Downdays Magazine, February 2016 (EN)

DOWNDAYS

SEASON 15/16

MAGAZINE

DEEP IN JAPAN / JF HOULE INTERVIEW / FREE TOURING

FEBRUARY

#6

TAKING PERFORMANCE TO NEW HEIGHTS.

TE A M RI DE R PA DDY GRA H AM I N TH E N E W GI N GA J A CKET A N D CO N TE S T PA NT S.

Sam anthamatten, charging the line.

DegreeS north expeDition // SewarD, alaSka tero repo

Th e n o rTh fa c e .c o m

DROPPING 6 FEBRUARY MAGAZINE SEASON 15/16

DOWNDAYS

AN ARCHIPELAGO of over six thousand islands extending along Asia’s Pacific coast, Japan is the dream destination for many skiers looking for bottomless powder. During the winter months, cold winds from Siberia pick up precipitation over the Sea of Japan to release unreal amounts of snow on the northern islands, consistently offering phenomenal deep powder skiing. Our very own Ethan Stone travelled to Japan last season to experience this phenomena himself; be sure to check out his powder adventure documented on page 50 for some insider knowledge.

Apart from nipple-deep bliss, however, there’s another upside to Japan: the immense quantities of snow offer skiers searching for unique urban features a plethora of possibilities. One such skier is Phil Casabon, who specifically travelled to Japan to utilize the vast potential of Japan’s snow-filled urban landscape.

Photo: Daniel RÖNNBÄCK Rider: Phil CASABON Spot: Hokkaido, JAPAN

EDITORIAL 8 FEBRUARY MAGAZINE SEASON 15/16

DOWNDAYS

Feedback The Downdays Magazine February Issue; third issue of the 2015/16 season and the sixth issue that we have published and distributed throughout Europe completely for free. Whoop! Tell you what, it feels good to have it done and although while writing this I haven’t actually seen the final product yet, I am pretty damn certain that it’s another banger, if I may say so myself. Naturally it wouldn’t be possible without the awesome crew of people that helped make this happen—you know who you are—so thank you!

I always write the editorial after all other sections of the magazine have been completed, partly because it helps to know what is actually in the magazine beforehand, but mainly because the editorial can, for some perplexing reason, be the most difficult to write. I mean, what the hell are you supposed to write in an editorial anyway? Often I just end up writing about what is going to be in the magazine and try to find some sort of loose string that runs through all the different stories and topics that can be found in the issue. That seems to work, although I find that gets somewhat tedious after the second issue of the season.

”To avoid criticism, do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing.“ Elbert HUBBARD

I also have this nagging feeling that no one really reads the editorial anyway. So if you have come this far, may I take this opportunity to say thank you, to you, our faithful reader! May I ask for a favor? I want your opinion! I want your feedback and criticism—whether good or bad; let loose and let us know freely and without fear of retribution what you think of the Downdays Magazine. What do you like or dislike? What would you like to see more or less of? Is there anything that our publication is desperately missing? Now is your chance to let us know, and you can let me know directly through virtual mail or via more traditional channels (it is called the post).

Send all evaluations, comments, complaints, compliments, love letters or death threats to the attention of Mark von Roy. For my e-mail or our editorial address, please see the imprint on page 12. I eagerly await finding out what you think about our nifty little magazine. Because in the end, the only way we can make the Downdays Magazine better is to find out what our readers think, that means you! So let us know.

As to what content you can expect to find in this issue? Why not turn the page and find out…

Yours truly, Mark VON ROY

LOCATION: NORWEGIAN/POLISH THALAY SAGAR-EXPEDITION

PHOTO: DANIELE MOLINERIS

PRODUKT: THE FIRST TROLLVEGGEN SET UP IN GORE-TEX®

LOCATION: MONTE CAMPACCIO, LIVIGNO, ITALY

YEAR: 1983

PRODUCT: THE FIRST POLARTEC LYNGEN ALPHA100 VEST YEAR: 2015

In 1972 we believed product development should be driven by the extreme user.

We still do.

www.norrona.com

Welcome to nature

CONTENT 10

Content Portrait 14

Noah Albaladejo

Thought 38

Media 18

Candide Thovex’ Edits

Talent 40 42

20

Gallery Gear

34

Skis & Outerwear

Brains 36

Legal Consequences

50 FEBRUARY

60 70

44

46

Deep in Japan JF Houle Interview Free Touring

Scroggin

Insider 90

Jean-Claude Pedrolini

Dialogue

Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn

92

History

96

The Suzuki Nine Knights Hip

98

Après

When We First Flew

Crew 88

Pin Bindings

Sage Cattabriga-Alosa

Vibes

Round 2

DOWNDAYS

SEASON 15/16

MAGAZINE

86

Charlie Cultrara

Science

Destination 82

Evelina Nilsson Giulia Tanno

Creative

Spray 80

Social Media Presence

On The Cover Rider: Raffaele CUSINI / Spot: Click On The Mountain/Courmayeur, ITALY / Photo: Klaus POLZER

IMPRINT 12

Contributors Charlie Cultrara

Tom Leitner

A skier and animation artist, Charlie Cultrara first established a cult following with his hilarious, yet insightful series of animated ski clips calles Mashed Potatoes on Newschoolers.com. He is also a super talented graphic designer who has recently finished his degree and is looking for a job. Any takers?

Basti Huber

A staple of the Legs of Steel crew, Tom Leitner has long been known among the German-speaking freeride scene. His assault on Alaskan faces in this season’s LOS movie Passenger projected him into the international scene, but his skiing isn’t the only thing that is impressive; he is quite the talented writer as well.

Klaus Polzer

FEBRUARY

Recently renamed “The Scrogmeister”, Basti Huber is a hard charging freerider, an endurance fiend and generally a quite hilarious human. As a project manager at The Distillery, Basti has meddled behind the scenes on a number of different freeski projects and is the go-to man when it comes to planning touring missions.

With a deep involvement in the European freeski scene for over two decades, as photographer, editor-in-chief and skier, Klaus Polzer is a freeski guru. He is the photo editor and production manager of this very magazine, but also produced stunning imagery and an entertaining read for our feature article on the latest trend of freetouring.

“I sometimes fall into the trap of doing what I think I should be doing rather than what I want to be doing.”

BJÖRK

Imprint Publisher Distillery Concept & Creation GmbH Innsbruck, Austria

MAGAZINE SEASON 15/16

Floyd E. Schulze | hello@wthm.net Downdays Editorial Staff

Mark von Roy | mark@distillery.cc

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

Photo Editor, Image Processing & Desktop Publishing

English Translation & Copy Editing

Photographers

Print House

Editor in Chief

DOWNDAYS

Layout

Klaus Polzer | klaus@distillery.cc

Borja Azurmendi, Ashley Barker, Karim Bourakkadi, Antoine Choquette, Adam Clark, Erik Ekström, Gaudenz Danuser, Jesús Fernández, Ruedi Flück, Mattias Fredriksson, Louis Garnier, Marco Gilbert, Stephane Godin, Roman Lachner, Pally Learmond, David Malacrida, Mason Mashon, Klaus Polzer, Felix Rioux, Daniel Rönnbäck, Jordi Rullo, Erik Seo, Christoffer Sjöström, Ethan Stone, Stephan Sutton, Pablo Varela Perez Writers

Sebastian Huber, Tom Leitner, David Malacrida, Klaus Polzer, Stephan Skrobar, Ethan Stone, Mark von Roy Art Direction & Design

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

Mark von Roy, Ethan Stone

Mayr Miesbach | www.mayrmiesbach.de Adverts & Marketing

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

Publishing House & Editorial Address

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 and 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

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.

*

Freeriding in Austria’s largest ski resort.

*Cool and laid-back - or „lässig“ as the Austrians say www.saalbach.com

Photo: Stephan SUTTON

Ethan STONE

NOAH ALBALADEJO

Text:

PORTRAIT 15

THE ANDORRAN ACE

SEASON 15/16 Born: 11 October 1992 Home: Encamp, Andorra Home Resort: Grand Valira, Andorra Hobbies: Sports, music & art Sponsors: Amplid, Spy, Buff, Planks, Full Tilt, Monster

DOWNDAYS

Photo: Pablo VARELA PEREZ

MAGAZINE

Say it with me: AL-BA-LA-DEJO. It might take some practice, but it’s worth remembering the name of this talented and unconventional styler from the Pyrenean micro-state.

Contrary to his energetic and often heavy exploits on skis, he is mostly quiet and reserved when not clicked into two planks. How did this soft-spoken and humble 23-year-old work his way into the upper echelon of the international freeski scene, almost exclusively through filming? “I invested a lot of hours”, Noah puts it simply.

Noah went on to appear in the next three Stept films, slowly building his reputation as a dedicated and unconventional street skier.

When I call him up in late November to talk about this profile, Noah is at Mammoth Mountain, getting in a month of early-season California skiing with the likes of Henrik, Phil Casabon, Vincent Gagnier, Alex Beaulieu-Marchand and Brady Perron in preparation for another winter of traveling and filming.

A native of Andorra, the high-alpine microstate nestled in the Pyrenees between Spain and France, Noah Albaladejo grew up in a skiing family in a skier’s country. Raised in the town of Encamp, just ten minutes from the local ski area where both his parents worked, Noah was on skis by age three and in racing programs by age five. At

Photo: Stephan SUTTON

PORTRAIT 16 NOAH ALBALADEJO DOWNDAYS

SEASON 15/16

MAGAZINE

2015 was a big year for Noah Albaladejo.

He filmed with Level 1 Productions, won the B&E Invitational and was voted Downdays’ “European Skier of the Year” by our online readers. After a stellar winter season, he traveled with Henrik Harlaut to El Calafate, Argentina in August to produce an unexpected eight-minute banger edit.

age twelve he started skiing with Leo Tarrat, a local skier and park shaper who introduced him to newschool skiing. “He was doing threes with grabs,” Noah remembers. “I liked it a lot, and I started skiing all the time.” Finding contemporaries in the growing Spanish and Andorran park scene, Noah quit racing for freeskiing, and soon began traveling to follow his passion.

In 2010, Noah met skier and filmmaker Nick Martini while on a trip to New Zealand. Impressed by Noah’s attitude and approach, Martini invited him to film with his well-known urban skiing crew, Stept Productions, in the United States. Noah went on to appear in the next three Stept films, slowly building his reputation as a dedicated and unconventional street skier.

Above all else, Noah’s style sets him apart from his peers. Based on solid fundamentals yet embracing a looser, hand-dragging, no-poles style, Noah has crafted his own unmistakable blend of skiing that displays a rare mastery of transition-riding skills. Noah can dial in a tight tranny-finder, hand drag the lip, and tweak his grab immaculately en route to a stylish, controlled landing, making random side hits and unlikely jibs suddenly appear as beautiful and promising as sculpted park jumps.

Noah counts snowboarding, hiphop and reggae among his influences, as well as the skiing of contemporaries like Magnus Graner, Henrik and his longtime friend Luka Melloni of Spain, who Noah credits heavily as a style influence. “Luka has a really sick style, one of the best,” he says. “It looks easy, and he goes big too.”

Noah’s fine control of difficult tight transitions played into his favor at the 2015 B&E Invitational, where he was voted “Best Overall” by the assembled crew of top international skiers, many his own idols. This recognition from his peers was a huge milestone for Noah and he accepted the award filled with emotion; it was a powerful affirmation of the path he’s on. “It shows me that I’m going in the right direction, that I need to keep going in this direction and that I should not give up,” he says.

Right now, giving up isn’t even close to being in the cards. Noah is looking forward to another season on the road, filming with his new collaborators and continuing to work with his hometown squad Round 2 in Andorra.

With a breakout season behind him, it’s going to be interesting and exciting to see where the path leads for this unconventional ski talent and genuine human being.

30 snowparks in 5 countries

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Perfect parks daily groomed by 180 shapers More than 50 contests and lifestyle events More than 150 film – and photoshootings 15 brand-new mobile apps for iOS and Android Pics

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30 PROJECTS / 5 COUNTRIES

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Snowpark Gemeindealpe | Mitterbach Snowpark Kreischberg | Murau quattro Snow Park Obergurgl | Obergurgl Riderpark Pizol | Pizol Superpark Planai | Planai Snowpark Rauris | Rauris Snowpark Dachstein West | Russbach Snowpark Schmitten | Schmittenhöhe Snowpark Schöneben | Schöneben Snowpark Scuol | Scuol Area 47 Snowpark Sölden | Sölden stanton park | St. Anton am Arlberg Snowpark Turracher Höhe | Turracher Höhe QPark Uludag | Uludag SKYLINE SNOWPARK | Schilthorn

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ner

MEDIA 18 THE VIDEOS OF CANDIDE THOVEX MAGAZINE SEASON 15/16

DOWNDAYS

One Of Those Edits The Internet’s constant flood of ski videos is awesome for keeping us entertained when we’re not actually skiing, but it’s also made our media-desensitized minds far more difficult to truly impress. Yet there’s still one name that will stop anyone scrolling through their feed to take a closer look: Candide.

Text: Mark VON ROY

Photo: Christoffer SJÖSTRÖM

NOT ONLY IS Candide Thovex arguably the best skier on the planet, he may also be the most media-savvy professional skier as well. Aside from his indisputable talent on skis, Candide is a selfmade man who has shaped his career and his exposure through media exactly the way he envisions it. Beginning with the Rastafaride movies in the early 2000s, Candide developed a keen interest in filmmaking and editing, progressively becoming more involved in every production. Seven Rastafaride movies later and after a two-year hiatus due to a potentially career-ending broken back, Candide shook the ski world again with the release of Candide Kamera, a short film combining beautiful cinematography and a great score with the most progressive, high-speed powder shredding seen to date.

