The Alps
VERBIER’S VALLÉES
KÜHTAI KOOL SEA to SKI
+ Lindsey VONN Fast Forward
WINTER 19/20
KAHORI MAKI for DESCENTE Winter 2019
Japanism
A moment in time. A meditation on Japanese culture. At Descente, being in harmony with nature is more than just an aspiration. It ’s part of who we are. Woven into the fabric of ever y thing we make. Born from millennia of cultural traditions. A nd a spiritual belief that we are not separate from the natural world. We are part of its sacred essence. A manifestation of coexistence. Humbled by its simplicity. A nd inspired by its beauty. For more than 80 years, Descente has been reinventing the new. Committed to innovation through rebirth. A nchored by the timeless traditions of craftsmanship. We challenge you to feel our spirit. A nd be inspired to move your mind and body in new directions. To have power with purpose.
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Pale di San Martino
At the end of ever y piste, I f ind a home from home.
Bode Miller, world ski champion. Why does an American skier go to the other side of the world to train? When I’m asked that, I always say it’s because not all mountains are the same. The Dolomites are unique and, above all,
what you find at the end of the piste is unique: delicious gourmet cuisine and a typically Italian way of making you feel at home. Warm, friendly, real. This is my Trentino. Find out more at visittrentino.info.
italian alpine experience
The Alps with an Italian touch.
THE ALPS 19/20
CONTENTS 54 SE A TO SKI
T h e M / V B a b k i n i s y o u r t i c ke t to Alaska adventure skiing in the Prince William Sound.
6 0 FAST FORWARD
O l y m p i c G o l d M e d a l i s t L i n d s e y Vo n n o p e n s u p a b o u t i n j u r i e s , retirement and her tr ansition f r o m s k i s t a r t o e n t r e p r e n e u r.
6 6 V E R B I E R ’ S VA L L É E S K nown for its steep skiing and haute cuisine, seen through the e y e s o f a l o c a l , Ve r b i e r i s m o r e than just a playground for the rich and famous.
74 C Y B E R C H I C
T h e s p a c e a g e a r c h i te c t u r e o f t h e N o r d ke t te i n I n n s b r u c k Austria sets the stage for this s e a s o n's c y b e r t a s t i c s k i f a s h i o n .
9 0 PA L M S T O G E T H E R
In the hear t of Arctic L apland, t h e A b i s ko A l p s o f f e r w a r m l i g h t , c o l d p o w d e r, a n d a f a m i l y whose business is skiing.
96 KÜHTAI KOOL
Once a hunting lodge for Emperor M a x i m i l l i a n I , t h e 13 t h - c e n t u r y J a g d s c h l o s s Re s o r t K ü h t a i , w a s a stunning setting for ski and après-ski fashion.
on the cover Skiwear GOLDBERGH Goggles YNIQ Ski Boots DAHU Skis MACH this page
Skiwear TONI SAILER Skis MACH Boots INUIKII Hat HOLDEN Photography by Antonio Cordero
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© Lapo Quagli
Martin Fourcade, Olympic Champion
WWW.ROSSIGNOL.COM @ rossignolapparel
THE ALPS 19/20
96 SNOW FLURRIES 20 S ur v i v o r Q u e b e c s t y l e , inn o v a t i v e s k i f a s hi o n d e s i gn s , s ump t u o u s d e s i gn e r c h a l e t s , b e t t e r l ink s , an d n e w di g s . SN O W S T Y L E 3 0 Fr o m c y b e r c hi c t o m o o n l an din g s , t hi s s e a s o n’s f a s hi o n s ar e o u t- o f t hi s - w o r l d .
36
SNOW GEAR 36 L o o k in g f o r t h e n e x t b i g t hin g in s k iin g? S w i s s B r an d D ah u’s b o o t s m a y ju s t b e t h e an s w e r. BOUTIQUE 38 U r b an f l a g s hip s ar e gi v in g s k i e r s y e ar-r o un d o p t i o n s t o p e r f e c t m o un t ain c hi c . SNOW EVENTS 40 T h e W o r l d P r o S k i To ur i s b r in gin g h e a d-t o -h e a d s k i r a c in g b a c k t o a r e s o r t n e ar y o u .
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SUITES 42 G a s t h o f P o s t L e c h – former royal let terbox t o E mp e r o r Fr an z J o s e f an d e p i c e n t e r o f p e r k s an d p r i v il e g e . PERFECT PL ACES 44 W e l c o m e t o E a s t e r n N o r w a y 's e n c h an t e d P an Tr e e t o p C ab in s . S N O W C U LT U R E 4 6 P e t e r S t e lt z n e r 's R ab b i t o n t h e Ro o f s k i s an d w o r k s h o p r i s e a g ain . L A S T R U N 112 C hr i s D a v e np o r t ’s Z e r m a t t .
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PUBLISHER
Barbara Sanders
ART DIRECTOR Julius M. Yoder III julius@thesnowmag.com
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Meredith Ogilvie-Thompson meredith@thesnowmag.com
C H I E F E D I T O R I A L A N D C R E AT I V E O F F I C E R Barbara Sanders barb@thesnowmag.com
EUROPEAN EDITOR
A S SOCI ATE FA SHION EDITOR
Leslie Woit
Michael Mastarciyan
CRE ATI V E DIREC TOR
FASHION EDITORIAL TE AM
Julius M. Yoder III
John Martinez, Becci Wilson, Joan Valentine, Larissa Skripka
FASHION EDITOR John Martinez
DIGITA L DIREC TOR Julius M. Yoder III
ADVERTISING SALES Sales Director Barbara Sanders (970) 948-1840 barb@thesnowmag.com
Sales Manager Debbie Topp (905) 770-5959 debbiejtopp@hotmail.com
PRINT A ND DIGITA L C ONTRIBU TORS Christian Alexander, Leslie Anthony, Antonio Cordero, Greg Von Doersten, Daniela Federici, Andrew Findlay, Louise Hudson, Mattias Fredriksson, Lori Knowles, Audrey Mead, Kari Medig, Peter ‘Poby’ Pobyjpicz, Gerald Sanders, David Shribman, Tom Winter, Leslie Woit
PUBLISHER’S LETTER
SNOW Globe
What a highlight to shoot ski star Lindsey Vonn! Stunning in Head Sportwear, she sets the tone for the season to come. Lindsey’s accomplishments in ski racing are numerous, and her work to inspire young girls via the Lindsey Vonn Foundation is changing the next generation of female athletes. Editor-in-Chief Meredith Ogilvie-Thompson gets the inside track from this superstar who is setting a blistering pace in everything she does. I’m more than a little jealous that author Leslie Woit has become an official member of the “Arlberg Ski Club.” It’s been a bucket list goal that I’m keen to achieve this winter. Be forewarned my Lech friends; I’ll be looking for your help to enter this illustrious club, which recognizes the noble pursuit of the sport we love. It is a treat to publish Leslie Anthony’s story, “Palms Together”, with Mattias Fredriksson’s images of my long-time friends Pia and Stefan Palm, the owners of Heli Guides Sweden in Abisko. They truly epitomize the heart and soul of skiing and share it daily with both their kids and lucky clients. Thanks to Heidi Blum from Heidi Skis for opening the doors to “le vrai Verbier” and introducing us to the locals that make Verbier so intriguing. Writer Andrew Findlay and photographer Kari Medig’s story will have you booking a ticket before you have finished “Verbier’s Vallées”. Greg Von Doersten’s images and words for “Sea to Ski” will fuel your fire for adventure. Ski perfect corn down to the ocean below with only the sound of calving glaciers and squawking seagulls to break the profound silence of the Alaskan Wilderness. All this from the comfort of your floating ski lodge. Lastly, I must thank the City of Innsbruck, The Nordkette, and 16
the Jagdschloss Resort in the Kühtai for offering us a phenomenal venue to shoot our fashion editorial. Basing out of the charming Hotel Grauer Baer was a luxury, thanks to Klaus, Cindy, and the team for having us and all of our boxes! Kudos to photographer Antonio Cordero, Stylist John Martinez, and our international group of models and support crew who brought our dreams for Cyber Chic and Kühtai Kool to life.
Let it SNOW!
Photo by POBY
CONTRIBUTORS
SNOW TALENT
“POBY” PETER POBYJPICZ
ANDREW FINDLAY
Photographer - Verbier’s Vallées
Writer - Verbier’s Vallées
Photographing the world’s all-time best ski racer, Lindsey Vonn, for SNOW was extraordinary. Not only is Lindsey very cool, but she also is excellent in front of the camera. We wanted to create vintage ski photographs with contemporary ski fashion. To set the stage, we shot at an A-Frame to give us that alpine, mountain, aprés ski feeling. Fun fact: Lindsey Vonn speaks fluent German with a small and charming Austrian accent. We had a blast.
“What struck me most about the assignment in 4 Vallées was the sheer size and scope of the skiing. I especially loved the incredible terrain accessed by the lifts to Mont Fort and Mont Gelé. It’s tough not to reserve a special spot in one’s heart for a country like Switzerland, where skiing is such a fundamental part of the national identity: the food, the mountains, the people who love skiing. I enjoyed every second of my time there.
“Verbier’s terrain was an easy sell, especially after a late-season delivery of fresh powder. However, scraping beneath the town’s legendary party scene to get to the soul is a different matter. Heidi Blum, long-time local and expat American, helped hugely with some key, après skiing introductions at some of her favorite watering holes, Fer a Cheval and Vignabagnes.
MATTIAS FREDRIKSSON
18
KARI MEDIG
Photographer - Fast Forward
LESLIE ANTHONY
ANTONIO CORDERO
Photographer - Palms Together
Writer - Palms Together
Photographer - Cyber Chic
I met Pia and Stefan in the early 90s in Riksgränsen. Over time we have become good friends, and despite living in different corners of the world, we still keep in touch often and ski together every winter. I have shared some incredible moments in my career with the Palms. This time around, it was extra special as we got to join the Palm’s to celebrate Max’s victory at the Scandinavian Big Mountain Championships (youngest winner ever!) with a day of Heli-skiing. With parents like Pia and Stefan, I always knew little Max would be one of the best skiers in the world one day.
I first met Stefan and Pia Palm in the mid-90s when they were working at La Chaumine in La Grave, France. I was a young ski journalist whose eyes were being opened to the international big-mountain backcountry fraternity, and they were de facto ambassadors. Years later, we’d reconnect in their second home of Riksgränsen, in Arctic Sweden, where the couple has a long history of guiding, freeskiing, and heliskiing. Returning to ski with them and write about them in these storied lands that have been so formative. It was a thrill to witness the arrival of their son, Max, to the professional freeskiing scene. It closed a circle for all of us.
Working at the Nordkette in the Hungerburgbahn station designed by star architect Zaha Hadid was a fantastic experience. When you see it, you are impacted by the complexity of the project. It's monumental architecture with a combination of lines and curves that transport you to modern futuristic cities. Thanks to SNOW and the entire team of models, stylists, and beauty for this great shoot in Innsbruck.
