Saturday, February 27 marked the second annual Big LePowSki, and you missed it. You idiot.
$75 got you a Brighton lift ticket, lunch, free demos and free instruction from pros like Andy Jacobsen, Kim Havell, Jamey Parks, Andrew McLean, and Jenn Berg.
Showing up late as usual, we dropped into Jamey and Andy’s advanced freeride clinic to pick up some cliff-dropping and steep skiing pointers.
Regardless of discipline, there was a clinic with your name on it. Freeride, backcountry awareness, steeps skiing, splitboarding, park tricks, filming…and demos of next year’s gear from Black Diamond and Arc’teryx. Perfect weather, good snow and Brighton’s compact but voluptuous terrain made teaching and learning slightly more fun than Algebra 2.
“It’s awesome to get out here and hang out with like-minded people” remarks Julian Carr after an afternoon park session, “and it’s flattering to think that people want to learn from us.”
Andy Jacobsen reaches for his lunch tray
“It’s been a while since my last 270 off [a rail], but it was happening” adds Cody Barnhill, squinting against the late-day sun. “Park is still fun.”
Festivities continued into the evening at Club Elevate in SLC, where a silent auction benefiting the Billy Poole Fund preceded music from Herban Empire and awards for the Ski Salt Lake Shootout film contest
“The Big LePowSki is pretty unique” muses Backcountry.com Athlete Wrangler and Pabst Blue Ribbon aficionado Jonny Atencio, “it’s not every Saturday you get to rip around with pros and learn about everything from line choices to the latest gear. It’s awesome, and Billy would definitely have been down for it.”
Jenn Berg has a posse
Thanks to Black Diamond, Arc’teryx, and all the pros and locals who showed up to make this such a kickass event. Backcountry.com, Discrete Headwear, Pieps, Fritschi Diamir, Winter Wildlands Alliance and Polartec also deserve a shout-out. Brighton Resort, props for keeping good snow and providing a super-chill venue.
Special appreciation from the editorial staff to Brandon for bringing the camp chairs and applejack brandy.
You can catch the Big LePowSki again if you happen to be in Switzerland or France this spring.
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- Jamey Parks makes you look like a gaper
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- Jenn Berg has a posse
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Tags: freeski, resorts, skiing