With Candide Kamera 2 the notch was set even higher; Candide and the talented cinematographers he worked with captured the essence of skiing perfectly. Many videos since have tried to emulate this formula, but none have succeeded to the same extent. The release of the documentary Few Words two years later provided more insight into how Candide became the icon he is today. It’s safe to say that a hugely intelligent, passionate and dedicated mind lies behind the raw talent of his skiing.

But as the title of his biopic indicates, he is a man of few words who usually lets his skiing speak for him.

As the rise of social media has given professional athletes new platforms to reach a huge audience, many have seized the opportunity to communicate with their fans on a daily basis.

Yet Candide posts to his social stream a few times a month at most, usually with a banger image and a huge response that lays to shame any other social media page in skiing—and when Candide drops a new video, the online community of skiers goes apeshit. He is simply ahead of the game.

With the release of One Of Those Days Candide was unofficially crowned the king of the POV edit. Filmed completely in-bounds, with no music, just raw sound, seemingly simple editing and lots of shaky camera, success was definitely not guaranteed. But we’re talking about Candide here, so natu-

rally the edit went viral. The video is enthralling and jaw-dropping but at the same time somehow relatable—it was easily the best POV skiing edit to date.

Cue One Of Those Days 2—same concept, but even crazier—and Candide pretty much broke the Internet as far as ski videos are concerned. Garnering over 17 million views and counting, it is easily the most watched skiing video from last season, and possibly of all time. Filmed entirely from the head of 32-year-old Mr. Thovex One Of Those Days 2 is the epitome of “Mind=Blown”. Never has a ski video received so much mainstream media attention and so much praise from the core scene. Meticulous amounts of thought, effort and planning must have gone into producing it and Candide reputedly spent months editing to reach the final cut. I say

reputedly, because when we reached out to him to get a behind the scenes insight, a “No Comment” response was all we got.

Yes, he is a man of few words. But I am totally down with that, because Candide Thovex is simply a man with many talents, and the lack of conventional media communication adds to his mystique. Apparently One Of Those Days 3 is due to drop any moment, and of course nobody has any idea what Candide will do this time. One thing is certain: I can’t wait to yet again vicariously experience what it feels like to fly down the mountain from the perspective of the best skier on the planet.

WE ARE SKIING.

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CHARGING IT STEEP AND DEEP IN ALASKA.

THE NEW AUTOMATIC 117 KEEP UPDATED ON WWW.ATOMIC.COM

MAGAZINE SEASON 15/16

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Top

Rider: Linus TORNBERG Photo: David MALACRIDA Spot: La Clusaz, FRANCE

Rider: David WISE Photo: Pally LEARMOND Spot: Zürs, AUSTRIA

GALLERY 21

Bottom

Rider: Josh DAIEK Photo: Mason MASHON Spot: Haines/AK, USA

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MAGAZINE

FEBRUARY

GALLERY 23

GALLERY 25 Opposite page

Rider: Thibaud DUCHOSAL Photo: Stéphane GODIN Spot: Rosa Khutor, RUSSIA

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SEASON 15/16

MAGAZINE

Rider: Aristide CAMELIN Photo: Kab Spot: Bozel, FRANCE

FEBRUARY

This page

GALLERY 26 Rider: Callum PETTIT Photo: Ashley BARKER Spot: Whistler, CANADA

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SEASON 15/16

MAGAZINE

FEBRUARY

This page

Opposite page

Rider: Johnny COLLINSON Photo: Mattias FREDRIKSSON Spot: Mica Heliskiing, CANADA

GALLERY 28 FEBRUARY MAGAZINE DOWNDAYS

SEASON 15/16

Opposite page

Rider: Virginie FAIVRE Photo: Klaus POLZER Spot: Suzuki Nine Queens/ Serfaus, AUSTRIA This page

Rider: Tim McCHESNEY Photo: Erik SEO Spot: Edmonton, CANADA

Rider: Pierre Antoine CHEDAL Photo: Louis GARNIER Spot: Tignes, FRANCE

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GALLERY 31

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Skis are fun and skis are awesome. They help you ride down a mountain with more speed, control and enjoyment. Here are some skis that you may like.

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FEBRUARY

GEAR 34

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MAMMUT

SEASON 15/16

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FEBRUARY

Jackets and pants keep you warm, dry and comfortable; that’s important! Here are awesome outerwear combos that tick all the boxes.

GEAR 35

Awesome Outerwear

BRAINS 36

Who’s actually permitted to do that?

This text is directed at those who like to participate in freeride camps, test days organized by magazines or ski brands, freeride days organised by safety equipment manufacturers or educational facilities, or even people that want to take part in self-promoted “Ride-with-me” days with professional skiers.

DOWNDAYS

SEASON 15/16

MAGAZINE

LEGAL CONSEQUENCES

Text: Stephan SKROBAR

Photo: Klaus POLZER

During the Downdays Freeride Mission in Kappl last winter, Eric Hjorleifson was leading the group of participants in co-operation with a local mountain guide who covered all legal liability and therefore, when it really mattered, made all the final decisions.

WHO ARE YOU actually following down that steep slope in high alpine terrain that is in all likelihood as dangerous as it is beautiful? And what happens when something happens? Here follows an attempt to hone your senses for possible problems.

In recent years freeriding has arrived and been integrated into service concepts of the winter sport industry.

Manufacturers, shops, ski areas and rescue operations with their armada of helicopters aren’t the the only ones who profit from people skiing off-piste; those who organise excursions and educate in the matter also profit from our hobby.

But who is actually allowed to take to the stage as a professional freeride guide in Austria? As in any professional area, a plethora of legal rules exist, but we don’t want to bore you. In short: anyone who has completed the relevant education can apply for state-issued permits. This includes mountain guides and ski instructors with a ski school license that are employees of a ski school.

Let’s say that you are taking part in a “Ride with a pro” day. The legal fine print surrounding a freeride excursion like this probably doesn’t interest you.

You don’t want to waste your attention on all the various legal aspects of a day

freeriding; the focus is on shredding the perfect powder face that the pro just scoped and dropped into with a cheer.

And the fact that the guide is a pro has definitely been documented thoroughly on their various social media channels.

Warning: the previous sentence may contain hints of sarcasm.

Taking part in a “Ride with a pro” day, or for that matter any sort of freeride camp, comes with the assumption that the guide will ensure your safe return home at the end of the day. Often the main reason freeriders look to Freeride Centres is a general lack of knowledge of the area and the accompanying uncertainty of the safety and conditions of the terrain.

Here the article becomes unusually sober because accidents are always a possibility. Avalanches, crashes and similar tragedies can happen to even the most experienced mountain guides, even when they are guiding clients.

These incidents occur every now and then and the consequences for those responsible (the service provider) can be as serious as criminal convictions.

What happens to the injured client, or in even worse situations, their

surviving dependents? The service provider may have to compensate according to civil law, so that at least the financial burden of such an incident can be covered. These compensations are normally covered by liability insurance, which every Freeride Centre has for these cases, and some regional laws even make liability insurance an obligatory requirement for operation.

What happens when the so-called “Guide” never actually completed the training to be called so? Then all that remains for the injured freerider or their surviving family is a desperate look at empty pockets. Most financial compensation situations arising from freeride accidents can quickly bust any personal assets of a “Guide” without insurance.

These are thoughts that anyone wanting to take part in freeride events of any sort should consider.

Of course, these factors only come into play for events that actually occur out in the backcountry. At an avalanche training course next to the lift station, for example, such factors are not pertinent and the general risk of accident is obviously far slimmer.

The point here is not to decrease anyone’s motivation to go freeriding. It simply pays to consider with whom you are actually entering the backcountry and to ponder this extra information and the possible consequences of an accident. Perhaps this article has led to you to simply think a little.

Thank you to Lukas Marzi for the critical overview from a legal perspective and to professional freeskier Lorraine Huber for the inspiration to write this text.

Disclaimer: This is a thought-provoking article, not a legal guideline. Austria and Austrian law are used as an example in this article, and laws vary between countries.

a skier knows. henrik windstedt in heli vertical. haines, alaska

PROUD SKIWEAR SPONSOR OF THE FREERIDE WORLD TOUR

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SOCIAL MEDIA

SEASON 15/16

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SOCIAL MEDIA

EGO

THOUGHT 38

We are slipping into an age of egocentrism: our ambition to document and share all aspects of our lives via social media has found its culmination in our current obsession with “Selfies”. We revolve around ourselves in a state of self-misperception fed by “likes” to the point where megalomania has almost taken hold…

THOUGHT 39

The Pursuit of Experience, Not “Likes”

Text: Tom LEITNER

what sets us apart from traditional sports. More than simply athletes, we are the self-staged production of an athlete. We produce and market our lifestyle, and to a certain extent we also want our private life to follow that idea of a self-manifested image.

on the hill does not have a lot to do with who I am in real life. And sometimes you can see things more clearly through the eyes of another person, namely the one you pick as your on-hill personality.

We still fight for recognition, even if it’s just us and a small group of like-minded

MAGAZINE

mountain people. But the more comfortable and intimate you feel with the people you surround yourself with, the more you can bring in your own personality into play.

Never have I been a competitive person, and I never wanted to see skiing as business. In the scene that I found myself in, which enabled me to live the life that I’ve always wanted as a professional skier, I always felt somewhat alien. I had to strictly separate between the professional aspect—being in the public eye and showing my skills—and my true passion, which is simply skiing with good friends.

This season, for the first time in the context of my skiing career, I felt like I could truly be myself. I found myself in the company of like-minded friends, even if some were ten years younger than me. They are another generation, but their values and motivation have proven to be very similar to mine.

This helped me to be truly in those memorable moments to experience them fully, more than ever before. And it’s the experience that matters, not the “likes”. So maybe next time you reach a mountain peak with your friends, leave the camera in your pocket and savour the experience for what it is; perhaps you will notice a difference.

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Looking at it from a more pessimistic standpoint, freeskiing is a prime example of the “pics or it didn’t happen” mentality, the one that threatens to alienate us from ourselves. How many times do we ruin the moment by taking out the cam, switching on the GoPro or going for that Instabanger?

The more “pro” you are, the more evident this reality becomes: during the average break at a park shoot, you’ll see more people on their smartphones than actually talking to each other. And when you’re on top of a mountain, you see the beauty more through the filter of social media success than the stunning miracle of nature it actually is.

I don’t want to blame anyone for doing so. Maybe it is because I am part of an older generation and I just can’t handle it. Maybe I am not flexible enough and the younger generation has a more relaxed approach to it all. In the end, it might just not be that much of a deal. But to me, being connected digitally all the time means not being there, period.

I’m certainly not trying to sound all high-and-mighty about it. I am a part of this, and I need to get my name out there too. But to me, the role that skiing offers me has always given me a great extent of freedom. The person that I am

SOCIAL MEDIA

Looking at it from a more pessimistic standpoint, freeskiing is a prime example of the “pics or it didn’t happen” mentality, the one that threatens to alienate us from ourselves.

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EGOCENTRISM doesn’t necessarily deserve all the bad press; I even believe that its pure form is a desirable goal.

While the true egocentric—consciously or not—is steadily progressing towards self-awareness, literally discovering the centre of his own ego, the social media egocentric does the exact opposite.

Instead of defining himself through his own human nature, he does so through the reactions of strangers. All he strives for is affection in its most abstruse manifestation, namely the “likes” of his social media friends or followers, which is no more than a parody of friendship.

It quickly becomes an obsession, an addiction where it is easy to lose oneself in the process. Instead of absorbing impressions and converting them into feelings and deeply private memories, the social media fiend immediately reflects them, bouncing them off into the virtual space of the Internet. As cliché as this may sound, he forgets to be in the moment.

Members of the free sports community always claim “living in the moment“ as one of our main motivations. We live our lives for moments of intense honesty where we feel at one with nature and our environment.

We’ve always wanted to be hedonists in the most positive and original sense, seeking “pleasure in the form of a state of tranquillity and freedom from fear and absence of bodily pain through knowledge of the workings of the world and the limits of our desires” in the words of the Greek philosopher Epicurus. This view may sound romantic and maybe a bit too deep, but what else besides romanticism makes us exert so much effort for essentially useless activities?

We’ve always cared a lot about the reactions of others. Since the beginnings of free sports as we know them, people have always documented their antics. It’s kind of what defines our lifestyle, our way of competing: we express ourselves by showing the world what we do. Sharing of our experiences is an essential part of the concept, and the focus on aesthetics and uniqueness is

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Evelina Nilsson Photo: Erik EKSTRÖM

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EVELINA NILSSON

Interview: Mark VON ROY

What does it take to qualify for the Freeride World Tour?

You have to dream and believe!

to explore the mountains with friends and just be out there, feeling the force of nature.

How do you approach your skiing?

When I ski, I ski with my heart. Focus is key. I think that maybe when I compete or film I get even more focused. I always try to steady my mind before I go, like a Jedi preparing for something important.

How do you prepare for an epic shred day?

Wake up, meditation and then yoga.