HOLDENOUTERWEAR.COM HOLDENOUTERWEAR.COM
SNOW FLURRIES
Photo: Kari Medig
21
FLURRIES
Chalet
CHIC
Aside from an invitation to Willy Bogner’s home itself, we’ve discovered the only place in the world where you’ll find a bona fide Bogner chalet. It is surrounded by snowy forests and pistes that criss-cross Austria’s expansive Saalbach-Hinterglemm ski area. This private, officially branded Bogner chalet, is one of 18 reclaimed-wood eco-forward chalets that comprise Bergdorf Priesteregg, a welcomingly sumptuous hamlet-of-a-resort. Cozy
up in front of a crackling fire in your own alpine-chic abode where panoramic windows reveal Birnhorn, the highest peak in the Leogang Mountains. Slip into a private 15-yard infinity pool warmed to a cossetting 93 degrees, just slightly cooler than a soak in the adjacent stainless-steel hot tub. The wellness offering is rounded out with a Finnish sauna, steam bath, outdoor shower, and a full complement of sybaritically comforting Bogner creams and unguents. Next door, in an ode to the dashing South Tirolean mountaineer and filmmaker Luis Trenker, the equally unique two-person Trenker chalet reflects his mythos of mountain adventure and vitality. Two levels contain furnishings draped in hand-woven linens, floors of rich pine, and a raft of authentic details – a sumptuous leather-pile headboard bearing Luis Trenker’s embossed signature, elegant Catellani & Smith lamps, powder-light feather bedding, infrared sauna cabin, and a sleek modern bathroom create a refuge of wellbeing. A large mirror converts into a flat-screen TV with a simple touch, and both chalets (as do all 18 in the resort) run on all-renewable energy, use environmentally friendly technologies such as waste-water heat recovery and -- because these things matter, too -- bread baked daily in a stone oven and milk from a well-tended herd of blissfully happy cows. All details designed and determined to have you living your very best chalet life, as tradition blended with innovation dictates. — Leslie Woit W W W.P R I E S T E R E G G. AT
Survivor
QUEBEC Want to pit your wits against the winter wastes of Mt Tremblant? For around $800 per person, Heli Tremblant will drop you off for two days in the remote forest: mission to find your way back to camp. This is your chance to slough off city sensitivities and develop ancestral survival skills. Negotiating 20 km of the Laurentian wilderness on off-piste trails around marshland, mountains and frozen lakes, you’ll learn ancient survival techniques using knives and flint stones – a somewhat sharp learning curve! Safety is ensured by survival instructor Alexandre Coser, and no need to forage for fodder as much-needed meals are provided. For extreme sports enthusiasts only, there’s an initiation day to get you ready for remote. And if this is too hard an adventure, there’s always the romantic tour for two which combines a heli ride with a cozy candlelit sunset dinner. Worried about your wilderness footprint? Centre Kanatha-Aki which has created these experiences with Heli-Tremblant is part of Leave No Trace Canada, a national non-profit dedicated to promoting responsible outdoor recreation. Partnering in the mission to mitigate recreational impacts on Canada’s wilderness, proprietor Stéphane Denis says: “We are a proud partner of Leave No Trace Canada which is very involved in the environment. We 22
make our customers aware of the movement and the seven principles of leaving no traces.” These are ‘plan ahead and prepare’; ‘travel and camp on durable surfaces’; ‘dispose of waste properly’; ‘leave what you find’; ‘minimize campfire impacts’; ‘respect wildlife’; and ‘be considerate of others’.— Louise Hudson H E L I - T R E M B L A N T. C O M
w w w .y n i q e y e w e a r . c o m
FLURRIES
Sweet DREAMS
Finally, what was once last is now first. The world’s first gourmet dessert restaurant has achieved the pinnacle of culinary excellence -- a glittering Michelin star. Perched on the soigné slopes of Courchevel, Restaurant Sakara (from the Sanskrit for sugar) presents a full menu of sybaritic starters, mains, and, yes, desserts divined from the very finest produce and executed at the ambrosial behest of pastry chef Sébastien Vauxion. Think Cuban grand cru chocolate, Taha’a vanilla, and local Courchevel elderberries – alchemized as intricate creations that include macaron biscuit of lemon zest cream, lemon parsley sorbet, meringue, and Muscat grape jelly; a caramelized chervil ravioli in delicate Chignin broth; and perhaps a magical citrus and tea confection of bergamot zest and a rare Hojicha tea-infused cream. Open for lunch and afternoon tea, a table at Sakara, tucked into the sumptuous five-star K2 Palace Hotel, represents one of the sweetest culinary diversions into haute cuisine we’ve found this season. — LW W W W.L E K 2 PA L AC E .C O M
ANDERMATT Redux Deluxe
The chime of church bells and scent of melted Bergkäse fill the crisp air of the chocolate-box-like resort of Andermatt, the target of Egyptian billionaire Samih Sawiris’ $1.5 billion redevelopment of the decade. The project, led by Benno Nager, now Director of Development at Secret Garden ski resort in China, links pistes and lifts as far as the neighboring village of Sedrun, increasing glorious groomers to 75 miles amid uninterrupted Swiss peaks. And soon, for 2019-20, a new lift connecting Sedrun to Disentis, a powderrich hub of deserted off-piste splendors. Reached in only 90 minutes by car from Zurich, or via rail on the super-scenic Glacier Express, these majestic mountains are attracting attention for all the right reasons. Uber-trad Andermatt began its evolution in 2013 with The Chedi, a deliciously decadent Asian-Alpine five-star spa hotel, complete with 205 fireplaces, a 16-foot high cheese humidor, destination spa and Michelin-star Japanese restaurant. A new four-star Radisson Blu now adds nearly 300 more rooms to the mix, flanked by residences aimed at an international market whose investments are exempt from Switzerland’s otherwise strict foreign ownership rules. Olympic gold and World Champion Bernhard Russi played a pivotal role in the resort redux. The renowned race course and 24
piste designer (the Andermatt local was also James Bond’s ski double) recognized the need to give the people what they want. “First, people built the steepest runs to the highest points, but to compete in the market you need intermediate runs and lots of sun,” says Russi, perfectly characterizing the panorama of 10,000-foot-plus peaks that encircle the new Schneehüenerstock Express gondola. “If I didn’t believe in it, I wouldn’t have become involved. And now we are a little bit proud.” — LW
fusalp.com
FLURRIES
Upping the ANTE AT ALTA Transforming a Victorian post office into a deluxe designer hotel may well be the ultimate Fixer Upper. Finished in February last season, The Snowpine Lodge is a welcome newcomer on the 80-year-old Alta block, leading the way with a Millennium Modern motif and piste panoramas via pivotal patios. It’s all the brainchild of Brent Pratt, who’s been skiing at Alta for three decades. “When the opportunity arose to purchase the property in 2012, I thought it would be the perfect place to accommodate our growing family,” says Pratt. “However, as the family continued to expand, I realized I wanted to create a legacy, a place for my kids and grandkids to call home, and a place the community would be proud of. Thus, the $50-million renovation of Snowpine Lodge began.” Many of the historic elements have been preserved, including original stone walls and traditional dorm-style accommodation, resulting in a mélange of contemporary and traditional worthy of Chip and Joanna Gaines. With curb appeal courtesy of its own chairlift, even the locker area is ritzy, with its super-staged fireside sofa settings, softly-upholstered benches, complimentary chocolat chaud and cookies, and a bunny run descending right from the locker lounge door. Luxury suites or shared dorms, intimate dining or communal conversation, open-kitchen fine dining or
gastro pub, The Snowpine has it all, juxtaposing the latest trends. “Our goal has never been to change Alta, but to instead restore one of the town’s oldest buildings,” Pratt explains. Hot tubs and heated pool encircle a luxe sofa set-up by the outdoor fireplace, affording uninterrupted views of Alta’s slopes and sizzling sunsets. And the final touches - a kids’ play area, a games room, and an oxygen bar for the sensory spa. Are the old guard miffed? “Snowpine is good for Alta,” says Rosie O’Grady, VP of Alta Lodge, the resort’s oldest hotel. “It will make us all raise our game.” — Louise Hudson SNOWPINE.COM
Shonagh Hamilton
Haute Designer Recently graduated from the Edinburgh College of Art with a degree in fashion design, Shonagh Hamilton has a unique take on ski wear. Family ski trips, a basement full of old skis, and the memories made while skiing made an impact on her. So, when she decided to choose a theme for her senior project, ski fashion was a natural fit. Shonagh likes to be innovative and make a statement. She feels like the ski slopes are the perfect place to do this. “Many people might not be confident enough to push fashion boundaries in their normal life, but they are ready to take bold steps on the slopes,” says Shonagh. Having a sustainable element was essential, and she started the project by “upcycling” old used ski wear to use for the fabric and zippers. Making a statement about single-use plastics, she took fourpack plastic rings and laser cut the shape into scrap fabric she photographed to create a 2D print. Other prints are inspired by ocean pollution. Overall, the designs are inspired by the Anthropocene, 80’s ski wear and Japanese graphic design. Look for prints featuring her Shanghai slow shutter speed street shots and the name of her favorite Chinese Takeout which got her through the long nights creating her collection.— Barbara Sanders 26
� Prevention is better than cure...“
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FLURRIES
AIR to WEAR by LESLIE WOIT
Ladies of the snow, take note. As we layer up for another enriching winter in the mountains, spare a thought for the plucky pioneering gals who laid those first tracks for us all. Well before big lines and extreme skiing came into fashion, and not that long after ladies were first seen sporting trousers, a fearless set of identical twins from Canada were trailblazing a swath through the world of ski racing. Born in 1922, Rhona and Rhoda Wurtele were as inseparable as they were unstoppable. Keeping pace with their equally athletic brothers, the indomitable twins would dominate nearly every race they entered in the 1940s. Heroics that began with ski jumping in Montreal by age 11, eventually led to international racing celebrated with après-ski soirees among the likes of Salvador Dalí. Together they comprised the first – indeed, the entire -Olympic Women’s Alpine Team for Canada in 1948 and would subsequently spend decades coaching and inspiring generations of new skiers, female and male. For their contributions, a litany of awards has included the prestigious Order of Canada, honors from the Canadian and the US Sports Halls of Fame, and starring roles 28
in newsreels, ski films, and countless photographs. Turns out, one particular image is enjoying a renaissance. In search of an evocative vintage picture to reproduce on their luxury ski wear, the Italian firm of Newland alighted on two smiling girls sailing through cool mountain air. “We didn’t know the identity of the girls in the picture,” explained Newland’s Anna Dareggi. “We were excited to see a real photo of two girls who, so many years ago, and in such a different historical and social context, were so obviously brave
and exceptional at the sport we love.” By chance, the daughter of one of the twins saw the resulting sweater in Skitown Boutique, in Brossard, Quebec. The shop owner contacted Newland on behalf of the sisters -- now 97 years old, avid crosscountry skiers and by all accounts tickled pink to see their exploits touching yet another generation of mountain lovers. A special order, including a set of customcreated sweaters for the models themselves, was delivered to the boutique. Fleshing out a rich history woven right through the garment, Rhoda and Rhona shared its provenance. The photo was shot in Banff, Alberta in 1947 for an advertisement for the Canadian Pacific Railway and also graced magazine covers and a biography of their lives on skis, No Limits, by Byron Rempel. The perfectly coordinated jump captured in the photo, we’re not surprised to hear, was achieved in just one take. Clearly, the Wurtele sisters had places to go. W W W. N E W L A N D F R O M I TA LY.C O M
SNOW ART
A Family
Affair
Photographers dish out a new canvas of art. by CHARLOT TE ME TCALF
An inconspicuous terrace house on a quiet West London street may seem an unlikely setting for Powderhound, a mountainthemed homeware collection beloved by skiers the world over. But for those who know professional photographer Tim Hall, and his artist and fine art photographer wife Natasha Durlacher, it’s rather par for the course. And absolutely consistent for a brand that was born at a kitchen table amidst the bustle of family life with two daughters and a pair of King Charles Cavalier Spaniels. Having spent their lifetimes visiting and photographing The Alps, the couple – who have skied together since they were kids – were keen to share their passion with a wider audience. Initially launched as a collection of bespoke tableware decorated with Natasha’s images – charming bone-china breakfast sets with nostalgic joie de vivre designs of colorful figures that were hand-colored and enhanced – Powderhound has since grown into a fully-fledged homeware brand, offering everything from mugs and tea towels to water bottles, T-shirts, hoodies, and a handful of ski accessories. Today, the brand is sold in 20 stores from Aspen and Sun Valley to Gstaad and St. Moritz - with prices starting at $28 for 30
an egg cup. Says the manager of Gorsuch, “Since the very beginning the Powderhound collection has been a success, and appreciated by our customers - men, women, young and old. Porcelain mugs are not easy to bring home safely in one’s luggage, but where there is a love and a will there’s a way.” Though the couple are committed to maintaining the brand’s signature purity and simple look, Natasha annually updates the designs to keep their devotees – including celebrities the couple are too discreet to name - inspired. “Alphabet mugs are particularly popular, as are small canvases made to order with people’s names created from skiing figures,” Natasha says, adding that bespoke chinaware is also available on request. Still produced in the small creative hub of a basement, piled high with boxes ready to ship, stacks of artwork, and rolls of fabric printed with jewel-bright skiing figures, Powderhound shows no sign of slowing down. In addition to the homeware, and the couple’s classic landscape photography, which adorns many hotel and chalet walls, Natasha has recently created a collection of brightly colored, Pop Art-inspired photographs of ski scenes.
