explosive energy mid-trick, yet ultra-relaxed when the landing gear comes down, Bösch is a new powerhouse to be reckoned with.

PORTRAIT

Text:

S

Already well-versed in competition, Fabian jumped straight into slopestyle events in his first season on park skis. His solid technical ability, combined with the air-awareness from innumerable hours on the trampoline, enabled a seamless transfer to park skiing prowess. The following season Bösch was recruited into the Swiss Freeski Team, an increasingly renowned incubator of freeskiing talent. Last season—only his third on park skis—Bösch nabbed major podiums across Europe, including first-place finishes at the JOI Big Air in Åre, Sweden and the FIS Slopestyle World Championship in Kreischberg, Austria.

But medals and podiums aren’t why Bösch shunned racing in favor of freeskiing. It was the culture, people, freedom and vibe of the sport that

SEASON 15/16

MAGAZINE

chool was never his thing. Like many other ambitious young shredders before him, all Fabian Bösch wants to do is ski—so much so that he’s ditched school to do so. But he’s got something most others don’t have: an immense amount of raw talent on two planks. From a young age, his talent was obvious—recruited into a race academy, Bösch became Swiss champion in Slalom and second in Super-G. Stuck in the strict regiment of alpine race training schedules, he was forbidden to jump on skis, but secretly hit the trampoline and watched freeski videos for inspiration.

At age 14, tired of the rigid racing structure, Bösch quit the team and bought his first pair of twin tips. Switzerland lost a promising racing talent, but freeskiing gained a fresh young charger.

Fabian Bösch going large in front of the home crowd at Freestyle.ch in Zurich, 2014.

Photo: Ethan Stone

DOWNDAYS

6th of July 1997 in Aarau, Switzerland HOME: Engelberg, Switzerland HOBBIES: Skateboarding, trampoline, biking, gaming SPONSORS: Atomic, Gloryfy, Samsung, Colour Wear BORN:

FABIAN BÖSCH

THE BÖSCHMAN

94 PORTRAIT Fabian styling it out at the LOS shoot on the Stubai Glacier.

1st FIS Slopestyle World Championship 2015 1st Jon Olsson Invitational Big Air 2015 3rd Suzuki Nine Knights Big Air 2015 2nd SFR Tour Slopestyle Val Thorens 2015 3rd Jon Olsson Invitational Big Air 2014 3rd FIS Slopestyle World Cup Gstaad 2014 3rd Swiss Freeski Open Halfpipe 2013

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SEASON 15/16

MAGAZINE

FABIAN BÖSCH

RESULTS:

Photo: Klaus Polzer

enticed him join us on the light side—or the dark side, depending on your perspective. His racing background only adds to Bösch’s unique style and energy; unlike many skiers in the park, his on-slope control is technically sound, and he’s more often carving into jumps than not. In the air, he’s the love child of a Broadway ballerina and a Mafioso gymnastics champion; graceful yet gangster, tweaking every grab to the max, and stomping his tricks with a paradoxically powerful yet relaxed afterbang. This may seem confusing, but just watch him ski, and tell me he doesn’t ooze his own distinctive style.

Just eighteen years old, Bösch still has a lot to show the world. Luckily, he’s got the Swiss Freeski Team to aid his endeavors. Under the guidance of freeski veteran Misra Noto, the Swiss national team

has developed an immense talent pool in recent years, with up-and-comers like Bösch, Andri Ragettli and Luca Schuler shaking up the competition circuit alongside veterans Kai Mahler and Elias Ambühl. Unlike other national teams, they travel the world as a single unit, skiing together and feeding off each other’s progression. In that kind of environment, there is little doubt that Bösch’s full potential will come to fruition.

Injury is the only thing that can hold a young bundle of energy like Bösch back—but apparently, not for long. Though last season was easily his most successful one yet, he couldn’t ski properly for the first half of it after straining his ankle while follow-cam filming a friend. Though he’s yet to get seriously injured from park skiing, this summer he managed to break his ankle skateboarding – go figure. It’s a good thing that Bösch seems to come back from injury stronger than before.

Focused on and dedicated to skiing, Bösch has decided to take a break from school to concentrate entirely on his passion. He is well aware of the limited timeframe that most skiers have to make a career in the sport. After making his mark on the competition scene, he wants to turn towards backcountry filming, and finishing his education when the time is right. He has the tenacity and the talent to make it big, and I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that if he learns how to follow-cam without crashing, and tones down the skateboard antics a bit, the Böschman will be the kid to watch next season. With the fire he’s got, one of those X Games medals he’s been dreaming about is an ever more likely addition his trophy case.

With solid triple corks like this one, Fabian stood out as one of the top riders of the 2015 Suzuki Nine Knights.

Photo: Klaus Polzer

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MAGAZINE

n the last day of a powder heavy Legs of Steel shoot for their movie Passenger the heli pick-up was delayed and there was no more food. The hut was deep in the Canadian wilderness and the whole LOS crew was stressing about starvation; except for Oscar Scherlin, who decided to do some backies to pass the time. Naturally, the mood shifted because everyone benefits from a backflip. Backflips are good like that.

Eventually the heli arrived and no one starved.

O

LEGS OF STEEL

Soon after, the Legs of Steel boys headed to Alaska, where they scored epic conditions on crazy, iconic faces. Stay tuned for the best photos of that trip, saved for a feature article on LOS in AK, in the next issue of Downdays Magazine. In the meantime, be sure to check out the epic LOS two-year movie project Passenger, releasing on the 17th of October on iTunes.

VIBES

Rider:

Oscar SCHERLIN

Photo:

Pally LEARMOND

97

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APRÈS

98

Rider:

Fabrice WITTNER Julien LANGE

See you next time!

OCTOBER

Photo:

R OYA L FA M I LY

RU LE TH E MO UN TA IN 2015 - 2016

FR E E ST Y LE & F RE E RID E

JESTER 16 RANGE OF USE

DETAILS

Still the first choice in terms of delivering superior skiing performance for freestylers and freeriders. The Jester features magnesium parts, no-pull-out screws and a centralized swing weight: cross-axis toe spring and compact mounting leading to a short binding, ideal for spins & twists.

MARKE R.N E T

WE GOT THE SKI YOU GOT THE STYLE

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SIDECUT: 115_87_115

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WORLD CUP BASE

RIDER: ANDRI RAGETTLI

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