Breakfast is a banana smoothie with loads of vitamins and maybe some ginger lemon tea. It’s always nice to listen to good music, right now I listen to a lot of my friend’s music, Falklorian!

Who do you like to ski with?

Everyone who radiates love! I would love to ski with my soul mate.

What are your goals in skiing?

I want to keep on doing what I love and share that passion with the world. I love

What is your favorite skiing memory?

The first time I landed a backflip. This was after having problems with injuries, so it was pure magic. There was so much joy!

Born: 7 July 1991 in Luleå, Sweden Hometown: The world Home Mountain: Åre and Riksgränsen, Sweden Hobbies: Skiing, yoga, meditation, being in nature Sponsors: Peak Performance, Fischer, Sweet Protection, Alpingaraget, Oakley, Stitch n Stones

2016/ SLOPESTYLE WOMEN & MEN

PRIZEMONEY CHF 30'000.00 EUROPEANFREESKIOPEN.LAAX.COM

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Hey Giulia, when did you start freeskiing?

I did some alpine skiing until age 11 and then started freeskiing at 13.

What inspires your skiing and who are your idols?

I grew up with skiing and loved it since the beginning. You can push yourself as much as you want and you can do whatever you like. I think that’s what inspires me the most. I look up to many different people. Jamie Anderson is one of them, she’s such a good rider and her way of living is inspiring. I also look up to Sarah Burke; she was a pioneer in freeskiing and pushed the sport so far.

What is it like being a part of the Swiss Freeski Team?

I love to travel with my team. It feels like going on trips and skiing with a second big family, rather than just having a team and training like in other sports.

I think it’s nice to have a coach who gives you advice. In the end you still have to do the trick yourself and getting help is never a bad thing.

GIULIA TANNO

You have competed in many events, what is your goal at contests?

I think every competitor’s goal is winning, if not you would probably not compete. My main goal for every comp is to land the best run that I can do. If I reach that goal I’m happy. For sure it’s even better to end up with a good result.

Giulia Tanno Interview: David MALACRIDA

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What trick are you most proud of and what do you still want to land?

The trick I’m most proud on is switch left 1080. I really want to get back-toback switch 1080s. There are a few other tricks I also want to work on for sure, but you will have to wait to find out what exactly.

Born: 5 May 1998 in Lenzerheide, Switzerland Home: Lenzerheide Home Mountains: Arosa-Lenzerheide Hobbies: Sports in general Sponsors: Faction, Samsung, Smith Optics, Level, Full Tilt

Photo: Ruedi FLÜCK

CREATIVE 44 CHARLIE CULTRARA MAGAZINE SEASON 15/16

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My dad once told me: “Sometimes you have to choose between loving what you do for work and working to pay for what you love.” As a graphic designer, long days in front of a screen can be draining, but I never lose sight of my ties with the mountains. www.charliecultrara.com

SCIENCE 46

Pin it!

While the concept of low-tech bindings is already thirty years old, it is only in the last few seasons that this type of touring binding has spread to the greater masses. The main reason for this is the development of new approaches that enable the pin bindings to be just as functional on the descent as on the ascent. Klaus Polzer reviews the interesting developments that have led to the new status quo of ski touring.

Text: Klaus POLZER

PIN BINDINGS

EVOLUTION OF THE LOW-TECH BINDING IT’S HARD to tell whether the current freetouring boom is due to the new touring bindings that offer significantly better downhill performance compared to classic models, or if it’s the other way around, with increased demand driving product development. One thing is certain though: no other product category in skiing is experiencing as much hype as so-called pin bindings.

Their advantage for the ascent is undisputed, and particularly for speed-orientated ski tourers, no other system comes close. Freeriders, on the other hand, have always been rather skeptical of pin systems because of their fragile-looking stability, and only the more recent models have been able to change this view. This begs the question: why did it take almost three decades to develop a system that was solid enough?

The best way to explain this is to look back into the formative years of the pin.

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A Short History The inventor of low-tech bindings (the original name for pin bindings), is an imaginative Austrian named Fritz Barthel. In 1982, young Fritz undertook a ski tour expedition on Mont Blanc.

Without an existing track to follow and using the equipment typical of that era, the tour brought him to the edge of his endurance, and on his return he decided it was time for a lighter and more efficient touring binding. As a mechanical engineering student, Barthel had the technical ability as well as access to all the tools he needed; after countless hours of fiddling and with support from the Austrian state, he registered a patent for a prototype of the low-tech binding in 1984.

Initially, Barthel’s enthusiasm was met with only the faintest approval.

Every binding manufacturer that he presented his patent to rejected the offer.

Only Dynafit, which was purely a ski boot company back then, gave him touring boots at a reduced rate that he could refit to work with his new binding system. His idea was very well received by ski tourers, however. An increasing num-

ber of dedicated tourers—particularly athletes taking part in ski tour races— began undertaking the pilgrimage to Kufstein to visit Barthel and purchase their own pair of low-tech bindings.

At one point the small-scale production of the first pin binding became so popular that an Italian Dynafit importer complained, almost causing the end of the pin. Luckily Dynafit, which had changed ownership, came to their senses and eventually released the first mass-produced low-tech binding into the market.

1984: The very first low-tech binding

Bindings: a Retrospective The first ski bindings consisted mainly of leather straps. As their design became more stable, they became more reliable for skiing downhill, yet the rate of injuries rose significantly. The solution was to replace the leather straps with metal braces equipped with springs that would open up when enough pressure was applied. This basic principle of the classic safety binding is still in use today. The system presses the boot securely onto the ski and offers several advantages; it is relatively cheap to produce, enables good power transmission and has adjustable release settings. Some disadvantages include that the release function does not differentiate between different angles of pressure, and therefore injuries like torn ACLs can’t always be avoided; not to mention the fact that the ski boot requires impractical plastic blocks on the toe and heel to be clamped into the binding.

Over many years the classic system developed into a very high-quality alpine skiing product, but an easy climb or ascent mode simply wasn’t possible. The quick fix was to pack the entire binding mechanism on a track attached to a hinge, which enabled an ascent using the existing system. But to save weight and move the pivot point as close to the foot as possible, the binding mechanism was minimized so much that it offered little stability and significantly reduced safety.

So if one wanted solid performance on the downhill, using binding inserts that could be removed for the descent was the

1986: Self-made small scale production

1990: Tour Lite Tech, the first Dynafit binding

2004: TLT Comfort, low-tech for everyone

2013: The first Dynafit Beast model

All problems aside, the advantages that pin bindings offer are so huge that hardly anyone who does long ascents on skis is willing to renounce them, even when the downhill leg is the all-important goal.

Understandably, various improvements to the pin system that offer more stability when riding downhill have been developed and released in recent years. With the freeride series called Beast, Dynafit sought to increase the strength of the rear pin connections, which requires an adapter for the heel-piece of the ski boot.

Other manufacturers have taken a similar path. The negative consequence of this is that the modified ski boot is no longer compatible with normal alpine bindings, and only specific boots work with specific bindings.

With the eye-catching development of the hybrid-binding Kingpin, Marker Bindings have gone a step further. Integrating the traditional pin-connection at the front, they have replaced the pin heel-piece with a classic heelpiece of alpine bindings that can simply be moved away for the ascent. This required a number of adjustments, as the binding still requires the clamping pressure of classic alpine bindings. The skier, however, doesn’t really notice the difference; quite the opposite actually, the riding feeling of the Kingpin is is solid and stable; with controlled power transfer that is totally comparable to normal alpine bindings. The only disadvantage of the Kingpin is that it doesn’t implement the full potential of a pure pin system, like the easy handling. As long as there is no perfect pin system available however, the Kingpin adequately combines the best of both worlds and is currently the most universally recommended touring binding on the market.

The low-tech binding is based on a completely different system of connecting the boot to the ski. Instead of clamping the boot to the skis, metal pins on the binding are inserted into matching holes in the boot toe, establishing a firm connection without pressing the boot onto the ski surface. This method is particularly advantageous for the ascent. Firstly, the system uses the ideal pivot point directly on the tip of the boot, and secondly, no excess part of the binding needs to be lifted along with the boot while walking. The latter point saves significantly more energy than just the weight of the binding itself, which is almost always far less with pin bindings than with classic binding models.

There are, however, some drawbacks. They are not necessarily due to the basic idea of the pin binding, but rather due to historical developments and the practical realization of the system. More than anything else, Barthel’s goal was a binding that made the ascent easier and was simple to use. When the system was designed and implemented, powder skiing was still done on narrow skis, with many short turns at a slow tempo. The requirements for stability on the downhill were therefore much lower than they are now. For practical reasons Bartel chose to use a rather small platform for the heel pins that, due to adverse leverage conditions, doesn’t really work with the wide freeride skis and stiff touring boots of the modern age. Also the safety release, which is located only in the heelpiece in most pin bindings, is hard to justify for most freeriders who care about the state of their knees. Over and above all that,

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An Attempted Outlook This article does not aim to make comparisons on which systems are better, but rather intends to serve as an overview of this highly interesting and dynamic product category. Besides the Pinding crowd-funding project, many other ingenious tinkerers with ambitious ideas are also now working on their own solutions to the challenge of the perfect touring binding, so there is little doubt that other binding manufacturers will follow in Marker’s footsteps and present their own systems in seasons to come. How these different bindings will fare on the market will depend on both the systems’ practical application as well as its basic concept. For more details on the different systems, I recommend that you visit the websites of the manufacturers.

It’s safe to say that bindings like the Marker Duke and the Atomic Tracker no longer have a future, at least as far as serious freetouring is concerned. With regards to the weight one has to move with every step, even the good old Alpine Tracker binding inserts are a lighter alternative than these clunky setups. In stark contrast, the pin binding field, with a number of promising solutions that have markedly different approaches, unique ideas and hybrid combinations, is really exciting right now.

Where will this journey of technological development go? Nobody knows.

If one considers the continuously improving possibilities for tinkerers and inventors who can use 3D printers to try out new designs with no tedious production schedules, it’s entirely possible that one day soon we will stand on our skis with bindings that are completely different from the pin systems and classic alpine bindings available today. Perhaps it won’t even take thirty years to happen this time around.

PIN BINDINGS

The Pin Solution

The Status Quo

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the small contact area between the binding and the boot creates massive requirements for the type of material that is used, which is why pin bindings are far more expensive to produce compared to classic alpine bindings.

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usual way to go. The last few years have seen improvements in the classic touring system with the launch of products like the Marker Duke or the Atomic Tracker, which basically offered a classic touring binding without compromise on the descent. The ascent with these bindings, however, was definitely not the easiest.

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The Marker Kingpin is currently one of the most accomplished freetouring bindings.

A new direction in trustworthy binding systems is a solution that is currently only available as a prototype. The so-called Pinding (“pin + binding”) from Bavarian Alpine Manifest, or B.A.M. for short, relies on a complete alpine binding system for downhill skiing and a pin solution for uphill touring. The pins are integrated into a classic toepiece and shift out when needed for the ascent. Finally, the Pinding uses a similar system to that of the Marker Kingpin which moves the heelpiece on a track that is attached to the ski. The practical performance of the Pinding, particularly on long climbs, is yet to be fully tested. One thing is certain however: one can count on a tried and trusted alpine binding while skiing downhill—as well as the added weight on the uphill which that implies.

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Far East, Far Out February blossoms in Kyoto

Text & Photos:

Ethan STONE

Go to Japan, they said. You’ll ski deep pow, they said.

So when the opportunity was offered to itinerant ski writer and photographer Ethan Stone, he didn’t think twice before booking a ticket.

FEATURE 51 JAPAN MAGAZINE SEASON 15/16

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Top: Tokyo’s Shibuya crossing; Bottom: A serow, a Japanese mountain goat.

FEATURE 52 JAPAN MAGAZINE SEASON 15/16

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Nicky Keefer finds an opening at Rusutsu.

JAPAN is a trip in every sense of the word. Among the world’s skiing destinations, it’s one of the more far-out locations that the average skier can contemplate, with a particular mystique to match.

Epic ultra-light powder on faraway islands on the Pacific Rim that are home to a fascinatingly different culture? It sounds too good to be true, yet it must be so—the endless magazine photos, the movie segments and online clips, the gushing praise of Japanese snow from every angle; it can’t all be made up, right? I had to go and find out for myself: penetrate the myth of Japow and learn its secrets. Here is what I found.

Ask the average person what comes to mind when they think of Japan, and they’ll probably answer along the lines of: technology, culture, food, history, the A-bomb, nuclear reactors, earthquakes, bustling cities, Buddhist temples, ninjas and kimonos. But for the ski fanatics out there, there’s another, lesser-known side to the story— namely, snow. Lots of it. Really light. Japanese powder, code name: Japow.

Before you witness it in person, it frankly sounds a bit unbelievable. So here I am at Rusutsu Resort on Hokkaido, fresh off three flights totaling thirteen hours, a two-day delay in Tokyo and a three-hour bus ride from Sapporo’s New Chitose Airport, catching the last few gondola laps of the day, and what’s immediately evident is that everything that’s ever been said about Japanese powder is true.

Of all the runs I took in Japan, the very first one is burned into my memory the most: jumping solo out of the gondola, clicking into my skis and

beelining into the trees directly in front of me, following a promising-looking high traverse track.

Everything foreign has become familiar again.

Untracked pow below—pop off the traverse and let ‘er rip. As the first of many face shots to come washes overhead, I have finally come face-to-face with the truth I’ve come to discover: Japow is indeed real, and it is as awesome as advertised.