“We’d like to become the go-to shop for fun, joyful art and accessories celebrating snow and mountain life” “I recently rediscovered my mother’s stash of photograph albums going back to the time of her grandparents,” says Natasha. “And, in them, wonderful photographs of my grandfather and great uncle skiing as children in St. Moritz in the 20s and 30s. We’re going to build a vintage collection, some of which I’ll color and tint by hand.” So, what next for this family affair? “We’d like to become the go-to shop for fun, joyful art and accessories celebrating snow and mountain life,” says Tim. Considering Natasha’s charming, distinctive designs of happy life in the mountains have struck such a strong chord with snow-lovers, the two may go global sooner than they think. P OW DER H O U N D.L O N D O N
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SKIING I N K Ü H TA I
HIGHER. LOVELIER. WHITER. KÜHTAI – INNSBRUCK´S SKI RESORT Experience the pure joy of a white winter wonderland and a relaxing holiday with friends and family at over 2,000 m in Kühtai – only 30 km from Innsbruck, the capital of Tyrol in Austria. Whether you are a beginner, a professional skier or a freestyler, Kühtai – Innsbruck´s ski resort – is sure to please everyone. For freestyler the KPark – Kühtai´s snowpark – is a real shredder´s paradise. For double the sun and double the fun a ski pass in Kühtai is also valid for the ski area Hochoetz. Therefore a total of absolutely snow-sure 85 km of slopes and 25 lifts and cable cars ensure variety. Best of all, the accommodations in the ski-in ski-out resort Kühtai are right next to the slopes.
ALL FAC TS AT A GL ANCE ‣ High alpine ski-in ski-out resort and accommodation ‣ From the hotel straight onto the pistes ‣ Snowsure thanks to high altitude (2020m) ‣ 2 ski resorts – 1 ski pass – 85 km of slopes with the Kühtai-Hochoetz ski pass ‣ Nightskiing twice a week (Wednesday and Saturday) ‣ Wide open slopes, plenty of space for carved turns on perfectly prepared pistes ‣ Paradise for freeriding and ski touring ‣ KPark Kühtai: SuperPipe, FreeStyle Area & SnowCross ‣ KidsPark: for children and snowpark rookies ‣ Cross-countryskiing trails (classic & skating) ‣ Amazing snowshoe and winter hiking experience ‣ Easy to get to (30 km from Innsbruck, 30 minutes from Innsbruck airport)
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OPEN-SPACE RESTAURANT
FIIRST CLASS LOCATION IN INNSBRUCK
SUITES & FAMILY SUITES
WOODFIRE BAR & MORE
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STEAK RESTAURANT "WOODFIRE STEAK & MORE"
HOTEL GRAUER BÄR Universitätsstrasse 5-7 6020 Innsbruck | Phone: +43 512 59240 | Mail: grauer-baer@innsbruck-hotels.at | www.grauer-baer.at
GEAR
The Next Big Thing in Skiing Might be Your Boots
Dahu hits a home run with an old idea. by TOM WINTER
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hen it comes to skiing, the grim reality is the most important part of your equipment – your boots – is often the most problematic and painful. Sure, there are the lucky few who haven’t had to spend time and money on custom insoles, liners and other technical fixes. There are even those who found satisfaction in walk models for getting to après or rear entry models that are easy to get in and out of. But for the majority of us, getting boots that fit and perform well can be more challenging than trying to straight-line Jackson Hole’s Corbet’s Couloir. Enter Dahu, a Swiss brand that’s distributed throughout North America by a crew based in the Vail, Colorado area led by Clark Gundlach. The brand’s latest model – the Ecorce 1, which retails for $899 – features a sleek and stylish exoskeleton coupled with an inner boot that’s fully removable and does dual duty as stand-alone footwear. It’s an innovative approach that combines performance and comfort like no other, and one that has the potential to revolutionize ski boot design. Forget everything you know up til now about the “frame” concept, where a comfortable inner boot is wrapped in a plastic exoskeleton to provide the support and stiffness needed to perform on snow while also allowing for a DIN-standard interface with all Alpine ski bindings. The Ecorce 1 bears no resemblance to the industry’s previous offerings – from the 1988 “Moon Boot” inspired Nava brand, which was widely panned by reviewers, to more recent iterations such as Envy (a snowboard binding with DIN toes and heels that allows you to wear snowboarding boots in Alpine bindings) and Apex (a more traditional “frame” boot offering). “The Dahu Swiss ski boots are much evolved since their original design and launch in Europe,” says Gundlach. “A Cambium liner boot combines the best Italian leather for comfort and support, 38
Primaloft insulation for added warmth, and a patented sole design that locks the inner boot into place in the shell.” Though an avid skier, Gundlach spent more than 22 years at Burton where he was involved with creating some of the brand’s top-performing snowboard boots. It’s this unique experience of working on snowboard boots, but also riding two planks, which allowed him to work with his Swiss colleagues at Dahu to create something special. According to Gundlach, the new Ecorce 1 that will debut this winter in North America has a
previous page Aspen Ski Pro Joanie Valentine in Portillo, Chile, left to right 1. Extractable inner boot from the outer shell. 2. Courtney Reardon 68th American Woman to Summit Mount Everest buckling up.
completely re-engineered shell featuring high-performance composites, aircraft-grade aluminum in the Power Beam, and a new buckle system. “The unique Corsair entry system opens wide for a smooth entry for the foot, and locks in place to provide the Cambium inner boot its on-mountain performance,” says Gundlach. “The Cambium inner boot itself can be worn outside of the shell too, thus providing the skier a comfortable walking alternative.” The Ecorce 1 is available in five flex characteristics – three for men and two for women – which Gundlach says delivers a level of performance, convenience, and comfort not found in any other design. Of course, you’d expect Gundlach to be bullish on these boots, as they’re his baby. But a test day out on the immaculately groomed slopes of Vail proves that the Dahu crew are onto something special. I cranked down the two-buckle system and had no issues, throwing down high-speed GS turns on the corduroy off of Northstar in a pair of the 120 flexers (also available in a 100 and 135 flex for men, and a 90 and 110 flex for women). Shin-bang in the bumps on Highline was non-existent and – perhaps best of all – at the end of my session, my feet felt great. The highlight? Being able to rip high-speed GS turns down Vail’s frontside after an aggressive day on the mountain and at the bottom, removing the
I was hard-pressed to find fault with Dahu’s approach. Is this the boot of the future? Only time will tell. plastic shell for an easy walk to après ski down Bridge Street in the inner boots. While there are some features I’d like to see – there’s no tech toe for ski touring bindings – I was hard-pressed to find fault with Dahu’s approach. Is this the boot of the future? Only time will tell. But, Gundlach says “all of Dahu’s 2020 models have been snapped up by high-end retailers across North America and the company expects to sell out of product for the year.” In other words, while you can expect to see these boots on the hill and on feet next year, you’ll have to move quickly if you want a pair.
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BOUTIQUE
URBAN Alpine b y M I C H A E L M A S TA R C I YA N
Life in the big city can be trying for those who dream of powder and big mountains when the snow begins to fly. Many find solace on the internet, transporting themselves to the Alpine world via social media or YouTube. For others lucky enough to live in some of the world’s premier shopping cities, credit card swipes at ski shops are often the next best thing to clocking vertical. Fortunately for these folks, some of the best ski boutiques are found in the world’s most urban locales.
DESCENTE - TOKYO Smack dab in the heart of Tokyo’s vibrant Shibuya district is where you’ll find chic Japanese ski wear giant Descente’s flagship store. Life outside this 5,700 square foot Godzilla-sized boutique may be bustling at a frenetic pace, but inside it’s a hanging Zen garden blooming with floating ski jackets delicately suspended from the ceiling. Designed by architect Jo Nagasaka, Descente Tokyo is one of the snow world’s most soulful commercial spaces. Reflecting the brand’s clean, understated, tech-forward lines architectural touches masterfully interpret what is nothing short of a Japanese shrine to ski & sportswear in a minimalist, ultra-modern 40
industrial shell of concrete and steel. Fans of Descente will find almost everything the brand produces at this location. While snow worshippers visiting the Japanese Alps during the winter months can pick up the latest mountain apparel offerings, the store also carries sportswear from Descente’s Allterrain line, as well as pieces from its youthful Pause collection, designed by Ryota Iwai. To make this shop even more perfect, especially for those of us unaccustomed to in-store traditional teahouses, Descente Tokyo has its very own Susumuya tea-café where shoppers can coif some of the country’s finest Sencha green tea from the Kagoshima district, and even buy a teapot or two to take home!
ROSSIGNOL - PARIS Fashionistas from around the globe have been transfixed by an elegant section of Paris located on the left bank of the Seine ever since French style god Yves Saint-Laurent immortalized the district by naming his first ready-to-wear shop “Saint-Laurent Rive Gauche” back in the 1960s. So, it’s no wonder the newest and sportiest Rive Gauche resident is iconic French ski brand Rossignol, whose eye-catching
Fashionistas from around the globe have been transfixed by an elegant section of Paris located on the left bank of the Seine 2,600 square foot boutique has been bringing the mountains to the masses of the French capital since opening last fall. Located on Boulevard des Capucines, one of the city’s four grand boulevards, Rossignol’s newest ski shop is a reflection of the label’s evolution from Alpine to transalpine, as it expands into the street wear market with brick-and-mortar shops beyond its traditional resort settings. The store’s massive two-floor windows are a mélange of Alpine eye candy and chic French fashion, luring shoppers into a commercial space the company aptly describes as “dynamic and diversified” – a full range of Rossignol-branded clothes and accessories, from technical equipment to ski wear and après-ski to sport-chic and urban wear. Decorated with weathered larch wood, slate stone and rugged black iron, the store’s beating heart is an elegant lounge area with a fully equipped bar where you can sip drinks while dreaming of la vie des neiges high up in the French Alps, wearing your new Jean Charles de Castelbajac-designed Rossignol ski suit while admiring the powder skis you just purchased as you après-shop with a glass of Bordeaux in your hand!
Since its inception in 1952, Fusalp has built its brand on a foundation of “heritage and innovation”. According to the company’s Chief Executive Officer Alexandre Fauvet, Fusalp’s new flagship London shop is the perfect marriage of both concepts, a cutting-edge urban ski boutique with whispers of Alpine memories, masterfully constructed from glass, copper and exotic timber. “The traction we’ve experienced to date with the UK clientele in ski resorts and online has been highly encouraging, and gave us great confidence to enter the British market with our own London store,” said Fauvet. “This also encouraged us to extend our collection beyond ski to adapt our wardrobe to people’s contemporary lifestyle on the slopes, as well as in the city. We see the UK as a great potential bridge to the US market in the future.”
