Everyone trains differently. No way is the best way, but some ways are better than others. Canadian downhill racing badass Steve Smith broke onto the scene a couple years ago and has been crushing ever since. This didn’t happen on accident; Steve trains long and hard to be this fast. At the World Cup level, riders train all winter and come into the race season in better shape than most people ever achieve. Steve uses with a combination of downhill riding to stay loose and comfortable, sport-specific weight training to stay fit, and enduro riding on his moto to simulate the full-body stress of downhill races. Check out the vid for some training tips and some pretty good riding footy.
Gear Articles tagged ‘pro athletes’
The Cutting Edge: Dempster and Normand Climb Mt Edgar
By: Adam Riser | March 22nd, 2011Local SLC badass, full-time alpine climber, and part-time coffee slinger Kyle Dempster recently joined up with Bruce Normand to climb China’s West Face of Mt Grosvenor and the East Face of Mt Edgar. (In 2009, Mt Edgar’s East face tragically took the lives of Jonny Copp, Micah Dash, and Wade Johnson.)
On this successful ascent, Kyle found the objective hazard to be far higher than he would have liked. After running up the 3000-vertical-foot approach in only an hour, he and Bruce watched as a serac broke off and wiped out the entire valley where they had just been.
Their ascent of Edgar’s East Face earned Kyle and Bruce a Piolet d’Or nomination for the second year in a row. They won the 2010 award for the first ascent of the Great White Jade Heist on Xuelian West in China.
Below is Black Diamond‘s two-part interview with Kyle in which he talks openly about how he was affected by being on such a dangerous route. Read More …
Ski-Building with Cody Barnhill
By: Sam Peters | March 18th, 2011Alaska native, Backcountry.com athlete, 4FRNT pro skier, and product manager for the 4FRNT White Room series skis, Cody Barnhill doesn’t just cut clean lines and land terrifying airs. … He also presses a badass pair of skis. Last summer, we visited Cody at the 4FRNT facility and got to see how his Renegade ski is made. Peep the video to see what goes into hand-building a pair of highly coveted skis in the good ol’ U.S. of A.
2011 Subaru Freeskiier World Tour Highlights – Snowbird, UT
By: Sam Peters | March 16th, 2011Every March, skiers in the Salt Lake Area get to witness the world’s best compete at the Snowbird stop on the Subaru Freeskier World Tour. Backcountry.com pro athletes like Sage Cattabriga-Alosa and Drew Tabke show us what it takes to huck their meat off sketchy cliffs in variable snow conditions. Check the videos below to see the risks these pros take for the reward of a Sickbird medal, a tour stop podium placement, or in Drew Tabke’s case, an overall tour win. Congratulations Drew.
FWT Snowbird, UT – Day 1
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More SIA Trade Show Highlights with Backcountry.com Athletes: 4FRNT, TREW, & More
By: Sam Peters | March 11th, 2011Here, we showcase some of the sweetest 2011/2012 gear that we found at the SIA snowsports trade show in Denver this winter. We enlisted a few Backcountry.com pro athletes to do the ‘splainin’; these pros have journeyed farther, stayed out in the cold longer, and skied more intimidating mountains than most of us ever will. They rely on their gear to stay safe and warm in the worst elements; the bottom line is, they know their gear. So, check the vids below to get an exclusive sneak peak at what they are backing for next year.
Cody Barnhill – Discrete Headwear & 4FRNT Renegade Ski
Ice Climbing with Backcountry.com Athlete Stephen Koch – PART 2
By: Sam Peters | January 14th, 2011JOE’S VALLEY, UT — The desert sky was a comforting light blue and the air frosty as Stephen Koch traveled to central Utah to review ice climbing techniques on a local flow. Climbing up frozen H2O can be intimidating to say the least, but with an experienced climbing buddy guiding you, the right gear aiding your ascent, and solid physical strength and an adventurous spirit propelling you through the most challenging moves, it can be a rush and one hell of a workout.
So kick back and spend a few minutes watching Stephen Koch’s ice climbing tips. Whether you’ve been swinging tools for years or are just getting started and looking to soak up some insider beta, Stephen has something for you. This week’s videos cover basic crampon and ice axe techniques. Read More …
Congrats Backcountry Athletes – ESPN Vid Award Winners
By: Justin Mool | October 6th, 2010Grete Eliassen: Best Performance
With the MLB playoffs looming, ESPN.com found time to give props to the best of those other athletes: 2010 ESPN Action Sports Ski and Snowboard Video Awards. This list of editors’ picks compiled by Liam Gallagher (that couldn’t be this Liam Gallagher, right?) and Megan Michelson, focused on awarding “the 10 best in the most coveted of categories based on talent, creativity, gnarliness of tricks and terrain, editing and overall impact.”
We read through the list, and weren’t surprised to see Backcountry.com Team Athletes mentioned in nearly every category. Grete Eliassen and Jeremy Jones even took home honors for Best Female/Male Performances. Ahh yeah. Read More …
Power (Ski) Tripping: Plan Your Ski Trip
By: Andrew McLean | September 20th, 2010
Andrew McLean
It’s never too early to start thinking about your next epic ski trip. Backcountry.com Pro Athlete Andrew McLean, the StraightChuter himself, gives us the lowdown on how to effectively plan for your next ski adventure.
Being organized and prepared can often make up for any failings in your climbing and skiing ability. You can be the greatest ripper in the world, but if you can’t make it to the base of the peak, thou shall not shred. Read More …
Greg Hill 2 Mil: A Canadian Ski Mountaineer’s Attempt at a S—tonne of Vert
By: Kate Showalter | September 3rd, 2010
Ski mountaineer Greg Hill
How’s this for a New Year’s resolution: to climb and ski two million vertical feet (609,600 meters) in one year?
Lofty, we think (pun kinda intentional).
Canadian ski mountaineer Greg Hill has set out to do just that.
Where Are They Now? What BC Athletes Are Up To This Summer
By: Andy Anderson | July 27th, 2010
It's a rough life.
The athletes on the Backcountry.com Pro Team pretty much define the phrase ‘living the dream.’ From heli trips to big-mountain freeskiing comps to remote expeditions, these guys and girls have it made. So where does this army of powder junkies retreat to when the snow melts and flip flops take the place of ski boots? We called up a few to find out what they’re up to until the lifts fire up and the skin track is in. Read More …
Hook Me Up, Bro: The Rules of Swag
By: Adam Riser | October 28th, 20102 Comments »
Ryan Strong in desperate need of new gear after losing his pole in an avalanche.
“Dude, you work at Backcountry.com? Can you get me a deal on gear?” I cannot even count how many times I’ve heard these words. Pro skiers, sponsored climbers, shop employees, and even lifties know that it’s a rare week that goes by without someone asking this question. Unfortunately, the implications of this seemingly simple question can be surprisingly harsh. Under most circumstances hooking up a friend can cost an employee or athlete their job or sponsorship.
Most importantly, you need to understand that asking your friends this question puts them in a very difficult situation. Turning down your friends is a very hard thing to do, especially given the nature of partnership in mountain sports. “Dude, I dug you out of a damn avalanche last season. You’re seriously not going to help me get a hookup on boots?” There are cases where it’s OK to ask for a hookup, but if you want to avoid being a total ass and asking for the wrong things at the wrong time, then read on and see when you can get your hands on some swag and when you should keep your mouth shut and buy your own damn gear.
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Tags: gear, outdoor industry, pro athletes
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