It is light, it is deep, it is fun, and it is everywhere. I spend my first laps in Japan coasting through still-untracked glades, low-angle fun-pow that says “Go fast and don’t stop.” Before I link up with my first collaborators tomorrow to start shooting photos, it’s time to make each one of these precious soul turns count.

Hokkaido with The Coterie The Coterie is a film crew from Utah, the first of several groups I’ve planned to link up with here in the East. The crew has rolled up en masse to Hokkaido with two filmers and five skiers, intent on filming a Japan freestyle powder segment for their upcoming movie We Trust Your Judgment before continuing on to Korea for a week of park and urban skiing.

The line-up is stacked: style fiend Nicky Keefer, the talented brothers Kevin and Mitchell Brower, street skier Lupe Hagearty and 2015 Level 1 Superunknown winner Jonah Williams—a skilled, mostly park-focused crew looking to produce the next great Japan backcountry freestyle segment. But as we plunge deeper into the hills

Gordon’s got his touring skis in the van, as well as room for five or six extra people. We load up and roll out towards a zone close to nearby Niseko, where Gordon’s got a roadside spot that he thinks will work for us.

Silence, interrupted only by wind in the trees and the scurrying of snowflakes across snowbanks. A few muffled clicks of touring bindings and grunts are the only manmade noise to be heard as we acquire the ridge line and find ourselves standing on top of deep, untouched powder lines. A few rock outcroppings and big pillows offer the trickable terrain that this crew is looking for.

We get to work. The skiers pick their lines while the filmers pick their angles, and I spend the next few hours wading through chin-deep powder, waiting for good light and trying to keep my lens dry. The snow is bombastic, but shooting is challenging: snow flurries roll in and out, instantly filling the air with so much particulate matter that it’s impossible to see, much less focus a camera.

Brief, unexpected moments of bright sunshine

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Don’t be alarmed if you stumble upon a strangelooking creature in the Honshu backcountry—it’s just probably a serow, a Japanese mountain goat. For more animal adventures, don’t miss the snow monkey onsen at Jigokudani Monkey Park outside of Nagano.

JAPAN

Fun Fact

Utah-bred Kevin Brower feeling right at home with a 360 on this Tokachidake cliff drop.

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over the next few days searching for terrain to trick, it quickly becomes evident that filming a Nimbus-quality Japan powder feature isn’t nearly as easy as it looks.

We spend a day combing the in-bounds terrain, but it’s been a few days since the last storm and the pickings are getting thin. The decision is made to hire a guide and head for the backcountry. We are in for our first real taste of the bounties—and the challenges—of Hokkaido backcountry skiing.

If there’s any downside to Hokkaido, it’s the relative flatness of the terrain. Skiers from Europe and North America may be surprised to find that the vaunted powder here is found mostly on mellow, unchallenging pitches on mountains that only rarely reach 2000 meters in elevation. Though it’s true that the friendliness of the terrain is part of the fun, crews like us looking for unique, untracked terrain features have to probe outside of resort boundaries to get our fix. Though the resort terrain is plentiful, it’s increasingly being shralped by people just like us, pushing us to continually expand our targeted area.

I’m sipping a can of hot coffee from a vending machine (another perk of Japan) in the bewilderingly European fairy-tale themed lobby of Rusutsu Resort when our guide Gordon arrives.

We’re geared to the nines with all of our backcountry equipment, ready to plunge into the unknown, but Gordon has come with the misunderstanding that he’s going to show us around in-bounds at Rusutsu. That’s an absolute no-go, we tell him—we want to find “the zone.” Luckily,

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JAPAN

illuminate the scene with incredible light—seemingly only when there’s nobody ready to drop in.

By the time the nearest rider is ready, the weather has socked in again. “This is Japanese bluebird,” Gordon jokes as another two-minute weather window closes.

Nevertheless, the stoke is high—the zone is top-notch and snow conditions are unbeatable.

Kevin and Mitchell bag 360s on their features, Nicky and Jonah bounce down a pillowed cliff face, and everyone enjoys face shots on the ride back down. At our nightly pow-wow, the decision is made to relocate closer to Niseko and focus exclusively on backcountry for the remainder of the trip.

The Niseko Grand Hotel is the cheapest accommodation we can find in the Niseko area.

The hot spot for foreign ski tourism in Hokkaido, Niseko is a town where English, French, German, Russian and Chinese are heard on the streets

Winter pagoda

Fun Fact

Japan’s pagodas are built earthquakeresistant. Each tier of the pagoda is built as a separate structural component, so the whole column can absorb vibrations.

more often than Japanese, a town that’s only half-jokingly referred to as “the coldest place in Australia.” Though Europeans and North Americans are starting to catch on to Japanese skiing, the Australians have been here for decades already. The Grand is a diamond in the rough on the outskirts of town, with well-used but comfortable Japanese-style rooms (tatami mats, sliding doors, a ceremonial alcove, sleeping pads on the floor) as well as a mixed-gender onsen, a rarity.

Onsens are hot springs with a semi-strict bathing code; tattoos are discouraged (you might get mistaken for a Yakuza gangster) and most are segregated by sex. The Niseko Grand is one of few places where you can lounge coed in a steaming, snow-lined pool, watching the flakes of the nightly refill drift down.

We set a daily routine. Breakfast, stock up on mango caramels and other snacks in the hotel store, lie to the front desk’s repeated inquiries about how many people are actually staying in our rooms, load the van and roll out. Up the road from Gordon’s spot we’ve found a sprawling backcountry zone accessing the volcanic crags behind Mt. Niseko-Annupuri, where Niseko’s five ski resorts are clustered. The spot is prime, and we bag lower-elevation pillows before skinning higher up the flanks of a dormant volcano, where the Browers find a cornice drop and Jonah jibs a rock spire.

But we’re not the only ones here; a disconcerting number of mostly-foreign groups are on the same skin tracks as us, and after a few days without a refresh, the zone is exhausted. We are still too close to Niseko. After a final day spent shouting at people to stay out of our jump landing, we decide to move further from the beaten path.

The waters of the Tokachidake onsen, our new backcountry access point, are rust-red with purported healing qualities, and a massive volcanic boulder juts out of middle of the pool, a geologic reminder of where we are. I don’t know about the health benefits, but there’s no doubt that soaking in this soothing hot water is the best way to warm up after a chilly tour on the flanks of the mountain above. I settle back into the pool, leaving only my face exposed to the frigid elements as a few windblown flakes drift down to meet the rising steam.

The mountain-ringed central valleys of Hokkaido are only a three-hour drive from Niseko, but they feel worlds away from the well-beaten path of Western tourism. There are several ski resorts here in the Furano Valley, but they’ve yet to become tourist vortexes. Here a group of Western skiers actually gets some curious looks, and the menus of the restaurants in Kamifurano are in Japanese, not English, for a change.

We are holed up in the Barden Kamifurano, a solitary mountain lodge just down the road from our backcountry access point at the Tokachidake onsen. The reason we are here is the picture that I found online and showed to the crew: a rugged mountain lined with couloirs and cliff drops, rough and featured terrain very unlike the playful slopes we’ve found elsewhere in Hokkaido.

The Brower brothers, well-versed in backcountry ops, jump into the new surroundings like fish into water, setting the skin track to the top of

Jonah Williams floats his way toward a deep landing at Gordon’s zone.

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a cliffy ridge not far from the onsen. But the weather presents new challenges: blasting winds that scour landings, obscure visibility and sap energy and warmth from our bodies. After a day of trials and tribulations in unrelenting storm conditions up high, we retreat back to the sheltered slopes of the forest between the onsen and our lodge, finding pillow poppers and white-room pow turns hidden in the trees.

Finally exhausted from the grind of filming and shooting, I commandeer one of the vans and hightail it to nearby Asahidake, the highest peak in the region with a single gondola that’s reputed to access some of Hokkaido’s lightest powder.

Asahidake is an unlikely powder paradise, with a lift built for summer tourism and long flats that will get your skating muscles in shape. But the

single 300m-vertical pitch right off the top station makes it all worth it: billowing, bottomless, effortless turns through a well-spaced birch forest, a delirium of light powder. The day turns into a race to catch as many gondola laps as possible, making up for unforgiving days of floundering through the snow trying to get the shot. As I charge for another lap of white-room turns, gasping for air through the cold smoke, I realize that every minute of “productive” effort was worth it for this.

The Coterie’s time in Japan has come to an end, but after a whirlwind side trip with the crew to Korea to ski park, I find myself saying goodbye to the boys in Incheon Airport and boarding a plane back to Sapporo. It’s time for round two of the Japan experience.

Hokkaido, Part II I return to Niseko to experience two wildly different ways of skiing here. The first is an American tour group called SASS Global Travel, originally a South American ski tour operation that’s expanded to include Japan trips and a Puerto Rican surf camp. My buddy Fritz is on their trip and has offered the couch in his upscale hotel room, so after negotiating terms with the SASS heads, I get a sneak peek at the guided-tour lifestyle for the next few days.

It goes pretty much like this: Get up, gear up, eat breakfast, hand your gear to the guide to load up and hop into the waiting van. Your guides have been up early scoping weather reports, determining where the best snow is and arranging lift tickets as needed. You pull up to the resort, get a pass pressed into your hand, the guide says “fol-

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Kiroro

Kevin Curran in a Moiwa swimming pool of powder

After four weeks on the road my trip is nearing its end, but there’s still a big chunk of Japanese terrain to discover: the main island Honshu, which with its huge mountain ranges and hundreds of resorts actually outweighs Hokkaido in terms of ski terrain—not to mention the massive agglomeration of culture on Japan’s home island. After all, Hokkaido is considered to be a far-flung province by most Japanese.

Fun Fact

Bowing is based on a strict hierarchical system. It’s good to know your place to avoid a cultural fauxpas. For example, in a host/guest relationship, the host bows lower. I watched a tourist give such a full bow that her hostess almost scraped her forehead on the floor in return. Keep your bows at a respectful medium, and you’ll be bowing with the best of them in no time.

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Wide-open turns at Happo-one

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Honshu

I eschew the quick flight to Tokyo for rail transit: a lumbering regional train that meanders along the coastline of Hokkaido before plunging underground beneath the Tsugaru Straight to arrive in Aomori on the northern tip of Honshu.

There’s plenty of skiing here, with resorts scattered on mountains and volcanoes up and down northern Honshu, but my destination is farther to the south: Hakuba in the heart of the so-called Japan Alps. In Aomori I board one of Japan’s famous Shinkansen high-speed bullet trains,

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low me” and that’s it—a direct ticket to the best powder within a 50km radius. Chase the guide all day, scarf some noodles at lunch, keep skiing.

Afterwards, hit the onsen, begin drinking heavily, eat out, and continue drinking. If they’re not drinking with you, your guides will already be on the mission of scoping out the location to hit tomorrow.

The guided tour is skiing made easy—for those who work hard and want to play hard, there’s no better way to ski a lot of good snow quickly. I am blown away at our guides’ knowledge, their instinctive ability to read the mountain accurately and sniff out powder stashes like bloodhounds.

After a whirlwind tour of Niseko-area resorts with SASS, I drop by the little mom-and-pop ski area of Moiwa to check in on my buddy Kevin Curran, who’s holed up here for a few months for an entirely different experience than the average ski tourist.

A swashbuckling young ski bum, Kevin hails from Washington State in the U.S., where he’s known as “Camper Kev” to his friends. While staying at a remote mountain lodge in Argentina, Kevin met a connection who offered him a job shoveling the decks and driveways of rental houses in Japan. Kevin jumped on the opportunity, and now he’s holed up in a bungalow near Moiwa, with a sweet little deal at the ski area that gets him free lift passes in exchange for some media exposure and freeskiing demos for the local kids.

Moiwa is Niseko’s hidden gem, the low-key local’s secret next to the four interconnected flagship resorts that share the Niseko United pass.

With rumors that Moiwa will soon be joining the United pass and catching more tourist traffic from Niseko, it’s high time to enjoy these mellow bowls and glades before the hordes arrive.

Kevin and I skate off the top of Moiwa’s single quad lift, keeping high for untracked turns in the sidecountry. New snow accumulation has been minimal in the past few days, but we find an open field full of light, wind-deposited snow that Kevin bounds through as my shutter fires away.

Mission accomplished, we circle around back to the resort, skiing through streets and backyards to Kevin’s house for a quick snack of rice and gyoza dumplings. Then we commandeer Kevin’s patron’s RV to drive back to Moiwa for last chair.

Kevin speaks some Japanese from a college course, so we make pleasantries with the mountain manager (I bow very deeply) and a Rastafarian snowcat driver before heading back out to find afternoon untracked. It feels good to know that the ski-bum lifestyle is alive and well here, too.

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which whisks me down to Tokyo at an average speed of over 230 kilometers per hour. Another Shinkansen blur and I’m in Nagano—site of the 1998 Winter Olympics and gateway to the Japan Alps, the serious alpine region of central Honshu.

If Hokkaido skiing is all about playful, carefree powder skiing, then the stereotype on Honshu is something quite different. On the main island the snow can fall just as heavily as on her powder-smothered northern sister, but it falls on bigger, steeper mountains—full-sized ranges with peaks reaching above 3,000m. This is the side of Japanese skiing that gets forgotten in the frenzy about Hokkaido, the side of Japan itself that often is overlooked: its pure alpine-ness.