FUSALP - LONDON With ski racks as display shelves, and an in-shop gondola to try on shoes and boots, Fusalp – one of the world’s most storied luxury ski wear brands – has turned an 1,100 square foot shopping space in London’s chic Chelsea district into a retail resort for ski connoisseurs. The brand’s newly opened Sloane Square boutique, just a stone’s throw from fashion giants Chanel and Louis Vuitton, features the French ski fashion house’s vast collection of ski wear for men, women and children – and yes, the label’s legendary body-hugging stirrup pants and one-piece combinaison ski suits as well. 41
S N O WC EUVLTE UN RT SE
RACER READY, GO! A REVITALIZED WORLD PRO SKI TOUR PROMISES DUAL SLALOM THRILLS AND CHILLS, BOTH ON SNOW AND ON SCREEN. by LESLIE WOIT
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hey’re fast. They’re furious. And they’re coming back to a resort near you. The World Pro Ski Tour, whose exciting head-to-head races featuring Jean-Claude Killy and Spider Sabich you may remember from the neon-hued 70s and 80s, is back. Now, much more than a blast from the past, the latest incarnation of the Pro Tour is a nail-biting circuit whose time has come. Championed by the FIS since 2015, they now offer an exciting calendar of parallel giant slalom races with events in Stockholm, Oslo, and St. Moritz which attract thousands of fans and party-goers. The Alpine world keenly welcomes the decision to run dual slalom races for the first time at the Olympic Winter Games in Beijing 2022. Cue the big shooters. Two-time Olympic Gold Medalist and five-time giant slalom world champion Ted Ligety is joining the Tour. "My motivation for racing in the WPST is to stay sharp between World Cup races. 42
Anything that can give traditional FIS ski racing some competition and help invigorate and bring new blood is a good thing." In Pro Racing, the margin of victory is often less than a hundredth of a second which makes the competition fierce. The Tours’ roster of talented and fiercely competitive athletes includes three-time Olympian Nolan Kasper and World Cup veteran, Phil Brown. Various US National Champions such as US National Parallel Champion Garret Driller and Canadians and Europeans fresh from the rigors of the World Cup fill out the start list. The Pro Tour circuit includes a glittering group of iconic US ski destinations including Vail, Aspen, Waterville, Sunday River, and Steamboat with races from December through April. Athletes battle for up to $50,000 in prize money at each of the eight events plus there is a sponsored year-end bonus pool. These racers bring speed, stamina, and skills to the people amidst a fun, festival-like atmosphere. The WPST is a true celebration of
A L L P H OTO S C O U R T E S Y W O R L D P R O S K I TO U R
Canadian skier Phil Brown
“Skiing has always been the sexiest sport on the planet. The World Pro Ski Tour resurgence is a great way for the sport to return to its roots” — Billy Kidd mountain lifestyle – from meeting the racers in all-access areas to the easy-toappreciate head-to-head format – there’s even a Champagne sponsor! Fans enjoy an atmosphere that’s lighter and more approachable than World Cup Skiing. If you can’t see the race live, there’s National network TV coverage, as well as live streaming. And for the real fly-on-the-wall perspective, tune into “Between the Gates” a syndicated reality-TV magazine-style show that documents the behind-the-helmet-and-goggles lifestyles of the racers. From the lucky ones de-stressing in the outdoor hot tub at the RitzCarlton to the penny-pinching devotees who survive on fast food and crash in the back seat of their truck. See how the lives of professional ski racers have changed – and how much they’ve stayed the same. At its inception, the tour changed skiing forever by bringing big-name skiers like Phil and Steve Mahre, Jean-Claude Killy, Billy Kidd, and Bob Beattie into the hearts and homes of the American skiing public. “I grew up with this tour as a kid,” explains Jon Franklin, CEO of the World Pro Ski Tour. “In 1973, I carried Jean-Claude Killy’s jacket down the side of the course at Boyne Mountain. Later, as Vice President of Winter Sports at (Mark McCormack’s) IMG, I brought the Mahre brothers back to race on the pro circuit (and later worked sponsorship deals for ski giants Bode Miller and Julia Mancuso). Now I feel deeply honored to have the opportunity to bring this pro tour back to the level it should occupy.”
clockwise from top 1. Bob Beattie, Billy Kidd, and Jim McKay. 2. Ted Ligety 3. Phil Mahre. 4. Jean-Claude Killy. 5. Pro format race start Aspen.
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SUITES
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An invitation into the continuum of Alpine history is a privilege and a perk of Lech life.
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ceilings, and an Willkommen in Lech, embarrassment of laden with snow and curly horns and stuffed aglow with the glittering heads. Along with the patina of Alpine history. Perched ubiquitous loden jackets, dirndls on the northern flank of the recently and fur wraps favored by its regulars, joined-up Ski Arlberg, Austria’s biggest by LESLIE WOIT you’re likely to spot any number of fine grey linked region, this bijou village is beloved for woolen ski sweaters, traced with distinctive red its babbling brook, 16th century church, and and white striping and a raised crest of two skis, one plethora of understated five-star inns favored by pole. Proudly worn in situ, this is members’-only livery of mountain-loving titled types whose forebears have been one of skiing’s oldest societies, the 119-year-old Ski skiing here since The Kaiser ruled (and not the Franz Club Arlberg. Klammer one). On a snowy January day in 1901, six friends hiked up from St. Amid the timeless atmosphere of the Gasthof Post, former Anton and skied down, down, gloriously down to St. Christoph, royal letterbox to Emperor Franz Josef, glasses of glistening Sekt armed with lanky wooden skis, stiff leather boots and bulky wool sparkle beneath romantic Anton Walde landscapes, pine-lined 44
P H OTO S C O U R T E S Y G A S T H O F P O S T.
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coats for an all-day expedition through deep snow and unsecured high-Alpine terrain. (These days, we cover the same route via the glass-and-steel shrouded Galzigbahn and a cruisy blue groomer in under an hour). The early adventurers took shelter at the Hospiz where, fueled by Glühwein and glory, they spontaneously established the Ski Club Arlberg, “a modest meeting point on the Arlberg for the friends of this noble pursuit.” Today nearly nine thousand members hail from fifty-seven countries, gathering for races and après-ski parties held each week in St. Anton, St. Christoph, Stuben, Zürs and Lech. So how does one share turns and tales with a club roster that includes a century of ski nobility – from the inventor of modern ski technique Hannes Schneider, to dozens of World Cup and
Olympic skiers, and the likes of Zürs habitué Princess Caroline of Monaco? Along with demonstrating a love and commitment for skiing in the Arlberg with a minimum of three prior visits, members pay an initiation fee of €200 and annual dues of €60. Prospects must be nominated by two members. At this point, it pays to have friends in high places – and in the Arlberg it’s inn keepers who rule the roost. For regulars at the many lovely hotels that populate the area, it’s quite common for one’s hotelier to put one up for the Club; a second sponsor must be a member of the Club Board. Five stars run in the family of my kind sponsor Florian Moosbrugger, celebrating eight decades as family hosts at the unapologetically traditional Gasthof Post. Favoured by a soigné and loyal clientele that includes the Dutch Royal family (each winter they are installed in the seven linked rooms in the hotel’s discreet Kutsche Wing), the Post’s attractions include forty-eight elegantly furnished, serenely quiet rooms and suites, some with fireplaces, a tranquil outdoor pool opening onto peaceful mountain views, and as of 2017, the panorama restaurant Postblick, with views onto Lech’s fashionable pedestrian life and expansive pistes.
Central to enjoyment of the excellent kitchen is a dip into the Post’s wine cellar, whose thirteen thousand bottles include eye-wateringly rare vintages from Florian’s drinking buddy, an owner of Romanée-Conti. Which brings us to the toast. Every week, induction ceremonies and Stammtisch drinks are held in St. Anton, St. Christoph, Stuben, Zürs and Lech. On this particular evening, a gathering of eighteen inductees convene in the lounge of the Hotel Krone, joining a smart-looking crowd dressed variously in plus fours, tweeds, cashmere and blue jeans and, uniformly, the striking grey sweaters of the Ski Club Arlberg. Thin glasses of Grüner Veltliner and frothy small beers are raised to greet old friends and new from the US, Canada, Australia, Britain, France, and Austria, as well as the Club’s first ever member from India. Each of us is introduced, pinned and besweatered by Club Vice President Stefan Jochum. Sealed with a hearty Ski Heil from the room, we drink to the long continuum of ski history, trailing out merrily into the starry Arlberg night, hopeful of another bluebird day to come in this, the cradle of Alpine skiing.
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PERFECT PLACES
NORW EGI A N WOOD
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erched high above a lush boreal forest in a remote corner of Eastern Norway, one of the world’s best alpine ski racers gazes out a massive pyramid-shaped window floating over an endless ocean of deep green pines and blue lakes. Double Olympic silver medalist, and World Cup champion, Ragnhild Mowinckel is on a serenity break from the high-speed train that has become her life as she crisscrosses the globe in search of speed on snow. The getaway is courtesy of her big sister Christine, and her partner Kristian Rostad, owners of Pan Treetop Cabins, a luxury woodland lodge composed of two sleek A-Frame structures that almost seem like they’re levitating some twentyfive feet off the forest floor. “This is not only my happy place, it’s also my enchanted space,” Mowinckel says, describing the chic steel, wood and glass cabin she’s nestled into for a much-needed escape, deep in the heart of one of Norway’s most untouched and beautiful nature reserves, the famed Finnskogen Forest. Surrounding Pan Treetop Cabins, the verdant forest is an enchanting “north of the Wall” kind of location - if you’re familiar 46
with the mystical landscapes depicted in Game of Thrones - but for some, especially those well-versed in the folklore of the region, it’s an enchanted wonderland. According to local mythology, the real-life “wildlings” who settled the area known as the Finnskogen, which translates as Forest of the Finns, were masters of the art of healing, and rumored to have supernatural powers. The lodge itself is named after Pan, the Greek version of Tapio, a local forest god. “The architecture of the cabins is truly amazing, and the scenery simply breathtaking,” says Mowinckel. “You have wildlife at the foot of your bed, the opportunity to explore untouched nature at your doorstep, and a magic vibe when staying in the cabins, which were built in harmony with this very wild setting.” Designed by Oslo-based architect Espen Surnevik, Pan’s cabins pay homage to the Finnskogen people’s spiritual connection to nature, as well as their shamanistic traditions. Like a pair of ancient arrows pointing to the stars, the two buildings blend in perfectly with their environment, as if magically sunk into stone. The whirling vortex of air and black metal that make up the spiral staircases and pedestrian walkways attached to the cabins are
P H OTO S C O U R T E S Y PA N H Y T T E R . N O .
by MICHAEL M A S TA R C I YA N
“The view and the effect of the sun were the main reasons why we decided to create the cabins,” masterpieces of form and function, spellbinding structures that are not only beautiful to look at, but the perfect doorways into the warm, wood-paneled inner sanctums of the treetop cabins – all of which are equipped with full designer kitchens, wood fireplaces, heated floors, and rain shower baths. Though the true standout features of these luxury forest watchtowers are their large panoramic windows, and the incredible light - morning, noon and night. “The view and the effect of the sun were the main reasons why we decided to create the cabins,” says owner Christine Mowinckel. “Maximizing natural light was an important part of the building process for us.” For those who want more than marveling at the wonders of nature, Pan’s offers all sorts of outdoor activities, including crosscountry skiing, fishing, hiking, canoeing, climbing and sleigh rides. For downhill enthusiasts, it’s but a quick ninety minute drive to Trysil, the Norwegian ski resort Mikaela Shiffrin snuck off to for a little “off the grid” training in between events at last February’s Alpine World Ski Championships. And then there’s also glamour. Quickly becoming the darlings of the European fashion set – thanks in large part to rave reviews in Vogue, Elle Decor, and Esquire - Mowinckel and Rostad’s Norwegian wood cabins recently received a heartfelt and very public stamp of approval from a lovestruck former Scandinavian supermodel.
Used as a location for Vendela Kirsebom’s reality show on Norway’s TV2 Livsstil network, Pan Cabins got top-billing as the Norwegian beauty’s uber romantic love-nest getaway with boyfriend Petter Pilgaard. Kirsebom’s initial reaction as the couple drives up to the cabins is priceless, and proof positive that the best way to win the heart of a supermodel is a romantic road-trip to a cabin in the sky. Which comes as no surprise to Mowinckel. “Waking up to the sunrise, with the effect of the sun slowly increasing, and the sounds of nature coming to life is a majestic feeling,” she says. “And the lake, it adds an extra perspective as the sunset reflects over the water. The Finnskogen has some of the most magnificent sunsets I have ever seen, and I never get tired of experiencing them.” Seeing this wonderland bathed in pinks, purples, blues and yellows is truly a highlight. One that’s sure to take anyone’s breath away. Pan Treetop Cabins is a two-hour drive from Oslo or Gardermoen Airport. PA NH Y T TER.NO
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S N O W C U LT U R E
A X I N E O PH r ’s R a b bit e n z lt e t S r e t Pe on t he Ro of by Mattias Fredriksson by Josefine Å
s | Photos
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wd rest of the cro e th m o fr t u o rdigan, teltzner stands ockers, Norwegian wool ca eer S r te e P , re è g t Flé ntain nickerb the cable car a th century mou h his woolen k Heading toward ul, glitz y Gore-Tex gear. Wit ho could easily pass for a 19 onix scene. Speaking w rf Cham dressed in colo ntage backpack, Steltzner t fitting into the uickly shows himself to be a u o b a re vi ca d to n t nd seems no Steltzner q classic cap a flex patterns, a red postcard - tly on the market, however, s, lo o iu d -c ra ia p rn se tu a , rials rren from freeride skis cu ionately discussing core mate about the new ss f the sport, pa keen student o performance. 48
S N SONWO W C U KLTI NU GR SE
All of which define Rabbit on the Roof, Steltzner’s iconic brand of wooden skis, which he’s been making by hand since 2005. A native of Northern California who grew up skiing in Squaw Valley, Steltzner’s journey to the French Alps started some thirty years ago. “It’s kind of like Homer’s Odyssey. I went to Paris to study at the Sorbonne when I was seventeen, then spent my junior year abroad in Aix-en-Provence, then met a French woman in San Francisco and followed her back to Paris.” Steltzner ended up staying for twenty years, working first as a fashion photographer and, later, having bought the Bois Cintre Finet - a multi-generation artisan family business - as an ebonist creating handmade wood furniture. For the kid from Northern California, however, the mountains were always calling. So, when the opportunity to rent a historic watermill in the picturesque village of Les Praz came, he knew it was time to make a move. The building - four hundred years old with a river running through it was perfect for a workshop, with enough space to live onsite. Steltzner fell in love at first sight, moved all his machines from Paris, and settled down with his partner, artist Anati Graetz. Later, after British artist and renowned mountaineer Andy Parkin installed his atelier at the mill, it came to be known as le moulin des artistes. A rare sanctuary for artists in the Chamonix valley, the mill was the perfect spot for exhibitions, parties and open house gatherings, and – above all – for Steltzner to create his beautiful handmade wood skis for modern skiers. “My original idea worked immediately,” Steltzner says. “When you use a hardwood ash core, you end up with a really good ski.” His first benediction, as he refers to it, came from Vincent Peguy, his guide in La Meije who swapped out his own skis for Steltzner’s prototypes, skied down from one of the region’s famous ice caves, and declared them “great.” “In the beginning, I continued to make furniture as well,” Steltzner says. “Little by little, my reputation grew, and really good riders started to appreciate these were good skis. Now I have clients from all over, including guides and free riders.” A lengthy list that includes ski legends like Anselme Baud, one of extreme skiing’s earliest pioneers. 50
Grafik: Emanuel Tomasini, Fotos: guentheregger.at, Webhofer
NORDKETTE TOP OF INNSBRUCK The mountain in the city. Via spectacular cableways from the historic city centre up to an altitude of over 7,000 feet within only a few minutes. Enjoy winter hiking on the Hafelekar, relaxing at the CLOUD 9 Igloo Bar, the pure excitement of skiing, or just the breath-taking mountain panorama!
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Inserat Snow The Alps 190x238 E.indd 1
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S N O W C U LT U R E
“My original idea worked immediately,” Steltzner says. “When you use a hard wood ash core, you end up with a really good ski.”
It was the stuff of dreams, until one night in December 2016 when Steltzner and Graetz returned from an evening in town to find the mill in flames, and with it their livelihoods totally engulfed. At the time, Steltzner was busy finishing his annual production, some one hundred pairs of skis made lovingly by hand and ready for delivery. With the help of friends and neighbors, he managed to save around thirty pairs, but the remainder, including large stores of unique wood and Graetz’s art, was lost. “The fire was so devastating, it’s taken me two years to start making skis again,” Steltzner says. “I didn’t even have a screwdriver left. And the building, because it was so old, was uninsurable. The community of Chamonix gave me so much 52
support, hosting parties and holding fundraisers online.” Though efforts to re-build the mill are underway, for the moment, Steltzner is working from a temporary shop in town. “I found some great tools, remade all my machining templates, and orders are coming in,” Steltzner says, adding that he is as committed as ever to his love of creating skis with a lasting purpose for clients of all shapes and sizes. Disembarking from the lift at Flégère,
Steltzner heads off into the powder. A magnificent Chamois - an alpine mountain goat - appears peacefully on the peak beyond his line, against the majestic backdrop of the Mont Blanc range. An almost surreal manifestation and, for Steltzner, a magical omen.
*Rabbit on the Roof handcrafted skis start at 1,400€ W W W . R A B B I T O N T H E R O O F. C O M
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Lynsey Dyer skiing corn off Culross Peak, Prince William Sound, AK. 56
Sea to Ski Discovering an unexpected wilderness in Prince William Sound Stor y and Photogr aphy by GREG VON DOERSTEN
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he ship is underway, cutting through the ink blue waters of Prince William Sound with a course charted to Culross Passage. Onboard the 58-foot boat, our group of five adventurous skiers have signed on to one of the first commercially guided ski boat tours of Prince William Sound (PWS). With close to 15,000 square miles of roadless wilderness, and thousands of peaks in the Chugach and Kenai mountains that can only be accessed by boat, the potential for exploratory ski touring and ski mountaineering is limitless. The scene on the boat is one of controlled chaos. Amidst ski gear and duffel bags, crewmembers store equipment and provisions for the week-long trip, while our seasoned captain, 53-year-old Alex von Wichman, unfurls her tattered, sun-stained nautical charts. Searching the peaks and contour lines with her steely hazel-blue eyes, she points out possible ski objectives and it becomes clear we are about to experience one of the most unique and pure forms of skiing in Alaska, possibly anywhere in the world. It’s what Captain Alex calls “Alaska adventure skiing.” A term oft-used by our chiseled ski guide Nick D’Alessio, which – when loosely translated – means utilizing wilderness and ski guiding skills to navigate Alaska’s vast dangers, while at the same time
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opening up exploratory ski lines to clients by private charter boat. As D’Alessio explains it, “Skiing in PWS is a total adventure remote setting, minimal information going in and unknown snow conditions until you get out to the field, with a lifetime of terrain options.” A pioneer of boat-assisted ski touring in the area, Captain Alex has been commercially fishing and chartering in these waters with her brother and business partner Brad von Wichman for over thirty years. Struggling at times to make a living, the two nearly lost everything in the wake of the 1989 Exxon-Valdez oil spill, which dumped over eleven million gallons of oil into pristine wilderness, contaminating more than 1,300 miles of coastline, and killing an estimated 250,000 seabirds, 3,000 otters, 250 bald eagles, and 22 orcas. “When I saw the oil first-hand,” Captain Alex tells me, “it was a mix of emotions. It wasn’t just the oil; it was the absence of life - no birds flying overhead, the ocean was devoid of otters and sea life. As I got closer to the smell, the oil was omnipresent. Like a slap in the face, and an assault on the senses.” The impact of the spill – at the time the largest in US history – played a major role in the collapse of the area’s fishing industry
“Wilderness is not a luxury, but a necessity of the human spirit.” Left to right
1. Zach Husted and Kara Williard sea kayaking the "Beloit" tidewater glacier, Prince William Sound, AK 2. Loaded for adventure, the MV Babkin makes way through the Culross Passage. 3. First mate and chef Gabrielle Markel with "dinner" from the MV Babkin shrimp traps, Deep Water Bay, AK.
and set the von Wichman’s on a new course helping with the environmental clean-up and, afterward, chartering boats for scientific research, as well as sea and mountain-based tourism in the PWS. “When the bottom fell out of the US fish market,” Captain Alex says, “this is what propelled our thinking to try and figure out what to do next - either go for the fishing or start chartering since we knew the Sound so well. Onboard the Babkin, our group is quite happy to be commercial
guinea pigs, and have the ability to customize our itinerary, and select peaks and untouched wilderness routes from the safe confines of a charter boat. “There is something special about skiing down to the ocean, and then getting on the skiff to go home for the evening,” says Captain Alex. “Your meals are taken care of, you aren’t sleeping in a tent on shore, and you don’t have to worry about bears finding you or your food. It’s just you and the wilds of Alaska offering a ski and wilderness experience that is pure and life-changing.” With the dome-like features of Culross Peak in the distance, the boat’s twin-turbo powered Volvo engines rumble toward our first ski objective. We swap our fishing gear for ski boots, and make our way over the lime green seaweed and cobble stone beach before heading off toward the snow line where a dense, temperate rain forest awaits. Wading through thick Alder bush and mountain Hemlock, we begin the ski tour with a true Alaskan bushwhack, passing fresh Wolverine and Black Bear tracks that prompt the crew to call out “Where ya Wolverine, Heyyaaa Bear” to alert fellow critters and acknowledge that we are not alone. Weaving past lakes and multiple creek crossings, we finally access the upper flanks of Culross Peak and wind upward 2,500 feet to its rocky, snow-covered summit where our foot-powered ski touring is rewarded with views of fjords and glaciers, and some of the biggest mountains in the Chugach. On the horizon, Mt. Marcus Baker - the highest peak in the Chugach - pierces the clouds at just over 13,000 feet, offering bountiful ski mountaineering lines, while the Serpentine glacier, which cuts through Mt Gilbert, 59
meanders its way to the ocean. The team transitions from ski touring to descent mode, smoothly slicing through granular corn snow as we admire the beauty of our mountainous setting and one another’s silhouettes against the blue shades of the Pacific Ocean. Later that evening, after “glacieritas” and a delicious dinner of salmon pesto, we gather around a beach bonfire under the starlight – all smiles – as we reflect on our day of unparalleled wild scenery and fantastic skiing. The next day, we head out to Blackstone Bay for a combination of sea kayaking and ski adventures. From the ridge adjacent to the Beloit tidal glacier, our ski-touring group stands in reverence of a jumbled white and blue ice mass created over 11,000 years before during the Pleistocene. As we prepare to descend, we hear a primordial cracking sound - a rumbling from deep within the glacier that feels as if it is talking to us. We watch as a fifty-foothigh tower calves tons of ice into the ocean, creating an explosion of water and debris that alarms a flock of Kittiwake seagulls into a frenzy of calls and highlights our insignificance in this vast wilderness. Back on the boat, I reflect upon a quote by Edward Abbey: “Wilderness is not a luxury, but a necessity of the human spirit.” Having come for the experience to ski Prince William Sound, our group encountered a wilderness that changed us. Watching the glacier calve into the ocean had brought tears to my eyes, and an intense sense of reality about the current state of our planet – in particular the challenges of climate change, ocean pollution and environmental catastrophes. The PWS wilderness had been transformative, infusing each of us with a greater appreciation for the value of the Alaskan wilds, and the notion they are more important than our constant 60
need to consume. Like Abbey, we left with a cause, as well as an understanding that we must hold these wild places in our hearts, and a commitment to preserve them so that others may also experience their beauty and life-changing power.
clockwise left to right 1. Captain Alex Von Wichman mapping AK ski lines with Lindsey and Zach. 2. Lynsey Dyer and Brooke Edwards SUP paddling in Deep Water Bay, Prince William Sound, AK. 3. Brooke Edwards and Zach Husted enjoying the "AK Polar Plunge" Nellie Juan Glacier, Prince William Sound, AK. 4. Team Babkin bonfire on Culross Island, Prince William Sound, AK.