Thirty kilometers west of Nagano, the Hakuba Valley offers an experience to rival any mega-resort in the European Alps: eleven ski resorts scattered across the valley on the flanks of a stunning backdrop of peaks that look like they were imported from France. It’s touristy here, too, like in Niseko, but with more Japanese flavor to it; more local alpine culture embedded into the area.

And the skiing is unquestionably gnarlier. The sidecountry and backcountry here has serious pucker factor: steep, unpredictable ridges that bottom out into tight ravines, with terrain traps below and exposure above. Nobody even attempts to access the higher backcountry realms until the spring, and then only with extreme caution.

“You guys are idiots! You’re standing in an avalanche path! Get out of there, now!”

The locals do not seem amused by our antics. Here we are, off a backcountry access gate at Hakuba Happo-one, three cameramen maneuvering for angles on the sides of a broad gulch and three skiers hiking lines. Yes, an avalanche danger exists; yes, we set off a small slide on our way down to this point; yes, we have analyzed the situation and determined that we feel comfortable doing what we’re doing. Nevertheless, the local shouting at us from the ridge is quite disconcerting, making me throw a few nervous glances up the drainage.

Luckily I am exploring this zone with an experienced crew: veteran backcountry skier of Nimbus Independent fame Andy Mahre, as well as Karl Fostvedt, better known as Crazy Karl to the ski community, an Idahoan with innate mountain intuition. Add in veteran filmers Ross Reid and Jasper Newton, and fourth-place Olympic slopestyle finisher Anna Segal… okay, Anna might be a bit out of her element, but the rest of us know what we’re doing. As it turns out, the guy scream-

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Andy Mahre enjoying Hakuba’s steeper qualities.

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Fun Fact

A Furano “Belly Button Dancer”

If you’re in the Furano Valley, you might get a chance to witness a rather ridiculous local highlight, the Belly Button Dance, a tribute to Furano’s central location on Hokkaido. Dancers decorate their bellies with fantastical faces that make for quite the amusing spectacle.

Andy makes short work of a classic pillow line.

ing from the ridge is the local kook, renowned in these parts for being “that guy” in the backcountry. Maybe he’s just pissed because we’re filming in what he considers his private stash.

As far as private stashes go, Hakuba has them around every corner, and I’m glad to be plundering them with such a unique crew. This unlikely band of skiers has gathered for a film project called Tamashii, which means “soul” or “spirit” in Japanese. The film treatment runs thus: a few skiers meet in Japan to disconnect from the digital distractions of the modern lifestyle and rediscover old connections with places and with each other. We are certainly connecting on a personal level, and also on a topographical level as we connect with several of Hakuba’s hidden pillow zones over the next few days.

Another storm comes in off the Sea of Japan just a few days before I’m scheduled to leave, and we head for Hakuba Cortina. It is snowing like powder sugar through a sieve. Stashing the camera bag with the lift operator, I make a beeline for the back bowls. There’s still a few more deep turns out there to be had before I fly home, and I’m damn sure not going to spend any more time taking pictures of them. These last runs are for me.

Clearly the myth of Japow is true, and I have returned to say that it is out there for the taking.

For the powder-hungry ski traveler, this is a desti-

nation as legit as it gets, and more fascinating than most. What we know about it and what I described here, is just the very tip of the iceberg. I would fault myself for encouraging more plunderers to the riches of Japan if it weren’t obvious that there’s more than enough to go around. But there’s only one way you can find that out for sure.

Hiking out of another BC mission.

Photo: Felix RIOUX

The French-Canadian JF Houle is one of the most talented and passionate skiers one could possibly meet. Despite multiple boundary-breaking movie segments over a decade of filming as well as a coveted X Games Gold medal, JF has not had an easy career in skiing. He disappeared from the radar over the last three years, only to return last autumn to blow minds with his pièce de résistance Houligan.

FEATURE 61 JF HOULE MAGAZINE SEASON 15/16

David MALACRIDA

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Photo: Felix RIOUX

So JF, you are back! How does it feel and what have you been up to?

It’s good to be here. I’ve been working in secret for two years on the Houligan project. I missed everyone, so being a part of a big event like this and seeing all these old friends again feels great. While I was working on Houligan I often thought, “I ain’t got the level anymore, I’m not part of it anymore.”

But in the end this project gave me so much. I’ve

Sounds like the last few years were tough.

Well, it’s funny really. People often told me that it’s hard to stay on top. I really wanted to stay in the contest scene. Winning the 2011 X Games in Tignes motivated me, but I started to have shoulder issues the year after the X Games, and so I lost that motivation. The winter after the X Games, I had a segment in After Dark from Level 1 that won

FEATURE 63 JF HOULE MAGAZINE SEASON 15/16

DURING THE SCREENING of his comeback movie at the High Five Festival in October, I witnessed a teary-eyed JF Houle on top of the stairs of the theatre, alone, with his back against the wall, watching an ecstatic audience in front of him. This scene was a touching allegory of a tough past and a brilliant future, because between X-Games gold and the release of the highly acclaimed Houligan movie, JF suffered. A sponsor that went bankrupt, others that dropped their support and repeated heavy injuries led him to question his path. With highs, lows and lots of broken poles along the way, JF Houle has led the life of a hot-blooded hooligan.

Before the screening, I sat down with JF to talk. As usual he was completely open, honest and often veered off topic, because JF talks with his heart, not his head.

How was your movie project actually produced and realized?

The whole project was not really organized; I did not clearly know what I wanted to do. I was looking for someone that could give a structure to the project, but it’s not easy to find someone with free time to handle a project like this without any budget. I realized that the only person who could do this was me; so I made the decisions, looked for cameramen and invested money into the project.

In 2015, the second year of the project, I asked one of my best friends, Paul Bergeron, if he wanted to join. At the time, Paul was working at a hardware store to earn money for the winter. When we talked about the project for the first time, I told him: “No way! You got so much talent, do you want to join and shoot with me for one year?” I paid him out of my own pocket. Paul is not a professional filmer, but he is creative, talented and knows how to deal with lights and basic filming. It worked perfectly. At the start of the project I also shot for twenty days with Zack Moxley, a young guy from Whistler. I often forget to mention him because it’s been a long time since we worked together, but he produced some really cool shots. I only paid him a flight ticket, and it was the biggest urban trip of his life, it was hectic. When he left he said, “I’m burned out, I’ve never been so tired.” Zack and Paul did really well to get the images we needed for the movie. Sponsors didn’t really support the project much. Spy, who has supported me for a long time, gave me money that helped me survive, but not for the movie. They paid me so that I could buy a bottle of water when I was thirsty. Fortunately, Picture Organic Clothing supported me at the end of the project.

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Photo: Felix RIOUX

always put my heart into my skiing, and it’s never been easy; I always had to work hard to reach my goals. I put all of myself into that movie!

I was pissed off with competitions. If I’d still had results, I probably would have continued, but I started to get bored. And the Canadian team stuff was too standardized. The coaches were cool, but we had to compete in World Cups and other contests. I used to compete at events that I liked, that were cool. But now with freeskiing being at the Olympics, I don’t know… It’s good that there is slopestyle at the Olympics, finally a cool sport to watch, but on the other hand it pisses me off. It clearly changed the direction of our sport, as some athletes that could do some cool projects have to focus on competing. It truly takes away from the media part of skiing, movies and magazines. A lot of money went into the Olympics instead of being put into the sport itself. As we often say: an epic video part is more impactful and will be remembered more than a winning run at X Games two years ago. This is why it’s a pity that companies do not invest in projects with riders as much.

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”I’m done with skiing!“

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MAGAZINE

Photo: Antoine CHOQUETTE

JF HOULE FEATURE 64

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MAGAZINE

Photo: Felix RIOUX

JF HOULE

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Photo: Felix RIOUX

Was it important for you to show the moments of doubt?

When I went to the Dew Tour, I already had this project in my mind for over a year. I was prepared to not go to the Olympics. In the movie I wanted to talk about my influences and also to show a chapter on “Competitions vs. Filming”, so that is how the movie begins. I hired Nick Brassard who followed me during the Dew Tour. When I went back to Québec after the contest, I was sure that we didn’t get any shots, but those images are actually the highlight of the movie. He had his camera turned on when I said “I’m done with skiing,” that was a real moment. It was time for me to go back to the place I dream of. It was time to go back to urban.

So you are back from these hard times, you are 29. What’s next?

Well, I want to believe that awards and recognition will be rewarding for Paul B and I. It’s important to also speak about him, because without him, I

FEATURE 67 JF HOULE MAGAZINE

Was it the fear of leaving the freeski scene that made you persevere with competitions?

Yes I guess you could say that. It was a tough task for me to leave competitions. They gave me so much, and I loved it. I learned a lot about myself and my abilities. It also made me push my skiing level. I am 29 years old now and I think I am still on a good level thanks to competitions. You know, after the Euro X Games, I was thinking, “Ok, I have my medal, sponsors will follow me, I’ll focus on my projects and I’m going to shoot.” But in the end, I got injured and I lost my mental strength.

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Did you want to compete at the Olympics?

I really wanted to be part of the Olympics, but I did not imagine myself on the podium. Yes I wanted to perform at the Olympics, but I wanted to go filming more, because I knew that if I had the opportunity to get out in the streets for one or two years, that would be the place where I could show what I can really do, and where I could put my skiing in the direction I always dreamed of.

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the Best Jib award at Powder Video Awards in Aspen against Clayton [Vila] and Tom [Wallisch].

To me that was as big as winning the X Games.

That was an absolutely crazy feeling. But at the next X Games in Aspen I was already bored.

There was also the introduction of the Canadian Team with additional pressures that didn’t exist before, and I couldn’t handle it. I started to have doubts, and I injured my shoulder again the summer before the Olympics doing an unnatural 1260.

I was telling myself: “If I stomp this trick I have my run and will still be on top. But if I don’t and I keep doing the same unnatural 900 that I’ve been doing for five years, it’s over and I won’t keep on competing”. On the fourth try I broke my shoulder and I’ll always remember the moment when [Team Canada coach JF] Cusson arrived and asked me: “How do you visualize it in your mind? Do you feel like sending an unnat 12 on snow in the winter when it’s gonna be hard?” We both knew the moment for retiring was close. The team always supported me, but I knew what I wanted. The Dew Tour in 2013 was my last competition.

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could not have accomplished all that. My dream is a project with all the best riders from Québec. Collecting the best riders and doing a project with a similar approach to Houligan, where we tell a story.

There are so many things to say, from Charles Gagnier, JF Cusson, JP Auclair and others. I would produce it with Paul. That’s my next dream. There is also Emile Bergeron, he represents the new generation and I want to push him. Making this project I realized that creating is a whole story. You learn things watching the finished movie. Documenting in the right way—without boring interviews—deals more with a feeling. That’s what motivates me. Other than that, I want to ski as long as I can; I want jump sessions in Colorado, I want to keep pushing my skiing, I want to go in the backcountry and hit big jumps, because I always had the balls to go big.

Photo: Felix RIOUX

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JF HOULE

JF Houle’s movie “Houligan” can be viewed for free on Youtube.

Photo: Marco GILBERT

Rider: Basti HUBER

The development of new equipment has enabled freeriders to access classic ski touring terrain, while ski tourers are suddenly able to descend the mountain in freeride style. The last few seasons have seen the beginnings of a completely new dimension in skiing: free touring!

FEATURE 71 FREE TOURING MAGAZINE

NEW FREEDOM

SEASON 15/16

Klaus POLZER

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THE

Text & Photos:

Rider: Basti HUBER

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FREE TOURING

FEATURE 73

Naturally, we don’t stick to the original route, as it follows the horizontal path through the Karwendel, avoiding the vertical slopes on either side.

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those are actually just lame excuses. Reflecting on an age gone by, I remember tackling the Ronde Tour on the MontBlanc Massiv twenty years ago with a Swedish friend of mine. Standing under the Gervasutti Couloir, a steep west-facing chute that only gets late afternoon sun, and was thus a sheet of ice, we watched two Frenchies heartily swinging their way down the frozen snow—on touring skis with Dynafit Tour Light bindings! These delicate-looking bindings were relatively new to the market back then, far too flimsy-looking to trust for us “serious” skiers. As we made our own descent down the frozen slope, we were both very happy to have solid alpine bindings under our feet.

Safety, however, wasn’t the only reason that I refused to try out classic touring equipment back then. During a different mission from this bygone era, our goal was the Capucin Glacier, a somewhat hidden nook in the bowl of the Vallée Blanche above Chamonix. This glacial bowl hardly gets any sun, keeping hold of its powder stashes far longer than anywhere else. Starting from the regular descent through the Vallée Blanche, it’s about a thousand vertical-meter ascent to reach the Col, from which the way down the Capucin Glacier begins. The climb isn’t difficult, but far enough that everyone else in our group was travelling on touring skis. I, on the other hand, wanted to take my “wide”—for the standards of time—freeride skis with me, and packed Alpine Tracker binding inserts.

access, usually involving arduous access routes through lonesome valleys and thick forests.

The idea simply popped into our heads: why not explore the backside of the Nordkette, the well-known ski resort above Innsbruck? The Nordkette gondola brings us up to 2300 m, saving us the first difficult ascent as well as plenty of time. The only problem is that the backside of the Nordkette ends in an extremely remote valley. Pushing out through the kilometre-long flats in the middle of nowhere isn’t much better than walking into the zone in the first place.