Babkin Charters offer bespoke ski boat tours in Prince William Sound annually, from 1 March – 30 April. Groups of up to 5 people can be accommodated on the Babkin, with prices starting at $2,700 per day for charter costs, and $1,000 per day for a ski guide. For more information, contact: Captain Alex von Wichman Babkin Charters +1 (907) 272-8989 alex@babkin.com Nick D'Alessio Remarkable Adventures +1 (907) 441-0432 info@RemarkableAdv.com 61
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d r a w r o F Fast OMPSON Stor y by MEREDITH OGILVIE-TH ICZ YJP POB ER PET Photography by: JOHN MARTINEZ and DER XAN ALE K Styling by: JAC Hair by: LAURA POLKO for Makeup by: KAR AN MITCHELL metics Cos MAC g usin sts Arti Exclusive
from sey Vonn has been up to since retiring If you’ve been wondering what Lind is pian Olym er form the n, own admissio racing, you’d better sit dow n. By her her are them ng Amo . ects varied list of proj busier than ever juggling a long and orting n Foundation – she’s big into supp Von sey Lind the ongoing work with s been she’ that oir mem her , ent – Rise STEM education for girls at the mom ucing prod e utiv exec s she’ ner, a feat ure film working on with writer Dan Pais d she bran ent lem supp ition , Ladder, a nutr with Robert Redford and Pete Berg rd, wfo Cra y Cind and es Jam gger, LeBron co-founded with Arnold Schwarzene ’s nson Joh k” Roc e “Th yne Dwa er Armour and continued collaboration with Und of beauty products – to name a few. Project Rock, and a proprieta ry line
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“Successful pa ssiona te they do, so like a job”
Light Jacket & Vest: HEAD SPORTSWEAR Ski Boots: VINTAGE SKI WORLD Bag: KARLEN FROM SWITZERLAND
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people a re t a bout wha l ee it doesn’t f
“The biggest thing for me is that I want to be more than just a skier and an athlete,” says Vonn. “I’ve always wanted that.” For those of you who don’t know – i.e. if you’ve been living on the moon – the Olympic gold medalist, World Cup champion in all five disciplines of Alpine skiing, holder of the world record for women with eighty-two World Cup wins, including four overall World Cup titles, stepped off the podium for the last time earlier this year, ending one of the greatest ski racing careers ever. Retirement is a tricky thing for most of us to consider. For athletes – particularly ones that have been such dominant competitors – the mere thought of it is almost always prompted by an acute physical reckoning that your superhero body can no longer be pushed and punished; followed by the devastating acceptance that the one thing you have focused all of your attention and energy on for as long as you can remember is probably not going to be a part of your life anymore. “Even though I knew retirement was coming, I thought I would ski forever,” says Vonn. “There’s a lot of emotion and decision-making after an injury that people don’t know about. I’ve been injured so many times and everyone expects me to come back. This time, I was faced with more obstacles than I could overcome. It was tough to experience.” Tougher still, in front of the camera. When Lindsey Vonn teamed up with renowned action sports media company Teton Gravity Research (TGR) last year to document
her final season, she hoped the story would be about an amazing finish when she conquered it all and broke a world record. Instead, it was a story of injuries and retirement, one which Vonn – ever fearless – really wants us to see. “No matter who’s filming, it’s always a delicate situation,” says Vonn. “There were some really tough moments.” Though she has nothing but praise for the TGR team, Vonn’s childhood friend Clare Brown, who is also Vonn’s partner in her production company Après, filmed the most personal moments of the documentary – moments when Vonn, by her own admission, didn’t want anyone around, including her family with whom she is famously close. Speaking about the film, which premiers on HBO next month, executive vice president of HBO Sports Peter Nelson said, “There are a lot of athlete documentaries today, but this film, at once heartbreaking and inspiring, takes us places unseen with an elite athlete, revealing the sacrifice demanded of a champion confronting her human limits to end an unparalleled career.” I’m reminded of the opening sequence of ABC’s Wide World of Sports – that chilling footage of Slovenian ski jumper Vinko Bogataj’s spectacular crash, and the iconic words narrated by Jim McKay, “the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat”. The fact Bogataj survived that accident may well be the reason many of us – including elite athletes – have such unrealistic expectations. “A lot of women on the tour publicly criticized me for creating drama – that my injuries were just for drama,” Vonn says. “It was kinda shocking. I would’ve rather been healthy my whole career, but you take the card that you’re dealt.” These days, Vonn is taking as many cards as she can. “The transition was harder than I expected,” Vonn says. “It’s not so much that I missed skiing – though I do miss it – for me it was more waking up and not having that one goal that had been driving me. I felt like I was getting lazy mentally
and panicked a bit, and called my agent and asked them to book me to do something immediately.” From participating in a Harvard Business School program to meeting with CEOs and business leaders, to diving head first into start-up opportunities that Vonn says are “harder than people think” – she admits Ladder, focused on nutrition and wellness, which have been a big part of her life, was a steep learning curve – Vonn seems to be on a mission to find a new bliss. Of her current projects, Vonn is most excited about her beauty products. As one of the first women on the tour to wear make-up – “I got a lot of shit for that at the time” – it was important to her to develop a collection specifically for active women that will protect their skin without causing break-outs, and do as much as possible in as few steps as possible. Launching in the spring, the line (whose name was still under wraps as this issue went to press) will include tinted moisturizer with SPF, eyeliner, lip balm, glow drops, and a signature scent. “Successful people are passionate about what they do, so it doesn’t feel like a job,” Vonn says. “I’m working to find something I’m just as passionate about – I need to have that fire and drive and passion I had when I was skiing to be successful outside of the sport.” Like many skiers, Vonn is also passionate about the environment. “I’ve seen the effects of climate change first-hand – for us it’s a way of living and it’s been more and more difficult to come by these days,” she says. “In developing my beauty line, it’s all sustainable and most of the ingredients are organic – there is always an environmental thought to everything I do.” For Vonn, it’s not so much about advocacy as standing by her values – simply, she fights for the things that are important to her, no matter what. Afterall, Vonn is a fierce competitor, wired to win. So, what does winning look like for Vonn now that she’s off the slopes? “I think it’s giving my best to something and working as hard
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n "My bra nd is simple,” Von sa ys. “Wha t you see is wha t you get"
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as I can,” she says, acknowledging that success in business is not always easily defined, and rarely as tangible as winning a world cup. “Rise will be my second book – my first was a New York Times bestseller. My documentary is coming out in November, and I hope the ratings are good and people enjoy it, that it’s a success. Basically, it’s doing the best I can to make a good product that people like - what I’ve learned is business is all about the customer and trying to make them happy.” Reflecting on something Vonn told me earlier, I am particularly moved by her humility, which to me at least seems almost antithetical to being a warrior athlete. But like she says, sometimes failure teaches us more than success. “My brand is simple,” Vonn says. “What you see is what you get. My way of thinking is let my skiing speak for itself – my work ethic is what carries through, and my values. “Eventually, I want people to think ‘wow she used to be a skier, now she’s so successful in business’ – I want to be even more successful than I was as a skier. The challenge and the thrill of that drives
Lindsey Vonn: The Final Season premieres on HBO on November 26th at 10pm Rise: My Story, by Lindsey Vonn (Harper Collins) will be available at bookstores nationwide, as well as Amazon, from February 25th, 2020
For more information about the Lindsey Vonn foundation, visit: LINDSEYVONNFOUNDATION.ORG
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VERBIER’S Vallées by ANDRE W FINDLE Y photogr aphy by K A RI MEDIG
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ex, drugs and rock and roll is a phrase that’s been used to explain away more than one hazy past. However, when someone like Verbier legend and ski photographer Mark Shapiro says it, you tend to believe it. It’s après hour at Vinabagnes on Rue de Médran, Verbier’s narrow main street that winds gently downhill from the upscale W Verbier, a tony property where my turn-down service last night included a snifter of homemade vermouth, made from local white wine, macerated pine needles and gentian roots, fortified with absinthe. Things are a little less refined down the street at the elbow-room only Vinabagnes, where the only things Swiss-French about the place are the beautiful barkeep, the wine list and the name. Cockney accents dominate the three-drinks-in volume of excitable chatter. And there’s good reason to be excited. Two days ago, it was full-on spring in Verbier, by far the best known of Les 4 Vallées resorts. The green pastures belonging to local dairy farmers, whose cows produce the milk for the region’s famous Raclette, were starting to emerge on the subalpine slopes of this sprawling ski area that overlooks Val de Bagnes a half hour’s drive from Martigny. Suddenly it’s winter again, with all suggestion of springtime buried beneath twenty-five inches of mid-winter light snow. Add in some sex, drugs and rock and roll, and the recipe for a few days exploring the soul beneath the sass of Verbier would be complete. Shapiro occupies a secluded table in the back of the bar. He has a grizzled salt and pepper beard, and the ruddy complexion of someone who has spent many a day in the mountains chasing light and powder snow. Immediately, I get the sense of a guy who is both firmly at home in his castle, and also slightly tinged with the cynicism of someone who deep down inside thinks, “You should have been here in the 70s and 80s.” Though born in Hamilton, Ontario, Shapiro’s as Verbier as it gets. Barely out of his teens, he met a Swiss kid skiing Ontario’s diminutive ski hills, followed him back to Europe for a winter season, and landed in Verbier. That was 48 years ago. He needed money, so got his hands on a Minolta SR1 and started shooting slides of his buddies shredding. After selling an image for five hundred Swiss Francs (back then a king’s ransom on which a ski bum could have survived for months), his professional career began – a journey that would make him a household name in ski photography long before the dawn of the digital era. “We’d go skiing and take photos that were sold all over the world,” Shapiro says about his early days shooting in Verbier, when big mountain freeskiing was exploding as a genre. Verbier’s steeps and bountiful terrain attracted the attention of Ace Kvale, John Faulkner, Scot Schmidt and many others who would go on to become ski legends in their own right, skiing royalty who would share the lifts with actual royalty, and other elites who developed an affinity for Verbier. “The wealthy who came here back then came to ski. Now they come to pose – they’re tossers,” Shapiro says. There’s a reason, however, that he never left. Verbier still delivers in a big way – scrape beneath the resort’s legendary party scene and royal sheen, and it remains at its core a skier’s ski resort. “Freeskiing is in our DNA. It doesn’t matter if you’re Prince Harry or James Blunt, it’s still about adventure, sports and fun,” 70
“Verbier has this reputation as a place to party, but there’s a real solid community here, and a sense of adventure that runs pretty deep,” clockwise left to right 1. The Cabane du Mont Fort at 2457m, Verbier, 2. Skiers look at the passing terrain aboard the téléphérique du Mont-Gelé. 3. Overview of Verbier town from the slopes.
says Warren Smith, another local expat Brit who first skied Verbier in 1997 and went on to start the Warren Smith Ski Academy, the go-to ski school for visiting princes and princesses. “This place is still about people who want a free ride experience. They come here for the terrain, and that’s what keeps this place exciting for me.” The next morning, I’m riding the Ruinettes Telecabine with Heidi Blum, my mouth watering at the barely skied forest glades below us that only two days ago were deep in spring green. Blum is another devotee who discovered Verbier long before it became shorthand for skiing and partying, and also never left. As the founder of Heidi Skis, she is as down to earth as Shapiro is wry. And, as I quickly discover when we drop into a Mont Gelé warm-up couloir, is also a ripper to be contended. “I’m not as bold as I used to be,” Blum says, half way down. I’m not convinced. Shin-deep dry snow covers firm moguls, and I’m feeling the nearly 10,000-foot elevation. After a few late morning runs from the airy Mont Gelé, we stop at historic Cabane du Mont Fort for a lunch of roast chicken and chips, and a glass of red wine beneath a warm and sunny blue sky on the patio. Situated on a knoll with rock star panoramic mountain views, this solid stone-walled structure is a favorite lunchtime destination for skiers and mountaineers. Beyond her ski racing
background, Blum is also an accomplished alpinist who has summited several Himalayan giants, and helps run the American Himalayan Foundation, a charitable organization that her father founded. “Verbier has this reputation as a place to party, but there’s a real solid community here, and a sense of adventure that runs pretty deep,” Blum says as we sip espresso after lunch and watch a trio of skiers side-stepping into a steep bowl on Bec des Rosses. From Cabane du Mont Fort, they look like ants on a vertical desert. In the afternoon, we board the MontFort 2 cable car for the breathtaking ride to the almost 11,000-foot summit of Mont Fort, the high point of 4 Vallées’ inbound terrain. Up here in the lofty Alpine, springtime feels like a distant thought. A brisk breeze greets us when we off-load and clomp across a metal deck seemingly bolted to the mountainside. “This never gets old,” Blum says, leaning on the railing that hangs over a vertical void. The combination of thin air and the view leaves me speechless. In the distance we spot heli-skiing tracks etched on the flanks of Rosablanche. Beckoning to the south are the whipped cream summits of the Grand and Petit Combin, the latter of which was first skied by longtime Verbier guide Denis Bertholet, another local legend. When Blum talks about Verbier’s deep skiing adventure cred, she might as well be 71
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clockwise left to right 1. Raclette fireside. 2. W Verbier 3. After dinner drinks. 4. A taxidermy bull with Swiss cowbell on display at Restaurant des Chottes, Veysonnaz. 5. The wall of the Fer à Cheval restaurant and bar in Verbier. 6. Antique climbing equipment decorates the walls of Chez Dany on the slopes of Les Ruinettes. 7. Local Artwork 8.Longtime Verbier local Heidi Blum. 9. Skiers walk up Rue de Médran during a snowstorm.
speaking about Bertholet – he’s the sort of local character about whom a biography could be written, or at least a great tale that would shed some light on the roots of Verbier’s free-spirited, freeskiing soul. Not only did Bertholet tag many first ski descents in the surrounding mountains, he started one of Switzerland’s first private ski schools, organized Himalayan expeditions, and married a Nepali woman. After fifteen minutes atop Mont Fort, we traverse into a steep black run beneath the cable car. A couple of deep breaths and I ease into the vertiginous surroundings, sink into a comfortable turning rhythm, and watch Blum disappear beneath a cliff band below. Verbier can be so attention-demanding that it’s easy to forget that there are three other vallées in 4 Vallées. In fact, if Verbier has an alter-ego, then it must be Nendaz. Though easily connected by ski lifts that are accessible on a single lift ticket and just a couple of mountain ridges away, in some ways Nendaz may as well be on a different planet. It’s like traveling between worlds, from a place where celebrity-spotting has almost as much cred as skiing steep and sinuous couloirs, to a place where tidy Swiss clichés like cuckoo clocks and cow bells stack up together in a staid and traditional 73
“At its heart, Verbier is still a simple Swiss mountain town.” Swiss ski village experience. I came to Nendaz to meet up with ski instructor Valerian Pahud (adding to the list of Swiss clichés, he works summers for the family business importing components for the watch-making trade), as well as dual Canadian-Swiss citizen Florian BouvetFournier, a former pro snowboarder who calls Nendaz home. Ask the average cocky expat Brit swilling beers at Verbier’s Fer à Cheval and they’ll scoff at Nendaz, slighting it as a resort on the wrong (read, dry) side of the mountains that isn’t worth the effort to visit – a prejudice that works in Pahud and Bouvet-Fournier’s favor. Less international freeriding cachet means fewer crowds, less Verbier attitude, and a big reason Pahud’s planned one season at the Nendaz ski school turned into six. The deep snow that pasted Verbier a few days ago came in lighter quantities on this side of the mountains. With two hours of exploring ahead of us, Bouvet-Fournier has an agenda. “We can hike up Chassoure and drop into the Banana. It looks vertical but it’s not,” he tells me reassuringly. To get there we have some traveling to do. I follow my two guides, dodging bare patches on south-facing Tracouet through a forest of ancient larch trees. Some of them have trunks twice as thick as wine barrels, and Bouvet-Fournier tells me they are among the oldest trees in the Alps. We ride Les Fontaines T-bar that feels almost as ancient as the trees, then transfer to the Plan du Fou cable car, slung diagonally across a steep mountain face to a notch in the ridge above. Fifteen minutes later, I’m boot-packing with my two local riding buddies above the Chassoure gondola top station toward the Banana. It’s time to peel back my inhibitions, and shake off the lingering stupor 74
of last night’s fondue feast. Facing almost due north, the Banana holds dry and fluffy ankle-deep fresh snow atop a firm base that thankfully takes an edge. Pahud and Bouvier-Fournet make it look easy, dispatching the steep entrance with a few sweeping turns. I’m more tentative, jump-turning at first before summoning some steep skiing moxy. That night I stay at Hotel Nendaz. The village is dormant in that end of season way but that suits me fine, and provides a little respite before returning to the bustle of Verbier. I indulge in the hotel’s outdoor spa and infinity pool, watching the pink of alpenglow fade over Val de Bagnes. With one day left to play in 4 Vallées, I spend much of it lapping the Ruinettes Telecabine and the lower elevation forests above the village of Verbier, still finding untracked boot-top snow. The fact that such easily accessible, low hanging fruit remains three days after the storm speaks to the nuances of international skiing sensibility. While we North Americans are in our comfortable happy place, shredding in tight trees and hidden glades, it turns out the freeskiers of Verbier still have a thing or two to learn. Satiated by day’s end, I stomp along streets turning slushy to that Verbier institution, Fer à Cheval, where a couple of sunburned Brits hoover on cigarettes on the sidewalk out front. Inside, I meet up again with Heidi Blum and her old friend HP Gubler, the unofficial “mayor” of Verbier who owns several ski and outdoor shops in town and elsewhere. Blum had a non-skiing work day and is anxious to hear about my explorations at Nendaz, as though I had just returned from some obscure corner of the globe. Every minute or so, someone breezes past our table to say hi to Gubler and Blum, who seem to know everybody in this town. The
left to right 1. Après-ski Aperol. 2. Legendary ski photographer Mark Shapiro sipping wine at Vinabagnes, Verbier. 3. Chef Jean-Baptiste Natali puts on a cooking class during the Haute Cuisine festival at the W Kitchen, W Verbier hotel. 4 A chef at the restaurant in the Experimental Hotel, Verbier puts the finishing touches on a dish. 5. Marc Dubosson and his father Roger run the Laiterie de Verbier. 6. Aging Bagnes cheese in the cellar of Laiterie de Verbier. 7. A server cleans a glass at the W Verbier during the Haute Cuisine festival.
Verbier is located in the Swiss Canton of Valais. It belongs to the six-resort mega ski area 4 Vallées, which includes Verbier, Nendaz, Veysonnaz, Thyon, La Tzoumaz and Bruson, and offers more than 260 miles of on-piste skiing. W W W . 4 V A L L E E . C H WHERE TO STAY: volume increases as this storied watering hole fills up with the après crowd. “Sure. This is a British party town, but then you can go down the street to a place like the Laterie de Verbier (an awardwinning local cheesemaker) and you’ll find people still connected to the land and the mountains,” Gubler says. “At its heart, Verbier is still a simple Swiss mountain town.” Simple perhaps, but with an international attitude.
Verbier: Check into W Verbier, boot steps away from the main cable car, with six bars, and nightly DJ beats. Each April this stylish Marriott hotel hosts Haute Cuisine, a culinary festival that attracts chefs from around Europe, as well as demos and cooking classes. MARRIOTT.COM/HOTELS/TRAVEL/GVAWH-W-VERBIER/
Nendaz: Don’t be fooled by the Hotel Nendaz’s institutional façade - this property’s Spa des Bisses offers up hot, warm salt water pools, as well as coldwater plunges, all with a mountain view. HOTELNENDAZ4VALLEES.CH
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PALMS TOGETHER I t’s late afternoon when we finally lift off, crabbing over the extensive bench of dwarf birch girding Swedish Lapland’s Abisko Alps. Beating into the wind between two whale-like summits, the pilot contours a ridge on the right to a plateau, where we debark to sunny views in several directions—north to Riksgränsen, the improbably famous ski area in the middle of Arctic nowhere; west to Norway, where jagged peaks ring deep fjords; and south to Kebnekaise, Europe’s last great wildernesses. Between each compass point, pods of geologic Belugas dolphin over the landscape, their alabaster backs barnacled in rock. Minutes earlier we’d sat in valley-bottom sun outside Abisko Mountain Lodge catching rays in reindeer-skin-draped chairs, so the plateau’s sudden wintery breeze is sharp enough to chase us down the ridge. The run is wind-affected with a definite crunch beneath, so we traverse onto a 2,500-vertical-foot northeast face that promises better. Though it’s a perfect heli-ski run—steep, consistent, uninterrupted—the snow improves only marginally, so I take my time. Conditions be damned, however, two skiers fly past me, egging each other on, arcing huge GS turns through changeable snow at a speed I could never contemplate. Strong and competent, they disappear over a convexity, reappearing minutes later as valley-bottom ants. One of those skiers is Max Palm, a 16-year-old tearing up the World Junior Freeride circuit. He’d spent most of the day up the road at Riksgränsen qualifying for the resort’s annual Scandinavian Big Mountain Championships which is a part of the Freeride World Tour. The other is Max’s mother Pia, three-time champion of that same event, one she helped ignite in the heady freeride days of the early 1990s. More than mother and son connected by an arcane Arctic freeride heritage, with paterfamilias Stefan often away on global guiding missions they’re unlikely ski buddies as well and watching their pas de deux
In the mountains of Arctic Lapland, you’ll find warm light, cold powder, and a family whose business is skiing. And business is good.
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by LESLIE ANTHONY photography by MATTIAS FREDRIKSSON
previous page The golden light at night in May — Knivkammen Kebnekaise. Top to bottom 1.Owners of Heli Ski Guides Sweden Pia & Stefan Palm at Abisko Mountain Lodge. 2. Max and Pia before dropping into Balinbogichohkka in the Abisko Alps.