The solution to this problem is actually quite obvious: one of the most popular routes for the Innsbruck touring society.

Orientated along a summer hiking route named the Goethe Path, the route crosses different aspects and mountain ridges to reach the aforementioned Pfeis Hut. Naturally, we don’t want to stick to the original route, as it follows the simplest horizontal path through the beautiful Karwendel combe, avoiding the impressive vertical slopes on either side. It’s possible to reach the highest points of every ridge to find awesome descents through steep couloirs; and that is exactly what we want to do.

My mistake, however, was that I didn’t have similarly wide skins. The climb went over a west-facing slope, which was covered in solid corn snow in the morning. I had to attach the skins as far to one side of the skis as possible to be able to tour up, and even then it was an arduous affair without ski crampons. At the first kick turn, I had to re-attach the skins on the other side of the ski! By the third kick turn I’d had enough, and decided to just hike up the damn slope… then on my second step, I bloody well broke through the crust! When I finally arrived at the top, completely pooped, my friends—somewhat annoyed from having to wait so long—let loose a few snarky remarks. But once we finally got to shred the knee-deep powder of the Capucin glacier, I was the one with the last laugh! Nevertheless, these excursions didn’t really occur very often after that. The equipment simply couldn’t satisfy my needs.

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MAGAZINE

FREE TOURING

WE REACH a saddle and purvey the untracked bowl below us.

We still have a long way to go, past the Pfeis Hut and up to the Stempeljoch, before we can begin our final descent to the Inn Valley. Beyond the tracks that we have already laid behind us in the wide expanse of the Karwendel, the expected bad weather front is approaching far more rapidly than we had anticipated. The morning has been a bluebird affair, but we have to pick up the pace. “We” are Basti Huber and Simon Abt, two experienced representatives of the Innsbruck freeride scene, and my humble self as the diligent photographer.

It’s getting late as we have already made a few ascents today, and as usual it’s taken longer than planned, because good shots take time and photographers always want to have a crack at new angles before moving on.

It’s mid-March and the 2015 winter, which never really got into full swing, is nearing its end. Initially the snow delayed its arrival, although January finally delivered a few powder stashes; but the snowpack accumulation was bad, and freeriders had to be cautious. The typical high-pressure system of mid-winter took charge for a while and finally it started getting warm again, far too early for my tastes. Where to find good snow, is the question at hand. The usual spots have long been tracked out. The only place with good conditions is the northern regions of the Alps, but the lower altitudes haven’t been blessed with powder for ages, and the higher peaks of the northern Limestone Alps are difficult to

*** This isn’t the most original idea of all time, and definitely not revolutionary, but until now equipment, our fitness or a combination of both has limited our options. But maybe

*** These days, however, the situation for ambitious freeriders and ski tourers alike is far more promising. Even well-established freeride bindings like the Marker Duke and the Atomic Tracker were a huge improvement for ascents compared with various insert systems. Now, new solid pin bindings like the Dynafit Beast and the Marker Kingpin are revolutionary in their own right, particularly when combined with extralight freeride skis that implement carbon. For the first time

Rider: Simon ABT

Rider: Basti HUBER

Rider: Basti HUBER

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FREE TOURING

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With the impressive scenery of the Karwendel to please our eyes, even the ascent is fun and there are many more possibilities for tours like this.

Rider: Simon ABT

first descents that make you wonder why no one had thought of skiing the route before.

ridge of the Nordkette. We suspect there may be another chute ripe for the pickings behind this peak, with hopefully more of that fresh snow to feast on.

four stunning runs and only one lift ride, at a time when all other ski areas have been tracked for weeks, is a testament to this potential. This approach makes it easy to avoid the masses and follow the snow where it falls; away from the usual freeride hot spots and ski area infrastructure. What must always be on one’s mind, however, is the fact that lessskied terrain demands more knowledge and understanding of avalanches as well as competent orientation skills. To some, however, learning and practicing these skills holds appeal in its own right.

After another descent and a final climb on the other side, we stand at the Mandlscharte with a view on the Stempeljoch far ahead of us. With an expanding cloud front at our backs and ticking watches on our wrists, we decide to take a shortcut through the Arzlscharte to ski directly into the Inn Valley. Usually a descent down such a sun-affected south face would be too dangerous this late in the afternoon, but there is such little snow on the ground that we can navigate our way through old avalanche debris and mountain pines relatively safely. The only downfall is that the skiable snow ends far too soon, and we have to walk down the forestry road for an hour before we reach the valley floor. But with rubber soles and walk modes on our freeride touring boots, this isn’t much of an issue. Needless to say, more free touring excursions lie in the forecast; we haven’t even scratched the surface.

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*** The effect of new ski touring equipment on the freeride revolution on can be seen all around, perhaps most obviously in videos of skiers like Eric Hjorleifson or Samuel Anthamatten, who prefer to access their breathtaking lines under their own power. As heli skiing is very restricted in the Alps, this is the only way to access phenomenal terrain that is all too rarely skied. Perhaps more impactful is the revival of steep skiing which has seen a marked resurgence, particularly around the Mont Blanc area. A little Internet search yields plenty of videos and blog entries of very talented skiers that usually fly under the radar of most freeski media portals. The focal point for these protagonists lies not with the famous lines surrounding the Aiguille du Midi—which one can access without breaking too much of a sweat—but rather with routes around the huge flanks of the Mont Blanc massiv. These projects are marked not only by physically demanding ascents, but also usually involve strong alpinism skills and overnight stays in huts or Bivouacs. In recent years, classic lines have been skied that haven’t seen skis on their slopes for over twenty, thirty or even forty years. A few resourceful skiers have even made a number of stunning

MAGAZINE

FREE TOURING

*** Our chute along the Gleirischzähne is far less extreme than those antics of course, but probably more fun and definitely less nerve-racking. In the northeast-facing aspects, we again find the finest powder, far more that we could have dreamt for.

We aren’t the only ones here, but are still able to claim first tracks in a narrow side couloir. Arriving at the bottom, we attach the skins yet again. Twenty years ago, stuck with Alpine Trackers and the rest, the next ascent would have been difficult to face, but with a Kingpin on the ultra light Völkl BMT 109, the next sequence is surprisingly easy, even with all the heavy photography equipment strapped to my back. With the impressive scenery of the Karwendel to please our eyes, the ascent is even kind of fun. The meditative rhythm of the hike leads my mind to wander. There are so many more possibilities for tours like this. The Lechtal Alps come to mind, the Stubai Alps… the zones to explore like this are literally endless.

I am certain that freeriding is changing because of the new pin binding development. With so many skiers exploring the sidecountry and “slackcountry” of ski areas, and winter seemingly delivering decent snow far less often, the possibility of exploring new powder resources with ease is an enticing option. Our zigzag tour through the Karwendel, with

FEATURE 79

we have equipment at our fingertips that doesn’t compromise safety or performance during shredding, while catering to ascents at the highest level of usability.

Equipped with the latest and greatest, we kick off our Karwendel adventure. From the top gondola station of the Nordkette, we hike up the last few meters to the Hafelekar peak and take a turn away from the usual touring route. To the left of a secondary summit we’ve located an enticing couloir, one that can only be discovered from the valley below, or with the help of a little Internet research. Relatively wide at the top, the chute gets progressively narrower and steeper before opening like an hourglass into a beautiful, wide-open slope at the bottom.

The snow isn’t exactly good—the wind has left its unfortunate mark—and considering the exposure we find ourselves in, any doubts we have regarding the reliability of our equipment need to be put to rest immediately to save our nerves the extra pressure. After the narrowest bit, we find out where the wind had blown all the snow to, and are able to let loose big, arching big turns in untracked perfection. Freeriding like it’s meant to be! Lost in the moment, or perhaps simply following the directions of the photographer, we ski far down into the bowl, and have to ascend countless vertical meters before we rejoin the traditional ski-touring track that crosses the bowl higher up. We follow the established track a short while before turning off to the right to reach another peak along the long

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Scroggin – A Comprehensive Guide The time is ripe to shine a light on an expression that is slowly taking hold in certain ski circles, and which will undeniably spread its influence in seasons to come. You don’t know what “Scroggin” is yet?

You will soon, because Scroggin is more than just a word: it’s a lifestyle, a philosophy.

Text: Basti HUBER

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FEBRUARY

Scroggin is universal, the Scrog is actually its own universe, and finally an off-shoot of skiing that has been vilified and considered uncool by a large portion of the freeski scene will receive the recognition it deserves, because ski touring and ski mountaineering are back!

Multiple variations of our most celebrated Australian and New Zealand term for dried nuts and raisins have

SKIING continuously evolves: new styles appear, unknown skiers reach superstar status with one Internet video, doubles and triples have become conventional and we are expecting a quadruple flip at any moment. Rap slang (Wu), animals (the kangaroo), bread products (pretzel) and D-grade celebrities (K-Fed) have become the inspiration for these trick and scene developments. But where does trail mix fit in?

“XY is not just a word, it’s a lifestyle!” This washed-out Facebook or interview cliché couldn’t be more lame—the hashtag creations of certain #lovethelifeyoulivelivethelifeyoulove pseudo-philosophers are most definitely not the topic we want to analyse any further today. However, in this very special circumstance, this old chestnut of an idiom may fit perfectly to “Scroggin”.

Who exactly imported the term Scroggin into the European Alps will in all likelihood remain an eternal mystery. “Scroggin munching” has been used by Kiwis in that faraway land for quite some time, and refers to various sweat-inducing outdoor activities; “Scrog Muncher” naturally characterises the athlete involved in such activities. Needless to say, Scroggin is a term that has arrived on our shores and is here to stay; a genius adaption that has transformed trail mix—the sustenance of many endurance athletes—into a lifestyle.

“Nuts provide sustainability and protein, the dried fruit provide carbohydrates and the chocolate [...] is there [...] when you need the energy to climb a hill.”

– Urban Dictionary, 2008 sprung out of this development, most not entirely grammatically correct.

First the verb appeared (“I am going scrogging tomorrow.”), naturally the fitting substantive followed (“I have to go outside, I feel the Scrog”) and finally a never-ending word family was created: those that undertake long and challenging expeditions into the mountains are following the Real Scrog, while those competitively inclined Scrogdogs attempt to outscrog each other. (At this point one should note that the sexual connotations that may be associated with the term scroggin in American slang, do not apply here).

The deeper philosophy of Scroggin is so simple, yet powerful: on every mountain peak and at the drop-in of every line that you have reached using your own power, you can feel it.

You are a Scrogger!

SUZUKI NINE KNIGHTS THE PERFECT HIP

THE BEST MALE SKIERS & SNOWBOARDERS 5 TAKE OFFS – 3 LANDINGS - LIMITLESS OPTIONS 5 - 9 APRIL 2016 — SILVRETTA MONTAFON

SKI & SNB SILVRETTA MONTAFON

NINEKNIGHTS.COM PHOTO: KLAUS POLZER RIDER: DAVID WISE

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MORE IS BETTER! POLZER

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Photo: Roman LACHNER

MAGAZINE

SKICIRCUS

Text: Klaus

Marc Hartinger ventures into the seemingly endless frontiers of Skicircus’ backcountry.

As far as European ski areas go, it might be the biggest news of the winter.

With the opening of a new ten-person gondola, Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang and the FWT destination Fieberbrunn are now united into Austria’s largest interconnected ski area. Even if we don’t always have to be happy about the trend towards supergiant ski resorts, in this case there’s no question: more is better!

DESTINATION 83 SKICIRCUS MAGAZINE

The numbers alone are staggering: 70 lifts and 270 kilometers of pistes are included in the newly formed Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn.

But resort-size boasts have never meant much for freeskiers; in fact, the German adage “klein aber fein”—small but comfortable—has usually been more applicable for freestylers and freeriders. But there are exceptions to the rule and Skicircus is one of them—a big one. The different parts that now fit together complement each other perfectly, forming

SEASON 15/16

THE DISTANCE was never the problem—it was easy to see the lifts of the one resort from the top station of the other. Maybe it was because Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang lies in the state of Salzburg, while Fieberbrunn belongs to Tyrol. At any rate, it’s almost a wonder that these two resorts in the tourist-minded Alpine Republic weren’t connected sooner.

But this winter, it’s finally time. The ten-person TirolS gondola—symbolically connecting the names of both states—now bridges the largest interconnected ski resort in Felix Austria.

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Photo: Roman LACHNER

Dani Moder appears to be hovering, mid shifty, above Leogang’s fine Nitro Snowpark.

Photo: Klaus POLZER

what will be one of the prominent freeskiing destinations in the Alps for years to come.

For freestylers, Leogang has always been highly valued. The Nitro Snowpark has one of the longest traditions in Europe, continuing to impress each year with creative obstacles and perfect shaping. Hinterglemm’s night park doesn’t have so long a history, but it’s equally well liked.

The freestyle area right above the village center is Ben Kalra takes advantage of one of the many natural take-offs. tion, there’s also a newly developed snow-infora playground of the first class during the day as mation and avalanche warning system called “Lo. well, but things really get popping once the sun Season: December to La” in place, which informers riders about curdisappears behind the Zwölferkogel. Where else April Lifts: 70 rent conditions and possible routes at several difcan you go straight from a kicker to the apres-ski Elevation: 820-2.096 m piste length: 270 km ferent locations. Additionally, there’s a wide offedance floor to show your style on multiple levels? Total Parks: 4 (beginner to ring of partially free training courses like SAAC Floating over perfect tables and sliding down rails advanced) and RISK n’ FUN as well as various freeride under floodlights is quite the sensational Website: saalbach.com camps to deliver first experiences, pass on knowexperience.

Somewhat different goods attract freestylers to ledge and simply provide a way enjoy all the powder on Fieberbrunn, where wooden ramps replace the perfectly hand. The high point of the season for the freeride commgroomed parks. The features of the so-called Freeride Park munity is naturally the Freeride World Tour event, which are installed during the summer and aren’t shaped during occupies the Wildseeloder on 6-11 March 2016.

The new freeski hotspot of the Alps is open to everywinter, meaning extra caution should be used when conditions aren’t right. But when there’s powder out, it’s a dream one, also in a financial sense. The day pass for the whole come true. With the new connection, more backcountry resort costs €51 for adults during the main season, €38 for obstacles are being planned elsewhere in the resort, so that everyone under 19, and €25.50 for under-16. Prices are when the snow is right, the entire Skicircus will become one cheaper during the pre- and late-season, which this year also big freestyle arena. A brand-new Freeride Park will already includes the Easter holidays. But the real show-stopper is be in place next to the Nitro Snowpark in Leogang this win- this deal: On Saturdays, everyone under 19 can buy a day ter. A Funcross, several playful roller and bank courses, and pass for only €10, all winter long—it doesn’t get much better than that! For those who take advantage of this offer, two beginner parks round out the offering.

Even all this though, will be possibly overshadowed by Fieberbrunn and Leogang offer themselves as convenient the hype in freeride circles. The quality of Fieberbrunn as an access points for those traveling from Germany. For those off-piste resort has never been in question. Alone the fact staying longer who are looking for some nightlife as well, that the Wildseeloder has hosted the Freeride World Tour Saalbach Hinterglemm is the place to be. Accommodations and Freeride Junior Tour for several seasons shows the of all categories are of course widely available in each town.

If you aren’t familiar with this region yet, then this potential of the terrain. The new lift connection through the Hörndlinger Graben to the Reiterkogel above Saalbach winter is the time to plan a trip across the border between doubles the possibilities. For one, you no longer have to take Salzburg and Tyrol, particular because the region is known the circuitous route from the south slopes of the Wildseeloder for its reliable snowfalls. Everyone else will be coming back back to the Reckmoos lift, but rather comfortably cruise to anyway. For even more freeskiing! the middle station of the new TirolS gondola, which is located on the valley floor. On the other hand, kilometer-wide north slopes open themselves on the Hinterglemm side, which were accessible before, but without a decent connection back to the ski area. In particular it’s a big development for Saalbach Hinterglemm, which has always provided something of a challenge for freeriders despite its size. Many of the north slopes on the Schattberg and Zwölferkogel are closed for the good reason of protecting the forest, and other variations demand long traverses, while the powder on the south slopes often falls a quick victim to the sun.

But it’s not just the additional terrain that rings in the new era for Saalbach Hinterglemm.

At least of equal importance is the transfer of the freeride culture that’s been growing for several years in Fieberbrunn. Alongside the new connec- Melissa Presslaber surfs the well known powder of Fieberbrunn.

Photo: Klaus POLZER

DESTINATION 84 SKICIRCUS MAGAZINE SEASON 15/16

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The features of the so-called Freeride Park aren’t shaped during winter, meaning extra caution should be used when conditions aren’t right. But when there’s powder out, it’s a dream come true.

HISTORY 86

The First Time We Flew Prepare yourself for an unusually deep look into the long and vibrant history of skiing. Before boats—before even the wheel—our ancestors used skis for transportation, with some archeological evidence suggesting that skis were used as far back as 8,000 BC! We won’t look that far today, however; the topic of interest here is the first known emergence of flight on skis.

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A contemporary painting of lieutenant Olaf Rye

THE FIRST JUMP

Text: Mark VON ROY

THROUGHOUT the 18th and 19th century, Norway was the undisputed epicenter of skiing. Perhaps it was due to the necessity of using skis for transport through deep snow that led skiing to become an integral part of Norwegian culture since before the Middle Ages, and eventually saw it develop into a recreational activity and sport. Initially Nordic or cross-country skiing was the focal point for organized competitions, but inevitably the thrill of sliding down steeper hills and ultimately taking to the air took hold. Imagine using flimsy boots attached with equally insubstantial leather straps in telemark style to long, heavy wooden planks. Now picture yourself skiing fast enough with this sketchy set up, to jump off of a mound and into the air. Evidently our

common throughout Scandinavia, particularly in the 17th century, and due to the tactical advantage of moving swiftly through snow, ski troops became a staple of the Norwegian Army. Between wars, Norwegian soldiers experimented with different techniques and became adept skiers due to necessity; the unavoidable byproduct, however, was fun!

When a Dutch naval officer named Cornelius De Jong visited Trondheim in March of 1797, he witnessed skiing for the first time, and thus was possibly the first “ski journalist” to report about skiers having fun. With admiration, he observed Norwegian ski troops as they “flung themselves down [the slope] with a speed that can only be compared with the flight of a bird.”

Cornelius watched as the troops built a mound specifically to jump off of, and estimated that they flew up to 15 meters through the air. Although this may be an embellishment of the actual distances, it’s interesting to consider that skiers were probably the first humans to ever build jumps for fun.

Not only did the soldiers that De Jong observed share the same fun-loving spirit that many freeskiers these days feel when building jumps, they also had a similar penchant for partying. “We all spent the evening uproariously,” De Jong continued in his account. “A number of peasant girls appeared, with whom the skiers danced until the small hours…” We can imagine what probably happened after that.

Anyhow, excuse the tangent. The trend of jumping on skis continued in Norway, and in 1809 the first officially measured jump by Danish-Norwegian lieutenant Olaf Rye was recorded at 9.5 meters. Olaf wanted to display his courage to fellow soldiers, yet another similarity with skiers today who try to

“The skiers went up to the top of a steep slope, and started down… they had built a fairly high mound of wood and snow, over which they jumped as they came down the slope. They shouted as they did so, and when the ski hit the slope again it was with an impact that could be heard from far off.”

– Cornelius de Jong, 1797 skiing ancestors discovered the addicting qualities of an adrenaline rush earlier than most would think.

It is difficult to truly understand what life was like in 18 th-century Norway. Like any country during the era of the Industrial Revolution, one often thinks of arduous, long hours of work and little play. Wars were far more

one-up each another. While this development eventually evolved into ski jumping—an endeavor that is impressive, but no longer really as innovative—it is safe to say those Norwegian soldiers back in 1797 set something in motion that, with the help of freeskiing, is still moving today: the evolution of skiing.

CREW 88

The Spanish Style A Spanish crew based in Andorra, Round 2 is a collective of many of the best young park skiers and filmmakers on the Iberian Peninsula.

Most of them have been skiing together for years, many moving from alpine racing backgrounds into freestyle together, but last season they coalesced around two filmers who were working together for their second year—hence, Round 2—to finally create a full-length movie.

Location: Spain/Andorra Members: Luka Melloni, Noah Albaladejo, Javi Vega, Josep Gil, Pako Benguerel, Scotty Jordan, Alan Villanueva, Pablo Varela, Borja Azurmendi Website: vimeo.com/ round2media

THE CAST of Round 2 ranges from Spanish freeskiing original gangster and still charging 37 year-old Pako Benguerel from Barcelona, to filmers Borja Azurmendi and Pablo Varela from North Spain, to style phenom Noah Albaladejo (see his profile on page 14) his counterpart Luka Melloni and an Andorran contingent. “I got to know these guys through Pako and Javi, who used to come to my home resort to film,” remembers Borja. “They were the only ones doing freestyle at the best level in Spain.”

Developing their network through the Spanish and Andorran scene, the skiers behind Round 2 began meeting in the summertime at Pako’s wakeboard camp in Barcelona, Lac Wakeboard, where the idea of finally making a movie together was first hatched. “I had no studying plans for 2015, so I told them that I would like to film something during the winter and try to make a short movie or some episodes,” says Borja, who teamed up with fellow filmer Pablo Varela on the project. “Pablo and I have different filming

Photo: Jesús FERNANDÉZ

styles, so when we mix our footage it turns out well.”

The crew rented a “weird and cold” apartment as a base camp in Andorra and started filming at the local resorts, Vallnord and Sunset Park Peterol, as well as embarking on urban skiing excursions into France. Trips to Baqueira and other locations in the Pyrenees for urban and backcountry throughout the season, including a memorable snowstorm in Formigal, were capped off with a springtime park shoot in the Sierra Nevada. Along the way, the group experienced the challenges of a full movie production, while benefitting from the experience of the more veteran members of the crew.

“Noah and Luka filmed with Stept and 4bi9, so they showed us how they do it,” says Borja. “They worked so hard once they arrived back home.

And Pako likes everything perfect, so he’s always talking to the filmers, trying to help plan the shoots as well as keeping the whole crew active.”

“We’re just stoked to get in touch with the filming industry and we have come to realize that it’s really difficult to do a big project, like the larger established productions do,” says Noah.

“We saw how much effort you need to put in and how much experience you need to create a good final product.”

Their eponymous film, which dropped online for free last November, captured what can quite simply be called ‘Spanish Style’: artful, evocative editing, a smooth soundtrack and even smoother skiing.

“Everyone in the crew had other priorities like work or other companies to film with, so it’s a film from our weekends,” says Noah Albaladejo. “But it’s something, and it’s our first year, so we’re not stressed about it.” In true Iberian fashion Round 2 are simply taking it as it comes, they don’t have a game plan and never really did. But that is part of their appeal, this lack of an agenda is part of their charm. As to what’s next, nobody really knows, “It’s the start of the season and we haven’t planned anything yet,” laughs Borja, “It’s the Spanish style.”

Photo: Borja AZURMENDI

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ROUND 2

Text: Ethan STONE

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Photos: Jesús FERNANDÉZ

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Photo: Borja AZURMENDI

ROUND 2

Photos: Jordi RULLO

CREW 89

INSIDER 90

The Freeski Manager Hardly anyone has been involved in the freeski industry for as long as Jean-Claude Pedrolini. Over a decade ago, the Swiss man from Chur swapped skis for a desk, at least as far as his profession was concerned, and since then he has steered the ship of Völkl’s international freeski department with equal measures of success and innovation, as well as understanding and support for the sport and his athletes.

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JEAN-CLAUDE PEDROLINI

Text: Klaus POLZER

Photo: Gaudenz DANUSER

High above Laax way back in 2001: Schinka gets upside-down and stays relaxed.

WITHOUT RISK of hyperbole, it’s safe to say that the birth and development of freeskiing changed Jean-Claude Pedrolini’s life. However, when “Schinka”, as he’s known within the scene, first stood on twin tips, he could already look back on a successful ski career that was nearing its end. For over a decade he was actively involved in the classic freestyle scene and when he discovered the newschool development, new opportunities opened for him that eventually led him to an office.

But we are getting ahead of ourselves…

Growing up in Chur near some of the largest ski areas in Switzerland, Schinka started skiing at a young age, acquiring all the fundamental skills through alpine racing. In his teenage years, his interest in chasing gates waned significantly, but the switch to freestyle was something of a coincidence. He randomly met the FreestyleTruppe from Tschiertschen, a small village with a nice ski area just above Chur, who were legendary at the time (if only in Switzerland). After he passed their somewhat extraordinary entrance test, Schinka became a part of the gang.

While ski ballet was the popular discipline in Tschiertschen at the time, with local Heini Baumgartner as a multiple World Cup-winning figurehead, jumping was what fascinated the freestyle

rookie Schinka more that anything. An intensive course lead him to learn a double backflip in no time.

Schinka’s further development as a skier was put on pause by his education. In Zurich he completed an apprenticeship in metalworking, and at age 21 he returned to Chur and started his own craftsmanship business fitting out shops, pubs and restaurants. He managed to work enough in the summer to take long breaks during the winter when he could concentrate on skiing. He focused on aerials, learning the standard maneuvers like double flips with multiple twists, and eventually competed in the Europa Cup. A career in freestyle skiing wasn’t easy back then. Support from sponsors and ski clubs was limited, and the central aerials hub of Switzerland was located on the opposite side of the country at Lake Geneva. In particular, the crucial summer training camps meant immense costs for athletes. In 1998 Schinka accepted an invitation to the join the Swiss 1080 team just as newschool skiing was being invented.

Thanks to local connections, Schinka swapped to the newly established V-Ski Team from Völkl, the brand that he has remained faithful to ever since.

In the early days of the V-Ski Team, Schinka met legendary personalities like Marc-Andre Belliveau and

Sverre Liljeqvist as well as Stian Hagen, who has remained an influential character on the team to this day. It was an exciting time where everything was evolving at a rapid pace. Unfortunately Schinka’s time as an athlete ended abruptly in 2003, when a serious shoulder injury not only ended his career as a professional freestyler, but also forced him to quit his craftsman’s business.

Luckily the solid insurance of the Swiss social system enabled him to retrain for a new occupation and complete an apprenticeship with Völkl. Now based behind a desk, Schinka took on more and more duties for the Völkl Freeski Team, eventually taking over responsibility for Völkl’s entire freeski marketing department. After completing his new education in 2007, Schinka became the official Marketing and Team Manager for Völkl Freeski International.