would warm the heart of any soul skier. “I’m nervous on days like this,” Pia confesses. Awaiting news of Max’s run and aware of icy conditions on the venue, she’d kept her phone close, flinching whenever it lit up. Now that he’s returned safely and they’re skiing together, she hugs him often, tilting her head to touch his, mind-melding ninja ski skills or maybe just transferring a mother’s love, glad he’s here with her, that he survived and did well, something the demure teen is loath to admit. “I have no idea how I placed, but I was happy with my run,” Max shrugs. With skiing both a passion and a family business, there’s no point dwelling on an unchangeable past when you’re having fun in the present. At the next drop-off, Max points to an adjacent ridge half a kilometer away where a narrow cornice edges a shallow natural halfpipe. “I can backflip off that,” he tells photographer Mattias Fredriksson, a family friend who’s been shooting him and older sister Robina since they were young. Pia pays no heed to this news—it’s business as usual. With Mattias set up, Max tracks across the face, drops into the tube and exits in a full inverted layout, landing on the relative flats beyond. Only half joking, I ask Pia how watching something like that is for a mother. “I’m OK with it,” she answers. “I’ve seen worse.” Flying back to the lodge is a study in the fulsome emptiness of the Arctic, like watching a
widescreen film with no edges. Barely discernible among the Pollack-like swaths of dwarf birch, the hamlet of Abisko faces a broad sweep of mountain on the far side of Torneträsk, a massive glacial lake. With only 85 residents and a one-room school, it’s still the biggest village along the lonely road stitching Sweden’s far north to Norway. If you blink, you miss it. I know because I did just that on the way there and had to backtrack several kilometers. Sweeping into the lodge after a memorable evening ski, we’re soon chasing slow-cooked moose with an excellent Bourgogne Pinot Noir. At a longer table, a boisterous group of fifteen are celebrating their fourteenth trip here and what one describes as “the best day of heliskiing in our entire fourteen years.” Contrasting the Nordic chic of the airy dining room is a comfortable central lounge of soft sofas, plush chairs, and the typical ski-lodge kitsch—books, photography, art, old skis, moose antlers. A fridge behind the all-purpose front desk brims with microbrews and wine, and you can buy jewelry by local Sami artisans, branded clothing, and the ski items people seem to terminally forget—goggles, gloves, lip balm. Dick Johansson and wife Mina, who run Abisko Mountain Lodge, have known Stefan for decades, and four years ago had him take over the lodge’s ski touring and heli-ski franchise. The lodge is booked out by northern lights tourism until the heli-ski season begins 93
in late March, running through mid-May—the period locally known as Vårvinter (Spring-Winter). Though Stefan brings a raft of longtime clients to this vernal powfest, more and more firsttime clients are being drawn by word of exceptional skiing and the lodge’s relaxed, homey feel. Overnight, blue skies are traded for a howling storm. Despite the weather, organizers in Riksgränsen do everything they can to make sure competitors get a run in—with more bad weather pending it may be the only chance they get. Trying desperately to ignore her phone, Pia hears through friends that Max has finished, throwing a huge 360 and a backflip, landing both and skiing strongly. “I am so super happy” he texts. Pia glows with pride, and possibly relief. When she receives a TV clip of his run, Mattias and I crowd around her phone to watch. As Max uncorks his 360 the 94
crowd ooohs; when he backflips they go nuts. It stands as the day’s top run. Later, during dinner, we find out that adding today’s score to his qualifier has put Max in first place overall against the cream of Scandinavian freeskiing. Given tomorrow’s forecast of snow there’s a good chance additional runs will be cancelled and Max will be crowned champ. Pia is ebullient at the prospect, and with Stefan flying in from Iceland tonight, the three will be able to celebrate together—the only lamentable absence is Max’s sister, Robina, who is currently studying communication science at the University of Amsterdam. If Max wins, it will be the closing of an unprecedented circle for Pia and Stefan. Pia grew up near the ocean outside Stockholm, with a history of ski and mountain exploits on both sides of the family. Her own
clockwise left to right 1.Ripping fast turns at Nipas with Pyramid in the background. 2. Family-time where the best conversations are outside. 3. Pia getting first tracks.
path started with cross-country skiing, then Alpine racing for a local ski club. There were frequent holidays to the mountains and an annual trip to Austria, driving in a car stacked with three kids. Spring pilgrimages to Lapland began in the early 1980s before there was a road, when Pia would take the train north with friends. By then a coach at her ski club, she soon started instructing at Riksgränsen, and in 1990 met fellow instructor Stefan Palm. They put in a few springs together, heading to New Zealand to ski when summer hit. As was fashionable for
adventurous skiers of the day, they also started telemark skiing, undertaking an expedition to China’s 24,600-foot Muztagh Ata in 1993 with six others including Dick Johansson and photo legend Lars Thulin. Stefan, Pia and Lars summitted, and Dick’s Tua skis from the trip now adorn the wall in Abisko Mountain Lodge. As befits Sweden’s most famous guide, Stefan’s backstory is also a good one. Originally from the south of Sweden, he got into mountains, skiing and traveling with friends in the 1980s, returning home only long enough to make money for the next adventure. Worried he was wasting his life, his mother met him on the doorstep after yet another trip. “I’ve enrolled you in an outdoor leadership school,” she said, hoping his activities could be directed toward something with a paycheck. She held out a pile of papers on which she’d forged Stefan’s signature. After looking them over—and being impressed with the signature—he decided to give it a try. Two
years later he graduated with the kind of experience that allowed him to do jobs like rigging and safety for a live TV event in Riksgränsen. After that particular gig, the fellow overseeing Stefan and a friend was so impressed with their work he’d stated on live TV that they deserved a free trip from the network. Since this same man was about to run Sweden’s first-ever mountainguide training course, the boys lobbied to trade trip for course, and became two of the country’s first certified guides. Pia and Stefan also shared a dream of running a ski lodge and were preparing to do just that in Telluride when friend Pelle Lång called. A few years earlier, Lång and a buddy had purchased a small lodge hotel in a lonely French outpost called La Grave known for its off-piste skiing; business was booming and they needed guides. Pia and Stefan moved to La Grave in 1994 to run La Chaumine—a name that would become legendary, as well as synonymous with the infamously rule-free mountain—over the decade they spent there, La Grave was a nexus of the extreme-ski universe, and La Chaumine its de facto center. Stefan and Pia ultimately moved to the larger ski town of Serre Chevalier to purchase a house and raise a family. Already a strong, fast skier as befit her heritage, Robina—who the family calls “Robi”—raced with the Serre Chevalier ski club for a few years, a good technical foundation for the freeskiing style she and Max would eventually adopt. As Stefan 95
left to right 1. Moose with handpicked local Lingonberries. 2. Restaurant Brasseri Fjällköket at Abisko Mountain Lodge. 2. Moose antlers from a local hunter. 3. Moose with handpicked local Lingonberries.
travelled more as a private guide and the kids grew, need arose for more schools, more culture, and a more convenient airport. After ten years in Serre Chevalier the family uprooted to the little village of Servoz, an hour from Geneva just below Chamonix. From there, Stefan guides around the globe– Japan, India, Iceland, Norway and the Chilean Andes, where he’s known as Sabuezo Sueco—“the Swedish bloodhound”—for his unerring knack of always finding the best snow. But the most important trip he makes each year is back to Swedish Lapland, where it all started. Stefan and Pia introduced heli-skiing to northern Sweden, initially operating through the Riksgränsen ski school. Now 96
they conduct private heliskiing under their company Heliski Guides Sweden, with Stefan as lead guide, Pia as coordinator, and Robina lending expertise to social media and other marketing efforts. In 2015, they decided to base out of Dick’s Abisko Mountain Lodge, getting the old Muztagh Ata crew back together, so to speak. With its jaw-dropping scenery, 20-person capacity, and two helicopters at the door, it’s one of the most exclusive and unique heli-ski operations in the world, benefitting from oversight by the area’s de facto pioneer. “Stefan has an amazing ability to see lines and find the best snow,” says Dick. “His routes and knowledge of these mountains are totally
unique.” After skiing with Stefan, it’s hard to deny the snow-sniffing skill of Sabuezo Sueco. But it’s also hard to deny the family’s long-time connection to this sweeping land, to who they are, what they do, and their love for its fragile qualities. “You have to feel something from this light,” Stefan once told me after we’d scrambled to the top of a peak near Riksgränsen around eight in the evening, only to be washed in copper as we descended. It was then I understood how you could love something too big to comprehend. As expected, further competition is cancelled the next day and Max is declared winner of the 2019 Scandinavian Big Mountain
Championships. I drop everything to join Stefan and Pia as they drive the hour to Riksgränsen to congratulate him. Pia literally shakes with excitement en route, aided by a cappuccino downed before we left. Stefan’s feelings are revealed more subtly, in a story of a bad early season in Chamonix when it was so thin, he didn’t bother skiing. Max, meanwhile, went every day, taking the bus, skiing bell-tobell on his own because his friends weren’t interested. “He didn’t want to play video games while there was any kind of skiing available,” says Stefan, proud less of Max’s preternatural abilities than the passion he displays. When we arrive, it’s to the sight of Max being interviewed
left to right 1. The Heli awaits; Tjuonavagge with lake Torneträsk in the background. 2. Robina Palm and David Nilsson ski touring towards Låktatjåkko. 3. IFMGA guide Stefan Palm studying the terrain.
“You have to feel something from this light.” on TV. Presumably the last thing a 16-yearold wants to see while he’s on camera is his parents strolling up, but he manages to keep it together. Once the interview concludes, however, he’s fair game for hugs and backslaps—including from the event’s venerable founder, Robert Gustafsson, with whom Pia worked to found the event twenty-seven years earlier. Not only is Max the youngest winner ever, remarks Robert, but the first with a parent who has also won, a generational watershed. My last day with the family Palm is golden. With new snowfall blanketing the peaks and clearing skies, we fly off to explore
one of Stefan’s “secret” stashes, and find faces and gullies filled with powder and ski line after un-tracked line on a variety of exposures. Max even throws a massive, celebratory back flip off a cornice into a steep bowl, almost wiping out before pulling it together at the last second as only a rubber-bodied teen can. We lunch in the sun on rolled-out pads, sharing a massive thermos of thick, potato-leek soup, followed by coffee and homemade kanelbulle, a traditional Swedish cinnamon bun. Mattias needs a dramatic background for some final photos, and Stefan suggests a zone to the southwest, where the snow proves to be three times as deep as anything we’ve skied, rippling across steep, shadowed slopes in unconsolidated waves. It’s not just the best powder of the trip, but the best I’ve skied in a dozen trips to Sweden. HELISKIGUIDESSWEDEN.COM
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JACKET MOUNTAIN FORCE BASE LAYER MOUNTAIN FORCE PANT MOUNTAIN FORCE HAT CHAOS SUNGLASSES VUARNET BOOTS BOGNER
Photographer ANTONIO CORDERO Stylist JOHN MARTINEZ Assistant Stylist CAROL GAMARRA Makeup SARAH HAPPEL Hair EVA SANDELGARD
PANTS ALPS & METERS JACKET COTES OF LONDON SWEATER AMUNDSEN BASE LAYER NEWLAND FROM ITALY WATCH JUNGHANS GLASSES PASCAL MATHIEU BACKPACK ALPS & METERS BOOTS HOLDEN
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LAST RUN
DAV’S DESCENTS
Zermatt, Switzerland
P H OTO B Y K A R I M E D I G
b y CHRI S D AV E NP OR T
W
hat makes a ski resort a classic? Is it the snow? Perhaps the terrain? Or maybe the combination of a beautiful village, charming people, and storied history? No doubt all of these elements play an important role at many of the world’s top resorts, but I would argue that the one thing about ski resorts that really sets them apart are the views from the top – a stunning vista of iconic peaks, long Alpine ridges, grand volcanoes, or even an ocean view undoubtedly differentiates the ambiance of a classic resort. There’s Whistler, which has views of the Tusk, Niseko and the stunning Mount Yotei volcano, the views of Mont Blanc from Le Brevent in Chamonix or Courmayeur in Italy, and the Maroon Bells as seen from Aspen Highlands. No skier takes to these slopes and summits without a moment of captivation staring out at those landscapes. But, for me, the single most magnetic and iconic of all of these views is surely the Matterhorn from the stylish and historic slopes of Zermatt, Switzerland. It really doesn’t matter where you chose to ski in Zermatt, the Matterhorn stands tall and proud, even if only in your peripheral vision. Her elegant ridges – the Hornli and Zmutt – framing the enticing East Face (a line I skied for a film in 2007). From the Rothorn or the Stockhorn, the views across the Zermatt valley to the Matterhorn are expansive. Closer in, at Trockner Steg or 114
Schwarzee, her slopes rise high above, teasing you to keep your balance. So, where to end your ski day? Since I am a big fan of the final run of the day being a long, mellow cruiser, I’d recommend starting at the top of the brand-new Matterhorn Glacier Paradise cable car, the highest cable car in the Alps. Stepping out of the incredible station at a dizzying elevation of 12,739 feet, the views are exactly what one would expect – massive. The long, eight mile run to the village of Zermatt will take you over the Matterhorn Glacier, where I can’t help looking over my left shoulder at the peak every few turns. If the snow is great on the Furgggletscher, you may ski a little closer to the massive East Face. Regardless, the icon is above you and requires a stop every so often, if not to take in the view then certainly to rest your legs. Further down, I love to stop at the famous restaurant ZumSee in the quaint Alpine village of Furi to celebrate a great ski day with my friends, and take in one final view of the region’s star attraction, the Matterhorn. For intrepid skiers, as well as those of you who love to travel, Zermatt should be near the top of your list. The Matterhorn will draw you in, her magnetism, power and grace playing a huge part in your overall skiing experience. The views never get old, and make Zermatt a true classic!
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