In the years since then Schinka has remained a constant figure in the fickle and fast-paced scene that is the freeski industry. Hardly any other character in freeskiing, at least in the bigger businesses, has stood at the helm for as long as Schinka. The enduring success of the Völkl freeski team is just a small testament to what he has accomplished—names like Russ Henshaw, Nick Goepper, Markus Eder, Sam Smoothy and Emma Dahlström come to mind, although the impressive Völkl sales figures are probably a better indication that the responsibility and trust invested in him were definitely worth it.

But that’s not what defines him— Schinka is highly regarded by all his team riders and the whole freeski industry because medals and numbers are not the most important factors for him. He is interested in the people behind the athletes and cares about the sport as a whole, and it is refreshing to see that this attitude can still lead to business success.

So let’s hope that Jean-Claude Pedrolini remains an integral part of the freeski scene for the next two decades as well. Rock on, Schinka!

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SAGE CATTABRIGA-ALOSA DIALOGUE 92

A SKIER CALLED SAGE

Interview:

Mark VON ROY Photos:

Adam CLARK

DIALOGUE 93

Meeting a man named Sage, one may expect a wise and calm philosopher. While Sage Cattabriga-Alosa is definitely an intelligent, well spoken human, he is also much more than that: a wild child, free spirit, artist and—as he is known in the ski world—a gnarly, hard-charging and creative skier. Mark von Roy caught up with the man who’s filmed boundary-shattering ski segments for over a decade during last season’s Red Bull Linecatcher to find what sage words he has to share.

MAGAZINE SEASON 15/16

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Red Bull Linecatcher is one of the only events you take part in, what makes it so special?

Combining backcountry slopestyle with a big mountain element makes it really special. Sixteen of the best all-round skiers in the world are invited here; you have to be a skier who can ski the whole mountain as well as be able to jump.

Having the freedom to pick your run is rad; you can choose to hit completely natural features, hit the jump line or combine both. It is the ultimate backcountry slopestyle event, and every year they build such awesome features into a really fun venue. My favorite part of coming to these events is definitely getting to connect with all the other riders, especially some of the European skiers that I don’t really get much time to hang out with. The camaraderie between everyone is really amazing. Because there is a long weather window, we hang out multiple evenings in a row—go bowling and to the bar—and that really is a kind of team building. During the lay days we all shred the mountain together as a group having so much fun, and then during the actual event there is so much support among everyone. All the riders are fired up for each other and everyone is psyched when someone lays down a solid run. It’s a really cool group dynamic, and the event feels more like a soul shred session with a bunch of friends. The contest itself is run really professionally and the livestream is really well done, ensuring that it gets communicated to a larger audience. Although the livestream did bring its own problems because the timeframe is more limited, meaning the riders are not able to do as many runs and sometimes can’t perform at their absolute best. Nevertheless, it’s a really sick event and I am just psyched to be a part of it all.

SAGE CATTABRIGA-ALOSA

Born: 27 December 1979 at Grandma’s House in New Hampshire, USA Home: Bend, Oregon Home Mountain: Alta and Snowbird, Utah Interests: Mountain biking, skateboard dabbling, creating art, hobby DJ Sponsors: The North Face, Atomic, Smith Optics, Backcountry.com, Sony Action Cam, Voke Energy Tablets

DIALOGUE 94 SAGE CATTABRIGA-ALOSA MAGAZINE SEASON 15/16

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Many skiers hail the Linecatcher format as the most representative of freeskiing as a whole, would you agree?

Yeah, there is also Red Bull Cold Rush and the Skiers Cup that have similar concepts. These events showcase skiing in the best way possible in my opinion: an ultimate gathering of the best skiers expressing their way of skiing. And it’s not easy to organize. You need a weather window, where you can wait for the best day and best snow. You need an amazing pool of riders and be able to let them warm up and get fired up for their run. The locations are often quite remote as well, which makes it difficult for live audiences, not to mention the whole media and event staff. For me as a film skier who isn’t really into competitions, these events are cool opportunities that push me in a different way. I am in a totally different headspace and the challenge is way different. It also really preps me up for filming. Usually when I am not filming or competing I ski pretty mellow at my home resort, which doesn’t really warm me up very much. These events are all about doing as many hits and tricks as you can in one run and that’s so sick!

Having a zone prepped with three jumps and a bunch of natural features is really amazing. The runs that get laid down during competition would be some of the sickest runs in any movie as well. So the whole experience is really inspiring and really pushes me as a skier.

straight airs. I posted it that night, because I thought why not? The next day this local ripper, Andrew Pollard from Alta, saw the video on social media and recognized the run. He called up his friend Mark and literally the next day they scoped the line, found better ways to hit it, filmed them tricking the features and taking new and gnarlier lines. Basically they one-upped our video. I saw their better video on Instagram and was like “holy shit!” and spread the video, because it was super rad. I think these kind of organic, cool interactions that you can have through social media are really awesome.

On the other hand, the darker side of social media is how companies use it and how some athletes are contractually obliged to make certain posts for their sponsors. Some people are great skiers but not so great at social media; they can be overshadowed by people that aren’t necessarily the best skiers but are really good at social media. I guess from one side that’s ok, because

had a long, successful career as a professional film skier, how has your approach to filming changed over the years?

Recently I have gotten a lot more interested in the production itself. I like having an influence on the logistics, production and direction of the filming that I am part of. As I move forward, I am more interested in being a part of a production as a whole. I still feel confident that my skiing in front of the lens is worthy to be a part of all that; but I guess I just want to be more involved.

Each project that I am involved in is something that I am really passionate about. I would rather be involved 100%. Each year I try to set up little goals for media that I would like to generate. I really enjoy making something that is engaging; showcasing my skiing in a way that the average skier can relate to. For example, a resort edit can be more impactful than the heavy, freakshow shit that we do in Alaska. I love both, but I think a lot more people can relate to resort skiing because not a lot of people can go to Alaska to ski spines.

It’s amazing to look at, but hard to connect with; so its nice to put something out there that’s a little different and more relatable.

each person has their ability to get in where they fit in and if social media is your way of being a pro skier, then that’s cool. I mean, I get it and I am also playing the game.

mountains. What are your inspirations and outlets for creativity apart from skiing?

Visual art has been a big influence on my life ever since I was a kid. In college I studied fine art and loved the creative process, the experience of working in new mediums and the excitement that happens in those moments. After skiing

[Filmography] TETON GRAVITY RESEARCH: Paradise Waits (2015) Almost Ablaze (2014) Way of Life (2013) The Dream Factory (2012) One for the Road (2011) Light the Wick (2010) Re:Session (2009) Generations (2009) Under the Influence (2008) Lost and Found (2007) Anomaly (2006) Tangerine Dream (2005) Soul Purpose (2004) High Life (2003) The Prophecy (2002) Salad Days (2002) Subject to Change (2001) Mind the Addiction (2001) OTHERS: Chasing Shadows (2015) – Warren Miller; Playground (2007) – Warren Miller; Teddy Bear Crisis (2005) – Kris Ostness; Ten (2004) – Poor Boyz Productions; Not Another Ski Movie (2004) – Push Films; Stimulus (2004) – Rage Films; Junkshow Diaries (2003) – Rage Films; Forward (2003) – Level 1 Productions; The Flying Circus (2001) – Wind Up Films; The Bolero Project (2001) – Wind Up Films;

The media landscape for professional skiers has massively changed since your career started, the rise of social media possibly being the most impactful. What are your thoughts on this development?

I think social media has many really cool elements to it. For instance, I made a follow cam video with Pep [Fujas] at Alta in the early season. It wasn’t really planned, we were just skiing together and I threw the camera on and followed Pep for a fun run doing

Yeah social media is part of the game now, but I think film segments still have the biggest impact. You have

You express lots of creativity in the way that you ski natural terrain, but you also get creative away from the

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You also brought your creativity to the “Experience Sage” project, which was super impressive. Can you tell us a little bit more about the whole project and your involvement?

The project started as an idea many years ago. I was chatting with a music producer friend, who also worked in video projection/mapping; he and I brainstormed the idea of projecting onto snow. I started to get into video mapping and projection on my own and decided to give it a go. As I mentioned earlier, art has always been a big part of my life, and while skiing is a creative endeavor, this was a way to combine art and skiing in a big way. Adam Clark and I started experimenting and shooting using art I had created together with a small office video projector. We got some cool shots, but I knew that there was more to be done. The following

year I pitched the idea to The North [Awards & Results] ocean, the scale of Face and with some added support PVA 2016: Best Male the mountains and we started shooting with TGR, this Performance; vastness of space all 2015: Best Powder time with a commercial projector PVA contribute to its Segment; and a full on TGR production crew. I PVA 2014: Best Powder magic. The type, would set up the projector, curate the Segment; quality, and amount Freeskiing World imagery, map its position on the hill, Tour 2013: 2 place @ of snow that falls Utah; then the film crew and I would talk Snowbird, allows it to stick and Red Bull Cold Rush back and forth about color, light, 2012: 3 place; form amazing fea2011: Best Male content, and finally I would start ski- PVA tures that are rarely Performance & Best ing. A set up would take anywhere Natural Air; seen a ny w h e r e Bull Cold Rush from 15 minutes to an hour or more Red else.

For someone 2011: 2 place; for each shot. After eight long nights PVA 2009: Best Male new, rolling into a Best of shooting including one night Performance, place of such scale Line & Best P.O.V.; where it snowed 18 inches during the PVA 2006: Best Powder can be overwhelmshoot, we had some pretty awesome Segment; ing. The best advice I PVA 2004: Best Male shots. Because we were still working Performance; can give is to start 2003: Male Breakon a bare bones budget, and the PVA small, and build conthrough Performance; logistical challenges were immense, fidence with the per= Powder Video everything ended being on a smaller [PVA spective. Scale, even Awards] scale than the vision had originally after many years, is entailed, but we were still very happy always something I with the results. The shoot was at Grand work on to understand. Taking good Targhee, the ski area that I grew up ski- photos for ridge-top review always helps ing and many people came out of the build your comfort and when looking woodwork to help; friends I had grown for airs, even small-looking rocks can up skiing with, patrol and management provide big drops. Because of the steepat the ski area. Without that support ness, a one-meter rock can launch you things would have been far more expen- 10 meters down the mountain. Starting sive and challenging. with little airs will help feel out the reality of the ones that look big.

For more than a decade we have witnessed you shredding Alaska to If I ever find myself standing on top pieces; what makes it such a special of an Alaskan peak I will keep that in place to ski and what advice would mind. Thanks so much for your time you have to first-timers heading Sage and good luck for the season! there?

Alaska is special is because of a combination of things. The proximity to the

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took over my life, art took a back burner for a while, but over time I found new mediums to work in. The computer with a Wacom tablet that allows for painting, drawing and design on the digital plane opened up that creative outlet again. It allowed me to have a studio anywhere I could set up a laptop.

This has come full circle and brought opportunity to work with the brands that support me, from designing ski graphics with Atomic; tees, hoodies, and backpack art with The North Face, to having a signature goggle with Smith.

Fusing these passions has been a rewarding experience for sure.

Photo: Klaus POLZER Rider: Joffrey POLLET-VILLARD

hip air was set at 11.30 meters by Andreas Håtveit back in 2005—with a 450 nose mute grab, no less—so there is definitely room to go even bigger than this. Luckily for Joff and for us as an audience, this year's Suzuki Nine Knights will be a dedicated hip session, because hips are awesome and don’t get enough love these days. In true Nine Knights style, it won’t be your run-of-the-mill hip—we’ve seen some sketches, and without ruining the surprise too much, let’s just say that this year’s feature will have at least five takeoffs, far too many gaps and transitions to fathom and naturally, it’s going to be enormous. So stay tuned…

VIBES 97

EVERY NOW AND THEN a photo appears that makes skeptical minds yell “Photoshop!” But those who know of Joffrey Pollet-Villard and have seen the Suzuki Nine Knights 2015 highlight video will know that this image isn't altered; it’s the real deal. Joff is the current world record holder for the highest halfpipe air at a staggering 8.04 meters.

With no official measuring device at last year’s Suzuki Nine Knights, we can only make a conservative estimate somewhere above 10 meters for Joff’s airs on the hip during the session. The current, unofficial world record for a

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THE SUZUKI NINE KNIGHTS HIP

Spot: Suzuki Nine Knights, Mottolino/Livigno, ITALY

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SEE YOU NEXT SEASON

What remains at the end, is the possibility of a brighter future.

May the snow gods be with you…

Photo: Adam CLARK

Rider: Carston OLIVER

Spot: La Parva, CHILE

WE CREATE THE FUTURE OF ALL MOUNTAIN FREERIDE

LIGHTWEIGHT TECHNOLOGY FOR COMMITTED FREERIDERS. HANDCRAFTED IN STRAUBING/GERMANY.

100EIGHT

THE PERFECT SETUP WITH

100EIGHT PINK

90EIGHT MARKER BARON EPF

VOELKL.COM I MARKER.NET I DALBELLO.IT

DALBELLO LUPO CARBON TI

HIGH QUALITY MULTI-LAYER-WOODCORE TECHNOLOGY FOR DEMANDING PARK AND URBAN RIDERS.

REVOLT

SIDECUT 129_95_119

VOELKL.COM

LENGTH (RADIUS) 157 [16,7], 165 [18,6], 173 [21,3], 181 [23,4]

PHOTO: PALLY LEARMOND RIDER: EMMA DAHLSTRÖM

THERE IS NO LIMIT TO YOUR CREATIVITY.